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CEDRIC Cedric came to his senses somewhere in the sewers. His good leather shoes were soaked through and the stench stuck in his nostrils, making his eyes water. There was a ringing in his ears, his head fuzzy, and heavy. The last thing he remembered, he'd been drawn to the sewer's entrance because of a strange, eerie song. It was music unlike any he had ever seen before; it broke his heart when his heart had never been broken before. Cursing in his native tongue, Cedric shook his head and searched for an exit, clambering up out of the dank darkness to walk several blocks before he realised where he was. It took a further fifteen minutes to get to the mall, a message sent to Castalia on the way: 'I'm late. I'm sorry. I'll explain when I get there.'


CASTALIA Castalia sat at the arranged meeting place, her coffee having gotten cold not too long ago - he was late. The woman let out a puff of air, was it like Cedric to be late these days? She was ashamed to call herself his Sire at the simple fact that she did not know. A frown danced across her lips as she checked her phone for some type of - ah, there it was. A message. 'I have no where else to be.' She sent the text in response as she lifted the cup to her lips and took a drink. It hadn't been too long since she had last saw her friend, so she wasn't in any hurry to leave. Dressed similarly to the way she had the day the man had been turned, Castalia sat comfortably away from others as she waited, but close enough to the door to be spotted.


CEDRIC Cedric wandered through the door not too long afterward; he approached Castalia with a sheepish smile, leaning forward to press a greeting kiss to Castalia's cheek. "I am sorry. I smell. I ah..." he dropped into the opposite chair and lifted his arm to take a whiff. Did he smell bad? It's not like bathed in the sewage. Maybe the smell was just coming from his feet. "There was a... someone was singing? In the sewers. I wanted to know where it was coming from and I kind of... I don't remember how i got down there," he said, narrowing his eyes, hands flat on the table in front of him. "Strange. But... this city, it is strange, isn't it?" he asked, as if it weren't a big deal. As if he couldn't not stop thinking about it.


CASTALIA Castalia deleted her emails as she waited for him. There were few and far in between when it came to important things, spam primarily. But, as she heard approaching footsteps, Castalia looked up and set her phone aside just as he leaned down. "Bonjour." She chimed, returning the kiss to his opposite cheek. "You smell a little less terrible than you did while playing with zombies." She then crinkled her nose, "That is not an invitation to touch me with your stench. I have already ruined this outfit before because of you." Although, that incident was entirely her fault and was not one she regretted at all. After all, she wouldn’t have him sitting across from her. At the mention of someone singing in the sewers, Castalia frowned and lifted her eyebrow. "It is Harper Rock. I don't think strange is strong enough of a word, but it is home. Vampire, fadebeast. I will not be surprised if Tinkerbell exists along with the rest of the fae." She murmured, but looked at him in concern, her eyes - this time covered with light green contacts - moving over his body to make sure that he was alright. "You are okay?" She asked, unable to hide her concern.


CEDRIC Cedric laughed. To all of it, really. The outfit looked familiar but it was only now that Cedric understood why -- there were only a couple of times he had had the opportunity to ruin Castalia's outfits. "I'm perfectly okay, if not just a little bit confused," he said. He felt like he'd just woken up from too many hours sleep. "I do not think it was a fairy. I think ... well it reminded me of the stories of sirens," he said. And laughed. "It's almost ironic," he said, thinking he'd been lured into ruination of a seductive sort, when he himself, well. They both knew what his particular issues were.


CASTALIA Castalia poked her tongue out at him as he laughed, but she leaned forward to rest her elbows on the table and set her chin atop her hands. "Depending on which lore you study, siren are a type of faerie, or fae. Celtic folklore has stories of them, mermaids - which are what I thought of as you mentioned singing." Though, if she remembered correctly it regarded men being lured to their deaths and eaten. It was one of the good things about having a mythology buff as a father, she supposed. "It wouldn't surprise me if we have anything like that here." She sighed, and then felt her lips twitch in amusement. "Oui, the unfortunate factor. Perhaps that is why you were lured down there." Castalia teased before lowering her hand to cover and squeeze one of his. "I am glad you're alright."


CEDRIC Cedric nodded. "I was thinking about the mermaids," he said, scratching at an itch on his scalp and leaving his hair sticking at an odd angle. He felt like he was in dire need of a shower. It was hard for Cedric not to imagine Castalia helping him in said shower -- he had to clear his throat, lifting his gaze from her hand as it squeezed his. "And yet, I am not drowned or dead. So they did not do a very good job," he said with a twitch of a grin. "I am okay, Cast, you do not need to worry."


CASTALIA Castalia felt her lips twitch in amusement as she moved her hand, lifting it back to where the other was as she lifted her gaze to his hair. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I do not suppose they would have done a significant job given your condition." The woman crinkled her nose again. "I will worry about you regardless. I do not have many I care for in my life, and you are my closest friend. I would be lost without you." Even if she didn't mention it, Castalia knew how important Cedric was to her. "Mystery song aside, how have you been? No more issues with your nether region monsters, I hope?"


CEDRIC Cedric softened, considering his sire in silence for a few seconds. "I am tainted, you mean? They did not want to touch me," he said, highly amused. He shifted, making himself more comfortable. "No more issues," he said -- denying the fact that he failed to form any meaningful relationships. But here he was, sitting with a woman who'd said she'd be lost without him. Who'd called him her closest friend. What was that, if not a meaningful relationship? "Are you doing okay, Castalia? Should I be concerned?"


CASTALIA Castalia playfully bared her fangs at him. "Yes. Oh so tainted by my touch. Such a terrible thing to be." She drawled before chuckling and shaking her head. The smile faded as she thought on his words. There it was again, that concern. "Good... I was worried." She wouldn't mention the minor throng of jealousy that inched her way into her mind, however. At his question, she lifted her shoulder and dropped them. "My father is enthused and telling everyone he was right about vampires. My mother thinks he and the rest of the world are insane. Father wants me to tell my family everything, but as far as I'm concerned I need to be dead to them." She lowered her gaze to her coffee, still not entirely sure how she felt about it all.


CEDRIC Cedric cocked his head to the side. Sure, he realised there was reason for secrecy -- but in his situation, he couldn't exactly overshare. He slept with women so that he could sate two desires at the same time -- one for sex, the other for blood. And then he killed them, because he couldn't be responsible for their inevitable pregnancy and the monsters they gave birth to. He couldn't save them all like he had saved Syn. "Why do you need to be dead to them? What do you think they will do, if you tell them?" he asked. He tried to imagine what he would do if he were in Castalia's shoes. Would he tell them? Would he tell his daughter? It didn't matter. He was probably already dead to her.


CASTALIA Castalia lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "I damn near gave my father a heartattack the day I talked to him about your situation." The woman frowned before leaning back in her hair. She pursed her lips. "Nolan would want to fix me. Find a cure..." She still thought of it as an infection, "And I couldn't expose the kids to this... to me. I never age, Cedric. I have looked exactly the same for a year, sans in a mirror where I seem to get uglier." Castalia collected her cold coffee, taking a sip as she lifted her gaze to him. "It would also put them in danger of the lunatic that created our line."


CEDRIC Cedric canted his head to the side. "...you told your father about me? Is that wise?" he asked. He hadn't met Castalia's father. Could the man be trusted? He leaned forward, wondering if that's why he had an assassin after him -- but she hadn't known what he was. She'd wanted to kill him for Brussels, not for anything that had happened in Harper Rock. "I haven't seen Ambrose in... I don't know, a year. More? Is he even still around?" he asked, but then shrugged. "But I do see your point. I am not sure that I will have told my daughter. My wife would only see it as a further excuse to have me killed. "What about when they are older, and more capable of understanding?"


CASTALIA Castalia nodded. "Not you per say... he actually thinks you are my partner. He knows I have you close to me, and about the fadebeast problem. I didn’t go into detail. My father is a cheery old man, he won't say anything to the wrong people. Has kept the truth that I am here from everyone. Even my own mother." She then inclined her head towards him, "I wouldn't do anything that would put your life in danger." She frowned and then shrugged once again. "I do not care if he is or not. He can go back for all I care." Maybe it was a little harsh to remain angry, but she had time. "She really sounds awful, and yes, perhaps when they are older... Nolan's wife would likely be in the same boat as your wife for my life. We got along fine but her marriage has gone downhill from the night Kika made a meal of me."


CEDRIC Cedric grinned. "So if there's a family Christmas gathering, I will have to go as your date," he said, matter-of-fact. Nodding, as if that were all well and good, and perfectly accepted. But still, he couldn't help but laugh. "So you told your father I am your partner -- and that my sperm has a habit of creating monsters? Did he have a talk with you? All about safe sex, and all that jazz?" he asked, bordering on teasing. He shook his head. "I do not think my wife will ever come here. It is not something that I worry about. Nor do I worry about Ambrose. He helped me, once. But that does not gain a lifetime of loyalty," he said.


CASTALIA Castalia chuckled at his words. "You would, yes. And he would be delighted to meet you. He always said I needed to get out after Nolan and I split." There was a shake of her head, "The first thing out of his mouth after I asked for help was 'please tell me you aren't pregnant again' and then I explained. He assumed we were a couple, but primarily because the correction of 'no daddy, I was going to have sex with him but ended up making him my dinner while still wanting in his pants' would be too emotionally scarring." She chuckled, considering it. "He knew more about vampire in this city than I liked. I had to tell him about me, as long as he kept quiet." About Ambrose and his wife, Castalia gave a nod of her head. Afterwards, she scooted out of her chair just a bit to collect more coffee l, returning to her seat only after pausing to set a kiss to his cheek. "This is true. I do appreciate that."


CEDRIC Cedric laughed, a hearty laugh as he imagined how that conversation might have gone. He watched as his sire got up to get another coffee -- this one she would not have to drink cold. As soon as she was settled again, he nodded. "Would have been emotionally scarring for you, too, I think. If you had ended up in my pants. Though, I do still blame you," he said with a wink. If that had been the case, what would they have done? "Though, it is only human women that I have impregnated. I have not tried with vampires..." he said, still with the teasing suggestiveness. Though it probably wasn't the best thing to test on his sire. It probably wasn't the best thing to test on anyone who might be able to rip his penis off with their bare hands.


CASTALIA Castalia batted her lashes at him. "To be fair, I was the one who turned you while you had a hard on." She chuckled, looking at him fondly as she settled in her chair. The thought was interesting, the idea of the two of them leaving to test out the theory... "Unless we know for sure that it will not happen, this is fine for us both. Though I will not object to cuddling during the day." Castalia added what she liked, taking a sip of her coffee. "I am so proud of how this place has gone. You've done well, Cedric."


CEDRIC Cedric considered Castalia carefully. The two of them did not live together. Daytime cuddling would require some shifting of habitat. "To be fair, yes. That is why it is your fault," he said with a wink. "If we cuddle, I cannot guarantee that you will not wake up to that same hard-on," he said. This was why he enjoyed spending time with Castalia -- it was completely open. There were no secrets, and no shame. Cedric looked around; the bar was dimly lit, chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. Someone else was at the piano tonight. "Thank you. It has been a success," he said. The profits, lately, had been soaring.


CASTALIA Castalia inclined her head back and forth in consideration as if the idea actually bothered her. "At least it would be a familiar one pressing into my back and not belonging to a man who sees me as a quick ****." She answered smoothly as if she had just mentioned the weather. Castalia didn't filter herself, it wouldn't change as a vampire. "You may take a little blame though. Shouldn't have tasted so good." She narrowed her eyes playfully at the man, but held her drink in her hand as she looked at the decorations quietly. She had always liked the fact it was similarly named to her little café. Lightly colored, a place where teens could enjoy themselves after a few classes, it seemed to be the opposite of his. Homey, maybe. "Good, it's in a nice location."


CEDRIC Cedric smiled as he considered Castalia, honestly thinking about the proposal. She might just find him on her doorstep near dawn. Somehow, the conversation they were having reminded him -- something that was big news, but he had failed to mention it. How could he have failed to mention it? Or even call her? He straightened in his chair. The Doppel was probably in the office, right now. Doing what Cedric had told him to. It was exactly like being in two places at once. "Oh! Have you ever heard of vampires being able to replicate themselves? Because I've done it. I call him Costello. He's in the office, right now," he said, nodding toward the office through the door behind the bar.


CASTALIA Castalia looked confused at the question. Two Cedric? She could almost laugh at the idea. The woman gave a shake of her head, showing that she hadn’t. "No, I'm still getting used to my own abilities let alone the ones of others." She frowned, looking towards the office door. "If I didn't know you, I would think you were messing with me. A clone. Who knew." She had no reason to find he was joking. "This place gets more particular every day."


CEDRIC Cedric waggled his brows, and nodded. Costello was parading as Cedric's twin brother from out of town. Luckily, Cedric had remained a mystery to his staff, and to those he knew. They didn't know that he didn't have a brother. He'd never told them otherwise. "Do you want to see? He's a complete copy. Down to the minute details. I'm need to test him. See what else is the same," he said, turning back to Castalia. It'd have to be a controlled experiment. See if Costello immediately impregnated anyone he slept with.


CASTALIA Castalia stared at Cedric with a blank expression the moment he mentioned testing and seeing what else is the same. Her mind immediately went to the curse. "You are going to have him sleep with some poor stupid bimbo, aren't you?" And true to her word, Castalia's lack of filter struck again. "And I am not sleeping with him to test the vampire theory. If I risk it, I'd rather have you to ***** at." But, she stood anyway and collected her cardigan. She nodded towards the office door as she put the sweater on. “Let’s go, mon amour.”