Chapter 2.2

Later that week, Caolan had finally dragged Oriana to the police station for her interview. Giving her a hug and a quick, "Good luck!" he pushed her towards the station.

Suddenly, Oriana felt nervous at the prospect of getting a job. She was doing fine without one! Caolan was counting on her though, and she wasn't one to disappoint, so she trudged on in. At the very least, her dad would finally get off her back.

When she emerged hours later, she was thankful she had packed her work out clothes. They had tested her athletic skills as well as her aptitude at figuring out logic puzzles. She would have to improve in both areas it seemed, as instead of making her Caolan's partner, she got the lowly job of "Snitch".

Before she even took two steps towards home, she spotted Katib. Motioning him over she asked what he was up to walking around in the dark.

"Does it matter?" he said, bringing her into a hug.

"I guess not," Oriana replied, "I just wasn't expecting you until tomorrow night."

"Well how about we go out tonight instead?" his voice trembled slightly along with the rest of his body.

"Katib? Are you alright?" Oriana inquired as she went to pull out of the hug. Seeing the man in her embrace wasn't Katib, she reeled backwards in fear.

The man smiled menacingly at Oriana and in that instant, she knew his name.

"Theron," she pleaded as shock claimed the vampires face.

"You seem familiar," she continued with her begging, "Please, don't poison me any more, I can already feel it seeping through my veins like a parasite."

Snapping out of it, Theron shook off the strange sensation he had felt when she had recognized him, and overwhelmed her defenses.

Was she harder to allure this time around? he cogitated while staring at the mentally incapacitated young woman, Or, was it I who had a harder time bringing myself to harm her? Shaking his head to clear out the inward debate, he forced himself to see only one conclusion, No, she must be learning magics from Hathor, that must be it.

As the two make it to Oriana's home, they once again end up in Oriana's bedroom.

"What else do you wish of me, Master?" the drudge asked, hoping to please her captor further.

"I wish for a taste," Theron replied, not being able to stop himself.

Offering her neck, the puppet felt no pain nor pleasure as the vampire sank his fangs into her pulsing carotid. When he had his fill, he beckoned her over to the bed. It was hard to keep his control over the woman during the act, but it served as a great distraction while he injected a larger dose of the poison.

Before releasing her from his allure, he paused for a moment to indulge the woman's instinct to cuddle. Realizing what was happening, he jumped up, erased her memory, and fled into the night. 

The next morning, Oriana woke up feeling like she had been hit in the head. Her headache was pulsing, and it almost hurt to think. Subconsciously reaching to touch her neck, she winced as the light brush sent pain coursing through her veins. Worrying that her mystery adversary might have visited her again, she started to summon Hathor when she remembered the awkward position she was in when she woke. Brushing it off as a bad neck cramp, she got ready for her date that night.

When it was time for her date, Oriana arrived at the bar, noticing that Katib was running late. Taking a seat on a stool, she made conversation with the bartender as the mixologist concocted the ordered drinks.

Katib arrived not a minute later and the two retreated upstairs to the lounge. Oriana told him all about her job interview the previous day and how she had been assigned the lowliest job. She even admitted that she thought she'd eventually enjoy working at the local station.

Katib responded that he was an aspiring writer, which was the reason for his travels. Writing about the pyramids was overdone back in Egypt, but finding the hidden secrets in mostly unheard of towns could be lucrative. So far, he was halfway through his latest book based on Hammond Island alone, and was looking forward to settling down and writing a series on each of the local sights.

When they were all talked out, the couple tried their hand at foosball, a game which neither had ever played before. Katib was in the lead by three points when the bouncer approached them and asked them to leave. Apparently spinning the little men was against the rules there. Laughing the whole endeavor off, they hailed a taxi to take them each home.

When the taxi reached Oriana's house, Katib followed her out to bid her goodbye. A light peck on the lips and the two were inseparable. Stumbling inside, Oriana directed her lover up the stairs to Elly's old room. They were less likely to be disturbed in the unused room, and Oriana couldn't even fathom what her parents would say if they discovered she had brought a man home.

After the deed, the couple gazed into each other's lives and both knew that they had found someone special.

Chapter 2.1

"Which would you rather have first: the good news or the bad news?" Hathor asked as she and her granddaughter took a seat on the sofa.

"I'm not sure I want to know either," Oriana groaned, "but if I must know, then go ahead and tell me. Good news first I guess."

"For starters, the amount of poison he administered is such a small amount that it shouldn't harm you much at all. Secondly, with my blood coursing through your veins, you should be significantly more immune to any illness or poison in general. Basically, you might feel a little weaker, but it won't get in the way of your daily activities."

"So you're saying I'm going to get over it and be fine? How is there bad news?"

"Here's the catch, young one, I didn't say you'll get the poison out of your system. The fact that he gave you so little, especially when he knows your heritage, is troublesome. I fear he and his sister have sinister plans for you. I need you to be wary of anyone who approaches you outright; they might be planning on slowly feeding you more and more poison until you are too weak to live."

"Let me get this straight. You're saying this man--"

"--Theron--"

"--Theron, is planning on slowly killing me."

"Yes.

"So what am I supposed to do!" Oriana roared at her grandmother, irked that she was so calm about this. Her own kin's life is at stake and she doesn't even seem to care.

"I don't know!" Hathor exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air, "Theron and Theresa only approach me on their own terms; I have no knowledge of their whereabouts otherwise. They're considerably older than you and as cunning as it gets."

"Can't you just use your magic to find them?" Oriana said as if she had pointed out the obvious.

"No. Vamps are immune to the power of life. I am the Goddess of motherhood and childbearing; I give life and I use my power to manipulate it. Vampires are not alive and thus cannot fall victim to my will. Sometimes, like now, I wish they were in my dominion, but most of the time I want nothing to do with those foul, undead creatures."

"Don't worry Grandma, I hate them too," Oriana said with a hint of a smile while placing her hand atop Hathor's.

"Please be careful, my child. I'll try my best to find them, but you should be wary of any vampire that crosses paths with you," Hathor warned one last time, before disappearing.

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When Oriana got back from her afternoon run the next day, Ray took the time to convince her to go to the local consignment store while she sold some of her paintings and Ary's inventions. She was getting older, and seeing her sister wrapped up with Drake had her feeling lonely. Seeing no future suitor in her life, she dedicated herself to finding a potential husband for her niece.

As soon as they entered the shop, Ray cued in on the live entertainment. Seeing that the man was around Oriana's age, the wheels in her head started spinning.

"Oriana honey, I'm just going to go talk to the consignor. You're welcome to look around, as long as you let me know if you see anything you like," she said with a wink.

"Oh come on it can't be that boring, there's nothing to look at in here anyway. They don't even have working light bulbs," Oriana retorted, deliberately ignoring her Aunt's remark.

"Just do it for me, okay?" Ray said, turning her bottom lip out into a pout, "Saying hi can't hurt you know!"

"Fine," Oriana ushered Ray away with a whisk of her hand before muttering under her breath, "But I'm not really in the market right now after the whole man-seducing-with-poison thing, or whatever that was."

Once Ray had stopped looking over her shoulder, urging Oriana to strike up a conversation with the man, she slowly approached the guitarist and opened her ears to the sound. It was the most eclectic playing she had ever heard.

He brought his head up and upon noticing he had an audience, he stumbled over a few notes before blushing and ducking his head. Bringing the music through a perdendosi, he finished the song and set his guitar back in its case.

Sticking out his hand, the man introduced himself as Katib Shalaby. After finishing the introductions, Oriana couldn't help but ask about his accent. As the man chuckled, Oriana realized she was being rude and went to say so.

"Do not worry, I am not offended Miss Amarel. I get that question a lot, and as such I am prepared for it," he quelled her fears, "I hail from Al Simhara, Egypt and have recently arrived here on Hammond Island."

"A worldly guy like you chose to come to this remote island, of all places? Surely nothing can be as interesting as the great pyramids and tombs from your country," Oriana asked, unable to keep her tone from turning flirty.

"As of now, I think I've seen something that could top all the wonders of the world," he said in kind.

Blushing at the compliment, Oriana tried to silently chide herself for falling for a mostly-unknown man's charms so fast after her incident. Having no luck, she glanced back up at Katib to see the same goofy, yet flirty expression written on his face.

Reaching a lull in the conversation, Oriana broke up the pause by asking if Katib would want to meet up sometime later this week.

"I was thinking about grabbing a drink on Friday; you're welcome to join me if you'd like," she offered.

"That would be great," he pleasantly smiled before picking up his case and starting towards the door, "I'll be seeing see you then."

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Time had been passing slowly since she met Katib, so she called up her siblings for some catch up at the beach. Seeing that Melainn was already wiggling her toes in the cool water, she approached her brother and inquired about their lives away from home.

Oriana was shocked to learn her brother was already working his way up the law enforcement ladder, but what really surprised her was that he was married with a kid on the way.

"Angela and I never really connected back in school, but when I ran into her on my way to work one morning and saw those eyes, I knew she was the one. We didn't even date very long before we decided to get married, but with her being pregnant we couldn't really wait."

"That's... crazy Caolan! I feel like you moved out yesterday and now you have your own family and everything. How about Melainn? Does she have anyone special?"

"Nawh, she's too immersed in her writing to even notice boys these days. I wonder if she even knows she's going to be an aunt, and she lives with me!" he laughed before asking of Oriana's life, "How's life been with the moms? Are they driving you crazy yet?"

"It's not them that's driving me mad, its Drake! He keeps insisting that I get a job, but I don't even know what I want to pursue. He makes me want to pull my hair out; I wish I could just choose something and have him lay off for a while," she said, frustrated.

"You could write like Melainn, or cook with Elly? Be a teacher?"

"Nothing sounds vaguely inspiring, Caolan. I've covered all my bases."

"Wait, there's a job opening in my department at the station. You should apply!" Caolan said, suddenly excited, "We could be partners and everything!"

"Cay--no offense, but that doesn't sound fun either," Oriana stubbornly replied.

"Oriana, you're going to turn down the opportunity to keep the streets safe at night? Rescue kidnapped children? Save potential victims from death before it's too late?" Caolan said heroically, "Come on, just try it out. For me? Please?"

"When you put it like that, I guess it won't hurt to try it out," Oriana replied, while silently hoping this could keep her safe from further harm, "Just one question: do they teach officers self-defense?"

Chapter 2.0

While Hathor and Theresa were hashing it out, Theron was following through with his part of the deal.

Making eye contact once again, he calmly allured the girl, "You invited me to bed with you after too many drinks, but you will not remember my face. Tomorrow you will not feel guilty, nor will you try looking for me."

"Of course," Oriana said in a zombie-like trance before retreating under the covers with her mystery man.

When the deed was done and Theron was sure Oriana was in a deep sleep, he slowly crawled out of bed. Alluring the girl for that long had cost him a lot of energy and it took what remaining energy he had left to keep himself from sucking the girl dry. Theresa wouldn't forgive him if he turned or even killed the object of their mission so he took off as fast as he could into the waning darkness.

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In the present, Hathor suddenly materialized out of thin air at the side of Oriana's bed. Considerably pleased to find the girl alive and well, the goddess contemplated leaving as quick as she came. Deciding on staying to make sure everything was fine, she barked an order at Oriana to wake up.

When Oriana didn't stir, Hathor thread a small stream of magic into the girl to jolt her nerve endings. Turning around, she gave her granddaughter some privacy as she got out of bed.

Instead of grabbing a robe or getting decent at all, Oriana approached Hathor as soon as her feet hit the floor.

"Who the hell are you and why are you in my room?" she demanded.

"My name is Hathor and I am your other grandmother, but none of that is important right no--"

"You're saying I have an orange grandmother."

"Yes, but--"

"Nice try lady, now get out of my room."

"Oriana Amarel," Hathor whispered, using her magic to make her words echo as if she had yelled them, "Do not both Ray and Ary have my eye shape? Were they both treated unfairly compared to their half sister Sabelyn due to their shared parentage? Can you really not feel the desire to be great seeping through your bones?"

"Well yes, they do sort of look like you, but a desire to be great? Not really, I'm just like anybody else."

"Well that explains a lot," Hathor muttered to herself before raising her voice back to normal, "Now if you will be so kind to oblige me by recalling what all happened last night."

Slowly, Oriana tried piecing together her previous night starting with her parents leaving for a party and ending with downing a lot of drinks. Everything was super foggy and it almost hurt to even try to remember so she told this to the strange lady that she didn't yet trust.

"You're saying you can't remember who you invited in? Did he try to hurt you at all?" Hathor questioned feeling nervous about the circumstances.

"I don't know! I can't remember what he looked like. And no, if he had hurt me I doubt I would have bedded the guy."

"You slept with him?" The Goddess asked, feeling her heart sink to her stomach.

"Yes, why does that matter? It was just a one time thing anyway."

"How's your, oh what do you mortals call it, hangover? Yes, hangover."

"Hangover? I---I don't have one." Oriana said, her face scrunching up in confusion.

"You said you drank so much you couldn't remember his face, yet you do not feel the aftereffects?"

"No...? I've heard that some people just don't get bad hangovers, maybe I'm one of them?"

"No. Get decent and meet me in the kitchen."

As Hathor waited in the kitchen for Oriana to get ready, she glanced out the window at the house's surroundings. A junkyard? An abandoned warehouse? This was no place for the descendants of a Goddess.

"Kay, what now Grandma?" Oriana asked, forcing a smile through the sarcasm dripping from every word. She was getting sick of this crazy lady's tirade, she'd rather go for a run instead of wasting away the morning.

"Now, we test you."

"Test me? Whoa, back off orange-y. I think you've overstayed your welcome."

"Fine. You will be rid of my presence as soon as I finish my test. This I promise," Hathor conceded. Her granddaughter had inherited every ounce of stubbornness Ary had.

"Ugh. Just get it done already, then," Oriana complained, her patience wearing thin as Hathor knelt down a tad and started roaming her hands over the younger girl. After a moment she found what she had been looking for.

"You've been poisoned," Hathor said dramatically, "Now per your request, I shall be on my way."

"You think you can just tell me I'm poisoned and then leave?!" Oriana yelled at Hathor, "What does that even mean!"

"You wanted me to leave, so I was following your orders. Have you changed your mind and now wish me to stay and help?"

"Yes," Oriana said before sighing out of frustration and preparing for the worst.

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Notes: I know it's considerably obvious what's going on, but hold your horses and wait for the story :)

Generation 2 rolls are as follows:

Marital Structure: Couple

Number of Children: 2

Primary Career: Law Enforcement (Super Spy)

Secondary Career: Author

Goal: Hobby or Obsession

Misc. Fun: Multi-Cultural

Chapter 1.7

Life at the Amarel household begins a new routine with Drake around. Due to his higher position, he tries sharpening his mind as much as possible by practicing on the weak; he'd never win against his daughter or Caolan.

Soon enough, the three children's birthday comes too fast. Before the party guests arrive, these four spend some quality time watching the food network. Ray and Caolan watch it at least... all Ary and Drake can think about is each other.

As the first guests arrive, Oriana emerges from her room dressed for the occasion while Ray finishes up on the birthday cakes.

Sabelyn is one of the first to arrive and pulls Oriana into the bathroom for a quick gossip session away from her older sisters. Ray and Ary have never liked Sabe much, but Oriana is quick to jump into friendship with her Aunt.

In the living area, Drake is finishing up on some leftover paperwork and Ray is watching her step-mother and daughter play video games when Ary calls everyone into the kitchen for cake.

Melainn takes her time finishing up on her current mission while Oriana and Caolan blow out their candles and spend their last seconds as teens making a wish.

Caolan grows up into a heart-breaker and decides to use his keen intellect and enroll at the local Police Force Academy.

Grandma Abbey cheers Oriana on as she blossoms into a beautiful young woman with no plans for the future.

Melainn ages up moments later and the family takes off for the graduation ceremony.

Oriana is declared Valedictorian and presents an uplifting speech to her entire class that leaves most of the parents and graduates in tears.

Afterwards, the tears finally hit her as she says goodbye to her siblings who have purchased a small residence down the street. Even though they'll be close by, the prospect of not seeing them everyday seems depressing and plain wrong.

Back at home, Ray and Ary share a congratulatory hug. At the beginning, neither thought they would ever make it through raising three kids on their own, but here they are victorious.

With Caolan and Melainn out of the house, Oriana spends a lot of time with her dad. Most of the time he's doing work on his computer and reminding her that she needs a job, but she's content to just sit around the house living on her parents incomes.

Ary finally gets another call from the science facility and she gets to work on building the invention laid out on their blueprints. It's going to take a lot of time to build, so she doesn't mind when she's interrupted by a call from her mother inviting her and Drake over for dinner.

Just minutes after they leave, the doorbell rings and Oriana goes to answer it, wondering who it could be.

"Miss, I have a pepperoni pizza here to be delivered to an Oriana Amarel. Might you be her?" the man asks.

"Yes, I am she, but I didn't order any pizza. Might you have gotten the name wrong?" she questions as she takes the box from the man.

"Of course you ordered a pizza, Oriana Amarel. You should invite me in," he slowly states, focusing on keeping eye contact.

"Yes, I ordered a pizza," Oriana says in monotone, "Please, do come in?"

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"Oh how terribly cliche this is, Your Goddess," the vamp states as she rolls her eyes at the decor.

"Oh Theresa! It's such a surprise to see you! Please, don't wait for me to get up, come right in," Hathor responds sarcastically.

"Now tell me. Why are you desecrating my dwelling place with your presence," she says, her voice turning to ice.

"Such hospitality, My Lady," Theresa spits, "Why I just wanted to share a cup of tea and some old stories of better times!"

"Tea? Better times! Hah!" Hathor approaches the vamp as she senses her malicious motives, "Then let me show you just how great a time I'm having."

Before the vamp has time to make another snide comment, Hathor uses her great strength and attacks at lightning speed. When the altercation is over, Theresa is left on the floor badly beaten. Slowly standing up, she prepares to complete her quest.

Favoring her right arm, she approaches the Egyptian and a sneer takes hold of her face. Pointing a lone finger at the goddess, she struggles to speak.

"You may think you have won this time, My Lady, but I assure you, your daughter's child wouldn't be so quick to agree, if she can still agree at all."

Immediately, Hathor blinks out of existence as she goes to find her granddaughter. Left alone, the vamp duly notes her quest's completion as she hopes her brother has finished his, as well.