Myra, leash in hand, Arlo prancing about beside her with absolute glee and joy at life, at all the wonderful smells and sounds, that Myra couldn’t help but smile at the puppy’s innocence. if anyone tried to take that away, I’d skin them alive she thought to herself, walking towards Callie’s, Arlo jumping about at every little thing. When she got closer, she saw the car that had so excited her officer. Taking a moment to confirm that the plates were, in fact, registered to James Burke on her phone, connecting to the database, Myra nodded in grim satisfaction. She glanced in the car, noting what was there, looking for any sign of Sombra, before she moved back away from the car and away from Callie’s defenses.

She took out her phone, and hesitated between calling Alex, or texting him, finally settling on texting, she quickly typed out a message, watching the inn, to make sure that they wouldn’t leve… at least not without her being ready.

toAlex @Crono

Alex, the car is indeed registered to James… and I believe Sombra is with him

She hesitated a moment, looking back to towards the inn. Did she tell him where they were? No doubt he’d figure it out himself. Sombra and James had always been close to Callie… She hesitated a moment or two, before adding:

They appear to be staying at Calie’s inn.

She nearly wanted to add that it might be good for him to come there, but stopped. She wasn’t going to scare Sombra off. Leaning back against a tree, she watched the Inn, Arlo contentedly curling up by her feet, until she picked him up into her arms, where he nestled happily and promptly fell asleep.

@Caits@Vicier@YoshiSkittlez

---

Aron nodded. "We should. It will probably help them feel better" He gave a bright smile to Cody. His hand went toward the door but stopped. He had a thoughtful expression and seemed almost hesitant to open the door. This was a new feeling for him. He wasn't terrified of what would be on the other side. He was taking a few moments to relish the feeling.

Aron blinked when cody spoke. He tilted hi head before answering. "I used to think of fate as cruel for awhile....but i eventually realized that without any of the negatives I wouldn't have any of the positives" He gave another bright smile. "Im pretty happen with where fate ended up taking me now" with that he gave cody a quick kiss before opening the door.

"Hey Cody and I are....Oh... Aron had stepped in to see zoe with the same muscular guy from earlier. He froze not really knowing how to proceed given that he hadn't run into any other situations before. "Uh...just gonna...' He awkwardly started walking toward his room.

---

---

Gage felt his worry increase when his girlfriend looked rather terrified of the idea of resting. was she having nightmares? He kept his hand around hers and felt himself feel lost. What could he do for her? He should have been faster....he shouldn't have allowed himself to get so messed up. Frustration went through his features for a moment before the doctor's voice pierced his thoughts.

Gage blinked and looked up at the doctor taking a moment to let his exhausted brain register what he had said. He felt syleste loosen her grip and managed to shake his head. "Of course not" He managed to move back to where he had been stationed for the night and ran a hand through his hair. He was still exhausted that much was clear to him. But he wouldn't leave her side unless he was kicked out...even then he would resist.

---

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Sebastian silently toggled between biting his lip and his tongue as he listened to Cassie, nodding his head gently and clenching his jaw, attempting to keep the tears from welling too noticeably in his eyes. The terror he had experienced for years at the prospect of his friends finding out what he really was refused to let go of his heart, clenching it in a cold embrace that left him nauseated and exhausted. As the werewolf finished her speech, Seb shut his eyes tightly and silently wished the tears would stop sliding down his cheeks. Even though he wasn't in his Siren form, the salt water on his face still heeded his bidding, climbing back up his face and into his eyes, pooling under the Siren's eyelids. After a moment of complete silence, Sebastian released a long, shaky breath and opened his eyes, forcing himself to meet Cassie's loving gaze.

"Thanks, Cassie," His voice wavered with emotion, much to Sebastian's dismay. "Really. I've spent so long being afraid that... I-i just don't know how to cope with everything right now."

As Gage stepped away from Syleste, though it wasn't that much of a distance, Sebastian swallowed hard and gave the werewolf's hand a squeeze. The pair was quiet for a moment as Sebastian repeatedly opened and closed his mouth, attempting to formulate his next sentence. A small, humorless chuckle escaped his lips. Sebastian abandoned his hopeless attempt to speak about the matter further and smiled, shaking off his distressed demeanor and replacing it with a cheery vibe.

"I guess over the next few weeks, I'll get to finally teach you guys about the Supernatural world," Sebastian smiled weakly. "Assuming Zoe doesn't put you guys through Supernatural boot camp. If she doesn't, though, I think I'd like to tell you guys about what's what around these parts. While I'm not exactly as informed as Zoe, Xerxes, or Quinton, I am the only one in the group that's been doing this for more than a single day. I'm sure I can show you guys a few cool things about Klamath Falls."

---

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---

“I’ll ask you not to cast spells on my animals.”

Her voice soft, though clear enough that it could be heard by all in the room, Seraphina frowned, her arm holding the clipboard she had been working off down at her side as she slowed to a stop just inside the door, her beautiful eyes flicking wearily towards the man that had been brought into her workplace, being sure to keep him within her sights at all times as she spoke once more, her words directed this time towards Magnus.

“What the hell- you brought a warlock here..? What were you thinking..?” Shifting over the spot with obvious unease, she tensed up, her free hand balling into a fist within the pocket of her lab coat as she thought the better of her words- of course she already knew the answer; he wasn’t thinking. However, after all the trouble he had gone through to convince her to let him work there… to convince her that she could trust him, even just a little… it was becoming clear enough that perhaps, she had been wrong in her decision.

Druid or not… he knew how she felt about other supernaturals…

Still a little weary of the warlock, she hesitated, reluctance clear behind her eyes before she made her choice, her heels making gentle clicks over the ground as she hurried past, being sure to give them both a wide birth as she closed the gap between her and the large dog, first placing the clipboard down on top of the cage before she crouched down in front of it, unlatching the lock so that she could get to the canine held within.

Straining a smile as the animal once more awoke before happily moving towards her, she reached out towards him, her touch gentle as she took a hold of his head, her own tilting lightly to the side causing her long and wavy blonde locks to fall to one side as she began to examine his eyes; the light blue glint of magic clear as day behind it’s iris’.

This was the problem; witches… warlocks… druids… it didn’t matter what they were, they all just did whatever it was that they wanted without a second thought to the matter or how it affected anyone else around them.

Her already faked smile falling from her features, Seraphina let out a sigh, her soft pink lips parting ever so slightly from one another as she shook her head lightly from side to side, knowing full well that there was nothing she could do to help the canine now until the spell had run its course, and she could see to the full extent how the pain of his injuries were affecting him. Lightly scratching behind the dog’s ear causing him to lean his head into her ever loving touch, she turned her head around, her gaze rather accusing as she looked between the druid and the warlock.

“..have you not done enough damage for the day..? Why are you even here..? What is it that you want from me..?”

---

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Cassandra looked up as her father re-entered the room, and gave him a small smile, but turned her attention back to Sebastian, wanting to make sure her friend was okay. There might not be anything that she could do, beyond give him words and comfort, but she could still do that. She needed to feel useful. Or despite everything, she might just fall apart. At his tears, she reached out, taking one of his hands in her own, giving it a squeeze. She gave him a smile, and nodded. ”I know… it’s been some tough few hours, hasn’t it? But it’s going to be okay… We have each other, all of us” It was all she had, and she hoped it would be enough.

As her father asked to check Syleste over, she looked back towards Syleste and Gage, worried for Syleste… last night had to be more traumatic for her than the rest of them… at least they could see what had happened, she had had to listen to everything… She knew Syleste was strong, but it didn’t stop her worry for her friend. If she’d had nightmares… what were they, compared to Sylestes? She could wake and see that everything was okay… snuggle against Chewbacca, or hunt up her father… Syleste had been stuck in the hospital, an unfamiliar place for the girl.

She wondered if maybe they could take her home… if her father was there, it would be alright, wouldn’t it? She would have to ask him, see if there was anything they could do… they’d have to talk with Syleste mother about that…

As Gage seemed to not want to leave Syleste’s side, Cassandra slipped away from Sebastian for a moment, going over to him. ”Gage… my dad needs to be able to check Syleste over, without you crowding him. He needs to make sure everything is okay, that she isn’t going to get an infection. Okay? Come over here, with me and Sebastian, just for a few moments, alright? So he can make sure she’s okay. You don’t want him to miss anything, do you? Come on” she reached out to take Gage’s hand, giving it a gentle tug, before returning to Sebastian, hoping that Gage would see sense, and come over as well.

She looked to her father at Sebastian’s next words. Learning about the supernatural… It seemed like she was going to have many teachers on that… Zoẻ, Quinton… her father… and now Sebastian. What could there be, how vast was the supernatural world, and how had the normal world not found out about it, before? These were questions that she wanted answers for, but doubted there were any that would satisfy her. She nodded and gave him an encouraging smile, ”I’d like that, a lot Seb… it would be nice, to learn more about the supernatural world, and not just from the adults”

---

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Cody’s thought were on his friends, and the question he had asked Aron. He was worried about Syleste and Sebastian, the only ones who hadn’t healed, in any sense. They were going to have a long road ahead healing… just as long as it would take the rest of them to figure out what they now where, how they had changed… and he nodded at Aron’s words. He wanted to make sure they were okay… part of him couldn’t help but feel like it was unfair, that the rest of them got to heal, while they didn’t. ”Yeah. Especially after last night”

He was also a little worried about Sebastian. The quiet boy had been… out of place last night, despite everything… Cody wanted to reassure Sebastian that they weren’t about to leave him behind. He was their friend, and had been through the same as them. Cody would make sure he was accepted. With Syleste it was a little different… He doubted that anything would ever tear Gage away from her. Broken from his thoughts by Aron’s voice, Cody looked up.

He looked to Aron, pleased that he seemed to be taking Cody’s question seriously, although he hadn’t expected much of an answer, it was a rather obtuse question. He noticed Aron’s apprehension, which had him looking to the door. He supposed it was a rather… new experience. Going home to somewhere he was accepted? The fact that Cody knew Aron would have been terrified to go home before angered him, made him want to do something about it. There was nothing to be done, though…

Aron’s words distracted Cody from his anger, which he hadn’t seemed to realise had caused his heart to speed up, a pounding in his ears, and his hands had curled into fists. Aron’s words seemed to soothe him, the quick kiss speeding his heart in an entirely different way, for the sweetness of it. He nodded, figuring that that was right… there had to be bad, so you knew what was good, but Cody would still give anything to take away the pain and suffering Aron had had, at the hands of those that should have been gentle, and caring. It wasn’t possible, but he would still give anything.

As they entered the house, Cody stopped, then nudged Aron gently. Whatever the situation was, he was sure that Zoẻ could handle it. It didn’t seem wise to stick around and maybe make a bad situation worse. He followed Aron, moving silently, not wanting to attract too much attention to either of them. When they reached Aron’s room, Cody put some of what they’d brought down, looking to Aron with a smile, ”I’m happy for you, Aron… And I think if those monsters try and make trouble, Zoẻ will tear them apart. But I’m not going to let them hurt you again”. There was no way that he’d see Aron hurt, no way he was going to let this be taken away from Aron.

@December@Caits@Vicier

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Magnus huffed at Leo with a playful expression as he held a puppy. Before he could answer however, he heard his boss. He turned and froze. He had messed up. Messed up bad and she was not happy with him. Today seemed to be the second day he made people he liked mad at him.

"I..." he cut himself off. His demoneor had changed. From the extremely happy self he was moments ago to rapidly wilting. "....I messed up." one of the very few people he would actually admit that to. He gently pet the puppy before putting it back. It was his habit to come here often even when not working. It made him feel better and he liked being able to help the animals in any way he could.

That comment hurt. The cut clear in his eyes. "....Nothing. I want...nothing from you" he checked the lock on the cages before straightening. "I....I am sorry. I...wanted to see the animals and make sure they were okay." he ran a hand through his hair before exhaling. "I'll see myself out" he turned on his heel and lightly walked out expecting Leo to follow him. Now he really wanted a drink.

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Aron was still not used to having his own space. His own privacy. It was weird to say the least for him. He was caught in that moment for a second resulting a rather different look in his eyes before shaking his head and looking at Cody. He chuckled and managed a smile.

"That's an image" He took out the stuff meant for him. He paused before pulling off his shirt and grabbing a new one. "That means a lot to me" He meant that. To know that he has someone willing to protect him....it made him extremely happy...and safe.

Aron pulled on the shirt and walked to Cody. "I wouldn't want you getting hurt either" He kissed Cody on the forehead before making his way back to the thing so he could put a few of what they got gage all in one bag. "Do I smell less like smoke now?" that as said while he straightened. He looked at Cody to see what he would say. He would hate to go see his friends and still smell like smoke....which he figured gage still smelled like.

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Gage blinked and looked over at Cassandra. The sentence not registering for a moment, but the small tug snapping him out of it. He paused before nodding. He slowly stood and made his way over, plopping down on a seat near Sebastian. He didn't look so good himself.

Gage didn't seem to be doing any talking his head being held by his hands. His eyes glazing over as he zoned out. Clearly he did not get enough sleep. It didn't help that the smell of smoke still clung to him and he had circles under his eyes.

---

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“I’ll ask you not to cast spells on my animals.”

Leo quickly turned to face the voice, discovering a cautious woman holding a clipboard lurking in the doorway. Her golden hair loosely framed her timeless face, giving her an odd kind of beauty that Leo couldn't quite describe. She radiated an odd form of magic, one that he couldn't immediately place, however he recognized it from another medical practitioner, Xerxes Arvantis.

Angel... The realization was quite odd; up until this point, Leo had encountered very few of her species, as only two had come through his family's Coven while he had lived there. Leo quietly observed her as her eyes darted quickly between Magnus and Leo, obviously assessing the situation.

Magnus' immediate change in demeanor confused Leo. Normally, the Druid didn't give a shit about who's toes he stepped on, but he immediate confession that he had made a mistake thoroughly concerned the Warlock. The Druid was stifling cocky, a quality that, while it did piss him off, attracted Leo to him. Magnus' mood was now that of a guilty child.

At first, Leo was incredibly confused by the situation, allowing Magnus to do the talking, however the woman, Doctor Astarte, Leo gleaned from her name tag, made a comment that Leo felt was rather unnecessary.

“..have you not done enough damage for the day...?" Leo's eyebrows raised at the comment; while he wasn't entirely certain what she was referring to, he could only assume it was regarding the attack on the pack. "Why are you even here..? What is it that you want from me...?”

Magnus' quickly left, his dejection evident on his features. Doctor Astarte obviously disliked Witches and Warlocks; that much was clear from her obvious distrust of Leo, her anger at Magnus for bringing Leo, and her reaction towards the calming spell. Leo's temper flared at her Supernatural bigotry and utter disregard for Magnus' feelings. While normally he would have relished in Magnus' discipline, the evident shame concerned Leo. With the stress and pressure of the past day building behind him, Leo couldn't stay silent. While emotional outbursts of anger weren't Leo's cup of tea, he couldn't let her get away without making a snide comment.

"Y'know, I would've thought someone like you would've been able to recognize a simple calming spell," Leo's voice was quiet yet controlled, backed by an iron will. "But what do I know? I'm just a Warlock."

Without another word, Leo uncrossed his arms and left the room, following Magnus' steps outside of the clinic and into his car. Once Leo had slid into his seat, he turned in place and propped his leg up on the center console so he could easily face Magnus.

"So, what was that all about?" Leo's eyebrows furrowed, confused by Magnus' actions. "I don't think I've ever seen you be anything but a snarky asshole." Leo smirked, attempting to lighten the mood.

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Myra looked down at the sleeping puppy in her arms. So content, so happy… It reminded her of how she’d sit for hours, holding Sombra, or Alexander… or both of them at the same time, just looking at them, at these two beings she’d brought into the world. She’d been a foolish girl, but they’d helped her grow… They’d shown her what love was. What it truly was, and changed her life forever. She thought on everything she’d been through, everything she’d done to give them the best possible life she could, and wondered when things had changed, so drastically… when had she lost Sombra?

Had she ever really know, her little girl? Had she held on, too tightly? She’d give anything, to have her daughter back, for even five minutes more… just to know she was alright, that she was safe… and happy. And if that… that delinquent was what made her happy… Well, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t punch him in the face. She looked up at the inn, wanting nothing more than to charge in there… But she wasn’t ashamed to admit that Callie scared her, just a little bit. Strange woman… but respectable.

And if Sombra tried to run again… this time there’d be more than an APB on her… No, Myra would hunt her to the ends of the earth, to find her. Nothing would stop her, even if it was abundantly clear that Sombra was gone in the wind, Myra would still chase after her. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. She was never going to let her girl slip away again, not without a fight. And she’d damn well make sure that Sombra knew that, that she knew she had never given up on her, and that all she wanted was to be a family again.

She had no doubt that Sombra would be angry. If she barged in there, there would be yelling, and screaming, and anger so hot that it could burn a room down. Sombra was still a Flores woman, and so was Myra. Anger was what they were. There were times… Times before Sombra disappeared, times before Damien disappeared, where she had pitied her younger brother, trapped between her and Zoe… And yet, she’d give anything to see her younger brother again. So she could punch him, and then hug him. And then demand where he had been, and heaven forbid it wasn’t a satisfactory answer. Not that that was likely to happen. Damien was gone in the wind.

Her thoughts had taken a turn, distracting her for a moment. She couldn’t go in there… She was the Chief of Police, if Callie had guests… she had to give a good image… She couldn’t barge in there… no matter how much she wanted to… She was so close to Sombra, and yet she felt like she had never been further…

Her gaze went down the road, where she was sure that Alex was going to drive down, any moment. He could go in…

He could go in and make sure Sombra was okay… If only he’d get there soon. Myra could only wait so long before taking things into her own hands, and be damned the consequences.

---

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Cody watched Aron, rather pleased that he was in a safe place. Cody would do what he could to make sure that it stayed that way. Moving across, he helped Aron to take out what was his stuff, pausing as Aron did without meaning to, watching as he changed shirts. He couldn’t seem to help it…. Aron was just so… gorgeous. So Cody watched as he changed shirts, appreciating Aron’s form, and still wondering how lucky he could be to have Aron. When the… show was over, Cody returned to getting things out, looking about, unsure where Aron wanted everything.

He looked over as Aron spoke, and smiled. He didn’t want Aron to ever doubt him, didn’t want him to ever forget that Cody was there, and fighting for him from every corner. The kiss on his forehead was all the more sweet, because he knew that Aron felt the same way about him. He reached out, letting his fingers trail against Aron as Aron went to get a few things for Gage, the simple contact making him feel more than happy. ”I’m not going to get hurt” he promised him in a soft voice, watching Aron move.

When he asked if he stil smelled like smoke, Cody walked over to him, taking Aron in his arms, and nuzzling Aron’s neck, inhaling his scent. There was still a hint of smoke there… and something else… a spice? Something sweet… ”mmmm” It was a rather pleasant scent, and for a moment couldn’t place it… ”A bit… but mostly you smell like Cinnamon rolls” he said, in a rather satisfied tone, ”smells good”

He was very reluctant to let Aron go, but he did, stepping back, with a little sheepish smile. ”So… “ he said softly, after a moment, ”Do you know that guy with Zoè? They seem familiar with each other, at least… “ But Cody was still a little bit worried… what if the guy was a bad person? Cody wanted to ensure that Aron was safe.

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“..it happened not long after you were deployed…”

Dropping her head down, Zoé stared down at the bottle she held between her hands, her thumb brushing lightly back and forth over the label as she spoke, pouring her heart out, and telling him everything that she had been keeping from him now for the last god knew how many years, her body leaning forward on the couch and her elbows resting softly over her knees as she began to explain further, “..snuck out with my friends one night; we were headed down to the streets… got into an accident about halfway through my race… completely totaled my bike, and went flying across the asphalt and into the gutter…”

Pausing for a moment, she sighed, her eyes closing for a moment as she let the memories come crashing back into her mind like a tidal wave. She could remember all of it… the roar of the engines, the screaming of rubber burning over the bitumen, the flash of light in front of her, the spark of metal as her bike hit the ground, the yells and groans slipping from her lips as she rolled over across the road into the gutter… And then there he was… standing over her; watching her slowly bleeding out over the tar.

..that was when the real pain began…

“..he saved my life… gave me a second chance; but-... but I was different…” Shaking her head lightly from side to side, Zoé frowned, her brows furrowing together in what looked like slight distress at the memory, though she long ago learned not to let her past make too much of an impact upon her future… at least that’s what she told herself; she wasn’t so sure she believed it possible anymore… not when her past was sitting right there beside her, listening to everything she had to say, “..remember when mama told you I was getting into more trouble than usual..? She wanted you to talk some sense into me; to get me to stop hanging around with that crowd she didn’t like..? I just got so much angrier… I couldn’t control how I felt; and I hurt a lot of people by getting into all those fights. It’s one of the reason’s I came here. A fresh start away from my old pack- I always thought that maybe I’d go back one day, but I’m not the same wolf that they knew…”

Falling silent for a moment, she lifted her bottle up, placing the lip against her own so that she could take a swig of the beer held inside, letting the alcoholic beverage flow down her throat and settle within her stomach before she continued on, her hand lifting up to ruffle her hair roughly, “..not long after I first arrived, I met this guy… Derek Hale… he taught me control, helped me out a lot- I met the other alpha’s through him. We still talk on occasion; he’s the one who does all my tattoo’s actually, I should give him a call soon so he can come down and update it for me. Anyway… after Myra and I got settled here, I met Kyran… that-... that’s a whole 'nother story…”

Having moved from the kitchen back into the main room, Damien sat comfortable on his sister’s couch, a fresh beer in hand and with his undivided attention on her. She hadn’t exaggerated - there really was a whole lot that had happened on her side of things. It was clear that there was a whole history more than just the year he had lost. And his own mamma knew something was different. He was just too concerned with getting ready for his deployment to even notice anything was wrong.

Though the subject material was sensitive at best, it felt good to be catching up with his baby sister - he had always been closer to her than Myra though he loved his older sister just the same. There was just something special about the way he and Zoé interacted with one another. And it seemed that their relationship would only get stronger from then on.

”You know I love you, Zoé. No matter what. I would never want you to go through something like that alone..”

“..I know…” Her attention once more lingering upon the bottle held within her hands, Zoé spoke softly in reply, thumbing lightly at what was left of the label, her brows furrowed together and her lower lip pouting slightly as she felt the sting of tears hitting her eyes for the second time since they had begun speaking- what was with her..? This wasn’t like her; not anymore anyway. She wasn’t the same little girl he used to know…

It didn’t matter; not anymore. The past couldn’t be changed… no matter how much they may have wanted to do just that, “..you were busy… starting a life you were proud of… I was scared but-... I knew I couldn’t keep coming to you for everything…”

”Zoé…” Damien sighed and sat himself up a bit straighter. Leaning forward, he put his beer bottle down on the coffee table in front of them and scooted over closer to his sister, putting an arm around her and pulled her into a one-armed side hug. ”Somos familia. We are family. It doesn’t matter what I’m busy with or when. You call, and I’ll be there baby sister. You come to me for anything, you got it? I’ve got a lot of making up to do. That’s why I’m here. I want to help you.”

“..somos familia…” Repeating the words softly, she closed her eyes, silently letting the tears roll down her cheeks as she leant into his embrace, her head tilting to the side so that it was resting lightly against his shoulder. He was right… just like he always was. Why was he always right..? Even as kids, he had always been the one to teach her right from wrong… to show her the right path to travel…

“..I-I’ve been so lost…”

”Hey… I’m-” The door abruptly opened and two, young, white boys came barging into his sister’s home as though they owned the place. The muscled one seemed to be a bit at a loss while the ginger genuinely just seemed out of place. Damien met eyes with both of the boys, until the muscled one awkwardly walked away towards where Damien knew the spare bedrooms were kept.

Staring almost absently where Damien last saw the boys wander off to, he finally turned his head to Zoé, jerking his head in their general direction.

”You hire some queer pool boys or something?”

Lifting her hand up, Zoé used the heel of her palm to wipe away the tears that had been falling, her gaze lifting up in time to see the two boys disappearing up the stairs before she shook her head lightly, taking a moment to herself so that she could clear her throat before she began to explain, answering his question, “..huh..? Oh, no… no… nothing like that. I, uh… no, they’re mine… I adopted two boys… it was actually finalized last night…”

Damien was silent. He looked back over his shoulder where the boys had disappeared to, and then back to Zoé, and once more back to the empty hallway and back again to his sister.

”Adopted.” He wasn’t sure why it surprised him. Zoé was really the most motherly out of all of them - or at least the most parental material, despite Myra having two children of her own. But adoption? Boys he didn’t even know about? It was all very confusing, but Damian wasn’t sure if he wanted the full story or not.

”Alone? I mean… you don’t have… anyone… to help you?” She was so young… and to have boys the age they appeared to be… was there even a point? He remembered briefly during his military days, letters from his sisters with brief whisperings about Zoé being with a man - Kyran as the name struck familiar since she had brought him up not moments before. But he had been gone for a full year without contact, and she had only mentioned him the once (negatively).. He simply assumed they weren’t together anymore. But he had been gone and out of touch for a full year… who was he to assume that his beautiful baby sister hadn’t found anyone in that amount of time?

Turning her attention back down to the beer in her hand, she shook her head lightly from side to side, giving him an answer, though she knew for a fact that it wasn’t the one that he wanted, “..there’s no one…”

”No one, no one? Or… someone but you’re being a bit standoffish?” He had to make light of the situation. Things just kept getting weirder and weirder. If he didn’t crack a smile every now and then, she’d wonder just what had really happened to her brother.

Unable to help the small smile that crept onto her lips at his words, Zoé shook her head once more, lifting it so that she was able to meet with his gaze, her own showing that she was grateful for the way he was making light of the situation she had gotten herself into, even if he wasn’t pleased about it, “..heh… no; really, there’s no one… just me…”

”Huh. Well… if you ever change your mind and someone catches your eye…” Even if she recognized it or not, he kept gender out of his statement. ”...you better let me know so I can give them a proper brotherly introduction.”

Rolling her eyes slightly, she leant into him, a soft chuckle falling out through her soft lips as she nodded her head lightly up and down in response, “..okay; okay… I promise; if anyone catches my eye… you will be the first person to know, Damien.”

---

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---

---

“..no…”

Her attention drawn away from the happy little reunion quite some time ago, Sombra’s lips turned up in a small smirk. Well… that certainly didn’t take as long as she thought; it was a hard thing to do, but she had to admit, for once… she was a tad bit impressed. The gentle scrape of the leather against bark of the large tree in the front was what had first let her know that they were no longer alone. The accelerated heartbeat of one… the rather slow and steady beating of another.

So there were two of them… at least for now.

It was clear that if her mother was there waiting; her darling brother wouldn’t be too far behind. There was no doubt in her mind that her mother had told Alexander about this the very moment she’d found out that she was back in town.

“..no, it’s fine. I think I can manage on my own.” Turning her attention back to the woman in front of her, her smirk softened down into a smile, her hand lifting up to lightly brush a few stray strands of hair back and off her face as she continued on, the soft glint in her eyes a sign that (just like normal) she wasn’t going to be taking no as an answer from any of them on her decisions, “..besides, it’s not like our room number ever changes; and I’m sure that you and your… little witch have things that you need to get done today. I think that we’ve taken up enough of your morning; and we’ll be here for a few days, so there’s plenty of time to catch up later, don’t worry…”

Shooting a quick wink towards Callie, she reached out her hand, taking a hold of the bags one by one that James had carried in from the car, making sure she had a hold of them before she began to make her way towards the stairs, pausing and turning herself back to look at them as she hit the second one, “James; if you want to see your sister… now would be the best time to go; and when you do… you may want slip out the back, because I know for a fact you won’t like what’s waiting for you out the front.”

Holding his gaze for just a bit longer knowing that in the end he would take her advice like he always did, Sombra turned, once more making her way up the stairs, she followed the old though ever familiar path that led to the room that she and James had always shared whenever they had needed a place to stay. It hadn’t changed… or at least, it hadn’t changed from what she could tell. Though whether or not that was coincidental or on purpose, she couldn’t tell.

A gentle sigh falling out through her lips, Sombra made her way forward, placing the bags one by one down onto the bed before she glanced about, her dark gaze coming to a rest on the far window that looked out over the front, no hesitation seeming to come through her actions as she wandered over towards it, her arm lifting and the tips of her fingers brushing lightly over the curtains as she pulled it to the side, only holding it open just a tad so that she could look out over the front yard, the small smirk that she had earlier once again gracing her beautiful features as she spotted her mother standing in the shade of the large tree, with what looked like a young pup in her arms.

“..and let the games begin…”

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Callie studied Sombra for a moment or two, sighing softly. She knew she wasn’t in any position to offer advice, yet she knew that soon, there would be a lot of pain and suffering. And anger. There was always anger between Sombra and her mother. They simply couldn’t see how alike they were… or maybe they did, and that was the problem. Callie didn’t want to lose Sombra as a friend, it had been quite lonely, the last few years, without her and James. Oh, she would have been lost without Leo, but he wasn’t… wasn’t the same as Sombra and james. They’d been there for her, when she’d needed them… and she had missed her friends immensely. She didn’t want to do anything that would cause her to lose either of them as her friend, as her family, but…

Callie was always about the greater good. She’d sacrifice her happiness for others. Myra might act strong, behind that “i’m a bitch attitude”, she was just a mother, wanting to know her child was okay. Callie might not be able to understand the relationship between mother and child… but she knew that. So Callie watched Sombra, knowing her friends ways. While Sombra would think it was all a game, Myra wouldn’t. She nearly spoke up, but closed her mouth and nodded, glancing to Alexis. Now was not the time, there would be time, she hoped, later. Either way, she knew that when she left, Myra wouldn’t hold herself back, she would enter the inn.

”if you need anything, you know how to reach me” Callie said to both of them, watching Sombra head up the stairs, she turned to James, ”The back way would be best, I don’t imagine Myra has the best of intentions for you at the moment. And, you should try the hospital for your sister. A couple of the teens attacked were already supernaturals, and haven’t healed, she maybe visiting them” she said, before turning to Alexis, and give the girl a small smile.

”Well, it’s been a rather interesting morning, but we do need to get going now” she said softly, leaning down to pick up Tigress, giving the small orange cat a stroke, before putting her back down, ”go, make some mischief, cheeky thing” she said to the kitten, before looking back to Alexis, ”Are you ready?”

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Callie smiled at Alexis, almost knowingly. The young girl had a lot of potential, and with the right guidance, she’d go a long way. Callie might not know everything about the girls magic- there were times where she didn’t think she even understood her own- but she knew that she could get her on the right path, and teach her everything she knew. Saying goodbye to James, she watched him head out her private kitchen, and she presumed he went out the back door, the gentle clang as the door shut again the only indication he had done so.

She turned back to Alexis, and smiled once more. ”I know you have a lot of questions, Alexis, and i’ll do my best to answer them. First of all, I’ll explain why we are immune to a were creatures bite, and even a vampires. It’s simply because our body has a make up that prevents our DNA from being altered- this doesn’t mean we can’t shapeshift, because, yes, we can. We just have to use a little bit of help from spells and potions. I’ll show you, when you’re ready.” She promised, starting back out to the car, she didn’t lock up the inn- she knew that if something wanted to get in, it would, and if it had malicious intent, it would be stopped by her wards.

She doubted Myra had any malicious intent, at least not enough to get her in trouble. Although, this was Myra…

Shaking her head, Callie got in the car, ”Of course you may return for any lessons whenever you wish, i will always make time.” She said, starting the car up, and heading on out, her gaze went to the inn, the very room that Sombra was in, and hoped that she wasn’t going to return home to find the inn the site of a war zone between mother and daughter.

Whatever would be would be, she supposed. [color=coral]”But, Alexis, are you sure you wish to go to school? No one would blame you for not going, and as I understand it, it’s only your first week back. And then I could get started on teaching you some magic. I’d like to be able to show you how to defend yourself, if the rogue wolf returns”[color] She said, buckling her seatbelt.

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Cassandra smiled at Gage, relieved when he came over to her and Sebastian, shifting so that he could sit down, ”You need to rest, Gage. You’ll be no good to Syleste if you make yourself sick with exhaustion.” She said to him, making sure he was going to rest for a bit, looking back to Sebastian, she waited to see if he would continue speaking, her thoughts drifting for a moment. There was so much going on… Cassandra knew if she let herself rest, even for a few moments, she’d break down. She needed to be there, looking after her friends, worrying about them…

Because she knew that no amount of time, no amount of her dad, or Chewie, would help her if she broke down. She’d just fall apart, and… she thought that if she did, her friends might just break as well. She was probably being foolish… she didn’t know… but it was just the way she felt. Or maybe she was just scared, of having to face it all again… She knew she had to, sooner or later. Yet being strong for her friends… it was simply who she was.

Frowning slightly as she realised how long Miranda was taking to get a soda, she glanced about the room to check that she hadn’t slipped in unnoticed. When she couldn’t find her best friend, Cassie looked to the door, seeing if she could hear Miranda walking down the hall, but it seemed impossible to hear anything… or rather, she was hearing too much, more than she’d heard before, and she just couldn’t seem to process it well. Shaking her head, she rose, starting to the door, ”I’m going to see if I can find Miranda, make sure she didn’t get lost hunting down the soda she was going to get” She said, ”I’ll be back in a moment”

She started out the room, towards the closest vending machines, wondering where Miranda could have gotten to, and what was taking her so long. The sound of a voice, the last few words of a sentence apparently, and then an angry and yet familiar voice had Cassie moving forwards at a hurried pace,

“It won’t give me the damned can!”

Cassie had rarely, if ever heard Miranda angry, and that was cause for concern in itself, but the sound of an unfamiliar voice had Cassie even more worried. ”Miri? Are you okay?” She asked, as she finally saw her friend, back now to the vending machine, facing a man, easy to see despite the fact his back was to her.

@Caits@December@Vicier@YoshiSkittlez

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Aron blinked. He found himself melting into Cody's arms. The room feeling like it was the only piece of the world for that moment. He felt Cody nuzzle him and knew his face would turn pink. The motion sending a tingle down his spine. That satisfied tone cody had did not help him with his situation, not one bit.

Aron blinked once more as cody stepped away. He cleared his throat and decided to let his thoughts go anywhere but how that nuzzle felt. His face still a flushed pink as he looked down. "Cinnamon rolls huh? That's a weird scent" His eyes flicked up to him before they flicked away again. He felt incredibly awkward. Incredibly awkward and a tad bit nervous.

Aron felt his throat clear again. His head shook in response to cody's question. "I have no idea who that guy is....I saw him earlier this morning, but I didn't stay long enough to get an idea" That was something he could focus on. He grabbed that mentally and focused hard....strongly on it. "They do seem familiar....do you think he's a boyfriend or something? Should we go find out or...maybe just head toward the hospital" A thought ran through his head Or we could st- He cut his own thought off with as much speed as he could.

Aron knew his change in behavior was showing. He knew he was blushing. He hoped upon hope that Cody would not say anything about it. What would he do if cody did say something? ...This is embarrassing His eyes shut for a second before he opened them and turned away from cody gently grabbing the bags. "Up to you Thank god his voice didn't squeak. That would be so so much worse.

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Gage ran a hand through his hair. He was worried...worried more then he thought he could ever be for syleste. She did not want to sleep...she was in pain. He couldn't possibly even think about resting. He had to be there and be conscious no matter how awful it felt. His eyes felt fuzzy. Is this what it felt like to be on drugs. His mind sluggishly went through random dream like thoughts that he was quickly snapped out of by a voice. Cassandra's voice to be specific.

"She...she can't sleep...so I won't...sleep" Gage's voice was soft and sounded as sluggish as he felt. His eyes were glassy and half lidded. Pretty soon his body would probably not give him a choice and knock him out anyway. His eyes moved and looked at her. Cassandra looked worried too. He then did something he never does. He moved and gave her a small hug before releasing her. "It'll....itll be okay" Clearly his tired self is the exact same as a drugged person, but he was trying to comfort her.

Gage watched her stand and nodded. "Okay Cass. don't get lost with her" He was really not doing well. He leaned his body back intending to only stretch out a bit more, when he felt the heaviness of his body. His eyelids felt heavier by the moment. Struggling for a moment, gage ran a hand over his face and then found his eyelids shutting. It seemed his body had sided with Cassandra and decided to go for a hard reboot for him.

Sleep embraced gage. A rather uncomfortable sleep filled with teeth, fire, and abuse. Screams for help, and the panic of not finding the people he cared about. Dreams that would merge the past and the nearer past. His face reflecting that pain in his forced sleep. His closed eyes scrunched slightly and his face fully showing the pain of his sleep. Occasional protesting sounds softly escaping him...sounds easily mistaken for normal sleep noises.

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Magnus had made his was directly to his car and slid in. Turning it on before turning up the radio and collapsing his seat down so he was laying down. Hands decorated with deep blackish red nail polish that showed his eccentricity. He was breaking down. What have I done Her words echoed in his mind along with scenes from the previous day swarmed him. The only sound piercing his thoughts was the radio happily playing issues by julia micheals. Someone somewhere probably found irony in the song.

Magnus did not even notice Leo get into the car until he spoke. Moments passed before his fingers spread to expose his black rimmed eyes. He rubbed his face before sitting the chair back up. More moments passed before he finally turned the radio down. A few more before he turned to face Leo. It was clear the druid was searching for the right words...the right explanation. Would he be accused of making excuses? Do I care too much? A small exhale escaped him.

"well..." A long pause before he shook his head. "I feel like I'm letting everyone down...and I have no idea what to do about it" His voice was quiet, by the look in his eyes he was telling the truth. The snarky asshole personality was a large wall, but he did care. He did not want to see this pack die. He did not want to break the trust of a friend. But, he was also afraid if he did actually do right that he would lose them all anyway.

Magnus rubbed his face once more and tousled his hair. "Doesn't matter though, I am sure everything will be fine" He was most certainly not certain about that. His hands went to the steering wheel, but he didn't start the car yet. His eyes locked on the entrance to the animal hospital. Daring to hope she would come through and he could fix it. Or maybe she would come out and try to light him on fire...he'd take either at this point. He felt weird after talking about his feelings anyway...what if leo read a lot into it. What if leo didn't like that side. What if he wasn't thinking like a hormonal teenage girl. He mental scolded himself and let himself white knuckle the steering wheel.

"So...where are we going next?" Someplace with drinks. Please dear lord somewhere with drinks.

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The sound of footsteps didn’t surprise Myra in the least. She had seen no one leave the house, besides Callie and a young girl, so she knew it wouldn’t be Sombra, nor… Burke. The scent of coffee was strong in the air, and that was a scent so blessed to Myra- she had no qualms saying she was addicted to the stuff, and it was like liquid gold to her. ”Hello, Alex” She said softly, shifting Arlo, and accepting the glorious coffee, and returned the smile he gave her. It wasn’t his fault that his sister hadn’t thought to at least come and see him, nor was it his fault they were here. ”Thank you” She said, taking a sip, and closing her eyes a moment in bliss.

That was the stuff. She was silent for a few moments, looking down at Arlo when Alex scratched him. The puppy stirred enough to yawn and returned to sleep, and Myra smiled. The damn dog had wormed his way into her heart. She looked to Alex when he asked what the plan was, and let him talk himself out, looking back to the building. She looked up, through the floors, searching for any sign of any other guest, her gaze landing on Sombra. Looking right at them. Myra gritted her teeth, more than a little annoyed at that.

It almost felt to Myra that she was taunting them.

She was silent for a moment or two longer, her expression hard, as she gently shifted Arlo in her arms. Oh, she was more than ready to go charging in there, and she looked back to Alex, seeing that he was just as lost as she was in this. Could she be reasonable? She didn’t think so. She was nearly ready to let him do what she knew they both wanted to do. Dragging Sombra out kicking and screaming wasn't the way to go, though. She sighed softly, and looked back to the inn once more, considering the options. Right then, there was only two as far as she was concerned. Go in, or drag Sombra out.

”We’re going in” She said to Alex, taking another drink of her coffee, and nudging Arlo awake, setting the pup down on the ground, she started toward the inn, finishing the rest of the coffee as she did so, and making sure that Arlo was following, and hadn’t gotten lost along the way.