Moon Phase 2

WARNING FOR MILD GORE NEAR THE END!

He stared at her.

She stared back. The air tensed and dropped several degrees.

"Ah Lucia, your father wants to speak to you," Miranda said. Miranda was their mother. Like her daughter, she had auburn hair and amber brown eyes. Today she wore a rust orange sparkly dress, black opera gloves and had applied a bit of makeup. Clearly just came from an outing with her husband.

After a moment she noticed him, and her eyes fell on Lucifugus who sat there stiffly eyeing her in silence. Hesitantly she reached out as if to caress his cheek or pat his head. He didn't move away but he didn't lean into her touch either. Perhaps understanding to some extent that she didn't really want to touch him, for fear of triggering the monster. Lucifugus's eyes had turned a soft grey, the blue from before completely gone.

Her eyes betrayed sorrow at Lucifugus's predicament as she patted his head, though her face didn't change. She retracted her gloved hand, uncertain about what else to do. Lucifugus' eyes stared emptily at her hand for a few seconds longer. Then slowly he stood and left.

Curious, Lucia looked at the book Lucifugus had been reading.

The title read 'Grimm's Fairytales' in ornate gold letters. She tore her eyes from the book. And the old woman in a brown cloak standing before a comparably pretty girl with raven hair, red lips and a sympathetic expression. The old woman was offering her a beautiful red apple.

"What did my father want to speak to me about?" She asked finally.

She didn't get to ask why Lucifugus appeared in Primrose's dream but something in her forewarned that it didn't bode well.

Lucifugus slipped out of the house and past the silently observing guards.

"Where are you going Blackwater ?" One wolf approached but didn't get close. Staying six feet away due to the silver chains and evident reek of wolfsbane.

"I'm going to the guarded territory of deity Cernunnos. I'm.. well, welcome there and-" he looked forlorn. "Not interrogated,"

The wolf backed up even further. "Sure," he shrugged. "Stay out of trouble. Don't draw unwanted attention to the Blackwater community," he grumbled.

Lucifugus made a small smile and turned away, resuming his walk. Deeper into the woods, passing numerous trees and being observed by a few curious eyes. Eventually he approached a clearing where the grass nearly looked like short blades of emerald gems. The trees looked thicker the leaves more green and almost unrealistic.

From the opposite direction, another Lucifugus identical to the first appeared. He retained the chains around his arms and waist. As well as the distinguishable features of midnight black hair and grey eyes. Unlike the Lucifugus from the house he had on a long dark green leather coat, black pants and a equally dark green shirt. As if he tried to blend in with the trees of the forest at night.

While the one from the house donned a pale blue long sleeve shirt that almost covered his fingers and grey pants.

Additionally contrasting the Lucifugus from the house who held nothing, the new one carried a thick tome with a dark purple cover decorated with golden yellow phases of the moon in a wide circle. He placed it on the ground and continued walking.

"Hello Dionysus," the green coat Lucifugus remarked.

"Lucifugus," Dionysus responded with an amused smile.

Walking to each other they pressed foreheads. Able to do so being exactly the same height. Both their hands touching the sides of their faces. The action almost looked affectionate but after a few seconds the 'Lucifugus' from the house began to change. He was now slightly shorter than the Lucifugus and had brown hair with braided in grape vines. His clothes didn't change but the chains which were mostly an illusion, vanished. After Dionysus no longer looked like Lucifugus they separated.

"What an exhausting family, yeah?" He asked. His eyes scanned Lucifugus's calm expression. "I need a drink," he huffed.

"Dion, thank you for disguising yourself while I snuck off and searched for more information," the real Lucifugus remarked. Then he looked over and saw that only Dion's physical appearance had changed not what he was wearing.

"You're not going to change clothes?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I like these. They remind me of you, and your scent is a nice change from wine," Dionysus smiled.

Lucifugus blushed, covering his face and effectively rendered speechless for a few seconds. Dionysus smiled like he won a prize. Lucifugus coughed and tried to focus, blush fading away although Dionysus maintained his victory smirk.

"So.. Dion How are things?" He asked instead.

"Although everyone is in a stir about all the murders as well as the trouble from your 'hobby'; your vigilante alter ego 'Nouveau Eclipse' causes, they won't mind you being gone for the entire evening," Dion assured.

"I expect your sister is being questioned and requested to monitor the behavior of the other wolves now," he hummed.

"Did you find anything you wanted at the witch's store 'Odd World Emporium'?" He asked.

"The witch Rashida. She let me buy this book that her.... friend compiled on mystic animals when they searched the world. She also wanted me to come back for a fortune telling." Lucifugus commented. From his pockets he pulled out a package of some candy, a handful of coins, as well as a business card.

"Not sure if I want to go back but she seemed adamant..." Lucifugus hesitated. Likely reading it over.

"and you like humoring people," Dion remarked opening a wine bottle he most likely conjured.

"I do not," Lucifugus denied. Dion gave him a look. "Says the guy humoring his family by putting up with the hostility and ostracization," Dion remarked. Lucifugus sulked in response while taking off his chains and coat. Purposely taking care not to rattle them too loudly.

"Will you be able to go back? Don't you have an appointment tomorrow to refill the wolfsbane that is supposed to weaken you..?"

At the thought a shadow fell on Lucifugus's face.

"Will you have the strength to be able to make the trip or should we ask Carmíllia to assist...?" Dion persisted as he swayed the champagne glass.

Lucifugus looked conflicted "it doesn't have to be tomorrow...."

'But I could probably go if I use my Bandersnatch abilities. It's not as though the wolfsbane actually affects Bandersnatch. The only problem is there's a time limit for how long I can move in that state.'

'The wolfsbane weakened my wolf side so it's not like I can ask it to help control Bandersnatch. I'll just have to hope I don't get careless '.

'Or get excited.' he added bitterly.

"Carmíllia can take me when I do go, she's nice to talk to for a vampire," he decided finally.

"Well good to know after all my time knowing you I'm only 'nice for a vampire,'" said a woman's voice behind him.

I'll remember that the next time I fix you up after a fight," the woman, presumably Carmíllia remarked.

Carmíllia wore a white lab coat over her outfit; the coat has four bat wing shaped buttons, two of which were keeping it closed. In her hands a large black doctor's bag. Contrasting her scientist/doctor look was her pale skin and curled light bubblegum pink hair with black undersides and streaks framing her face.

Her eyes are a deep purplish burgundy and appeared to stare right through Lucifugus who flinched. On her ears are pink earrings that looked like the outlines of dripping hearts, but Lucifugus knee they were actually weapons.

Beside her was a black stag with large gold antlers, and she didn't seem bothered.

"Ah, so you are also here, Carmíllia, and Lord Cernunnos" Lucifugus acknowledged.

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Wellesley Guillotine made it to the arcade. He say his bike out front and Where he wanted to be to begin with.

The place was vibrant with neon signs, games and various prizes.

He frequently went there for the specific race car game, RacerrrZ Wheels .

"You won't believe it! Wellesley your nameless opponent was just here twenty minutes ago!" A fellow Arcade regular, a orange haired girl with blue glasses featuring pixelated designs exclaimed. He knew she was a regular but he never really approached her or knew what her name was.

"He- they were?!" Wellesley asked. He felt a twinge of disappointment that he missed them.

"He set a new high score on RacerrrZ Wheels and I think he-" she continued.

"What did he look like? Do you think I can challenge him to an official two player race on the game?" Wellesley questioned unintentionally speaking over her.

"Maybe tomorrow?" She asked curiously. "I doubt he'll be returning again today,"

Not even five minutes in the Arcade he was interrupted by an ominous chill. Like when Luciana or even some of the school bullies got angry.

A girl walked in wearing a long black coat with a purple inside that flares and respectively has flare sleeves, and a wide white lacy fanlike collar with a red rose pattern. Under it she donned white blouse with a short pleated skirt. The skirt is black with a metallic hot pink heart and skull pattern. She also wears white gloves, black floral-patterned thigh high stockings, and low-heeled shoes.

She was beautiful in a eerie way with her red eyes pointed ears and apparent werewolf guards at either of her sides.

She was also most likely some type of vampire. Like the ones that were sometimes mentioned to be 'misbehaving' on the news. Though he wasn't 100% sure what that meant.

"You may refer to me as Bebe Marguerite," Bebe said with sweet smile and a curtsey. Beside her stood what he assumed were two werewolves. Though she could have just been wolves who figured it was cool to stand on their hind legs and wear ripped jackets with equally ripped jeans.

"We have orders to claim this area and it's occupants for field testing. Your noble sacrifice for our research is genuinely appreciated." She said sincerely. Her sweet smile turned cruel. Fittingly the temperature in the room began to drop.

Wellesley could hear the murmurs about some vampires who could control ice.

In her hands was a fan that matched the collar of her coat. Alarm bells went off at the sight of it.

Wellesley's head spun as he adjusted his glasses. The arcade was under attack.Maybe he should have stayed to help Prim and Luciana longer. He looked longingly at the exit.

"Kids! Don't blindly charge in!" The arcade manager pleaded earning Wellesley's attention. The man's cap had fallen off presumably when he bent down to get... Something from under the counter. It could have been the bullets he required for the gun he was trying to subtly hold.

He was referring to three teens, all with blonde hair and green and white letterman jackets of some other school. Wellesley also immediately noticed the baseball bats and scrambled as far away from range as he could go, ending up very close to the counter.

The girl- vampire opened her fan and from it pulled three metallic spikes.

"Humans are so stupid!" She complained and threw the spikes. They hit her assumed desired mark, dead in the chest and Wellesley felt jealous since if he threw them he'd hit everything but his target.

"You may eat and convert them as you see fit. If some die it's not a problem. If they all die.... Well. There's always the movie theater," she hummed casually as the three teens fell to the ground. Pools of blood spilling out.