the truth [Cai]

[Mora]

The blonde woke from her slumber, her hands outstretched the to the empty bed as she stretched, Zara was already pottering about her apartment putting clothes together for her, and hanging them on the front of her dresser, she pushed back the silk sheets -- checked the Crownets she belonged to before pushing her feet onto the ground.

"Hello Zara." The greeting was sincere and she warmly smiled at her thrall, happy to see the woman with fire for hair. The thrall, that constantly reminded her of Olive. "What's on the agenda for tonight?" She asked, usually Zara held her schedule. Usually, it consisted of checking her two businesses, making sure the paperwork was correct, then she'd feed, before heading down into the sewers usually wearing attire that she'd never wear in public -- it was dirty down there. -- before training something she had recently started to do again, she used to never leave the apartment and now she actually ventured out and socialised.

"Free schedule, today Mora. You can do whatever you like." Zara said, as she brought out a mug of steaming contraband blood. She took it and took a sip, looking to the white dress hanging up, and the basket of bluehearts that were still on the floor of her apartment in its basket. She could always go see Cai?

The thought made her stomach do a flip, in a good way. She quickly dressed into the dress as it slipped over her thin form, brushed through her golden mane of hair, before slipping on her denim jacket. "I'm going out. I'll be back soon." She picked up the basket, looping it through her arm as she left - slamming the door shut as she did, before making her way towards Cai's crypt. She knew where it was, she knew she was welcome there too. What had happened the other night made her wonder, she wanted to know what he thought -- how he felt, because the woman herself was confused, did she have feelings for Cai?

Whilst lost in thought, Mora made her way to his crypt, instead of heading straight in like she could do, considering she had a key she still politely knocked on the door, and waited for Cai to answer, or Judas whoever was prominent in his mind today.

[Judas]

Working side by side with Poe, Cai - or Judas as he was currently - made quick work of picking the plants that were starting to get out of control. They were slowly starting to take over the majority of the crypt now but as a ritualist it was a good thing to have a stash of plants. Just in case. And they came in handy quite often if not for him then for someone else. The only thing he was missing now were the bluehearts that had been the entire point of his intended visit to Mora in the wilderness the other night. How could he have forgotten the plants? Simple. All he’d been able to think about was her.

“Mr. Cai? I’ve finished with the milfoil and am going to head into the next room to start tending the scarlets.” Judas looked up and stared at the man having forgotten that he was there. Poe waited patiently for a response, basket in hand. Right..he was waiting on him. Judas blinked and got to his feet brushing off the bits of dirt that clung to his suit pants. “Alright dude. Just stash them in the basket labeled specifically for them and I’ll go in later to see how many I want to keep.” Poe nodded and disappeared. The thrall was slightly confused. Lately Mr. Cai hadn’t been himself and had been calling him things like dude and hey you Poe man. It wasn’t his place to question though and with a final puzzling glance at the necromancer Poe disappeared to start his task.

Judas didn’t notice Poe’s absence until he noticed the silence. Even the vile voice of Cai’s mother was silent for once. Shock and awe there. Normally silence didn’t bother him but tonight it was deafening and left him feeling slightly uncomfortable. What he wouldn’t give to have some company. Which once more brought his thoughts back to Mora. Somehow, it just those few hours that they’d spent together out in the wilderness she’d managed to get under his skin and make herself comfortable. It should have scared him but instead it intrigued him. Where Cai would have tried to run and hide from whatever this thing was, Judas welcomed it with open arms. If, or when, Cai ever was able to take back the control he needed to realize that he couldn’t run and hide forever. Constantly being alone and refusing any and all relationships wasn’t healthy. And there was no way that Judas would let him give Mora up. Not now, and not ever.

A quiet knock on the door of the crypt pulled him out of his inner musings. Who would knock? Anyone who came by had a key and knew that they were welcome to just walk in. Judas could count on one hand the amount of people that even bothered to stop by nowdays. And the list of people who even had a key now had been cut in half thanks to Tate. Fried deliciousness had cut her ritual teeth on the unwelcoming ritual and had uninvited people Cai hadn’t spoken to in years. And if she made a mistake it was an easy fix anyways.

Crossing the room he pulled the door of the crypt open before they could either change their mind or knock again. “Mora.” It was like she’d read his mind and appeared simply because he was thinking about her. Or maybe she had a purpose for stopping by, given the basket of flowers she held in her hand. Either way her presence was a welcome one. Pushing the door open wider he stepped back and waved her in. “Please come in.”

[Mora]

She waited patiently, switching the basket from either arm a couple of times sharing the weight. Yeah, there was only twelve flowers in the basket but she wanted to share them with Cai, or did she use it as an excuse to see Cai. The mere thought of seeing Cai brought a smile to her lips. She wasn’t even sure how Judas, and Cai shared the same mind – same housing space but she was grateful for the change, it had shown a said of Cai that she had grown attached to, there was just something about this new man that made her legs feel like jelly. Her ears picked up the sound of movement behind the door, would Poe answer? Tell her Cai was not home. She was unsure.

The door swung open then and her ears met Cai’s. All doubts of his whereabouts vanished and she felt at ease almost instantly. He asked her to come in, and she did. She took a step forward and headed inside the crypt. She had been here several times – most of the time it was to share her ritual ingredients with him, the reason she was here now. She had never ventured from this room. Her eyes fell upon his ritual alter and she smiled. The sight of any alter made her smile, it was a safety net for her. Something she had begun to rely on. Rituals.

“I have some Blueheart’s for you. Some extras I have, and the ones you didn’t pick up the other night.” There was that smile, that smile that appeared on her lips when she was nervous, or shy. “I thought you might need them.” She said as she outstretched her arms, offering him the basket. “Zara has three growing in our apartment; with my odd relic it seems I should be getting double that next week.” There was a hint of excitement in her tone. She loved to garden and tend to her plants. It usually kept her hands busy and stilled her busy mind.

The thoughts and worries of Dwayne had often occupied her mind, his practical joke about their marriage had made her want to track him, and kill him. Who would joke about such things? Claim to be someone’s husband and disappear the next night. She wanted his death. “How are you?” She asked, taking note that his hair was still shaggy, and the beanie hat was nowhere to be seen. It seemed Judas was prominent tonight.

[Judas]

Once she was inside he pushed the door closed and stuck his hands in the pockets of his suit pants. Nerves wasn’t something that he normally experienced, in fact he couldn’t really remember the last time that he had. But being in such close proximity with Mora now Judas was suddenly overcome with them. Nerves. He knew he had no reason to be this way but something had changed. The dynamics of the relationship Cai had had with her had shifted and gone off in another direction. At least for him they had, or so he thought until he caught sight of the shy smile that graced her face. Perhaps he wasn’t the only one.

“You’re too kind sweetheart.” Sweetheart? Where the hell had that come from? He didn’t know but he found that he rather liked it. It suited her. Carefully he took the basket from her, finally snapping himself out of the frozen state that was becoming a habit when he was around her. “I’m sure that I will be able to put these to good use. I’ve planted four pots myself, and made room to grow some green dragon leaf as soon as I have an extra seed to plant.” Comfortable territory, rituals were. Something that they had in common and enjoyed doing, and he was relieved that the nerves he had felt started to dissipate

He pressed his lips together thoughtfully. “I have that relic myself.” Judas waved a hand in the direction of the lowest part of the crypt where he’d sent Poe. “Poe can’t pick the flowers or anything like that but he can water the pots and keep everything clean. Such a tedious job but he enjoys it.” He took a breath, finally. “Though I think I better take a break on the Unknowings though.” Judas made his way over to the altar and placed the basket on the shelf above it and hoped that he wasn't rambling. “I accidentally made Tate forget what I looked like. Fried deliciousness is gonna be pissed I think.” It wouldn’t be the first time he’d done it and Tate was a rather good sport about it all.

Turning to face the altar he summoned the demi fae. He’d handed his tome off to Poe earlier over the protests of the older gentleman and needed to rebind his copy. “I’m doing well I suppose.” He spoke the words softly, the ones that he knew for certain were part of the Homebound ritual. One by one the words fell into place as he knew they would. “I can’t complain though I do find that being here in the crypt can be rather lonely.” Even as he spoke the words he realized how true it was. Cai didn’t mind the silence but Judas was different. He was more social, a others were beginning to see. “I’m glad you decided to come by. I have...missed you.”

[Mora]

Sweetheart.

What an odd pet name, she’d never been called such a thing. She brushed a loose strand of golden hair behind her ear just as he took the basket from her. It wasn’t heavy but cool air in the crypt enveloped her arm and she smiled. Her shyness was slowly dissipating. She just had to get over those starting butterflies that seemed to hit her hard when her moss orbs fell upon Judas’s face. Her forest coloured orbs looked to the area Judas pointed to.

“Nothing wrong with cleaning, and watering the plants. I find it quite soothing.” It was the truth, she often ventured back to her apartment to tend to her plants. Clipping the stray stems, trimming the leaves. She was a neat freak at times, but this ‘tedious’ work was quite comforting to her. Soothing as she mentioned, she followed him back to the alter as he began to ritual. “You made Tate forget your face?” She laughed, she couldn’t help herself. Unknowings were random. She herself couldn’t make Paladin’s, or Blood Thieves forget her face. She’d made Hellequin forget her face, ironic considering he was her sire. “That’s funny.” She smiled, looking quite smug.

Judas’s words hit a nerve in Mora, not a bad nerve – pulled on her heart strings. He didn’t like being in the crypt alone. “Then leave your crypt every once in a while.” She said, with a light shrug of her shoulders. “Come and see me?” She threw the suggestion out there. She wouldn’t mind seeing more of Judas. Actually she’d love it. “A date.” She said very quietly. Maybe he didn’t hear her. That would be nice if he didn’t. The word slipped out unintentionally and she didn’t know if she was ready for a date, or if he was even into her.

‘I’ve missed you.’

The words made her eyes wide. It made the butterflies in her stomach dance and swirl in the pit of her stomach. “I’ve missed you too.” It wasn’t a lie either. It was true, she had missed him. She had been thinking about him and his lingering touch on her hand the last time they were together.

[Judas]

“I am pretty sure that Tate is more than ready to revoke my ritual privileges.” His tone was rather amused. The amount of times that Tate had fallen victim to the ritual was laughable. Poor girl. but every time she took it like a champ knowing that her sire would never choose her as a target if he could help it. One day he fully expected Tate to manage to do the same to him, and when that happened they’d probably have a good laugh over it but they both would continue to cast the ritual. Judas was quite tired of his crypt being an open door for the various paladins that chose to slip in and attack while they were asleep.

He faltered just a bit, cursing softly under his breath as the fae attacked the barrier it was enclosed inside of. He hadn’t meant to sound quite so pathetic but Judas needed interaction. He wasn’t content to sit and spend his nights in the crypt with just his plants and altar to amuse himself. That was Cai’s thing it certainly wasn’t his. “You want me to come and visit you?” The idea appealed to him. Maybe he should after all a change in scenery was a good thing. And spending time with Mora was something that he wanted to do more often especially now since the dynamics of their relationship has started to shift in a whole new direction.

Judas had heard her and at first he thought that he might have just been hearing things. He replayed the moment over in his head and discovered that no he hadn’t misheard her. Turning from the altar he faced her, his expression just the slightest bit apprehensive. “I’ve never been on a date before.” Had Cai? He hadn’t taken the time to fully explore the memories located deep within Cai’s mind so he didn’t know the answer. “But I’d like that. With you…” He’d put it out there now and it was too late to take it back. Even if he could he didn't think that he even wanted to.

[Mora]

Tate.

Lovely girl, always polite just like Cai had been, well when it had just been Cai that resided in his mind. Tate always reminded Mora of Cai, but this new Cai. Mora definatly liked him a lot. There was something that seemed so alluring or maybe that was because she was exploring the path of the allurist. Her emotions slightly in whack. What she did know without falter was that she liked him, she liked him more than she would ever admit. She didn’t know how he would react if she told him how she felt. Would he run? She knew Cai was shy. Was Judas the same way?

“Yes.” She said. Her smile creeping on her features again. “Yes I want you to come visit me, I have several apartments or I work at the library.” She didn’t want it to sound like she wanted him to do all the work, that wasn;t the type of person she was. “Or I can come see you. Watch you ritual” She said as she studied him now. Watched as he played with the Fae faltering maybe once or twice as it raged and tried to break the barrier but Judas was skilled in the art of rituals he restrained the beast within moments and Mora found herself applauding.

Then the next words left his mouth and Mora blinked. He wanted to go on a date with her and she found herself squealing on the inside. She never gave it away but she did smile. “I’d like that very much too.” She said. Mora found herself taking a step toward Cai. Placing a hand on his arm before turning back to the alter. Where the Fae was still sitting there. “Well whenever you’d like to go. You let me know.” Before she pointed at the barrier. “I think the Fae is angry with you.” She said. She knew that face well enough, it was the face of a determined Fae trying to escape.