Meltdown

[callingxforxblood]

Kaito looked down at Aliya, eyes soft as he watched her. The vampire sat down on the carpet across from her, watching the tears streaming down her face. He felt sorrow and he could feel empty, but he could no longer cry so he let her cry for both of them.

[†Arisen†]

Aliya held the photo tighter, curling upon herself. She said she'd gotten over it. She'd said taht she could deal with it, but....

Her mind flashed back to the day in the coroner's office after her brother died. There was no mystery to shi death, so why had they gone there? Something about a strange abonormalites to the body, right?

Their parents hadn't meant for Aliya to see it, but she had.

She'd seen the horns, smal as they were growing from her brother's forhead, small broken wings hanging crumpled over the edges of the table, and a thick, teathery cord of a tail that was in a heap on the ground.

When the girl caught her breath after the memory, she wiped her eyes, sniffling a bit.

"...Did you ever see him?" she asked, "... went to see him after..."

[callingxforxblood]

“Before he died?” Kaito asked, slowly shaking his head. “I…couldn’t. If I went to see him, I knew that I would take him home with me. No matter if he wanted it or not. I missed him. We’d been together for so long…it felt weird not having him there, but I had let him go for his own good and I couldn't stand to see him with... with you. If he liked it better than what he had with me, I don't think I would've been able to handle it."

The vampire rested his head in his hands as he sat in front of Aliya, shielding his emotions from her view. When he spoke again, his voice was strained and quiet, "I didn't know. Didn't know that he was hated, different. That your family didn't want him or that he didn't want you, that you couldn't take care of him. By the time I heard anything of it, he was dead. I saw the body, I had to see it for myself before I would believe that my Alex," his voice broke as he said the other male's name, "would do something like that. I was at the funeral, you know. In the back."

[†Arisen†]

Aliya listened quietly, the tense evenings flashing through her mind. When Alex wasn't fighting with their parents, he vanished for hours on end. Every night, he'd appear in her room, laying as close to her as possible.

"...I.... I think I remember seeing you there... I didn't pay attention," she said, "They didn't have his body in the coffin. At the morgue... I'd seen it. That he wasn't human. Mom and Dad didn't tell me anything. And when they died, their bodies changed too."

She pushed herself up to stand and set the fram on the table again.

"... Why did you bring him back to us, Kaito? You two lvoed each other."

[callingxforxblood]

Kaito pushed himself off the floor and went to stand at the window, looking out of the window at the yard and searching for Eschaton who wasn't that far away. However, the sun would rise soon and his brother would leave for a few hours. His eyes were far away as he wandered through his memories.

"Alex wanted to see his family. I could feel it," the vampire said. "I was family, but I wasn't blood. Could never be blood. He was going to visit, just visit, but...."

The vampire turned away from Aliya as his eyes flashed.

"Something happened."

That was all he said before narrowing his eyes and snarling as Bastet's illusions rose up outside the house, around the gate. It was a threat, but that was all it was. Eschaton was just letting him know how they stood.

[†Arisen†]

"The other one... Eschaton... He wanted my brother, didn't he? And he wants me too, doesn't he?" Aliya asked softly.

"... Well, lets test his patience," she said, crossing her arms over her chest, "... I've got an idea."

(And I feel like bringing in Shadow, cause he's a boss xD Should I?)

[callingxforxblood]

((Yeah! Go for it, I might bring in some of my old charries if that's all right?))

"Yes," Kaito breathed softly. "That's part of it..."

His gaze turned, curious, to look at the succubus, wondering what she had up his sleeve. It sounded very interesting....

"Tell me," he demanded, turning from the window to focus his attention on Aliya.

[†Arisen†]

(Sure~! Feel free. :3 Shadow works in just about every rp I do xD)

"I've got a friend," Aliya started slowly, "... He looked after me alot after my brother was gone..."

She rubbed her face, "I'll call him tomorrow. Or... Later... I think I still have his number..."

[callingxforxblood]

((Hahah, that's really funny!))

Kaito glanced at Aliya and nodded absentmindedly; her idea had sparked one of his own and he was thinking of the threat of his brother and how he could protect Ali better. He had security measures in place and Fiore would protect and defend as would the hound twins, but Anastasia and the kittens were too little to do much and needed protection as well.

The vampire turned thoughtfully back to the window and the illusions which were dancing about the gate of his property fancifully now before rioting up into images of blood and gore. Bastet had learned her craft well.

"You call your friend and I'll call one of mine. She helped me protect your brother once upon a time and I'm sure she'd be quite thrilled to meet you. She was very....enamored of Alex," Kaito said, walking over to the door and sliding a cell phone out of his pocket.

[†Arisen†]

Aliya nodded, patting herself down loooking for her phone before pulling it out and roaming through her phonebook.

"Ah!" she smiled, dialing and listening to the ring.

"Hello?"

"Calabar," she smiled.

"Aliya?"

[callingxforxblood]

Kaito started dialing from memory as Aliya scrolled through her phone book, twiddling with the door knob of the bedroom as he did so. His mind was already a thousand miles away as he tried to fathom how he was going to get his contact to do as he wished.

The phone rang and rang and rang some more before finally a groggy, upset voice came through the small handheld, "What the hell do you want?"

"Eryn," Kaito said calmly. "And how are you?"

"Fuck Kaito it's only," there was shifting heard in the background and a low groan that was decidedly male heard along with a sleepy protest, "three in the morning!"

"I'm sorry, Eryn, would you like me to conform to your schedule?" the vampire asked sarcastically, happy to be talking to the shifter once again.

"Shut up, you leech," the woman on the other end of the line said good naturedly. "Now, why did you wake me up at this ungodly hour?"

"I need a favor. Protection detail and some kitten fostering."

"Protection? You know I don't go cheap these days, I've made a name for myself now. And fostering, what the hell? I ain't some old lady," the silky voice snarled.

"It's Alex's sister- Eschaton's after her- and the kittens are...special," Kaito answered, half listening to Aliya's conversation.

On the other end, there was a pause and a quick intake of breath.

"I'll be there in twelve hours. Don't leave the house with out me." was all Kaito heard before the dial tone was once again ringing in his ear. The vampire snapped the phone shut, smirking, he always was good at getting Eryn to do what he wanted.

[†Arisen†]

Aliya quietly explained to her friend while he remained silent.

"I'll call you when I get to your place," he said.

"Thanks, Cal," she smiled. There was a welcome on the other line, and he hung up.

"Good," she exhaled.

[callingxforxblood]

Kaito turned to look at Aliya. The vampire's stare was questioning as he looked at the girl who had so thoroughly evoked a need to protect and defend in him.

"You good?" he asked.

[†Arisen†]

Aliya nodded, "Yup. He'll be here later. I'll have to give him directions from my apartment."

She hummed a bit as she walked by Kaito, "Strange. I wonder how he knows where it is though..." she muttered to herself.

[callingxforxblood]

Kaito glanced back through Alex's room, imagining the younger man sitting on the edge of the bed and smiling at him. The vampire kissed the ends of his fingers, brushing through the air before closing the door on the room that had been frozen in time. He laid his hand against it for a moment, gathering strength before turning around and preparing to face the what would be coming in the next few days.

[†Arisen†]

Aliay paced away a few stepps, then paused, looking back at Kaito.

She gave him a small smile, then continued down the hall, leaving the vampire alone to his thoughts.

[callingxforxblood]

Fiore had ordered Sia to go be under foot elsewhere which often meant that she would go and bother Kaito until he played with her. However, he was up in Alex's room where she had been forbidden to go since he had died. The twins had split up and Jayce was in the library while Jayden was watching TV; they were never much fun unless she pestered them into playing and even then, there attempts were half-assed at best. Finally, the puppy turned to look at the kittens, judging whether they were worthy to play with her.

[†Arisen†]

The kittens had curled up with eachother and it looked like Di was sleeping, nuzzled into his sister's chest, holding onto her tight.

Ana, on the other hand, wasn't breathing as if she were sleeping, but her eyes were closed.

[callingxforxblood]

Sia sat down across from them, watching, but decided not to intrude on the moment and instead went over to Jayden, whining. The older dog looked down at the puppy, sighing before scooting over on the couch and picking up his arm so that Sia could slide in under it. The golden retriever scooted onto his lap and curled up as Jayden sighed again, resting his head on the back of the couch.

"Silly girl," he whispered to her quietly as his hand laced into her hair and he focused his attention on the action movie playing onscreen which is how Kaito found them when he came downstairs after passing Aliya in the hallway.

[†Arisen†]

Aliya wandered around for a bit, simply thinking, then soon began to realize she was tired. Then remembered work.

With a soft sigh, she went downstairs, running a hand through her hair.

Ah, what to do now?

[callingxforxblood]

Kaito stood next to the couch, looking down at Anastasia and Jayden. A smile touched his lips faintly as he looked down at them. The vampire could almost imagine that Alex was the one holding the puppy and that in a moment he would lean down and wrap his arms around the boy who would turn and smile at him softly. Then Jayden turned around to look up at him, nodding at the other male before patting the couch next to him.

"You called Eryn?" the hound asked, forcing himself not to look at the vampire, he could feel the tension radiating off of him.

Kaito sat down next to him, nodding as he picked up Stasia to cuddle her on his lap while she murmured sleepily.

"Who'd Aliya call?"

"Dunno."

[†Arisen†]

Aliya wandered down into the living and stood in the doorway, fidgeting a bit.

"... Hey, Kaito, where should I sleep?I'm getting kind of tired," she asid softly, toying with the hem of her shirt a bit, feeling bad for interuppting them.

[callingxforxblood]

Kaito glanced up at Aliya, smiling softly and getting ready to shift Stasia off his lap before Jayden stood up, putting a hand on the vampire's shoulder.

"I'll show her," he offered quietly and Kaito nodded before settling in to watch the mindless movie on TV as the puppy cuddled further into his warmth. Motioning for Aliya to follow him, Jayden started up the stairs, glancing over his shoulder curiously to look at the other woman.

"Who did you call?" he asked after a moment.

((Could you post on As the Crow Flies?))

[†Arisen†]

Aliya followed after the shifter, glancing around.

"Hm? oh, a friend of mine. I guess you can call him my second brother," she said softly, reaching up to toy withher hair, "Soemtimes, he has a really bad attitude, but he's nice once you get to know him."

The gril continued to tug her fingers through her hair, betreying her anxiety. this was all happening so fast.

"Where Diana?--I mean, Di and Ana?"

[callingxforxblood]

Jayden smiled at Aliya, nodding a little at her explanation. The hound knew it was important to have family around, especially when you needed protection. They always made you feel safe- like his twin, for example. They may have a little thing for each other, but it was perfectly natural and he always felt so safe with his brother. It was different from...that man. Eschaton.

The male's chiseled features, normally calm, contorted into a snarl for a moment before he remembered where he was and calmed himself. Jayden could practically smell the anxiety rolling off of Ali and he sighed a little. He totally understood that she was overwhelmed, but she was going to have to learn to deal, especially if she started shacking up with Kaito. He swore, that vampire got into more scrapes than silly, adorable Sia did.

Drawn back to the present by the woman's question the hound gestured absently back down the stairs as he looked at the doors of the different rooms pensively, trying to decide which was the most easily defendable. Finally settling on the east-facing sunny bedroom, Jayden opened the door with a flourish.

"Your room, madam! And don't worry about the kittens, they're curled up downstairs, I can carry them up to your room if you would like," the hound offered.

[†Arisen†]

"No, no, if they're sleeping, don't bother them," Aliya said quickly before giving a curtsy, "Thank you for showing me to the room."

It was a bit hesitant, but she gave Jayden a tight hug before she curtised again.

"I can't thank you enough. All of you. Its such a big sacrifice taking me in... Really, thank you. You've done so much."

She knew that all of them knew her brother, and could only pray that her prescence didn't affect them too greatly, or bring up unwanted memories of Alex.

[callingxforxblood]

Jayden softened in her embrace, wrapping her arms around the smaller woman and patting her hair. When she pulled away and curtsied again, he reached out to touch her arm with a small.

"Geez, darling, we don't demand anything so archaic around here. And it's fine, we're happy to have someone else in the house. Without Alex, well, things have been a little....empty. It's nice to have new faces and I haven't seen Kai so happy in a very long while," the hound said, still grinning. "I'll bring the kitties upstairs, I'm sure they'll wake up and come looking for you later so it's probably better to have them with you now. I'll bring them up in a minute. Why don't settle in? Bathroom's connected to your room!"

With that, the hound was bounding back down the stairs in pursuit of the kitties.

[†Arisen†]

Aliya gave a small smile, watching the hound bound off, then slipped into her new room.

She didn't pay much attention to any of it, moving to the window. She could no longer tell if her tired eyes were playing tricks on her or if Bastest's illusions were still running. She couldn't see why they wouldn't be,there was still time before sunset.

With hesitation, Aliya reached out in her mind, feeling that energy reserved that hed been locked up and hidden within her. Just a small bit of power...

He eyes slid closed a moment, then opened again, the color intesified. With a wave of her hand, the illusions seemed to vanish from the yard and she gave a silent smile before calling up one of her own, of her brother standing atop the fence then jumping down, before she let the illusion fade, just as he landed safely on his feet.

Ironic she sighed, backing away from the window to sit on the bed, "Why couldn't it have really been like that?"

[callingxforxblood]

Bastet snarled angrily as her illusions dispersed into thin air at the touch of the succubus' magic. It was unfair! These magics were supposed to be hers! Not that stupid girl's! The illusionist almost started stalking towards the house before a hand was laid on her shoulder and the girl calmed under her Master's influence.

The girl turned to look up at him. His face held a contemplative expression and the idea forming behind his eyes was inscrutable to her. The illusionist furrowed her brow as he reached out to tap her cheek gently with the back of the hand before withdrawing to the car and beckoning her to do so as well.

~~

Eschaton had seen it.

The illusion that Aliya had made for a split second, the one where her brother had dropped over the fence and landed safely. it was only there for a few seconds, but he had seen it.

I have what you want, he thought with satisfaction before refocusing on the illusionist girl in front of him. A streak of paint ran down her cheek and her hair was in a disarray from her madcap dancing with her illusions. Sometimes he wondered where the line between reality and her mind was for this girl. He tapped her cheek with his fingers before heading for the car, deep in thought once more, plotting and planning and thinking of the endgame.

~~

Kaito felt Aliya's power ripple through the house and glanced up the stairs, sensing with a slight touch of his mind what his house guest was about. He really needed to give her a little lesson in subtlety when using her magic, the vampire thought idly before figuring out what she had been doing. His eyes narrowed a little when he did and he made to stand up, but Jayden walked past at that moment and shook his head, signalling that he would handle it though his arms were full of sleepy kittens at the moment.

Kaito nodded slowly before slowly settling back onto the couch and his eyes slid back to the mind-numbing TV show that was playing. Anastasia was a warm puddle of puppy on his lap and he ran his hand through her hair idly as she balled up tighter against him. The shifter girl was unusually sensitive to magic use and Ali's use had been stronger than necessary for what she was doing, disturbing the pup.

The vampire soothed her gently with a cold hand to her head before leaning back against the couch, also thinking like his brother. This was going to be an interesting next couple of months.

[†Arisen†]

Aliya kicked off her shoes, curling up on the bed. After a moment, she wormed under the sheets, sighing contenedly.

Really, she had never thought a bed could be so nice! The girl nestled her head into the pillows, pulling up the blaket higher over her head, rather enjoying it.

How nice this was!It had been a very long night.

The succubus breathed a sigh, closing her eyes.