"What's better than a devil you don't know?"

Jasper was here too, but Tony was focused on Paultin. "I thought it was just Jazz tonight," he said, still holding Kyle's hand.

Paultin looked between the two before he looked to his brother. The Vistani shrugged, a playful smile on his lips.

"What? You not happy to see me uncle Tony?" He asked, though his attention went back to the cameras for a moment.

"Who's your friend?"

Kyle frowned, a scoff leaving his lips.

"Very funny, Nate. I didn't know you two were related though that.....that uh, wait. How are you related?"

"I mean, he did raise me," he pointed out. "I get it though, about not wanting to have to explain everything it just uh....isn't exactly a good feeling," he muttered.

Kyle was still frowning as he thought over what had been said.

"Wait.... They don't know either?" He questioned, realizing with Jasper's question that his nephews were once again someone in the family that knew nothing about him being his soulmate.

He squared his jaw, knowing better than to bring it up in front of the boys. It wasn't their fault, but he was getting really tired of feeling like some dirty secret.

"It's good to meet you. Both of you..... But I think perhaps maybe another time would be better. I think your uncle and I need to talk."

Tony stood straighter, drawing a deep breath, then pushed open the heavy wooden doors to meeting hall and stepping in, heavy cloak trailing behind him.

He gave a nod to the other nobles he knew, and to his sister's husband, then looked to the family he was here to meet with. Normally, Antonio was a cheery fellow, with a warm smile and welcoming aura, but right now he kept a stony face, wanting to get a better read of the situation and keep things as professional as he could.

Declan was a rather valliant young man. Happy, mostly. Though being here, traveling all this way to be entertained by a family that supposedly hated them.... He couldn't say he was thrilled.

Though when the young king that had recently taken his father's throne approached, he offered him a smile. He was more than happy to clear the air. His father though, want convinced.

Declan cleared his throat, his attention moving back to Antonio.

"I was sorry for you, to hear about your father's loss. I know how difficult it must be for you to step into his shoes. Much like I'll have to one day. I commend you for wishing to make amends where he failed to. I know we are both interested in hearing your proposal."

"Been awhile, I thought maybe you deserved a proper greeting." He'd been busy for awhile now, doing Envy's bidding. There was a lot in recent years that had taken him away. He didn't think he could ever really explain it all. At least not to her.

"You don't seem very happy to see me though. Thought you'd at least have missed me a little," he teased, slipping off the counter to move behind her at the sink.

She glanced over her shoulder at him sitting on her kitchen island, smoking inside her house. Figures.

"You mean you're not going to tell me 'fuck you'?" Nestor questioned with dry mock-disbelief before resuming pruning the wilted roses. She began checking for seeds underneath the petals.

"I feel like if I was happy to see you, you'd run for the hills." She fidgeted slightly, glancing over her shoulder at him now lurking behind her. "...But I guess considering all things, this would be a proper greeting from you." She gestured to the wilted flowers and corrupted souls in a jar. Even if he was just messing with her, like he used to, it was still a gesture she was going to acknowledge.

"Of course I did. If I didn't miss you, Nes, I wouldn't be here...and I mean, you could certainly fuck me if you wanted to, but I didn't think you were so forward, miss prim and proper," he teased, his grin turning wicked. He'd always known just how to get under Nestor's skin without even trying.

Taking one last drag, the demon flicked his cigarette into the sink, laughter lingering on his lips. This was just too much fun. He really should visit Nes more often.

He still wasn't sure he'd made the right choice. It had been months ago, and he was still fighting the lingering doubts that echoed in his mind, calling him a coward.

If he'd been stronger.....

But what else had there been for him to do? He'd harness every power he knew how. Hell.... He wielded the raw, unfiltered power of the sun, and still, the great cataclysm had still taken place.

He'd been lost in his thoughts, examining the fruit at the farmers market, though he'd yet to actually choose any. More caught up with what was in his head than what he was actually doing. Taking a step back, his arm brushed someone else's. He looked up to apologize, and mix matched eyes that looked eerily like color contacts, landed on a blonde, just as he felt that same familiar spark ignite beneath his skin.

Demon.

Had Adolla followed him? Or did demons merely exist in this plane? His smile was practiced. Polite, as he bowed, his dark hair falling in his face only briefly. In broken English, he breathed.

"My apology."

— Benimaru at Tony

Tony could tell the other wasn't fully human, but really that wasn't important to him. He was here for snacks. Well, part of snacks. Fresh fruit for making perserves and jams. Maybe some pastries.

"Hey, hey, you don't…I wasn't watching where I was going. You don't…"

He sighed, taking a moment to switch languages. The other was clearly uncomfortable and seemed out of place here. So Took his best guess based on the other appearance and accent, deciding in Japanese.

"It's my fault, I should have been watching where I was going."

"I have some power of my own," he assured, his mix matched eyes beginning to glow a deep red as the sky above them suddenly went dark.

"No.... No no it can't have followed me," he muttered, accent extremely thick to his words.

"Adolla...."

Kyle hummed against his soulmate's lips, pulling him closer as a few sparks ignited at his warm skin. His teeth grazed Tony's bottom lip as he pulled back, his gaze crimson as he looked him over.

"I love you. Thank you..mm for that. I dunno what I did to deserve it, but it's appreciated."

"I'll figure it out in time I think. Right now, I'm just happy to be here with you when you get home at the end of a long day, you know?" He questioned.

"I could always help you with your work, if there's something I could do."

He also hadn't slept.

He'd been so lost inside his own head. Ragnarok whispering to him probably didn't help. The breakfast that had been brought in for him earlier remained untouched. He had been hungry, but he wondered if this was a test, just like lady Medusa had done. He was rarely given food. When he was, he learned a long time ago not to eat it. Instead, she forced him to eat human souls.

The little witch, was after all, meant to be a kishin. The more souls he ate, the stronger he and Ragnarok became.

As Mare looked at the plate, the meister wondered if he'd done the wrong thing. He was frowning.

"I didn't think I was meant to eat it. I thought.....I thought you'd get mad. I...." Was it that he wanted souls? He wasn't so sure. He felt guilty eating them, but he was fairly sure they'd become an addiction.

Mare looked from the plate to his new son, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Crona…I don't…sweetheart, you never have to worry about me being mad. But you do need to eat."

He was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Why don't you and me go out for brunch," he offered, brushing a bit of Crona's pink hair back, hesitant and extremely gentle. "Whatever you want, mia Rosa."

Mare could feel how tired the boy was, as well as the fear radiating from him. While he could help Crona sleep, he didn't want to force him, especially this early in the day.

"Oh....uh....whatever you like best is fine with me. I don't really know what I would like better. It doesn't matter," he promised, finally moving from where he'd been curled up the last twenty-four hours, his knees and elbows popping as he stretched, realizing just how stiff he was from sitting in the same spot for so long. It was a feeling he was all too familiar with.

Moving to the closet, he picked out some of the clothes Mare had bought for him, though he honestly wasn't as comfortable in the pants. He'd always been in robes. Maybe he could ask him about that, but for now, he would be happy in anything that was given to him. He was just happy to have clothes.

He could feel the power radiating from both the creatures, one of them feeling purely evil.

A low, deep growl emitted from his chest as he took off, bounding out into the clearing to cut the creature off at the pass. Maybe the one that felt divine could take those precious seconds to catch up to it.

"Yes. Yes it's acceptable," he muttered, placing the wineskin back in place.

"One of the souls though, can't talk to you. He can't answer your questions unless you ask yes or no answers. My son is..... Different. He's in a unique predicament." Smooth Paultin. That was sure as hell one way to put it.

"Simon isn't in his own body. Not yet anyway. He's inside a wooden construct that can't speak. He can let us know yes and no responses, and sometimes he can get his point across, but I don't know if that changes what you have to do for him or not, so I'd rather you know," he explained, sure he probably sounded crazy.

Taking a few steps closer to the witch, he glanced in the direction of camp.

"How long is it going to take? And what do you want in return? Like I said, I know nothing is free. Before I take you to the others, I need to know what I'm bargaining with. As long as they're safe, and we can get home, then you and I can figure something out. Like I said when I called you, my soul isn't on the table. It can't be, but..... I have a lot of power of my own. Inherent magic. Maybe I can do something in return for you? Or I can curse someone for you or something. I'm actually pretty good at that. You know.....if you have any enemies or whatever."

His acceptance made her smile mutely, listening as he informed her of how one of those souls could not answer her beyond yes or no inquiries. His son. She looking him up and down a moment, contemplating the fact he possessed a child. She propped her chin betwixt her fingers, resting it there as she took in the information. Not his own body, a wooden construct. That could be... trickier. Was it impossible? No. Not with a witch to aid him, at least, but it certainly was a setback.

"I'll have to investigate your son's state further. Lucky for you, souls and energy are what I specialize in. I'll likely be able to communicate with him in ways you cannot. Safely, might I add." She added for reassurance, lifting her hands in the universal sign she had no ill will to do harm. But even if it was deemed better to remain with the yes and no manner of engagement, she should still be able to deduce what was needed.

As he approached and glanced into the direction of his camp, her own gaze flickered that way. Oh? Divulging precious information so easily? This man was not very good at this. But she felt no need to be cruel at this time, so she remained pleasant.

"I'm not certain how long it will take. It depends on my evaluation of the souls involved." She admitted, choosing to be transparent in return.

His refusal to give his soul over warranted a light laugh from her. She was no demon, she didn't require deals - if she wanted his soul, she would have immediately turned hostile to get it. "Lovely, I'm a witch. We excel at cursing others." Mortem teased, a playful lilt to her voice.

"Okay, transparency, cooperation, and protection," he agreed, a quiet sigh leaving him. Even if he didn't agree to her terms, what choice did they have? They'd escaped before and they'd just been brought right back.

Reaching up, he rubbed his eyes. They burned from lack of sleep. It had been days since he'd really rested properly. He'd been too focused on staying a few steps ahead of Strahd. He refused to be pulled back to Castle Ravenloft. Refused to be wed to the dark powers. It wasn't fucking happening. Turning, he stomped out the small fire he'd had burning.

Glancing to her once more, he bit his lip, motioning for her to follow. Should he wait until morning? Probably. However, he was sure Evelyn would be up soon. She was always up first to do her rituals, her prayers to Lathander and the meditation that came with that sacred time. She'd notice him gone if he didn't go back now, and she'd have them all up anyway forming a fucking search party.

"It might take a little bit to get everyone on the same page, but I can promise you will eventually have our full cooperation and honesty. I won't leave them a choice."

The bard didn't want to use magic on his friends, but he would if he needed to.

As they approached the small encampment, he found he was right. Evelyn was already up, freshly dressed in her white robes, her armor perfectly in place, shining in the dying embers of the fire. Her short blonde curls were beautifully arranged around her head, bouncing as blue eyes flecked with gold caught sight of the Vistani.

"Paultin!" She beamed, her voice dripping with a southern accent sweet and thick as honey. Though as she realized she was maybe just a little too loud as the others were sleeping, she lowered it.

"I was just about to come check on you and Simon." Those same angelic hues moved to the witch at his side, her gaze widening for a moment. Suddenly, she came up off the ground by just a couple feet, little wings on her golden boots flapping as she made her way closer to them, hovering without actually taking a step.

"Oh! Who's your new friend? You always seem to make friends everywhere we go," she breathed, a hint of jealousy catching in her tone, but she was quick to smother it.

"It's real nice to meet you. My name is Evelyn Avalona Helvig Marthain. Humble servant and paladin of the Morning Lord. You are?"