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It was a bit startling to feel the sudden absence of aching muscles--she was used to it slowly ebbing away--and she hesitated a moment before snapping back to reality. Celestial ruffled her feathers in clear hatred of Jackson's presence alone, to which Crysia scratched underneath her beak as a reassuring motion. She followed him, looking around carefully at her surroundings.

---

once they were both inside he closed the door and sighed, running a hand through his hair before slipping his cloak off and hung it up.
''go ahead and make yourself comfy, relax if you want too'' Jackson said, going over to where he stashed the potion away and pulled it out, along with a mug and a shot glass.

Crysia obediently took a seat on the nearest couch, letting Celestial hop onto the arm, and laced her hands together in front of her. She sat up straight and watched him, silently but with interest, and was reminded of her time with the King. Crysia could almost remember the exact same situation happening, with the King casually making potions while he spoke to her. His hospitality was always something that she appreciated, and at this point, her loyalty was so skewed she had lost her actual stance.
Crysia waited, silently, for him to say something. The binding was still strong, to the point where she couldn't even begin to start thinking about denying her orders when given.

---

Jackson popped the cork off the bottle and filled the mug up, then poured some of the potion into the shot glass before offering it to her.
''mother makes this stuff for me.... it helps since i'm having trouble keeping blood down..... does.. your bird want water...? perhaps some sunflower seeds?'' he asked, looking at Crysia as he waited for her answer.
his demeanor was different from they're previous encounters, where he had bit more calculative and sly and more cruel, but allowed his guard to be lowered to show someone more gentler and caring, someone who was hiding under a facade.

She thanked him when he handed her the shot glass, cocking her head subconsciously when she noticed the change in attitude. Don't have much to lose if this is all a trick, she thought to herself almost grimly, figuring that she would be able to sense some anger or negativity through their bind if he was going to snap.
Crysia looked into Celestial's eyes for a moment, the constellation-like specks shifting, and turned back to Jackson for an answer. "She wouldn't mind." She paused before adding, "Her name's Celestial."

---

he gave a small smile and nodded, taking a sip from his mug before setting stuff out of the way and rummaged through one of the cabinets.
''that potion has a bit of a kick by the way, that's why you got a shot glass'' he said, soon grabbing a container of roasted sunflower seeds and grabbed a couple teacup saucers.
Jackson poured a few seeds out onto one of the saucers and went ahead on getting Celestial some water.
''are... raven's a good companion to have?'' he asked, somewhat curious.

"Definitely. I initially got Celestial to help with assignments, but she became quickly became a close companion. She's... practically family at this point," Crysia replied calmly. She was growing more curious about Jackson by the second--she had mostly avoided the Queen's son and had never noticed his loneliness before. "I'm sure you could easily get one if you wanted to."

---

Jackson pondered for a moment once he sat the saucer of water and sighed, rubbing the back of his head a little.
''i've not had the best luck with birds in all honesty......'' he muttered, a bit ashamed since he had been the one who attacked the twins' raven, which he wasn't about to bring that topic up either.

She shrugged and inspected the shot glass as she spoke, "Binding someone isn't all that different. I mean, if it comes down to the telepathy, forced companionship, and assignments." Crysia said this with a small sarcastic smile on her face, but her tone seemed indifferent from before. She tediously sipped from the contents of the shot glass and wrinkled her nose. "You weren't kidding," she grumbled, holding it in front of Celestial. The raven turned her head in denial and went to the water instead, Crysia chuckling softly.
"Speaking of assignments. What did you call me here for?"

---

he flinched slightly at Crysia said 'forced companionship' and looked away, guilt now clawing at his mind before he grabbed his mug and composed himself as he chugged down the faintly glowing purple liquid with ease.
''i forget why, must have slipped my mind with all the talking...'' Jackson sighed, hiding the fact the he just wanted someone to talk too as he put the mug in the sink.

Crysia saw the flash of guilt and was struck with interest, her eyebrow raising instinctively. Upon realizing, she erased the traces of lingering curiosity and instead focused on what he had to say. "Alright," she said in almost a singsong voice, knowing that it wasn't the full truth, "say something if you remember."
He probably doesn't have that much to do, anyways, she thought, not bothered.

---

he nodded and ran a hand through his hair, seeming to relax now that he had drank some of the potion his mother had made for him.
''you know, it's rather pathetic.... that i'm having to rely on energy pots my mother makes just because i can't stand the sight of a large amount of blood to the point i almost can't stomach it..... and i'm the prince, heir to the throne for gods sake... i'm a disgrace to vampire kind.....'' Jackson grumbled, obviously frustrated.

That explains a lot, Crysia thought, remembering the time he ruined her hunting. She crossed her legs, listening silently and lightly stroking Celestial. She could tell her raven had relaxed, if not warmed up, to Jackson upon realizing that his true intentions were... not all that bad. It had been a while since their loyalties laid with someone they didn't mind all that much.
"Nobody has to know about it. I'm sure there's a lot of stuff the Queen hides for the sake of publicity--I know the King certainly has a few secrets. If anything, it seems... more convenient to me," she reassured.
------
Silver led the group confidently through the throne room. Rhythe's heels clacked against the checkered floors as she followed happily beside him, spinning a blade in her left hand. "Why are we here?" Eclipse mumbled with Dusk on her shoulder. She slipped her hand into Magnolia's and gripped it tightly, a bit alarmed by the dreariness of the room.
A strange cosmic creature was curled up on the throne and it raised its head as the group grew closer, making a threatening clicking noise. "Quiet down, Liri," shushed a somewhat high but gravelly voice that bounced off the walls of the room. Monty dropped from the beams of the ceiling, stopping only feet above the ground to slowly drift down like a feather.
"Oh, my. It's been quite a while since I've seen some of you," he spoke, a lot softer than before. He smiled gently at Magnolia and Shade, but his interest was quickly turned to Eclipse. "It's nice to meet you, dear. I'm the King, but it's alright if you wish to call me Monty." He stuck out a hand and Eclipse hesitantly shook it.

---

''my mother hides her power and the fact i'm the son of both royal bloodlines.... that's all she really hides to my knowledge, but aside from that you know how our kind just love to gossip about anything worth gossiping about.....'' he muttered, covering half of his face and sighed.
Jackson soon walked over and plopped down into his beanbag chair, laying his head back and closing his eyes.
''the binding.... it's basically also a form of protection... my magical power is a lot stronger than mother and father's, so if they tried to bind you to them mine will cancel them out..... though your friend may end up being the next victim of mother's binding if Lucifer was killed..'' he rambled off, resting his eyes for a moment.
~~~~~~~~
Magnolia seemed to bristle slightly, even without her fur, and started to stare Monty down and pull Eclipse away from him, but stopped herself as she looked away and clenched her jaw, lightly gripping the little girl's hand a bit tighter.
Dusk nestled closer to his mistresses neck and simply gave Monty a rather nasty glare with his unusual golden amber eyes.
Shade gave a simple bow towards the king and kept his gaze to the floor, a little tense since he wasn't sure how he'd react with him returning after so long.
''it's a pleasure to see you again sir, you look as youthful as ever'' he said, the last part a little hesitant.

Her eyes traced him as he walked, sparking with interest when he mentioned bloodlines. Her head was cocked slightly and she had decided at this point that she was completely fine with being bound to Jackson, even though she'd have to figure out how to balance it with serving the Queen.
"I doubt either of them would even try to bind me at this point," Crysia said, ignoring the statement about Lucifer, "I haven't even seen the King since I was bound to him." Celestial lightly kneaded the couch arm with her claws, not hard enough to do any damage, listening closely. Curious thoughts churned in her head and Crysia knew that her raven was wondering the same things.
"Why... exactly did you bind me, Jackson? What plans do you have?"
-------
Monty laughed, "Thank you." His eyes flickered across the group before landing on Magnolia, his smile still gentle and pleasant. "Oh, don't stress, dear. I want to keep Eclipse as safe as you do"--a lightly menacing air wrapped around his words suddenly--"and if I wished to rid of any of you I would have already done so." Liri crept to his side, her motions fluid but disturbingly silent. "I am positive we can build trust in each other's company again, hm?" His inverted eyes seemed to bore through Magnolia and Shade.
Silver stood with his hands behind his back, silent and straight. Rhythe looped her arm with his, ruining his military-like facade. Monty turned to them, "But you two have done well. Enough introducing, allow me to bring you to the rooms. It's been quite a while since any of you have had a proper place to sleep," he said, turning to the right and beginning to stroll with Liri at his side.

---

Jackson remained silent for a moment, contemplating on what to say as he stole a quick glance at Crysia and looked away, crossing his arms as he laid in his beanbag chair.
''i... hardly get company that often.....'' he grumbled, his face a faint shade of red out of embarrassment since he basically admitted to being, in fact, lonely.
~~~~~~~~
Shade flinched and glanced up at Magnolia, practically sensing the hatred towards Monty radiating off of her as her murderous death glare caused by the sudden threat the king trailed him.
he quickly straightened and gently placed a hand on her cheek, drawing her attention towards him with a concerned expression that told her to stop, which gained an irritated sigh from his wife.

''Shade he basically threatened us and Eclipse.....! you know my motherly instincts are going haywire right now cause of that....'' she muttered quietly to him, making sure no one but Shade heard her whisper.
he sighed and put his forehead against hers.
''I know Maggie..... just... please behave, i almost lost you once... i don't want to loose you this time....'' he murmured softly to Magnolia, kissing her lightly on the side of her neck before hesitantly going to follow Monty, leaving a faintly blushing Magnolia where she stood.

once he caught up to Monty, he crossed his arms behind his back and sighed.
''i'm.... sorry for my absence, king Blackford..... and please excuse Magnolia's behavior she's just... really protective of Eclipse, she's like a..'' he muttered, trailing off on the last sentence as he cut himself off, looking away from Monty now as his expression filled with a mix of pain and sorrow.
his expression changed when something clicked in his head and look at his hand where his ring should've been, realizing he didn't have it on before rummaging through his pockets for it, slipping it on once he found it and sighing softly with relief now that he had it on.

Crysia simply grinned, displaying her full upper row of sharp milky white teeth, in order to suppress the amused chuckles that threatened to escape. "I'm happy to be a friend, Jackson," she said warmly, ruffling Celestial's feathers as if teasing her for being so cynical. She seemed to be fully relaxed at this point and a bit at ease--for the first time she had been bound with good intentions, and she realized that it was the safest she'd felt in millennia. She took a small sip of the energy concoction, determined to finish it. "How old are you, Jackson?" Crysia asked, realizing she didn't know.
-------
Liri clicked in disapproval, her pupilless, white-hot eyes seeming to bore through Shade. Monty lowered his hand in her direction and she sizzled, heeding and skittering beside him with traces of hostility. Interest sparked in him when he noticed the ring, but otherwise, his opinions on it were unreadable--he seemed indifferent as if he hadn't even seen it in the first place. "I do not intend to separate you from the girl, but if she steps out of line I might just do so." His sentence was blunt, already tired of being subtle. I care about the child as much as you do and I don't think you have had the pleasure of understanding how much potential she holds. I am willing to keep letting you have a role in raising her," he paused and looked at Shade almost coldly, "but if there's any interference I will sever all ties. I urge you to be diplomatic about this, even if it's not much of a strength."
Rhythe whistled as she walked alongside Silver, Eclipse tugged Magnolia forward and looking up with concern. "Are we going to lose each other?" She asked, cocking her head with worry.

---

he huffed and sat up, but perked up when he heard her question and chuckled.
''now, now~ it's rude to ask a gentlemen about his age'' he said jokingly, grinning a little bit before pulling his legs up and crossed them.
Jackson looked down and scratched his chin as he thought for a moment, then looked over at her as he rested his arms in his lap.
''i'm a hundred and eighty thousand years old'' he said.
~~~~~~~~
''i know i should bite my tongue.... but, if you sever all ties between Eclipse and all four of us she will be rather upset...... not only have we all grown attached to the young girl but she's grown rather attached to us, we're all parental figures to her... and i know her potential, i can sense it clearly'' he chimed in.
then shade simply gave an innocent yet rather eerie smile towards Monty, crossing his arms behind his back once more.
''and you may be my king, Monty, but if you lay a hand on my wife i'll have no choice but to step in as well... seem fair? and we have every full intention of keeping her safe and staying here with her'' he said somewhat innocently yet boldly, finding it a pretty fair trade between all the threats Monty has been talking about.

Magnolia snapped out of her thoughts and looked down at Eclipse before kneeling down to her height and gave her a soft smile to reassure her.
''no sweetie, we'll all be staying here with you alright.....? i promise'' she said.

Crysia rolled her eyes at the remark but chuckled, surprised that Jackson was younger than her. She had always figured that he was at least older than Lucifer and knew that Vivalda had him when she was young (which she wasn't even sure of; everything was a rumor) but she had never really thought about the Queen's age. It was even more difficult to tell Monty's age, much less find any similarities between him and Jackson.
----------
"You'll certainly try. That's what I like about you, Shade," he said, clapping him lightly on the shoulder. He suddenly swiveled to the left, in front of extravagant ceiling-high doors, and flicked a petite black-nailed hand out in front of him. In direct sight was a small sitting area, dimly lit by candles, with an archway that led into a separate kitchen and dining room. "There are three bedrooms upstairs, I believe. Make yourselves welcome," Monty said, turning around with a small smile. With that he and Liri were gone--no ominous aura clouds or portals; simply gone in a blink of an eye.
Eclipse nodded, a bit at ease, and noticed Rhythe and Silver walking ahead of them. She tugged lightly on Magnolia's hand, not wanting to fall behind.

---

''i was about an inch or two shorter than you when we last met..... i had been with my father at the time decades ago when you were last bound.... this isn't my natural hair color by the way, sorta impossible with parents that have naturally white hair'' he said,laughing quietly as he ran a hand through his hair.
as he ran his hand through his hair it and his eyebrows shifted from black through all the monochrome colors all the way to a pure showy white that was even brighter than his parents.
''my hair was longer back then as well, i was maybe.... sixty five thousand years old at the time, possibly younger?'' Jackson said a little unsure as he thought back.
~~~~~~~~
Shade seemed to fully relax with what Monty said and when he clapped his shoulder, soon going over and sat down in a chair to rest after they're long journey.

Magnolia perked up and quickly let her hand go before shifting forms to a smaller sized hellhound, then scooped her up to where she sat on her back and quickly hurried after the others with Eclipse on her back.