Sous

Sous and Shadow stood inside of Clarence's lab. 

"I didn't know you had a lab?"

"Really, Shadow?" Clarence said nonchalantly. "What vampire doesn't have an alchemy lab?" While Sous began to laugh, Shadow smacked his lips and proceeded to walk over to a corner where he sat in a chair. He didn't care for alchemy; his thing was guns, guns, and more guns. 

"We made extra bullets." Sous ran to Shadow and handed him more of the bullets. "They don't have a name though. What should we call them, Clarence." 

Clarence was stirring a pot of liquid when he looked at Sous. He thought for a few moments and then simply said, "Sous' Bullets." 

Neither Shadow nor Sous was impressed with the name, still, Shadow took the bullets and placed them in his bullet pack, internally thinking to himself he would organize them later. Sous walked over back to Clarence. 

Both Shadow and Sous walked hand in hand swinging as they walked the path back to their village. Thanks to Clarence, Sous now had a mini alchemy practice set. She had already made a list of the potions she was going to make. Prior to them leaving Clarence and his clan, she mentioned wanting to create a healing elixir. Said it would be perfect for when Shadow got his ass kicked. He wanted to knock her one for saying that but he simply smacked his lips at her; after all, she was a child. 

"I'm very proud of you, Sous." He looked down at the little girl who was mixed with everything under the sun. 

The lanterns were on as they entered into the village and it was energetic with various people out on the streets. Sous loved this time of day when she got to see different species interacting with one another. It was like an everyday thing and they all seemed so content. Unlike in Red Woods, when living across the train tracks, different species interacted with one another but they interacted with one another as if they were afraid. Given everything that happened…it was understandable. 

"Oooo ooo," Shadow pointed. "Sous, look! My favorite bar has a special."

"I can't drink." 

"It's unicorn blood. You'll like it. It's a delicacy amongst vampires. Come on." Shadow took hold of Sous' hand and dragged her to the bar. It was a busy night; packed with families and singles sitting at the bar itself, or sitting at the table. 

Sous looked around, following Shadow to the bar where he pulled out a stool for her. He adjusted his weapons so he could be comfortable. 

"Ooooo, Apex Slayer is in the house tonight!" And the bar went wild, everyone cheering and clapping at Shadow. Sous looked at him and the many friends he had. They gathered around him, asking about what had happened when he went to visit Clarence, what happened when he had gone to meet with the Apex council.

Sous took the little cup of blood the bartender gave her. He smiled at her, a vampire himself. 

"You ever had unicorn blood?" He asked. 

She shook her head but didn't see the appeal; in fact, she felt kind of…sad. Here was Shadow interacting and being with all of his friends; whereas, all of her friends were dead. Except for two and she could barely see them. And after the argument she had with Kara, she didn't know if Kara would want to talk to her. 

She drank a little of the blood and pushed it back toward the bartender. She hopped off her stool, took her backpack, and alchemy kit, and told Shadow she was on her way home. When he offered to take her back, she declined. Shadow held up his hands offensively. He watched her leave, believing she was now able to take care of herself on a simple walk home. 

So much has happened since coming here. She saw her father be killed in front of her eyes while she hid. Her mother was still missing and as she looked at her father's bones she had in a bucket in her room, she began to ask more questions and be confused by things that made sense so much earlier. Seeing her father get torn apart, the blood splattering but his education was Hacate-was it not? 

Monica, Shadow, Clarence, they all had the same education and were practically superior to the wolves. Monica killed those wolves so effortlessly and so did Shadow except for that one wolf. 

Sous shook her head, she was starting to get a headache and she was tired. She took her items out of her backpack and set up her new alchemy kit on her desk in her room. As she walked to the restroom to clean herself for the evening, she began to wonder if there were any witches she could take her father's bones to. Whether it was a good time to talk to his spirit. Maybe even an oracle who could tell Sous where her mother was. It was as if Sous was coming so far in her journey yet still so behind. 

By the time Shadow made it back home, it was already night. He noticed Sous must of ran into the house to set up her new alchemy kit; at least that was probably what happened as Shadow took his shoes off and ran to the refrigerator. He grabbed his favorite mug from the cabinet and got out his favorite beer. 

"Oh, how I missed you." He whispered to his secret lover. His lips pressed softly on the can before he popped it opened and poured it in his mug. He took a gulp and with a smile on his face, made his way to the living room. 

Once he was settled in, he walked outside to check the mail. When he entered back inside, he saw one of the letters was for Sous from a person named Jacob.

"Hmm, Sous!" He yelled out to her. "You have a letter!" 

Sous ran out of her room, her little footsteps sounding off as she came down the hall. She jumped up and took the letter from Shadow's hands. She opened it. Her face, which was gleeful at seeing something for her, quickly turned into an expression Shadow was familiar with. 

She looked at him. "I need to go back to Red Woods." She ran to her room to pack her backpack. She placed her training wand, some healing portions, the Sous Bullets, and ran back to the living room. She placed her hand on the doorknob. Shadow quickly got off his chair and ran to stop Sous from leaving. 

"What are you doing?"

"I need to leave! My friend, Jacob, needs me. They're gonna get him." 

The two of them practically had a staring contest. It was too soon for Sous to go back to Red Woods to try and fight some battle with wolves. Shadow walked back to his chair while Sous walked back to him, looking at him. 

Shadow sighed and took his mug of beer and swallowed it all in one go. He just couldn't catch a break, could he?