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It was inevitable. Gauis supposed she was right. He nodded in agreement. Most demons believed in the fates. They crossed all religions and were themselves their own pantheon of sorts. A Collection of sight into the past, the present, and the future. The visions weaving together into a tapestry of time. Gaius wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Did he tell her she was right, that fate would have brought them together eventually?

He didn’t have to say anything, as she continued to speak and informed him she was glad that she had himself and Kael to help them navigate this new world. He was glad it was them too, if it had been anyone else… she was right, they would have taken the Medallion and left them both for dead. According to Dahlia he was nicer, nicer than she expected demons to be and she couldn’t help but wonder why. Her penetrating gaze had finally left his face to look at her feet.

Soon his feet entered her line of site as he had moved to stand just before her. He hadn’t thought of doing this, his body had simply reacted on its own, carrying him towards her as it had desperately craved this entire time.
[+gold “Promise not to laugh?”] he asked capturing her attention and looking down at her with a somewhat stern expression. When she agreed, he held a clawed hand out for her, and when she took it, he wasted no time in wrapping his hand around her’s and brought it to his face, where he placed a tender kiss to her knuckles. [+gold “I’ve wanted to protect you from the moment I laid eyes on you,”] He confessed. His eyes and expression told Dahlia clearly, he meant the words he said. There was nothing but the truth to the words he spoke.

He was also nervous.

The Alcohol had made him feel a little less controlled with his feelings, and he spoke as candidly as his current state would allow him. His hand hadn’t released hers, and instead he had taken to holding it like a precious treasure against his chest. [+gold “I would like to say that I wanted to help you because it would have been the ‘right’ thing to do… I did not. I wanted to help you… so I could be close to you. I did it for selfish reasons, just as I continue to do now. I’m still a demon, rotten and full of rage. Being with me would only bring you pain… being with you would put you in constant danger… I know I should stay as far away from you as possible… and yet… I can’t stop myself.”] His other hand reached out in that moment to cup her face, a look of sad longing on his face. For as desperately as he wanted to have her… he was equally terrified of her, and what it meant to be with her.

After the confession on her part, Dahlia was certain Eris would be fine. The solemness in her had subsided, at least for the time being, and the mortal woman was glad for that. Even if all those feelings were warranted, she didn't like seeing her best friend all down in the dumps. Dahlia didn't even mind all the teasing that was flung her way, though that did little to stop the bright blush continuing its stay on her face.

As Eris ramped up in her merriment, the other woman couldn't help but smile. It was silly, but it was fun. [+palevioletred “Oh, I'm not so sure about that. It's just as likely he wants to make sure you are behaving yourself.”] Dahlia attempted to poke fun back, though she didn't actually believe what she was saying.

Then came the knock, and without skipping a beat, nor falling out of her charade, Eris was at the door answering it. As expected, it was Gaius, confused at the maenad's antics. But like the whirlwind she was, she danced about him and swept Kael away with but a thinly veiled excuse to be away from this place. To Dahlia who held the full context it was terribly obvious, but judging by the baffled look on Gaius' face he hadn't caught on to her game. That was for the best, since the dark eyed woman's face still hadn't fully returned to its natural shade.

There was a break in sound, a pit of silence between them as the footsteps faded down the hall. However, in her still moderately drunken state, the woman didn't find it terribly awkward. Probably because it wasn't drawn out long enough for her to realize it should have been. So, the quiet came and went when Gaius broke it with an apology. A sentiment that only caused her to shake her head. [+palevioletred “She was just fine, besides we invaded her space first.”] Dahlia doubted Vanna expected all these guests out of no where. Even if she and Gaius were close it was still an intrusion to have to deal with humans... or whatever they were at this point. It was hard to know. There was still a lot she didn't understand, even about herself.

[+palevioletred “It's not you guys' fault. We were snooping around all on our own... and besides, the deeper into this we get the more it seems like Eris and I were already a part of it to begin with.”] They might have been ignorant to most of the details, but something inside her told Dahlia that this world would have caught up with them eventually. [+palevioletred “It was inevitable.”] Her volume matched his in the way that it just barely breached the distance between the two of them.

Despite the finality those words seemed to hold, Dahlia didn't want to leave the conversation on that note. [+palevioletred “If we were going to be dragged into all this magic and stuff anyway, I'm just glad you and Kael are here with us.”] Everything they had experienced thus far would have been near impossible to navigate on their own. There was no telling what sort of trouble the two of them would have gotten into. And what trouble they wouldn't have been able to get back out of without help. [+palevioletred “I know you didn't really have to help us... you probably could have just taken the medallion and high tailed it. You're nice though, nicer than I figure demons are supposed to be.”] Smiling a bit, her dark eyes fell from Gaius' face, where they had been since he entered, to the floor. [+palevioletred “Why is that?”] Her question caused her face to warm once again, even if she fully anticipated the answer to be sympathy or obligation.

Kael was right, of course. It was late, they’d all been drinking, and there wasn’t much to do now except for get some rest and start fresh upon waking. Gaius gave a reluctant nod of his head in agreement with Kael about it, but he was not expecting the barb in regards to his comment earlier to the parting Dahlia. Gaius looked thoughtful, doing his best to shrug off the blatant attempt at teasing. Though if truth be told, it did rile him up, and his instinct was to be defensive, but he managed to calm himself and grinned back at Kael. [+gold “I did say ‘We’, didn’t I?”] Which meant Kael would have to join him. [+gold “But if you do not wish to go with me, I am fine going alone. The Maenad doesn’t scare me, I can’t be controlled by her…”] his own challenging tease sent back at the only demon Gaius might be inclined to call: friend.

Which he was…

These days the only person Gaius knew he could consistently rely on to have his back was none other than: Kael.

Gaius reached his hand out for his sisters, which he placed a kiss upon her knuckles and bid her sweet dreams. She gave a sweet coo and kissed his cheek, then blew a kiss Kael’s way [+pink “Don’t stay up too late, boys.”] She chided and left the room.

Gaius knew they way and with a grin towards Kael he started out of the room and up the staircase towards the guest room he knew the girls would be occupying.

Eris laughed at Dahlia’s plight. It was a goodnatured chuckle, and her suspicions were confirmed. Dahlia did have the hots for Wrath. She was also very certain that Gaius had feelings for Dahlia as well. He was too adamant about her safety in particular, even before they found out she was an Oracle. Eris still remembered the night in L.A.. Gaius had looked up at Dahlia from the dance floor with a looked that promised death to any who lay a hand against even a single hair on her head. Gaius certainly wasn’t as easy to break as Dahlia was.
[#b22222 “I knew it. I knew you liked him. I wonder if he’ll actually come up to say goodnight like he promised. He wasn’t saying that to me, you know that right? He was saying that to [I you].”] To make her point, Eris leaned in and poked a finger into Dahlia’s shoulder.

Eris grabbed a silk scarf from the wall beside Dahlia and suddenly draped it over her head. She tossed the sides back behind her shoulders and found a large set of sunglasses. With her best Hampton’s accent she said [#b22222 “I think he’d be crazy not to take you darling. Positively Mad, I say!”]

They were bathed stopped by the sudden knock at their door. Eris ripped the sunglasses off her face, a look of humorous shock playing on her features. She chuckled with a curse, and hurried across the room before Dahlia could stop her. She got to the door and put the sunglasses back on, but not before tossing a mischievous grin Dahlia’s way. Eris still had the scarf over her hair when she opened the door to a stunned expression on Gaius. It instantly soured at the sight of Eris.
[+gold “What the Hell are you doing?”] He asked her with a frown.
[#b22222 “I’m on my way to have a final smoke for the evening. I cannot stay for your fond evening wishes,”] She continued with her rich lady camp.
[+gold “What a relief. I don’t have any for you as it is.”] Gaius responded with absolutely no inflections. Eris feinted a gasp, faux shock at his barb. Truthfully she was impressed. He actually made a joke!
[#b22222 “You wound me, Sir… but! I am relieved they are not for me… I bid you adieu,”] Eris said and slithered out the door past Gaius. She grabbed Kael’s arm in the process and dragged him away.

Gaius turned down the hall to see Kael being dragged off by Eris. He felt himself hesitate for a moment. Unsure what to do next, but knowing he couldn’t leave. He gathered his purpose and stepped into the room and found Dahlia alone. He found it odd the Maenad was leaving Dahlia alone with him. She hadn’t trusted him before. Why now? He didn’t want to dwell to hard on it and instead decided to utilize this rare opportunity. He stared at Dahlia for a long moment before finally speaking to her.
[+gold “I’m sorry about my sister. She can be very… insistent.”] He felt awkward now that he was in this moment. Millenia old and struggling to talk to a mortal girl? What was wrong with him?!

He looked Dahlia over more closely and he could see the exhaustion in her features. It wasn’t like Vanna had actually given them a moment’s rest since their arrival. Hell, Eris was still dressed in her ceremonial robes. He was just happy Dahlia wasn’t victim to that cult’s plans.
[+gold “Are you doing alright? You look tired, understandably. You’ve been through a lot. That’s partially our fault. I’m sorry,”] he spoke softly, his voice almost sad, but he also wanted the words they shared to stay between them and not be picked up by prying ears.

((No worries, I've been slow on my end as well. Also sorry if parts of this post are sort of info dumpy.))

At mention of the Horsemen, Kael's thoughts came back to the medallion and Hades just as Gaius' did. Hades was one of the few people the snake thought there was a chance he could trust, given his strong stance of neutrality in most matters, but it wasn't foolproof. And he wasn't going to bring it up now. His family was already under their suspicion of colluding with the Malumortis. Bringing up the idea that they should roll the dice and release the Greek god of the underworld might bring those same feelings onto him. He didn't want to give the others any reason to doubt him, even if it was unfounded. Hades would be a last resort.

But given that was idea was dashed, there wasn't much left in him when it came to contingencies. Not right now, like the rest of the party, Kael was tired. [+forestgreen “Our options might be limited, but Vanna is right, it's not like the end of days is directly at our doorstep. If things are swaying that way, we still have some time. We should not rush into any rash decisions.”] Regret was the second to last thing they needed in this situation. Time was almost all they had, so they should take it.

[+forestgreen “A lot has gone on the last day or so, plus none of us are completely sober.”] That being said this news had sober Kael up pretty well, but any deep thinking was still best left till later. [+forestgreen “Let's sleep on it... If that's possible.] That second bit was sort of a quite grumble to himself. [+forestgreen “Then we can reconvene tomorrow and come up with the best contingency. ”] Once that was done they could touch base with the girls. No doubt Eris would have some input for them, she was already pissed that they were being left out of this much of it. Kael just thought she didn't need any more stress on her plate.

[+forestgreen “But before then I believe someone promised we would tuck the girls in.”] There was a change in tone with that. The dark haired man was fully and clearly intending to poke fun of his friend. They both know he had never used those words exactly, but Gaius did mention going up to say goodnight. Red eyed flashed as he smirked over at the essence of wrath across the way from him.

---

Dahlia laughed lightly at the yacht comment. That's not a bet she would take. In fact, she wouldn't doubt Vanna had a super yacht, or some such nonsense like that. Go big or go home, right? That being said,t he conversation did not stay there. The swaying of Eris' drunken mind brought it this way and that. Dahlia was left with no shortage of things to think about. Ideas of fate and what it meant in bringing them together.

She'd always been prone to believing in fate and a future that was to some degree predictable. Though it wasn't exactly something usually she liked to think about; it reminded her of her childhood. A time that made more sense with the information she had now. She'd been a strange child. One plagued by voices seemingly unexplained and prone to speaking in tongues. It drove her parents mad. Mad enough to joining a cult in hopes for an answer to what was wrong with her. Dahlia didn't know if they ever got their answer, but she did recalled the people there dictating every word she said, obsessed with decoding it. They must have known something. But eventually it went too far and her custody was handed over to her grandparents. That was when the voices stopped too, though churches and similar such places still made her nervous.

This was a story Eris had heard what seemed like forever ago now, sometime back in their college days. But as the maenad spoke of fate, Dahlia thought this might be the first time she took comfort in it. Maybe if it really was what brought them together, it wasn't so bad after all. However, that didn't mean she was fully onboard with everything Eris was saying. Meeting her where she stood near the closet, Dahlia took her hand. She was blaming all this on the alcohol, and that probably wasn't entirely wrong, but there were true feelings in it. [+palevioletred “I love you too, just don't go off getting hurt for my sake. Okay?”] The shorter woman squeezed her friends hand affectionately before she rushed away to another, more embarrassing, topic.

Heat creeping from one ear to the other, Dahlia wondered just how obvious she'd been. But thankfully her drunken state saved her from feeling the full brunt of mortification she normally might. So that was her saving grace in the moment. Still, she groaned. [+palevioletred “Yeah, I think so...”] she didn't even want to try and accept it. [+palevioletred “I've been trying not to think about it since there's like no way he would be interested in me... but he's always so nice. Even when I am being all unreasonable or say something kinda dumb.”] Her mind when to their somewhat recent conversation back on the island and how she had sort of stuck her foot in her mouth there. But despite it he was still a picture of gentlemanliness. [+palevioletred “Ugh, and he's hot! I know most the demons and whatever we've met have been, but he's like [I really] hot. Like melt steel beams hot. It's not fair.”] By this point, the dark eyed woman had taken her hand back only to place it exasperatedly on her face.

((I'm totally the worst and I'm so sorry this took forever to get back to you!))

Gaius listened intently to Kael’s musings. None of it was good and left them in a very bad position. If Rian Neu was a member of the Malumortis, then they were in deep shit. Kael was right to assume he was burned, and all their contacts were going to be no good. His thoughts drifted to the medallion that may or may not hold Hades, and the very likely reality that the Lords of Hell were planning a coup of their own. The world was about to burn around them, and he was wondering if all of this was just kindling piling up. Eventually something would spark that fire and then there would be no going back. He worried what the Council would do once they learned of Dahlia as well, not to mention an island full of Meanads.

Gaius knew Kael was no doubt realizing that they couldn’t trust anyone anymore. He glanced over at Vanna and noticed she was staring at him as if she knew he was questioning her loyalty to him. The only problem was, she knew him too well, even if he told her nothing she’d still figure it out. He sighed, completely lost as to what to do now. He needed to rest, to clear his head so he could better work with Kael to figure a way out of this.
[+gold “Looks like we’re on our own now. No one to trust.”] Gaius said aloud, and Vanna seemed to pout from her spot.
[+pink “You act like the apocalypse is on our doorstep. You know, we don’t have to worry about that unless by some weird happenstance the Horsemen are released… and that will never happen. The Lords of Hell won’t have it.”] Gaius looked at Vanna, she was right to an extent, because if the Horsemen were set free, and there was no Hades around to control them… it could mean game over for everyone.

Upstairs, Eris moved to the closet to peer in and see for her self how obnoxious the closet was. Upon viewing the vast collection of fabric and garments. Eris had to admit, she was impressed by the collection, but also put off by it.
[#b22222 “This is making my family look cheap… and that’s saying something,”] Eris chuckled, and walked past Dahlia to a wall of fur coats. She reached a hand out to touch the soft fur and sighed at how soft it was. [#b22222 “I think I now understand what it means to have more money than God. Want to run a wager to find out if she has a Yacht?”] Eris joked with a tipsy grin. She walked over to another section of the closet and grabbed a large sunhat, and put it on her head. It looked completely out of place with Eris’ clothes, and as she looked in the mirror she seemed to be digging the look regardless. That was until she saw the length of her hair, the wine red color of her eyes, her long nails that looked borderline like claws, or the fact her canines were more like sharp fangs compared to her once human teeth. She stopped and took the hat off, feeling something strange swell in her chest.

[#b22222 “It’s strange,”] she said suddenly, a slight blush forming on her cheeks as she looked at her hair. [#b22222 “I can’t help but feeling that with each passing day, since we’ve met Kael and Gaius, since we’ve learned more about our selves and each other, that perhaps… there is a thing such as destiny, or fate. I grew up being told The Fates were real…I never believed it… not until recently,”] she confessed. There was a gentle quietness between the women, and Eris turned back around to face Dahlia with her signature grin. [#b22222 “I’d like to think we became friends for a reason. It was hard having to go back home, but… I’m glad I did. If I can learn to control these new powers, maybe I can keep you safe. I won’t let anyone use you, Dahlia. You’re too precious to me. You’re the sister I never had, but always wanted -“] She flushed deeply, not usually one to be so emotional, and looked at her feet. [#b22222 “Ah, sorry… must be the alcohol talking, you can just ignore me. Besides! What was up with Gaius? Can you believe he sang a Disney song? It was like out of the twilight zone!”] She said quickly changing the subject, and a wickedly playful grin swept across her pale face. [#b22222 “And what about you? I saw you get all gooey eyed with him.”] At Dahlia’s reaction, Eris couldn’t help but tease further. [#b22222 “You literally sparkled like an anime character, don’t play with me! Tell me, I didn’t get to play truth or dare with you all. Do you like Gaius?”] She had a feeling she knew the answer, but wanted to be certain, she wanted to know where Dahlia stood.

Kael felt the urge to laugh at being asked if he was alright with this. He didn't see how his opinion mattered when this all seemed to be a done deal. The urge was resisted though, as they ushered the ladies out and to their room for the night. There wasn't much of a reason to stress them out anymore than they had been these last few days. The demons could sort this out then when they relay it when they had more answers. Or at least were less stressed themselves over what was going on.

He watched as Eris went, Dahlia half dragged behind her. Kael felt bad leaving her out of this. Hopefully he could find a way to make it up to the both of them when the dust settled some.

No sooner than the sound of their footsteps faded in the distance, they began their deliberation. [+forestgreen “There's about a million ways around those things if someone knows the system well enough.”] Politics were always, and would always be, a hot dumpster fire. It didn't matter what realm they were lording over. [+forestgreen “Most likely they called the Oakes Article into effect.”] It was obscure, one of many small clauses and intentionally poorly worded sections of the miles of document their government followed. [+forestgreen “Basically, when an official dies, the party or delegation they are a part of can choose to elect from within themselves to fill the position. The president's circle may have chose this route in order to maintain their hold on power without interference from outside groups.”] Kael was still skeptical of Canterbury, so this seemed a decent plan to sidestep him and keep some semblance of former President Atlas' ideals in place, but it was still odd. [+forestgreen “I can't know for certain without talking to someone.”] Cornelius came to mind, however, they had basically just abandoned him back at the hideout and Kael was not looking forward to getting back in touch if he could help it. That wasn't the only reason though.

[+forestgreen “This whole thing leaves a rotten taste in my mouth... My dad may be well liked with his constituents, but my family values privacy over most things. Him even considering taking such a public facing position is incredibly out of character... I don't like it...”] He thought on it a moment more. [+forestgreen “I can't see him working with the malumortis, but that doesn't mean much.”] They could not risk assumptions. [+forestgreen “We should act assuming the worst. Meaning most my contacts are rendered useless since they link back to him. If he is working with another group, they will know if I ask any questions or look into anything they don't like.”]

---

Seeing the conversation suddenly changed, threw Dahlia for a bit of a loop. She was not so drunk that she couldn't follow where it went, but the mortal woman knew she wasn't grasping the full weight of what this news meant. All she knew for certain was that it gave her a bad feeling, a sinking on, pulling hard on her stomach. The sensation wasn't one that would evoke nausea, thankfully, but the fact that she and Eris were quickly whisked away from the room did not help her anxiety about the matter.

There was silence the whole way to the room. Her mind buzzed with questions, none of which it seemed she would receive any answers for. At least, not at the moment. It wasn't till they arrived that the dark eyed woman was able to focus on anything else. What distracted her was much the same as what grabbed Eris' attention. [+mediumvioletred “I think you are right...”] Walking toward the bed, she stared up at the vaulted ceilings, decorated with finely detailed carvings. [+mediumvioletred “Why would anyone need a room this big? I don't understand rich people.”] She sort of grumbled that last part as she placed hands on the mattress and tested it with her weight. It was pillowy soft. No doubt this would be as close as one could get to sleeping on a cloud. Dahlia wondered if they should treat this like they were spending the night at a fancy hotel. That might make it seem more normal to her, the fact that they were all the way over in Europe was still hard for her to stomach.

Looking for a distraction, she turned to the closet. Might as well find something comfortable to sleep in. Walking into what basically constituted as a whole other room, the woman didn't know where to start. The walls were lined with top quality cloth and accessories. [+mediumvioletred “God, it's like Paris fashion week in here.”] She groaned over to Eris from the walk in.

Gaius wasn’t sure what he was expecting her to say, or even what he was hoping to hear her say. He was so confused by his own emotions, since the only thing he was certain of: was that she was divine intervention. So when she gave him her answer with that sweet smile, and gentle flush from the alcohol on her cheeks; he was rendered completely taken. It left him enamored by her sweet innocence and unconditional kindness. Still, a part of him pitied her for her naivety. She should have been very afraid of him, and yet it seemed she saw him no differently than a pit-bull. Her naivety made him want to protect her even more. She was precious, and he wouldn’t let her powers or her life be abused.

From where she sat, Vanna watched completely intrigued by their interaction. Her brother truly was taken with the little oracle. Weak little mortal wasn’t even fully awakened yet to her own powers, and she pitied the fool who might bruise her. For if the Maenad clearly didn’t unleash retribution, her brother certainly would. Vanna could tell by the look in Gaius’ eyes that he would conquer the layers of Heaven and Hell if it meant happiness for the brunette beside him. That concerned Vanna as well, for in her mind, no mortal should have that sort of power over a Divine Demon. She would have to make sure the Mortal’s motives were pure, because there was no way Vanna was going to relinquish her brother to anything less.

It was at that moment Eris entered the room. Vanna glanced over mildly curious, and was reminded of Kael’s currently unavailable status. She groaned… they were acting like two fools under the effects of a bad love potion. It was boring when the attention wasn’t on her.

Eris wasn’t expecting Kael to suddenly appear before her. She looked up at him stunned to see he looked genuinely concerned. In her drunken state she couldn’t stop the blush on her face, but she could still maintain her composure to some extent. She almost didn’t hear his question in regards to the benefits of fresh air. She gave the room a wary side glance and forced a smooth smirk.
[#b22222 “It was enough,”] she settled with, and followed him over to the loveseat. This was the closest she’d been to him since L.A., and she was so distracted by being so near to him that she didn’t realize their game was still taking place and it was Kael’s turn.

She looked up at him, unaware she was staring as Dahlia gave him her dare, but as he went to complete his task a notification on his phone derailed everything. She drunkenly tried to process what he was saying. The name… wasn’t that one of his family members? He seemed deeply confused, and maybe disturbed by this news. Eris did the only thing she could think of, she reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder.
[+gold “Kael?”] Gaius asked his gaze now focused on his partner. He could tell this news was shocking for him. What was going on that would cause Rian Neu to agree to be President? It didn’t make sense. [+gold “You going to be okay with this? It’s your father”]
[#b22222 “Your father?”] Eris asked surprised, and glanced back over to Dahlia and Gaius. A horrifying idea crept into her mind, which sobered her up momentarily and she gave a grave expression towards Kael’s phone. [#b22222 “You don’t think the Malumortis got to him, do you?”] Gaius frowned at her question, but made to stand up, his expression hard on Kael.
[+gold “Let’s talk upstairs, and call it a night.”] Eris bristled angrily to have Gaius so coldly shoved both herself and Dahlia away. They were involved now! Why did he keep pushing them out?
[#b22222 “But-“]
[+pink “it’s late!”] Vanna suddenly chimed, breaking up the tension in the room as best she could. [+pink “Gaius is right, it’s late, and we’ve had some shocking news in regards to [I our] government. Why don’t I have my staff show you both to your room? I’ll have brunch prepared in the morning, we all could use some rest.”] Vanna suggested a large smile plastered to her face, while getting up. She made a move to help Dahlia up, but it was Gaius’ hand that reached out for Dahlia first. He looked down at her waiting for her to take his hand, and helped her to stand on her own feet. He guided her straight to Eris and gave the Maenad a look. Eris couldn’t explain it, but she could feel the warning and power from Gaius. It was a strange pressure that peeled off of him in waves. There was a sense of instinct in understanding that Gaius was an Alpha, and one not to fuck with.
[+gold “Head upstairs… we will join you momentarily to say goodnight.”] Gaius settled with, and Eris grit her teeth, but rose to her feet and snatched Dahlia’s hand from Gaius and stormed out of the room towards a butler with Dahlia in tow.

Skulking the whole way to their room, Eris had her arms crossed grumbling under her breath about Gaius being a stuffy asshole. They followed a butler up an opulent flight of stairs lined with fine art, and down a hallway to a set of double doors. The butler silently opened the doors and allowed Eris and Dahlia to enter the room. Eris stopped her skulking to look at the gorgeous bedroom that seemed to be able to cater to them in much the same with their old apartment had. It was a massive room with a large bathroom attached, and equally massive bed they would have to share and open closets full of clothes.
[#b22222 “Damn… I think this room is bigger than our apartment.”]

With the women out of the room Gaius turned towards Kael with a worried looking Vanna. Seemingly pondering their dilemma, Vanna glanced up tapping her chin in thought. [+pink “The new presidential installment happened almost too quickly. Where was the council’s vote? The Parliament’s approval?”] Gaius gave Vanna an irritated look but then gave his partner his attention.
[+gold “What do you think this all means?”]

Kael hadn't expected that to work quite so well. Not that he believed Vanna to have any serious design on him, but he generally just gave her whatever she wanted, as she was accustomed to, so he was thankful things played out as nice as they did... at least for now. Who knew what else this night held. But for the time being she relented. Now she had a new target. Her brother. After some of Pride's prodding, Dahlia ended up sandwiched between the two carnal sins. The couch, originally meant for three, seated the four of them snuggly. It wasn't uncomfortable, but even if it had been he couldn't complain. Kael was partially to blame for the situation, as he [I may] have made an encouraging comment or two to have Gaius join Dahlia. They were supposed to be unwinding, and no one here was as tightly strung as his partner. Kael didn't think the other demon would fully relax, however the strength of Dahlia's effect on Gaius was still very much a wild card in the snake's mind.

The golden-eyed man's hesitance at her offer had Dahlia disappointed. She wanted Gaius to continue with them in their game, though it looked as though he had had his fill. The dissatisfaction hit harder than expected. She wanted to sit next to him, which deep down might have been her true motivation for wanting him to keep playing. Her emotions were very much displayed on her sleeve as , but none of that lasted long as the others convinced him to go along with it. The woman couldn't help the bubbly smile on her face as she watched him take his seat.

Her gaze lingered on his idealistic features. Thankfully it was his turn to come up with a truth or a dare, because it gave half an excuse for her staring, especially since it was her turn to choose. If it was Gaius, she was probably safe to choose dare, but Dahlia kept to her original plan to stick to truth. She wondered if there was anything about her he could possibly want to know. At least, anything she knew herself. But in the end, his question felt like something a little more personal. Body language somewhat awkward beside her, it was almost like he was afraid to hear the answer himself. The woman wondered why.

Dahlia didn't have to put much thought into her answer. She started by shaking her head, but the subtle dizziness it brought caused her to stop. [+mediumvioletred “I mean, at first you were pretty scary... Eris and I didn't know what was going on or what we'd gotten ourselves into. And even after spending sometime with you, you are still kind of intimidating, but I wouldn't say I am afraid of you. You've been nothing but kind to me.] She almost felt bad about how nice he was. Neither he nor Kael had to help them, they just were.

As she spoke, her thoughts did wander to that time at the warehouse and how Gaius had transformed into something else. Fiery and dark, it was the sort of demonic visage that should invoke terror, and it had at the time. Well, at first. That big of a change would scare anyone, but by the end it was clear even in that state he was Gaius through and through. In hindsight she was able to see how comparatively delicate he had been when she and the others were near. [+mediumvioletred “You're sweet... and for some reason I can't imagine you doing anything to hurt me... so nope, I'm not afraid of you.”] She knew it was a naive thought, but her drunkenness allowed it to flow out of her freely, and with a smile no less.

Shortly after finishing that thought, Eris returned from her time outside and for a moment Dahlia was distracted from perpetuating the game. But before she could do much more than turn to face her friend, Kael was already up and at it.

To be truthful, Kael was only half listening to what was going on around him. The rest of his mind was filled with their missing party member. Eris had been slurring her words something fierce before she went out. And while he didn't want to be the one to question a maenad's ability to drink, he was a bit worried for her. Thus explaining why he was quick to be out of his seat and at her side when he noticed her coming their way. [+forestgreen “Fresh air do you some good?”] Or what she got of it between breaths of cigarette smoke.

As he waited for her answer, his shining-red eyes looked over her. There was a tiredness there, but it was the same one she had been carrying since they left the island. Besides that her features remained just as charming as always, albeit framed differently by her dark, newly long hair. He was still getting used to the change, as he was sure she was as well.

Kael moved along with Eris, sort of attempting to lead her over to the nearby loveseat. Perhaps he was being a nuisance, overbearing, but his intent, given she wasn't on her way to bed, was to keep them out of the snowballing game Dahlia had started. Though to be honest, the smaller couch was probably not far enough from the action to prevent them from being dragged in. A coffee table away was no great distance, after all. It was only a matter of time before they were pulled into something as... riveting... as Disney Karaoke. In fact at that moment, Dahlia was calling the game back to Vanna who in her lively and artful way deflected the question onto him.

Finding himself in his new seat, just as comfortable as the last, Kael accepted his face. [+forestgreen “Dare, I suppose.”] There was a pause, as Dahlia wore a look of thought. He wasn't too worried about what her mind could produce.

[+mediumvioletred “Hmmm, I want you to call the nearest pizza place and order kung pao. Extra points if you get them to agree.”]

The dark haired man wasn't sure what good points were to him at this point, but he didn't ask. Instead to fished his phone out of his pocket and unlocked the screen, ready to pull up a map of pizza joints. However, the notification at the top stopped him. It was about the announcement they previously pushed to the side.

The look on his face must have told the others something was up, because their eyes lingered on him as if to ask what was wrong. [+forestgreen “A new president has been announced...”] The best way to sum it up was to read the headline directly. [+forestgreen “Canterbury's job complete, makes way for new president Rian Neu.”] It struck Kael so hard for two reasons. One, he had been so certain Lysander had a hand in Atlas' demise and his immediate step up in the wake of tragedy was an attempt at a more permanent power grab. Two, Rian Neu was his father, and while he worked very close with Atlas, enough so to be considered his right hand, it was incredibly out of character for him to take a position so wholly in the spotlight.

A coy and devious smirk dawned across Vanna’s face at Kael’s warning. She did like it when he got direct and bossy. It also seemed her brother wasn’t the only one in over their head with a mortal. Then again, she supposed the chaotic namesake wasn’t entirely mortal, and neither was Gaius’ little distraction. Slowly her smirk turned into a playful pout. [+pink “I mourn for the loss of another bachelor,”] she chided teasingly to him, her tone almost sarcastic as she sipped her drink. She smacked her lips in satisfaction of her drink and glanced to the windows that showed the darkened figure of Eris pacing outside. The faint gleam of orange from the flame of her cigarette glowed with life at every drag. [+pink “I shall do as you ask, but only because I could never deny you a thing, my sweet.”] She reached out and caressed his jaw line with a sensual finger. She pouted with a final look at him and made her way over to the couch to sit back down.

Gaius wasn’t the only one walking away from the karaoke mics that were now sitting on the glass coffee table. Under his skin he was burning with embarrassment, but no blush stained his cheeks. He’d murder his sister if it wasn’t for the fact she was immortal. He shouldn’t have told her about Dahlia, no doubt his sister would find a way to make this about her. She looked rather put out by something Kael said, but she was over it quickly as they both heard Dahlia suggest Gaius coming to have a seat beside her. Gaius stared at Dahlia surprised by the subtle request.
[+gold “I would crowd the couch-“] he tried, but Kael even chimed in his own recommendation while Vanna grinned with a waggle of her brows. Gaius might have been the embodiment of Wrath, but he was still a gentleman, and Dahlia was clearly intoxicated.

Still... there was no harm in taking a seat at her side. He gave them both cold looks, but at Dahlia he offered a shadow of what might be considered a grin. He shrugged, given permission by the room, and made his way to take a seat beside Dahlia. Vanna sat on the opposite side of Dahlia, and grinned wickedly from behind her glass. Gaius did his best to ignore her, and focused on Dahlia. He felt awkward. Should he say something?
[+pink “It’s your turn now, Gaius. Ask Dahlia...”] Gaius blinked, caught off guard by his sister. Blanking for a moment on why he had even taken the seat beside Dahlia in the first place.
[+gold “Ask her what?”] He asked confused, but his gaze still on Dahlia. From where she sat, Vanna rolled her eyes.
[+pink “Truth or Dare, duh!”]
[+gold “Oh...”] Gaius glanced at his sister and then to the drunken flushed cheeks of Dahlia. That’s right, Vanna and Dahlia had started this juvenile mortals’ game, and he somehow found himself dragged into it. Part of him didn’t want to get involved in this stupid game, but it was too late now. He couldn’t deny Dahlia even if he wanted too. The way she was staring up at him, eyes sparkling with something unspoken. It pulled at something deep inside him. It made him uncomfortable, but a greater part of him longed to give her that key -to let it out and suffer the consequences. He was so close he could smell her... he could touch her. But he dare not do it. [+gold “Dahlia, Truth or Dare?”] He asked in a somber but interested manner, as Dahlia’s response was the only thing he was interested in.

Outside Eris paced in the crisp night air, her lips wrapped about the paper of her cigarette, as she inhaled deeply the acrid smoke that brought her a small sense of comfort. Despite all that had happened, it was a beautiful night. The sky was clear, the stars were out, and the moon was waning among the glitter of the cosmos. Definitely didn’t see night skies like this in New York City. Vanity’s Italian Villa was surprisingly... calm. Their host was certainly obnoxious, and her taste was a bit ‘old world opulence’ but in its own way was timeless. Most of all it was quiet, and that was the thing Eris needed the most. A quiet moment. She needed to process what had happened in the last few days.

She was so foolish to think her family might help. Now she would no doubt have to spend the rest of her life in hiding from them. In hiding from crazy Vampires that would want her blood, and facing the realization she was not human... she wasn’t the same Eris anymore. She was changed. The presence and voice of the goddess inside her was a constant stream of cringe-worthy commentary. Eris didn’t physically feel any different, aside from her now long hair, and oddly sharp nails. She might never have to get a set at the nail salon ever again. On a deeper more introspective level, Eris couldn’t deny that she felt different. One thing that hadn’t changed was her loyalty to Dahlia.

Looking through the window, Eris could see Gaius seated on the sofa with Dahlia and the others. They were all talking, and Eris couldn’t help but let her gaze wander over towards Kael and Vanna. Eris could see clearly that there was nothing between either of them, and before she knew it she was staring at Kael. When first meeting him she thought his red eyes were eerie and haunting, these days she was finding them warm and captivating. She shook that drunken thought from her head and took another drag from her cigarette, burning it down the to filter before she flicked it away and made her way back inside. She arrived just in time for Dahlia to finish up her turn of Truth or Dare.

Vanna's initial answer was surprising to say the least. Dahlia wouldn't in a million years have guessed the ancient demon of pride and vanity would have thought her interesting in the slightest, it was actually kind of embarrassing. In fact, she didn't quite believe it. The mortal woman wouldn't have gone so far as to call her a liar, but as she was about to pipe up to voice her disbelief when the second choice came. Now that was something that made more sense. The explanation that came along with picking Mother Theresa was fascinating as well. Dahlia couldn't say she knew a lot about the woman, but this was news to her since she had only heard of this saintly side of her. But who would know better than Vanna if she had a streak of pride in her? There was no reason to lie about it and no one was perfect, still it was interesting to see beyond the veil of common knowledge.

From there the question of truth or dare came quickly back into the dark eyed woman's court. Dahlia was about to answer truth, as she had planned, but there wasn't time before Gaius interjected. The siblings took off from there and somehow or another the game she started to be a means of distraction morphed into karaoke. She was only half paying attention to the how, as her mind got caught on something else. Maybe it was her drunken brain fixating on something that didn't matter, but his timing seemed a little too perfect. Like he was purposefully drawing the attention off her. It was sweet of him, if that was in fact what he was doing. She thought it a little presumptuous to assume so, but he did offer to keep her safe the last time they talked together. There was a chance the two went hand and hand. And that chance made her stomach flutter. Her inebriated state allowed the woman to dwell on the indulgent thought and as she did her face warmed up ever so slightly. It took a moment for her to shake herself back to the here and now. By then the pair were already singing their duet. It was a song she knew of course, as the movie had taken he world by storm, so it was extra fun to see Gaius struggling along and she had a front row seat.

Smiling and keeping time with the beat of the song, her dark eyes stayed on Gaius for the most part. The faces and comments he made along with the lyrics were sending her. Dahlia could not help but laugh. One, because of the contrast in personality and song, and two, because she was finally witnessing him out of his element. Seeing him this way made him seem more... human wasn't the word, relatable maybe? Gaius always seemed to far off to her, but right now it actually felt like she could reach out and touch him. A prospect that made her a little happier than she expected.

As for Kael, he listened carefully to Eris. The noise in the background was distracting, but he was able to dial in to her voice fairly well. It seemed she wanted to avoid talk of days previous. Truth be told he was worried about her, and that didn't help, but if she didn't want to delve into it, he wasn't going to make her. [+forestgreen “Alright, we don't have to.”] He watched as she took her declared final shot and could tell she was feeling it. Then again, he was too, but not to that extent. [+forestgreen “All better.”] The snake echoed back at her as he brought his hand up to pat her atop the head. He was sure to be light with his touch so that it wouldn't shake her. Normally he might have tussled her hair some, but he wasn't so sure that wouldn't make her dizzy. So that was it for now. He was about to add something about taking care of herself when Eris cut back in mentioning Vanna. [+forestgreen “Oh joy.”] He spoke with a thick coat of sarcasm. And sure enough, her bell of a voice came ringing for him shortly thereafter. He was being called on and worried delaying any further would be a slight at this point.

Eyes on Eris still, he wanted to invite her over with them, but he could already tell she would turn him down. So their conversation ended with a short goodbye and he was back over with the others. Vanna was particularly happy, she was generally clingy, something he was certain was to bother her brother, but this was more than usual and he wasn't sure why. However during their chatting he caught her looking back over to where Eris was, a derisive glean in her eye. There was his answer. The maenad was throwing her off. No doubt she was set on edge by the divine energy housed inside her. It was understandable, seeing as Vanna was who she was, but Kael didn't like it. Not one bit. Eris was caught in a situation beyond her control. She was a scape goat of her family's problems. He could relate. And so, he found himself particularly irritated.

Leaning in a little closer the bubbly demon, [+forestgreen “Vanna,”] Kael spoke with a charming smile. He didn't have enough charisma, demonic or otherwise, inside of him to completely enamor someone as powerful as Vanna, but he hoped it might at least take some of the edge off what he had to say. [+forestgreen “Lay off her.”] This was certainly the most direct he'd ever been with the woman. [+forestgreen “I am more than happy to sit here with you and give you all the attention you want, but let Eris be.”] He didn't know for certain she would try and continue to push at the other woman's buttons, especially now that she had moved out, but he hoped it might stop by the time she came back... if she came back. Kael wanted her to return to the group. It was better if they had an eye on her, even if this place was likely safe. Not to mention it was probably better not to separate the two mortal women for too long. They were each other's main support systems at this point. And with everything they were currently going through they needed something to hold them up, something a little more stable than booze.

Though, truth be told, Dahlia didn't look to be the pinnacle of sobriety right now either. She was better off than the sentence slurring Eris, but the dark-eyed woman was currently trying to coax Gaius to come sit next to her and not return to his far of chair of solitude. Kael was not entirely certain what he would do, the snake was surprised enough to see that he had stepped into their game earlier. His partner was turning into more of a wild card these days. It was entertaining. Especially now, seeing him falter with this sort of thing, so Kael joined in. [+forestgreen “Oh come on, sit with her. It's your turn anyway.”] The distraction Dahlia started was a little too effective, but Kael wouldn't hold it against her.

Gaius sipped his drink quietly in observation. His golden eyes bored a warning into his sister as she tapped her chin in thought to Dahlia’s question.
[+pink “Mhm, most interesting you say? Well, let’s see…”] Vanna glanced about the room looking for inspiration and noticed Gaius watching from his place. Kael was still in the corner with the Maenad of Chaos, and chatting quietly with her. Her eerie eyes settled on the oracle before her and a sly grin spread across her face. [+pink “I’ve met kings, queens, saints, scholars… ugh… so boring, but I’ve never met an Oracle before. I’d say that makes you the most interesting person I’ve ever met, and I do intend to get to know you.”] Vanna played to Dahlia’s own vanity, but was a little shocked to sense that Dahlia did not respond with prideful emotion. Very interesting indeed. [+pink “Though if I have to pick someone other than yourself. Mother Theresa… oh she was a wicked one, and yet humans worship her, call her a saint. You know she kept many of her [i ill] patients continuously sick to make herself look good? Denied them medical treatments in lieu of prayer, all for vanity and pride… Oh a true testament to my sin.”] Vanna smiled wistfully at the late woman’s memory, before finishing off her drink and settling her next question.

[+pink “Okay Dahlia, your turn. Truth or dare-“]
[+gold “Are you two seriously going to play this game?”] Gaius asked from his seat, but his ire was more or less directed at his sister, and his general distrust for her antics. If she had a chance to embarrass him, she’d take it. She’d never betray him, but she would certainly make him look like an ass for a few good laughs. Vanna stuck her tongue out at him.
[+pink “We are. Why? Do you want to play?”] she teased. Gaius looked away with a glare to the far wall.
[+gold “No.”]
[+pink “Liar. Truth or Dare? Don’t be a coward.”] She grinned victoriously to see Gaius’ eyes widen for the slightest second as he gave in and turned a glare on her.
[+gold “Dare,”] he challenged. Vanna giggled with wicked delight. Gaius shot down the last of his drink and set the glass with a heavy clink on the coffee table.
[+pink “I dare you to sing for us.”] Gaius raised a brow
[+gold “Sing?”] Gaius felt his stomach drop. He hadn’t expected that.
[+Pink “uh-huh,”] She was smiling too brightly, and Gaius cringed at what he might have just walked into. [+pink “Nothing you’d want to sing of course… so I’ll make it easier, sing a duet with me. Oh, I just know you’re going to hate it,”] Vanna was beside herself as she jumped off of the couch and went to the TV in the room and from a drawer showed a karaoke mic. [+pink “It’s from Dinsey’s Frozen.”] She put a mic in his hand and set the TV to a Karaoke video.
[+gold “You’re right… I do hate you. How do you always trap me like this?”] Gaius murmured looking at the mic in his hand. This was going to be so embarrassing.

Vanna jumped over to his side as the music started over the speakers and the lyrics were brought up on the screen. He sighed heavily, regretting this moment, and trying desperately to avoid Dahlia’s gaze.
[+pink “Because you’re gullible, and I’m your favorite. Besides, I dared you to do it. You thought I was going to have you show your demon face, didn’t you?”] Gaius looked away bashfully and Vanna smirked. [+pink “Don’t forget who knows you best, brother. Now let’s sing, my little canary!”]
[+gold “Only you would find a way to turn a game of Truth or Dare into Karaoke.”]
[+pink “I have my ways…”]

[center ~*~*~*~]

Eris was glad to see that Kael liked the drink. He would be feeling them if he drank them too quickly, not that Eris had any room to talk. She was holding another shot, and knew she’d regret it herself soon enough. Too much alcohol had led Eris to do too many questionable things. She could go from wanting to start a fight to be being DTF. She wondered if Maenads could get hangovers or blackout drunk. In the name of Science… she planned to test that. He suddenly asked her how she was doing after everything that had happened in the past few days. She frowned and was about to answer when Vanna jumped from the couch to reveal microphones for Karaoke.
[#b22222 “Huh, didn’t have her pegged for the Karaoke type…”] Eris was slightly happy for the distraction as it meant she didn’t have to discuss the past few days and how she was handling it all. She was drinking to forget that, not dwell on it.

Gaius was standing up, looking defeated, incredibly shy, and clearly looking as if he wished to disappear and regretting his decisions. Eris couldn’t help but watch as Vanna sang with lively vibrato to the children’s song, and Gaius did his best to sing a song he’d never heard. His facial reactions to the lyrics were the best part. He wrinkled his nose, wore looks of absolute concussion.
[+gold “Sandwiches? That doesn’t make any sense Vanna…. Children today enjoy this garbage?”] Vanna just kept singing, torturing Gaius, but her motives were her own, and while Gaius thought she might have been sabotaging him… she was trying to help him… while having a little fun torturing him.

Near the end of the song, Eris finally chuckled and looked away from the scene to Kael once again. [#b22222 “Gaius must really love his sister… hey, look, let’s not talk about all that craziness from Cult Island. I’m going to be okay… just one more shot.”] She tipped a glass back and swallowed it down. This time with a bit of a struggle. Too much too quickly. Her head was starting to spin, the music was irritating. Gaius wasn’t the only one being tortured by it. Her head dropped for a moment as she caught her breath, and finally inhaled deeply, snapping up with a smile. [#b22222 “See? Aw-bet’er,”] Her speech was already getting a little slurred and she leaned in to whisper with Kael, and catching Vanna looking back at them -mostly at Kael. [#b22222 “I don’t want to scare you, but Hungry Eyes over there looks pretty serious.”] Eris waggled her brows and giggled drunkenly at Kael, but her laughter sobered up as Vanna was suddenly calling for Kael at the end of the song.
[+pink “Kael, rejoin us! I want you to play the game with me too. Sit by my side,”] She had returned the the couch and was patting the space beside her, her look clearly demanding his presence. Eris glanced over at Kael and watched him return to their hostess’ side.

Vanna had commandeered them all, and Eris sat back to watch for only a moment. While the others were in conversation around her Vanna lifted her gaze towards Eris and smirked. Eris felt she was being taunted, especially as Vanna touched and flirted with a rather receptive Kael. Eris questioned if he liked it or not, and why it bothered her so much before she slipped out to a patio to have a smoke.

Kael watched the thin woman intently as she went to work. [+forestgreen “I've heard of it, but I can't say I've ever tried one.”] He knew they were somewhat comparable to a long island ice tea, though it seemed Eris was determined to make it twice as dangerous with how she was pouring. That was fine by him, in fact, he would go so far as to say it was perfect, especially regarding the current situation. She toasted the drinks completion with a shot of her own. Holding his brimming cup out to her the ringing of glass sounded and they drank. Not to be completely outdone by the nymph he gulped down a couple mouthfuls of the bright blue concoction. It was definitely strong, but not unbearable so. The taste was still fine by his standards, though he could definitely tell he was going to be on the floor if he had too many of these. [+forestgreen “Perfect, I'll be having a merry time before I know it.”] He flashed a white smile her way before glancing back at Vanna and Dahlia. [+forestgreen “But it looks as though they are in the middle of something. I wouldn't want to interrupt.”] Still smirking a bit he feigned dejectedness at being temporarily tossed to the side.

Shuffling on his feet a bit, he made himself comfortable there with her. Kael was thankful for the reprieve and doubly so for the company. There was no telling how long it would last, but that was fine. He was prepared to spend an evening with Vanna so she could get it out of her system early on in their stay. She would likely be quickly bored with him anyway. But for now he had the pleasure of being able to focus on Eris who was in full drinking mode. No doubt that would be hitting him shortly as well. So for now, while he still had his head about him. Kael would hit a heavier topic before they inevitably fell into silliness. [+forestgreen “These last few days have been... a lot. How are you doing?”] His tone was different before as he inquired after her. A clear and sincere sense of concern present in his voice.

Dahlia was excited to see Vanna perk up at her presence. It made her feel like she wasn't being a complete bother, even though that was her intention in a way. Somehow, the human woman hadn't expected the demon to chose truth. She took a moment to thoughtfully mull over all the questions she could ask with a long humming sound that indicated what she was up to. [+mediumvioletred “Discluding yourself,”] she chose to throw that in there for good measure. [+mediumvioletred “Who is the most interesting person you've ever met?”] The oracle was genuinely curious to know. Vanna, Gaius, and Kael were all probably older than she could imagine, so they must have met lots of interesting people, or supernatural beings.

It was also a relatively PG question to start out with. Drunk as she was, it was not likely that would last long though. Truth and dare was made for digging up raunchy secrets and embarrassing the crap out of your friends. That would come quickly too with just the two of them. Her dark eyes flashed over to Gaius, should she invite him too to make it more interesting? Dahlia hadn't realized how intently he was watching them, nor did she really pick up on it now. She just smiled over at him before deciding against pulling him over. He looked comfortable and having a larger audience for her inevitable sloppy doom was maybe not the smartest thing ever, even if it did delay it a skosh. So, looking back to his sister she waited for an answer.

Eris was glad to hear that Dahlia would be sharing a room with her. This place was massive, and if Eris was being honest, she missed their small apartment. Dahlia and Eris spent the next few shots discussing what unsavory favor Gaius might have agreed to, and reflecting back on the start of their story and how they spiraled down to this point. Eris still couldn’t shake that regardless of how far off track they felt they had gone, they were still tied to the original events that started this. The missing people in Hell’s Kitchen, the discovery of Kara Clyatt’s ties to Hades, and that the portal token was more than a key to the underworld... it [i housed] Hades himself. Something was moving in the shadows, and Eris would wager Gaius and Kael knew more than they had so far revealed... Gaius more than Kael.

Eris was struck from going deeper into her own thoughts when Dahlia proclaimed they have fun this night. Eris smirked and raised another shot in agreement and threw it down the hatch.
[+green “Sorry to interrupt.”] Kael arrived, startling Eris for a moment and quickly tried to steady herself. She had done several shots back to back, and it was about to crash over her like a tidal wave. Kael asked for a stronger drink, and his eyes drifted back over towards Vanna who sat tonguing the top of her straw. Eris wrinkled her nose, her facial expression clearly conveying how grossed out by Vanna’s antics she was. Dahlia chimed in quickly, offering Eris’ services, and took off to keep the demoness occupied.

Eris watched Dahlia run off, slightly mortified for herself and her friend. The sound of Kael’s chuckle and his subsequent smile had Eris feeling suddenly very flush. She quickly looked down at the bar before her when he asked her suggestion. She thought for a moment looking at what was available and eventually picked up a bottle of clear rum. She gave him a look and reached for a glass.
[#b22222 “Ever heard of an Adios Motherfucker?”] She reached for several other bottles of liquor. Rum, Tequila, vodka, gin, sour mix, and blue curaçao... she mixed it all together and gave it a quick shake in the shaker. [#b22222 “It’s been nice knowing you,”] Eris teased pouring the drink in a highball glass and set it before him, topping it off with sprite. After he took his first drink, Eris couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her face. [#b22222 “I can’t promise it will make her more appealing when you finish it, but that should break down your demonic tolerance. I am a shots girl myself,”] Eris said plainly and reached for her shot glass, and poured herself another shot of Patron. She lifted her glass, but before she took her shot, she clinked glasses with Kael.

GAIUS hadn’t moved from his spot, but did continue to drink from the bottle. He was content to sit and listen to everyone else, he wasn’t interested in stopping his sister from pawing at Kael. It would be a minor inconvenience for Kael in the long run, and she was respectful enough to comply if he said ‘No’.

As it was Gaius watched Kael moved across the room towards Eris and Dahlia. Seeing the way Kael smiled at Eris and how she seemed to be reacting, Gaius had to steel a glance at his sister. She had seen it too and her lips were pursed in thought. It all melted away, however, when Dahlia offered herself as a replacement to Kael. Vanna was no longer so displeased. Gaius tensed, his hearing poised to eavesdrop as best he could. In a show to quell his tension he swigged more of the decadent whiskey and delighted in its familiar burn.


VANNA was mildly displeased to see Kael leave her, and it was only mild because she also wasn’t surprised. What did surprise Vanna was the blush on the Maenad’s cheeks. The couch suddenly moved beside her and she looked over to see that Dahlia had come to sit with her instead. Unexpected but delightfully welcomed. Dahlia was seated to face her, so Vanna turned to match and tilted her head at Dahlia’s question.
[+pink “Oh you want to play a game!”] Vanna chimed, and spared a quick cunning glance to her brother. She chuckled to herself, he was practically sweating already!

[+pink “I’ll bite!”] her tinkling high pitched voice played the field of excitement. [+pink “I do love a good game. Alright, I choose Truth. Ask me anything!”] Truth now, but eventually it would be time for a Dare.

Hearing the clinking of glass and the shaking of ice, Kael opened an eye to peek over at the others through the side of his glasses. He heard they got ahold of some liquor, he just hadn’t been expecting a whole bar. It made him smile, though perhaps it wasn’t the wisest of ideas to be drinking when they were all waiting for the next step of their plan. Still, when Eris offered him a drink, he couldn’t help but accept. [+forestgreen “Sure, I’ll take one.”] Her second question brought an airy laugh out of him. [+forestgreen “We can, it just takes a little more to take effect.”] He placed emphasis on little, to make it clear he was understating it. [+forestgreen “We’ve got our own brand of stronger stuff that get’s us there quicker, but this will work just as well.”] He gave the explanation as he stood and came over to join the others. However, Kael was not the only one to join. Vanna came swooping on in to crash the christening of the night. It was her house, so that was probably just as well, but he could tell that Eris was not thrilled at her sudden entrance.

On the announcement that they would be staying, Kael was glad to hear that some sort of agreement was made, though he wasn’t so sure about staying here. Objectively, it was a good place to be. A thoroughly fortified stronghold set up by one of the deadly sins. There was every luxury a prideful being could ever want, and she just happened to be so enamored by her brother that they needn’t worry about being betrayed… however the snake was still iffy. There were too many strong personalities in this house. They were bound to butt heads. But what did he know, maybe they would all fall into line and everything would be just peachy? He was probably just worrying too much.

Trying to shake the uneasiness, the red-eyed man lifted his glass to the others and took his shot as they did. It was a show of solidarity that he decided not to repeat. He was going to plop himself right back where he had been sitting before, but unlike his friend he did so without a bottle. Perhaps he would have felt better to loosen up and enjoy the atmosphere, but for now he was content to sit back and watch the others have fun, which was more entertaining than it sounded. Eris was throwing back shots like they were juice and Dahlia was right behind her valiantly trying to keep up, but eventually found a more manageable pace for herself.

In all this observing, he was glad to see the maenad start to perk up some. She seemed more herself. And while it might have just been temporary with all the booze in her system, it was good to know she was still in there somewhere. He’d had his doubts at first, and he felt somewhat guilty about it. But now he was able to feel a touch more at ease. His bright gaze followed her, he was definitely staring, and he even had a bit of a smile on his face. No one seemed to be paying him any mind though, so it was fine. That was, until Vanna called to him and sort of brought him back from his reverie.

Holding up his hand in an apologetic way, his smile turned to the demoness, but it wasn’t quite the same. [+forestgreen “I’m afraid I’m boring over here, I haven’t been keeping up with all of you.”] He thought that might dissuade her without actually saying he didn’t want to be her company for the night, but it seemed she was unshakable as she snatched up some drinks and headed his way. What Kael didn’t expect was her to plant herself firmly in his lap. Vanna was usually playfully flirty with him, however this was to a different degree entirely.

Managing to keep a strained smile, he took the drink. [+forestgreen “…I guess that fixes the problem. Thank you.”] It took a second for him to relax, though saying he was relaxed was a stretch. He went along with her conversation, as it turned this way and that. She really had a lot to say, but Kael wasn’t mad about it. It stopped him from having to actually entertain her, which he had little doubt he would fail to do without ample flattery. Plus, even if he was sort of being forced into this situation he could still try and make the best of it. And therefore he was going through his drink relatively quickly. Letting the remainder mingle with the ice for a little bit, he finally put it all down and decided it was time for another.

Standing, the demon took Vanna right with him. [+forestgreen “Excuse me…”] He had her about the waist so she was secure as he spun her playfully around and placed her in gently the spot he just vacated. [+forestgreen “I’m off to get another drink.”] Kael shook the glass to indicate it was empty. [+forestgreen “I’m behind after all. I’ll be right back.”] And with that he had managed to escape for a short break.

Dahlia knew when Eris wanted a drink it usually meant they were in for a night. And just as she expected they were taking the second shot before she could even feel the first one. This was gonna be a doozy. She knew she wasn’t exactly expected to keep pace with her friend, but she did like to try. An attempt at solidarity, however, while she still had a clear mind she backed off from that endeavor. That didn’t last long though. The vodka hit her like a ton of bricks. Like Eris, her mood was lifted. They were chatty and the taller of the two was even corrigible with their hostess. Well, until she split off from them to spend some time with Kael. She didn’t seem too pleased about that, but that was to be expected. Dahlia was more than happy to help distract her for now.

[+mediumvioletred “Agreed. I don’t want to be alone.”] Not if they could help it. Being split up on the island, despite being mad at the time, was a bad time. And now, after so many strange and traumatic things happened, they needed to be there to support one another.

Dahlia hadn’t noticed Gaius’ staring, but she leaned in when her friend began whispering. Nodding, she was also curious what kind of deal the siblings had struck up, probably something basically unfathomable to her mortal mind. She felt bad to be the cause of it as well, but Dahlia didn’t see any way out of it. [+mediumvioletred “It’s still a story, just not one we can share…”] Her eyes fell to the floor. It was disappointing, but she felt worse for Eris. This was her passion. [+mediumvioletred “It got out of hand so fast, I don’t think there was anything we could have done to stop it.”] Or anything now that could untangle them from it. [+mediumvioletred “I feel bad too… but I don’t know what choice we have.”] While she wouldn’t say it aloud, they wouldn’t make it on their own. It was too dangerous with how things were. The dark eyed woman could only hope that things would change and they would be able to stand on their own again. And that they could find someway to repay Kael and Gaius for everything they’d done.

She was kinda starting to get in her own head when the maenad called back to the shots she poured. Looking back up, Dahlia smiled. [+mediumvioletred “Yeah, at least there’s that.”] Taking the one meant for her, she threw it back with a shiver. [+mediumvioletred “Besides, we have forever to be down about all this. We should have fun tonight.”] While they were someplace safe enough to do it, not to mention all the alcohol was free.

[+forestgreen “Sorry to interrupt.”] Kael cut into their whispering with an empty glass in hand. He didn’t seem all that sorry though. [+forestgreen “I was hoping to get another drink. Preferably something strong and… convoluted.”] With a flick of his red eyes back to where Vanna sat, it was a clear cry for an excuse to get away from her for any meaningful length of time. His voice was low enough to where he wouldn’t be overheard outside of their small circle, but his tone was not subtle. Even the fairly drunken Dahlia caught on. And she was kind of excited at the idea. This is exactly what Eris needed. Some quality flirt time. There was just one big problem. Glancing over at Vanna it looked like she was already antsy. No doubt she would follow soon behind Kael if he was gone too long. They needed a distraction for her, which is where Dahlia wing-woman extraordinaire came in. At least, that was what she was gonna try for. Seemed like Vanity was looking for a different kind of attention, but it was worth a shot.

[+mediumvioletred “Eris can do that! She can make just about anything. You know a bunch of those crazy mixed drinks, don’t you?”] Her smile turned encouraging as she looked up at her friend. They could talk later, like they said, they’d be bunking together. There would be plenty of time. [+mediumvioletred “I’m gonna go keep Vanna company, she got left over there by herself.”] Was it a flawlessly smooth transition? No. Did drunk Dahlia think she was clever for putting together this little plan? Yes.

Seeing the wheels turn in Dahlia’s head, Kael could have laughed, but he let her go about her thinking in peace, nodding her a goodbye as she left. Looking back to Eris he smiled, humored. [+forestgreen “Alright, maestro. What would you recommend?”]

Leaving those two to whatever conversation they ended up having, the human woman made her way over to the couch. She plopped herself on the cushion next to Vanna, sitting so that she faced the demoness. The big bubbly smile from before persisted on her face. [+mediumvioletred “Vanna, truth or dare?”] It was a game, so Dahlia thought it might hold her attention a little longer than a normal conversation, even if it was a little risky… She planned to be playing straight truths on her side. Dahlia didn’t want to learn what a demon considered a dare.