Dane smiled ruefully as he curled down over the body of his present project. The plastic tarp protecting his clothes crinkled loud as he did. He really needed something better fitting. Perhaps a tailor could whip something up for him?

He stroked the hair from the face of the wretch beneath him. The man had been crying. As per the streaks down the side of his grubby face. The man was dark-haired and dark-skinned. Young enough to be without wrinkle, but for those caused by long hours working in the desert sun, but not so young as to be ignorant of the world. Nor to have gone without contributing to the darkness filling it, either.

The man looked away when Dane touched his hair. Likely riddled with lice, or maybe fleas, Dane wore latex gloves. They weren't for the blood, as he actually enjoyed watching the red streak through running water when he washed them, but lice disgusted him. The man's entire being disgusted him.

"I can't remember. Do you speak English?"
Dane asked, annoyed that the man would not look him in the eyes. He was stretched out on a regular table, something any family might have in their kitchen. Only rather than a comfortable little house, they were in a garage. The room smelled faintly of motor oil.

The creature whimpered, but he nodded. "Okay, good."
Dane responded. He hated dealing with translators.

"What do you want with me?" The bastard asked.

Dane was taken aback. "Oh! Have I not said?"
It was possible. He likely had gotten carried away. "Please forgive this oversight, sir."
His smile was charm itself, as though he were speaking to his Sunday School teacher. "Tell me where to find Donny Ramirez."
The man's cracked lips smushed together into a snarl.

"Never." He spat, barely missing Dane's face.

Dane straightened, examining the garage around them. His eyes fell into something on a shelf, which a curl of one power floated to him. "Are you thirsty?"
He asked, twisting the cap off a bottle of motor oil.

A tangle of power yanked the man up, where Dane put the bottle to his lips. Gloved hands wrenched his jaw open. "Since you don't want to talk about Donny. You can tell me how this tastes. Pretend its wine. A thick merlot."


And he poured. And laughed at the pitiful flailing.

Nox had left a note saying he and Aria would be gone. She wasn't exactly sure why he'd left the note, it's not like they were talking anyway. He was still pissed at her for using the power against Aria. But the note sat on the counter, she picked it up and crumpled it before tossing it in the garbage can. It bounced from the rim and the little puppy she'd taken in chased after it, skidding across the floor as it tried to stop. Aurora giggled.

She'd yet to name the puppy, she wasn't exactly sure she was going to keep it, but at least it loved her more than he loved anyone else. Unconditional love, that's what a brother was supposed to give, yet he seemed to be more interested in loving Aria. The name came out in her mind dripping with venom. She really disliked the girl, and for no other reason that she was stealing away her brother. Not that Nox was usually worth it, but he was still HER brother, not Aria's.

A soft buzz came from her wallet followed by the loud ring of someone calling. Aurora smiled as she saw Diego's name pop up. She quickly answered it, "Hi Diego."


The happiness in her voice was apparent and she was pretty sure she could hear the soft lilt of laughter on his voice, "Aurora."


She grinned knowing he couldn't see it but it still happened, "How can I be of service, Mr. De La Cruz?"


"I couldn't help but notice that things have been difficult for you. You mentioned your brother. And his friend. I thought you might like to go somewhere else this weekend. Away from them. Does that interest you?"


Aurora smiled happily, "It does interest me. What should I bring?"


The voice on the other end gave hints at what was to come with just his voice, "Oh not much. Just you will do fine."


Aurora's body tightened at the prospect and she smiled. Her voice came out more breathless than she anticipated. "Okay. I'll see you when you get her."


He chuckled softly before hanging up the phone. Aurora was sure he liked making her do that. Aurora wandered to her room, the puppy following her in. What was she going to do with him? She didn't know how long she'd be gone. So she did the only thing she could do. So she refilled both the water and food dispensers and placed them in her bathroom, she'd lock her little puppy up in there until she returned. It was the safest place for it. Wandering the warehouse could be dangerous and far more messy.

Aurora decided to wear a pair of black jeans that fit the curves of her body well, leaving little to the imagination, and a heavy sweater with a low hanging cowl neck in grey and purple. She grabbed her purse and all essentials, including makeup and protection which she had to steal from Nox's room. He'd never miss what she took.

Aurora went to the kitchen and opened a bottle of water while she waited for Diego, her body was tense, her mind was all over the place thinking about the possibilities. She smiled at the thoughts, this time there would be no puppy or brother to get in the way of things.
Edited by Aurora, Mar 19 2015, 06:52 PM.

Aria woke early the next morning. She lay in Lucas' arms and pulled away gently so as not to wake him. He didn't need to be up for several more hours. Aria found her way down to the resort's gym and was going to go a few rounds with the punching bag but Nox had already beat her too it. She grinned at him. "Can't sleep?"


Nox laughed, "Something like that. Woke up in someone else's bed and sleep just wouldn't come when I got to mine, so here I am."


Aria shook her head. "Spar then since there is only one?"


Nox nodded as he smashed a right hook into the bag and turned to her with his ever loving grin. "Bring it!"


For the next hour they sparred in the wee hours of the morning. Much like the did back in Moscow. Nox's alarm went of at precisely 8am and the spar immediately stopped, it was like clockwork. He left her to get his own gear ready, they'd be leaving in about an hour to take the quickest and fastest route to the monastery. High up in the mountains where the ruined datsan stood. There was a road that lead there, but it would take three hours by road, where as it would take only 1.5 by dog sled.

The terrain was difficult, but the guide promised that it was worth the trip. There was no threat of passing snow storm despite the coldness of the region. He also promised they'd not get stranded anywhere.

They were headed to Aginskoye, Russia, a place where the reign of the man who destroyed the datsan had not breached with his influence. English was not spoken. Aria had hired the guide from the Resort town, he claimed to know enough of the locations dialect of Russian that they shouldn't pose any issue, but Aria had taken some time to brush up on the dialect herself. Russian wasn't a primary language she'd learned, but she had learned it. With the heart of the CCD being Moscow, Father Dimitri felt that one of the languages she should at least have a firm grasp on be the region's original language, so Aria had studied Russian among the various other languages she'd been commanded to learn to speak. Reading and writing was not quite so mandatory and she could still only really read Latin, Italian and of course English. But she could speak many.

Aria showered and dressed quickly before waking Lucas. Aria sat on the edge of the bed and leaned in to kissed him softly, "If you are coming you have to get up now Love."



Edited by Aria, Mar 17 2015, 08:09 AM.

Emily hadn't stayed at the ski resort long. She left after her rendezvous with Nox. Emily called Andrew and said that she would start her move in at Moscow - it made no sense for her to come back to Chicago and then leave a few days later. Andrew had done well and acquired a house for her and her sisters in Moscow near the University and had equipped it with a holoconference table that could be used at the house until the HQ in Moscow was completed. That way she could keep track of business while they worked on the move.

She had been in Moscow a few days. Emily could have called Ayden, but didn't want her friend to see her shame. She stayed in the house as much as possible only leaving to get food and to pick up her sister, Rachel from the airport the night before. Rachel had almost finished her transfer to Moscow State University, but needed to do some stuff in town to complete it. Mara, their youngest sister, was staying with their housekeeper Matt and finishing some school projects. Among the things that Andrew had done was getting her vehicle to Moscow. She didn't have her staff here yet, but she wanted to pick her sister up anyways.

Despite feeling glad to see the younger version of herself, Emily had to paint on a smile she didn't feel when she arrived at the airport. Emily didn't want her sister to know how she felt inside - quite the feat as they were close and Rachel could read her like a book. They hugged, and Emily took her sister out to dinner, before they went to their new home.

It didn't take long for Rachel to realize that something was up. Emily wasn't herself and she noticed Rachel occasionally giving her concerned glances as Emily helped her unpack. The night passed without incident, however.

The next morning, Emily drove Rachel to the University to finalize her transfer. Emily pulled up the car to the registrar's building. "You ready?"
she asked her sister, hiding behind the fake smile again.

"Yes - a bit nervous, but I'll be okay."
Rachel reached for the door handle and then turned back to face her sister. "Emily, are you okay?"


The smile disappeared, and Emily couldn't look at her sister. "Yes, everything is okay."


"You don't look..."


"Everything is fine, Rachel!"
Emily interrupted and the words came out louder and with more venom than she intended. Emily immediately regretted the words as they came out. In her mind's eye she could see the hurt expression on her sister's face, but instead of an apology, Emily said. "Do you have everything you need, transcripts, money for food?"


There was a moment of silence. "Yes."
Emily looked up and could see the hurt eyes laced with concern on her sisters face. Rachel reached over and gave Emily a hug. "I love you."
she said.

"I love you too,"
Emily murmured in reply. Rachel left the car and Emily placed her forehead on the steering wheel. She didn't notice that Rachel looked back before entering the Registrar's office. A few moment's later, Emily drove home, resisting the urge to cry.

He had promised Dr. Weston a week, and he intended to deliver. His determination was not without doubt though. Ultimately it would be the men themselves who determined the outcome. The Ascendant Power was an intimate force that each had to accept on their own. Fortunately Nikolai had chosen his candidates well. They were outstanding in their respective fields and displayed an aptitude for tolerance and adaptability. Unfortunately, adaptation did not always manifest in benign behaviour.

Michael felt both utterly isolated and perfectly at home. As he watched his students, he could feel the struggle inside of each. He did not believe in any ability that could discern someone's true nature - at best the practitioners were extremely adept with educated guesses - but he saw truth in his student's eyes, even in those who wished to hide it. The struggle of becoming something more - or less - than human was familiar and its unique brand was distinguishable.

Michael saw the unbridled wonder in the recovered Monserre's bright eyes. The Ascendants' healing capacity was superior to the average human's, which no doubt surprised his doctors when he was up and fit to continue within 48 hours. He felt the barely contained hunger in Taichechski's. It was not all egotistical. Some responded with curiosity and fascination, wariness and even fear. The last two emotions were the most sensible, but also the most detrimental. Caution was certainly due, but uncertainty bred mistakes and fear bred doubt.

Nonetheless, by the fifth day all of the men had been able to grasp the Ascendant Power 9 out of 10 times and hold it safely 7 out of 10. It was not the perfection the Dr. wanted, but he doubted it would ever exist.

Michael pushed them. Hard. He forced them to their physical and mental limits, so much so that they had neither the time nor the energy to experiment. It was a simple schedule. Eat. Learn. Sleep.

As hard as it was, he received no complaints. At least not directly. No doubt some of them harboured an abiding hatred of his relentless regime. However, the shroud of their tomb-like habitation hung heavy around them all. Every one of them wanted to be released from the cage they lived in, and their only hope was through the Ascendant Power.

On the morning of the 6th day as the 8 men assembled, Michael grasped the Ascendant Power and held a simple ball of Fire and Air in his left palm. Tony's trick had rubbed off on him. Fireballs seemed to impress people. "Today, the days of indulgence are over,"
it was of course a hyperbolic statement which delivered the intended effect. "Now, you will learn to use your gift."

Emily arrived in Siberia safe and sound and quickly traveled to the resort. Emily went straight to the front desk to check in and get to her room. She called Thomas to inform him of her arrival; she wanted to get the business out of the way.

Thomas arrived quickly - he had probably been in the bar. "Miss Shale, a pleasure."


Emily nodded and shook his hand. Thomas produced the bill and Emily examined it, noticing that is was smaller than his quoted price. He must have noticed the confusion in her face because he said, "The discount is for the issue I had."


Emily nodded and removed her checkbook. "I usually don't accept checks."
Of course - few people used them now, but Emily kept them for a few purposes.

"Do you really think my check will bounce, Mr. Romero?"


Thomas looked stunnned, but shook his head no. "A pleasure doing business with you, Miss Shale."


"Likewise, Mr. Romero."


Thomas left and Emily headed to the shower to freshen up. She changed into a pair of jeans and a light blue long sleeved shirt. It was cut lower than she usually wore, but she was feeling adventurous today, and wasn't planning on skiing yet. She just wanted a drink and some time to think things over.

Emily left and went to the resort bar, taking an empty seat at the bar. She order a cosmopolitan and sipped at it while thinking. She wondered if the Ascendancy would show up to the gala - if so - she would have to meet him personally. She shook her head, banishing the gala from her mind; one thing at a time. The envelope with the note and money in it were in her purse. She needed to figure out how she was going to ask Nox about it.

It had taken a couple days since Nox and Lucas had agreed to go to Siberia with Aria to get things situated, a flight booked, rooms and all that fun stuff that goes with planning a trip. Not to mention actually moving into her new room at Nox and Aurora's place. It felt weird to Aria living with someone else, particularly one who didn't care for her, it was amazing how used to living alone she'd become.

But today was going to be a rough day. Nox was anxious, and for good reason, the last time he had flown he fell out of the plane. Granted it had been his fault, but still that didn't make the feeling go away. Aria wasn't excited either. But for completely different reasons. Aria disliked being trapped in a confined space with that many people with no place to go. It was suffocating the last time she'd flown. It was the first and only time Aria had flown, Antoinette choosing to take her by land from then on out. It saved the panic attacks and the massive migraines.

Aria wasn't looking forward to it at all. It was the main reason she'd asked Lucas to come with her. There were other reasons she had wanted him to come, but that was the main one.

Her one bag was packed, it pretty much had everything she owned in it. And she was going to have to check her weapons. That was going to cause problems she knew, but the proper documentation was in the cases with the gun and sword. She was not looking forward to that. But it was something both she and Nox were going to have to deal with, Nox didn't need any weapons really but he still brought his crossbow, a short sword and his own gun. He rarely used any of it, but he wasn't going to be unprepared either. He was used to hunting too, they just didn't travel by air.

Aria watched Nox pace back and forth in his living room. It was still sparsely populated with folding chairs and table. But he had the TV system in place, it was almost his favorite thing in the warehouse, he still preferred the dojo and the gym to sitting and watching the wide screen TV he'd had set up complete with surround sound. The sound system itself spanned the entirety of the warehouse, speakers in every room with their own controls and various other things Aria didn't understand. She'd paid for that. Nox had picked it out though, Aria had no clue. She told him it was a thank you for the room. He had waved it off like the room was nothing, but it wasn't nothing to Aria, and he wasn't nothing. The more and more time they spent together the closer they became and Aria had a feeling that is what family was supposed to feel like.

They were waiting for Lucas to show up before the three of them headed to the airport together. Aria looked to Nox with a grim smile, "You are going to wear a rut in the floor. Sit down you are making me sick to my stomach."
The look she received was worth the comment. He cracked a real smile in the bleakness of his mood. And it had the desired effect as well, as he sat down in the bar stool closest to him and stretched out like a cat.

continued from Home Sweet Home

Aurora was lost in thought, not so much her life just in the world around her mostly. How her once large world had shrank so drastically. She used to move from place to place. Flitting around like butterflies wherever the fancy took them. And now she had a home. It felt like it was an anchor, maybe that was the problem.

Aurora's wallet beeped at her to indicate her stop was coming up and she stood up as the metro slowed in a posh neighborhood, though she was sure the metro detracted from it.

The sun was barely peeking it's head above the horizon now. It was getting light and she could see large condos all around. She whistled to herself. Diego was well off, or at least stayed at some place well off. She could only hope, not that money really mattered in the long run.

The building that she was lead up to was a rather tall white building, with the letters all in gold emblemized on the side of the marble facing the corner of the building. It was gorgeous.

A man at the door greeted her, he hadn't even bothered to ask her if she was here to see someone or not, he just opened the door.

Inside was exquisite as well. Marble and granite everywhere, chandeliers hung from the high ceilings. It was almost hotel quality, but Diego lived her - all the time she assumed. There was a front desk. The woman in a green uniform smiled at her. "Can I be of assistance ma'dam."

Aurora smiled. "Diego De La Cruz is expecting me."


She nodded "Of course, Ms. Durante." The woman nodded at the set of elevators. "First elevator on the right, all the way to the top. He's expecting you."

Even the elevator was posh, the rails were polished brass, no smudges in sight, Aurora imagined no children lived in this place. The wood paneling was gorgeously dark and had a hint of carving to them. The carpet was designed in an interesting pattern of reds. She couldn't tell exactly what it was supposed to mimic while standing on it.

The five floor rise in the elevator was quick and the ping at the top with the gush of the doors opening surprised Aurora. She almost went back down because she'd stood and stared in stunned silence as Diego's hand stopped the door before it closed completely.

Aurora grinned apologetically at him. "Sorry I was taking in the sights."
She looked down at the floor catching a hint of his clothing as she did. Everything he owned was exquisite. The white linen shirt and pants set off his tanned skin which made Aurora blush at having noticed. She looked up and past him. "You have lovely taste."

Edited by Aurora, Feb 24 2015, 02:55 PM.

Continued from

Martin walked the halls of the Atharim until he came to the large wooden door that he'd been seeking. It was a place he didn't frequent often. The tools of his trade we not usually kept in this place. A gun and a sword were all he really needed for most monsters. But gods, gods they required something special.

It was all about the tools today. More tools. He would also mention the use of his latest tool. To snuff out others like Father Store, or even gods in their halls. Maybe even wolfkin and sentients alike. He still had to test the theory and make sure the girl was reliable, but that would come. He would tame the little monster for his own purposes whether she liked it or not.

Martin opened the unlocked door and sauntered into the room. It was brightly light and very spacious. And he did not recognize a face or an item in the room. The Regus wasn't there yet, he was early for a change.


Edited by Borovsky, Feb 9 2015, 01:59 PM.

continued from

Borovsky gave her orders. Go to Siberia he said. She hadn't expected him to let her go, a rather unfruitful event but he had said to go. No other comment. She wasn't exactly looking forward to coming back and his so called assignments under his watchful eye. Nox would have to be on his best behavior.

But it was the threat to Aurora she didn't exactly want to relay, but she supposed she would have to. He left the room with her still sitting on the ground. Aria laid down in a sigh of relief. Every muscle in her body was tense. She stretched as she stood up.

It had been a very long week. Aria wanted to see Lucas. She hadn't seen or spoken to him in all the time she'd been with Borovsky. That was a little bit longer than she liked. But she texted Nox first. Told him they needed to talk and that she was free so he'd stop worrying about her. Even Lucas hadn't been so needy in replies as Nox had been. But then again Lucas didn't know the danger she had been in either.

She walked out of HQ for the first time in weeks and headed for Dueling Dragons where she knew Lucas would be. She could feel him busily working, Sergei was there too, he almost always was. Aria smiled as she opened the door, just feeling Lucas smile as he saw her made her smile grow. She had missed him a lot. "Hey stranger."



Edited by Aria, Feb 9 2015, 02:00 PM.