Were-Hunter Prowl: IC

[Mireille]

Delaney liked to see that her jibe had hit a mark. She didn't know what the story was with those two, hell, she didn't care all that much for that matter, but she hadn't been in decent company for a good while now and she found she enjoyed the exchange.

"Just give it a try, Tiger, but make sure your own ass is padded before that, cuz I'll most definitely give you a run for your money."

 

[Jedi_Khan]

Jeff

Delaney’s flirting was nearly lost on Jeff, until he remembered that he had asked why she was hanging on Andrei’s arm, but by the time he realized that, it looked like there was going to be a bit of a cat fight between Kimi and Delaney. Jeff didn’t have time to respond to Delaney’s flirt, so he just ignored it so that he could get to the heart of the matter.

“No fighting in the Red Room, remember?” said Jeff, looking pointedly between the two women. “As for you, Miss Delaney, being a little weak, I’m guessing that has something to do with the collar, yes? Which brings us back to my second question: how the hell can you be wearing that collar and not be in a cage?”

 

[Mireille]

"You can get the long version later, from these two," Delaney nodded towards Andrei and Kimi. "As you've been already informed, I'm half Arcadian and half Apollite. I suspect it's the Apollite part that's helping me fight this damn thing, although not even Savitar could confirm that. Or maybe he didn't want to. You never know with surfer-dude," Delaney mused almost to herself.

"Anyways, because of who and what I am, not to mention the array of jobs I've held over the last few centuries, I've got a large and rather diversified crowd after me. About 9 or 10 days ago, I guess I finally got tired. Or maybe careless. I dunno. I've never been careless before." Delaney knew that they could probably sense the frustration and vulnerability in her tone, but at the moment all she cared about was getting this over with and getting some rest. Maybe some food in her system, as well. The tiger inside her was growling for nourishment.

"So anyways, I got cornered by a bunch of Dikisi Daimons. With the help of my other friends, the Kattagari tessera, they got me collared. I have no idea how I crawled away from them. I ended up in an alley an waited there until sunrise. I came to Las vegas, and I remembered Savitar mentioning the Red Room, so I came asking for help. And believe me, the last thing I wanted to do was ask for your help. But I can't get this damn thing off me, and I don't think I can stand it much longer. If I don't get it off me soon, it'll drive me insane." Casting a pointed look towards Kimi, Delaney added "It will drive over the brink. I'll be uncontrollable. If that happens, I need you all to kill me before I do any more damage."

Delaney looked them all in the eye, one by one. Hell, she didn't want to die. She had too many things left undone, and had fought too hard to get where she was today. But if it came to that...there would be a lot of innocent lives at stake. She knew what she was capable of. And the Daimons wanted her too much. They also wanted her alive.

"The Kattagari that gave the collar to the Daimons... they did something to it. They're coming for me. I'm a walking target, and it's just a matter of time before they find me. I'm getting too weak to mask my scent."

By the look on their faces, Delaney could tell that they weren't too happy about the situation. "Will you help me?" she asked one more time.

 

[Jedi_Khan]

Jeff

Jeff tried to keep his face neutral, but unfortunately, he wasn’t entirely successful. The fact that she had Apollite blood in her had escaped him before, but it didn’t now. He tried to mentally understand how an Apollite could mate with an Arcadian, but he failed miserably. So, instead, he focused on the other things she said, which didn’t help his headache any.

He was silent for a bit after she finished speaking, contemplating and trying to make sense of things. The whole time he was studying her, almost as if he was looking through her flesh to her very soul.

“So, let me get this straight,” began Jeff finally. “You’ve got a Katagari tessera and a pack of Daimons chasing your furry ass, right? And I’m going to take a wild guess and say that some Arcadians are hunting you too, mainly because that would fill out this absurd situation nicely.”

“And these Daimons that put the collar on you, the one they got from the tessera, they did something to it. What did they do?” asked Jeff. “Or was it the tessera that did something to the collar? Either way, what was done to it?”

Jeff had a vague idea of what was done to the collar, mainly because you couldn’t do too much to a Metriazo collar—he should know, he worked with them on a nightly basis—he just wanted to confirm it before telling Andrei to go get a hack saw to cut the thing off with.

 

[Mireille]

"I’m going to take a wild guess and say that some Arcadians are hunting you too, mainly because that would fill out this absurd situation nicely.”

"Yeah, that's the whole picture, all right, but the funny part - if there is any in such a situation - is that they're hunting me down for a completely different reason." Delaney gave a half-laugh, half-growl at the thought.

“And these Daimons that put the collar on you...what was done to it?”

Delaney found it harder and harder to concentrate om the Arcadian's voice. Shaking her head as if to clear her suddenly fuzzy vision, Delaney tried to think back to when she had been collared.

"I don't know how the Daimons got a hold of the collar. But I know it was Kattagari... 'cause they had tried to strap in on me a while back. You know that most collars have a trace, a signature so to speak... of whoever created them in the first place? That's how i knew who it belonged to. However, the Daimons did something to it...added something to that particular signature...I really don't know how it works... but it limits who can actually touch the collar. The Daimons that attacked me... They consider themselves superior. They call themselves justice bringers, saviours of the Apollite race, fathers of the new generation, yada-yada. You get my drift."

"Great, bad-ass Daimons with a superiority complex", Andrei smirked.

" Yeah, well, my guess is, they made the collar accessible only to... what? pack leaders? Generals? Gods?"

"The US president, the Queen on England..." Andrei was getting more and more amused by the minute.

"Cut it of, dog-boy. You put your paws on this collar and don't fit their bill, you gonna be in just as much pain as I'm in right now. On second thought," she added to the scowling Arcadian, "try to come near me and you might find your crown jewels threatened."

Too late, Delaney realized that she had now twice threatened bodily harm on the members of sanctuary. Great, she thought to herself, rubbing her forehead. You really going for Miss Congeniality tonight, aren't you Delaney?

 

[AngelofDeath]

Kimi just rolled her eyes, "Delaney the only reason I don't march you out the door is that right now I know you can't back that threat up. And If Jeff didn't tack your hide to the wall the other guys in the KPC would." Thinking about what Delaney had said he shook her head. "Well I thought Stefan could do the job, but if not I'd rather not have our healer incapacitated for any length of time." Not to mention the fact when he was all scaled out Stefan would isolate himself.

"The Daimons we can handle its the others that will be a problem. Unless you suddenly remember anything else about that night Delaney, by the rules of both sides they are entitled to you." The only thing that would stop them was the fact if they wanted her out of the Limani they would have to go before the Omerigon. It might have been set up to quell most of the in fighting, but unless you had damn good evidence in your favor or Johnny Cochran you were screwed.

Kimi got up and then walked over towards Delaney. They were far too different, but also too much alike. The other died would die before she showed belly in defeat. "Andrei put her on the bed near Jeff. I have an idea."

"Scarier words have never been said."

"Would you prefer to be called Scooby for the next century?"

"So what is your plan then?"

"Simple, Jeff and I are going to take it off her. Together. At worse Jeff will have to stay in bed another day and I will be furry til tomorrow. Mind you this is only if little miss here can resign herself to being touched." Kimi dropped her gaze to see if Delaney would jump at the offer.

 

[Jedi_Khan]

“Yeah, that's the whole picture, all right, but the funny part - if there is any in such a situation - is that they're hunting me down for a completely different reason."

This time, Jeff did curse, but rather silently, but there was still no doubt that he had. But before he had the chance to express much more displeasure than that, Delaney was talking again about how the collar was different. And then Kimi suggested putting Delaney on the bed next to him, and that both he and Kimi work on removing the collar together.

“Whoa, hold it,” said Jeff almost immediately. “She stays right there. I’m not doing anything with regards to removing that collar. In case you’ve forgotten, I’m in a weakened state. If that thing does what I think it will do if we try to remove it forcibly, I could end up dead.”

“Plus, I’ve only got one good arm at the moment,” continued Jeff, indicating his bandaged shoulder.

 

[Mireille]

"Simple, Jeff and I are going to take it off her. Together. At worse Jeff will have to stay in bed another day and I will be furry til tomorrow. Mind you this is only if little miss here can resign herself to being touched."

"Whoa whoa whoa, there," Delaney said, at the same time that Jeff bristled,
"Whoa, hold it. She stays right there."

Gee, thanks, Delaney grumbled under her breath at Jeff's obvious reluctance to go anywhere near her. Well, that thought sucked big time. However...

"Jeff is right there. Besides, there's no way I'm letting any of you near my throat. The fairy princess over there looks like he's had his wings clipped, and you...well, no offense, but I'd rather not see you cough up fried fur-balls. No royal blood, no touching the collar."

 

[AngelofDeath]

"Well then somebody better come up with a better idea. You can barely talk let alone walk under your own strength. You planning on just laying in bed everyday. And secondly every Arcadian, Kattagaria, Apollite and Daimon has royal blood, its just a matter of how dilute. Jeff and Andrei are Kattalakis and just about every Apollite and thus Daimons can claim direct ties to Apollo."

She sat down the bed, "And whether you like it or not someone is going to have to go around your neck. The question is will you be awake, or out cold?" It wasn't a threat just a statement of fact. Looking at Andrei she asked, "Are you going to babysit her then? Jeff is out of action and we both know you aren't going to stray far from your brother. You're the only other Arcadian here, to watch her during the day."

Andrei shrugged, "What do I look like Mary Poppins?"

"Actually you kind of do in this light." He flipped her off. "And yes Delaney we have Daimons who come to the Red Room. Its a standing agreement my parents had with Sin and I have no problem with it. They don't bother anyone and make for good crowd control. So when you see Damien and the others just ignore them. Pretend they are flies for all I care, just don't go killing them on my turf."

 

[Jedi_Khan]

Jeff

“Kimi is right; you can’t get much more royal blood in the were community than the Kattalakis family,” stated Jeff. “Plus, I do indeed have a better idea with regards to removing that collar.”

“Andrei, go get a saw from the workshop,” said Jeff to Andrei, with a grin on his face.

And also bring back one of our own collars, just in case, he added mentally, to Andrei only.

“And I am not a fairy princess,” stated Jeff, looking pointedly at Delaney.

 

[Mireille]

"Jeff and Andrei are Kattalakis and...

"Jeff and Andrei are WHAT?" Delaney jumped at Kimi's statement. Well, why didn't you eff-ing say so in the first place, Scooby?" she asked Andrei. "Hell, in that case, you two hunks can try taking this collar off all you want. Probably hurt us all like mad, but I'm willing to give it a shot."

Delaney turned towards Kimi and said "You know, we could have saved a lot lot of time if Savitar had just told me straight out where exactly he was sending me. The next time, I vote we confiscate his surf-board and only give it back in exchange for information."

Although she was trying for a bit of humour to lighten up the situation, Delaney's head was spinning. The more she tried to focus and think clearly, the more the collar was affecting her. Small electric shocks were running through her body ans the pain was becoming almost unbearable.

“Andrei, go get a saw from the workshop,” said Jeff to Andrei, with a grin on his face.

Delaney stood and slowly made her way across the room. Perching her leather-clad ass on the edge of Jeff's bed, Delaney cast a look in Kimi's direction as she smiled. "Scoot over." Looking straight into the Arcadian's eyes Delaney spoke, soft and firm.

"Look, Jeff, you don't know me. We're not friends, and for all you know it, I might be one of the bad guys. You look like you've seen better days, and from what I could tell over the past two days, you're dealing with a helluva Daimon infestation at the moment. You need to be back on your feet asap, and you certainly can't afford to lose more energy with this. There's no reason for you to help me at all. I don't fully understand why you're doing this, but I really appreciate it"

I've got some pretty hard stuff in my past," she continued, looking at Kimi and Andrei and finally returning to meet Jeff's eyes. "But I swear to you, I would never - ever - consciously or willingly do anything to hurt or endanger you, or the future Mrs. Doubtfire over there," she nodded towards Andrei. Delaney hid her vulnerability with a weak smile and a wise-crack. She didn't understand why they were being so helpful with this, and she prayed to all the few Gods she still believed in that they would not betray her or hurt her more.

"Go get that saw, then", she said.

 

[bluerosekissed]

Fatalia was on her last leg after running for days she was sure that she would collapse at any moment. She found a sign something called the red room she was sure it was a safe place to hide out. Cutting down an alley she lost the black sedan that had been chasing her since she entered Vegas. The car stopped at the head of the alley two men stepped out the weight of a net gun weighing down there shoulder. Fatalia cut through the bottom of another building. She knocked on the door wondering who would be weighting for her inside.

 

[AngelofDeath]

When Nikola opened the door he had to bite back a laugh, another stray tiger. What where the odds? "So are you coming in or are you just going to stand there?" It wasn't often someone knocked which meant she was new, and from the smell of her scared shitless.

Upstairs Kimi watched Andrei take off for the saw. Getting up she moved around to check Jeff's shoulder. "I suppose it would have been too much to ask for, for Stefan to patch this up fully. Oh well. could be worse I suppose. You could be dead." They may not get alone all the time, but Kimi didn't like the idea of anyone falling into Daimon hands. The blonde bastards were getting far to cocky as of late, like they were loosing their fear of not only the Dark hunters but the were hunters as well. Of course to them were hunters were a gourmet meal waiting to happen. And then there was Delaney.

"You got off rather lucky Del. If you had been born Katagaria the Daimons would be after you for an entirely different reason."

 

[Mireille]

"You got off rather lucky Del. If you had been born Katagaria the Daimons would be after you for an entirely different reason."

"Yeah, what reason is that? It can't be worse than why they're after me now..."

Delaney was getting very nervous. What the hell was taking Andrei so long to come back with that saw? Besides, she hadn't liked Jeff's grin earlier when he'd said that he had “a better idea with regards to removing that collar.”

Keep calm, Delaney, just take deep breaths and ... yeah, like that was gonna help - she could barely breathe in that collar as it was. She had never felt so exposed and so afraid in her life. She just couldn't stand it if one more person offering to help ended up doing her even more damage.

"Did Andrei go all the way to China for that bloody saw?" she said outloud

 

[AngelofDeath]

"Oh of course not, unless the idea of being a half apollite/daimon baby making machine appeals to you?" The look on the other Tiger's face was almost worth it. "Think about it, even half human Apollites still die on their 27th birthdays. By all accounts the same should have happened to you, but it didn't. Katagaria give birth in litters. Whether they would be vulnerable to the sun is up for debate, but think about it. In as little as say 1 or 2 generations they could integrate on both sides, totally overrun the humans." She shrug.

"But hey there is nothing to suggest you aren't just a one in a million spin of Fate. It does make you think though."

 

[Mireille]

The look on the other Tiger's face was almost worth it

Delaney knew that her eyes would betray her reaction. Keeping her voice as even as possible, she replied "You're forgetting that whole have to be mated to be fertile rule. Besides, the Fates already screwed up once when they allowed me and my brother and sister to be born. What makes you think they'll allow it a second time? Besides, even if that were to happen, there is a possibility that the genetic trait that allowed me to fight the apollite curse will be just as random as the mutation affecting the colour of my fur."

Delaney slumped her shoulders in defeat. "No, the Daimons had something much better planned for me. I was to be their science experiment. As we all know, Jeff's great-great-great-whatever spliced his sons' blood with that of animals to create all of us were-hunters. Not only did that elongate their lives, it also gave the were-hunters strength, magic and a life-span of hundreds of years. The ability to live a relatively normal life. Being half and half, I have all that and a bit extra. The Daimons are not only trying to duplicate what King Lycaon did, they're trying to find a way to purify the process, to make the animal part disappear and leave behind a "cured" and very magically charged apollite. I can't allow that to happen. This world resides on balance, and if the Apollites find a way to break their curse, it could destroy all of us.

 

[AngelofDeath]

"It was just a wild theory, hun. Yes the whole being mated clause does save us from that." Kimi shrugged, "It's not like I blame them though. WE got lucky. We're all family and two quarters of it are either dropping like flies or feeding on humans. That's the gods for you though. Selfish spiteful and self centered."

She laughed, "And as far as the fates go, it wouldn't be the first time enemies were destined to be mates. Hell as many of us have parents on both sides I personally think those three are just tossing darts blindfolded. Don't have one and don't want one."

 

[Mireille]

Delaney eased herself further onto the matress, until she could lie down on Jeff's pillow. Her face was extremely pale, and with every breath she felt that she was swallowing shards of glass. "Keep talking," she rasped out.

"I'm going to cut Scooby's tail off if he doesn't hurry up." She made an attempt to smile, but she couln't pull it off anymore.

 

[AngelofDeath]

Kimi shared a look with Jeff and kept going, "Mates can be good I suppose, but in the end they get you killed. Or worse they convince you that what you are doing is right." Deep down Kimi knew her mother had loved her, but her father. He had made his mate's life hell on earth after Kimi was born.

She sank back down on the bed, "Hmm Andrei plus Delaney would mean Apollite, tiger, wolf, hawk nieces and nephews for Jeff." Kimi laughed softly, "Could you imagine trying to teaching someone how to control all that?" Her nose told her Andrei was coming. "And here's your future ex mate now." she got up and opened the door.

 

[Jedi_Khan]

Jeff and Andrei

Jeff was silent during Kimi and Delaney’s conversation, mostly appalled at what the Daimons had in mind for Delaney, whether she was Katagari or Arcadian. And then Delaney made herself more comfortable on Jeff’s bed, even going so far as to put her head on his pillow. Jeff wasn’t all that happy about her doing that.

Andrei returned shortly after Delaney made herself comfortable. And in his hand was a saw, and it didn’t look like it had been designed to remove a collar. In fact, the saw looked like it was designed to cut limbs off of people. But Jeff knew that Andrei had the right tool for the job tucked in one of his pockets; the bone saw was just to scare Delaney, with the hopes of her passing out from fright. Andrei also had one of KPCs collars hidden under his jacket as well, as Jeff had requested.

Andrei took one look at Delaney laying on the bed with her head on Jeff’s pillow, and the not-too-happy look on Jeff’s face, and couldn’t help the devilish grin that came to his face.

“Oh good, you’re already lying down,” said Andrei. “That’ll make this so much easier.”

 

[Mireille]

"Hey, what took you so long, d'you stop for a bowl of Kibble on your way up?" Delaney cocked an eyebrow at the saw in Andrei's hand and said

"Scary...tool you've got over there." The thing looked like more of an object of torture than the object that was supposed to save her life.

“Oh good, you’re already lying down,” said Andrei. “That’ll make this so much easier.”

"Yeah, but there's space for one more if you want to make my day" Delaney couldn't help smirking at Jeff's obvious dislike of her invading her space. "You know, if you'd told me a few hours ago that I'd be lying in bed with a gorgeous hunk and have another one towering over me with such an impressive tool in his hands, I'd never have believed it. Well, come on, boy, do your worst."

Delaney really hoped she wasn't making a mistake allowing them to get so close to her. She didn't trust others, ever, and for good reason. She'd been through the grinder enough to last two were-hunter lifetimes, and she didn't care to repeat the experience with these three.

"Andrei?" she whispered hoarsely. "Just one thing before you do this... if anything goes wrong, promise me - swear to me on each other's heads - one of you will kill me. Otherwise, I'll come after each of you, and believe me, that thing that you're hiding in your pocket won't be able to stop me."

Even though she never heard their reply, Delaney knew she would get her message accross. She had smelled the collar Andrei had brought into the room, hell, she had sensed it even as he was walking down the hallway. It had made her extremely pissed off to know that, even now, they wouldn't trust her, but right now she needed them. I should be used to it by now, was her last thought...Giving them all a weak smile, she closed her eyes and let herself drift into unconsciouness.

 

[Jedi_Khan]

And Delaney was out cold. Jeff just looked at her, still with his not-too-happy look. Then he looked at Andrei.

“Put that saw away and move this woman over to one of the other beds,” said Jeff. “There’re twelve beds in here, and she just had to pick the one that was already occupied.”

Andrei put the large saw on a table, as well as the small grinder that would actually be used to cut off the collar, and then moved over to Delaney to pick her up and move her.

“Be sure to set her on her stomach, so you can cut the collar off from behind,” stated Jeff. “It’ll be safer that way.”

 

[AngelofDeath]

Kimi laughed softly, "Aww poor Jeff, a little to close for comfort?" She got up to help Andrei move Delaney over to the next empty bed. "With a charming attitude like that no wonder you are single." She moved Del's hair out of the way as she sat down to her left. "You are probably gonna want to sit on her legs, just in case being out like a light doesn't stop her body from reacting."

"And if you want privacy Jeff," she called over, "You can always sleep in my bed."

 

[Jedi_Khan]

Jeff glared at Kimi, not pleased in the least with her sarcasm. Then he sat up, swung his legs over the edge of the bed, and holding onto the bedpost, stood up, favoring his injured leg. He then hobbled over to Delaney’s bed, turned around and sat on her legs.

“Can’t exactly hold her legs with just one arm, nor am I about to straddle her legs,” said Jeff. Then he nodded to Andrei, and Andrei began cutting.

Sparks shot out from the collar, like sparks from a welding torch, as the grinder began to cut the collar. Not long into cutting, however, there was a different kind of sparking, the electrical kind. The sparking had no effect on the grinder, for it was insulated for that exact reason, but the same couldn’t be said for Delaney; her body went ridged and then bucked as the electricity made contact with her skin. And then it was done; Andrei was finished cutting and put the tool away.

Jeff got off Delaney’s legs and moved back to his bed, while Andrei turned Delaney back over and removed the collar.

 

[AngelofDeath]

Once it was all said and done Kimi got up and looked over at Jeff and shook her head, "So now we wait for the princess to wake up." She moved over just a bit just in case Del came out of it fighting. Jeff wouldn't be able to put up much of fight so that left Kimi and andrei to do the heavy lifting. "So Jeff are you going to be able to deal with her or what? At the moment she's a resident of the Red Room, and while I might not like whats coming after her she does need help."

Pretty much she was hoping he could contain his inner asshole long enough for them to get through this.