The Belikov Manor

[MeloraBelikov]

"Then I know where I'm going next," she told them. It was time for her to take care of this bullshit. Showing up unexpectedly and trying to turn her? Fine. Mass murder, trying to kill her friends, showing up in a clan safe house when the stability of the peace between the clans was shaky? Absolutely unforgivable. "I'll be leaving as soon as possible. He's going to die for putting you all through this. I'm very sorry." Her mood had changed. She'd gone from upset to pissed off, seeing red in an instant. He was somewhere on this earth and she was going to take him off of it. Melora's muscles tensed and pain shot through her shoulders and down her back, a cruel reminder that all of this was his fault.

[Doctor]

"Excuse me?" Anshel exclaimed, once again offended by Melora's words. Stepping up from his position crouched over the closeted bodies, he turned to face her fully and eye her form up and down. "The fuck you are!" He spat out.

Upon inspection of the hallway's secrets, Anshel came upon much he knew nothing about. Decaying bodies he was familiar with, but necromancy and the powers and materials required for it was beyond his scope of knowledge. Personal experience revealed that reanimation of dead flesh was a practice of God, not of Satan, and he'd never known a creature without divinity to be capable of it.

All that was himself demanded he learn the enemy, demanded that time be taken to properly assess their threats and prepare. That strategy rarely failed him, which was far more than he could say about the charging-in-blind approach his subordinate lived and breathed. And that subordinate, he was convinced, had no business running off in such a state with a demon he procured for her to pursue a personal vendetta. He was not the only one with responsibilities to his clan and he would remind her of that.

"We have an objective to complete. We are going to take samples of the bodies and the minerals and that device found in your manor and return to Court. Your Father is not the clan's priority." Anshel finished and moved to check on Azura who had seemed disturbingly out of sorts, considering the matter closed.

[AzuraGallu]

Azura rose to his feet and turned on them both, first with Melora's statement that she would be going off alone, which was just stupid, and second with Anshel's protest. He was taken aback at his queening out, having only assumed he was that harsh in intense situations. Then again, if one thought about it, this situation was more than a little fucked up. He gazed back at Anshel, opening his mouth to speak.
"I agree with you, but we should go after Melora's father. After all, he could very much be the Blackraven we're looking for. Perhaps if we waited for the testing to be done, we could approach this with all three of us still on our own dynamic." The minute he said it he felt it wasn't going to happen. Anshel was too distressed. He wanted to help. He really did, but he just didn't know how at this point.
With all the talk of going back, he knew that he'd have to await the results elsewhere and away from the Banglaire.
"While we're waiting, I need to go back home. My clan needs me, and our safehouses have been compromised, obviously."

[Rima Elaine Donavon]

Rima looked at the nails of the hand which was clenched around the staff. This so-called safehouse was fast turning into a mad house.

She cleared her throat as Azura spoke, having listened carefully to the argument. “Azura, I wish to leave you all now. Everybody in this hall needs a break, before your thoughts turn to a jumbled heap and you loose yourselves.” She brushed some strands of hair off of her forehead. "Home becons to me now, as it does you all." Her voice had remained smooth and silky as she spoke, but her body still remained ready to block any attacks thrown in her direction.

"The only remedy for this problem is separation."

[MeloraBelikov]

"Oh, you intend to leave?" Melora's voice had the slightest hint of disappointment, which was only a joke, of course. That much became obvious when her tone turned flat as soon as she continued. Raising an eyebrow, she crossed her arms across her chest, looking the woman over. "Well, enjoy home. You've been cooperative for the most part, but don't think to cross me in our travels, Бабушка. If you break one of the laws I'll know about it and I won't hesitate to come looking."

The praying one is leaving? Tell her not to let the vampires hit her God-fearing ass on the way out. Vetis was clearly annoyed by all the psalms speak from earlier, and Melora didn't blame her. Melora had saved the woman's ass twice now without so much as a passing thank you, but she'd pray to God all damn day who wouldn't do anything to save her if she was his last devout creature on earth. Obnoxious, Melora had decided. She had never treated Rima with any sort of clear respect or dignity, being that she was a Blackraven, but somewhere in the depths of her thoughts she admitted to herself that Rima wasn't entirely bad, made apparent by the fact that she'd saved her. Not that she'd ever admit that to anyone ever.

[Doctor]

"That's nice. 'Kay, bye now!" Anshel said dismissively towards Rima's general direction, maybe a bit too eager and jovial at the prospect of never having to interact with the lonely, occasionally homicidal vampire that stalked his mind. And maybe he was dancing inside a little. The sooner she left, the sooner he'd be down one problem.

Anshel took up his exchange with Azura immediately after the poor goodbye, hoping Rima would have little else to say before she finally departed. "Should our evidence indicate there's a connection between Mr. Belikov and your father's murder, we'll focus our investigation towards him." He looked down for a pause before lifting his eyes to look at Azura through his lashes, head kept bowed in gratitude. "Thank you. For your help and your pragmatism."

[AzuraGallu]

Azura nodded to Rima, opting the opposite of what his companions had done and avoided words. His eyes held hers for a moment before turning them to Anshel, a sad look of loss almost lighting them. He felt that after this, it would be a rare chance they'd ever meet again, and he quite liked the Judge's company; it was refreshing and pure, but not in a spiritual sense. Simply, with Anshel, you knew you weren't being shafted...well, that wasn't exactly correct either. Turning from that train of thought his eyes dodged between Melora and Anshel, sensing a massive issue that wasn't being undertaken with him in the room.
"I'll make arrangements for the both of you, and Anshel, it was the least I could do. During the course of this...interesting endeavor, I've come to consider you both friends, and allies."

[Rima Elaine Donavon]

Rima took in a breath while Azura held her gaze, but when he broke it, and turned to Anshel, she projected something to both the immortal men. ‘Paths cross many times, especially immortal ones. Don’t fret.’ Bringing the attention specifically to Anshel, she added. ‘That is where I must correct you Anshel, you assume I will fade, but quite the contrary.’ She smiled the first, real, genuine smile that any of these people would’ve seen her smile, eyes changing between the two men once more.

“Farewell. Anshel, Azura, Melora.” She said curtly, turning and taking measured steps away as she finally took her leave. A barely audible laugh echoed through the hall, as the snippet of Vetis's comment hit her mind.

[MeloraBelikov]

"Thank you, Azura. You've done more for me than you ever needed to. I'll be leaving you with the number to my personal line, should you ever need to reach me." As soon as they left the room and started the way downstairs Melora began to feel a twinge of....what was it, sadness? She knew she'd miss Azura, not that she'd ever admit that, either. Judging from the way Anshel was acting this was still supposed to be a professional matter. Still, as soon as the car arrived she couldn't help but give him a hug, the most awkward one she'd ever had, but it was still heartfelt. It was odd that she'd grown fond of a vampire as a friend, but because her entire world was already being turned on it's head, she guessed that changing her views was to be expected. She promised herself in her head that if they met again she'd kiss him one more time, when she wasn't dying or possessed, just to be sure that she'd remembered it correctly. He was the brand of obnoxious and arrogant and so incredibly good looking that would linger in her mind for awhile. Annoying and undeniable.

And yet the hug they shared also served a very specific purpose. As she wrapped her arms around him she slipped something very important into his back pocket, something she could now only trust him with. The Banglaire simply could not be trusted with any sort of weapon, as was evident in her mother's notes. No one knew it but her, but the Banglaire never had any intention of destroying the devices her mother had made, and instead had every intention of using them. All of them. Melora was not about to hand any of them over so easily.

----

On the plane ride Melora stared out the window, sighing every so often and pouting. Now she had to stay with Anshel, who would be likely to put her on lock down the second they arrived home. It's not safe, he would of course explain. You can't be off on your own, he'd tell her. And though he was right she knew that she wouldn't be safe anywhere at all, for that matter. he threat of the doll still rang in her ears, haunting her every thought as she turned the evidence over and over in her head.

At least for now her bell was safe with Azura, as were the pieces of the device they'd broken together. It took a lot of her faith to leave the objects with Azura, especially considering that he had favored Anshel over herself, but Melora had faith that everything she'd written down would cause Azura to understand the situation she was in.

----

Azura, King of the Gallu,

I am trusting these devices to you to hold safe for me while I'm gone. I don't know for sure where I'm going to end up, but I have faith that it won't be entirely too long before we meet again.

It seems as though I cannot trust anyone anymore, and the Banglaire the least these days. I didn't understand when they sent Anshel after me to meet you, but it has become pretty clear where I now stand with them. My mother's devices are of the most concern to me, and it would seem that despite becoming a renowned hunter, the Banglaire took me in first and foremost because of my connection with Olessia and her studies.

I would prefer to avoid war. The Banglaire are under the belief that they are the ultimate peace keepers, but I fear that the use of these objects is only going to further the possibility of an all out war, and I don't want to be the person who hand delivers them for use.

I know this seems like a horrid explanation for sticking my hands in your pants, but I'm sure you can't say that you found it to be an entirely offensive gesture.

Best wishes, friend.

And there Melora signed her name, as well as put in her contact information. It was a bit of a short explanation, but she would have to opportunity to explain further should Azura choose to contact her.

[Doctor]

Their departure from the safe house was rushed and without ceremony, understandable given the now obvious breach in security. The Gallu clan was already shaken by the murder of their monarch. To find their shield of defense to be so porous under the machinations of a psychic, undead mad scientist would be devastating. And while he hated to admit the fact, it was structure and order that would keep them from falling apart. Even as a creature of chaos and spontaneity, he could recognize the benefits of having rule and law and a guiding hand. So, when he left Azura, he refrained from throwing his arms around the vampire and kept his hands out of the man's pants. In stark contrast to Melora's farewell, he settled for a handshake that lingered only a second past appropriate. With contact information and vows to meet again exchanged and maybe a loaded glance, Anshel followed Melora into the town car and left the one good thing to come out of his crisis behind.

Anger fought with exhaustion the entire plane ride back and lost for a few hours as Anshel took to rest in his seat, but still it simmered underneath his exterior, which was clad in false detachment and blue cashmere. Only once the two had deboarded and settled themselves in their second car did he let the emotion fly, stretched and teased now into something that he could no longer contain without valiant effort.

"You are on probation." The statement was curt and surprisingly contained. Melora, he knew, would not take it well, but soon they would be back on common ground that recognized his authority, even if she didn't. And he would exercise it to the fullest extent. He had earned that right many times over, Anshel thought.

"If I had known you had a death wish, I would never have bothered putting that demon in you. Apparently it was a waste of a favor," he spit out. "I just don't know, Melora. I don't know what to do with you. I don't know how to get you to listen. I don't know how to get your head out of your ass and recognize that maybe there are people whose words you should take into account." Anshel shook his head and looked away for a moment, feeling a bit disgusted that this exchange had to take place at all. But they couldn't stay like this. It was a danger to him and to his clan and despite all their history together and butting heads and their mutual disgust, he'd always considered her part of that clan.

He finally contained that bilious sensation enough to look at the Russian straight in the eye. He moved closer even, leaning forward from the opposite seat, desperate to secure her undivided attention. "Do you think your clan doesn't care about your well being? This clan raised you. You swore fealty to it. And I just can't comprehend why you can't respect it enough to do what is asked of you. To not sneak out alone, against specific instructions and run without a fucking care into danger." He searched her eyes and couldn't interpret a thing, maybe because he was too blinded by his own emotions, or maybe because she was putting up a front, or maybe because there was just nothing to see. The latter thought depressed him, because then there really was no hope for them and he had failed again at his duties. "You put yourself at risk carelessly and consequently everyone around you because we care enough to follow. I can't have that. If you want to kill yourself, then fine. But it won't be because of me. Your assignments are temporarily suspended. You are confined to the grounds of the Court until further notice and you will see a Court physician twice a week until she tells me you aren't going to keel over and die in sixty-four days."

Anshel leaned back in his chair, feeling even lower than he did on the plane. And with still a time to go in the car and not wanting to look at the Huntress much longer, he slipped on a pair of sunglasses from his satchel and looked out the window.

[AzuraGallu]

Azura stiffened at the feeling of Melora's hot little hand sliding against his derrier, but quickly masked his tense surprise, knowing what and why she was doing this. And he happened to agree with her. The hours the two had spent in the basement afforded him the knowledge that even Anshel wasn't privy to about her mother and father. And that in itself, the encounter with her father was enough to make him worry constantly for her safety the minute she left his plane of view. He hoped Anshel knew what was going on, or at least had a good idea. He was the only one who could protect her, or attempt to, from her increasingly psychopathic mass-murdering father.
She was fucked, and only slightly depressed that it wouldn't be him doing the fucking. Damn
When the two had left he turned on the house head, taking on the facade of a man that wasn't one to take lightly. With wide eyes his clan members looked at him, having seen the change the exchanges he'd had in the past few weeks caused. He was their King now, and so they better hop to it.
In a matter of hours he'd evacuated the building, assisting them all back to the Castle with little protest and the confidant air of someone who knew exactly what they were going to do.
In the next few weeks he'd had all safe houses evacuated and boarded up, unwilling to have the safety of his clan compromised. The limit of the castle was stretched, their resources spread thin, but they'd survive. They had enough in stores to last them a while yet, but this was all the more reason the conflict had to be lain to rest in the most timely manner possible.
Somehow, he and his aunt with her four children managed to find time to give his father a proper burial service, though there was naught but ash remaining of the cold corpse he'd glimpsed on the day the entire journey began. It was both a marker of an end, and the flag for a new beginning, though with the departure of his comrades his mood steadily dropped and he'd found himself relying on the constant work his people lavished him with to distract him from his personal matters. They had no relevant position in his life now...though he often wished they would.
Glancing up at the small silver bell on his desk, he sighed loudly through his nose, closing his eyes. He'd just made an appointment to meet with the Moroi King, who was on leave at the moment, but expected back any day now. He needed to get out, even if getting out was explaining to foreign diplomats that his father was murdered and that they had little to no evidence of whodunnit save the hunch he and Melora would have paid money to see through.