Warning Sign [Chapter 7]

[Azraeth]

Open to: Flynn, Amalea, Oakley

WEARING

Adaptability. Some would have said this was the special power of all living things, to slowly change over time, in order to best suit an environment - to survive. Of course, that was mostly just randomness. Evolution had no guiding hand, no real point. In fact, to believe as much was to believe something that went against the fundamental principles of Darwinism and science itself. Natural selection might more clearly have been defined, not as survival of the fittest, but rather just the observation of random **** happening to things over a really long period of time, and how that random **** either helped an individual in a species thrive until every other part of that species took on similar traits, or hindered them to the point of death. Or, on a larger scale, extinction. That’s all it was. Freak mutations. Random chance. Luck.

This principle was true, in Az’s experience, in virtually all forms of survival. A man could spend years acquiring cash, and investing it into his future through the stock market - only for a crash to wipe it all away. A person could choke to death behind the walls of a fortress built to keep people out. In fact, success itself was really just about learning the potentially erratic patterns of life, mitigating risks, and knowing when to roll the dice. He had not heard back from Grant pertaining to the Sirens. He wondered if perhaps the businessman had been eaten by one of them. Or perhaps that brief acquaintance had decided it was best to quit while he was ahead. Az honestly could only speculate.

Prudence and Mordechai, he suspected, were doing their own thing. He didn’t begrudge having not been invited - there were just some things that some people were better at than others. He could use a sword and a gun in a scrape, but Az was very aware that his wheelhouse was magic. Not beating the face off of undead things. So it was no offense to him that he hadn’t been invited to penetrate deep into the heart of the Labyrinth. But that also did not mean he couldn’t contribute in his own ways. Step one was to get dressed, which involved spilling most of his plan to Flynn, given the man was right there, and really there was no way to avoid it (not that he would have wanted to). Step two was to gather together some pin button badges, and a bag with ritual ingredients.

Step three was to kiss his partner for a lot longer than was necessary to say a brief goodbye. “I have to stock up on undead bones, and I don’t mean the one that just got made.” His brows danced for a second, and he actually stole his boyfriend’s expression, wearing a smirk as he slipped back through the door. “Don’t forget to meet at the place at the time.” Wonderfully vague, but those details had been given earlier.

Step four was to reach out telepathically to two of the women he regarded as sisters. Going to try and get my hands on a key to the Labyrinth. Thought you might like to be involved. I figured we could meet at the Abandoned Mansion in a half hour or so to discuss.

Step five was to break into the catacombs through the sewers. He just needed to gather together a few more ingredients for some of what he had in mind. And it was as he was watching an ancient zombie shuffling around that he got an idea. What if he just...took a femur and ran? That was certainly a better idea than wasting time slaying them wasn’t it? Worth the experiment, he figured. So he cloaked himself in darkness and moved to do exactly that.

Will roll for it next post!

[Flynn]

WEARING

After Christmas, there had been a span of about a week and a half where Flynn hadn't allowed himself to even think about the current drama plaguing the unnatural world of Harper Rock. He hadn't lifted a single weapon or asked about the latest rumors in the vampire circles. For that short span of time, he checked out on a mental vacation, and his reasoning fell solely on a seven year old. It had been Liam's first time back to the city since he and Azraeth had bought the house, and the kid took full advantage of the space by racing through it with the dogs like a chicken with its head cut off and and an endless supply of energy. And while Az had the luxury of sleeping through the worst of it (lucky ********), Flynn found himself utterly exhausted by the time his mother had arrived to pick Liam up. Even now, two weeks later, he still wasn't sure that he had fully recuperated. Either his brother was that much of a handful, or he was just getting old.

And over that span of time, Azraeth had been surprisingly quiet on the matter of the sirens and the Administrator. While they had had Liam, it was expected. It was once the boy was gone that Flynn would have thought to hear something from his partner on the matter before now. So, it was hard not to be a little surprised when the vampire marched into the room and started laying out his plans in the midst of getting dressed out of nowhere. Rather than ask where this plan had come from, the paladin had simply nodded his head in understanding. A glance at his watch and a mental reminder of what time that meant he was supposed to be at the Mansion later, and he was receiving a kiss goodbye. A long one, but he certainly didn't protest. His eyes narrowed at the sly comment and the smirk that came with it. As his partner retreated from the room, he felt it was necessary to call out after him,"You aren't allowed to look at me like that and walk away in the future."

That left him with a little bit of time to waste, which he decided would be best spent in letting Ares and Athena race through the backyard and get out their energy. There was no way in hell they were coming out tonight, and especially not Ares when it came to the Labyrinth. The dog was used to nightly hunting trips, though, and he would need the outlet. While the canines chased each other through the yard, Flynn went into the bedroom for the sake of retrieving his trusty blade and pistol, tucking away extra ammo in the pockets of his jacket. Only then did he return to his beloved companions to let them back inside so he could head out. It would take some time to reach the Mansion from the house, but rather than rely on public transport, he had every intention of driving. And this time of night, the streets would be starting to quiet down... less cars on the road... pedestrians on crosswalks...

His inner speed demon (which he liked to think he had tamed) smirked as he slid into the driver's seat. So what if he took a few detours along the way? He'd still make it there in time...and for once, he got to show up his way. Not by teleporting, the damned thing that it was. Laid back creature by nature...but totally reckless and impulsive when given the opportunity. Opportunities that usually got him into some form of trouble, but...he was going to the Labyrinth. Trouble came with the territory, really. He'd just be starting it a little early.

[Oakley]

○ WEARING ○

She tried to forget the faces of the dead, still, they haunted her. Whenever she closed her eyes, they were there, a kaleidoscope of bleak grey skin and lifeless eyes. It was one thing to be chased by ghosts; it was another to know that she had caused their untimely demise. The child she had kicked a ball back to when she was fourteen, the man that she had helped across the street. The woman she had smiled at, simply because she had smiled first – the list of lives destroyed was endless. It hadn’t mattered that she hadn’t dared utter a single word to them, that she hadn’t spread His secret, His crime.

He had hunted them down for merely gazing upon her face. He had tortured them for simply daring to know she had existed. He couldn’t take the risk, and she couldn’t stay out of the light. He had already taken her voice, and now, he was trying to take what little freedom she had left. Curling her fingers into the soft flesh of her palm, she brought her knuckles to her lips and bit down. Behind her, she heard the shuffle of her partner’s legs as he kicked the sheets from his legs, the emerald silk falling to the floor. He didn’t speak – he knew there was nothing more he could say. He had exhausted every word the night before. It wasn’t your fault, Oak. You didn’t do this. We will find him, baby. I promise.

Each word played now in her mind as his thoughts washed away the ocean of dead, allowing her a moment of peace. Tipping her head back, she rested her skull against his chest as his arms came around her middle to pull her in. It was hard for her to remember that he was only eighteen. His body was too powerful, too strong, his mind too focused. Had he always been this wise or was it the product of his death? He swore time and time again that he had never been just a teenager, but it did nothing to ease the minute guilt she felt in her heart when saw the youth in his eyes. Remaining quiet as he brushed his hand along the length of her bare side, she turned to press her lips to his jaw.

It was in that position that she found herself relaxing, her body molding into his. It was here, she felt safe. In his arms, in the sanctuary of their home, she couldn’t be found. The memories couldn’t plague her – but even still, she felt restless. She wanted to do more. She needed to do something. It had been months since they had last found a clue as to where He was hiding – and they hadn’t been able to reach him. He had been outside of the veil, and it had been too risky. Quaid wouldn’t let her go – and she wouldn’t have risked his safety for anything. Even to end the lifelong nightmare. After that, His trail had gone cold, and they were back at square one. Shaking her head, she slowly eased herself out of his arms and moved to her feet, her mind opening to connect to his – until another voice filtered in.

When she had first hear Azraeth in her mind, it had left her shaken. Now, she welcomed her brother’s voice as easily as she welcomed her partners. With a slow smile, she worked her fingers through her hair, the auburn curls falling in a knotted mess about her shoulders. Reaching across the bed, she gathered her robe and knotted the belt about her slender waist before turning to once more press a kiss to Quaid’s jaw, though the man was once more sound asleep. ‘Az needs me to meet him at the abandoned mansion. I think… I think I might talk to him about our plan. If he thinks opening the rift is a good idea, we could use his help, da?’ Straightening, she turned her back to him as she made her way to the closet, her thoughts soon turning from Quaid to her brother. ‘Da. I can meet you. I… have something I would like to discuss with you.’

Without preamble, she started to pull clothing from the hangers - only to have one smack her in the face - her mind already a thousand miles away as she began to piece together her plan.

[Amalea]

WEARING

Information. The one thing that everyone needed and no one really had. Sure, the Administrator had given the vampire community his version of the truth along with his unsolicited of opinion of what had to be done. However, the red-head still wasn’t convinced that whoever this mystery entity was had the community’s best interests at heart. Truthfully, she thought that anyone who believed the verbal spewage at face value deserved to be shot at sunrise, preferably outside the reach of the Rift.

She tended to take what the Administrator said with a grain of salt until she could verify things, especially since the Longslade incident. She wasn’t a sheep that believed everything she was told right off, particularly by people/entities she didn’t trust implicitly. This was even truer when the topic was a matter of importance; if the survival of the city didn’t count in that classification, then nothing else would.

In all honestly, she couldn’t see the long-term benefit of angering the Sirens and tearing open the Rift. There was one big plus to the move, but at a high cost which greatly, in her opinion, outweighed the benefits. Nor could she understand completely closing off the Rift. While such a move was prudent, it was akin to shooting oneself in the foot. She just couldn’t see doing that either nor could she believe that the Sirens were looking to close it solely to spite the vampires. There had to be more there than met the eye.

Her first clue to that effect had been a conversation she had overheard between Ayuka and one of the councilmen at the ball. The Asian had mentioned the zombie threat when the councilman had indicated the Foundation’s research into the undead had hit a roadblock. She was certain that wasn’t the only research being done, but it was significant that that was the bit that was commented on. The city would be better off without such a threat; there was no arguing that fact in her mind. It was the direct reason for the military presence in two parts of the city after all.

What really bothered her was the way the Administrator expected the community to find the necessary keys and turn them over without question. Trusting that the mysterious person or thing would keep to their word and do what was, supposedly, best for the community. It wasn’t just the request but how it was worded and conveyed. ‘Need you guys to clear the path’ was a line that suggested either the Admin expected to have the red carpet laid out for them or they weren’t powerful enough to clear their own way. Either was far from ideal.

This was what had led the red-head on a wild goose chase through the Labyrinth for the past few weeks with zero luck. She had come to the conclusion that if there were any keys to be found there they were going to be a veritable ***** to find. Between the traps and the variety of undead creatures to be found, the obstacles were vast but she wasn’t about to quit. If, by some miracle, there was a key to find, she wouldn’t be handing it off to some anonymous jerk.

She had just returned to her apartment after the last round of exploration to rest up, resupply and check in. Barely to the kitchen, the words of her brother flittered through her mind. It appeared she wasn’t the only treasure seeker in the family though she doubted he had storming the Labyrinth in mind. The meeting place was one of the clues that things weren’t as they seemed as it was a rather odd place to gather. Smiling, she sent back her confirmation. Wouldn’t miss it for the world so will be there. Her bag was swiftly emptied of the trophies from her exploring to make room for other goodies. Digging through her various hiding spots, she began tossing seemingly random items into a pile which were transferred to the bag as soon as she had finished her collection.

A quick shower and change of clothes later, she nabbed her freshly charged phone along with a couple water bottles and small assortment of snacks. While sliding the edibles into her bag, she took a mental inventory of her weaponry, just in case, as she preferred to be prepared. Deciding everything was in order, she headed out, locking the door behind her. Checking her watch, the decision was made to teleport close to the location given the time restraint that had been put into play. A moment of concentration later, she was standing just beyond the treeline, looking for any signs of the others.

[Azraeth]

Az was endeavouring to focus upon the task at hand, which happened to be attempting to sneak up on a skeletal zombie and then run away with one of its bones without it having ever noticed. Of course, this was made a little bit difficult when his mind kept getting drawn back to that one little sentence which had left his partner’s lips only a short time before. It was absolutely ludicrous that a grown, functioning man could be driven to such distraction with just thoughts of what a few words might have meant or entailed. None the less, Az’s mind ran wild with possibilities. Then again. He never really had ever been accused of being totally there in his head. Quite the contrary actually. The confirmations had come from both Lea and Oakley like R.S.V.P.s and he hadn’t sent back any further details because he knew the ladies were going to be there on time. Well. He knew Amalea would be. Assuming Oakley didn’t accidentally fall through a manhole into the sewers, he suspected she would be punctual as well.

He ended up reaching out with one hand as he crept closer, and wrapped his fingers around the leg bone of the zombie he had been approaching. This was the make it or break it moment…

...And his hand came away cleanly. The zombie sort of stood there for a moment and then crumbled down on itself. Az's eyes widened a fraction as he looked from the pile of bones to the one in his hand. Holy ****! He hadn't been expecting that to work! "**** YEAH!" And that was when he heard the rustle of bones in the distance. RIGHT. Right. Stealth mode. Trying not to get caught. He ended up placing the femur very carefully in his bag, and then concentrated. Right as he caught sight of another of the skeletons making their way towards him, he gave them a little half-wave and smile. Then he disappeared. It was in the space of less than a blink and he was standing right beside Amalea just outside of the Abandoned Mansion.

His hand slipped up and he clasped her on th e back in greeting. "I hope you brought ritual ingredients along with you. I have an idea...though I suppose we should wait for the others. Flynn will be here shortly and Oakley. More on that later though!"

[Storyteller]

==========AUTOMATED POST==========

Azraeth attempted to steal from a standard mark, and was successful!

[Flynn]

The streets were surprisingly quiet for it being still relatively early into the night, even when it came to other vehicles on the road. Not that Flynn was complaining, because it meant that he was free to open the engine to his heart's content and listen to her purr, speeding in the direction of the mansion as if he even had the possibility of being late. With Azraeth's affinity for teleportation and summoning, and the fact that the man was just impatient to get places, it wasn't often that he got to take the Shelby GT350 out when the streets were only illuminated by the lamps that cast eerie shadows along the building walls. The vehicle had been one of the more extravagant birthday gifts the vampire had bestow upon him, despite the fact that he had had one, already. Granted, it hadn't been quite so nice to look at and not nearly as flashy. Needless to say, it was no longer in his possession, because he had something better. Even if he had given his partner a hard time over the purchase, Az knew him well enough to know how pretentious he could be and just how much he really loved the car.

If he hadn't already been in a relatively good mood, it would have quickly changed things around for the better, but as it was, it simply added to it. By the time he parked about a block away from the mansion, his trademark smirk had grown into an uncharacteristic smile. Before heading off to meet with Azraeth and the ladies (assuming they both agreed to meet there), he circled around to the trunk for one more thing. He had turned it into a bit of a weapons cache, a select few tucked away should he ever need them on hand and with no access to the arsenal of a trunk at the foot of the bed at home. Sure, he didn't always have the Shelby, but it was better to be prepared when he did. And he had no way of knowing if he would actually need it, he pulled a semi automatic rifle from the trunk of the car just in case. With the strap securely over his shoulder and the car now locked, he walked the short distance to the mansion.

His eyes scanned the immediately vicinity, seeking out his partner or a bright flash of fiery red hair. As he focused beyond the mansion to the treeline, he was granted with not only one, but both the vampire and Blood Thief in question. Naturally they would be the first two here, but he also had never met the other one Az had mentioned to him. Oakley. The name rung a bell, but he couldn't say for sure exactly why that was...and that bothered him. Immensely. It was only as he was approaching the pair that it hit him, his gaze narrowing on the vampire with a hum. A memory of the man's voice that seemed to be from so long ago entered his mind, "...I seem to have lost my Oakley. I had been gifting her with things, but she is infamously terrible at getting lost in walls.”

Apparently, she was no longer lost.

Shaking the thought away, the Paladin greeted Amalea with a genuine smile. "Some day, you and I have to get together without it being under Azraeth's direct influence," he said, pressing a quick peck to the woman's cheek in passing before moving to his partner's side. He greeted the man with a kiss that was far shorter than their goodbye, an arm circling around him briefly before he pulled away to stuff his hands into his jacket pockets to protect them from the cold night air. "Since you're here, I assume your quest for the undead bones other than your own went well enough."

[Oakley]

There was a flaw in her plan.

She had thought of how she would approach her brother. She had thought of what she would say, of how she would say it, and what she would avoid. She had thought of what she could do to help. What she hadn’t thought of was how she was going to get there. That thought didn’t come until she had stepped onto their front deck, her fingers curling unsteadily around the banister, the oak smooth beneath her palm. It had been splintered before – well, it had a splinter; a single sliver of wood that she had managed to find with her palm, thus leading to a long three-day construction job. Of course, she didn’t have time to admire the woodwork. Buttoning up her partner’s Letterman jacket, she made to step off the porch, and somehow managed to completely miss the stone staircase.

Three seconds later, and she was on her knees in the grass, her hands scarcely missing the sprinkler spout. Pushing herself back to her feet, she dusted herself off, and took the careful steps needed to lead her into the city. She didn’t trust herself to drive – in fact, no one trusted her to drive. It didn’t matter that she found herself consistently eyeing the cars with envy. She knew the moment she was behind the wheel, someone would die, and more than likely, that someone would be her. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she rounded the corner – and found herself tripping off the curb. Somehow, her heel had gotten caught in the grate, and without another second of warning, she was stumbling into the street.

Ignoring the blare of a car horn, she quickly scrambled to her feet and dashed to the other side, slender fingers finding the cool metal of a lamppost. It didn’t take her long to catch her breath – she truly had no use for the sweet taste of oxygen in her lungs – and soon she was back to her adventure.

Three manholes, two stray dogs, and a fight with a rosebush later, and she found herself standing outside of the abandoned mansion, fingers working a few twigs from her hair. At least, she was attempting to. Every time she reached for one, a thorn would stab her flesh, drawing more blood to the surface until her hands were stained crimson. Pursing her lips into a pout, she hastily began to make her way inside – and froze. The woman she saw standing near the entrance, she didn’t know. Nor did she know the man that followed behind her a few seconds later.

Dropping her hands from her hair, she quickly hid them in the pockets of her jacket, which had somehow managed to come out of her travels unscathed. It was everything else that showed the violence of her excursion. Her jeans were torn, her cheek cut, and her hair looked as though she hadn’t brushed it in days, despite having just showered before she left. To the strangers, it might appear as though she had just come from war, but to her, it was another night. None of that mattered, though, the moment her gaze found her brother. Within seconds, her fear had vanished, and her features lit with a smile that would battle the warmth of the sun as she blew him a kiss in greeting.

[Amalea]

Watching the silent structure for a bit, the red-head was surprised to see no one coming or going. Given this is where the mysterious Aeryn plied her trade for what Amalea considered astronomically ridiculous prices. She wasn’t quite sure how the woman remained in business with there being several others in the city that charged far less, herself included. Perhaps the quiet was an indication that business was slow or perhaps it was a day off for the woman. It didn’t matter; she had other fish to fry this eve.

An eyebrow raised as Azraeth materialized beside her. Either she wasn’t the only one with the idea of not being close to the building or she was being stalked. The result was the same in both cases so the mechanics didn’t really matter. Her arm snaked around him as she gave him a look, ”Course. I figured you had a specific reason you wanted to meet here.” As to prove her point, she jiggled the bag that she had nestled into her side. ”I can’t wait to hear this though I bet it’s spectacular. I don’t think I’ve met Oakley, have I?

She smiled and waved at Flynn as she caught sight of him approaching. It was rather unusual to see him arrive separately from the man beside her, but he seemed to be happy so she assumed his method of arrival had been pleasing to him. If she had to guess, she would have banked on a fast car pushed to the limits; it was rather cliché, but it would suit him. She laughed lightly at the man’s greeting, giving him a light peck of her own. Someday, I’m sure we will. Perhaps, we’ll have to plan a night of our own soon.” It was nice to once again have a human friend that understood life in the city.

Wisely, she pretended to not hear Flynn’s greeting to Azraeth though her mind was already processing the bit of info that had just been supplied. That alongside her brother’s earlier comment led her to a conclusion she liked. It was a rather brilliant idea if her logical processes had been correct though if it turned out she was not, she’d likely have to suggest it. She was about to comment as a woman she presumed was Oakley appeared. She gave a small wave as she stated the obvious, Looks like the gang’s all her if that’s Oakley, like I suspect.

[Azraeth]

“The why of the meeting place I don’t mind sharing in advance.” He mentioned to her before anyone else arrived. His smile did not falter. In fact, it rarely seemed to when family was near. And he knew all too well that the plan he had in mind was a shot in the dark. That seemed to be turning into a trend though. With so little information out there; it was wisest, in some ways, to act swiftly and decisively. Even without all of the cards on the table. When working with the mysterious and ancient, waiting for all of the information to reveal itself was a recipe for disaster. In some cases, the puzzles of the universe would forever go unsolved. “This place has a lot of meaning.” He said. “It’s in the bones of the building. In the wood. It’s heavy with magical energy. I suspect it’s history and the Labyrinth being so close to it are not unrelated things, though this is purely conjecture. A connection I don’t believe anyone else has made.” He admitted.

Flynn arrived then, and Az’s attention was stolen. Not entirely. The entire world did not melt away as it so often did when his Paladin was near. There was too much to be done for the vampire to become that distracted. Though he wanted to be. Lips pressed to his own and he leaned a little closer to the human, only for Flynn to pull away, leaving the Mystic grumbling under his breath. He wanted to follow along after, because in the tiny span of time that physical contact took place, Azraeth’s resolve broke just a little bit. There was this misconception that he was something of an extrovert. On the contrary, Az was an exceptionally introverted individual who portrayed a character to an extent. One of the key traits associated with serpents was their ability to reinvent themselves. In that way, much of the person he’d been prior to turning had been left behind. Still there, but with more social graces and confidence. His first instinct though, was still to enjoy the comfort of his partner’s touch and to allow himself to fold into the warmth of home.

There was work to be done though.

“Aye, I’ll be showing you both at some point tonight. Only one of them in front of our lady companions. Exactly which one will have to be a surprise though.” He retorted, not bothering to lower his voice.

It was about that time Oakley arrived. He could see her taking in all of them, the image of each, before her gaze settled on him. That smile returned full force as she blew him a kiss and he approached so he could pull her into a tight hug. “I am uplifted by your being here.” He whispered to her before he pulled back, and took note of the tangle of thorns in her hair. “That is not a crown fit for you.” He said before he lifted his hands to begin pulling the dangerous barbs free.

“The gang is all here.” He agreed. “Introductions are in order. Oakley, this is my boyfriend, Flynn. The gorgeous redhead is Amalea, the sister of my soul. This makes her, I suppose, related to you after a fashion as well. Both are human, and I trust both of them with everything that I am. Flynn, Lea, this is Oakley, who started off more like a childe to me, but who has grown into her own in ways I could not have imagined. I am very proud to present her as my sister. Feel free to get comfortable with each other, before we launch into this crazy plan which may or may not just work…”