Looking toward her direction, Rida exhaled in relief. With her in front of him, there was no ambush. Unless she was capable of magic, but he didn't think so. He would've been able to smell it. "I uh...I was curious about why...Umm..." The neko wrung his hands together, that old nervousness and fear creeping back into him. He'd been so comfortable with her before, why was it so hard now? Mind whirling with possible thoughts on why she would have run into the kitchen, why she'd been so angry, each one more negative than the last. Being so lost to his poor imagination, he didn't realize that tears started to slowly leak down his face, not even when he sniffled occasionally. "D-Do you hate me now?" It was the barest of whispers, but considering the current silence, the words would've traveled to her.


Aine paused as she reached the door, hand on the handle. Sighing, she turned around, heading back to the wolf. Watching their interaction, the fae wasn't sure about interrupting their moment. Taking a deep breath, she trudged forward, pausing next to Regan and grinning lightly at the wolf. "I uh...I know you all but called me a whore but I still should've known better than to hit you. So, I'm sorry." The fae spoke nervously, unsure if the other would make a nasty comment again or not. Even if he did, she wouldn't react to it. Bowing to Loki, Aine turned to go back to the Inn. "You know...Sometimes, just the simple act of saying sorry and meaning it is enough. Pain solves nothing. It only creates more pain when no one wants to feel more pain..." Aine added as an after thought, the only time she'd let them know she'd accidently heard part of their conversation. Maybe it'd help them though.

A chocked growl left Regan as Loki mentioned him walking away, only to be replaced by a smile. The vampire was glad, and his heart felt light. Though that happiness was burdened by the fact that Loki put so much upon himself. And he had hurt him, and he knew quite well that he had. Keeping his eyes on those of the wolf, Regan reached to grasp his hands. "I don't like fighting with you, or bringing you pain. That's why I walked away, not because your apology wasn't good enough." Softly brushing his lips against the wolf's, Regan looked down at him seriously. "Stop being so harsh with yourself. I've done wrong too, and you've forgiven me. So why can't I do the same with you?" Bending down to capture Loki's lips with his own again, the vampire wrapped his arms around Loki without any intention of letting him go so quickly this time.

Listening patiently as the neko nervously let words slip from his mouth, Priscilla felt shame wring her heart. Had she been the cause of this? It only got worse when Rida began to cry. Moving quickly form her spot behind the counter, Priscilla moved to Rida's side. Gently reaching out, she placed one arm around him and used the other to wipe his tears away with great care. "Of course not Rida, I could never hate you! I was just ... sad, and hurt. But I want you to be happy, so please don't cry. Please?" Hesitantly, she pulled Rida closer and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I-if loving Luce makes you happy, I'll still be your friend." Resting her head against his, the young woman shuddered a little after speaking. Why had it been so difficult to speak the truth?

When Aine approached, Loki grimaced lightly. Had she come to hit him again? He really wouldn't blame her if she had. For a few moments Loki just watched her as she spoke and then turned to leave them. Aine had no reason to apologize to him, he had been mean to her for no reason at all, and she was wrong. Just simply saying 'I'm sorry' and meaning it wasn't enough. When Regan grasped his hands, he blinked and looked at the vampire, lips parting to say something. No words left those lips, because Regan had kissed them. For a few moments, Loki did nothing but lean into the vampire, into the kiss. Then he turned his head. "Regan, I have no idea how I feel about you. I don't know if I love you or not. All I know is I don't like it when you aren't near me, I don't like it when other people look at you, talk to you, or touch you. But I feel that way about Luce and Vex as well and I certainly don't love Luce..I mean..It's impossible for me to love him the way I could love you or anyone else." Loki's voice had been a muffled whisper, and he had hid his face against Regan's shoulder.

Tensing a little as she placed an arm around him, Rida looked up at her in surprise as she wiped away the tears. "Lu-Luce? But he...We are...Its not like that!" He managed to reply, furiously shaking his head back and forth, pony tail acting like a whip. Giving a watery smile at her kiss on the cheek, he relaxed more. When Priscilla rested her head against his, he drew back, only to move a little so that his head rested on her shoulder, his arms wrapped loosely around her waist. "Luce is...Well, I guess he's just a really good friend." The kitty murmured, the mild panic attack having drained him just a bit.

Listening quietly, the vampire smiled lightly. It was because he agreed with Aine's words about apologies, and because of Loki. Wrapping his arms around the wolf, Regan nuzzled him gently. The words he'd spoken meant more to him then he could say, or dared to at this point. Instead his mind veered with curiosity to Loki's comments about Luce. What in the worlds did he mean? "What's so very different about Luce that you would exclude him so? You obviously care for him in some way." Just like he cared for Vex and Regan. The vampire wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing, posing such questions. But ... At the same time the curiosity he had felt about the keeper of the Inn remained, even if his affections certainly lay elsewhere.

Relief, blessed relief, washed over the young woman. She was beginning to realize something ... Something that had never crossed her mind before concerning anyone else. The thought that she liked Rida, and not just as a friend either, crossed Priscilla's mind. But when he smiled up at her, it made her want to make sure he was always happy. The brunette's heart fluttered in her chest as the neko wrapped his arms around her. Placing her other arm around Rida, she hugged him lightly. "You must think me just a little silly, for getting upset about something so small." She thought she had overreacted, drastically. That was a mistake Priscilla vowed to herself she wouldn't do again.

Loki nuzzled the vampire for a few moments, just relaxing against the other man. It was nice, being able to relax. To stop being so angry. It was almost refreshing, Loki inhaled deeply, taking in Regan's scent and the scents around him. "Luce and I are cousins." It was a lie, but it would be hard to tell Loki was lying, unless Regan was very good at picking up on that sort of thing. It was easy to tell that lie, he'd been saying it for so many years. He nipped lightly at the vampire's ear. "Though that and the fact I mate for life doesn't quite stop him from attempting to bed me. It can't be helped though." Loki had closed his eyes and wrapped his arms tight around the vampire. "I'm sorry, for being so terrible to you. I'm not good at expressing myself unless I'm doing it with anger."

Something wasn't quite right about Loki's explanation, but he let it pass. It was reason enough, besides the vampire wanted no more fighting that day. Especially not now, when the two of them finally seemed to be getting along well. A grin crossed his lips as the wolf nipped him. Regan tugged on one of Loki's ears playfully, and looked down at him with a mirth in his blue eyes. "You seem to be doing just fine to me at the moment. So stop apologizing, you'll make it up to me eventually." In truth, Loki was already making some headway. But, the vampire wasn't about to say that at the moment. Yes, he was still hurt but quite a bit less. Leaning into Loki, he smiled to himself. If he could have, Regan would have been purring with contentment.

Ciar released Aine as they approached the vampire, allowing her to speak, his curiosity leading him to assume that he had taken blood from Aine, which bothered him a little, but hey, she was her own person. He just didn't like the thought of her losing anything like that, especially when fae blood such as hers, if he was correct in assuming she was a flower fae, could be so addicting to a vampire. What if he couldn't stop? Ciar pushed the thoughts from his mind as they continued to the Inn. When Aine stopped and went back to the vampire and now wolf who had approached, Ciar waited, watching from a distance in case she needed him.

~~~*~~~*~~~

Once again, Loki had left Vex confused, sad, and angry, an emotional mess, although she concealed it well for the moment. If he didn't like something that was happening, why didn't he just change it? Mistakes were made all the time, but that didn't mean one needed to punish himself for it every day of his life. She blinked after him. Her heart wanted to follow, but her feet wouldn't move.

When Ferwen spoke, she tilted her head to the side to give him a look that said, 'shut up Ferwen'. Her eyes fell back onto Loki and Regan, as Regan made his way to the Inn. Of course they were fighting, what was new? As she watched for a moment, her anger grew, something that was an unfamiliar feeling to Vex. Sadness, hopelessness, pain, those were familiar. Anger, not so much. But now, she'd had it. She'd been almost drowned, almost choked, strung along by Loki to be pushed away, and now she'd really had it.

With clenched fists, she headed towards the Inn. She really needed a drink. As she passed by Loki, she glared daggers. If looks could harm a person, Loki would be in some severe pain. Shoving passed Ciar, she entered the Inn and made a bee-line to the bar. Forget mixing things, she poured herself straight liquor before leaning against the bar again to scowl over the other patrons, sitting around looking all content, pfftt, what did they know about anything.

Loki was silent, the sound of approaching footsteps causing him to pull back just slightly from Regan. He watched Vex as she moved past them, flinching visibly at the glare she was giving him. If glares could kill, Loki probably would have died from that, as it was it only hurt a lot. It felt as if she had just stabbed him with a knife and twisted it a few times, and he guessed she was feeling worse than that because of him. "Vex..." Loki had pulled completely away from the vampire and stared as Vex disappeared into the inn. He grit his teeth, once again anger showing instead of pain, his right hand clenched into a fist. "Gods Above and Below be cursed!" He grabbed Regan by the front of his shirt and shook the man a bit. It would be obvious to the vampire that Loki was trying hold back from shaking him too much. "Why do I always hurt the ones I care about? Am I so terrible of a person that I can't make anyone happy?" He released Regan with a light shove. "Damnit. I'm leaving." Loki whirled around and started off. He shouldn't have even been here this long anyway. Stop in for a few hours, chat with Luce and be gone out the door for a few more years, like usual.


Luce had been standing behind the bar, semi-busily wiping the counter top down. The really wasn't much else to do. When Vex came in he smiled at her, though something was clearly bothering her and concern entered his eyes. "Vex, my love, what is wrong?" He put down the rag he had been using and moved to stand a bit closer to Vex, looking over her carefully. He didn't think any one had physically harmed her, so it must be completely emotional. "Perhaps I can help?" He offered gently.

Frewen trembled slightly under the woman's glare. Why was she so angry? And upset? Ah yes, Loki's words. It seemed like they were both really hurting, and apologetic words fell on deaf ears. Land dwellers, always so hard to understand. They couldn't seem to forgive each other for the past. It kept haunting them all the time. Shaking his head, the blue haired man put a foot into the cool pond water, then thought better of it. Curiosity, and a need to try and help, pushed him to start loping easily towards the Inn. Perhaps Frewen's aid might just make things worse, but at least he could try.

The kelpie had a terribly hard time understanding how anyone could be miserable. There was always the comfort of nature all around. Teal eyes widening, he entered the Inn. This was the first time he'd entered the place in a long time, and it hadn't changed all that much. Gingerly walking over the wooden floors, he did his best not to disturb the two people inside the kitchen. Surer steps led him into the main room, and towards the bar. He didn't approach Vex and Luce though. The demon and Frewen didn't exactly have the best of acquaintances.

Upon hearing footsteps, Regan glanced around to catch sight of Vex. He smiled tentatively in her direction, only for it to fade away into a frown upon seeing her glare. He knew it wasn't directed at him. They'd parted on good terms ... At least it had seemed like that to Regan. Turning his attention back to Loki, he listened in shock and frustration. Not even finding the strength for words, the redhead watched as Loki walked away.

This time he wasn't following. Already that's what had happened so many times, and it had done nothing to help. Let Loki leave and find misery then ... Or maybe if he was alone the man would finally learn to forgive himself. Either way, all Regan had said, all the confessions and words, they had fallen on deaf ears. So this time, he turned and walked away. More like ran to the front of the Inn and entered the place that way. Sighing, he went to sit at a table in a darkly lit corner and grabbed the glass of strong liquor which appeared there.

Sikura sat quietly at the bar sipping her tea as she paid little attention to what was going on. Her eyes looked up as Luce started to talk to Vex and noticed something was wrong. She looked at the violet-eyed woman and felt bad for her. It seemed at she has having a lot of emotional pain. As the vampire entered, she looked at him and noticed his emotional state was almost the same as Vex's but he just sat down with his liquor. 'What was going on? Everyone seems so miserable...' Sikura said to herself as she looked for Aine so she could try to cheer everyone up.

As Luce waited for Vex's answer, he glanced up just as Frewen entered. He gave the kelpie a warning look, but nothing more. He was sure Frewen would behave himself, at least for a little while. Then Regan entered, looking miserable. Luce's brow furrowed for a moment and then he seemed to make some sort of connection. He looked from Regan to Vex and sighed softly. "Has Loki done something troublesome?" He asked the question hesitantly, not wanting to be quick to lay blame on the wolf for something. But Loki's faint scent hung around Vex and Regan, they had been around him recently, and even the Inn seemed to be humming in Luce's ears that the wolf had been misbehaving.


Loki wandered past the pond and towards the tree line. He wasn't moving very fast, and he wasn't really sure how far he was going, or if he would turn back and return to the Inn.

Noticing Luce's glance in his direction, the keplie winked playfully at the man. Then his teal eyes traveled to a brown haired woman. It didn't seem like anyone was talking to her at all, and that was just a shame. Promptly standing, the blue haired male moved to the free seat beside Sikura and grinned kindly in her direction. "Hello there, have you ever met a kelpie before?" It was quite an easy way to get a conversation started, this question. Of course it had brought trouble on Frewen too. He didn't really think too much about that though.

Finishing off his drink, Regan looked at the bottom of the glass ponderously before setting it down. What to do ... He wanted to chase after Loki, but he knew it wouldn't make one bit of difference. This would just happen all over again, and nothing would be resolved.

When the blue haired male walked trough the kitchen, Priscilla frowned in silent disapproval. The nerve of him! He wasn't wearing a shirt, no shoes and the pants he had on were nothing more then rags! Her golden eyes softened as they returned to Rida, for whom she smiled a little sheepishly. She'd pulled him close to her quite forcefully when the stranger had entered the kitchen so suddenly.

Throwing back the drink, Vex emptied the glass before placing it down in front of herself with a loud tap. Most women would have a problem drinking so much straight liquor, even most men, but it was something Vex had done for years. It's how she coped with life. She sent a sideways glance to Luce before frowning. She really didn't feel like talking to anyone, but maybe by some miracle, he could help. What the hell.

She turned her back to the bar, amethyst eyes scanning for a drink, something new, but strong. Vex didn't even know where to start telling Luce what was on her mind, she was too complicated a girl. Plus, she'd never actually talked with anyone about feelings or things like that, usually she just pretended not to have those.

Frowning all the while as she thought about his words, her eyes searched the bottles. "That man is nothing but trouble," she snapped. And that was true. She certainly didn't understand Loki or any of the things he did. All she wanted to do was give him a piece of her mind, but as usual, he was attached to Regan's hip. They always seemed to be standing in front of each other and each time they were, they both looked miserable, and it was starting to really piss her off. If Loki was so unhappy with the choices he'd made, there was no reason to punish himself for them every moment of his life.

With each passing second, Vex appeared to be growing more and more frustrated. "He's your friend," she said angrily, "Tell me what the hell is wrong with him." She didn't mean it the way it sounded probably. She knew there was nothing wrong with him literally, but maybe Luce had the answer to why Loki was so much trouble. Vex shook her head at herself. That was exactly what drew her to him too, trouble.

Luce watched Vex as she scanned the bottles, he would have picked one for her, if he knew what she was looking for. No doubt something strong. Luce wasn't really sure about which alcohol would be strong or weak, he really didn't know that much about such things. He glanced at the bottles, nodding just slightly as one slid slightly forward on it's shelf. Of course the Inn would know what was wanted. Luce reached over and plucked the bottle off the shelf and gently held it out to Vex.

"Actually, the old wolf is my cousin." Luce smiled slightly as he said it. "He suffers from a terrible case of heartache, Loki is a sad and lonely creature, whatever tragedy happened in his past he cannot let go of it and constantly blames himself for it. Though I am almost certain whatever it was, it was not his fault." Luce glanced to Regan for a moment, offering him a small smile, then he looked to Frewen. His gaze remained there, just watching to make sure the kelpie didn't cause any trouble.

"Loki can not let go of his pain, usually he does not let himself get close to any one, but I think the lone wolf has gotten very tired of being alone. He is always making rash, hasty decisions, when he is feeling hurt he hides it behind anger, he is very bad at expressing how he really feels especially with words. His major problem I think, is that he wants everyone around him to be happy, even at the cost of his own happiness or well being. He does not like hurting others, especially emotionally."

His gaze left Frewen, settling on Vex. "I am sure there are other things wrong with him that I just don't know about yet." Luce gave a slight shrug, wondering if that helped Vex at all. She had asked and he had told. Though Loki probably wouldn't be too happy with Luce for sharing that information.

Vex reached out and took the bottle from Luce hastily. She didn't even bother to read the label, take a sniff or anything else. Instead she poured herself a tall glass of whatever the bottle held, and took a big gulp before turning her full attention to Luce. As he began to speak, Vex's anger began to fade. So he was heartbroken, and that's what caused him to act this way? The thought made Vex feel bad that she'd ever been so mad at Loki.

He can't let go of his pain, let himself close to anyone, makes rash decisions, bad at expressing his feelings... The words Luce spoke brought Vex to a harsh realization that her and Loki were both very similar, and that made her take another big gulp of the strong drink. She sighed, looking down at the floor for a moment. Here she was judging Loki so harshly, when she could be accused of most of the same things she was mad at him for.

When Luce said that Loki only wanted everyone around him to be happy, even at the cost of his own, she frowned. "That seems a little backwards. If he wants those around him to be happy, then he should be too. It wouldn't make sense that his friends would be happy and him be miserable." She thought for a moment. "If he wants to make his friends happy then he needs to find his own happiness first."

Vex shrugged, "But what do I know?" She took another sip of her drink as she realized Loki hadn't returned with Regan, nor shortly thereafter. Thinking of Luce's words about Loki made her sad. She wanted Loki to be happy, and if he couldn't put himself first, neither him or his friends were going to be happy. But the more Vex drank, the more she forgot about Luce's words and the more she focused on how stupid Loki was. Of course, she didn't really think he was stupid, but liquor tended to make her a little dramatic, and now she was only mad at him again. She narrowed her eyes at the door. That's right, stay outside if you know what's good for you, she thought to Loki.

Glancing up, he caught Luce's smile. Sitting where he was, he couldn't hear more then a murmur, even so Regan couldn't help but wonder what was being said. Probably something about Loki. Which brought the redhead back to thinking of the man. His eyes widened slightly as he realized what had really happened earlier. Vex had walked by, glaring at Loki. Of course it had upset him .... And Regan hadn't done a thing to help him out.

Shaking his head at himself, the vampire walked out of the Inn and retraced his steps. Arriving at the garden he paused and tried to figure out where the wolf had gone. Though it really wasn't all that hard. All Regan had to do was find the wolf's scent, it had become quite familiar to him. So now he was running after Loki again. The redhead could only hope the wolf hadn't run away too far. If he had, Regan might have a difficult time finding him again.

Stepping back after a few moments, Rida shrugged. How could he respond to that? To say she had would be rather rude. "Maybe. But, when haven't I been silly?" He decided to say, hoping that pointing out his own fault would lessen the sting. "Come on, we should head back out to join the rest." He smiled lightly, ducking his head in a bashful smile. Gripping one of her hands, he gently tugged her back to the front, smiling over at Luce bashfully.

Aine walked up to the door, smirking at the male fae, stepping through the open door. Moving over to the pair of open seats, she grinned up at the demon. "Hey Luce. Would you mind fixing me something sweet to drink? I kind of hurt my hand." Lifting said hand, she exaggerated a wince at the multi-colored skin. She couldn't feel the bruise, but the bones, she could. There were a few tiny pieces that weren't in alignment that were still shifting. "You also wouldn't happen to know where I could get my hands on an ice pack?"

His words got a small laugh out of Priscilla. "Not yet. At least, that's what it seems like to me." No, he really didn't seem like the silly type. So, Priscilla followed the neko as he tugged her along behind him. The brunette took Rida's word for his relationship with Luce, though seeing the smile he sent the other man made her just a little bit jealous. But what right did she have? She'd told Rida that she liked him, well was attracted to him, and he'd not said a word about it since. Inexperienced as she was, Priscilla had no idea what to do or how to tell if Rida felt the same. So she settled down beside him with a rather thoughtful expression. Leaning upon her elbows, she glanced at everyone sitting at the bar to try and distract herself.

"I agree with you, Vex, but Loki feels that it does not matter what happens to him, good or bad as long as those he cares about can be happy." Luce watched Vex for a moment as she enjoyed her probably stronger than necessary beverage. When Aine entered and asked him to fix a drink for her, he almost refused. Simply because the bar was self-service. Luce quickly thought better of it as he saw her hand and her wince. "Oh my." He spoke the words softly and moved a bit closer to Aine, peering curiously at her hand. "Sweetling, what happened to you?" For a moment there was a glint in his eyes, if anyone had hurt one of his guests, Luce would see to them personally. Then Luce turned toward the shelves, staring at them thoughtfully without a clue as to what would be sweet. A bottle moved forward on it's shelf and Luce snagged it and a glass. He replaced the bottle after filling the glass and turned to Aine. Setting the glass down with one hand, and with the other he handed her an ice pack that was very cold, as if fresh from the freezer, though it had not been there before. Concern was in his eyes.


Loki hadn't gone too far, he had changed though. The wolf demon had gone from humanoid form to wolven form. His wolf form was much more intimidating than his human one. The size of a dire wolf. His fur was as dark as pitch and his eyes glowed deep red. His scent and aura were the same, Loki was not hiding. This form was just as much a natural part of his body as his eyes were, and so was his humanoid form. The wolf was just past the tree line behind the pond, and curled up at the base of a big tree. His back was to the inn, and his eyes were open, just watching the woods before him. The wolf couldn't decide if he wanted to leave or not. Regan was there, and Vex too, though he was sure Vex hated him beyond measure. And maybe Regan wanted him to leave too, the vampire had done nothing to stop him. Would they be happier if he left? Loki couldn't decide.

The vampire was walking now, taking his time as he searched. The familiar scent led him to an unfamiliar sight. For a few moments, Regan simply stared from afar. He'd never imagined Loki could look so fear inspiring ... Shaking the thought off, the male moved towards the wolf cautiously. It was hard to tell how Loki would react to his presence, or if he even wanted him there. "Loki, is that you?" Even if he was quite sure this was Loki, Regan still had a hard time believing it. Of course he'd come across werewolves, shapeshifters and others who could change forms ... It just seemed a little bit removed from reality at the moment. Regan wanted the Loki he knew back, he just wasn't sure if this wolf was the same man or if the animal ruled. He'd never known that.

Ears had twitched, and that nose had wrinkled just slightly. For a while it was the only visible sign that Loki was even aware of Regan's approach. Even after the vampire spoke. Though he did turn his head slightly to watch the man's cautious approach, Loki knew he looked vicious in this form. Dire wolves were a force to be reckoned with anyway, a dire wolf demon was even more so. Even the gentlest wolves of his clan looked terrifying when in their wolf form. Loki huffed lightly and turned his head away, no longer watching Regan approach. Why had the vampire come out here, surely he hadn't been looking for Loki. A soft whine left the wolf's throat, an unmistakable whine that sounded more canine than human but with just that hint of human in it. It was definitely a Loki whine.

He stopped when the wolf turned to gaze at him. Regan felt caught, though it didn't seem like this wolf was all too interested or worried about his approach. So he moved more confidently forward, until he was almost jogging across the remaining distance. After hearing that whine, how could he not? That was Loki, and he sounded miserable! Reaching the huge wolf, Regan knelt down beside him and reached out to drape an arm over him. "Don't leave me ..." That wasn't what he'd wanted to say, but it was the single phrase which filled Regan's heart at the moment.

Loki had half expected Regan to turn around and go back the way he had come, the wolf was only mildly surprised when Regan knelt beside him and draped an arm over him. The wolf huffed lightly and closed his eyes. In truth though, Loki had not wanted Regan to see him in this form, he was worried the vampire would fear him. As that was mostly the point of this form, it was used for battling other clans and sometimes hunting. It was used as an intimidation ploy, there were only four others that knew this form of Loki's. Five now, counting the vampire. Another whine left the wolf's throat and he contemplated changing back to his humanoid form. For now, he decided against it.

Leaning against the wolf, the redhead found himself sighing a little. It hurt a little that Loki hadn't really acknowledged his words. It had been hard enough speaking them out to such an intimidating being. Placing his head on the demon's dark fur, Regan tried to relax. He'd wondered when his instinctive fear of wolves would surface. Vampires either hated wolves, or feared them ... Or had a combination of the two. Regan feared them, it had been reinforced in him by his parents.The fact that he was so close to Loki was a feat in itself for Regan. Despite his best efforts, the vampire began trembling like a leaf.