Hi thanks for the reviews and favs, always appreciated!

To JustMe glad you liked the twists, not sure about your point about Malkavian siring since Alex is a Malk who sired Ariadne the Malk, it's just that Alex thinks he is a Toreador and it was his personality Xander who finished siring Ariadne, and left Moon Boy to take the fall with the Camarilla. It's been quite confusing twists though, so I'm hoping this next chapter clears things up, I admit I had to re-read and rewrite the twists a couple of times before it made some sense lol. I also thought myself that his actions with Sam probably gave the game away so to speak but it had to be done, I felt he and Xander were both too threatened by her presence. Anyway, many thanks for the reviews as always!

To ThursdayNext, though I very much doubt you will see this reply given you only read one chapter of my fic, firstly character development happens over the course of a story not just in one chapter soinconsistant (actually inconsistent by the way) characterisation can't really occur in the first chapter unless my character hmm perhaps suffers from multiple personalities or is inconsistent by nature, which is the point but I guess you missed that or simply didn't like it. Madness is a trait not a personality so you cannot pick faults in someone's character's personality and saw it's not a correct form of madness, perhaps this other Malk whose fic you insulted on my page speaks riddles as part of their personality not their madness, or perhaps it's both. Also given that madness cannot really be defined as it varies from person to person day to day etc I don't think you can really suggest that it has a set blueprint, and frankly I doubt you're an expert upon it.

Although, as a point, my friend is a practicising psychologist so I do have a little insight, because I do, do my research, thoroughly, even for fanfics. As stated though I imagine my reply is wasted upon you since you're clearly a troll judging by the fact that you insulted someone's else VTM fanfic in my comment sections too but still, just in case I'm wrong, I thought since you took the time to leave a comment I would take the time to give a reply. Also, I've played the game twice in Malkavian mode and some of my quotes are in fact from the game and since the game is fictional, as is my fanfic, I'm certain both are quite capable of taking liberties.

"I...he's gone," Alex murmured, "he's finally gone." His green eyes rolled up with uncertainty and he touched his blooded throat in confusion.

"The poet survives," I enthused happily as I smiled at him.

"Yes," Kent grumbled as he glanced back at us, "and what exactly does that mean? What now? What do we do about this mess?" He gestured to the corpses, bones and ash piles. "What do we tell everyone?"

Isaac stood up, pulling me with him and looked at Kent sternly. "The truth, that the killer was a Sabbat Malkavian, who we couldn't find because he stayed here, and that the killer was destroyed by us."

"Right," Kent grumbled.

The Nosferatu began to let out a screech of protest but it did not last, Isaac moved to her in an unnatural speed. "There were no survivors tragically," he commented dryly. Kent and I both flinched when he ripped out her throat in a blur and stabbed her chest with a stake he had snatched up, turning her to cinders and ash. I watched in awe as tiny phoenixes were birthed in the sparks and fluttered about cooing softly. Well it was a clean kill at least, how very Toreador. One had to wonder if she had been anything but a smelly Nosferatu would Isaac have maybe taken a less lethal approach?

"Well...I suppose the Camarilla can't wage war," Kent grumbled, "not if a Sabbat did this, and presumably made the Ventrue disappear?"

"He did," I chirped up, "oh and the zombies, yes the zombies! The most interesting point of all, Xander killed them, put them in the graveyard but with no graves, it's why they wander, nowhere to sleep, quite sad, makes them grouchy."

Isaac let out a heavy sigh. "What a mess," he remarked wearily, "it's going to take a lot of effort to see those bodies properly buried without the Kine becoming involved."

Kent jerked a thumb at Alex who remained slumped on the ground, looking puzzled and in disbelief. Ah how oft I had given such dazed expressions myself. "What about him Isaac? Come on, he's...well ..." Kent moved from Alex at last to come before Isaac and I. "He's a damn Malkavian," he muttered in a low voice, "and the cause of all this even if he's too mad to realise it himself."

I shook my head scornfully. "He's a Toreador," I reminded him, "a mournful poet like the rest of you."

"No," Kent argued with a glare, "he thinks he's a Toreador, there is a difference."

"Not to him," Isaac said softly. "He was probably a poet in life, a man of the arts but when a Malkavian turned him he became one without choice. Rather than lose himself completely he created two personas, Alex who could be the poet he wanted to be and Xander, the one who would deal with being a Malkavian."

"And now that Xander is gone from his mind who deals with being a Malk?" Kent queried wearily.

"I don't know, perhaps now that Alex is the dominant personality he will remain obliviously thinking he is a Toreador," Isaac answered calmly, "but we must be sure of that. So he will be contained until it is certain that we have Alex to deal with and only Alex, it's not an action I'm happy to take but I see no other choice. Not just for our sakes but for his as well."

"Stake him," Kent said bluntly though there was a reluctance in his eyes.

I let out an angry yell of protest. "You can't cage birds! It's cruel, Alex needs to fly, to hunt, he's one of you, he doesn't hear the sweet voices and the music, he won't like the silence, to him it is just silence."

"Ariadne," Isaac addressed me with a firm look, "I am the Baron of this city and I must protect it and intentional or not Alex has proved to be a very dangerous threat. I will give him his chance once I am certain he is Alex and only Alex."

"You know," Kent murmured as he looked at me coldly, "Nines said Moon Boy turned you but you said Alex tried to first and failed, leaving you to a Malkavian but he is a Malkavian... Oh shit." He shook his head and laughed. "He's your fucking sire isn't he?"

I frowned and shook my head; did Kent not understand the concept of two beings? Ah such a small mind, no room for others in his skull. "Alex wanted to turn me on the beach, he got distracted with the Thin-bloods though so he took me to my apartment and left me there, he thought he had turned me but then Xander came." I shuddered. Green eyes admiring my art, soft hands lying me on the bed, this demon was kinder now but still edgy. "I just wanted it to be perfect," he murmured. "You are a kindred spirit but this will have to do, it's too risky for me to stay." My heart slowing, my lungs ached, my head pounded and my throat felt swollen and soaked. I was so weak, could not rise to shut the window bringing in a chill. Green eyes again, cold, wicked, yet the same. I screamed, the fangs came back, so sharp, so brutal. A horrible, taunting laugh and then gone. Ah so weak now, so afraid, surely it was done? But oh no, one more mad thing in the night. Eyes closed, heart stopped, fangs biting too late, savouring the last of my blood.

"He turned me, made me a Malkavian, Moon Boy came after, curious but too late, he was blamed, a martyr for the madman, a victim of timing. He didn't keep a watch I suppose."

"Xander set him up," Kent guessed, "Alex, shit, this is too confusing. He's a damn Malk and he turned you into a damn Malk," he pointed at me accusingly, "but he doesn't remember or even realise it because all that is another persona of his, one we just helped him destroy."

"He knows something," I murmured happily, "our minds are such tricky, playful things, we weave some long webs, keeps us all connected. He made me frenzy, naughty pup, made me thirst so badly, crave the blood, he did it to distract me, keep me from the truth, keep the monster safe, ha ha, such an irony."

"Wait, he did that?" Isaac queried with a look of surprise. "Then even as Alex he has some connection to you."

"He thinks it's because we met before, upon that beach and he took me for a bite to eat, he he, our connection, his fangs."

Alex let out a low groan; he was probably thirsty after losing all that blood from his throat. Kent and Isaac looked to him warily. "Where will you keep him and what will you tell him?" Kent demanded as he continued to watch the redhead.

"Romero has a bunker below his shack, a last ditch hideaway from the er...zombies should they grow too many, at least until the sun sent them back. Of course he has never had to use it; we can put Alex down there. My ghoul should not be plagued by him for long; once the zombie situation is sorted he can return to his apartment."

"Will you forget him? Starve him?" I demanded. "Back into Pandora's Box hmm?"

"Will you?" Kent pondered. "Surely forced solitude will just bring out the madness in him Isaac."

"I will allow him visitors and Kine to feed upon," Isaac said stiffly, "and I will make sure his quarters are apt, it will be for a couple of months at the most. He is a Toreador, I will not have him suffer shambled conditions."

"We wild things should not be caged," I lamented with a look of pity at poor Alex.

"Enough, my decision is final. Now, we will take him there now and find him some prey on the way." Isaac went to Alex, extending out a helpful hand to him. Alex accepted with a confused look and rose to his feet. Ah helping hand, soon to stab in the back, traitors everywhere.

"Not you Ariadne," Isaac murmured as he gave me a commanding gold stare, "I think you will distress him and yourself if you come. Go and feed and then go home." Home? Back to his? Back to Sebastian? Back to Santa Monica? Where was home and which home did the Baron mean? Oh how wickedly confusing. Dismissed, scorned, a threat, banned from my own sire or half sire? Hmm which was it? Was he really any? Was it not the deceased Xander? I was a Malkavian, I had come from a Malkavian but Alex was...? Ah foolish Kent how dare you confuse me! Alex was a Toreador, Xander was the Malkavian! They were but two halves, one the mirror image of the other, one the reality, ah but which had been the reflection? Was Isaac right, was Alex the true persona, an artist or poet or both before a Malkavian had slain him and ruined his mind? Was Xander the form conjured to deal with the traumatic change? Dealing with the words of Malkav that poured into his mind, that voice that whispered to us all. Ah the curse of Obfuscating, hearing the soft whispers of our brethren, was it Xander who had listened and responded to that?

"Go now," Isaac ordered.

"What about stony?" I ventured quietly.

Kent pointed to a door at the back wall, dusty and shiny with cobwebs. "Out there," he murmured, "there's a back entrance, I'm sure you can pick the lock."

I sighed and walked to the door, glancing back at my tragic redhead once, his puzzled, green stare looked back at me with hurt before I turned from it. I swept the cobwebs round my right hand, twirling and twirling until I had a nicely spun bundle to lick. I opened the door with my left and departed down a dark corridor, savouring the sweet webs as I walked and crunching down on a juicy spider. It did not take long for me to find the exit door though the cracked exit sign had long since lost its green glow. I noted as I picked the lock how quiet the sprites and elves were being, silent in the mourning for myself and dear Alex or was it Xander they mourned? After all surely it was Xander who saw them just as I did?

The lock clicked and I was back out in a cool night, the sky was slightly lighter, a couple of hours from dawn. When I returned to the streets there were few people wandering them, most of the drunks were home now and the clubs shut. I followed an unsteady hobo down an alleyway and let him feel the prick of my fangs. Sarah did not come with the blood this time and while I should have been relieved I was not, just oddly sad. I halted when I spotted a familiar yellow taxi sitting quietly by the pavement, the engine humming in a low tone. I looked to the driver and found his black glasses gleaming back. He gave me a nod and I nodded back, strange character how could he always be everywhere? How did he ever earn any money just sitting there? Did he sleep in his yellow chariot? Was there perhaps a hidden world in his boot?

I wandered on until I had drifted back to Isaac's humble abode. I found Ginger there in the living room listening to the gramophone, humming along to the tune and swinging a delicate foot over a slender leg. She paused and looked at me questioningly with her blue eyes. "Are you alright dear?" she queried sweetly.

I shrugged and smiled back viciously. "Just fine." Couldn't tell Alex's secret, best let the Baron do the explaining, he was a better speaker anyway.

"Are you sure?" Was that concern in the bird's eyes? Featherbrained as well as plumed then.

I ignored her, looking instead to the fey who welcomed me back with tiny, happy cheers. Every time I left they worried it would be forever, perhaps one day it would be. Alex was contained, two minutes, twenty minutes, two days, two weeks, two months, two years, it did not matter what Isaac said the limit was, it would feel like forever for us both. He was the only one in the starry land who had never scorned me or turned from me, my one true companion, faithful, trustful, understanding, yes he was all that and now he was gone from me. It would not be fun without him, egging Ash's club, stealing corsets from V.V's den, it was funny but it would not be the same when they came and scolded and whined to daddy Baron to spank me without Alex to defend me in his deadpan manner or laugh at my deeds. Isaac would eventually grow tired and without the redhead's voice in his ear to remind him that sometimes my minds could not help themselves then perhaps he too would turn on me. He had done once before...

I wandered past the curious bird to the backroom and opened the trapdoor that led down to the basement. I would rest, the sun was coming and I had no time to do anything else but tomorrow night, tomorrow night... Ah perhaps I should just let brownies decide. I ignored the coffin Isaac had had built for me and slinked into his as I usually did. I wanted my Baron here; I wanted his cold flesh embracing me as it did when in private. His posh, clean smell lingered in the coffin's plush, velvet lining. I rubbed against it and purred.

I awoke and found Isaac already gone from me. His embrace had been brief; he had returned to me late and fallen into our strange dead sleep almost instantly. I arose with the familiar prickle of thirst lingering in the back of my throat, stretched and reached for my police cap. Once it was secure I put on my black, leather boots and headed up the stairs, feeling sombre. Even the jokes the leprechauns whispered in my ears as I ascended did little for my mood.

I heard voices coming from above and wondered briefly if they were fey, Kindred, Kine or something else entirely. As I focused on them they became familiar, ah the usual crowd here for another bonding session. When I reached Isaac's offices I got the expected look of scorn from Ash and annoyance from V.V. I knew deep down though that Ash loved me really, his life, unlife was dull without me and he had made it clear on numerous occasions how much he loved drama.

"Of course the killer was a Malkavian," Ash sneered loudly as he continued to glare at me with his pale, blue stare. "But you had us on a goose chase looking for a Toreador, as if one of our own would be so perverse." He shuddered. "It was obviously just another one of your dumb games."

"Only some of my games are dumb," I protested, "and that's just because their parents couldn't afford their education, but the rest of my games, they passed their I.Q tests." I gave a proud nod.

Ash scowled and gestured outwards with both his hands. "Madness," he said dramatically with a shake of his head.

"Yes," V.V said with a lowered gaze, "you did waste our time and during such a serious time."

"No harm done," Kent spoke up, "she helped us find the killer in the end and he's been dealt with now, dust and ash."

V.V placed her hands on her slender hips and pouted at him. "Oh I suppose it's alright for those of us without businesses to run to be chasing after the wrong kind of criminal, never mind how many kills he might have made whilst we were barking up the wrong tree."

"Woof! I didn't know you liked to do that too!" I exclaimed with a wide smile at the redhead. "I love to bark up trees, especially at Cheshire Cats! They're hard to spot but you can usually smell them!"

She rolled her clear grey eyes at me and looked to Isaac pleadingly.

"She probably accused a Toreador on purpose," Ash remarked in his usual monotone voice, "all part of her Prince's scheme, pin it on one of us." He looked at Kent and then Isaac. "The Ventrue were probably meant to disappear, maybe the Malk was in alliance with them too, then she blames a Toreador and the next thing you know there's a Blood Hunt."

"Enough Ash," Isaac commented wearily though there was little anger in his voice, Ash always would be the Baron's soft spot.

"Ariadne is too mad to be such a good schemer," Kent commented mockingly, "she would end whispering her plans to the walls and we all know about it." He let out a chuckle. "Or she'd confuse herself over her goals and re-imagine her orders."

"Not re-imagine," I protested, "just make them more interesting."

Kent gestured to me with one hand. "I rest my case."

I looked at the ground instinctively for this case but could not see one. "Where? Oh is it an invisible case?" I queried excitedly.

Kent sighed.

I rubbed my hair thoughtfully and looked at Isaac from a bowed head, reluctant to meet his eyes and speak my next thoughts. It was a hard decision but necessary I thought though I could not quite remember why. "I should tell Mr. Crow," I said brightly.

"That's a good idea actually," Kent spoke up before Ash could accuse me of treachery again. "Before he gets even more suspicious or starts planting evidence. You are his minion, he will have to believe you without evidence and besides, it is the truth. A Sabbat Malkavian, not easy for him to argue against that. A nutter that took not only his Ventrue, and do be clear about that part Malk, but also slaughtered a few Kine and a Nosferatu before we destroyed him in a manner that surely even the Cammies couldn't complain about."

"Oh I'm sure the baby faced bit of a prince will," Isaac sneered, "he will mutter about how I took too long to find the killer and babble about justice and trials though it means nothing to him, all for show." He looked at me then. "Just like it was with you and your sire."

"Me?" I squeaked as I met his gaze at last.

He nodded. "I was there for that," he glanced at V.V and gave her nod, "so was Velvet, much as he hates the Anarchs he still had to make things look legitimate, likes to pretend to be a Kindred of fairness and equality but he's not, he's a naive, smug, power mad bastard only he's far too young to know what to do with his position."

"Did you know me even then?" I squealed in delight. "Ah but then it was destiny!" I beamed happily at Isaac before a frown tugged down at my lips as my voices hissed in union and argument, reminding me of my decision to return to Mr. LaCroix. "We are star crossed," I said mournfully.

"I'll go with you to Downtown," Kent decided, "Nines needs informed about everything. Should let him know the Anarchs are safe from the brat prince at least for the moment."

Isaac looked at me and sighed. "It will be risky for you to return, he might dispute the news, accuse you of lying or simply...hurt you because he's angry that he didn't get the news he wanted."

"It's important that he's told Isaac, especially if the Nosferatu are planning an alliance with him," Kent argued, "we still don't know why those Ventrue were here."

I felt the tingle of a lightbulb above my head but when I glanced up for it I was dismayed to see none. "Oh! Oh! Oh! Naughty Ventrue wanted to play with the filth, envoys, forced to the sewers to strike a golden alliance."

"And how do you know that?" Ash hissed with a frown.

"A dark confession," I murmured, "from their slayer, heard their murmurings of plots but like the gunpowder man they were foiled."

"You mean to say that our nameless Malkavian killer just happened to tell you this?" V.V queried doubtfully as she folded her arms and frowned at me.

"Well Malks do love bragging," Kent commented, "he probably thought he was confessing to a purple badger or a dragon, fuck knows with these nutters."

"So that arrogant jester was trying to make an alliance," Isaac snarled hatefully, "I should go and behead him myself for this."

"How very French," I remarked agreeably, "would suit him nicely."

Kent chortled at this and I was certain V.V and Ginger hid smiles. "There's no evidence though," Kent reminded us, "not with the Ventrue gone. All the more reason for Ariadne to go to LaCroix before those sewer rats can come up with some lies should LaCroix start asking them where his beloved servants are."

"I think you need to talk with the filth king," I said to Isaac with a grin, "no alliance has been made, so make one. He has so many rats following him, so many webs under the earth; they're everywhere, useful things. He plays his own puzzles though; you will need to offer him something good."

"Yes because taking advice from you is a good idea," Ash sneered, "first you claim a Toreador is a murder and now you're saying that the Toreadors should ally with those filthy underground creeps."

I shrugged. "Can't we all just be friends?"

"How about you just worry about what to say to his highness, okay Malk?" Kent advised. "And on that time really is of the essence here and there is no time like present."

"Wait, you want to go now?" Isaac queried as he looked to Kent and then to me.

Kent nodded. "The sooner the better, Nines needs to know what's going and LaCroix needs some news before he gets impatient and just decides that the Anarchs took his precious Ventrue."

"He's right Isaac," Ginger said gently.

I gave her a low snarl, trying to get rid of me then? I immediately leaped for Isaac, grabbing him with both hands and hugging him close. "I'll come back," I assured, "so no one in your coffin but me, and I'll know," I gave Ginger my best vicious look, "the rabbit will tell me."

"Bit rich come from you," Ash muttered.

Isaac eased me off him gently. "Alright Ariadne, what must be done must be done, I'll see you soon."

"Come on then," Kent addressed me, "unless you have stuff to bring, and by that I mean useful stuff not your crap pile of trinkets. I know a cab we can catch."

"Ah the yellow carriage doth await," I announced before I pulled myself up into a kiss with my Baron. "I will miss you," I said sorrowfully before I released him. He gave me a look of bemusement and mild embarrassment before ruffling my hair awkwardly with one hand. Ah poor Baron, still too polite to be romantic. I turned from him, linked arms with Kent and began skipping towards the door. "Onwards to the town that is down!"

"Malk I've warned you about this," Kent snapped as I dragged him out of the door to the busy streets of the stars, fallen and rising. "Let go of me," he groaned when several girls looked his way and giggled. "Seriously," he snapped as he tried to struggle free from me.

"Skip Kent, skip!" I enthused as I led us to the yellow taxi. Ah there it was, shiny and humming with its creepy, shady eyed driver. Oh I wanted those sunglasses but I did not dare. "Skip!"

We reached the cab and Kent jerked free from me at last. He leaned into the driver's window whilst I climbed into the back seat happily. "To Downtown L.A," he instructed before climbing in beside me. "No I Spy," he warned as he glared at me.

"What about, I See?" I suggested innocent as the taxi began to pull out onto the road.

"Fuck no."