Word Count :: 512 Sorry for the wait, Shaw. >.<

Finding evidence of her landlord’s nightlife activities was child’s play. The preferred rendezvous point, as she’d come to find out, was generally the fire pit. Just beyond the tree line, just a couple of acres away from her place of residence, lay the area where testosterone-fuelled self-indulgence would arise every so often. Knowing this, she would often scout out the area for any forgotten junk left lying about. The boys generally cleaned up after themselves, hence why she never really complained. A night’s partying supplied by Barrett’s own stash of drugs and alcohol inevitably hindered their good manners from time to time. But having to cleanse their reunion point of any garbage left behind was a million times better than going through the inconvenience of finding Barry mid-rut with one of his... females. That was just disturbing.

The ashes were still warm; an indication that one (or both) of the boys had gone to bed at a much later time than she and little Eli had. It had been a relatively quiet night though, which led her to believe that Hilsburn hadn’t inherited any special visitors. Perhaps they had gone out for some fresh air after a game of cards. Whatever they had done, they had obviously behaved for once. One bottle lay forgotten next to the burnt out logs. The lingering smell of vodka was discerned without much an effort. That’s all they had on hand and to her general knowledge, Barrett hadn’t acquired anything else.

She’d seen both dogs working around the property earlier that morning. Ezra’s door had been closed shut and she had avoided making too much noise when she’d left at the break of dawn. As for her landlord, she assumed he was holed up in his garage either still sleeping off a buzz or trying to usher one of his conquests out the door. With the empty bottle in her hand, Lilin was about to retreat back to her quarters when she caught the pungent waft of a female coming from a little further south. She didn’t think much of it at first; simply assuming the stranger had spent the night with one of the resident bachelors. That was, until she realized that the smell didn’t make it to where she stood. Had the trespasser been an overnight guest, she would’ve had to at some point.

Multiple scenarios formed in the back of her mind, the most plausible one being the possibility that she was one of Barry’s customers. She wanted to believe as much, knowing full well there were darker alternatives: thieves, most particularly. Sharp barks escaped her vocal chords, ringing loud and clear before she reached the intended destination. She knew Axle and Grit were close enough, should it come down to that. Lilin’s easy-going expression melted into a frown as she came around the secondary greenhouse. There she was: a luperci not much older than she was, peering curiously into one of her landlord’s beloved structures. “Can I help you?” Her tone held no hint of aggression but caution was most definitely audible.

Word Count :: 500

A series of events unfolded within a matter of seconds: the girl’s initial reaction, her brusque and rather gawky fall from grace and the appearance of reinforcements. It all happened so fast, Lilin wasn’t quite sure which situation needed addressing first. Ichika No Ho-en’s distinct fragrance ensnared her senses, inducing a grimace out of her. Her encounter with their pregnant leader had been one of arrogance and haughtiness; an acquaintance she could have lived without. Sour or not though, the two-toned juvenile saw no need to explicitly take it out on the female before her. Poor thing was doing a good enough job harming herself anyway. Her critical gaze traveled from the girl’s horrified expression to the arm she was clutching, noting the bandage shielding what appeared to be a fresh wound.

An array of excuses rang clear, none of which really made enough sense for her to grant pardon so easily. Movement to the west was irrefutable and when she brought her head up to examine things further, Axle and Grit’s familiar silhouettes materialized over the dead tree line. Her landlord’s two employees had detected the intrusion too. From their hesitance, Lilin could only assume they were merely wondering whether they should interfere or not. With a quick glance back to the trespasser, she released an overstated sigh before giving both dogs a self-explanatory nod. She could handle this one by herself. Uncertainty hung heavy in the air, long enough to instil doubt in her mind. Their loyalty to Barrett was absolute, this she knew. Sharing their scouting duties with the new girl must’ve been a challenge, especially since they virtually had a flawless track record. Grit finally turned and left but Axle lingered a little longer, watching from afar.

“You’re lucky they didn’t find you first. You really need to pay better attention,” she warned, turning her focus back to the injured Ichikan. She didn’t offer a helping hand, knowing full well that her every movement was being watched by the eldest of the two dogs. The way her face was being scrutinized by the other femme was no surprise and Lilin took it with a grain of salt, quite accustomed to it by now. It was the unforeseen introduction that guaranteed a reaction out of her. Her frown stretched into a look of sheer astonishment. “Get up. I’ll escort you off the premises.” This was said with a little more authority, with a pressing tone that left room for no misinterpretations. Her head reeled. How they could have identical family names, especially when she knew that Soulstorm was an uncommon combination of the Soul and Stormbringer bloodlines, she couldn’t understand. Clearly they didn’t have same parents. Had their lineage been combined more than once?

“I’m Lilin,” she said quietly, waiting for the stranger to straighten up. Normally she would have skipped introductions, not caring much for formalities. But the cult heir now had ulterior motives behind her civility. “Soulstorm.” This was a small world indeed.

Word Count :: 304

Due to the girl's swift compliance, Lilin found herself pleased enough to grant her additional time. Irises of Mediterranean blue remained sternly on her younger relative, assuming their introduction and her brusque tumble must've resulted in confusion and a loss of bearings. In all of her clumsiness, the last-born Soulstorm was alert enough to notice Axle's reticence. Explanations were unneeded and Lilin could only appreciate that. Once the initial shock passed and the Ichikan had brushed herself off, the Hilsburn resident began her trek toward their western border. She almost laughed, noting the comically agape expression on her newfound relative. An entertained snort escaped her parted maw instead. Given the situation, she should've been the one interrogating but it hadn't quite turned out that way.

Eclipse's relentless assault of inquiries coaxed a sideway glance out of the eldest of the two women. She understood the girl's need for answers; Lilin felt a certain need to satiate her curiosity too but it was nowhere near as strong as the other female's. "I don't know who Conor and Bris are." she admitted with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. She already knew they were too distant of relatives to know anything relevant about each other. Although she'd never heard of the previously mentioned, much less seen them, Lilin safely assumed that Bris was the one who hailed from the Stormbringer clan. Her name was norse in origin, a common liking on her dam's side of her family. "My mother's name is Lillith and-" she paused, recollections of her afternoon encounter with a ghostly elder resurfacing. "A male named Haku is my father. He's dead, though." A solemn nod was given then, as if the extra confirmation would be needed to support her remark. "Unless you know anything about my parents, I doubt we'll get anywhere today."

Word Count :: 480 Wow. I fail at replying. I'm so sorry Shaw. I'll try getting my ass in gear. wotd: cant

OOC Ending: Eclipse reveals that a woman by the name of Eris knew her father. The two keep on discussing what they know of their lineage and they part ways after some time.

She would have been content with the minimalistic aspect of their relationship; the two Soulstorms were related but in no direct manner. Lilin knew nothing of the girl's parents and it should have been reciprocated with similarity. She wasn't the ideal candidate for cant talk; her interest slipped with Eclipse's unfamiliarity - that is, until Haku Soul's name was mentioned in a whole different light. It was a little unnerving, the fact that a younger kin knew more about her sire than she did. What struck a chord was the manner in which his name was uttered, the fake aura of godlike superiority shrouding his name. She listened, ears pricked and alert for whatever information Eclipse would provide from here on out.

For someone of Lilin's background and peculiar history, hearing talk of Gods and spirituality in general was far from strange. But for her father to be considered one not only came into conflict with the information she'd obtained from the ghostly female that day in Halifax, but it was also preposterous! To think divine beings would walk this earth with mere mortals went against core teachings. Even a believer such as her own dam had never glorified a man to that extent. Ahren de le Poer had been the only soul she'd spoken so highly of and even then, she had referred to him as a prophet and not a God. She had two versions; one from a lady who had provided sufficient proof against her father, sustaining the idea that he indeed was a murderer hated by the general population. And now, a second theory: one a little nonsensical but interesting nonetheless. "Who is this woman you speak of?" she questioned with a wrinkle of her nose, wondering if this person with peculiar beliefs held the answer that would unravel this mystery.

They weren't siblings but they were somehow bound by the same blood - the very same blood that had once flowed through Haku Soul's veins. Not of the same generation, obviously, but close enough for Lilin to wish no ill intents to the younger femme. "I just recently got separated from my mother," she revealed then, adopting a tone short of a growl. "But I've never met my father. I'm pretty sure I was never meant to. She chose him for his strong genes, perhaps. I'm not sure." A shrug was provided then, as such was probably the reality. In another life, one where Lillith Stormbringer would have gotten things her way, Lilin could have been of de le Poer blood. But as it was, Lillith had settled for the next best thing, the only strong male worthy of reproduction alive at the time. When Eclipse announced that she hadn't known her father or how he'd passed away, Lilin merely replied with a nod. "That makes two of us, chickie. I'm sorry to hear, though."