[C] I'm back to CdS

Valora Morgenstern was quietly walking through the once familiar streets of Italy, the scent of Cacciatori hanging in the air vaguely. She smiled softly as she remembered her first time there.

She was a timid and quiet person who had parent and family issues. She hated contact and Lycans and had no self confidence.

Now she was a calm and collected individual who had confidence in herself and her abilities, the head of the guard at her new coven in Romania whom had sent her travelling for a while due to the time of peace and told her to set old demons to rest. She had become an accomplished musician, often playing at concerts on her piano or violin.

She was still a powerful fighter and training was a daily part of her life along with playing her music, feeling comfortable in her own skin. She had even befriended many Lycans over her time, relying on their aid to hunt down the Rabids near her Coven's grounds.

Valora decided to use her travelling time to go and revisit CdS once more and see if she could use it as her place of rest, and to re-greet Giacanto once more and reintegrate into her community. If she remembered correctly, she'd most likely find her at her usual hunt, the Blood Bucket bar.

Valora entered the bar, the air of new found confidence quietly emanating from her

Giacinto was indeed at the Blood Bucket, though her presence there had been business rather than pleasure up until a few minutes before.

After the death of one of her favourite humans, Giacinto had been called in to help with the dealings of the bar for a short time while they situated the new employee - a boy barely in his twenties looking for independence from his family in the form of a job.

The boy was eager to please and seemed to work well in her bar.

The woman gave a soft groan as she vaulted over the bar. The ruffles of her skirts fluttered up, revealing a nice amount of her tight-clad backside. Thin black meshed fishnets clung to her legs and backside, shifting over the sensitive scars on her inner thighs. For once the clothing she wore didnt hide the raised lines.

The woman had gained a lot more confidence lately. With no Incubi or Succubae around, she didnt care who saw her scars and her new choice in clothing showcased that.

A wide smirk curled the woman's brown painted lips as she span onto the dancefloor, her waist-length curly hair flying out around her and her skirts lifting to show off her backside once more.

A melodious laugh followed her as she shimmied and swayed among the gathering of people on the dance floor.

Valora chuckled softly at the sight of Gia, and decided to be bold, going up behind her and dancing along, her usual clothes not unfitting in the club atmosphere.

"Well Hello Mistress Giacanto~" Valora purred in the other's ear, her Romanian accent thick after spending so long there now, having been speaking it fluently on a daily basis "It has been a while." she chuckled, moving her hips with the other as her hands rested on Gia's.

Yes, her confidence had definitely increased

Giacinto didn't bat an eyelid when Valora pressed up behind her.

She didn't recognise her scent straight away; just the fact that she was a vampire and young. No threat to her as of yet.

Her wine eyes flickered open a little when Valora purred in her ear. She recognised that voice. It had been a while since the two had last seen each other.

Giacinto had thought she, along with a few others - among them her child tat she missed greatly - had left with the intent to not return.

"It has been a while, Valora. What brings you back here?"

"My Coven has found a time of peace. No Lycan threaten us, and the humans are respectful in keeping distance. I have been given a chance to travel the lands again while my Guard look after the castle." She said with a smile. "coming back to lay to rest old demons and to tie loose ends. That and I've wished to come back to even say hello for a while. My stay here had been eventful, if short. I have grown up a little, so I thought i'd look through new eyes." she said, taking Gia's hand and spinning her around so she could face the other with a gentle smile.

"I'm not the Timid girl I once was." Valora laughed, her green eyes bright under the club lights

"It's good to hear that you haven't been threatened recently."

Giacinto wished that she had had the same luck. With the Fae's appearance her Coven had been under extreme stress and not all had made it out alive but since the Fae they had had nothing threaten them. Her Coven was safe for now.

"The Mansion has changed a lot as of late."

Her eyes flickered up when Valora span her around.

She gave the taller woman a little crooked smile.

"You've grown." Not just physically, the Succubus realised. Mentally, too. The woman's green gaze looked different. There was a new light in her eyes.She'd been through a lot and grown as a person since she had first joined her Coven.

"Do you know much of the life of the other women you left the Coven with?"

Valora smiled softly. "I've heard stories. I couldn't resist keeping tabs as I have done with my Friends. And by women, I'm assuming you're thinking more of Kenny? She went under Taylor's wing and became a great hunter. She has grown a lot. Once Taylor had taught her all she could as a fighter, she sent the Fledgling my way to be taught more about vampire culture. There is still plenty that the Elf doesn't know about us. Kenny lived with my Coven for a while. She's doing well. She should be arriving not too long after me. I was alerted to her setting off to travel here a few days after me. She wished to see how she'd fare by herself. I have confidence she's doing fine." Valora said with a smile, guding Gia away from the dance floor and to the bar.

"Would you like to drink? I can answer any questions you wish to ask about the others I left with." She said, Ordering a Bloody Mary with Romanian Vodka and Type AB blood.

A little smile curled her lips.

Her child was doing fine. She was pleased to hear it. She'd never admit it but she had missed Kenny so much. Kenny was the only Child she had had that had left her like she had. She felt lonely without her.

Much like how she felt when her biological child had died.

Giacinto missed Kenny.

The woman gave a soft sigh when Val ordered her drink. "You're lucky that that wasn't the newbie. He doesn't know about us yet," she scolded as the bartender flit off to get her drink. "Be careful about what you ask for in bars. Not all of them cater for Vampires."

She hoisted herself up onto a stood and leant against the bar, tucking a lock of her long hair behind her ear.

"I don't have any questions. As long as they're alive I'm content."

"I have a long memory Gia. I remember this one." Val snickered, reaching into a pocket to bring out some money.

"By the way, Gia, Kenny says she misses you. She never said this aloud, but she speaks in her sleep a lot. She's found it hard ignoring your bond. I think she's relieved to have an excuse to come back here. She's been acting strong and trying to not seem weak to a bond." She chuckled softly, silently thanking the bar tender before taking a sip. "In fact, even Taylor and Sharifa have told me to send words of their greetings. I'm not so sure of their returning, as Taylor has undergone a huge changed after meeting an individual. she's reshaped her entire past somehow. Sharifa is also busy caring after her own coven and children, still in mourning that one of her children and their wife and kids died. She's heavily family orientated it seems." Val explained with a small smile, guessing the other would appreciate the added information.

"So what have I not been able to keep tabs on this coven? Such as who are the new requruits and the likes?" Val asked, tilting her head slight and flicking her long fringe out of her eyes.

Sharifa.

Another person she had missed greatly. She had shared quite a bond with Sharifa. She was hit hard by her leaving, too.

The woman stared down at the wooden counter top for a few long moments, giving a soft sigh and her shoulders slumped. Sharifa might not return. She very well knew that that was to be expected. When they left she had thought none of them would ever return.

But with the return of Valora and Kenny, she had hoped the others would return, too.

"We have an Angel staying in the Coven." Her eyes turned back up to Valora, composing herself after her momentary crack as she thought of Sharifa.

"We had an immortal." Though Razzle had left with Jeneveive. She hadn't gotten to the Vampire in time to request she free him.

"I hear from Aleksandr that there may be another Lycan joining us from his Pack on the mainlands."

And then there was Nanda and Selene. Though not technically part of coven, they had played a big part in Giacinto's life recently.

Valora silently watched Gia for a moment, sipping her drink.

"I will speak to Sharifa. Perhaps she may bring her coven here. I don't know. But I'll send her a Letter." Valora said with a smile.

"Wait....An Angel?! And a True Immortal? My, your Coven attracts some of the rarest of creatures some times Gia." she chuckled softly, shaking her head a little. "And another Lycan? How many have you taken under your wing now?" she asked, arching a delicate eyebrow, the piercings still there

"You don't need to. Family comes before old alliances."

Sharifa was with her family now. That was more important than being with her. Giacinto wasn't always so selfish. She'd happily stand down and let Sharifa stay with her family rather than bother her with a request to return to her.

"I don't know how my coven came to attract so many strange people, Valora. It just happens," she laughed, tongue laving over her lower lip, wetting the painted skin a little.

"Aleksandr has more than his fair share of Lycan to take care of now, though with Aodh and Zeke by his side, he's doing well." Coilean spent more time with his Maser rather than helping out his Father now.

Giacinto shook her head with an amiable smile when she felt hands rest on her shoulders. "Truly, Ty, you don't know when to leave a woman alone," she chuckle softly, turning her gaze over her shoulder fondly, leaning up to accept the kiss he leaned down to offer her.

"Valora, this is one of my current Humans. Ty, this is Valora, an old friend."

The man - in his late twenties with dark skin and a wavy crop of dark hair - gave Valora a bright smile. "Hey there. She another biter, Gia?"

Giacinto merely nodded in response.

"Still. Sending a letter wouldn't hurt." Val said with a smile, noting as a human walked up to Gia, and how Gia smiled and kissed the other.

Another human for her.

Val couldn't help but chuckle softly, especially after the new human spoke.

"Ty." she purred, rolling the word around and tasting it. "A pleasure, I'm sure. I hope Gia hasn't been to harsh on your body." she teased with a grin.

Before she had left CdS, she wouldn't have the guts to tease and Jibe Gia, having no confidence in her standing, but now she thought a little teasing didn't hurt.

"I've been as hard on his body as he deserves," she chuckled in response, purring herself as Ty lifted her from the stool.

The human sat down on the stood and perched her in his lap.

"She's a rough bitch but its fucking good sex," Ty revealed, leaning down to kiss the older woman's shoulder.

"And damned good pay, too."

Once more Giacinto gave a fond roll of her eyes and shook her head. He was in this for the sex and money and that didn't bother her at all.

"You're welcome to share him if you want some good fresh blood, Val."

Valora did something that was rare to her, she actually laughed genuinly, a smile across her face.

"I see. I'm glad you have not changed too much in my time away Gia. As for the blood, I am fine. I fed on a human just outside of your territory not too long ago. I was unsure if I'd be welcome to feed on your grounds, so I played safe." She said with a grin. "I wonder, Ty, how you would respond to Sharifa?" she purred out, snickering softly

"There is no restriction on feeding in my grounds. All I ask is that people be courteous and not leave behind kills for me to clean up."

Ty shifted a little uncomfortably as the two spoke. Yeah, he was Giacinto's bed and breakfast but he didn't like having to listen to them talk about possible deaths due to being fed on.

No thank you.

"To who?" Ty ask cluelessly. Who was Sharifa?

Giacinto laughed. "Don't tease the boy. There is no chance of him being able to take on Sharifa. The poor boy wouldn't be walking for weeks if we let her at him."

Valora scented out the other's discomfort instantly before chuckling softly and smiling at the other, fangs only showing slightly.

"Do not worry. I don't feed and kill. When you have seen what I have, Ty, it puts you off of killing for simple greed." she snickered.

Val then looked back to Gia and grinned.

"Da. He would be unable to do much of anything once she's through. She's definitely a secret beast behind that motherly exterior. I think she actually got you blushing a fair few times." she snickered, remembering the Blood Memories she received from Sharifa during the feedings while hibernating.

"Yeah, uhm, yeah," Ty muttered, eyes moving anywhere but Valora.

He really didnt want to talk about this. At all. Ever.

Giacinto rolled her eyes as she cuddled closer to Ty, strokinghis bare arm comfortingly. He was hers. He was safe from harm as long as she had that claim over him.

"That was quite a while ago, Val."

Things had happened since those times. A lot had happened. Giacinto had grown and changed since those days.

Valora smiled softly and shook her head. "My apologies for making you uncomfortable, Ty." she said, taking a deep drink from her bloody mary.

"And yes.....it has been a long time hasn't it...." she murmured.

suddenly, her eyes sparked with a memory.

"Ah! yes, I had forgotten. Something about Taylor. Should she return here, please warn Moe of this....She remembers nothing of CdS except what i have told her about. I saw it fit to just alert her again to this coven and not try to remind her of the events as it may damage her. When I say she's reformed her past, i mean to a point where she has never even battled Alexis or bound her or anything, and Never met Moe or Zeke. She won't remember coming here because she wouldn't be running, and she has managed to save her soul mate. Her memories are on a different line of time. In our Time...everything she did still happened, but to her memories, she never met anyone here at CdS. If she were to return, I would be watching over her because of the enemies she had made here. it's a complicated affair." she explained, looking at the other

Valora took another sip of her drink and swirled it around for a moment.

"By the way, Do you still have that Bracelet that Shar gave you? when there was a threat of war with the Lycans." valora asked, arching an eyebrow and looking at Gia