An Audience with the Prince

[Friday November 7th,
Wildomar, Joel's House]

**After Lucas rings the doorbell a very short woman, in her fifties, opens the door. She yells out in some foreign language and walks back towards the kitchen. The only thing they understand is that she's yelling to Joel.**
Joel: **He runs to the frontdoor and sees the twins, they're both holding sleeping bags. He steps outside and closes the door,** Yuri. Lucas. What are you doing here? You know my parents do not allow "sleep overs."
Lucas: We're not staying here, we have to go out somewhere tonight. We just need you to cover for us. **He looks at Yuri, not actually knowing Joel that well so he's not sure if he should even be doing the talking.**
Yuri: What Lucas said. We're going out all night and our mom thinks we're spending the night here. If she calls...or our sister...tell them we're busy playing videogames or something.
Joel: **He looks a little worried about all this but after a moment he nods.** I'll do it.
Yuri: **He hands Joel his sleeping bag.** Hold onto these for us too, we'll be back for them tomorrow.
Joel: Is it okay for me to ask where you are going?
Lucas: **He looks at Yuri for a moment.** It's complicated. He looks back to Joel. I think you'd want to sit this out anyway.
Joel: **He grabs Lucas's sleeping bag too. He suddenly hears his mother yelling for him again. He yells something back in a language they can't understand before looking back at them.** Stay safe my friends. I will see you again later.
**About twenty minutes later they're be driven south down Clinton Keith by Detective Murdoc. After a few minutes he pulls off to the side of the road.**
Detective Murdoc: **He's looking back at them with the read-view mirror.** This is the place. You'll have to jump over this wall and head about a block down the road. The place you're looking for is a big mission-style house. Huge. It'll be all lit up and there'll be music and expesive looking cars parked outside. You can't miss it. As long as you two don't screw something up, most of the people there won't even notice you, though you might want to disguise yourselves as a pair of waiters or something. You've seen how Edward Totenkopf looks in that magazine I showed you, doubt he looks much different than he did there. Any more questions before ya leave?
Yuri: **He's looking down the road in the direction of the party, he glances back at Murdoc.** Where are you gonna be?
Detective Murdoc: I'll be at the Bluecreek Bar back up the road about a mile from here. There's a payphone there, I gave your brother the number yesterday. He better have remembered to bring it.
Lucas: I got it. **He nods. Reaching into his pants pocket and clutching the small paper note.**
Detective Murdoc: Get to a phone if something goes wrong, call that number. Otherwise I'll be here at two A.M. If you guys aren't back here by three I'll assume something is wrong and go in after ya, alright?
Yuri: Don't worry about us. We got this.
Lucas: The security soudns pretty lax compared to the asylum we had to get through.
Detective Murdoc: It's not the security you have to worry about. Many of the guests there are quite dangerous if offended. You won't be the only "strange" people there, got it?
Yuri: How strange?...

Detective Murdoc: The "Prince" keeps company of witch covens, warlocks, and many other rumored individuals such as demonologists. Even the Prince himself is rumored to be... Well. Strange.
Yuri: Got it. Don't offend any of the people that can turn us into frogs.
Lucas: **He sighs, thinking this was going to be easy.** Still can't be worse than the Asylum, regardless.
Detective Murdoc: Just watch yourselves. I know what Ezekiel is capable of, which is why I sent him in last week. You two... You're quick-witted, but I don't know how well you can handle yourselves in a fight against a Witch.
Yuri: If they're anything like the movies we'll just need a bucket of water. **He starts walking down the sidewalk.**
Lucas: **He smirks and gets out of the car, quickly catching up to his brother. As they reach the wall through a few of the bushes, he looks upwards. The top of the wall is about three feet above their heads.** We're going to have to climb a tree or something to get over that.
Yuri: **He runs up to nearest tree and starts climbing it, once he reaches a sturdy branch he steps onto it and looks down at Lucas.** Don't tell Leena I said we could kill witches with a bucket of water.
Lucas: **He thinks for a moment as he grabs onto the same tree that Yuri is using, waiting for him to get to the top of the wall.** Have we ever actually seen her drinking water?
Yuri: **He steps towards the edge of the branch and jumps down into the grass, over the wall, near some bushes of flowers.** Are you really asking me that?
Lucas: **He quickly climbs up, after seeing where his brother stepped, and after a moment lands beside him.** Was just thinking out loud I guess...
Yuri: **He looks at him for a moment before looking forward again.** Guess I'm gonna offer her some water next time she comes over.
**They've landed in a small park-like area next to a long road, up the street they can easily see a culd-de-sac with a very large mansion-like house. There's expensive cars pulling into the long driveway, people are getting out and a valet is taking their car away around the back of the house.**
Lucas: That's gotta be the place. **He stands up, dusting himself off a little before continuing towards the large house. There's a dull hum of music in the air. It's not loud party music so much as it is more tame and classical, like pianos and violins.**
Yuri: **He sneaks behind the fountain and takes cover behind it when one of the cars drives past them on the circular road infront of the mansion.**
Lucas: Didn't he say we could just walk in? **He asks this almost to himself as much as his brother.**
Yuri: You can. **He pinches his own black shirt, it has mario riding yoshi on it mid-jump.** I can't. I'll find one of the waiter outfits and meet you at the party.
Lucas: **He shakes his head.** This should be interesting then. People are going to see you, then they're going to see me and wonder why I'm not in a waiter outfit like the guy they just saw. **He stands up and adjusts his jacket.**
Yuri: Please...My hair doesn't look as nice as yours. **He stays behind the fountain while Lucas walks off.**
Lucas: **As he reaches the front door there's tall men in black suits walking around. They're wearing sunglasses even though it's night time, and some of them are walking large german shepherd dogs. He walks right passed two of them and they don't seem to even see him. He walks in through a side entrance and looks around. The guests are a strange mixture of classical old-money, people that look like they're in their late 60's who are wearing typical suits and extravagent dresses, but there's also younger looking people that look like they're in their mid 20s or early 30s wearing more modern outfits, some of them are even wearing Lucas's punk-like style, with nice leather jackets, though they're much nicer than his is now, as it's become worn in the passed few days since it's been splattered with cultist blood, dirt, wooden spliters, mud, rain, and being shoved behind a medicine shelf for almost an hour, among a few other things. He raises an eyebrow, looking for "The Prince", but doesn't immediately see him anywhere.**
**One of the rich brown boys, wearing some type of fancy jacket that looks like it cost a ridiculous amount of money, walks in Lucas's direction with his girlfriend. He sees what he's wearing and laughs under his breath at him as they pass him.**
Lucas: **He clenches his fist slightly, thinking about how lucky that punk is that they're not supposed to draw attention to themselves. Slight wisps of smoke rise from his nostrils and the corner of his mouth as he silently seethes. If there's anything that peeves him into rage, it's preppy rich kids. He turns away from the guy and heads deeper into the house, looking for both his brother and the Prince as he moves through the crowd. He was half expecting to see a woman in a pointy hat with green skin somewhere at the party after the things Yuri said a few minutes ago.**
Yuri: Psst.
Lucas: **He stops, hearing something, after a moment he looks to the source.**
Yuri: **He's wearing a waiter's outfit and looking away from Lucas as he offers someone some of the high class mini sandwiches, they politely refuse and walk away. He keeps his back to Lucas.** Find him yet?
Lucas: **He looks away from his brother after a moment, trying to play it cool.** Haven't seen anyone but potential burn victums... His eyes continue to scan the party as he talks.
Yuri: If he's the host he'll show up sooner or later...but it might be better for us if we find him when he's alone. Keep looking, I'll see if I can find out more about him. **He walks away from his brother until he's out of sight, off to listen in on anyone talking about the Prince.**
**Lucas takes one step, before freezing in place as a girl's voice rings out behind him.** I didn't know you got invited to these parties. **The voice is soft and familiar to him.**
Lucas: **He turns to see who it is. It's a girl from their school, Mandy Lane, who Lucas has had a crush on for a long time. She's wearing a pretty simple outfit, a long red dress with a pair of shining earrings. She has long off-blonde hair that's almost brown and almost golden-colored bright brown eyes.** Mandy? He acts like he doesn't really know her.
Mandy Lane: You know I thought I saw you walking around with a food tray a minute ago?
Lucas: Uh... Huh. **He looks to the side. Trying to look for the Prince, but she's obviously distracting him.**
Mandy Lane: Lucas, right? You got the nicer hair.
Yuri: **He overhears Mandy somehow from across the room and he messes up his hair so it looks emo, hiding a lot of his face, so she won't rocognize him again.**
Lucas: **His eyes snap to her and he can't help but smirk.** What are you doing here?
Mandy Lane: My parents get invited to these parties all the time. My dad's a laywer for some big shot client that attends them. They dragged me along. **She shrugs.** How'd you get in?
Lucas: ...Just walked in... **He acts like he's too good for this party.** Who is the host anyway?
Mandy Lane: You're looking for Edward Totenkopf?
Lucas: **He shrugs.** Dunno, I guess.
Mandy Lane: Well, I'm not sure where he is. **She looks around.** Not that it matters, everyone here is so stuck up you'd be hard-pressed to find anything interesting to talk about to anyone. That and I don't really like parties. **She shrugs again.**
Lucas: **He thinks silently to himself. "Do any of the girls at our school like going to parties?"** Yeah I just... Wanted to see what all the fuss was, looks like a waste of time to me. I thought the rich and famous would be more... Whatever. **He looks to the side again, still trying to spot the Prince, trying not to stare at Mandy, and also trying to seem disinterested in the entire situation, all at once.**
Mandy Lane: So you just showed up to crash a party you weren't invited to? Where's your brother by the way, don't you guys do everything together?
Lucas: **He immediately remembers those rumors Leena talked about a few days ago.** No! **He composes himself.** I mean... We're at school together a lot I guess.
Mandy Lane: Huh. To be honest I don't think I'd ever seen you two apart, except when you have different classes. **She smirks slightly.**
Lucas: **Everything seems so weird. He didn't even think Mandy really knew who they were after middle school.** Umm... Yeah, whatever I guess. We have similar interests.
Emir: What's the help doing out of uniform? **The familiar voice of the rich brown boy can be heard behind Lucas although except this time when he turns to look at him it's just him this time. His girlfriend is off to the side with her friends watching.** You're supposed to be serving me, like a good boy.
Lucas: The only thing I'm going to serve you is your teeth after I knock them out of your mouth. He slowly turns to look at the smug rich kid.
Emir: He brandishes his sword and has the tip an inch away from Lucas before he can finish speaking. Speak another word and I will put you down like a sick dog. **He laughs under his breath again and takes a good look at him, using his sword to make him raise his face up.** Now...What's the puppy's name?
Lucas: **A bit of smoke pours from his mouth, but he doesn't want to breath a blast of fire onto someone in front of Mandy. He pushes the sword away, causing it cut him a little under his chin.** I don't want to get violent in front of my friend here. How about you just fuck off and I'll beat your ass later when she isn't watching?
Mandy Lane: Who the hell carries a sword into a party like this? What's wrong with you?
Emir: **He puts his sword away which seems to just vanish when he puts it into an invisible sheath like it was conjured. He steps back and raises his hands.** I won't need a sword to teach this dog how to respect his masters.
Meanwhile...

Yuri: **He's standing besides one of the very large woman, in fact she's the biggest person at the party as her backside looks like a wall at times, a very expensively wallpapered one at that. He's listening to her speak to her friend about the Prince while she grabs mini sandwiches from the silver plater in his hand.**
**The woman swallows the sandwiches two at a time before speaking.** I heard the only people here allowed to see the Prince are the one's he finds interesting. No, darling, I don't mean someone's personality. **She grabs the last few sandwiches from the plate in Yuri's hand. When he looks at the plate it's empty and the plate is gone too.** I don't care who it is as long as I get to see Ruby Rhod escort him to the Prince. Oh my god he's so sexy.
Yuri: **He looks confused for a moment and leaves to find Lucas. Despite the talk between Lucas and Emir no one at the party seems to be paying attention to them.**
Yuri: **He looks around and finds Lucas just as Emir punches him in the kidney.** Shit.
Lucas: **He coughs slightly and then head butts Emir in the nose before punching him square in the chest as he stumbles backwards. Lucas grabs his side tightly, but does his best to pretend it doesn't hurt in front of Mandy, he quickly lets go of where he was punched and does his best to keep from hunching over from the kidney shot.**
Emir: **He hardly stumbles back, catching himself faster than Lucas expected him to. He raises his hand to his forehead, seeing that Lucas made him bleed. He seems to almost laugh like he can't believe it. His smile quickly fades to pure rage. He brandishes his sword again and thrusts it towards Lucas's heart.**
Lucas: His eyes go wide and he jumps back, turning to the side. The sword pierces through his jacket and cuts across the front of his shirt and does a shallow cut across his chest. His hand darts up and grabs the guy's wrist and he turns and blasts flames over the sword, melting it instantly. He let's go as the flames spread up the rich kid's sleeve, buring that expensive jacket.
Emir: My jacket! **His voice sounds terrified, not for fear for his life but for his jacket's. He tries putting it out. Because of the expensive chemicals used to make this fashionable piece of clothing it quickly engulfs him in flames and he starts screaming. It isn't a moment before he runs into the window, shattering it and landing outside on the grass.**
Yuri: **He steps up beside Lucas when everyone goes to the large windows to watch him burn. Holy shit.**
Lucas: **He looks nervously back at Mandy, who is just standing there in silence with wide eyes. After a moment he just grabs Yuri's arm and moves to leave.** Let's go, I've fucked up our cover.
**The sprinklers outside turn on and they put out Emir, he just lays in the grass moaning in agony.**
Yuri: **He nods,** Yeah, let's get the fuck out of here. **He heads towards the hall that leads to the main entrance.**
Mandy Lane: Hey! Wait! **She chases after them, but a few people run in front of her run to see what's happened and keep her from catching up.**
Yuri: **He runs down the main hall with Lucas towards the large double doors. He grabs the handle and tries opening it but they're locked with no way to unlock it.** Fuck!
Lucas: **He takes a deep breath, ready to burn them down if needed, though he's still pretty short-breathed from the last fire breather he did.**
Yuri: I can't believe you shot out fire infront of Mandy. No one's supposed to know that we have powers!
Lucas: The guy tried to stab me in the chest with a sword. I didn't exactly have a choice! **He looks around, worried about what Mandy might think of him, almost as much as them getting attacked by security.**
**Loud trumpets can suddenly be heard from all around them signaling the arrival of someone.**
Ruby: **He slides out into the hallway and skids to a stop. He loudly says Lucas's name into a mic under his lips, making him sound like he's on the radio.** LUCAAS VEERRA!!
**Several other men dressed like him, but not as fabulously, walk out into the hall with him.**
Ruby: **He has a large cane, he smiles towards Lucas and speaks as if he's won something.** Here he is! The one and only interesting guest at this party!
Lucas: **He looks utterly stunned, confused even, as he looks to his brother.**
Ruby: **He starts to walk down the large mansion hallway seductively.** This boy is fueled like fire! So Start melting ladies cause the boy is hotter than hot! He's hot hot hot! **He walks past Lucas and Yuri. The doubledoors are no longer behind them, replaced by another hallway from a different part of the mansion. There are fans of his in the hallway, including that fat woman from before. He grabs a paintbrush and dips it into one of his assistant's buckets of paint and uses it to sign blank autographs for them while his theme music plays.**
Ruby: The right size, right build, right hair, right on. Right on, right on! And he's got something to say to those fifty billion pairs of ear out there. Pop it V-man! **He raises his cane to his mouth like a microphone.**
One of the assistants raises his hand to his ear, anxious to hear what Lucas is gonna say.

Lucas: **He still looks confused.** ...Hi.
Ruby: **He spins around.** Unbelieveable! **The music starts again. As the small crowd is passing into the next hall Yuri sees Ezekiel opening one of the hallway doors, who quickly closes it when he notices everyone walking past him.** Quiver ladies, quiver he's gonna set the world on fire. **He points to one of the waitresses, she gasps from fear and charm.** Right here from 9 to 12 you'll learn everything there is to know about the Veeeee-man. **He's slides to a stop really close to one of the female waitresses. His voice suddenly becomes deep and seductive.** His dreams, his desires, his most intimate of intimates. **He turns his body and head back towards Lucas. And from what I'm lookin' at, intimate is this stud-muffin's middle name.** So tell me my man. **He raises his cane up infront of Lucas's mouth again, knocking the waitress into one of the mansion's rooms with the back end.** You nervous in the service? **It echoes until it's all silent again, everyone waiting for Lucas to respond.**
Lucas: **He sees Mandy, standing off to the side just watching the spectacle in confusion.** ...Yes. **It almost sounds like a question, as he's not even sure what Ruby asked him.**
**Everyone seems to gasp at his response, unsure of what to think of it. They continue down another hall and Ruby interlocks his arm with Lucas's as they all keep walking.**
Ruby: Freeze those knees my chickadees, cause Ruby's in the place and he's on the case. **He grabs a glass of wine from one of the waiters standing by.** Today's guests will meet the Prince of Riveside! **He raises his arms up and the massive doubledoors at the end of the hall open up. Everything goes dead silent and Ruby and his assistants are no longer there. All the party guests are gone as well, just leaving the twins. The tone has suddenly gone from one of confusion and humor to one of intimidation and danger.**
**The room is seemly massive. The size of a full ball-room. However it appears as an overly-large study, with the walls being made entriely of shelves lined with thousands of large books. The room is dimly lit by a dying fire that silently burns ahead of them. There's a large arm chair facing towards it and away from the twins. They can hear the sound of a page turning. A masculine and even-toned voice travels through the air.** The commotion you caused piqued my interest. Breathing fire. Invisibility. Not entirely rare skills, but you two aren't just a pair of side-show magicians are you? **The voice is cold and speaks in a practiced proper pronounciation, making him sound intelligent and intimidating merely by speaking.** I choose a single new face to speak with each evening I hold one of these gatherings. However I've decided to make an exception to this practice for the two of you tonight. **There's the sound of a book shutting heavily, an a hand reaches out and sets a large tome onto the small table next to the chair.**
Yuri: **He gulps a bit, having felt like he was having fun before with all the random confusion he suddenly feels like they're in trouble for some reason. He runs his hand slowly through his hair fixing it, unsure of what to say.**
Lucas: **He looks at his brother, and though nervous, is relieved that they haven't been thrown out, and also relieved that he's away from the eyes of Mandy Lane.** You're Edward Totenkopf?
Edward: A poor question, yet everyone who I invite to speak with me seems to ask it. I was hoping you two would be different. You sound different. So young and full of the potential that youth brings. **After a brief pause he stands up and turns to look at them, his back to the dying fire. He's very tall, at least 6'3" maybe taller, but also very slim. The lights in the room turn on after a moment, and they can see him more clearly. He has the same pretty-boy face as he did on the cover of the magazine, with raven-black hair and dark eyes. He has a thick amount of eye-liner on which just makes him look odd. He's wearing a tailored suit, which is wrapped tightly around his thin waist. Despite how much taller he is, he looks like he probably weighs the same, or possibly less than, either of the twins due to how thin he is. It's also strange that he speaks of "youth" despite looking like the oldest he could be is his early 20's.**
Yuri: It's not just invisibility and fire breathing. **He questions if he should have said that as he finishes.**
Edward: You two are quite unique. A single creature bound across two brothers, linked from birth. I'm well aware of what you are capable of. I'm interested more in why you are here. Though I have a reason in mind.
Yuri: **He clenches his fist as he thinks of Odie.** Our best friend was possessed by a demon, a powerful one, infamous for being hard to exorcise.
Edward: You must be speaking of the Astreiya spawn that's been prowling the nights not far from here. It has been difficult to keep an eye on. The creature hides well in the body of an innocent during the day. I have heard that even Detective Murdoc was having trouble tracking it down. Oh and what rumors I heard beyond that. Two boys who survived a bloodbath in the hills, unscathed. Strange that they turned out to be true. Even stranger that those two boys appear to be you two, but now I see why you survived.
Yuri: **He feels uncomfortable.** How do you know so much?
Edward: I keep and ear to the ground and an eye to the sky. **He looks from brother to brother, and after another moment speaks.** So you want to know if you can save your friend from the creature inside of him, and you want to know where he is.
Lucas: He's our best friend. If he can be saved, even if it's just a slight chance, we have to try.
Yuri: What can we do?
Edward: You can do nothing. **He turns away from them and begins walking towards one of the large shelves on the wall.** I, however, might be able to do something... For a price. Of course. **His black eyes slide to look at the two of them as he faces the shelf. Without looking he pulls a large blue tome from the shelf.**
Yuri: **He looks at Lucas and then back at the Prince.** We don't have that much money.
Lucas: He's not asking for money... Just what is it that you want from us?
Edward: **He turns and opens the blue tome flipping through it with one hand as it's being held by the other. It's so large and heavy looking that it's strange that the Prince can even hold it at all.** I don't require immediate payment, merely the promise of it. I do something for the two of you, and should I need the two of you, you will do something for me. It is a simple transaction, nothing so overly dramatic, such as soul-selling. You're already possessed, after all. **He stops flipping through the book.** Know that this is how it begins. You think you're normalcy of life has already ended, but you can still go back. Once you make this pact with me you will have crossed the threshold, and maintaining an illusion of normalcy will be more difficult, if not impossible in some cases, for when I require your services in due payment for my services, you will be steeper in the strange world you've so recently stumbled into. **He takes a deep breath.** You are forfeiting the likelyhood of a normal life in exchange for the slightest chance of saving your friend's. You are asking of my service, and I will ask of yours. This is the transaction before you.
Lucas: **He shakes his head nervously and looks to his brother, the Prince's way of speaking making him feel strange, with the whole situation being off-putting.**
Yuri: **He feels the same way as Lucas.** There's nothing else we can give you?
Edward: **He sighs slightly.** The normalcy of your life is not a requirement of the transaction, merely a product of it. What I might ask you to do may lead to more activity that detracts from your attempt at a mundane existence. Whether you are capable of maintaining it will be on you. I'm merely warning you that few can. The payment for my help however, requires that you help me when I call for you. Have I made myself clear?
Yuri: Yeah... **He pulls Lucas close so he can whisper to him.** What do you think?
Lucas: I think we can take care of ourselves, but we need to help Odie... But I do have some questions. He looks to the Prince. I want to know just what it is you're going to make us do, and how dangerous it will be.
Edward: I do not yet know what it is that I might require of you, but rest assured, I don't send people on tasks to get them killed. Whatever the situation is, you will be capable of managing it without mortal... Termination.
Yuri: Will we have to kill anyone?
Edward: If you are required to destroy something, it will not be human. I will promise you that much. I don't care for killing people, and I avoid it when I can.
Lucas: So you're promising that you won't send us on some suicide mission, or to burn down a market or something.
Edward: Yes. You must make the choice, however.
Yuri: **He squints his eyes a bit and then sighs before nodding.** I'll do it. For Odie...
Lucas: **He nods in agreement with his brother.**
Edward: Your word is your promise. **He walks back over to his seat.** Return to this home tomorrow night at midnight. I will set a bait, and a trap, to draw your friend here. If he can be saved, I will attempt to save him. If I cannot... I will send him on his way with you two and perhaps you can find a way to save your friend.
Yuri: **He nods.** Thank you.
Lucas: **He sighs slightly, already trying to think of a way to get out of being home at night.** Can't anyone do something in the afternoon?
Edward: **There's a rumbling, burning deepness that accompanies his already strangely deep voice.** I will not suffer complaints. It is the way it is done. You asked for my help, I will help you in the way I can. Your behavioral obligation to your guardians is of no concern to me. Be here at midnight or I will break our contract and you may never ask of my help again.
Lucas: W-we'll be there. **He nods quickly.**
Edward: **His voice goes back to its normal strangeness.** You are free to go. Goodbye.
Lucas: **He turns, grabbing his brother and pulling him with him towards the double doors. As they pass through them they are suddenly in the large party once again.**
Yuri: I seriously hope this doesn't come back and bite us in the ass...
Lucas: **He shakes his head.** We both know it will. Somehow.
Yuri: **He looks around the party.** Let's get out of here before Mandy finds you and starts asking questions.
Lucas: **He shakes his head.** Yeah. I'll go get a phone and dial the Detective... **He sighs loudly, trying to relieve tension of their entire situation.**
Yuri: **He looks outside the window as Lucas goes to call the detective. Emir's jacket is on the grass without a single burn mark but inside are the remains of a burnt body. The sprinklers not strong enough to put Emir out fast enough.** Jesus... He steps away from the window.