Night on the Town (NJ)

[Shinigami]

Chase snorted as he heard the comment about the all-american family, and though his family was far from it, he had seen how Darien was raised. His natural born Moriba friend was also the son of a council member and had been taught strict manners, public appearance, and they apparently never raised their voices at one another, for that was considered rude. They also apparently never had family problems, but Chase knew that -everyone- had their share of problems, but some just had more than others, or those others just knew how to hide it better.

Chase was pulled from his thoughts when he caught Troy smiling at him, and he instinctively smiled back; a real, warm smile, not one of those crafty smirks from before. He chuckled at Troy's description of his temperment when sick. "That sounds like me pretty much every morning. Darien is the only one brave enough to wake me for class, and that's only because he's a telekinetic vampire; a Moriba." Chase watched Troy for a second before realizing that he was going to have to be able to get ahold of him tomorrow, and it was a Friday night, so classes weren't an issue, but the lack of information was. "Hey, maybe I should give you my number now, before I forget. You'll need to see me tomorrow and you might need in case something happens."

Chase was sure he had a pen somewhere, and when he found one in his jeans pocket he made a corny 'Aha!' before riffling through his wallet for an old receit for paper to write on. He had just finished scribbling down his number, making sure it was as legible as possible, and handed it over to Troy when he heard the pounding on the door. At first Chase thought it was someone who worked for the club trying to get them out, but the pounding didn't stop. He glanced back at Troy as he spoke, giving a smile, though a bit disappointed and nodded. "Yeah, sure sounds like it."

Chase reached his hand out, but instead of opening the door, he just laid his hand on it and got a little closer. He could feel body heat directly on the other side of the door and his mind automatically supplied him with the sense of two people on the other door. They were smaller in stature, since they had too little body heat split between them to be large, and it was too hot to be just one person. His mind filled in the blank as he sighed. "It's Ali and Grace, but their close to the floor. Ali may have been listening."

He glanced back at Troy, a questioning look on his face. He wasn't sure if he, let alone Troy, was ready to face someone as close to Troy as his own sister. Most especially if she had heard. His expression silently asked Troy whether or not he wanted him to open the door.

[Demeter]

Troy smiled again as he watched Chase hunt around for a pen and a piece of paper. That had been an actual smile instead of that little smirk he'd been getting all night long. The shorter man was probably right about needing that phone number. He'd call after he managed to drag himself out of his bed. Troy stretched out his legs and glanced at the peice of paper he now held, Chase' phone number scribbled across it. He stuffed it into his front pocket and watched with interested eyes as Chase stared at the door. Must have something to do with some sort of nifty vampire power. Troy bobbed his head when Chase said it was Ali and Grace outside of the door. His little sister had good eyes and would have noticed if something was amiss with her brother.

Troy stood up, brushed off invisable lint from him jeans and nodded to Chase. He'd have to face Ali sooner or later about this. She'd pick up on little thing that seemed off and latch onto him until he confessed. "Go ahead, Chase, open the door.

[Shinigami]

Chase sighed, but nodded back. They were going to have to come out sooner or later anyway, so he stood and brushed himself off as well, always mindfull of dirty bathrooms leaving anything on his beloved pair of ripped jeans. He turned the knob and opened the door slowly as he didn't know if the girls were leaning against it or not. When he found they weren't he opened it all the way, smiling sheepishly down at the two before glancing to Troy and back.

Chase was standing off to the side of the door to allow Troy to go to Ali, but he was concerned when he saw she was practically crumpled on the ground in Grace's arms. She must have heard almost everything they had discussed, and now she was obviously upset about it, though Chase didn't know the exact reason for it. Was it that she was now afraid and discusted by her brother, or even both of them? Was she afraid of what their parents would do? Of what Chase might do? Or was she simply shocked? Chase sighed and decided to leave the girl to her family. "Maybe.. Maybe I should go now. I've caused enough trouble for a lifetime." He turned to Troy briefly. "Remember to call me so we can get all this sorted out." He then tried to make his escape, but that was tricky with the two girls on the ground at the door.

[Maira]

Grace was not going to make Chase's escape any easier. The man had said something to upset Ali, that was clear, and she wanted to know just what it had been. "And where the hell do you think you're going?" she demanded as he tried to step around her. She reached out to grab ahold of his leg so he couldn't leave.

Ali, not wanting any trouble, put a hand on Grace's arm. "Just let him go Grace, its fine," she said softly, still rather in shock. The hard look that came into Grace's eyes wasn't something that Ali recognized at all and she shied away from the other girl a bit.

Feeling Ali scooting away from her, Grace softened her gaze before turning back to glare at Chase again. "No Ali, I want to know what he said that upset you. He has no right to hurt you like that, you were shaking!"

"Grace, just let him go," Ali tried again to no avail. The bigger girl was now holding her tightly and had a grip on Chase's pantleg that if he pulled away at all, his pants would stay behind.

Ali looked over her shoulder to her brother pleadingly. Considering the night he'd had she didn't think it was fair of her to do but there was nothing she could do to control Grace right then and the other girl's grip was starting to hurt. She tried squirming to loosen Grace's grip but only succeeded in having it tighten.

[Shinigami]

Chase almost yelped when his leg was caught in Grace's grip, his gaze snapping to the woman now attached to his pant leg as his eyes flickered a honey hazel before they quickly settled back into green. To say he had been taken by surprise would have most certainly looked like the truth, even though he had expected to be stopped - just not like that. He let out a sigh of relief when he heard Ali come to his rescue, asking Grace to let him go, but almost growled when she refused.

Chase was very aggitated that this point. His skin temperature had flared slightly, a show of his minute anger. He knew that what he had said would have upset the girl, and she had appeared to have heard most - if not all- of the conversation, but the words hadn't been meant for -her-. He had meant those words for Troy, and had answered Troy's own questions honestly and openly. It was His and Troy's business after all. He sighed lightly, understanding the need to be there for a sibling, as he had two of his own, and Ali had saw the scene on the dance floor and was concerned for her brother, so of course she would have followed, but that didn't mean Grace had the right to boss his around.

He stuffed his hands in his pocket and gave Grace his stern, no nonsense look, the one he gave to his little sister when he was left to discipline her. His voice was harsher than he used on his sister however. "If you want to know what I said, ask Troy, or even Ali when she calms down, but I don't appreciate the grip on my leg."

[Demeter]

Troy watched the scene between Chase and two girls and felt mildy annoyed. Though most of his annoyance was aimed at Grace. He stepped up behind Chase and glared down at the red head holding his sister. He quickly figured out what was going on. Ali had been listening in and had heard what they'd discussed. "What Chase said was no business of Ali's and it is unfortunate that she heard what was said. If you really want to know, bring it up with me and not him," Troy gestured to Chase with a nod of his head.

He resumed glaring down at Grace and nudged her arm with his foot. He narrowed his eyes at Ali's squriming and grumbled. Grace always had a bit of a temper on her but he'd never thought to see it turned on him or his sister like this. Troy crouched down, well aware of the crowd that had started to gather around them, and snagged Grace's wrist. As he increased his hold, his kept on glaring. "Let go of both Ali and Chase, Grace. You're hurting her."

[Maira]

Grace was blatantly ignoring the strange heat coming off of Chase and she would have kept yelling at him too except she felt Ali squirm again and then heard Troy's voice. Turning to face him instead, not relinquishing her hold on Chase's pants at all, she glared at him as well.

From her vantage point on the ground holding Ali, Grace couldn't see the mark Chase had left on Troy (and probably for the best) or she would have gone off on some other tangent completely. As it was, she was still upset that Ali had gotten so worked up over something that nobody would tell her what it was. She just wanted to help Ali. Why could neither of the bumbling idiotic men see that?

When Troy practically scolded her, for giving Chase a hard time, Grace bristled. When he crouched down and gripped at her wrist, she hadn't even noticed him nudge it with his foot earlier, the look she gave him could have killed if she'd been anything more dangerous than a human. His words didn't sink in right away and as he tried to pry her hand off Ali she wound up squeezing tighter, eliciting a squeak of surprise and pain from Ali. That finally got through to her.

All at once, Grace released Chase's leg and Ali. She scrambled back up to her feet regret clear on her face she stuttered, "S-sorry Ali," before turning to Chase and mumbling, "Sorry," as she turned and left the scene in a hurry.

Ali, completely dumbfounded, just sat there staring after Grace. Grace had left her here, Ali had no other ride home. Had Grace done more than just leave her at the club, had she left her? This night was not going the way Ali had anticipated.

Slowly she turned to her brother, now crouched behind her, and before she knew what she was saying the words came pouring out of her. "I love you Troy. I didn't meant to listen, I was just worried. Please don't be upset with me, I didn't mean to cause any trouble." At this point she looked up at Chase too, her eyes pleading for forgiveness. "I really didn't know she was going to act that way, I'm really sorry...." She felt absolutely terrible about the scene Grace had cause, only once the other girl had left had the crowd started to break up.

[Shinigami]

Chase was mildly surprised when Troy came to stand by him, to defend him. He had thought Troy would take to Grace, since he obviously knew here better, and she was his sister's lover. Instead, Troy had backed him up. His attention had turned back to Grace however, who had not yet let go of him. She kept her grip on his pants until he saw Troy crouch down and heard the squeak from Ali. She was detached from both him and Ali at the moment and was up on her feet in a flash, muttering an apology to both of them before running off.

Chase turned to Ali, naturally worried. Her lover had just run off, and she was already upset at what she had heard. Now he was finding that it was quite difficult to leave, at least until Troy and his sister were -both- calm and on their way home. He smiled lightly at Ali as he heard her apologize to him. "Don't worry about it, Ali. It wasn't your fault, and I'm sure she'll calm down." He turned to Troy, opening his mouth to speak, but he took a deep breath instead. Then Chase spoke, addressing Troy. "Do you think I should stick around and explain it to her a little better? Because I don't think this is the place to do it..."

[Demeter]

Troy blinked as Grace released both Chase and Ali before running out of the club. He turned his eyes back to Ali and picked her up off the floor. "It's okay, Little Imp," He called Ali by his nickname for her as he held her close. "I know you didn't mean to. I know you didn't mean for anything to happen, you were just worried and had a reason to be."

Troy peered around at the dispersing crowd and then at Chase. Considering the state his siter was in, it would probably be for the best if Chase did some explaining. But not here, there were too many curious ears here. He inched closer to the older vampire and nodded. "Yeah, it probably would be a good idea to finish this conversation elsewhere. I-I don't live that far from here and my roommates are here somewhere."

Troy looped an arm around Ali's shoulders and started to lead her through the crowd, motioning for Chase to follow. Once they were outside, he turned right and started to walk down the sidewalk. He only lived about 15 minutes away at a walk.

[Maira]

When Troy helped Ali up off the ground, she tried to ignore the slight spinning of the room. Surely it was just the emotions of the evening and not the drink Grace had bought her. She had to stifle a yelp as Troy put his arm around her to lead her out of the club. His hand had landed right where Grace's had been gripping her so tightly and she could already feel the bruise forming.

Once out in the fresh night air, Ali started to feel better. She knew that Troy lived close and the walk would give her time to gather her thoughts. As the trio walked, she didn't really say much of anything, instead she was trying to figure out what the hell had gotten into Grace. Ali too knew that Grace had a bit of a temper but she'd never seen it that bad before, let alone directed at anyone that Grace cared even the slightest bit about.

Just as they came into sight of Troy's apartment, Ali asked her brother, "Would it be alright if I crash on your couch?" She didn't want to go home and have to explain to their parents just why she likely looked like she got hit by a semi. Telling them she'd been dumped by her girlfriend would not go over well, especially at whatever time of the morning she'd be getting home from Troy's.

[Shinigami]

Chase smiled at Ali's nickname and how loving Troy was towards his younger sister. He liked this side of Troy, and his protective and caring personality would go over well with his friends. As he thought of his friends he temporarily paled. Darien was going to chew his ear off, and he knew there was no way to keep this from him. Darien never showed any problem with butting into his friends' minds if he thought something was wrong. He pushed that to the back of his mind as he nodded to Troy, following him and Ali out of the club, resisting the urge to grab Troy's belt loop yet again; the poor thing had been abused enough.

When Chase was hit with the wave of much cooler fresh air he shivered. He had forgotten how much chiller it was getting, and he only had on a tank top. He crosses his arms and heated his skin, using his warmer arms to warm the rest of him, at least enough to last him until they got to Troy's apartment. The walk wasn't too long, but it was certainly too quiet. He had refrained from talking however, settling on reading himself for any questions Ali might have, and how he could explain certain things. He sighed, gllancing up just in time to hear Ali's question, and he was able to notice that they were now heading toward a specific building ahead.

As they approached the building, however, Chase started to slow down, falling behind Troy and Ali slightlyas his eyes seemed to glaze over. It looked as though he were seeing something other than what was there, when in reality he was hearing his roommate, Darien's, angry and worried voice fill his mind.

***

Darien had walked at a brisk pace down the street, set off from his studies by Chase's sudden panic. In Chase's haste he had broadcasted his panic to the nearest Moriba, one of which happening to be Darien. As he reached the club he could feel Chas's presense, but when he got inside his senses were assaulted. He was actively mentalling searching for Chase, which left his mind open to the other vampires, as well as the humans in the room, though their minds were muted, as he was only zeroing in the vampires.

Darien plunged into the dance floor, knowing that was where Chase liked to spend most of his time while at a club, but he wasn't there. He had -been- there very recently, but he wasn't anymore. He followed his senses to the now empty bathroom, and felt another presense along with Chase's, one that he had felt around Chase's presense on the dance floor. Darien sighed, automatically brushing it off as just being one of Chase's conquests. Chase never got far, only mild fooling around, as he didn't trust most to do anything more, but he sure liked to meet and greet.

Darien searched for another few minutes and finding that the trail led him right back to the door. He had left with whoever he had been with in the bathroom and one other person. That wasn't like Chase. Darien had sensed Chase's pure terror, and Chase wasn't normally intimidated let alone terrified. -Something- must have happened, and it had to have involved who he left with.

Darien stood close to a corner by the bar, one of the quietest palces he could find, and sought Chase out for a little conversation. When he found Chase, he could tell he was still worried, confused, and emotionally worked up all around. He made his presense in Chase's mind known before speaking, not wanted to startle him. ::Hey, Chase, where the hell are you? What happened at the club? I went by to find you after you broadcasted.::

Darien waited patiently for a response, it always took non-Moriba longer to do, as they weren't used to telepathy, but Darien was already skimming Chases memories when he heard a reply. ::Knock that off.. I know what you're doing. Now really isn't a good time. I know I must have freaked you out, but I'll tell you tomorrow, I promise.I won't be up to it tonight.:: Darien growled, both mentally and aloud. ::Where are you?! I know you left with someone. That isn't like you, Chase, what's going on?::

Darien sighed when Chase didn't respond. He was starting to skim Chase's mind again when he got cut off. He huffed, growling low in his throat. When the hell had that little pyro learned how to do that?

[Demeter]

Troy kept his arm around his younger sister while they walked. His other hand, as they neared the building, was fishing for his keys. After finding the keys, he pulled them out and tossed them to Ali. "Yeah, you can crash on the couch," Troy shivered slightly in the cold air. After the heat of the club and Chase, the temperature outside was nearly unbearable. He motioned for Ali to go ahead of them. He wanted to talk to Chase for a second before anything else was said.

Troy waited until Ali was a few feet ahead of him before slowing down and turning to face Chase...who appeared to be in a daze. Another nifty vampire thing? He scooted forward until he was inches away from Chase and waved a hand in his face. Being this close to Chase he could just feel the heat the vampire was giving off and resisted the tempation to snuggle closer. He'd always had a thing for being warm. "Hey, Chase, you okay?" he said as he backed up a couple of inches.

[Shinigami]

Chase blinked, brought back from his mental romp with his roommate. As his eyes focused he saw Troy, standing no more than half a foot away. His eyes widened and he flushed slightly. Had he zoned out? Chase gave a chagrined smile before bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck. "Eh.. sorry. My roommate is a Moriba.. telekinetic. He's at the club looking for me, but he knows I can handle myself . I was trying to shut him out, and I guess I zoned out."

Chase was aware of just how close Troy was, which caused him to hestitate a bit. They had decided on no romantic stuff after all, so he was forced to squash the urge to step closer, to latch onto Troy's jeans as he had at the club. Chase was still chilly, and he was sure Troy was going to get a lot colder as well as his skin heated, though Chase had no idea how hot Troy's skin was going to get. He gave Troy a smile, a real one, to let him know he was okay. He tried to change the subject, mainly to get ahold of himself while Troy was so close. "So, how much further until we hit your building?"

***

Darien growled to himself again. He rubbed his hands over his face as he tried to talk to Chase again, but in order to do that he'd have to force his way in, and though he could do it easily enough Chase had made it clear he was fine and wouldn't appreciate the disruption. Darien wasn't as worried anyway. Chase still had traces of fear, doubt, and confusion, but they had been put aside for him to focus on whatever it was he was doing. He felt mildly happy, though there was an under current of self-anger. Chase had done something and he was afraid of the consequences, not of whoever he was with.

Darien sighed, deciding he needed a drink. He sent Gershom a mental heads up, letting him know that Chase was fine for the most part, and that Darien was staying a bit for a drink or two. He was at the bar in no time, since he didn't have to fight through the crowd on the dance floor, which is usually what he had to do when he came to the club with Chase. He slid onto a stool and immediately flashed his ID as the bartender gave him a skeptical look. He seemed satisfied with the ID, so Darien ordered a Rum and Coke. Darien's eyes scanned over the club as he waited for his drink, easily spotting out the other vampires present and almost keeping his eyes on them, watching to make sure there was no trouble. He would try Chase again after his drink...

[Falcon Muse]

Mio ran her hand through her hair once, a nervous gesture now born of annoyance. Where was he? The young vamp to whom she’d lost the bet had told her to meet him at this club tonight and after nearly an hour he’d yet to show up. She was glad that she’d opted out of the white gauze that she normally sported as, while she was known for it in the forest parties, she’d have been a bit conspicuous here. Her green leather mini and flowy black tank seemed to blend in nicely enough without making her just a smear on the wall.

With a sigh she headed towards the bar, whispering ‘sanctuary,’ wit ha half-smile curving her lips. As Mio skirted the dance floor, however, a puff of air reeking of beer wafted over her as a young man reached for her. “Hey Red, wanna dance, doll?” Without sparing him a glance or even a word of negation, she swayed carefully away from his outstretched hand. She couldn’t deicide which annoyed her more, the man, like too many others, calling her Red, or the lecherously uttered ‘doll.’

“Don’t just walk away from me, doll. Where’s the love?” His grip had found her arm. With a disgusted sound, Mio turned to glare at him, too bothered by his hands on her to wonder if confronting the drunken man was such a good idea. “Let go of me,” she hissed.

[Demeter]

Troy backed up a few steps and grinned at Chase. "Yeah, you kinda zoned out for a bit there. Eventally you'll have to explain all these different types of vampires to me. I wouldn't want to upset anyone by doing something stupid."

Troy nearly blushed at Chase's smile. He took a couple more steps away from him and forced himself not to think about the wicked things Chase had been doing to his neck earlier. Those feelings had been imprinted into his mind though and he was sure that they were not going to leave any time soon. Troy turned and pointed to the dark two story house at the end of the street. "Ah, just right down the straight. We rent from an old lady, help with the upkeep and all that." Troy stared down at the house and had to grin. He'd put a lot of sweat and the occasional pint of blood into keeping that house functional. "It's not the greatest but it is home."

Troy started to walk backwards towards the house just to make sure that Chase followed and didn't zone out again. "James and Dylan probably won't back until after two so we have some time to talk."

[Shinigami]

Chase gave another sheepish smile at hearing he had noticeably zoned, but he recovered quickly. He smiled at Troy again, trying not to chuckle at his want not to upset anyone. “Well, there are only seven bloodlines, and they’re pretty straight forward, so there isn’t that much to learn. And trust me, you’ll end up upsetting –someone- sooner or later, whether you mean to or not. That’s just life, whether you’re a vampire, human, or whatever else.”

Chase let out a sigh of relief, now about to see their destination. He put a little more hop into his step, making sure to keep up with Troy and Ali. He was not only happy to be getting out of the chilly air, but to get somewhere more quiet and less open. He wanted to get the explaining done an over with as soon as possible. Eventually Darien was going to weasel his way back into Chase’s mind, but he was hoping it’s be while he was on his way home.

Chase smiled fondly as Troy talked about the house. They hadn’t had the chance to make their place their own, as Jacob had insisted on buying a suitable house for them. “That’s nice. I always liked doing that kind of work. You know, working with your hands and all, but my roommates and I didn’t get that chance with out current house.” He paused, not sure how to explain –why- since Troy hadn’t heard about how things work yet.

A chuckle escaped from Troy as he started walking backwards, no doubt keeping an eye on him. The faint smile stayed on his face as he spoke. “You better watch out where you’re going, boy.” Snickering at the nickname lightly. “I’m not catching you when you go tumbling over.” He cocked his head to the side as he heard Troy mention two names, figuring they were his roommates. “Ah, well, as I would normally think it fun to meet your roommates, I think it’s best that they’re out having fun. The later the better, because I have to explain a lot to you –and- Ali.”

***

Darien’s sensitive ears picked out a little commotion near the other end of the bar. He raised hi head slightly to get a look, but wasn’t able to get a clear view, as the commotion started on the outskirts of the dance floor and was blocked by the general crowd. The glass of alcohol he had just finished peaked his curiosity a little, and as he poked into the confrontation mentally, he found that human was being hassled by a drunken Kasi.

Darien growled to himself, pushing his empty glass back and leaving a few bills to pay for it before he hauled himself off the stool and made his presence known. He walked over to the two quarreling, his vibrant green eyes glowing under the light of the now over-head black lights. His strangely bright eye-color was enough to make anyone see he was different, but the Kasi should recognize him on instinct.

Darien was able to walk up behind the drunk and snatch the wrist that was currently attached to the hand confining the woman’s arm. His touch jolted the Kasi out of his drunken stupor enough to realize who he was, but not before Darien could speak. “Excuse me, but I don’t think the Lady wishes to be touched.”

He had been sure to not only speak loud enough for the woman to hear him as well, but he also echoed the sentence within the Kasi’s mind. That got him to release his hold of the woman’s arm, but Darien didn’t let go of the man’s wrist. When the man looked back at him he was met with a stern look, as if a father was correcting his son his manners for the hundredth time. “Apologize to the Lady.” He waited until the Kasi nodded and mumbled an apology before letting him go, watching him make his retreat before turning to the woman.

Darien smiled, nodding his head slightly in greeting. “You shouldn’t wander through places like this by yourself. Most of the men have no tact or manners here.” He had always hated being taught manners as a child, but as he grew older he had realized that manners usually got a girl’s attention. “I’m Darien. And your name, Miss?” He had extended his hand after politely introducing himself, just as he was taught.

[Demeter]

Troy grinned and stumbled a bit over a piece of raised cement. After regaining his balance he turned around and looked at Chase over his shoulder. "I walk around backwards plenty but I haven't killed myself yet."

Once he reached the front of the yard, Troy leaned all his weight against the gate guarding the house. After a few shoves, one or two kicks and a couple of curses, the gate opened and Troy stumbled in. After he steadied himself he turned back to Chase and raised an arm up to scratch at the back of his neck. "The gate kinda warped and sticks most of the time. It worked just fine when we moved in here and them someone did something and now it sticks." Troy knew he was babbling but he did it because he was nervous.

After Chase was through the gate, Troy slammed it closed, grumbled when it bounced back open and pushed it shut. "Stupid gate, I don't know why Ali felt the need to close it. Uh, come on in and lets get the exlaining done." Troy went up the short walkway, bounced up the few steps onto the porch and opened the door. Once both men were indoors, Troy shut the door, toed of his shoes and peered around the living room for his sister. Ali was sprawled out on one of the broken down old couchs, waiting for them.

[Maira]

Once Troy had tossed her the keys, Ali had headed off to the house. Looking back over her shoulder once, she saw them talking but couldn't hear what was being said. Smiling, despite the stress of the evening, Ali couldn't' help but be happy for her brother. She, like everybody in the family, had begun to wonder if he would ever find somebody to be happy with.

She shoved her way through the unlatched gate and swung it shut behind her, not even knowing it had latched. Once she was up the front steps, through the front door, and shoeless, Ali made her way into the living room where she picked the nearest couch and flopped on it, completely exhausted.

It wasn't terribly long before she heard the front door open and male voices, all the same, she'd already started dozing by the time they arrived. Opening one eye, to make sure it was indeed Chase and Troy, Ali waved weakly from where she was sprawled when she saw her brother looking in her direction. "Took you long enough," she complained half-heartedly, a small smile creeping onto her lips.

When the boys finally made their way over to join her in the livingroom, Ali sat up with a grunt. She couldn't believe how damn tired she was! Stupid alcohol... Grabbing one of the beat up throw pillows she'd been lounging on before, hugging it, and drawing her legs up so she was sitting cross-legged, Ali just waited. It was Chase's deal, he'd explain what he wanted at his own pace. She wasn't going to push, she'd already likely become too much of a nuisance in his eyes and she didn't want to make things worse. Then, hoping to make him feel a little less apprehensive, she said softly, "I'm going to support my brother in this no matter what you tell me so don't leave anything out for worry of scaring me off." She'd known for a while now, she wasn't sure how long, that vampires were a reality. She'd seen enough of them at the club, not to mention some other strange people she couldn't quite place, to know they weren't the evil creatures so that much of modern day entertainment made them out to be.

[Shinigami]

<<FalconMuse, you can go ahead and post whenever you get the time, I'm just gonna continue with Chase's part of the storyline and leave Darien alone until you can post ^^>>

Chase stiffled a chuckle as he watched Troy trip, throwing a hand up over his mouth, but he was unable to keep some laughter from escaping. He followed Troy up to the gate and persisted to chuckle a bit as he fought with the gate, almost losing his balance when it popped open on him. There was an amused smile on his face as Troy rambled about the gate, after struggling to close it. "Well, at least you managed not to fall, 'cause I said I wasn't going to pick you up and I meant it." Even though is tone was a joking one.

He followed Troy up the porch steps and into the house, suddenly feeling a bit more serious when he finally got through the door. He watched as Troy removed his shoes and proceeded to do the same, leaving them neatly by the door. When he got around to the living room he saw that Ali was already settled on a couch and waiting. he sighed, the time for chuckles and playfullness over. He wandered over to a nearby arm chair, smiling lightly at Ali's playfull chastisement. Maybe all wasn't lost.

As he sat he heard Ali speak up, expressing her seemingly unshakeable support for her brother. He smiled, flooded with relief. He was hoping he hadn't just cut Troy off from another part of his family, and she seemed to still be responding to him well enough, so he hadn't yet gained an enemy out of this. "Well, I'm happy to hear you say that. Troy might want someone to talk to that isn't me, depending on what mood he'll wake up in tomorrow. Now, why don't we start off with what you managed to hear, so I can try and fill in the blanks where its needed and answer any questions you have." Getting down to business quickly.

[Falcon Muse]

((I've been away from RP for so long that my posts have diminished to two paragraphs and I'm used to writing more. Sorry that you're not getting more for your waiting.))

Her eyes widened in apprehension when she saw another young man come up behind the one hold her. Oh god, there were two now? But as she watched the newcomer seemed to border on furious as he clamped down on the drunkards wrist. He spoke politely enough though there was a commanding force behind his words. My night in shining armor, Mio thought sarcastically, vaguely amused that she could still be sarcastic at that moment.

When he told the other man to apologize she fairly gaped as he obeyed, releasing her to mutter something under his breath before fleeing. She attempted to find her composure as he turned his attention to her. “I normally don’t come to clubs, but a… friend of mine insisted that I come. He’s yet to show, but until this moment I was doing well enough without him.” She shrugged. “I see what you mean though.” He seemed quite sincere and his manners took her aback just a bit, not used to being spoken to in such a manner. “I’m Miranda,” she said at last, accepting his offered hand, “though most call me Mio. Thank you, Darien, for getting rid of him, by the way.” She gave him a genuine smile, muscles in her shoulders and back relaxing that she hadn’t even known were tense.