Fantasy St. George's School for Young Hunters (closed)

[jones573]

"Don't be silly, no one would worship you," Winona told Scarlet as though the very idea were absurd. Winona tended to forget that Scarlet- and all vampires, really- could potentially be quite frightening and even awe-inspiring creatures to those who were uninitiated in the world of the supernatural.

"That's... Kinda cool," Winona admitted. She didn't really see how an eel was able to bring rain or whatever, but she supposed the eel wasn't really an eel- That was just how the humans had decided to refer to it. (Whoever the rabbit was should have held out for a cooler animal to be named after, she thought.) "What do you bring, then?"





Alex snorted when Vlad pointed out that Agni was probably distressed that an interest in May might somehow degrade his own superiority- He thought Agni's ego could probably come up with some reason around that.

"All the same, it might be easier if-"

He cut himself off when Vlad pointed out that May was listening, and Alex offered a weak smile to him.

"Yeah," Alex had to agree with May's assessment. "Annoying is one word for it."

He paused for a moment, unsure how to articulate his frustration.

"I guess I'm just worried that his... sense of entitlement might influence his vote? Like, I know you've committed some 'serious infraction' or whatever," Alex allowed, except the world hadn't been destroyed so was it really that serious, "But I just think... He might be willing to consider it less serious, if you were dating him. As opposed to- Well, anyone else, really."

 

[Reynarda]

Scarlet lifted her nose at Winona. “I can do things humans can’t.”

“Like what?” Bram challenged.

Scarlet considered this in all apparent seriousness. “I talked to Vlad’s castle.”

“That just makes you crazy,” Devon said.

Scarlet made a face at him. “I can run really fast.”

“So useful,” Bram said.

Scarlet hissed at him, showing her teeth.

Bram just rolled his eyes before turning his attention to Agni. "So how'd you all end up in this dimension, anyway?"



Vlad raised an eyebrow, wondering if May really thought that the whole "hiding and watching" thing sounded plausible to a pair of vampires. Regardless, his work here was done. He considered himself next to useless in this department and didn't particularly want to stick around to third-wheel. And it was hot out there.

"Well," he said, stretching and rocking to his feet. "Three is a crowd. I will see you gents back in the restaurant."

Cold air escaped as he opened the door to the restaurant and slipped back inside. Agni's new knowledge of May's and Alex's relationship complicated things further. This problem had too many moving pieces and far too many unknown variables as it was. He didn't like it one bit.

Bram glanced over at him as he returned to his seat, but Vlad just shrugged and chugged his water. Bram snorted. "You gonna wear those shorts I packed you?"

At this point, in this heat, Vlad was seriously considering it. He was already wearing a t-shirt, so why not. "Has that unfortunate waitress ventured back in here? I require more iced coffee."

"You missed it," Scarlet informed Vlad. "Agni admitted he's not a god and I'm thinking about becoming the goddess of chaos."

"Delightful," Vlad said, stealing Bram's water. "But I thought you already were the goddess of chaos."

"See," Scarlet said, eying Winona pointedly.

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Agni frowned at Winona's question, shifting a little as he folded his hands on the table.

"The dragon is a protector. Grandfather prevented other monsters from terrorizing the humans here in the days of old, and he was the one who defeated the serpent when it rebelled. I was created after the serpent's vessel was made in order to prevent its awakening. My duty is to protect this island and the world from threats that it cannot handle on its own. Currently that means the serpent," he explained, though he had the feeling that the others might not like his answer. He turned and gave Scarlet a very unimpressed look. "Also this is a serious matter, and we... most of us take our duties seriously. Or we did. Many of us are just figureheads nowadays, but..."

He trailed off uncomfortably, then looked up as Vlad returned. He had no idea why the other man had left in the first place, but he decided not to bring it up.

"Please, it is not that hot. At the peak of summer the weather is far hotter than this. I am sure that you lot can survive."


May listened to Alex and nodded sagely, before crossing his arms and sitting down on the curb.

"Well, I mean, I didn't really think he thought that way," May pointed out. "And I still don't, not really. Because if he did then why would he leave? But that's not really important, because we're dating, and I'm not interested in him like that. I'm actually still pretty mad at him," he muttered out that last part, then turned to Alex and sighed. "But even if he /does/ think of me like that and want to date me, I don't think he'd ever let something like that influence him when it comes to his duties as a guardian. I mean... I know you won't like this answer, but if Agni thought that I was a threat to the world, even if we were dating, I know that he would kill me in a heartbeat. Not that he's GOING to, I mean, but like... You have to understand that the entire reason he was born was to protect people and stop the serpent. He puts that above everything else, and he takes it super seriously."

 

[jones573]

Winona allowed for a minute of consideration, then did a strange twist with her mouth that meant she was realizing Scarlet might have a point but didn’t want to concede it.



“Maybe humans would be impressed by you,” she allowed. “But no one from…. Agni’s home. They have monsters,” she added after Agni said as much. Monsters were cool, provided they were actual monsters, and not weird entities that hung around in someone else's subconscious and offered solutions on how not to kill someone. Maybe like those big ocean things from the psychic robot fighting movie. “Have you ever fought one?”



She sort of acknowledged Vlad’s reappearance, though really it was Bram’s comment that she deemed worthy of interest. “Vlad… owns shorts?”



She was having difficulty imagining it. It would be like seeing Bram in a tailored three piece suit.










“You’re right, it doesn’t make me feel much better,” Alex agreed. He disliked the idea that Agni’s vote might be influenced by something like May’s relationship status, but he wasn’t super excited that Agni’s vote was so unable to be influenced at all.



He paused, mulling it over for a bit.



“So Agni’s reaction will hopefully have been the worst- I mean, presumably the other guardians don’t need…. Certain things explained to them,” Alex said with some exasperation, his face going a bit red, “But it seems unlikely that the rest of them are going to be… Pleased, you know? About you dating, and dating an ‘outsider’ at that.”



He’d not exactly been meeting May’s eyes, but now he looked down at his feet.



“So. Maybe things would be easier, if we weren’t- You know. Dating.”

 

[Reynarda]

"Monsters, smonsters," Scarlet said. "You're forgetting that to humans, I am a monster."

"Scarlet," Bram sighed. "What have we said about using the term 'monster' to describe ourselves?"

Scarlet rolled her eyes. "Bram, I'm just making a point. Baby sis is just refusing to see that I am goddess material."

Vlad shook his head. If everyone would just agree that Scarlet would make a great goddess, she would get bored with it. It seemed that everyone had managed to get Agni to talk, though, which could prove helpful. When Bram mentioned his shorts, he found several pairs of eyes turned on him. He scowled and sipped Bram's water.

"Yes," Bram announced. "I bought them for him. I tried to get him a Hawaiian shirt, too, but he took the one May and I picked out back to the store."

Vlad rolled his eyes. Of course he had. The shirt had been so hideous he had nearly fainted and had to be revived with smelling salts.

Devon eyed his shorter guardian. "Hold up. First I had to get used to him in a hoodie, and now he's wearing a t-shirt, but now you're going to ask me to deal with him in shorts? He might look like an actual person! Does the Council know?!"

Bram snorted, slapping Devon cheerfully on the back. "Dang, Vlad, he has a point. The vampire fashion police may come after you."

Ignoring the interrogation over his shorts--which he would not be wearing now, goodness gracious--Vlad leaned over and eyed Agni. "Have you traveled much? Where I am from, it is much, much cooler than this. May had to wear about ten sweaters, a coat, and three blankets to stay warm."

 

[Mikotsuhime]

“Yes, well. All of our true forms are... rather monstrous themselves, really,” Agni said to avoid explaining that he had meant vampires and werewolves and other supernatural creatures by ‘monsters’. The island did have a small werewolf pack, but otherwise the supernatural besides the guardians didn’t really seem to get close. “I have never truly had the need to fight anyone... except for Darren, though he doesn’t count, because he only ever fights me in his human form.”

He truly didn’t see the point of the whole kerfufle about Vlad wearing shorts, but he did get one thing out of it.

“You returned a gift from the serpent?” He asked, sounding offended on May’s behalf. “How horribly rude. I have treasured everything he’s ever given me.”

He even had a little spot in his home in the other world where he kept all of them, hidden away in the caves beneath the ground. A lot of it was things like ‘this rock looks shiny!’ or ‘here take this cool piece of driftwood that looks kind of like a penis’ but they were treasured all the same.

When Vlad asked if he traveled, he puffed his chest out, clearly proud.

“I have traveled a great deal. I’ve been to five different coastal towns on the mainland. Many of them were a bit cooler than the island, but not a great deal so. I suspect the serpent’s reaction was merely because he’s cold blooded.”

Or something like that. Agni wasn’t entirely sure how humans worked in regards to those things, but snakes were cold blooded, weren’t they?



May offered Alex a little smile and a reassuring hand on his shoulder, though he took in a sharp breath when Alex suggested that they stop dating.

He wanted to break up because of this? Because Agni and maybe some of the others wouldn’t approve? Or did he just want to break up and he had been waiting for an excuse? Had he gotten tired of May so soon? But they had been friends a lot longer than they had been dating. Maybe—

“No,” May said firmly, and his hand dropped to his lap as he chewed his lower lip. “I mean, if you really want to break up, because you’re not happy or something, then... then we should, but I don’t want to break up because of Agni, or any of the other guardians, or anyone else on this stupid island! I don’t care what they think or if they are or aren’t happy about my decisions. Yeah, the stakes seem like they’re kind of high right now, but I don’t care about that. I only ever want to break up if it’s because you’re unhappy in our relationship. Not because of outsiders.”

 

[jones573]

Winona looked unimpressed to hear that the limit of Agni's monster fighting exploits was a fellow named 'Darren', even if he presumably did have a non-human form that might be more impressive. 'Darren', she thought, did not exactly have an impressive or fear-inspiring ring to it.

Nor did she look terribly impressed by his claim of traveling to a whole 'five different coastal towns' but she declined to mock him for it. "Do you have to get there by boat or can you... Go through your dimension?" That would be very convenient, if you could step out of an alternate dimension anywhere you liked. Less time in the car listening to Bram and Vlad bicker over the radio- Not that she was interested in going on more trips with them, she reminded herself.




"No! That's not it at all," Alex interrupted loudly when May suggested that Alex wanted to break up because he was unhappy. Shit, he was stupid.

"I mean- I would definitely be happier if we weren't dealing with all of this, obviously," Alex joked. "But I'm- Very happy. With you."

Everything that was happening was external factors, and not May's fault.

 

[Reynarda]

Bram wondered who the heck Darren was, and was honestly a little concerned that the dragon-whatever had never actually fought anything. He wanted to ask how Agni thought he was going to be a protector if he had no training.

But then supernaturals were like that, weren't they? They thought they could get by on raw talent, alone.

"Returned a gift?" Vlad asked, almost offended. "No! Of course not. Bram got it as a joke--"

"Bet, actually," Bram clarified.

"Anyway, he just had May pick the shirt because he knew he would pick the... brightest one." In other words, the one Vlad would like the least. "I would not have returned it had it been a gift."

"Dang it," Scarlet muttered. "I should have had him save it for Mother's Day. Then you would have had to wear it and I wouldn't have lost."

Vlad finished Bram's water and reached for the pitcher. "Ah, five coastal towns. Very nice."

Only a careful listener would have noticed the hint of sarcasm in Vlad's tone, and Bram chuckled. "And up to our home, too. That's six places."

"May is not cold-blooded," Vlad practically groaned. He had reached his limit for ridiculousness for the day. If he didn't know better, he would think Agni was in cahoots with Bram just to annoy him. "And 'cold-blooded' is not scientifically accurate. Ectothermic, yes, but he is not ectothermic."

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Agni frowned at Winona’s question, taking a sip from his glass of water.

“I had to take a boat. This body does not actually travel between dimensions; it exists only in this one. It is not actually me, more like... a puppet being controlled by my consciousness,” he explained. “I can shape it however I wish and use it however I wish, but I am just as bound by the laws of the land as you are, to an extent. The serpent, however, is capable of traveling between dimensions as he wishes. However he would still have to travel the distance to come out in a different place.”

He paused, mulling over how to explain it better.

“Think of our worlds like two layers of the same whole. The places and topography are largely the same. The area of your house, for instance, exists in my dimension, though the building itself does not.”

He still looked a little peeved about Vlad returning May’s gift, but he decided not to mention it. Instead he frowned and looked towards the doorway.

“Cold-blooded or not, he and your companion are taking a fair amount of time,” he mused just as their food arrived, a different and slightly more confident waitress bringing out the platters.


May chewed on his lower lip and nodded, though he looked at least a little happier that things weren’t his fault for once.

“I’m glad. I mean, not that this is going on, but that you’re happy with me. I was really scared for a second there.” He lightly bonked Alex on the head before leaning over and hugging him. “And I’m sorry about all this. It just... comes with the territory.”

 

[jones573]

Winona nodded thoughtfully, since his explanation did make sense, even if the practical applications weren't as cool as she'd been hoping. She greeted the arrival of the food with wide eyes and a rapid unfurling of her utensils from her napkin.

She was already several bites into her lobster macaroni and cheese before something Agni had said caught up to her.

"Wait," she said with a frown and a mouthful of cheesy pasta. "If you can shape your body however you wish, how come you're so... Scrawny?" There was probably a better way to phrase that, but it hadn't come readily, so she just gestured with her fork at the 'scrawny' parts of him. All of him, really.



Alex returned the hug gratefully and chuckled. "Eh, it's not like the Yates family is known for their distaste of drama. Or the Moraes, either," he considered. "Being who we are, it seems unlikely anything's ever gonna to be somewhat normal-ish for us."

He glanced at his watch. "I suppose we should head back soon," he said, though he wasn't really anxious to do so. "Did you really not know Agni was interested in you?"

 

[Reynarda]

Bram and Devon watched eagerly as the food was brought in. Vlad paid it little mind, instead flicking his eyes to Agni. "They will return when they are ready," he said.

"They're probably making out," Bram said through lobster.

"Abraham," Vlad groaned.

Scarlet was entirely onboard with Agni having to take boats like normal people and the dimensions being layered, but she balked at the "puppet" bit. Because that had definitely happened to May when Larry showed up. "Wait, you're not possessing someone, are you?"

"I don't think that's what he means, Let," Bram said. He glanced at Agni, hoping that was, indeed, not the case. The concern was swiftly replaced as Winona pointed out that Agni was not a large and buff person. He snickered into his cup, which he belatedly realized was empty. "Don't be hating on scrawny people. The other half of my dynamic duo is scrawny."

Vlad barely blinked at the term Bram used quite often to describe his lack of obvious muscles. "I do not need to punch somebody when I can outsmart them," he said. "And anyway, if I did, what purpose would you serve?"

Bram acted deeply wounded, clutching at his heart. "I am the hilarious optimistic one!"

"And the fun one," Devon nodded. "Like me."

"What are you talking about? You are scrawny," Scarlet said, eying Devon.

The young vampire gasped indignantly. "I have been working out!"

Scarlet grinned. "Uh-huh."

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Agni did not actually balk at Bram’s suggestion the way that one might expect he would. Instead he just looked confused.

“I’m unfamiliar with that phrase,” he said, though when Scarlet suggested he might be possessing someone he looked absolutely affronted.

“I am not possessing anyone! This body was grown by my own power and is entirely mine! I am insulted that you would even suggest such a thing,” he snapped, and then his face turned even redder in insult at Winona’s comment.

“There is nothing wrong with my chosen form! It is perfectly acceptable! Besides, I can shape it as I wish, but it tends to obey the subconscious easier than consciously choosing to be a certain way all the time. This is just what I view a human man to look like, so it is how I appear.” He huffed and glanced back to the door, debating whether he should go and get May from the bathroom or not.


May offered a little smile.

“Good, because I don’t actually know what normal is,” he said, then sighed and nodded. He was not looking forward to going back in either, but..

“No, I didn’t know,” he said with a little frown. “I still don’t know if I believe it or how I feel about it, honestly. I mean, he left me alone for five years and I’m not sure I forgive him for that. I thought it meant he didn’t even like me as a friend anymore. But anyways, even if he does like me, I like you, and that’s all that matters.”

 

[jones573]

Winona considered Agni’s defense while chewing thoughtfully. She supposed if he had grown up with May, it might make sense that he perceived people to be… short. Vlad’s chastisement of Bram’s impoliteness had reminded her that she was likely to receive similar scolding if she continued to chew with her mouth open or spoke while chewing, so she made sure her mouth was empty before she spoke again.



“So could you make that taller right now,” she asked, gesturing at his body, “Or would you have to grow a new one that would be taller?”



Being able to change shape at whim would be very convenient indeed, she thought. Just because there wasn’t anything wrong with being slight didn’t mean it wouldn’t be helpful to sometimes be less so. Vlad wouldn’t need to outsmart people if he could just intimidate them with superior size and strength for instance. Just as a preventative measure, really. No punching needed.







Alex’s cheeks went very red at May’s declaration, and he was grateful they were sitting side by side instead of face to face. He also reminded himself that he was the heir to an important vampire family, and to get it together and stop blushing all the time.



“Well,” he said. “You’ve got time to decide how you feel about it, and if you want to give him another chance to be your friend,” he decided confidently. “We’ll make sure of that.”



They’d come up with something.

 

[Reynarda]

Scarlet was more than relieved to hear Agni was not actively possessing anyone. It was a little weird to think Agni “grew” his body. She figured he didn’t mean like a plant, but now she couldn’t get the thought out of her head. Did he have to water it?

Bram stuck his fork into the fish on Vlad’s plate, and the vampire didn’t even blink. Devon was fairly used to his guardians sharing food, but it always amused him. All the humans he remembered from his pre-vampire days never shared their food with one another. Though, after seeing another culture, he also wondered if some of what they did was normal for hundreds of years ago.

Bram raised his eyebrows at Winona’s question. “I feel like that’s an unfair advantage,” he said, glancing at Vlad. “May and the rest of my shorties are stuck this height.”

Vlad sighed and picked up his water. He had long ago given up reminding Bram he had been only slightly under average height for humans hundreds of years ago. Bram pointed out that he, himself, was also born hundreds of years ago. No amount of genetics discussion had stopped Bram from gleefully reminding him of his stature.

In truth, Bram had only done it because ages ago being fairly short for a vampire had bothered Vlad. Now it was just habit.

Bram refilled Vlad’s glass before his companion could go after his water. “So, what’s your plan, Agni? We’re all here to help out. What are you going to do to help May?”

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Agni turned to Winona and frowned a little in concentration. There was a slight shimmer in the air, the same way there was when one saw a heatwave, and then he was about two inches taller.

"I can manipulate this body as much as I wish. Growing a new one takes a great deal of time and energy, and I wouldn't have to do so unless this body was killed." He tilted his head back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Though even if one did kill this body, I would not actually die. It is, after all, only a puppet."

He looked a little surprised by Bram's question, and his face scrunched up unpleasantly.

"I... I am not a part of your quest to save the serpent. I will not speak to the other guardians or offer assistance. My job is first and foremost to protect this world and its citizens. If the serpent ever became a threat to those things, I will not hesitate to kill him on the spot," he said, though rather than sounding harsh he seemed a little bit reluctant. Still, there was mettle behind his words - he had clearly already made his decision. "As long as the serpent is dormant and does not pose an active threat we have allowed him to live, however I cannot ignore his actions that put everybody in danger. Ultimately, the fate of the world itself comes higher than the fate of one man. I have not yet cast my vote because I have not yet decided if the serpent is close to awakening, or if his continued existence is something I can allow. I am taking the time of your stay to monitor him and come to a decision then."

He didn't seem much to care how his words would be interpreted by people who very clearly cared about May, though after a moment he let out a little exhale.

"However the tiger would like to meet with you, either tomorrow or tonight after dinner. Perhaps you can sway her to your side; she is always chasing after some flight of fancy or another."


May smiled gently as he clutched Alex's hand, giving it a little squeeze.

"Yeah, you're right," he said, feeling a lot better than he had before. "Are you ready to go back in now? Or we could shoot them a text and go back to the hotel. Agni would whine about it, I'm sure, but big deal."

 

[jones573]

Winona certainly didn't seem to share the other's concern over the idea that Agni might have been possessing someone. In fact, for the first time since they had met, Winona looked impressed by Agni, to such a point that probably even he might find suitably so.

"That's so cool," she said with obvious awe. "Can vampires do anything similar, I wanna learn," she said. Her interest in it was apparently enough to forget that she was angry at Vlad, because there wasn't really anyone else she might have been directing that statement towards. Devon was her age, Bram certainly couldn't teach her vampire magic, and Scarlet was.... Well. Scarlet.

Her admiration of Agni quickly dissipated, and her look turned to one of obvious annoyance, and then to something more akin to glowering. Just when she was starting to find him interesting, he had to go and open his mouth.

"Well then," she said, with a particularly vicious stab of her macroni, "How do you know to decide if he's gonna be waking up soon?"

If he wanted proof that May was safe to let live, they ought to know what that proof might look like. Even if only to fabricate it.





Alex considered for a moment.

"I mean, I guess I'm not that hungry myself," he allowed. "So if you're not either- Then I guess I wouldn't mind not going back in there."

They could get room service too, he thought, or stop at some smaller place for take-out, and eat it on the beach while the sun set or- He was getting ahead of himself. Regardless, the idea of getting to spend time with only May had a certain appeal he wasn't going to deny.

 

[Reynarda]

Vlad was tiredly fiddling with his silverware when Bram nudged him. He looked up, realizing Winona had been addressing him.

He snorted. "Some vampires can shapeshift, but none can manipulate their appearance quite like that."

Bram snickered and waved his fork. "Vlad uses his magic to grow his hair if I cut it too short."

"I do not," Vlad said, his cheeks darkening slightly. "And anyway, your familial magic lies elsewhere, Winona."

"Except that Vlad thinks living with us could change your familial magic," Bram said.

Devon sat up a little straighter, looking at Vlad with widened eyes.

"Abraham," Vlad hissed. It was just a theory, and he didn't want to give either of the twins ideas. It had been hard enough deciding he would help them learn the Von Batts family trick if either of them asked.

"Baby sis has a good point," Scarlet piped up. "How do you decide whether the serpent is rising from his ancient slumber?"

Bram glanced at Vlad when Agni mentioned the tiger. He had already forgotten which one that was. Dang it, he needed a cheat-sheet or something.

Vlad looked tired, but he gave his companion a nod.

Bram turned back to Agni. "Might as well meet the tiger tonight. Need to get as many on our side as possible."

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Agni seemed more than pleased that Winona was impressed with him.

"It is not something you can learn how to do," he said, because he did like having a bit of a leg up over them. But soon she wasn't at all enamored with him anymore, and he found himself feeling a little irritated by that. It wasn't as if he /wanted/ to be the one in this position.

"I am connected to the cage holding the serpent hostage. I can feel it if his power is too active, or if he is on the verge of breaking out. In such case I would need to execute the host immediately to prevent his escaping, however, since you lot have kidnapped him and taken him to live on the mainland, that is no longer an option," he said bitterly as he eyed May's abandoned plate. The others had been annoyed by his saying that he would steal from it, but Bram was stealing from Vlad's plate, so... He snagged a single piece of shrimp and ate it. "If he were to return home immediately, as he should, then I would be able to keep a proper eye on him. However he clearly does not wish to do so, so we are at an impass. Thus I need to decide if allowing him to continue to stay off the island in the presence of vampires is worth the risk."

He chewed his food thoughtfully.

"Henrietta said that the one she negotiated with, the lawyer, agreed to kill him immediately upon signs of the serpent waking up, but he does not live with you, nor does he have the same connection to the gates that a guardian would have, so such a promise means little. I already know that I cannot trust any of you lot to do what needs to be done. But none of this matters until we reach a vote anyways. We are currently at a tie; the tiger and I are the only ones left to cast our votes. In the case that it remains a tie, grandfather will break it, but for now the responsibility of the vote falls to me."

He hesitated, then nodded.

"We will have to visit her... shop," he said, distaste dripping off the word. "However she will not allow you," he gestured to Winona and Devon, "Or the serpent's... boyfriend.... in the storefront. You have to be eighteen years of age, otherwise it's immoral."

He puffed his chest out, clearly gloating that he was of the proper age and the others weren't. Not that he actually understood the purpose of a brothel anyways, other than that it was immoral.



May grinned.

"Yeah, I'm really not feeling it tonight. We could probably get some food later if we really need to," he said. "Unless you want to go get ice cream or something. There's a little place on the boardwalk by the beach that sells good soft serve."

 

[jones573]

"Maria learned," Winona pointed out, though she realized belatedly that 'turning into a bird of prey after centuries of magical effort' and whatever else Maria might be able to do probably fell under shapeshifting like Vlad had said. Well poop.

She wrinkled her nose at the mention of familial magics- She had enough experience letting people into her own mind and not much desire to learn to get into someone else's. And even less interest in dragons or castles or being sanctimounious, or whatever the Drakoni family had a talent for.

"No thanks," she said, to the idea of either lineages.

"My age is unknown," Winona told Agni smugly, because technically she didn't have a birth certificate, so. "And-"

She trailed off. Alex was eighteen, she was pretty sure. He'd mentioned he was older than most of the people he went to school with, because when faced with the option of sending her son off to get a formal education, Annabelle had decided he should spend another year at home instead.

So Alex could go into the shop, she was pretty sure. Which meant Winona and Devon would be left to their own devices, without Alex as a buzzkill and naysayer and general worrywart. There was some exploring she might like to do...

"Ugh, fine," she said with a pretense of exasperation, returning to her food. "Humans have stupid rules. I can drive, you know," she said with annoyance. Just because the rules said she shouldn't- And it was just a shop, so she didn't really understand why it would be so bad to just to look at car stuff, but whatever.

Wasn't that 16, though? Maybe it was a drinking shop. Or voting? Seemed weird to have a shop for voting stuff.

She wasn't too concerned, if it would give her an opportunity to do some research- At the very least she might be able to speak to Henrietta without Agni's constant supervision.






"I suppose I'm always hungry enough for ice cream," Alex agreed, helping May up from the curb. He didn't look back at the restaurant as they went down the street, and he tried not to feel guilty about it. It was easier than he'd been anticipating.

 

[Reynarda]

Vlad arched an eyebrow Winona but her expression told him he didn't need to comment. He was too hot to argue, anyway.

He flicked his attention to Agni as he explained his connection to the serpent's cage. This was interesting, and he decided to see if he could find more about it.

"Gabe?!" Bram demanded. "Of course he did. He's a lawyer. It's what they do."

Vlad felt no need to argue that he would deal with the serpent if it ever came to that. He would, but not in a way that Agni would find satisfactory. It certainly did not involve killing May. It tentatively involved Bram guilt-tripping the serpent. Bram could guilt-trip the devil, in Vlad's opinion.

"Are you aware that the lawyer Ms. Herrietta spoke to is a family friend?" Vlad asked.

"'Friend' is a bit of an overstatement," Bram muttered.

Vlad arched an eyebrow. "We had him and his over for Christmas. And we rescued his family just a few months ago."

Bram scowled, but didn't disagree.

"My point is, that if that was the agreement, I do not understand why you have changed it. He live close enough to do what needs to be done," Vlad said. It was a shaky suggestion, but he figured he might as well give it a try.

"He could move in with us," Bram said with a sigh. "Then I'd only be living with two half-vamps, a turned, and three Nosferatu--the son of the most meddling people I know, besides the vampire on my left, of course, and a lawyer. So two politicians and a lawyer. What could possibly go wrong?"

"You signed up for this when you did not kill me," Vlad said, patting his arm.

"Yeah, don't remind me." He flicked his eyes to Agni. "Her 'shop', hmm?" He grinned. "Sounds like a fun place."

Vlad was beginning to think he was not old enough to enter this "shop". But then Winona told Agni no one knew her age. He steepled his fingers and pressed the tips of his index fingers into space between his eyes.

"Winona, I was present at your and Devon's birth. We know your exact age. Neither you nor Devon are old enough to enter such a place."

Devon scowled, and Bram nudged him. "What, you didn't think Vlad would have let you go even if you were old enough, did ya? Vlad would try to wriggle out of this, himself, if this wasn't to talk to the tiger."

"No one needs to be in such a place unless necessary," Vlad said firmly.

"What are we defining as 'necessary'?" Bram asked with a grin.

"Saving May's life," Vlad said. "Yes, we will leave May, Alex, Winona, and Devon at the hotel."

Bram frowned, thinking Alex was old enough. Most likely Vlad was just giving him an excuse to spend more time with May.

"And I think it is best to go as soon as possible," Vlad sighed. Might as well get this over with.

"How exactly are you connected to the cage?" Scarlet asked Agni now that the conversation had died down a bit and she could get a word in edgewise.

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Agni huffed when the agreement with Gabe was used against him.

"I am unfamiliar with the law practices on the mainland," he admitted. "But regardless, the arrangement was made between him and Henrietta. She should not have done so without my permission, but she seems to have abused her power as my representative a fair bit in the time that I was away."

He did not sound particularly happy about that. Though when Winona brought up stupid human laws he couldn't help but grin.

"Whether you can drive or not does not matter, it only matters whether or not you are an /adult/. You're still a child, so it makes sense that you would not be allowed to enter," he said smugly, decidedly not mentioning that he himself had been relegated strictly to the back rooms and away from the entertainers for the past five years. He hadn't been back to the shop since his birthday, but eighteen was the official age of adulthood, so it didn't matter.

He turned to Scarlet when she questioned him, frowning for a moment as he mulled over his answer.

"The original eleven remaining guardians each placed a piece of themselves and their power into the cage, so that they and their predecessors would be able to maintain it. However I am... different." He paused and looked down at the shrimp in front of him on his plate. "We guardians are not like your kind. You reproduce when two individuals choose to continue your family line. We come into existence when Gaia - the world - decides that we have a purpose to fulfill. The original guardians all had distinct duties, and their successors were created to continue that legacy when they died. However my predecessor still lives."

This was probably saying a bit too much for outsiders to hear, but honestly the atmosphere had been pretty lighthearted, and it had loosened his tongue.

"I was created for the sole purpose of saving the world from the serpent. I exist solely to defeat him should he become free, and solely to prevent that from happening, if possible. As such, my very existence is tied to his power; I can feel it grow stronger or weaker to prepare me to fulfill my duty, if that is required. When the serpent is dealt with - either his vessel or his real body destroyed - I will cease to exist, and a proper successor to the dragon will be born when grandfather decides to end his life."

He didn't sound overly thrilled about his duty, but he didn't sound too depressed about it either. It was the same blase attitude towards life and death that May took - the idea that some unpleasant things were just set in stone and couldn't be changed no matter what. Seeing that most of them seemed to be done with their meals, he stood up and nodded to the waitstaff, who took their plates silently.

"We should go now, then, as long as you are finished. The bill will be taken care of and I will show you to the shop."



May grinned as he took Alex's hand and hauled himself up. He was already feeling better than he had since Agni had first showed up.

"Great! I'll just shoot Bram a text so he knows where we are..." he mumbled as he pulled out his phone and shot off the message. Once done, he turned it off and slid it back into his pocket as he lead Alex down towards the beach. It wasn't quite as busy as it would be in the summer, but there were still plenty of tourists around.

"Man, I wish my swimming trunks weren't at my dad's place, or we could go for a swim after we finish our ice cream," he mused as he spotted the ice cream cart in the distance. "Hey, Alex, you know how to surf?"

 

[jones573]

What did he mean, he was present at their birth? Winona glowered in Vlad's direction and bit down on her own tongue to stop the several half-formed thoughts that occurred to her in rapid succession- Mostly that if the statement was not a lie to support any number of their other lies, then he had done a piss-poor job of preventing her from being kidnapped.

She had finished her macaroni and cheese, and turned to the communal plate of assorted shellfish. It was sort of fun, getting them out of their buttery shells.

"Sounds like a shit deal for you," Winona told Agni with a frown as she licked her fingers. "Should renegotiate that," she advised.

"Can I take the rest of this back to the hotel," she asked, eyeing the leftovers.



Alex chuckled. "Dad and I took lessons on a vacation once when I was younger, maybe I was 11- I think I mostly fell down a lot," he admitted. Annabelle had joined them afterwards and been far better than either of them, despite having not attended the lesson, and Matt had shown a preference for snorkeling since.

 

[Reynarda]

Both Scarlet and Vlad listened intently to Agni's explanation of his role and duties among the guardians. Vlad declined to comment, but Scarlet whispered, "Dang."

Bram frowned, as well, wondering if he should have a chat with this Gaia person. If Gaia was Mother Earth, Mother Earth was a jerk.

"But, like..." Scarlet eloquently started. "You don't have to do what you were made for." She glanced at Bram and Vlad. "I mean, I was the prototype for Nazi super soldiers, but I ditched that real fast." She looked around the table. "Really, that's what this family is. A bunch of people who were supposed to be one thing but decided not to be."

Vlad smiled slightly. This was the first time Scarlet had ever expressed something like that. "I do not think these guardians align with our family's ideals."

Scarlet scowled. All this born-for-whatever was making her insides itch.

Bram pulled out his phone. After glancing at it, he showed it to Vlad. The vampire nodded, and Bram tucked it back away. It hadn't taken long before everyone learned not to text Vlad. Bram had had to explain that Vlad drained his phone's battery on purpose so that Devon would not be offended.

Vlad bristled at the news they would not be paying, but Bram just stood. "Awesome. Let's get going, then. Yes, Win, you can ask for a box."

Scarlet sighed. She was still concerned about Agni's singular purpose in life. It definitely made his crush on May all the more odd, in her opinion. But there was noting for it. "Do you want me to babysit?"

"Whatever you prefer," Vlad said, guessing she was trying to get out of going.

"I'd better keep on eye on that one," Scarlet said, pointing to Devon.

Devon scowled at her. He was the good twin, here. And in his opinion, he was one of the best-behaved teens on the group. Besides the joy ride, that didn't count.

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Agni scrunched up his nose at Winona's statement.

"It is not a 'shit deal', it is a great honor to have such an important duty," he said, though he sounded more like he was repeating something he'd been told many times in the past than something he actually believed.

He was a bit surprised by Scarlet's statement, but he simply sighed and shook his head.

"There is a difference between escaping from a cruel fate and avoiding a sacred responsibility," he pointed out. After all, if he avoided his responsibility, people would die. That would be his greatest failure as a guardian. So he would do what needed to be done, regardless of how he personally felt about it.

Once the waitress brought Winona the box for her shellfish, Agni huffed.

"I have no idea where the serpent went to," he muttered, clearly displeased. "But I have no intention to wait for him. You know the way back to your lodgings, correct?" He asked, raising one eyebrow as he led them to the front of the restaurant. The waitress bowed her head in deference as they passed.

Once outside, he pointed down the street towards the hotel.

"Children should go that way," he instructed, then turned and headed down a side street, leading Bram and Vlad through twisting alleyways and back lanes until he ended up at a somewhat sleazy looking storefront. There was a neon sign that wasn't yet turned on seeing as the sun had yet to go down that read 'Tiger's Den', and Agni walked up rather unashamedly and knocked on the locked front door.

After a few moments a woman answered, looking tired and a little mussed up. She was wearing pajamas and her eyeliner was smudged, her hair was messy, and she yawned as she opened the door.

"We're closed right now-- Oh, little dragon!" She exclaimed, immediately brightening up. "You're back! And you brought friends," she added, her eyes travelling to Vlad and Bram. She checked them out for a second before cheerfully turning on her heel. "The Tiger is in the back, I'll go get her."

She let the trio into the store, which was decorated with velvet couches and silk curtains and hanging lamps. It matched the storefront in how it definitely wasn't hiding what it was. There was a bar in the corner, along with a stripper pole, and a hallway that led to an assortment of back rooms.

A few minutes after their guide retreated down a different hallway, another woman came out, looking far more collected. She was wearing a business suit and her auburn hair was cut into a short bob, just about reaching her chin. She raised her eyebrows the second she saw Agni, and jabbed her thumb down the hallway.

"You know the rules, little dragon. Back room only," she said firmly, and Agni pouted indignantly, crossing his arms.

"I am an adult, now. I should be allowed in the front," he argued, but she just repeated the action, giving no room for argument.

"You're not an adult until you're at least 200. Back room. Go say high to the girls, they'll be happy to see you."

Agni still looked like he wanted to argue, but after a very pointed look he gave in and slunk down the hallway to the back. The tiger watched him until he disappeared around a corner, then turned to size up Bram and Vlad with a calculating look in her eye.

"You must be the two outsiders who took our little serpent," she assessed, tilting her chin up as she looked at Vlad. "You're smaller than I expected."



May grinned.

"Aw, and here I thought we could try it together," he hummed, swinging his arms back and forth. "We could go snorkelling or diving, or we could go down to the caves together. It's really cool down there! Or we could just sit on the beach."

They reached the ice cream cart, and May dug around in his pocket for his wallet.

"Any particular kind you want?"

 

[jones573]

"Yeah, so much of an honor, that you get offed for performing the 'sacred duty'," Winona pointed out. "Or erased or whatever," she allowed.

"You know, it prolly didn't have to be that way," she considered. "That your life is tied to his. But it's much more convenient for them- Make a mess cleaner dependent on the mess, no loose ends, easy to ignore once it's all done."

She didn't say aloud that Agni might want to wonder what else about his life (and the entire situation in general) had been done for convenience, but her tone was certainly skeptical as she snapped shut the lid on her overstuffed box.




"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she grumbled with an eyeroll once the 'children' separated from their elders, and turned down the main road towards the hotel as instructed. She continued that way even after the others were out of a sight, and then a few minutes more.

Then she pulled out her phone. Maybe she should stop giving Alex so much grief over being an anal-retentive, worry-wart over-preparer. He'd made sure to send them all an email with the details of the trip, which was helpful. It had the flight gates and times, how much their carry-ons could weigh, the information for the hotel reservation, addresses of everyone they knew locally....

"If you're going back to the hotel," Winona told her siblings, "Could you take this?"

She held up the box of food, an invitation for them to either let her do as she pleased, or join her in her plan. "I'm gonna go talk to Henry. Maybe May's dad, too."

She'd have to see how it went, time-wise.




"You lived here your whole life and never tried surfing?," Alex said, a bit flabbergasted. He'd assumed May would've had the opportunity to try it at least a few times. Maybe they ought to try it soon, if it was something he wanted, since - Well. That got dark fast.

"I think if you got me on a surfboard now, most people would think it was my first time," he assured May. "Any of those sound fun, though- It must have been a blast, having all of this to explore as a kid," he said.

"I'm leaning towards pistachio," Alex said after surveying the options. "But I'm open to suggestions if you have a recommendation."