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Th'last time I heard those words, I was a girl, and had just lost my father's good boning knife.

[ She smirked, but still found herself a seat. ] Am I in trouble?

[He raises an eyebrow at her over his shoulder. There's thick slices of fried ham beside him, and he's cooking eggs in a pan now. The oven is on, and biscuits are nearly done. There's also coffee, which he is sipping with some satisfaction.]

I thought you might like something to eat is all. Why? Guilty conscience? [A grin. He gives her a quick teasing kiss before he flees to rescue the biscuits from the oven.]

[Ash had stopped by to drop something off of hers he had found in the cushions of his couch. It was chapstick she had thrown at him. Chapstick. Obviously it was an excuse.

Leaning in the doorway he watched the other man cooking.]

Think I'll just grab a cup of coffee if you don't mind.

Are you sure? The ham will be done in a moment, then I'll make some eggs to go with it.

[He is, perhaps, less put together than is usual for him. His hair is too short to be mussed, but he's got stubble on his cheek he hasn't shaved yet, and the t-shirt he's wearing...is definitely not his, unless snappy comebacks are his new style. He's also helped himself to someone's Kiss the Cook apron.

He does grab a decent-sized mug and pour out some coffee for Ash.]

We haven't had a chance to talk at all outside of emergencies. I'm...Alex is fine, honestly.

Don't want to intrude. Coffee is great.

[He took a seat at the table and made himself comfortable. Though he couldn't help but wonder if it was still okay to just drop in when he wanted. Ashley has a meeting later that morning and is wearing a suit. The top of his shirt collar is open, no tie, letting the tattoos on his neck show. Tattooed hands shine with a few big, chunky rings that could be best described as biker in style. Otherwise, by societies standards, he looked professional.]

Didn't know we had a reason to talk. Apparently we keep a lot of secrets in this pack. I prefer Ash.

[ She lets out an amused snort, barely able to lean into that kiss before he's back in the kitchen. ] Th'day I don't want something t'eat, hell will surely freeze over. There's a reason Han calls me the thirteenth plague of Egypt...

[ Oni worries her lower lip with her teeth; Maybe she's biased, but Alessandro has never looked so happy, like a massive weight has been lifted from his shoulders. Here is a man who has stepped into the sunshine after thousands of years of darkness, and here she was, a proverbial rain cloud.

She hesitated... Then got up from the table, walking around to where he stood before the oven. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him from behind, and pressed her face against his back. ]

You're not intruding. Wolf packs are families. Oni has made it very clear that her family is important to her. It'd be rude of me to monopolize her or not even make an effort to introduce myself.

[Alessandro keeps a close eye on breakfast as he talks. There's biscuits in the oven, too. From the evidence he's been careful to clean up, he might be unsure about the concept of pre-made biscuits. He's idly picking grapes from a bowl as he cooks, and he's got a half-finished cup of coffee nearby.]

I've always liked food, but it's different now that it isn't an occasional novelty. I've had to learn how to manage an electric range. Honestly. I feel as though some god of mischief invented the concept of cooking with bits of heated metal.

You're thinking too hard.

[Oh, he leans into her embrace, but he fixes her with a look over his shoulder.]

I don't have to be a mind reader to feel that frown. What's wrong?

What makes y'say that?

[ At first, her only response was to tighten her arms around his waist, a muffled noise against his back. ]

Nothing, chere. I just... Needed a hug. That's all.

Yeah, I get that. Still, you're both entitled to your personal space. Don't worry, I know the rule about the bathroom mirror.

[He takes a sip from the cup of coffee. Ash didn't have beef with him, that would be hypocritical, given his relationship with Jasper. Mostly he's curious and finds it interesting to hear him express similar things he had talked to Jas about.]

Better watch your fingers around Oni when it comes to food. She's hungry and you get in the way, might lose a digit or two.

There's a rule about the mirror? [Alessandro raises an eyebrow curiously.]

I'll be honest, back when I was mortal, I lived in a small, one room hut with my British wife and five children. It had a thatched roof and a dirt floor, and I was forever tripping over chickens or crawling babies. Then I commanded a ship for centuries, in close quarters with dozens of sailors. It's only been in the last fifty years or so that I've led Lazarus that I've had to get used to having so much room. Having family underfoot feels more natural.

[Once the biscuits are out of danger, Alessandro turns and wraps her in his arms. He presses his lips to her forehead.]

Are you sure?

Who has two thumbs and is a Glass Walker? [He pointed at himself.] People get really fucking touchy when you pop in and they are on the shitter.

[Ash shook his head.] It's not about being underfoot. It's about exposure. What I don't know? What I don't see? Can't be used against her.

....cause if they kill her because she loves you, no offense, I'll tear you to pieces and shit you out in the Hudson.

Ah! Ha! I don't care about that. Different expectations of privacy, I suppose?

[But, his expression darkens in the next moment and he growls softly under his breath. Shadows dance around the room, not the evil things that smelled of the Wyrm like when he was a vampire, but shadows much wilder.]

You won't have to, because to get to her, they'll have to kill me first. She doesn't like being protected, but I've watched helplessly as my loved ones were murdered once. I won't do it again.

Rules are rules, Al.

[His expression does much of the same. This time when he sees the shadows he doesn't lose his shit like he had at The Rat. Oni had explained what he was now. Didn't make him comfortable but his brain wasn't screaming 'vampire, kill it'.]

I'm not here to piss on territory. Just to set clear boundaries. [He sighed and dug out the chapstick from his jacket and set it on the table.] Actually, I was just bringing that back. This is different, man. We lost her. She died. And somehow we got her back. Can't go through that again.

I do understand. I wasn't claiming territory, I was letting you know...I can't go through that again, either. I won't. The bastard who made me a vampire...He killed my family and destroyed everything I had left in the world, first. That was after Vesuvius took the rest of my family. I killed him for it, but it was too late, then. I won't endure that again.

Didn't think you were. Was just pointing out that I'm not making threats out of some kind of territorial, jealousy bullshit. It's deeper then that. [He took another drink before standing up.]

Anyway. I'll let you get back to breakfast. Thanks for the coffee. I have a meeting I have to get to.

Ash. [He holds out a hand to the Garou.] If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask.

Oh, and I do want to discuss business with you later. I'm in the process of cutting ties with less savory individuals that Lazarus has done business with and comparing notes about more reputable clients would be helpful.

[He stops and shakes his hand.] We can do that. Just know I'm going to want details on the less then savory individuals in exchange for my information.

[He gives the Garou a smile.] I figured you might. I don't mind. Most of those individuals are less than happy with my decisions of late, particularly my reasoning for making a deal with the Fae, and would like nothing better than for me to step into a fire at my earliest convenience. Sharing details doesn't hurt my feelings.

Have Oni send me your number. Chrissy will set something up.

[Alessandro pulls a business card from his wallet. Besides Lazarus's logo, three horses emerging from waves, it also has his name, address, and business phone on it. Written in on the bottom is his cellphone number.] Here, to make it a bit easier. I do still tend to keep night hours, but either Daniel or my secretary ought to be around to answer the phone if I'm not.

[He cracks a bit of a smile.] I'm honestly curious how long Daniel is going to keep up the charade. If you come by, do try to play along. I'm sure he'll either confess or at least loosen up eventually.

[ By the time he turned around, she thought she had regained her composure. But she almost lost it all over again, when he kissed her forehead. He was so gentle with her, and she didn’t deserve it. ]

Ashley knows about us… I don’t know if he’ll ever trust me again.

I knew it would happen, but it’s still hard.

This is one of the same people you consider closer than family? The people you would die to protect? [He lifts her chin so that she's looking at him.] The people you literally did put your life on the line to protect when you came aboard my ship? Probably without telling them, given my impressions of them now.

[He smiles at her.] I can't imagine why he might be a bit annoyed with you constantly risking your life without telling him. Why, it's almost like he cares about you or something.

[He tucked the card away inside his jacket.] I'll be in touch. Thanks for the coffee.

...a... are you sure? [ He points at himself. Free food for Swede? ]

Yes. [ No hesitation, there. ] Yes, absolutely.

[ But then her mouth fell open, as realization slowly dawns on her. ] Are you… Are you taking his side? Je ne le crois pas.

So what’re you saying? I should have taken my orange juice to-go, and fucked off? We wouldn’t be here now. [ No. No, that probably wasn’t it. She made a frustrated noise in the back of her throat; she’d get nowhere with Alex if she screamed and threw things, like she had with Ash. ] Alright, I’m not completely dense. I know he cares. And yes, maybe I could have clued them in that I was going t’scout out your ship, but I like knowing how dangerous a situation is before I get th’whole pack involved. If I would’ve told them where I was going, they’d have found a way t’sneak their little asses aboard, too.

[ Half-turning, she grabbed a couple of plates and went through the motions of setting the table. ] He can complain that I risk my life, but he forgets that I care too. And keepin’ that merry pack of assholes alive is part of how I show it. Not t’mention it’s my goddamn job…

Edited 2022-11-02 21:39 (UTC)

Oni. [He kisses her softly to try to calm her down.] If you haven't noticed, you're the glue that that holds so many disparate personalities together. You died once, and it hurt them. Badly. The reason they would find a way to sneak aboard as well is because, even prior to knowing about me, they obviously understood you That you would hold back harsh truth to spare them the danger. I cannot fault you for it, because I have done the same thing more than once. But you died, and they moved the heavens and earth to get you back. I strongly suspect they're not asking you to play it safe, they're not trying to wrap you in cotton and protect you. They want the harsh truth. You want their trust? You must give them a reason to trust you. One of them at least. Tell them the whole truth.

I would suggest, if you choose one to confide in, choose Ash. He may not always make the responsible choice. He sometimes lets his heart make decisions for him. And if you tell him I knew before he visited today that you died, I will deny everything. [Alessandro smiles softly and hands her the tube of chapstick Ash brought over.] But he has a stronger rapport with the other members of the pack and also Nephele, Anika, and the children. Nasir allows his pride to get in the way, Kevin is too new to be trusted by everyone yet, and Freya's health isn't what it once was. Ash can hold things together should the need arise, but you must trust him enough to give him the entire truth.

If not him, then Han. I know he is the last person you would want to put in danger, but he is very clever and he, too, could probably hold the family together in your absence. [Alessandro smirks.] He's also more discreet than Ashley and Nasir, despite his entire demeanor. If you think Han didn't know about us from probably all the way back when he saw me at the warehouse while I was still Prince of the City, I think you underestimate how much I terrified him and then tried to soothe his nerves.

[He kisses her again.] And while I understand there are many things you cannot share with me, I, too, would like to know when you're going to be in danger. Because I was powerless to save my family once. I will not sit by helplessly again.

Yes! Sit! Breakfast today is free! How do you like your eggs?

[ Oh oh! He instantly sits down. ] ... ..a... a lot.... a lot of them. Please. Mister. [ He is going to behave so good. ]

[ Unfair how well that works. Oni’s lashes drifted shut and, when she speaks, her voice is a soft murmur. ] It’s really fucking hard t’stay mad at you, y’know that?

[ She can’t linger in her kiss-fog euphoria for too long; Her eyes snap open as he drops a series of bombshells. He knew she died? Ashley paid him a visit, and he knew she died even before that?! How…? There’s so much to unpack, here. Where does she even start? ] I told Ash th’whole, entire truth. There are no secrets left t’keep from him. If y’saw him today, and th’bastard left before I got th’chance t’see him, then you know how well that went.

In hindsight, maybe my delivery could’ve been… A little more delicate.

[ All this talk about who will hold the reigns in the event of her demise leaves her feeling cold, but, luckily, he’s there to warm her. ] Were you in Han’s head? I outta be jealous. And yes, Ash can be… Reckless, and impulsive sometimes, but it ain’t entirely his fault. These things— You think they’re personality quirks, but we were each given something according to our moon phase. Han got Gaia’s laughter. Freya got her curiosity, th’pursuit of knowledge. Nas and Kevin got her wisdom. Supposedly. [ She rolled her eyes. ] And Ashley gets his drive and passion from her.

Alex… [ She ran her fingertips along his cheek, enjoying the scratch of his stubble. Having had almost the exact same arguement with Ashley that she’d had with Logan however many years ago, she’s reluctant to broach the subject with Alessandro. She doesn’t want to upset him now, too… Returning his kisses, she tests the waters. ] You know I won’t always be able t’tell when there’ll be danger… Right? I mean, I can tell you all about my hare-brained schemes, but some things blow up in my face and I can’t always have a plan in place for it.

[Alessandro gave her a smile.] I actually don't know how your talk with Ash went. I can't see him driving all the way out here just to return your chapstick and have coffee, so I assume he wanted to talk, but he didn't expect me here. We talked a bit. Clarified a few things. I actually did request his help. [He raised an eyebrow at her.]

You were right. About the vampires that Lazarus did business with. Given that Ash runs his own successful business, I'm getting with him to see which of our clients are suspect and which current or potential clients are cleaner. This, of course, does mean he will have access to quite a bit of Lazarus's client records. I trust it will help a bit. [He shrugs.] I can't very well talk to you about not sharing what's going on without admitting that I've found business with them to be too hazardous to my own personal health. Which, I suspected might be the case. They will always hate me for walking away from the Blood. Oderint dum metuant. It doesn't work as well when they don't know enough to be afraid.

[He gave her one last kiss, then turned to make sure all the food was finished and ready to eat. Eggs, thick slices of ham, biscuits, and coffee. Not a bad breakfast, all in all.] Just as I never really know what's coming, I don't expect you to know what's coming either. Some things will just happen, and we'll be left to pick up the pieces as best we can. But it does help if you tell me what's going on.

I like t’think we reached an understanding, mais there may’ve been some property damage. Wait— Clarified a few things? What things?

How I have longed t’hear those three little words, you were right. [ She sighs, leaning against the counter as if swept up in a post-orgasmic afterglow. ] Say it again. I so rarely get th’chance t’gloat. Not that I would ever tell him, but Ash excels at that sort of thing. Shit that would take me a month t’pick through? He’ll have it sorted in a few days days. Less, if he gets in one of his weird obsessive streaks.

What does that mean? Oderint dum metuant? [ Oni only pouted a little when he turned his attention back to the food. Wonderful as everything smelled, some small part of her just wanted to… Makeout like teenagers. She sat back down at the table. ] Oh, you mean now? Er… Okay.

Well, for one thing, I’ve been fuckin’ around with th’Baali. [ She knew she didn’t have to explain to him what they were about. ] There’s a nest of ‘em, workin’ on some sorta… Demonic-possession plague that spreads through a swarm of flies.

Th’Society of Leopold is back on its bullshit. And then I’ve been keepin’ tabs on th’current Prince of New York. [ She glanced at his face. No telling how he might react to that one. ] Oh, and there’s a pack of vengeful Black Spiral Dancers trying t’hunt us down, so I’ve been dealin’ with that, too…

[ When she said it all out loud, like that… It kind of seemed like a lot. ]

Besieged on all sides. Demon-worshipping scum on one side, very well armed hunters on another, and corrupted werewolves form a third side, Edmund a fourth. Dare I ask if the members of your own tribe who tried to kill you are still lurking out there?

[And then, they weren't in the kitchen at all, but on a moonlit beach, too rocky for sunbathing. Waves crashed upon the rocks, and Alessandro sat there on one, watching her.] Forgive me, I wanted more privacy. Because there was also the reason why you were attacked, or Nasir's interpretation of it, anyway. A vision? Prophesies of the end times? Don't be mad at him, I sent my Shadow to find you and I overheard what he told the others. It jogged my memory a bit and got me thinking.

[He got up and gestured behind them, where the city of Pompeii lay in all of its glory. Not a ruin ravaged by the most famous volcanic eruption in history, but as it appeared when he was a child.] Walk with me? I can't show you this in the waking world, not much was left of my family's home. What I could salvage, I have locked away. [They were close to the poorer district of the city, and it didn't take long to reach the popina, the dive bar, that Alessandro's parents ran. There were no people anywhere. The city was deserted. But food and merchandise sat out as if the merchants would be back at any moment, and fires roared in hearths. Alessandro led Oni upstairs to his parents' home. There, in the entryway, was an altar. There were several offering bowls on it, along with three figures. The first was Terra, always called by her Greek name Gaia by his parents. The second, Luna, Selene, the moon goddess. The third was a wolf. Oh, it was a suitably Roman wolf, but someone scratched into the wolf, along with the altar, markings that Alessandro did not understand.

Markings that looked suspiciously like a human's approximation of Garou glyphs. They said help.] I don't remember much from when I still believed in the deities of my mortal years, but I did take care once to write about my home in detail, because even then the Beast gnawing at my mind was taking with it my humanity. The figurines, my parents brought with them from Greece when they and my grandparents were captured by the Romans. [He pointed to one.] Gaia, called Terra by the Romans. [The other held a sphere of glass in her hands as if she cradled the moon in her arms.] Selene, called Luna by the Romans. [He shook his head at the wolf, and at numerous other animal or more abstract drawings left on and around the altar, including a phoenix. Alessandro ran his hand over the drawing.] Those two I know because I looked them up. The rest, I couldn't tell you. I have the three figurines kept safely in my home, but all three were badly damaged by the ash.

[He looked over at her.] Listen to me, dwelling on matters of faith. I forgot what point I was trying to make. [He shook his head.] I'll help you however I can. Frankly, both the Baali and the hunters worry me.

She thought she was being slick, by not bringing up the Eaters of the Dead, but, of course, nothing got past him. “You think they were trying t’kill me?”

The next words out of her mouth would have been They need me alive but, before she could get them out, she found herself in… Was it a dream? Or a memory? Was he in her mind, or had he pulled her into his? There was still so much about his new powers that she didn’t fully understand. To her credit, she rolled with the sudden changes to her surroundings without too much gawking. “Th’food will get cold,” she teased him with a smirk.

“I take it he told you about th’prophecy of th’phoenix.” Her tiny huff of laughter said how much stock she put in Nasir’s theories, “Just because there’s some overlap between me and a Theurge from however many millennia ago, th’whole tribe’s convinced I’m keepin’ some sorta secret…”

“If I did see something… I’ve tried, but I can’t remember it. So,” she sighed, “I’ve been looking for a psychic. It’s about as easy as you might expect. For one thing, half of ‘em are all hacks, and then there’s finding one that won’t look too deep or learn things they aren’t supposed t’know…”

“And I’ll be meeting with them soon,” she added, with a sidelong glance at his face, “Th’Eaters. I asked Nas t’set it up. Is this where you grew up?”

Oni had the acuity of a wolf, but she still crouched down before the altar to get a better look at those carved figures. She only grumbled a little when he said the name Selene, forever salty that someone disgraced the Moon Goddess by giving that name to a vampire. Gaia, Luna, and the Wolf. Huh, that’s interesting. Her head tilted to the side, as she traced her fingertips across the etched sigils.

“Alex,” she said after a long moment, with a backwards glance over her shoulder, “Did you have wolves in th’family?”

“Because that,” she said, pointing at the glyph on the wolf, “I’m pretty sure that says help.” Were they asking the wolf spirit for help against their captors? “And if I didn’t know any better, I’d say these were totems. Rat, cat, I think that’s a loom. Those might be Wyld spirits…”

If Nasir could see this, he’d have known instantly what it was. “Look at this,” she said, brushing dirt out of a glyph half hidden under the wolf. The tower had only one level, whereas today it would have four, but Oni still recognized it. “Glasswalkers?!” she asked, with another incredulous look over her shoulder.

Alessandro walked up behind her and put his arm on her shoulder. "I don't know." It was simple, really. Calm. He didn't know much of his own family history. "Oni, both sets of my grandparents died of a cholera outbreak when my parents were still young children. From what I remember, they'd been promised to others, but when it looked as if they would be staying in Pompeii, that there was no one left at home for them thanks to the Romans, they watched out for each other and married when they were old enough. The altar, my grandparents made and decorated like that. I don't know why. I may have once."

He shook his head and paced behind her. "My...early undeath. It was hard. I don't remember a lot but I do remember crushing depression, violent mood swings. I gave in to the Beast, and it was only centuries later when I learned to control that hunger better using morality that wasn't so human. The Beast took with it some of my acuity of my mortal years. I might have things written down somewhere, but those early writings are extremely fragile, and I have them preserved now where they won't decay." He shook his head. "Glasswalker doesn't sound right, though. I know the term now but there was something else my parents said. Something about warding." He shook his head. "I don't remember."

He sighed. "Despite the fact I can't remember my own past, I did talk to Nasir the night you were attacked about what happened. I know they need you alive, but what they did, trying to force your memories out of your head? It could have killed you. I'm not the telepath that Edmund is, but I can read minds and could as a vampire, as well. Not that I do it on a regular basis, it gives me a headache. But your memories...that night especially, they were all disjointed, broken. I was afraid to dig too deep, in case I caused too much damage by accident. I might be able to make sense of it if I tried again, but I'd need to put you into a deep sleep, and I'd want Freya and possibly Nasir there with me to help." He paced back and forth across the entryway of the Roman home, frowning. "I usually only read your surface thoughts. Sometimes just guess based on your body language and tone. Going deeper, trying to correct what was shattered by your death? That could be dangerous for you."

He walked up behind her and put his arms around her. "If you want, I will try. If your tribe do what they did previously to you, it could kill you. Or cause permanent injury. You don't want to be trapped in your own mind, caught in a coma you won't wake from."

She listened closely while he explained what he lost, the high price of vampirism. “That’s th’old name… Honestly, there’ve been so many names. Glasswalkers, Iron… Riders, I think? But, before that, they were Warders of Early Man, or something. Ash could tell you all about it…” Who knows, maybe they’ll call themselves the Internet-Runners someday soon.

Oni ran her hands down his arms, resting her head against his chest as he held her. He was right, of course. She’d never forget how the Eaters of the Dead tore through her memories as if they were searching for a needle in a haystack by burning it down to the ground. Her mind might be too fragile for even Alessandro’s inspection, but he’d be much more careful than they had been. And while the possibility of permanent injury terrified her… If they didn’t do something soon, the Eaters would surely try again.

“What will it do to you?” she asked, turning in his arms so she could face him. She trusted him, but that didn’t mean she’d willingly put him in a position where he might do damage to himself. “Can y’promise me that you won’t get lost in there?”

Recruiting Freya and Nas shouldn’t be an issue; She knew the Philodox in particular was eager for answers, though he’d also been the one to caution her that they had to be extremely careful in selecting the right mentalist for the job. They may not get another crack at this. “If we do this… I’ll need some time t’prepare.” Before they tried it, she wanted the chance to see all the people she cared about, one last time. If she wound up lost inside her mind again— with the lights on, but nobody home —may Gaia be merciful and wrap her in the memory of those she loves.

It's not really necessary to cook breakfast, but I certainly wont complain.

What're we having?