Mein Licht

Kross stiffened at her words, stopping suddenly. Once the group was a few paces ahead of them, he sighed. "Yeah, Tom's sister is pretty great. Mizuki was her name," he smiled, starting to walk again, but slower than the others, "I'll be honest, Lamani. I've met loads of beautiful, sexy women in my travels. Girls who threw themselves at me even more than Sarraqa does to Lothaire...and I do admit, I took advantage on those girls, for my own needs, but that's beside the point. I've never felt...attached to someone. But when I first saw Mizuki, she was on a stage in a mask, and I was high above her in a watchtower...there was just this feeling there," he all but whispered, not wanting any one else to hear him being...emotional.
"And as much as I hate to say it, that is the one thing that is holding me back from becoming a full vampire. I know I would love being one of you guys...timeless and seductive. I could have any woman I wanted at the snap of my finger, and spill her blood in my mouth once I was done to avoid her next phone call," he smirked, "but I suddenly find myself not wanting one night stands anymore. I want Mizuki...but if I became a vampire, my chances with her are even less than what they are now." Kross sighed, biting his lip.
"Now I'm the one who's rambling...sorry. But you know, I'm surprised you've never had someone special, Lamani. There are so many men in the world who love young girls. And they could have you and it still be legal!" he laughed, patting the girl's leg.
Adara smiled at Tom, her fingers clutching each other even tighter, "S-sure! I would love that." she said to him, truly grateful in more ways than one. She would be able to spend time with the one person she could relate to in this life, and she would learn more about life in the mountains. Tonight might be one of the few nights I will actually have a happy memory of... she thought, reflecting on her only other one's: the two weeks she spent in the custody of the Lord Ignis. Why, she did not know, but the Lord had been so kind to her, and so fatherly.
Sarraqa turned her head back as Lothaire lead them upon the stairwell "We have arrived, everyone!" she cheered to them, before turning back to Lothaire and smiling softly "Thank you for escorting us on a safe and easy journey, Lothaire," she started before rising on the tips of her toes and pressing her glossy pink lips against his ear, "...Anything at all I can do to return the favor, my dear..." her grip tightened on his arm.
Lothaire smiled at her and gave a forced chuckle, tracing his hand down to give Sarraqa's rear end a squeeze, to which she blushed bright red at. "Sarraqa, my darling, I require no more thanks than what beauty you bestowed upon me a fortnight ago," he winked, whispering back to her in the same tone.
Sarraqa's heart was fluttering. Most women, especially from her day and age, would be completely repulsed by the behavior on the vampire, but she was so completely love struck, she would more than gladly give Lothaire her body again for another night.

Lamani sleepily listened to Kross going on about this Mizuki he was so smitten with, and she even noticed that he had dropped back away from the group. She guessed what he was voicing to her wasn't something he really wanted to admit in front of a whole group of vampires.
As he finished, she smiled faintly, and then sighed. "You know, you should forget about her," she told him softly. "Don't be like Tommy. He loves his siblings more than his own life but they're going to die one day, and I don't think he can handle the thought. He doesn't let anyone mention it at all." She shook her head a little. "Dhampir's, those who don't go mad from blood lust, would live even longer than normal humans, so he would outlive them by several years, maybe even close to a century anyway. Now he's immortal." She paused, opening her eyes and looking at him, though at the moment she could only see the back of his head and feel his tense muscles.
"I'm not saying this to hurt you, or even to dissuade you from your romance, but it's never good to fall for humans. I'm trying to warn you now, as a friend, before you become too emotionally invested in her." They were at the cave now, and she let herself down, and faced him, looking up at him. "Child, I lost the actually ability to really love when I was taken from my family. I was twelve when I was turned, only a child, and I'm afraid it's turned my heart unto the cold side. I have no interest in investing in my heart again, to let it be hurt, even after these years. Love is tragic, and I have no desire to take part in its morbid tale." she reached up to peck his lips. "I apologize for the solemn turn of conversation. I believe we should both get some sleep, and maybe we shall talk later if you are up to it. Talk to Tommy as well, whenever it suits the two of you. I believe you'll have some words exchanged about this business with his sister." She raised two fingers to her lips then, kissed them, and reached up, quite a bit actually, to press them against his forehead. "For peaceful slumber," she murmured, ready to take her leave, but pausing at the last moment. "Well, now I need to find you somewhere to sleep." She groaned, looking unhappy as she looked up at him. "Do I have to now or do you just want to go with someone and I'll find you somewhere of your own later?" she asked, hoping for the former. If he could just follow someone and sleep with them for the moment, she could go to sleep faster.
Thomas smiled gently at Adara and nodded. "Well, I'm glad you said that," he admitted with a small smile, rubbing the back of his head for a moment. "I like walking and talking with you."
What was that? his mind admonished as they reached the cave. Surprisingly enough, it seemed everyone was asleep, except for those getting back. He guessed he could blame that on the sun being nearly directly above them in the sky. As a younger vampire, he felt it more than those who were older, such as Karik, Lamani, and Lothaire above others. "I'll see you later then," he added, semi-awkwardly, as he glanced around. It seemed everyone was dispersing. Lothaire and Sarraqa had already disappeared, though by the way he had seen them last he had glanced over, he wouldn't be surprised if they had gone off together. For all that Lothaire seemed oblivious to the vampiress, he wasn't so oblivious at the same time. It actually struck him as morally wrong in a way.
That was when he noticed Lamani and Kross still lingering as well, and he smiled a little at the unhappy look on the girl's face. Something was bothering her, and it probably had to do with the fact that she was still standing there, if he had to guess. She slept the most out of any vampire he had ever known, and he wondered how she did sometimes.

Kross stared at Lamani, almost angrily. How could she tell me to just forget about her?!
"I guess...but, you never know. Something may change. If it's meant to happen, it will happen." he said, trying to dodge the fact that what she said was true. Mizuki would never become a vampire, willingly anyways. And she would die in what would only be a mere blink in his unending days.
He quickly jumped at the sight of a new conversation. "I see. I think life without love is a lot easier, but then again...is a life without love considered a life worth living? I suppose it depends on the person. My mother always told me that love was the most beautiful thing in the world, and that loving me was the very best part of her life. I think I have taken upon her ways...I believe love is necessary to survive."
"Uh, I can find somewhere. Don't worry about it." he told the vampiress, dismissing her so she could sleep. Even though Kross felt he needed to have a partner in life, he did not really enjoy being dependent on other people. He always wanted to carry his own weight, and the weight of other's if needed, but he always hated it when he had to place his burdens upon someone else's shoulders, no matter how big or small the deed may be.
Adara waved to Tom, bidding him goodnight. While everyone else disappeared through the crevice in the cave wall, heading off to their own 'rooms' so they could sleep, she crept off far down to the cave's mouth and stepped into the radiant sunlight.
The intensity of the sun burned her skin and mad her night-accustomed eyes ache, but Adara didn't seem to mind it too much. The pain was bearable for now, though she was told it got progressively worse the longer one was exposed to the daylight.
She moved quickly and silently through slanted forest, her tiny form sliding easily through narrow gaps between trees. It was when she came upon a small tree with a thick trunk that she stopped and started to climb. Her vampiric senses told her instantly which hand she needed to move and where to place it, so she easily made her way to the top, where a long branch with a dip in the middle awaited her.
Adara nestled herself on it, lying on her back with her legs out stretched. It was the perfect size for her. The canopy of leaves blocked the sunlight, so she no longer felt any sense of pain or discomfort; she was at ease. It was here that Adara slept every day, away from everyone else. She wondered if anyone had noticed that she left...it wouldn't be a problem to them, as long as she was safe, but part of her liked the idea of it being a secret. It made her feel as if she were on her own, for at least one time during the day. She didn't feel out of place here, and that feeling calmed her into an easy sleep.
Dareios awoke from his slumber as he heard footsteps echoing off the cave walls. His bed was a solid slab of rock, molded between a dip in the cave's wall. It was a small dip, only about six feet wide, but it was plenty of room. There was another 'bed' exactly like his, a couple of feet below. His sister Nasrin was sleeping there, her head resting upon a thin, cloth made pillow stuffed with not nearly enough bird feathers. There was a lantern hanging on the wall of Dareios's bed, but it was not lit. Once you slipped into the crevice from the main room of the cave, you would find yourself here--a long walkway with little dips spaced evenly along both walls, all of them containing thin stone beds, ranging from one, two, and the occasional three on top of each other, and each had their own lantern mounted in the wall. There were far more beds than members of their clan, but Dareios had been told that there was once a time when vampires filled this clan to the brim, and not just their clan, but all the clans of them mountains. Vampires were the dominant race against the hunters, but that was currently not the case.
They're back from the council. he thought to himself, They'll tell us all at nightfall, I'm sure. and the Persian then closed his lids once more to fall into sleep.
Lothaire was leading Sarraqa far down the bed chambers, past her's and his own, all the way to the very end of the hallway, where two cellar doors were placed upon the rocky floor. Seems I do not come to the 'Passion Pit' nearly enough these days...I do miss the young women who crowded our clan so many years ago. How foolish they were...and gullible. he laughed before pulling the doors open and carrying Sarraqa down.
Inside, it was a small room, meant for two (or sometimes even three) people. There was an old mattress on the floor, occupying most of the room's space, blanketed in sheets of silk and filled with soft feathers. It was one of the few luxurious items the clan held, and it had taken them centuries to acquire the materials to make it.
Lothaire lit the torches on the wall, deciding he would not be using the chains attached to the walls for tonight. Instead, he approached the blushing Sarraqa and lightly pushed her down onto the bed, where their 'slumber' took its toll.

Lamani could hear the defensive note in the black haired boy's tone, but she didn't show she noticed it or was affected by it in any way. He could believe whatever he wanted, but she was trying to help in the long run, whether he chose to believe it or not. So she simply let the subject go. There wasn't much she could do, especially knowing how stubborn some people could be. She hadn't yet figured out the extent of his stubborness, but she gauged that it was pretty extensive.
"Probably," she agreed sleepily to his words about love. "I've done fine without it these years though, or at least the kind that calls for being deeply, inexplicably attached to a person. I love my friends, more mildly naturally, and that will have to suffice me until it is my time to pass." She paused as he mentioned finding somewhere, snorting a little. He was likely to walk in on someone else's place if he did that.
Shaking her head a little, she just took his hand, her smaller hand only being able to really wrap around a few fingers. She had greater strength than him though and easily led him in the direction of where she slept. It was near a small trickling pool -the sounds tended to soothe her while she slept. The crevice wasn't overly large, but it had room for another should they wish to sleep there, or be invited by her. She let go of his hand as they disappeared from few of the main part of the cave, and she went over to where she usually slept, curling up there almost immediately. "There," she murmured as she closed her eyes. "Make yourself at home. I'll help you find somewhere else if you want in the morning."
Tom went his separate way from Adara, heading to where he slept. He wasn't that much tired, and ended up sitting with his back to the stone wall for a time, staring off into space and thinking. Wonder what Misty would say if she could see me now... A small smile formed at his lips. She would kill me; definitely. I have been gone for two years, never really said anything to anyone... she probably thinks I'm dead even. Memories of his dark-haired exgirlfriend filtered through his mind for a bit before he pushed them away.
Some days he missed Misty, but others he didn't even once think about her. She had been a good friend when they were kids, if a bit on the enthusiastic side, but then it had developed into more. Still, being here now, in this clan, it was hard to regret his decision, and he got the feeling that it probably wouldn't have worked out anways even if he had stayed. They were better as sparring partners and rivals than a couple usually.
Oh well. Likely she's moved well on by now. And he would be glad to know that she did, if that were in fact the case. He was beginning to recognize dangerous territory between himself and Adara, even if it was possibly -probably- one sided. He had no way of knowing what her thoughts contained after all, or what she thought of him. For all he knew, he was probably just another member of the clan who was nicer to her than the others seemed to be. He could wish though... And it was with those thoughts that Tom eventually fell off into a light sleep, still leaning against the cave wall.

Kross wondered if this was some trick to make him sleep next to Lamani, for what reason he did not know, as he noticed their were at least twenty more empty stone slabs mounted into the dips along both the walls, but he shrugged. "Alright, this works." he said to her, before climbing up beside Lamani, resting his head on his arm.
He wondered if she could feel the heat of his mortal body being so close to her's. Kross then wondered what it would feel like to have no body heat...Will I be cold all the time? You never really see vampires wearing sweaters, though...they all seem to have very distinct fashion senses. he thought while he drifted off to sleep.
It was thoughts like these that Kross considered 'serious', and it was for that reason that he had the mentality of most twelve year old boys. This would have been a time when most people would reflect upon their day, thinking about the new people in their lives, and the new place they lived. But not for Kross. He was tired, and that meant sleep. Thinking was too much effort, especially when you were sleepy.
Kross dreamed of himself and Mizuki, standing in a field of grass, with her identical twin sister, Harriet. The two were fighting over him, planting kisses on his face and neck ever few seconds...and they were both in bikinis. The dhampir slept with a smile on his face.
Sarraqa spent two full hours with Lothaire, and she actually found herself to be sore--something she didn't think vampires could feel. "You certainly didn't hold back." she whispered, lying her head on his chest. Despite all that had just happened, it was this that was her favorite part of coming down here with Lothaire: getting to sleep next to him, wrapped in his arms.
Lothaire stroked Sarraqa's head, inhaling her sweet scent. "I find it hard to control myself in the presence of such a beautiful woman." he said, halfheartedly.
Sarraqa smiled nonetheless, and nestled herself further into his arms, kissing his neck before closing her eyes to welcome sleep.
Lothaire did not sleep, however. He lied there, holding the woman, thinking of how foolish she must be. He was, of course, aware of Sarraqa's obvious attraction to him, but he was not sure how he felt about her. She was pretty, and easy to handle, but it was the blood bond that scared him the most. Being eternally committed to someone until death was...hard for him to fathom. He was a lover of almost all women, and it did not seem comfortable to stick with one for the rest of at least one their lives.
He sighed and stroked her hair some more, trying to figure out why she has remained faithful to him all of these years, even though he never returned any interest...it saddened him, almost.

Lamani simply didn't feel like trying to find some place for Kross, and was too tired to really think straight. These combined were the reasons why he ended up with her, though she hadn't exactly meant for him to sleep right where she was.
She didn't try to argue though, and in fact, fell to sleep fairly quickly. Some time during the night she even cuddled towards his warmth unknowingly, ending up with his arm slanted across her. This was actually how she woke in the morning.
As she peered open her eyes, feeling fairly well rested, the next night, she didn't notice it immediately. She was simply unusually comfortable and for a moment curled more into whatever it was. As the sounds of a beating heart became apparent, she went on alert, body stiffening. Though she did relax as she remembered the Dhampir that the clan had taken in. Why he was laying in the same "bed" as her, she hadn't the slightest clue. So snorting softly, noting he seemed to be still asleep, she turned and gave a firm shove to which he promptly fell to the floor.
Y'dra had already been awake for a little while when she heard the thus which came from where Lamani slept. She rose her eyebrows a little, but soon the small vampiress padded into the main part of the cave. "You fall off or something, Mani?" She questioned.
Lamani's shoulders picked up in an innocent, yet mischievous sort of shrug. "I haven't the slightest idea of what you're talking about," she said. Though her voice was even, there was a certain smiling glint in her eye.
Y'dra slowly shook her head, deciding that she wouldn't ask what really had happened. She was certain she didn't want to know. "I'll go wake the others then. I'm sure we all want to know what happened with the council." Lamani nodded mutely, watching the large woman as she strolled off. Knowing Y'dra, the wake up call likely wouldn't be pleasant.
A moment later, and ear-splitting sound screeched grouch the cave. Lamani flinched, but then covered her ears to help block out the sound. She honestly felt sorry for whoever was still asleep.
A moment later grumbles and cursed could be heard throughout the cave, and she grinned a little with a chuckle. Then a familiar shape raced by, a certain someone with dark hair and light eyes who practically tackled the African woman who had come out into the cave, playing on what looked to be wooden pipes. It was the usually serious Astarot she noticed as she watched him all but tackle her.
Still, Lamani watched with half hearted attention as the vampires went rolling across the ground, trading blows that didn't look very serious in the least from Y'dra at least, though at first Astarot had seemed extremely serious. "Oh stop it. You needed to be woken up anyway," Lamani rolled her eyes. "Don't take it out on poor Y'dra."
Y'dra seemed to be handling herself fairly well, if not easily, though, and ignored the fact that Lamani had trid to stop their fight as she moved quickly, pinning the male vampire underneath her, her knee jammed into the small of his back to hopefully cause enough pain to dissuade him from attempting to get free and turn around to attack her.
"You are welcome for the distraction," Lamani piped up with a child-like, nearly wicked, smile.
"Should I be thanking you?"
"Well, it would be nice every now and again."
"I had it handled."
"So I see." The young looking vampiress both sounded and looked unconvinced.
"Oh, and I suppose you could have handled yourself better if someone suddenly came rushing at you?" There was no spite or hostility in Y'dra's voice, only good-natured jest.
"Probably, yes." Lamani grinned. "And then after I felt they had learned their lesson, I would give them a kiss."
"I'm sure you would... I still don't quite understand that about you though," Y'dra murmured, tone having taken a slightly dry note to it.
Lamani smiled then, an almost innocent smile. "Oh, i don't believe anyone really does understand. I rather enjoy kisses though, child, and that's likely all you'll ever understand of it. Besides, with the way the rest of you are, surely I'm allowed a few innocent kisses?"

The bliss that had been Kross's dream came to a far to sudden end, when he suddenly felt his body hurdling downwards. His deep blue eyes opened just second seconds before he face planted onto the hard, rocky, cave floor. "Dammit!" he spat, already tasting blood in his mouth. As Kross rose to his feet, his hands idly touching his now busted lower lip, he came across a peculiar feeling watching Lamani walk away. It was a strange thought, but the more he dwelt upon it, the more it seemed to be true. The fall he had just taken was so incredibly...human. If Lamani had chosen to push any of the others off their slab of stone beds, they would have caught themselves with their hands before landing, or even flipped onto their feet before being pushed. They wouldn't have a busted lip or be bleeding, even if they did manage to hit solid ground, because their skin was so much stronger.
An ear splitting screech broke Kross's thoughts and his attention was brought further down the narrow cave passage, where Y'dra and Astarot where having a play fight. Any normal person seeing this would think they were killing each other...but in reality, they're not even using a fraction of their true power...Hm. Humans...they seem so...pathetic now.
Nasrin slowly, and rather grumpily, rolled off her bed and onto the floor. She realized she had left her silk slippers on during her sleep as she pushed wrinkles out of her aqua blue sleeveless dress, made of the same silk. The floral designs embroidered in the fabric were her mother's favorite to use when she made her clothes as a young child, which is why she chose to wear today, twelve years later. She and Dareios hadn't been vampires for very long, just two years over a decade, but thinking of her human life--and even more so her childhood--made it all seem so far away. Her memories were hazy, and the haziness made her sad. Sighing, she roughly shoved her brother's shoulder, who was still sleeping on the bunk above her. "Wake up, brother." she said, her voice prickly, though under her breath she added "time for, yet another, night of endless repetition..."
"I am awake, sister." Dareios said, monotone and tiredly, despite his eyes being closed. His silver hair was down from its usual ponytail, falling in a tangled mess down his neck. Still, he slugged out of bed, clutching his sister's arm protectively as he watched the other vampires tussling on the floor. The siblings were very close. It was strange...near intimate.
Adara had been awake for quite some time. She woke with the setting sun, and just stayed resting on the tree, watching the sky transform into many different shades and colors. She couldn't help but wish Thomas were here, so they could share the views together. She wondered when the boy would take her on that tour he promised...
Lothaire and Sarraqa came staggering out of the cellar-like doors, his suit coat around his shoulder and shirt buttoned wrong, while her dress was halfway falling off around the sleeves. "Good evening, everyone~!" she said cheerily. "Who's hungry? I know I am. Has Karik gathered a hunting patrol?"

Lamani caught the faint scent of blood, and frowned as she glanced behind her, having been standing and watching the tussling between Astarot and Y'dra. She frowned as she saw Kross. "Oh dear, I'm sorry," she apologized, knowing it was his blood she'd smelled. It was still too early for her to try and get him to come down to her level for her to give him a kiss though, so she hoped the apology was enough for the time being.
Karik had been woken along with everyone else by Y'dra, and stood at the far side of the cave, arms crossed over his chest as he watched his clan. A faint smile was on his lips. This was his family -his dysfunctional family. He glanced between them, and then his eyes landed on Kross for a moment. He wondered how the dhampir was adjusting, when he was going to be turned. Karik shook his head, running a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair for a moment. "Y'dra, Astarot -knock it off already. It's too early to be fighting already."
He shook his head as the two broke apart, exchanging grins. Despite that they constantly seemed to bicker, they were actually very close, he knew. They also seemed to try and act like parents to Lamani -which in itself was simply funny to watch. For as young as she looked, Lamani had an odd personality for sure, but no one seemed to complain. "We still have food from yesterday, but after we all get our fill, we'll talk about who's going out today," he told Lothaire, raising his eyebrows at the disheveled look of the older vampire along with Sarraqa.
Thomas came out, seeing everyone gathering, but tipped his head a little, pine colored eyes looking for Adara, who seemed to be missing. He had a good idea of where she was though, and slipped out before anyone seemed to notice that he was there. She seemed to enjoy sitting outside, whatever time of day it was, and while it was dangerous, no one had it in them to tell her that she couldn't. He traveled quickly through the tunnels, coming out and finding her just where he expected. "Hey, Adara," he said as he climbed up into the tree. "You didn't sleep out here, did you?" He frowned a little. "It's dangerous during the day. If the cloud cover lets up..." Of course she knew the risks, and he sighed. "Sorry. I'm starting to sound like Mani."

(I think I remembered everyone XD give me a bit to get used to everyone again and it'll get better; I swear)

Adara tensed and started to climb down from the tree as she heard someone--or something--approach, but at the sight of gentle green eyes and sandy hair, she calmed herself. "Thomas! Hello," she returned his greeting, scooting over on her branch so he could sit or lean against it if he wished. "I've actually been sleeping out here almost everyday. The tree is tall enough that it shades me from all sun, see?" she said, gesturing with her hands towards the massive canopy of leaves over their heads. "I don't like to spend much time in the cave, to be honest. There's something about being in there, with everyone else, that's so...disorienting." Adara confessed, mindlessly tugging at her brown hair, fingers twirling the silver tips. "Anyways, what brings you here? Is there a patrol or something?"

Dareios headed through the small crevice with his sister, and did not stop until they both reached the pile of food in the corner. They both settled on a fox, figuring it would be enough to share for now, and headed off into another dark corner to feast upon the dead animal's blood. It was bitter, and not very appetizing in the slightest, but it was the price they had to pay to stay on 'good terms' with the hunters. There were other clans in the mountains who feasted upon humans, it was a personal choice made by the clan leader. But Karik was always one for safety, so they always hunted animals, steering clear of human blood unless it was absolutely necessary.

Kross smile at Lamani, not angry at all. "It's fine, don't worry about it." he gently patted her on the head before stepping into the thick of the clan, all of which were still gathered in the sleeping hallway--with the exception of Dareios and Nasrin, and Thomas and Adara weren't spotted either--"So," he asked everyone, "what's on the agenda for today? Er, tonight? I suppose we ought to share with the others about the council meeting first?" he asked, not yet realizing he was acting very leaderish. Whoops...Don't want to get on Karik's bad side. He seems like a tough cookie. he thought, deciding to keep his mouth shut for the time being.

Lothaire nodded to Karik, then turned to Sarraqa and buried his face in the crook of her neck. "Ah, well, shall we go see what is available to eat for now, my darling?" he asked her, trying to be extra affectionate towards her. After last night, he did feel somewhat guilty for playing with Sarra's heart the way he did. So, to make up for it, he decided putting on a fake front of romantic interest for awhile would help.
"Oh, Lothaire...!" Sarraqa giggled and squirmed as his lips touched her neck. She playfully pushed him away and nodded "Sure, we can share something small for now."

Tom ended up sitting on the branch next to Adara, settling himself beside her. He smiled a little at her -she definitely seemed so much calmer, so much more at home out here than in the caves. "Well, in winter there won't be leaves anymore. Promise me you'll be careful?" he asked, wanting to make sure. He would hate if he came looking for her one day and found her dead or dying. He would blame himself for not trying harder to get her to stay in the caves. "Karik mentioned sending out a patrol later, before I left, but no. I thought I would come out and find you." He looked at her- she was quite beautiful, in his opinion, but then again... most vampires were. Maybe there was just something different with her... something he couldn't name. "I don't know... you always seem so lonely.. I really only ever see you smile when you see Lord Ignis. You're part of the clan, but then not really.. it's almost like you don't want to get to know any of us, for whatever reason you have..." Tom ran a hand through his hair, looking sheepish. Why was it he only ever acted this way around her? He was an idiot... "I guess I just worry," he finally finished with a sigh.

Karik stood back, letting everyone pick what they wanted before he would get his own food. Meanwhile, he was thinking of who went on patrol yesterday and who should go today. His chocolate/marron eyes briefly landed on the dhampir boy as he spoke, and he had a thought. He could put him on patrol... let him get used to clan life, if he was going to become part of their family. It would definitely be interesting, and Karik found himself smiling lightly at the thought. Kross probably wouldn't even be able to keep up with them... He hadn't sent Adara or Sarraqa out lately either, he realized, so they could go. He would give Lothaire a break, since the vampire had just gotten back from being tortured by the Crescent Stone Hunters... the twins looked like they could use a hunt.. So then -Kross, Adara, Dareios, Nasrin, and Sarraqa. One more would be good, probably... Thomas, he decided. That would make up the hunting patrol.

Lamani frowned at Kross as he patted her head. She realized she acted childish, but that did not mean she wished to be patted like a mere child! She huffed a little, then shook her head as he began speaking, and none of the others bothered to answer him. She took his hand, or as many fingers as she could fit her hand around, and began to lead him towards their small pile. Animals were so much better fresh, which was the reason that they went out on patrol every day. "Business as usual," she shrugged to his question. "When everyone shows up and gathers together, the news will be told, but then there will be a hunting patrol." She sorted through what was left of the pile, and grinned as she picked up the shrew. Animal blood wasn't the most savory but they all had her favorites, and she'd purposely gotten the shrew yesterday for herself. She was happy that no one else had touched it. "Pick what you want," she gestured Kross to the food then.

Y'dra, the giantress, had picked something for herself and Astarot. As much as the two bickered, they were actually fairly close, as well as off and on lovers. They had a complicated relationship, currently "off" at the moment, though as most of the clan knew, that could very well change extremely quickly. They were constant friends though, even when they weren't also lovers, and often shared meals. Y'dra had picked out a couple of small animals for them since Dareios and Nasrin had the fox. She settled amongst the rocks, settling back with her meal, Astarot's side pressed against hers. If not for her orchid eyes, she would blend into the walls to human eyes likely, since the caves weren't exactly lit. They occasionally had a candle, but even that was a rarity. Besides, they enjoyed the dark.

Adara smiled, though it didn't seem like a happy one. It was solemn and near hollow...a forced reaction that had no actual feeling behind it. Her eyes trailed down to the grass, and her lids closed halfway, watching with an expression that could only be described as sorrowful, as if she were mourning a friend long gone; not weeping as if the being in her life was just taken away, but just sad. Not completely broken, yet still not entirely whole, either. "It's not that I don't want to get to know any of you. That's not it at all," she started, the corners of her thin lips twitching, "...I just...it makes me sad, Thomas. So very, very sad. It feels like every time I step in that cave, and I am surrounded by all of my new family, that I am constantly being pushed into a dream," she turned her head to him, eyebrows creased and frowning, "have you ever had a dream like that? Where, in the dream, you are aware you are dreaming? It's like that, but I just can't wake up. In that cave, I am engulfed in frozen blood and a still heartbeat...I am painfully aware of any sunlight, I can hear things that normal people should not hear, and I have a thirst for the very liquid that does not pump through my veins any longer." Tears started to well up in her eyes, but Adara refused to let them spill. Vampires were powerful beings, and now matter how confused, lost, sad, or angry she was, she would never want to look a lesser being than the others. "My real family is gone. I don't remember them, and for all I know, they could be feeling a pain even stronger than mine, trying to search for me! Do you know what that's like? I will never see them again, and they will sleep every night thinking...'Adara is dead.' It may take weeks or months, but reality will set in for the eventually...and for all I know, they could be thinking the truth. I don't know what I am, or what I feel about it. It's just too much right now..." Her voice dissipated, as well as the tears, and she suddenly looked very much like her normal, vampiric, self again. "It will just take time, Tom. Does that make any sense?" she asked him finally, tenderly reaching forwards to push a stray leaf out of his sandy hair.

Kross suddenly found himself in a state of panic as Lamani walked him over to their pile of...animals. Naturally, he scrunched up his nose, even though the smell wasn't bad. "Uh..." he started, nervously looking around. He lowered his voice so hopefully only Lamani would hear, "I've, uh, never actually eaten, er, drunk...slurped? Whatever...I mean, I've never drank directly from an animal before...or human, for that matter. I was fed human blood before as a child, but that was years ago...It didn't effect me in any way, just the same as normal food. Though animal blood may be different..." he eyed each one of the animals testily, seeing if any of them caught his eye...sadly, they just looked like a dwindling pile of dead animals to him. And that was, even more sadly, exactly what they were.

@ Broken Lullabies

(Don't have much for any of the other character. I'll just wait till Karik calls them for patrol.)

@ Broken Lullabies

(Don't have much for any of the other character. I'll just wait till Karik calls them for patrol.)

@ Kross
(Sorry, I've been busy and haven't had time to reply. I may be moving to the coast; and I took the ACT for the first time Saturday)

@ Kross

Tom listened closely to Adara as soon as he recognized the look she had on her face. He'd almost expected her to just murmur some excuse that wasn't the truth and tell him he should leave her be, but as she did decide to trust him with the truth, it was the least he could do to listen. His open expression slowly transformed into a small frown, eyebrows knitting together, and he almost didn't notice as she plucked a leaf from his hair. "Thanks," he smiled softly at her. "And... well, I do understand, at least some of it, Adara," he told her, hand brushing over hers in a moment as if in a reassuring gesture before he pulled back. Tom had been raised as a gentleman, and he tended to try and respect personal boundaries. "Until you, I was the new one, and it took time with me too. The difference is that I've always been half vampire and everyone always knew it. Unfortunately," another small smile, "being a dhampir means that eventually you get the blood lust of a vampire except you can't get rid of it. It'll drive you mad, and worse. I'm sure by now you've heard about my family... I know how you feel because I just disappeared on my siblings. I couldn't tell them what I was doing, or why, so I just left one night and I haven't seen them since. They probably think I'm dead by now honestly," he told her. "I know it's harder on you because you don't remember.. don't know what you've left behind, but it could be a blessing too, Ada. Maybe you can't remember because its your mind's way of protecting you -or maybe Lord Ignis', if that's possible." Instead of minding personal boundaries this time, he leaned forward and let himself kiss her cheek. "I know it's tough on you," he told her as he pulled away. "But they aren't bad people -except maybe Lothaire a little." He grinned slightly. "I'd watch myself around him if I were you. But... they're interesting, but not bad. Over all, they have good morals, and they're a loyal group. Quirky as hell. But loyal. You should try to get to know them, let them in like you have me, and who knows -they may even surprise you." He hopped up lithely then, offering his hand. "Now -I think Karik's going to tell everyone about our trip soon, and we should be there. You ready to head back inside for a bit?"

As Lamani listened to the dhampir and his worries, her cool grassy green gaze slid over him in a curious way. How long ago had he discovered his heritage -how long had he been coddled by humans? He seemed to know nothing... Luckily for him though, whenever she was in a pleasant mood or so long as she was getting her way, Lamani seemed to be exceedingly patient. She contained none of his qualms for privacy, so didn't lower her voice particularly much, but she didn't scream so the others would have no choice but to hear her either. "It isn't surprisingly you don't feel any hunger being near these..." she waved her hand, indicating the animals. "Corpses. Human blood would be it for you, since you're dhampir and not vampire." She tapped her chin thoughtfully, attempting to conjure up the words she wanted to say. Finally, "Thomas came to us because of his hunger. Once it begins in one of your kind, it cannot simply be sated. He had the misfortune to also live in a hunter village, meaning should he have drank from anyone, he would've been brutally murdered." She approached Kross then, motioning for him to lower to her level. She'd left her food behind where she'd been standing, so as not to intimidate him, and even wiped her hands on her clothes, since it seemed he was extremely disgusted by their food. As he followed her instruction, she grasped his head and lowered it to her easy reach, then pried into his mouth, looking around. When she pulled back, it was with a surprised noise. "You have to be at least eighteen but there's no sign of dhampir maturity!" she peered at him. "Unusual... no wonder you haven't felt the hunger yet. You don't even have proper fangs." She sighed, tsking a little. "I suppose we can't expect you to eat as we do in that case." Her eyes brightened suddenly, and her mature motherliness gave way into a childlike sort of excitement as she seemed to bounce on the balls of her heels while taking his hand. "Ooh, this means we need to go out and search for food! Maybe at a market! May I come?!"

Adara felt a flurry of emotions at Tom's gentle actions. She was nervous, first and foremost, but also happy--and the happy was strong enough to out weigh the nervousness, making it an overall pleasant experience for her. Her fingers twitched under his palm for the brief moment it was there, as if to try and this 'this is okay'.
"The blood lust sounds scary," she admitted, "I hope I'm not speaking out of bounds, but...even if your siblings aren't proud, I'm happy you became a full vampire. Now I know you won't change," her smile came back again, but she tried to--unsuccessfully--hide it behind her hair. "I remember how thirsty I was when I first awakened...I can't imagine what it would be like to the point of driving you to insanity."
At the sound of him calling her 'Ada', her heart was sent aflutter once more. She felt silly, having such a crush on the handsome boy with curly blonde hair...but she was glad Thomas made her happy. If not anyone else, he would always be able to make her smile. "I guess..." she started, nervously, "since I don't have any memories, we'll...just have to start making new ones, together? Good memories...ones I look back on and smile at." she concluded, now hiding under her silver tips as he pulled away from the kiss. Her cheeks were flushed, and she wobbled on the tree branch before taking an exit and jumping to the ground. She landed, bent over, so she could catch her breath and not look so flustered.
"Y-yes," she called back up to him, "we should probably head back," she giggled sweetly. It was surprising, hearing herself laugh...and Adara then thought how sad that was. Laughter shouldn't be surprising. I'll laugh more...I'll laugh with Tom. she thought, smiling up at the boy in the tree.

Kross's eyes widened as Lamani forced her fingers into his mouth, but he didn't jerk away. Instead he just stared at her, his eyes crossing in weird directions. "I'm nineteen," he interjected, "but no...I don't have fangs." Even though he knew the truth, Kross still felt his tongue slide over his teeth, in hopes of making feeling at least a small point. Alas, there was nothing more than the average human.
"Um...perhaps it..." he looked around slowly, not wanting anyone else to hear, in case what he was going to say was wrong, or bad even. "Err...can we go to the sleeping chambers to talk for a bit? I'd like to discuss somethings with you, privately..." he said, motioning to the small crevice in the wall that lead to the very room he was talking about. He would normally offer to go outside, but seeing as it was still a little bright outside, as the sun had just set, he decided it might be a bad idea. "Maybe we can go to the market later, yeah? Because this might be important..."
He felt comfortable confiding in Lamani about his past. Why? Kross was sure she would be the most understanding and compassionate. If what he told her was in fact a...vampire sin, or whatever, she would help in escape the clan before further harm could come to him. The only other person he was remotely close with was Lothaire, and he was almost positive that the would turn him in without question. He seemed rather skeevy like that, for some reason.

Nasrin had just finished her share of the fox's blood when she heard something about a trip the market. For the first time in what felt like ages to her, her interest had been piqued. She waved a hand through her wavy silver hair before delicately approaching Karik, seeing as Lamani and Kross were going to be talking elsewhere. "Can we, Karik?" she asked, not sounding quite as finicky for once. "A trip to the market would be grand, don't think think? Please can we go?"
A part of her felt pathetic, begging to a man for permission to go somewhere, like a child would beg for a toy. That was her human side. It still had a fair amount of dominance in her for some reason...her mind didn't seem to want to rewrite itself to naturally accept vampiric law. Considering she was naturally stubborn before, it most likely came from that. Dareios didn't seem to have any trouble adjusting at all, but then again, he had always been the clam, obedient one, cleaning up after her messes...
She looked back at her elder brother with wonder, smiling while he wasn't looking. She truly loved Dareios; he meant all the world to her. Even in their mortal life, she had loved her brother above all other people in this world...this cruel, unfair world, that Nasrin hated so much. But he made it worth it, somehow. Most of her days now, she spent wondering if she would ever find another person that was special enough to do that...Her hopes weren't very high.
Her attention being brought back to the present, where she was staring in the eyes of the cold and mature Karik, Nasrin placed her hands on her hips and pouted her lips, trying to her best to hold back the insults her 'human self' so badly wanted to scream.

Tom was honestly pretty oblivious. He knew he had a pretty bad crush on Adara, which had developed almost as soon as she had shown up, but for the life of him, he just couldn't tell whether the feelings were shared. He knew he was really one of the only ones she would talk to in the clan, but was that just because she thought of him as a friend, because he was the only one reaching out to her? Or was it because she felt like he did? It drove him mad wondering sometimes...
She never seemed to want to face him either, all the time turned away or hiding beneath her hair... he felt lucky whenever he saw her smile... and would grin like an idiot if he heard her laugh. It felt like a dangerous road he was heading down, but he couldn't seem to make it stop, and didn't want to. But he didn't want to scare her off or anything either. He didn't want to make a mistake... So alas, he was stuck playing things safe. And hoping he didn't screw up one day and leave his thoughts open for the reading.
And of course she picked that moment to giggle, which made his lips split into a grin. Shortly after, he jumped down beside her, being careful not to land too close, the grin having faded to more of a quirky smile, which promptly turned into a grin once more as he heard her thoughts about laughing with him. "I hope so," he answered aloud, "because the sound of your laugh is beautiful." He didn't reach out to her this time. Even if he wanted to, he was mildly embarrassed by what he'd just said -without thinking- and ducked his head for a moment as he swore in his mind for doing that.
"Ah, let's just get back to everyone else before I make an even bigger fool of myself, yeah?" Smooth, Tom... real smooth.

"Nineteen?" Lamani questioned, lips pressing into a small frown. "Okay. Well, it was a good guess anyhow." Satisfied that he didn't have any fangs after having peered into his mouth, she pulled her hand back out, scrunching her nose at the small trail of saliva that followed. "Eeewww," she squeaked softly. She pressed her fingers together briefly, pulled them apart, and watched the trail spiderweb between them. It was frankly disgusting, and not her best moment...
"Privately... talk... huh?" She frowned down at her hand, then looked back to him, blinking for a moment, her eyes confused. Though her eyes brightened again as he mentioned going to the market, and she readily nodded, casually wiping the spit back onto his shirt. "Very well, then. Let us go discuss this matter of yours." Lamani made a shooing motion with her hands to herd him back towards the sleeping chambers. She set her meal down where she was standing then, and looked over everyone else with a warning glint in her grassy green eyes. "None of you touch that," she said seriously.
Then she headed off with a prance to join Kross where he was now waiting for her. Whatever in the world he was talking about, it obviously seemed important. Considering he wanted to speak to her in private about it, she figured either it was embarrassing, which she would gladly hold over him in the future, or it was something which he thought he might get in trouble for... at which point she would just have to wait and see what he said so she could decide on what to do. Really, she was surprised he was entrusting her with whatever it was he was going to say. If he'd asked anyone else, they'd warn him against it in a heartbeat... besides, he could just as easily talk to the vampire he'd saved, or even the older brother of the girl he had a mad crush on. But... her mind digressed. She attempted to pull it back into the present so that she could listen for whatever it was he had to say.

Karik blinked briefly at Nasrin as she came over to ask him about going to the market. Honestly, he supposed he was lucky he wasn't going to be ganged upon about it though... "Yes, a trip to the market could be grand," he allowed with a sigh, "but it could also prove dangerous. Crescent Moon is still having their little festival at the moment, and they'll be looking for another vampire now that Lothaire is back with us. It simply wouldn't be safe for us to have a market day at the moment."
Really, he was against market days unless they absolutely had to... He didn't think them safe in the least, and since their little clan had lately begun to start getting bigger so that now there was about a dozen of them, it was hard to keep up with everyone at any one time as well. There were some he trusted to be responsible, such as Nasrin and Dareios, but others he absolutely didn't trust one bit to lay low and not get caught..
"I'm sorry, Nasrin," he apologized, though he couldn't quite manage to sound too sympathetic as he did it. "Unless we absolutely have to, I just don't believe it would be smart at the moment." Basically, he was saying the same thing he'd said earlier, except in a more condensed form, but that was fine, in his opinion, at least. He did, however, offer her a small smile, even though she'd placed her hands on her hips and pouted, as if that was going to help her get her way. "I'm sorry," he repeated.

Her face went blood red as he replied to her thoughts, and Adara shakily turned around to face Thomas. "H-h-how d-did you...?" she asked him, barely even managing to get the words out because she was so overcome with embarrassment. It then dawned on her that they were in the same clan, and with that came the ability to speak telepathically. Thus, removing all privacy one could possibly think to have. Even more embarrassed that she had forgotten, Adara just shook her head and squatted on the ground, covering her head with her arms for a few moments to try and block out everything that had just happened.
He called my laugh beautiful... she thought, and then inevitably realized she had thought, and mentally gasped. I did it again! Tom!! Get out of here, I'll c-catch back up with you! she shouted in her mind, still hiding all of her face from sight. Still, underneath her embarrassment, she was actually smiling. Smiling at the fact that she had already made a very happy memory; and it was with Tom.
Afer a few moments though, she--somehow, unbeknownst to her--managed to call out "...Don't go."
A few more moments of silence passed, her head still covered.
"...I want to walk back with you. So...please, don't go?"
With another deep breath, she rose to her feet again, face still flushed a light pink. Despite that, she folded her arms behind her back and slowly started to walk back to the cave beside Thomas.

Kross entered the sleeping chambers with Lamani, hands stuffed in his back pockets, walking slowly.
He turned to face her, but still paced, "I might have a reason as to why my...transformation is coming late," he started, before leaning up against the cave wall. "My father...he was, well...insane. A scientist, he liked to call himself. But he performed all of his experiments on humans. And me, lucky enough to be his only child, well...I had a lot of tests run on me," he was speaking very slowly and without much emotion...not like Kross at all. He didn't like talking about any of this to anyone, so when he was forced to at some points, it was always very awkward.
"One day, when I was about...eight years old, my dad comes in with this IV, and says 'Nikolai, I have something special for you!'," he cringed at how much his voice sounded like Jeremiah's, "and I always hated it when he said that...because that meant, he had some freak experiment he wanted to try out on me. So he hooks up the IV and pours in this really thick, dark red liquid, and it starts pumping into me.
"At first, I didn't feel much. It burned a little, but that was nothing compared to some of the other side effects. Once it was finished though...that's when the burn hit hard. It covered my whole body and felt like it was setting my bones on fire. But then...as quickly as it started, it just stopped. Maybe three minutes max. So, a few days pass, and I remember feeling really good. My dad kept telling me to run laps, and he would time me, and then I would lift weights, trying to see how much heavier I could go...and then about four days from that, I get this horrible thirst. And my dad said 'It's time!' and before I knew...he's feeding me blood. And I liked it. It tasted unlike anything I had ever had before...like candy, but it didn't make my stomach hurt after I drank too much," he laughed a little at the last bit.
"Anyways...that's how I become a hafling...a dhamphir, I mean. My dad wasn't a vampire, he didn't impregnate my mom as one either. He's always been human. Instead, he injected some sort of vampire blood, or venom, I don't even know, into me as a kid, and I changed." he finally finished, taking a few moments of silence to chew on his lip and look at the ground.
"So...maybe that's why I'm a little slow?" he asked after the silence was too much. "That's not like...bad, is it? Have you ever seen a case like me before?"

Dareios, overhearing the conversation between Karik and his younger sister, immediately jumped up sitting and dashed over to her. He carefully placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her a few steps away from their leader. "Thank you, Karik, for taking our safety into consideration. Perhaps we shall go another time, then." he said rather quickly, then pulled Nasrin outside the mouth of the cave and into the sparkling starlight sky.
"Hm. The stars are rather bright tonight. Looks pretty, don't you think?"

Nasrin scowled at her brother and playfully pushed him in the chest. "Ugh! I hate living here! I hate being a vampire! I hate this world, this life, this...everything!" she shouted, stomping her feet into the dirt. Tears threatened to spill down her sun kissed cheeks, but she refused to let them fall. Ever since she had reawakened, into this horrible, lifeless state, Nasrin had vowed she would never cry. She would be fearless and strong, and make her way through this blood-sucking hell without showing any sign of struggle. And she hadn't; not in all of her twelve years of immortality. So she didn't plan on breaking that vow tonight.

Dareios smirked at her, stroking her beautiful silver hair with his fingertips. "It was about time you were due for another temper tantrum," he said nonchalantly, as if this were a regular thing. Because it was. Nasrin had never adjusted well, and she probably never would. So he, being the good big brother he always was, took it upon himself to let her feel what she wanted to feel, since they were going to be stuck like this for the rest of time. "It's not all that bad, Nasrin. We can go to the market another time. I'll even go gather up a bunch of animal pelts, so I can trade them for that hairclip you always look at, hm? How does that sound?"
"It sounds..." she trailed off, and for a moment Dareios thought he was successful in stemming her fuse, but then her nose crinkled up again. "He said it's because the festival is going on! The market is south of Crescent Stone! All of the people are attending the festival! So there's going to be NO ONE THERE!" she shouted, tossing her arms all over the place. It took him all he had not to laugh at how much she talked with her arms.
"Karik is the leader, Nasrin...and as much as you hate to admit it, he knows what's best. Look, he even said he was sorry to you. Twice. Karik doesn't do that."
She finally crossed her arms and let her shoulders slouch: a sure sign that she was almost done. "Yeah, I guess...he should still apologize more, though. I mean, it's not that hard to say 'sorry' is it? Jeez...he's such a pain."
Dareios had found that, even if you managed to prove Nasrin's anger wrong, she would always find something else to be mad at, because she just couldn't let things be simple. "I know, I know..." he sighed, patting her shoulder. "How about we go for a walk around the cave, until Karik calls for the patrol, hm?"
"...Okay." she said, forcing back an obvious smile.
He took her hand, and they slowly started to walk together, looking up at all the bright stars.

Tom actually simply didn't know what to do... not as Adara forgot that they could read each other's thoughts, as she crouched down on the ground with her arms covering her head as if that would protect her thoughts... not as he stood there, just staring at her because he didn't know what to do and he was blushing a bit because of her reaction.
He certainly didn't know what to think as she mused over how he'd called her laugh beautiful, or just told him to go on without her. So he just stood there for a bit, but she didn't move, and he received no more mental commands, and he eventually just sighed because he just knew somehow that he'd blown it.
Tom knew when to admit he fucked up.
So with another sigh and a mental curse, he turned and did start to head back, his feet scuffing the ground. And sadly enough, hope began to fill him as he heard her tell him not to go. He paused and looked back, seeing her still in the same position, making him wonder if she really had said anything, or if it was his delusional mind. As she asked him not to go again though, a small smile formed on his face, which had cooled off by now and was no longer red, even if she looked like she was still blushing a little as she finally stood up and walked over.
"Sorry about that," Tom mumbled the apology as Ada caught up. Then he fell silent, not even able to be alone with his thoughts as they started back towards the cave. He didn't even know what to say, either! What did someone say in this situation?!

Lamani was silent, perching herself on a piece of rock that wasn't really made for sitting on, but she leaned against anyway. She turned apt green eyes upon Kross as he began to talk. He looked almost stoic, sounded almost emotionless, as he spoke, but she made no comment about it, for the moment. He really seemed like all of this was something he wanted to bury and never speak of, but at the same time she was glad he was telling someone in the clan. He wasn't born a dhampir, and that really did explain his lack of fangs. If a human ingested vampire blood, they wouldn't magically grow fangs. Though if he was still half vampire, that must've been more than mere blood...
"No..." she replied slowly after her mind mulled it over. She looked strangely solemn, being who she was and all. "I've never seen a case like yours. All dhampirs I've met were born that way," she admitted to him. She sighed softly. "Don't worry though, you aren't in trouble or anything. You can't help what your father did, though doing something so horrible should be forbidden..." She watched him. "Still, you're obviously half-vampire still, and you'll still be turned into one. After your change, you'll be a regular vampire, even if you are a little odd as a dhampir. I would also like your father's full name, if you don't mind. Next time I see the council, I'll be handing over his name to them, and if he's still alive, he'll pay for this."
The seriousness she'd commanded fell as abruptly as it had come upon her along with a dimpled smile. "Now, come here," she commanded. She took his face in her hands after having hopped up, then kissed all over it, ending with a quick kiss on the mouth, the same dimpled smile present as she let him go. "I thought you deserved it for what you just told me, you poor child," she explained. "And if it helps in the least, think of us as your family. For all intents and purposes, I'm like your mother now, and you could consider either Lothaire or Karik as a father. Karik is pretty serious, but not bad. But Lothaire found you, so you'd be more likely to consider him more father-like..." she shrugged, and grinned at him. "If I ever get the chance, I'll even scope out this girl you like for you, and let you know whether she's a hopeless cause." she winked.

Even though she was still embarrassed, Adara was thankful Tom listened and stayed anyways. The silence was actually a nice break for her, since she couldn't say anything that'd make things even more awkward.
For some reason, even though they had just discovered that civil war was on the horizon and could strike up at any moment, she didn't feel worried. Instead, she was actually happy, in this one moment. A moment of beautiful silence, with an even more beautiful person. A part of her, the brave part that seemed to be showing itself today, yearned to reach out and Thomas's hand and bask in the...starlight? She found it hard to bask without the sun, but the thought sounded nice anyways.
"Actually..." she started, stopping suddenly. She didn't want to go on a hunting patrol. "Yesterday, you said you would take me through our territory again, and help me remember how to get around easier, remember?" Her dark blue eyes managed to keep in contact with his own. She really was being brave today. "Why don't we do that now? Only if you wanted, of course...hunting would be fun, too!" the last part was a bit of a lie...Adara had only been hunting a handful of times in her few weeks with the clan, but it was quite possibly her least favorite thing to do as a vampire. She didn't like killing things...drinking their blood was bad enough, but actually taking an animal's life with her own hands was an entirely different matter.
Still, she was sure it would probably be something she'd have to get over. It wouldn't be fair if she never had to go hunting, she was sure. But perhaps it would be alright to skip out on it, just this one time...

Relief washed over Kross at Lamani's lax reaction. Though as she asked for his father's name, a strange emotion crept into the pit of his stomach. One that he wasn't quite sure where to place. Sure, he hated his father. He was a cruel, horrible man who deserved to be killed. Kross had just always imagined he would be the one doing the killing...still, he figured it would probably be best to pass along the information, to keep others out of the terrible scientist's reach.
"Jeremiah," he said, "his name is Jeremiah Vaughn. Tall, like me, and black hair as well. Last I saw him, he always wore his hair in a ponytail, and he had glasses. But that was a good decade ago..."
Once again, surprise went through him as Lamani's lips found her way all over his face. But he did not jerk away, or even flinch. Instead, he embraced the quirky little woman's way of expressing affection, and let her do as she pleased. After all, she had a good amount of centuries over him in age...who was he to tell her what to do? It's not like he minded it anyways...even though she had the body of a child, she was still cute. And a kiss was a kiss, regardless.
He smiled at her comment on considering them family. True, it had only been a day with this ragtag group of immortals, but he was certainly happy with them. Strange, he thought, falling so easily into a group of people in only a matter of a few days, twice in a row. Even though he was certain on his feelings for Mizuki, he had truly only known her for two days. I guess being alone for so long makes me desperate for company... he thought, figuring Lamani wouldn't be able to hear him, since he wasn't officially apart of their clan yet, No, scratch that. It's probably because these are the people I'm supposed to be with...my family, just as she said.
"Of course, I already do." he smiled, giving the tiny woman a pat on the head. His heart did jump as she mentioned scoping out Mizuki for him, though. "I'd like that...I'd like that a lot."