tokyobiohazard

Ivy stepped into the room and listened for a few moments, gathering bits and pieces here and there about what was going on. She didn't quite understand why someone had drained a body dry; it was easy for her to control herself and not take too much blood. Maybe the vampire was very hungry. She played with her lion for a few moments before listening to the conversation again, wondering who Harper was talking to.

Mythic's back :dance:

Ivy paced her room and pointed an accusatory finger at her teddy bear, unaware of the chaos that raged on that night, "You're guilty, and now you have to face your punishment!" She dangled her teddy bear over an empty toy chest, pretending it was filled to the brim with acidic goo. The rest of her toys lay scattered around the room, and after dropping her teddy into the empty chest, she picked up one of her scarier toys, a rubber shark, and had it chomp down on the teddy. She began to drop each of her other toys into the chest, then, deciding to "drown" them all in favor of another activity. Snatching up her stuffed lion, Courage, she ran into the hallway and approached Harper's door. She knocked three times, using her manners, while on the inside she felt like simply opening the door for herself.

Reona yawned widely as she began to descend the stairs. She'd dressed robotically and as a result, seemed to have put her tunic on inside-out, but she didn't notice. Ianthe was already downstairs, chipper as ever with her hair still wet from sleeping curled up in a bathing bucket last night. She pointed at Reona's shirt, "That's inside-out, you know." She continued to dig into her strawberry-laden oatmeal. Reona shrugged and pulled her shirt off before fixing it and putting it back on, sneering at anyone who dared gaze at her openly at her thin white undershirt, which, of course, included Arva. Alphonse's eyes were averted quite politely, and Reona smiled deviously as she gave him a kiss on the cheek for his modesty. Alphonse, Ianthe, and Arva alike all paled a bit, and Reona was heavily amused for the rest of breakfast.

Hugging her knees while pressed against the side of a building in nothing but a sundress, on what was surely a freezing night, was the young Ivy Anthony. She pretended to shiver and hugged her knees tighter against her chest, crocodile tears running down her face. A stuffed lion lay next to her on the dirty street. A shocked and concerned woman, a rare find on this deserted of a street, stopped in her tracks and crouched down next to Ivy, "What are you doing out here? You'll catch your death out here in this weather." Ivy sniffled, "Will you help me get home?" "Sure, sweetie. Come on, I'll carry you." And with that, the woman hefted Ivy up onto her shoulders. She shouldn't have been so trusting. Ivy bit the woman's neck and punctured the skin with her unusually long canines, stuffed lion in hand, hanging onto the woman by only her teeth, like a human leech. The woman flailed a bit, but soon succumbed to the weak trance Ivy was able to muster up. The girl drank deeply, but likely only took about the same amount which would have been given at a blood drive. Non-lethal. After her belly felt full, she licked the woman's neck to close the wound and vaulted off the woman's back using only her legs, running away quickly, her arms out to either side as she imitated an airplane. She was home within five minutes, a new record.

I wanna dance too :dance: (And I'm very excited)

I can't wait for this to start! :B

A note: I am going into this RP nearly blind and I apologize for anything that seems wrong here. I'll fix any problems to the best of my ability. :3 Name: Ivy Anthony Gender: Female Race: Caucasian True Age: Eight Apparent Age: Eight Clan: Gangrel Discipline: Animalism APPEARANCE: Height: 137 cm Weight: 36 kg Hair: Strawberry blonde Eyes: Green Skin: Pale, freckled Handedness: Left Scars/Tattoos: None, however, she almost always has bandages on her limbs due to playing outdoors. Description: She is very lean and petite, and was embraced before she could become pubescent. Her strawberry blonde hair is very long, reaching her buttocks. A wild and messy fringe of bangs passes her eyebrows and nearly covers her large green eyes. Her body is splotched with light freckles from head to toe. Voice: Slightly high, typical of a young girl. American accent. Clothing/armor: Almost always wearing thin cotton sundresses. PERSONALITY: General Personality Traits: Mostly quiet, likes to play alone but will not shy from asking others to play with her. Obedient and believes in being "good" whenever it applies. Likes toys, especially stuffed animals. Likes to play with large animals, (such as large dogs) because she often accidentally kills small ones (such as hamsters). Fears: "Scary" animals with sharp teeth, like sharks and alligators; fears open water as a result. Attitudes towards friends/strangers: Seems quite shy until she wants to play with them. Opinion of the world: She does not yet understand the way the world works, but thinks it is a wondrous place. HISTORY: Past: Ivy was found newly-embraced by a human who recognized what she was; she was kept chained in his basement and researched on quite cruelly for what felt to her like weeks, but was possibly only days, before other vampires killed the man and took her in. Luckily, either nobody believed that this man had a vampire in his home, or he was waiting to find some sort of scientific reasoning behind what she was before he released information. Ivy is currently being kept by the Prince for publicity reasons, teaching her the ways of the kindred. Embrace: Got lost during a trip to London with her family, and was embraced by an unknown vampire on the first night. Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, US Family/Relationships: Prince - keeps her as a pet of sorts Living/Dead Family Members: Mother, father, big brother - having presumed her dead, have gone back to the US Friends: Sometimes creates imaginary friends or asks others to play with her, but for the most part, prefers being alone Enemies: None currently

"I'll take porridge if you've got any..." Ianthe said as she got an odd look from the nearest table. "We got meat and we got vegetables," the barkeep's wife growled out as she lit a pipe with a flame produced from her fingertip, probably the strongest spell she could muster at her age. "Excuse me," said a voice from behind. A prudish looking man in a red cloak offered to buy Ianthe some porridge from a nearby tavern and the barkeep's wife bustled her way into the kitchen, grumbling about having to get into the breakfast food during supper. "Well, now that that's settled, I'd very much like to know you... What would I call a fair creature such as yourself?" he said, Ianthe looking bewildered as the man took her hand and kissed it. Out of nowhere, a fist launched itself through the hair and punched the red-cloaked man right in the jaw. "She's called my wife." Arva took Ianthe by the shoulders and ferried her over to the table, where a plate of vegetables was sitting ready for her to eat. The barkeep's wife walked in, carrying a bowl of porridge and staring at the man whose mouth was bleeding all over her floor, "Oi, what am I supposed to do with this?"

I'm also having the same issue. It'll probably be back up within an hour or two... Judging on past experiences.

"Did anyone else have odd dreams last night?" Arva said, staring intently at a passing woman's behind as he nearly steered his horse right into a tree. "Whoops... Anyway, I had this dream about finding a naked woman in a chapel. Strange stuff, I tell you." "I don't think that's odd for you, Arva," Reona uttered while checking to make sure her sword was belted on right, "In fact, I'd be more worried if you hadn't had a dream like that." "What's that supposed to mean?" Arva's horse once again veered off the path and he righted it. "I get it now!" Ianthe sang, obviously showing she was excited about the possibility of any singing contests. She continued on in a singsong voice, "Arva's a pervert!" "Yeah well, maybe I wouldn't be if-" "If that half-orc from that one inn decided to travel with us?" Alphonse added, smiling nervously. "Half-orc?" Ianthe inquired, tilting her head to the side. Reona threw back her head in laughter. "I'd forgotten all about that!" "She wasn't bad looking at all," Arva said, not at all ashamed. "Come on, guys!" Ianthe called out, "What are you talking about? What half-orc?" Reona coughed, a poor attempt to stifle her own laughter. "Nothing, it's really nothing." Ianthe crossed her arms, "And I gave you my oatmeal this morning. Hmph."

Chapter 8 Kaori was on edge, I could tell even from behind. She was rigid as she stood in front of the door to the purifier. "The person in charge is to step forward immediately, and turn over all materials related to this project." The man talking to Kaori and Mike's father was not particularly large or intimidating, but he held a certain air about him that told me he felt he was the strongest and most important person in the room. James spoke now, after not even a moment of thought. "That's quite impossible. This is a private project; the Enclave has no authority here. I'm going to have to ask you to leave at once." The Enclave... I knew very little about them, despite my age. I knew they had an outpost up north, and had more advanced technology than even the Brotherhood, but that was the extent of my knowledge. I'd been under contract for far too long to have collected much more than that. I looked at Kaori again. Standing a few feet behind her, I couldn't see her expression, but she was fiddling with the door, trying to get it open. Mike stood close to her, as if trying to calm her down. He bore a rigid pose similar to her own, though, and his hands were just as ready to yank the door open as hers were. "Am I to assume, sir, that you are in charge?" That voice... I wanted to paint the wall with his brains just from hearing it. He was getting in the way of James' work, and by extension, in the way of my employer. I bit down on the side of my cheek and crossed my arms, wishing this glass door was thin enough to shatter with a bullet. "Yes, I'm responsible for this project." James looked serious and unhindered by the fact that he had plasma rifles pointed right at him. The man still stood with hands behind his back, pompously spewing out every word with careful, enunciated precision that screamed for appraisal from some unpresent higher-up. "Then I repeat, sir, that you are hereby instructed to immediately hand over all materials related to the purifier." "I'm sorry, but that's-" "Furthermore, you are to assist Enclave scientists in assuming control of the administration and operation of this facility at once." "Is this guy nuts?!" Kaori yelled, her temper flaring. She turned to me, and then looked at Mike from the corner of her eye, "Why would he just give up everything he and our mom worked for? I'd kill him if his boyfriends over there weren't covering his ass." Seeming to be forgetting that she would probably end up unable to shoot in the end, she kicked at the glass door before her and continued, "And let's not forget this door being in the way." "Keep your anger in check," Mike said, shaking his head. Dr. Li nodded, as if to agree, her brow furrowed, but kept her eyes focused on James. I firmly believed that this woman held a grudge against the two of them for keeping James from being here years ago. James began to speak once again, "Colonel... Is it Colonel? I'm sorry, but the facility is not operational. It never has been. I'm afraid you're wasting your time here." "Sir, this is the last time I am going to repeat myself. Stand down at once, and turn over control of this facility." "Colonel, I assure you that this facility will not function. We have never been able to successfully replicate test results..." The Colonel drew his gun and shot the assistant who'd accompanied James into the purifier in one swift motion. She screamed as she fell, her blood beginning to pool around her quickly. It was a fatal shot. Everyone, including myself, let out a gasp as things took a turn for the violent. At this point, I began to play out what would happen if I'd gotten inside and shoved the barrel of my shotgun in the Colonel's mouth. In the end, my lack of power armor would be my downfall, and I'd likely just put Kaori in danger. What I wouldn't do right now to stop this hindrance from being in her way, though... I pulled her away from the door and held her tightly against my waist. She viciously struggled in my grip, but couldn't break it. Mike nodded his head in approval at me and turned his attention back to the scene before us. "I suggest you comply immediately, sir, in order to prevent any more incidents. Are we clear?" There was an edge of irritation in James' voice as he cast a look toward his children, then replied to the Colonel. "Yes, Colonel. I'll do whatever you want; there's no need for more violence." "Then you will immediately hand over all materials related to this project, and aid us in making it operational at once." An automatic response. He was used to saying it by now. "Very well. Give me a few moments to bring the system online." James turned to the control panel behind him and began to press buttons and turn dials. "Enough of these delays." The Colonel was irritated now. I gripped Kaori tighter as she fought me more fiercely. "It'll only be a few more moments." James sounded quite sure of himself now, his back turned to the Colonel. An explosion sounded, and I heard the Geiger Counters on two Pip-Boys begin to tick. That was no ordinary explosion. The Colonel and his soldiers began twitching and squirming, groaning in pain as they fell to the ground, dying. James struggled to stumble over to the door, clearly in pain as his feet dragged along the floor. He made eye contact with his children for one last time, pressing his palms against the glass weakly. "Run... Run!" My arms limply fell to my sides. Kaori ran to the glass and began pounding on it with both her fists. She screamed louder than I could imagine she was capable of, then shrieked, "I won't leave without you!" She pounded at the glass for several seconds before the tears began to pour down her cheeks. James fell to the ground, his body limp and lifeless. Mike tried to pull Kaori from the glass, and she bit his arm, screaming, "NO!" He flinched at the bite and freed her, and she clawed at the glass, ripping her fingernails in the process and leaving bloody trails behind. I leaned over and pulled her to her feet as she fought me with all her might. Using all the strength I had, I hauled her over my shoulder and gripped her by the waist and legs. Mike had accepted the fact that his father wanted them out of there rather quickly and knew the time to mourn was later, but it seemed Kaori would need to be carried out of here. She suddenly stopped fighting and hung there over my shoulders like a ragdoll. I wouldn't take the risk of putting her down now, for fear that she wouldn't leave, so I held her even tighter. Dr. Li turned to us. "James... He's gone... We have to get out of here. They'll be coming for us next. We've got to evacuate now!" Mike talked to Dr. Li... I barely paid attention. I was much more focused on Kaori's state of mind right now. It seemed like she was in shock. I followed Mike and Dr. Li as they lead the way out of here. - Mike had handled every Enclave soldier in our path beautifully. In fact I felt I couldn't have done a better job myself. That Morgan had taught him well. I hadn't even had to fire a single shot; not that I could have with Kaori hanging over my shoulders. Keeping her safe was the main priority, and I'd managed to take every bullet that she'd have taken otherwise. When we got here, I sat her down in the first chair I could find. I'd been trying for hours now to get her to respond, and all I'd gotten out of her was a blank stare. "Kaori," I said her name for the millionth time, trying to get her attention. Her eyes rolled upward toward mine, the once-brilliant green now looking muddy and haunted, "That's not my name." I tilted my head to the side and held in a grin, as she'd finally replied, even if it was with something so confusing. "What do you mean?" "My name is Catie." She pulled out my contract out of her leather top and looked me right in the eyes. "I don't want this anymore." She opened up the folded paper and crushed my existence beneath her foot as she tore it in half.

Hello! I have been looking for a while, but I haven't found many mods at all that add wearable piercings to FNV. There are some that add earrings and a few out there that add sexual piercings and belly rings, but that's just not what I'm interested in. There aren't any mods I'm aware of that add facial piercings and I understand that it may simply be hard to do, but I'm hoping someone could try this out. I found these images through a simple Google search, but here's what I'd enjoy having: Lip piercings of various types. Nose, nose bridge, eyebrows, etc. Hopefully it wouldn't be too hard of a project and I'm hoping that I catch someone's interest! Thank you for viewing my mod request! :dance:

Alphonse shook his head, "No, I don't seem to need any healing. I guess my legs were straight when I hit the water, huh?" He laughed a bit, and headed inside after he saw that Kyran was fine. He was met with Arva, whose hands were still over his ears. He yelled out, "Is it over?" Alphonse nodded and smiled. It seemed he was in a good mood after being saved from... whatever happened to people who were captured by sirens. Reona and William walked inside, William going straight to his writing and the young elf girl making her way to Alphonse and Arva. Ianthe stood on deck and smiled, sweeping her soaked hair off her forehead with an arm. "I got to swim in the ocean! I'd stay in the water forever if I could," she announced to everyone with a dreamy sigh.

"Sausages, you say?" The Head Chef grabbed up the tray of snacks which she'd been cooking a mere moment ago and offered them to the High Executioner. They were indeed sausages, but she was sure he'd enjoy them. After all, they were cooked perfectly. Unable to resist herself, she reached out and attempted to pull at the face of the bird, only to realize the bird's beak was far too hard to stretch. "Well, that's worrying."

The Royal Head Chef watched as her plastic waved about in the air, biting her lip and frowning. She then noticed the cat pawprints in her food and looked around before stirring things around a bit to hide them. The nearest pot was full of a man now, so she reached out with a long-fingered hand and hooked a finger in the corner of his mouth, pulling at his cheek. Official Face Pulling business, of course. DING! It seemed that her microwave was finished cooking the snacks. She pulled the snacks from the microwave with the same skill with which she had pulled the man's face. The snacks on the middle of the tray were still cold, and the outermost snacks were burned. How perfect.

Reona wasn't worried about Ianthe as she watched the waves; however, she was quite concerned for Kyran. How long had it been since he'd taken a breath? Meanwhile, Ianthe swam with all her might toward Kyran and grasped at his hand before pulling his body against hers. She held him tightly against herself with both arms while kicking her feet to propel herself toward the surface. She was quite tired by the time she finally breached the surface of the water, and took a deep breath as if her body needed the salty air. As Alphonse was pulled to the deck of the ship, Reona herself untied him before slapping him in the face to snap him out of it. The lanky boy then looked around at the women surrounding him and muttered, "Sirens?" Reona nodded and helped him up, "You should get out of this rain, you'll catch your death out here." She was in no hurry, it seemed, even with the chaos around her. She tossed the rope back overboard and prepared herself to help heave Ianthe and Kyran up the side of the ship. Alphonse grabbed a piece of the rope defiantly, after accepting a handful of wax and shoving it into his ears. "I've got to help."

The Royal Head Chef paced her quarters, opening up her icebox and pulling out a package of food she'd cooked long ago wrapped in a thick material she had invented, dubbed "plastic". She pulled at the bag, opening it after a struggle; her skinny arms were not the strongest in the world. The petite girl then arranged the small snacks on a plate and shoved it inside her enchanted cooking box, this one dubbed "microwave". She'd already microwaved several items, and it would seem that her only item left was inside the box now. She glanced through the glass door as the snacks spun around. Testing the temperature of other foods she'd cooked, she decided they were cooked perfectly: frozen in the middle and piping hot around the edges. She continued to bustle around the kitchen, her mouth silently moving as she whispered songs to occupy herself. Of course, these songs were just as strange as she was. She sung of metals and plastic, animals and shoes. She found herself dancing, her bare feet pattering on the floor, twirling her apron as if it were a skirt, as she wore men's trousers.

My lady, I come before you to propose that I be your Royal Head Chef and Official Face Puller. May my microwave serve you well. o7

Ianthe held Alphonse up with one arm, trying desperately to keep herself above the surface of the waves as best as she could with the other arm. Normally, she'd sink beneath the waves without a care, as she didn't need air while she was underwater, but Alphonse definitely needed it. Another man - Kyran, from the looks of it - hopped overboard, and Ianthe thanked all the gods she could think of as Shalena dropped a rope over the side of the ship. She set to work tying Alphonse up and gave the rope a tug to let Shalena know there was someone on the other end of it. Ianthe was startled as one of the Merfolk screeched in her face, clearly upset that its prey had been taken away. The nymph didn't have time for this. She swung her fist through the air and punched the siren in the side of its head, teeth bared. Taking advantage of its confusion, Ianthe then dove under in pursuit of Kyran. In a daze, Alphonse struggled against the rope, but it seemed that Ianthe had tied him up rather well. If only he could reach the source of the beautiful song... A wave slapped him in the face, spraying salty water into his nostrils and open mouth. He came to his senses for a split second, and he cast a weak jolt of lightning in the direction of the thing that was trying to chase Ianthe. It gave a few jerks and spasms before floating belly-up in the water. Somewhere on the deck above, Reona ran with bare feet, not slipping nearly as much as she would have with shoes on. She leaned over the railing and her stomach churned. Alphonse was down there, and Ianthe was nowhere to be seen. If she'd been a better swimmer, she would have leapt over the ship's sides and helped, but all she could do was watch. Arva sat at the table, fingers shoved in his ears. "You know, if we didn't have so many women with us, we'd be in trouble." He could barely hear his own words, and stopped talking immediately. William the wizard stood on deck and saluted at Xallistine with one hand as he flourished the other toward one of the Merfolk. It writhed for a moment before falling still, its mouth hanging open. All he'd done was a simple cut across the brain stem, and that was all it took. It would seem that the siren's song had no effect on him, as he was already mad.

Ianthe looked around as she began to hear a faint melody in her ears, low and seductive and yet light and playful. She tapped her feet with the seemingly nonexistent rhythm and hummed along, not at all sure why. The tune seemed very familiar to her, and yet alien at the same time. Arva swayed along with the strange music, his feet hitting the wooden floor as he wobbled toward the nearest door, grinning idiotically. The young nymph bit her lip as Conall announced that they were hearing a siren song, and yanked her husband by the collar of his shirt, causing him to emit choking noises for a split second, pulling him out of their trance momentarily. As the Arva covered his ears, Ianthe once again scanned the room with her eyes, seeing that Alphonse had stepped through the door already, and was headed out onto the deck. Ianthe rushed out after him, not bothering to cover her ears, as she realized long ago that she was unaffected by the song. Just as she reached the deck, slipping on the wet wooden planks as she skidded to a stop, her heart sank as Alphonse stepped right over the railing and fell into the water below. Without a second thought, she jumped overboard and plunged herself into the salty waves beneath the ship.

"Oh gods!" Reona exclaimed as she doubled over the railing of the ship, vomiting up the half-digested remains of her breakfast, her sweaty hair falling over her eyes. Arva laughed heartily and patted her on the back, "That's a bit out of character for you, isn't it?" "Shut u--" Her sentence was cut short as the deck rocked beneath her feet and lurched her stomach along with it. Ianthe danced by, mirroring every sway that the ship had in the waves with her body, "It really is magical, isn't it? This makes me want to shed my clothes and leap into the water." Alphonse reddened, "I-I bet she's not serious." Arva's face was nearly as red as he nodded. William ran by, seeming as mad a man as one who'd been lost at sea, a sharp contrast to reality, as he was still at the docks. "Has anyone seen my pot of ink?"

I think you should try a less over-the-top character, Altmer. I mean, of course I'm not exactly the most memorable person in this RP and hardly ever post, but my characters are relatively normal and I have just as much fun with them as I would with special races/abilities, and everyone seems to love reading anything I post with them. This probably makes no sense, but in short, what I think is that maybe you want a really special character that stands out, and really there's no need for it. (Wow, I sound negative today) PS - If we are making you feel unwelcome, that is definitely not the intention. We've just been at this for over a year and know when a character is probably not going to work out.

Reona, Arva, Ianthe, and Alphonse chatted idly as they made sure they had everything they would need for the journey ahead. The past three days had been quite uneventful for the four young companions, and they were eager to get on the road. Reona, now being out of dresses, had decided to begin wearing tunics and leggings rather than purchase new dresses for herself. She liked the change so much that she purchased an indigo-dyed linen shirt and tightly-fitting leather pants to wear while riding. Ianthe had purchased something quite similar, the only difference in their attire being that she wore a white tunic cinched at the waist with a thick leather girdle. She laced up her boots, "I think I have everything." Suddenly, something scurried by, and Ianthe realized it was her hamster. She chased him for a few seconds, before grabbing him and sticking him in an empty bag at her side. "Now I have everything."

Chapter 6.5 Grab your hankies, children, cause I've got a heart-warming tale to tell. It's about a little boy's search for his... for his daddy. Waaaahh! I choked on the last puff of my cigarette, wheezing throughout the next sentence or two. Kaori actually held up a hand for me to be quiet, and I realized just how serious this was for her. You see, the kid from Vault 101 has been looking for his dad, a very nice man named James, who left his son and daughter behind in the vault when he took off. What kind of dad leaves his kids in an underground bunker? "A damn good one," I heard Kaori growl through gritted teeth. Children, I just don't know. It ain't for Three Dog to judge, and you shouldn't either. "Exactly, so everyone shoul-" she grumbled once more, before freezing mid sentence upon hearing the next bit. But none of that matters now! Father and son were spotted walkin' and talkin' together out there in the Wastes. Here's hoping they can hold onto each other this time around. "Daddy!" Kaori sprang up like cornered rattlesnake, her hand reflexively slicking her hair back away from her freckled forehead. "We have to go to Rivet City again!" I would most likely have listened to her a few days ago, but tonight... Tonight, I simply wormed my way into my bedroll and muttered, "We'll make better time traveling during the day." ----------------------------------------- Chapter 7 I stared across the table at my father. He looked almost wary, as if he were worried one of us children would deck him in the mouth for leaving us. Honestly, I wouldn't put that past me. I was happy to see him, but my feelings had culminated into a fair amount of confusion and a betrayed kind of hurt since I'd gotten to Rivet City. "Well," Mike began, his eyebrow furrowed with what could have been worry or well-concealed agitation, "I know he didn't leave us there for anything other than the possibility of safety." "I..." My heart had sank deep into my gut by now, and admitting this did hurt quite a bit. I wanted to be angry, dramatic. I stammered out instead, "I figured as much." Dad then cut in, in his most soothing of voices, "I knew you kids were mature enough to understand. You know that as your father, I love you, and well, I hated to ask for your help on this project, but your mother would be so proud to know that you're helping out." "Well, I don't want any of my family getting killed or anything, do I? Not much of a choice I have, but I'm always willing to help my daddy, right?" I crossed my arms and looked over at Charon, who placed a hand on my shoulder silently, the comfort of his hand ironically feeling like a giant relief being lifted off my shoulders. Mike seemed a bit more understanding of the whole ordeal than I was, and I couldn't say that I was surprised. He always was the more mature one, after all. Morgan sat behind him and ordered a drink amidst all the dramatic tension, his only explanation for it being, "Come on, kiddos. Why would I pass up drinks at a time like this?" I raised a hand into the air, "I might as well have one, just since it's no fair to let someone else drink alone." Morgan chuckled and slid over a shot full of whiskey. I downed it all at once, and it burned like hellfire going down. Charon put a hand over the glass, "Alright, that's all she gets today, unless someone else wants to carry her out of here." Dad looked rather appalled at this, and agreed with Charon. "Catie, what's happened to you?" I looked over at Charon, "He calls me that. Short for Catherine. Not sure if you-" "I knew." "Oh, right. You were there last time when we-" My dad interrupted by clearing his throat. "I brought you both here to tell you something important. It's something that I knew and did not tell the two of you because we were living in the vault, and keeping it so that the two of you thought you were born there was a priority." I looked over at my father, my features cast rather seriously, my brow furrowed in focus and my lips pursed as I listened. Dad sighed. "There's no easy way to go about this, so I have to spit it right out. You have a brother." "I know I have a brother, he's right the-" I paused mid-sentence, realizing what he meant by this. I had a brother somewhere from... what? A drunken escapade of my father? This was scandalous, the kind of thing that Butch's unknown father would have done, not mine. "You seem to misunderstand, Catie," Dad began again. Charon whispered to me, "Like glass again," and my features cleared as I realized that even my father could see right through me. "Catie," Dad said soothingly, putting a hand on my forearm, "This is going to be harder for you to stomach more than anyone else. I suppose I should just come out with it. You weren't the only baby born on the day your mother died. In fact, she died from giving birth to twins without proper medicine. You have to understand, it's a wasteland out here. We had no idea there would be two of you." I felt crushed, as if someone had stepped on me and rearranged my organs as their foot was on its way off my chest. "Well, I don't see why you wouldn't tell me that. Who was he?" I felt a strange tugging sensation at my chest as I thought for a split second that maybe it could be Butch. After all, who knew his father? "He seemed stillborn, Catie. That's why he was never taken to the vault with us." I felt like a monster for this, but I was a little relieved. I then felt a bit silly for even thinking someone three years older than me could even be my twin. "So why are you telling me this now? And wait, seemed?" "Because he was still alive and I had been too careless to check. I was so distraught over his and your mother's deaths that a Brotherhood member who was going to give your mother and the baby a burial was the one who noticed that he was alive after I'd left. It didn't cry or so much as whimper to show that it was alive or hungry. I corresponded with the Brotherhood for years getting updates on the baby, and he's got less of an idea who he really is than we do. I know who he is, but he doesn't. It must be a sad existence for him. All I really know is that we named him Jason before he was born. He's in the Brotherhood right now, and has no idea the rest of his family is out there." I stood up, shoving my chair backward as I did so, slamming both my hands on the table and wincing as I heard the chair clatter to the floor. "I want to find him. He's my twin brother. I mean, goddamn, look at me. It can't be that hard to find a red-headed Brotherhood member." "Fraternal twin, so he won't be as easy to spot as you are," Mike piped up. "Yeah, you never get cases of boy-girl identical twins, since they split off from the same egg. You guys could look worlds apart." "Dammit!" I already felt a strange sense of closeness to this brother, just from knowing we were born at the same time. Charon crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Not much you can do." "You don't say." I picked my chair back up and sat down, huffing a breath out and blowing a lock of hair off of my nose. This was going to be a long night, and tomorrow morning, we were going to do this 'Project Purity' thing. I needed all the sleep I could get.