The inmates are running the asylum

[Alva Ren]

Crazy. Everybody was crazy—and Alva felt crazy as he sat in his living room, watching Yoojin through the window watching him through her windshield. It was like something out of a terrible comedy but rather than laughing, Alva felt like crying. He was just so... frustrated. So worried and anxious and angry and concerned and frightened, all for Rae. That was a lot of different emotions to feel for one person, while under the influence of eight bottles of beer. Alva wasn't drunk but he was well on the way to Tipsy Town, at that stage where all the bad decisions seemed like good decisions, and the voice of reason that normally resided in his head was drowned out by the alcohol singing in his veins.

Another car pulled up and Alva almost did cry with relief. It was Susumu, at last! He clutched the shirt that belonged to Rae tightly between his fingers—so tightly that his nails were digging trenches into his palms. There were sure to be hairs on the shirt. Just one would do, right? Susumu didn't specify how many hairs he needed but Alva had lots of Rae's things in his room. (He tried not to think about that, though, because it was going to send him spiralling down the path to a mental breakdown. Again.)

Keenly, he watched Susumu's car easing into the driveway. It was wide enough to accommodate two cars, but only just. Yoojin glanced over at the car, bent her head to look at something in her lap, then looked up again. Alva was shocked at her transformation but with everything happening all at once, he barely had time—or the mental wherewithal—to process it. It felt like the universe and fate just didn't want him to catch a break! Everything had to happen all at once. The curse, the fight, Rae cheating, Alva shamelessly grabbing a date not even an hour after the break-up... Ryland. With his logic. And his dastardly kidnapping plot.

God, when did Alva slip into a badly written B-movie??

I think she knows it's you, he texted Susumu, just in case. Then he carefully wheeled himself over to the door, peeking through the peephole to see what Susumu would do to Yoojin. Hopefully not curse her. Maybe just... karate chop her in the neck or something, enough to buy them time to get away from the crazies.

[Shimizu Susumu]

Getting the girl (what used to be a man...? if he recalled something Alva said earlier) out of the way without hurting her would be tricky, especially since he didn't have the luxury of time or the benefit of stealth on his side. The girl clearly saw him and he saw her. But they were both now in front of Alva's house and Susumu wasn't going to smash his vehicle into hers. He couldn't pour anything on her or feed her anything but luckily, most of his magic didn't work that way. Like the spell he'd been weaving on the hunter he'd been hunting when Alva met him, he didn't have to necessarily use the potion directly on anybody for it to work. And some things worked when one took it themselves.

Watching the girl in the car to make sure she didn't do anything like get out of the car and come over to try and subdue him, Susumu reached beneath his seat, feeling the caps of several tiny vials arranged for emergencies. Each cap was carved with a different sigil, one that described its contents. Slowly, he slid one out. Alva said she was a witch, too. She might be prepared with a counter spell. Keeping it out of view, Susumu thumbed the cap off and poured some of the contents against his fingertips. He spoke the words of the spell softly, looking into the rearview mirror for a second, then over at the girl. Their eyes locked.

That was all it took. He finished the spell with his gaze still locked on hers and watched with keen eyes as she fought it. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. If she had any counter spells arranged, she wasn't fast enough--the spell worked quickly and Susumu wasted no time getting out of the car, setting the vial down in the cupholder and heading toward the front door.

[Alva Ren]

Alva nearly forgot to breathe as he watched Susumu and Yoojin, both outside of his house. Yoojin was fae—her magic was strong, he knew. But Susumu was an experienced witch; that death curse couldn't be whipped up by an amateur. If Alva was hoping for an epic battle, however, he was disappointed. From his vantage point, all Susumu did was look at Yoojin and then she was slumping forward over the steering wheel.

Gasping, Alva's hand flew to his mouth. Was she... dead?! She wasn't moving! He hurriedly flung open the door as Susumu approached the house, still clutching the shirt. "Susu!" He wheeled his chair outside onto the doorstop, half keeping an eye on Yoojin in her car, and half on Susumu himself. Susumu promised that he wouldn't hurt Yoojin and Alva trusted him at his word. But... it didn't stop him from feeling that half-beat of fear, for just a split second, knowing that curses could go wrong. After all, he was a prime example of that!

"Do you think she'll be okay out there in her car?" He asked anxiously, peering around Susumu at Yoojin. "Maybe we should bring her inside..."

[Shimizu Susumu]

Honestly, Susumu did half expect the girl to get up, to find that she was faking it. But she didn't counter his spell and she seemed out cold. Perhaps he'd used a little too much magic in that spell. He'd been rather... forceful with it. But he couldn't spend too much time thinking about it; Alva was soon coming out to greet him and Susumu smiled reassuringly at him.

"She'll be fine. It's just a sleep spell."

It was the kind of spell he kept prepared in case a hunter caught on to him or a cop tried to stop him from doing something he should be doing... legally. In truth, it was one of the few spells in his arsenal that wasn't a curse or a counter spell. He just chose not to share that part with Alva. Dear, sweet, Alva. He was such a wide-eyed innocent. Nothing like Susumu's old partner in the least. Some part of him worried that he'd change him for the worst, but... It was hard to think of this Alva ever becoming anything like.. him.

"I'll take her inside," Susumu said, glancing about. The mist had grown quite thick around the little town and there were some unsavory creatures hidden within. Leaving the girl in the car, even if she was a witch, could be her death sentence. Susumu pulled a handkerchief from his coat pocket and wiped what was left of the vial's ingredients from his fingertips. Carefully, he picked her up and warily watched her as he brought her inside Alva's home.

"Where do you want me to put her?"

[Alva Ren]

"Oh! I--" knew that, he wanted to say, but that was obviously a lie. Alva said nothing instead and let Susumu go back outside to take Yoojin out of her car. His eyes goggled a little out of his head when he saw her in the light. "Holy crap!" he murmured under his breath and mostly to himself--she looked so different! So... much like a woman! Yoojin had always been effeminate and small, with slightly delicate features, but one could never have mistaken her for a woman before she went for those operations. Whatever surgeon worked on her, Alva gave the guy props. He did good work!

And--Ryland was all wrong about Susumu, whatever crazy theories he held. Susumu was respectful; he didn't drag Yoojin out, or sling her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He carried her inside, like a proper gentleman, even though she nearly ran Alva over and was clearly intent on running interference earlier. Alva pointed to the couch that Susumu could set Yoojin down on; she could sleep it off there, instead of being hunched over in her car with monsters and hunters out there in the mist, lurking.

"Are you okay?" Alva slid closer to Susumu and put out a hand, lightly touching Susumu on the arm. His gaze was concerned. Did Yoojin manage to do something before Susumu put her to sleep? Alva tried to look for signs of magical interference but Susumu seemed fine. Then again, Alva probably seemed fine and he was a terrible wreck inside--not to mention five-eighths tipsy.

[Shimizu Susumu]

Hm. Holy crap? What was that about? Somewhat alarmed by the exclamation, Susumu discreetly looked around but he saw nothing currently watching them or stalking them. The girl also seemed passed out and beyond waking up any time soon. She would likely sleep straight through the night and she might wake up with a bit of a headache. The sleep spell seemed to a number to some people, even making them feel almost as if they had a hangover (which worked out just fine for Susumu!)

"I'm fine," Susumu said. As far as he knew, the girl hadn't managed to strike him with a spell of her own before he'd knocked her out cold with the sleep spell. Mentally, he checked himself over but he didn't think anything had happened. Perhaps he'd well and truly taken her off her guard. The girl was settled down onto the couch and now... He looked down at the hand on his arm. Alva seemed to be searching him for something, watchful, concerned.

"Really, I'm fine."

He'd been dragged out of his bed on a cold evening but despite that, he'd been happy to come out and rescue Alva. Even if it did mean having to go out and come head to head with Alva's ex-boyfriend. And what a character he seems to be. Truthfully, Susumu thought from what he knew of him so far, he'd make a better destructive partner to Liam.

Better not to think of him.

"Is that it?" he asked, indicating the sweater Alva had in his lap. He studied it for a moment, then reached out and plucked a longish black hair, peering at it. It seemed too long to be Alva's and not long enough to be the girl's. "This should do."

[Alva Ren]

"All right," Alva said, but doubtfully, still scanning Susumu's face. He looked down, too, then up--all over him, checking to make sure he was really okay. Maybe Yoojin didn't have a chance to do anything. Maybe Susumu got to her first. She did seem distracted in the car, and Alva had a few theories going as to what was distracting her--the front-runner would probably have to be receiving instructions on kidnapping Alva, from Ryland!

He lifted the sweater and nodded at Susumu's question, ignoring the lump forming in his throat when he noticed that it was Rae's favorite sweater. That was why it was here with Alva; Rae wore it when he came over, or changed into it sometimes before he left. He hastily shoved it away and out of sight after Susumu picked out the dark hair, hiding it underneath one of the cushions of the loveseat nearby. Then he pretended that he didn't do anything strange, and turned his entire body away from the hidden sweater.

"Can I do anything to help? We have to hurry, before they--before he gets hurt!" He didn't mean to be pushy, but it had been a while since he last spoke to Rae and the urgency of the situation was becoming more and more apparent. Alva didn't know how Rae would find hunters, but he knew that Rae--and Josh--would. And then they would go in without a plan, swaggering like stupid wolves, because they believed in their own superiority so much that it exceeded the boundaries of reason and common sense.

And that was on a good day!

[Shimizu Susumu]

Okay, that was strange behavior. Susumu watched with an impassive expression but he got the feeling there were still deep sentiments behind Alva's actions. Of course. He loved him and they were together just earlier tonight, were they not? The first time Susumu and Liam broke up, he was a mess, too. He was still a mess, if he was honest with himself but he was a tired mess. A mess that just wanted to move on to somebody better. Alva seemed better in every way. He was soft, not edgy. Despite everything, there was something pure about him that made Susumu want to simultaneously protect that purity and taint it with his own darkness.

"No," he said with a small smile as he reached over and lightly squeezed Alva's shoulder. "But this won't take long."

Scrying was one of the simplest spells a witch could learn. Children often did it without meaning to. Susumu knew; he had been one of those children. His abilities were strong from a young age and before he even fully understood his own powers, he was using them. It still took some concentration, however. Some people needed a reflective surface with which to "see" but Susumu used a crystal he wore around his throat. It acted as a conduit. A third eye. When he closed his eyes, his mind's eye opened and he kept the hair in his hand, visualizing the one it belonged to.

Susumu didn't know him, but the hair showed this "Rae" to him. The world around him swept away and he was flying away from the house and down the road. The road grew rocky and trees became more abundant. There were more and more trees. The woods. The school. He saw the wolves then. Only a pair of them, attacking a family of shifters. Susumu opened his eyes suddenly, the world rocking back to him with nauseating speed.

"We should hurry," he said urgently to Alva, without explaining why.

[Alva Ren]

Nothing strange about stuffing a sweater under a couch cushion. What? Alva could've set fire to it right there in the middle of the living room, but he didn't--he was civilized, thank you. He was just going to drink until he numbed the pain. Which... he realized was obvious, by the bottles still on the table, so while Susumu closed his eyes to scry, Alva discreetly moved four bottles from atop the table to under the table. Maybe Susumu wouldn't notice them.

When Susumu's eyes snapped open suddenly, Alva sat up straighter. He took his cue from the urgency in Susumu's voice, though his heart shook and his mind flew to all sorts of terrible scenarios. "Okay," was Alva's quick response, as he headed out the door. He looked over his shoulder once at Yoojin, sleeping peacefully on the couch. She would be safe here.

"What did you see?" It wasn't until they were in the car and headed away from his house that he gathered enough courage to ask. "Is Rae... Is he okay?"

[Shimizu Susumu]

"He's..."

Susumu didn't know how to answer that question. Rae, okay? Rae was the one connected to the hair, wasn't he? Then he most certainly couldn't be referred to as okay but that wasn't what Alva meant, was it? He wanted to know that Rae was unhurt. Susumu set his jaw for a long moment without saying anything. As they made their way to the car earlier, Susumu had whispered another spell, one that would stop Rae--from hurting anybody else in the vicinity. But he had a feeling that wouldn't go over well with Alva, so he didn't share that with him.

After all, beyond simple spells like sleep spells--which required eye contact--he could only cast curses.

"He's not hurt," Susumu finally said. Still, okay wasn't the right word for somebody who had just slaughtered several shifters and was now currently lying paralyzed on the ground so that he didn't hurt anybody else.

[Alva Ren]

"Oh, thank god!" Alva cried out, relieved beyond description. Rae wasn't hurt! Even if his stupid, bonehead attempt to hunt hunters was completely idiotic, he was okay! Alva didn't bother asking about Josh, however; in the moment he was too bitter to care if Josh was okay.

As they pulled up to the woods near the school, he saw Rae's car parked near the fringe of the woods. Then, as they came to a halt, a bus stopped nearby and somebody hopped out who looked awfully familiar. Alva stared as Aldon waved his arms at them so vigorously that it looked like he hurt himself doing it.

"A-Aldon?!" Alva craned his neck out of the window. Aldon ran up, panting.

"HUNTERS!" he yelled, right by Alva's ear. "They're gone now! But Rae! And why are you with HIM?!" His finger shot out, pointing at Susumu.

"He's with ME! Come on, Susu. Let's go find Rae." Alva rolled up the window to Aldon's continued ranting and raving. "Ignore him. He's one of the crazies."

[Shimizu Susumu]

"I believe you." Susumu raised a brow slightly at the rude pointing and shouting that the noisy man was throwing in his direction. Aldon, was it? Susumu thought he'd heard the name a few times from Alva already. A friend of Rae's. Something else, too, although at the moment, Susumu couldn't remember what it was. The crazed Aldon appeared to keep on talking even after Alva had rolled the window up on him. Susumu cleared his throat and reached for the glove compartment so he could pull out gloves. He began to yank a pair on and then smiled generously at Alva.

"I have a few more pairs, if you'd like to borrow some."

It was fairly cold out and he hoped that Alva would take him up on it. Now he lamented the fact that he'd already put a pair on because... he could have helped Alva put his on. Still, he smiled gently at him... until he heard something leap up at the driver's side window. Startled, Susumu turned to see a tiny red fox with its paws against the window.

"I take it he's a friend of yours, too?" Susumu asked.

[Alva Ren]

"Thank you, but I'll be fine." Alva was more concerned about Rae than his cold hands, although he did smile at Susumu warmly, shortly before a psycho fox leapt onto the side of the car.

"NOOO RYLAND! I TOLD YOU TO STAY HOME!" Aldon shouted as he wrestled with the red fox that was Alva's crazy cousin.

Alva pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes as he breathed out deeply. "That's my cousin," he replied in monotone. "The one who tried to get my best friend from earlier to kidnap me, and run me over. The other one's his ex-boyfriend. Who's dating a hunter-turned-werewolf, by the way." It sounded so sordid, and that was just the synopsis of this insane episode that Alva's life had become. He hadn't even gotten into the actual details.

"I'm so tired of this shit," Alva muttered in a low aside to himself. He watched Aldon hauling Ryland off to the side, yelling incoherently at him. "...come on. Let's get going before they bring the hunters down on us."

[Shimizu Susumu]

"...ah."

He didn't know what one said in response to all that. When Alva mentioned something about the crazies, he thought he'd heard the craziest parts of the story. However, it seemed that was only the tip of the iceberg. Susumu tried to wrap it all around his head--the friend of the ex who was currently wrestling with the small, wily fox, who looked difficult to hang onto as he looped through his arms, smooth as water. So... that one happened to be dating a hunter that was now a werewolf... Yes, it was all very sordid. Susumu really had no idea what to say so he lightly shook his head.

"Ah," he said again, as if he understood. He didn't. Not fully. There was no time to sit around and discuss it, however. Susumu slid out of the car and swallowed. The hunters. Didn't the wild eyed one say something about hunters? Did Alva not hear him? Alva still thinks they hunted hunters.

"Maybe... maybe you should stay here," Susumu said, suddenly fully aware of the repercussions of Rae's actions.

[Alva Ren]

"At least Aldon will keep him busy," Alva muttered, watching a white wolf take the place of the insane babbling man. The wolf tried to grab Ryland by the scruff of the neck, prancing around like he was demented as he attempted to pin down Alva's sly fox cousin.

"What? No! I have to go—" There was no question about it, Alva had to make sure with his own two eyes that Rae was all right. And so that he could give Rae a piece of his damn mind, for acting like a spoiled punk. He wouldn't even listen to reason, and all because of what? Because he couldn't deal with the fact that his own actions had repercussions? Not only that, but he dragged Susumu into this, and Aldon and Ryland, and he put them all in danger.

Mad didn't begin to cover what Alva felt, now that the relief at hearing that Rae was all right was wearing off. HIs expression was set and determined as he waited for Susumu to bring out his chair, so that he could slide into it. "I'm going. And when I find him, he's going to wish hunters got to him first."