Tell me will I be happy?

[Neyen Suarez]

MEANWHILE...

"Where are you?"

Neyen pursed his lips and stopped in the middle of the walkway. There was some kind of swap meet or something happening but that wasn't the real reason he was here. He was here because there were leads to be followed and they brought him here. Right here, in the middle of some swap meet. Neyen turned and looked behind him and then back to where he'd been looking.

There were all types of people at this fair, it seemed. But Neyen was looking for a certain person. Cocking his head to the side, he saw what he was looking for. A fortune telling booth. Sticking his hands into his pockets, Neyen ambled over. Almost everybody around the tent were girls and women, he noticed with amusement. He towered over most of them, too. Some of them looked over at him, some giggled, some gave him a wide berth.

"Hey, is this where the clairvoyant is?" Neyen asked, anybody in particular.

[Marion Bardot]

[Still open, so everybody feel free to join!]

To clear her thoughts, Mari decided to go for a walk. She checked her phone occasionally for messages from Rai, but their conversation had strayed from business to something more personal. Actually, it was highly personal.

For as long as she could remember, she had been in love with Rai. They met simply by chance as Rai and his family were passing through her town and it was like something out of a story book. They didn't meet as hunters; they met as teenagers walking through town. Mari remembered the way that he stared; she stared back. And then her father, strict as he was about her interactions with outsiders, pulled her away while her mother jabbered in her ear about being cautious of strangers.

Later that night, at the meeting of hunters, Mari saw him again.

It seemed fated. They fell in love so quickly that neither of them knew what to do with themselves and before Mari knew it, she was pregnant. They had planned on a fall wedding. With a baby on the way, her parents had no choice but to accept Rai--though grudgingly, and her father still hadn't forgiven him to this day.

Perhaps a baby would have kept them together. But after the terrible, terrible miscarriage... Mari couldn't be with him. She worked with him as a part of her longed and yearned for what they once had, but seeing him--just the sight of him--reminded her of what she had lost. Even now, she felt the same. Her heart still ached for her baby, as it ached knowing that nothing would ever be the same again.

Naively, she thought that Neyen could be different but disappointment laid in wait for her there, too. And now, here she was, strolling through the small town aimlessly, waiting for night to fall so that she could meet with Rai for dinner. Admittedly, it was a bad idea. Being alone with him... it seemed unwise. Mari was devoted to Neyen and she loved him dearly, but she had to admit that facets of his personality paled in comparison to his older brother's.

But she still loved him. She was passionate about him--her devotion was unquestionable. And when she caught up with him, she would slap him so hard that his ancestors would feel the sting.

Which, as it happened, was exactly what happened when she caught sight of him--he was difficult to miss amongst a sea of short women. Mari marched up and slapped. She slapped and then lapsed into a slew of curses in her native language, as women screamed and looked horrified all around her.

[Neyen Suarez]

All he wanted was the clairvoyant. They said she was here and all these women gabbing around him seemed interested in having their fortunes told. Before anybody could tell him where the clairvoyant was, though, he found himself suddenly attacked and he immediately went into defensive mode, his hand going to the dagger hidden within his sleeve. Then the slew of familiar sounding words and the woman he loved was standing there, looking more than indignant.

"Hey! Hey!" He threw his arms up to keep her from slapping him again. As she continued to curse, he looked around and then grasped onto her wrist and pulled her away from the shouting and screaming women around them.

"Relax!" he told the women. "She's with me."

Still, he made sure they were several paces away before he looked down at her and made a slight face. "What are you doing? I'm trying to work here!"

[Marion Bardot]

The women acted like she'd shot him or stabbed him in plain sight, which only served to annoy Mari more. These ignorant Americans, she thought darkly as she tried to swing again, only to have her wrist be caught. Mari would have used her other hand to slap him, but was caught off-balance as he dragged her away.

She loved Neyen dearly and would have taken a bullet for him. But that had nothing to do with the deathly laser eyes that she trained onto him. She had been worried sick! Although she didn't say as much to Rai, she thought that Neyen might have been attacked—or worse, killed! He'd been gone for days! No matter how much she called—or Rai called—he didn't pick up and now he was here, strolling through the market?

The cursing in French continued for a while. She yanked her wrist out of his grasp roughly and took a step away from him. "Where the hell have you been?! Your brother and I have been calling and calling, trying to get in touch with you! I thought you'd died! Merde!" Mari made to smack the side of his arm, relieved that he was unhurt, furious that he hadn't even considered them when he vanished into thin air.

[Neyen Suarez]

"I've been here! This is the last place we said to meet, right? I've been waiting on you slow-pokes. Also," Neyen said, lifting a lazy finger and spinning it in a little circle. "My phone? It's dead. Loooooong story behind that one, baby. You don't want to hear it right now, believe me."

And he really didn't think she did. It had a lot to do with him getting involved in something he shouldn't have--again--and he honestly just didn't want to hear all the lecturing and ranting. He knew Marion meant well and that she loved him and didn't want him getting hurt. But he could do with a lot less of the nagging. It was bad enough how much of it he got from Rai. He didn't need it from his girlfriend, too!

"But here I am." He gestured to the booth nearby. "And I was coming here for answers. Heard they have real mediums here."

[Marion Bardot]

"Don't. Even try to get out of this one." Marion's eyes narrowed. This wasn't a matter of her overreacting (the slap might have been but the worrying was not!). Neyen had disappeared for days. He had plenty of time to get in touch with them if his phone had been smashed. The story that he tried to tell had about a million holes in it.

"What do you need with mediums?" She turned to look at the gaudy tent. Women were crowded around it, giggling and whispering. The ones who emerged from the tent looked starry-eyed and were practically floating on air. Hmph. Didn't seem like the one inside was giving out many unfortunate fortunes.

She stepped towards the tent, but grasped onto Neyen's hand. "All right. Let's go in and see how good this one is." There were about a million fakes all over the world, so if this one was real then Neyen had stumbled upon a really valuable resource.

[Neyen Suarez]

"How am I getting out of it?" he asked, innocently. "My phone really is dead and gone. Do you see one on me?"

But it was his own fault that he hadn't quickly replaced it, knowing full well his girlfriend and his brother would be looking for him. It was the part of him that wanted to be on his own and work things out independently that caused him to keep putting it off. Every time he passed a store with phones, he thought about it and then kept going. Better to be left away from the now anyway. He was kinda on a different mission, anyway.

"Answers," he told Marion. Before he could say much more, Marion was taking control of the situation, as she was wont to, and they were moving past the other woman and entering the tent to go in next. Well, at least it meant that Neyen didn't have to say all the things but he was still not altogether pleased he'd been caught.

Inside, the mediums' tent looked just like one would imagine it to look. There were beads, colorful curtains, and the scent of incense almost choked him, it was so thick.

"Hey," he said. "I'm looking for the real medium. No fakes. And trust me, I can tell the difference." He smiled wolfishly.

[Marion Bardot]

Rai would be able to find them inside the tent; there was no shortage of witnesses to the mad Frenchwoman slapping the soul out of a tall, long-haired, attractive man. Neyen was infuriatingly unapologetic for his disappearing act, but Mari was more or less used to it by now. Whatever he was doing out here, all alone, he wouldn't come out and say it. He had secrets that he withheld from her and any time that she tried to bring it up, he spirited himself away.

Now wasn't the time to focus on hurt feelings, however. It was time to get answers. Whatever answers Neyen thought he would glean from these mediums and clairvoyants. Mari eyed the man behind the round table, who looked up at them in mild surprise--probably set on edge by the screaming and commotion outside. He wasn't alone, either. A tall young man with dark hair was murmuring something to him, while he seemed dismissive.

As soon as they entered, the dark-haired one turned as though to leave. But then he stopped and turned to stare at Neyen. He continued to stare for so long that Mari edged closer to her lover and slipped a hand into his, thinking that his interest was... romantic. Seeing her action, he started and quickly disappeared through the back flap of the tent, leaving them with the 'medium' whose smile was gracious--if somewhat practiced.

"Ah, welcome," he purred, in a heavy accent. He was handsome, but in an obvious, flashy way. The crisp waves of his brown hair seemed elaborately arranged. The medium indicated to the two seats opposite him. "Please, have a seat. How may I help you? Are you perhaps seeking answers to the future? Your future together? Hmm?"

[Neyen Suarez]

"No," he said immediately. That wasn't why he'd come here. There were many questions whose answers he sought but there were a couple of them that he couldn't ask while she was here with him. It pained him to think that way but... Their time apart, it made her weak for him, fond for him in his absence while Neyen started to feel... less so for her. And he didn't understand it. She loved him so; and he wanted her. She was beautiful and smart, everything a man could want in a woman.

But they fought constantly. Constantly. There was something between them, driving a wedge there. Neyen tugged on the end of his long hair and he thought about it, thought about asking the medium what it might be. But a part of him had already made the guess some time ago and it was one of the reasons he wasn't keeping in constant contact with his loved ones anymore.

"I'm not here for romantic questions."

So he would stick with work related questions for now.

"Ancients," he said, hoping to take the medium off guard. "What do you know about them?"

[Marion Bardot]

Even Mari looked askance at Neyen, as his question was met with complete silence. Puzzlement on the medium's part, alarm on hers. Ancients. He said it so easily, even though the word was rife with meaning--and danger. To a normal human, it meant nothing. To those who knew, it meant everything.

Mari's hand tightened in his and she reminded herself that this medium could be nothing more than a sham. In fact, everything about the tent said as much. The gaudy decorations and the ridiculous outfit that he wore and that little raise of his brows as surprise worked across his expression, they were all tells.

"Ancients?" the man asked, folding his hands atop the table. Then his expression cleared and the genial smile returned. "Ah! You mean ancestors! You're here to seek wisdom from the dead."

Mari snorted in a clearly audible manner. "Come, darling, this man knows nothing." She shot the fake medium a disgusted glare. "He is a charlatan."

[Neyen Suarez]

"No," Neyen resisted Marion's well intended attempts to drag him out of the tent. That look on the man's face, fleeting as it was, told it all. He was surprised that Neyen even knew what the ancients were, but of course, he couldn't claim to know what they were himself. So he covered with that stupid lie about ancestors. Neyen narrowed his eyes but his lips formed a well knowing smirk.

"Ancients, not ancestors. I've heard there's going to be some kind of ascension here soon. And I want to know... all... about... it."

He said the last few words with a meaningful stare at the medium. If this was a real medium at all, he must have seen something about them, even if he wasn't involved with them. Neyen knew it was reckless as hell to be doing this and he wished Marion hadn't made herself a target. This was just supposed to be his work and he'd already made a handful of enemies here as it was. Now Marion's face was going to be connected with his.

Damn it. He should have chosen to come back to do this but the words had already been spoken, the challenge already made.

[Marion Bardot]

Neyen was... impossibly stubborn. He was like a dog with a bone, fixated on this one medium and his complete lack of knowledge about the ancients. Mari was convinced that this man was a sham; Neyen, however, appeared convinced that he was genuine, or was willing to go to great lengths to prove it.

"Ah... an ascension... I may be able to help you." The man tapped his chin gently. Then he lifted his head and shouted into the back, "Sorin! Please bring me my books!" His smile was dazzling as it lit back on Neyen and Mari. "I must consult my tomes. One moment, if you please. Have a seat." Again he gestured to the chairs opposite him.

"Merde! C'est ridicule!" Mari swore again and dropped Neyen's hand. She stalked outside to wait for Rai, hoping that if Neyen wouldn't listen to her, maybe he would listen to his own brother. With all of his disappearances, the distance between them had grown. She loved him but... sometimes, she had to admit, she felt more like his mother than his lover. Her words fell upon deaf ears, too; it was as if he no longer cared for her, or for her well-intentioned warnings.

She put a hand over her eyes briefly as she exited the tent and took in a deep breath. Neyen could be so frustrating to deal with! And his attitude! He was like a willful, spoiled child! She glanced up and down for Rai. At least Rai was on her side. Rai was always on her side.

[Raiquen Suarez]

"Mari!"

Rai waved in her direction when he caught sight of her bouncy hair. He smiled as he continued to wave a couple more times, then lowered his hand when it seemed as if she had caught sight of him. He met her halfway, nodding toward the tent.

"So did you find out what you were hoping to?" he asked. His smile was still a little cheeky; most people who went for mediums at these things were looking for the answers to whether they were going to meet their Special One, have kids, how many kids, and things regarding money and careers.

"You don't look too pleased," he observed, reaching out to gently squeeze her shoulder.

[Marion Bardot]

"Nothing I didn't already know," Mari said darkly as she glanced back over her shoulder at the tent. "That your brother is impossible to talk any sense into!"

But thank goodness Rai was here. The sight of him calmed her and his hand on her shoulder was more reassuring than she cared to admit. Rai grounded her, even though she never thought of herself as the type to have mad flights of fancy. But she knew that she did have a temper and Rai was one of the few people who could disarm her with a single smile.

"He's inside right now, talking about ancients," her voice lowered to a hiss at that word, "to someone who is clearly a fake." While the medium might not know what ancients were or become alarmed, he might let slip to someone who did. Someone who could realize Neyen's identity, who could hurt him. Mari's heart was sore just thinking about it--Neyen becoming the target of hunters, getting shot at and hurt.

"You have to get him out of there, Rai. He won't listen to me but maybe he'll listen to you." Her hand touched on his hand, the one on her shoulder. "Please."

[Raiquen Suarez]

"What?" Alarm broke through his tone at the idea of his younger brother bringing up Ancients in front of fakes. Even worse, if the person wasn't a fake! A fake wouldn't know what that meant. A real psychic, though... Or a real witch... Here... Rai could feel his heart beating faster, his line of thought following the same as Mari's. This blatant flouncing of dangerous key words could only cause problems--for all of them.

"I'll get him," he said, eyes narrowing slightly in determination. He took Mari's hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze, as he had done with her shoulder earlier. Rai couldn't help it; a part of him was still so much in love with Mari that he'd do just about anything for her. In this case, though, he'd also do anything for his brother, who was being a moron. After he let go of Mari, he steeled his nerves and he pushed his way through the group around the tent and threw the flap back as if he had all the authority in the world to do so.

That was the trick, of course. To act as if he had the authority.

"Excuse me!" he said, and upon seeing Neyen, he grabbed him meaningful by the back of the neck. "I need this man."