Fandom Supernatural RP - Accepting Applications

[Alator]

Thor had only made a quick visit to Asgard to drop off the Leviathan, who he'd had his kin trap with magical chains so it could be experimented on. This Nephilim was far too intriguing, especially seeing as he was sure of who the father was. As it was in Vitae, it could only be Alaric, an angel Thor had actually begun to like.

There was a faint sound of thunder as the god appeared in a room where he had not yet been, tracing the Nephilim's energies was not very difficult, and sensing the wardings that had been placed on her to conceal the woman from angels made Thor utterly convinced that this was the mother of the Nephilim. She appeared to be helping a man that Thor didn't recognise, but he didn't even glance at the man, not with such a rare sight before him.

"Quite the predicament you've gotten yourself in." he said in a voice that was suprisingly gentle for a god, he continued "I assume Hypnos is the one responsible for the wardings?"

NanLia

 

[NanLia]

Ashley-May had stepped out of Elijah's room to collect what she had promised the man for a decent night sleep. It worried her that his night terrors would result in further injury; not that his escapade out of bed had done him much good regardless. She found the correct dosage for both the pain killer and sedative before returning to Eli's room.

"Glad to see you took my advice." She commented at the mans till poised within his bed. She stepped towards the table, holding out the two pills in a small plastic cup when the voice behind her made her jump. She spun around to see the man Alaric had been speaking with earlier, Thor, standing before her. She frowned slightly as he commented on her predicament as she certainly didn't consider it that, but he continued to question wards from Hypnos. "What? What wards?" She glanced to Eli in her confusion, finally giving the man his medication. She wondered then if Mackenzie had requested help from her god; her partner had promised to keep her safe.
Safton Alator

 

[Safton]

Elijah smiled at Ashley-May's remark, reaching out to take the medication as he thought up some appropriately witty retort. His train of thought was dashed as he heard what sounded almost like a distant rumble of thunder, followed by the sound of a man's voice behind Ash. Eyes turning to gaze behind her, he saw a middle-aged man who had seemingly appeared from nowhere. Having heard what he had to say, Eli could only guess at a few explanations for who -- what -- he was. He knew Hypnos, but the knowledge neither calmed nor panicked Elijah. He returned Ash's confused look

To his surprise, she offered him the medicine again. He took it, lightly setting it on the counter alongside his bed. Elijah's hand went under his pillow, reaching under it to grab the sheathed dagger hidden there -- one of Will's additions to his bag, likely knowing how much Elijah hated being disarmed. The blade was plated in wrought iron and silver, the base of it inscribed with a Devil's Trap. Part of him suspected that this intruder wouldn't be fazed by any of them, even if Elijah had the strength to wield the blade.

"Who are you?" he asked the man, one arm reaching out to wrap a protective hand around Ashley-May's bicep, hoping to keep her at a distance from the mystery man.

NanLia
Alator ​

 

[Alator]

Thor waved dismissively with his hand whilst replying to the mother of the Nephilim "The magic keeping you hidden from the Heavenly Host, to put it more simply. The reason why this colony isn't swarming with angels as we speak."

Amusement shone in Thor's ancient eyes as he turned his gaze to the man demanding his name, he almost began feeling sorry for the humans, whom were constantly suprised by various supernatural beings just appearing out of thin air "The only one around here capable of destroying angels and properly protecting her..." Thor paused briefly and glanced at Ash, then he continued "...should it come to that. My name is Thor, and believe me or not but I want to help you, I've never been very fond of the angels you see..."

NanLia Safton

 

[NanLia]

Ashley-May was comforted by Eli's protective grasp on her upper arm, she raised a hand to hold over his own as Thor spoke again; explaining his sudden presence and the threat to her and her child's life. She continued to frown, not fully understanding why the god, false as he was, would even care about her and the life of her child.

"If Hypnos has me warded then Mac is already doing just that," She said rather defensively. She didn't like the gods interfering with her life; but after the destruction Pan had on the colony and Eli; she was far more wary about what she said.
Safton Alator

 

[Alator]

Thor nearly rolled his eyes "If I wanted to, you two would have been dead already. Those wards doesn't mean that you are impossible to find, more difficult, aye, but not impossible. An angel would smite this Mac into oblivion within a matter of seconds, and Hypnos could at most slow them down and disorient them, not face one in direct combat. I don't think that you fully comprehend what you are dealing with here, a Nephilim becomes more powerful than it's angelic parent, given that Alaric wasn't very weak , this one will maybe even be on par with a Seraphim. Heaven won't tolerate it. Creating one is one of the worst sins an angel can commit."

He paused briefly and glanced around the room whilst he adjusted his blue suit, then he turned back to the woman "Oh and another small detail, birthing a Nephilim is always fatal, so if you want to survive this ordeal, it is impervious that it's grace is removed as soon as possible."

The god had another reason for wanting to help them, with the First Sin likely to rise, Thor would need all power he could get. And something that had long fascinated him was, what if there was a way to use an angel's grace, like one could use a human's soul? As a means of supplementing one's power. Whilst the Chief deity was more powerful than a Seraphim, a Seraphim's power was far greater than that of a human soul, and absorbing it would drastically increase his power. And as this Nephilim was not even wholly an angel, his kin might find a way... It could prove to be the one thing that could sway the coming war in the gods' favor, and lead to the imprisonment of the First Sin once again. But this he wouldn't share that idea with the humans, at least not yet.

Safton NanLia

 

[Safton]

​

Elijah narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the figure, identifying himself as none other than the Norse god of thunder and son of Odin. Eli was quite familiar with the lore surrounding the famed deity, but it did little to assuage his concerns. What did a member of the Norse pantheon owe to Ashley-May and Vitae, especially something worth earning the ire of Heaven's Host?

What Thor said next made Elijah stare in disbelief: Birthing a Nephilim is always fatal. He had seen the implications in the lore, but nothing definitive. He never would have imagined the "complications" he read about would be so dire. He felt his grip on Ash's arm tighten reflexively, hoping to reassure her.

"And you're willing to challenge Heaven on our behalf... why?" Elijah asked. "What's in it for you, aside from the chance to smite a few angels?"

Alator
NanLia
​

​

William's eyes snapped open at the sound of his smartphone's insistent buzzing. He looked around blearily before suddenly remembering where he was, feeling Mackenzie's warm body tucked against his as she dozed peacefully. Propping himself up on his elbow, he smiled down at her, reaching down to push a stray hair away from her cheek. Taking a deep breath he slowly slid himself out of the bed, careful to move slowly and deliberately in order to avoid disturbing her slumber.

Reaching the edge, he stood up, hobbling over to the mismatched pile of clothes -- his and Mackenzie's -- laying at the foot of the bed. Finding his jeans, he reached inside the front pocket and withdrew the phone, seeing a message from Adelaide: Still waiting.

He groaned inwardly, having completely forgotten the meeting he had set up in the face of other "distractions". Tapping out a quick reply, he hurriedly dressed, trying to make as little noise as possible in the process. He could practically feel the Adelaide's annoyance radiating through the text on the screen. Moving to the door, Will turned around to glance over his shoulder at Mackenzie, still asleep. With that, he turned and walked from the bedroom, making his way out of the house.

The night was nearly pitch-black, with few other souls in sight save for the light of the lanterns carried by sentries manning the wall. Everyone else had long since turned in for the night it seemed. Moving at a near-jog through the darkness, he was winded by the time the Clinic house came into view. Walking into the backyard and approaching the shadowed form of Adelaide's car, he heard a voice in the darkness.

​

"It's about time," Adele said, standing up from where she sat on the hood of the Civic. "Burning the midnight oil?"

Will blushed, raising a hand to the back of his neck. Adelaide's tone of voice made it all too clear that she knew what had occupied his mind. "Sorry, Addy," was all he could muster.

Adelaide's expression slowly changed from one of distant annoyance, curving into a knowing smile. "Uh-huh. Come over here and take a look at your goody bag."

Will nodded, moving forward as Adelaide popped the trunk, reaching in to flick on a jury-rigged lamp hanging in the back compartment to illuminate the form of several containers, all covered by a heavy-duty blanket. Tossing the sheet aside, William saw that the crates were warded. "You're sure that we're alone?" he asked, casting a wary glance around.

Adelaide nodded. "I've been as careful as I could to make sure we don't have any spectators, invisible or otherwise." She reached for the first container, a green military-issue ammo box. "I looked up every bit of lore I could find when it came to diminishing or killing pagan gods. Some of the sources suggested wooden stakes carved from trees significant to their pantheon," she said, indicating a small bag on the left side of the trunk. "Others talked about using the divine weapons of another god." Seeing Will's dubious look, she acquiesced. "But the most promising lead I managed to find for dealing with Greek gods was bronze."

She opened up the ammo crate, turning it around toward William. He reached inside to remove one of the cartridges, holding it up to the light and examining it critically. It appeared to be a standard hollow-point rifle bullet, with a machined bronze tip inserted securely into the cavity. Will spared Adelaide the effort of a show-and-tell, sifting through the small arsenal himself to find a variety of other weapons: knives with bronze blades, an antique sword that looked like it had been lifted from some ancient Bronze Age battlefield, even a pair of bronze-plated knuckledusters and handcuffs. "I owe Bishop big for this one," Will said approvingly.

"Oh, don't you worry. He was very clear on that point. He says his debts are settled after the amount of bronze he had to smelt on short notice after I cleaned him out," Adelaide said with a smirk, before returning to business. "You mentioned angels, which are a bit trickier," Adelaide said. "All the word I could find says that mortal weapons don't faze them. Their weaknesses are a little more... esoteric. I managed to dig up some hex bag recipes and Enochian wards that should work to keep them at bay temporarily, but that's it. It's all there in the duffel."

William sighed, nodding to himself. "I don't know what to say, Addy. You really came through, again."

Adelaide narrowed her eyes at him. "Say you'll be careful. I'm not stupid, Will. I can read between the lines. The angels, I understand. You want to look out for Ash. The bronze... is it for Hypnos? You think you can kill him, set your girlfriend free? She's an Oracle, it doesn't work like that."

"It's not like that, Addy," Will hissed. "I told you about New York. You may not have been there, but you've seen the news, heard about the body count. You know how dangerous these gods can be. And... Hypnos doesn't like the things Mac has been delving into. I think she's wearing out her welcome. I don't know what Hypnos plans to do -- if anything -- but... I want to be prepared."

Adelaide closed her eyes, nodding reluctantly. "Just... think things through. No matter what happens, don't let the rage blind you. You're not alone anymore -- you've got people counting on you. People that love you."

William nodded. "I know, Addy," stepping forward to wrap his arms around her shoulders in a hug.

Adelaide sighed in resignation, returning the affectionate embrace before pulling away. "I've warded these things against gods and angels as best I can, but I'll need your help to stash them."

An hour later, Will crept slowly back into the house, making his way toward the master bedroom. Nudging the door open, he peeked inside to see Mackenzie still sound asleep. Breathing a sigh of relief, he stripped, removing his prosthesis before crawling back into the bed and falling into a peaceful slumber.

 

[Alator]

Thor chuckled "You underestimate how much I enjoy a good scrap with those winged baboons.", then he became more serious and said "Just because you have some experience with other deities doesn't mean that you know me, the name 'Protector of Mankind' isn't something I invented for myself, as Citizens of Vitae, you of all people should know that this isn't the first time I've worked together with you... And as it happens, Alaric is one of the few angels I've ever liked, I'd rather not see his child and the mother of his child killed."

This time he did have an ulterior motive, but Thor could still say what he said without feeling like he betrayed them, for everything he said was true. Though with his increased amount of dealings with mortals lately, he found himself increasingly annoyed at how distrustful the humans were. At the thought he felt a slight urge to lay waste to Pan, who hadn't exactly helped with improving their image. His gaze remained steady, fixed at the man who had spoke, showing that he meant what he said.

Then he continued, his voice now hinting at Thor being slightly amused "And I wasn't intending on barging into Heaven with her, violence is a last resort in this case, I was simply planning on helping you remove the grace, so the angels will no longer be able to identify the child as the Nephilim."

NanLia Safton

 

[NanLia]

​

Ashley-May's eyes widened as Thor spoke, terror then anger filled her as she came to understand what he said. This child would be the end of her, would be her death because of what it was, because of who had helped her create it. She was nothing more than a vessel for it to incubate within and Alaric left her here to her own fate. Alaric. She cursed the name, hated herself for trusting the angel; even if he was a creation of god. She felt Elijah's hand tighten on her arm, tears welling up; she was unable to speak but she was thankful Eli was with her, to speak on her behalf. She couldn't understand why Thor would care about her survival: obviously other gods that knew her far better than he didn't care to help, not even her own.
Safton Alator

​

Mackenzie slept peacefully at Will's side, undisturbed by his movement or his phone, the moment she had drifted off to sleep her consciousness had slipped into Erebos, or a portion of it that connected her to Hypnos.

Within their connection Hypnos's will was passed to her: a vision of what he had wanted her to see, wanted her to know.

He had set out upon the world visions of Ash; as he had promised, and warded her person to keep her hidden from Heaven and their wrath.
He had then come across the Pack, it was clear he had not know their exact whereabouts' prior to this, and he was visiting them with another.
The details of the conversation were lost on Mackenzie; but few factors did transcend to her. He had been in communication with her father, she had seen a vision of him, almost the same in every way of very last time she had seen him. It pained her to know he was there, that Brody and Dougie were so close. She missed them as much as she missed her mother, but she couldn't - wouldn't cross the line to see them.
Finally Hypnos relayed that he would be traveling, seeking out the assistance of the Kitsune, in the hopes of diverting what may come.
​

With his message relayed Mac was free to slip back into a normal pleasant sleep; with the recent activity in her life it was natural her mind reverted to the only pleasant sleep she had in recent history; a replica of her Death Dream, where in this instance the faceless man calling her home was replaced with William.
St. Boethius

 

[Safton]

​

Elijah raised his eyebrows. Thor certainly seemed to want put forth a benevolent image for himself -- and that would coincide with the Norse tales glorifying him -- but then again, the same could be said for Hypnos. Eli was still suspicious that Thor would go to such great lengths for the sake of his friendship with a disappeared angel. However, his final offer couldn't help but to pique Elijah's interest. "You know how to remove the grace from a Nephilim?" he asked, his tone simultaneously hopeful and skeptical.

NanLia
Alator ​

 

[Alator]

Thor shook his head apologetically "I don't no, I know how to do it with a regular angel, but a Nephilim's grace is mixed with the human soul of the Nephilim. Therefore I can not simply remove it without also removing the soul of the Nephilim. But that doesn't mean that there isn't a way, with spells it is possible to separate the grace from the soul, only... It's never been done before. My kin might be able to figure out, but that might take much longer than a few months. Instead, I will have to undertake a journey that my father once did. To the well of Mímir, the source of wisdom. Due to our decline, it's power has faded somewhat, and it will not make me Omniscient, at least not any more so than I already am. However it should still provide me with the necessary knowledge of magic to perform this feat."

If I can actually find it... He thought, if it wasn't for the fact that since the death of Odin, the head of Mímir had gone silent. Odin, whom had proved himself by sacrificing his eye, was the only one that the god of wisdom wanted. This meant that Thor was free to drink from the well, but it also meant that he had to find the well. For the precious few that had known of it's location were either dead or not speaking. But Thor was eager to get his hands on that grace, and he wouldn't let a missing well stop him.

Safton NanLia

 

[NanLia]

Ashley-May seethed at Thor's reply. "So you don't even know how to do this but you felt it was appropriate to come in here and scare me? Why? What do you gain by telling me I'm going to die, that my child is going to kill me, and that you don't actually have an answer. What was the point?" She demanded heedlessly.

"So far you're not proving yourself any different than Thanatos, coming here and scaring people. You could have just left me, happy and ignorant thinking I might have a life. That I might be happy again. Instead to ruined it, you made me hate my choices, regret thinking about raising my child." She pulled away from Eli stepping towards to the god. "Leave me alone, Thor."
Safton Alator

 

[Safton]

"Ash!" Elijah called out at her outburst, reaching out to try and regain his hold on her arm and failing, the strain of the movement bringing another bout of pain to his abdomen. He hissed, doubling over and clutching at the wound with his free hand.

He understood Ashley-May's frustration with the god, though Thor had done something valuable -- he had made it exceedingly clear that removing her child's Grace was a necessity. Eli didn't know if the Norse god would be able to find the requisite knowledge to do so... but he would. Without an ounce of doubt in his mind, he knew he would do whatever it took to save Ash's life, whether it was from the angels above or the Nephilim growing within her.

Eli looked up at the deity, speaking through clenched teeth as the pain spiked through him. "Thank you for your time, Odinson. We'll take what you've said into consideration. We mortals wouldn't want to hold up your journey any longer," he said, his tone neutral. It was as polite a dismissal he could manage for a being capable of smiting him without a second thought that didn't sink into scathing sarcasm.

NanLia
Alator ​

 

[Alator]

Thor's eyes narrowed and he took a step further, frowning "I came here on my own accord to help you, would you rather I had not told you and you had found out the hard way? And rather than leaving you with a soulless child, if I even helped you with that, I've offered to undertake a journey to the roots of Yggdrasil to find a solution to this. Besides, the chances of me failing are small, now that I have something precious to me back in my possession."

He stepped even closer, looking down on the woman, Ash, his unflinching gaze meeting hers "But never presume to compare me with Thanatos, and unless you want to either be ripped apart by your child, or try and ask the angels for help... You should show me some respect." The last sentence almost a whisper. He then stepped back and cast a glance at the man, noticing his facial expression he gave him a look that said Don't bother, you won't find that knowledge here on Earth.

He turned around and before he left, he added "I will be watching over you from afar, should something happen. Expect me in a few days at most." As he had spoke, an idea had begun to hatch. Odin had once talked about a seer that was one of the few to also have ventured to the Well, one of the three to ever have drunk from it. If Thor could find him, that Seer could tell him where it was.

The next second the deity was gone.

NanLia Safton

 

[NanLia]

Ashley-May remained defiant even as she god approached her in a threatening manner. She heard Eli's almost apologetic statement as though to sway the god but she didn't care. She returned his glare: she was dead anyways, or as good as. The god of thunder had told her as much. He didn't know how to remove the Grace -and she wasn't sure she would even allow him yet, so why did it matter if she died now for five months from now?

Thor left with his threat and promise lingering and she remained still for a time. She slowly turned back to Eli, noting he hadn't taken his medication. "Stop hurting yourself, please." She whispered. "Just. There's no point. Take the pills please Eli. Get some rest and recover. "
Safton Alator

 

[Safton]

Elijah's grip on the knife under his pillow tightened as Thor approached Ashley-May, pulling it halfway from its sheath as he watched the exchange. He lay there, calculating distances, wondering if he could physically throw himself from the bed at the deity if came to that -- torn sutures be damned. Luckily, it proved unnecessary. Thor turned to give Eli and almost pitying look before promising his return, disappearing from the room.

Ashley-May turned, instructing him to take his pills. He heard her pained whisper and the reason wasn't difficult to guess. "Hey," he said, forcefully. He pulled the knife from under his pillow, returning it to its sheath before setting it aside, continuing to ignore the meds. "I know what's running through your head, Ash, but don't talk like that. I told you we would find a way to deal with this and I meant it. I'm not giving up on you and neither will anyone else."

NanLia ​

 

[St. Boethius]

With everything in order on his end all wrapped up the majority of Hypnos transferred to the projection within the Pack and approached the Kitsune. " I can get us to Japan but after that all I'll be good for are projections and slight misdirection. I'm no where near at my full strength during the day." The drowsy god warned his Fox companion before offering his hand. " So I'll be relying on you for directions." As soon as the Kitsune would touch his and the both of them would disappear.
LucianGrey7971

Hypnos had instructed His Oneiroi to give Ashley-May Avery specific dream that night. A very happy one with her child and Elijah far from the worries of hunting or even the heavenly host. Hypnos would also give Elijah the same dream and connect the two. He needed to talk with the both of them about their child and lay out all of their options on the table for them to decide.
NanLia Safton

 

[NanLia]

Ashley-May slowly shook her head as Eli attempted to reassure her. She sighed deeply as she drew closer to the bed, it was evident if she attempted to leave the room Eli would try to follow and the man had been extremely lucky earlier he had not done more damage than the possibility of sever bruising.

At the bed side she took one of his hands within hers, the other taking the pills she had brought him earlier. "It's not giving up when you know your own fate." She stated simply, she put the pills into the hand she held. "If the gods don't know how to help me than we know the only option. Will turned out just fine, no Grace and he's a decent man, even if he didn't know his parents. " She shrugged some. "I'll wait, for Thor to come back, before I make any decisions, about anything."
Safton

 

[Safton]

Elijah felt a spark of hope as Ash took his hand in her own, hoping that he had managed to pull her from the state of mind she found herself in, but as she poured the pills into his hand and dismissed his words out of hand, he frowned. "You don't think William could have had a better life with parents who loved him from the start? You won't have to choose, Ash," he promised. "We'll find a way to remove the Grace -- with or without Thor's help -- and keep you safe in the process." His tone was uncharacteristically serious as he spoke, his grip on her hand tightening. "I swear it."

His expression softened as he released her hand reluctantly, reaching for the plastic cup of water before tossing the pills back with a swig from it.

NanLia ​

 

[NanLia]

Ashley-May watched, heart broken as Eli still defied her and her thoughts but she was thankful when be did finally take the prescribed medication. She waited until she knew he had swallowed them both before taking the cup of water and setting it aside.

She turned back and gently took his hand once more, giving it a light squeeze before leaning in to kiss his cheek. "I know you're trying, Eli, and I'm sorry I'm not as optimistic as you'd like. I'm just not that strong." She offered a sad smile whilst taking up his sheet and brining up to his chest, reaching up to sooth back his hair, content to stay at his side until he drifted off to sleep.
Safton

 

[Safton]

Elijah's lips pursed at Ashley-May's words, surprised at the anger he felt. "Bullshit," he said, unable to hold the outburst back. "You and I both know that's not true, Ash. You chose the life of a hunter. You saved my life and Mac's. You're doing everything you can to care for a child that hasn't even been born yet. You're one of the strongest people I've ever met. Hell, it's why I've fa--" he cut himself off abruptly, stopping short of saying something there could be no taking back in his drowsy state. Looking away from her, face flushed, he could feel his muscles relaxing already, eyelids drooping despite his tirade. Still, he reached up to place his other hand against the one he held. It wasn't long before the pills and Ash's soothing touch allowed the darkness to take him.

NanLia ​

​

 

[St. Boethius]

The Oneiroi sensed Elijah fall into slumber all the way from Erebos and flew forth to provide the prophetic dream that Hypnos had instructed them to give. Elijah would find himself inside one of the family homes inside Vitae. It was a simple layout: one story with a master bed, living area, kitchen, and guest room or in this case nursery all right next to one another with a bathroom next to the master bedroom. Outside it would seem like everything was... normal. No tension to be felt in the air, nor would any lingering threat spring to mind. Finally there would be peace.
Safton

 

[NanLia]

​

Ashley-May winced as Elijah tore into her, absolutely deserving, so far as she was concerned. She was far too aware of how much a disappointment she was to him. He may believe otherwise but she knew the truth of it. She bit her lip and kept her silence, letting him speak the peace that he needed all the while feeling her heart break. She continued to hold his hand even after he fell asleep silently apologizing to him. She wished she could be better, do better; she wanted to be stronger but the past two days had been Hell, and there wasn't anything left in her to give.

After a while, seeing that Eli wasn't disturbed by any nightmare or terror's she released his hand, tucking him in safely. She collected their stolen tray and what remained of the food to tidy up. She went about her work for hours more; finishing the filing she had neglected the day previous, switching out the laundry in the back and finally returning to Eli's room to sit quietly. She eyed the books he had laid out for her to read on anything and everything he could recall about Nephilims. She wanted to resist reading them, but despite her feeling that there was no hope, she couldn't stop herself from learning more about her child.

Soon after curling up in the chair, large tome on her lap, she started to doze off; a day of stress and anxiety starting to take it's toll.
Safton

 

[St. Boethius]

As with Elijah the Oneiroi reacted to Ashley-May's descent into slumber and constructed a dream world identical to the one Elijah was currently inhabiting. Once both dream world were established Hypnos was alerted and connected the two dreams together. As it stood Hypnos was split in half with part of him in Japan and the other half performing his duties during the night. With the dreams connected all that was left was for the two of them to intrude upon their dream.
Safton
NanLia

 

[Safton]

​

Elijah sat up, bleary-eyed, with a sudden intake of breath. He rubbed at his eyelids with the heel of his hand, looking around at the room. Remembering where he was, he swung his legs over the bed and stood up. No pain radiated outward from his abdomen, the injury from Pan's Trial a long-forgotten memory now. He looked over at the nightstand, picking up the framed picture there. Four figures were present in the photo: William and Mackenzie on the left, the former with his arm around her shoulder as she leaned against him easily. Alongside them were Elijah and Ashley-May. Ash's pregnancy was plainly showing; Eli was at her side, his hand clasped in hers. The four of them stood smiling in front of Mackenzie's precious Beast, parked outside the gates of Vitae.

Elijah smiled at the photo, attempting to summon the memory and context for it and failing. His concentration was broken as he heard the sound of a baby's soft but insistent cry coming from outside the room, down the hall.

NanLia
St. Boethius ​