Saku checked the address for his reunion with his siblings, and made his way down the street of New York. He was somewhat grateful for the fact that the YIRAAS had recently installed an amp in Cleveland near the schools, and also another one in Tulsa. Certainly it made a lot fo sense with the number of alien and allied populations living in those places.
After getting lost at least once, Saku arrived at the restaurant and informed the concierge that he was there for the Nyx party. At which point, the concierge seemed to get awfully excited and escorted him to a private room. Saku was mildly impressed and started wondering just what exactly Victory had been up to.
There was no one else there when he entered, to he made himself at home at the table and waited for his siblings to arrive.
Serafina
Serafina was just about to walk through the doors when she was spotted by Faolan and Kanika.
"Sera!" Kanika exclaimed, racing up to embrace her sister.
Serafina turned around and grinned, hugging Kanika and then Faolan, before the trio went inside and announced their arrival to the concierge.
"Right this way please!" he said, indicating for them to follow him.
The trio looked at each other and shrugged, then followed through.
Saku
Saku looked up as the door opened and his face lit up.
"Sera! Kanika! Fao!" he exclaimed, and leapt out of his chair to hug them. "It's been forever! Where did you disappear to?"
"Where did we disappear to?" Kanika repeated. "Where'd did you disappear to? Fao and I have been in New York, going to school at Xavier's. Nothing changed about that."
"I've been in Tulsa with Dad," Saku replied. "Although back in Sept I started going to the Watcher Academy in Cleveland. Magic class is awesome."
Serafina
"I've been here there and everywhere!" Serafina put in. "Mostly in LA at the moment, because Airlia's gone missing."
She frowned.
"But I can't believe we're all finally together! Sorta... where's Viccy?"
Saku
"Missing?" Saku began to ask, but was cut off by the door opening a third time.
In walked a woman who appeared to be in her late teens, early twenties with bright green eyes and brownish hair. There was an air around her, and she wore modern, sexy, dark clothing.
"Viccy?" Kanika exclaimed.
"Hey kids," Victory replied, flicking a curl of her hair out of her face. "Glad you all could make it!"
"You're so much older!"
"Yeah, well, I saw no reason to stay little," Victory dismissed. "Unlike the rest of you, it seems..."
Serafina
"I'm thinking of skipping over a few years," Serafina said, giving her sister a hug. "Might help my strength."
Kanika nodded. "Yeah, I just wanted to experience all aspects of this life business."
Fao grinned. "If I went older, I'd be as old as my Dad."
Saku
"Yeah, same," Saku agreed, grinning at Fao.
"Plus," Kanika added, "you can get away with more things when you're little and people still think you're cute."
Her eyes twinkled with mischief.
"Good point," Victory mused, sitting down at the table with a practiced elegance, and picking up a menu to browse through it casually. "Order whatever you want. I'm picking up the bill."
Saku sat down as well and eyed her curiously.
"So, Viccy, just what have you been doing?"
"Oh, you know the usual. Travelling the word with Sabretooth. Standing up for mutants. Dealing swiftly and decisively with those who disagree."
Serafina
Serafina sat down next to Kanika and the two girls shared a long look.
"Why has it been so long between contact?" Fao piped up. "I mean, we're in the same country a lot of the time, so I don't see why we can't at least send a letter or have a phone conversation once every so often."
Saku
"This is a good question," Saku nodded. "And I think it's because... okay I have no idea."
There was a knock on the door and a waitor arrived to take their orders.
Serafina
The kittens placed their orders and waited for the waiter to leave before continuing their conversations.
"So," Serafina started, taking a sip of her water. "Besides a happy family reunion, is there a reason we've all been called together? Vic?"
Saku
"Nah," Victory replied. "I just wanted to see you guys all again. It's been ages and I've been travelling a lot so..."
She looked over them all for a moment.
"Of course, I didn't except that you guys would have lost contact with each other. You've hardly moved from where you left."
"It does make us all look a bit silly, huh?" Saku mused.
Serafina
"We've had a lot going on," Serafina pointed out. "I've been travelling with friends and family... well, up until I got called back home, anyway."
Kanika looked sheepish. "I think we always just assumed we could get in contact whenever... I mean, it's only really been... 2 years."
Fao made a face. "It really didn't seem that long until you just pointed it out."
Saku
"It's not like we've changed much," Saku joked. "No rapid growth spurts or new talents or milestones or interesting life events or anything like that, eh?"
"That's right," Kanika giggled. "We've just been hanging out at home, getting schooled, playing pranks on people. It's all good."
"Ooh whatcha do?" Saku asked.
"Well, most recently I put an invisible lid on all the toilets in the mansion."
"That would have been messy."
"It was!"
Serafina
"It smelt so bad," Fao said, wrinkling his nose in memory. "And after, the Professor sent around a memo about it."
Kanika grinned proudly.
"Ugh, suddenly glad I'm not living at the mansion," Serafina said.
Saku
"Same," Saku agreed, but he was grinning.
Victory just looked at Kanika like she couldn't believe that she would be that childish.
The waiters soon arrived with their meals.
Serafina
Kanika shrugged slightly. "You have to do something there on your off time."
Fao nodded his agreement. "It does get a little boring when there's no one to torment."
Serafina looked up as the waiter set her meal down in front of her.
"Thanks."
Saku
Saku speared his chicken with his fork.
"So, does anyone know what's happened to our cousins? Viccy?" Kanika asked.
"Oh, I can answer that one," Saku cut in. "Orion lived with me for awhile, and then he and I decided to join Percy and Draco at the Watcher Academy. Cassie's at the slayer school."
Serafina
Serafina ate some of her chicken, thinking over the previous statements.
"They stayed in contact," Faolan pointed out. "Somehow, I think it's easier when you all have the same parents."
Saku
"Yeah, we all got separated pretty young," Saku said. "And our Dads are all over the place, so yeah. Not like we lived near each other."
"Okay, so what have we all been up to?" Kanika asked. "I've been at Mutant high, of course. Terrorising everyone with practical jokes. Because I can. And it's fun."
Serafina
"I've been going to Mutant High, but I'll be moving soon to Wales for a year," Faolan said, frowning. "It'll be interesting though."
"I've been in LA, with Wolfram and Hart, then Tru, Airlia and I went to an alternate universe because the Senior Partners had plans to kill us. Then the three of us did some travelling, then I went to Cleveland to hang with Saku and now... yeah, back in LA mostly," Serafina put in, tactfully keeping Luke out of the equation.
Saku
"Okay," said Kankia, giggling. "That's why were never knew where you were. You've been all over the place."
"And I've just been living with Dad. Touring when he toured, until this tour," Saku grinned. " 'Cause now, yeah, like I said, going to the Watcher Academy for the magic classes mostly. Learnt some new tricks. Oh, and somehow protection magic has crept in my repotoire."
"Really? That's cool," Kankia said. "What about you Viccy?"
Victory shrugged.
"Been working for the Brotherhood of Mutants with Sabretooth," she replied. "We travel a lot."
"Which would explain the indistinct accent," Saku noted. "What do you do for the Brotherhood? Or don't I want to know?"
He meant it in jest but the look Victory flicked him suddenly made him fell like he really didn't want to know.
"This and that. I've discovered a hidden talent for inflitration and assassination."
"Assassination? So you've killed people?"
"They were in my way."
Serafina
At this point, Kanika realised this was probably a defining moment in her relationship with Victory. Deep down they would probably always love each other because they were family, but they would never see eye to eye on this issue.
Serafina was torn on this statement, because she had killed an innocent once before when she was much younger (looks wise). She felt as though she'd aged about a thousand years after it though with the guilt and the remorse.
"Well," she said, brightly. "I guess this does raise tha issue again, Saku, that maybe Nyx picked our fathers accordingly."
Saku
"This is true," Saku nodded, a little unnerved.
"What's this?" Kanika asked.
"We have a theory that Ma chose our fathers deliberately, and wasn't just going on a heat-induced sleeping around spree."
Serafina
"That actually makes sense," Faolan said thoughtfully.
"It seems strange that she'd pick a vast array of partners so far from each other unless there was a reason," Serafina pointed out.
Saku
"Exactly. It it was all hormones, you'd think she would just launch after every guy in the immediate area," Saku nodded. "Not buzz around here there and everywhere. And note, Uncle Sabre and Auntie Priss had the same partner - they didn't sleep around, well, as far as we know anyway."
Serafina
"And Ma had taken Bastet's place, remember," Serafina reminded them. "So, obviously, she wanted her heir or heiress to, you know... be one of us, and powerful."
Kanika pondered this for a moment.
Saku
"Well, that's why Ma went into heat, isn't it?" Saku said. "Because Bastet knew there was danger so she enabled her children to have children."
"Yeah, so us gals might want to think about birth control," Victory added smoothly.
Serafina
Kanika rolled her eyes slightly. "Ugh, not looking forward to the whole heat thing."
"I don't know," Serafina smiled. "It could be fun. Only, yeah, birth control."
Saku
"Oh, it is fun," Victory said smugly. "Very fun."
"You haven't been through heat already, have you?" Saku asked.
"As a matter of fact, I have."
"Cassie went through it too," Saku said then turned to Faolan. "They smell all so very nice. Stay away from them."
Serafina
Faolan made a face. "Kanny, we are so not hanging out when that happens."
Serafina grinned. "Did anyone else feel something weird that day? When Cassie went into heat, I got a strange bloodlust."
Saku
"I don't know... when did it happen?" Victory asked.
"Umm," Saku frowned. "Earlier this month. The fifth? I think? Sounds about right."
Serafina
Kanika thought for a moment.
"I remember thinking everyone smelt really good, but nothing happened from it."
Fao shrugged. "I was mostly in cat form that day."
Serafina made a face. "I wanted to hunt."
Saku
"I may have felt something," Victory said non-commitally before continuing: "Perhaps because we're related, or maybe just because we're all godling cats, we're can sense these things about each other?"
"Maybe it'll be stronger between you three because you share the same mother?" Saku suggested.
Serafina
"She was your mother too," Serafina pointed out. "But you're not a girl, so maybe it affects you and Fao differently."
She shrugged.
Saku
"Well, yes I know that," Saku replied. "It was the girl thing I was thinking of. Toms don't go into heat."
"No, you just mark your territory," Victory pointed out with a hint of a smile.
"I'll have you know I don't go around pissing in public."
"But, in private?"
"Hey, everyone has to piss."
Serafina
"Well... Uncle Sabre went into a Heat of sorts," Serafina said. "At least that's what I've heard."
Fao nodded. "I also heard that."
Saku
"That's true," Saku frowned. "I'd forgotten that."
"Ahh, so perhaps the boys will get to know how it feel first hand after all," Victory smirked.
Serafina
"I might acelerate, so that I can get that over and done with," Serafina said thoughtfully. "Or at least be able to stop aging sooner."
Kanika nodded. "Hmm. I think I'll wait for a bit longer."
Saku
"Wouldn't it be possible to go into heat again?" Saku asked. "I mean, ordinary Queens go into heat multiple times a year, don't they?"
"We're hardly ordinary," Victory pointed out.
"I know that. What I mean is that you - perhaps we - would go through heat more than once," Saku said. "Just our long life might stretch it out a bit."
Serafina
Serafina thought about that for a moment.
"Well, by that reasoning, shouldn't we have more half siblings from Ma going on heat before?"
Saku
"Well maybe it'll be once every five years or ten years or once a century," Saku suggested. "I have no idea. I'm theorising. I'm just saying that I find it difficult to believe that we'd only ever go through heat once in our lifetimes."
"I suppose that depends on how Bastet changed things," Victory said. "And we can't exactly ask her."
"Maybe Ma knows," Kanika suggested. "Not that we have any way of asking her, unless Uncle Sabre and Auntie Priss find her."
Serafina
"Personally," Serafina started. "I think she's gone. For good. Because we'd just know if she was alive. We'd just know. Don't you think?"
Faolan nodded. "I agree, I think we'd feel it somehow."
Saku
"You're probably right," Saku said solomnly.
"I don't know," said Kanika. "I mean, what if she's trapped somewhere that blocks off our connection to her?"
Serafina
"I'm not even talking about like a magical connection, but just... you know, a normal mother/daughter or mother/son connection," Serafina said. "I just think, we'd just know it. Deep down."
Victory shrugged. "Either way, she's proven to be not much help to us."
Saku
"She did just dump us with our Dads and then went off to do battle with... whatever she did battle with," Saku nodded.
"I wonder what we would be doing if she kept us all with her?" Kanika mused.
Serafina
"Probably more intense schooling with the Egyptian side," Faolan suggested.
Serafina shrugged. "I mean yeah, we did learn a lot of Ancient Egyptian in that short period."
Saku
"This is true. I mean, I don't know about you, but after not having to speak Ancient Egyptian in awhile, I think I may be getting rusty," Saku nodded with a grin.
Kanika cleaned off her plate.
Serafina
"I practice with my tutors," Serafina said, reaching for her glass of water. "I didn't want to completely American-ize."
Faolan grinned. "Yeah, I'm a bit rusty too."
Saku
"It's a good language to curse in," Victory commented. "Oh, and it's marvellous for confusing people."
"Ooooh," Kankia said, her eyes lighting up. "I didn't think of that."
Saku chuckled.
"Already thinking of more jokes to play on people?"
"Hell yes."
Serafina
"And we may need it at some point," Serafina said, shrugging. "It's probably a good way to communicate in code with Uncle Sabre and Aunt Priss."
Kanika looked thoughtful.
Saku
"This is true," Saku agreed.
"If we knew where they were," Victory pointed out. "They could be anywhere right now."
"Yeha, but we're bound to see them again sometime... right? I mean, we are godlings. We're all going to be around for a very, very long time."
Serafina
"I'm sure there were long periods of time when Mum, Uncle Sabre and Aunt Priss didn't see each other," Serafina put in.
"Hmmm, probably," Kanika agreed.
Saku
A waiter arrived then to pick up their used plates and cutlery and the conversation waned until he had left.
"This was a great idea, Viccy," Saku complimented.
"Of course it was," Victory grinned at him. "It was my idea."
Serafina
Serafina resisted the urge to roll her eyes and she could tell Kanika was too.
She wasn't too keen on the new Victory.
Saku
The door opened again: the waiter had returned with a cake, which he placed on the centre of the table. Ensribed on the chocolate mud cake were the words "Nyx's Pride".
"Is that supposed to be a bad pun?" Saku asked Victory suspisciously.
Victory gave him a blank look.
Serafina
"How lovely," Serafina said, trying to be cheerful. The more she thought about this, the more she just wanted to leave.
"Yes," Kanika echoed. "Lovely."
Victory
"Why, thank you," Victory replied.
She stood up and walked over to the cake to cut it as the waiter left.
"I thought that there should be cake to celebrate our reunion," Victory said. "May we never be separated this long again."
Serafina
"Yes," Serafina agreed, discreetly checking the time. She really had to go back and help look for Airlia. "Look, I'm sorry to be rude, but I kinda have a family crisis happening at the moment."
"Oh that's right," Kanika murmured thoughtfully.
Saku
"Did you want a hand?" Saku asked, instantly all concern.
Victory cut up slices of cake and put a rather large dollup of cream onto the piece she claimed for herself.
Serafina
"I shall call on you if I need you," Serafina said, shrugging. "But right now, we can't even find her. And Da's got everyone working on it."
She paused.
"I think Faith's about to have a nervous breakdown though."
Kanika frowned. "I always liked her. She was good for my Dad."
Faolan ate some cake.
Saku
"Yeah, I like Faith too," Saku nodded.
He ate some of his own cake.
"Gets around, doesn't she?" Victory mused.
Serafina
"With two partners?" Serafina asked, raising an eyebrow. "She's not with my Da, they've been friends for years."
Kanika nodded. "Yeah, my Dad was worried about that at first."
Faolan swallowed his mouthful. "So who is Airlia's father?"
"She was implanted," Serafina replied. "But at the time, Faith was with Zac, so she's kind of his daughter just because that's who she met at the time."
Saku
"Hmm?" Victory mused absently, remembering her own father's interaction with Faith.
Probably best she didn't mention it.
"Airlia's cool," Saku said. "Also, we pranked Dad into thinking we were dating. Ended up with him apologising to me for having such a dirty mind. All so funny. Seriously, if you want a hand looking, just ask. How's Tru taking it, do you know?"
Serafina
Serafina shrugged. "Not sure. But I'm guessing not well."
Kanika looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean?"
"She hasn't left her room in days."
Saku
"Ow," Saku said. "Poor Tru. Maybe I should try to cheer her up. Or has that already been tried to no avail?"
"Probaly," Kanika said.
Serafina
"I doubt it'd help, but thanks."
Serafina shrugged.
"Anyway, I have to go. Da doesn't want me away too long since it happened."
Saku
"Okay," Saku said.
He stood up to give her a hug.
"Group hug!" Kanika yelled and bounced out of her seat to wrap her arms around Serafina.
Serafina
Serafina hugged her siblings, keeping her hug with Victory very short, and then she disappeared out the door.
Ending as written by Michelle
The rest of the kittens finished their cake and departed themselves not long after Serafina did. All and all it was considered a success.