See No Evil

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One wouldn't expect a house in a pocket dimension to be so lush.

The house felt more like an Indian palace than the headquarters of a keeper. Tapestries covered the walls that weren't already occupied by towering bookshelves; vast rugs that appeared Persian covered the floors; priceless treasures sat on pedestals in bedrooms. Most of them Senos knew had been snagged from human ruins or museums, which he always felt was vaguely amusing. Stealing from the humans even as the keepers helped them. Everything had a price, after all.

Senos sat on top of one bookshelf in his wing of the house, his legs curled up under his and his tail dangling over the side. He held the book one-handed, his claws fumbling with the pages. He'd already read this one before. He'd read every single book in his wing of the house because there was nothing else to do when he wasn't training.

Senos slapped the book down, leaping down off the bookshelf several meters and landing lightly on his feet. He grabbed his tail and threw it up over his shoulder so it didn't drag on the floor and paced around the hall, spinning lazily and looking up at the ceiling. He never saw Vulkar do anything. If this was what being a keeper meant he was screwed.

Senos sighed, spreading his arms and spinning faster, his tail falling off his shoulder and whipping around his legs. He dropped his arms, staring straight up. Bored. So bored.

He could always try sneaking into the other wings of the house, the ones he wasn't supposed to go. He slowly grinned, considering it. Better than rereading the same books. He took off like a shot, his body low to the ground as he ran and his tail whipping behind him.

Viaska took note of the boys reaction. "Do not worry. Vulkar knows what he's doing."

Ihra slithered into the room, leading her to the side of the room opposite Senos, Madrigals gaze barely leaving Senos.

"I get a trainee?" She whispered to Ihra. Careful to not let the boy hear.

Like a shadow, Vulkar entered the room, a small satchel in his hand. He did not meet any of them in the eye except Senos.

Senos gave Viaska a sideways glance. I hope he does cuz I don't.

Ihra and the girl moved into the room opposite him, and Vulkar finally entered, meeting no ones gaze save his own. Senos turned, his tail twitching back and forth nervously before he darted forward to meet Vulkar. "There has to be someone better than me for this," he said to him softly. He could have taken any other human besides his daughter, why did it have to be his daughter?

Vulkar looked down at him. "No, there isn't. You were trained by me, personally- you were trained by one of the best..."

"THE best." The crane stood, his job apparently done, and stood diligently.

Vulkar did not respond to that. "And Madrigal is not a flower. You will not be stuck as her glorified babysitter. In fact I have probably stuck you with the best human available. She has been trained, conditioned, both of you have been taught under me. Do you doubt my decision?"

He took a seat in the dead center of the room, motioning for Madrigal to sit, which she did, albeit reluctantly.

Senos cringed. He didn't doubt him, he just doubted himself.

Senos knelt as well, opposite to Madrigal. Himself and the girl across from him. Trained by Vulkar or not, he couldn't help but look at her as he always had every other human. She seemed so fragile. So easily broken. How easy would it be for some demon to break her in his hands?

What if they screwed up? What if he screwed up? There were so many ways this could go wrong -

Senos grimaced, straightening up and stifling his nerves. He'd be fine. They'd be fine. Probably.

"Hands up." Vulkar said, removing a knife from the pouch he brought in, the two obeyed, raising their hands above the bowl. He took one of each of their hands and made a thin, surgical gash on their palms. He repositioned their hands so they were centimeters apart , bleeding into the basin- which had now begun to mist. Vulkar removed from his satchel....stones, gems, not unlike those arranged around them. He cupped them in his hand, and blew on them- and this small gesture illuminated the , and they rose into the air. They spun slowly around them, and bit by bit, the stones around them joined the others in the air, but they did not move. They seemed to reflect the glow of the copper liquid, now mixing with their blood. If one looked at them, they seemed to reflect incidents, emotions, memories. A young, small Madrigal playing with Vulkar's tail, swishing back and forth as he toiled in his workshop. Ihra hoisting her up on her hip, weaving flowers into her hair as she sang songs of her people. He as a gangly child, chasing Pitch around the palace as they both laughed. Her staring in the mirror, wondering why she did not have horns or claws like Vulkar, or scales like Ihra, or wings and a beak like Pitch, or feathers and antlers like Viaska- she flapped her arms, jumping from her chair, trying to fly- snarling, hoping for fangs, hissing and spitting and hoping for fire.

You could see Madrigal aging, realizing she is unlike those who had raised her. Training under the beasts guidance, things a human her age would not know- unlike, but not entirely different,

Senos glanced to the side, looking at the stones spinning around them. He could see glimpses of what appeared to Madrigal's childhood, as well as his own - some of which he had nearly forgotten about himself. He blinked, looking at one in particular that appeared to be him with his parents - and siblings? He had siblings? Yes, older brothers, maybe a sister, and images of them flashed by him.

They weren't nearly as common as the memories of his time in this house though. He saw himself meeting Vulkar the first time as his student, himself wandering the halls, himself racing through his wing of the house, bored to pieces. He saw himself aging, far more slowly than Madrigal. It was bizarre.

He found himself trying to catch more glimpses of Madrigal, his curiosity aroused.

Madrigal curiously observed the lizard boys memories - Senos, he was called. She saw her memories and his reflected on the dancing stones, him aging far slower than her, as is common for chimera.

She saw Vulkar lecturing her after her first tattoo, she saw her on his shoulders, picking rubble and stones from between his scales as he whines and growled, trying to feebly swat her away. She saw the memory of her first kill, how terrified she was, how nothng Vulkar could have done would have prepared her for that. She saw how she grew accustomed to it, accepting it.

Vulkar took their bleeding hands, a silky, yet ragged cloth in his hands he pressed their hands together and tied them that way. Madrigal instinctively tried to pull away, after the initial almost jolting shock, it burned, it hurt like hell. She accepted it after her initial reaction, grimacing in pain. She felt something smothering her, something dark and oppressive, pushing its way into her center. She felt slightly nauseous, but like hell she was vomiting on her future keeper.

As Vulkar pressed their hands together, Senos let out a shuddering breath as he felt a great weight seem to leave him. He closed his eyes a moment, starting to smile, as he began to feel vaguely nauseous himself.

He opened his eyes, the smile fading, as he realized he was feeling Madrigal's own nausea. He could feel a little of it himself, but it was almost as if he was feeling it through a thick barrier, a curtain between the two of them. It was almost more of an academic feeling than anything. Impersonal.

Was that what the link felt like? So was it already done?

"So this is it?" Madrigal asked. "Hardcore hand holding?"

He looked levelly at her before looking between the two of them, at Viaska. He took their hands, those not bound together, gently on his feathered hands, and ran a silver, crescent dagger through them. This prompted a noise of pain from Madrigal, one that cut the air.

"REALLY HARDCORE HAND HOLDING-" She gasped, yet strangely, neither of their hands bled.

What came next overwhelmed her, like ice water being poured over her head. She felt everything, every emotion, every reaction, every beat of his heart, she felt his magic, she felt his past- and she could feel hers leaving her. They were still attached, but it was as though their spirits had stretched from their bodies, and were merging within the rusty pool before the , the mist spun in a lazy tornado- converging above the pool. She felt especially sick now- and not only her own sickness and uncertainty- but everything the lizard boy was feeling, as well.

Senos blinked as she spoke, starting to smile until Vulkar ran the dagger through both of their hands. He gave a small surprised gasp, but the pain was quickly overwhelmed by the flood of sensation. He wasn't feeling for one person anymore - he was feeling for two, and it was near impossible to distinguish who was who.

He could feel a second heartbeat, a second set of lungs taking in breaths, every feeling and every thought in her head melding with his own feelings - alarm, fear, embarrassment, uncertainty. Her sickness stirred his own stomach as well, and Senos' face twisted as he began to feel just as nauseous as her.

The room began to spin around them, the ceiling replaced by stars. Madrigal felt sure she was going to blow chunks all over the lizard boy if this damned spinning didn't stop. She saw the first keeper, the first hunter, the first gate. The sister moons and the bleeding sun of the demon plane. And all of a sudden it stopped, as Vulkar quick pulled the knife from their hands, and it felt like the snapping of an elastic band. They jolted back into each other, and the mist blew back, Vulkar untying their hands. Madrigal began to sway, her head feeling light, her eyes unable to keep themselves open. As she tried to drag herself away from the pool, she collapsed, unconscious, Vulkar catching her with one arm. There was no one in the room, outside the three of them.

Senos fell forward, just catching himself as the spinning finally stopped and he'd started to collapse. His head swam. "Its over?" he muttered.

"Yes, the bonding is over." Ihra slithered in and took Madrigal into her arms.

Senos tried to force himself up... only to faceplant forward, finally passing out

Pitch caught the boys head before it hit the floor.

"I see it didn't kill them!" Pitch broke the tension with a click.

"I know what I'm doing." Vulkar said grimly, hoisting the boy in his arms as him and Ihra removed the two from the room.



As Madrigal came too, the searing pain in her head almost forced her back into unconscious. She was lying on a cot, the kind she had slept in as a girl, she tried to pull herself up, only to find she did not have the energy. She examined her hands, there was only a gash on the one, but no stab wound on the other. She shifted herself to look around, to see the lizard boy on a cot a few feet away. If he felt anything like she did, she didn't have the heart to wake him.

But he was already awake. Senos groaned, his head pounding, and he blinked hard as he came to, curled up like a cat on the ground. He turned his head, his dead black eyes blinking as he saw Madrigal awake, looking at him.

Something in her head notified her he was awake before her eyes did.

She stared at him blankly, eyebrows furrowed, before she realized how weird that was.

"Uh......yo." She said groggily, her head gradually clearing up.

He blinked again. "Hi," he said back. There was silence.

"Something tells me we slept for like....a week." She propped herself up on her elbows, only alerted to the length of time that had passed due to the crippling hunger in her stomach.

Senos grunted, feeling his own hunger as well as the echo of hers. He tried to will himself to his feet but failed. "Its gonna have to wait," he muttered groggily.

"You know for someone Ihra calls trouble you sure don't talk a lot." She grimaced from the pain in her head and propped herself up on her elbows. "Or is it just your headaches worse than mine?"

He gave her a look. "No one to talk to," he said, curling up on his cot again and resting his chin on one scaly arm. "What exactly were you expecting?"

A smirk came to her face. " I at least expected my future keeper to buy me dinner before we got stabbed together. And shared every little ache and pain. Because I don't know about you but I'm not finding that fun."

Senos grunted, closing his eyes again. "Mm. No. Gotta make it quick so one of them doesn't lose their nerve." His tail whipped up, curling about him and obscuring part of his face. He was so exhausted... and looking at her only made him nervous.

Madrigal raised an eyebrow just as Ihra slithered in with a tray of food.

"Sweet girl, you're finally awake." She beamed, ignoring Senos altogether. She set the tray beside her cot, pushing Madrigal back down by her forehead. "You mustn't push yourself." Madrigal had no strength to fight her, so she merely watched as the lizard woman shuffled about the tray.

"Say aaaahhhhhhhhhhh"

"Ahhhhhhpffttthrggg-!" She almost choked as the naga shoved a pastry in her mouth, quickly washing it down with tea. Ihra for all her sweetness never really grasped the fact that humans needed to chew their food.

Ihra smiled happy, unaware of the lump slowly sliding, rather painfully, down Madrigals throat.

She slithered over to Senos, soft expression replaced with a scowl.

"Well if it isn't our little trouble maker?"

His tail twitched in front of his face as he stifled a chuckle at the look on Madrigal's face. His eyes slid back over to Ihra lazily. "Yes'm," he said, his mouth hidden behind his tail.

"Hmmmm" She frowned at him, handing him a tray if fruit and pastries. "Unlike her I will not hand feed you, no matter what Vulkar says." Madrigal shot him a look that read 'lucky bastard' as she slowly worked on her own plate.

His tail twitched in front of his face as she set down the tray, and the moment her hands pulled away his tail darted out, wrapping around the plate and pulling it in. In moments he lifted his tail up again, revealing the tray empty, and pushed the tray back towards Ihra with the tip of his tail.

Madrigal looked at him with amusement, whereas Ihra only glared, taking his plate.

"Vulkar will be in to check on you two in a moment," She glared down at him. "In the meantime no funny business- or I'll turn you into my next meal." At that she slithered out of the room, Madrigal readjusting herself so that she was facing him, head propped up on her hand. Her fatigue was gone now, which seemed odd considering just a moment ago she could barely move.

Senos' tail twitched in front of his face again, and it finally lashed to the side as he sat up. He was still wearing that bloody robe, but then, it wasn't such a pain in the ass when he was sitting down. "What exactly does she expect me to do," he said innocently.

"Nothing I haven't already done." She responded lightly. "But don't mind her...she's just....protective. So is Vulkar- and I find him much more likely to follow through with his threats. But he seems to trust you so you're safe. For now."

Senos grimaced. "Hmm." He flopped back down on his stomach, his tail wrapping around to cover his face again. For now. Until he brought his daughter back home in pieces, that is. His tail twitched.

Madrigal sat up, tilting her head to the side. "If you're worried he'd blame you if I died, don't worry- he'd probably only blame himself. He's weird like that." As she spoke the door opened, and in walked the man himself.

"I trust you two are feeling better?" This time he looked at them both, meeting each of their gazes.

Senos looked up at Vulkar from over his tail and nodded, silent.

Madrigal shrugged. "I'm doing good for someone who just got stabbed to a lizard-slash-cat boy. At least he was sort of cute-" That last part was meant to tease him, but ended up causing a silently furious look that chilled her, and maybe her keeper too.

"I came in here to inform you of your first mission. A 'test flight' you might call it." He begun calmly. "I would like the both of you to do a little....clean out- of an old hotel infested with vampires. Raggedy, vile things- rats to their kind. Pest control. Run them out and make sure they don't come back-" His gaze shifted between the two. "And do be quick about it- construction workers and passerby have recently adopted the habit of going missing." He paced to the center of the room. " My hunter will be watching you from a distance-" his stare held on Madrigal. "If it comes to light that you are unprepared or ill fit for this job, I will terminate the bond." He dropped a parcel on her cot. "Any questions?"

Senos's tail whipped aside. "No, sir," he said, finally standing up to his full six and a half feet - and that wasn't even counting his horns. He immediately turned his back, starting to undo the buttons on his robe.

Vulkar's bovine ears twitched, and his claws clicked together. He tossed another parcel on Senos' cot, and turned to leave the room.

"I will leave you to deal with that, Madrigal. I am sure you accustomed to dealing with.....unnecessary penis'." As we walked out the door she snickered, noting the angry swish in his tail.

Senos looked over his shoulder as Vulkar left. "Can't believe he let me get away with that," he muttered, as he finally flung off the robe. He gave a happy sigh, lifting his tail and whipping it back and forth. He looked over his shoulder at Madrigal. "Can't move in that thing."

Madrigal smirked, leaning back on her arms. "He's protective, not insane. I think with me becoming a hunter, too, he realized that I can and will make my own decisions."

She did a subtle once over on him, to remove the temptation later on, and pulled the parcel into her lap. "Oh I don't mind..."

Senos whipped around, his tail lashing behind him as he picked up his own parcel. He raised an eyebrow at her. Attracted to a lizard-man? How weird is this girl?

Madrigal tore the parcel open to reveal....a book? She flipped through the pages, brows furrowed, then the realization hit her. "Messaging paper!" She smiled gleefully, kicking her feet up off the cot. She pulled a pen from between its pages, scribbled something in the corner, tore off the edge and it disappeared in a burst of flames, reappearing in the same manner by Senos' face.

Senos snatched the paper out of the air. "You realize I'm going in with you anyway," he said, his eyes sliding over to meet hers, suspicious.

Madrigal raised an eyebrow. "Of course. But these books could come in handy in a variety of situations." She closed the book, placing it by her side.

Senos suddenly grimaced. Going in with her anyway. To the human realm. He'd forgotten how much he hated the place. "I'm going to need a glamour aren't I," he muttered to himself, tearing the packaging off his own book of message paper. He didn't care to spin up a glamour, either.

"Unless you want to be captured and experimented on by the U.S government, yeah." She replied honestly. "Which reminds me, we should probably get going before Ihra kills you or Vulkar loses patience." She stood, book under her arm.

"Hold," he said. "I need to set it up first." Senos set the book down and turned, looking for a mirror and finding one in the far corner past all the pillows and plush things. He strode over to the mirror, his tail lashing back and forth as he came to a stop in front of it and held out his claws, palms up.

He grimaced, closing his eyes for a moment. Magic was born from pain – and it was always easier for him if he used real, physical pain to kickstart it. He reached down, scraping his claws against the exposed flesh of his stomach, and latched onto that. If Ihra caught me here naked…

He cringed at the thought, and felt a… crawling sensation pass through him. He opened his eyes, staring into the mirror, and reached up to touch the tips of his horns. He passed his hands down them, and before his eyes they appeared to vanish with his hands. His face next; he cupped his face in one hand and watched as his spines turned dark brown, falling against his head in deep brown locks. His scales melded into copper skin on his face. He turned his face, watching whites appear in his eyes and a nose starting to form, the scales down his neck melding into skin as he watched.

The transformation trailed down his body; his claws turned into long, delicate fingers, his scales to muscle. The fur on his legs vanished, and he reached behind him, grabbing his tail and giving it a hard shake. It vanished in an instant.

The crawling sensation left, leaving him just a little on edge, and he reached up where his horns should be. He could still feel them, just not see them. He blinked, looking at the obnoxiously tall, toned, naked human boy in the mirror.

“Whoops,” he said dryly, and clothes appeared on him quickly – a black t-shirt and jeans. He moved his tail, feeling its motion but not seeing it. “I don’t suppose you have a belt I can secure my tail with?” he asked. People would be tripping over it otherwise.

Madrigal raised an eyebrow at his transformation. "Not bad, I probably have something to tie that up at my apartment, you'll have to hold it for now." she wheeled around and out the door, almost tripping over her bag that Vulkar had left in her doorway. She sighed, slinging it over her shoulder, then began to walk towards the threshold for the human realm.

The door to the human world in Vulkar's house was not as intimidating as one might think- it had to fit the shape of the door in the human world, so it had to remain mildly inconspicuous. She knocked five times, a rythmic triplet and two doubles, and there was a click as the door unlocked. She pushed it open, and both of them were bathed in the golden sunlight of midday. Housewives were doing their shopping as their children were in school, a gaggle of boys were most likely cutting class as they walked past, snickering and not so subtly pointing at the boy of them. Madrigal payed them little mind, and walked down the steps and onto the street. She led him through a series of streets, the two of them attracting various looks and points, especially from younger girls and women.

One, in fact, actually stopped in front of them and blurted. "I like your hair!" Shooting a nervous look at Madrigal, her gaze shifting over to Senos- like birds not wanting to land.
"Thank you." Madrigal smirked, looking sideways at her companion as the girl scurried off to her companions who giggled and patted her on the back. They continued on to Madrigal's apartment, it belonged in a small brownstone apartment complex on a quiet, dusky side street. She led him up the steps, it appeared that no one else was in the complex at the time- and she unlocked the door to her apartment.
'Small' wouldn't be the right word to describe it. It was cozy, dorm-like, although she had no roommate. There was a small kitchenette, that looked like it was rarely used. A bathroom off to the side, the door was closed, and Madrigal felt a three room apartment didn't require a grand tour. Coming into the main living area, a large single room with a single brick wall and a surprisingly high ceiling. It was adorned with oddities from around the world, a Persian rug stretched across the wooden floors, and a platform hung from the ceiling, it held a bed, while making space for there to be other be necessities in the room. A desk, bookshelves, cushions which were not unlike those in Vulkar's shop.
"Make yourself at home," Madrigal said, tossing her bag down upon the desk.

Senos had to duck through the door they entered in, tilting his head forward oddly so he wouldn't bang his horns against it, and braced himself as they entered the human realm for... nothing.

Normally his head would start pounding the moment he entered, but there was nothing. It was blissfully calm. He followed after Madrigal in a sort of daze to her apartment, still confused as he stepped inside.

He turned around, looking at the place that seemed so much more cramped after hundreds of years in Vulkar's palace. He only grunted at her words, still in some bizarre state of shock.

Madrigal raised an eyebrow at him as she plopped down in a bundle of cushions.

"What's the matter? Too small for his majesty's liking?" She remarked playfully, looking at the clock. "I recommend we wait till nightfall, it wouldn't look too good for either of us- breaking into a construction sight in broad daylight."

Senos blinked, looking at her. He glanced up at the ceiling - plenty high enough for his apparent height and his horns rising above it. He nodded - no point in mentioning it. For whatever reason, his migraines here were gone. Maybe from the bond?

He stood awkwardly in the center of her apartment, uncertain what he was supposed to do.

Madrigal crossed her legs, raising an eyebrow. "Well sit down. I think you might be staying here with me...unless Vulkar decides to set you up somewhere." She looked around the room. "I'll have to get another bed...wonder where it's gonna fit." She sighed.

The door swung open with such force that the frame rattled. "Mads you haven't been in school for FOUR DAYS - if you think you can ditch me too you have another-" Around the doorway swung a skinny, tall boy with pasty white skin and lilac hair, coffee cup in his hand and a bag under his arm. Before his eyes could find Madrigal they fell on Senos and widened. His mouth opened slightly and a few attempts and forming a word came through the air. His eyes flickered between Madrigal and the new guest, shock still on his face.

"Uh....hi..."

"Hi." Came Madrigal's response.

"And....who is this...?" His eyes shifted almost accusingly towards Madrigal.

Senos jumped as the door flew open, freezing like a deer in headlights mid-turn to look at the door. He stood frozen, his head cocked around, and swished his tail up into the air and off the floor, invisible to the newcomer.

The boy was tall, but he was still taller. Senos cleared his throat awkwardly, making a weird, almost hissing sound. "Hello," he said finally. "I-I'm sorry, I can go...?" he said, looking over to Madrigal quickly. What was he supposed to say? He didn't want to try to come up with some explanation himself, he wasn't sure what another human would find acceptable or believable.

"Stay," Madrigal stands up, "Alex, what's up?"

The boy seemed to be about ready to snap, a tense smile on his face. "What's up? That's all I get after three days of absolutely nothing? And after that you suddenly resurface with a guy who looks like he could be on the cover of a exotic romance novel."

"You're talking to the girl who goes off the radar for weeks at a time."

"Yes but at least I get a little notice- or at least a goodbye." He crossed his arms.

"I'm sorry, Alex, really. But you know my dad-"

"Yeah, eccentric traveler of the world who leaves his daughter alone for months at a time." He waved his hand dismissively. He then pointed at Senos. "Now who is he?"

Madrigals eyes shifted nervously to Senos. Siblings? No, they looked nothing alike. Exchange student? No, they'd never board a exchange student up with a seventeen year old who lived basically on her own.

"This is my new adopted brother. My dad got him on a trip to.....Egypt?"

"You make it sound like you got a new puppy. And he trusts you with the care and well being of another human? I've known you for three years Mads and the healthiest thing I've seen you make is chicken nuggets doused in soy sauce." Alex said, unconvinced.

"Shut the hell up there was fruit there too!" She protested.

"Yes. A fruit cup. With jello in it. Not to mention who your dad thinks he's dealing with when he leaves you unsupervised, in an apartment, with a young boy, who is rather-extremely attractive."

"Stop talking about me like I'm a bitch in heat." Madrigal scowled.

Alex raised his hands. "What?" He looked at Senos. "So what's your name 'adoptive brother'?"

Mmm. Maybe he should have spoken up. He was better at talking himself out of trouble than it appeared Madrigal was.

Oooh. He had an idea. He'd bring it up if the kid kept asking questions - which he was sure he would. Senos coughed again. He didn't know how Egyptians named their kids, and he didn't have time to come up with something less weird than his own...

"Senos," he said. "It's Senos." He almost held out his hand to shake - but no, the glamour didn't extend to tactile senses. He'd feel his scales easily. "I think Father expects me to be the one taking care of her," he said dryly, sliding his eyes over to her and giving her a mischevious look.

Madrigals scowl deepened. "Oh screw you."

Alex frowned, still not believing it. "My bullshit detector is going off the charts right now." He leaned against the doorframe. "I get her dads a bit of a weirdo but he wouldn't suddenly adopt some random ass Egyptian kid and set him up to live with his daughter."

Senos sighed, reaching up to his spines. Under his glamour, he appeared to be tugging on an ear in irritation. "Madrigal no one is gonna buy it," he said, looking over at her. This could go horribly wrong. He only knew how things were in chimera culture - he could only hope this excuse would work. He grimaced, looking at Alex and lowering his voice. "Technically we're half-siblings," he said. He glanced back at Madrigal sternly before speaking again. "You know how our father travels. He had... a moment of weakness with another woman in Egypt."

Alex looked Senos right in the eye, unconvinced. "And I have an evil twin who lives in France." His gaze shifted over to Madrigal. "And I thought your dad vowed to live a celibate life after your mom died?"

"Y e a h..." Her gaze shifted to Senos, then back to Alex. "Well- he was drunk.."

"Your father doesn't drink."

"Um..."

Senos looked him straight back, serious. "Firstly I'm older than her," he said. A lot. "And second that's partly why she tried to feed you that crap about adoption. I requested it. But I didn't think she was such a horrible liar..." He gave Madrigal a look.

Alex took a sip of coffee and mimicked his completely serious expression. "Actually, I also have a confession. My grandmother sent me here because she didn't want it to get out that my mom secretly fucked the prince of Spain-"

"Alex-" Madrigal glared at him.

"Oh- what? I thought we were playing 'write your own soap opera'? Mines a bit better than yours, though." He set down his folder. "But honestly do you think I'm an idiot?"

Madrigal looked at Senos and began speaking in chimera. "Well he's obviously not buying anything we say. Any other ideas?"

"Oi! Don't start speaking foreign on me!"

Senos blinked and responded in chimera as well. "I might have a spell somewhere to make him believe whatever we say," he said back. Were all humans this persistent? Looking at both Madrigal and Alex it seemed so.

Madrigal turned indignantly towards Senos. "You are NOT bewitching my best friend!" The chimera tongue made her words sound even more aggressive, and confused Alex even more.

"What? What did he say? What LANGUAGE are you even speaking in?" He piped up, but went largely ignored.