The Reunion

Ayalla was hanging on by a thread. Samuel had seemed pleased that she had returned despite the escape, but she hadn't told on Gareth. The hybrid had a role to play, and she was sitting on the floor, moving around pieces of paper with data on it. Even in the dark she could see perfectly fine, seeing the neatly written words, and reading them over and over. It was the failed vessels. She was failing to do what her contract was saying, and she had started to feel almost crazy just going over it again and again.
The lick flickered on, but it was as if she barely recognized it. Her head had been shaved, the outfit she was wearing had fresh blood on it, from herself of course. The collar had been removed now, but she still scratched her neck as if it was a phantom around her, holding her in place. She heard Vanessa's voice, closing her eyes as she could hear the clinking of the metal. Her fingers moved instinctively, feeling it and she was shaking a little from finally feeling her ability this active. She wasn't going to tear the bolt apart, but it was swirling between her fingers in a sort of magnetic field she created with it. "You figured it out; I was too busy freaking out," she said, tossing the metal up in the air, her hand surrounded by the greenish-blackish glow that always accompanied the use of her ability. "You talked me out of a panic attack that day," she spoke, but her voice sounded almost distant. Like it was her voice, but her mind was somewhere else.
"Why are you here, Vanessa?" she asked, finally looking at the daemon in the sterile light. Ayalla was almost skin and bones, her body sunken in along with her cheeks. Coupled with her now shaved head she looked like something out of a horror movie.

Ayalla kept sitting in the middle of her cell, not moving closer, simply just playing with the bolt. She could just feel her powers wanting to be released, but there was not many options with a small trinket like this. The words she spoke barely seemed to affect her, however it did. Frowning the hybrid looked at Vanessa as she explained that she was starting to understand. If she understood, then she shouldn't have come here. But then she said something that still seemed to break her heart. "He doesn't love me," she mumbled, mostly because that was what she had to tell herself. It was easier than believing Vanessa's words. "Darren will get over me, Ethan doesn't care and you ..." she said, moving to her feet and walking over to the glass. "You'll be happier without me," she said, plopping the bolt back out through the air hole as she looked at Vanessa.
What was it with the Prideux? They said one thing yet did the other? Was it some sort of twisted gene in them? "I am doing what I was created to do ... I've always been Samuel's property, and nothing can change that," she said calmly. She had accepted it. She consoled herself with the fact that she at some point would stop existing. "All I ever did was to make you happy, Vanessa, but I didn't ... I failed you," she said.

She shook her head. Vanessa knew that what Ayalla felt for Darren was not as strong as what she felt for Gareth, and she didn't like thinking about choosing one or the other right now. That wasn't what this was about. It was about making amends for everything, giving herself a sliver of hope that Vanessa might get out of this. The daemoness had helped her so much already, given her freedom that she never should've had in the first place, so was it really so wrong wanting to pay that debt?
When Vanessa spoke again about her happiness, Ayalla couldn't stop her body from letting out a small whimper, closing her eyes as she held a hand over her mouth. She had been happy. Those nights where they had all been together was some of her best memories. The times when Gareth had snuck a look at her that would make her stomach spin had made a feeling grow in her that had planted its roots deep within her heart. She could feel her tears slowly come to the surface, looking at her friend, her sister, and seeing she was doing the same. But wasn't it too late for that? Hadn't she done something so horrible that none of them would ever accept an apology for?
Despite everything, Ayalla wanted to come back, she wanted to be happy, but how could she ever break out of a deal with Samuel? She lifted her hand to the glass, placing it against it as Vanessa removed hers, but it was alright. Her hand started glowing and the small bolt came back to them, and despite how weak her body was, she managed to place it in the daemon's hand. "You know I would do anything for you," Ayalla whispered, as talking too loud she knew she would break down crying. "But are you sure you want me back after everything I've done?" she asked. If Vanessa regretted, she knew she could always just go back to this. "Do you think you could ever accept what I've done?" and perhaps by that accord accept for her to chose freely who she wanted to be with. There was no doubt in her mind that she loved Gareth, but if Vanessa said no, she would pack away those feelings and bear them close to her chest.
If felt almost like they were back at the beginning. Something separating them from touching one another, hug and comfort the pain away. And yet it was as if this was the feeling that Ayalla had known most of her life. "We have another problem also; Samuel," she then said, knowing they had to talk about it eventually. Another escape wouldn't be accepted.

Anyone she wanted? She nodded, but she couldn't help but chuckle, although it sounded more hoarse because of her voice. "So the idiot survived? - I'm glad," she said. Even though Vanessa hadn't said anything, the signs had been there. The way Ethan always seemed to look like a lost puppy dog whenever Vanessa wasn't around. Or even worse how he was like a toddler with a sugar high when she was around. It was safe to say that Ayalla and Ethan had had their ups and downs, but in the end it was what made their friendship special. She could feel the need to reach through the glass and wrap her arms around her friend, but what could she do? The had made the bed and she was sleeping in it.
The mention of Vanessa talking to Samuel didn't sound appealing. It sounded dangerous, but maybe she was just being hypocritical at this point. "I don't really know if I like either of those plans," she confessed with a small shrug, but it was clear to see her body was drained. Then came the hard question, and she sighed, looking down for a while as if she was recalling it, but she knew it pretty much by heart. "He promised me that you would be free in all meanings of the word; Free to live, free to love and free to make your own family - that you wouldn't be obligated to fulfill any of his requirements," she explained. The contract was probably still in the possession of Samuel. "In return ... I would offer up my DNA for more vessels to be created ..." she explained, but there was something else also. "And he would have permission to basically tear me apart to find the DNA I carry of Eilish," she explained. It would mean that she would die when she was finally done with her task, but Samuel had seen it a fair trade or at least he had seemed satisfied.

"He's a little dense from the blow, but it's all coming back," she said with a nod. She knew Ayalla and Ethan hadnt seemed to be the best of friends, but there were some mutual respect between them despite that; at least that was the vibe she had picked up on.
Talking to Samuel was definitely one risk to run, while the other was almost crazy. But desperate times required desperate measures. First step however was to know what was at stake. And as Ayalla admitted it, Vanessa frowned and shook her head. "I really drew you away from me for a moment, huh," she mumbled, looking at her friend with sad eyes. Sure had she been asked a few weeks prior to this, she might have told Ayalla to just go ahead and do it, but she would come to regret those words. She frowned at the mention of Eilish, only hearing vague stories from Gareth about how Samuel wasnt always just an asshole. She found it hard to believe.
"I'm guessing the papers are saying that the DNA he wants is what keeps you alive," she said in mutter, clutching her hand around the bolt. Like hell she would let him take away her bestfriend. "Were the vessels made? Because that's half of the bargain. That means you'll be able to leave..." she pondered, folding her lips as she knew what it meant about the other half of the bargain.. No Eilish, no freedom for Vanessa. She drew in a deep breath, shaking her head. "I dont care about my freedom if I dont have my sister to spend it with," she concluded, a soft smile spreading on her lips as she looked through the glass.

Ayalla nodded, that was at least what she was being told. If she could trust that or not she wasn't sure. "Yes, one has actually passed through some testing; Veela ... I managed to sneak out a letter for Gareth with her, just ... Saying goodbye," she said, frowning as it seemed almost melodramatic now, but she had truly believed that she wouldn't see any of them again. She shook her head, breathing out in a heavy sigh. It just felt like such a mess that could've been avoided if she had simply not gone behind Vanessa's back. There would always be a part of her that would blame herself for this betrayal. "Samuel figured out why my brain is weird ... Eilish had a very strong shield, one that wasn't penetrated by even the biggest mindreaders," she explained, looking down at her hands. It felt weird to know that she owed that ability to someone she had never met, but then again, it felt like she had that unknown woman inside her. Like she knew her in a way.
The words, hearing Vanessa refer to her as her sister and actually saying it out loud made the hybrid smile. "Well it's going to get weird calling you sister if I'm actually going to start dating your dad," she chuckled, feeling a few tears run down her cheek. She hadn't joked like this in what felt like forever. And saying those words made her giggle, closing her eyes as she placed a hand on her stomach as it turned in to a small laugh.
There was just something about the friendship the two shared. They had always trusted each other blindly, and maybe that trust could be rebuilt once again. "I wanna get out of here ... Let go of the bolt," she said, a small smile appearing on her lips and if Vanessa did as she asked, the bolt would start shaking a little. Ayalla had to use both hands, shaking a little as creating this type of energy was hard, but it would make the bolt act as a speeding bullet. Soon enough it crashed with the glass separating the girls, shattering all over the floor and a siren going off, but Ayalla simply chuckled. "Now this reminds me of that one time they forgot that spoon with my meal," she smirked, moving the bolt back to her hand. It had been roughed up a bit, twisted and turned, but it still looked like a bolt. Handing it to Vanessa, stepping over the broken glass, she smiled. "New memory, new trinket," she mumbled.

"It was their own fault, they should've given me one of those stupid plastic sporks," she chuckled, shrugging a bit as she wrapped her arms back around Vanessa, holding her close for a while. What they shared was hard to mimic, they had been each other's whole world at one point, and it just didn't feel right to not be around one another. Their love was deeper than anything, a friendship and sisterhood that was quite unmatched. "I'd love that," she remarked at Vanessa's words about going home. It felt almost surreal, pulling away only to hold her hand, she let her other run over her bald head, sighing to herself. She didn't really know what the other's were going to think yet, but it would grow out soon enough.
"Could we order some food? I'm starving," she mumbled, but she meant it quite literally. "They've kept me on a strict black bar diet for weeks now," she sighed. The black bars were just small cubes of nutrition. Enough to keep a person alive with all the sustenance they needed, but not enough to make the stomach feel full and it wasn't pleasant to eat, tasting almost rotten. She looked at Vanessa's phone, feeling the urge to call everyone, tell them she was coming home, but she actually didn't doubt that they would probably all be ready at Vanessa's place.

Ethan had gotten the message, stumbling down the many stairs of the mansion and nearly breaking his skull open again, but he just had to show Gareth and Darren. "We needa prepare something," he said, his voice still in healing, but he could speak more coherently now and not just single words. It was clear he wasn't thinking too much about how the girls would feel about them intruding, but he just hated the thought of Vanessa being so close to something linked to Samuel. "Like ... I dunno a proper meal or maybe snack or sum'fing," he said.

She nodded at her mumble and gave her hand a soft squeeze. "Anything for you babes," she said and just then it was like everything was back to normal somewhat, except that Vanessa felt closer to Ayalla. Despite the break of trust, the daemoness trusted her more than ever. She called a car to come get them, pulling off her hoodie to put on the hybrid so she wouldnt freeze. It wasnt summer after all and the colder nights had come to stay. She lifted a hand to carefully touch the bald head, chuckling at the feel of it. "This is definitely a fashion statement," she chuckled, before tilting her head as she seemed to judge the look. "Maybe a full detox from the black cubes and proper food will turn those hollow cheeks out and make you look like a rad punk rat," she said as she narrowed her eyes and got a cheeky smile on her lips.

Darren was sitting on the couch, flipping his phone up and down in the air to catch it with his hand. He tilted his head as he heard the commotion from the stairs that also made Gareth turn his head. At first they didnt seem to understand but then Vanessa's message made them both almost instantaneously jump to their feet. They simply nodded in agreement to the human's words and Gareth grabbed his keys. "We'll get them some takeout, from a good place," he said as he nodded for them to follow him to his car.

"I don't know, I kinda miss my hair," she confessed. Rather funny how something that made everyone turn their head also felt like such a big part of her. She was grateful for the hoodie nonetheless, pulling it over her white clothes before sitting herself in to the car that soon enough arrived. Once inside, she leaned her head against Vanessa's shoulder, closing her eyes for a while just feeling the warmth of the daemoness beside her. "Ethan's going to have a field trip with how my hair looks," she mumbled, but she didn't mean anything mean about it. It was sometimes good having someone like Ethan in your life, someone who could take the piss out of them and make someone smile - or maybe shake their head in disgust like Ayalla so often did. Looking out the window, she just held Vanessa's hand, but she was starting to feel nervous again. Last time she had seen Gareth she had yelled at him, almost assaulted him, and Darren? They had spent so much time together before she just left without a word. "They're gonna be angry, aren't they?" she whispered, giving her friend's hand a tight squeeze.

"Hell yeah!" Ethan said enthusiastically, following his friends and getting in to the car. "Vane probably want those spring rolls, oh and she really likes the non fried veal chunks from the chinese place," he thought out loud. But what about Ayalla? He barely noticed what she ordered, but perhaps the other's knew. Despite how complex the hybrid could be, she actually really liked sushi, but rarely got it because the rest of the friend group preferred pizzas or burgers. "Hey, ya think that girl gonna be aight?" he then asked, looking briefly at the mansion. That strange girl had been wandering all over, going almost in circles all day, but in the end it wasn't really Ethan's headache.

"He better not!" Vanessa exclaimed in a soft warning tone as she shook her head. "I'm sure he'll go easy on you.... at least for a little while" she then said, leaning her head onto the top of the hybrid's head. She could almost tell that something was bothering her, but she waited for her to say something first. It was just better than nagging it out of her. "They're idiots. The testosterone in their bodies will make them all ug ug in their brains," she said, imitating what she believed would be the way a neanderthal would speak, if they did speak. "I'm sure they'll both just try and make you smile till your cheeks hurt tonight, even Ethan on top of that," she said as she already imagined how they were all on their way.

Gareth chuckled as Ethan seemed to remember exactly what Vanessa liked. "A likes those rolled up fish, the shooshi rolls innit? We had those a fair few times the last couple of weeks before she left," Darren added, scratching his neck as Gareth seemed to look at him for a moment. Truth be told, they hadnt really been getting along since Ayalla left, mostly because Darren was partially blaming Gareth for it and he hadnt been quiet about it. Also finding out that Gareth had tried to break her out yet given up in the middle of it had sent the human to a different level of anger. Not that it mattered now, he just wanted to see Ayalla again. Darren stopped at Ethan's question and closed his eyes for a moment. "Yeah," he said a little confident, looking up before looking back at Ethan. "She hasnt complained yet," he said as he got into the car.

"Why can I just imagine the three of them in the car just chanting that?" she giggled, closing her eyes as she started laughing, only for her to pull a face as it seemed to hurt a little. But it was mostly from her stomach feeling so empty. However it didn't remove the smile on her face, feeling a warm feeling spread in her at the thought of them all together. She wanted to hug each and every one of them - even Ethan!

Ethan scratched his neck, chuckling a bit forlorn as Gareth chuckled. It was just hard for him to hide now that everything had been said and done. The human was so clearly in love that sometimes Darren had to hit him not to just keep repeating Vanessa's name over and over in his head. "Sushi, ya dimwit," Ethan chuckled, messing up Darren's hair with his hand before leaning back in his seat. He felt excited. And it just made it better that Darren ensured them that the strange girl would be alright.

It luckily didn't take long for Ayalla and Vanessa to arrive at their place, and looking around she could see that Vanessa had barely been home. The place was too neat, and she bet that the housekeepers were quite happy with the lack of mess. "I gotta go grab a shower and change into something else," she groaned as she pulled off the hoodie that she had borrowed, handing it back with a thankful smile. Giving the daemoness a quick hug she moved out to the bathroom turning on the shower. It felt weird not really having any hair to wash, but she guessed she would have to get used to it. Her scalp had healed from where they had gotten some DNA from her hair follicles.
Finishing up she wrapped a towel around herself before going in to her room. It stood so neatly, but her eyes fell upon a small coaster on her nightstand. It was nothing special, just something her and Darren had taken from a bar they had been out to. But it had been a good night, one where they had danced and told each other secrets under the moonlight. The coaster just had a picture of a beer on it, a logo at the corner. Sometimes she really understood why Vanessa kept collecting those trinkets. Getting dressed she put on a pair of loose fitting pants, as well as a long sleeved striped shirt. She didn't want it to be too obvious how skinny she had gotten in her time away. Before she knew it there was a knock at the door.

As soon as they got home, it was like Vanessa couldnt recognize the place. She was like this all the time whenever the housekeepers had gotten some time to arrange it for their own liking. Vanessa really hated that, so as soon as Ayalla went to have her shower, the daemoness went a whole round around the house to misplace and change the order of decoration, just to make it seem like they had never left. It didnt matter that a clock was pointless to have on the lower shelf, it was were Vanessa wanted it. The same with flipping around the pretty decorative plates, but that was more a taunt to the keepers to flip around once again to show the pretty decor on the blank surfaces. She went into her own room and frowned as she looked around, walking over to the table where all her trinkets had been placed in a box. "I'll kill them," she mumbled aggressively, but drew in a deep breath. No need to get hot headed now, even though she couldnt stand if anyone else than her friends touched her things. She changed into a more comfortable outfit of an oversized shirt from the back of her closet. It had been something from the facility, but she had changed it and drawn different things on it to make it seem a little less sterile and more fashionable. She got into a couple of sweat pants with ducks all over them before she went back to the living room and sat down on the couch, waiting for Ayalla. The knock on the door made her groan as she had just gotten comfortable, "It's open!" she yelled but the person that entered was the last one she had expected. The smile she had had on her face, thinking it was the others quickly faded and her eyes seemed to lose of the spark she had before. "Samuel," she said with a gulp as she automatically sat up straight with a proper posture. He greeted her coldly as he folded his arms, waiting for the other girl to come out. "I figured you had something to do with it," he said in a rather indifferent tone, but she could tell a scolding from a mile away, even if it was delivered in a neutral tone.

Ayalla went out, not hearing who it was, but wondering why the guys were so quiet. However then she saw Samuel, sighing to herself as she walked over to stand by Vanessa. "Mr. Prideux," she said calmly, her body still weak and he knew that better than anyone. Her green eyes however looked rather stern, folding her arms in front of her chest. "Is there a problem?" she then asked, knowing it wasn't proper, but she was at this point rather sick and tired of everyone stiffening up around him. What was the worst he could do? Kill her and all the others? Or maybe just make her suffer for eternity, but they both knew he would grow tired of that.
She kept standing, not wanting to waver from Vanessa's side in case Samuel had something up his sleeve. And he always did. "If this is about my contract we can surely find something that might suit us both," she said, tilting her head to the side. She was beaten and broken, but for her friend and sister she could muster up some courage and strength.

Samuel turned his eyes to the hybrid as she came into the room. Vanessa looked shortly at her friend before she frowned at her father. Why did he always have to come and ruin everything? Her question made him sigh as he shook his head. Wasnt it obvious why he was here? "I was called from my study due to a certain breakout at a facility that I havent authorized," he said as he looked at her in a calculating manner. Mostly because he was expecting some sort of explanation, as to how it could have been that something like that would happen.
She mentioned the contract and he tilted his head to the side like he couldnt actually really believe that she was trying to negotiate at this point. "I'm not an unfair man. Had it just been the first time, surely we could have worked out some sort of renegotiating. But you should know by now that my only requirement for a contract is professionalism. Which you've failed, not once but twice by now," he summarized, then he looked at Vanessa who looked away. Wise move. He looked at Ayalla again. "You've given me a vessel, so for that I'll grant you your old life back. But the rest of the contract is hereby nullified," he concluded, which Vanessa had predicted, but at least she was happy to not be wrong and the punishment to be something way worse.
"However," he said, looking at Vanessa. "I dont appreciate when people go behind my back, even if that person is my protege. Both of you will be chipped so I can keep track on your movements and make sure there will be no more surprises," he said, eyeing Vanessa before looking at Ayalla. Vanessa had a sour expression on her face as she kept staring into the room. Samuel corrected his collar and greeted them farewell even if they wouldnt say it back and made his leave. He made it out the door just as the guys were on their way. He nodded at Gareth which wouldnt have been suspicious but then his eyes moved to Ethan for a bit. "Have a good evening, Mr Spencer," he said, almost politely, but it made Gareth frown. A small cold smile appeared on his lips as he got into the car to drive off.

Ayalla simply raised her eyebrow as if she was surprised that there had been a breakout, but it was mostly because she found his long speech redundant at this point. Formality or not, the guy was clearly not happy, and she just let him speak, opting not to say anything as it would most likely incriminate them more than they needed right now. Hearing the contract nullified made her nod, not really showing any emotions, but sometimes she swore there was something else behind that daemon's eyes.
"May I be frank, mr. Prideux, but wouldn't chipping us up before we ever left your care have been in your best interest - or at the very least made these recent troubles less troublesome?" she asked, but she didn't expect an answer. She was being sassy, and it usually wouldn't end well, but she had had it with this fake politeness. Why didn't he just say it like it was; He hated her guts and wanted everyone to die so he could control Vanessa. She just stood there as he made his leave, grinding her teeth together as she scratched her head a little. "I can't fucking believe that you actually share genes with that asshat," she mumbled under her breath so that only Vanessa could hear it.

Ethan was smiling from ear to ear, carrying a bag of food, but it wasn't too heavy as his friends still insisted on him being careful not to overstretch himself. He reached the door, but instead of Vanessa throwing her arms around him it was Samuel who greeted them. He felt a chill run down his spine, his eyes panicking for a second before he seemed to compose himself. He hurried in to the apartment, looking a little bewildered before watching the girls carefully. "What did he say?" he asked in a rather serious tone, placing the bag down on the coffee table he gave Ayalla a quick hug before taking Vanessa's hand. "Did ya ... Get a light trim?" he then asked, trying to lighten the mood, making Ayalla scoff, pushing him with her foot before she turned to look at Gareth and Darren. She didn't really know what to say, lifting her hand, but it felt too distant. Walking over she wrapped her arms around Darren, hugging him tightly. "Hey you" she mumbled, feeling her eyes water, but she was much too proud to cry in front of everyone. Letting go of him she smiled gently before looking at Gareth. She didn't really know what greeting he wanted, so she let him decide.

Her sassy question just made him look at her with an unchanged expression, narrowing his eyes a little like he was considering whether to even answer her. "I guess you're right Ms. Blaire. It was a mistake to assume that you could roam freely on your own without supervision," he remarked and gave her almost a challenging glare. Would she say more that he would just find a way to twist to his own favour? Vanessa grunted as he left, taking Ayalla's hand to give it a squeeze.
The others arrived and Darren got the biggest smile on his lips, even if she seemed unrecognizable physically, he could recognize the silence from her mind anywhere. He wrapped his arms close around her and chuckled goofily as he carefully swung her around. "Oioi, it's so good to see you again, innit" he chuckled, placing her down as she started to let go. He went to fistbump Vanessa and then sat down on the couch. Gareth approached her, grabbing her hands as he drew in a deep sigh. "I'm sorry," he said in a quiet tone, giving her hands a soft squeeze. Then he leaned forward to kiss her forehead, because surely anything else would make Darren jump out of his seat in protest.
Vanessa looked up at Ethan, running her hand through the messy curls before she leaned in to place a sweet but short kiss on his lips. "I can smell the spring rolls and the meat," she chuckled, looking down at the bag on the coffee table. "Thank you," she whispered, for them showing up and bringing food despite her not asking them to.

Ayalla chuckled lightly as he swung her around, burying her face in the nape of his neck, closing her eyes and enjoying this small moment. Darren just had a way of bringing out a smile on her face. She then looked at Gareth. At first she wasn't sure what to say, wanting to apologize for acting so reckless, but truth was she hadn't yet come to regret it. He took her hands and her green eyes found his grey, his small apology made her shake her head silently, closing her eyes as he kissed her forehead. "Don't apologize," she mumbled softly. She knew this was perhaps a bit hard for Darren to watch, but it was better than the two of them just going at it.

Ethan grinned from ear to ear once more, feeling her fingers run against his messy hair was always nice, and he chuckled, shaking his head as she thanked him, mumbling something about her not needing to mention it. However the kiss he hadn't really seen coming, especially with Gareth right there, making him feel like his heart was going to burst out of his chest. He wasn't complaining, he was just not looking to get put in to a coma once more.

At the mention of food Ayalla looked at the bags, and there was a company name there that she recognized way too well. "Shoosh, innit?" she teased Darren with a smile on her lips. By the gods she could really kiss him right now, but she would rather devour the food just sitting on the table. "Aight, everyone dig in - There should be some not weird items for us mortals," Ethan chuckled, sitting down on the couch with Vanessa. Ayalla opted for a pillow on the floor, opening the different bags and dividing the food out on the small coffee table. She looked around, watching how Ethan was holding the container with raw meat away from Vanessa, teasing her that he wanted another kiss before she could have it. She looked to Darren, sending him an apologetic smile, really wishing that he could read her mind right now to tell him how sorry she was for just leaving. Then she looked at Gareth. "Stay the night," she mumbled, knowing that she needed a good nights sleep and she couldn't really have it without him. Reaching down she placed a hand over his. It was subtle, not something everyone would notice, but she also didn't want to make a big spectacle of things. "There's some things we need to discuss," she added.

Gareth seemed too preoccupied with something else than to police what Ethan and Vanessa did, though he probably would look at them with a weird expression on his face had the circumstances been different. He still felt bad for what he did to Ethan though, so he would definitely keep a low profile. Darren groaned at her tease and shook his head, "Allow it, allow it," he chuckled and Gareth joined her as she sat down with a pillow on the floor. Darren stayed in his spot on the couch, not sure whether to move or not. Vanessa wanted the meat right away but as Ethan teased her, she looked at him with rather hungry eyes, reaching out for the package as she definitely was far too stubborn to give into his demands. A smile however was on her lips as she jumped a little in the seat to try and get a hold of the package.
Darren was just looking at Ayalla the whole time, not to stare her down, but more to like notice what had changed. He wasnt trying to be weird about it, but he had missed her so much, far more than he would ever admit; to anyone but Ethan of course. He grabbed his food and started eating, grabbing the remote by instinct to turn on the tv. He couldnt really hear much of it because he wanted to be present for the others, so that meant tuning out a lot of noise. Gareth nodded at her mumble and looked at the food in front of them. He wasnt going to eat when he didnt really need it, rather have the others get something out of it. He had however gotten a diet coke just to seem like he wasnt just an outsider. "Alright," he whispered back, turning his hand to entangle his fingers with hers. He eyed Vanessa who still was fully preoccupied with not giving in to the human's demands. "The others will finish long before us this way, Ethaaaaaaan!" she complained with a slight whimper but that was just because it was hard for her to not just give in. He chuckled and looked at Ayalla's food, raising an eyebrow. "What's so good about raw fish?" he asked, though he didnt even know what cooked fish was supposed to taste like.

Ethan chuckled, clearly not giving in and moving the container out of the way every time she reached for it. She could just easily snatch it if she really wanted to, but he enjoyed just playing like this. "And ya'll starve if ya keep on doin' this," he smiled teasingly, pouting his lips to receive a kiss. However it seemed like that left open a chance for her to grab the container, and if she did he would look at her, his jaw dropping, and pouting like a sad puppy. "Cheater," he said in a sad voice, before lightening up and chuckling. He grabbed one of the spring rolls, lifting it up in front of Vanessa. "I guess this will be my only comfort tonight," he said quite dramatically as he started munching on it.

Ayalla felt Gareth entangle their fingers. Although it wasn't that noticeable, it meant a lot to her, mostly because she didn't really feel like herself. She looked so differently from a few weeks ago, but she guessed that was what happened when you subjected yourself to testing like an animal. His question made her shrug, grabbing a piece with her chopsticks and shoving it in her mouth. Her eyes rolled in to her head, moaning under her breath as she closed her eyes in delight. "Holy shit this is good," she mumbled with her mouth full, leaning her head back as she chewed. "Oi, chill it with the porn noises," Ethan teased, making Ayalla pull a face of disgust before swallowing. "Haven't even been back an hour and you have already disgusted me," she said with a sigh, looking at Ethan that had a shit-eating grin on his face. "Flattered that I can make the queen of stoicism react," Ethan retaliated. "Wow, stoicism, Vanessa have you taught your monkey to read?" she said, pretending to be surprised, placing a hand over her chest for dramatic measure. "Shut up and eat," the human chuckled. Despite how serious their fights could be sometimes, it seemed more like they were hashing it out because they secretly had missed each other.
Ayalla grabbed another piece of sushi, looking to Darren as she knew it was him who had known which ones she liked. "Dare, you want a piece?" she asked, offering him the spicy tuna one that she knew he had found himself liking. Or at least that was how it had seemed. She could see he was trying to be there in the moment, but he seemed more distant than ever. She wanted to talk to him, but perhaps it was better once her stomach was full and his blood didn't smell as amazing as it did right now. Ayalla wasn't a fan of drinking blood, but when she was hungry anything was pretty much nice to her.