Night's Omen

Prompt List

• Mirror
• Frustration
• Lullaby
• Poison
• Phone Call
• Roses
• Soul
• Moving Out
• Gift
• Family

Celeste had fucked up. Not a little, but a lot. Richard was staying with Victor while she "figured things out", because she desperately had to get him out of the house before Thanatos decided to drop in and pay him a visit. What the fuck had she been thinking? She should have never gotten married. She should have listened to her mother when Christine wisely warned her that she would never be able to settle for ordinary. "We look for trouble. You're no different," she'd said. "Mark my words." That had been on her wedding day. It was one of the nicer memories she had of her mother, actually.

She called Sebastien because she didn't know who else to call. Everyone else was buddy buddy with Richard, and while reluctant to take sides, they definitely knew that Celeste was tempestuous at times, and figured that things would calm down in a few days. Nobody ever suspected that she'd opened her home, and her bed, to one of their current high priority targets. Sebastien had put up with worse from her; he was a childhood friend, and she selfishly knew that if she applied her wiles to him, he'd buckle and do what she asked.

"Celeste, are you okay?" Sebastien called. He cautiously entered the household, glancing around. His movements were tense, like he thought that something was about to jump out at him. When he got to the kitchen, he saw her on the floor, the phone off the hook, bloody fingerprints decorating it as it swung back and forth on the wall next to her. In the sink he saw an empty bottle of scotch, and slowly began putting the puzzle pieces together. She got drunk, had a meltdown, broke a bunch of shit, then called him. It was like a normal Tuesday in Celeste-world.

He sighed and squatted down in front of her, reaching out to lift her chin with his fingers. "Hey, don't cry," he soothed, his trademark gravelly voice as smooth as ever. He'd had plenty of practice in this area, unfortunately. "Come on, tell me what happened," he eased.

Celeste sniffed, trying to calm herself down. She'd allowed herself to emote a little harder, knowing he was on his way, but as shitty as it was, the feelings were all real. She was absolutely terrified. "I made a huge mistake, Sebbie," she admitted finally, using her childhood nickname for him. "I messed up really bad and I'm scared," she sobbed, leaning forward to bury her face into his chest. Sebastien petted her gently, saying generic 'everything will be okay' bullshit until he could get her to her feet and get the full story.

"What did you mess up?" he pressed, taking a fresh dishrag from the drawer and wetting it. He pressed it into her hand, trying to get a glimpse of what was going on, but Celeste was pretty fucking powerful when it came to mind-reading, and she blocked him reflexively.

"Don't," she protested. "I'll tell you. Just... you won't like it," she added, looking down at her hand as he dabbed away. She took a shaky breath. "I cheated on Richard," she started. When he pulled back in surprise, she held her other hand up. "Wait, wait wait, that's not the bad part," she insisted.

Sebastian looked a mixture of shocked and angry, and Celeste felt a little pang of guilt. He was friends with Richard, too, but he'd been her friend longer. She'd expected him to empathize with her, and yet, the look on his face was totally opposite. She realized that she had overestimated his loyalty, and began sputtering out a half-truth, how Thanatos had seduced her and how she'd been unable to resist and now he was stalking her and sending her photos of Richard with other hunters in places where they had no idea they were being photographed and couldn't he do something to help her?

"Celeste, this is... not good," he breathed, having to physically take a step away from her. He couldn't tell if she was lying, mostly because she was damned good at it. "But I can't - I mean, I don't know what you want me to do, here. I can probably influence this a little if I have to, but damnit, Celeste. He's my friend too!" he snapped. He was visibly conflicted. "I just need some time to think. Don't worry, I'll help you, I just - you need to tell him the truth, Celeste. Or I will. That guy, he loves you, and you're..."

Oh shit, this is not going how I planned at all, she thought to herself. She reached out for Sebastien, grabbing him before he walked out of the room, which is what he was trying to do. "Sebbie, please... for me, please don't tell him," she begged. She pressed her hand against his face, trying to play on that boyhood puppy love they all knew he had for her. But her mistake was pulling him in for a kiss - Sebastien's power was growing, rapidly, expanding out in different areas that he hadn't even gotten to fully toy with. And one of them was through touch. So when she kissed him, that whole lie just fell apart.

Sebastien shoved her back as hard as he could; he was human, and she was a Vida, but he was still strong, and she smacked against the counter, an audible bang echoing in the kitchen. She looked utterly shocked, but the expression quickly turned into one of anger at the rejection.

"Sebastien," she warned, sensing the growing hostility flood the room. "You are making a mistake."

"I should have known you wouldn't ever kiss me because you wanted to," he snapped. "Celeste, you - I - OOOH," he roared, clenching his hands in frustration in front of him. He wanted to choke the fuck out of her, but he knew that would never end well for him. "What did you think you were going to accomplish tonight? You, what, you were gonna charm me into cleaning up YOUR mess? That you'd fuck me and I'd be your little errand boy? I'm not your fucking crystal ball, Celeste!" He was yelling.

She winced against the sound, her anger mixing with shame at his sudden onslaught of accusation. Mostly because he'd been a little right. "NO, Sebastien, that's not - "

He held up a hand. "No more lies," he commanded. He watched in slight awe as her mouth snapped shut, and it didn't entirely look like she wanted it to happen. "I'm done, Celeste."

She bit down on her lip, HARD, because as he turned to walk away, she felt the truth coming up like vomit, ready to spill out everywhere.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" he asked, his hands slapping to his face. "You'd seriously rather make yourself bleed than tell me the truth? You're a piece of work, Celeste. I would have - " he stopped short for a moment, then shook his head. Raising a finger, he pointed it at her. "I would have given up everything for you. And you are a selfish bitch. You use people until there's nothing left. I hope Richard leaves you when he finds out the truth, and he will find out, because you're going to tell him."

He turned and walked out, ignoring her as she clamped a hand over her mouth to prevent from screaming after him. It didn't even surprise him - it disgusted him, actually. She was the most emotionally bankrupted person he'd ever seen, and that was saying something. In truth, he would have dropped everything for her, and he had. But what he'd seen in that kiss? It would never be the same. She depended on him like some phantom to take care of her, and that was only in lieu of someone else. He bet the vampire was going to be her next big thing until he literally bit the hand that fed.

Celeste sank down to the floor of the kitchen, still covering her mouth with her hands, desperately trying to keep all of her secrets inside. She didn't understand what Sebastien had done to her, but she needed to undo it, and quickly. She grabbed a shard of glass from the floor and, without flinching, drove it down into her arm. If Thanatos was linked to her, then he would be aware of her pain. And right now, she needed him to clean up yet another mess, because her Plan A had fucking failed miserably.

Unfortunately for Ash, Celeste had taken his advice and interpreted it in her own way, which, as it turned out, was the exact opposite of how he intended. He had told her to protect her family, which to him meant she needed to pick and choose her battles; to Celeste, protecting her family meant bringing the fight to the front door of the vampires who sought her. And, unfortunately for Celeste, one of them had been watching her long enough to know that she was coming.

Orpheus had no idea what Celeste's initial plan was, but he wasn't going to wait to find out. As soon as the eyes he had on her home said that her husband had left for the day, he decided to find out what sort of person it took to catch the attention of the renowned Vida. He let the ex-hunter get to where he needed to go, keeping a sort of mental tabs on him, then, when he'd arrived at his destination, decided to pop up for a nice... chat. He found himself standing outside of an outdoor shooting range north of the city, one that was sparsely populated enough that if push came to shove, Orpheus would have no issue handling the man and anyone who decided to lend a helping hand.

"So you're the guy," Orpheus greeted, leaning on the trunk of Richard's car. He knew the man had put his weapons in that spot specifically, not wanting to explain why he had them in case he got pulled over by a cop that the guilds didn't own, and he'd put himself there on purpose. Even if the man was armed, the heavy artillery was at least accounted for.

He saw the man's blue eyes narrow slightly as he tried to size up the situation; Richard realized he was in for a ride when the full wake of the vampire's aura hit him. He couldn't estimate on age, but power... Victor was only a few hundred yards away, probably already set up and waiting patiently for his friend. "Sure, I'm the guy. What guy?" he asked, moving very slowly away from his vehicle, trying to put some distance between he and the vampire.

"The guy who's got that Vida so unsatisfied that she's coming into my territory looking for a good time," he said smoothly. He tilted his head at Richard, then raised his eyebrows and laughed. "Yeah, your friend down range can't help you right now." And he raised an index finger and tapped his temple with it. "It's that crazy mind control we have, you see. Really, it's kind of ridiculous how powerful we are. As far as he knows, this parking lot is empty. He couldn't see you if he came over that ridge and looked with his own eyes."

Richard grit his teeth. Vampires had that ability, so he didn't think that this one was lying, but he also knew that the man grossly underestimated Victor's talents. He may not have seen anything, but with the aura of dark energy that the vampire let air out like a dirty gym sock, Victor sure as shit would feel something, and that would, at least eventually, get his attention. Richard would just have to stall until then. He didn't like that he was suddenly relying on the whether-or-not of Victor's abilities as a hunter, but if he had to stake his life on someone, it may as well be him.

"What do you want with me?" Richard asked.

Orpheus shrugged, making absolutely no move to slide off the trunk of the car. No, he'd rather not the hunter get his hands on whatever was in there; he wagered it might sting a little. "Like I said. I just came to see the other half of the dynamic duo. I'll ask you a few questions, if you don't mind," he said.

"I mind," Richard snapped.

"Well, that's just too fucking bad, isn't it? I didn't come here to fight you, but that doesn't mean I won't break your neck before you take your next breath, so let's just save the alpha male silent type bullshit for someone else, hm?" Orpheus shot back. At the way Richard set his jaw and clenched his fists, the vampire seemed satisfied he'd gotten his point across. "Let's start with... your name. Something clever, strong - Gabriel? Alexander?"

"Richard," he said, his voice full of anger. "Farricy."

"Oh, so I guess it's not true about Vidas making their mates take their last name, is it? It's like some sort of bizarro role reversal with them, isn't it? She expects you to stay home, cook, clean, deal with the rugrats.. meanwhile she hunts, makes the cheese, does the man stuff. Am I right?"

Richard hated to admit it, but the vampire had a point. He didn't acknowledge him one way or the other, but it did hit home a little too closely. What Richard didn't realize, of course, was that Orpheus had a certain... ability, one might say, that lay purely in the total violence and hatred of women. And for every little point he hit, he undid a little knot in Richard's mind, knots that held in check a very large and untapped center of rage. Everything he'd put away when he left Crimson, and some extra. It was the problem with Richard's humanity, and the exact thing Celeste worried about: she herself was much harder to sway when it came to mental influences, but Richard? Even as a capable hunter, he was still just a human, and just a human left you pretty much defenseless - especially against someone like Orpheus.

"I think I am," Orpheus said, smiling. "Farricy, Farricy.. where do I know that name?" he mused, rubbing at the slight stubble on his chin and looking skyward. "Oh!" he exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "I know you now," he laughed. "You're the guy who bagged that wacky Midnight trainer about three years ago. The one who liked the little boys! Yeah, thanks for that, man. That guy was weird," he said, shaking his head violently, as if to get the thought of the vampire in question out of there.

"I do what I can," Richard said. He'd stopped moving, had been still ever since Orpheus threatened him, actually, and just stood there, waiting. Hopefully the nutty vampire would play his 20 Questions game and move on, although Richard doubted it, somehow.

"So, let me ask you this, then," he said, shifting around on the trunk so he could get more comfortable. "What did your pretty witch wife think of your accomplishment? Was she happy? Did she, I don't know, do some sort of Vida ceremonial whatever for you? Commemorate your heroism, celebrate your testicular fortitude at all?"

Richard blinked, thinking back to the night he'd managed to catch the pedophile vampire on a hunting expedition outside Midnight's walls. He'd caught him trying to bag two adolescent kids in a park, and he'd managed to take him down mostly unarmed - it had been hand-to-hand, much to his chagrin, but he'd had one of Celeste's knives with him, and that had been the game changer. But Celeste, when he'd told her, had been utterly livid. How could he have been so stupid, to attack a Midnight trainer virtually unarmed? And with no backup? She failed to realize he'd just been taking a quick run around the block when he'd happened upon the vampire being creepy with the two boys, trying to chat them up at the swingset in the local park. No, she hadn't been very happy at all; in fact, he'd slept on the couch that night, broken hand and all.

"She was pissed," he said, licking his lips, which were suddenly dry. "It was... definitely one of the few times I've ever seen her that angry."

"But why, Richard? You kicked that guy's ass. With a knife, man," he exclaimed, suddenly jumping up to stand on the trunk. Orpheus had him thinking now, and it was that particular line of thought he aimed to keep him on. He dropped off of the car with a thud, walking toward him slowly. "You did the vampire community a favour. You see, we're a little weird about killing our own kind, and that guy - well, he was in the four or five hundred range, so it couldn't have been easy."

"No," he said flatly. "It wasn't. He stomped on my hand until it broke, trying to get me to drop the knife." He sniffed angrily. "I had to make him think that was more important than what I had in my other hand." He'd bashed him in the eye with a rock, then picked up the knife with his off-hand and run it right through his skull. The heart came next, and then he'd dragged the body to the grill pit and set it on fire. "He went up like a set of cheap curtains," he said, almost fondly.

"And she was mad," Orpheus hissed, folding his arms. He was standing in a close proximity to Richard; like they were having a casual conversation.

"Yeah..." Richard trailed off. He seemed to stare off into the distance for a minute, then looked up at Orpheus. "But it's funny, because she hunts every night, and when I get mad..." he trailed off. He wasn't sure where the outburst had come from, or why he was telling the vampire that, but it felt sort of - good?

Orpheus nodded. "I hear you, man, I understand. I'm just here to talk to you, buddy." And then, because he knew that Richard's defenses were down as his anger seemed to take him over, Orpheus pushed with his power. He focused it all on Richard, pushed with all of his might. And he reached out with one hand, and dropped it on Richard's shoulder, and patted him roughly. "I know exactly where you're coming from," he said.

And just like that, he'd poisoned Richard with his power.

Victor chose that exact moment to pop up over the hill, yelling something at Richard. Orpheus turned and smiled, the illusion dropping like a curtain and allowing Victor to see the vampire standing directly next to his friend. He saw Victor raise a rifle, gave him a thumbs-up and a wink, then vanished. Victor swore loudly, then came running down the slope, rifle in hand, to check and see if Richard was okay.

"What the fuck was that?" Victor yelled.

Richard was dazed for a moment, the black magic Orpheus had left behind slowly running through him; his veins, his mind, coiling firmly and possessively around his heart. Suddenly, with a rough shove from Victor to bring him back into the present, his eyes focused again and he blinked rapidly. He remembered nothing about the conversation with Orpheus, only that he'd been asking about Celeste.

"Oh, Jesus, Victor. He's after Celeste," he spat. "I don't know what I told him. Fuck!" he yelled, hitting himself in the head as they both made for their cars. "God damnit, I fucking hate being a human," he yelled.

"Calm down, it happens," Victor said, yanking his own door open. "Where is she?"

Richard scanned the area, trying to anchor himself back to reality. "She's at the house, I think," he said, squinting his eyes. "Fuck, I don't know."

"Okay," Victor said, making a 'come on' motion. "Kids. Kids, Richard! Where are Marcus and Danielle?" he shouted, trying to keep Richard focusing on the present.

He hesitated, then a look of dread crossed his features. "Celeste was going to take them to Laura's so she could have the house to herself, but I talked her into keeping them with her today. Fuck!" he shouted. He jumped into his own car, and took off, Victor behind him. What they didn't realize was that Orpheus hadn't gone to the house at all - or, well, he had, but it was only to hang in the background and watch his handiwork as his power over Richard caused more damage then he ever could.

  They were black, blacker than anything she'd ever seen before. She'd been told of the roses that vampires kept, and she'd seen pictures logging the path to the old Mayhem, a thing she no longer cared for. In the city, the Mayhem vampires weren't a threat, not like the rest of them. There were rumours Midnight had been rebuilt, and the Guilds were amassing numbers. Celeste had even been contacted about her interest, but her husband was balancing his own hunting, and she already had a two-year old to keep track of while still doing her job (when she chose to do it), so she had declined the invitation. It would have done her good at this phase, but it was too late.

That two year old lunged for the roses as soon as she'd opened the door, and with a swift leg, she'd stopped him so firmly he fell back on his diaper and began to cry. The sound of Marcus' wailing filled the house quickly, echoing down the hall and through the empty rooms. Celeste was deaf to it, a trembling hand reaching down to touch the soft, velvety petals of the rose closest to her.

The vampire who had sent these wasn't Mayhem. She already knew. He was simply a cultivator of fine things. Black roses didn't exist in nature; there was only the Baccara or the Black Jade; the old Black Magic roses, even. None of them were black; rather, reds so deep and true they seemed black at the right angle. These - these were different. These had his signature and methodical breeding and engineering all over them. She was careful not to touch the thorns as she snatched up the bouquet, the pale yellow ribbon binding them her only protection from being pricked.

She knew why the ribbon, and if she had not understood who had delivered the roses before, or even been stupid enough to think a Mayhem vampire had come her way, that would have cleared everything right up. He'd known her favourite colour since day one; it was how they had met. She dare not pick Marcus up while she still had the roses in her hand, as though they would somehow pass the curse she bore along to him. Instead, she left him crying and screaming in the hallway as she took the flowers to the sink, where she violently jammed them down the disposal, cramming them in with a long metal serving spoon when they would not go any further. She turned the disposal on and watched petals and leaves flurry above the drain, filling the sink with plant confetti.

She gripped the sides of the sink, knuckles turning white as she tried to shut her eyes and drown out the chaotic sounds around her.

"I am Celeste Vida. I am a hunter." She repeated it over and over again, but it was in vain. She had already made the mistake of inviting this particular vampire into her life, and Thanatos, she would learn, was not one to take no for an answer.

Celeste had been trying very, very hard to keep her family together - and more importantly, to protect them. The protection was due to her own mistakes, things that she could not rectify no matter how hard she tried, simply because they had been so extreme. Her battle with Thanatos seemed endless, but he wasn't the only one. She had somehow managed to inspire the wrath of several vampires who, through her own frantic research, she had come to realize were for lack of better phrasing, older than dirt.

Thanatos had been the first, but he certainly wasn't the last, and with that man's specific sort of attention, 'Celeste Vida' had become a name frequent from the lips of individuals who could wreak havoc with simple gestures. She'd made good on holding Thanatos off for some time, to the point where she had hoped he would have found some other poor woman to obsess over. He had, at least for the time being, found other hunts to amuse himself with, but that didn't mean she was in the clear, and it was unfortunate that Celeste didn't realize that until it was too late.

It was sometime after midnight when she finally checked the time, and she swore to herself when she saw that she'd missed yet another instance of putting her children to bed. The household was tense enough without her losing track of herself on hunting expeditions, however close to home she really was (as in, the vicinity of the city, since she didn't actually deign to hunt in her literal back-yard of Ramsa). Richard, her husband, was a hunter as well - guilded by trade, a member of Crimson, and though he had retired when Marcus was born, that didn't mean that he liked it. He didn't resent his wife for her bloodline, but it did piss him off when they had sat down and set limits to what she should be doing, given the past issues with vampires literally showing up on their doorstep. Now that Danielle had been born, things were even worse. She had the same low-volume argument every night, questions and their answers spoken through clenched teeth as he tried to get it through her head that she had other priorities now.

Richard was only human, and as much as he tried, he just didn't understand the natural Vida instinct. Celeste couldn't stop fighting if she wanted to; it was in her blood, in her very essence. He may have been a talented hunter, but it wasn't bred into his DNA with centuries-old magic. It was like a drum, slowly beating at the back of her head, constantly telling her to fight, fight, fight. Often, Celeste misunderstood Richard's anger, and he would have to calmly remind her that it wasn't that he resented her for hunting, it was simply that he was scared for her, especially since she was a very active Vida who, despite having two children, was still desirable in every way, and, undeniably, if both of their hunting careers had taught them anything about vampires, it was that strength, intelligence and beauty were things they craved - especially the older ones. Not just for their prey, but for their potential fledglings and mates.

Richard was scared that Celeste would take on a fight she could not win, and end up at the mercy of a vampire who decided that instead of killing the witch, he would claim her for a trophy of his own. It was a valid fear, obviously, because it was exactly what had happened with Thanatos. And it was Celeste's own fear, her own need to protect her family and keep them safe, that lead her to avoid telling Richard about the problem until it had very literally come to her doorstep. She would never forget that day; she still couldn't stand to keep roses in the house, even though they had once been her absolute favourite of the flowers.

She sighed, quickly exiting the rooftop of the building she'd been standing on. She'd cleared it moments before, then gone up higher to get a good look at the city. It was warm out, hints of summer already in the night air, and she had to admit, it had felt nice to be up so high. She felt free almost - of her problems, her obligations... She needed to find a phone and call Richard, to let him know she was okay and that she was coming home. She dreaded the discussion that would follow, but she didn't really want to put him through the hour or so it would take for her to get home, wondering if something had happened. It wasn't like there were cellphones, since the year was only 1988, and anyways, Celeste was close enough to a place that was considered a safe haven that she could call from there. Richard would at least be comforted to know where she was then, and so she made her way through the old abandoned apartment building and down to the street below.

Hellcat's Hollow had been there for as long as she could remember; as a child, she knew that her own mother, Christine Vida, had taken her to see Ash plenty of times in the seventies. She darted across the street through a break in the Friday night traffic, then up two blocks to where the Hollow stood. As she pushed open the door, several sets of eyes passed over her, and she ignored the distinct impression that she'd been sized up. Celeste may have only been twenty-two, but she was heavily trained, and most individuals of the supernatural (or hunter) persuasion knew who she was on sight. It was hard to mistake those big, beautiful gray-green eyes and that long blonde hair for anything other than a Vida, honestly. She smiled to the bouncer at the door, who gave her a nod and then told her where to find the Triste.

Ash sat at the far end of the room in a booth with two men that she recognized right away - they had been colleagues of Richard's, and in fact, one of them had been at their wedding. "Zane, Victor," she said, smiling as she came up alongside the trio. Victor was actually only a year older than she was, and already a full member of Crimson. Zane was still in his teens, and only a trainee (probably under Victor's wing, since the man she knew to be incredibly proficient).

"Celeste!" Zane exclaimed, jumping out of the booth almost instantly to let her sit down. "Long time!" And he went in for a hug, which she returned warmly. "How's the fam?" he asked, passing a quick hand through his shaggy black hair. She noticed he was wearing a bandage, but didn't comment on it.

She didn't down just then, but she was unable to hide her smile at the inquiry as to her family. She was proud of them, and it showed. "Restless," she replied. "Marcus is four, and his favourite word is 'no'. Danielle is only two, but it's very obvious that she worships her brother. She follows him everywhere. I'll have to tell Richard I saw you two. Ash," she said, turning to him, "before I forget, can I use your phone in the office? I need to call my husband and let him know I'm here. I lost track of time while I was sweeping the area, and I don't want him to worry."

The Triste nodded. "Sure, you know where it is," he said.

She slipped into the office, smiling to Dave, the large werewolf that Ash kept on his payroll. How long had those two known eachother, anyways? The man gave her a silent greeting as he slipped into the kitchen, his eyes on a particularly nice cut of chicken breast that someone had ordered while drunk and then left in their taxi before they ever ate it. She dialed her home number, crossing her fingers that Richard wouldn't dally about answering it. She didn't want to call him and upset him and wake the kids up all in one sweep.

"Celeste?" he said, picking up on the first ring.

"Heeeey, honey," she cooed. "I'm so sorry I'm calling this late. I hoped you were still up."

"Of course I'm up," he said. "You were supposed to be home by now. I was about to call Laura and see if I could drop the kids at her house before I went looking for you," he chastised.

"I know, sweetheart, I'm sorry. I lost track of time. Look, I'm at the Hollow now. I stopped in to call you as soon as I realized it was after midnight, and I'm going to stay for a few minutes and grab a quick snack. I'm starving, and I don't want to mess with any leftovers when I get in."

He was quiet for a moment, and then sighed. "Okay," he said. "I'm glad you're at the Hollow," he added, and she mentally noted a point in her favour for having the presence of mind to go there. Richard trusted Ash, implicitly. "When do you think you'll be home? Did you yield any results tonight?"

She twirled the phone cord around her finger, looking out of the crack between the door and the wall to see the room. Another person had joined the boys at the table, this one older, but she didn't recognize him. "Uh, I'm not sure. Victor and Zane are here. They said hi, asked how you were," she said, the smile obvious in her voice. "As for my hunting, a big nada-zero, I'm afraid. I may take tomorrow night off and actually enjoy a Saturday in bed with my husband," she said suggestively.

Richard laughed at that, and she donated another point to her score for implying a romantic adventure. Since the kids had been born and her hunting had picked back up, she didn't always have the time for Richard that she'd had before, and though he never said anything, she knew he sometimes felt like she wasn't attracted to him. A more false assumption could never be made about Celeste's thoughts regarding her husband. "That sounds acceptable, though this doesn't mean you're totally off the hook for worrying me," he warned her. "Tell Victor that I'm still good for the shooting range next week, would you?"

"I didn't think it would, but a girl can always hope," she said impishly. "Okay, I need to go; they're going to close the kitchen soon. I love you, sweetie," she added. "I'll see you after a while."

"Love you too, Cel. See you in a little."

She came back out of the office and caught a server on her way to the table. "Hey, can I get a basket of fries and some chicken tenders?" she asked. She told the server which table she was at, and the server nodded, understanding that her meal would be comped by Ash. Celeste handed her a five-dollar bill as a tip, then rejoined the group, who was now plus one.

"My, who is this pretty lady?" the man asked. He had startling blue eyes, and wild black hair that seemed to stand up of its own accord, almost like it was windblown, but it hadn't been windy out.

"Ah," Victor said. "Leo Battaglia, meet Celeste Vida," he said, giving the man a tight-lipped smile at the way he'd spoken to Celeste. He'd never heard anyone talk like that and walk straight much longer.

Leo blinked a few times, then shook his head a little. "Oh my," he said, a low whistle escaping. "I knew your mother, young lady," he said, his entire tone changed. "If you're anything like her, I'd better keep all hands, legs, and ribs inside the ride," he joked, absently patting his left side a little. "Christine Vida cracked three of by ribs with one punch." He shrugged a little when Victor just gave him a startled look. "Hey.. woman liked to play pool, and she didn't like to lose," he said cryptically.

Celeste grinned. "That's mom," she laughed. "Nice to meet you, Leo. I'll be sure to pass on your love. Victor, Richard says he's good for next week at the range," she informed the blue-eyed hunter, smiling a little as she spoke. Now that she'd spoken to Richard, she felt a weight lifted off of her, however temporary it was. She still had to go home, and no matter how small her night clothing was, he'd still want to have "the talk" about her staying out late.

They made hunting small-talk until her food arrived, at which point Victor realized he needed to get home, and with him, Zane. The little thief stole a handful of fries on his way out, receiving a slap for his effort, but he still managed to make off with a few. Leo stayed a while longer, casually discussing the advantages of pipe bombs with Ash while Celeste ate. She remained mum aside, mostly because she had no opinion of explosives. She liked to get up close when she fought, and she didn't trust that she could get away before the big finale. Finally, Leo left as well, a server came to take Celeste's empty dishes, and the bar closed. It was just she and Ash at the table, ice cubes melting in their respective waters as the few employees left did their closing work.

"So, chere, how are your little ones?" he asked. He'd been holding out for the personal conversation while the hunters were around; he knew Celeste hadn't just stayed because she was hungry, and he wanted her to enjoy herself before he began delving into the real reason she'd stayed.

"Perceptive," Celeste said with a wry laugh and a raise of her brows. "Ash, things are getting a little tense around the house. I think Richard's worrying is starting to rub off on the kids. Sometimes I can't get out of the house without Danielle just going nuts. I wish I knew how I could convince him that things are fine," she insisted.

"Do you really believe that they are, though?" he asked. "Your name is becoming rather household from the mouths of some vampires that even I would not like to encounter, Celeste. He is worried for good reason. You are his wife, the mother to his children. I know that it's hard for you to understand his perspective because you were raised in a traditional Vida setting, but his priority first and foremost is to see his family safe, above all else." He sighed. "It's very, very hard to be involved with a hunter, even harder when you yourself are one."

"I thought it would be easier," she muttered.

He smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, that's simply not how it is." He reached across the table and took her hands in his own. "With normal people, they have that bubble of ignorance around them, and sometimes it can keep them safe, because they won't ever snoop or interfere with your work. With another hunter, especially one as good as Richard is despite being so young, they are very aware of the dangers you face. It's hard for them not to want to face those dangers at your side."

"Yeah," she said softly. "I guess I can understand. If this were reversed, though..."

Ash shook his head. "This situation, unfortunately, can never be reversed for you. You are the Vida. This is what you know. It is in your blood, no doubt what fuels your need to leave your children every night and search for vampires. It's automatic, instinctual. No?"

She nodded. "That's what it feels like. Like, I mean, I try to ignore it sometimes, just sit on the couch with the kids, watch television, read with Richard in bed, but..." she trailed off. "It's hard." She sighed again. "I just wish I knew why so many of the older vampires suddenly had a quarrel with me. I haven't gone back to Mayhem since I managed to deflect Thanatos that last time. He's left me alone, completely alone, so I'm assuming he's found someone else to chase after. But I caught a younger one in the city last night, and he told me that they all know who I am."

Ash chuckled. "You've made a name for yourself, chere. But I would not be so foolish as to think that Thanatos has forgotten you. He is old, and has many connections, and you are very beautiful, and very strong. There are vampires even older still, of Silver's lineage, who know that if they can get close enough to such a rarity as yourself, you would yield a very, very powerful fledgling for them to boast."

"I'd kill myself before I'd allow that to happen," she snapped.

Ash nodded, patting her hand lightly as if to calm her. "I have no doubt that you believe that, Celeste, but the will to live is very strong. You shouldn't cast it aside so easily," he warned her. "As for your husband, he is right to worry. As I have said, you have attracted the attention of several vampires who are far too old for you to handle on your own."

She withdrew her hands from his own, shifting her position in the bench so that she could tuck one leg beneath her. "Just how old are we talking? I suspected the hundreds, maybe several hundreds," she said. "I had a hard time finding out on my own, and I don't want to alert my family as to the situation with Thanatos, because that could just come back on me somehow."

He was quiet for a second, just long enough for Celeste to know that he was going to say something she didn't want to hear. "While Thanatos is in the early twenty-one hundred range, there are two more who are at least three, maybe four, hundred years his senior."

She felt the blood rush out of her face. Were those the ones that Thanatos had told? He had joked several times that his friends would love to meet her, to taste her, and she had always assumed that he only meant to scare her. She never thought he'd be bold enough to share his potential prey with others, especially ones older than he was. Perhaps they were weaker, or their individual abilities not as formidable? "What do they do?" she asked. "Do I even want to know?"

Ash squinted a little, scratching just behind his ear and making a face; he always made that face before he gave bad news. "Well, one possesses the ability to turn his victims into worshipers of sorts. His name is Bacchus, and if you're familiar with the mythology of the Bacchae, then you know his cult of followers can prove very deadly."

She cleared her throat. "And the other?" she asked, though she winced.

"Ah. Orpheus. His power is a little tricky, because I don't quite understand it, but it has something to do with manipulating the way men perceive you - as in you, a woman. Needless to say, you should avoid them both at all costs, and hope they haven't decided to come into Ramsa and make a housecall."

She nodded, feeling positively sick over the conversation at hand. "I should really get going, Ash. It's late, and this isn't helping my situation any."  She pushed out of the booth, feeling his hand at her back as he escorted her to the door. When they got outside, he offered to walk her to her car, which she appreciated.

"Listen, Celeste. You are a hunter, and that is simply a fact. But you have a family now; in the end, it isn't just you that the vampires can hurt. It's them. You have to remember that," he warned.

She nodded, opening the door to her Porsche. She had a family car at home, but this was a quick car, made for escapes. Plus, she'd never been one to surrender to the idea of a minivan. "I know, Ash. I know," she reminded him impatiently. "I'll try to be more careful. Now that I have their names, I'm going to try and find more out about them, see if I can't figure out how to get off of their radar," she added. She gave him a hug and then got into her car, the last thing she saw of him a very worried wave goodbye. She turned her eyes to the road and sighed. Even Ash didn't believe she'd leave well enough alone. Did she have a reputation for so little self control?

She drove home without incident, did a quick perimeter check of her property, then went inside. She was tired, suddenly; fatigue washed over her like a fine cloak, and she found that she had trouble downloading her weapons. She slowly made her way upstairs, checking on both of her children, then finally retired to the bedroom. She could see that Richard had finally fallen asleep waiting for her, the light still on and a book folded open across his chest. She smiled a little, reaching over to slide the bookmark in its place and set the book on the bedside table.

This was her home. This was her life. Ash had been right to chastise her, to remind her of something she seemed to so easily forget. She had to be smarter, stronger, faster - for them. If she couldn't protect them, who could? Who would? Richard? He was a talented hunter, maybe, but he was still human, and unfortunately for Celeste, Vidas still had that air of superiority that came to hunting that she could never shake. Ash? She didn't want to rely on the Triste; he had his own issues. No, it was up to her. Old vampires or no, threat or no, she would have to make sure that the next time she had an opportunity to end potential problems, she took it - before they did.