You Might Not Believe In Me

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?"

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…