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: All those who go bump in the night
When: After 10pm
What: The Benefit
Where: The Hidden Door


Planning for an event like this usually took months, if not a year, or two. There were so many details to take into account, to organise. It wasn't something you just did on a whim. So, when the idea had struck her, it would have made more sense to have it pushed back, likely into the new year. However, it had seemed like a brilliant idea to host it at her new club, which was also scheduled to open tonight. In the end, it had made the most sense, the place had security like no other club in the city, and it was hidden away from human eyes. Just what they needed at a time like this. There would be no muggings, bombings, or general harm done to the patrons of this club. That was the goal. Parking was not permitted on the street. The guest were instructed to either have a driver escort them, or to take a taxi. Different times had been placed on the invitations, that way, there wouldn't be an absolute mob of people waiting outside to get in. That wouldn't be difficult to miss, and as little attention needed to be drawn to this event as possible. If word got out, and she suspected that it had, it always did, then this would be just where those human rights groups would want to hit. Imagine, all the supernaturals in the city, gathered in one location. It would be killing a flock of birds with one stone. That was why the place, the block, the street was crawling with weres, all policing the area, making sure that nothing odd was happening any where near the club. Thankfully, the wolves had a nose for trouble.

Benefits were old hat to Vivian, she threw them every so often, to raise money for the politicians the Visigoth owned, or for charity, or to tempt new investors. There was always a reason for one, but this time, it seemed more close to heart, than ever before. With the help of the EVC, the money that was raised tonight, would be the start to a companion for equal rights for all supernaturals. Not just vampires, it wouldn't be right for one race to make demands, and not also provide the others with a voice as well. Tonight was for all of them, which was why no one, aside from human occupants of the city, were excluded from the list. The list was an invisible one. It came down to a pair of weres posted at the front door of the textile factory. They would be able to smell what race was approaching, and all you would need was a nod of approval. However, there were going to be some supernaturals who brought along dates, snacks of the human variety, they would be marked, and carefully watched through out the night. If something happened, the supernatural they accompanied would be held responsible, and from what she heard, the EVC wasn't taking chances anymore.

"Have many guest arrived?" Vivian stood at the mirror of the ladies room, a female were posted at the door, decked out in the usual Visigoth fashion."A hundred, or so, Ms. Roth." The number was going to grow rapidly, and the Retro Mod themed club would begin to fill up. Originally, she hadn't known how to decorate the place, it had to be different from all of her other clubs, it couldn't be of the same design. Thankfully, the decorate that she so often worked with had an idea. The first had been to design in like an old hidden American Speak Easy club from the 1930's, back when it was illegal to serve alcohol in any establishment. It had been a fine idea, but the art deco lines had been too played out, too repeated in other places around Amsterdam. Vivian wanted something fresh, something that you wouldn't expect, or that would surprise you. So, the Mod lounge had been born. It was perfect, and she felt as though Andy Warhol, or James Dean would have been right at home inside the place. The bar was stacked with bottles, and glasses, the dinning area had food from the most lavish restaurants in all of Amsterdam. The dance floor was smooth, and inviting, the little stage set for the band that would be gathering on it in less than an hour. For now, Jaida's favorite demon dj was providing the place with atmospheric music to set the mood.

"It's perfect. Absolutely perfect." Smiling, she linked her arm with Dom's as the two strolled through the club. There old were would be her personal body guard for the night. Staying close to both she, and Jaida. "Are you impressed, Dom?" He gave his head a little nod, the corner of his mouth turned up just so. That was the most praise she was bound to get out of him, and she knew it. Still, it was better than nothing at all.

Who: Callum and Shannon
When: A little after 9PM
What: That's what I get
Where: Wertheimpark


Today was the second time, since being turned, that he had woken before the sun set. Tucked behind the mansion walls, they were all safe, and sound, thanks to the enchanted windows covering each floor of the impressive Dutch home. He was to meet Callum, and just like the time before, his brother was give priority over his own comfort. It hadn't mattered that he had been restless while sleeping, thanks to the meeting with Raymond--James, whatever the hell he was calling himself now, just days before. Shannon's mind was riddled with questions, worries, and anxiety. The fact that he had wanted to kill that man, it had scared him a little. No, they weren't close, but he was still family, and if he could barely contain himself then, what did that show was in store for those closest to him? At times he really did feel far too dangerous, and something needed to be done about that. The control issue he was having, it needed to be reigned in, and fast. With Callum at least, he knew that he didn't pose much of a threat, they were both vampires, both young, and both carrying enough tension between them, that if they came to blows, it was likely that either would be able to keep much of an upper hand. Shannon was hoping they would be able to avoid that, and that instead they could talk about all the shit that had gone on between them. Very soon he would face him, and find out whether his hopes were in vain, or not.

For several months now, Shannon had taken to cutting his own hair. It wasn't even that he was being cheap, for whatever reason, he liked being able to take clippers to the sides of his head, and just banish all that hair away. It didn't hurt that he had a seriously thick head of hair, and that if he happened to slip, he could even it up, without it looking too thinned out. Dom had snickered at him, when he stepped out into the main entrance hall, dressed, with his hair looking as though it had been styled a hundred years before. A greaser, Dom had called him, which was fitting, seeing as he was usually dirty to some degree, covered in muck from the cars he so loved to get his hands. Like usual, he hopped onto one of Vivian's Indians, and took off into the night, Callum was expecting him to be at the park by nine, and he intended to be waiting.

Wertheimpark looked disappointing at night, as most places did. All the tones of black, and gray took away from it's normal beauty. The frail state of Autumn didn't exactly help to ease the eeriness the place had about it either. A shell of it's shelf, he thought. Walking past the sphinxes that guarded the entrance, his feet crunched against the fallen leaves that littered the path, nearly invisible beneath them. Even the World War II memorial looked like something sinister under the night sky. The moon, and stars shimmered up at him, in the broken glass slab that covered a portion of the ground. Shannon would have to try, and remember it as it was when he, and Eden had come to visit one day. The sun was high, it had been warm, and they had spent hours walking around together. Her shoulders had been bare, but she had left her hair down, and wore boots instead of heels. Looking around, he tried for a moment to find the tree they had eaten lunch under. Their backs pressed together, propping one another up, while they had eaten slices of apple, and some expensive cheese he had nicked from the mansion. As out of place as he had felt there on their date, it had been one of his favorite afternoons.

12:57am
November 7, 2056

AT&T

Cal
You're going to be an Uncle.

Who: Shannon and James (Raymond)
What: What does one say to the donor of their DNA?
Where: A small Amsterdam Pub
When: Night


If it wasn't one thing, it was something else. The past few months, they just didn't seem to want to ease up on him, or hell, anyone that he had once been close to. Perhaps it wasn't so bad now, things were... starting to some what look up. Callum had actually not launched himself at him, when the two saw one another in the main entrance of the mansion. They hadn't stopped to speak either, as Juniper had been leading his brother off for whatever reason, and he had been out the door to find something to eat. Silence, and less than evil glances was better than pure hatred, and fists flying. Cal had a new start in life, with a woman who loved him, and who he clearly loved in return, and the two were going to have a chance at a future together again. Like before, before everything had gone to absolute hell, they were spending as much time as possible together, it was hard not to see them in each other's company. Shannon was desperately trying to feel happy for his brother, he was, but he couldn't completely ignore the fact that he was jealous. They had both been turned, both had the chance to get back what they had once had, those things that made them the most happy, and he had totally blown his chances to hell. Callum and he were so different, and he was starting to finally understand that it hadn't just been a case of bad luck on his behave, he just had a shit temper, and didn't know how to handle himself where other people were concerned. So, how did you fix your personality, and not end up feeling like a total, and complete stranger?

Personal overhaul wasn't on the game plan tonight, there was really nothing that he thought he needed to do, or wanted to do. A few hours before heading to the little pub, he had stopped by one of Vivian's clubs, fucked one of the whores there, and fed from her. After tipping her fifty, he had headed off into the night to wind down. Eventually he was going to have to separate feeding, and sex, but so long as he could have both without worry, he didn't quite see the point. If the day came where he was over Eden, and actually had a real prospect on the line, then maybe he would look at making love as not just a appetizer. This was why he hadn't ever wanted to fall in love, because he didn't want to feel like this. Hopeless, stuck, like he couldn't get his brain to budge off of her. The two had spoken, and she was adamant about him moving on, and finding someone who made him happy, all he could say in return was how he thought about her when ever he was alone. That, he knew, wasn't fair to either of them. "Can I get another whiskey? Thanks." The ash tray sitting on the bar in front of him was half full of burned to the filter cigarettes, all thanks to him, and the young human bloke that sat next to him. They had talked some, about football, and cars. The lad was from Germany, and here on holiday, tonight was his break from the big clubs, and red light district. Shannon almost wanted to warn him off of the red light district, to tell him how some of those cat houses were run by demons looking to sell men like him into the slavery market. For whatever reason, he kept his mouth shut. For tonight he didn't want to link himself to anything dealing with the supernaturals. Even if he was one.

Lifting the shot glass, he tossed it back, savoring the burn, and how for a brief second, he made him feel warm. Honestly, he wasn't sure how much it would actually take to get him drunk now, he hadn't tried to find out. Still, it had always been his go to drink, and the taste was comforting. It was the same with cigarettes, they didn't do him any damn good now, but it was a comfort all the same. "You off? Yeah? Right, it was nice to meet you, man. Have a good time here." Shannon shook the young man's hand, as he stood from his seat at the bar, and left to exit the pub for the night. As he watched him head out, his eyes moved around the little knock about place, taking in all the faces, not that there were many at this hour. His brows came together, his attention focused on one man in particular. There was something about him, and it wasn't just one of those instances of having seen him around Amsterdam either. Whatever it was, it had him starring at this person, his cigarette burning down where it rested between his fingers.

3:15AM
October 24,2056

AT&T

Shannon:
Everything went okay with Cal.

Who: Shannon & Jessa
What: FUCK EVERYONE
Where: A few random streets along the river
When: Night of the full moon, around two am.


No matter what he did, it was wrong. Tonight, he had really been trying to do right by his brother, in an attempt to make up for the shit had had pulled over the past few months, but between Jaida, and Jun, he wasn't going to have a chance alone with him. This ought to have been his night to say goodbye, there was no way to be sure that Callum would survive the change, seeing as how weak his heart was. But they had just chased him out of the room before he could really say anything at all, and then Dom escorted him up to the main floor, and told him to stay clear of the basement until the next day... if permission was granted before hand. Jaida might have been saving his life, and he was going to be grateful to her for it, but that bitch of a were needed to back off, and back off soon. Shannon stopped mid stride, pausing on the river bank for a moment, his light eyes sweeping over to the water, the moon reflected in it's surface. All these thoughts of revenge, they were what kept getting him in trouble to start with. They were what kept him fucking everything up. Why couldn't he just let stuff go? Why did it eat away at him until he just fucking lost it, and had to act? Badly at that, wht the hell was wrong with him, was this just normal, or had something broken in him, whenever Vallis made him a vampire. It could be that he had always been broken, and that being turned just brought that out of him. Most, if not all of his restraint was just gone, and where it hadn't fully disappeared, he just didn't seem to know how to conduct himself. What a fucking mess he was.

Digging through the pocket of his coat, he with drew an empty packet of cigarettes. "Fuck..." He had been so anxious since Jun woke him up that afternoon, that he had started chain smoking, and not stopped until it was time for Callum to actually arrive, at least that was what he had told himself. It seemed the real reason was because he had ran out of smokes. After patting himself down, he came to the conclusion that he was just without at the moment, which is why he had began to call out to the person walking towards him on the path. "Hey man, you got a smoke? Smoke..." He held his fingers up to his mouth, and mocked taking in a lungful of cancer, but the man just shook his head, and hurried by. "It's not safe to be out you know!" He yelled after him. "Crazy fucking weres all over the place." Shannon thought of Vallis, of his home, and how it had been there for that short time. While there, he had just wanted to get the hell out, get back to his brother, and put distance between them, and Amsterdam. Obviously that hadn't come to pass, because here they were now, not speaking to one another, and him dreaming about life with his sire.

There had been enough change in him now, he knew how to handle himself when it came to hunting, feeding... Vivian had taught him a lot, made sure he paid attention when they all were out together. That might be all that Vallis had wanted him to learn, or he could still be considered too young to be useful. After all, his gift wasn't any more tuned that it had been. The teacher came to see him once a week, but he didn't always give the seer his full attention. It was like book work, and his mind had always been too restless for book work. All this shit about having to focus, and control it... if he had known how to do that before hand, he wouldn't need those lessons. Lessons that were going no where. In the end, who would be more annoyed, Vivian for all the money she was spending on him, or Vallis for all the wasted time. The bell chimed on the shop door, as he stepped in, tucking his hands into his pockets, as he approached the front counter. "Uh... cigarettes please. Normal ones." Laying a few bills on the counter, he watched as the clerk went through the selection, Shannon nodding when he finally landed on the brand he wanted. "Yeah, them. Thanks, man, keep the change." With the pack in hand, he tapped it against the heel of his palm as he stepped back out onto the street, his eyes again moving to the water. He wondered now if Cal was still alive or not.

Who: Jaida, Shannon, Callum and Juniper
Where: Briefly the hospital, then onto the mansion
When: Night time/Full Moon
What: Ch-ch-ch-ch changes!


The clock was ticking away for Cal, and there wasn't much time left. Days before, the doctor had called Jun into his office, and told her that he himself had passed Callum over for a transplant, because of his history with drug abuse. Not once, but twice. In his better judgement, he had told her, he couldn't not give the young man a healthy heart, knowing that he would likely just destroy it, when there were others out there who could truly have a new lease on life. As understanding as she would have tried to been had it been anyone else, she had told the doctor he was letting a good person die, and that she hoped he would never be able to forget Cal's face, nor hers. Off of life support, he had no more than a few days to live, if that. On life support, it might be months, but his quality of life would continue to plummet. He would waste away in that bed, on those machines, becoming just a shell of himself. Off of life support, he could leave them much sooner, but she might be able to talk to him again. Honestly, she couldn't decide what would have been a more selfish move... having him hang on, just to be here, or letting him go, and being able to tell him everything she felt still needed to be said. It didn't matter now, there was something else in store for Cal, something that she wasn't exactly thrilled about, but the alternative wasn't something she was ready to face.

Even after spending an entire evening talking to Jaida, and Shannon, she hadn't wanted to commit one way, or another. Then Callum's heart rate began to drop, and they had needed to up his meds more. It looked like those promised months were going to be weeks now. She had to make up her mind. Two days ago, she had signed the papers to have him woken from the coma, which took far longer than she had anticipated, but they had made it clear that they wished to establish that everything was stable enough for him to at least be comfortable. Once they were sure, they had brought her the papers to remove him from life support. Before she signed, she had asked the doctor if it would be possible to have him moved home, so that he could be comfortable when he passed. It took a lot of tears, and sobbing, but he had finally given his consent, and arrangements were made for the transport. "Shannon, I don't care if it's another two hours before sunset, get your ass out of bed, and make sure his room is ready for him. I can only be there until eight, and then I have to... you know." She spoke quietly into her mobile. In all of deciding, it seemed to have slipped her mind that the full moon was this evening. That, and she had expected that they would have been out of here the previous night, but it just hadn't worked out that way. The hospital did take it's time. "Jaida is already up, I talked to her like a half hour ago, because she told me she was sending Dom over." The young weres eyes moved to the old werewolf, as he stood aways down from her in the hallway. "Yes, he's going to help with the move... I'll call you before we head that way, just make sure that everything is ready. He needs to be comfortable... okay, later."

She hung up her phone, before slipping it into the pocket of her jeans. Juniper folded her arms across her chest, just as the door to Callum's room opened. "You can see him now. He's awake, and we're preparing the ambulance for the move." The nurse gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, before stepping out, and away from the door, leaving it cracked just slightly. For a moment, she watched him through the small break, wondering what must have been going through his mind at that moment... the doctor had taken the time to explain to him what had happened, what was going to happen, and that his wife done everything in her power to make things better for him. That was a lot to process, and she couldn't help but feel her heart ache all the more. Then she worried that he was in pain, and whether or not he was even strong enough to transition. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she pushed the door open further, before stepping in, and closing it behind her. "You're probably sick of my voice by now. As much as I've been talking at you." The doctor had reminded her that Callum might remember some of the things she had said while he was out of it. "I'm not gonna stop though... sorry." Giving him a sad smile, she sat down on the edge of his bed, facing him. "We're going to go home soon."

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: 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…