d'Artois: Events in Time

[Pi dArtois]

Ruth: attempts to squelch Elliot's urge to speak up with a narrow-eyed stare, but this causes her physical discomfort and she winces and stares at her lap instead.

Pi d’Artois: "You two are adults, but I'm wondering if either of you are going into this for the right reasons. And there is something going on here I'm not sure either of you is telling us. But Amaranthia will be here soon and an eternal bond is forever so before either of you do something you can not CAN NOT reverse, you should both think about it."

Cytherea: ''Oh, I'm sure. And you muffin, do you want to back out now?'' it was a challenge.

Star: nods “Kleiner that is an interesting name."

Mr. Kleiner: turned and momentarily ignored Pi as she spoke, "Ironic that you say that."

Doc: "And risk losing....." he glared at her, wanted to say ‘to’ but didn’t, "..You? No fuckin' way."

Pi d’Artois: "This isn't a game Cytherea and this commitment shouldn't be made into a match of wills."

Mr. Kleiner: ignored Star *

Cytherea: ''It isn't, Pi.''

Mr. Kleiner: turned back to Star , "It's what Miss d'Artois named me at our first meeting."

Pi d’Artois: "Make sure of it Cytherea, because from where I'm standing it looks like one to me... and this isn't something you play with."

Mr. Kleiner: settled deeper in to his chair, mildly miffed that Pi had ignored his comment.

Doc: turns to Pi, "She loves me. She will prove it by being a faithful wife.. and partner.. Right..." He looks at Cyth hard, "Darling?"

Amaranthia: Directions were easy to follow, thanks to that new fangled ap Sammael had installed on her phone. Before long she found herself joining her fellow Grigori, if that's what one would consider her at this point. "Let's see, the only things I do not have on me are the fadeling corpse, and I will need more Poison Chems...

Amaranthia: “I am assuming that you already have the rings."

Ruth: “Pi is right. As much as I want to support you in your decision, you should both be... more serious about such a... permanent...”

Ruth: “...commitment.”

Cytherea: ''I'm 28. I know what I'm doing. Doc's older as well, he wouldn't enter this without knowing full well. And yes, of course I'll be faithful, just like you dearest. Forever.''

Doc: “I have poison chemicals.. Lots of it..”

Doc: smiles at Cyth coldly.

Cytherea: ''I don't have a fadeling corpse, but I've 35 poison chems.''

Mr. Kleiner: shook his head at the crowds talk about seriousness to commitment, adding to his pad, Do they all offer the same consideration before forcing their childer (is that what the girl said) in to becoming permanently bound to them by blood?

Pi d’Artois: Pi smiled at Amaranthia and walked over to the woman. "Thank you so much for coming Am... I appreciate you doing this on such short notice."

Elliot: perked a brow, nodding a greeting in Amaranthia's direction. "My thrall can bring us some Fadeling Corpses. Maybe some Poison Chems. I can call her and see what we have stored."

Amaranthia: "Of course! That is why I bargained for the tome to begin with, to be able to serve."

Pi d’Artois: turning back to the room at Amaranthia's words she turned to the ritualists "Do we have a fadeling and chems?"

Amaranthia: "Only one corpse is required. Thankfully...those things smell horrible."

Pi d’Artois: “Cytherea, if you can give all your chems to Amaranthia please?"

Cytherea: ''I can do that.''

Amaranthia: "I will of course return any unused. I just like to be on the cautious side."

Cytherea: ''You can keep them, if you please. For your troubles.''

Amaranthia: "If you would like, the ritual alter in the Dungeon is open for public use as well."

Ruth: is growing increasingly quiet. Amaranthia is here and Doc and Cytherea are... embracing, so this is it. Her Doc, who was so hopeless and angry when Pi asked Ruth to keep an eye on him, was leaving the nest and getting married. It should have been a great relief to her.

Pi d’Artois: Pi felt a little surreal, okay more than a little surreal. She wasn't sure if there was a manual for what you did when the ex-lover you sired as a child, hooked up with your current lover's childe and got married and you help bring in the ritualist to do it. In fact, she felt a little.. disconnected and absent from it all. She did the right thing, she helped

Star: nods to Kleiner and then looks up at everyone. She was starting to wonder about those two one was a Sib and the other an Uncle of sorts then again Kleiner was an uncle of sorts. She decides to sit beside Kleiner.

Cytherea: linked her fingers with Doc's as she roughly pulled him towards the place they needed to be, keeping that loving look present on her face. When this was done, and they were alone. Lord save him. ''Ready, muffin?''

Mr. Kleiner: sighed as the individual named Star sat beside him. Mildly annoyed, he might as well capitalize it. "Seeing as I'm new to all of this," he gestured generally to the crowd and the goings on,

Doc: “Absolutely.. I can’t wait to get you alone...”

Amaranthia: "You are both aware this is irreversible? In the old days there was the out of eternal sleep...now we can return from the Shadow Realm, and that is no longer an option."

Mr. Kleiner: continued, "Mind filling me in on all of this?

Madison: Amaranthia arrived and Madison took a good look at her having never met her before. Another sip of wine and her eyes wandered back to Doc and Cytherea before glancing over at Messer and Star.

Pi d’Artois: But it all seemed like it was happening to other people and she was just orchestrating a great play where the actors weren't all that real. Staring over her shoulder she gave him a look of abject confusion. It didn't seem entirely right but what could you do. Returning to sit beside him Pi leaned a cheek on his shoulder, her small hand wrapping around his arm

Cytherea: ''I am aware. And yes darling, I can't wait for that either.'' she sent a grin his way.

Doc: “It's a wonderful adventure we are ..Starting.. hmm?”

Ruth: Stares at Pi, feeling a bit sick to her stomach and very angry with herself indeed.

Star: nods "Yes. From my understanding there is a Tome that only few people have that can bind two people together forever. There is no going back on the binding so they are stuck with each other forever and always. They can never bind to another person.

Amaranthia: She nodded slowly "Indeed. There are but a handful if that of us who can perform this ritual. They will be bond forever more."

Mr. Kleiner: made some notes about this, "And what is the benefit of doing this?"

Doc: “Love.. Kleiner.. Love...” *he smiles hard at Cyth*
Doc: “And I feel it.”

Pi d’Artois: "Forever." Pi whispered and shook her head, turning her face into Elliot's arm she kissed his shoulder again, the movement automatic, as if she didn't even think of it while she was doing it.

Mr. Kleiner: coughed, disguising a chuckle. He did not know Doc well but he doubted the truthfulness of that statement. He continued his notes, No real benefit for eternal bond.

Cytherea: ''Good evening, Kleiner, glad you could join us on this happy day.'' leaned into Doc once more.

Star: thinks for a moment "I am not sure for each person it could be a different meaning. For me if I can ever get it to happen it will form my bound I already have with my husband to be stronger."

Amaranthia: Arms gathered up the chemicals needed, placing them in proper order with great care she smiled gently at the gathered group. Several she knew from the Pub, and some she had never seen before.

Mr. Kleiner: nodded at the bride, "Good evening to you as well. If ever the phrase shotgun wedding were appropriate, I am sure that this little scenario would be it."

Ruth: has to say something, but not in front of all these people. Her telepathy penetrates Doc's brain, then she teleports herself out of the room, vanishing in a puff of white smoke.

Amaranthia: "Was I supposed to bring a shotgun?" She canted her head in confusion.

Doc: "Yes.. I have strike while the iron is hot hmm? Before she gets cold feet?"

Cytherea: would have laughed, but she was still strong in her vengeance. ''Oh, I'm sure from the stories Doc has told, if I was human, that would be the case.'' a laugh bubbled forth then, turning to look at Amara. ''No, just light teasing.''

Mr. Kleiner: jotted a note about the ritualist, Slow on the uptake. Doesn't understand basic euphemisms.

Pi d’Artois: "Do you have what you need Amaranthia?" Pi asked quietly.

Doc: looks for Ruth, and shakes his head briefly.

Elliot: had retrieved his phone from his pocket, and had kindly asked Roxette to collect for them a Fadeling Corpse. It was only now that she sauntered into the complex, dressed just like a 90s Rock Goddess, with her spiked, bleached blonde hair, leather tights, and torn white blouse. She carried a duffel bag. "Who wants this disgusting thing?"

Madison: set the glass of blood down on the table beside her and adjusted her hips in the chair. She leaned forward some, long blonde hair falling forward over her shoulders. Propping an elbow up on her knee, she placed her chin in her hand and continued to watch.

Amaranthia: She nodded, sensing the quietness and her mood turned to concern for Pi. "I have just received the fadeling. I can perform the ritual now." turning to the partners to be she continued "Would you prefer a ceremony, or just do the ritual?"

Doc: “Just do the ritual babe..just the ritual..”

[Doc]

Amaranthia: "Also, do either of you know your Fae names?"

Cytherea: ''Yes, what my lovely husband to be said.'' turning to pin Doc with a loving look, well, as loving as she could muster.
Cytherea: ''I do not, I'm afraid.''

Doc: “I have fuckin fairy name? Pi?”

Star: “What is the Fae name and how do you find out what it is?”

Asteria: "Everyone has a fae name, Doc."

Amaranthia: Smirked, "Yes, we all have names by which the Fae know us."

Pi d’Artois: nodded in Amaranthia's direction. It just didn't seem like a celebration. It seemed like she was watching two cars heading towards one another at high speeds and waiting for the other to yell chicken and swerve off. Except, she suspected, neither of these two drivers would.

Mr. Kleiner: flipped a page, Fae/Fairy name? Needed for ritual. Investigate ASAP

Elliot: thanked Roxette as she passed the corpse over to Amaranthia. The human showed a very small amount of interest in the proceedings. Assuming she was invited, she flops down next to Elliot, saying a little too loudly. "What's going on here, now?"

Pi d’Artois: "We haven't needed to perform rituals on either Cytherea or Doc, we don't know their fae names yet Amaranthia."

Amaranthia: "That is fine, no matter, it just speeds the process. Give me a few moments my dears."

Elliot: "Shut up, Roxxy. I'll tell you later," he said. He stood, and wandered over to Pi. This was really happening, then. They weren't backing down.

Pi d’Artois: "I know some of what it means to do rituals. We hope, you can determine these for us.. but once you do have them if you would let me know... we would save the knowledge for later."

Doc: “I'm not going anywhere.. are you.. sweetie?” *eyes Cyth, silently saying, now or never*

Mr. Kleiner: hurriedly added, Name can be saved for later use. Possibly dangerous.

Cytherea: ''I'm not going anywhere darling, this is forever. I'm ready. Lets do this.'' with a last look at Doc, she turned and smiled at Amara.

Aidan: "Hope you know, Doc, after this is over going to plan you a bachelor party," Aidan said with a chuckle as she found this thing to be rather funny.

Star: whispers to Kleiner "Oh a Fae name you learn when a ritual is done on you and I always believed the Fae and the Fairy where two different beings."

Doc: “Aidan.. You're my best man right?”

Madison: got a bad idea in her head but couldn't help herself. Keeping her attention on Amaranthia, Doc and Cytherea she whispered in Messer Kleiner’s mind, "You sure do like to scribble."

Mr. Kleiner: smiled at the girl, she might prove to be useful after all, "And what all can these names be used for?"

Pi d’Artois: made space for Elliot and leaned into him.

Mr. Kleiner: His eyes narrowed at the intrusion in his mind. Not wanting to appear crazy, he ignored the voice, unsure of its source.

Asteria: glanced over at Kleiner. "May want to ask an actual *ritualist* what they're for."

Aidan: "Always your best man, Doc," she responded with a fanged grin.

Star: thinks for a moment before speaking softly to him. "Well the binding ritual for one and I think to kick an uninvited guest out of your home but I agree with Ast she might know more what they are for."

Elliot: couldn't help but wander whether this was some twisted kind of game on Doc's behalf - to test Elliot, to see whether he'd break up this marriage because of their differences. Maybe it wasn't. It probably wasn't. Elliot didn't do a thing. He dropped a hand over Pi's shoulder and watched, a cold, mirthless smile on his face.

Madison: "ooo someone's getting catty," she whispered again. Her eyes never left the three in front of her.

Elliot: The only thing he did do was focus solely on Cytherea, only for a moment. He sent her a telepathic message.

Doc: makes a fist .. to fist bump with Aidan, "You're the 'man'"

Mr. Kleiner: grinned openly at Asteria, "If I knew more about what that was I might just do that. Unfortunately, I lack the all knowingness of youth and am well aware of my faults."

Asteria: "Well, you're looking at a ritualist right now, if you really want to know about it all."

Pi d’Artois: Pi watched Amaranthia work, and the fae she bound to the circle. It was a ritual, like any other ritual but this one required a strong fae, one way bigger than Pi had ever encountered.

Aidan: "Got your back," bumped his fist with her own then just stood back to watch this all go down.

Mr. Kleiner: Rearranging himself, he continued, "I will take that as a friendly offer and will likely pursue that offer at another date. I think I've been enough of a distraction away from the happy couple for one day though."

Pi d’Artois: For a moment Pi was lost watching the woman work, of the words she said and the names she called into the circle to make the fae howl at her or beat its fists against the side of the circle. Laughter and banter circled her but she concentrated on what was happening there and her gaze stayed focused there. The fae that was bound would call on the magic that held them immortal and it would bind that power to the bond it would create between two people.

Elliot: Cytherea replied to Elliot in the self-same manner that he had invaded her mind. He relaxed, if only a little.

Madison: mentally bit back the urge to tell Kleiner in his head that it was about time he showed some manners and instead focused her attention on the fae now in the room.

Asteria: was paying enough attention to know this would be a train wreck. She knew neither would back down and was gladly awaiting the aftermath of lost limbs and "I told you so's".

Pi d’Artois: There was no divorce for vampires who chose this path, nor would be there be an out they could take if they believed themselves wrong in their decision. It was a powerful thing to watch, such magic being summoned and woven into the tome Amaranthia held.

Mr. Kleiner: scribbled the details of what he saw happening before him as quickly as he could, sure that he would find some use for it all later

Pi d’Artois: It would be soon, Pi could feel it, the magic crescendo and break. The fae looked tired, worn.

Star: watched the Fae and what was going on.

Pi d’Artois: squeezed Elliot's arm, her voice soft. "Watch..." she said softly. "It is nearly done." Her eyes glued to the circle Pi turned to watch Amaranthia.. quiet.

Amaranthia: Her aura visibly weighted down by the magic, by her struggle and battle to wield the Fae, a slow breath was drawn. She had missed all of what had been said between now and when she began the ritual, but she had been successful. It had been a tight draw this time. With but a single ounce of strength left, and two choices of words to utter she had succeeded.

Amaranthia: The two were now bound eternally. "Congratulations Doc, and Cytherea. May the blessings of companionship be with you ever more."

Pi d’Artois: Pi heard a pin drop, one second, two.

Pi d’Artois: watched both Cyth and Doc, equally quiet.

Amaranthia: (You completed the ritual! You gained 60 spirit exp. )

Pi d’Artois: No one clamoured to congratulate them and Pi wasn't sure she wanted to be the first to break the silence, deafening that it was.

Elliot: The things was done. Elliot's arm tightened around Pi's torso. They were adults. They could do as they pleased. They knew exactly what they were getting into. And now it was done.

Madison: waited for Doc and Cyth to kiss or something along those lines.

Cytherea: offered a bright smile to her now husband, leaning forward to kiss him, then whisper in his ear. ''You're so dead later. Dead.''

Amaranthia: Looking up at Doc, she whispered with a hoarse voice "Doc, your Fae name is ‘.....'. Use it well. Guard it from your enemies."

Doc: kissed Cyth..

Pi d’Artois: leaned her head against the soft part of Elliot's shoulder

Doc: “Thank you Amaranthia”

Amaranthia: “You are very welcome.”

Cytherea: ''Yes, thank you so much Amaranthia.''

Cytherea: “And everyone else for being here in this joyous moment.”

Doc: “Yes.. thank you all.”

Aidan: patted Doc on the back hard, "I'll have the limo pick you up at the nursing home in a couple of days. Going to make you a dirty old man....well more of one..." she smirked.

Cytherea: smiled at Aidan. ''I'll be sure to have a bath ready for him.''

Amaranthia: bowing she backed away from the gathered family, slipping out and back to her own home.

Doc: smirks at Aidan. Right now he could kiss her, "I'll be ready for it...trust me"

Asteria: was more than a little amused, but kept mostly silent for now, mumbling something in Greek beneath her breath.

Madison: stood and approached the newly bound couple. "Congratulations guys. One of you will have to give me an address so I can get you a gift."

Cytherea: nipped at Doc's jaw once more. ''I think we should go spend some time alone now darling, sort out a honeymoon. Let everyone leave.''

Doc: smirks at Madison.
Doc: “Thanks Madison...”

Mr. Kleiner: heard what seemed like the voice in his head and narrowed his eyes at the woman next to the newly bound couple

Aidan: nodded, "Don't forget his bath salts so he does not lock up on you later. Make sure you scrub all of those wrinkly parts, get that old man dust out."

Cytherea: ''That's the best part about him, don't want to get rid of it.''

Pi d’Artois: Pi didn't leave Elliot's side and she didn't go and congratulate either of them, instead she stayed where she was and watched.

Madison: "No problem Doc," Madison smiled and backed away from the couple, catching the look Kleiner was giving her. She spoke into his mind again with a wink, "Shouldn't you be scribbling?"

Doc: grabbed Cyth's hand with his own.. "Come on... Pookie.. I have a couch with your name on it.."

Elliot: was looking forward to seeing how this would all pan out. He was still waiting for the ball to drop, but it didn't. He leaned down to mutter in Pi's ear. "Should we go home?"

Mr. Kleiner: smiled widely at her then nodding, before turning back to his pad, Others can put thoughts in to my head. Need to investigate defence.

Pi d’Artois: nodded quietly "Yes, let’s go home."

Elliot: wanted to discuss this all with her, and find out exactly what she thought about it all.

Doc: “Kleiner.. good to see you.. I'll be in touch..”

Doc: “Aidan ... lots of strippers..”

Cytherea: linked her fingers with his, smiling once more. ''Yes, lets. I'll be sure to share it with you this time. Thank you everyone.''

Mr. Kleiner: “Always good to see you as well Doc. Perhaps we should meet up sooner rather than later.”

Doc: “Yes Let’s Kleiner...”

Elliot: "Congratulations, guys. Have fun," he said. He narrowed his eyes in Doc's direction, but didn't say a thing. Didn't do anything. Instead, he led Pi from the room.

Doc: “Madison.. glad you came.. Asteria, Aidan in line. Star .. glad you came.”

Doc: all but dragged Cyth out.

Pi d’Artois: smiled at the couple "Félicitations à vous deux, bonne chance." she said quietly and followed Elliot out.

Mr. Kleiner: made his final notes and closed the pad. He smiled at the crowd and exited with the rest of them.

[Pi dArtois]

(Amaranthia)

Amaranthia’s concentration was ebbing between exhaustion and power when the words slipped into her mind.

"Please don't I love him"

She couldn't be sure which soul had bared itself to her, and a part of her heart ached for the woman. At least she assumed it was a woman. She knew that feeling all too well. She whispered back into the void

"I am sorry, it is not my judgment to make, and I did not hear your words until too late. I hope you have peace."

Fingers reached out for her phone, quickly texting the message to Pi. "I'm concerned for one of your own, she tried to speak to my mind while I was under the ritual meditation and I did not recieve it until now. She loved Doc. She was asking me not to bind him to Cythera...but it was too late.

Pi d'Artois: [Text] Ruth? ... Kainai d'Artois is what she is known by.

Pi knew, before Amaranthia replied what it would be.

Amaranthia: [text] Yes...Kainai. That was her name...

Pi d'Artois: [Text] Thank you for letting me know Amaranthia.. and thank you. So much, for being a part of this for our family."

How long had it been since Ruth had come to her and told her what Doc had said to her. Of her struggled to understand the emotions that pushed him to say those words to a woman already married. Pi, curled into Elliot's arms, her nose burying into the soft part of his neck. The wedding was only minutes old and already she felt the sick queasy dread. She showed the phone the man whose side she was curled up agaist. "Oh god Elliot.... what has he done?"

Amaranthia: [Text] I am happy to help, I just hope I haven't caused undue harm.

The phone beeped again and this time Pi didn’t pick it up. She just didn’t have the energy to deal with any more of the family and instead sat there on the couch with Elliot and told him everything. Some of it he already knew because this is what they did, in the evenings when day came and before sleep took them. They had taken on the habit of laying in bed, wrapped in each other’s arms and talking about their day. Sometimes there was a lot to relate. Elliot talked about his lectures and his forays to the University to sit in on lectures and she would talk to him about the renovations on Lancaster’s in Redwood. And they’d smile or laugh or sigh depending on what was going on.

This time Pi was more serious and when she spoke her voice shook with her resignation.


(Kainai dArtois)

I am sorry for what I am about to do, but the pain is too great for me to endure living in this world any longer. I am a shameful hypocrite, and I deserve this pain and worse for loving Doc. I told him that binding was a serious commitment that should last forever, out of desperation that he would return my love, even knowing that I am married to someone else.

*the paper is being held out in her limp hand, and her eyes are closed. She is laying in the tub in her sister's lair, not wanting to make a mess and not wanting her mate to see the note or to see her like this.*



Pi backed away from the bathroom in her apartment. She had to push Elliot out behind her nearly tripping over her feet. They’d only come by because she’d wanted to pick up more clothes and get a shower. She’d hoped to convince him to jump in with her. In fact, she’d known he would, because she’d had a hold of his shirt and was pulling him the bathroom door when she’d slipped on the piece of paper.

They couldn’t change what Cyth and Doc had done anymore than they could fix Kainai’s broken heart and she hadn’t considered for a moment that Ruth would need her much more than later as a shoulder to cry on.

The ash didn’t register at first. She didn’t even really see it. It blended too well with the white tile floor. Instead, all she saw was the paper. She didn’t remember picking it up, only the words before the locomotive roar blocked out everything else. Slamming the door she turned shocked eyes to Elliot. “Please, stay here…”

Standing on tip toe she stopped for a moment and kissed him achingly soft, because she needed to, because her heart was breaking for her sister and she needed the rock in her life to know how she felt. “I love you, so much. Please protect her… I”ll …. I’ll be.. right back.”

(to be continued)

[Pi dArtois]

Pi d’Artois: [IC Text] I need to speak to you about Ruth. Where are you?

Doc: *text* Bout to head to the Raid...

Pi d’Artois: [Text] Good, you're available. Meet me in the portal room. Tome in. This is important.

Doc: *text* I know I kinda ignored her.. But there was.. I couldnt focus..I didn't mean to hurt her feelings I tried to tell her she was gone.

Pi d’Artois: Pi held the piece of paper in her hand and fisted in, a tear tracked down her face. She left her apartment and stormed into the portal room. If he didn’t come she'd find his *** in the raid and kick his *** in public. Either way, she didn't care. The stupid, unfeeling, idiot.

Pi d’Artois: [Text] Get.To.The.*******.Portal. Room. NOW

She sent the text and paced, waiting.

Doc: Dammit. The last thing he wanted was anyone to see his eye before he went into the raid. If Elliot found out.. He sighed. Might as well get it over with. He tomed into the portal room, gouged eye and everything. He glared at Pi.

Pi d’Artois: Pi didn't wait, instead just seeing him made the tears fall and she stalked up to him and slapped him hard, her hand finding his cheek and the sound a loud crack and she did it again because once wasn't enough. "You ******* idiot. You foolish, arrogant ********!" Without waiting for him to answer she threw the paper Kainai had left for her at him. "I found what was left of her in my bathtub." she choked out, her throat clogged with emotion she found hard to express. An anger so biting she shook with it. "IN MY BATHTUB!" she yelled at him.

Letter read "I am sorry for what I am about to do, but the pain is too great for me to endure living in this world any longer. I am a shameful hypocrite, and I deserve this pain and worse for loving Doc. I told him that binding was a serious commitment that should last forever, out of desperation that he would return my love, even knowing that I am married to someone else. "

Doc: Doc saw the rage and the hurt, and thought, hell she just used Ruth as a ******* excuse to him here, so she could blister him. When she slapped him, and called him names, he had closed his eyes and counted. He wasnt going to hit her. He wanted to he wasnt going, and then... then her words sank in. "What?" His voice quiet, as she screamed omce more at him and flung the paper at him. He grabbed the crumpled paper and read it. The words nearly broke him. "No.. No.. dammit.. she loves her husband.. " He looked at Pi devasted, and confused. (cont)

"She about died when her husband was in the SR.. She was a mess.. It broke my heart to see her like that.. She Loves him!" He shook his head in denial. "No she didn't that .. "

Pi d’Artois: "She told me what you said to her." Pi said quietly, the tears were there but Pi wasn't the crying type, she cried when she was angry as if true emotion boiled out of her but rage stemmed the flow and the words she said to him bit and she wanted them to cut deep. "The things you said. You are a FOOL if you think you can say those words to any woman and they not mean something. And Ruth.. what have you done to our Ruth? She's a Mystic! Do you know what that means? Do you have any idea how hard the SR is for those of her kind?"

Doc: Doc was lost in his own world or pain and hurt. If Pi was talking, he only heard it with half an effort, there was a roaring in his head. He replayed everything.. everything in his head. Yes he had told Ruth how he felt.. but she avoided him. She stayed away from him. He had to promise, that he would not act on it. That he knew it could never be. He promised. She had agreed, it would never be. His voice was broken, “She said it would never be.. I Promised her.” He raked a hand toughly through his hair. “I kept my promise.. That was me keeping my ******* promise to her!” A tear rolled down his face. “You got to go tell her to come the **** back! I could love her from afar.. but.. She has to come back.. You have to bring her back..” He paced erratically.

“You will bring her back.. right?”His voice breaking.

Pi d’Artois: Pi slapped him again, purposely hitting his gouged eye because she was so angry at him. Angry at him for that sham of a wedding he had submitted them to and angry that his pain made her feel sorry for him and angry because she couldn't 'bring her the hell back.' no one could. Mystics struggled more in the SR, they didn't have the fortitude that the rest of their kind did. Their minds were susceptible. But she did feel for him, just a little. But the mess he made. The global cluster **** of this situation because of his games and his manipulation, he had damned three people. "This, isn't about YOU..." She shook her head at him, her own tears now dry. She'd wiped them away and they would stay gone. “You bound yourself to Cytherea yesterday knowing you loved someone else.”

“You damned Ruth and you damned Cytherea. You made Cytherea a consolation prize and you ...ohh God Ruth." Her gaze widened and she sucked in a breath as she realised the last of the Mystic curse.... "Ruth... her body has turned to dust." Pi recalled her bathroom, the fine layer of grey ash inside the tub and on the white tile floor where she'd found the note. "Oh Jesus Charles..." she uttered, her gaze as shell shocked as his was. "She's lost her.... body." Even if she could bring Ruth back, she wouldn't be the same. She wouldn't have the same brown eyes or the same luxurious hair she'd inherited from her native mother. What was left of it... was ash on the floor of a bathroom just beyond the portal room.

Doc: She slapped him again and he didn't even care. He just sank to the floor, head in hands. He had fucked it up good. Everything he touched he ruined. “You should have let me die in that cabin … you should have put a ******* bullet in my head.” He didn't know what else to say.. or do. His shouldlers shook as he broke down and sliently cried.

[Doc]

Pi d’Artois: "Maybe I should have." She whispered. She stared down at the man at her feet and realised she had nothing for him. He had not been the man she had tried to love and she had not been the woman he had said he'd loved. He'd broken three lives with this decision, just as he had tried to break her on the table in that basement laboratory. "Except I didn't... and you are here." Her words were slow. "And there is no fixing this. Forever. You have bound yourself to a woman FOREVER... as a consolation prize and that, is all. On. You."

She couldn't pull that punch, no matter if he was broken and crying at her feet but with it she had to temper it with something they could both use to grow from. She couldn't make another Robert Pratt. She couldn't let her own guilt and anger colour the future until it broke them both. Not like Doc was doing. She had to soften the blow and she had to help find him a way to ... god, she didn't know. Something. Crouching beside him she sighed. Tentatively she reached out a hand and gently swiped the blood from his face. "I'll go to her... find her there. And I need you to help me figure out what to say to her when I do... help me do that."

Doc: "I dont know.. What I did.. cant be forgotten. It cant be fixed." He shakes his head, "But we still need her. She was a breath of fresh air in a world of darkness.. She was.. She IS light.. we need that. She makes everyone around her better,... And I will stay the **** away from her. I'll leave the family.. if she'll just come back." He cant even look at Pi.

Pi d’Artois: "Don't make me slap you again." She said and shook her head and flopped onto her *** beside him, her back against the wall. "Now, help me. I asked you a question Doc. What do I tell her?"

Doc: "Do you really think she wants to hear from me? I ruined her. And you think .. something I say, will bring her back? What could I possibly say? That I love her? That I will miss her? But that we can never be.. She knows that PI! It was something I said that put her there." He groused "Maybe I'm thick, i dont know!"

Pi d’Artois: He was right. Pi wasn't going to go to the SR and tell Ruth he loved her and that it would never be. That's like taking an icepick to the wound her sister wore on her heart and digging around with it. And that was it wasn't it? Pi stood in the middle of their love triangle like a marionette pulled one way or another. She had her own damn history with Charles yet here she was, trying to find a way she could help heal the heart Doc had broken. Or help salve Doc's heart. She just didn't know what to do, and in her helplessness she whispered. "Then how do I get her to come back Charles? Do I tell her how it will be alright that the man she loves and who loves her will be there but she can't ever be with him or he with her? For eternity? How is this meant to have a happy ending?"

Doc: Doc stewed, if he were beside her, right now, what would he say to her? He looked up at Pi, his eyes, dead. "Tell her: “I'm sorry Ruth.. I fucked up. But so did you.. suck it up. Come back. I'm ******* ******** .. and I am ******* selfish enough to want and need my friend back.” That's what you tell her." He nodded. "That's all I have the right to say."

Pi d’Artois: Pi nodded and sat quietly for a moment. "Why did you do it? This... binding?"

Doc: Doc sighed. "Elliot and I had an arguement over Cyth.. He treats her like shes this fragile thing.. that will fall apart, if someone looks at her hard. But shes not fragile.. She's not. She's tough.." He half snorts, "Look at my face.. she's not fragile. I wanted Elliot to see that he wasnt helping her by coddling her..and questioning all her actions.. like he didnt trust her, he was frustrating her.. he was pushing her away." He sighs, "So then Cyth brings up the engagement.. I didnt know it was me.. But what could I do, I just had ******* fight with Elliot over this very thing.. If I backed out.. Cyth would win.. but Elliot would see her 'bad decision'.. and that would have crushed whatever hope there is for them. If Cyth backed out.. woman's perrogative.. no big deal.. it would be wise

Doc: to take some time.. not to rush things.. And then there was Ruth. She needed to know I wasn't going to be lurking in the background ready to jump her.. when she least expected it. This would fix that ..and I would have part of her back.. It all made sense at the time..

Pi d’Artois: Pi shook her head and held her tongue. She didn't tell him he'd acted like a childish fool because it wouldn't help matters. She didn't point out the holes in his logic or the fact he'd let his pride dig him into a hole he'd never get out of. He'd bound himself to one of their best and she didn't tell him how she hated how he'd manipulated them all into this stupid corner. For what? And now look where they were. Pi would go into the SR and she would visit her sister and she would do what she could. "And Cytherea. She will love you one day... and you will do everything you can. Not to break her heart too. Please?"

Doc: "No.. I wont break her heart.." He wasn't going to tell her, that Cyth was tougher than that. That Cyth was stronger than everyone gave her credit for. "I gave my word. Believe it or not Pi.. it does mean something to me."

Pi d’Artois: Standing Pi looked down at the man still slumped on the floor her gaze devoid of emotion. This had drained her. She still wore the same clothes she wore to the binding they'd just witnessed two hours before. She had left Elliot in the apartment to stand over her bathroom as if someone would come by and disturb the last resting place of her sister. "Thank you. I ...." she paused, strugging to put into words the grisly task that waited for her in her bathroom. ".. I need to collect what remains of Ruth, she's...I need to go." It was worse actually, that she was nothing but what amounted to fireplace ask to deal with. All that would be left of the face she had loved was ash... white fine ash scattered around her bathroom. There would be no more Ruth as they knew her and it hurt. It hurt alot.

Doc: Doc hung his head. "Yea... I'm going to stay here for a while.. " He had nothing left to say.

Pi d’Artois: She didn't have anything else to say to him. It all hit too close to home. And she blamed him for all of it. So she walked away and left him there. On another day she would work to forgiving him, but it wasn't today. She had done what she can, with her one moment of empathy. But it took all she'd had to give him that one moment. There was nothing left in her to give. She walked out, and directly into Elliot's arms and she buried her face into his shoulder and cried. "She shouldn't have done it Elliot... it was stupid to do this... stupid." she said, her voice muffled by his shirt.

[Pi dArtois]

Cytherea: *Sent a text to Pi.* Do you think you could call me? It's important. I looked for you at home, but couldn't find you.

Pi d’Artois: Pi pulled the phone out of her pocket, wincing as the fine white ash clung to her jeans. Her hands were covered in the stuff and the dust pan she held collected the macabre remains of the woman she called her sister. Of course it was Cytherea, who else would it be. Sighing she called the woman and put the phone on speaker phone then balanced it on the tub, the last resting place of her gentle mystic sister. She let it ring.

Cytherea: Cytherea answered the phone, smiling faintly at nothing in particular. ''Hello Pi. Sorry. But, I came across something last night. You see, I tend to check on your guys every night before I sleep, just to make sure you are all safe. But when I checked on Ruth, she was bloodless, and then I checked her location, and she was in the Shadows. So i sent her some messages. To make sure she was okay. But she replied, and I don't think she is. So I don't know what to say back? Can someone go find her? I tried to see if she was attacked, but nothing was there.''

Pi d’Artois: It had taken ages to pick up what was left of her sister and Pi hadn't let Elliot help. Each scrap that was left was hers to deal with herself. It was nearly done. All that was left was tub itself. And for that Pi looked into the ceramic bathtub and she shook her head. She heard what the woman had said but she ignored all of it. It was a joke really, that Cytherea would be concerned... when she was the architect of all of it. "Why did you do it Cytherea... why did you bind yourself eternally to a man you didn't love.. who doesn't love you and who loves another?"

Cytherea: The turn of conversation had taken her by surprise, her eyes widening as she sat up fully. Why wasn't she asking about Ruth? But she answered none the less. ''I do love Doc, Pi.'' it wasn't a lie. She did love the man, in her own way. ''I trust Doc. I care about him, and I know he cares for me. Isn't that what a bond is about? If he wants to be with the woman he loves, then he can be. And eternal bond doesn't just pertain to a sexual nature. It can run deeper than that. I don't know who he loves, if he wanted to be with them, he would have stopped last night.'' she didn't understand what was going on, why the sudden questions.

Pi d’Artois: "He loved Ruth. And she loved him." Pi bit out, not holding back. "And your joke of a binding is the reason she killed herself. And it was a foolish thing for you both to do. And I asked you last night if you knew what you were doing and you were too damn busy having a damn ball to figure out there are more lives at stake here than what was that 'game' you were playing. And now I'm elbow deep cleaning up what remains of my sister because the man she loved was too arrogant to see what this would do to her and you were too damn caught up in having 'fun' to see how this could affect other people. So yes. I know about Ruth.. and I will go 'see' her and make sure she is alright. But first, FIRST I'm going to clean what is left of her OFF MY BATHROOM FLOOR!"

Cytherea: She flinched as if she had been slapped, the words stinging her as if Pi had physically stabbed her with a blade. Her mouth opened and closed for a few moments as she digested the information, then she spoke. ''You have no right to speak to me like this Pi. Ruth and Doc made their choices. She is married. I knew nought of their relationship, of their feelings. So to pass this judgement, you had no right.'' by now, the tears she had let fall were seeping into her voice as she replied, her own anger rising. ''Your sister was married. Is married. And she could have spoke to Doc last night about this. I bound myself to Doc. I love Doc. I'm going to stay with Doc. You know nothing about this 'game' because you never take the time to actually figure anything out. -c-

Cytherea: How dare you treat me like this, after all I try to do for this family. For you. Ruth is an adult, like the rest of us, she made this choice. I understand her pain and hurt. But you do not get to blame me for it. I'll leave you be for a while, and I'd like it if you did not contact me either. Good bye, and send my wishes to Ruth, I never intended this to hurt her so.'' with that said she hung up, and flung her phone in some direction.

Pi d’Artois: [Text] You don't get to run away Cyth. And you don't get to hang up like a child and run away.

[Text] Call me back and talk to me.

[Text] This is what adults do.

Pi goes back to cleaning her bathroom and shook her head. Doc said that people underestimated Cytherea, that they treated her like a child but nothing, nothing she did showed any different. Bending to her task Pi wiped out the tub, leaning in and scooping up the ash there.

Cytherea: She stared at the flashing phone, her emotions soaring relentlessly, she couldn't believe how Pi had just spoken to her. How she'd treated her. Finally, she picked up the phone, read the texts and snorted, before doing as Pi requested, and when it answered, she kept her voice cold. ''Adults don't treat each other as you just did to me. But fine, lets talk.''

Pi d’Artois: She wouldn't use the tap and flush what was left of her sister into the drain. She just couldn't do that. She tried to collect it up, putting it into the vase she'd found to collect the ash, bit by bit, pan by pan. It was tedious work, methodical even but she did. And she waited for Cytherea to call back. The choice was the younger woman's but she would not, would not treat her like glass or a child. When her phone rang Pi pressed the speaker phone. "Yes, the do Cytherea. They tell each other exactly as it is because when you do something stupid, you say so... and what you did was... foolish. He said he only agreed because to not agree would mean you win. So you got yourself bound to a man, a man you say you love because you gave him no choice."

At the end of it her voice was tired, wrung out and sad. "So if you are old enough to trap a man into binding with you for an eternity then you are old enough to hear what happened as a consequence of your actions."

Cytherea: Cyth waited, patiently, keeping her emotions at bay. She wouldn't be as she once was, Doc had helped her come too far with that. When Pi had said her bit, she replied, keeping her tone even. ''Of course he told you that Pi, do you honestly think he'd sit and tell you the truth? Do you know Doc? It's no one's business, but fine, you want the truth. He cares for us both. But Ruth was a lost cause, I actually thought that the other woman was you. Doc loves me, I love Doc. He loved two people, it's not uncommon and when he bound to me, I knew it was me he wanted to be with. Our relationship is strange at times. But it works for us.”

“So no, I didn't trick or trap him into a relationship. You can tell him I told you. Not that it's anyones business. I'm sorry that Ruth suffered because of this. But Doc and I are together, we're bound forever now. He's always been there for me, he helped me when no one else did. Not you, not Elliot, no one. If you'd actually taken any time to come talk to me once in a while, you'd have seen the realtionship with Doc and I developing. You'd have known. As would others. but you didn't. If you wish to blame me to make yourself feel better, do so. But Ruth entered a vow of her own with her husband.''

Pi d’Artois: "Don't you dare turn this around on me Cytherea. I see what you did to him last night. You say one thing to me and Doc says another. That binding I witnessed was a joke and you're going to get self righteous about it? And you want to be treated like an adult but that sham I witnessed is not how an adult acts. So now you say he loves you and you love him and you're all happy families. Yet when I left him he was crying for losing Ruth. THAT is what you got yourself in for. And I have talked to you. I have talked to you a lot.:"

Pi stared at the phone and back at the ash under her hands. The woman was more concerned about herself now that it was reversed and Pi was astonished at it.

"Do not blame me. And do not blame Elliot for this bad decision... we love you and we love you are a part of this family but we are not to blame for what has happened here. The relationship between you and Doc. We will always support you. But this isn't about that... this is about forcing a binding on him when he wasn't ready and making him feel like he'd been backed into a corner so all he could do was agree so you wouldn't WIN. And that's not my fault... and it's not Elliot's... it's yours."

"Why didn't you wait for him? Why couldnt' you let it come on its own time Cyth... why like you did?" She asked.. truly wanting to know.

[Lancaster]

<Doc> Doc didn’t return home. How could he? He would have to tell Cytherea and she would hate him. She would tell him what Pi did. That he was a stubborn fool that ruined them all. It didn’t matter what he wanted anymore. It was abundantly clear that when he acted on what –he- wanted, it always ended badly. Ruth was dead. Pi hated him… more than she hated him before. And Cyth.. what the hell would she do? Never speak to him again probably. Two of the four people he cared most about hated his ******* guts or was dead. And when the other two found out.. hell they would follow suit.


<Elliot d’Artois> Pi wasn’t the crying type. Elliot knew that more than anyone else. It took a hell of a lot to make Pi cry, and that night of the wedding she’d done more than her fair share. He’d wanted to storm off and help to pick up the pieces that this storm had made of their family—or at least one small part of it. But Pi had commanded that he stay with Ruth—of what was left of her. And so he did. He did not know what she was doing until she came back. He held her as she cried. Did his best to reassure her, to soothe her, and would not move until he knew she was okay. There’s nothing a person can say to cure grief. A person can only do, can only be there for the other person. An anchor in a frothing sea of misery.

Lancaster wasn’t really sure of everything that had happened between Pi and Doc, except that according to Pi, Doc appeared to be genuinely upset. Lancaster might have had a few choice words to say to the asshole, but he thought better of it. In some ways, he took this on himself. Doc’s previous words to Lancaster had remained irritants, eroding away at his self-confidence. And so he’d not stepped in. He’d not questioned Cytherea. He’d not stopped her, like he should have. For ****’s sake, he should have stopped the whole thing. But he hadn’t – because Doc had told her she was mature enough to make her own decisions.

It was unfair, he knew, to blame Ruth’s death on anything other than innocent miscommunication, though. And so he didn’t talk to anyone. Didn’t approach anyone. He let his emotions simmer, and cool. He left Pi alone, and went to find his own space. Tried to zone out. And the next night he woke with a clear head. He needed to go home, and change. He’d been in the same set of clothes for too long. He stepped through into the portal room, intending to cross it to find the door to the crypt. Instead, he stopped dead in his tracks. Doc was there, slumped on the ground. Still there?

“Doc…” he said, clearing his throat. Awkward, much? “Doc, have you gone home yet?”


<Doc> Great, just ******* great. Elliot was now here to stab him again. Because he hurt Ruth, Pi and Cyth. Part of him wanted to tell Elliot to just finish him for good just put him out of his ******* misery; but that would be the cowards way out. He owed something to Cytherea, whether she would want to hear from him or not, he owed it to her. Then.. then he would figure out what to do. But he didn’t know how to tell Cyth. Doc didn’t even have it in him to send a snide remark Elliot’s way. “Nope.” A single syllable was all he could muster and even that was broken.


<Elliot d’Artois> "Well that's great," Elliot said with no small amount of sarcasm. "You're really helping a lot of people, sulking here feeling sorry for yourself," he added. Who was he to talk, anyway? Hadn't he locked himself in an unfurnished sewer hole for two weeks, without food? Elliot had done this, and yet he'd done it on a much grander scale. He bowed his head, schooled his tone. "Look, this is a lesson I've learned. You can't stay like this - because your absence is only going to hurt people more."


<Doc> “And do what, precisely Elliot?” He was tired. So ******* tired. He was open to suggestions. “Go tell Cytherea that Ruth is dead, and why… and then ‘oh by the way…you made the biggest ******* mistake in your life.. ‘cause you listened to me?’ I should just go tell her I fucked her over but good.. ? And just how do you think that is going to go over huh? You wanted an excuse to get rid of me.. here it is on a platter..”


<Elliot d’Artois> "I'm not going to ******* get rid of you, Doc. You're a manipulative dick, but you'll notice I'm not like everyone else in this god forsaken city. I don't condemn people for death for petty crimes," he said. And then stopped. He didn't really know what crime, if any, Doc had committed. "So was it all your idea, then? The marriage? I still don't understand it all." he said. It was an invite for Doc to explain - explain in his own words, so that Elliot would have something solid to go off, rather than pieces glued together from other accounts.


<Doc> “No.. It wasn’t my idea.. but” But what? Admit that he had feelings for her? And to Elliot no less? Admit that Cyth was just pushing his buttons and he knew he would never do better than her, and he would Cyth’s own game to tie her to him? Admit that? Now? With Ruth dead, Pi destroyed.. right, that wasn’t going to happen. “If I had it to do over again, I would still do it. Maybe not in the order that this happened..” he finished in a defeated fashion, because he knew if it he hadn’t acted when he had, it would have never happened. God he was so fucked.

[Doc]

<Elliot d’Artois> Elliot's lips tightened into a straight line. His hands were shoved into his pockets. He stood, tall as an overgrown sapling, looking down at this obviously broken man. God, how easy it would be to kick him while he's down. But Elliot had never been a bully. And he'd never held a grudge. "What's done is done, mate. You can't sit here and lament. You have to get the **** up and do something about fixing it. Are you a man or a bloody wimp, huh? "So if it wasn't your idea, it was hers. Eternally binding herself to someone else. Why would she do that if she didn't care for you? Would she punish herself in order to punish you? You say you'd do it again, meaning... you do care for her, then? Or was there some other point you're trying to prove?" Elliot asked. One hand had loosened itself from his pocket, was gesturing around in thin air as if painting a picture to accompany the words.


<Doc> Doc couldn’t .. or wouldn’t say the words. He had told Pi, then he found out she was just using him. And that ended badly. Then he told Ruth.. she ******* avoided him like the plague until he promised he wouldn’t act on it. Now she’s dead. That ended worse than badly. So no, He wouldn’t admit it, things were so ******* bad now, it was like he was daring the universe to smite of him if he said them again. And what did it matter? He would save what miniscule dignity he had left. “What does it matter Elliot?” his voice was tired. “When she finds out about Ruth, she won’t believe me. I wouldn’t believe me.”


<Elliot d’Artois> "Won't believe you about what? You already said it to me. In a way. Didn't you? Something along the lines of ... you understand her better than I do? You have...more faith in her than I do? You're not saying the words out loud but it's bloody obvious. What exactly is it that she's going to find out about Ruth? That she killed herself because you didn't return her love? She has a husband," he said. He stopped. It was sad, yes, Elliot would concede. He was more concerned about Pi. And Ruth, killing herself like she had - why had she done it? Because she couldn't stand a life without Doc? It was a coward's way out. It was selfish. Look what she'd done to Pi. And to Doc. In Elliot's opinion, this wasn't Doc's fault. It was Ruth's. But maybe this wasn't the best time to rant about that. "


<Doc> The sad truth, was he did return Ruth’s love; but he wouldn’t have acted on it. So what he felt for Cyth, yes he cared for her, but not to the extent he had cared for Ruth and Pi. That is what made her appealing, made her safe. He cared about her enough to envision a future with her, but not one that he had envisioned with the others. And now he saw how selfish he had been. He used Cyth for himself. To protect himself; and she deserved better than that. And he had to tell her that. He got to his feet. He looked at Elliot a moment. “I don’t know how this is going to end. I may hurt her after all.. but that was never my intention.”


<Elliot d’Artois> "Yeah well. Seeing you now, I figure if you hurt her, you're going to hate yourself for it. Trust me, I am an expert in self-loathing. I know what it does to a man. And that's satisfying enough for me. That's what you never did understand, Doc. There are variations of hurt. If you deal with it in an honourable fashion, I'll have nothing bad to say about you. If you do it on purpose, though," Elliot shook his head. Whatever the case, Elliot had listened to Doc. At the time it might not have seemed like it, but Elliot had taken his words to heart. And now he would wait - he would wait and see how Doc handled this. And then he would decide whether he could give the man any kind of respect.


<Doc> Doc half-heartedly managed a shadow of his trademark smirk. He felt like he was going before the fire squad. He had tell Cyth, there was nothing else for it. He had to tell her, it was his duty. But he knew she would hate him. Hate every fiber of his being, and that’s what he dreaded. Because once that happened, he would have nothing. “If I see you.. I see you.. if you don’t.. it didn’t go to well.”


<Elliot d’Artois> Elliot didn't hide his smirk. Not one bit. "I did tell her she should kill you, if you hurt her. She said she promised she would. So we'll see, won't we? If it doesn't go so well...." Elliot shrugged, "Maybe you can keep Ruth company. But make sure you come back, and you bring her with you." He said, as a parting gift. He didn't want to get rid of Doc. He had no idea where the *** had got the idea. So long as he knew that though Elliot fully supported whatever Cytherea would choose to do, he didn't really think anyone should die. And he was certain, too, that he didn't have to tell Doc that he would be there to comfort Cytherea, should her heart be truly broken. Surely, Doc knew that already.

[Cytherea]

[continued from Pi's previous post.]

Cytherea: ''Of course he cried Pi. When you care for someone, it doesn't just go away. I wouldn't expect him to just not have feelings for Ruth. Doc loves me. You can choose to believe what you want, I'm giving you it like an adult and you are calling me a liar for whatever reason. I fell in love with Doc sometime a go, and then he started to return the feelings. But he also loved Ruth, a lost cause. They agreed to set it aside though, and then he fully loved me. This wasn't a bad decision. You don't like it, that's your feelings. But this was what we wanted. This makes me happy, if you cared for me, that should be enough. Don't you think I feel horrible about Ruth? I do. But what would you have me do?”

“Forsake my own heart, for something they could never have? Something they agreed to never have.'' she was trying to keep calm, she was making up so many things on the spot, she'd
have to get in touch with Doc soon, or their stories might not match. ''I never blamed you or Elliot. I said Doc was there for me when others weren't. That's a fact, not blame. If it was blame, I would be having a go at you about it. I'm not. I explained how Doc and I came to be. What more do you want from me Pi? I can't change anything. And I don't want to, I love Doc, I'm glad I'm with him forever. The only thing I want to change is Ruth dying. I didn't want that. I really didn't. I love our family, it's why I work so hard to help.''

Pi d’Artois: "And I love our family too. And I love you and I... " Pi shook her head. "And I'm sitting here in a bathroom cleaning up what is left of my only sister. So I'm angry and sad and I'm worried you've set yourself up to get your heart broken because despite what you say, Doc... didn't tell me the same thing. So one of you is lying ... and it doesn't matter to me who, only that you have eternity to live with the decision." Pi was glad, glad she wasn't the one faced with this decision. She'd probably have done something similar, if she was Ruth and Doc had been Elliot. She couldn't imagine how gut wrenching it was. "I ... I just hope you know what you're doing Cytherea. I really do. Go see Charles... he needs you."


Pi was tired. She thought she coudn't deflate much further but she had and did and she'd had enough of it really. She didn't want Cytherea to leave the family and she didn't want Doc to leave the family so Ruth could come back and she didn't want to bring Ruth back into the family just so she could watch this love affair bloom between Cyth and Doc and be reminded of what could never be. "I want you both to be happy with the choice you've made... I'm just worried, one day this will all blow up and hurt you all. Again."

Cytherea: Cytherea felt horrible, she really did. But all of what she had said, wasn't lies. She did love Doc, she had always harboured a crush for the male, though she'd learned like Ruth, it would never be. So she settled for his friendship. This bond wasn't a relationship, and she wasn't foolish enough to believe it. So she felt slightly better about all the lies she had told, knowing there was some truth. ''We always take a risk when we put our hearts on the line. I trust Doc not to hurt me. I know he won't. You might know a different person than I, just like you know a different person than I know of my sire. I'm sorry about all of this. I really am. I never wanted it to be like this. I wanted it to be happy, something to celebrate. I hope you know that.”

“ And I hope you know I love you back, and my sire. And everyone else we have in our home. I wish I could fix this, save Ruth from this horrible fate. But I don't know what to do Pi. I really don't.'' and her voice portrayed that she was indeed being honest with those words as it shook.

Pi d’Artois: Did she know a different man? Pi thought back to man she had met in the library. It seemed like such a long time ago, instead of a few months. It had only been December but it seemed like a lifetime ago. A lifetime when she had thought she'd never have the man she loved, when Elliot was with Irene and Pi had tried to find a love of her own. She thought she had found it in the arms of a researcher; a charismatic Doctor who had kissed her as if she'd been the last person in the world, who had given up his career to start a life with her. Was that man, she same she had left bereft on the portal room floor? Maybe, maybe he was. And maybe it was time for her to accept that she had brought more bad than good to the life of a man who had told her he loved her when the truth was, she had only ever loved Elliot.

No, she didn't know a different man, and he hadn't known her. And maybe, just maybe, what Cyth and Doc had could be forever.. in their way, even if that meant somehow, Pi had to find a way to help heal her heartbroken sister. Doc, deserved a chance at happiness. Just like she'd found hers and in his way, he'd chosen Cyth to be that person. With a sigh Pi wiped a hand across her brow, unknowingly marking her forehead with white ash. "I'll go see her.. Ruth, and help her. If you'll go to Doc. It will work out Cytherea... it will. Somehow. Ruth, at her very heart, is a gentle soul and she'll find a way. I know she will. And I'm sorry too." There was no way she could make their binding a happy thing, not anymore, but she wouldn't tell anyone else in the family.

She could give Doc and Cytherea that. They could have their happy, with everyone else in d'Artois.

Cytherea: ''I didn't know Ruth was the other woman. I wouldn't have spoke to her last night, I would have had someone else do it. I wasn't intending to have it appear like I was rubbing salt in the wound. I was truly very concerned for her. I wanted to make sure she was alright.. it's why I came to you, to make sure.'' her voice relayed her saddness at the situation. ''I'll go take care of my husband,'' she said the word to make it ring home that he was her husband, and they were together in this. ''I'll do what I can to help this horrible situation.. just tell me when and how. I'm going to go find Doc now. I'll call you later Pi, to check in on you. I want to make sure you're alright. Right now not being the best time I'm sure. I am sorry again.''

Pi d’Artois: "I'm fine Cytherea. Go to your husband." Pi answered, acknowledging the relationship to the woman. "I think for now. We will let Ruth let us know what she needs. And Cyth? ..." she asked, giving the woman. "Thank you for calling me back... thank you for talking."

Cytherea: ''I can still be an idiot at times, I just needed a minute to collect myself. You are correct that I shouldn't have hung up, I'm an adult and should have dealt with it as such. So for that, I apologize. But thank you for talking to me as well. communication is key, we all need to have it a bit more to avoid these things in future. And you might be fine, but I'll want to check in again later, Pi. I care deeply for you, and I need to make sure for my own peace of mind how you are doing.''

Pi d’Artois: "I care for you too Cytherea, call me later and we'll check on one another? How does that sound?" Pi offered with a small smile.

Cytherea: ''That sounds good, I am sorry again Pi, for all of this. It wasn't what I had thought would happen. I had wanted it to be something happy for people, something nice to share. I'll talk to you later. Be safe in the Realm.'' with that said, she hung up and just stared at her phone for a while.

[Pi dArtois]

Messer Kleiner: Miss d'Artois, a pleasure as always

Pi d’Artois: Bonjour Kleiner, Cava?

Messer Kleiner stroked his upper lip, "Well enough I suppose, though one of our relations has been causing me some problems since the wondeful wedding we all attended

Pi d’Artois: "Oui?" she answered, surprised. "Who would that be?"

Messer Kleiner flipped through his note pad for the short description he had of Madison and shared it with her, "I was unaware that there were one's of us that could share thoughts."

Pi d’Artois: Pi stared at his noteppad and the obvious fact he was reading from it notes he'd taken. She wondered, considering their rather chequered past, what else he had written in that little book of his. "Oui, she replied... some can. Elliot, Reilly, Madison... I think there might be one or two more. It depends on ... your Path, what your skills are."

Messer Kleiner: "Interesting," he whispered and added a few lines to the book. His attention back on her, he asked, "And how can you keep that from happening?"

Pi d’Artois: "You can not, stop it from happening." Pi smiled at the man. "I can't say I like it myself, but you do... get used to it."

Messer Kleiner smiled at her, "Well that's very interesting to know." Adding to his notebook; No known solution at this time. Flipping a page to the woman's subheading, he adds; Accepts current limitations.

"If I'm not too forward, I'm also a bit confused about the events of the other night."

Pi d’Artois: "We can talk about it later then, bring your pad and your body over to Elliot's tomorrow night and we'll run through those questions."