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The doorbell ringing had Damon reacting like he'd just heard funeral bells at a church. He peered slowly over in the direction of the door, his expression forcibly blank but his tense body posture revealing that he knew that starting the moment Jae walked through that door and thought anything at all about his interest for him...Shadow, being oh so curious about their guest, would catch onto it at once. And the fireworks would promptly begin, even if they started out slow and foreboding before exploding...
Alfie seemed to feel cold without Gian by his side. He shifted uncomfortably, but he did start leaning to the side ever so slightly to try and catch a glimpse of their intended dinner guest. Like Gian, he was startled by Jae's good looks--he wasn't startled by Shadow's because he had been with him so long...but to see a human as attractive as that...it was odd, indeed. He tilted his head curiously when suddenly, Jae's interest seemed to be piqued by him. He blinked when he suddenly quickly made his way toward him, and then he shrunk away a little when he started circling him. The naga was thankful for Gian's intervention, as he clung to the human and nestled his head against his nest. He took the time to study Jae up-close with curious crimson eyes. On the couch, Léan was fixing Jae with a cold, hard, flat stare. It was a stare that said he clearly wasn't welcome, at least in the siren's opinion. At the moment, he had legs, so...he didn't look strange. But it didn't make him look any less threatening in the least with that terrifying stare of his. As Shadow finally took notice by Jae--intrigued by his good looks, of course--Damon shrunk down a little bit, eyes on the floor. He was trying to make himself as small as possible so that Jae wouldn't notice him when Shadow finally...yes, there he went. Fluidly, Shadow slid his way around the table and approached Jae, elegantly extending his arm. "Good evening. My name is Shadow--I am the leader of this family." Thankfully, as Jae hadn't had any incriminating thoughts about Damon yet, the fallen angel was not aware of his...well, intentions. |
Gian was feeling quite proud Alfie had clung onto him. That should show this stranger, Jae, enough that he shouldn't be staring at people or in Alfie's case, creatures, so crudely like that. Jae turned to look at Hebs who'd just smiled at him and he blinked at the shiver that crept up his spine. Was someone staring at him so coldly and hard? Yes. Yes, there was. When he'd turned to see the strangely beautiful man on the couch with his partner on his side, propped up on an elbow, he couldn't help but quickly look down. He looked unwanted. But, wasn't he invited over by Hebs?
When someone had come over to him, though, and he'd seen that hand, he blinked at it for a second or two before he'd looked up. Like anyone else, his gaze was glued to the beautiful man. There was almost something ethereal emanating from him. It was strangely appealing. The pat on his shoulder caught him out of his trance and he felt his cheeks flush a bit in embarrassment when his head had to be forced to look away at Hebs. "Shadow is our ringleader, our father of the sorts. You'll see Gian there, a human, with his partner, Alfie, the naga." Jae turned to look at them and smiled a little sheepishly in apology. Gian was quick to grin, though, to bounce back and he held out his hand. Jae took it with a bright smile that only made him all the more beautiful. "You're really pretty. You sure you're a guy?" Jae chuckled lightly and he turned to look at Alfie. "I'm sorry and yes, I am a guy." Hebs continued on with the introductions. "On the sofa there is Kratos, our life man, and Léan, the siren. Long story short, that necklace gave him those legs. Without them, he'll have a fin." Jae's interest piqued but the look Kratos sent him made Jae turn to look worriedly back at Hebs. Hebs only chuckled. "They're not to be bothered or messed with so don't worry." Giving him a pat on the head, he motioned to himself, "I'm Hebs, of course, and over there is Damon." There it was. Jae's obviously interest sparked at the sight of Damon and his cheeks colored a bit as he meekly bowed his head in greeting at Damon. "It's a pleasure meeting all of you." He smiled again and turned to look at them all, bowing deeply to be respectful of them. It's a hard habit to break. |
The look on Shadow's face when Jae reacted so strongly to his looks was promising--he seemed quite amused and was basking in the feeling while Gian held out his hand for Jae. Alfie was unsure, at first, but then he awkwardly stepped forward and stopped hiding behind Gian. Not sharing Alfie's desire to make new friends, Léan stayed firmly put on the couch, shifting a little, snuggling closer to Kratos as if silently asking for his protection.
Damon's shoulders slowly rose up to his chin before dropping down at once when Jae turned his way. The coloring of his cheeks was not lost on the wheelchair-bound musician, and he was silently hoping that Shadow's reaction would at least be watered down because the rest of his family was around. Or, even better, that he wouldn't take notice. Unfortunately for Damon, Shadow did take notice. The change in his expression was minute, barely noticeable--his right eye twitched and the pleasant smile on his face drooped ever so slightly. He wrapped his arms around himself slightly before turning toward the table. "Shall we eat, then? We wouldn't want the food getting cold." Hebs, of course, would be able to notice the gloomy thoughts starting to cloud Shadow's mind, as the physical changes weren't so obvious. Alfie didn't notice at all--it seemed that Shadow wasn't angry, just yet. He was annoyed, for sure, and possibly upset...but not angry. Not yet. The naga slithered his way after Shadow, reaching out to tug on Gian's arm. "Come oooonnn. Fooooood," he complained. Irritated by the naga's whining, Léan slowly sat up from his curled-up position with Kratos. He still needed help walking, so...he was counting on Kratos to assist him. |
Hebs had seen that change in Shadow's look and he let Jae move on ahead as he reached out to put his hand on Shadow's lower back. "You're pouting like a kid," he whispered quietly to him as he leaned in to kiss him lightly on the cheek, "I don't like anything to happen here, if you will." Gian put the box of cake in the middle of the table before he'd moved to sit beside Alfie. Hebs, on the other hand, took the seat between Damon and Shadow. Across him was Jae. Gian had offered his seat.
Kratos grunted. He didn't like this Jae. He was giving his lover a longing look and that, to him, was sheer rudeness. Léan was his. Shifting to sit up and get off the couch, the life man offered his arm to help the merman and smiled. Léan was looking beautiful as ever. He was just tempted to take those luscious lips for a kiss. Jae had stolen a glance at Damon's way and he noticed the way the other's chin was dropped down. It was like he was hiding from someone. That made him wonder as he looked at the food Hebs, Damon and Shadow had prepared. His eyes widened and they had sparkled, visibly so. "They all look so delicious!" he said, feeling awfully insecure now. Will his cake be all right? "I made a special cake but... I didn't have enough money to buy the ingredients. I hope all of you will like it." Hebs smiled at that and he nodded once. "Shadow, Damon and I prepared this all for you and it's all right. No matter the size of the cake, what matters is the blood and sweat you've put in making it right?" Jae felt his cheeks darken a little in embarrassment. "Y-Yes. Thank you, Hebs." |
Alfie immediately chose a seat next to Gian--he wanted to be close to his dear human, after all. He didn't even hesitate--he started to pile generous helpings of food on his plate. Even in the presence of company, Alfie was never polite at the dinner table. Shadow would typically scold him if they had guests, but this time, he let him go. The fallen angel was too focused on other things. He paid little attention to Hebs' attempt to distract him, as he only hummed softly and then turned to tromp slowly toward his seat at the head of the table.
Damon and Shadow both waited until everyone--including poor Léan on his unsteady feet. He obviously wasn't that skilled with walking just yet, as he leaned heavily on Kratos when the arm was offered to him and stumbled and tripped his whole way over to the table. His face was red hot by the time he did reach the table, as he was terribly embarrassed. Once the siren had arrived at the table, Damon and Shadow both began carefully piling food on their plates. Shadow did so a little more slowly, a blank look on his face. He was now keeping a very close eye on Jae's thoughts. If he kept obsessing like this, there was a chance that he might be rude and make a nasty comment. |
Hebs started to fill both Damon's and Jae's plates. "Shadow, did you know Jae baked the cakes you guys ate that day?" he asked with a smile as he patted Shadow's plate, "And, you should start eating. The food isn't good when it's cold." Jae thanked Hebs with a smile and he returned his gaze back to his food. Was Damon okay? It really looked like he was afraid something was going to happen. "You too, Jae." The beautiful boy's gaze snapped back up and he flushed visibly so as he smiled sheepishly. "Y-Yes." It was apparent in his thoughts that he was worried about Damon.
Hebs and surely Shadow knew it. Kratos leaned in to kiss his siren on the side of his neck before he'd patted his leg. Filling up the siren's plate with mostly of the fish section, he took a few sample of each dishes to his plate. "You're making everyone uncomfortable, Shadow. Stop that." The fallen angel was obsessing over nothing, really. Jae was a wimp. He doubted he could make a move that would hurt anyone unlike Gian. "It's annoying." Gian had filled his own plate as well and watched everyone on the table. It seemed pretty awkward. What was going on? |
"I'm not doing anything," was Shadow's curt, hollow response to Kratos' words. Despite his preoccupied thoughts, he did as Hebs asked and started to dig into his food. The food was sure to distract him for a bit...even if it wasn't very long. He hummed as a response to Hebs' words about the cakes. He was highly irritated, but because his family was around him, he was holding back most of his harsh words.
Damon sighed quietly, lifting his head up as confidently as he could while he ate. Eventually, as the minutes passed, Damon slipped back into his natural, normal behavior, not nervous in the least. Unfortunately, this only made Shadow even more wary, as he now kept a close eye on Damon, as well. Léan initially started to eat with his hands, but when the food was too hot to lift up with his fingers, he awkwardly started using the silverware beside his plate. He didn't like silverware at all, judging by the way he was stabbing inexpertly at his food. He did get the hang of it, though, after watching everybody else for a while. Alfie's eating had slowed considerably. He was now looking between everyone sitting at the table. Finally, the naga had noticed that something was wrong with Shadow. Even though Shadow was restraining himself, Alfie could tell. He swallowed nervously and shifted his chair a little closer to Gian. |
Kratos rolled his eyes. He didn't say anything else, though, and watched Léan eat his food. He'd occasionally stop to help cut the fish into smaller pieces so the other could enjoy it a little more. Hebs was well aware of Kratos' intention and he was thankful for it. Jae was already feeling the discomfort as he squirmed once in a while in his seat. He would've had tried to help him calm down by patting his knee. But, he was far away so he'd decided to settle with a short conversation. "How're things at the cafe?" he asked as he smiled. Jae finally looked up. Though there was that slight look of being unsure, there was determination in his eyes. It seemed like Jae was not going down without a fight tonight.
That was bad, in Hebs' opinion. "Things are okay. I've made a few new cakes. I thought I'd have you and your family try it after dinner." Turning to look at Shadow, he added, "I hope you guys will enjoy it." Hebs gave a little chuckle. "We did enjoy your chocolate cake. This is moist, I assume?" Jae shook his head. He started talking about the differences between the two. He also made mention about a 'special ingredient' that he had growing in his backyard. It's a rare plant, he says. One that can only grow in special conditions. Gian had noticed Alfie moving closer to him and he reached out with a hand to rub Alfie's leg a bit. He listened to Jae, amazed and in awe. So, this was the guy who'd baked the chocolate cake. Maybe they could befriend him and get free cake? Jae looked kind. Maybe, he is kind. "If it's not moist, what kind of cake is this?" Jae blinked and turned to look at Gian before he'd smiled brightly. That seemed to emphasize the boy's beauty. It made Gian smile, too. "You'll find it out when you taste it, Mr. Gian." |
Léan frowned and shooed Kratos' hands away whenever he started cutting up his bits of fish. The siren didn't like feeling helpless, and though he was clearly thankful for his dear human's assistance, it made him feel embarrassed being helped in such a way in front of the whole family. He was a lot like an awkward teenager in this sort of situation.
Damon noticed that determination in Jae's eyes, too. Inwardly, he groaned, knowing that sooner or later Shadow was going to make some snide comment that would get someone else at the table going...at which point, Shadow would find it acceptable to 'defend himself' and react in a selfish and childish way. He knew it was going to happen if dinner lasted longer than a few more minutes. He was just hoping it wouldn't be too bad. The musician tilted his head slightly at the mention of cake. "I would like to try some later," he declared, seeming interested. Shadow was clearly uncomfortable in his seat. The pointed and flat looks he was getting from Damon weren't helping to cool his nerves--if anything, Damon was unintentionally making it worse. Shadow thought of Damon as a fragile child who needed protection, and like any parent, if his 'child' acted out against him, it just made the situation worse. He was not happy at all, but for now, he was holding his tongue. The only reason for feeling the small bit of guilt at his behavior was sitting across the table near the other end of it... Alfie. Alfie was obviously not happy about Shadow's current behavior. He was so, so terrified of his anger even if it wasn't directed at him...if Shadow lost his temper, Alfie would be upset. In a way, the naga was helping to keep the fallen angel under control even if he didn't know it. Alfie simply continued to eat, not wanting to talk at all for fear of making things even more uncomfortable. |
Kratos looked a little disappointed when Léan had pushed his offered help away. Not that that was new. The siren did often do things on his own. It just made him sad that Léan didn't ask him to do things for him as much as he would with a tail. But, at least, he didn't have to worry about his scales drying or the other's fin moving around randomly. He did miss the latter for some odd reason. That was an indicator for him to know how Léan was feeling and all.
Jae turned to look at Damon and he looked gleeful at his words. "Yes!" The male, this time, happily ate his food. He was looking forward to having them taste his cake. Hopefully, he could get good critiques so he could start selling it in the cafe he's working at. His boss was pretty pushy when it came to him having to concoct cakes. They weren't easy but Jae was a creative man when it came to pastries. That was a plus with him and something he'd honed ever since he was young. It was the only reminder he had of his beautiful mother, as well. Hebs was well aware of the way Shadow was looking at Damon and he had to sigh. Shadow was, indeed, acting like an overprotective father. Damon was well past his centuries and though he may not look like it, he would've had surely matured then. His soul, after all, had been roaming about. Now that he was reminded of it, he turned to look at Kratos. Had Kratos found any solution on this? Damon should be walking right now. It had been a full month. When Kratos had met his eyes, he grunted and he turned to look away. Hebs knew that was going to happen, though and he resumed eating. He had finished his plate off first. Cleanly, too. "Tonight's food is delicious," he exclaimed, happily, before he'd excused himself to go get the small plates so he could serve them each a slice of cake. Gian ate his food quietly, too, and continued to observe the others. He'd occasionally spark up a topic with Jae who answered him more than happily with a bright smile on his lips. Jae was really beautiful. |
Léan frowned slightly when he noticed Kratos' disappointed look. He set his silverware down slowly and then leaned against him, nestling his head on the human's shoulder. It was an open invitation for him to cut up the fish and to teach him how to properly use silverware. He hadn't realized that Kratos liked babying him so much...well...if it made him happy, the siren wasn't going to protest. He didn't like not knowing what exactly he was supposed to do with the silverware when he was in front of others, after all...
Shadow's hands tightened dangerously around his silverware as he ate and his eyes narrowed a very small fraction after Damon spoke and Jae reacted so enthusiastically. It was another unpleasant sign. It was likely that the moment dinner was done for good, dessert and all, he was going to say something...even if it was slightly rude, someone was sure to reprimand him for it. And Shadow...he would snap. Damon, typically patient and sweet to a fault, was finding himself starting to grow tired and very, very annoyed at Shadow's behavior. It would be even worse for the two of them to bicker than it would be for Shadow to just have a tantrum all on its own. Someone might have to referee... Alfie cleared his throat after a long silence. He wanted to ease off some of this awkwardness. He attempted to start up some conversation with the tense-looking Damon on the other side of the table. Damon was not in the mood to talk, but he did quietly respond to Alfie's words just so he didn't seem rude. |
The feeling of Léan nestling that head of his on his shoulder made him blink for a second or two before he'd turned his head towards him and smiled a very faint smile. He went back to cutting the other's fish for him and quietly taught him how to use the silverware. It boosted Kratos' self-esteem when Léan leaned onto him. He loved helping him, apparently, and would probably be treating him like a king. If he knew what he was doing, he would've had been embarrassed. But, that was the life man for Léan. Only to Léan.
Once Gian had finished with his food, Jae did as well and he leaned back with a satisfied look on his face. "Shadow, Hebs and Damon must be a very good cook," he started before he'd smiled brightly, "The food is very delicious." He would've had gone for a second helping but his stomach disapproved of it. He didn't want to get a stomach ache, either, for eating too much. Hebs had just finished slicing up the cake when the others had finished and he handed each one a slice. It looked good and smelled good. Hebs couldn't pinpoint, though, what that mystery smell was. It was like he'd mixed two things in together. Or, is that three? It was a mystery and a good one at that. Hebs returned back to his seat and took a forkful of his own slice. A blissful look touched his face and a smile immediately took his lips. "I commend you for creating this, Jae. Are you selling it yet?" he asked as he noted that something was lacking. There was that sweetness, the bitterness all together. "How much milk did you put?" he asked him. Jae seemed to have noticed it too at the first bite and he felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment. "I didn't have money to buy more. I finished up the last of what was left in my fridge." Jae lived alone. He had been living alone and had been fending for himself. He did mentally beat himself up for making such a small mistake. The cake could've had been perfect! Gian, nonetheless, didn't look like he missed the taste. It still tasted good and it was obvious on his face. |
Léan was finding himself wondering just how much Kratos' personality would change if they remained together like this--it seemed that the human had changed so much in such a short span of time. He was much friendlier and he even smiled more. The siren liked the way he was changing, obviously, because he didn't once complain about having Kratos baby him now once he saw how happy it made him. He was thankful for the help with the silverware--it was apparent in his expression as he started using the utensils as Kratos has directed.
"Oh, I'm a terrible cook," was Damon's response to Jae's words. He actually looked a little embarrassed. "I can't cook for myself at all unless I'm making vegetable or fruit-only dishes..." When Damon had been alive so many years ago, Shadow had always been the head chef of the family and was in charge of making meals. Damon had picked up on a few of his basic skills, but anything more advanced than that was always lost on him. He had decided that cooking was just not his thing. "Of course I'm a good cook..." Shadow's words were the slightest bit unfriendly. He had calmed down slightly, but now it seemed his childishness knew no bounds--every time Damon spoke to Jae or Jae spoke to Damon, it just annoyed him even more. Damon turned his eyes on him at once, narrowing them in a very unusual fashion for him. It was hard to irritate Damon, but Shadow's bad behavior, when he did display, was always a surefire way to get him going. Shadow, as he started wolfing down his slice of cake, had a very serious staring contest with Damon. Alfie didn't seem to notice that anything was missing at all, either--he found the cake utterly delicious. He had his eyes closed through his first few bites. When he did open his eyes, the first thing he saw was the mounting tension between Damon and Shadow. If the two of them fought...now, that wasn't going to be good at all considering how fragile Shadow's temper was when it came to Damon. |
Much friendlier? To Léan only, of course. Kratos couldn't find himself being friendly to any of the freak members not unless it's something about his powers. He'd been thinking about Damon's legs, of course, and Kain. He'd even been talking with Hades a few minutes that's well past midnight when the darker beings were easier to communicate with.
Jae blinked as he looked surprised. "Oh," he started before he'd rubbed the side of his neck. Well, that didn't matter, did it? He smiled brightly nonetheless. "At least you can make something. I can't make anything but sweets." He looked absolutely embarrassed as he laughed nervously and turned to look at Shadow. The showdown between the two was something he'd noticed but didn't really pay any attention to. He didn't think he should. "That's nice. I wish I could cook... instead of buying out..." Gian noticed the words Jae had mumbled under his breath and he turned to look at him, blinking. "You live alone?" Jae nodded and took another forkful of his cake. "Sob story aside, I'm really happy with my life but I guess..." He glanced in Damon's way and then looked back down at his cake. "It'd been nicer if I, at least, knew my parents." Gian gave him a little pat on the back and turned to look at Shadow and Damon. Blinking, he worriedly looked at Hebs who'd sighed and turned to look at Damon and then at Shadow. "Could you and Shadow please finish your cakes first?" |
"Why?" was Shadow's curt response to Hebs as he chomped down on his cake. He didn't even look at Hebs when he spoke--no, he was too focused on staring Damon down. Both he and Damon were incredibly stubborn, but Shadow was the only one out of the pair who was also incredibly selfish and childish. Damon also ate his cake, but much more slowly. He kept his eyes on Shadow, too. It wasn't long before they had both finished their slices of cake.
Léan grumbled in an irritated way as he ate his fish. He hated it when Shadow acted like a child--it was one of the only things that the siren did not like about the fallen angel besides his tendency to be highly perverted like Alfie was. And speaking of Alfie...the naga could feel that there was going to be a fight of some kind. But whether it was between Shadow and Jae or Shadow and Damon was yet to be seen. Would Shadow really fight Damon? Could he? It was doubtful, as Shadow had always seen Damon as this frail, fragile flower that needed to be constantly protected. He thought he was protecting Damon now by acting this way and being antisocial... |
Hebs blinked. This was, perhaps, the first time he'd seen the fallen angel so childish. It would've been amusing if it didn't involve their guest, Jae. Jae pursed his lips a little. He wanted to speak up, to defend himself but he doubted that that would do any good. Hebs put his hands on the table and pushed his chair back. "Shadow, please come follow us." Smiling at Jae as if he were silently reassuring him, the snake man moved to the back of Damon's wheelchair and started wheeling him outside. If they had to talk, they were going to talk far away from the other members of the family, especially Alfie who looked like he was going to hide under the table.
That would certainly be a bad move considering the table cover was a long one. The food and plates could topple over if Alfie was quick and doing the hiding without thinking. Once they were out the gate, Hebs was quickly reminded of the coats. It was a cold night. Apparently, he'd forgotten to get something to warm Damon up at least. "It'll be fine," Gian started as he put his hand on Jae's back and rubbed him lightly, "I don't see why Shadow should be mad when you mean well." Jae gave a small smile as he rubbed his arm. Did he really mean well? When he accepted this dinner to get to know more about Damon and his family? |
Shadow seemed annoyed beyond belief that Hebs was taking Damon away, as it ended their pointless staring contest. Damon, on the other hand, was relieved. He didn't like conflict--he was a pacifist and idealist who hated violence. So, at the very least, he was hoping that Hebs would be able to calm Shadow down.
Shadow stood up from his chair at once to follow them outside. He didn't seem bothered by the cold in the least. Damon didn't like the cold, though--within minutes of Hebs wheeling him out past the gate, he started to shiver. He really was frail, at least physically. But Damon didn't like being babied at all by Shadow, something that the fallen angel still did not understand even after all of these years. He didn't need Shadow's protection. Shadow folded his arms across his chest, staring moodily at Hebs. "What?" Alfie watched as Shadow left, looking clearly uncomfortable. "...I hope Shadow doesn't lose his temper. He might lash out and hit one of them..." he murmured, seeming fearful. |
Hebs was well aware of the look Shadow was giving him and he gave him a look. "I don't see what's wrong with Damon meeting other people," he started before he'd pursed his lips, "Why do you keep protecting him and restricting him from gaining friends from outside of the circle?" By 'circle', he had meant family. Of course, he also wanted to protect Damon like he does for everyone in the freak family but not to the extent of locking Damon away and literally scaring away everyone that only meant well.
Jae's eyes snapped back up when he'd realized that Damon had left the house without a coat on. He wasn't sure why but when he liked someone, he paid them even more attention. Apparently. Downing the rest of the his water, he was just about to stand up when Gian had held his hand. "Where are you headed to?" he asked him, a slight frown coming up to his features. Jae looked embarrassed. His cheeks were dark in color. He was worried about Damon and Hebs. After all, they had only meant well when they'd invited him over for dinner. "Is it... because they invited me here?" the beautiful boy asked as he slumped a little. He didn't want anyone to get hurt at all. |
"I do not know that man. Therefore, I cannot trust him." It might have been different, in Shadow's eyes, if Jae had been around him a little longer so that Shadow could get to know him better. But he would probably still be acting immature because he knew that Jae harbored budding feelings for Damon. Damon seemed to know this, though, and he spoke up at once. He was quiet, but his voice was firm.
"You would be acting like this anyway," he retorted flatly. "You're so old, yet you act like such a child when you're in a difficult place. You acted the same at my revival for a while. I am NOT helpless. I can fend for myself. You need to let me go and stop trying to leash me in." Shadow growled under his breath. He was teetering on the point of losing his temper--his hands were starting to shake. One more thing...one more thing could send him over the edge. "Shadow can read minds..." Léan had spoken up, as he'd now finished his plate of fish. "...and he must have seen something he did not like. It must have something to do with Damon, as Shadow is very protective of him." As usual, the merman wasn't that adept with seeing romantic advances if they were subtle. Alfie, though, had noticed. "Oh..." He suddenly shrank away, looking like he understood. "You like Damon, don't you? That's what's setting Shadow off, then.." |
Jae's face couldn't have gone any redder. Gian was shocked and he had let go of Jae's hand in the process. "I'm sorry," was the only reply he could give before he'd started to take off his coat, "But I really do like him. I just... I don't want to suddenly jump into it. I want to be his friend, know him better." Jae gave a deep bow to all of them before he'd smiled brightly. "I should give Damon my coat. I'll be back again." With that, he left the villa to come into the three who looked like they were having a conversation that couldn't be cut into. The first thing he did was put his jacket around Damon's shoulders and turned to look up at Shadow.
"I admit I do like Mister Barrow but I don't intend to be anything but his friend first." It was only customary, after all. Friendship first and then the relationship followed. That was how things were supposed to be so it'd make things much less painful should things not work out the way they should be. Kratos hummed. "So he could be childish too," he said under his breath before he'd shook his head. Shadow may look old but he sure was childish should things not go his way. Somehow, he didn't hold respect for the latter. He'd rather the mature one, the perverted and noisy one. Gian looked back at Alfie and put his hand on his lap. "You think he'll be okay?" he asked, worriedly. If need be, he was going to go out there and help out. Jae was a good guy. From what he'd heard a while ago, he really did mean well. |
The very moment that Jae draped his coat around Damon, the virtuoso relaxed back into his chair and pulled the coat tighter around himself. He dropped his hands down to the wheels of the chair, though, when Jae began to speak to Shadow. He knew it wasn't going to end well.
Shadow's entire body tensed, and his expression darkened considerably. As it was with the merman's past owner, looking at Shadow's face right now...it looked like the horrible, merciless power of heavenly judgement was pouring out from the infuriated look on his face. The child he was being right now didn't want to hear reason--he was right and no one could change that! And anyone who tried... He took a step forward, one of his arms starting to lean back. Immediately, Damon sat up straighter in his wheelchair and glowered at Shadow. The fallen angel stopped short where he was, fixing those terribly angry eyes on him. "Move," he demanded in a low, threatening voice. Damon did not move his chair--instead, he just sat there. He was challenging Shadow. He knew that the man would not strike him. And Shadow couldn't. He turned away from them all for a moment and then turned back, his eyes sliding from Jae to Damon...and then to Hebs. They softened slightly at the latter, but not enough to indicate that he was going to calm down anytime soon. He strode forward, slipping between Hebs and Damon's chair, and back into the villa. He passed right by the dining room, not stopping, and headed straight for his room. A few minutes passed, presumably as he was packing a few things up in one of his suitcases. Then, there was a horrible, horrible sound from his room--something that sounded like snapping bones and tearing flesh. A flash of dark light poured out of the window in his room and then rocketed across the sky. Shadow had left. But where had he gone? "I don't know if he'll be okay, but--oh no..." Alfie had just caught sight of Shadow returning into the villa. That look on his face...it was terrifying. |
Hebs didn't like the look Shadow was having right now. If he knew how to stop him, he would but he doubted he wouldn't get hurt in the process. The last thing he wanted to do was having Shadow feel guilty all over again should he end up in a hospital bed. The "softer" look the fallen angel gave him clenched something inside of him. The snake man stayed where he was and turned to look at Damon and then to Jae, who looked obviously worried despite what had just happened. "You're a strong man," he started, patting Jae's shoulder slightly, "Come. Bring Damon back in." Hebs didn't bother seeing that dark light that sky rocketed off to who knows where. There was no need to; he was going to search for Shadow even if he had to go to the ends of the earth.
Shadow's thoughts had become distant and yet again, there was that clenching feeling within him. Was he already missing the fallen angel? Hebs entered the villa and left the door open. Jae had done what Hebs had told him. He was pushing Damon back in with a small smile on his lips. "There was no need for you to stand up like that for me, Mister Barrow but... thank you." Jae was indeed thankful and he had, for a moment there, felt his heart skip a beat. It looked like it wasn't just pure admiration he has of the man. It was a little more than that. "But... will he be okay? Mr. Shadow, I mean." "He's tough despite being childish. Now then, should we all drink some water before we head to bed?" Hebs turned to look at Kratos. "I'll be needing to talk to you after this and Jae." The snake man turned to look back at the beautiful man. "Please take care of Damon for now. You can come visit us anytime and I insist that you bring more of those cakes for Gian and Alfie. They love your cakes." Gian's hand shot up. "I do! Really!" he said with a bright grin. Though he was worried for Shadow, he knew pretty well that their ringleader wouldn't be their ringleader if he didn't take care of himself. Kratos only grunted in reply as he finished his own slice of cake. He had to agree. It did taste good. "You ready to go back?" he asked the siren once he'd finished his cake. |
Damon didn't seem worried about Shadow, either. It was odd considering what had just happened. Was it possible that Damon knew where Shadow had gone? He had traveled around with Shadow when he'd been alive, after all...maybe he had an idea of where he had gone, or where he would go when he was so upset. Once they were back inside the villa, Damon turned slightly in his chair to smile at Jae. "...I knew he would not be able to harm me. If anyone else had tried...it would not have ended very well."
Damon knew what happened when someone crossed Shadow when he was having a temper tantrum. When Hebs spoke up about having to speak to Kratos later, Damon straightened up in his chair once more. "I need to speak with you, as well," were his plain words. Alfie was curled up tightly against Gian, obviously wanting comfort. That look on Shadow's face had scared him half to death even though he hadn't been there to see most of his anger flourish and spark to life. But at the mention of cakes, he managed a small smile. "I'd love more cakes," he declared, allowing that small smile to stay on his face. Léan finished with his cake just after Kratos did--it had been hard for him to eat, as he'd had to use the knife and he wasn't so good with using knives just yet. "I'm ready," he murmured quietly. He was worried about Shadow, as well--it was obvious. |
Jae's heard jumped out of his throat. He could hear his heartbeat ringing in his ears with that beautiful smile of Damon's. Jae's thoughts were amusing to Hebs and he, momentarily, forgot about Shadow. Kratos sighed. He really hated this. If Damon and Hebs were going to talk to him then he might as well bring the siren later with him to their room. Pushing his chair back, the life man got up to his feet and held out his arm to Léan. "If this is about talking to her, we can do it," he said as he turned to look at the two. Jae was listening in on their conversation. He was still grasping at his chest, though, like he had some sort of heart attack. Not the bad kind. The good one.
"I've talked to Hades about it. Elysium might agree to help. If not, he'll ask someone else." Once Léan was up on his feet, he turned to glance at Gian and Alfie then back at the other three. "Let's talk in the living room." Hebs gave Jae a glance, to which Jae had blinked to. He seemed to know what the snake man had meant, though, because he'd started walking to the dining area to start cleaning up. Gian was doing the same and he was urging the naga to come help them with the chore. |
Alfie didn't like doing chores--he whined and grumbled, but he eventually ended up following Gian out into the dining room. Alfie was incredibly lazy. He hated doing chores and did everything he could just to get out of them. So even though he followed Gian, he didn't help out. He instead pretended he was helping, constantly moving around the table. He was so lazy that even Shadow had eventually given up on trying to make him do chores.
Once everyone else was out, Léan finally stood by himself, ignoring Kratos' hand to see how well he would do by himself. He wobbled on his feet and fell over onto Kratos, clinging to his arm for dear life. "...Gah..." Well...it was obvious that the siren would need proper instruction on how to walk unless he wanted to constantly trip and fall all over the place. Damon turned toward Hebs at once. "I believe I know where Shadow may have went. But you should give him a few days to cool off before you go looking for him. I can show you where I think he's gone now so you can start packing and getting ready. Three days, at least, you should wait. And...you'll need a full day to fly there by plane." |
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