SirensCall

Save Me|Save Yourself|Save Us All

Colten smiled a little, “I'm Colten.” As she told him about her aunt, he thought for a moment. He recognized the name, but not much else about her, so he just nodded. “I heard her name before, but I don't think I ever met her.” He said.

He helped her climb down, and he was glad they were both heading to the same class. He took her bag from her before she could protest as they headed that way. He knew she had been healed and all, but still, he knew she had to at least still be sore and her book bag wasn't all that heavy to him. He sighed. “Do you understand what we’re going over because honestly, it's all kinda confusing to me.” He asked.

–

Azura looked at Cian. She could tell just how much this stuff was annoying him and she raised an eyebrow at what he was talking about with a vampire who was old enough to know better. “Does he need a babysitter? I might not be a vampire, but you know I play the babysitter part well. All you ever have to do is ask, and maybe overlook a few of my methods.” She asked, with a chuckle, summoning a bit of smoke and playing with it in her fingers.

“I'll sit in on your class. Be nice to see what kind of students will likely be asking for a tutor.” She smiled as the bell rang.

–

Aren sighed as he sat at his desk as he continued to fill out paperwork. His meetings were all over the place today, and he knew for a fact he was meeting Demi and Hades here soon. He didn't need to look at the schedule for that, but he looked up at the time and began to wonder why they weren't being sent in. He was glad for the moment to breathe, but this meeting was important.

When he walked out of his office to ask, he smiled when he saw Demi and Hades there, but his brow furrowed at what Hades told him. He cast an angry look at DeAndro and ushered Demi to his office. “I'm sorry that my assistant told you wrong, come in, I've been expecting you.” He said. Before they could get started though, Samantha came running in and he sighed. “I'm sorry, this is pressing, I'll be back as soon as I can. Please look over the class list and think about what classes you may like to take. Just know the two that are required are listed in bold at the top.” He said as he followed Samantha out.

–

Reg hated how everything was going with this class. He hates having to rearrange his lesson plans, but he understood. “I know that this subject matter isn't what we were going to be covering, but let's just bite the bullet and get it over with. The Demon-Angel wars are an important part of supernatural history too, and yes they are prominently taught for that reason.” He explained, though it was obvious he didn't want to have to say anything on the subject change.

Sal smiled a little when Knox helped him get to the right page. “Thank you.” He said, quietly. He sighed at Knox’s comment. “It's very prominently taught, so I understand the disdain, but it is important. Plus, we are lucky enough to have people in the school who were there, students and teachers, and one of them is in this class.”

Sal gently pointed towards where he saw Alex’s aura. “That's Alex Sanders, he was in the first war, I believe he said. He doesn't talk about it much, but he knows a lot about it. He didn't fight the second though because of his sister.” Sal pointed towards Billie’s aura. “That's his sister there. Her name is Billie. She's a language expert if you ever need help with that.”

As the class dragged on, Kingsley made rounds through the class and would make sure everyone paid attention, and by the time class let out, he was glad. He sat on the window ledge, bathing in the sunlight as Reg straightened up his things. Once he had, he hopped over onto the desk and looked at the girl talking to Reg.

“Ah, Erin Scottson, right?” He asked, his southern drawl coming out. He handed her the book and sighed when she brought up the homework. “Don't worry ‘bout the homework. I had to move that lesson back, s’long as you've got it done by the time we get back to that lesson, I won't care.”

When she commented on his accent, he laughed. “From the South, ‘round New Orleans origin’ly.” He was a bit surprised at her forwardness, but he smiled and nodded. “Careful now, might take you up on it.” He said, realizing she was already out the door by the time he thought to answer. She was pretty and had a nice accent herself. He could hear his name being called by Julian from outside the door.

“Reg! Come on! Devin and Kajun are fighting and it's bad. Cian and Samantha and a few others are headed there now.” Julian said and Reg nodded, following after him. Kingsley shifted back and saw Maggie, Ez, and Erin outside the door and ushered them back into the history room.

“Come on, you guys stay in here. They've got enough help and I can write you guys notes for being late to your next class.” He said as he grabbed Sal and Clary as well when they started getting pushed into the crowds pulling towards the fight.

Maggie gave him a look. “Only teachers can write us notes.”

“Yeah, I write all of Reg’s for him, otherwise you can't read them.” Kingsley said, motioning to the board as he continues to pull students into the history classroom so they wouldn't get hurt in the crowd.

–

Billie was already heading to class after Erin said she didn't need her to wait, especially since she had promised Harlow she'd teach his sixth period class for him today. She sighed as she walked down the hall when her eyes caught Hades and she smiled. “Hades!”

She hugged Hades and kissed her cheeks as well but before she could answer her, she noticed Samantha running into Aren’s office and then they both took off. Something was deeply wrong. She took off too, looking behind her and laughing to herself when she saw Hades dragging DeAndro as well. She was too far back in the crowd to see what was going on, but she managed to get to Randa. “What happened?” She asked, but she didn't get an answer. Colten was next to Randa with the girl from before, Brooke, and all the shifters were watching carefully.

Randa gave Billie a knowing look, and Billie shook her head.

–

Azura smiled to Cian as his class let out. “That was enjoyable. Maybe I should skip my free period and come sit in on your classes.” She laughed, but she saw Julian poke his head in as he was running.

“Cian, Devin and Kajun are fighting near the lit classroom, and it's bad from what I've been told. I still have to go get Reg.” He said before he took off. Azura looked at Cian and they both headed that way, and Azura could feel the rage even before they got there.

“Cian, this rage is damn near primal.” Azura said, and before he could say anything she pushed her way through the crowd and she got between Kajun and Devin, placing a hand on Kajun and pulling his rage from him. “Easy there big guy, he's not worth it.” She whispered to Kajun and she heard Devin grumble something and she shot a glare at him. “You must be the problem child around here.”

She rolled her eyes and she saw Colten come over and stand with Kajun. “You again?” He asked, and Azura smiled.

“Me again. Helping out an old friend.” She said as she looked to Cian. “Don't worry, I'll take good care of your friend here, I'm going to bring him to the nurse.”

Azura gently placed a hand on Kajun's back and she saw Reg coming to walk with them. “What happened?” Reg asked him.

—

Something about this place felt weird, Sterling thought as he moved through the shadows in the hallway, finding a huge cluster of them and watching the fight from beneath. He was surprised when he saw Azura, but it also wasn't too surprising from the brutality of it all. He sighed and moved more, finally coming out of the shadows when he saw Hades and some weird guy there. He appeared out of Hades’s shadow and shook his head.

“Hades?” He asked. “Who's the weird guy?”

“I'm DeAndro.” He quipped and Sterling rolled his eyes.

“Anyways, have you seen Julian? It was hard for me to tell if he was in that crowd. Too many people.” He asked. “I decided to get here early to visit him. I haven't seen him in a while, plus Rans and Mags are supposed to be here too.”

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“I wish I were kidding.” Was all Julian could say when Samantha reacted to finding out about Tony coming back. It was going to cause issues, but as long as Randa was told before she came across him, things would have time to set in for her. That and it made it less likely for her to go off the rails. He knew how much trouble that whole thing caused, but his pull helped a lot there. Tony had no right to be there to begin with, but the school had to accept him.

“It's hard to say as I keep getting calls for more. When I can, I'll fill you in on a few. We have a few more of a particular family coming in.” Aren said. He was gone after that, and Julian couldn't help but to wonder. He knew he had his nephew coming, but a few of a family? It clicked with him when he and Samantha got back to his office and sat down. He didn't say anything right off though. She asked about Aren hiring more teachers, and he gave a thoughtful look.

“It would be wise if he did, but finding ones that will stay has definitely been an issue. I'm very glad Reg stayed, he seems to be comfortable in the position, and once he gets a better feel for the shifter group, I feel like he'll be one of the better additions we've had.” Julian said. “I'm hoping we can get at least one more solid teacher, it would lighten the load immensely. Hopefully one for one of your groups so your plate isn't so full, if Cian and I weren't working so hard at keeping our groups from killing each other, I'd try to help more.”

Once he sat down and poured himself some iced tea from a pitcher behind him, he offered some to her before he began eating. “It's been alright so far, and yours?” He asked. He sighed. “Unfortunately, Cian has to deal with it. Lively is on his shit again. Long was not happy that he had to punish MacAddams for defending Brooke, especially since she had problems with Devin last year, but we both know how Long’s detentions are for people he feels didn't really deserve it. Honestly, he may be a bigger problem this year than last.” He shook his head a bit and leaned back in his chair. “And with the Scottsons coming back, it's going to powder keg eventually. Garret is predictable enough to know that, but at least he's friends with Billie and Alex.”

Julian noticed a page get slid under his door and he walked over and grabbed it and he blinked at the name before he smiled. “Sterling? I didn't know he was…” he trailed off a bit before showing the page to Samantha. “You remember me telling you about the boy who Mark helped raise? Looks like he's finally going to come to the school. This is honestly huge, in more ways than one, but Sterling I think you'll enjoy as a student. Now I've really got to get a hold of Mark.” He chuckled a bit. He remembered all the trouble they had convincing Sterling to come out of the cages, but it seemed that someone finally got through to him. Whether it be Mark or someone else, this was going to be good for him.

–

Miles smiled when she said they had a couple of classes together. That would be nice to have a familiar face and he nodded to her notion about Samantha. “I already like her, she wasn't like most others usually are when they meet an angel coming down from Heaven. It's rare any of us come to a school setting, but she wasn't nasty with me like I've heard others can be.” He said. He sighed about the language class. “I'll likely need a tutor too, especially for them being the ancient dialects. I've only ever met one person in my life who was fluent in more than one of them, and honestly, their knowledge was kind of scary.” He chuckled.

He could only smile as she rambled on about her history class and he waved a hand. “Don't apologize about it, that sounds really cool. I've read a bit about trial times, and it seems like it would be cool to see. If you need, and I'm available, I'd let you try it on me if you wanted to.” He had to admit, seeing how excited she got about him made him happy. It had been a long time since he'd seen someone light up like that, and it was something he wished he saw more.

It wasn't too long after that the bell rang and Miles gathered up his things. “I guess we should be getting to class then?” He asked.

–

Billie nodded. “I got really into studying languages when I was younger, there aren't many I'm not fluent in honestly.” She said. She could only nod at her concern. “I don't think there is need for that kind of worry, but I have been wrong before. But I do appreciate that, seems like things are going to come to a head before long, and I just hope to avoid it for as long as we can. The demons are always ready, but with how it gets, a lot of them won't have a good handle on themselves. When I actually fight, I'm surprised that I can have a handle on myself sometimes.”

Billie laughed, “Probably, but oh well. That whole thing with them should pass quickly, I think. I don't know the leader personally, but I've heard enough about him to know he doesn't want conflict. Will get involved if necessary, but doesn't want it. Honestly, seeing Colton lose his shit has me concerned though, he's calmer than most.” She said. She smirked when she said Darren avoided her and she nodded. “Its probably a good thing he does.”

When she accepted the invitation to the party, Billie was glad, and she laughed. “Oh, but those kinds of parties sound like a riot. But yeah, they're different. Not to say someone won't end up naked, someone usually does.” She shook her head. “You don't have to bring anything unless there are specific snacks you want. I have alcohol covered and I've already got an order ready for food from the cafeteria.”

–

When Brooke told him that this was where she first met Kajun, all he could do was chuckle. “Sounds about right. I met him when he came up on the cave that I was sleeping in back towards the waterfall.” He said, motioning his head back when he got in the tree. He nodded at her notion about it being more peaceful. “It definitely is. I can see why you eat here.”

He nodded when she said she was able to shift it away and get it healed. “Hey, I get it though. Just don't hesitate to ask if you need help getting down. I can help you.” He said.

Colten smiled a little and nodded. “Anytime. We've got to look out for each other, and honestly he needs to learn boundaries.” He said. He turned his head to her when she invited him to dinner, and he smiled a little. “That sounds nice.”

It was cute how she was acting, and he could feel himself blushing a little. He was used to getting asked out, sure, but it was always a lot more forward and not at all like this, and he had to admit he liked the change of pace. He took a deep breath and looked down from the tree. “So, did you find this place by accident or were you looking for some place peaceful when you found it?”

–

“Oooohhhh!” Azura laughed. “Can never be sure anymore.”

She took a bite of her food when they got settled into his office when he mentioned needed a TA. “Of course. I have no issues with that, I've always enjoyed helping out with the teacher classes when I can.” She said. “I can imagine you both do, just from what I've picked up on since being here. A lot of drama. I didn't realize that the vampires and demons could have such a bad fued, they're usually very good at coexisting.”

She smiled when he brought up Hades. “I sooooo wish she would. She would make a great teacher. I'll sit in her office with her after I'm done seeing my dad and my aunts and uncles down there. She really is busy, but she could use a break from it too sometimes. Teaching something like that would be so refreshing for her I think.” She said.

She sat back a little and looked at him. “How are you doing? I can tell you've got a lot going on here, and honestly, sounds like I picked a good time to come back around. You know I can help whenever you need me to, just have to tell me. And make sure you put me on your tutor list, might not make sense to a bunch of them, but they'll learn. I'd try to help with the vampires, but I don't think that would bode over too well.” She said. “But again, I'm here to help if you need it.”

–

“Because being a cat is fun.” Kingsley chuckled.

Reg nodded to Knox. “It really is. I'm so proud of him. I just hope when he makes that step, that it's someone like her. It will help him bond with them and he'll probably be more comfortable.” He said. He chuckled. “Yeah, it is worth it. I'm the only new hire that stayed from that group. The PE teacher has been a huge help, his name is Long.”

He nodded a bit. “I don't blame you there. I don't envy Julian or Cian for having to deal with it.” He said. When Knox brought up the shifter alpha and dragon leader he smiled. “The shifter’s name is Kajun, and I've only heard of the dragon leader in passing. She's back in the school this year, and both groups tend to stay out of drama. The witches here are very… different that's for sure.” He said. He noticed the next class begin filing in after they all ate, and he began getting everything ready, but he noticed DeAndro coming in with more pages for him.

He took them and put them on his desk as he got everything else ready for class to begin. He noticed Knox took a seat towards the door and he smiled a little before seeing Kingsley going around in cat form and jumping up in front of the girl named Clary who happily petted him. This would definitely be a good class.

–

Billie couldn't help the laugh that came from her. “You know, not going to lie, I'm glad for that because it sounds so weird.” She said. She was really enjoying being around Tiffany, and she honestly wished they could have met on better terms, but she wouldn't complain. They walked through the halls and she saw Randa before Tiff said she'd catch up to her and Billie headed off after Randa.

Long was sitting in his office when Tiffany came in, and he nodded. “Oh hello, how can I help you?” When she asked about working out after classes, he gave a look at what she was asking for. It clicked after a moment and he opened the supply closet behind him and he pulled out one of the metal rings he hand. “These? How many do you need put out? I can start hanging them today and they will be ready for you by tomorrow afternoon. I want to have someone test to be sure they're secure before I let you up on them.” He said. “If you were looking for something for today though, I do have trapeze bars set up. There is a girl here who likes using them, and I'm sure she wouldn't mind telling you the basics. Her name is Randa, I think you and your partner were with her and Billie earlier.”

Billie and Randa walked up as Tiffany left the office and Randa looked at Tiffany and smiled. “Me? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for the concern though.” She said. “So, Billie said we're in an alliance and you're going to be joining us this weekend. Be ready for a fun time.”

Billie laughed. “Just watch her, she's kinda known for grabbing ass.”

Randa slapped Billie’s ass and laughed when Billie shot her a look. “Hey, you opened up for it.” She said. “If you're not cool with it though, I'll refrain. You do have a nice ass though.”

Billie laughed. “Forward as ever, aren't you?”

Randa laughed. “Of course. But hey, my class is this way, and I don't really want a Morgan detention already. Catch you guys later!”

Randa headed off and Billie shook her head. “See what I mean, you will never have to worry about her not being straightforward with you.” She said. She parted from Tiffany with a wave when she got to history and sat down. She couldn't help but to smile at the voice that came from beside her.

“He really is one of the better looking teachers.” She said. “Did you guys get in this morning?”

Reginald cleared his throat. “We're going to start in a minute, so please get your books turned to page 47.” He said.

Billie smirked a bit but sighed when she saw the lesson change. This topic would be so boring for her. That much was certain.

–

The seats filled up faster today than usual, Drake thought, and when he and Sal got into the history class, he saw someone sitting at the back table they usually sat at. “You want to sit with them or me?” Drake asked him, quietly.

“I will. Their aura isn't alarming.” Sal smiled, and Drake helped Sal get set up before sitting in the seat beside Clary at the next table. Sal turned towards the person he was sitting with. “Hello, I'm Sal. What's your name?” He asked, going to offer a hand. “Sorry, it's hard for me to see, so if I need to move my hand more let me know.”

Sal was glad that this person's aura wasn't alarming, and he just smiled to them. “You definitely came at a fun time around here, I can sense that you're at least part dragon. My brother is half dragon too, so it's easy for me to see it in your aura.” He said before chuckling. “Sorry, sometimes I ramble.”

“Sal, it's okay.” Drake said from his other side. “I'm Drake, it's nice to meet you man. Don't mind Sal, he tends to apologize a lot.”

Clary leaned over, rubbing behind Kingsley’s ears. “Hiya! I'm Clary. Sal is super sweet though.” She smiled. She turned forward when Reg called attention to the class and she giggled when Kingsley rubbed up against her. Sal turned to his book and frowned a bit as he got closer to it to find the page.

“I really have to remember to ask for a book written in a different language.” He mumbled to himself.

Save Me|Save Yourself|Save Us All

Marcel Sanders

790|DEMON (WATER)|THE UNDERSTANDING ONE

Marcel is the son of Amelia, the water archdemon, and Azrael Sanders, and is a rather unknown member of the Sanders line as Amelia raised him away from Hell. This worked out well as he is a water demon and wouldn't have been in a good environment to learn how to use his powers if he would have been in Hell. He doesn't know Azrael very well, but he has met him and talked to him. He even made a point of it to visit him in the cages on occasion, but he always made sure that his aunt was with him.

Marcel has done a lot of traveling in the seas and oceans of the world, and when he travels more inland, he almost always meets up with his aunt as she can help him navigate it better. Marcel generally isn't too far off from his mother though, as he knows how badly she can worry about him. Despite this, he will go without seeing her for a up to a year or two at a time, as he knows how much she loves to travel the seas. He also knows how to find her if he ever needs her. Marcel is also probably the only Sanders child that knew of nearly all of his siblings, but he has been surprised by one of them.

Marcel is closest to Harper, who is often mistaken for his twin as they are only a few months apart in age and have always been around each other. If there is one person in his family aside from his mother and his aunt who can always find him, it's Harper. He makes a point to be there when he needs him, and he knows Harper will do the same. He even talked Harper into coming to the school with him.

Marcel is very understanding by nature. He is a very caring and kind sort, but his demeanor should never mistake for the fact that he will very much prove his is both a demon and a Sanders. He is patient, moreso than the majority of his siblings anyway, and knows how to play the long game when it comes to certain things. He is eager to meet his siblings, but because of his nomadic nature, he doesn't stay in place long enough to be able to hear anything about their whereabouts.

His Kelpie, Bermuda



CLASSES

History
Ancient Languages and Dialects
Botany IV
PE
Ancient Literature
Free
Coexisting with other creatures

Save Me|Save Yourself|Save Us All

Sterling Martin(Sanders)

860|DEMON (SHADOW)|THE HAUNTED

Sterling is the son of Prudence and Azrael, but he was raised by his mother, Jenny and Mark Martin. For a long time, he didn't know who his father was, but it was around the time that he was about 200 that he found out who his father really was. Even after finding out, he never stopped calling Mark his father, nor did he ever change his name. Sterling grew up with Randa and Maggie, and he loves them fiercely. He would do anything for them, just as well as he would Darren. Darren was one of his only biological siblings he knew of for a long time. While they weren't necessary close, being raised by the Martins made him appreciate his family and have a sense of protectiveness over them as well.

Sterling has been in the cages for about 300 years, give or take, because of an incident that happened when Samuel tried to kill Pru once. He was bound by blood magic, and even after breaking the bind he still felt like he was haunted. Once everything came to light, he was told he could leave the cages, but elected to stay because he felt safer there than anything else. He also liked how it didn't make him feel haunted.

Sterling, before he went in the cages, was always known to be resourceful, and much like his mother and Jenny, he became a part of Reino Oscuro. He dealt mostly with trading but he also helped to enforce things when necessary. He came into a lot of money that way, and when he went to the cages, he gave the money to Mark. Mark had put it up for him, but Sterling insisted he use it if he needed to.

Sterling is very calm and collected, much like his mother. He often comes off a bit timid because of how quiet he can be, but that's not the case. He's very confident in himself, but the feeling he got after being bound and having broken the bind has given him some paranoia issues. Paranoia that went away when he was in the cells. Once he is comfortable around people, he can be the life of the party. He loves very fiercely and he would do anything for those he loves. He isn't one to always believe in a first impression, and because of this he gives himself time to adjust his judgement of others, although normally he has a very good judge of character. He is loyal to a fault, and often times his loyalty is both his biggest strength and weakness.

CLASSES

Free period
Ancient Languages and Dialects
Controlling and Protecting the Mind
PE
History
Ancient Literature
Coexisting with other Supernaturals

Just Give Me A Sign

Checkov knew he was running low on time from the way people were entering the ballroom, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to at least see the first of the guests arrive, and he had been hoping he would be able to catch a few others in the in between. However, once Issack and Isabella got over to him, he couldn't help but to want to half groan and smile. Issack had definitely become more insufferable over the last few weeks, but he had to keep the peace. Too much could go wrong if he didn't, but Isabella was definitely a delight, as always. He smiled at her curtsey, and gave a small bow to her. "Thank you. She was very happy with herself and is very excited to see how everyone else likes it." he answered her, but soon Issack was talking again. He couldn't lie about the fact that he did need to find an out soon, but when he brought up Izzy inviting people to the party, even though she wasn't hosting it, he shook his head. He had been trying to ask Izzy if she had seen Helena at all, as he hadn't seen her since much earlier, but of course Issack was brown nosing.

"It's not a problem. I appreciate the enthusiasm." He told Izzy before Issack basically shooed her off. When she mentioned him saving a dance for her, he smiled. "Of course, and if you see Helena tell her I'll find her later, please."

Now he was alone with Issack, and he looked up to the clock. He needed to go change into his other suit before long, and though Issack was in the middle of a tangent, he sighed. "I do apologize, Issack, I need to go finish getting ready. I will be back in a bit." he said, excusing himself to his chambers. Luckily, he had managed to make it out of the hall with little trouble, but when he began heading up towards his quarters, he noticed one of the Southern witches. He could remember her name being Mercy, and she looked very nice with her hair curled and down to one side. She was wearing a silver dress that was both formfitting and organic. He stopped and she smiled at him. "Mercy, right?"

"Yes sir, sorry, I was just showing a couple of the girls around when I realized I forgot something." she said. She waved waved her small bag a little and chuckled. "I told Oaklen I'd help him with Palsea, so I brought some stuff for her."

"Good thinking. Have you seen Cass?" he asked her, and she nodded.

"She just went into her chambers to finish getting ready. The rest of us should be cleared out soon." she said. He nodded a bit and smiled to her.

"Thank you. If any of you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask." he said.

"Actually sir, I do have a question." she said, and he nodded. "Niko doesn't seem worried, but should he worry at all?"

Checkov shook his head. "Not at all. Cass seemed to think that he won't have any problems at all, especially when she said he knew a guest or two here already. She's a little cryptic, but he has no worries."

Mercy gave a dazzling smile. "Thank you, it's always good to have it confirmed." she walked off with that and Checkov went into his chambers and quickly changed. He left his chambers and found his way outside to see if Lia and Kat had made it yet, and it appeared they had. He walked over to them, a small smile coming to his face when he saw the way Mitch was looking at Lia. He let them know about the "unexpected" guests, and soon he headed back into the ballroom. He sighed and grabbed a glass of wine. This would go well. This would.

--

Cass was glad to get out of the ballroom before Issack came in. She loathed that man more and more by the passing day. She sighed a bit as she headed down the hall, and soon she caught sight of Mitch. "Hey sug!" she called, and she caught up to him. "Awww, thanks sug. Simple an' elegant. Y'know how I am." she chuckled. "An' look at you in your suit! Defini'ely an eye catcher." she smiled, but she noticed his tie and raised a brow. "Thought Check insisted on silk ties, sug?" When he gave his answer, she gave a nod. "Well, you defini'ely knocked that choice outta the park." she said. She smiled when they stopped at her room, and she gave a gentle wave. "Thanks for walkin' with me, sug."

She entered her room soon after, and when she saw Niko she smiled. "My, my, ain't you a looker in a suit." She walked over to him, and once he complained about his tie, she slapped his hands away and fixed it for him. "There ya go, sug." she said. "Now, if you'll 'scuse me for just a sec, I gotta get into my dress." She headed off to get into her dress, and once she was in it, she fixed her hair and make up a little before joining Niko. "Ready, sug?"

They headed out and when he brought up not being as worried about Check as the other two, she kind of smiled. "Don' worry 'bout them, Niko. Issack is always a dick, and Lucas is alrigh'. Helena wouldn't've 'greed to marry 'im otherwise. Plus, I thin' you'll be pleasantly s'prised to see you know a guest." It wasn't long after she said that that she noticed Atticus, and soon she was off to look for Helena. This party was definitely bustling now, and Cass noticed everyone seeming to enjoy the pleasantries. She smiled when she saw Dana talking to a woman and what appeared to be a child. The "child" was named Alina, but she was older than most of the vampires here, and she certainly acted it too. In fact, the only person she wasn't really grumpy with was Palsea, and that was because it was Palsea. She smiled a bit when she caught sight of Helena and Izzy at the end of a hall talking to two men. She recognized one as Lucas, but not the other. She decided she'd catch them later on and soon she caught sight of Niko again.

"Sorry 'bout runnin' off like that." she apologized. "Been lookin' for Helena all day, but she's havin' her own lit'le reunion with her best friend." She soon noticed Mitch and Atticus walk in with Lia and Kat, and she smiled. "'ey, why don' ya turn 'round an' go say hi?"

Once Niko turned around, she saw Lia happen to look over and stop for a moment. She waved a little and smiled, and she patted Niko's shoulder before whispering to him. "Fig'red do ya both some good to see each other." she said before she walked over to them. "Mitch, sug, can I steal ya for a second?" she asked before she took his arm. "Don' mind them. Niko is an ol' friend of Lia's, an' I need a wine opinion 'cause if I ask Dana we'll be in the cellars." she laughed.

--

Helena smiled as she walked down the hall. She was wearing a flowing light blue gown with some small sleeves, and she smiled when she caught sight of the men at the end of the hall. One was a dirty blonde in a very nice black suit, but with a shirt that matched the color of her dress, and he was fiddling with his tie. The other was a dark haired man with tattoos still visible even though he was wearing a dark suit with a dark grey shirt. "I don't understand why he insists on these silk ties." the blonde said, and soon Helena stepped in and took over tying his tie.

"Because they look nice, Lucas." she smiled. The other man laughed.

"I don't see why silk gives you such a hard time, Luke."

"Because, Cade, I'm not used to this fancy of an event anymore. Even so, we always used polyester back West." he said, and Cade nodded.

"That's fair." he said, and once Helena got his tie fixed, she smiled and kissed his cheek. "What took you so long, Helena?"

"That's the thing, Cade." she said, turning to him. "Your brother is here."

Lucas and Cade both exchanged a look before looking to Helena. "Which brother?" Cade asked, and Helena gave a slightly sad frown.

"Atty." she answered. "He barely recognized me, but here he's only seen me in passing, I don't think he remembers anything anymore."

Cade sighed and ran a hand over his face, "Thanks, Helena."

"How do you want to go with this?" Lucas asked, and before Cade could answer, a brunette woman came over and hugged Helena.

Helena smiled and hugged her back. "Izzy!" she held her out at arms length and smiled. "Thank you. You look amazing too!" She looked over when Izzy did at Lucas and Cade, and they both kind of chuckled.

"It's alright. I've actually been looking forward to meeting you, Helena talks about you a lot." Lucas said, "I'm Lucas, and this is my best friend Cade."

Cade smiled. "Pleasure to meet you."

Lucas gently bowed to Izzy, but Cade took her hand and placed a kiss to the back of it. Lucas just sort of smiled, and he looked to Helena when he noticed the halls were beginning to clear out. "I'm guessing things are going to get started soon." he said, and Cade nodded.

"I'm going to go get a drink, anyone want anything?" he asked.

"Some wine, please." Helena asked.

"I'll get you some." Lucas said, and soon he and Cade headed off. Helena smiled and took Izzy's arm.

"Hi, Eve!" Helena smiled. "You look amazing! How have you been? I so miss when we all get to hang out." While, yes, Helena knew that Eve was Izzy's bodyguard, she also saw her like a friend. It wasn't often that Izzy went somewhere without Eve, if ever, and so they bonded quickly too. "I wish you guys could see all we've done back West. It's starting to really come together, and I'm hoping while we're here, Luke can work on strengthening the alliances." She was speaking in hushed tones. Very few people knew that the West coven was rebuilding and that Lucas was the coven leader, but those who did were very strategically chosen, in fact, Lucas had made a point of it to loop Issack out and loop Izzy in. Hence why all of their talks were done through Helena. Lucas had the advantage of Helena at his side, who knew all of the inner workings of the coven life and councils. She was her father's daughter after all. "So catch me up, how have you been?"

--

Lia couldn't help but smile when Kat had complimented her, and she smiled. "You look beautiful too." Soon they were off to the main coven. She heard Kat voice her nervousness about stepping on Atticus's feet and chuckled. "You'll do fine."

Once the door to the carriage opened, and she saw Mitch, she couldn't help but to smile. He said that she looked beautiful, and it was a high that would soon go away."You look pretty good, yourself." she said to him, softly. She carefully looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He definitely looked good in a suit, and she really enjoyed that she got to see it.

Checkov had stopped them on the way in, and soon they were heading in themselves, and she just looked around a bit. There were still people out in the halls, talking and getting acquainted with one another. She noticed some witches that she was certain were from the South, and soon her eyes saw Cass talking to a man. When he turned, she stopped in her tracks. "Oh, she's sneaky." she mumbled to herself, and she looked to Mitch. "Excuse me, I would like to go say-" before she could finish, Cass had cut her off. She smiled at her before catching the smile Cass sent to her. She could feel them watching as she walked over to Niko and she crossed her arms a little.

"Now this, this is a very pleasant surprise." she smiled to him before giving him a hug. "How have you been? I haven't seen you in ages." she looked around a bit before asking softly, "Have you seen or heard from Ally at all? I just..." she looked down for a moment before she felt eyes on them. It was some of the other witches and she gave a gentle wave to them before seeing them look away. She was glad she came to this ball, very glad now. Niko was someone from her past she would never be mad at seeing. They had a lot of respect for each other, especially after everything with her family and her going to Sanctuary. She knew she dropped off after that, but she had run into him a time or two before she got to Checkov's coven.

She wasn't at all surprised when it came up how long she had been here. "I've been here for about 45 years now." she said, gently fiddling with her necklace again. "Checkov himself found me with a lot of hunters on my ass. He didn't even hesitate to take me in either, even knowing the reputation I built." she rolled her eyes at the thought. "But, I've been here, and working for him since. The vampires here don't like me much, but that's fine. I don't care. I'm not here for them to like me, but Checkov has assigned me a body guard. The man I came in with, his name is Mitch. He's been really good at his job, no matter how difficult I've made it."

She sort of chuckled at the thought before she felt a drink in her hand and she saw Mitch and Cass had joined them. "Now that y'all've gotten re'quainted, I fig'red we could swoop in." Cass chuckled.

"Sneaky as ever, I see." Lia said to her, and she saw Cass give a dazzling smile. "Niko this is Mitch, Mitch this is Niko." Lia said, and soon her attention moved when she heard Dana laughing loudly. She couldn't help the half laugh she gave as she sipped her wine and turned her head away. "I see Dana is happy to see Alina and Penelope."

Cass raised a brow. "You 'member them?"

"They're pretty hard to forget, Cass." Lia said.

--

Standing there with Mitch, he could tell that Mitch could sense his nervousness. He chuckled when Mitch asked about the dancing. "A bit of both. Afraid I'm going to make a fool of myself." he admitted, but soon the girls were there and they were heading in. He and Kat just kept on heading into the hall, and he couldn't believe how beautiful it looked. He nodded in agreement to her saying she didn't know it could look that pretty in the main hall. He didn't know it could either. "It's amazing. Can't even tell this place is usually dark and dreary." he agreed. When she brought up finding drinks, he nodded. "I think I saw the drink table over there." he motioned to a small crowd of people. He took her arm and they got to the drink table. There were a few people there he recognized, but some he didn't.

There was a woman in a silver dress with dark hair that looked at him and Kat, and she smiled a bit and made her way over. "Hey there! I'm Mercy, I'm part of Cass's group. You must be one of the witches Cass was talking about. Wait, let me guess..." she paused a moment and took them in. "I'm gonna guess that you're Kathleen. She said you would look so amazing in the colors you chose. I guess she got a sneak peak at your dress."

Atticus nodded a bit. Something about her felt familiar, but he couldn't place his finger on it. He shook his head when he felt a nudge and he smiled. "Sorry, right. I'm Atticus." he said.

"You guys looking for drinks, I'm guessing. Give it a second, the table should clear in a second. They've already had to replenish the table a second time. Apparently the wine choice was absolutely divine." she said. She noticed the crowd clearing off and she handed them each a glass. "This wine is absolutely amazing. It's sweet, but not overly sweet, and if you go hit the food table, it matches perfectly with the cakes they have out."

"We get spoiled on baked goods." Atticus kind of chuckled, and soon he saw two men approach the drink table and he studied them. He let things drown out a little and when the dark haired one with tattoos looked at him, he felt his head get a little light and he looked away as a memory came through. He gently grabbed Kat's shoulder and whispered to her before it started, "Hey, just stand with me here a second."

There was a lot of snow on the ground in the coven, and Atty saw a man approaching him from across the courtyard. "Is everything okay?" he asked. It was the man he just saw at the party.

"Yeah. No movement or anything, but that feels concerning. Usually there is all sorts of activity." Atty answered and they both went up into the watch tower. "I haven't seen Warren come back with ...." the name came out as inaudible, even in his memory. "I'm worried they got caught up in the blizzard."

"They'll be okay." he said. "But we'll keep watching. We have a plan to get out if there is an attack."

Atty nodded a bit, and soon the memory faded.

Atticus shook his head a little as his vision came back, and he smiled to Kat. He was trying to reassure her, but when he looked back the men were gone. Who was that? He would have to find out before the night was over if he had a chance. Mercy, the woman they had been talking to, smiled a bit.

"Oh, hey I've got to go. My friend and his little girl are here and it looks like she got away from him again. It was nice talking to you." she smiled as she headed off. When they were alone again, Atty looked to Kat.

"I'm sorry about that. You want to go check out the food table too?" he asked her with a smile. He knew that soon everything would be in full swing, so getting there to scope it now and get a small snack might be a good idea.

Just Give Me A Sign

Alina

APPEARS TO BE 11-14, ACTUALLY 800|VAMPIRE|THE DECEPTIVE

"Just because I look like a child doesn't mean I am, and I will remind anyone who dares to think otherwise."

Just Give Me A Sign

The weeks leading up to this party… ball… whatever it had been called as the terms had been used interchangeably, had been chaotic. Between the visitors, the coordinators, and all the extra help, the coven had been bustling with activity. The first week, both Lia and Kat had been sick, but even so, Atticus and Mitch had stayed with them up until about a week ago. Perhaps it was a little longer than intended, but with so much going on, it felt almost necessary. Checkov ran a hand over his face as he looked around the ballroom again. Everything looked amazing, Lia had been there earlier that morning putting up her enchantments, and so far everything appeared to be running smoothly.

"E'erythin' alright, sug?" Cass's voice came from beside him. He gave a half smile when she gently rubbed his arm and he nodded.

"It's great. I figured you would be in something more extravagant." He said, looking at her for a moment. She wasn't even in a dress yet now that he was looking at her.

"Oh, sug, I'm lettin' e'eryone else get ready in my chambers first. My hair and nails are alrea'y done, and I just gotta touch up my makeup. I'll be ready in a jiff come time." She chuckles. "'Sides, fig'red I'd come check on ya while ya weren't too busy… an' didn't have Issack stuck up your ass."

Checkov gave a nod and a chuckle. "Fair enough. Your guests finding everything alright? And I thought you were going to bring the one to meet me before hand?"

"Niko is with the witches. They'll be down shortly." She said. "They ain't e'er been here so Oaklen and Mercy said they'd show'em 'round after. Where're Lia and Kat? Fig'red they'd be here early to get ready."

Checkov sighed. "No, Lia insisted they'd get ready at the cottage. There is a carriage waiting to bring them here though. Given we've got about an hour before it starts, they'll be here about 15 minutes til."

Cass made a face and she nodded. "Well hell, was hopin' to see'em sooner, but that's fine." She said. She looked around a moment before placing a kiss to his cheek, "I bet'r check on mine. Plus, I can hear Issack."

Cass headed off and no sooner she got out of sight, Issack came in. Checkov sighed, but he noticed some of the early birds filtering in, including Dana. He was glad to see her approaching him, and she stood beside him. "Shouldn't you be getting changed, Check?" Dana asked, taking a sip from her wine glass. "I know you have a better suit than this."

Checkov noticed Issack coming and he nodded. "Let me greet him first and then I'll go. Can you hold down the helm that long?"

Dana gave him a knowing look and nodded. She saw Checkov meet Issack before he got to them and Dana took another sip of wine. "I really hope tonight goes well." She muttered to herself.

–

Lia sighed, looking over the dress hanging on her closet door. Today was the day. She and Kat were getting ready together, and she could see how excited Kat was. She couldn't help the small bit of excitement starting to creep up as she helped Kay do her hair. "This doesn't hurt, does it? I saw you flinch when I put that pin in." She asked. Lia had managed to get her hair done while Kat was showering, but Lia had been doing this for a lot longer. Once Kat had told her it was okay, she finished up and smiled a bit. "Beautiful. Do you want some tea before we start doing our makeup and getting into our dresses?"

Lia was instantly grateful for the electric kettle that Cass had given her before she left a few weeks ago, and she could hear Edgar softly quacking in his little nest near her newly appointed tea table. She fixed her and Kat each a cup and she sat on her bed for a moment, her eyes catching the shoes she would be wearing. Heels were always proper for these events, but that didn't mean she hated them any less. She snapped back from her thoughts when she heard Kat going through and getting her makeup on, and she smiled. She reminded her of Bianca in times like these, and it made her miss Aless a little more, but Lia was glad she wasn't alone in this.

Lia finished her tea and went about putting on her makeup before she and Kat got into their dresses. Lia let Kat get into hers first and zipped her up, and tied the back a little before smiling. "This suits you really well, I'm really liking the colors."

Lia got into her dress and once Kat had helped her secure it, she looked herself over in the mirror. She always stuck to natural tones, but the shimmer that Kat had managed to convince her into putting on it made it look even better. She sighed and picked up her shoes. "You have everything, Kat? We should be getting to the carriage or we'll be late."

They got downstairs and Lia slid her shoes on before grabbing a jacket and handing Kat one. It was a bit chilly that night, and with the sun nearly set, they needed to get to the main part of the grounds. They didn't need to worry Atticus and Mitch by being late. There had been enough protest about them not going to the cottage to get them, and while the walk to the main coven wasn't far, in heels and with the ground damp, they had at least agreed on the carriage. Lia let Kat into the carriage first, even though there were two doors, the ground on the other side was still very muddy.

Once in the carriage, Lia took in a deep breath as they began towards the main part, and she could see Kat smiling. "Are you ready for this ball?" She asked her, quietly. Her hand gently went to the necklace she was wearing as she gently fiddled with the chain, absent-mindedly. It only took about ten minutes before they stopped and the doors to the carriage were opened.

"Wow!" Lia heard from the other side, and she saw Atticus helping Kat out. "You look great."

Lia smiles a touch before moving to get out, and she saw Mitch there. He was staring a bit and she raised a brow. "That bad, huh?" She joked. He offered her his hand and she took it, so he could help her get out of the carriage before they moved to head inside. She saw Checkov standing near the entrance, and he made his way over to them.

"Evening, you two look beautiful." He greeted. "There are a few… unexpected guests tonight, but don't worry. They're from the South, and Cass has assured me that they won't be a problem."

Lia nodded a bit as Checkov headed in, and she chuckled. "Oh this will be interesting indeed."

–

Atticus sighed as he combed through his hair again, walking about the halls of the main area. Guests were already arriving and he and Mitch were supposed to be meeting soon, but his tie just wouldn't stay tied properly, so he was wearing it loosely around his neck. He was hoping to find Mitch soon to get help with the infernal thing, but it wasn't his fault, he had never worn a silk tie before! All of his other ties were polyester, but Checkov insisted they use silk because it looked better. He gave a frustrated grunt as he headed towards where he was supposed to meet Mitch, attempting to retie the tie as he walked.

"Everything okay?" A sweet voice asked, and Atticus found himself stopping. He noticed a shorter, petite blonde woman standing there. Her hair was done down in curls, and her eyes were bright as she offered a smile. She seemed oddly familiar, but he couldn't place her.

"This tie is giving me hell." He said, and she chuckled.

"Would you like some help? My husband has trouble with silk ties too." She offered. He nodded a bit and allowed her to tie the tie for him. "The trick is not going as tight as with polyester, it makes the knot flat."

"Thank you… I'm sorry, I'm Atticus Slater." He said. The name seemed to make her think a moment before she smiled.

"Anytime. I'm Helena. I never understood my father's obsession with silk ties, but he is right, they do look sleek." She said. Atticus immediately felt guilty. She was Checkov's daughter! Granted he'd only met her once in passing years ago, but he still felt bad for not recognizing her. "I best be off, Atticus. Should you see my father or Cass, would you let them know I'm looking for them?"

"Of course, ma'am." He said and she chuckled.

"You can call me Helena, it's okay." She said as she headed off. Atticus stayed out for just a moment before heading off to meet Mitch. He saw Cass just before the entry. She was wearing a beautiful red gown with black embroidery, and she was talking to someone he'd never seen before.

She seemed to have spotted him and smiled before heading to him. "Hey sug! Mitch just went out to meet ya!" She told him.

"Thank you, ma'am. Um, Helena said to let you know she was looking for you." He told her. She smiled.

"'course the girl snuck righ' past me. Thanks sug." She said, and she headed off in the direction he had come from. He shook his head and headed outside and found Mitch standing there.

"I'm not late, right?" He asked, but he could see that the carriage still wasn't there. The sun wasn't fully down yet, so the girls had time, but this was nerve wracking. It didn't take long for the carriage to come into sight though and he let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Finally this could get started. Once the carriage stopped, he noticed Mitch going around to the other side, and so he took the hint to open the door closest to him.

He couldn't help but smile when he saw Kat, "Wow! You look great!" He said. Instantly the worry was gone, but once Checkov stopped the four of them on their way in, he felt a little worried. The lack of worry from Lia managed to put him a little at ease though. From the couple of weeks they all spent in close quarters, he knew she would be just as worried about Kat as he was.

Atticus offered his arm to Kat and smiled a bit. "Ready, Kitty?"

Save Me|Save Yourself|Save Us All

Julian looked to Samanatha when she asked if he was okay. That she figured he'd be the harder of the two to find, and he sighed a bit. "I'm okay, just a little on edge now." he told her. He didn't really elaborate much and asked her if she had seen the newest student file. Of course DeAndro was avoiding her, he usually did, but still he was almost glad she hadn't seen it yet. When they got into the office and DeAndro told Samantha her newest student sheet was in her office he sighed, but upon seeing Tamika coming out he shook his head.

"No," he whispered back, "But she's going to be pissed when she hears Goodson is back."

Julian remembered the whole thing revolving around him leaving the school. Things were bad, and had it not been for him and her father, Randa likely would have been kicked out. No matter how deserving Tony was of what he had gotten, and no matter that up to that point, Randa had never gone that close to actually killing someone in the school. It was a thing his niece struggled with. She could be extremely psychotic if left unchecked, but she hid it well, and she had the self control to keep it under wraps. It was something most of their family had in spades, self-control, but there was always something that could trigger them.

He shook himself from his thoughts when he saw Aren come and get his lunch. "Thank you." he said. He looked stressed, but he looked to DeAndro, "Give me a few minutes before sending the next one in, please. I hope to be through the lot today before sixth period." he said before looking at Julian. "Did you have to cancel your class or did you find someone to sit in?"

"Billie is going to run the lesson, she's my TA and she has a free period then, so she's just going to do it for me so they don't get behind." he said.

Aren nodded. "Very well." He could hear the phone in his office ringing, and he sighed. "Thank you again, if you'll excuse me." he said.

He walked over to his phone and answered it as he sat down at his desk, picking at his lunch. Julian looked to Samantha and motioned that they needed to leave the office, but before they did he could hear Aren say, "DeAndro, I need another new student sheet, please."

As they headed out of the office, Julian shook his head. "This year has been the worst year for late additions and arrivals that I've seen in at least a century." he said. "You want to eat in my office? It's closer."

--

Miles smiled a bit when she said he was friendly. Had it been years ago, he'd have laughed at that word being used to describe him, but now he was glad it could. Her answer about it calming down was welcomed. He knew these school settings were constantly filled with drama, but he didn't know it to begin at the beginning of the year. He chuckled a bit. "Thankfully I am neither, so I just won't worry about it. Thank you for answering my question though."

She asked about his classes and he took out his class sheet. "I have been to earth before, but it's been a long time, so I opted for the Coexistence with Humans. The rest were more or less recommended to me. Aside from the Coexistence class which I was told was a requirement, which I can understand." he said. "I tried to get out of the Language class, short of Human English and Angelic, I can't really speak any others. I can understand a little Demonic, but that's also newer and from what this sounds like, this is all the more ancient kinds."

When she was done looking over his class list, he was glad to feel the tension in the cafeteria had started to dial back. His aura sense was especially acute, having just come down from Heaven, so it was still a little overwhelming to be in this setting. He knew that it would only take time to get used to it, but he wished it would hurry up. He could feel his leg, that he had barely been aware was jumping, start calming down. He smiled to Iris. "So, what classes do you take? Would be nice to see a familiar face in at least a class or two."

--

Billie had dealt so little with Fae of any kind, she forgot how they could be. She smiled a bit when Tiffany said it smelt good in the room, and she relaxed a bit when she said she smoked. She could see the slight look of surprise on her face when she agreed to the alliance so quickly, but Billie also knew how these things could go. She remembered what she was taught when she was in War, and she did date quite a few history buffs in her time. She saw Tiffany begin eating which helped her relax. When Tiffany couldn't think of a word, she could see it, and when she used the proper word, she nodded.

"If you ever need to speak your native language, you can around me. I'm actually quite fluent in it, and I realize that some things just don't translate well." she said, and she nodded to her next notion. "I know, I just don't get to talk to those that were very often, so explaining up front always feels best."

And this was the part of the fae she was going to have to get used to. Taking things quite literally. She couldn't help but chuckle. "No, no. It's nothing like that. Um, what I meant was them fighting with more than just one on one or using some kind of weapon. The majority of them are bad about fighting dishonorably. The only time I've ever even used my own powers in a fight was when I was outnumbered."

When she brought up Logan, she couldn't help but to press her lips together and into a small smile, thinking about it. She chuckled. "It's okay, I'm honestly surprised that hasn't gotten around to half the school by now." She shook her head. "But he is one. Then there is Zach, he's the one I'm partnered with in Coexistence. Logan said he's cool, and then there is a girl named Rose. I have to actually have her pointed out to me first. She's fairly new herself."

Billie was glad for how well this was going and she smiled a bit and nodded to Tiffany. "I hope so too." she chuckled. "Most of us are, but there are some that aren't. They don't necessarily even consider themselves part of my group though. There's another demon around here, his name is Darren. He's a dick. He's actually who I challenged for leadership of the demon group. Very few left when he was overthrown." she said, "But that is more or less demon on demon issue, and that almost always gets settled right away. Aside from him, Garret is back now, and while he can be a dick, he's cool. He's probably going to give me hell for the choices I made last year, but eh, I'm expecting it." she laughed.

"So, speaking of friendship. I'm having a party here this weekend. It's a welcome back for Garret and his sister Erin, but if you wanted to come you are more than welcome to."

--

Maggie nodded. "I'm impressed too. I have a body count. Granted, small, but I figured she had a higher one than Alex did and Alex was a war." she said. Ez nodded a bit.

"They're good. All of them are finally going to be in school this year. And she loved it. She didn't stop talking about it for like two whole days." she laughed. "Josiah kept telling her to shut up."

Randa joined them not long after, but after seeing Kajun put Jackie in her place, Ez couldn't help but smile a little. That was the guy that kept purring around her in shifting class. He seemed so sweet, and seeing he had this side to him too just made her think he was hotter than she already though. She shook her head, barely realizing her eyes kept flicking over to look at him. It didn't go unnoticed, but Randa decided not to say anything.

"Shit, shove me in a suitcase and I'll pop out and scare the shit out of him." she laughed. She got a chuckle out of everyone, but she knew that Maggie had known she wasn't joking. She didn't make it known, but she had done circus work as a contortionist and could fit into a suitcase. When the fights got brought up, she couldn't help but chuckle herself.

"I have pictures of the aftermath." She laughed. "You know I did. Billie was so mad at me for that. Not even that it happened, but that she missed it."

Maggie nodded. "It's true. She went off on her for a solid ten minutes about not being able to wait until she was there because then she could have gotten video of it and they could laugh about how horrible his form was. And how when he hit it looked like a pansy in the wind." Maggie laughed. "It was the greatest ten minutes of Billie going off I've ever witnessed. Plus she was pretty drunk."

Ez laughed. "Oh, that sounds like it was hilarious." She said.

Randa nodded. "It definitely was." she said. She sighed, looking around and she saw how a few of the vampires were looking over at them, and Randa just rolled her eyes. "Do they not realize that staring is rude?"

"You'd think after last year, they'd have learned that lesson then times over." Maggie said. She saw Randa start fidgeting a bit, and she noticed that the vampires were still looking at them. "Randa, not worth it. Just ignore them."

"It's hard when I can feel them staring." she said. Ez patted her shoulder as she stood up and she walked over to the small group of vampire girls that had been staring at them.

"Hey." she said, letting her eyes redden and her fangs come out. "Stop staring. It's not polite."

"Why are you sitting with that trash?" one asked and Ez watched her hand scale over and they looked at her wide eyed.

"Because, unlike you dumb twits, I know who was in the wrong." she said, allowing her eyes and hand to return to normal. "And remember, if I really wanted to, I could run your group like I do the dragons, I've just chose not to."

The three girls began whispering amongst themselves and Ez returned to their table. She had caught very little attention, which was good, but she could tell she had still caught some. Like the shifters, dragons were known for their numbers, and pissing them off was not generally a good idea. Almost all dragon breeds, pure and not, fell under her umbrella and she made sure they had no conflicts unless it was needed. She already knew if issues started with the vampires, they'd back up the demons no problem, but she also knew if issues started badly enough, she would leave the dragons to Drake and she'd challenge Jackie for her spot. Most would see her as stupid for that, but everyone also knew who would come out on top. Jackie couldn't talk her way out of it with her, and she was sure a lot of people were waiting for that.

"Thanks, Ez." Randa said.

"No problem." she smiled.

--

It didn't take too terribly long for Colten to get outside and head down towards the lake, but he, unfortunately, didn't see anyone there. He did hear a voice say Hi, and when he looked around again, he heard a soft chuckle and then they said up in the tree. He looked up and sort of chuckled himself. "You know, you'd think by now I would just naturally learn to look up. Being friends with Kajun as long as I have been." He walked a little closer to the tree and climbed up the one next to it, and he looked at Brooke.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting you, or if you just wanted to be alone. I only climbed up so I wouldn't feel like I was shouting, but I wanted to check and see if you were okay." he said. "I would have tried to check on you sooner, but I needed to calm down some." he said. He could feel the soreness in his jaw especially still, but he was somewhat used to that. He tended to try partial shifting for his teeth and jaw more as that was where he started when he rage shifted, the few times he had. So he figured working on it would help when it did happen.

He looked down at the ground and then at her. "How's your shoulder?" he asked.

--

Azura smiled. "I'm glad you're still here, I might not have actually agreed to it had you not been." she said. It was when he started talking about her roommate that she nodded. "Yeah, that name sounds right." she said. When Cian went on about him, she smiled a but and chuckled. "To be fair, Cian, how many people have actually come across a giant? I think it's fair that he's hard to understand."

The tension across the cafeteria was a bit difficult to ignore, and she shook her head at hearing the explanation. "I know that's a fact. I'm honestly surprised they're stupid enough to not realize that themselves." she said. She was glad to have kept the interaction with Colten fairly brief, and soon she and Cian were on their way out. "Honestly, outside of what I've heard about one of my aunts, there aren't many beings who can. Sure, sins can, but they're not often associated with major emotion like rage. Other than my mother. And even then it's easier for me than it is my mother." she explained.

Once they made it back to his office, she smiled. "Well, I need a refresher on a few things. Aren told me that since I didn't need your class he wasn't going to put me in, but if you need, I'm always around for a tutor or whatever." she said. She laughed. "Oh come on, you can't entirely blame me for that one. She was giving her out of the ass opinion and trying to pass it off as a lesson in a history class. I get she had never done it before, but I was there when that history was made!"

"Doesn't surprise me though, mermaids tend to be big bitches." she said, "Surprised about that being the last primal history class though. That was so intriguing."

--

Kingsley smiled a bit, and sighed. "Familiar and weird. I don't like it, it's very off putting." he said.

"I can't say you're wrong. I don't like it either." he said. When Knox said something about him smelling familiar too, he shook his head. "That makes me wonder more, but I don't want to dig too deeply into it. There are enough problems as it is."

Kingsley shrugged a bit. "I'll talk to Aren after his plate isn't so full. I don't want to overwhelm him, and for now, I can be the class room cat. I can sit in sunbeams and annoy people, and get pets if I want them." he laughed.

Reg chuckled a bit. "I don't mind at all." It wasn't until Kingsley left that Reg sighed. "It's so good that he's doing better. Having that bond severed the way it was really messed with him, but he's actually considering possible binding to another now. I never thought he'd actually get there again. I'm doing well, teaching here is a task, but never boring."

"And that fued is between demons and vampires, so watch yourself. The shifters and dragons are both bigger groups, but demons and vampires are the more outwardly violent. Julian and Cian have filled me in on it. I know some, but I don't know all. I just know when the two clash it always ends up bloody. Said they've kicked out more than ten students for how bad the fights have gotten." he said. "So just be warned of that."

Kingsley got back not long after and set down everyone's lunches. "This year will be interesting that's for sure."

"What happened?" Reg asked.

"The female vampire leader pissed off the shifter leader." Kingsley said. "I just barely missed it, but they were still talking about it."

Just Give Me A Sign

Hearing her laugh made Atticus happy. He could tell she was enjoying his story, and parts of him wished he could remember more of them. Honestly, that was something he always struggled with. He would hear others swapping stories, and even listening to Mitch tell stories sometimes made him a little jealous. He wish he knew what had happened, but there were a few things he knew for certain. One thing was that one day he would get his memory back, and two he knew magic was involved. He chuckled at her sentiment about the mice. "I think of it everytime I see them, that's for sure."

She asked for the other jacket, and he handed it to her. It had him a little worried. She didn't normally get cold all that easy. She was born in the North, which explained a lot of that, but still. She hadn't mentioned wanting to leave yet, so he wouldn't press the issue. Not yet anyway. When they sat on the bench, he offered her a muffin from the bag he had been carrying with them when she asked her question.

He thought on his answer for only a moment. "I remember being told that I could find answers away from the West. It was beautiful, that's for sure, but things there have been in shambles for a while. I wish I remember what drew me there in the first place, but I can't remember. All of it is so fuzzy. I tried heading South, but the wolf population there made it difficult, and I was found by members of this coven before I ever had a chance to really head East. I'm thankful for it, honestly. Especially after meeting that Issack guy last night."

He looked up into the trees, seeing a few birds still nesting for a while. He forgot that them being so far North meant it was colder faster some years. "As for where Snowcrest is, it's kind of in the mountains. It's not quite at the base of a mountain but it's also not quite in the range either if that makes sense. It's considered to be part of the West but it borders the Northern coven borders. I would have answered that one first, but I was trying to figure out how to describe where it is. If I had a map handy, I could point it out. It's a small village."

He looked up and saw some of the castle help was in the arboretum, picking apples off of a few of the trees near them. They saw them, but kept their heads down, and when they were done, they scurried off. Atticus couldn't help but shake his head slightly before he looked to Kat. "Anything else you want to hear? Do? Anything?" He didn't want to suggest that they go back inside or go inside just yet anyway, as he knew how infrequent it was for Kat to get days off of lessons, much less days where Lia and Mitch weren't with them. It was nice. He enjoyed it.

Soon someone approached them, and he smiled to the woman who had approached. "Do you like warm cider? I brought you both some." she said. She was one of the newer people who helped at the castle, but she appeared older. He could hear an accent in her voice he wasn't familiar with, but he took the cider and smiled.

"Thank you." he said, and he handed one of the cups to Kat before taking a sip. "It's very good, thank you."

"Of course. Old family recipe. We're going to be serving it with dinner later if you guys will be there. If not, I'll be sure to set some aside for you guys." she said before she walked off. He loved when they got new help around that the vampire guard hadn't gotten to yet. They were always sweet and tried to interact with them, but after a while it always went away.

"You okay, Kitty? Want to stay here for a little longer or you want to walk around a little more?" he asked.

--

Lia nodded a bit to Mitch when he said what he had. He was older than her, by quite a bit, but she also never really liked talking about her own age. She had a lot of people in the coven trying to guess, and a lot shot for a lot older than what she actually was, but she never let anyone really know. In fact, there was one person here now who knew her age, and that was Cass. She had been there the day she was born. She nodded a little when Mitch said thank you when she put the bacon on his plate. "Of course." she said. "As for a present, if it's green or frog related, she'll love it."

After admitting she might be getting sick, she nodded when he said he'd get the extra stuff from the castle. "I appreciate it." When he brought up Kat being sick, she nodded again. "I could tell. I'm glad Att brought an extra coat with them." she said. She turned back to finish the dishes before she muttered something barely as loud as a whisper. "A mother can tell..." she was hoping she'd been the only one that could hear it. She hadn't even fully meant to say it, but it came out. She finished up the dishes in the sink and pulled some cookie dough out of the freezer and began putting it onto baking sheets and popping them in the oven.

She heard a knock come to the door, and she walked over to it before Mitch could and opened it. She relaxed when she saw it was one of the newer helpers, holding a basket. "Hello. I was told by lady Cassandra that you do some amazing things with apples, and she asked if I wouldn't mind dropping these off." she said, and Lia took the basket from her.

"Thank you." Lia said.

"My granny is making some cider too, I'll bring some by once she's got it done and cooled." she said, and Lia nodded a bit.

"Thank you." she repeated before seeing the girl head off, and she closed the door. She set down the basket of apples and pulled out one of her pie dishes. She rolled out the dough before she took a few of the apples and began making the filling for apple pie. She looked out the window for a moment and saw a brief glimmer of sunshine before it was covered again by the clouds. She sighed and stopped herself a moment after she got the pie put together, and ready for the oven. She took the cookies out of the oven, but she left it preheated, and she sat down. She could feel herself getting a little dizzy. She realized she hadn't eaten yet, and she took one of the blueberry muffins and a small plate she left sitting out before she began eating it.

After a few moments, and a second muffin, she felt the dizzy spell wear off and she got up and put the pie in the oven before taking a sip of her tea. She looked at Mitch's coffee cup before she asked. "You want more coffee or would you prefer something else?"

It Has Begun

Arik couldn't help but to get frustrated in their talks after speaking with Kiara. Sure, he could tell tensions were still high, she had yet to actually give them a reason not to trust her. She offered her home for the event. She left herself exposed to it. And she was still very much against the idea of this grand war that had been brewing in the area. Arik about snapped when their other beta mentioned her not giving them their full breed, but Autumn had spoke up at that point, and soon Beau sighed.

"I've heard enough." he said, and Arik looked at him. "I feel like giving her our support still is the best option. Shit happens, we all know that, we've all seen that... I feel like giving support is still for the best."

With that they were all dismissed, but Arik hung back as had Beau. It was an unspoken sort of thing, they always talked privately after things like this. "You're heated." Beau said and Arik nodded.

"Bringing up that we don't know her full breed struck a nerve. It wasn't until I had been with the pack for at least a decade that anyone knew what I was. And that only came out because my wings did." Arik said. "Some people have others to protect or themselves and can't give that disclosure."

"I know, believe me." Beau said. "Not why I wanted you to stay behind though. I want someone I can trust to stick around with them. You are my best option aside from Autumn. I need Autumn here still, you'll still give reports and everything, but it also shows our willingness to work with her. Might be helpful in picking up others along the way too."

Arik nodded. "I can do that. That's no problem." Beau nodded.

"Good. Mind getting our guests?" he asked and Arik nodded. He made his way out and approached Kiara and Dawn.

"Please follow me." he said, and he watched them enter before he did and Beau greeted them with a smile.

"We have decided to still offer our support. In fact, if it is okay with you, I will be sending Arik back with you as well. It not only shows that you have our support, but he has a way with people too. He could help get more support. We are here whatever you need. I am sorry that things played out the way they did. I do ask if I can get a full guest list though. I know people who are good at figuring things out and they might be able to pinpoint where the shit started." Beau said.

--

Z couldn't deny the fact that trying to figure out what she was trying to communicate would have been easier had be been a mind demon, from what he had picked up on between the cells and being around, his family lineage had them tossed around in there. He saw her tug at his shirt and pat her side and he nodded a bit. "I'm fine. Already healed, I promise." he said to her. Soon she held her hands up to tell him to stay, he assumed anyway, and soon she came back. She was pretty, that was for sure. Emily. Her name was Emily.

"I'm Zephaniah, but you can call me Z. Makes things easier." he said, and soon he began wrapping her shoulder. He looked at her when she asked her question and chuckled. "That only half surprises me that my aura isn't that dark. Good to know the angel does balance out the demon." he said, "But not entirely. If necessary sure, this one felt necessary. I will warn you though, I do have some angels that may be attempting to hunt me. I say attempt because they have yet to find me so far. Those I will kill on sight, I don't need them reporting back my whereabouts." He finished wrapping her shoulder. "But other than that, if it bothers, I won't kill unless absolute necessity. Still trying to figure out what exactly is acceptable down here."

Things quieted for a moment and he sighed. "I need to take care of this body, so you can either stay here or come with. I won't be long, but I got to go somewhere where it won't smell so bad, and then we can talk more."

--

Things had gone as expected, at least that was what Dylan though. He was a little disappointed that the death toll wasn't higher, but then again, that was what they got for not being 100% sure that they thought of everything. He huffed a bit, before hearing a voice in his cave. He shifted back into his human form and pulled on some clothes as fast as he could before he breathed some fire to light his path before finding Tabetha coming his way. "I took a nap while waiting for you. I know you warned me of what could happen, so I decided a nap was necessary. Plus that wolf got a good hit on me and my side is still healing." he said, motioning to his left side.

"Please take a seat." he said, getting himself something to drink before setting something down in front of her. If there was one annoying thing about being a dragon was that certain things were engrained into him, even if he didn't want them to be. Being a good host was apparently one of them. "So, how are things going on your end? As expected?"