Krave, Echo Bay, California, Saturday Night

[napking]

Krave was a warehouse in an industrial area, seemingly innocuous except for the parking lot full of cars in the middle of a Saturday night.

And the bass you could hear thumping through the walls as you approached the building. Also that.

A bouncer greeted the brothers as they approached, and then eyed Arden. "She human?"

"She's my friend," Gray said, which got him a narrow-eyed, suspicious look at the non-answer.

"Is she old enough to be here?"

"I dunno, man," Raiden told him. "You know we don't know that human age shit. She's in college?"

The guy thought about it for a moment, then said, "Eh, close enough. 21 is a stupid number, anyway. All right, Gray's friend, here are the rules. No fighting. Anyone in a fight will be made to leave. If you get in over your head, someone's hassling you, they won't back off, tell an employee."

"But first tell 'em you're with us," Raiden put in.

"Yeah, that works, too." He paused, then said, "There are no other rules. Have a nice night." He stepped aside and opened the door in one motion, gesturing them into the club.

At first glance, it might seem like any other nightclub. Music with bass that rattled your bones, green, blue, and purple lights flitting across the packed dance floor, bar stations along the walls, a sweet and smoky smell like incense hanging in the air. But when one looked closer, it was...different.

On a couch to the right, a woman exposed her slender neck as a man sunk his teeth into her throat, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Another man bit the opposite side of her neck, and her blissed-out expression said she wasn't having a bad time here. Another woman flitted around the room at an impossible speed, and when she stopped for a moment to talk to a group of people, small translucent wings trailing a glittery substance were visible on her back. In the corner, two men were making out, and when one slapped the wall clawlike fingernails were visible, protruding from his skin.

There were beings with blue skin and some with green. Some had small horns jutting from their heads, while others had tails. Men danced on raised platforms in various shades of undress. Gray gestured to one of them, a slender, gorgeous Nephilim with bronzed skin and dark hair, just as the dancer released his wings, shades of green mingling with the black feathers. "That's Daman." So Arden had sort of kind of met all seven brothers after all! Gray turned and grinned at her. "Welcome to Krave."

(For that totally-a-human-she-swears. NFB due to distance. Part of this post adapted from book one of my dumb Nephilim books, Galen.)

Comments

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Have them with her blessing, Raiden. Hell, if she got back to the island unscathed, she might be sending you more.

Arden again gave Gray a mutely grateful look, but shook her head slightly. She'd already gotten him in enough trouble tonight, even if technically this one wasn't on her. "And in my universe, we're uh. I'm not sure. I think some kind of genetic aberration or something? My mother was a djinn, and my father was human, and I'm not either. Or even half of either? I'm a completely different thing. An elemental." She nodded to Alastair. "An air elemental. I do stuff with, um. Air. And wind. Which, um, is also air, I guess..."

Brilliantly put, Arden.

[napking]

"And with my patrons," Konnar observed mildly.

Gray was just going to step in here in his friend's defense. "Arden was orphaned at a young age, and she doesn't know any other sylphs. Apparently they all got murdered where she's from. Her home universe is really murder happy."

"Ah," Alastair said, and that was all. Just 'ah.'

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Arden quavered with the desire to not yell that she had not affected anyone.

She took another drink of her water. "I don't know why, but the first law of the Otherside - the name of supernaturals in my universe - is that elementals are to be exterminated on sight," she said, miserable. "I don't know if...I think I might be the only one left? I don't know. And most of my training was devoted to locking all my power down and burying myself so far under shields that nobody could tell I was anything other than human. Because pretending to be human is the only way to keep me from getting found by the Duskwatch and getting killed outright or, uh. Being given to a vampire for a blood pet, though, uh. My dead body has to be produced in three days...nobody needed that much detail, oh goddess, I'm so sorry, I'm just rambling and more than a little drunk, but I really don't think that was me! I've never done anything like that before and I wouldn't even know how. Or what!"

[thecursedsons]

...wow. Hey, Arden. Arden, come here. Come here. What in the actual fuck?

"She's telling the truth," Alastair told Konnar. "She didn't know that was going to happen." And also, transparently, Gray was telling the truth about Arden's home universe being murder happy.

"Hm," Konnar said. "Very well then, Miss Finch, you are not heretofore banned from Krave. But perhaps stick to mocktails from now on."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Arden opened her mouth to protest again that it wasn't her, that her powers didn't work that way, but...she'd spent awhile tonight bemoaning how much she didn't know about herself and what she could do.

"I...I...that was really me?" More tears stood in her eyes and she looked to Gray to see if he agreed with that. "Because I never--I wouldn't ever--" She was still only partially aware of what had happened.

How was she so bad at drinking that she started some kind of sexy riot?

[napking]

Some people would argue that you had to be really good at drinking to start a sexy riot. Bellamy, for instance. Probably Castor. Raiden, sure, but he had his mouth full of chocolate.

"Well," Gray said, "now you know that you have a weird reaction to alcohol? And possibly also ambrosia."

"You gave her ambrosia?" Alastair asked, sitting up even straighter, which seemed like it shouldn't have even been possible. "Gray."

"It was just a little bit! And it's better that it happened here than in whatthefuck murderworld!"

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Arden didn't know if they even had ambrosia in her world, but that seemed like maybe something that needed to be said.

"Mocktails," Arden said fervently. "Definitely sticking to mocktails."

[thecursedsons]

Alastair set his wine glass down and declared, "I'm taking the two of you home," and then clarified, "Back to our house," lest Arden think he was threatening her or something.

And he'd thought the situation of the Nephilim was bad.

Gray wilted a little, because it looked like he wouldn't be getting laid this month, either, and Alastair gave him A Look. "Don't you even start."

"You didn't really think she was human, did you?

"Of course not, but that's not the point."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Arden also wilted, but she was looking Gray a little apologetically. "Sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to cut your evening short." She looked at Konnar. "Or cause you any trouble. I honestly had no idea."

And then to Raiden and Alastair. "And for lying. And, uh. Asking Gray to lie to you, too."

[thecursedsons]

"I must admit to being unclear on why you insisted my brother lie to me," Alastair told her. "Sylphs are entirely fictional here. You are in no danger, and knowing ahead of time that you are not human but do not know your own powers would have helped us be more prepared to host you."

"I thought you just turned into a cloud of smoke like that lady Bells banged and I didn't get why Gray was being so cagey about it," Raiden admitted. Oh, look, all the candy was gone now.

"Gray and I are going to be having a conversation about need-to-know information," Alastair declared as he stood up, and if Gray looked extremely miserable about that, the good news was that it wasn't Arden's fault. The bad news was that he couldn't exactly explain that to Arden at present.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Not knowing why the misery existed just made Arden feel worse. "I can explain?" she offered. "If you wanted me to, I mean. I do have reasons?"

She just wasn't sure if they'd consider them good enough, at least in light of this whole mess.

[thecursedsons]

"By all means," Alastair said, wondering why Gray was such a wreck.

He would find out eventually, if by 'eventually' one meant 'a few years from now when fate hit him with a celestial steel chair.'

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Poor Gray. Just. So much therapy.

"Well...there's a couple of reasons," she said. "First, I do my best to always tell people that I'm human. I'm not great at lying, so the fewer people who know my secret that I have to keep track of is easiest for me. Also, the Detente says that telling anybody about the Otherside means that both the person who told and anybody that was told is in violation of the Detente and will be executed if the Duskwatch ever finds out. Which means nothing to me..." because oh noes! A second death sentence! What are they gonna do? Kill her harder? "...But I don't wanna put anyone else in danger. Even if it doesn't matter?"

Yeah, she didn't think the other Nephilim would care about what the Duskwatch would do if they ever found out.

"But, the biggest reason is because, um, Bellamy knows Grimm. Grimm helped raise me so she knows what I am, but I'm absolutely not supposed to be telling anyone. Because helping an elemental is also a death sentence, and so by telling people what I am, I'm also putting her in danger. So if she finds out that I'm telling people what I am, she'll freak out and, best case, she'll tell Callista where I am because I clearly can't be trusted to be by myself. And Callista..." She looked away. "My legal guardian. I. Uh. Ran away from her last year. For reasons."

[napking]

"The Detente isn't the thing with Nixon and Brezhnev," Gray piped in. "I already asked."

No one else had thought that, but they didn't say that.

"Miss Finch," Konnar said, almost gentle, "I just want to point out that we are in a different universe. And I think I speak for everyone here when I say that none of us want to go to your universe." A beat, and then added as an afterthought, "No offense meant."

"I could go there," Gray muttered.

"Please do not," Alastair said.

"Oh, what are they gonna do? Stab me? They probably don't even have celestial steel."

"'Probably' is doing a concerning amount of lifting there."

"Furthermore," Konnar continued, pretending he couldn't tell when the brothers were having a mind-to-mind conversation by now, "Bellamy does not generally issue repeat performances, so I wouldn't worry overmuch about him and your...Grimm."

"She was fancy, though," Raiden pointed out.

"So I'll tell him not to," Alastair said, unconcerned by Grimm's fanciness.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"But you all come to the island sometimes," Arden points out quietly. "So even if no one in my world would come here, there's no saying they won't try something there." A beat. "And Gray is on the island."

And Gray was vulnerable when he was asleep. And sure, Raiden was also there, but he didn't know what was happening to Gray all the time.

"None taken, by the way. My universe sucks. I know that. Finding out as a kid that there's a bounty on your head because of how you were born kinda makes that real clear." Which was why she'd ended up in a galaxy at war for twenty years! Still the better option.

[napking]

Moving really was her best option!

"I would just like to point out that there's only one thing that can kill me and people from other universes probably don't know what it is," Gray muttered. "Just for the record." He already had six overprotective big brothers, Arden. The overprotecting Gray slots were full up, he swore. Ignore the way Alastair softened incrementally at the notion that Arden was trying to protect Gray. Ugh. See if he gave you a fun birthday present that backfired horribly next year.

"We're happy to lie to people from your universe for you," Alastair assured her, and Raiden nodded enthusiastically. "I'll speak to Bellamy in particular."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"They could take you," Arden pointed out. "I don't know if they could keep you, but I'd prefer if they didn't take you anyway."

She wasn't trying to protect you (exactly), Gray! But you were her friend and she didn't want bad things to happen you. Especially not things that were because of her.

And besides, she had a whole year to convince you that she deserved a fun birthday present that backfired horribly!

"If they set up an exchange, what do you think I'd do?"

IT WOULD BE SOMETHING STUPID, GRAY. SELF-SACRIFICING AND STUPID.

[carbsliftthespirit]

Of course it would, Arden, because you were an urban fantasy heroine. You didn't have a choice about such things. However, "You'd tell me," Raiden said, because he was not having any stupid self-sacrificing on his watch. "And I'd get my brothers, and we'd go get our brother back."

"Assuming he hadn't gotten himself back already, which is a very big assumption," Alastair said. "If it will set you at ease, Miss Finch, I give Gray permission to do whatever is necessary to free himself if these...people do manage to take him." There was an odd sort of reverb in his voice on the words 'whatever is necessary' that Arden, with her keen hearing, miiiiiight pick up on.

"We'll have to put it to a vote," Raiden reminded him.

"I'm sure the others will agree."

Gray hunched his shoulders defensively and asked, "Do I get a vote?"

"Of course, Smalls," Raiden assured him. "We just assumed your vote would be for not staying with the tent people any longer than necessary." It was the Detente, Raiden.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

It was really annoying, being an urban fantasy heroine. Sometimes you saw a grenade and just couldn't help but throw yourself on it, even when there was a perfectly good Grenade Containment Device right next to you. Probably bringing you to various locations to eat delicious food on the weekly.

Arden looked very curious about what they were talking about, but again, this seemed less like a time to ask.

Instead, she just nodded. "Sorry," she said. "I'm not used to...Uh. Never mind."

Look, she'd had a decade of 'if you're dumb enough to get yourself caught by the Duskwatch, we're not going to save you' drummed into her head. Remembering that there were other people that could help - other families that wouldn't hesitate to go into danger for one of their own - was kind of an uphill battle.

"If anything like that ever happens, you'll be the first person I call," she promised Raiden, which was much better and more decisive than continuing to explain bits of her tragic backstory to these nice people who all had their own and yet managed to be competent about things anyway.

[thecursedsons]

The Grenade Containment Device even had 'make sure there's a non-poultry option for Arden,' written in his notes for the class, Arden!

"Well," Alastair said. "If you're confident you can travel without vomiting in my car, how about we go home and you can sleep this off?" And in the morning, Raiden would make breakfast. The dream.

It helped that everyone else in this conversation wasn't a teenager, even if one of them had, for reasons the rest of them found absolutely baffling, opted to pose as one. You grew out of dramatics eventually, or your brothers all mocked you without mercy until you did better. One of those.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

And here, canon wasn't kind enough to give Arden siblings to laugh at her and call her a dumbass until she wised up. Tragedy.

Arden paused to take stock of her stomach. It didn't seem to be terribly sloshy and she nodded. "I think I'll be okay. Though if maybe I could use the bathroom first?"

She thought about the dancefloor.

"...Is there one for this lounge?" Otherwise, she could hold it.

[napking]

Canon was deeply inconsiderate that way.

"Right this way," Konnar, who didn't have an icon, said, standing up to show her the way to the bathroom. "Remember to hydrate, dear," he told her, "and if you have any painkillers with you place them by your bed before you sleep. This lot don't have to worry about hangovers for more than twenty minutes, but who knows for you." Yes, he was a vampire, but you didn't last in the nightclub business without knowing a few things.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Thank you very much," Arden said, appreciating the consideration he was showing her. "Um. If it's okay, can I apologize one last time? You don't have to accept! I just really do feel awful about it--" and that she could do it at all, what the fuck magic??? "--and you've been nothing but kind."

All of them had.

Regardless of his answer, Arden used the facilities, splashing water on her face after washing her hands (it did nothing for her makeup, but looking pretty was not high on her priorities list), and then returned, ready to head back to the brothers' place and just climb into bed. Maybe she'd wake up tomorrow and they'd tell her that she'd drunk too much, passed out, hit her head on the ground, and all of this had been a concussion!

The fucking dream, yo.