Rachel’s left hip pressed against Scarlet’s butt on the air mattress they’d shared, muscles burning as she stretched underneath the large blankets with a low moan, mind rousing from a deep sleep. Her ears stiffened while swiveling her waist, left shoulder lifting to reach to the right, toes curling as she extended her legs as far as they would go.
Releasing a sharp puff of air, she eased on the tension, scooting a little to the right as Scarlet groaned, squirming next to her. Licking her full lips, Rachel stared up at the ceiling, taking in the sounds throughout the building.
The family’s up, huh…
With her entire field of view in focus, she could make out the two empty mattresses used by her brother, his wife, and her parents; the news brought a bit of agitation to Rachel’s morning. The fact that so much could happen around her and she dozed right through it made her uncomfortable.
Rolling to the side, she got out of bed, adjusting her sports bra and black shorts in the process. Her hair had been pulled into a ponytail before bed, the same as the waking Vampire beside her. Scarlet was doing her own morning stretch routine, causing the inflatable mattress to make the usual noises.
“Morning,” Rachel snickered.
Scarlet groaned, lying flat on her back while staring up at her. “Ugh … was it hard for you to fall asleep? It sounded like you just drifted off in like … five seconds.”
Rachel’s left eyebrow lifted. “Eh … I’ve never had trouble sleeping. I usually did a lot of exercising before bed, though. Why; was it hard for you last night?”
The Vespertine Reaper’s sullen blue eyes darted to her brother’s mattress. “Uh … your brother has some ungodly snores.”
A smile split Rachel’s lips before slow laughter rolled through her belly. “I … can’t say I’ve noticed. He wasn’t snoring when we came back?”
Scarlet lifted her legs, causing the blanket to rise before housing herself into a sitting position, easing her neck around in a circle. “Yeah, well … it didn’t start for like … oh, thirty minutes after you passed out.”
“Huh … you really do have a tough time sleeping.”
“It’s a curse,” Scarlet growled, arms stretching left and right above her head. “So … what’s goin’ on with everyone right now?”
“Um,” Rachel’s ears tilted left and right, “I’m still gathering all the details, but … a lot, actually. Maria’s back.”
“Wait, for real?” Scarlet vanished in shadows, not even taking the effort to get to her feet before appearing beside her with a curious smile. “You said there was going to be new Legendkin and Mythickin, right?”
“Yeah … my family’s with Anthony right now. Interesting … Duncan isn’t with him. Maria seems pretty hyped about something; they’re getting ready to head out. Hmm … let’s drop in to see what’s happening.”
Scarlet’s vampiric eyes took the place of her blue irises, following Rachel’s pointed finger. “Umm … I’m cool with it, but … our clothes?” She asked, cheeks turning a bit red.
Rachel stepped to the right for a second, examining the girl’s appearance with a small smirk. “What about it?” She giggled. “A gray v-neck t-shirt with a pony on it and yellow polka dot shorts are too embarrassing?”
Scarlet’s black lips tightened, studying her attire. “Well, yeah, a little, but … you really want to meet the two new guys and that girl wearing … well, that?” She asked in disbelief.
Plucking at her black workout shorts, Rachel shrugged. “Meh. I wear this kind of stuff while at the gym. What difference does it make?”
“Mmh,” Scarlet lifted an eyebrow. “It’ll make an impression alright … I’m sure, but I guess this is Miami. Personally, I was just always really uncomfortable showing so much skin,” she mumbled while removing her hair-tie and brushing out her hair. “Whatever … nevermind.”
Rachel just snickered in response.
“Ready?”
At her nod, Scarlet moved within her personal space, shadows surrounding them.
Time slowed as the haze left, and she caught the three new Demi quickly raising their guard upon their arrival, but the tension was swept away in an instant.
“Aye, chicas!” Maria greeted, giving them a toothy grin. “Yo, just in time, and aye, I heard about that witch showin’ back up!” Her cheer dropped into a scowl on a dime. “Yo, some crazy crap went down while I was away, huh?”
Scarlet’s red halo eyes moved to the shapely woman with a large tail, glowing hair, and scales. “Yeah…”
Rachel’s smile grew suspicious as her vision turned to the two muscular and very handsome men; their cheeks turned red upon seeing her.
The Indian man nudged the African American while whispering, “Bro, Ohan, Miami is lit, my man!”
Rachel shrugged, eyeing the three newcomers while keeping her gaze on the Unicorn. She’d been collecting some of the news between conversations around the building and already discovered a few interesting bits of data on the four Miami additions.
However, it was the Mythickin beside the Legends that interested her; she was definitely someone to tread lightly around until her personality was better understood. “We handled it. So … who’s your new friends?” She asked, giving Scarlet a playful nudge.
“Huh, what?” Scarlet hissed defensively, scratching her right arm and averting her gaze.
Maria gave the Vespertine Reaper a humorous hum before introducing each person present. “Aye, we got my man, Clay, over here! I think he’s like … a Master Sergeant or somethin’, but yo, he be makin’ the dreams happen with big jefe.
“Then we got Vasishtha … some big shot archer legend or somethin’ from India.” The handsome man winced at her introduction, forcing a smile and interrupting his whispered conversation to Ohan about their beauty that she had no doubt he knew they could hear.
The Legend of Arjuna … some kind of Indian figure that favors large bows. Tom’s right; if he is on our team, it provides the ranged support we severely lack.
He put two fingers to his forehead before making a gesture .“Heh … yo. Might I say…”
“Yeah, yeah,” Maria snickered dismissively, “she’s as beautiful as the moon, huh?”
Vasishtha gave a relenting sigh. “Stealing my thunder again, Maria…”
“Maëlle?” Rachel asked with an amused smirk at the crestfallen man.
The Legend held his hands behind his head while casually leaning back. “Hehe, what a vision she is … the class is just …mmh!”
Maria huffed, giving the man a dubious grin. “Yo, I’m tellin’ ya, hombre, she’ll play ya like a fool.”
“She’s very flirty … not as bad as him, though,” Selvaria piped up with a sharp glare at the Legend.
“Oh?” Rachel mused. “A pact made in heaven?”
“Or something far below,” Selvaria giggled, “but we all know who’d wear the leash.”
“Yes, please!” Vasishtha grinned with excitement.
“Dude?” Maria mumbled, and even the Master Sergeant gave him a questioning look.
The Indian man held up his hands. “Aye, I’m just sayin’, that girl can take me into a dark alley any time of the night or day! Ya’know what I mean?”
“Unfortunately,” Selvaria mumbled while rolling her eyes.
“Uh, yeah, well, we kind of failed in that department,” Maria said with a weak chuckle.
Vasishtha wore a triumphant smile. “Yeah, boy! I got a date with the Succubus! Score! Am I right, Ohan, ma’man?”
Ohan returned the bro-fist with a weak chuckle. “Hey, I ain’t about to cockblock, but careful, man. I’m just sayin’, she’s a literal Succubus.”
“Yo…” Vasishtha sucked on his lower lip with a thoughtful glance to the side. “You think she’s got a dungeon somewhere? Yo…”
“Bro, I ain’t down for that,” Ohan mumbled. “But you do you…”
“Aye, I’m so hyped!”
Maria gave Scarlet and her a weak shrug. “Eh … yeah, that’s Ohan, the Samurai-thing or somethin’; yeah, he’s got a sword he can like Jedi to him and crap,” she chuckled, causing a second wince as he shyly gave her a smile.
The Legend of Yasuke, an African American Samurai … Samurai had a variety of different weapons they used. He may have a bow for mid-range and other tools besides a Katana … there’s also the possibility of enchanted armor, too.
“Oh, and that chica with the seal, uh … yeah, she’s got a pet seal,” Maria laughed.
Rachel kept her expression on a placid cheer with the entire exchange, but this woman drew her curiosity. The baby harbor seal looked like its tight fur had been white before rolling around in ink, creating black spots to run down his face, back, and be dotted all over its body.
“Yeah, the chica with the glowing hair’s a Leviathan; crazy, huh? Oh, her name’s Selvaria, but you already know all this, right?” Maria said with a sheepish laugh.
“Hello,” Selvaria waved, tail sweeping around to press her fin against her shin, giving Rachel the impression she was nervous.
She was supposed to have been close to Seattle when the Vampire went on his massacre.
Rachel waved back. Scarlet shyly did the same, keeping silent, but the Vespertine Reaper’s slow shift to stand slightly behind her made Rachel laugh inside.
She’s still so shy.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you three, and yes,” she said, giving Maria a playful smile, “I’ve already heard quite a bit about you from gossip. All of you are the hot topic right now around the building, and … there’s a fourth coming, correct?” Her gaze returned to the Unicorn, but Clay was the one to answer.
“Yes, Ms. Park. Cahira Ó Corra will be touching down in Miami within the next thirty minutes. We’re just about to leave to meet her.”
The name was foreign to Rachel. “Cahira … what nationality is that?”
“Irish,” Maria chimed. “She’s Irish, like Fiona, but, well … she doesn’t speak the language like her, though. Umm … yeah, we’re goin’ to go on an adventure after I finish some business, though. Wanna join? We’ll be goin’ out on the ocean! My bro’s goin’ to come with that one girl you dropped off at my house,” she said with a light glare. “Aye, aye, yo, what’s that about?”
Vasishtha’s slightly bored gaze perked up. “Oh, a girl you dropped off for her brother? Smooth!”
“Not smooth!” Maria growled. “Yo, wassup with the cat chica? My hermanito won’t stop talkin’ about this girl crashin’ at my place! Aye, and even the lil homies be spittin’ how cute she be … heck, I heard some of the TNS boys be checkin’ up on her to see she’s taken care of … for real.”
The Indian man gave her another impressed nod with a thumbs up, silently saying Yeeeaah! That’s what I’m talkin’ about!
“Zoe,” Rachel responded with an apologetic laugh. “She went through a really rough week with Calístrato Ballesteros’s people.”
Maria’s brow furrowed darkly, sucking on her lower lip. “That dude … yeah, so that’s why you tore up his joint. Cool, okay … yeah, he was a real piece of trash, but let a chica know next time, okay? Freak … comin’ back to find some cat chica moved in,” she grumbled.
“I approve!” Vasishtha snickered.
Selvaria scratched her seal’s nose with a sideward smirk at the man. “I get the feeling you’d approve of a half-dressed monkey if it was a female.”
“Oof … yo, chill, Selv, I got standards.”
Selvaria gave him a dubious stare while Ohan awkwardly stood between them, and Rachel was starting to get a dynamic picture of the trio.
Clay interjected for a second time. “If you’ll excuse us, Ms. Park, but we should get to the airport before Cahira lands.”
“Of course, but Maria … is there any way you could find work for Zoe. She ran completely out of funds and can’t get in contact with her family.”
“Mmh,” Maria’s tight lips bunched to the side. “... Yeah, I think I can work somethin’ out … uh, yeah. Oh, yo, I got somethin’ in the works that’ll be sick! Yeah, but you comin’ with us?”
Rachel glanced down at Scarlet with a shrug. “My family is here, but they might enjoy a boat ride. What do you think, Scarlet?”
“Yeah, sounds fun!” She grinned, beginning to feel a bit more comfortable as she showed her fangs.
Vasishtha cleared his throat with a sharp sniff of his nose. “Ahem … I’m afraid I won’t be there. I have a date with a Succubus in an hour.”
“Shocker,” Selvaria mumbled.
Taking advantage of the brightening atmosphere, Rachel gave him an encouraging smile, stepping forward to pat him on the shoulder with mock concern. “We’ll pray for your safe return; godspeed.”
For the first time, Vasishtha seemed utterly speechless as everyone burst into laughter, a silent but heavy quake running through Clay’s frame.
With that, they said their goodbyes, and Scarlet teleported them to her family; Maëlle was shopping nearby with Saeki, looking for a new dress, while Kyle seemed to be off feeding somewhere outside her sensory radius.
From fractured conversations, she learned that after a chat between Clay, Tom, and David, the guard detail and restrictions had significantly been lifted. It seemed the Succubus just really enjoyed her FBI escort, which Rachel assumed came with the added security she could employ when needed or it suited her.
Vasishtha was guided to the confiscation area where they’d first gained clothes. The agent thoroughly enjoying the Legend’s energy and jokes.
Stepping out of the shadows in the FBI front lobby, currently after hours for the day staff, she met her family on the same couches they’d used the night before. Anthony was sitting across from them, pausing in his story about backpacking the Appalachian Trail.
Rachel instantly noticed the Legendkin’s outfit; he wore a fitted rouge long sleeve shirt with the first few buttons undone, tucked into slim fit jeans. His brown belt matched his shiny leather huaraches, which she found a bold choice. He certainly had perfectly manicured and shapely feet.
“Hey, Mom, Dad,” she greeted with a bright smile.
Molly and Alexa jumped at their entrance, eyes growing big.
She caught Anthony’s pretty green eyes instantly sweeping her body with a small, amused grin. “Rachel … planning on working out? I like the ponytail, by the way.”
Her mother’s vision darted between them, sparkle quickly coming to life. “... Sung … oh, Rachel, are you?”
Alexa gave her a suspicious smile after the initial shock, leaning closer to nudge her husband. “Mmh … Rachel, you look just as pretty awake … is that unfair blessing another gift from The Oscillation?”
Ignoring Anthony and her mother’s probe, Rachel gave her attention to Alexa, shooting Nam a sly smirk. “If so, I wonder if my brother got it.”
Nam’s muscles tightened after she put him on the spot, making Rachel’s ears twitch with delight at seeing her brother squirm. “Uh,” he caught everyone staring his way, “I … don’t believe I have that trait … Anthony?” He asked, trying to toss the hot potato.
The Legendkin gave a weak shrug, smile refusing to falter. “I haven’t needed to do much skin or hair maintenance since the change. Everything stays just about how I like it, and I suspect the same goes for Rachel and Scarlet.”
A lump dropped down Alexa’s throat as she gave the man a suspicious glare, whispering under her breath, “Everything?”
Scarlet and her mother seemed to be on the same wavelength as Alexa because both their cheeks darkened with curiosity.
Rachel cleared her throat, dragging their minds out of the gutter. “Anyway, we’ve been invited to a boating trip tonight. Anyone want to go?”
Unsurprisingly, her father’s questioning expression instantly shifted gears, and a genuine smile lit his face. “What kind of vessel? I’ve been trying to get your mother to…” He trailed off at her sharp glare. “Ahem, anyway, what type is it?”
Rachel gave her father a sheepish shrug as Molly moved in to hug her and Scarlet. “It’s nice … being able to hug you … and you too, my cute little Vampire!” Her mother cooed, swiftly darting next to her to smother the girl in her arms.
“... Thanks,” Scarlet whispered, throat choking up as she returned the hug.
Once her mother let go, Rachel went on with the discussion. “I couldn’t say. There’s a new Legendkin that’s coming, and one of my friends asked us to join them.”
“Cool,” Nam replied, glancing at his wife.
Alexa nodded. “I’m game! Uh … are you going to join?” She asked Anthony with an innocent smile.
Man, Alexa’s been on point lately! Rachel mused, watching her sister-in-law do everything within her power to get them together.
Her ears straightened, head tilting to view her mother as she hopped back, heart suddenly palpitating. “Friends … we can finally meet your friends! Sam, we must go!”
“... Great!” Her dad nodded with anticipation. “Uh … I need to stop by the house to get my fishing pole,” he mumbled.
Scarlet sparked up. “Oh, I can take you!”
His cheer suddenly dampened a little. “... The teleporting thing you do?”
“It’s perfectly fine!” Rachel quickly assured, giving him a confident smile.
“... If you say so. Uh, yeah, yeah, that’d be great, and I can get your swimsuit, Dear.”
“Can I join?” Alexa interjected, hand shooting in the air for no reason. “I need to get my own … oh, and Nam’s.”
Scarlet’s face was practically glowing. “Sure!”
“Oh,” Molly darted to a bag on the floor beside Alexa, near the opposite side of the couch. “... I brought both of you a change of clothes.” She glanced up at Scarlet with a bit of concern, brushing her bangs back. “Umm … I hope it’s okay that I went through some of your clothes, Scarlet.”
“No, yeah; thank you so much!” Scarlet replied, face flushing with joy.
Rachel wondered if her mother would take the opportunity to bring up the adoption topic while in private. They both accepted their clothes and went to the nearby bathroom to quickly change.
Scarlet put on the clothes Molly had picked out for her; red garments, a pink shirt dress that fell to her knees, a gray evening coat, and a white pashmina scarf with two black lines running in parallel.
Rachel was happy to see her mother didn’t go the full girly route, giving her lime-green garments, form-fitting jeans with the knees scuffed, and a plain white sleeveless shirt.
Alexa, Molly, and Scarlet cheerily left through the shadows; her mother assured her father she wouldn’t forget all of his fishing supplies. Nam, Anthony, Rachel, and her father talked about fishing, mostly steered by Sam.
It didn’t take them that long to return, and sure enough, Scarlet looked utterly dazed, proving Rachel’s guess was on the money. On the other hand, her mother could outshine the sun as she cleared her throat to draw everyone’s attention.
Scarlet’s fingers were intertwined with Molly’s as the woman happily announced. “So, after talking it over with Scarlet, and,” her cheer dampened for a moment, “after discussing a few things, Scarlet has given us the privilege of adopting her as the newest member of the Park family!”
“T-Thank you so much…” Scarlet softly replied as everyone congratulated her, and bloody tears started leaking from her eyes. “I’m just … I’m sorry…”
Rachel’s smile softened as she got up to hug the quivering girl, moving to join Alexa and her mother in sandwiching her. “Welcome to the family.”
It took several minutes before Scarlet was able to get herself under control, and she wouldn’t let go of Molly’s hand, taking Nam’s place on the couch while contending with the powerful emotions surging through her strange body.
Thirty minutes after they’d reunited, Molly mentioned meeting both her daughter’s friends again, causing Scarlet to hug her to Chan-hee’s delight.
Rachel had to put a bit of a dampener on the mood after listening to many conversations. “I’m afraid Fiona and her family won’t be here until tomorrow; they’re in the process of moving from Ireland at the moment. A catgirl named Zoe and Maria will be there, though.”
Her mother was just ecstatic to finally meet them, which was a little strange to Rachel, but she had to remind herself that she didn’t really have friends before The Oscillation, meaning this might actually be a big deal for her mother.
… I had such a false impression of my family. Is that just a normal teenage thing, or was I just that self-absorbed and delusional?
Not finding an answer, and considering it unproductive after a second, she prepared to head out with the others, taking her parents’ SUV while Rachel gave the directions, following Maria’s voice near the edge of her sensing radius.
They stepped out onto a hospital parking lot, watching Clay, Selvaria, her harbor seal, Ohan, Cahira, and Maria walking out of the building with an elderly gentleman named Paul Reed. From the discussions she’d been able to follow, he was quite wealthy, and Maria managed to score a phenomenal deal with all of his connections to wealthy people.
Cahira would put supermodels to shame and somehow gave off a more gorgeously sexual appeal than Maria with her white hot shorts and halter top; she was clearly ready for the sea. Between her heavy Irish looks, height, curved form, and long, thick, silky copper hair with fire-red hues, she was a drop-dead stunner on sight.
Maria caught them exiting her parents’ car with a bright smile. “Ah, Rachel, yo! Did ya hear? Oh, nice family, chica!”
Rachel walked up with a sheepish smile, feeling a little bad about everything she’d listened in on. “Umm … are you positive, Maria?”
“Hey, I mean, it’s goin’ to waste how it is if ya ain’t gonna take it; I be lookin’ out for the crew, ya know me!” Maria snickered, giving her a triumphant grin. “So, what’s it gonna be?”
All of her family members seemed to be in a state of shock upon seeing the three dazzling women, Nam’s gaze drifting to Selvaria’s weaving tail while her mother and Alexa gawked at Ohan.
“Alexa,” Molly mumbled, “I think the gods have conspired against us normal women.”
“... Yeah, I call foul,” Alexa groaned, pulling around her blonde hair before glaring at Cahira, Selvaria, Rachel, Maria, and Scarlet’s lush locks. “Life’s not fair.”
On the other hand, Cahira’s wide eyes were locked on Anthony, drawing Rachel’s notice.
I don’t think so.
She stepped closer to Anthony, feeling a heat she’d never felt before rising in her chest while giving the woman an innocent smile she knew the legend couldn’t miss. Only a second passed between them as a rueful smile touched Cahira’s lips, debating the challenge, but in the end, she pulled her glowing deep blue eyes to Maria.
As far as Rachel was aware, not a single person caught the meaning of that interaction; although, she couldn’t be sure about Anthony himself.
She pushed forward in the conversation, not missing a beat. “So, that hotel owner just gave you fifteen suites as thanks … and you’re giving one of those to Scarlet and me?”
“Aye, you don’t have a place, right? Well, your parents, but not of your own, right? I mean, Cahira and Ohan needed a place, and I thought it could be a good spot to set up shop. Yo, he was all about it when he figured out it was us that saved South Beach!”
“Wait,” Scarlet’s eyes widened. “The hotel you … it’s in South Beach?”
Paul Reed cleared his throat with a soft smile. “Mr. Kennedy has given the rights to fifteen suites in South Beach’s The Ritz-Carlton. It has a full beachfront lodge, al fresco dining at the oceanfront DiLido Beach Club; free breakfast every morning. Twice-daily housekeeping, including turndowns in the evening.
“If you enjoy the bar, then there’s the Lapidus, an outdoor pool with private cabanas and an ocean view with more than 20,000 square feet of meeting and event space. Ah, did I mention there are often events thrown inside, and the Ritz-Carlton’s spa offers quite the treat in relaxation?”
“I like the free breakfast part,” Selvaria commented.
“Freak,” Alexa mumbled to Nam, “dude sounds like a walking commercial ad.”
“... Like I said,” Rachel chuckled, “are you sure?”
“Bah, get over it, chica! Just take it,” Maria giggled. “Yo, we wastin’ the night. Aye, let’s go, crew!”
“Wait,” Rachel mumbled, feeling a bit uncomfortable for the first time in a bit; the group took one step toward the limo before pausing. “Umm … thanks, but what about the people on your block?”
Maria’s frown turned the other way. “Ah, the familia can’t fit in a tight place like that! Naw, I’m gonna make a few more deals and get my own place nearby to run out my own personal hospital, yo! It’s gonna be sick, and I get’ta hustle legally, chica! Like, for real … me, goin’ legit? Dang!”
The other laughed at her antics; they entered the cab, joining Clay, on the phone with Tom to report in.
Just before getting in, Maria paused. “Oh, yeah, that cat chica is kicked out! ‘Ell, no is that feline stayin’ at my place; she can take over one of those suites until we can figure her stuff out … yo, chica, some random cat sleepin’ on my couch. Aye, Rachel, what do you think about her being like … I don’t know,” Maria scratched the back of her head, “like my secretary or somethin’? I mean until she sorts her things out.”
Rachel shrugged. “Sure.” She was still feeling a bit overwhelmed about the news.
Maria popped her tongue, not even trying to hide her sly grin. “Yo, Anthony!”
“Yes?” He asked, enjoying the exchanges with a gentle smile.
“Yo, you take the room next to my chica,” she cackled, entering the vehicle before the two of them could respond.
Rachel had to force her jaw to stay in place.
Maria … are you sure you’re a Unicorn?
The window rolled down for a split second. “Aye, pick up the pace; we got water to roam! This’ll be poppin’!”
She caught Scarlet, Alexa, and her mother’s sparkling eyes at Maria’s statement before turning to face Anthony; the Legend wore a bemused expression. Nam seemed impressed while her father appeared to have even given his consent, practically already won over by their earlier conversation.
“Was she being serious?” Anthony asked, rubbing his hairless chin.
“Well … she can’t lie,” Scarlet giggled.
“True … well, will you take it?” Rachel asked, finding her hands behind her back while pressing down on her tail.
Anthony’s lips became a solid line. “Mmh … I mean, I really like my FBI couch, though…”
“Uh-huh,” Rachel returned with an unconvinced glare.
His framed chest began to shake with laughter. “Yeah … of course I’ll take something that good! You know, I feel like Maria’s trying to bribe us for something,” he commented with a thoughtful look. “Know anything about that?”
Feeling fire blooming in her chest, Rachel offered him a smug shrug. “Who can say? You could always ask her. Scarlet said it; she can’t lie.”
Anthony’s tongue pressed down on his lips as Maria gave them another frustrated prompt to get moving. “... Nah, I like the surprises.”
The gang got into her parents’ SUV, and they made their way to the hotel she would now call her home.
