Warning Sign [Chapter 7]

[Flynn]

Since joining the Voodoo Dragons and, subsequently, beginning his relationship with Azraeth, Flynn had very little to do with human circles. Especially those made up by the other paladins, seeing as he went a little against the grain. Or, a lot. Whatever. The point was that he didn't spend a whole lot of his time trying to connect with them beyond a certain point, because it was honestly just asking for trouble or questioning stares as to his life choices, and he just simply wasn't about that life. He lacked the time and patience to explain it repeatedly, for no reason other than misguided beliefs. While he and Amalea hadn't had too much time to get to knew each other on a deeper level, per se, they understood each other in a way that most people didn't. Both having made the conscious decision to move deeper into vampire circles, rather than stray from them. That, alone, was enough common ground to establish a better relationship with woman. Plus, the fact she was Az's family, and well...that just came with the territory. "You may have to pry this one from my back," he began with a gesture to the not-so-subtly grumbling vampire and an all too present smirk of his own. "But, we will have to make that happen, one way or another."

The snarky comment made on his partner's part wasn't ignored, that smirk contorting into something a little more devious. A little more suggestive. There were times that he honestly wondered how Amalea managed to hang around them as often as she did when innuendos like that were thrown back and forth like baseballs, providing what was possibly more than a little too much insight. "It will be a surprise alright. A surprise if you were to show me a literal bone when said lady companions weren't around." came his response, as they both knew full well that there was no shock value to just what he was going to see later on. In fact, it was expected, and if he were to see an honest to god bone, well...he'd probably have to hit the vampire with it for being a smartass. Or, throw a severed head. One of the two. There wouldn't be any shock value to that, either.

At that point, Lea commented on the approach of another and Flynn turned to find this woman in question. Not that he would have known either way if it was her, but from the way that Azraeth embraced her...that really answered any doubts that he or Lea could have possibly had on her identity. And, suddenly, the woman getting lost in walls seemed to be not quite so far-fetched. She might as well have already been through a labyrinth of bushes, from her appearance. He didn't venture a guess or question the matter, though, because that sounded judgmental in his head, and that simply wasn't how he operated. Even if the words were on the tip of his tongue.

At the introduction, the Paladin offered a small smile in greeting, though he kept his hands to himself and tucked away in his pockets. Usually, he might have held one out, leaving the option for a handshake, but with the appearance with the new, strange vampire face...he was granted with the sudden realization that he hadn't been hunting in a few days and that ever present hunter was quietly demanding his fill of blood and ashes. Not that he was a threat to Oakley, by any means, and the distance was more for his own sake than her's. "Nice to meet you, finally, Oakley. Did you...have trouble getting here?" he asked, with a vague nod toward her person, and then he froze. And that, right there, was why he made terrible first impressions. He just couldn't keep his mouth shut.

His eyes fell closed and he shook his head. "Ignore me..." was all he offered after that, promptly pursing his lips into a thin line. Upon reopening them, he shot a glance at the mansion and waited for the introductions to finish and Azraeth to get to the point of their little meeting.

[Oakley]

He took everything from her.

He had broken her pride, stolen her strength, and slaughtered her bravery. He had stripped her of her purity and of her dreams, and now, he had come back for more. The dead haunted her, even as she watched her brother approach. In his eyes, she saw a thousand more. In his words, she heard their cries. It wasn’t until he embraced her, that everything turned silent, and she was brought back to reality. With everything that had been taken from her, she wouldn’t allow Him to take them. With careful consideration of her movements, she tipped her head back, and brushed a kiss to his cheek.

‘You call, and I come. I snuck out while Q was sleeping, so you should probably silence your phone…’

Crinkling her nose, she remained still as he began to fuss over her hair, his fingers deftly plucking the barbs free of the tangled nest. She worried over his skin for a moment, but as soon as the thought entered her mind, she banished it. This was a man that had impaled a spider – no, a thing – without batting a lash. If he could battle a monster created from her nightmares, he could handle a few thorns. The memory of the beast that had emerged from the nine depths of hell itself had her suddenly sweeping their surroundings, blue-grey eyes narrowing as they pierced the shadows. ‘We are safe here, da? I do not wish to turn into spider chow…’ The question came seconds before he began his introductions, and soon, she found herself unafraid of what the night held.

Instead, her attention was captivated by the humans. Humans. One, his boyfriend, and the other, his sister. Neither looked frightening, nor did they appear to be worried. There was no wariness in their gaze, and their posture was relaxed, certain. They didn’t fear the dark, nor did they fear standing within its embrace with two vampires. Of course, she would have never hurt them. She was not a monster. She did not throw her humanity away the moment she woke to embrace the shadows. Even if they had been strangers, two lost souls that happened to stumble into them, they would have been safe. Quietly tucking a strand of golden brown behind her ear, she offered them both a smile. For all of her flaws, for all of her problems, she was still kind. She didn’t allow herself to fall victim to the monster that preyed on her. Instead, she laughed, the sound silent, when Flynn voiced his concern.

She wanted to reach out to him, to speak into his mind and ease the look of regret that flashed across his features, but she couldn’t. Turning her gaze o Az, she gently dug her elbow into his side and winked. ‘Tell him not to worry. It is hard to offend me. Also, perhaps… perhaps you should tell them my… flaw, no? I do not wish them to think I am rude, and if you trust them, I trust them. I just do not wish to see them injured. They are human, Az. He could hurt them…’ Despite the severity of her conversation with the man, her smile remained open and warm. She even took a step forward, one hand reaching to pat against Flynn’s muscled chest as she raised a brow and gave the universal sign of approval with two thumbs up before fanning herself, as if suddenly warm, despite the winter chill.

[Amalea]

His reasoning for this particular meeting place made complete sense. If her lore was correct, it was a rather special place in the history of the community. She shot him a look. ”This was the site of the last stand, wasn’t it?” She was fairly sure but her knowledge of the time was lacking; it wasn’t exactly something most people were forthcoming about, especially with someone like her.

Flynn was a human whose company she could appreciate. It wasn’t just their mutual involvement in Voodoo Dragons nor was it based upon his relationship with Azraeth. It had a lot to do with the fact they could understand each other in a way that no one else in the city seemed capable of given they were both living it. Two humans so far down the rabbit hole that they miswell be Alice playing in Wonderland. Besides, Az really liked him, so that made him alright in her book. ”That can be arranged. I know a few tricks.” She winked at the male as she laughed lightly. ”It will definitely happen.”

She pretended to completely ignore the comments swapped between the menfolk. The banter between the two was something she was learning to be comfortable with. It wasn’t bad per se; it was just usually more information than she wanted to know usually. However, at the same time, it just proved how adorable the couple was.

She waved at Oakley as she was introduced. She had seen the woman before at the first Town Hall meeting but she couldn’t recall ever meeting her before this moment. ”Just how many sisters are you up to now?” She asked Azraeth in a teasing manner though she was amused by how her ‘family’ seemed to grow by leaps and bounds on its own. Turning to Oakley, she greeted the woman properly. ”Hello, Oakley. It’s nice to meet you and have a face to go with the name and visa versa.”

While the others talked, she scanned the area. They were a bit too exposed for her liking at the moment. ”Perhaps we should move inside to discuss this plan of yours?”

[Azraeth]

“Yeah it was. At one point in the past, I had a talk with Zachariah Stauss about the whole thing. This was shortly after I killed one of his childer to drop my own bounty. That was, as you can imagine, an interesting conversation.” He said, his thoughts briefly distant, as if there was something nagging at the back of his mind which he could not quite place.

At the mention of having to be pried off of Flynn’s back, Az couldn’t help himself - he had to grin. Not because the statement was particularly funny on its own, but because it reminded him of a conversation he’d had with his Paladin. About how he needed to cling to the other man’s back...or front...or side, lest Flynn himself get thrown radically off balance and fall over. Like a counterweight. Of course, he had not even been remotely serious at the time, but he had delivered the line with all the severity of one who believed firmly that their lover was about to walk right off of a cliff. “I think you might be more of a prognosticator than you believe.” He commented to the Paladin fondly. Because there was absolutely no way he was going to be showing off one type of undead bone to his sisters. Of course, everyone gathered already knew that. So that’s what Az got for trying to play a game of coyness.

Of course, the Mystic was pulled out of those thoughts by the ones which poured into his mind. He gave Oakley a skeptical look as if to say ‘You probably could have just told him.’ Of course. Then Quaid probably would have followed her to ensure she didn’t end up with thorns in her hair. Right. Okay. Skeptical look gone - it all made sense. He ended up pulling away for a second so he could pull his phone and send the man a text.

To The Q : So I have Oaks. She arrived safe, but we’re going to be distracted a bit. Sorryboutit. Talk soon!

With that out of the way, he considered Oakley’s next message. He was about to answer out loud when he realized that the others probably weren’t going to understand. “So uh.” He began, glancing over towards Flynn and Lea, while he slipped around Oakley to get at the hair there - because reaching around her whilst talking over his shoulder was just awkward. “Oakley here is mute. She doesn’t talk. She can relay information through telepathy, but her pool of people she can do that with is pretty small. Basically me and her beau.” So basically, it was best to communicate through sign language (though surprisingly few people knew that), or through direct questions which could get either a nod or a shake of the head, or through text message or written text. Though Az had never had a problem with understanding what Oakley was saying, because she was excellent at using body language to her advantage.

“Anyway, she asked if we are safe here, and the answer is yes. We shouldn’t have to deal either with the undead in the Labyrinth, nor the Hebigumo Foundation. Nor really even vampires, I should hope.”

And then after a pause.

“You know, I’m honestly not sure.” He admitted to Lea with a little bit of a chuckle. Az was the sort of person who let bonds happen naturally. And he had been a vampire for a long time. With that, people had come in and out of his life. He shrugged. To some people, being a great sire was important. To others, being a great childe or warrior or scholar was important. Generally, Az just cared about the people he called family. His friends. The ones who had earned his loyalty. And there was no end to the lengths he could go to for them.

He lifted his hands, having fully cleaned out Oakley’s hair in just enough time for her to go over and grope his boyfriend. Well not grope. But pat. Az decided this was a good idea so he ambled over and just kind of...lifted his hand, pressing it against one of Flynn’s pectorals to squeeze. Yes. Perfect. Still the same.

“She says that she is hard to offend, that you did not bother her, and that if I trust you, she will trust you. She also says that you have a great set of muscles and a gorgeous ***.“ Okay. So maybe part of that had been improvised. But he delivered the lines deadpan.

And then it was time to get inside, because Lea was right. It was as they moved into the Abandoned Mansion though that Az continued. “The keys talked about by the Admin, the ones needed to get to whatever is in the Labyrinth, we don’t know much about them. However, we do know that the Hebigumo Foundation was in there, which I think means they might have one. I was thinking that we could all work as a team. Okaley, you could try digging into the Hebigumo servers to see if you can find anything suspicious. Flynn, you could break into Hebigumo warehouses...and Lea and I can try our hands at rituals.”

[Flynn]

There was that look on Azraeth's face. The one that spoke to an inside joke that the rest of them weren't privy to. Flynn had half a mind to ask, but instead, chose to simply shake his head should it be something inappropriate, which wasn't totally out of the realm of possibility considering the conversation. The man could have found amusement out of most things, given the right mindset. Just another demonstration on how his optimism greatly contrasted with Flynn's tendency toward cynicism. "It's not much of a prediction when I possess intimate knowledge of the man trying to be cute," he countered to his partner with a satisfied little grin. "At that point, it's just stating fact."

The conversation shifted at Oakley's arrival, and only after his ill-timed introduction did his vampire feel it pertinent to fill the two humans in on a fairly important detail. Mute. Flynn knew jack **** about sign language, or telepathy for that matter, so really...that left direct questions and body language as his only means of communication with the woman, but really...he suspected that wouldn't be quite so hard. Reading people came fairly easy to him, most days. Plus, if she could speak telepathically with Az, well...then he was their equivalent of a one way radio. Oakley's not-so-living-or-breathing-really-walking talkie. Cute.

When it came to their safety, Flynn wasn't all that worried. Maybe he should have been, considering their last trip into the Labyrinth just beyond the mansion, but that wasn't in the plan for the night. Should they run into any nasty business, well...he felt they were more than likely well suited to handle the situation, considering the...unique skill sets of the group. Regardless, he nodded his head in understanding, and without a word. He knew when it was best to keep his mouth shut and listen when it wasn't central to meeting anyone new.

But, the Paladin was very much a 'personal bubble' kind of guy. He enjoyed his space and breathing room, preferring to keep others at arm's length unless he made the move to change it, himself. Az, of course, being the exception as he couldn't have kept the vampire that far from him even if he'd tried (and he never actually did). That left him to watch warily as Oakley approached. His hands tightened into fists, burrowing deeper into the pockets of his jacket, if only as an attempt to hide his general unease at her proximity. Then came the touch that might as well have been a taser, the way way every muscle in the vicinity tightened to create an uncomfortable tension in his chest. Were it not for Azraeth's that immediately followed, Flynn might have winced, but with more effort than had been necessary in months, he kept his expression impassive. He could only hope that Oakley hadn't noticed. Managing one of his signature smirks, he offered the female vampire a nod, "Good, I'd hate to start off on the wrong foot, already. Thank you." Then, he shot his vampire a look. "And you, I suppose. Since I'm sure she wasn't quite so descriptive, even in your head. Those compliments sounded an awful lot like something you would say, though. You are welcome to give me more of them while you show me that bone of yours, later."

With the group then moving toward the mansion, Flynn trailed behind the others and only vaguely listening to Azraeth explain about the keys. He had heard all of this already,up until the point of what exactly it was that his boyfriend wanted him to do. There was no way in hell that Az would let him hit up the Labyrinth without him, so once he started listing off each of their respective tasks, he paused in his steps at the mention of the Foundation's warehouses. He could certainly give it a shot. "Well, if my goal is stealth..." he mumbled, picking up his pace until he was stationed just behind his vampire and slipping the rifle from his back. "Then, I'm gonna need you to hang on to this for me."

[Oakley]

The conversation continued around her, and she found herself trying to pick at the relevant pieces. Her mind seemed to struggle every so often, and she caught herself missing bits and pieces, but not enough that it left her in the dark. Instead, she turned her sharp gaze to the other female, her lips curving into a brilliant smile as the woman completed their introduction. She seemed friendly, and without realizing it, she found herself digging deeper into her mind and her soul. It wasn’t until she had picked apart every small detail from her strength to her physical wariness that she realized what she had done.

Almost instantly, the smile died, and she snapped back, her arms flailing frantically. Did she realize what she had done? Could she feel her in her mind, in her very essence? She wanted to open her mouth, she wanted to speak, to use her words in order to apologize for the intrusion, but nothing came. It took her a solid second for a worse thought to take root. If she hadn’t felt her, then the wind-milling of her arms and the frantic blinking would probably appear as if out of no-where, causing the telepath to appear quite insane. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, she closed her eyes and willed herself to calm down. It wasn’t as if she had attacked the human, but still, she centered herself. Control, Oaks.

Above her head – she was rather small in stature, standing at only 5’0”, though what she lacked in height she made up for in curves – the conversation continued. Of course, she chose to tune in on the comment of showing Flynn a bone, and she lifted her hand to her mouth to hide the silent laughter. She knew nothing of the man, nor did she take note of his unease, as lost in her own panic as she had been, but seeing the light in her brother’s eyes, and the tenderness in Flynn’s expression, she approved. She didn’t have to know his story or understand his background to see the genuine love between the two. It was as if looking in a mirror that reflected herself and Quaid. It was a strange match, but one that was undeniably pure. Shaking her head, she ran a hand through her now thornless hair, and nodded.

Hacking.

That was something she could do. It didn’t require movement, and it didn’t require her talking to anyone. She was content to sit in a corner and allow her mind to do the work. ‘Okay, I will find somewhere comfortable to sit, then. I am assuming this place lacks chairs or a couch…’ Her words trailed off as she brushed past the humans and stepped inside, her gaze sweeping the darkened room – and landing instantly on a lone figure. It caused her to panic, and soon, she was falling back and out of the door, small form slamming straight into Amalea.

[Amalea]

”I can only imagine.” She laughed softly, shaking her head in amusement.

Azraeth’s explanation actually made lots of sense to the red-head and explained why the woman hadn’t spoken up at the Town Hall meeting she had first seen her at. It would make communication interesting but not totally unmanageable. It was also good impetus to learn sign language at some point so things would be easier, though that wasn’t an option for this outing. For now she’d find a way that both women could live with.

She snickered softly at her brother’s admission that he had no idea how many sisters he was up to. One day, she’d sit him down and start making family trees, perhaps in the Black Family tapestry style. That would be a fun day with a rather interesting tree at the end, she suspected. A quick frown flashed across her face as one of her necklaces grew a bit warm. Once she realized what was occurring, she relaxed, figuring the woman was just curious. Honestly, she couldn’t fault the woman; it wasn’t often humans hung with vampires. Relax, she sent the woman as she noticed the flailing of arms. No harm done. She gave the woman a gentle smile.

Following the group into the Mansion, she was glad to be out of the open. ”Given I don’t think the Admin is one bit trustworthy, I don’t think its necessarily a bad thing if the Hebigumo Foundation has one.” She shook her head as they walked. ”It might actually be for the best if they did, since, no offense, most vampires seem to think only of themselves and woe be anything or one different from them. Food sources be damned, they have to have everything benefit them.” She sighed softly, ”Sorry guys. Pet peeve. So… we get to play with demi-fae? No wonder you’re so keen on showing off bones.”

She hadn’t made it into the door when she felt Oakley pass her, likely in search of a place to sit and hack. What she hadn’t expected was to end up catching the woman as she seemingly fell back straight into her. Blinking, her arm encircled the woman’s waist to keep her steady as she helped her find her feet. ”Alright there?

[Flynn]

With his attention directed solely on Azraeth and somehow managing to slip the strap of his rifle over the man's head while they were still in motion, he barely even noticed that Amalea and Oakley had passed them in the entryway. Once the rifle was secure with his vampire did he circle around him to follow the ladies deeper inside, pressing a kiss to a jaw in passing, though his fingers laced briefly with the man's as a means to maintain that contact a little bit longer. What ultimately brought it to an end was a stumble up ahead, beginning with Oakley falling backwards into Lea, and Lea taking on a step or two back to brace herself for the catch. Had he not been paying attention and came to screeching halt on the redhead's heels, it surely would have been a pile up of bodies on the mansion floor.

What better way to get their night started, hm?

As Lea helped the vampire to her feet, Flynn peered beyond the doorway to see just what it was that might have startled her so badly. The room was entirely empty. Or, at least, it appeared that way at first glance, and it took a second glance about the room before he caught the silhouette in the distance. The shadowy figure that he could take a guess as to the identity of. "Are you both okay?" he asked, first, because that was his paramount concern with no obvious dangers present, for the moment. A hand was pressed against the Blood Thief's back, should she lose her balance while righting Oakley, but also a reminder that he and Az were literally right behind them.

"There's nothing to worry about..." he continued on, the statement directed toward Oakley, though she wouldn't have been able to tell, being the head the line. "If I had to take a guess...that's probably the resident ritualist that runs her business out of the mansion. Aeryn...or something?" The name came out as a question, rather than a fact, because he honestly wasn't sure that was even correct. He wasn't in the business of rituals, but he had heard her name in passing here and there. If anyone would know for sure, it would be Lea and Azraeth. Seeing as they were the ones that dabbled in such arts. Needless to say, he may know of Aeryn, but had certainly never approached her, or attempted to learn more.

Only when he was sure that the ladies were ready to venture further inside did he speak up, backtracking to a previous comment that Amalea had made in regards to the Hebigumo Foundation and their attainment of a key. His focus shifted to her, entirely, eyebrows furrowing in contemplation. "Would you prefer that I don't go and scout their warehouses, then? They all but hauled *** out of the Labyrinth, so I have my doubts that they have much need for a key, anymore..." he pointed out, not nearly as forgiving to the sirens as the redhead might be, though he didn't carry the same unadulterated hostility of the vampires. "I can always play guard dog, if you would prefer?" Not that they would really need one, per se.

[Oakley]

It took all of two seconds for the human to catch her, and even less for her to quickly right herself, her eyes wide as she brushed a hand across the front of her shirt. A jerk of her head, barely noticed, was given to the question. It was a knee-jerk reaction, one that had her tensing as she quickly peered into the wilderness behind them. He couldn’t be there. He wouldn’t be there. He wouldn’t be watching. The motion of her head had been too quick, too sharp, she told herself. Even if he had been there, his ever watchful eye glued to her every movement, he wouldn’t have been able to notice – not with the three around her. The notion had her relaxing, shoulders dropping, as she offered a tight smile at no one.

As the second human – Flynn, she reminded herself – began to speak, the name rolling uncertainly from his tongue, she allowed her eyes to pierce the shadows as she took in the figure’s features. Of course, she thought, her hand lifting to scrub at her face before she pinched the bridge of her nose. Aeryn was the woman who had enough power to unlock their minds, to expand their powers, and the same woman that she had known lurked within the quiet solitude of the abandoned mansion. She was the one that she meant to come see weeks ago, to see what all she truly had to offer – and she wasn’t someone to fear. Even if she were to cackle like a mad woman, or hold the power to reveal her deepest, darkest secrets to Him, she had an army at her back. She had felt the power in Amalea, and she knew the strength that Azraeth held. Flynn was the wild card, and she found herself unable to appraise him.

It was always like that. She couldn’t use her powers when she wanted to. They came to life when they felt like it, and the control was out of her hands. Instead, she had to go by the way he reacted, the confidence in his eyes, and the way Azraeth seemed to trust his every move. Reaching a hand up to pat quickly against the hard muscle of his shoulder, she wiggled out of Amalea’s comforting embrace and headed for the corner – furthest from the ritualist – and carefully removed the Letterman jacket. Placing it on the cold concrete, she patted at it like a cat would its bed, before dropping onto it and resting her head against the wall, her eyes closing as she began to connect to the world.

[Amalea]

”Fine, thanks. I didn’t whack you did I? She didn’t think she had, but his hand was on her back. It wasn’t like she minded; it was far preferable to hitting the floor or causing a four body pile up.

She nodded in agreement with Flynn’s assessment before remembering that Oakley wasn’t able to see the gesture currently, ”He’s right. It’s probably just Aeryn. And since we want to use the altar… she’s going to have to get out of dodge for a while.”

Her attention turned to Flynn’s question. ”My understanding is they were driven out or had some sort of major setback. I don’t think they found what they were after. I’m good either way? Might not find a key but maybe you’ll find info. But I’m good if you want to stay too.”

Feeling Oakley wiggle in her arms, she released her hold to allow the woman her freedom. She was unsurprised to see her head the opposite direction of Aeryn to make herself comfortable for her hacking session. She smiled as she watched before turning to eye the ritualist that was going to have to take a hike.