Copyright © 2002 by Syvia (Aka Rebecca K. Friedrick). All Rights Reserved.

Disclaimer: I own them. *points to Adojan & Zofia* Myself. *points to herself* And nothing else.

Author's Notes: The rest of the disclaimer can be found on the preceding chapters.

Syvia- ...Okay, welcome aboard, Addy-me-boy.

Adojan- Uh-huh. *sighs* Okay, what kind of entrance will I be making?

Syvia- An embarrassing one. *evil grin*

Adojan- *knowing his creator's mind too well, suddenly realizes where he's about to end up* No! NO! *he disappears*

Helpless Bystanders

Sebastian bounced up and down happily, cheering for the Sarafan Lord, while Faustus, just to be contrary, rooted for Janos. During one bounce, Marcus' head lifted from his shoulder long enough for the middle vampire to sit up, then he slowly leaned to the other side and laid his head on Faustus' shoulder. Faustus irritably bounced his shoulder, sending Marcus' head aloft once again.

The company jumped as they heard a scream that didn't come from Janos, or the Sarafan Lord. It originated from the basement, yet it didn't sound like Kain, although the voice was masculine.

"No! No- take your hands off me- both of you!" Another shout. "Get your hand off my ass!" There was the sound of footsteps pounding the concrete... then the stairs. Syvia looked pale.

"I know that voice..." she murmured. The girl scrambled out of the chair, lifted Faustus' legs and deposited them on the ottoman beside Raziel. She dropped into the gap between the enormous footstool and the couch, hidden from sight. Raziel and Moebius glanced at her curiously, then turned as a pale, winged figure stormed in from the hall, a pair of baggy trousers half-undone around his waist and a violet legging wrapped around one of the ebony horns that curled around his head.

"I am not amused," he said in a soft, dangerously calm voice. Raziel's eyes were wide.

"Do I know you?" the Soul Reaver asked, eyeing the leathery wings that extended from the being's back.

Green eyes flared briefly at him. "No, you don't. Where's the human?"

"Calm down, Adojan," Moebius rolled his eyes.

"Moebius?" the Hylden/vampire's eyes shifted to the Time Streamer, then he stopped entirely and looked around the room. His eye-ridge lifted slowly. Adojan turned and looked into the dining room. His expression was simply confused as he looked away from Janos and the Hylden General, fighting in the far room, to Vorador, and last, to the three vampires on the couch and Raziel on the ottoman. "What is this?"

Several vampires shrugged. "We're just here for a laugh," Faustus grinned, crossing his ankles on the footstool. "Kain and Umah are here for sex, but you found that out on your own."

That reminded Adojan of the girl he had to mutilate. He clenched his thin talons, wings twitching angrily. "Come out, Syvia- the longer you hide, the angrier I'll be when I finally get to you!"

"That sounds like a threat Marcus would use..." Sebastian noted, shouldering the still sleeping vampire over to Faustus.

"Oh, Adojan, why not just leave the girl alone?" Moebius asked blandly.

"I don't need your advice, Time Streamer," the Hylden/vampire spat, looking around.

"I'm insulted!" Moebius cried, looking about with wide eyes. "Does everyone in here have a grudge against me?!" Simultaneously, six people answered 'yes', Syvia answering only in her mind, as she did not want to call attention to herself. Moebius turned to Sebastian and Faustus. "You've only known me for three hours!"

Sebastian looked at him, and completely serious said, "That's all it takes."

By then, Adojan had crept around the ottoman and caught sight of a familiar, dark-haired form. He seized the girl by her sweatshirt and pulled her out of the little hiding spot. The mutated Hylden grinned evilly, holding her up a foot off the floor, level with his eyes. "So... here we are..."

"Oh come on, Adojan, I've been having a really bad couple of days-" Syvia whimpered.

"You're the one who began playing the game, sweetling-"

"I didn't have anything to do with your appearance! You aren't even from this time period!"

"Be that as it may, I demand recompense for the humiliation you've subjected me to."

"Adojan-" Moebius cautioned.

"I'm not planning to kill her, dad," the Hylden cut him off, rolling his eyes like a scolded adolescent. Adojan set the girl on the floor and, with a hand on her arm, dragged her into the hallway. They heard the basement door open and Syvia's pleading voice. One of the characters present might have been concerned, if not for the sudden revelation presented to them.

"You're Adojan's father?" Raziel asked, glowing eyes wide.

"Don't be ridiculous," Moebius answered, "he was just being sarcastic." The Nosgothians relaxed. "I'm not his father, Raziel. You are."

"Oh, that's a different.... What?!" Then an explosion lit the game room, briefly illuminating the Sarafan Lord as he hit the wall that divided the game room from the kitchen. In the sudden silence, Syvia could be heard, crying out frantically. It didn't last, however, as Adojan's voice suddenly drowned out her screams with his own. Syvia appeared not long after, pulled her blanket close and wrapped it over her head, hiding. In the game room, the fight began again.

"What's wrong?" Raziel asked her.

"I'm blind... oh God, my virgin eyes..." Syvia shuddered, making the bundle of blankets tremble.

"...I most definitely do not want to know," Raziel murmured, turning back to the television.

"You're such a prude, Raziel," Vorador smirked, navigating videogame Kain into the beginning of the Canyons chapter. "Kain and Umah's sessions are quite tame compared to the tumbles I've taken with my brides in the past." Raziel rubbed his temples with one clawed hand. "Why, I could tell you stories-"

"No! No, that is quite all right, Vorador," the Soul Reaver assured him.

"Hell, I could tell you stories just as easily," Faustus smirked.

"I really don't care to know."

"For example, there was one time when the female vampires in Kain's army-" Faustus bit back the rest of the sentence when Raziel buried a hand in the young vampire's long hair and pulled backwards, exposing Faustus' neck.

"I really don't want to know... thank you," Raziel said.

"Okay," Faustus winced. There was another sudden silence from the game room, and the sound of two people breathing heavily.

"Five minute break?" asked the Sarafan Lord.

"Yeah- sounds good," Janos returned quickly.

Raziel let go of the vampire guardian, who grimaced, and stuck his tongue out at the Soul Reaver after he'd turned around.

Sebastian chuckled. "If I weren't tied up right now, I'd shake your hand for that...or...hoof?" he asked, smirking at Raziel's hand.

Adojan's horrified scream echoed from the basement again, a second one followed, which ended in a moan. Syvia poked her head out of the blanket, casting a wide-eyed and vaguely frightened look at the basement door. Nobody cared.

"Gods, fledglings today," Raziel was muttering. "No respect for an elder vampire..."

"Hey, I'm before your time, mister flaming sword!" Faustus shouted.

"Maybe, but I'm older than you'll ever be!" Raziel retorted.

There was a loud, pain-filled shout from the basement and an explosion, then an echoing explosion from the game room. Janos finally walked back into the living room, looking dignified, despite the sooty cast to his features and the smoke curling from his ash-covered hair. He made himself comfortable in his usual seat.

"I won," the Ancient smiled quietly.

"So, what, he's dead?" Vorador asked, shifting to keep the television in sight as Janos walked in front of it to get to his chair.

"No, unconscious, and likely to have a demon of a headache when he wakes up."

Adojan took that moment to slam the basement door and walk into the room, his left wing hanging at an awkward angle and a slight bulge beneath his pants.

Janos sat down and winced at the look of the Adojan's wing, then looked confusedly at the Hylden. "Do I know you?"

"No, you don't," Adojan answered. He stalked over to the couch, picked up the sleeping Marcus and tossed him into a corner of the room. Marcus landed behind an end table with a thud and began to snore. Adojan climbed onto the back of the couch, sat down and crossed his legs primly. He folded his arms in front of his chest and waited for his wing to mend.

Kain and Umah emerged from the hallway soon afterwards, looking rumpled and just as sooty as Janos. Vorador looked over at them and raised an eye ridge. By Umah's disgruntled expression, and Kain's sheepish one, it was obvious something had gone awry. "What happened?"

"Kain rolled onto one of Adojan's wings and broke it... in retaliation- Adojan blew up the basement." She took a seat beside Raziel on the ottoman. "It killed the mood."

"My heartfelt apologies," Kain muttered at Adojan.

"Uh-huh," the hybrid responded, unconvinced. Kain took his seat by Sebastian and sat, pouting. For several minutes, they all sat there in silence, watching the television. Then Moebius, who had fallen asleep long ago, began snoring in time with Marcus. The Soul Reaver looked first at the vampire, then at the Time Streamer, an evil light in his eyes.

============================

Adojan- You can't ever be nice to me, can you?!

Syvia- *shrugs* I can when you're a chibi.

Adojan- *crosses his arms over his chest* Not gonna happen, then.

Syvia- Oh really? *turns him into a chibi*

Chibi Adojan- No, it's not! *hears the squeaky pitch of his voice, looks down at his tiny-little body* *gasps* I don't wanna be a chibi! *cries... loudly*

Syvia- Aww, honey, it's gonna be okay.

C Adojan- No it's not! I'm suffering from mental angst in one fic and I'm being humiliated in this one! *cries, hugs Syvia's leg*

*Syvia picks him up and cuddles, murmuring 'there there' noises. Chibi Adojan curls his arms around her neck, wailing.*

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