Warning: Mild drug use is featured in this chapter. Basically someone smokes a cigarette. I thought I should warn you. XD The Hellewell-Fyres House, Oasis Springs, 2031 "Yeah, Alex. I'll talk to dad. He'll tell the rest of the Sweglords and Paris will have to explain himself." "Yeah, yeah. I know. I'll be careful. I... just... I don't know why he'd talk to Grim, y'know? Like what's he doing being in league with Grim? Everyone knows Grim's up to no good. And he talked about culling the human population... and stuff like that. It was just weird. "Yeah, look, papa's here. Gotta go. Love you too," Henry ended the call. "That your fiancé?" said his papa. "Yeah." Henry pressed his phone against his forehead in a defeated sigh. "Oh no, what's wrong Henry?" his papa sat beside him. "You don't have to follow through with this engagement. We can call it off anytime." "No, no. I still want to marry Alex," muttered Henry. "It's... uncle Paris... I... uh... was at the mansion last night." His papa pulled Henry into a hug. "Did he say something to you?" "Like what?" "I don't know. Something not very nice?" "Uhm... no... he just... uh... he was talking to someone." "Who?" "Uhm... Grim... I'm scared, papa." His papa hugged him tighter. "No need to be scared, Henry. Now you tell me everything you heard last night and your father and I will decide where to go from here." "Okay, " said Henry and he told his papa everything he had heard and felt, for he had seen nothing. He had been too afraid to look because of the heavy feeling of dread that came from the aura of Grim. "Henry wasn't lying, Caleb," said Jonathon to his husband. He had waited until Caleb had come home from a meeting with the Sweglords to tell him what Henry had said about Paris. "His account was too detailed to be fabricated. Besides, he loves Paris. Why would he be lying about this?" Caleb humphed. "We thought Henry hated the king, like the rest of us." "What are you trying to say?" "This could be a plan to assassinate his uncle. We know Paris and the king don't exactly get along and clearly our boy, Henry, would rather betray us than his beloved 'fiancé'" "Now look here," said Jonathon. "You should really look into this. Whether you believe Henry or not, I believe him and I think you should keep an eye on your little brother. He never liked the Sweglords, nor did he particularly enjoy the vampire community. It is highly likely he IS working for the Grim Reaper." "He is not working for the Grim Reaper," said Caleb, sharply. "Yes he is! You know he is. You said it yourself, Paris has been acting oddly these past few years. Ever since the Grim Reaper stopped fishing in the Evil Genius's lake, Paris has begun shutting himself off from society." For the first time since his younger sister, Lauren's, funeral, Caleb began to cry. "Not Paris," he said. The Grandmaster's Mansion, Forgotten Hollow, 2031 "I can't believe you," Lilith snapped. "When did you last attend a vampire meeting? 2027? You're the Grandmaster! You should be there!" "I'm sorry, Lilith," said Paris. "I just... I can't right now. I'm really busy." "With what?" "I... can't tell you." "You can't tell me? Why not? I'm part of your council. What the batty fangs are you hiding?" And Paris vanished. "Of course," said Lilith. "Vanish when things get difficult." Then she thought of something. Maybe Paris's ex girlfriend may have some advice about how to get Paris to talk? She knocked on the door of the ex girlfriend's house. She was now married with two young children. When no one answered the door, Lilith stormed right in. "Felicity? This in an emergency," she announced. Lilith stared at the woman who was once Paris's girlfriend. She seemed tired. She had bags under her eyes, a sagging mouth, lifeless cheeks. Depressed and tired, Lilith assumed. Lilith glanced at the tv show Felicity was watching, as she came to sit down. It was a daytime talk show. She raised an eyebrow. Don't tell me Paris likes this junk too. "Okay, I'm going to be straight. How the fangs did you get Paris to open up to you? He's hiding something important and he's becoming a hermit and I'm worried sick about him and I don't know what to do." Everything just came spilling out. Did I say too much? Lilith fretted. She never exactly knew how to talk to Felicity. She had known her as long as she had known Paris, and Felicity always made her feel somewhat... jealous? She had not quite figured out the feeling. "It's nice to meet you too," said Felicity. She had not seen Lilith since 2020 when Paris was turned and here Lilith just marched into her house as if they had been meeting on a regular basis. "Yeah, look I'm sorry for marching in like that," said Lilith. "Hey, it's fine," said Felicity. "But I'm not sure if I can really help. Paris likes it if you're patient with him... I guess saying 'that sucks' when he complains helps him." "Vipers!" cursed Lilith. "I'm not that sensitive." "Neither was I," said Felicity. "He kinda likes the strong headed, ill tempered girls." Is she suggesting Paris and I are an item? Plasma Rotten Fruit, she's nosy! Felicity's younger son toddled into the room, whining about food. "I guess you best be going," said Felicity. "Yeah, sure," laughed Lilith. "Thanks for the advice." Pfft. That daughter of a wingless bat, Lilith cursed. She marched back into the Grandmaster's mansion. She found Paris near the fireplace. He stood up when he saw her. "Lilith?" "That's my name." "I know, but what are you doing here? You should be at the meeting." "And so should you." "I'm not going." "Neither am I." Lilith took Paris's hands in hers. "How about we cancel today's meeting?" she suggested. "Okay, but I've never cancelled a meeting before." "Yeah, but you haven't attended one for a while either. Why don't we have our next meeting at your mansion?" "But Toni hates the vampire meetings being at my mansion," said Paris. "Yeah," said Lilith. "That's because Toni knows you'll attend if the meeting's at your place and she does not like you knowing what's going on." "Oh, I hadn't thought about that," said Paris. "You know, I worry about you," said Lilith. "Oh, god, Lilith, I'm a mess," said Paris. "Yeah, I know." Meanwhile in the afterlife the prisoners were discussing how to break out of the red room. The woman in red coughed thoughtfully. "If you're gonna cough, stop smoking. I'm trying to think," snapped the woman in white and she muttered something about smoke-obsessed Sweglords. "I've thought of something," said the smoking Sweglord. The other two ignored her. "But the red room has no doors, Chloe. And I've tried shooting the walls down with my gun, and even tried my hand at knocking it down with my axe and Thor's hammer. It's indestructable," said Bastian. "Ehem," said the Sweglord. "Has anyone ever considered using explosives?" Gemma had dressed up in anticipation of seeing her husband, in case he managed to escape the red room. "Just be careful," said her mother, Oak. "We don't know what Grim has done to him or who else is in that room with him." "I will be careful, mama," said Gemma. "But I also love my husband." "I know." "Husband?" said Talula. She had emerged from the darkness, in a long black dress and a witch's hat. "Grandma?" said Gemma. "You're all dressed up." "I'd tell you the same thing," said Talula. "Why are you all dressed up?" Poses by: sim-plyreality Germansimmerr marygelal I've unfortunately lost the source for the cigarette poses so if anyone knows who they belong to please let me know. Comments are closed.
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