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She smiled, watching her, "She is just too darn cute." She looked to him as he introduced himself. She smiled, reaching to shake his hand, "Elysia LaShalla; pleasure to meet you Seth." She quickly shook his hand, then crossed them over her chest, watching Annemarie with the horses, "She really does love animals, doesn't she?"
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"LaShalla? That was Serus' human last name." He thought to himself shocked. "Um ya she does, but sadly we can't get animals." Seth said still puzzled. "LaShalla hm? I used to know someone with that name when she was hum... not married." Seth said hoping she didn't notice he almost said human.
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She tilted her head, looking up at him. With her being a short 5' 4" she had to tilt her head slightly to see his face. "Why can't you? Allergies?" After a moment, she said, "Did you? What was her name? LaShalla isn't a very common name, I might know her." She smiled a bit, lacing her fingers behind her back
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"No not allergies, animals just don't seem to like me." Seth said easily.
"Her name was Serus." Seth said looking at Annemarie. "I've always wanted to get her a pet but no matter what kind they instantly hate me." Seth said kind of sad but with a little chuckle. When Seth felt a little sad Annemarie looked at him. "I also feel bad because she never knew her mother." Seth said sadly. "I'm sorry I'm pouring my heart out to you you just seem like a really nice person." Seth sad as he rubbed his head. Annemarie focused on Seth. "Daddy why are you sad again? Are you talking about mommy." She asked. "Aww your first telepathy. To answer you question yes I am. Also I will start training you later about controlling it a little more." Seth said with a smile. |
Elysia pondered a moment, muttering the name quietly to herself, "Nooo...I don't seem to recall anyone by that name, and it's alright. I don't remember much of anything it seems. Just about 15 years of my life are a complete blank to me. So, I sort of get where you're coming from. It's sad really. Woke up 8 years ago in a hospital, didn't know who I was, how old I was, or anything. Yet alone, why the hell I have white hair at 23. But you know, I kind of like it now. It just seems..right." She laughed softly, "Now you've got me doing it! It's contagious I tell you."
She sighed a bit, humming to the music of the fair for a moment, "I'm sorry if I'm stepping somewhere I shouldn't, but did her mother die?" She gave him a apologetic look, "You don't have to answer, since it's not my place to ask. We barely know each other..I don't expect you to divulge such tender information." |
"I'm sorry." He said chuckling. "It's all right, yes her mother is dead. More accurately she was murdered." Seth said with a frown. "We were only married for a year when it happened. Of course I was all ways told to never live in New York but I didn't listen." He said trying to brush off his sadness. "Anyway would you like to go out for coffee sometime?" Seth asked as Annemarie started to walk back to them.
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She placed a hand gently on his shoulder, "I'm sorry...And I would love too." She quickly removed her hand, as if his shoulder were a hot burner.
More shady images flashed through her mind, causing her to feel a bit dizzy and swaying slightly. She gently placed her hand on her head, dispelling the images and sensation along with it. She was odd enough with her white hair and carny job at a macabre carnival. As Annemarie came back over she bent over to eye level, "Did you enjoy yourself? I thought it might cheer you up a bit." |
"Are you ok?" He asked as she swayed.
"Yes I did." She said with a big smile. Seth looked at his watch. "Oh wow is that the time already? Hunbun we should head home." He said as he picked her up. "But I wanna look around a little more." She said with a little whine. "We will come back tomorrow ok?" Seth asked with a smile. "Fine daddy." She said as she started to pout. "Don't do that or your face will stick like that." He said with a chuckle. "Does tomorrow sound good for coffee? Around noon?" Seth asked Elysia. |
She stood, nodding, "I'm fine, and yes, that sounds good. I know this cute little shop, just a few minutes from here. I cant..quite seem to place the name. But, you'll know it right away! It's right across from the Best Western Hotel. It's white with light blue trim along it's windows. You'll see it. If not, I'll be here at 7 tomorrow night, preparing for opening the carnival again."
She heaved the door shut, leading them back to the entrance, avoiding going near her Carousel. Once they had left, she went back to her post, laying across her statue as before, thinking about what had just happened. Two out of the three times she touched him, she felt dizzy and..things started to appear in her mind. Nothing definitive, but she had a feeling they were important. Her past perhaps? Why would he have any effect on that? She didn't even know the guy, yet something in her mind told her otherwise. She furrowed her brow, sending scores of people to the ride when they came by. Most of the kids ended up crying a bit when they got close to the horses, but that's okay. That was the theme of the carnival and parents were sternly warned about it. |
"Ok I'll be there no problem." He said with a smile. They fallowed her out of the carnival. They waved goodbye to her as they went up the street. They got back to the spot where they arrived. "So hunbun do you want to go home or do you wanna go back to Jaelynn's?" Seth asked sweetly.
"Umm aunt Jaelynn's." She said as she laid her head on Seth's shoulder. "Ok also she is going to teach you how to use your astral projection." Seth said as he gathered up power to teleport. "Ok." She said as Seth teleported. Seth teleported to the study. "Hi Jaelynn." Seth said with a smile. "Hi auntie Jaelynn." Annemarie said tilting her head. |
Jaelynn was still in her study, thinking intently. She was trying to think of how she could possibly fix this horrible mess that the vampire world was plunging further and further into. She leaned back in the large chair, closing her eyes while she thought.
For months now, the Antinori's have been trying to repair the councilmen's corrupted minds with reasoning, but have been failing miserably. The only visible option now was to..eliminate the current board of members and replace them. She knew how she would do it..but..how could it work? Many vampire covens would not be pleased if they suddenly went and killed the Board. Suddenly Seth and Annemarie were before her again, "Ah, welcome back. Did you have a good time Anne?" She smiled, standing up and heading over. |
"It was great, then bad, then great again." She said as she fluctuated her voice.
"Well we had a little incident with the carousel." Seth said looking at Annemarie. "Daddy they were real horses." She said with a whine. "I believe you hunbun." He said as he looked at Jaelynn. "She has psychometry." Seth said proudly. "Daddy? Why did you say you'd have coffee with that lady?" She asked tilting her head. "Well she looks like someone daddy used to know." Seth said as flashbacks of Serus came into his mind. "Daddy?" She said as she touched his head. When she did she got flashes of someone in her head. She jumped a little when she saw them. "Did you just read my mind hunbun?" He said when she jumped. "I don't know daddy, all I got were pictures of someone." She said looking at her hands. "Well I guess I can't keep anyone from reading my mind." He said with a chuckle as he looked at Jaelynn. |
Jaelynn frowned as Annemarie mentioned the horses, "If I would've known you had Psychometric, I would've warned you. The Midnight Carnival is famous for it's use of..animals. They don't hurt them at all though sweetie, alright?" She gently placed her hand on Annemarie's shoulder, "You don't have to worry, they would never hurt anyone or anything."
She looked to Seth with a frown, picking up on what was going on in his head from Annemarie, "What lady are you talking about? Who does she look like?" She couldn't help but chuckle at Seth's last comment, "It doesn't appear so. Perhaps I will help you with that another day. First we have to get her in control of her psychic powers before she hurts someone, or herself." |
"Her name is Elysia LaShalla and she looks like Serus." Seth said to Jaelynn as he looked down to the floor.
"Daddy I can hear you." Annemarie said with a giggle. "Well I guess I should teach you the value of not eavesdropping." Seth said as he tickled her stomach. "Daddy..." She said while giggling. "What? I can tickle you anytime I want." He said smiling and stopped tickling Annemarie. He put her down on the floor. "I think we should get to teaching don't you think Jaelynn?" Seth said with a smile. |
Jaleynn blocked Annemarie from listening to anything further in their conversation "LaShalla? Are you kidding me? That's not a common name for America. I think we should investigate this once she's asleep." She smiled, looking down to Annemarie, "He's right, we should get training while he gets some rest. Come with me?" She held out her hand for Annemarie to take. "May I help myself to your memory of it? I would like to see her before we make any move."
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""I'm not kidding you, and I know its not common for America. Ok when your done Ill teleport her to Felix so he can watch over her."
"Okie, bye daddy sleep tight." She gave him a quick hug and then grabbed Jaelynn's hand. "Sure just please don't look at anything else. Please?" Seth said as he sat down in a chair. |
She took Annemarie from the study and down to the basement, where the arenas were held. She led Annemarie into the firs tone on the left, shutting the door behind them. The room was well lit with many various weapons scattered on the walls and various training dummies around the floor. "This space should be good enough. Have you ever experienced any Projection before? Tell me about it."
Simultaneously, she was gathering the images of the woman from Seth's mind. She tensed for a moment, a slightly sad expression appearing on her face for a brief moment before disappearing. "You're right..she does. And her hat...I have a spare in her room, pull it out would you?" |
"There was this one time I was sleeping, and I got up and I walked downstairs and I saw daddy, but he didn't see me and he went to check on me and I was still there." She said all in one breath.
"Ok." Seth said as he got up and went to Serus' room. He got in there and grabbed the hat. He looked at it and started to cry. "Daddy's sad." She said as she looked up. She got sad knowing Seth was sad. Seth walked back to the study. "I have the hat." He said as he put it on the desk. He went and sat in the chair. He leaned his head back trying to forget that Serus' hat was a few feet away from him. |
Jaelynn frowned, "I know, and it's my fault. Please forgive me, but it's important." She then addressed the matter of Annemarie's experience, "And you did this unconsciously? Interesting. How did you 'get back in your body', so to say?"
She took mental pictures of the hat from Seth's mind while the images were fresh, comparing the hats to one another. She then sent the comparison to Seth, "They're identical. I don't think that this is coincidence. I won't be with Annemarie too long, this is far too important..wait..you said you were having coffee with her tomorrow?" |
"But.." She started to say but got pulled into Jaelynn's question. "I just sat down into my body." She said confused.
"They are identical, and those hat's are hard to find. Yes I am around noon." Seth said trying not to cry from the picture of Serus. "Daddy needs to stop being sad all of the time. I don't think my mommies would be happy." She said looking down at her feet. |
Jaelynn was about to ask her something, but stopped, "Mommies? Plural? What?" She shook her head, holding up her hand, "Never mind that now. I need you to focus and clear your mind here. If you get distracted, there may be some..dire consequences."
"Indeed..I bet you, the same person who made Serus' made Elysia's. I can't seem to remember, but can you look on the inside of her hat for the maker's signature? I think it's right on the top." Before Seth could act, she quickly blocked off the area, hoping to block Annemarie's connection to Seth, or even mute it. |
"OK."She said as she started to clear her mind. "I can't feel daddy anymore is he ok?" She asked worried.
Seth got up to look at the hat "Frederick Wilson." He said as he gently put the hat down and went back to the chair. "Why do I keep doing this to myself?" He asked himself as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes again. |
"He's fine, I'm just trying to help you focus. Now keep your mind blank. I'm going to cast your spirit for you, so you can get a feel for what that's like, and how you should manipulate your power to do so. Alright? It's going to feel a bit strange, but bear with me."
She focused her mind on Annemarie's bringing out the power of astral projection from the girl's mind, then forcing it to cast her spirit outward from her body. She kept a hold on Annemarie's mind and spirit to make sure both remained stable. Unlike Annemarie, Jaelynn could multitask the teaching and the conversation with her father. It was fairly difficult keeping the too separate, but not impossible. "Fredrick..ah I remember now. I know just where to find him too." |
"This feels really weird." Annemarie said.
"Ok we'll go to him later." Seth said looking at his watch. "Will he still be open it's almost midnight?" Seth asked looking up at the ceiling. "Why do I always get myself into these messes?" He asked himself as he started to look back over the last eight years. |
"I don't care if he is or not. I'm going to bother him either way."
After a few hours of pulling Annemarie's spirit from her body and placing it back, and instructing the girl how to do so, she sighed, unsealing the room, "I think that's enough for now. I don't want to wear you out too much. You should sleep now." She led Annemarie back upstairs to where Seth was, "We're finished for the night. I'll let you practice for a few days before we move on, but no practicing unless I'm around. Alright Annemarie?" |
She ran up and jumped on Seth. "Hi daddy, and ok I wont." She said with a smile.
"Jeez hunbun if I could breath you would have knocked the breath out of me."Seth said smiling. "Did you have fun and did you learn a lot?" He asked looking at Jaelynn. "Yes I did daddy." She said with a twinkle in her eye. "Then what do you say to Jaelynn?" Seth asked pointing at Jaelynn. "Thank you auntie Jaelynn." She said as she gave Jaelynn a hug. "I think its time to get you in bed." He said as he stood up. "Come here hunbun." He said was he knelt down. "But I'm not tired daddy." She said with a yawn. "Then what was that?" Seth asked jokingly. "I was breathing." She said trying to hide her tiredness. "Hunbun you know that I can tell when your lieing." Seth said a little disappointed. "I know daddy." She said as she walked over to him with a pout. "You can see Jaelynn tomorrow ok?" Seth said as he picked her up and gathered up his power. "Ok, bye auntie Jaelynn." She said waving. "Ill be back in a little bit Jaelynn." Seth said as he teleported to his house. "Here you go hunbun." He said as he laid her on his bed. "Ill see you in the morning." He said as he placed a kiss on her forehead "Night daddy." She said barely able to keep her eyes open. "Felix can you check on Annemarie every few minutes?" He asked as he shut the door to his room. "Yes sir." Felix said. "Thanks old man, I can always trust you. Also tomorrow I will take back control of the coven." Seth said as he was ready to teleport back to Jaelynn. "Your welcome, and thank you sir." Felix said relieved. "Your welcome Felix."Seth said with a chuckle and he teleported back to Jaelynn. |
Jaelynn gave her a hug back then waited for Seth's return. When he came back, she placed her hand on his shoulder, gathering up her power, "Now Fredrick is a bit of an..odd ball, so bear with me alright?" And before he could answer, they disappeared.
They had reappeared in southern Kansas, not that Seth would know that. Before them stood a run down little house. The paint was peeling and the windows were boarded up. She frowned as the stench of..god knows what, flooded her nose. "Just as I remember it." |
"Wow this is quaint." Seth said as he smelled hundreds of things. "After you." He said not wanting to go in first. Felix how is Annemarie?" He asked wondering.
"Sir you just left a few minutes ago." Felix said with a smile. "I know old man sorry." Seth said kind of embarrassed. |
Jaelynn shook her head, "I'm not going in there. You can't pay me enough to go in there. I'll just bring him outside." She grabbed a rock, tossing it in the air a few times. "I'm going to love this." The rock levitated from her hand then shot through the wall, breaking something glass inside.
Soon after the crash, an older gentleman came out. He swung the door open, his black hair longer than Jaelynn's, almost past his hips. "Who the hell threw that!?" "Fredrick you stinky old bastard! Get your ass out here!" The man narrowed his eyes, a soft violet glow emitting from them, "Jaelynn Antinori! What the hell are you doing here?" He was walked over, his eyes still narrowed. Up close, the man was quite lanky, his joints sort of..bulging out. "I refuse to make any more dresses for that witch! So stop asking!" |
Seth saw the man. When he got close new smells emanated from him. Seth used all of his willpower to not plug his nose. "Hello sir I'm Seth Augustin." He said putting out his hand hoping the man wouldn't shake it.
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Jaelynn just about slapped him, but did not want to touch him, "Look, I'm not here about that, just relax. I have a question for you. Have you made any hats lately? Ones that look like Serus's?" She quickly put Seth's hand down, shaking her head, "He'll shake it, but you don't want him to. It's alright, he's used to it."
Fredrick tilted his head, "Hats? I don't think so...ah! Actually, I have. It was a bit smaller, more like a bowl hat rather than a top hat. A rose and striped ribbons adorned it. I think it was about..seven years ago?" He touched his finger to his chin, slightly insulted as Jaelynn moved Seth's hand, "Now that's just rude. So I run a body farm for the local police and smell like shit. Sue me. I make good money." He waved his hand a bit, shaking the matter off, "Back to the hat...I remember the girl who ordered it. She was strikingly similar to someone I know...and now that you're here, I'm thinking she looked a lot like Serus. Except, when I met her, her hair was a very light brown, almost white. I can't recall what she said her name was, but she was bent on getting a hat made. She wanted it done in one night! She wouldn't leave me be until it was finished." He held out his hand, muttering softly to himself. Suddenly, a tome appeared in his hand. Unlike vampires, a wizard was usually forced to mutter his spell aloud. A huge disadvantage. "Let me see if I grabbed a picture of it." He flipped through the pages, then stopped, showing Jaelynn and Seth the picture of the woman wearing her hat. Like he said, in this picture her hair was a very pale brown, not yet white. "Is that the hat?" Jaelynn snatched the tome, holding it close for Seth to get a better view, "It's unmistakable. That's the hat she was wearing, right?" Something about the woman's brown hair bothered her. Then it hit her, "I think Serus had auburn hair before it lost color..." |
"That is the hat and this is Elysia." Seth said a little shocked. "Um sir? Why haven't you fixed up your house if you make a lot of money being a body farm." Seth asked feeling bad for asking. "Wait a minute she said that she was in a coma up until eight years ago that's when Serus... You know." Seth said a little upset.
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"Because it keeps everyone away, that's why. The inside is rather nice though. Very modern. Either way, Elysia? Yes I remember now. She said she didn't know why, but she felt so strange without one. She was a very odd lady. Either way, you have your information," He snatched the Tome back, "Now get off my property before the locals get wind I might be social." He turned around and stormed back inside.
Jaelynn quickly teleported them back to the study, running her hands through her pale blonde hair. "I don't think I understand what's going on Seth. Serus is dead, yet, the more we learn about this Elysia, the more likely it seems perhaps we're wrong." She shut the door, and suddenly the room changed. They were back int he past, 8 years ago during the fight. "I remember her burning..right there," suddenly the occurrence popped up. "But..how could she have made it through?" She replayed the battle, over and over, anaylizing it carefully. |
"Could it possibly be like what happened with Layla?" He asked as the room went back to eight years ago. Seth watched what happened carefully. Trying to figure out how this could be. "Could it possibly be that Serus' spirit went into this woman while she was in the coma. Do you know what I mean?" Seth said as he sat down in the chair.
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Jaelynn thought a moment, "No...she couldn't manipulate her spirit...she couldn't astral pro..." she trailed off, rewinding to a few moments before the battle.
Jaelynn jumped through the window, her telekinesis pushing her forward across the street. She quickly began to unbury Serus using her hands and telekinesis to move the bricks. She pulled Serus from the rubble asking if she was okay. There was no response. She was unconscious. She quickly cut her hand on a brick holding it over Serus's mouth.-- "There! I gave her some blood since she was unconscious..hoping to boost her healing. She must've noticed she had my power then as well. When she knew she was going to die, she mustve completely detatched her spirit, attching it to a random person. And since a body can only hold one spirit, she mustve goten into a coma while she was removing Elysia's spirit. She probably changed her last name to LaShalla since it ffelt right. "Just like her hat. She wanted one because that's what feels right to her. Yet she has no memory to explain it." she suddenly felt weak as the realization hit. She looked to Seth, slightly concerned. "Seth...?" |
"So your saying that Serus' spirit and Elysia's spirit fought and that's why she was in the coma. But why doesn't she have her memories if Serus won?" Seth asked looking at Jaelynn. "Are you ok." Seth said as he got up to catch her. "What's wrong?" Seth asked as he helped her to a chair.
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Jaelynn held onto him for support as she mulled over the idea. It was possible that Elysia was Serus. But..that would mean Serus was now human again. She held her head with her free hand, trying to process it all. "Let's see..its..3am..the Midnight Carnival is open till 5am.. We have time. We have to go back there and find this Elysia." She stood on her own, waiting for Seth to teleport them, as she didn't know the exact location of the fair.
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"Ok Jaelynn." Seth said as he teleported them to the carnival. "Here it is, she works on the carousel. I'll lead the way." Seth said as he went to the ticket man and handed him forty dollars. You could see the carousel right away. "Its just right up here." Seth said weaving in and out of the few people that were there.
"Daddy where are you?" Annemarie asked kind of crying. "I'm with Jaelynn hunbun what's wrong?" Seth asked worried. "I can't sleep." She said sounding scared. "I'll be home soon hunbun, ok?" Seth said sad. "Ok daddy, be careful." Annemarie said with a weak smile. "I will and if you need anything just call for Felix ok?" Seth said with a little smile. "Okie daddy." Annemarie said trying to go back to sleep. Seth and Jaelynn got to the carousel. |
Jaelynn followed along behind Seth, looking around, partly amazed as all the..details. She could already see the top of the carousel as they passed the gate. "Woooww, amazing! I can see why she'd come here. It's a comfortable environment for a vampire." As they came up to the carousel, she could see a white haired woman.
Elysia sighed as the crowds were slowly dying down. She stroked the Horse's neck, looking around to see if anyone was approaching her carousel. Suddenly, she saw Seth again, this time with a short blonde woman. Confused, she remained on her stool, wondering who that woman was. |
"She does look a lot like Serus. If this is Serus' spirit how come she doesn't have her memories. What is she? She's not totally human but she's not a vampire or a witch, so what the fuck is she?" Seth thought to himself as he slowly made his way to Elysia. "How are we gonna do this?" Seth asked Jaelynn as they made it to Elysia.
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