You Might Not Believe In Me

Who: Eden and Ian
What: The first date night for our new parents
When: Evening
Where: Their flat and then out


“I can’t thank you again for this, love. You know I wouldn’t leave him with anyone else,” the bathroom door was open just a crack, Eden calling out to Juniper through it while she finished getting ready. “Bloody hell, I think I’ve lost my touch.” She sighed heavily and flipped off the light, stepping back into her bedroom. “I’ve spent so long pregnant or in mummy mode that I don’t quite remember how to dress like a slag anymore,” Eden quipped with a smile, perching next to Jun on the edge of her bed long enough to strap herself into her shoes for the night. She didn’t care if they were just going for sandwiches and she was the most over-dressed girl in the entire place, she’d given Ian fair warning that she was wearing heels….and something designer. It’d been far too long since she’d had a reason to dip into that expansive wardrobe of hers and longer still since she could fit into most of it – apparently bespoke couture was not really intended to follow you through pregnancy. But it had been a few months now and between breast feeding, chasing Liam and Charlie around and pure exhaustion, she’d gotten off a good portion of what she’d put during those nine months; there were still a few stubborn pounds that didn’t seem to want to budge, but for now, Eden could live with those. “It feels like ages since I’ve been a real adult, gone out and done adult things.” Especially things that involved Ian, given that the two hadn’t dated all that long before she’d gotten pregnant. Was it a sign of her old age that she was looking forward to just a simple dinner with him, that maybe a glass of wine after so long was going to be the high light? “Come here gorgeous boy,” she leaned down to scoop Liam off the mattress where he’d been playing beside Jun and Jory, settling him on her hip, “let’s go and find da, shall we? Then we’ll say good-bye and leave you with Crazy Aunt Jun and your very best friend.” Eden chuckled, flipping off the bedroom light as the three made their way down the hall to where Ian waited, comfortable on the sofa beside Charlie.

“I think I’m nearly ready to go. I’ve gotten quicker now, thanks to this one,” she joked, giving Liam a squeeze. You had to be quick about getting ready with such a little one around, they couldn’t be left alone for long. Of course, that meant that Ian hadn’t had to wait as long as he might have otherwise. “Alright, off you go,” Eden pressed a kiss to Liam’s temple and handed him over to Jun before she could let those ‘new-mum-first-time-away-from-their-baby’ doubts to set in and moved to retrieve her purse from the counter, slinging the tiny chain over her shoulder as she dropped her cell phone into it. Now, the key was getting out the house, and quickly, before she had a chance to second guess herself. Thankfully, Ian seemed more than aware, already up off of the couch and headed over to say his good-byes as well. “I’m sure we won’t be too late, but just call if you need anything, love.” She trusted Juniper with her son’s life, let alone her own, so there wasn’t a reason for Eden to worry – but there was the off chance that Jun wouldn’t be able to find something she was looking and a phone call would save her the stress. “Ready?” she slipped her hand into Ian’s, lacing slender fingers through his own, “I’ll let you drive, as I plan on having a drink tonight and we all know that right about now my tolerance is non-existent.” If she wasn’t done in by a single glass of wine, Eden would honestly be amazed. Her doctor had assured her that a little now and then wouldn’t hurt, that it would even be beneficial if she had a hard time producing milk, but she just couldn’t bring herself to risk anything. But tonight was a special occasion and she didn’t plan on going overboard with it, so it seemed like an alright idea.

Her hand in his, she followed Ian out the front door and down the walkway to the drive, leaving Jun and the two little ones safely behind. “Oh my god, I am that mum,” she muttered, as if she couldn’t quite believe it, “I am internally freaking out right now about the fact that I’ve just left Liam.” Nevermind that it was with the person, outside of Ian, that she trusted with him most. It made getting in the car that much more urgent because leaving the flat behind greatly decreased her chances of marching back in there and never leaving again. But she could do this – it was just a couple of hours and it was going to be fun; Eden did her best to tamp down that maternal panic, settling into the passenger’s seat next to Ian. “I haven’t even asked you where we’re off too tonight,” she realized, glancing over at him. “Going to share your secrets?”

Who: Juniper, baby Jory, Ian, Eden and eventually baby Liam
What: Liam's arrival
When: Early afternoon
Where: The park, then off to the hospital

“This is bloody torture at this point,” Eden grumbled playfully at Juniper’s back, trudging along behind her with Charlie as she pushed Jory through the park. Their daily walks hadn’t let up in recent months – if anything, they’d gotten longer as the weather had started to warm up. Now it was July, the heart of the summer, the sun was shining overhead and Eden was due any day now. She was ready for Liam to make his highly anticipated entrance, given that she’d finally reached that part of pregnancy where nothing was fun and everything was uncomfortable. Ian deserved a medal just for putting up with her lately, especially given her unpredictable moods, her inability to get comfortable enough to sleep – for just dealing with her. “Alright, really, no more walking for the pregnant lady for the moment,” there was only so much she could take this far along and the benches lining their usual path were just far too tempting today. Charlie hurried over to hop up next to her, nosing at her hand as if he could sense her discomfort. Dragging her fingers through the hair at the nape of the little dog’s neck, she smile gratefully as Juniper came to rest beside her. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve been a bit of a wanker lately. I just feel so bloody miserable,” Eden stretched out her legs, running a hand over the curve of her stomach, “I’m just so bloody ready for him to be here.” She might not have been looking forward to the pain of labor, but she wasn’t honestly sure how much more of this whole pregnancy she could take either.

“I don’t know how you did this. You made it look so easy, you bitch,” Eden joked, narrowing her eyes playfully. There had been moments when Juniper had looked uncomfortable, but they had seemed to be so few and far between from what she’d seen of her. It reassured her to watch her best friend and Jory now, to see the two of them together and know that all of the pain, the sweat, the discomfort would be worth it. Eden knew that, of course, but it was an entirely different thing to be able to watch it. Jory’s strolled was turned to face the two of them where they sat for the moment, a little giggle bubbling out of him as Charlie licked at Eden’s fingers. “I can’t believe how much he’s grown already,” he was just shooting up like a little weed, up to something new every time that she saw him. “Jaida mentioned that Cal finally went back to work full time. How’s that working out for the lot of you?” It had been like pulling teeth from what Eden had heard, the new da still relatively unhappy with being pulled away. But Vivian wasn’t the type of woman to give him endless leave and, besides he made more than decent money in his position. Given that their hadn’t been any more high-profile attacks against places like the bar he managed, business had started to boom once again.

A sudden twinge in the pit of Eden’s stomach had her shifting, pressing a hand to where it had come from, her discomfort evident in the way her features suddenly drew together. She waited a moment for it to pass, thinking maybe it was just a harmless little cramp, but another bright burst of pain followed after a moment. “Jun, I think we might need to start back for the car…” Something wasn’t right, it was a sudden realization that washed over her. Whatever this was, it wasn’t ok. “I’m having a bit of cramps or something, I don’t really…” The sudden wetness on her thighs sent Eden upright in a flash, gaze dropping to her now sodden lap. “Bloody hell, did my water just break?” Because just….now? No. Here in the park? Just no. She wanted Ian and the hospital and drugs….and soon. As soon as possible, actually.

( Left for Eden on her doorstep )

Who: Eden/Juniper.....then Eden/Ian
When: Sometime in the afternoon
What: An unexpected revelation
Where: Eden's bathroom....and then the hospital

This is nothing, Eden assured herself, gaze fixed on the ticking seconds’ hand of her watch, it’s just a silly bug and I’m being a complete nutter about it. There wasn’t anything to worry about, there couldn’t be; she’d always been the type of woman to cover all her bases and this was just…an extension of that. She was just being thorough. It didn’t mean anything, it wouldn’t. There was just this and….and then she’d know for sure, she’d have proof and everything would go back to normal. Maybe she’d take a nap, rest up a little, drink plenty of fluids and, once she’d recovered, she’d tell Juniper (and maybe Ian) about this little incident and they’d just laugh and laugh… She could see it now: all of them enjoying a bottle of wine, recounting this little adventure, everyone just overwhelming amused by her little smidge of a mental breakdown. There was no need for worry, no reason to panic – she just needed to wait out these few (impossibly long) minutes and she’d have her answer, she’d know for sure that this whole mess was nothing more than a bit of an over-active stomach bug. People got them all the time, right? Especially in the winter, particularly when they lived in countries with cuisine different from their native tastes… Ok, so maybe that was a bit of reaching, but really, there was some truth to it.

Gnawing a bit at the manicure on her thumbnail, she stared unblinkingly at that tiny gold hand, waiting until it cross the ‘12’ one last time. For a moment, Eden didn’t dare approach the bathroom sink – she eyed it cautiously from a few feet away, like one might watch an enemy who might drawn down on them at any moment. You can do this, she took a deep breath, giving herself a little shake to ease the tension from her shoulders, just take a bit of a peek, then you’ll know for sure. Right…all she had to do was look. That was it. Squaring those now-loosened shoulders, Eden took a tentative step closer to the sink, then another, reaching down to carefully pick up the little white stick that sat along the basin’s rim. She raised it to eye level, her heart stuttering in her chest…

“Oh bloody fucking hell!”

She couldn’t set the damned thing aside quickly enough, heels clattering sharply against the tile as she hurried back into her bedroom to fumble through her bag in search of her cell phone. It took far too long to unlock the damn thing and sift through her contacts’ list for the one person that might be able to ease the panic rising in her chest. “Jun?” she tried to keep her voice steady once the were answered the line, “It’s Eden. Listen…I…well, fuck…I…” Ok, this wasn’t going to work – Juniper couldn’t help her get her wits about her if coherent sentences couldn’t even be constructed. “Right….so, I’ve fucked up, quite epically really, and I need you to pretend to be completely logical for a bit so I don’t lose what’s left of my mind. Do you think you can do that, just for a bit? Please?” She really needed someone to be sensible right about now because – fucking hell – she wasn’t going to be capable for a bit yet.

3:15AM
October 24,2056

AT&T

Shannon:
Everything went okay with Cal.

( Text to Eden )

Who: Eden and Ian
What: A dinner exchanged for a rescue
Where: Eden's place
When: Night


Sometimes you had to throw the stupid rule book of men out the window, and do what you wanted. Ian hadn't waited days to call the number Eden had given him, only a day. And with the reason of wondering just how she was doing after her rather nasty run in with a few human fundamentalist. Most men would have called that too hasty, or desperate. Most of the men who said those sort of things were single, always would be single, and for good reason. Ian didn't want to seem desperate, he didn't think he was, but he didn't want her to think he was just some flake that liked to flirt with attractive women that happened to stumble into the ER. So, even though he had called the following day, he didn't agree to dinner until some time later. Though he would have been able to come sooner, there was that issue with seeming desperate. Now was perfect. Just enough time to make all the arrangements, but not so long for her to completely forget about it, and him. They had agreed to meet later in the month, once the full moon had passed. It didn't matter that he was no where near as threatening on a full moon as a were was, he doubted she wanted to spend an entire evening with his dog form, playing fetch, and feeding him dog treats. That would have been one seriously awkward first date. One that not even an Australian accent could bring you back from. Was this a date though? Well, no, not technically, this was just a thank you dinner.

All the same, he had decided to not only dress in some of his nicer clothing, but he had also stopped by one of the down town florist shops, and browsed what arrangements they offered. There hadn't been anything that caught his eye, they all just seemed a bleak reminder that she was a earth elemental that would have to be cleaning up dead flowers in a few days. There was something strangle dark about that, or he might have just been putting too much thought into it. Still, he had abandoned the search at the florist, and stopped by on the organic nurseries, and found a lovely potted lavender plant that had reminded him of her. Now the real challenge had come when he attempted to situate himself, and the plant on his bike, and not have the damned thing go tumbling off every time he made a turn. If nothing else, he could at least be thankful that his time spent on the bike had equipped him with some seriously developed thigh muscles. Ones which had done the trick in holding the plant in place, long enough for him to make the journey to her home.

Ian parked in her driveway, rested the lavender on the seat, as he removed his helmet, and soothed his curly hair back into place. The lights were on inside the house, she was home, thank god, she hadn't decided to ditch on him. As he reached the door step, before he could even lift a hand to ring the bell, he was met with a series of interesting barks, and short little howls. Squatting down, he peered in through the etched glass window at the side of the door, and could just make out the shape of a small black beast. Grinning to himself, he reached up, and pressed the door bell, not moving from his spot, as he watched the little dog through the window. Though when the door opened, he looked up to Eden. "Your little friend has some great ears on him."

Who: Shannon and Callum, Eden and Juniper
What: Some words need to be exchanged
Where: The Alexander home, the hospital
When: Night

"What?" She had starred at him for a very long moment before finally speaking, a look that he had pretended not to see, as he focused on draining his glass of champagne. "What?" Shannon repeated after her, the end of his elongated thumb nail scratching along the rim of the glass. "You didn't know? I would have thought you'd have known.... fuck, I'm sorry, I assumed that Dom had told you already. If he was going to tell anyone, it would be you." Not Dom, not any of the boys. They hadn't told her, because they had known first hand what hearing such news might do to a person, especially her. The little were that they were all so fond of, they had been trying to spare her heart, but Shannon could care less at the moment. This didn't have anything to do with any ones hearts, it was simply revenge. Equaling the field, because his brother had crossed that line first, and so he knew that he had the right to do just the same. "No.... I didn't know. Wow... fuck." His brows came together in false concern, before he leaned over, and poured her another glass. "He just wasn't the type for it. Relationships, I mean. I saw the split, before hand, and I even warned him. He could have done something to prevent it." Now he was just driving nail, after nail into that coffin, delighting in the fact that he could see the light slipping out of her eyes as he went on.

That head of his was still reeling, he could almost feel the warmth she had left on him. Fuck all had she been warm, more than he had ever expected, but he could recall Cal saying that it had something to do with her being a were. The difference in their tempartures had been shocking to say the least, like ice landing on a hot skillet. There had been no lingering after, and even if he hadn't planned to, she wasn't going to let him hang around. The girl might as well have gathered up his clothing for him, and thrust it into his chest, but with the way she had used her feet to kick everything in his direction, explaining that she had another show tomorrow, and wanted to finally have a good rest. It had been premier night for her ballet, and though he hadn't watched it, he had assured her she was brilliant, before handing over the bunch of pink roses. It had only been the previous night when he over heard a few of the younger guards talking about the two young assistance, and how they weren't around as much as they had once been, due to a falling out over the newly turned vampire. Obviously, Shannon had felt inclined to pause and listen to them from a distance, as they recounted the recent changes. They spoke of the fight between he and his brother, then of how Eden had comforted Callum. At first he thought he had heard wrong, and as he approached them to clarify, it seemed as though they were going to remain mum on the subject. Shannon had been fiercely instant, and they then decided to tell the story of what they had heard and witnessed one night, and the walk of shame Eden had taken the next morning.

He caught a cab from the theater, and directed the driver to take him back to the mansion. Shannon had stayed long enough to redress, while he watched as Jun changed into her own clothing, before sitting before the vanity in her dressing room, to pull her hair back into a high ponytail. Neither of them spoke, and he wondered what she was thinking, if she was regretting it. That could be one of the reasons she wanted him out the door, so she could remove herself from everything that had happened just an hour before. Really, he ought to have felt guilty about what he had done, but he didn't. He couldn't. This had nothing really to do with her, she was just caught in a very sick, twisted game of his own creation. If Jun could be proud of anything, it was that she hadn't let him bite her, she had refused, or rather told him before hand that if he tried, he would regret it. The front doors of the mansion opened as he approached, his steps never slowing as he breezed through the entrance hall, through the corridor, and to the lift. It was there that he paused, his hand hovering over the button, before he turned, and looked towards the little hallway that lead to the bedrooms the boys had once occupied. Was Callum still in the cells? He honestly didn't know, he hadn't been to see him in weeks, not since their fight, and seeing as he was rarely home, he couldn't be sure if his brother had moved back to the main floor. "Hey... where is he?" He called to the guards at the door. "Down the lift." One said simply, not needing to further explain himself, Shannon knew just what he meant.

Pressing his thumb into the lift button, he stepped inside once the doors had opened, and leaned back against the wall for the ride down. Like always, the basement was lit up, but there were no guards in sight. It had been long enough now, that Callum didn't have to be watched at all times. His little brother had regained some of his freedom, but not all. Most of the cells were dark, aside from the one he knew Cal to be in, as it was also the only one with an open door. "Stayed in tonight?" He asked softly, leaning against the door frame, and looking in on him.

Who: Viv/J, Eden/Ian, Jun/Cal
What: Everyone has been shook up
Where: Visigoth Headquarters, Outside of a low key supernatural club, Jun's house
When: Night


"Thank you so much for joining us this evening... Pruflas? That is how you wish to be addressed, yes?" "Yes, or Pru, if you like. Thank you for having me, it's a pleasure to be sitting here with such an accomplished, and well respected journalist such as yourself, Mr. Brock." She was silhouetted against the very large flat screen television which took up nearly an entire wall of her office. The remote in hand, as she watched one of the many interviews that the demon Pruflas had given in the days since his announcement. An announcement that was still vibrating unpleasantly through out the supernatural world. The crazy fucking demon had outed them all, made it impossible for them to continue on with life as it had once been, and it wasn't even just a matter of taking even more cautionary steps, it was about trying to make yourself seem all the more human. That was what the humans would want, it would make them more comfortable with the whole transition. Seeming human wasn't going to be possible for all of those races, especially those who hated humankind, and wished to seem nothing like them at all. They would be the ones who hid, who tried to extract themselves more, and more. Then there would be all the others, her kind, demons. They fed off of humans, either directly, or in directly. Even Pru at that moment was feeding off of the people residing in the room with him. Their confusion, and fear was powering to him, was it any wonder why he had kicked up such a huge shit storm, just to combat his own boredom? Vivian didn't think so, not when she actually thought about it, saw it all begin to unfold. As crazy as Pru was, he was actually doing something that so many of the races had wanted to do for centuries, he was providing them the chance to take the upper hand, and in a way that wouldn't be met with much hostility. It was brilliant, and that was why she was actually considering his offer. The distant chime let her know that someone had entered her wing of the building. There were no secretaries around at this hour, only security posted at all the doors. They wouldn't be allowing anyone into the place, unless they were someone she could trust. The little muse was trusted, but, that didn't mean she was a welcomed sight at the moment. The two had been fighting ever since Pru had visited Vivian, and asked her to join the campaign. That wasn't what had struck a chord between the two of them, if had been because Vivian hadn't flat out refused. "Sorry... I left my phone in the car." Of course, that didn't mean she couldn't have checked her messages from the phone in her office, she just decided against it, knowing that returning a call would likely end in another disagreement. Still, this was worse, face to face. Turning her head, she finally looked back to the muse, her shoulder, and body following, before she folded her arms over her chest. "What brings you here?"

Tension was obviously a theme being carried over many miles, not just from the supernaturals, but the humans were feeling it as well. Many were trying to live in a type of denial, demons, vampires, and all that shit, it wasn't real, this was just.... some weird stunt, a big prank that the whole world media was in one. That had been easy enough to believe, until you began to see them out in the open. Winged creatures, people with animal parts, fangs, glowing eyes. Just mixed in with everyone else, it wasn't natural. Amsterdam had been where it all started, that was where that fucking demon had come from, and so, naturally... they had flocked to the place. Crowds of humans, waving signs, and chanting in protest. Standing any where, and every where they could find empty ground. Amsterdam was soon named the hotbed of sin, and as good Christians, it was their duty to let all those who inhabit the place, know just how they were going to burn in hell. That was love in the eyes of the fundamentalist. Instead of turning the other cheek, as Jesus said, they were going to follow that word of a vengeful God, and seek biblical punishment for all those who offend God. Some how they had learned of a few of the safe havens for the creatures of the dark. A club in Los Angeles, often populated by demons had been bombed, leaving only the humans inside either wounded, or dead. Even if it hadn't been a direct below, it had caused everyone to rethink their habits, and their haunts. All those flashy clubs had become near ghost towns, even in Amsterdam. The risk was not worth it to some. Others weren't going to let the change, or the worry stop them from enjoying themselves, just as some of those humans weren't going to stand around, waving signs to make a point. They were looking to do more than protest, as was the group posted outside of the small bar in downtown Amsterdam. it wasn't an obvious location, but with so many supernaturals no longer bothering to hide what they were, it made deciding on a place rather easy. This was the place to be, they simply had to wait for their target to emerge.

Of all the people to shy away from the night life, no one might have expected it to be her. The fire cracker, the first on the dance floor, no, not her! Things change, and boy had they. Life had already been flipped on it's head, and now things were even more topside. They had all been labeled monsters by some of the press, and by some of those humans they encountered on a daily basis, who would have never been the wiser. That was a scary thing to be, when you were young, female, and living alone. Even a were could be caught unaware, over powered by a small mob. That was why she was trying to keep her nose clean. Home, work, and rehearsal, that was her day to day schedule now, and it wasn't often that she squeezed in anything else. It had been keeping her from seeing many of her friends, Callum included. Plans to visit him at work were almost out of the question, even more so when things still remained so unsteady between them. Unlike before, she hadn't completely stopped having anything to do with him. She had called him, brought him lunch a couple of times since their run in at the bar, but the visits were always kept short, likely to save them both more awkward moments of interaction. Ever since Pru outed them all, she had kept even more to herself, having called him only once before, and that had been to ask if things had improved between he, and Shannon. They hadn't. The new vampire seemed to be the only one not dampened by the sudden change in events. Tonight was like any other. After rehearsal, she dressed, loaded her things in the back of her antique baby blue Carmen ghia, and headed off home. Home was a small, but comfortable house, nestled away in a bohemian neighborhood, set back aways from the street. She pulled into the half circle drive, stepped out, and then retrieved her bag from the trunk. It was as she walked up the path, that her nose began to twitch, and her eyes lifted from the ground. A few feet away from her unlit front door, she paused. "Who's there?"

Who: Shannon/Eden, Callum/Juniper....Viv/Jaida, Vallis?
What: What seems to be just another night out...
Where: The mansion, then perhaps a nightclub
When: Late...of course

“Fuck, I’m so glad we’re just going to the pub and not another one of Vivian’s fucked up clubs,” Cal sighed, pushing open the door from their shared bathroom into Shannon’s room, leaning against the frame with a sigh. “Not that those places are fucking great, they are, but they’re weird as shit.” Sometimes a man just wanted to go sit and have a pint with his brother and a beautiful girl – tonight Callum would get to do just that. Ever since Eden had taken them to a little hole in the wall downtown, the group had taken to spending a low key night there every now and then. It was a nice change from their usual drinking nights: they all tended to wear jeans, everyone seemed more at ease, it was just….simpler. Given how fucked up his life had become in the past year, could anyone really blame him for wanting a few hours of what felt like a good, old fashioned, normal night? “I told the girls we’d meet them out front at 10….so I figure they’ll be there by 10:30,” Cal chuckled, “not that they won’t make the wait fucking worth it.” He took a few steps into Shannon’s room, hopping up to park himself on the top of the low dresser against the wall, “You almost ready, you bloody poof? If you’re need to make yourself pretty makes us later than Jun and Eden, we’ll never hear the fucking end of it.” He couldn’t help but give his brother a hard time – it was what they did, it was how they worked. It was this strange back and forth rhythm that Callum actually really liked; it made him feel settled and normal and bonded. He liked it.

Once Shannon assured him that he was set, that he’d gathered up everything he needed for the night, Cal hopped off of his dresser and lead the way out into the hall. Once they’d both locked their rooms up tight, the duo made their way to the lift, making the short ride to the houses’ foyer. There was no sign of either of the homeowners’ assistants yet, not that he’d expected there to be. “Let’s go outside and have a smoke, yeah?” Cal was already pulling his pack from his shirt pocket, depositing a slim Benson between his lips as he pushed out the front door to wait just outside the house, head bent downward to meet the flame of his lighter. “So how’s the garage?” he asked Shannon in an exhale, turning to face him, “Still liking it?” They’d both been working more, spending more time with the girl of their choice, but their bond was strong enough to handle a little time apart. Of course, that didn’t mean that Cal didn’t want to catch up a bit while they were alone, to figure out what he might have missed in his brother’s life while they were both off gallivanting, doing their own thing.

“Hey you sexy bitch,” Eden grinned, kicking open Juniper’s door with a flourish, “you like my new boots?” Chuckling, she stepped in, doing a little twirl, “I still wish you could have gone shoe shopping with me. It just wasn’t the same without my partner in crime.” Then again, she certainly didn’t blame the were for wanting to go and spend the evening with Callum instead – the two of them had gotten noticeably closer over the past few months, to the point where there were periods of time when they were inseparable. Clearly there was something truly serious going on between the two of them – neither of them had said anything for sure, but Eden had a feeling that maybe the ‘l’ word had been busted out somewhere along the way. She was going to get the story out of Juniper sooner or later, it was her new mission. “Fuck, you look hot,” she gave Juniper a lengthy once-over, clearly impressed with her choice for the night, “now I feel like a bloody schlub. I hate you a bit right now, I want you to know that.” Alright, so she was just joking, but the girl seriously did know how to put an outfit together. “The boys said they’d meet us outside with a car at 10:00. It’s nearly that now, but they’re so used to us being late it really doesn’t matter.” Besides, they were only trekking downtown to the little pub they’d all come to like well enough, they weren’t heading off to anywhere special. “So,” Eden waited while Juniper finished pulling herself together, leaning back against the wall of the girl’s room, “are you finally going to just bleeding tell me if you and Cal have gone on and busted out the infamous ‘l’ word yet? You do realize that I’m just fucking dying to know, right?” And they were friends – and girls! – they were supposed to share this type of thing.

Who: The Alexander party
What: The start of a holiday
Where: Croatian coast
When: Late, duh.


Why had he gotten it in his head, the Croatia was a cold place? Something like how he had always pictured Russia to be. Covered in snow, at all times of the year. So, you can imagine how less than thrilled he had been, when Vivian announced that it was going to not only be their holiday location, but that the boys were going with them as well. Great, now they were going to be living, breathing happy meals on the go. That had all changed however, when he, and Eden had spoken about it later that night. Not only were the girls going as well, but Croatia couldn't have been farther from how he had pictured it to be. The place was as tropical as Europe could get. So, needless to say when it came time to pack their bags, and do a bit of shopping for the trip, he had been more than game for it. As always, Vivian had spoiled them, given them the chance to purchase whatever they had wanted. Swimsuits for every day of the trip, new shoes, sandals, club attire, general lounging clothes. Though he hated to admit it, if given the chance to leave this place, leave their home, and be a free man, he wasn't sure he would take it. Life was superb right now, better than it had ever been. Shannon didn't feel like a slave, he felt like a spoiled fucking rotten pet, and he was starting to like it. Maybe a bit too much, but where was the harm in that?

Flying had been out of the question, or so Vivian said. Train? No. Drive? Fuck no. Of course, this was going to be a leisurely holiday, no stress at all, and that was accomplished with the help of a very grand, very large yacht. He ought to have known she had one, but, it never struck him that vampires would have much love for sailing. Waters were just not the same at night. Without the sparkling blues, and sun beating down on you, it just didn't hold the same appeal. That hadn't meant they all needed to stick to the vampires sleep schedule. He, Cal, and the girls, they had all been enjoying days out on the deck, swimming in the chilly ocean waters, and coming back aboard to warm up in the hot tub. This was fucking paradise. If he had money like this, he would never leave the boat. This would be his life every day. It was absolutely heaven. "All this fresh air, and here I am, polluting me lungs with this shite." He puffed idly on a cigarette, leaning against the boats railing, once he had tracked Eden down. "Ought to stop this trip, and let my lungs have a taste of what air is meant to be like." Like that would happen, ever. He had been smoking since he was twelve, they were his crutch, and it would be impossible to let them go.

The sun was not her best friend. They could have been enemies, had she not always been completely infatuated with it. Still, Juniper wasn't the sort to practice any sort of masochism, and her laying out in the sun, soaking up the rays with no protection at all, that would be self torture. Her lily white complexion was intact, and even though the sun had set sometime ago, she didn't think it would hurt to apply another coat of sunscreen. Once her legs had been covered, she moved back into the cabin of her room, clad in yet another swimsuit. She couldn't be expected to wear the one she had that morning. No, living in a wet article all day long, and night, that just disgusted her. Reaching up, she pushed her hands through her curled hair, brushing it away from her shoulders, as she moved to her bed, straddling a sprawled out Cal. "So yeah, you look good, and all right now, but I really want a drink... I think you should get that fine ass up, and out of my bed." Good idea, but a bit hard to follow when she was holding his down. Leaning forward, she placed her hands on either side of his head, before leaning down, her hair framing her face like a wild fire. "What am I going to do without you making my drinks tonight? I just know the other bartender is going to blow in comparison. You've spoiled me... and I can't even say that I seduced the drink slinger in this place either."

Who: All the kids
When: Evening
Where: Vivian's Mansion
What: A Gala

Jaida hated these fucking things. Hated them, loathed them even. If she didn’t know how important it was for Vivian’s business, she wouldn’t have even given attending a second thought, she would have just gone off to spend her evening in one of their clubs instead. It was a testament to just how much she’d come to care for Vivian once again that she even attended them, let alone went so far as to dress about as close to normal as the little muse could manage. Trying to find something that would pass as acceptable for the guest list for the night was next to impossible, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t at least tone down her normally insane wardrobe choices. She’d had to pause in the middle of her hunt to shoot a quick glance at the clock – if she didn’t pick up the pace, she’d be late to be at Vivian’s side as she greeted those guests of hers for the night and it’d be awhile before she heard the end of that. Ninety percent of the guests coming tonight looked down on the muse already, she didn’t need to give them extra reason – they weren’t that font on Vivian to start with, it didn’t help for her to have shacked with some wild little street rat. Tugging her tights into place, Jaida grabbed the dress she’d chosen for the night and slipped into it, reaching back to do up the zipper quickly. Thankfully she’d perfected this whole ‘getting ready in a hurry’ routine, so it wasn’t long before she pulled open her changing room door, grabbing for her leather jacket. “Vivvy, darling, are you ready?” she purred teasingly, sliding her arms through the sleeves as she went in search of her, “Come and show me what fabulously expensive dress you’ve chosen to knock their socks off in tonight, you fucking hot bitch.” She knew she couldn’t have been that far, it was only a bit earlier that Jaida had heard her rummaging around for an ensemble of her own.

“I can’t fucking tie these things,” Cal huffed for the third time, pushing into the bathroom he shared with his brother, “Do you have any idea how to fucking do up one of these things? It’s like some bloody puzzle that is beyond me.” He looked downright amusing in the most pitiful of ways, standing there in his steely gray suit, dark hair styled in a way that made it look anything but and that tie hanging undone about his neck, his eyes looking over to Shannon beseechingly. There was no way he was going to get it tied on his own, someone was going to have to do it for him. Maybe Juniper knew how? It would be a sorry sight for him to show up to meet her for their evening together at the gala with his outfit for the night still in disarray. He was still working on that winning her over bit, trying to keep impressing her, to not let this positive momentum he’d started the night of their birthday parties drop off. “I’m going to start buying those bloody clip-on ones at the market, then I won’t have to worry about this,” he grumbled, leaning against the doorframe, the thin black scrap of fabric hanging from one hand. “Oi,” he glanced up then, “are you taking Eden tonight?” It seemed the one, if only, downside of the two of them getting their own rooms, it seemed to be that he and Shannon didn’t have the same time to talk with one another as they had before. They each still made sure to lean in on the other when they got the chance, check up and make sure that everything was alright. There might have been fewer of those small moments together day to day, but the bond between the brothers was undoubtedly growing stronger. Each one was truly starting to settle in, to become more and more at home in their new jobs, at the mansion…things were turning out far better than Cal had ever expected. Not that he’d admit it.

Who: People
When: Night
Where: Through the Looking Glass
What: The mouthy one, and the human are a year older.


To his credit, Shannon had really wanted to keep his mouth shut about what had happened in the lift between he, and Eden. Really he had, and he had managed to do so for a few hours. At least until his frustration had worn off. After that, he hadn't found that he wanted to keep it to himself. It had almost felt as though if he didn't talk about it, it would make it as though it hadn't happened. As though it were nothing more than a creation of some fevered imagination. Of course, talking about it to his brother hadn't been what he was expecting. Instead of pat on the back, and that normal dishing about what had, and hadn't happened, Cal had seemed to rather scowl at him. At first, he had wondered if he was sweet on Eden as well, but Cal assured him that wasn't the case at all. No, he hadn't gotten laid, but the two had left each other on a good note, that was more than could be said of Cal, and Juniper. Though there for a while, he thought that he should have just gone ahead with it. It would have beat the hell out of walking around with that uncomfortable ache in his trousers for a time. Had he done that, there would have been the issue of living with her, and having to deal with possible shifts in emotion. At the moment, he liked her, because he barely knew her, there hadn't been time for anything unpleasant to come to light, nothing to send him running to the hills. That might still happen, and had they slept together, there would have been no escaping the possible awkward situation. Those were the trials of man. To either get one's dick wet, or maintain freedom. Or what little freedom they had.

"I bet you thought I forgot," He said, poking head around the door frame of the cell the two brother's shared. "I might have, seeing as you haven't fucking mentioned it." Ducking inside, he moved over to the little end table which sat beside Callum's bed. He placed down on it, a small decorated cake. "Happy Birthday, man." It was then that he presented his younger brother with a wrapped gift, "It's not much, but I haven't really been making any money." Callum had at least been able to keep a bit of pocket change with the tips he made at the bar. Shannon had nothing to show for the work he had been doing in their owners garage. "Jaida let me have a few photos off my camera developed. I thought that would be a good one," He explained, once the gift had been opened to reveal a framed photo of the two of them on the deck of a small boat. "That was the boat we rented in Greece. That was a bloody gorgeous day, wasn't it? Anyway, I thought you might want to have that, in case... I don't know, in case anything happens." It didn't matter how many times they were assured of their safety while in the vampires possession. Shannon wasn't going to completely let his guard down, and assume they were safe. Humans were never really going to be safe in this sort of setting, in this world where they really didn't belong. Where they were little more than food. "Juniper said that sort of cake is to die for. It's tiramisu flavored. I don't know. The chefs refused to just do a simple chocolate cake, so she suggested that one." Something about a simple recipe being below their standards. "By the way, why didn't you mention to her it was your birthday as well? She wasn't pleased..." Yet, she had still been willing to help Shannon out getting everything together.

Sitting down on his bed, he reached down to strip of his own trainers,before moving to fish his clothing for the night out of the wardrobe the women had provided he, and Callum. They kept saying that soon enough they would be allowed to have their own rooms, but until then, it wouldn't be fitting to just let their clothing lay about all over the place, getting wrinkled, and god knows whatever else. "I don't have a gift for Jun... think she'll be annoyed? It's her party, and all, but Eden invited me." Shannon didn't like not having a cent to his name. Even on his own, he would stash enough money away for those little things. He was at least grateful that he'd been able to get something for Callum, even if it wasn't much. As for Jun, he would just have to apologize, and wish her a good one. "Alright, so... this is a date, but it's not like a date date... you think I can get away with something so casual?" He asked, turning around so that his brother could see what it was he'd picked for the night. "Should I dress up more?"

October 2, 2055
Who: Jaida, Eden/Shannon and Juniper/Callum
When: Evening
Where: Alexander home - the lift and a bathroom, specifically
What: Jaida's writer's block leads to some in-house entertainment

If there was a downside to being a muse, a being whose sole purpose in being created was to inspire others, was that those fucking amazing powers of yours were useless as far as your own talents were concerned. So when Jaida hit the inevitable bout of writer’s block after working in the in-house studio for weeks on end, it left her in a frustrated huff. What the fuck was she supposed to do now? Vivian had been busy pushing some lucrative deal through at work and that left the petite redhead dangerously unsupervised. Clearly she was going to have to come up with some way to entertain herself, which probably meant someone was going to regret her sudden lack of musical progress… Thankfully, it had only taken a day or two to remember that Vivian had purchased their new little toys precisely for this reason, to provide a bit of a laugh when things were dull around the mansion. And given the way the brothers had been eying the two assistants they employed, it just seemed natural to play a little game of Cupid. It was times like this when she was endlessly thankful that the home she and Vivian shared came equipped with a camera in almost every room – it would be like having her own private soap opera. Oh, she was so excited! She’d just have to recruit a few of the weres to help her out and boom!, something to take her mind off of that mental blockage. This was going to be so much fucking fun!

Given that Eden was her assistant, the little elemental would be the easiest to set up. After all, it was her job to come running when Jaida gave the order. All she had to do was phone the Brit and ask for a meeting that evening, around 8 o’clock, just the time she knew Shannon would be finishing up in the garage, heading back up to the floor that housed he and Callum. She’d trap the two in the lift, stop the door so that they couldn’t get out, crank the heat and see what happened. Easy as pie! As for Juniper and Callum, that would take a little bit more luck, a little more help from those crafty creatures she and Vivian employed. It would be more spur of the moment, less likely to be able to be planned ahead. She knew that she could send for Callum and have him lured nearly anywhere, but she’d have to keep a close eye on Vivian’s assistant to make sure that things went down just the way she wanted to. Jaida assigned one of the werewolves to keep an eye on the fair-haired beauty, to report back her every movement – J wanted to know where she was at all times. And, duh, they weren’t to let Juniper catch on. When the call finally came in that the werecat had gone into one of the private baths to take a quick shower, the muse sprang into action. Knowing that both Shannon and Callum had a bit of a handyman streak in them from all those years of living in dumps across Europe, she called down to the youngest brother and asked if he wouldn’t mind paying a particular bathroom a visit to fix the shower. It just wouldn’t stop running and, gee, it was getting so gosh-darned annoying. He agreed of course, it wasn’t like he had much of a choice, and that helpful little wolf was already to lock the door once Cal arrived. Now that was bound to be a scenario worth watching. Would Vivian blame her if she made sure to record those two particular security cameras this evening? No, she didn’t think so at all.

Kicked back in a chair in front of the wall of security monitors, Jaida’s brightly colored heels rested on the counter in front of her. In her lap, a bowl of freshly-popped popcorn sat, just ready to be munched. No, she didn’t need to eat, but she did enjoy it every now and then. And, really, a good show required a bit of a buttery snack.

Surely enough, just before 8 o’clock, she recognized the sound of a familiar voice near the lift camera. Eden stepped into frame, disconnecting from a call on her cell phone and tucking it back into her purse. She’d just parked her car in the secondary garage, shed her coat and was now on her way up to meet Jaida like a good little employee. Of course, should she get sidetracked along the way, it was a good thing she had such an understanding employer…

Not long after, a walkie-talkie seated beside Jaida on the security counter suddenly crackled to life. “He’s just arrived, ma’am,” came the voice of her ever so helpful little assistant. “Oooh, goodie! Lock the door behind him, will you, Travis? I’d appreciate it oh so much!” Watching on camera, she could see Callum, fresh off his new bartending duty, step into the bathroom Juniper occupied, unknowingly lead there by another were on staff, thinking he was just about to be a helpful little pet. Once he was in, Travis ducked around the corner to quietly flip the lock. “Good boy,” Jaida grinned, settling back in her seat. Oh, this was going to be such a fun night!

September 22, 2055
Who: The whole gang
When: Morning
Where: Alexander home
What: Cal makes a fatal error

As time had drawn on and things didn’t seem to be changing, the brothers gradually seemed to come to terms with this new life of theirs. They discovered after those first few early days of rebellion that the women who now ‘owned’ them could be downright cruel when they wanted to be. Somehow this new manner of discipline just wasn’t as easy to endure as sitting in a jail cell had once been – watching one of them go after Shannon was the worst thing that Callum could imagine and the two women seemed to know just how to each to each of them to cause them the most pain. Even if they didn’t actually do anything, they could put those visions into your head, make you see things… It was all too fucked up for Callum’s liking, but there didn’t seem to be any way out. So he’d given in, buckled down and gone into survival mode, doing whatever he had to to make it through every new day and to make sure that Shannon did as well. It wasn’t easy, Cal still felt a bit like he was in this on his own what with that whole revelation of his brother’s power still fresh in mind. It wasn’t a surprise that the women seemed to have more uses for him than they did for Callum, for the lowly mortal they’d gotten stuck with as well. What could he do, anyway? He didn’t have any supernatural gifts and, even in his normal life, he hadn’t exactly been a productive citizen. Sure he could fix a car or two, he was alright with patching up an electrical toy or two and he was a pretty keen bartender, but what the fuck did these vampires need with any of those skills? He’d figured they were downright useless…until about a month prior.

Vivian had come to he and Shannon to inform them both that she was planning a party of some sort, all of those vampy friends of hers were probably going to swing bye to check out the debauchery. Anyway, apparently he and Shannon were supposed to take up some task, to pitch in to make sure things went off without a hitch. Callum had no idea what the hell they’d decided to have his brother do, but apparently they were going to put his drink slinging skills to work and have him bartend for the crowd; which seemed easy enough, until Vivian informed him that people who weren’t exactly human didn’t exactly take their alcohol the standard way…and so he was introduced to fae dust. Compared to that delicious little substance everything else was child’s play – heroin, coke, it just didn’t touch the same buzz he’d gotten from the tiniest little bit of that dust. He had to try it of course, had to know what he was working with, but taking that first taste had probably been the biggest mistake he’d made. Vivian couldn’t know, probably had no idea just how dangerous it was to give the stuff to a mortal. It wasn’t just physically addictive, it crept into his brain and dug in its claws. His body craved it like nothing else, it got to the point where he wasn’t sure he could function if he didn’t get it. Cal had been addicted to plenty of things before and he’d always managed to kick them when he put his mind to it, but not fae dust, it just refused to be gotten rid of. Thankfully the stuff was pretty easy to come by when you lived in a house full of supernatural freaks.

He tried to keep this new addiction hidden, tried to make sure that no one, especially Shannon, caught on and he thought he was doing a pretty good idea of it. The problem was that every time he used he needed more, need it more often – it was getting to a point where Callum knew that his cover was going to be blown. This morning was just like every other morning, getting things kicked off with a hit of fae dust, a few neat little lines spread out across the back of a mirror the boys had been given. Leaning down, one nostril plugged, Cal went over each one like a pro, inhaling that magical little substance, sucking it right off the glass. The high was almost immediate, the way it sank into your skin, seeped into your blood…it really was like nothing else. With a heavy, satisfied sigh, Cal all but fell back against the wall behind his bed, muscles slowly going lax as the dust took hold. In those first moments, he couldn’t know that he’d used too much, the poor guy had no idea what it would look like to OD on fae dust.

Callum had no clue that he’d just snorted himself right into a whole hell of a lot of trouble…