Who Chess, Kay, Jean-Auguste, Caim, Contessa, Stacey, Romeo, Maria Where Maria's House, Contessa's House, Caim's Boston Home When THANKSGIVING What What not? Chess's prank on Jean going bad. (meaning yes there are scenes I never did post) Romeo realizing he's not actually been Jean's boyfriend all along. Kay not knowing how to carve a turkey. Chess's new family feels get overwhelmed and just want to go home, gets his feelings hurt, and runs off to the haunted mansion out of spite. Kay having an all out -Professor-Trewlawney-Vision- and Jean running off to find Romeo who's in the middle of suddenly facing off with all powerful dark witch Contessa. Where Kay smart mouth get magically sewn shut and where Caim is summoned and offers help -but not without a price of course- Kay selling his soul to save Chess? Warnings Language, Blood & Violence & near Death, Arguing. Status Still in Progress
Chess was more than excited because this was his first holiday with what was now considered his new family. It still felt weird with his own missing and gone from him, but really this was his own too, and he knew that. He felt it pretty strong. He put a lot of stock in it. Possibly far more than Jean did, who possibly only agreed to it because of Kay's warning words or future predictions. That wasnt' to say Jean didn't care. He just, had his own issues surrounding the word family so he and Kay were once again, not so very different after all. He had invited Romeo to come with him and there they stood at the door of Maria's house. What Romeo probably didn't know was Jean was expected to be at a couple other family events that weren't own too. "God I'm going to bust and explode by the time today is over. Just you watch when I get home this evening Rome. I'll be like a big potato sack that can't move Im going to eat so much." He knocked at the door. But, on the inside of the house Chess was helping happily in the kitchen doing whatever Maria told him he could help with. He suddenly looked up grinning like a fool, "We're going to find that wishbone Kay. You and me. And we're going to make a wish and break it. I'm going to win." He sounded confident as he stirred up a pot on the stove when his ears heard that knock at the door and he smirked. "I wonder if he'll bring me this week's rent" Chess was so snickering.
Kaydence and Maria had their own family tradition for thanksgiving and basically every other holiday that one might possibly celebrate, every year she invited him over for it and every year he never showed up but this time, well, Chess had definitely thrown a spanner in the works of their little tradition and it was something Maria couldn't have been happier about, Kay on the other hand still wasn't sure if it was the best idea, if it was the right thing but he went along with it and he would for as long as it had Chess smiling. "I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to pull you aside to give it to you." He chuckled out darkly, rolling his eyes a little before continuing to lay out the plates on the table top, staying clear of the kitchen though paying close attention to everything that was happening from the way Maria bustled about frantically preparing everything but still having enough time to stop and help Chess, not just telling him what to do but explaining it and teaching him as she went. When he heard the knock he looked up and moving his jacket off of one of the dining table chairs slipped it over teh back of the chair instead before making his way down the hall to answer the door. "Oh yeah?" Romeo asked with a grin, looking up at the taller male as he did so, blue-grey eyes shining with so much admiration it might actually be sickening to anyone from the outside looking in but he didn't care. Romeo fully believed that Jean-Auguste was his partner, that they were a couple, the sex had decided that hadn't it? Wasn't that one of Jean's worries all along? He'd said it himself, what if they didn't click in that way, it was the entire reason Romeo had gone against his own rule and heart and invited the other over to find out and it hadn't been bad, it had been wonderful and magical and perfect, at least he thought it had been? "Where else are you going?" He asked curiously, not thinking much of it, he'd never celebrated thanksgiving before and he smiled politely at Kay when the door was pulled open.
"I'll let him line my pocket too." Chess laughed still stirring and giggling when Maria showed up. Something about her just simply made him happy, her demeanor, her outlook on life, her fun personality, the way she'd smack Kay over the head. She was so perfect. "Can you let them in and tell them to stop being spineless twits and that knocking at doors is for losers. Tell them to just come in next time." It wasn't even Chess's house, but it was a family event, and to him, that's just how family events were supposed to work, right? But, back outside the door Jean was nodding to Romeo and shirked a shoulder. "Well I know Dad's gonna give me the 3second evil eye if I'm late again soooooo-" and he was about to say something else but thought he heard someone coming to the door, so he paused and turned to look at it, not finishing his list of Thanksgiving To-do's.
Romeo grinned a little the moment he heard that, shaking his head a little as he did so. "I bet you're used to that evil eye by now though, huh?" He teased, gently nudging Jean-Auguste in the side with his elbow before his eyes turned to the door when it was pulled open, offering Kay a smile which the older male of course didn't return, in fact Kay barely even spared him a second look as he opened the door and let them in before closing and locking it behind them. Romeo would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous, hell, he hadn't even been sure what to wear, he'd never done this before but once he remembered that he really didn't own anything other than two pairs of jeans, his pj's and three shirts deciding what to wear really hadn't been an issue, so there he was, following his nose down the hall toward the smell of food dressed in his usual baggy jeans, shirt and the suspenders hidden beneath his same grey trench coat, blue-grey eyes half hidden beneath dirty blonde hair as he reached the kitchen and looked around. He didn't wait for anyone to introduce him because he didn't think any of them would bother so he made his own way into the kitchen and over to the woman he didn't know, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek and a flower from his pocket. "You must be Maria, it's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Romeo."
"You know it." Jean confirmed laughing till he saw Kay and it was horrible really because there he was with Romeo, someone he genuinely liked, even if he didn't know anyone thought they were technically together officially or not, and he when he saw the blank face Kay, a married man made, Jean still got a flutter. He loved Kay and that was just plain never going to go away. He realized it right then. Not that he really thought they'd ever be anything... there was just a connection there he couldn't deny, a real attraction. He walked on in though as this is just how things were and went along seeing Chess and finding his heart melted seeing him too. Jean was a mess inside. He just cared so much about people he didn't really understand all his own feelings. Not even at all. Then there he was watching Romeo be so polite and pulling a little charm on Maria and he was smiling, though he didn't realize he was. He wore a soft grin as he watched Chess waved at them both and gave Romeo a nod. Chess ended up behind Kay and wrapped his arms around his middle as he said, "Wow, you guys are on time. And here I pegged Jean as the fashionably late type." He shook his head, "You're such a damn goodie goodie Jean." And jean laughed. "I'll get you back for that on Black Ops zombie edition man. You're going down." Then Chess retorded, "That's what you always say. Hasn't let to a victory yet." The moment started as their time together always did, predictable family.
Romeo was neither as innocent as it may have seemed nor was he a complete fool, with years worth of street credit to his name and a hobby was watching people just wishing he knew their stories and what made them tick gave him more help than he probably needed when it came to dealing with people, it was one of the reasons he was able to stand up face to face with Kay whenever they met and why the blank stare didn't affect him. No, Romeo St. Clair was anything but a fool, so why then had he fallen for Chess' lie so quickly when he'd told him Jean wanted to be his boyfriend that he'd give up everyone else just for him? It was simple really for a number of reason the first and foremost being that Romeo wanted it so badly to be the truth, he was willing to overlook anything that might hint toward the fact that the musician was messing with him and the second biggest reason, Romeo never wanted to change Jean-Auguste, he wouldn't change a single thing about him but after the conversation they'd had online before he'd invited him over the young Witch had been under the impression that the only thing keeping the Angel back from answering yes to him was that he didn't know if they'd click together when it came to being intimate. They had and it had been possibly the greatest night of Romeo's young life and besides, who wouldn't fall hard and fast for a man that spoke to him with such romantic words the way that Jean did? After the self introductions were made and after he'd helped Maria find a little vase to place that singular flower within, Romeo turned back around to look at Jean-Auguste. No, Romeo wasn't a fool, he was just as much hopelessly in love with the bat winged angel as the other was with the married couple in the room, and it was obvious, at least to Romeo whether Jean would ever admit his feelings toward the couple or not.
Hearing those words Kaydence smirked, one hand coming up to rest over the top of the musician's on his stomach, rolling his eyes as he listened to the two of them. "Wait, I'm pretty sure there was that one time when he beat your high score...oh wait...no there wasn't, no one saw it and it wasn't saved." He drawled out, hazel eyes locked on Jean before Maria bustled past them and started laying dishes piled with food out onto the table. "Oh stop teasing the boy, Kayden and finish setting the table."
Jean called out, "yeah, quit teasing the boy. That so deserves a smack on the head". Chess walked by and said "Yeah it sure does" and whapped him one as he sat down in a chair at the table. "Fuck" Jean said automatically without thinking when he got hit. But, he followed and sat down at the table too, pulling the chair next to him for Romeo.
Kaydence rolled his eyes once more and went about helping carrying the food over to the table while Romeo automatically moved to help too without being ask nor invited to, Maria didn't seem to mind though and even after just meeting him she had no trouble at all treating him like family and putting him to work on pouring some non-alcoholic cider into glasses for everyone, asking him where he was from, what he did for a living and if he'd ever celebrated thanksgiving before in France but once he'd finished filling the glasses on the table she let him take his seat when Jean pulled it out for him. Taking his seat beside Chess Kaydence let his eyes roam over the table slowly as Maria sat down, he honestly couldn't remember if they'd ever done this before, if they had he was too young to remember. "You know." Maria was the first to break his boarding depressing thoughts by speaking as she turned her large brown eyes from him to Chess. "I'm very glad you came, I was honestly expecting this one to be a no show again."
"Oh well that won't happen again...not with me at the helm..." But then his voice slowed as he really thought the concept through and he couldn't stop himself, he said, "Unless we runaway to our island and never return." Yeah, he totally said it which sounded like silly stuff but he totally meant it. Also, Then Jean glanced at Kay more than he did at Chess on that one. He got decently worried that might really happen too. He knew Chess too well and he'd mention it sometimes but to say it in front of Maria Jean knew Chess really meant it. "Sooooooooo anyway. What are your plans today Big Brother Jean?" Chess stared the angel down like he committed a sin. "Seriously, I gotta hear I have twins to play with through Stacey man? Really?" Jean's jaw dropped. He hadn't told anyone he'd gotten new sisters that he could remember.
Maria paused when she heard that but kept herself busy by rearranging some of the food on the table into better positions while Kaydence said nothing on the matter, he remembered exactly where the idea of moving to a secluded island no one knew a thing about had come from, it had been him, he'd told Chess that his ideal place to live in the future would be somewhere alone on an island with no one around for miles and miles, naturally the musician had worked his way into that plan and before he had Kay had never really expected it to happen, now though, if it was what Chess wanted, the younger male had every intention of seeing it through. "Oh, I meant to ask your dad but I forgot, what are their names?" Romeo butted in, his eyes on the Angel beside him. "I bet they both have the same blue eyes too." He mused, his own blue-grey set studying the other's face but shifted when Maria slid the turkey in front of Kay with the carving knives, a slight frown making its way onto his blonde brow as he saw the look on the other's face as he was asked if he'd like to do the honours. Great. Fucking great, as if the whole family situation wasn't uncomfortable or embarrassing enough she had to just go and do that in front of everyone!?! As usual though, despite his screaming turmoil of sarcastic thoughts Kayden's facial expression didn't change much, maybe he could pass this off as though it wasn't a big deal, yeah fucking right, everything was a big deal to Chess and Jean. Fuck. "No, I haven't the slightest idea how to carve a fucking turkey." He grumbled out, hell, if he'd been alone embarrassment would have burned his cheeks red but he kept it back, not bothering to push his black hair away from his face where it had fallen slightly forward just in case he needed it to hide any embarrassment that could have possibly leaked through and instead slid the carving knife along the table in front of Chess.
Chess really did still think about it and it was his plan. Maybe Kay didn't realize exactly how close they could be to leaving at the drop of any emotion that would be too much for Chess to handle. If it ever got too much - he planned on running. He had the money to do it, all it took then was enough pain or enough anxiety to push him over the edge. But, when Jean heard about the eyes he smiled. "They're blondes. Daddy wanted blonde babies so bad and he got it." Chess chuckled hearing him use the term Daddy. "I think there's a hint of green in them, but yes blue." Then Jean pulled his wallet a showed everyone a photograph. http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2011/06/13/Interactivity/Images/mko1.jpg "I'm bringing them to your house Kay. When I want to get out of babysitting." Chess clapped like it was good thing. "Hooker likes babies" but really Chess still had that part of him that thought of his own loss, the child he lost. When he saw babies, he saw what he'll never have. Or at least that's what he believed. "Their names are..." But Chess filled it in as if Stacey already told him. "And if you don't bring 'em soon for me to play with I'm going to leave all the diapers in your bed. I'm your landlord dude. I totally have a key. You'll rue the day you forgot to tell me I say." Chess played. Then Chess looked at Kay when he was all embarrassed about the carving. "Awww babe. I know what I'm doing." Chess said standing up in his spot and instead of focusing on what Kay couldn't do he got all stoked on what he could. "Dad let me do it sometimes if I wasn't drunk." It came out of his mouth like it was so normal to say. "And if we were both drunk Ma would do it. But, I totally got this." And he leaned over it and started hacking away, "Let me show you'all how a man does this." It was his father's words as if carving the turkey was something Chess had to earn as a kid and somehow even at his age it was imprinted in his mind to be that way.
Romeo listened to the banter go back and forth again but his attention and focus seemed to stay on the photograph Jean showed him, a large smile on his lips. "Why did he want blonde so badly?" He asked, genuinely curious as he studied the photograph for a moment longer before handing it back, about to say something else before Kay interrupted. "Yeah well you and Hooker can play parents while I'm not in the house." He grumbled before watching his husband start to carve up the turkey but it was that last spoken sentence that had him raising an eyebrow at his partner, a smirk upon his lips as he leaned his arm against the back of the chair and made himself comfortable. "You sayin' I ain't a man, pumpkin?" He drawled out long and slow, his eyes filled with challenge.
"Oh, simple. Us triplets all got Daddy Jules' hair because, I mean, ya know? He was the one that got to mix the shake. My Paps was always a vampire when we were growing up, I guess the whole time my parents knew each other, hundreds of years ya know. He couldn't have children. But, since the curse was lifted, he has that ability now. Soooo, getting my Pap's blonde hair this round was sort of special to them" He shirked watching Chess trim that turkey. Then Chess heard Kay's challenge and he rose his own brow, "Did I say that sugar lumps? Did I?" Then he winked something wicked and kept carving trying to look like a pro just to be a little shit.
Romeo hadn't thought of that but the idea that Jeremie, even though he'd never met him, now had biological children of his own made him smile, his mind wondering what it was like for Jean-Auguste to have two new siblings that he wasn't technically related to but that wasn't so unusual was it? Thousands of people had families that possessed no biological relation and loved them just the same so he kept his mouth shut and fell quiet, choosing not to say anything on the matter as those blue-grey eyes turned back to Kay and Chess, eyebrows raised. "Oh I do believe that you did." Kaydence drawled out, a look on his face that said pure evil despite his relaxed seated position. "Careful, pumpkin, I might start regretting that promise I made to never threaten to withhold sex from you."
Of course to Jean-Auguste if asked would be confused. He didn't think of them as non-biological because either way, those were his parents, his parents children. He never thought of himself as not related to Jeremie. He wouldn't think of himself as not related to his sisters either. Nor did he see himself a part of the surrogate that carried them, so in his mind, it was just family...so used to being composed of something not so traditional, it never entered his mind. "Regret means nothing baby. Because you don't break your promises or I give you the face....THE face. As long as I still get it, we're good." Then he blew a kiss at him over the turkey.
Kaydence rolled his eyes at that and reached for one of the dinner rolls on the table, breaking it in half over his plate and began eating. "Right, sure, keep telling yourself you'll still get it, I dare you." His drawl continued to respond and the sight had Romeo snickering as his gaze shifted between one man to the next, he'd never seen a couple argue so much and though he wasn't entirely sure that it was a good thing it sure was making their thanksgiving feast interesting.
Chess didn't consider this arguing. He considered it foreplay. He liked having Kay a little riled up sometimes. But, that was for him to find humorous, not Romeo... and for some reason his eyes rolled over to the look on Romeo's face. "Keep your eyes to yourself. You haven't earned the right to look all up on this." He referred to this as him and Kay like they were just hot shit and Romeo was watching porn. "Just cuz Jean's been there doesn't give you a VIP pass." Then his eyes glanced over at Kay and snickered after their last convo where they opened up some about that stuff. And because Kay was the only one in the room that knew Chess had every intention of fucking around with Romeo's head just to mess with Jean... still not revealing the date he knew about yet. But that was coming soon enough
Romeo blinked when he heard that, he was sitting right across from Kay so it was kind of hard not to look at him, not that he'd thought he had been looking at something he wasn't supposed to be, they were sitting at a dinner table for christ sake, last he checked people were suppose to converse and at least talk at these sorts of things. Yes, he had in fact googled it the night before. "Aaaalright." He spoke out slowly, deciding to play along and looked toward Chess before closing his eyes altogether. "Where am I safely allowed to look then?" He asked while Maria rolled her eyes in a very Kay fashion and clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she shook her head, eyes fixed on Chess. "You're not too old to get hit on the head, Chester Clementine." Alright, so maybe that had Kay smirking a little too much behind the rim of his glass as he took a drink, his shoulders practically shaking with amusement, it was about damn time someone else got it upside the head.
"Don't do it Maria. You don't know what you'll be starting." Chess wasn't about to let his game get fucked up by Maria. "I don't let women hit me. It's a thing." There was a slight bite in his tone that probably shouldn't have been, but something in him snapped, just a little bit. Chess always did have that way about him when his past was triggered. He told Kay about his old controlling girlfriends' - he wasn't so sure how much detail he really revealed. But, Kay met Chess right at the point in his life where he'd decided to fuck relationships all together and definitely fuck women. He'd been a little too abused because of his gullible nature and nature of looking for the good in people, even when it wasn't always there. But, then he put his eyes on Romeo. "Don't talk like a ignorant weirdo at the table. I'm trying to have a family dinner here." For some reason Chess was stewing now and that was never a good thing. Jean knew it. He could tell. He tried to destract him before it got worse. "Hey Chess you up for some COD tonight?"
There was a tone in Chess' voice that made both Romeo and Maria fall silent, one started to pile some vegetables onto her plate and the other opened his eyes again and dropped them to the table top in front of him, mumbling out an apology as he reached for his glass and took a sip of apple cider just to give himself something to do while Kaydence ignored the little outburst altogether and continued eating the bread roll he'd put on his plate, Chess had been the one who wanted to do the whole thanksgiving thing, the one who wanted the whole family crap, if he wanted to spend the night pissed off at the world then so be it, his choice right and what kind of husband would Kay be if he tried to change that? Romeo on the other hand was more affected by it than he let on, genuinely worried that he'd done something terribly wrong he still hadn't been sleeping for more than an hour or two a night and was mentally kicking himself for not being better prepared for this type of situation, he'd have to be more careful from now on about what he said, way more careful.
Jean laid his hand on Romeo's leg. He tried to warn Romeo. This was why he didn't want to bring one of his other dates. He really did try to warn him. But, Jean knew what he was doing because Chess looked up as he finished the turkey and smiled. "Fuck yeah my little bat baby. It's so on tonight." Jean's eyes scanned everyone trying to see where everyone was at in the situation while Chess seemed oblivious to any of it, just doing his thing. Then some video game strategy conversation started to take place between the two and it seemed everything was just fine... so it seemed. Jean managed to take his mind elsewhere...
While Maria busied herself piling food onto her own plate along with everyone else's both Kay and Romeo listened to the video game talk go back and forth though neither looked as though they were paying much attention, Kaydence started eating while Romeo who had been bouncing his knee nervously and hidden from view beneath the table still the action instantly the moment he felt the soothing touch of Jean's hand against his leg, his attention diverting instead to the lone flower that had been placed in a small vase on top of the table, the one he'd given to Maria. For a moment the young witch's fingers absentmindedly played with the petals before they wandered down along teh green stem, he didn't even think before he did it, it was so automatic that it was practically an instinct now and he watched the stem grow a little longer, form thirsty roots that stretched down to the small amount of water at the bottom of the vase before another stem sprouted forming two more flowers. Kaydence ignored it the best he could, thinking that by his glare Romeo would get the point to stop but soon enough his patience wore thin and a sound somewhat akin to a growl escaped his throat, his temples throbbing. "You know I'm really starting to hate you, kid." He spoke out slowly, his voice low, oh well, Chess had said that he wanted to give the guy hell right?
Right when things were about to be settled, or so Jean thought, Romeo just had to go using magic around Kay. That and Chess never did get along. Chess's face shot back to Romeo and then to Jean too. "Jesus H Fuck you retard. Didn't you train your pet before you brought him up in here?" He spoke to Jean who he was just talking all nicey nice to.
Romeo just looked lost as he looked up the moment he was snapped at again but this time by both of them, eyebrows raised in shock and confusion before he realized what he was doing and quickly moved his hand away from the flowers. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea that Jean had asked him over for this one, Romeo was comfortable around Jean and on top of that Chess' words of 'welcome to the family' had him feeling almost at home, he hadn't even realized what he was doing but once he had he quickly took note not to let his guard down again around them. "Jean-Auguste didn't do anything. I'm sorry alright, I forgot, if you're going to be bad be mad at me." He told Chess instantly the moment he heard him yelling at Jean for his own slip up and he wasn't just going to sit there and listen to that happen.
: Chess shook his head, "Yeah don't worry about it. Just eat your free meal Charity case." Chess just pulled out an awful lot of nasty for a holiday. But what was a family holiday with out an annual holiday melt down right? er... right. yeah. He sat down and started to eat. Chess was irritated. He was used to family melt downs during the holiday, but he was used to his own family's problem's, not his new family's problems, and really he didn't consider Romeo a part of that, like at all. He was a much bigger target here while Chess was feeling out his new family situation all together. He was just getting used to having a new one and loved the idea but already it was like someone was intruding on it before he got a chance to get to know them himself. "And you-" he said referencing Jean. "-you should bring a different date to Christmas. I kinda like that dark haired girl you introduced me to the other day. And that hot blonde too." Jean's eyes popped and was wondering how Chess even knew about the blonde. But, Chess pulled out the photo and tossed it across the table. "That one." Then he leaned against Kay and whispered so Maria didn't have to hear. "I don't think I'm ready for this." He wasn't talking about Romeo or Jean... "How long do we have to stay?" Kay would know right then for sure... Chess was on edge. Chess only wanted to run and hide when he was about to blow.
Charity case? Did he just call him a charity case?! And all this coming from the man he'd just mailed cash to so that he wouldn't throw Jean-Auguste out of his home and onto the street? Romeo opened his mouth to say something that probably would have ended up not so kind but he stopped himself the moment he heard the next words out of the musician's mouth, his entire body freezing. He sat there in ever questioning silence and watched the photograph being tossed across the table, holding his breath as he watched Chess pick it up, his heart literally faltering inside of his chest when he saw the date on the back of it. Just like that the pieces of the puzzle began to finally fit themselves together, the reason by Chess had called him family but then acted as though he was the furthest thing from it and with the realization came those words of warnings of Jean-Auguste's, Jean had called Chess a liar...Romeo had been naive enough to believe every spoken word out of his mouth. It took Romeo a long time to realize he needed to breathe again and when he finally released the breath he'd been holding it rushed out of him so quickly it left him dizzy, wide, confused eyes watching Chess, trying to desperately to figure out what was going on. His chest felt too tight, his airway felt constricted as though there was something stuck in there and his stomach had dropped so low he was pretty sure it had reached hell itself because nothing else should have been able to make him feel so ill. "I don't care." Kaydence replied with a shrug. "We're good to go whenever you are, this was your idea remember." He added but Romeo heard it and was already shaking his head, his face completely composed as though nothing had happened, the only giveaway being the tightness in his jaw as he clenched his teeth to
hold everything back but that could have been perceived as any number of things. This was all a joke to them, some stupid, sick prank and Romeo hated to think it but he couldn't help but wonder if Jean-Auguste was in on it, was that why he'd asked him to move in with him? To play along and make the whole thing feel authentic. "No, it's okay. I have to head into work anyway and I'd rather not be late again." He spoke out slowly, his voice a little too composed as he looked to Maria and smiled sincerely even though he had to force it out; this wasn't her fault after all. "Thank you, for allowing me into your home and for the meal." He told her even though his plate was still untouched, his eyes found Kay next. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. I really wasn't thinking...." He trailed off as he looked to Chess, eyes dark with emotional torment and hurt before he pushed it back once more and glanced toward Jean as he rose from his chair and left the table. "If I see your dad on the way through I'll tell him you'll try not to be late." His eyes didn't stay on Jean though, they didn't even meet his gaze.
Chess rolled his eyes at Romeo getting up and trying to leave. He didn't seem fazed by Romeo's look at all. As a matter of face it was like checked out, the light went off, Chess's wall was just completely up. He couldn't even seem to have any fun with his own prank and not because it was of bad nature, but because nothing went right. He wanted to do it and laugh but instead he was doing it out of anger then and the intent that motivated his words wasn't how he planned on feeling this day. He got up and hugged Maria from behind and whispered in her ear. "I gotta go Maria. Sorry for fucking with your holiday. I love you, so much. I'm not good enough for a new family. I just gotta go now." Then Jean on the other side was telling Chess he'd show up later to catch some midnight COD with him as usual. Then he went for Romeo and went with him to the next room, "Hey now. I'm sorry. I told you how they were." Jean was clueless still that Romeo thought they were partners, at least thought it was official anyway.
Well wasn't this a fantastic family dinner, at least it was just as fucked as Kaydence thought it would have been and though disappointed that they were all leaving so quickly having barely eaten a thing or enjoyed themselves Maria was honestly happy that they'd showed in the first place it really was more than she had expected Romeo on the other hand felt as though he was about to pass out, his hands were shaking so badly he put them in his pockets and did his best to stop himself from wanting to throw up as he made his way down the hall, Jean's words stopped him though and made him turn even when he didn't want to, even when he thought as though he couldn't bear it, he needed to get out, he needed to be alone and most of all he needed air, he felt like he was suffocating and the flowers on the table were paying the price, even though he was no longer in the room, the petals began to dry, shrivel and curl. "No. Don't be sorry, you don't need to be sorry, it's not that." Romeo replied quickly, his words rushed and in French. "I just...I fell for some sick fucking joke that I shouldn't have...it's not your fault. I really need to go or I'll be late, it's okay I know the way back...I'll catch up with you later, enjoy the rest of your thanksgiving." He told him honestly, eyes locking with brilliant blue for a brief moment, filled with so much awe and admiration for the angel before he turned and made his way down the hall without another word, closing the door behind him on the way out.
Kaydence stayed in his seat while Chess said his goodbye to Maria, picking up his glass for another drink when the door closed and he froze. Every muscle in the young man's body tensed, his breath hitched in his throat and the glass he was holding slipped from his glass and hit the floor, smashing into tiny pieces but he didn't notice, he didn't notice anything. His eyes glued wide open, staring but not seeing the empty chair across from him that Romeo had previously occupied, his pupils shrank and vanished until all that was left was hazel. Everything was still in the dining room that vanished from around him, he didn't breathe, he didn't move and not even his hand took up the motion of sketching this time around.
"Late for what?" Jean asked looking confused and a little desperate to keep talking to him before he left. "I uhh" He heard the glass break. "I'll see you at home Baby-face." He said in a rush going back to see what was going on, his protective instincts overriding whatever drama had happened between Chess and Romeo. He walked into the sight of Chess having jumped to Kay's and was holding onto him really tight, just hugging the side of him. He didn't know what to do. He just wanted it to go away. Jean saw the worry in Chess's eyes first and accessing the situation came next, looking closer at Kay and then up to Maria. "Is he breathing? Is his heart beating? Can you feel a pulse?" Jean was going down all the human vitals. "He'll be alright, just wait it out." Maria replied softly, speaking to everyone in the room, her large brown eyes not once leaving Kaydence. "He's seeing the world through a different place." She explained slowly. "You can tell by his eyes, no black, no pupil, just pure colour. He'll come back from wherever he's gone soon enough." Her words were calm despite her intense gaze to the man she had always viewed and loved as her own child, it wasn't the first time she'd seen this but it had been a very long time indeed since she'd witnessed it.
Once out of the house Romeo walked as fast as he could out into the cold, windy night, the temperature was dropping into winter and he was shivering beneath his thin, old clothes but he ignored it all, he couldn't believe that he'd been so stupid, he couldn't believe that he'd fallen so completely for Chess' harsh lies, he couldn't believe that one little lie could possibly make his chest hurt so badly. He wished he was invisible, he wanted to be anywhere at that moment but on the streets of Boston, he wanted to be home, he wanted to be in his own bed and he never wanted to leave it ever again and he was convinced that if he kept telling himself that it would make it true since the real truth was, that all he could think about, all he really wanted was to feel safe and wrapped up tight in Jean's arms. Suddenly he stopped though, his feet came to a standstill and refused to take him any further, something was happening though both too young and too inexperienced to realize what Romeo suddenly felt afraid, as though he'd just walked into one of his nightmares Even beneath his trench coat his skin rose into bumps of gooseflesh that had nothing to do with the cold, his breathing slowed though was still visible as fog when it hit the contrasting air that surrounded him and before he'd even become aware of it, every single one of his senses became far too aware of his surroundings though he was nowhere familiar, just some nameless street on the way to the arcade or at least in the general direction of it. No, it wasn't his surroundings that were familiar, it was the feeling, the feeling of magic in the air so strong that it tickled his skin, so dark that it threatened to choke him and he'd felt it before, the exact same a very long time ago, eleven years to be exact. He heard the scream of the early teen before he saw her running, he couldn't get a good look at her in the dark but he didn't have to, the moment he saw blood Romeo was running toward her, he didn't think before he tackled her rather ungracefully to the ground, his body hunched right over the trembling form of the young stranger as though he were a human shield.
Romeo's powers always had been unpredictable, he never could seem to control them when he tried or when he'd wanted to but hours upon hours and days of sleepless nights spent pouring over spell books and trying to learn and understood everything he possibly could about the world he was a part of paid off, he just didn't realize it. The wind picked up, harsh and bitter cold and as it raced through the trees and surrounding gardens leaves, twigs and flowers alike were blown right at Romeo and the girl he'd thrown himself on top of forming make-shift symbols on the ground around them in a perfect little circle as the words of the protecting spell slipped from the young Witch's lips in Latin. Subconsciously Romeo may have been powerful, he might have been able to remember the spell in the back of his mind and make it work but the cold harsh truth was simply that he really was no match for Contessa Wilde, the dark witch that had taken part in his mother's death first hand.
Minutes ticked by and still Kaydence didn't move but when he did it wasn't to breathe, that came next, first his head turned, away from the chair he'd been facing, away from Chess and away from Maria, his pupils not even fully present yet as his hazel gaze found Jean-Auguste and as his eyes returned to normal, the colour drained from his face, the palms of his hands were coated with a chilled sweat and there was a fear that gripped him so tightly that if he hadn't mastered teh art of pushing things aside and ignoring his own mind and body long ago it might have threatened to destroy him. No, not this time, he knew exactly what he needed to do and he remembered every single little part of what he'd just seen, another first in a very long time. "When you asked me if it was worth it." He spoke slowly, eyes completely serious and locked with blue. "Were you asking because of him?"
Chess had ended up knelt down at the side of Kay's chair and had his head on his lap just waiting things out like Maria said. He watched Kay go into those drawing fits so often and it didn't scare him so much anymore. He trusted this would pass too if Maria said so. But, that didn't mean he wasn't nervous, nervous enough to have shakey hands that looked nothing short of the shakes he used to get all the time when he didn't drink and he just kept smoothing over a spot on Kay's jean's over and over by his knee. Jean watched with a different concern once he realized he wasn't having a seizure that would need human-doctor type of attention. He knew better. He'd seen too many mystics growing up with Jules as a father. He was also taught as a demon to be mindful of 'the eyes' and how to detect them. He just wasn't ready to think about and his gaurds were down for the holiday. He just wanted to get through the meal. When Kay caught Jean's eyes and he saw the seriousness of the question he asked very simply without answering the question, "What did you see?"
Kaydence shook his head slowly, still not fully aware of his entire surroundings again but slowly coming back into the land of the living nonetheless and back enough to know that whether he had even wanted to reveal what he saw he couldn't, he had a deal with Caim and Kaydence was not willing to sacrifice Chess safety by betraying what little trust was there with the demon. "I need an answer, Jean. Right here, right now, you shouldn't have to think about it. Would you start a war for him?" The seriousness was all there, in his eyes, his voice, there was no time for avoiding questions, unless of course the answer was no, then by all means, they had all the time in the world to sit and play avoidance.
"Really? I shouldn't have to think about it? You of all people know that's a god damn lie. You took forever to admit your shit to Chess." He sneered even. He was just like Kay in some ways. He sorta knew what he felt for Romeo because their time together was far too powerful not to. But there was also a reason he hadn't asked him to just be partners for real yet too. Kay always said he was too selfish to let Chess go. When he asked that of Kay he got the answers that all made Kay happy. It was worth it when he saw him smile. It was worth it when he woke to him every morning. Him Him Him him him. This was the one place where Kay and Jean may have differed, MAY HAVE... Jean hadn't made his decision to move forward yet or not. He still wasn't sure his own happiness was worth screwing up Romeo's existence for. He really wasn't. Jean had this divine streak down his back that was very sacrificial and considered all the time that his own happiness was the worth the sacrifice to save the other from what would eventually come if he allowed Romeo in. First Kay just asked him if he asked the question over Romeo, but now the anty was upped. "Fuck this." Jean wasn't going to answer based on pressure. He wasn't ready to jump up and declare something life changing in a heartbeat. He was a slow mover and this was too fast for him. "... it depends on who the war was against. But, I'd start one against anyone for you or Chess." There was too much divinity in Jean even as a quarter angel that wouldn't allow that question to be answered. Jean heard enough. Whatever it was Kay was going on about meant that it was something bad about Romeo and that was enough for him to go on. "I'm sorry about your head. I love you. Forgive me." Then he poofed out of the room knowing it would affect Kay's head and he was gone. Chess looked up at Kay then from his lap still smoothing over his pant leg with his shakey hand. "That's why we can choose 4, not 5." Then he closed his eyes against Kay's lap again, "3 is easier. 2 is Best. I want to go home."
Admitting it to Chess and what I fucking felt for him are two completely different motherfucking things Jean!" Kaydence snapped at him, he didn't have time for this, he wasn't asking the young quarter angel to confess his feelings for the young Witch, if he even had any that is, he was asking him what he felt, deep down because right then Kay needed to know if the French guy he knew basically nothing about was worth risking his own goddamn neck for, if he was just another friend with benefits to Jean then it wasn't worth it, he had plenty more of them. Hell if Jean had even told him what it was that he was thinking, that his own happiness wasn't worth the destruction and chaos it brought upon Romeo's life then that would have been answer enough for Kay to know what he had to do. "What?! Don't you fucking dare! Jean! Wai-" And just like that the motherfucker was gone and Kaydence was left with a headache that threatened to blind him yet again and a rage toward the other that made him want to break the little wanna-be punks nose, hell he wanted to do more than that, he wanted to chain him to something and choke the damn life out of him with his bare hands, he wanted to strangle him, he wanted to watch the damn light leave those beautiful blue eyes. "FUCK!" Just like that, without even a glance to Chess Kaydence was on his feet, his hand roughly ripping his leather jacket off the back of the chair he'd been sitting on but it wasn't until he pulled out his glock from one of its pockets did those hazel eyes finally find Chess, locking with his own so similar in colour but far more stunning than Kay's could ever hope to be, his hand unscrewing the silencer from his own weapon, placing it on the table for the musician along with a new bullet clip. "I'm sorry, with him gone I need you to stay here, I need you to protect her. You shoot anything that approaches this house you understand me, even if it's me." It was only half true, Jean-Auguste being gone had nothing to do with it, he couldn't have Chess meeting his mother and it was one more reason why his anger seethed in Jean's direction once more, with him gone having left the way he did there was no one there to watch Chess' back, to keep him safe...or maybe there was.
Caim...I need you to keep an eye on Chess, no one gets in this house and no one leaves after that door closes behind me, you hear me? He hoped it worked, he really did because the truth was that Kay didn't want to do this, he didn't want to go and face his mother for a guy that probably wasn't even worth it to begin with but he didn't have a choice anymore and he knew it, if Jean-Auguste found Romeo before he did then it would be all over, Jean, angel or not, didn't stand a chance against Contessa Wilde, a woman that could bend energy to her will and what was magic, even angel magic if not energy. No, Kaydence wasn't about to let Jean die for this, nor was he the type to go all self sacrificing for others, Contessa knew nothing about him, she hadn't stuck around that long, if she drained anything from him all that she'd find herself left with was one motherfucking bad ass headache because that bitch had a mile long line of ghosts following her around.