Rain reached forward and sampled each drink to make sure they were to his liking and approval. Nodding appreciativly he smiled softly. "You'll get on well here. Now they only thing we wont have you do, is mess with the sound room and that's because only Benny and Fox do that. To complicated and Fox built it from scratch so it's her baby. I'm going to leave you here, so we can set up early, if you need anything just holler." Picking up his clipboard he walked off, heading towards Lynx and Adder on the stage.

"Sounds good." Aailyah smiled after him and then looked around. Having a job was something different, a new kind of thrill. And she knew tending a bar was something she could do well. Not only did she know drinks, but she also knew the kind of people who drank them, and how to get them to drink more. She wiped down the counters, made sure things were organized, and all the other things she had seen bartenders do.

Rain and Adder walked along the stage setting things up while Lynx headed upstairs to get the sound booth set up and ready. Adder looked up at Rain and whispered. "Who's the new girl?" Rain looked up and over at Aailyah and shrugged gently. "Fox sent her over. Said she could use her help around the club. Which is very true. We've needed a good bar tender for a while now." Adder snorted loudly and nodded his head in agreement.

Aailyah felt the eyes on her and glanced up at the stage, giving Adder an flirtatious smile as she worked. This was going to be fun, indeed.

"Hey, get back to work and stop messing around!" Lynx's voice came over there ear pieces causing Rain and Adder to grin. Rolling there eyes they both sent him the middle finger before stepping into place and picking up there instruments. They played a few bits a pieces of a song before Lynx came down and nodded. Everything was ready they just needed to wait till the club started filling up.

Aailyah laughed quietly to herself, shaking her head as she turned back to work. She really hoped things picked up soon, wiping down counters was getting boring. She glanced over at Earoluim's table, wondering what was up with the strangely dressed man.

Earoluim folded is paper over, reading back of it. HIs eyes darted across the words on the page rapidly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up slightly as he felt someone watching him. He peeped his eyes over his paper toward Aaily, winking at her with a small grin under his mask as he went back to reading his paper.

Chuckling quietly to herself, Aailyah continued working, bored out of her mind.

Earoluim chuckled lightly and folded up his paper and setting it down on the table.

---

"Don't I get a thank you kid for risking my own neck helping you find something to eat?" Talia asked Aleia as she placed her hands on her hips, still frowning unhappily.

Fox was slightly taken aback. The demon wasn't speaking. Frowning slightly she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She removed her hand from Benny's so that she didnt accidentally cloide with his mind. Picturing the demon in her mind she smiled. She stood there as if was just the two of them surrounded by blackness. Hello my dear. I'm sorry if we frightened you. That was not our intentions. I want you to know that I'm not here to harm you. I'm going to get rid of the blood. As she opened her eyes they were once again white but she could see clearly. She concentrated on just the blood and it slowly began to slide off of the girl and onto the ground until it was all washed away. Smiling softly she closed her eyes once again and pulled away. As she came out of it she was breathless and sweaty as if she had just ran for hours. Looking around she frowned a bit confused. "Did it work?"

"Ah.. that... depends..." Benny replied slowly, looking at Fox with a furrowed brow. "What the hell were you trying to do?"

Dash let his friends work as he looked down at Aleia, severely worried because of Fox's invasion. She may be a fae and therefore non-threatening, but he figured what she just did would still make the demon uncomfortable to some degree. "Hey... you ok?" He was looking at her face for any sign she was upset more than she had been, ready to step in front of her if she tried to attack Fox.

Aleia blinked as Fox spoke in her mind. The fae could clearly see that her mind was in a place where speech was impossible but she understood well enough. The demon backed away from Fox and opened her mouth as if she was about to speak, but all that came out was the strange keening noise that was speech in this form. The more people crowded her, the more uneasy she was becoming. Her full stomach churned with her nervousness, and Al felt sick with it.

"The blood, it's gone. I also let her know that I was going to hurt her that I was just going to clean her up a bit." Fox smiled proudly then flinched. "Hmmm, the strain gave me a headache. Maybe I should cool it on the powers for a while..." Sighing heavily she moved back over to Benny and pressed her lips against his ear and whispered softly. "Sorry I pulled away..." Pressing her forehead against his neck, she hugged him gently. Looking over at Aleia she smiled softly. "All better."

"Ya think?" Benny snipped about her power comment, but wrapped his arms habitually around her waist nonetheless. He sighed and shook his head, letting her settle against him.

Dash was frowning at Aleia and gently led her a little ways from the group to give them a bit of privacy but still be within eyesight. She looked about ready to faint and it concerned him. "Hey, it's ok, relax... You're all clean now, and they aren't going to hurt you. I know it smells bad but.. breath, just relax-" He paused and reached into his pocket, handing her the flower scented cloth back to her again so she didn't have to smell the dankness of the tunnels they were in. "Just relax, ok.. Take your time."

Talia watched Dash lead Aleia away then turned to look at Benny and Fox, a small frown still upon her face. "Thats the last time I help someone in need..." she muttered to them as she folded her arms tightly across her chest.

It took a few minutes for Aleia to come back to herself. She looked up at Dash as her skin faded to a more human tone. "I killed him!" were the first panicked words from her mouth. "I swear, I didn't mean to. He was just...there. And I..." She trailed off as she let go of Dash and covered her face with her hands. She would have to leave again, run. No one wanted a killer around. Especially one who couldn't control her urges.

"Hey now," Dash said gently as he smiled at her, placing a hand on her head. "Calm down, ok? It happens... Just try not to make a habit of it, yeah? Nobody's mad, just calm down."

"Talia," Benny chastised with a smirk. "If you were the one in peril, I'm sure he would rush to your aid first. Once Aleia's calmed down, we can go- Oh! I doubt he told you why we needed to find you. We were getting out of the city for the day. We wanted to know if you wanted to come along."

"You want me to come along?" Talia asked then finally her frown broke into a smile and she leapt forward wrapping her arms around Fox and Benny, squeezing them tightly. "Aw you guys! I'm touched that you would want me there to..." she joked then grinned as she stepped away from them, her back to Aleia and Dash. "Where exactly are we going?"

"I thought we might just go out to the lake," Benny replied as he slowly released Fox, having moved to guard all her exposed skin when Talia hugged them. "I know we can't swim in it, and it might not be the prettiest place, but the air is clear and it's well out of the city." A lot of the scenic land was ruined. Trees had only just started getting budding leaves, sparse patches of grass popping up here and there, but mostly the ground was broken and dry, water polluted or else full of things you wouldn't want on you anyway. Animals too were just starting to come back, and Benny was fairly certain some of them were not extinct that he saw long ago. He knew it was true for dragons at least.

Fox smiled at the mention of the lake. It seemed to be there place, hers, Benny's and Dash's. When they were able to spend time together thats normally where they went, unless one of them was feeling micshevious and just wanted to cause some trouble. Glancing around at the group she frowned slightly. Shrugging she turned her attention to the people milling around out in the merchants area. It was surprisingly busy for it being the middle of the day. She figured most people would either be inside away from harms way or at some sort of job, what there was of jobs that is.

Aleia of course was far from calm. She was distraught. For someone who lived off of dead flesh, she felt horrible for killing anyone. It made her feel like a murderer, something she hated. And now one more was added to her body count. The others where talking away from where they were, and Al blinked, unable to keep from hearing what they were saying. "You should go with your friends," she said, staring at the ground. "I can find someplace to hide out for the day." She really didn't want him to leave, he was one of the first people to have touched her and not been killed, and she noticed his patience. Her first instinct was to flirt with him, he was pretty cute, after all.

"Not until I'm certain you've calmed down and I'm sure you haven't yet. Look... most people kill someone, it's a way of life. What matters is how we react to it. Those who enjoy it? Did it on purpose? Those people are wrong and awful. The ones who choose to hurt? Those are the bad people." Dash forcefully ignored the warmth spreading in his tummy that was oddly unpleasant, or so his memory was telling him. He gave Aleia a gentle smile, leaning down a bit so he could look her in the eye. "You are a good person, Aleia, I know it. I know you didn't mean to do what you did but we can't always control ourselves from doing bad things. What's important is that you learn from it and work to do better in the future, k?"

"The lake?" Talia repeated then smiled, her back still to Aleia and Dash. "Should be fun. So when do we leave?" she asked her eyes on Benny.

Aleia took a deep breath and nodded. She knew what he was saying, and wanted to believe it. Part of her wanted to reach out to him, but another part told her it would be stupid to really trust him. Still, he had touched her and her demon hadn't killed him. That had to mean something. "Can I stay with you? Just for a little while. My...other side seems to have taken a liking to you, and that's never happened before."

Dash nodded kindly to her. "Yeah, for a while. It's up to them if you can come to the lake though... If not, I can just join them a bit later, it's not a big deal... I think." He chuckled softly and motioned with a hand for them to return to the group and headed back toward the others.

"As soon as their ready," Benny replied, nodding his chin to Dash and Aleia who were just coming back to them. He smiled, his relief showing through. "It's good to see you've calmed down," he told Aleia, his sincerity showing in his voice, then looked at Dash. "Ready to go?"

"About that...." Dash frowned. "I'm going to stay with Aleia a little bit if that's alright." He pointedly ignored his bother's barely hidden disapproving look. "I could come along later-"

Talia's heart sank when she heard Dash speak and she shot an angry glance at Aleia before looking back at Benny and Fox trying to give the most convincing smile she could. "I've just remembered I have to work, it completely slipped my mind. You guys should go on and have fun." She suddenly wasn't in the mood for visiting the lake.

Fox was put into a very conflicting(Ha! Conflicted) situation. She wanted Dash to come with but she wasn't at all sure about this Demon and she wasn't about to invite the strange blue being to HER lake. Looking over at Talia she gaped and frowned. "Talia..." Fox gave Talia a knowing look before shaking her head. Looking over at Benny she frowned slightly. Wishing she could talk to him telepathically. Moving closer to him, she pressed her body against his and whispered into his ear. "I don't want to bring the strange demon along just yet. This place is special to us..."

Between the look Talia shot her and Fox's whispering, Aleia felt distinctly unwanted. She blinked a few times and looked at the ground, mentally counting beats to the new song she had been learning to distract herself. She didn't know why Talia was suddenly angry, but that put her on the defensive, which would cause her demon to emerge. Part of her wanted nothing more than to taste this woman's flesh as she died for no other reason that she seemed to suddenly hate Al. But her rational side knew this as the woman who had helped her. She was generally confused and ready to bolt.

Dash frowned, seeing his brother nod to Fox's muttered words. "I'll be along soon, I promise." He looked at Talia with an almost pleading look. "I think we could all use a day off," he said before looking down at Aleia. "Come on, let's see if we can familiarize you with the market..."

Benny watched his brother lead the little demon away, rubbing Fox's arm to calm her before he looked at Talia with a frown. "Why do you have to be like that?" he asked almost sharply. "He said he'd be along soon, so he will. You're not..." He paused, his eyes widening slightly as he realized something, and the grin was hard to keep off his lips. "You're jealous."

"Am not..." Talia replied with a pout as she folded her arms over her chest then looked at Benny and scowled. "I swear if I hear the slightest chuckle from you, it won't be your arm i'll be punching..." she growled, annoyed at herself for getting jealous towards Aleia.

Fox turned when Talia threatened Benny and placed herself in front of him. "I don't care whether your my friend or not, you lay a finger on Benny and I swear I'll tear you to pieces." Her eyes darkened as the threat grew inside her. Fox was a relatively calm person normally but when you threatened Benny or Dash you were putting your life on the line.

"Fox, darling..." Benny purred, his arms going around her narrow waist and his lips buried against her neck. "Talia is only uncomfortable... No need to raise your hackles." He tilted his head up so his golden eyes were visible to Talia. "He'll be along in a bit. Now, shall I step us, or do you still wish to go home and sulk?"

"It was a joke Fox. You know, ha ha..." Talia replied as she glared at the other female then turned to look at Benny. "I wasn't going to sulk ok, I really would have gone to work. Now just hurry up and do your stupid step thing..." she snapped then held her hand out to him.

Benny chuckled but released Fox enough to take Talia's hand. "Very well then. Brace yourself." There was a brief tug and the tunnel was left empty.

Aleia went with Dash, her hand landing on his arm as she glanced back once as the others vanished. She could practically feel Talia's jealousy as she followed Dash. Al knew that her best option would be to leave the city, but her demon would come back to find Dash. The man had become a familiar entity. One she actually felt comfortable with. "Uh...I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"You have no reason to be," Dash replied kindly as he looked around at stalls, seeming completely unbothered by her hand on his arm. "You can't help your discomfort. It'll take time to get used to this place, but don't worry, you'll get it." He gave her a brief smile before looking at the stalls again. "Alright, would you need clothes, or other foods, or trinkets? Girls like jewelry right?" He seemed really confused by that. He had no idea what Aleia would want to know was here. "Shoes?"

"Shoes?" Aleia let one eyebrow arch as she contemplated what he said. "I think my shoes are okay. And I'm fine on cloths. Food would be useful." She paused as another idea struck her. "And maybe a place to get my guitar fixed." She had no idea if a music shop existed around here, or if there were any musicians. Aleia moved closer to Dash, the hand on his marbling blue as she walked with him.

Dash hummed thoughtfully as he bent his arm, as a gentleman might lead a lady around as she held it. "A guitar? I'm not sure about that... The only ones I know that even play them maintain them themselves..." He frowned apologetically at Aleia. "I suppose when you are more comfortable, you will have to find one of them on your own. As for food-" He stopped their walking and pointed at a pathway between some stalls where there were a variety of indescribable smells coming from. "Most of the food providers are down that way, from raw meat to fruits I can't pronounce. Is there something in particular I like? There is a fae down there that makes these delicious little tarts that I myself treat myself to once in a while. I once got two in one day? I didn't wake up for a week. Be careful what you might try..." he warned, but it was a mysterious voice one might use to tell a ghost story to a child and he chuckled, smiling fondly at the small girl on his arm. He could come to think of her as a kind of little sister he thought.

If Dash was thinking if Aleia as a little sister, Al's mind was no where near that conclusion. She looked at him with raised eyebrows as he spoke of the food vendors. There was a simple fact that most foods didn't affect her in the least, even if they held large traces of bacteria, magically applied spices, or anything else. She lived by eating corpses, her stomach was like steel. Her hand tightened slightly as they came nearer the busy stalls, the marbled blue traveling further up her arm as they walked. "Should I be wary of any people here?" she asked, eying several of the dwellers as they passed.

"Well... I don't trust anything with gold eyes..." Dash said with dramatic seriousness. He looked down at Aleia with his own honey framed pupils and grinned, seeing if she caught onto his joke. He and his brother both had rather golden eyes, from time to time. He did look around however. "But seriously... Anything with eyes that are all one color, can probably read your mind, so I'd be aware of that..."

She smiled at his obvious joke, but it vanished as he continued speaking. "Do they understand languages they don't speak?" Aleia asked suddenly, her eyes wide. The human languages she spoke wasn't the first language she learned and the language she usually thought in. Dash was informative company, for certain.

"Well.. they all speak English- Ok well most of them do," Dash replied, but it seemed a little absent as he thought about it, looking at the various stalls. "I suppose what you are asking has to be answered on a case by case basis.... Some of them seem to understand any language they come across- I'm not sure if they actually do... I'm not in their heads.... Others only speak English, or other human language. Some speak in what I can only describe as clicks and whistles.... You'll just have to find out as you go... " He smiled at Aleia. "Don't worry. I'll be around to help you if you ever need it."

Aleia rubbed her thumb absently against his forearm, contemplating his words. She was nervous about venturing out on her own, knowing how dangerous it was. Al knew of only one person who had survived touching her uninvited, at he was her current escort. "Can I ask you something personal?" she ventured.

Dash looked a little surprised, but nodded. "I don't see why not... I don't think I have anything to hide." That you'd think to ask about. "Better to ask and assume you know or something like that..."

With a nod, the young demon kept her eyes carefully ahead of them. "Do you have a girl..." She paused and thought about it. "Or a boy...that you're seeing? Like, a girlfriend?" Her demonic side rioted at the idea of Dash being taken. She took a quick breath, having never experienced anything like that. But then, half of what she was going through here was new to her.

Dash's expression was confused, but after a moment he seemed to stop trying to figure out why she had asked it. "No, I suppose I don't, though I don't see how that's relevant." He honestly didn't seem mad, he just seemed confused, and then seemed to let it roll off him and dismiss it. Dash figured it wasn't important anyway, so why dwell on it? He let his eyes move lazily over the vendors they passed which had all manner of creatures behind them, all the while keeping a kind of mental eye on Aleia, as well as assured by her grip on his arm she was still there, in case she had anymore questions.

Aleia actually felt her demon settle down again. She kept walking, relaxing a bit as she thought that side of her was under control. "It seems possessive over you," Al explained after a moment. "And I'm unsure as to why. Or how I know that. Usually I only notice when I need to feed how it is feeling." She looked up at Dash. "My other side really likes you. I've never felt anything like it before."

"I'm... glad? It's always best to be on a demon's good side than its bad one," Dash replied, still looking at various stalls. There was a pause, but then he stopped, eyes widened, looked at Aleia, and seemed very concerned. "Your previous question didn't have to do with that particular fact did it? Because this is going to be an issue if my knowledge of demons lets me know anything...."

Aleia actually started blushing over her cheeks and ears. "They are related, yes." Her eyes focused on the ground, and she seemed not to notice that her skin was changing again as her embarrassment crept out. She felt her demon trying to take over again, but Aleia just pushed it aside as she stood there. If her demon took over, it's more....carnal instincts would take over as well.

Dash was getting a little concerned at this point and was debating moving away but tried to keep his voice slow and calm. "In what way... exactly?... Because you- it- understands that I'm a person, right? Not an item? I'm not the treasure to your inner dragon... right? Aleia?"

"I don't want to own you," Aleia said in a deeper than usual voice. Her demon was slowly taking over as it sensed Aleia needed help. Al looked up at Dash, her face fully blue, but the horns weren't there yet. "I want to be with you. The humans call it dating." She blinked at him. "You are treasure, but not the kind dragons horde. And I am not a dragon."

Dash physically took a step back at her face, pulling his arm out of her grip finally but he still stayed mostly calm, looking at her with his golden eyes through his dingy fringe. "Aleia..." he said seriously. "We just met. You're nice and all, but I don't really.. like you that way. Do you understand? I don't want to.. date.. you." The word 'date' felt foreign and wrong in his mouth, as if he was uncertain he was using a word from another language correctly.

Horns grew suddenly from her skull. Aleia actually growled at him. It was a low and menacing sound, and her upper lip curled back to reveal a row of sharp teeth. Her demon was angry, and inside, Aleia was quiet, not knowing what to do.

"Aleia..." Dash frowned. He had been threatened a lot in the past, but it had been an emotionless moment for him. He didn't care if he hurt them. This was different. His natural reaction to become annoyed battled with his newly budding concern for Aleia. Of course, he wasn't really aware that her human counterpart was separate and hidden in there. To him, this was just confident Aleia. "Stop this... You're going to hurt someone." Probably him, but still, he didn't want the damage that was sure to come from a confrontation. He started stepping away, half keeping his back to her so as to draw less attention as he carefully tried to lead her to a secluded tunnel, hopefully to talk. "You have to calm down," he muttered sternly.

The demon growled as she saw him retreating. Aleia followed, her clawed fingers clicking against the hard skin of her hands as she clenched them in anger. There was nothing more dangerous than a demon who couldn't be controlled, and with her anger at Dash, that little bit of control he might have had was lost.

Only once they were in the seclusion of one of the dank tunnels branching off of the marketplace and hidden around a bend did Dash turn back to her, his expression calm and unperturbed by her demonic appearance. "Alright, now... Aleia... you need to calm down..." he said gently, no longer retreating now that the other occupants of the underground were safe (er?). In any case, he stood his ground, showing no sign of wanting to bolt. "It's not such a big deal. We only just met after all."

She was shorter than him, but still she approached so that she could stare straight up at him. Words left her mouth, but nothing that he could understand. Her eyes were angry and...hurt? The demon seemed heavily upset about something, and Aleia soon realized that the reason she was upset was because Dash had touched her and been allowed to live but didn't seem to appreciate that.

Dash's face showed a little of the confusion churning in him as he did his best to understand the foreign language. He remembered a word or two, from war, but not what they meant exactly. The situations he remembered them from, however, said they were probably not nice words. "Aleia..." He met her eyes, steady and a little apologetic. He didn't have much to be sorry for after all, he was doing the right thing. "There will be others. I'm flattered, you are a very nice girl, but we are still strangers. You'll find someone else, in time." He paused, trying to think of what to do. He really didn't have time for this. He had hoped to get her adjusted then be on his way to the lake, and he couldn't leave her now, she'd cause carnage and destruction, or so his experience told him. "As pretty as you are in blue, you need to calm down," he finished in the same kind but firm tone.

A clawed hand shot out in anger and tore into the concrete wall, sending up a puff of dust. Aleia was amazed that the demon hadn't attacked Dash. Instead she turned away from him and brushed past, traveling further down the tunnel. As soon as she was in control again, Al needed to leave. Her demon was unpredictable at best, deadly at worse. And Aleia wasn't ready to suffer for her again.

Dash sighed, glancing at the broken wall then watching Aleia go. He didn't have the desire to go after her. What was he supposed to do anyway? At least she was calmer than he anticipated. Deciding it was best just to let her cool off, he stepped backward into a dark alcove and left the tunnel empty.

Aleia urged her demon not to breach the surface. She had run down the tunnel and turned a corner, coming to another tunnel. Al kept going, further into the darkness. She reached the end of the tunnel system, a grate out into the outside if the city. It barely took anything to push the grate out and the demon was out in the open. Thankfully there was no one around to witness it.

---

He did a little better this time. There was stumbling but at least they landed on their feet. It might have helped that he only had a general place to be, not a specific target. Hmm, perhaps he just needed to relax instead of stressing about it? Nonetheless, Benny had tried to keep himself between Fox and the ground, just in case, and was glad to see he didn't need to. Letting go of both women so they could rub off the feeling of frost, he surveyed the area. The lake was fairly large, curving off away from sight around some hills in the distance. Sparse brown grass covered the baked earth, trying to live but unable to without a good source of water. He supposed the acid rain that occasional fell didn't help. Broken, lifeless trees littered around them where a thin woods once stood, looking like dying spirits caught in that moment of time. The sky was clear, at least, with only a few lazy white clouds occasionally casting long shadows over the area and he had always loved how it was flat enough to almost see the whole outline, as if a great bird was flying over. He smiled, almost sad, careful to stand just out of the way of the water lapping at the parched earth. Perhaps it had become safer over these decades, but he didn't want to chance it.

Fox's body trembled for a few moments before she was able to focus on the things around her. Glancing at a near by tree she smiled. Long ago that very tree had held a tire swing and at a young age she remembered it being her favorite place to play. "Do you remember how beautiful it used to be?" Her eyes sparkled with unsure years as memories of the horror wafted through her mind. This place would always hold good memories but this good memories would always be shadowed by the bad. Sighing she wrapped her arms around herself and frowned over at Talia. "Look I'm sorry, but you know better. Whether it was a joke or not. I'll never be okay with the idea on Benny being harmed...ever."

Talia raised her eyebrow at Fox as she spoke. "You do realise he's a grown man and can take care of himself..." she replied then shrugged. "Whatever, i'll try to behave myself with Benny if thats what you want. Now Dash, he's a completely different story..." she grinned suddenly as she clasped her hands behind her back.

"Images of my brother I never needed," Benny replied with a biting smile, his sarcasm thick to hide the discomfort he felt. He relaxed into a regular smile though as he stepped over and draped an arm around Fox's shoulders. "She just worries," he added to Talia as he kissed Fox's hair, then looked at their friend. "Why do you like my brother?" he asked pointedly. He wasn't accusing exactly. He seemed honestly confused at the prospect.

Talia was a little surprised by his question and blushed slightly as she thought how best she should answer. "He's kind and caring but has such a serious and mysterious manner which is so alluring to me. Not to mention he's incredible to look at." she said with a wink. "But honestly he's the only man I would believe if he were to tell me he cared about me..." she shrugged lightly unsure if she had explained it well, knowing she wasn't the best person at putting her feelings into words.

Giving Talia a disapproving look, Fox removed herself from Benny's arms and strolled away. She began walking along the lake, glancing around. Glancing over at Benny she frowned deeply. Everywhere around them was sadness and death. Finding a nearby boulder she climbed on top of it and watched as a lone owl searched for food. It grew closer to her. Smiling she reached into her backpack and grabbed a sandwich and tore the bread apart and tossed it to him. The owl didn't seem interested in it but it was so hungry it gobbled up the pieces. It quickly drew closer and fluttered up onto the boulder next to her. Fox began feeding it the rest of the sandwich and smiled. "Poor thing. Maybe I should take you home with me." The owl cocked its head at her, as if listening intently. Fox held her hand out to the creature and watched as it hopped onto her fist and perched there. Fox gasped softly and watched the owl in awe. It seemed the owl was completely content with staying just where it was. It even ruffled it feathers and closed its eyes.

Benny frowned as Fox left him, but he had to let her go, turning instead to address Talia. "Again, you need to get him to sit down, and have a nice.. long..." He drifted off having caught sight of what Fox was doing. "Fox- Fox! Agh-" He started toward her with a half scowl. At what was uncertain. "Don't play with the wildlife, come on now..."

"But Benny, look at him, he's helpless." The small dirty owls eyes fluttered open and looked in Benny's direction as if to plead with him. If the owl were clean it would probably be the most purest, most beautiful white owl anyones seen. "I'm sure there's someone we can take him too to see if he has anything." She raised her free hand and ran it along the owls cheek. "I think its just a baby..." Fox's eyes looked up at Benny, pleading with him to trust her.

"Wow, look at it!" Talia exclaimed as she practically bounced over to Fox to see the bird. She slowly reached a hand out and gently brushed her fingers along the feathers on the owl's back. "Its incredible.." she said with a smile.

"Has anything?" Benny queried, still eying the bird dubiously. When Talia pet it, he sighed exasperatedly. "Stop touching it...." he groaned but walked over to join his friends. With a cursory flash of his eyes, he sighed through his nose. "No recent injuries, you two will be happy to know. It's not bleeding internally or externally."

"Diseases, Benny." Fox giggled softly and watching the owl carefully. "I'm glad to know he isn't hurt." Looking up at Benny, she gave him her best 'puppy dog eyes'. "Can we keep him? Please..." She pouted softly, sticking out her bottom lip.

Benny's eyes widened a bit. "Oh yeah, because that won't draw attention at all." He shook his head and sighed, knowing he couldn't say no to her face. "You can take it home, clean it.. whatever... but we're not getting a cage for it and it is NOT sleeping in the apartment." Even as he said the last bit he knew it wouldn't stay true. It made him groan mentally. It was her apartment after all... and he wasn't very good at telling her no. He darted over and kissed her pouting lip. "Stop pouting," he clipped.

Throwing her free arm around his neck, Fox planted kisses all over his face, giggling softly. "Thank you!" Pressing her forehead against his she smiled softly before looking over at Talia and laughing happily.

Talia grinned and patted Benny on the shoulder. "You should know by now that us girls always get what we want." she said with a chuckle as she returned to gently stroking the feathers on the birds back. "It needs a name!" she said suddenly looking at Fox.

"It does not need a name," Benny protested, but with an air that said he knew he was going to lose. He sighed and shook his head at the ladies before he decided just to let them talk, stepping a few paces away he picked up bits of stone and skipped them across the water, enjoying the mild, humid kind of warmth that lingered around the lake. He nicked his thumb with a sharp stone and smiled as he touched the small wound to his new stone, standing once more. With a grin at the reflective ripples of the water, he tossed the stone as with any other, and chuckled soundlessly as it skipped all the way to the other side before resting on the distant opposite shore. He would have to get away some time, he and Dash, and battle it out again. Someplace distant and unwanted, so they wouldn't ruin anyone's special place.

"Owl?" Dash seemed to peel himself away from the dark side of a dead tree as if stepping out of a doorway and frowned at the girls fawning over the animal but not before nodding a hello to his smiling brother. He joined the group, seeming slightly distracted, but also confused by the creature on Fox's arm.

"Yes, Fox has.. unfortunately... taken a liking to it," Benny replied as he stepped over to his brother and leaned an arm on the slightly shorter man's shoulder, not seeming to affect the younger at all. "Nothing to be done for it I'm afraid...." He went from frowning sadly to looking at his brother curiously. "Did you get the demon settled in?"

"Aleia," Dash corrected his elder brother absently as he continued to take in the appearance of the filthy bird. "And no... I had to leave her quite upset. Nothing to be done about it I'm afraid..."

Benny half scowled, seeming confused. "Upset? Dashiell... what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" Dash protested, giving his brother an annoyed look before he returned his attention to the girls and their new friend, his expression calm as he thought back. "At least... I don't think so... I did my best not to."

Fox looked up at Dash and Benny and smiled lovingly at them. Looking down at the poor thing on her arm and frowned. "Maybe I should just allow Benny to put it out of its misery. I mean...there is nothing in this life for it." Her voice grew hoarse as if she were holding back tears. She didnt relish the thought of killing an innocent creature but, her and Benny barely had anything to eat. What would they have for a small helpless owl? Sighing softly, she looked out over the lake, her eyes distant.

"You can't!" Talia gasped as she looked at Fox. "You can't kill a defenceless animal..." she shot an angry glare at Benny as if daring him to make a move. "It can stay at my apartment, theres plenty of room. You can come and visit it whenever you want..please just don't do this, its just a baby." she pleaded her eyes travelling from Fox to Benny to Dash.

As if the owl knew she was being talked about, she climbed up Fox's arm to her shoulder and nuzzled against her bare neck. Fox instantly froze at the contact as her eyes shifted from there normal vibrant gold eyes to pure white. The owl was quite a simple thing, the first she saw was of its so far short life until it shifted to it thoughts now. It was happy, and it felt safe with her. Slowly it stopped nuzzling against her and looked up at her and hooted. Fox took a moment to get back to the present. Shaking herself off she smiled softly and took the owl back onto her finger. "Her name is Snow. And she will be very happy with us." She looked up at Benny, indicating which us she meant.

Benny's eyes widened and he finally leaned off of is brother. "I never said anything about killing it," he pointed out, trying not to be annoyed at the theatrics. "I just said it doesn't need a name. You can't go getting attached to it." Otherwise it's just attachment, taking care of it, then death. He sighed mentally. "No need to get all teary eyed over it." What was it with women? Always getting upset over non-existent problems...

"I could find food for it," Dash perked up suggestively. He stepped forward and used one finger to rub the little bird's forehead. Now that he was out in the light, it was clear Dash was about as filthy as the bird. "I wonder what it eats precisely..."

"Oh, that's a great idea. I'll go with you. I was just thinking you and I needed to get out," Benny agreed with a nod. "This'll give us an excuse."

"There, we agreed to help," Dash said to Fox, turning so he could give her a grin. At least his teeth were more or less clean, though he was making an unnoticeable effort not to breath out on her, just in case. He turned back to the owl and his 'petting'. "We'll keep it fed. You keep it clean."

"And Fox, I support you using your abilities as well, but these random bursts worry me," Benny told her with a frown, crossing his arms over his chest. He seemed to have no desire to approach the bird, his eyes fixed on Fox. "I guess having It around would give you something to exercise on..."

"Well i'm guessing that means you don't want it to stay at my apartment then?" Talia replied with a frown as she stepped back slightly from the bird. "Is there anything you need my help with?"

"I cant help it, Benny!" Fox inhaled for a moment and then looked down at the bird. "I'd prefer not to practice on a helpless creature." Looking over at Talia she grinned softly. "I could practice on you..." A twinkle appeared in her eyes, excitement building. She wanted to be able to control her powers, not have them control her. "Talia, you can keep me company while the boys abandon me. We'll have fun!"

"Are you serious?" Talia asked Fox with a raised brow then suddenly grinned. "Sure why not. Practice on me if you want...I can take it." She turned to look at Benny and Dash still smiling. "Ok boys off you go on your little hunter gatherer trip..." she said then made the motion of shooing them away.

Dash and Benny looked at each other and for a minute it was as if they were twins, able to read each others' minds, and as one they looked at Talia, Dash's hand stilling on the bird. "Well, we didn't mean right now, but if you two would rather not hang out with us..." The younger brother shrugged and turned away, walking back to the tree he came out of, Benny waving and following him in a sort of dramatic preparation for departure.

"Your the one who said it first..." Fox stuck her tongue out at them playfully and smiled. Ignoring the fact that they had planned on leaving she smiled softly. "Dash, how have you been?" crossing her legs she sat Indian style once again and smiled happily. It was nice, all of them together for a short while. Granted the scenery wasn't all that great but they were together. That's all that mattered. Looking up at Benny she watched him for a moment then looked away. She didn't want to get caught staring but sometimes he was so beautiful it amazed her. She looked back at Dash waiting to hear about how he's doing.

"Men...they're so overdramatic sometimes aren't they?" Talia commented jokingly to Fox as she watched the brothers walk off, brushing her fingers through her long hair as she did. When Fox sat down, she followed, sitting with her legs straight out in front, her attention on Dash as she waited for his answer to Fox's question.

"Ohhhh same old, same old," Dash replied easily, spinning on his heel to step back to them, taking the bit of dirt next to Talia, across from Fox, as his brother sat next to him between himself and the fae. He tucked one leg bent in front of him as if to cross his legs, but instead planted his foot, knee up, elbow resting on it and his free hand on the dirt to keep him upright. "Finding work when I can, sleeping where I can... Keeping out of trouble- for the most part," he added at the end at his brother's dubious look.

"Has anyone new found the atrium?" Benny asked where he sat with his legs half stretched toward his brother, one leg bent and foot planted like his brother, but instead of being curled up, he leaned toward Fox, still very much aware of the bird on her opposite shoulder and very much not wanting to get too close to it, but unwilling to avoid Fox.

Dash simply shook his head. "Not really, not other than Aleia, and she didn't find it. I showed her. There are a few others brought in by the other Runners but... No one really of note."

Fox swiveled her body so her back was resting against Benny. Tilting her head just right, she pressed her soft lips against his forehead, kissing him gently, as if he were some delicate creature instead of the slaughtering machine she knew he could be. Turning her attention back to Dash, her features shifted, turning to that of love, the love of an older sister wanting to coddle her sibling. "You know your always more than welcome to stay with me and Benny when you need to. Sure its not as safe but we're family and that's what family does. Put ourselves in the way of danger to help each other." Moving her legs so they were bent at the knees, she gently laid the owl down in her lap and watched as it ruffled it's feathers, shaking off some of the dirt, before it tucked it's head into its wing and appeared to be going to sleep.

Talia watched the sweet moment between Benny and Fox and couldn't help but give a light sigh as she glanced momentarily at Dash then quickly back at Fox as she spoke. "Yeah same here...theres plenty of space in my apartment if you ever want to stay..." she said trying to sound casual as she returned her gaze to Dash. She leant over to one side, curling her legs up beneath her as she placed her hand on the grass to support herself, her fingers only inches from his. 

Dash chuckled apologetically, his eyes gentle on his friends. "I couldn't impose like that... Though I could certainly use a bath. I'd use the lake but... You know. I enjoy being alive."

Benny nodded to his brother. "Thank you," he said honestly as he tilted his head to lean it against Fox's. "If you did stay with us... I'm sure the Police would have us both..." The brothers sighed simultaneously, making the sound twice as sad. Nonetheless, he motioned to Talia. "But they can't ever be sure who she is. Maybe you should stay with Talia for a few days, just to get a break from the streets."

The younger brother looked at Talia with a frown, his still kind eyes hidden blow his filthy fringe. "Really I couldn't impose like that. I don't want to put you at risk-" He paused, seemed to think, then chuckled. "Or make your house smell that way."

"Don't worry I think I'll be able to handle the smell..."Talia replied with a grin as her eyes remained focused on Dash. "And don't be worried about putting me at risk, I can take care of myself. So the spare room is there if you want it for as long as you need it."

Dash looked at her for a long time, as if searching her face for some sign of deception. Finally, he nodded. "Alright. Maybe I'll take you up on that offer. I could use a few days while Aleia cools off... She did say she'd be able to find me if she wanted to, and I really hope that demon doesn't want to...." He frowned, looking at the dirt which had broken under his hand when he leaned on it. It reminded him of the burning landscapes he had once set fire to. He fisted his hand, grabbing some earth, lifted it, and let it slide through his fingers. When it was done, he smiled, putting his hand back down. "I wonder if gardens grow anymore. Those faeries have to be getting that magical fruit somewhere, right?" Well, he seemed eager for a change of subject.

Benny seemed to notice, however and he was regarding his brother with a shrewd look. Absently, he turned his face to place a small kiss on Fox's hair, more out of habit when she was this close than to get her attention. Perhaps his brother would benefit from time at Talia's. It couldn't be good, being left alone with the memories. He himself remembered a time when Fox had been away for an extended period and he had literally almost went mad from them, playing and over and over like movies on repeat. He knew the horrors and he hoped his brother was not reliving them as often as he himself once had.

Fox stiffened slightly at she watched Dash. Visions of Rafe and the things she had been forced to do erupted in her mind. It was like clips from a movie preview. Her body lying naked in a large bed, silk blood red covers surrounded her as Rafe crawled into bed towards her. Her standing beside his throne as a helpless blacksmith laying on the floor, writhing in pain. And then her, covered in blood as she watched Benny and Dash slaughter a certain cult that had been brought to Rafe for punishment. She normally wasn't allowed to stay and watch Benny and Dash murder, but Rafe had noticed Fox's allegiance slipping. The feel of Benny kissing her head snapped her out of it. She gasped slightly as if coming awake for the first time in weeks. Looking around at her friends she blushed deeply and closed her eyes trying to breath. It was strange thinking and seeing these things again. It brought back her hatred and pain. She never wanted to witness those things again.

Talia's smile brightened when Dash accepted her offer but it soon faltered again when he mentioned Aleia and took a breath to question him on why the girl would need to cool off. She paused at the sudden mood change in the group and took turns at looking at each of the three people before her, concern slowly spreading across her face as she did. She was aware they all shared a history together but had never been told what it was and she knew it was probably better not to ask. "So..this is nice." she said in the hopes of distracting them all from whatever thoughts were going through their minds.

Dash jumped slightly when Talia spoke, seeming to remember something. "Oh! Talia! I'm so sorry!" Ok, that was a little nonsequitor. Better explain. "I completely blew you off yesterday! I was a bit of a scatter brain at the moment then-" He leaned a bit toward her, giving her a dramatic pout. "Can you ever forgive me?"

Across from them, Benny leaned down a bit to mutter quietly in Fox's ear. "Your mind is wandering... like ours... At least even in our thoughts, we travel together..." He kissed her hair again before murmuring into the white threads, his eyes on the other two people present. "Ah, but the present is so interesting... don't you think?"

Fox enjoyed the feel of Benny being so close. Maybe one of these days she could touch him without worrying about breaking her promise to him. Smiling she opened her eyes and looked over at Talia and Dash. Nodding her head, she turned towards Benny and looked into his eyes. "Very...interesting." Grinning ignored his first comment and pushed the bad thoughts away for the time being.

Talia's eyes widened slightly at Dash's sudden outburst and apology and it was only when he explained that she understood. Her eyes sparkled as a smile played upon her lips and she had to stop herself from laughing when he pouted. "Well I don't know Dash...you really hurt my feelings." she said flicking her long dark hair dramatically before turning and copying his movements and leaning towards him so the gap between them now was small. "You'll have to do something really special to make it up to me..."

Dash actually appeared to think about that, averting his eyes but seemingly unperturbed by her proximity. At least he has stopped pouting. Finally, he looked back at Talia. He was frowning. "I'm not sure what you'd want," he replied honestly. "Did you have something specific in mind?" His head jerked to his bother when he heard the amused snort of laughter, his face showing confusion as Benny pulled his lips in and lowered his eyes, refusing to admit why he thought that was so funny.

Talia shot a glare at Benny, wishing she had something to throw at him. "Never mind Dash, it doesn't matter." she said as she looked back at the younger brother, her glare replaced with a smile. She straightened up and pulled a few blades of grass from the ground before holding her hand out and watching as the light breeze carried them off.

Fox pressed her lips against Benny's ear and whispered softly. "Your brother is a very blind man." Sighing she pressed her forehead against his neck and inhaled deeply. His scent wafted over her, surrounding her with security. Smiling she looked over at Talia and Dash and shook her head. They were funny, someone who clearly likes the other, and the one completely blind about it all! It amazed her...but then again she was in the exact same situation. Fox sat up as the thought struck her. They're both blooming idiots!