The next morning, around 11:30 or so considering how late the club normally stay open, Fox awoke slowly. Stretching gently she looked around the room and smiled at Benny's sleeping form beside her. Without covering herself she quietly crawled out of bed and headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower and get breakfast ready. Since the boys weren't letting her come to work today she was going to see if Benny wanted to go look for trouble or something.

At the sound of the hot water coming on with a soft squeak and ensuing hiss, Benny rolled onto his back, groaned, and stretched his whole body cat like across the sheets. Noting the empty space on the other side of the bed he grinned. Of course he woke up. Fox was gone. He opened bleary golden eyes and looked around, treated himself to a wide yawn, then rolled out of bed to find some suitable clothing.

Stepping out of the shower, Fox wrapped a towel around herself before she wandered back into her room. Smiling she headed into her old walk in closet and closed the door. Switching the towel to her hair after drying off the rest of the way, she picked out a jean floor length skirt, boots, a black halter top and a jean jacket. Her closet only had so many out fits now a days but she seemed to be able to make it work. Pulling her clothing on she headed back out into her room and called out. "Benny!"

"Yes Fox?" Benny called back, though he was only standing in front of his dresser attempting to deal with a belt. He looked at fox over his shoulder and grinned before he turned back to the drawer and began hunting for a shirt. "Did we have anything we needed to do today?" he asked. it was always we. Benny and Fox very rarely in all their time together did anything apart, and if they did it was reluctant. "Because if not I had an idea.."

"I'd be glad to hear your idea." Fox wrung her hair out before tossing the towel into the dirty clothes basket. Shaking her head her hair fell around her shoulders and down her back. Smoiling softly at Benny she nodded towards the kitchen. "Talk to me while I'm making breakfast." Walking over to the kitchen she grabbed some bacon and sausage. Eggs weren't really her thing so she rarely bought them. She usually wouldn't eat meat but now a days she didn't really have a choice since fruit was hard to find. It was against everything she believed in to eat meat but she didn't intend to starve so she had to change her ways a bit.

"Well I was thinking, if we have the day off-" Benny paused as he followed her to the kitchen to pull a plain black t shirt over his head before he continued. "We should get out of the city for a bit... I know it's mostly barren wasteland out there but hey... some 'fresh air'-" He made air quotation marks. "-Could do us some good you know." He grabbed the sad looking bag of coffee and started working on a pot. "You, me, and Dash," he suggested as he worked. He hadn't seen his brother in quite some time now. He wasn't going to let on, but it was depressing him. "Even Talia, if you really wanted." He wasn't trying in the least to play match maker. He just didn't want there to wind up being a third wheel situation. He would go with just Fox if that's what she wanted. Or just the three of them and talk about old times, as they usually did. Or, if she did want Talia to come, probably just goof off all day.

Moving about the kitchen Fox grabbed two old warn pans to start cooking the food. "That actually doesn't sound half bad. That is if you want to share your special time with Dash by having Talia there." Fox bit back a smile and threw a few pieces of bacon in one pan and sausage links in the other. Turning the heat up she began cooking with ease. After doing this for so long she could probably do it with her eyes closed, with a little help from her powers. Once the food was done she placed an equal amount on two plates and set them at the table. Grabbing two bottles of water and silverware she sat at the table and stared at the sad looking breakfast. "I'm tired of this. I want my fruit back." Sighing heavily she sat back in her chair and closed to hers. Without thinking her mind reached out and began sensing for a life form to read. She felt her mind bump into Benny's and gasped as she quickly pulled back and opened her eyes. Looking into Benny's eyes she frowned, "I'm so sorry."

Benny simply chuckled, giving her an almost sad sort of smile. "Fox, it's ok. You didn't see anything did you?" It sounded like a comfort to her, but Fox would hear the tinge of concern. She knew about most of his life, she had been there for it after all, but his history before her, he kept it locked like Pandora's Box. He poured himself a cup of coffee and joined her at the table, all the while waiting for a response. He honestly did want to know if she had seen anything. When she 'bumped' into him like that, it was like feeling someone poke his mind and he automatically went on alert. The number of things he wanted to keep secret he could count on one hand, and Dash knew all of them, but they were, even he though, quite horrific. In truth, Rafe had wanted to know in the beginning about Dash and Benny. He had started with the elder brother with one of his two oracles. When she immediately lost her mind, Rafe backed off and left them be, as long as they were loyal. It didn't matter that he had, in a way, protected the other fae. Hassan, too, had lost her mind in time.

"Of course I didn't see anything. It just makes me nervous when I get too close. I don't want to stumble upon anything and make you angry." Fox couldn't bare to have Benny angry at her for any amount of time. Thinking of the last time he had gotten angry she shivered. It scared her a bit but it was mostly fear of him leaving her or them never speaking again. In all there time together they had only had one little argument but it had been enough to rattle her cage. She wasn't much of a fan of confrontation and she was rarely the one to physically break anything up in the bar, mainly because the boys wouldn't allow it, but she was perfectly fine with that. "So, did you want to find Talia before we set out?" She eagerly changed the subject.

Benny nodded, both to the reassurance and to the suggestion. "I say we find Dash first. He'll be able to find Talia faster than we can, assuming she still looks the same." He mashed up his sausage absently with his fork. Finally he looked up, giving Fox either a concerned, or confused face, tinged with awe. "Did you know Talia is into Dash?"

"Uh...yeah actually. I did." Sighing, Fox stood and went to throw what she hadn't eaten in a plastic baggy and threw it in the fridge. Slightly nervous she went over to the sink and began washing the dishes. "Does it upset you?" Closing her eyes for a moment she swallowed, trying to control her voice. "Make you jealous?" Just the thought of Benny being interested in Talia made her eyes prick with tears. Damn it! Fox, get yourself together. You didn't used to be this weak. You've softened up since the cops dont come around anymore. Your going to get your heart broken! Shaking her head she cringed and sent the silly voice inside her head skittering away. She really needed this day off.

Benny huffed a small laugh. "No," he answered in a way that begged no argument. He rested his chin on his fist, his other hand still holding his fork loosely, and looked at the wall in thought. "I just can't see Dash with anybody. To my knowledge, there's never been anyone before. I can't even imagine how he sees Talia. I have you, but Dash... well he never picked anyone. I wonder when the little guy is going to grow up." It was mostly common for blood mages to 'pick' somebody. He and Dash at some time had picked Rafe, mostly out of mutual love of carnage. It changed when Benny met Fox though. If he and his brother were any closer, they would have to be identical twins because their lives flowed together almost seamlessly parallel. They'd probably be best friends until Judgement Day as they always had been, so it simply blew Benny's mind to actually find someone who wanted Dash. The last person he knew had been a serving wench of sorts long ago in the days of the war, when they worked for Rafe. She'd been nothing but a smear on the ground within a week. By no direct fault of Dash's own of course. Benny himself couldn't recall which of them made the blow, but neither of them had known of her romantic delusion until some time later when the knowledge stumbled it's way over to Benny. He had not told his brother of course, since Dash was more the type to feel guilty than his older brother. Even as such adults he still took his older brother status very seriously.

Fox's entire body relaxed when Benny said that he wasn't jealous. She couldn't exactly put her finger on why she was so possessive but even the thought of her friend being that close to Benny upset her. For centuries it had just been Benny, Dash, and herself, up until a few years ago when Talia stumbled upon them and has been around ever since. It took Fox quite a while to be okay with another woman being around her boys. Of course she hadn't let on to any of them that it did upset her, that would just seem crazy. Finished with the dishes she turned and watched Benny. "I'm ready whenever you are."

Benny nodded again and pushed his mashed meats into a bag, but instead of putting it away, he kept it in his hand as he put his cup in the sink and picked up his water Fox had brought him. "Are we Stepping or walking?" he asked. They knew where Dash was most likely to be and Stepping was the most covert and fastest way to get there. Unfortunately, without the practice Dash had, Benny always over shot just a little bit. He really needed to play tag with his brother again soon to relearn control.

Grabbing another water bottle out of the fridge, Fox shoved it into her small leather backpack and then stuck hers in there as well. Holding the bag open to Benny she shook it. "Put it in here. I'm fine with Stepping. We never get to far off the beaten trail." Shrugging slightly she smiled. She enjoyed stepping more also. They didn't get to do it very often and it allowed Benny to do something with his powers.

Doing as she asked, Benny put the bit of food and his bottle in the backpack and helped her put it on before he went to the living room and closed all the curtains and blinds. Stepping toward the darkest corner, he held his hand out to Fox. He was frowning a little. He really wanted to get this right. He was going to get back into practicing, he told himself sternly. It was going to make for a much more secure escape route, should they ever be caught.

... Again.

Fox came into the living room, braiding her hair. Looking over at Benny she dropped her arms and smiled slightly. "Ready whenever you are." Her long braid lay over her shoulder as she waited for Benny to be ready.

Benny chuckled slightly. "So you said," he pointed out before stepping forward, putting his arm around her waist and, holding eye contact, they fell into the darkness, leaving an empty apartment behind.

A chilling minute or so later, the bustling market of monsters was joined by two inconspicuous newcomers, their stumbling unnoticed. Benny had managed to get them to the right area and clung to Fox as they came out of the shadowy corner to keep her from falling completely to the ground. He was always putting too much power into it. Must be the pent up energy. As he righted them and made sure she was ok, he took a glance around, trying to make sense of what part of the market they were in. "South end," he told Fox quietly. "Right area, wrong corner." He muttered something under his breath before he put his arm around Fox's waist again and led them lazily through the paths between stalls, ignoring offers of bat wings or goat liver or hand crafted charms.

Clinging to Benny, Fox kept her head down. She didnt want to draw any attention to them but since she was one of the only Fairies left in the city, she was a hard creature not to notice. Her features practically glowed which drew a few eyes there way. One man in particular noticed them but at the sight of Benny he averted his gaze and went about his business. "I'm drawing attention, Benny." It was rare that she cursed her features but today wasn't a normal day. They were going to see Dash so she was ecstatic, which caused her features to shine more brilliantly.

"Don't worry. Anyone who touches you is nothing more than a future corpse," Benny assured her without even flinching. It was a minute or so before he managed to spot his brother and when he finally did the younger man was hefting a box onto a shady, rickety looking man's stall. The man grinned toothlessly and looked into the box like a greedy miser before he gave Dash a small bag and the younger man went on his way. He only made it about two steps before he spotted Benny and Fox and his face split into a wide grin as he sprinted toward them.

"Hey!" he said as he met up with them, taking Fox from Benny in a move nobody would even be able to describe and hugged her, spinning her around before he gave her back to Benny. "It's so good to see you guys again." He chuckled happily as Benny clasped his hand and pulled him into a one armed sort of hug.

"It's been too long, brother," Benny agreed and leaned forward, glad to see Dash do the same, looking around for ease droppers. "We're getting out of the city for the day. Care to come along?" It didn't take more than that. Dash was grinning and he nodded once. "Good, we need your help finding Talia though-"

Dash made a face before frowning at them so hard it was very nearly a pout. "Talia? She's so nosey. You know I found a demon yesterday and she was butting in wanting to hang out out of the blue, knowing full well somebody was with me, gets all pouty because I tell her not right now-"

He stopped when Benny held up a hand. "... You found... a demon?"

"Well, I ran into her is more like-"

"You touched... a demon..."

"Well yeah. It was just a little one. A small girl-"

"Looks can be-"

"Deceiving I know, but she seemed pretty horrified by her own state-" This time Dash held up his hand to stop Benny from talking. "I know, deceivers, but she didn't go on a rampage so I'm giving her the benefit of a doubt. Better on their good side than bad."

Benny nodded. "Anyway. Talia?"

Dash heaved a sigh. "Alright. I'll take you to her. Shouldn't be too hard to find..."

Fox let out a laugh as she was twirled around. Before Dash moved away she gave him a kiss on his cheek. "It's good to see you Dash." Smiling she watched as the two went back and forth, and back and forth. Giggling slightly she moved out of the way as a cart rolled by. The woman steering eyed her suspiciously. Swallowing she moved to stand in between the two of them. "Talia just likes to be around friends. You know that." Shooting Benny a look that meant for him to keep his mouth shut about Talia liking Dash.

A few stalls away, Aailyah was looking over a couple of nice blouses, flirting with the vendor to try to get a better price. Hearing the voices not far away, she looked up and saw Fox and Benny, "Bernard, Fox," she said with a smile, abandoning the vendor and approaching the little group, "I want to say I'm terribly sorry about last night, I feel partially responsible. Are you alright?" she asked Fox.

Instantly, Fox grabbed for Benny and Dash. Lacing her fingers with theirs she nodded at Aailyah, making sure the woman understood she was staking her claim on the two. "I'm fine now." She wasn't sure what it was about this woman...well okay yes she was, the woman screamed sex and Fox didn't like it. Especially around her boys. She grew possessive of them more and more as thoughts ran through her mind. It was of them, Fox, Benny and Dash. Only...it wasn't a thought, she had grown so angry that she had slipped into Aailyah's mind and it was as if she were looking into a mirror. Gasping she shook her head and tried to clear her mind. What was it about this woman that sent her over the edge!?

Aailyah stayed a couple of paces away, not a cold distance, just enough to let Fox know she wasn't going to try to "steal" either of the men. "Are you sure?" she asked, confusion and maybe a hint of concern touching her eyes when Fox gasped.

"Fox, chill out..." Benny whispered gently, moving his hand only so he could wrap his arms around her waist and hold her from behind, his chin on her head.

"I'm sure it's not your fault," Dash assured the strange woman, giving her a little smile but his concern for Fox's reaction was clearly concerning him. "Just a bad few days I suppose." Using his free hand, he held out a hand shake to her. "I'm Dash. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Aailyah," The nymph gave Dash an alluring smile as she shook his hand, "And the pleasure is all mine." She really wasn't trying to flirt, this was just the way she was with everyone. "No hard feeling, love?" She asked then, turning to offer her hand to Fox.

Eying her hand carefully, Fox chewed on her bottom lip. "I'm not sure I should. Touch you...that is." Just being around this woman set her powers on fire, what would happen if she touched her. Laying her head back against Benny's chest she inhaled deeply. His scent surrounded her as she closed her eyes as she tried to concentrate. It would be rude to refuse her thought... Sighing she looked back at Aailyah and reached out to shake her hand. The moment they touched, Fox's eyes turned a luminescent white color before he vision failed her and she blacked out as thoughts streamed into her mind. This girl flirted, a lot. Right before they had spoken she had tried wooing a man to lower the price of blouse she had been interested in. She had no intentions towards Dash and Benny, Fox would be more than happy to keep it that way. She seemed genuinely worried about her. Hmmm that's nice. Benny and Dash were the only two who usually cared. Talia knew better. Knew that Fox doesn't want, nor needs her sympathy. It was just a nice change to have someone else care. Realizing they were probably still connected she shouted through her mind to the other woman. Let go! Please...Please let go...

What might have taken a long time in her mind was only a mere moment in reality before Benny took action. Her eyes turned white and he immediately reached out and detached their hands, curling Fox up in his arms so nothing was touching her and she was touching nothing. He closed her up like a shield, his eyes only peeking out enough to make sure nothing came close to her.

"Forgive us," Dash told Aailyah where he had stepped up between the two parties. "She's really not one for touching.... At least. Not today. Is there anything I can do for you?" The younger brother didn't seem taken the way Benny had been, he was just attentive and direct. Business like. It was, after all, his job. He found odd jobs from strangers and took them on when they couldn't, or didn't want to. If he couldn't help her, then he supposed they, the three of them, would have nothing to do with each other.

Aailyah blinked in surprise as she withdrew her hand, "I'm sorry. You didn't have to do that, I didn't realize anything like that could happen." She turned her attention back to Dash, "I just thought that..." she glanced around briefly, "Bernard knows what I am," she said quietly, "and the rest of you don't seem to be all that different. It's a dangerous place for the likes of us, love. I just felt it might not be a bad idea for us to stick together."

"I'm sorry, Aailyah. I'm never like this. I'm not sure what it is." Fox wrapped her arms around Benny and frowned. Maybe it was just the skin. Glancing around she saw a booth with accessories and smiled. "Stay here, I'll be right back." Darting off towards the booth she pulled her cash out of one of the pockets in her backpack and pointed to a small pair of leather biker gloves that covered every inch of her hands. Paying the man she slipped the gloves on and came back over to the group. "Shake..." Holding her hand out to Aailyah she smiled reassuringly. She hoped this worked.

Hesitantly, Aailyah extended her hand to Fox, "You're certain?" she asked. The nymph did not take her hand, instead she kept it extended in offering, leaving the choice to go through with it to Fox.

Fox thrust her hand into Aailyah's without a second thought. Cringing slightly she waited for the intrusion. Her eyes opened in shock. "Oh thank god." Pulling her hand away from the woman she smiled. "Thank you for allowing me to use you as my guinea pig. If you haven't noticed, I am a psychic fairy." This last part she moved closer to Aailyah so she could whisper it gently, making sure no one else could hear. "I have a lot of issues." Smiling nervously she shrugged her shoulders and moved back over to Benny/

Aailyah gave her a winsome smile, "Don't we all, love?" she said, amused. "So, would I be presuming too much to ask that we deal with our 'issues' together? It looked last night light you might be able to use another bartender or something." she gave Fox a wink.

"You want a job...Honestly, yeah. If your serious about this why dont you head over to the club right now? I'm sure the boys could really use your help since its my day off and all." Linking her fingers with Benny's Fox smiled softly. "That's actually a really good idea. I can always use more help."

"Thank you. And don't worry, I know how to get the gentlemen to buy drinks." Aailyah said with a wink. "I suppose that means I will see you later." The nymph smiled and began to head for the club.

Benny and Dash waved their goodbyes before the elder brother looked at his counter part, all the while keeping Fox wrapped up in his arms. "So... Talia?" he inquired with a raised eyebrow, his chin rested boredly on top of Fox's head.

"Hm? Oh! Yeah!" Dash stepped away from them to find a shadow, leaving Benny to talk to Fox while he was gone.

"Hey... you ok?" Benny murmured softly in her ear. His eyes were darting around at the various stalls. One in particular caught his eye. "Maybe we should get you a cloak with a hood..."

"No, no that's okay. Let's just move into the alleyway a little bit." Plucking the gloves from her hands Fox shoved them into a pocket on her backpack before tugging Benny towards the alley. "I must have more practiced control where it comes to you, because touching you doesn't send me into a fit of any kind." To prove her point she slide her arms up Benny's chest and down his arms until she was fully holding onto his hands. Nothing happened, not even a blip. But she'd been forcing herself not to read his mind for so long that it just seemed to come naturally.

"Mmmmm...." Benny closed his eyes as he leaned up against the wall of the tunnel and she touched him, finishing with a smile as their fingers laced together and he opened his eyes again. "Well I'm glad. I'd hate for it to be taking a toll on you to be around me all the time, and I'm pretty sure I couldn't resist touching you so...." He chuckled and shrugged, hoping Dash would be back soon, but also enjoying the solitude with Fox, the sounds of the demonic market muted around the bend.

---

Meanwhile, nearly on the other side of town in a quiet, rundown section of suburbia, lay a little pink house with a broken front pane in the door. Inside, amongst the dust and broken wood lay one occupant, a smallish girl in the middle of a bed. The only other source of heat was a rapidly cooling empty space of the couch cushions in the living room.

After a little while, the girl stumbled out of the house, walking absently in the direction of the city. Aleia's eyes were glazed as she slowly made it to where her things were hidden. She hefted a guitar case and her backpack, wandering from the alleyway. She smelled blood everywhere, and her hunger flared. Contrary to what Dash had thought the day before, Al hadn't eaten a full meal and now her stomach rumbled for flesh.

Even before the sun had risen, Talia had been awake. She had dressed then wondered from her modest apartment in search of something to eat. Suddenly she noticed the girl who had been with Dash from the night before and sensed something was wrong. With a small sigh she wondered over to her, noticing that she was carrying what must have been all her belongings. "Hey kid, are you ok?" she asked when she finally caught up with her.

Aleia snapped out of her momentary daze and looked over at Talia. The woman smelled good, a little animalistic. But not nearly as tasty as the humans who were wondering about. "Hi?" she said to the woman. "Sorry, just a little hungry." It wouldn't do to say what she was hungry for, but anything would taste good at the moment.

"Well I was on my way to grab some breakfast, your welcome to join me. It can be my treat." Talia replied with a friendly smile. "I'll let you choose the place."

The face Aleia made was one of confusion. She vaguely wondered if the woman would take it as a joke if she said city morgue. If they were in the country, she could take the edge off with a cow, but as it was... "I would love to take you up on that, but I'm on a special diet." It was sort of true, anyway.

"Special diet?" Talia asked with a raised eyebrow aware that Aleia wasn't a human but wasn't sure what she was. "Ok...well you're going to need to expand and tell me what this special diet is so I can help you find what you need. Trust me, you can tell me."

"I don't even know your name," Aleia said. "How can I trust you?" Al really wanted to see her face if she said human flesh, but with all the distrust of anything remotely powerful, she thought it best to keep her mouth shut.

"Sorry, i'm Talia." She replied then quickly glanced round before moving closer to Aleia to whisper. "You can trust me, i'm different just like you." she said with a grin as her dark brown eyes momentarily flashed to a brilliant blue colour before returning to normal. "Now whats your menu of choice?"

Aleia actually wrinkled her nose. "You are nothing like me," she said. "You may be different, but you are close enough to have no troubles." She took a quick sidestep as a man brushed past. Her breathing stopped and she hissed between her teeth as the scent of flesh assailed her nose.

"Ohhhh..." Talia said as she watched Aleia's reaction as the man passed. "Why didn't you just say so! I get your "special" dietary requirements now. I can still help you find something to eat if you like."

"I would rather not," Aleia said with a frown. "It's not exactly something I like showing or talking about." The situation yesterday with Dash notwithstanding, Al hadn't ever discussed it with anyone. And the only people who had witnessed her eating were no longer alive to talk about it.

"So you don't want my help? What are you going to do, just wander round and try to ignore your hunger?" Talia asked with a frown.

"What should I do?" Aleia stared at the woman as if she had lost her mind. "If you hadn't noticed, I'm sort of lacking many options here." Except killing someone or raiding a morgue or graveyard. She sighed and shook her head. "Sorry, I'm a little on edge."

"Don't worry about it ok." Talia replied. "But honestly I can help you out. I have the misfortune of knowing some people that this world would definately be better off without. You'd probably be doing us all a favour by getting rid of them..." she whispered then smiled. "So what do you say? You still hungry? This is the last time i'll offer."

Aleia swallowed and sighed. Talia was much too persistent and Al too hungry. "Okay. Do you know of any...fresh...uh...." She couldn't bring herself to say it, just stared at the ground as they walked.

Talia gave a small nod. "This way." she said motioning down the street before turning and walking on. "This guy is one of the nastiest people I know. He's to blame for a lot of innocent arrests in the city and thats not even the worst of it." she said to Aleia as they walked.

"He's...still alive?" Aleia asked, her voice wavering. She hated killing people. Hated the feeling of their life slipping out. And if Talia was suggesting it, then Al would have no problems saying no thank you.

"You said you wanted fresh? Is alive too fresh?" Talia asked looking curious then shrugged. "If you don't want to go as far as killing your next meal, theres the city's morgue. I'll keep the workers distracted and you can tuck in and eat until your full. Would you prefer that?"

"You're willing to do that?" Aleia asked, her face showing her surprise. Most would find the idea of eating corpses disgusting. She eyed a human who was staring at them from across the street. "If you are willing."

"You have to eat kid. Come on its this way..." Talia replied then turned and wandered in the direction of the morgue. It didn't take long to reach the rundown looking building with only a small plaque on the wall to identify it as the morgue. "Alright, i'll go and distract the workers, you find what you need and once your finished just give me some kind of sign ok..." she smiled at Aleia then disappeared through the front door and before it had shut fully she could be heard speaking in an innocent tone to the people inside. "I'm a little lost..." She had entered a small waiting area where several people stood at a desk chatting amongst themselves. They all turned to look at Talia as she entered and she smiled knowing all she had to do was keep them busy whilst Aleia fed.

Easily slipping in, Aleia made it inside. She was almost to the coolers when someone grabbed her arm. An older man stood behind her. "You shouldn't be-" was all he got out before Al turned, her skin marbling blue. She lunged at the man, her teeth tearing through his throat. He let out a gurgling scream before it was cut off as she started tearing at his flesh, swallowing it whole.

"Did you hear something?" one of the men behind the desk muttered as he glanced at the door that led to the back of the building. He made to move causing Talia to frown. With a sudden movement she fell to the ground in a pretend faint and was soon surrounded by all workers in the room trying to wake her up. Come on kid...

It was a matter of moments before there was nothing left of the man but bones and a large blood stain on the floor and walls. Aleia ripped the door open to the main cooler area and tore open one of the corpse boxes. Grabbing the body, she left this one in the same state. The demon, self preservation high on her list, jumped out a window into an alley outside, the crash reverberating and setting off the alarms inside.

Talia’s eyes snapped open when she heard the alarm causing the workers around her to back away quickly. “Thanks guys!” she said as she jumped to her feet and hurried from the building before they realised any of the bodies were missing. “Hey kid, where are you?” she hissed as she stepped into the alley beside the morgue.

Out in the alley, a smallish blue demon sat next to the dumpster, covered in blood. Aleia had her arms wrapped around her knees, rocking slightly as her skin changed back, not that it could be seen clearly through the blood. She seemed to be in slight shock.

Talia stepped quickly through the alleyway and stopped when she saw the figure sitting beside the dumpster. "Kid? We need to get out of here before we're caught..." She whispered as she knelt down in front of Aleia ignoring her demon form. She gently placed a hand of Aleia's arm but quickly withdrew it when she felt the wetness of the blood. She slipped off her jacket then offered it to Aleia. "You can clean yourself up at my apartment but we really need to go..."

"Oh good, distraction and target are the same thing," a familiar voice greeted them. Dash stood next to ravaged dumpster, his hand resting on it and a frown marring his features, looking between the two. "I swear... Al, do you need cleaned again?" he asked gently, then held a hand out, palm up. "Or do you two need an out...?"

Jumping with a gasp,Talia quickly turned her head to look at Dash. "You scared me!" she said still holding the jacket out to Aleia. "We need to get out of here pretty sharp." She could still hear the security alarm from within the building and she knew every second spent in the alleyway was a second closer to being caught. "Kid, do you want to come to my apartment to get cleaned up?" she asked Aleia again her tone a little more frantic.

Aleia looked up when Talia touched her, reverting back to her demon form. The only thing that saved her was Dash's arrival. Instead of leaping upon the woman, Al turned her eyes to the man. He smelled good, but familiar. It would take a second longer for her mind to connect and she stared at him, still in her demonic form. Unable to speak, she wrapped a clawed hand almost gently around Dash's arm.

"Hey there..." Dash greeted her gently, not making a move but letting her touch. It was best to let the demon lead, he really didn't feel like killing anyone today. He gave Al the barest of smiles before he held his hand out to Talia. "Come on. I'll Step the two of you. I can clean her off-" He looked back at Aleia. "If you'll let me of course. I won't touch you if you don't want me to, but we have to go. Let me lead, please."

Talia quickly withdrew from Aleia, slipping her jacket back on as she stood. Looking down at Dash's hand as he offered it to her she couldn't help but give a faint smile as she reached out and took it. "Can we go please, I don't feel like getting arrested again anytime soon..." she whispered, listening out for any distant sounds of police sirens.

Dash looked up at the sirens and smirked. "Isn't that cute." There was a brief tug as he stepped back, pulling them the few paces into the shadow of the dumpster and they were gone in a chilly breeze, leaving the alley empty.

---

Ear walked down the street with his hands tucked behind him, tipping his hat to those people who looked at him as he walked down the street. He roamed about aimlessly, just looking at all of the tall buildings and studying a little of their architecture here and there. As he idly walked he thought back on his entertaining night, and the young Damsel that he had met. "Aaliyah.." He said softly to himself as he looked over one building.

Earoluim decided that it was about time for him to get something to eat, to his surprise he found himself back at the bar the he had been at that night. He pushed open the door and went inside wondering if he might be able to get a bite to eat.

A few minutes later, Aailyah entered the establishment, looking for the 'boys' Fox had told her to talk to. "Fox tells me you could use another bartender." she said as she approached one of them.

Ear turned his head toward the familiar voice, watching her from a corner table as he leaned forward over his plate, taking a bite of his lunch as he watched her at the bar for a moment. He didn't say anything as to interrupt the conversation that she was having with the bartender. Laying his silverware down after he started to chew on his food he lifted his napkin off of his knee and dabbed his lips, placing it back into his lap.

Rain looked up from the glasses he was washing and eyed Aailyah carefully. "Normally I'd say you were crazy but, since I know my boss, maybe your telling the truth." Reaching under the table he grabbed and apron and that went around the waist and threw it at her. "Put this on and let's see what you've got."

Aailyah winked at Rain as she tied on the apron, "Where would you like me to start?" she asked with her customary smile.

Ear chuckled to himself as he watched her put on an apron, going to back to his meal, picking his utensils back up and he sat up straight once more.

Waving his hand around Rain shrugged gently. "Go about and ask if anyone needs anything. That sort of thing. You know hot to mix drinks?" He hoped so because he didnt want to have to go through bar tending 101 with this chick right now.

"Of course, love." Aailyah winked again and walked off to make the rounds about the place. After checking on a couple of tables she approached Earouim, "Well hello again, love. Can I get anything for you?"

Ear Chuckled a little and tipped his hat to her, " Hello to you to Gorgeous. I was actually wondering what is on your desert menu for today?" He asked her softly, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table and his chin on his hands.

"Well, I'll go grab one so you can see." Aailyah said with a wink. A moment later she returned with a small desert menu and handed it to him.

He looked it over carefully for a long moment, before looking up at her. "What would you recommend my dear?" He asked her with a smile. "What do you like?" He added.

Aailyah laughed, "I have a thing for chocolate, so I'd recommend the chocolate cake. Or, if you prefer a drink, raspberry mojitos make a refreshing treat."

He thought on it for a moment, closing the dessert menu and looking at the from of it itently. He looked up at her for a long moment, pushing his lips together beneath his mask as he finally came to his conclusion. "I will try a Rasberry Mojito, if you would please?" He said, giving her a nod and a wink.

"Of course, love." She smiled and took the menu, turning away to go mix his drink. A couple of minutes later, she returned and set it on the table. "Enjoy. Let me know if you need anything else." She winked again and moved off to check on the other tables.

He smiled at her, "Of course my dear. He said as he took the drink and slowly sipped from it, reading a newspaper in front of him. He took his hat off and set it on the table beside him, running a hand through his lonng thick hair slowly.

Aailyah continued to work. Waiting tables hadn't really been what she was hoping for when she offered Fox her services, she'd prefer to just tend the bar. But she'd found people who were similar to her, and could probably offer her protection, so she'd take it.

Rain looked up to watch Aailyah carefully. Since it was just around lunch time the club was rather slow. Clearing his throat to get her attention, Rain waved her over to the bar. "I think it's time I see what you've got. I've got a list of drinks here, I want you to make one of each." Slipping the sheet over to her he waited.

Aailyah gave him a somewhat cocky smile and took the paper. She'd been in enough bars and clubs and hosted enough parties to know what was what. That was the reason she was here, instead of still living in one of the nicer homes still remaining in the area. She went down the list, making each drink swiftly and with confidence. 

Ear finished his Mojito and pushed it away from him, liftig the paper off of the table and holding it closer as he reads a bit more deeply into the page.

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.

---

Benny looked up from Fox at the dark alcove behind her. "Dash is back," he said a split second before the young man stepped backwards out of the shadows, two figures in tow. Seeing one was a small blue demon, Benny moved slightly to put Fox mostly behind him. Just in case.

"There safe." Dash couldn't quite greet Fox and Benny at the moment, but he was sure his brother would understand as he looked at Aleia, frowning with concern but making no more effort to touch her than she was willing to touch him. "Hey, I'm so sorry. Are you alright? I didn't make you more uncomfortable did I? It's just... time was a factor...." He really did feel bad about hurrying them away, but he had to get back and he hadn't wanted any of them to get in trouble. Again. He didn't seem afraid or uncomfortable about her blue form. He had seen many more frightening creatures after all. he was only worried he might have set her on a rampage. Although, judging by their location and the blood on her, he was fairly certain she had eaten and was at least a little more relaxed.

Aleia hadn't reacted at all when Dash had moved her along. She wrapped her other hand around his upper arm, her claws digging ever so slightly into his flesh. To anyone else, she would appear as just a strange looking, if blood covered, girl. But everyone here knew better. In this state, she was all instinct. With her stomach full, another, less deadly need was make itself known. Her eyes went to Benny for a moment, but she judged him to not be an immediate threat.

Fox gasped softly, practically jumping up and down. "Ooo, Benny, look a demon!!!" Moving towards the girl she continued to hold Benny's hand. Sticking a glove back on her free hand, just in case, she held it out to the woman and smiled softly. "Names Fox!"

Talia turned to look at Aleia once she had let go of Dash's hand. Her eyes fell on the demon's grasp on his arm and frowned. "Hey kid, you can let go of him now, we're safe."

Dash waved Talia off gently, smiling softly. The damage to his arm was so slight he hardly noticed anyway. "She's fine," he told her before using the hand on his free arm to shake Benny's, who was smiling back at his brother.

"Hey, glad to see you found them. Looks like a bit of trouble there though." Benny frowned slightly at Aleia, making sure he used his clasped hand to keep Fox at a safe distance, but he let her greet the demon. "I'm sorry..." he said gently. "Do you want to be cleaned off? I know dried blood is awfully uncomfortable and that is where you are headed...."

Aleia turned her eyes from one person to another as they all seemed to talk at once. The blue skin wasn't fading, but her claws were retracting, as were her serrated teeth. Al didn't release her grip on Dash's arm as people spoke to her. She actually took a step back, behind Dash and away from the rest. Yes, she wanted the blood off, but she didn't want anyone else, especially the women, anywhere within touching distance. Her instinct to attack Talia was still there, but was tempered by her constant contact with Dash.

"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.