[C][M] Astringent Fate

Cy stood, his face a blank mask.

"I have no time for tainted trash."

He turned around and head towards the door again. "Don't let me catch you around me. I don't appreciate being around tainted creatures."

His lip twitched as he walked right out of the door.

He had no time for someone like Ray. He could quite easily blank him out of his life completely.

Rayners face went blank in shock, tears spilling from his eyes as he jumped to his feet and ran after Cy, grabbing onto the man's hand to stop him from storming off.

"Cy please! Don't leave me, I don't have anything else but you."

He pleaded, trying to keep hold of the man.

"I know I messed up but I can fix it, please...you promised you wouldn't leave me alone anymore.... you promised."

He muttered, his voice cracking as he looked up at the man with pure despair in his eyes.

Cy shook his Fledgeling off him, glaring down his nose at him.

"You have others. Go be with your whores." He was done dealing with Ray. He couldn't save a tainted creature.

Dario turned a sad gaze to Silt.

Poor boy seemed so unloved. It was saddening and disgusting.

How could someone live like that?

Rayner looked up at the man through tearful eyes as he was glared down at.

"Don't you care about me at all?"

He murmured, his voice breaking, he looked defeated and broken.

"I love you... you know that, and you're just going to abandon me?"

He knew it in his heart, Cy never gave a shit about him, he was just another toy, and now he was broken.

His legs wobbled before he crumbled to the floor, holding himself up with his arms and he broke down into sobs, his tears staining the floor beneath him.

Cy didn't answer.

He just turned and walked away, down the hall then down the stairs, leaving Ray in a crumpled pile on the floor.

Dario was torn between going after Cy and beating his head in or going to make sure Ray would be okay.

He chose Ray.

The human knelt next to the sobbing Fledgeling and laid a hand gently on his back, rubbing it in slow circles.

He didn't say anything. There was nothing he could say to make this even a little bit better.

Cy had taken everything from him, absolutely everything.

Not that long ago he had a home of his own, a steady career, he had a life.

Now...now he couldn't even remember his own name.

Rayner continued to cry before slowly stopping, he simply couldn't cry any more, his body couldn't muster up the tears and instead he just knelt there, staring down at the floor.

He didn't know what to do, he didn't have anywhere to go but back to the coven and if he did, what would happen to him? Everyone stared at him as if he was a freak and he couldn't go near Cy again.

Slowly he pushed himself to his feet and stared down the hallway, taking a few tentative steps down it.

Dario stared up at Ray when he stood and pushed himself to his feet, following after him.

"Are you leaving?"

He didn't want the man to leave.

If that conversation was anything to go by, he didn't have anywhere to go. Dario didn't want him wandering around aimlessly.

"I... don't know."

He was in shock, he didn't know where to go or what to do, he was completely lost as his world shattered around him.

Maybe he would go down the beach and just sit in the sand again, his existence meant nothing now.

"I don't know what to do, he took away everything..."

"You can stay here," Dario murmured softly.

He wanted Ray to be safe. He didn't want him to get lost or hurt.

"With us. We'll help you if we can."

They would do anything to help the boy. Anything they possibly could.

He wasn't use to having choices, now he had to make all his own decisions.

The Vampire stared down at his feet then back down the hallway.

All he knew was that he didn't want to go out there alone, he was afraid.

Slowly he turned around, looking up at Dario. Rayner looked worn, as if he had completely given up.

The man had been nothing but kind to him and he couldn't be more cruel than Cy. Tentatively he reached forward and took Dario's hand.

Dario smiled, giving Ray's hand a gentle squeeze of encouragement.

"Let's go back inside and get some breakfast. I think we all need something hot in our stomachs right now."

They could put this mess behind themselves and just get on with the night. The three of them could sit and work things out and everything would hopefully be okay.

He guided Ray along towards his open apartment door.

"Go put the grill back on and get the bacon going again, Silt." Above else, that was what they all needed right now.

Rayner followed him back into the apartment, he didn't feel well at all but being near Dario made him feel slightly better.

Silt nodded, his jaw still tight from gritting his teeth, that Vampire had pushed his buttons.

He stood and headed to the kitchen, throwing on the grill as he started cooking up the food eagerly.

When they were back inside Ray gently let go of Dario's hand and moved back to where he had been sat on the couch, pulling the pillow into his lap and hugging it tightly to his chest.

Dario took his seat on the floor next to Ray again.

He sighed heavily as he gazed up at Ray softly.

"I'm here for you," he promised. "If you want to talk or even just want a shoulder to cry on some time, come to me."

He'd do anything he could to help the boy through this. Poor Ray had dealt with so much seemingly alone and right now what he needed more than anything was to be able to have someone to count on.

"Thank you."

He murmured softly as he rested his head on the pillow he was clutching.

"I just...I just thought that deep down he cared."

The Vampire murmured, his grip on the pillow tightening.

"Why did he do this to me if he didn't even want me?"
If his body was able to right now he would be crying but his eyes were dried up.

"I don't even remember my own name."

He muttered with a touch a shame as he clutched onto his temple, Cy had gotten so deep into his head.

Dario reached out hesitantly to stroke Ray's head again gently.

This was all the comfort he could provide right now. It wasn't much but at least it was something that right now only he could do.

"Do you want us to find your name?"

They could do something, he was sure. Look through the missing persons or the obituaries for a name that could spark his memory. There had to be something they could do if Ray wanted it to happen.

"We will try to do anything we can to help you. Just ask us."

Despite his emotions Rayner leaned into the touch on his head, the contact felt good, it made him feel like he wasn't alone through all of this.

His gaze turned up to him, some form of life reappearing in them as he looked at the man.

"You would do that for me?"

He asked hopefully as he stared down at the human. Rayner nodded softly.

"I don't want to be called Honey anymore."

Not having a proper name, it made him feel like he wasn't a person.

"Of course."

He had promised he'd do anything he could and he was determined to hold up to that promise.

"Is there anything you want us to call you until we find your name?"

He said until because he was determined to find the Vampire's name no matter what it took.

His gaze turned up to the door. "You got anywhere with breakfast yet, Silt?"

Rayner shook his head, he didn't want to be called anything but his own name, no more pet-names that made him forget who he was.

As soon as Dario had called out his name, the demon was padding out of the kitchen with plates in hand.

On each sat a bacon omelette with toast, he handed them out before sitting on the couch with his own, drowning it in ketchup before cutting it with his fork and scooping it into his mouth with a purr.

The fledgling muttered a thank you as he held the plate. He stared down at it for a minute, his expression blank. Food was the whole reason that Cy had abandoned him, it had tainted him and broken his purity. His grip on the plate tightened for a moment before he placed it down on the side table next to him, he didn't feel like eating.

Dario nodded in understanding.

No more fake names. Ray wanted to be called by his own name or no name at all. He could do that.

The human purred, digging into his omelette happily.

He noticed Ray set his aside but didn't comment. If Ray didn't want to eat, then Dario wouldn't push him. He wanted Ray to be comfortable here, not feel like he was being forced to do things and withdraw into himself.

"Hayden's going to be coming around in the morning. I'm going to bed a little earlier than sunrise so I can get some sleep in before he appears. You can take my laptop into the bedroom and you have free reign of anything there to entertain yourself. Internet, DVD's, anything. When you're tired, just take the bed." Dario would be sleeping on the couch.

His gaze turned to Silt. "I'm tossing your fat ass out. Hayden doesn't want anything to do with the club."

"Thank you." Rayner replied, he usually wasn't allowed to do anything without permission, it had been so long since he had access to a computer.

Silt gave a shrug.
"Fine then, I'll go bum around the coven for a while then."

He replied as he polished off the rest of his meal with a contented purr.

Rayner's gaze flicked up to Silt in that moment.
"You live at the coven?"
He asked with pursed lips.

"Yeah, why?"

Rayner fiddled with the pillow a little, hugging it close.

"I lived up there too, do you think... do you think you could get my stuff? I didn't have much..."

A grin spread across Silt lips. "I've always loved a good break and enter, I'll see what I can do."

"It's no problem. All I ask is that you try to leave it so its working when you're done," he chuckled jokingly.

Dario rolled his eyes. "Don't confront him," he ordered. His lips curled upwards. "Or work will be very boring and lonely."

Using their fun at work against him? Cruel. Did he feel bad for it? No.

He didn't want anyone to confront Cy and get themselves hurt or kick up any trouble that could bite them later.

"I'll be careful with it, I promise."
Ray replied, he didn't want to cause Dario any problems, least of all by being careless with his belongings.

Silt groaned and flopped back against the couch.

"You ruin all my fun, Dario. Fine, I'll sneak in when he isn't around and I'll get your stuff for you."

It would be easy enough to tell what belonged to the Fledgling, he would be able to tell just by scent.

"You're fun is dangerous."

Dario arched a brow. "What if he recognises your scent and comes after me and Hayden's around? I can't risk him getting hurt. You'll just have to deal without your fun."

He was so worried about Hayden getting caught up in that mess. What would happen in the boy got caught in it? Dario was dreading finding out.

His gaze turned to Ray and he smiled. "You and Hayden will meet soon, I'm sure. He's the sweetest person out there. I'm sure he'll love you." Hayden was sweet enough to try and become friends with anyone.

Silt chuckled and shook his head.
"Dario you underestimate me, I doubt he will be able to follow my scent."

With that the Demon's body morphed, taking the shape of a female with long white hair and dark horns atop her head.

"A little trick I inherited."
She muttered with a giggle. "It even changes my scent."

There was no way Cy would know he had been there, except for the fact that the boy's stuff would be gone, now that would cause a problem. Maybe the Vampire would toss it all out now that the fledgling wasn't around and he could steal it from the trash.

Dario arched a brow, appraising the girl sat in front of him.

"Not one of your most attractive looks, Silt."

It was cute and it was feminine, but attractive it was not. Dario much preferred the taller, much more manly form he usually took.

"What do you think? Does he look attractive like this or do you prefer the other one?"

He felt kinda bad about talking about Ray's stuff and leaving him out of the conversation.