[ACotC] Slaughter Your Religion (Jenn)

[Kitty Love]

Jukaestus was definitely in a hurry as he made his way across the eerily misty churchyard. He'd been out far longer then he'd anticipated and he simply reeked of Euclides. He took long strides, stretching out his body as he raced across the grass, jingling a tune all the while. His beautiful blue coat began to gather water, and even mud as he ran, and splashing through the water he'd followed Dayobi through certainly didn't help matters either.

He slowed down as the church, a glorious beacon in the yard, came into his sights. Normally he was glad to see it's comforting shape after he'd spent the night out, but today things were different and just the sight of his home left a lump in the pit of his stomach. He made his way toward the gates as stealthily as he could, keeping low and silencing his bells. However, as he got closer it seemed that no one had begun to stir quite yet and he gained a bit of courage. Perhaps he would get away with this rather large transgression after all?

He crept inside, still being very cautious, and peered around, no one. He began toward his quarters, leaving a bit of mud and droplets of water in his wake. As he got closer his ears slowly rose.... had he made it?

[Jenn]

Kaerjius had been awake for perhaps an hour, restless in his sleep with several worries pressing in on his mind. The recent activity of the one known as the 'Red Dragon' was unsettling and had his mate on the alert, just as uneasy as he but better able to sleep with her turmoil. Dawn hadn't quite begun to lighten the sky, meaning that it was far too early to be as awake as he felt. Perhaps a quick patrol of the premises would help to ease his mind enough that he could catch another hour or two of rest before having to rise and face the day.

He slipped out of their shared room and padded down the hall, descending the stairs as quietly as he could so as not to wake any light sleepers amongst his flock. Many of them lived in this part of the building on the second floor where the rooms were smaller and more private, better suited for personal sleeping quarters. He didn't want to pass on his wakefulness to any of them inadvertently.

Passing by his daughter's room, he couldn't help a quick peek through the door. She always liked to leave it open the slightest crack, saying that the light kept burning in the hall reassured her. A quick poke of his nose and he could see her curled form resting amidst several pillows and a blanket. So big now... the little girl he remembered riding on the backs of merri-go-round horses was almost gone, disappearing beneath the front of a strong, beautiful young woman. How quickly time flew.

Checking in on her siblings would have been nice, but Timotejus and Jukaestus both preferred to sleep with their doors firmly shut, as did he. The night was peaceful enough, besides his own troubled mind, that he didn't fret over it. Instead, he continued down the stairs, padding softly until he heard a sudden sound that made him freeze.

A soft... squelching noise. As if someone with wet paws were walking inside the building. The hairs on the back of his neck rose and his hackles bristled slightly. It could just be one of the night watchmen coming in for a spell but they were being too quiet. Only the wet and the steps really gave them away. Slowly, head lowering and eyes narrowing, he stalked the rest of the way down the stairs and waited for whoever it was to round the corner. When they did, he straightened suddenly and stared. Confusion. "Jukaestus. What... are you doing?"

[Kitty Love]

Just one last corner and he'd be truly in the clear, however when he'd rounded that corner he almost came nose to nose with the one soul he hadn't wanted to meet up with right now. His ears went promptly back against his skull and his own hackles rose, but not for the same reason as his fathers. He was wet and muddy, two factors that covered up the smell of the demons somewhat... but also made it terribly clear that he hadn't been where he was supposed to be.

He was caught off guard for a moment and had to search before any words made it from his mind to mouth, none of which ended up being part of any known language. After this he backed away a bit and shook some sense into himself and looked back up at Kaerjius, only now noticing that they were pretty even on height now. However, his gaze was more intense then he'd meant it to be and his voice was slightly gruff.

I was out.

[Jenn]

The smell that rose to his canine senses was one of wet animal, of muddy earth, and... something else. Something that set him on edge without his even realizing it, mixed in with the rest but familiar enough that its presence made him feel jumpy and unnerved, worse than before. He had actually began to calm himself somewhat before he heard that sound, rounded a corner, and found his son walking, dripping and filthy, back to the room he should have been occupying for the entire night.

"I can see that," he returned, voice gone from confused to something a little harder. He didn't know what was going on, which he never liked, and something just seemed 'off' about Jukaestus right now. His ears had gone back, startled perhaps, but they had gone so far as to plaster themselves against his skull. Hackles rose, speech failed him, and he backed away. That stare and that voice... something was Wrong.

And still the smell sent off small warning bells in the back of his mind, though he hadn't yet placed it with any certainty.

He sat down in front of the stairs, body effectively blocking them, and looked at the young man evenly with stormy gray eyes. "Would you mind telling me where you were at such an unusual hour and with the weather so foul?"

[Kitty Love]

He had begun to make a move for the stairs, desiring his bed and his notes, but found the stairway effectively blocked which in turn caused that feline tail of his to swish in frustration, and the bells to give off a rather angry sort of tune at being moved so quickly. Well, he now had nowhere to go really, and he didn't want to go back outside... but staying here surely wouldn't end well.

But something happened in his mind, perhaps it was merely from being a teenager, perhaps from being his father's son, but he suddenly straightened up and adopted his normal, oh so very cool expression. He looked his father straight in the eyes, with visionaries that were of the same hue, his ears coming forward only slightly. He wouldn't lie, he hated it when he was lied to and he was a horrid liar anyhow, proven in his early youth.

I was out doing what I've done every night for months... I wait until everyone is asleep except the night guards, and even then I wait for the late night shift change and I steal out to enjoy the night, and get some alone time. Sometimes earlier if I should happen upon a sleeping guard.

He wasn't entirely sure -what- was coming over him, but he just had the urge to come clean, to not hide, but there was also a part of him that didn't wish to just roll over and accept whatever punishment his father would force upon him, probably some form of guard at his door knowing how over protective the older pope was. He was growing up and he wished to be treated as the adult he very nearly was.

Tonight I was delayed getting home at my usual time, I came across and unusual new friend.... I, however, would like to retire to my quarters so if you'd excuse me...

And with that he made another casual pass at the stairs, hoping for his father to just leave things at that and let him go to his bed, but also knowing that probably wouldn't happen so... .easily.

[Jenn]

That straightening and direct stare was either promising or insolent, and Kaerjius couldn't quite tell which. Perhaps both. Was he about to be lied to? Told the truth? Zi hadn't mentioned anything about their son being a liar or she would have stopped the behavior herself, but she also hadn't known about these late-night absences. So he believed, at any rate. So this was going behind both of their backs.

To say that the Pope was angry would have been an understatement, both at the cooly delivered words and the disrespect shown as his son attempted to pass him by. What was going on here? When had this begun? Jukaestus had never shows such a blatant disregard for a parent's authority before, much less the leader of his Church.

"You have not been excused, because I have yet to understand what you are doing," he replied, a hint of a growl in his voice that he forcefully tamped down. It wouldn't do to lose his head, no... how else would he be able to think about this? "Please do tell me if I am correct in my guesses, however. From what you just said, you have been leaving the protection and safety of the Church at night, late enough that everyone is sleeping and you are forced to sneak like a thief from your own home, disregarding the possibility of attack by demons or our rules of conduct in numerous instances. Then, before the morning truly begins, you creep back in the same way, more like a thief would have to than a proper member of this home, covered in muck and filth and who knows what else. You smell absolutely awful."

The canine took another loud sniff to emphasize his point, but now that his son had moved closer, something about the unnerving smell finally triggered some recognition and he froze, every muscle stiff. That smell... was the smell of a demon. At least one. The rain had washed away most of what the mud did not cover, but his sense of smell could at least detect one demon for certain. His mind went blank for a moment, trying to digest this piece of information, and came up with the only conclusion that could even remotely be possible. "Have you been hunting alone in the dead of night?" he asked in utter disbelief.

[Kitty Love]

At that hint of a growl he bristled again, he was wet, cold tired and hungry as well and he really didn't feel like standing here and recapping his night to someone whom he had developed a growing.... what was it, dislike maybe? He wasn't certain, but he did know that his father was one of the ones he liked dealing with, and hearing about the least... besides Eli of course. He knew these thoughts and feelings were against everything he'd been taught his whole life, but they were there, he couldn't get rid of them and they bugged him either way.

That feline tail of his began to dance, acting upon it's own will in a way and broadcasting his agitation. At his father's accusation of hunting the tempo at which it danced increased and he couldn't leash all the venom that dripped into his tone.

Is that all you care about, really? Hunting the demons, eradicating them? Such ignorance in it's self is quite..... unappealing... Kaerjius.

He'd never refered to either of his parents by name before, but he was beyond his limit of patience and such, beyond his limit of restraining all the hateful things he caged inside his mind.

[Jenn]

Kaerjius himself was tired, tense, and not at all mentally prepared to deal with an agitated, suspicious child. How could he think of his son as anything else at the moment? Perhaps he should have taken more of a hand in the boy's raising beyond responsibilities and expectations. Even in that, it seemed, something had gone wrong as the harshly spoken words hit him, his own tail beginning to stand on end with his mood. He stood back up and his fur ran in a shiver down his back, hackles still firmly raised.

What was Jukaestus saying? What nonsense was pouring out of the boy's mouth? Ignorance? Unappealing? Kaerjius?!

The use of his name, spat so disrespectfully from the mouth of his teenage son, nearly blinded him with sudden and unexpected anger to the words said before. How... dare he?! Hadn't they raised him with more respect than that? It was with a nearly physical effort that he restrained himself from doing something, anything to punish that sudden outburst... but only because the words before it were so significant.

"I care about a great deal of things," he growled, unable to stop the low rumble of sound. "I care about our Lord Amunuku. I care about your mother. I care about our Church and its members. I care about your sister, and your brother, and you - for all that I'm having serious thoughts at the moment. Am I hearing you wrong, or did you just question the fact that we hunt the base, sinful creations of our Lord's despised enemy?"

[Kitty Love]

The tension that loomed between the two Popes was thick, almost tangible really... and seemed to only grow. However, Jukaestus didn't waver in his conviction and, feeding off his father's heightened tension, allowed a growl to rise up from his throat and, as he started to list the things he cared about, he couldn't hold back a curl to his lip. Yes, he'd bared his fangs at his own father. This display was brief, however, because a sudden chuckle begged to be released, and was.

Amunuku, the church, My mother, yes, you care about those, in wavering degrees.... but your life revolves around Demons, and my sister. And you can't deny that!

He moved forward a bit more, body tensing up and, combined with the look in his own stormy visionaries, it could be taken in no other manner then aggression.

I've tried to involve you in my life, numerous times really over the years. How many times have I brought a piece of my research to share with you only to be told that you're doing important business, or, if I even get a sniff of your attention, should I have it ripped away by something to do with her.

There was more venom in that three letter word then there had been in his name, whether it reflected the size if his disgust, or was merely due to the fact that his blood was presently boiling, was unknown at present. But it made the fact clear.... he resented his sister's very... well.... existence.

You NEVER cared about me. And yes, I do disagree with your mission. And you know what? You're no better then the scum you claim to prosecute for transgressions only you remember!

He was no longer trying to keep his voice down in common courtesy to those that lived here.... he was furious.