"Well, isn't that dandy." Hebs mumbled under his breath. Hades seemed amused at what Hebs had just said and he silently whispered something to Kratos. Judas was able to hear it. After all, Hades had opened up a connection between them fellow demons. "Now then," Kratos started as he turned to look at Hebs and Damon, "This will be a little hard." Erudito, certainly, wasn't an easy enemy. The power he wielded could be the very reason why he was able to trespass the third and fourth dimension, which shouldn't be possible.

The first thing that Kratos did was summon a few of the corpses of Erudito's, Kain's and Damon's old family members from the ground. He licked his drying lips and started uttering a chant that would have these corpses get through the said barrier of the dimensions to start the attack on the two. Hades was working on helping Kratos keep his level of sanity while Judas kept up the protective barrier around them. He wasn't sure if it was going to be enough to keep whatever attacks Erudito and Kain were going to give them, but it was worth a try.

Jae, on the other hand, was watching all these with awe and surprise. He didn't think it was possible to see magic in this day and age. It was a little frightening with the beat of his heart ramming against his chest and ringing against his ears. But, it was also all the same exciting.

Erudito took one look at the fallen freaks rising from their graves and then cast similar looks, in order, at Kratos, Hades, Judas, Damon and then, finally, Kain. He shoved his hands in the pocket of the heavy periwinkle coat he was wearing and then stepped to the side, leaving Kain unguarded. He had agreed to help her, it seemed...but he had his own agenda. While alive, the two had not liked each other. Erudito hadn't held respect for anyone in his generation of freaks other than Shadow, to be precise.

"Traitor!" a feminine voice, Kain's voice, hissed as he moved away. She had backed all the way against the iron-wrought fence that surrounded the graveyard, looking much like a cornered lioness. Erudito didn't even glance at her. "I agreed to help you with Damon, not defend you if you were confronted about it," was his cool response. He had a cold, empty sort of voice...an emotionless voice.

"I thought you agreed with me!" Kain's arms began to change shape as she spoke--they morphed into deadly-looking swords, her hands disappearing. "At least, about that little stuck-up punk getting to live while we all rot out here. I thought you would see this through to the end!"

"I don't need your help to do that." Erudito wasn't even moving. He just stood there, quite confident that any hits directed toward him would not injure him. He could, after all, bend reality. "But I do agree..." He cast his gaze in Damon's direction--Damon, by instinct, recoiled in his wheelchair. "Always sucking up to Shadow. Always getting special treatment. Always being treated better than us. And getting to live when none of the others do..."

Erudito held a special dislike for Damon. Most of the freaks in their generation had felt nearly the same deep down.

Kratos awoke the next day with his limbs sore all over. He didn't want to get up. He wanted to stay in bed. The fight yesterday, apparently, took almost all of his energy. He was even lucky he was still alive. It wasn't Kain that was his problem yesterday, it was that damned Erudito. He sure was powerful. Pulling his lover even closer, the male tangled his legs with his own and let his nose rest on his head, his lips pressing on the top. If there was one thing Kratos liked about that necklace, it was Léan's lingering scent of water.

While he was holding his lover, he remembered tidbits of last night. Jae had gotten hurt to protect Damon. Kratos was well aware that Damon's insecurity had been the sole cause for Erudito's power to get through reality. Even though I've warned him...

Hebs could very well hear Kratos' thoughts as he was preparing breakfast. He should be leaving soon to go after Shadow but there was still that case with Damon's legs. Jae, on the other hand, was on a bed, in a room across Damon's. They'd tended to his wounds but it was going to take a while for him to recuperate. He'll definitely need someone to take care of him and Damon without his legs will prove fruitless. Damon needed his legs back. Will Erudito be willing to give it back after some convincing?

Léan had not been happy to have his human lover returned to him in such an apparently dire state of health. He'd taken it out on everyone else, including Hades and Judas before the two of them disappeared. Now, though, his anger had cooled and he was just content to hold Kratos tight to his body while they slept. When Kratos awoke, in fact, the siren was still very much asleep, breathing slowly and comfortably. He would wake soon, but for now...he seemed utterly peaceful.

Damon woke up sore the next morning, as well, but for a different reason. Jae took the majority of the attack, but Damon had still gotten aftershocks. The guilt, too, about inadvertently hurting Jae wasn't so pleasant to wake up to, either. Damon didn't stir out of bed. He felt very much threatened now that Erudito was involved in this, not just Kain. Kain was a threat on her own, but with Erudito helping her...the duo were a powerful threat. It was actually a shame that Shadow wasn't here. Shadow knew how to control Erudito, at least loosely. But Shadow was still off in his own little world in Mykonos, Greece, and he probably wouldn't return until someone came to fetch him.

He just couldn't focus on getting his legs back with Erudito tossing accusations his way like that. Damon knew that he was like a teacher's pet when it came to Shadow. Shadow had always given him special treatment. It wasn't that Damon really liked the special treatment--it was more of Shadow not wanting to stop giving him special treatment.

Like Damon, it was a little hard to concentrate on making breakfast. Hebs had finished making Jae's, though, on a tray, and had set it on the dining table. He'll continue making breakfast for the others once he's not troubled. If there was one thing he wanted to do, it was get Damon's legs back should that mean convincing Erudito.

Hebs moved to head towards Damon's room and he knocked on the door with quite a worried expression. "Damon?" he started, a quiet sigh leaving his lips, "May I come in?"


[[ Short. Sorry. ]]

"...You may."

Damon's voice was...listless. Emotionless. He sounded tired, and quite possibly for the first time since being revived, he sounded as old as he really was. Shadow's voice often had the same exact tone when he was deep in thought or feeling upset. Forcibly blank emerald irises flickered to stare at the doorway, knowing Hebs would enter sooner or later. He was all curled up on one of his sides, almost in the fetal position. He looked vulnerable...defenseless, almost.

Like a child again.

But, how was he supposed to do that without Shadow? He remembered reading Damon's mind about Shadow being the only other person he'd, well, fear of, for a better lack of a term. Hebs turned the knob and pushed the door open to peer in and raised his eyebrows a little. He couldn't see Damon but he could tell that the other seemed rather upset. The tone of his voice spoke volumes.

"I... have to go later," the freak started as he made his way in and shut the door behind him. Silently approaching the male's side, he kneeled on a knee and reached out to lightly and gently run his fingers through Damon's hair. "And get Shadow back for us."

This whole ordeal wasn't finished yet, and he knew it'd be bad for him to leave; but, things were getting out of hand especially with Erudito still free as a spirit. He was also fairly the main reason why Damon couldn't focus on getting his legs back. He should be about ready to walk now with Kain out of the picture, according to Hades. That, and they couldn't risk anyone else getting hurt. It didn't help, too, that Jae was an outsider. "Will you be all right by yourself?"

"I'll be all right." Damon sounded confident about that much. One would think that with Shadow gone, it would give Erudito a prime opportunity to strike without anything, or anyone, there that could truly stop him. But that wasn't quite right. Erudito had something against Shadow, as well. It simply wasn't practical for him to launch a full-blown attack if the fallen angel wasn't present to witness it. "He will not attack with Shadow absent," he continued idly. "He dislikes Shadow almost as much as he dislikes me. He would rather kill two birds with one stone."

That was...disconcerting, to say the least. It meant that the very second Shadow set foot on the property again, utter war could break out. While Hebs was gone, retrieving Shadow, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea for Kratos to gather a small army of powerful demons, angels, and fallen angels with the help of his associates to take Erudito down. The boy could bend reality to his will. The more people were there to shake him down, the better it would be. The remaining freaks had to have a battalion ready to face him by the time Shadow returned.

"Mykonos is a fairly small island community," the emerald-haired male piped up after a moment. "It shouldn't be difficult to locate Shadow. More likely than not, he will be on the beach somewhere. The ocean relaxes him. Check the beaches first."

Then, wasn't it a bad thing to bring Shadow back? The very thought, though, that Erudito had something against his lover and would want him hurt somehow stirred something within him. Worry, and at the same time, longing. The latter only because he hadn't seen him for days and he was honestly missing him. "Then, we'll have to prepare for war once I do bring him back," the male started before he'd chuckled, like what he'd said was something of the norm. Slowly pushing himself up to his feet, he gave a nod to the other having had just told him that he was going to be all right.

Hebs was just about to make his way for the door when he'd heard Damon speak up again. His brows shot up for a moment before he'd smiled softly, gently. "I will. Thank you, Damon." And, he really did mean that gratitude from the bottom of his heart. He'd purchased the ticket last night after things had calmed down, and after he'd patched Jae up.

Just as he'd stepped out of the virtuoso's room, he blinked at the sight of Gian already on his way to bring a tray of food to Kratos' and Léan's room. "I will be leaving things in your hand, Gian," was all he'd said before he moved to walk to his room, grab his bag, and leave. The trip was going to take a day, wasn't it?

"Take care of yourself, Hebs."

Gian knocked on the door to Kratos' and Léan's room. When he only heard a grunt from behind the door, he shifted the tray to hold it with one hand and peered in before he'd smiled apologetically. "Hebs had already left," he told both the siren and the life man even if they weren't truly awake, "I'll just be setting your food here." Slipping in to set the tray down by the table near Léan's tank, he quickly shuffled his way out and went to leave Alfie's food first before he made his way to Damon's. He did the same leaving the food on his bedside table before he went to attend to Jae.

The following day was uneventful, at best, for the freaks that stayed behind at the villa. During lunch, Léan, after hearing one too many comments about Jae being hurt and getting annoyed, idly suggested that a local doctor be contacted. After all, in this area, it wasn't out of the question for doctors to agree to home visits, and the vast store of money Shadow had hoarded over the years would easily pay the bill.

Damon's mood improved during the day, but he refused to set foot outside. He suggested to Kratos that he should start gathering a legion of inhuman allies to put Erudito in his place--preferably creatures who had god-like powers. It would also be beneficial, he mentioned, to contact both a Demonic and an Angelic Reaper to put the many souls left lingering in the cemetery to rest. This area was saturated with spirits, some trapped here and some that were just unwilling to leave. That made the place charged with energy.

The less energy there was for Erudito to feed off of, the better it would be for all of them.

Alfie seemed glum, knowing that Shadow and Hebs (who were the two most responsible people in their family) were absent. The household felt rather unbalanced with no one to lead it. Léan apparently felt the same way. He was on-edge and refused to leave Kratos' side for anything. Both the naga and the merman were terribly homesick, though Léan would never admit it out loud. Alfie more so...and it definitely showed in his behavior. Damon kept to himself most of the time. He distracted himself with music, holing himself away in his room with his precious instruments.

By the time the plane carrying Hebs landed in the Mykonos Island National Airport, the sun was just beginning to set. It wasn't a tiny island, but it also wasn't exceptionally large. Tourists flocked to this place from locations all over the world, and the expansive variety of people would make it difficult for any single person to be found...unless they happened to be avoiding the crowds in town and were instead keeping to the beaches. Damon clearly thought Shadow would spend most of his time on the beach. He had property here, and a private beach.

Gian hadn't thought of that. A doctor! He'd been far too worried about Jae's health and keeping his temperature at bay. So, he took into account Léan's suggestion to have a doctor see him. The results weren't too bad, but Jae's suffered a second degree burn. Luckily enough, his vital organs were missed. So, the doctor gave them the medicine he needed to take after patching him up, and instructed them to have him have a full three-day meal and a lot of rest.

Turning to look at the naga and nudging him lightly at his side as soon as the doctor was gone, he leaned in to kiss his jaw. "It'll be fine," he told him, "They'll be back soon." Or so he's been telling himself since. Honestly, he was feeling the same with Alfie. It was simply strange without Hebs or Shadow around to take the lead.

Kratos didn't like the sound of gathering a legion of inhuman allies. In fact, that proved to help dampen his mood every time he looked at Hades who was now enjoying the company of his said inhuman friends outside the backyard. So, he busied himself with Léan. He held the siren tight in his arms and nuzzled his cheek with his lips as he relaxed on his bed.

Hebs was feeling groggy when the announcement came through the speakers. The plane ride wasn't that long, but he had to go through a series of stops and bus rides to get to where he was now. He didn't seem at all bothered by the strange looks sent his way as he walked by the sidewalks. Hebs was too focused now on finding that troublemaker of a lover of his. Damon had made mention about a beach, so he went through all the public beaches first. It was close to midnight when he'd finally arrived at the last private beach in the list an old woman he'd just befriended back at the airport gave him. She had been kind enough to give him the addresses and the names of the listed beaches in Mykonos when he'd made mention that he was looking for his lover.

She'd even given him a 'good luck' charm as she cheered him on. That was a little embarrassing, truth be told.

Would... Shadow still be out, he wondered, this late at night?

"I hope so." Alfie still sounded awfully glum. This vast villa felt rather empty without Shadow and Hebs (especially Shadow, the patriarch of their tight-knit family) occupying it. "Once this business with Erudito is over and done with..." he murmured, shifting around a bit, "...we can go home, right?" Alfie made it no secret to his other family members that while this extended stay at the villa was a nice change of pace, he dearly missed their mismatched gaggle of tents. He definitely wouldn't mind making their freak show a traveling one as long as they could take their tented home with them.

Léan was certainly more relaxed than Alfie, but those who knew him well could tell that he was still on-edge. He never did like it when Shadow left them. Shadow saved him from a terrible fate, and he always felt uncomfortable when the fallen angel wasn't around. He, too, busied himself with Kratos' embrace. That mystical necklace was sitting on the nightstand, and his tail was back in its rightful place. He preferred having his tail over having legs and often took the necklace off to rest and sleep. He perked up after a moment, though, sniffing loudly.

"...I wonder if Gian's associate has found anything else concerning my brother," he murmured, eyes still closed. He knew Johnny was looking into the matter, but he had no idea if the lawyer had uncovered anything yet. He was looking for something to distract himself...he didn't want to think about Shadow not being here.

Even this late at night, the streets and settlements on Mykonos bustled with activity. Various clubs were scattered all over the island, and music spilled out into the streets. This was definitely a hub for same-sex couples--in fact, there seemed to be more same-sex couples carousing about than opposite-sex couples! Even at this time of night, people flocked to the beaches, having private parties, dancing, drinking, and thoroughly enjoying themselves. There were a multitude of private vacation homes, but only a small fraction had private beaches.

The last house on Hebs' list was a two-story home with a detached garage, a small yard, and a huge private beach. Damon's guess was right on the mark. Shadow stood on the beach, in a simple black tank top and periwinkle blue shorts. He wore no shoes, and he stood directly where the ocean met the sand. But...he wasn't alone. There was someone of equal height standing, clad in long sweatpants and a purple hoodie (with the hood up), alongside the fallen angel, looking out over the water with him. They seemed to be conversing.

"I didn't mean to intrude like this," Shadow was saying, arms wrapped around himself. "This wasn't a planned excursion. I just needed a few days to cool off. I'll be leaving soon. Getting out of your hair."

"Leaving so soon?" Eerily enough, this man had a voice that was...incredibly similar to Shadow's. Shadow's voice was deeper by just a smidgen. "We haven't seen each other in many years. I...thought you'd want to catch up more." Shadow hummed, dropping his arms down to his sides. "You'll get in trouble if someone catches you speaking with unclean filth such as myself," he grunted, a hint of bitterness to his voice. The other man chuckled, head tilting slightly to the left. "I'm on a pilgrimage," he reminded his companion, tapping one foot on the sand. "They'll never know."

Gian reached out to take Alfie's hand with his free one. Squeezing it gently, he leaned lightly against him. "Yes," he assured the other. Though, when he spoke his next words as he mimicked the other, it almost sounded like he, too, was assuring himself, "Once this business with Erudito is over and done with." Tugging lightly at his hand, he led the way back to the guest room where Jae was resting at. Before he could bring himself and Alfie back to bed, he had to first have Jae drink his much needed medicine.

Kratos' eyes cracked open as he looked down at Léan. "He probably has," the male mumbled. It's been a while and the lawyer seemed pretty close to finding him back then before they for Austria. Yawning, the Life Man's eyes slid back shut. It didn't take a lot of time for him to find himself welcoming the arms of slumber.

Hebs really did wish that Shadow was still around and was still awake. He'd hate to have to go through those bright and lively streets filled with same-sex couples alone. Had he mentioned he'd have to go through all the private beaches again if he didn't find him here, too? Passing by the two-story home and its garage, he had his gaze roam about before it settled onto two silhouettes standing by the beach. Oh, he recognized one. The other, he wasn't so sure. But, his great eyesight and his hearing - thanks to his deformity and gene change - was able to catch their conversation. He was alarmed to hear Shadow tell this companion of his, though, that he'd be leaving soon. Not when he just got here, too!

Shadow!

Hebs hopped off the cemented sidewalk and over the rails before he landed none-too-gracefully on the soft sands of the beach. The snake man stumbled as he made his way towards the two - to Shadow specifically. He knew this was a private beach, and he knew from their conversation that this wasn't Shadow's place; but, hell, like he cared. Right now, all he wanted to do was hold that beauty he hadn't seen for the past few days tight and kiss him. That was pretty much what the snake man did when he'd finally closed the distance between them.

Johnny massaged the bridge of his nose for the umpteenth time as he let go of his glasses and adjusted them to look back down at the merman whom he had brought in and put in his backyard pool. He really hadn't expected to waste half of his fortune on buying a siren. Really. When he'd told the guy he bought off the street to bid for him, he knew from the start that it was a bad idea. But, he couldn't show himself during the auction. He was far too well known in the entertainment and law industry. "Shadow better pay me back," he grumbled under his breath, distaste apparent in the tone of his voice.

Alfie must have sensed the slight note of uncertainty in Gian's voice, because he was oddly quiet as he slithered along with the human down the hallway. He was puzzled, at first, when he realized that their destination was the guest room and not their room...but then he remembered. Oh, that's right...Jae was still here. And speaking of Jae...Alfie pursed his lips, apparently deep in thought. Just as they reached the door, the naga tugged firmly on Gian's arm, concern written out in his features.

"What about Jae?" he blurted out, brow furrowed. "Poor thing will be heartbroken when we leave."

"...Perhaps we should contact him soon," Léan muttered, curling up against Kratos and stretching his tail all the way out. It felt good to have his tail back. It felt more...natural. Cuddled in the arms of his mate, and with his tail back, it didn't take very long for the merman to slip into a comfortable sleep either.

As Hebs approached from a distance, the two men kept the conversation going, temporarily unaware of his presence. "A pilgrimage? Pah." Shadow's nose wrinkled up. "That's just a fancy word for vacation." At this, the other man openly laughed--again, peculiarly enough, his laughter was almost an exact match to Shadow's. Just as the stranger was about to speak, Shadow whipped around when a familiar voice bounced around in his head, eyes wide and surprised. The second he turned around, Hebs barreled into him, and a pair of lips covered his own. The fallen angel was still for all of two seconds...before he melted into the snake man's arms, purring contently.

He missed Hebs. That much was clear. He wanted to avoid the drama at home...but he obviously longed for his lover during his absence.

The other man took a few steps backwards, just as startled as Shadow had been to see this stranger rocket across the beach. For a moment, he just stood there, looking a bit awkward. And then...he reached up and slowly lowered his hood. It was a startling and stark resemblance. This man looked exactly like Shadow. Same eyes. Same hair (though his was much shorter and cut in an angular shape). Same skin tone. Same exact face. Same height. Their voices and the length of their hair were the only differences between them!

"Ah." The man politely kept his distance, toying around with a blindingly white necklace wound around his neck. "I see, now. This must be your new flame."

Blake seemed fascinated by the creature in the pool, but he kept his distance. The spirits that constantly spoke to him could sense that the poor thing was a wreck at present, and the more humans he could see, the less comfortable he would be. Arcturus looked quite a bit like Léan, with the same icy blue eyes and curly platinum blonde hair. There were differences, though. For one...Arcturus was of a slightly slimmer build than his more muscular brother. For another, his body was littered with various scars, something that Léan lacked. Léan was a fast healer, and he rarely scarred, but Arcturus was obviously different. As well...rather than acting angry, defensive, and aggressive to showcase his hatred for human beings, this merman instead behaved like an abused animal. He kept to one corner of the pool, where he could see Johnny and Blake at all times. He also kept his body pressed to the pool wall and the muscles in his tail tense. He was ready to spring away at any time. His eyes were wide with fear, and he seemed shaken.

He must have come from a particularly unpleasant owner.

Gian stopped in his tracks to turn and look at Alfie. When he'd heard his question, even he, too, found himself giving the naga a gentle, but sad smile. "What about Jae?" he repeated as he threaded their fingers together. If Jae only had some sort of special power, he could join them; however, he was only a normal human being. Like him. That, and Shadow isn't particularly open with the idea of Damon befriending anyone, not to mention Damon didn't look like he was ready to open his heart to anyone as of the moment.

"Even if he comes along... what about Shadow?" They also had to consider Shadow's view on this.

Hebs' hand moved to rest on the side of Shadow's neck and he smiled against his lips. He was far too caught up on the fallen angel's beauty to have realized, yet again, that they weren't alone. He was supposed to know that, too, considering he saw two silhouettes not too long ago. At their companion mentioning the words 'new flame', he found his eyes widening and his cheeks coloring a dark shade as he turned to tear his gaze away from Shadow in shock to the other man. He didn't let go of Shadow, though.

The first thing he'd noticed was the similarity of his looks to Shadow and his beauty, which was greatly at par with their ringleader. "I... ah." The snake man trailed off before he took the chance to look away. He managed to lose focus of the angel's beauty for a moment when he'd spotted that white necklace. It had hurt his eyes and for a moment, he was seeing spots on the sand. "I'm sorry, and hello."

Johnny turned to look at Blake before he moved his gaze back to the creature in the pool. He didn't know what he ate, and from the look of things, he couldn't exactly leave this merman alone. If he did, he was pretty sure he wouldn't hear the end of it from Gian. Sliding his hands into the confines of his pockets, he gave a seemingly nonchalant look to the siren. He wasn't the least bit interested in his history, and neither was he the least bit interested in why he was afraid. Johnny could come off as heartless, sometimes. "Hey, you. What do you eat?"

Alfie pouted, folding his arms across his chest. He was a matchmaker at heart. Though he himself wasn't sure if Damon would take to someone like Jae, even after an extended period of time, he was always ready to try and foster new relationships. Damon seemed sad and lonely, even if he would never say so aloud. He would surely benefit from having a suitor, even if the very idea was annoying to him at first. Damon wasn't ready for a relationship, but the positive attention compared to Shadow's overbearing and negative attention was bound to be good for him.

"Maybe he has a special talent or something," he suggested, rubbing one of his arms anxiously. "Something that could very well win over a crowd at one of our shows. If he's really become that attached to Damon, he might be willing to become a part of our family. As for Shadow..." The naga frowned. "Shadow needs to learn to let go. Damon doesn't like it. Nobody likes it, honestly. This would help him let go."

The second Hebs pulled away, Shadow scowled at the other man, giving him a sideways stare. "You could at least say hello," he grumbled. The other man chuckled, obviously enjoying Shadow's indignant expression. "My sincerest apologies. There is no need to apologize to me. I was rude." The man tucked one arm against his stomach and bent his body in a slight bow, eyes closing. "My name is Sebastian," he revealed, straightening himself out again. "Shadow is my identical twin brother."

Well...that explained a lot. The uncanny resemblance...the similar voices...yes, that definitely shed some light on the matter. But...Shadow never mentioned having a brother. He only mentioned his sister. As well, if this was Shadow's brother...then that meant this man must have been an angel. What was he doing in the human world?

Blake, who also had a tendency to be caustic and abrasive, was the slightest bit more empathetic about the situation. He immediately rounded on Johnny after the other male spoke, causing the merman to shrink back even more against the wall of the pool. "Can't you see that he's frightened?" the violet-haired male said sharply, vibrant blue eyes narrowed into slits. "He's not even used to his new surroundings. He's a sea creature. He probably eats fish or sea plants."

Gian chuckled. Alfie could really be cute sometimes. Tucking the bag of medicine under his arm, he reached out with his free hand to rest it on the naga's cheek. "Why don't you bring that up when Shadow gets back?" The boy grinned and went up to kiss him lightly again on the lips. "Give me a second. I'm just going to have Jae drink his meds." With that said, he released his hold on Alfie to lightly tap on the door with his knuckles. Even without a reply from the other end, he opened the said door and welcomed himself in. If Jae was awake, then he was going to help him drink his medicine. If not, then, he was going to wake him up and then he was going to help him drink his medicine.

Once that was over and done with, he sighed and tucked the male back under his covers. He'd left the medicine on his bedside table by the pitcher of water before he made his way back out to re-join Alfie. "Let's get some sleep... I'm tired." The male yawned, leaned against his lover, and nuzzled his neck.

Hebs was surprised to hear his voice again. It was only now that he's realized the similarity of that, too, and not just the looks. Somehow, that proved to be eerie. Were the siren the same too? Idly, he wondered how that search was going with Johnny. "Oh, no." The snake man was quick to return the bow with a slight bow of his head. "I, ah. I'm Hebs..." Although he was surprised upon finding out that Shadow had a twin brother, he couldn't help but find it rather nice. And here, he remembered Shadow saying something about not wanting to talk to them before.

But, really, what was an angel - who wasn't fallen - doing in this kind of sinful place? At least, from what he'd remembered of the very religious humans, they weren't very accepting of same-sex couples? Shouldn't that be the same with them angels?

Johnny lifted a brow before he grunted. "Do I look like I take care of any kind of animals?" That was all he'd said before he'd pulled out one of his hands to wave it before him. "Forget it. I'll order some fresh fish. And, it's getting late. You should get to bed." Stepping back after glancing at Arcturus one more time, he turned in his steps and moved to head back into the house.

"I guess I could..." The way Alfie spoke those four words...the apprehension behind them was clear. Shadow was a force to be reckoned with when he was truly angry, and Alfie hated seeing their dear leader angry. He never wanted to be the catalyst for that anger. If he was going to confront Shadow about potentially bringing Jae along with them...he didn't want to do it alone. As he'd displayed just a short while ago, Shadow was prone to being childish and unreasonable when he was angry.

Loyal as ever, the faithful naga waited eagerly for Gian to return. When he did, Alfie immediately embraced him and snuggled against him. "I could go for a nap," he agreed, carefully moving them both down the hallway. "I just need to relax. I've been so tense the past of couple of days...Shadow needs to learn not to act like a toddler. It's hard on all of us. I think even Léan's taking it hard."

Sebastian flashed a familiar charming smile in Hebs' direction. Oh so familiar. Shadow reached up and tapped his fingers against the back of the snake man's neck just in case the other grew distracted by it. "I'm pleased to meet you." Polite as ever. Both brothers were gentlemen...but only Shadow had a naughty side. "Shadow has told me a lot about you," he added--the fallen angel scowled, looking a bit embarrassed. "Kudos to you for being able to tolerate him. He can be quite a handful." "Will you stop?" Shadow huffed, frowning at his brother.

The way they talked...it was like Sebastian was the older one. That was strange. Shadow was the youngest one--he had a slightly older twin brother and an older sister.

"I thought you were supposed to be intelligent," was Blake's sassy response. "It's easy to figure out. Or rather, it should be easy to figure out. Even an idiot can take care of fish." Blake insulted Johnny quite a lot, but it was never serious. It was more like...a child teasing his crush on the playground. The more he insulted Johnny, the more he liked him. He seemed aghast by the lawyer's next comment, though, and he scowled, ears turning a little red. "I'm not a baby! I don't have a bedtime!" Regardless, he stomped into the house, leaving Arcturus alone. That was probably what the merman needed, anyway. He had to calm down.

The embrace and the snuggle from the naga was more than welcome. In fact, the boy was tempted to fall asleep in the other's arms. That just showed how comfortable he was with him and, well, how comfortable he was, in general. Moving along the hallways to lead them both to their room, Gian didn't even bother with hygiene. He just tugged his lover with him to bed, cuddled him, and held him tight. "Mm... let's get some sleep," he agrees with a lazy nod before he'd relaxed and sighed quietly.

That charming smile, indeed, was more than familiar and he was glad for Shadow being able to read his mind. Hebs managed to tear his gaze away and look up at Shadow, giving him a smile of gratitude. He'd be bolder to kiss him if he didn't get distracted again by the fallen angel's twin brother's words. "Has he now?" he asked, a teasing smile tugging at the sides of his lips, "Hopefully, they were pleasing." He'd prefer the naughty parts to stay behind closed doors.

"And although he could be a handful..." Hebs chuckled. "He has his moments." Glancing back at Sebastian, he bowed his head a little again. "It's a real pleasure, as well, knowing you, Sebastian."

Johnny didn't bother returning that insulting remark. He wasn't q child, and he had better things to do than to waste his time on matters that weren't important. "And, Blake," he called out to him before he were to get up to his room should he have taken his word. "Please feed Arcturus." Really. He didn't have the time to take care of another baby. One was enough for him.

[[ Sorry. No codes. Am on the phone right now. ]]

With a big smile on his face, Alfie decided to shelve his thoughts about confronting Shadow for now. All that mattered right now, right this moment...was Gian. He instanty settled down after crawling into bed with the other, eyelids drifting closed. He had yet to admit that he loved the human, and probably wouldn't without a bit of provocation. He didn't even understand that what he was feeling was love. Growing up sheltered had hindered Alfie's understanding of emotion, even if he didn't realize it yet.

Gian pretty much needed to make his feelings obvious to Alfie before the naga would come to his own realization.

Having read Hebs' mind, Shadow leaned toward him after he finished speaking to plaster a quick (but considerately chaste, considering Sebastian was still present) kiss on his lips. Sebastian didn't seem bothered. In fact, he seemed more indifferent than anything else. "He divulged to me how he first found you," the angel explained, playing with his fingers. "And he spoke a little of you. Your personality. Your likes and dislikes." Shadow scoffed, coiling an arm around the snake man's waist. "I didn't tell him anything inappropriate," he assured the other, patting his back. "He's an angel. They don't appreciate hearing things like that."

Angels were celibate creatures. Sebastian was almost certainly a virgin, which was amusing considering that he was the older twin.

Blake rolled his eyes, latching the door shut behind him. "I don't think he wants food right now. He's scared, and all worked up. We should let him calm down overnight and feed him in the morning." Arcturus was terrified right now. Food was probably the last thing on the scarred merman's mind. He wasn't likely to take well to Johnny's foul attitude, even when he eventually calmed down. A gentler touch was needed in this situation. Unfortunately, Blake wasn't the gentlest of people, either...so this was bound to be difficult.

Gian didn't know that. If he had, he'd probably keep saying the words "I love you" over and over again until Alfie got used to it. But, as of the moment, he was content with simply and openly showing his affections to the freak. That was pretty obvious with the way he stuck himself to him by the hip and kissing him so just 'cause he felt like it.

Hebs blinked at the sudden, and chaste kiss the other gave him and he eyed him with a playful, teasing look that pretty much said, 'Later'. Lightly whacking Shadow's shoulder, he wrapped his arms tighter around him, squeezed him and smiled softly. "That's good," he started, "Though, I admit, it's a little embarrassing that you're proud of me, Shadow. Never knew you had it in you." As he toyed with the man's hair, he leaned back in to kiss his cheek. "Are you really that happy?"

Because if you are, you must show me later.

Turning to look back at Sebastian, he raised his eyebrows a little. "Before I forget to mention... thank you for taking care of Shadow, Sebastian. We are sorry, though, for bringing him to you in a moody state."

"I didn't mean right now," Johnny retorted with a sigh. He seemed exhausted. "There isn't any fish in the freezer right now." And, he did agree with the other about waiting to have Arcturus calm down. He seemed very wary of his surroundings and of him, especially. Was it because of his bad, well, personality?

"Oh, do cool your jets..." Shadow's rather talented fingers ghosted up and down the other man's spine. "I was simply relaying information about my new lover to my brother, whom I haven't seen in...hm." He glanced at Sebastian, looking genuinely mystified. "...Eighty years, would you say?" Sebastian pursed his lips, tapping his chin with a single finger. "...No, more like seventy. Seventy-five at the most," he tacked on at the end. He wasn't sure of the exact amount, either. But either way, it had been a while.

Shadow rarely got the chance to see and converse with his siblings. As a fallen angel, he was barred from entering heavenly territory. Angels usually didn't stray from within this territory, unless they were on a pilgrimage or were reassigned as a guardian angel to a human. Their lives were heavily regulated by the Archangels, and consequently, the creature that truly had the power of the various 'gods' depicted in religious texts the world 'round.

It seemed as if Sebastian didn't share his twin's ability to read minds, because he didn't catch a single bit of the private conversation going on between Shadow and Hebs. Shadow simply smirked in response to Hebs' thought, just as his brother began to speak. "Oh, it's no trouble at all," Sebastian assured the snake man, a pleasant smile on his face. "I actually wasn't expecting to run into him here. It was a chance meeting, but a fruitful one. I don't get to see him often. I'll have to thank Goddess Amelia for suggesting a pilgrimage."

The 'god' or 'goddess' that ruled over the angels changed from generation to generation. It was a royal lineage. The current head of the family, the matriarch, was a petite female named Amelia.

"I can feed him in the morning, then." Blake made a pit stop by the kitchen to grab a bottle of Pepsi. Pepsi was his favorite beverage, and it was the only thing he asked Johnny to purchase for him special at the grocery store. "But I'm not a morning person. I should feed him early, maybe around eight, eight-thirty. If I'm not awake by then, shake me awake. Or call me. Whichever works for you." Despite their similarly abrasive personalities, and Blake's affinity for insulting his current roommate, Blake didn't mind sharing space with Johnny. They had drastically different biological clocks, and most of the time one was asleep while the other was awake. Blake slept during the daytime and was up and about as soon as the sun set.

Hebs felt a shiver creep up his spine, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. Chuckling softly as he leaned in to gently nuzzle the other's jaw with his scaly cheek, the snake man pressed another chaste kiss onto his cheek. "Your count of years are different from an angel," was all he'd commented before he'd moved his hand to rest on the nape of the fallen angel's neck. Stroking it lightly, he turned his attention back to Sebastian, only to find his gaze landing on the man's pleasant smile. It was strangely calming and he couldn't help but find himself smiling in return. "I'm glad to hear that."

At least, this little trip to blow off some of his steam gave Shadow a chance to run into his brother. Idly, he wondered if the fallen angel's spent any time with anyone else. How could he not wonder? He was a jealous snake, after all, as he'd mentioned a couple of times back then. "Do you often spend your pilgrimage here, Sebastian?" Tugging at a few strands of Shadow's hair, he leaned comfortably against him. He really had missed him.

Johnny only waved his hand. Apparently, he's consumed himself back to his work.

Shadow seemed surprised that Hebs was so touchy-feely, but pleasantly so. He supposed the other male must have missed him. A lovely warmth bubbled up in his belly. He obviously liked the idea that Hebs missed him so dearly. He nestled his head against the other's neck, eyelids drifting closed. He spent the whole day with his brother, and it clearly showed in his mind. The two caught up every day during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They avoided the club scene within city walls...or rather, Sebastian politely declined whenever Shadow offered to take him out dancing.

This was a hot spot for gay tourism, and Sebastian, like Shadow, happened to be particularly attractive. He simply didn't want the trouble. He couldn't indulge, after all, and seemingly had no desire to do so.

Sebastian seemed oblivious to the great amount of touching going on. Well, he noticed it, but it didn't really strike him as odd. He really was starkly different from Shadow...he seemed like a much more peaceful, innocent, and harmless individual. The angel was happy to engage in conversation with Hebs, while Shadow listened quietly. "I travel around the world on my pilgrimages, but I always make a pit stop here." He glanced out over the ocean--by this time, only a tiny sliver of light remained in the sky. It was getting darker by the minute. "This place is beautiful. Oddly soothing. If my journey crosses them, I also spend time in Shadow's other properties all around the world."

Shadow nodded, briefly pressing his lips against the snake man's neck. "I own property in Venice, Moscow, Reykjavik, and Sydney, for example. Small properties, mostly...but they are all vacation homes. This would make it much easier for our show to travel, which is part of the reason why I'm so keen on it."

Hebs really did miss Shadow. With the way they had spent their days everyday, and the way he'd finally attained him after waiting for so long... it was inevitable. Or so he thought. Hebs, who was pleased to have found out that his lover didn't spend his time with anyone else, squeezed the back of the fallen angel's neck lightly. He was happy. He really was. In fact, this happiness of his seem to give him the tingles as he became conscious of the little things Shadow was doing to him. Mm. The feeling of the fallen angel's warm breath against his cool skin had his padded palm moving from the back of his neck to slip into the back of the neckline of the other's shirt.

It was getting a little hard to focus on Sebastian's words, but he'd managed. He managed to get his mind off from the images playing about in his head, which he was sure Shadow had a glimpse of, as he exhaled softly. Hebs had to agree. The place was, indeed, oddly soothing and beautiful. He had to give it to Shadow. He had great taste - not just in clothes, but also in places he'd purchased. "One of these days, you should come and meet our family." By 'our', he hadn't meant that he'd given birth to them. He'd meant that in a not blood-related way.

The snake man moved his gaze back to Shadow before he'd hummed thoughtfully at the words the man spoke. No wonder Shadow wanted to have them travel. Those small vacation houses of Shadow's can definitely be put to good use. Though... that might be difficult. Alfie's already home sick.

"Do you... two want to go in?" he asked, noting the air now becoming more chilly with the lack of bodies around. He knew it was warm in the busy streets of Mykonos. After all, that was where the crowd was. "I can make tea." He wasn't sure whether angels got sick or not, but he certainly wouldn't approve of Shadow getting sick just because he wasn't, well, warm enough - in a sense or two.