Water Valkies

Old Nova wasn't a man to be depressed. He usually smiled and took things in his stride. Even his name. He wasn't always called Old. Once people called him Tom, a normal name. Once he was a normal man. With regards to the name, it came about in his fifth year of secondary school. Before then he'd been known as Tom. People loved him and he was a ladies man, but when he started fifth year, his younger brothers Scott and Liam began in first year. Identical twins. Everybody fell for that. And so they were known as "The Nova Twins" and Tom became "Old" at just seventeen.
But even this couldn't bring him down. And now, for the first time in his life, Old found himself depressed. He leaned against the wall in the doorway of his daughter's room and gazed in mourningly. He roamed his eyes over her stuff, as he had done for three days now since she'd disappeared. As he eyed the familiar garments of clothing and old stuffed toys, he noticed something sticking out from under her pillow. He crossed the room and pulled it out. It was a piece of paper with something written on it. He stared at the blue ink intently.

Alan Dormer.
Craig Stoward.
Melanie Kinnerton.
Thomas Juxton.
Annie Bell.

Age? School? Local area? Blood relations? Valkies?

Old gulped as he read the last two words, scribbled in bold at the bottom of the page and circled in red.
The Company.
* * *

Sei was woken from his sleep when he heard the front door open and Kinly call out "boys I'm home." They'd slept in. Sei turned around and cuddled into Rip one last time.
"Rip." he poked him.
"Rip wake up quick Kinly's home."
Rip's eyes fluttered awake and he groaned softly before pressing a kiss to Sei's forehead.
"Morning gorgeous." he said throatily.
"Rip, Kinly's-"
"Boys?" Kinly called. They heard footsteps at the end of the stairs approaching.
"Yeah that." Sei finished, and they hurriedly jumped out of bed. Rip wriggled out of his pajamas at lightening speed and shrugged into sweatpants, zipping up a hoody over his bare chest. Sei, who had fallen asleep in his clothes last night, stared in lust at his momentarily naked body.
"Eyes in front soldier." warned Rip, making himself look busy with a nearby book, almost holding it upside down just as Kinly found them.
"Ah there you two are." he said wearily.
"Something wrong?" asked Sei, picking up on his worried exterior. Kinly sighed heavily.
"It's about Aureole. She's missing Sei."
Sei felt his stomach crash. He hadn't talked to Aureole in almost two weeks, since the day at the pier. At first he thought she might be giving herself some distance but now he felt maybe something had happened her. Guilt set in. Rip's eyes shot up in time to catch the concerned glance his father threw him before he turned his gaze to a horrified and worried Sei.

As soon as Kinly returned downstairs Rip enveloped Sei in a hug and kissed the top of his head softly. Sei was stiff in his arms.
"It isn't your fault." he said, reading Sei's mind.
"I have to go find her." Sei whispered numbly.
"You can't do that Sei, leave it to the Admin-"
"I can. I need to." Sei said more forcefully.
"Okay." Rip gave in. "But I'm coming too."
They pulled on sneakers and went downstairs, grabbing Rip's keys before marching out the door.

Driving to Nova's house was never a pleasant experience for Rip. It was usually to drop Sei there, something he hated doing. But this time was different. Aureole was missing. Sei was a mess of nerves and guilt and Rip was trying his best to soothe him by massaging circles in his hand. It didn't work, Sei simply clasped his hand tighter. Arriving at the house, they got out of the car and walked to the front door. Sei knocked and they were greeted by a chubby, balding man with a long face. He looked at Sei grimly.
"You'd better come in."
And they followed Old indoors.