Welcome! (Back?)

[Dorian]

Dorian felt more than saw Lih leaving. He looked shaken, and he guessed this hadn't been the relaxing moment he had intended. Flash bang bombs going off in every direction. He sighed and looked all over to Cruz. "Cruz, clear a path for Aiden's friend and make sure Nox doesn't go ballistic when he finds out."

Cruz rolled his eyes. And Dorian followed Lih back inside just as his phone went off and he yelled at the person before he hung up on them. He looked embarrassed. But there was little time to deal with that as another flash bang went off in the front of the house. Christian was heading to the entryway and Dorian was following him immediately.

Out front was a single man lying flat on his back holding his ears. Dorian recognized him. And he hadn't told anyone yet about them. Well Fuck!

Christian had his gun trained on the man and Dorian sighed. "Don't shoot him. Yet. We need to find out why he's here." Dorian smirked the man couldn't hear him anyway. He couldn't exactly explain while Lih was here. That would go over so well. Yeah I'm working with some bad cops to protect my family from the Atharim... real well!

Dorian's mind was racing trying to figure out how to deal with this...

[Siobhan West]

Another blast erupted from the front portion of the property. Ebony jumped in place, very unlike her, but she never cared for loud noises. The wolf drew closer to Siobhan as two of the other men went off to investigate the commotion.

                Siobhan held her hands up in a defeated gesture, speaking to the tall drink of water before her, “Wasn’t me that time… And before you ask, no I didn’t bring any other friends with me. Seems you guys are popular tonight, eh?”

                I don’t like this one bit, Siobhan, Ebony said in Siobhan’s mind.

                Yeah, I’m starting to question my decision also… Siobhan thought back.

                Starting to!? I told you before, yet you wouldn’t listen! No, we just have to find Aiden! Well? No Aiden! Just guns and bangs. I don’t like this, Siobhan.

                Siobhan looked to Ebony and just cocked an eyebrow. The wolf met her gaze and held it.

                With a groan, Siobhan looked away first and felt smug satisfaction radiating off of Ebony over winning the staring contest. They did that sometimes. It warranted many strange, confused looks from everyone else around them... Most of the time.

                “Can I move yet, Mister? Wolfie here is getting anxious.”

[Cruz]

Cruz sighed at the second bang. Fuck! Nox was gonna be happy and pissed at the same time. "Follow me please Ms. West. Exactly behind me. Do not stray off the path." Cruz light a clear path with ropes of fire along the ground and headed towards the patio. The wound past the pool avoiding any trip wires. The hardest part really was making sure the bombs didn't go off in his face.

By the time they reached the patio he was sweating hard. That was worse than one of Nox's workouts. He'd only done that once. "It's safe to wander in the house. Just stay on the concrete. Aiden isn't here right now. I'm sure he'll be back soon. " Nova started growling under his breath. "Shush, Nova. They are friends." At friends Nova stopped growling and started bouncing around. The key words Nox used. So funny sometimes what Nova responded to.

[Lih]

Distantly, they all heard the crack-crack-crack of a wired trap firing. He tensed.

No. But he was fine. He cried in front of Dorian and he was humiliated. He wanted to cry.

But, now he wasn’t upset anymore. Maybe because they’d all forgotten about him.

He stepped toward Dorian, away from Siobhan, the wolf, the fire-god Cruz to bring “Aiden’s friend” in… could it be, the Aiden? Aiden Finnegan?

“What—" Lih started. He looked around awkwardly at the next room. Clearly uncomfortable.

Dorian and that brown-haired man with the calm eyes hurried through here to the front door.

As if, this… all of this, could be explained simply.

Nothing would happen if Dorian did his job, right? Lih didn’t want anything bad to happen here.

This fore-knowledge may have been one of the major contributing reasons to his unwillingness to be agreeable (or even here), but it wasn’t as though he had a choice.

He sighed and spent an impressive moment dusting himself off. Sighed and followed along.

Saw something. Down the end. Something moved.

Lih zoomed in with his lens and saw it this time. The fallen man had clapped his hands up to his ears, through the shadows fifteen meters ahead; he noticed the man was showing too much of the whites of his eyes.

“Damn!” Lih exclaimed. Almost instinctively he snapped a visual of the man, and selected the option for police data scan.

The brown-haired man with the gray eyes kept his aim steady even as Dorian instructed him not to shoot the intruder.

“Sir?” he called, "are you ok?”

Vitya Lih

[Dorian]

Christian pulled the man up and ushered his half broken self into the dining room and into an uncomfortable chair. Dorian followed and when the man was sitting down Dorian put his hand on his friends shoulder. "Why don't you take Officer Lih into the kitchen and make him whatever he wants. I'm sure Aiden's friend could use something too."

Christian nodded and waved for Lih to follow him. "Come with me, sir. Dorian will handle this. You look like you could use a good bite to eat."

Dorian waited until they had left before he laughed. "So now you decide to check on us. Didn't Yun tell you that you needed to be careful here."

The man shook his head. "Yun just said to protect your family."

"And a woman in the woods should have tipped you off before the bombs going off. Your surveillance needs to step up a notch. When my IT gets back you can work with him to get set up."

The man frowned. "Yun won't like this."

Dorian nodded, "She also won't like you getting killed or hurt."

[Siobhan West]

Ebony bared her teeth at the dog called Nova… At least until the man before her called him off. It was quite funny really; Siobhan had never met a dog that answered to such simple commands. Then again, she hadn’t spent much time around dogs at all, just the wolves really. The handsome man went on to instruct her that it was safe to wander the house.

                Siobhan was no fool. She ran directly to the front of the house where a new commotion was stirring. The lonely albino man stood far away from, whom Siobhan assumed to be, the Master of the House and a stranger recovering from the strange blasts that had afflicted her and Ebony earlier. The albino boy had some high-tech equipment across his eyes, staring at the pair in the front of the estate. No doubt this white-haired man was with the police force… Either that or a tech junkie.

                Ebony came up behind Siobhan and immediately started to sniff at the albino.

                Mmmm… I like this one, Siobhan. He smells innocent… And afraid… Ebony said in her telepathic voice to Siobhan.

                Leave him be, Eb. I doubt you’re doing anything for his fright, Siobhan answered back in her mind.

                Spoilsport. Ebony replied simply before moving off to explore the rest of the house.

                Before Siobhan could say anything to the Albino, identified as ‘Officer Lih,’ the master of the house lead the stranger through the front door. The other man of the house identified the Master as Dorian and beckoned for Lih and Siobhan to follow him to the kitchen. The dining room wasn’t far off from the Kitchens and Siobhan had noted how strangely this Dorian was acting around the other stranger.

                Eb, keep an ear on those two… Something’s up here… Siobhan thought to her wolf companion.

                I’m right on top of that, Rose. Ebony answered back.

                Siobhan laughed loudly, looking quite odd to Lih and the other man. She paid them no heed and instead answered Ebony in her head, So you do pay attention to all those old movies I make you watch!

                …

                Ebony was silent as she paced the first floor, coming back to the dining room every so often. With her keen sense of hearing, she didn’t actually need to be in the same room as the two conversing, but it looked better if she came in every so often; to the others, she would just be a wolf pacing due to tight walls closing in on her. That may be unnerving for some, but Dorian was the one that invited a wolf and a woman into his house. He would just have to live with it or kick them out.

                While Ebony was busy eavesdropping, Siobhan took the opportunity to get to know these two strange men better. She turned to Officer Lih and gave him a wink, “So, let me be the first to say that I am absolutely flattered that you use one of my songs as your ringtone. I hope I don’t offend, but you remind me of the moon; pale and luminous. You should be in my next music video… We’re filming for my single ‘Astral Dreams,’ it’s a song about a woman who has found her true love in the Otherworld… But then again, if you know ‘Silver Skans,’ then I can assume you’ve heard the other singles. It will be awesome. You can be my Moon King in the video while I play a Wolf Princess.”

                Siobhan tossed her hair across her right shoulder and eyed the other man in the room, “What about you, handsome? Didn’t ever tell me your name… Or what you’re cooking us.” She flashed a wolfish grin at the man and gave another wink to Lih. Aiden wasn’t around, so why not have a little fun while she waited?

[Cruz]

Cruz followed the rockstar. He couldn't help but admire her from behind. Though he had a girlfriend. Though he hadn't really seen her much since he got sick. He might have to see if she wanted to come stay here - in her own room of course. Otherwise he might never get to see her alone. Specially now after the Atharim tried to kill Nox once already and he was flying blind. They all missed his and his father's insider view.

The man on the ground was ushered inside and his dad took charge. Cruz was torn between going back outside to continue with the traps, or to listen to his father. His curiosity overcame him and he lingered outside the by the door. The big black wolf lingered too and Cruz wondered if it was listening too. He glanced back towards the kitchen and wondered if there was some sort of connection. Nox would know. Nox knew everything strange. Cruz rolled his eyes.

A few names came out of his father's mouth that he didn't exactly understand. Who was Yun? Cruz was tired of the lies. He stepped around the corner and confronted his father. "Who is Yun?" Cruz asked definitely.

***

Dorian had sent him off into the kitchen. Christian was certain Cruz should have followed but the boy hadn't and he almost went back for him, but there were others with him and they were guests - more important in Dorian's eyes. He could deal with his own son, though he'd never had in the past. Which made Christian sigh before he yelled down the stair well to the basement as he walked past. "Ana, you can come up now."

There was talk of music videos as Christian prepared whatever food was already half prepped. His kitchen was neatly rearranged and he had to find things in his own kitchen. But then he wasn't the only one using it anymore. Which was nice. Christian chuckled when the woman turned her attentions from Dorian's latest protegee to him. "I'm flatter. I'm Christian. Dorian's, technically butler suits, but I'm family."

Ana in all her prestine glory came up from the basement with a scowl on her face, scrunching up her beauitiful nose and crinkling her lips, but still a goddess. At least to Christian. "Why am I the only one who had to find myself in that hole in the wall room, Nox likes to call home."

Christian frowned, "Because Dorian and I want to keep you safe. If you are away from everything they won't hurt you. We couldn't stand it if you got hurt."

Ana's face lightened but her eyes were still angry. "Dorian, didn't mention guests coming over today."

Christian smiled. "Aiden's friend, and a new officer from Domovoi I presume." Christian introduced what he knew. "This is Anastaisa Vega. Dorian's loving wife." He and Ana both smirked at the title. While Dorian was loving, he wasn't in love with Ana and never had been.

"I see you are just reheating left overs."

Christian laughed, "It's a shame to put the Nox's anxious cooking habits to waste." It was nothing extraordinary, Chicken Cacciatore over a fresh made pasta Christian was boiling now. He skewered her question. "And I'm reheating last nights chicken cacciatore. Can I ask after either of your names?"

[Lih]

Christian led him into the Vega estate and Lih felt sick. His belly was so tight now, and his chest, too. Something was stuck in his throat and it was hard to breath, but still Christian led him forward; he thought he heard voices, laughter but the sounds were far away.

He sniffled, a very immature trait in a soon-to-be domovoi cop. His eyes squeezed shut to stop the tears and his hands clutched one another in his lap. It was so warm inside and he couldn’t breath. His steps faltered and he nearly fell. He pulled at the collar of his uniform, gasping for breath, only to realize he was falling behind.

He ran after Christian, adrenaline keeping him upright, until eventually collapsing onto a stool at a kitchen island. His eyes didn’t work properly. The marbled pattern on the counter top was hard to see. He could feel it knocking against his hands and knees, but the sensation was dull, like the chimes of champagne glasses beneath his feet; but it was there.

The light inside the kitchen drew his eyes toward it.

Lih’s lens-enhanced eyes widened with shock as an indescribable jolt settled down on him.

The friendly butler walked him into a long hall where Siobhan and her wolf waited. They looked at him with big smiles and joy; ignoring the childish depiction of heart-break on his face.

Siobhan’s tone was light, teasing; Lih had dreaded but hoped to avoid it...

Every time the wolf sniffed him, Lih squirmed inside. The wolf was so big and he was so little and he knew what hungry wolves were expected to do to people. His stomach hurt and his breathing was amplified by the confines around him and the wolf. He squeezed his eyes tightly again and bit his lip. He wouldn’t cry. Or scream… Yup, Costa wouldn’t like him screaming.

“I appreciate that.” He stopped and called over his shoulder; his voice stained. "I’m sure you have your reasons for being here, but they are none of my business. It’s… dangerous here and there’s work to be done. Your friend just went that way, wolf princess.”

He thumbed to the left where the wolf prowled away. Turned to face that direction in time to over-hear Cruz’s loud questions to Dorian. The wolf seemed curious about Dorian’s latest visitor out front; so was Lih. His scan on the man came up suspiciously blank, just like Dorian’s blank’d profiles. Didn’t the others care why he was there?

Naughty. That was what he was being. Naughty. Having been warned to stay away from the injured man and the invisible traps outside he simply had to see it through, if only because he had been told not to. So far the experience at Dorian Vega’s home was overwhelming. It may have been huge, filled with brilliant furniture and architecture that made you want to stop and stare, but you know, there were altogether far too many people. And if there was one thing Lih truly disliked it was a lot of people.

It was unnerving, almost frightening to be surrounded by so many people. Sure, a person needed other people to remain healthy, that is to say friends and family, but that same person didn’t need to surround himself with quite so many visitors, a big bloody wolf among them. There were enough people here in the kitchen alone to positively start a riot… He didn’t know about such things.

He was hungry and thirsty and tired. It felt good to get that off his chest earlier in the cafe with Dorian. And it was nice to sit for a while. And, he added to himself, Christian was right: he could do with a really good meal.

He sat down on the bar stool as close to the floor as he could manage. While he waited for someone, maybe the woman with the bright angry eyes, to offer him some kind of refreshment he took off his gloves and pressed his finger tips into the cool marble surface of the kitchen island…

“Anastasia. Christian. Siobhan. Um. Wolf (wherever you are). I’m Vitya, Lih, or the moon.” Lih made a show of thinking. "Dorian’s latest stray, it seems. This pasta smells divine. Thank you for having me.”

Vitya Lih

[Dorian]

Cruz's voice pulled him from the interogation that wasn't really an interrigation. He turned to see his son standing there like his mother, with his hands on his hip and the same scowl. He was so his mother's son to which Dorian just snickered at the thought. Cruz's frown grew deeper. "What's so funny?"

"You son. You look like your mother when you are angry." Dorian intoned with the humor he saw in the whole thing.

"I guess you've seen her alot like that." Cruz bit back, "That doesn't answer my question."

Dorian gave a sigh and waved for the man to leave. "Return to your post. Yun won't hear from this from me." The man looked at him wide eyed but with a nod he rose from the chair and left the dinning room and thought front door back to his car where he waited. Dorian sat down in the vacated chair and waved for Cruz to sit. "I wasn't hiding it. I was just waiting for everyone to be home at the same time. I didn't want to have to repeat myself."

Cruz growled. "Well, now it looks like you are going to have to."

"Indeed." Dorian agreed. "Yun is the woman who had me kidnapped because I was former Atharim. She and I have since made an arrangement to keep my family safe and in exchange I'll give her information."

Cruz frowned. "So you go from one organization to another and still a dirty cop? Are they going to have you kill innocent kids too?'

Dorian sighed and shook his head, reaching for the bridge of his nose and squeezed. And they were back here again... "I have never killed anyone outside the line of duty and even then only in defense of my own life. I do not regret my actions Cruz. I saved many more lives than you know by doing what I do. And no this is Atharim knowledge nothing to do with actual police work. She wants to know and use the reborn gods and she feels I am a key to getting that information."

Cruz guffawed. "Like you know anything about them."

Dorian grinned at his son. "I know a very powerful god, who is teaching the most important person in my life to be a very powerful man."

"So you'll use Nox."

"In a nutshell." Dorian agreed. "But I will keep him from the dealings of Yun and her people. He's is purely an informant and you are keenly aware that he's pro anything that will keep people safe."

Dorian could tell his son was confused but he let the words sink in. There was so much more to it than that and Dorian was about to give up Yun to his do-gooder son to spite his father. No, Yun would keep her secrets, they weren't his to share. But Yun was an officer he was going to have a few issues explaining that. "Yun is also in the CCDPD."

Cruz's eyes went wide and he was without words. Dorian could see his son searching for the questions, and the answers he inevitably would come too but the syndicate would remain a secret even if Yun's involvement was not.

[Siobhan West]

A woman named Ana came up from the basement, clearly annoyed over everything that had transpired over the course of the last few moments. The woman of the house, although she clearly had chemistry with the butler. A strange house and stranger company Aiden had found himself in. Siobhan was mildly surprised over the entire thing. Her friend had a certain magnetism to him, but he rarely acted the follower. Was there a boy involved here? That was the only explanation she could come up with.

                The albino man, Lih, introduced himself next after declining Siobhan’s offer of staring in her music video. She shrugged at his denial and simply said, “It was worth a shot. If you ever tire of the police game, give me a call.” With that, she slid her business card over to the young officer. It featured her personal number and that of her agent’s. Lih would do well as a model, of that she was sure. The entertainment industry certainly loved individuals with a ‘different’ look about them.

                Siobhan turned her attention to the other two, “Lih over here already said it. My name is Siobhan West, pop star extraordinaire and one of Aiden’s old bandmates from Blarney Stoned. Just finished a world tour last night, you might have heard about it in the media… I’m taking a few months off from the glitz and glam; looking for Aiden to boot. I’ve got a few pressing questions for the guy. Anyone know when he’ll be back?”

                The cooking smelled wonderful even if it was just leftovers. Siobhan’s stomach growled something fierce as the scent wafted up her nose. It had been a minute since she’d had proper home cooking. Oh, personal chefs and five-star restaurants were amazing and all, but those things paled next to the personal touch that came with a home kitchen. Siobhan found herself wondering if they had any raw meat for Ebony to snack on.

                As if by magic, the she-wolf wandered back into the kitchen and sniffed at Ana. She moved on from the woman and came to sit on her haunches next to Siobhan.

                He’s a dirty cop… Whatever that means… Looks bathed to me. Ebony spoke telepathically to Siobhan.

                What!?

                He’s bribing some people to protect him from the Atharim… You know the group. Those killers that don’t like the Channelers? We know of them. They’ve never been friends to the wolves… I would advise leaving Aiden to all of this, Siobhan.

                Huh… I’ll be damned… You don’t think…?

                That Aiden can wield magic?

                Yeah…

                If he’s fallen in with this crowd, I would assume as much.

                Well, that makes sense… I mean, every other member of the band has had weird shit happen to them. I’d be more shocked if Aiden was the only normal one out of us all.

                We’re not leaving… Are we?

                Not on your young, lupine life, Eb.

                The wolf sighed internally before wandering back off to spy on Dorian.

                Siobhan looked back up to Christian and the other two with a smile on her face, “Interesting place ya’ll got here… Christian, my dear fellow, you wouldn’t happen to have any lamb, or pork, or beef up in that fridge, do ya’? Ebony is getting hungry and I’d hate to eat in front of her without offering up a plate of her own… She doesn’t like noodles, so…”