Kassandra stands in the bathroom patiently while her mother Vanessa fusses around her. It's the night of Kassandra's 16th birthday, and her mother has just woken up for the evening looking excited and anxious. Kassandra will be conducting her first ritual all on her own tonight...communicating with her patron loa Papa Ghede one-on-one...and she's feeling just like her mother-- excited and anxious!

Vanessa finishes brushing her daughter's long, black hair and looks her over. Kassandra is wearing the black dress her mother got for her to use for her rituals, since black is Papa Ghede's signature color. The dress is soft black cotton with bare shoulders-- a ruffle around the top portion that serves as off-shoulder sleeves-- very Caribbean-looking. The waist is fitted, and the skirt is full and ruffly-- Italian old-world style. Vanessa is always very careful to try to keep Kassandra's life balanced with both of her heritages-- not that Armande ever lived in Italy, but all the same!

Kassandra spent the afternoon out with her father, and then the two had come home and starting cooking the ritual-feast. Papa Ghede is the happiest when he's greeted with a big, home-cooked feast, and Armande and Kassandra pulled out all the stops-- Kassandra having inherited her father's love and skill for cooking.
Once Vanessa was up for the night, she made sure Kassandra had her cleansing-bath, and then helped her get dressed and groomed. Now all that's left is to go downstairs to the ritual-room where Armande is setting out the feast.

Mother and daughter look at each other, and Kassandra takes a deep breath and exhales. Then Vanessa nods, and Kassandra follows her out of the bathroom and down to the basement.

Armande has spent the last hour preparing the basement for the ritual. He's laid out the food on a very ornate wooden table. He has also set up all the candles and incense. The room looks perfect and he stands there a moment looking everything over. Satisfied, he nods and places out the bongos. His little girl is growing up and this is her first calling ritual. He smiles and wonders where the time goes.

Vanessa and Kassandra enter the room, and Vanessa's face lights up. "This looks great, Armande!" she exclaims, looking over the feast and the layout. She looks back at Kassandra. Kassandra is taking this very seriously and is inspecting everything her father layed out to make sure it's perfect.

In the center of the room is the poteaumitan, or the wooden log that serves as the statue's base. On the poteaumitan sits the statue of Papa Ghede surrounded by veves, or carvings of the things he represents-- death, merriment and jokes, black goats & chickens, healing, forests, and big phalluses. A black candle has been placed in the holder of each veve. A little blush comes to Kassandra's cheeks as she looks at the phallus-veve! She knows Papa Ghede is a sexual prankster, and she's been a little scared AND excited to see what he does when it's just her here instead of her mother! In front of the statue is a large brass bowl filled with ashes and charcoal, and beside that is another bowl filled with dried myrrh-- Papa Ghede's sacred herb. Kassandra lights the charcoal so it can be getting hot, and then puts her hands on her hips as she leans over and inspects everything.

Vanessa stands with Armande, a proud little smile on her face as she watches her daughter.
'Look at her, Armande! She's talking this so seriously! Like a true mambu already!' she thinks to him through her mind-link.

Armande nods and puts his arm around Vanessa. 'Our little girl is not so little anymore eh?' he thinks back to her. "So whattya think, Kassy? Does it look good or are you missin somthin?" he asks her. 'I have the rum in my pocket let's see if she notices,' he thinks to Vanessa.

Vanessa grins and nods her head. She's so grateful to Armande for being supportive of raising their daughter in voodoo! Even Armande now knows the right statues, candles, incense and things to have around for each of Vanessa's loas!

Kassandra looks at the alter set-up carefully, her forehead wrinkling as she mentally goes through the order of everything she's going to do in the ritual. Then she gets a triumphant look on her face and turns to her parents.
"Ashes! I need the ashes!" she calls!

Vanessa smiles. "Oh yes!" She leaves the room and comes back a minute later with a jar of ashes. The night before she and Kassandra had burned Kassandra's old baby-crib as a symbol of Kassandra no longer being a child, and in the jar were the ashes from the crib. Vanessa hands her daughter the jar and pats her head.

Kassandra beams at her and opens the jar. She turns to the statue and sprinkles a ring around the base of the statue to symbolize that she's calling Papa Ghede and Papa Ghede only-- in case any mischievous loas got any sneaky ideas of trying to squeeze into the circle with Papa Ghede! Then she puts the jar on the floor. She'll need the rest of the ashes to make the circle of protection in a moment.
She looks back at the veves, chewing her bottom lip. She tries not to let her parents see her gazing at the phallus-veve-- especially her father! She's felt herself growing more and more fascinated with sex...more fantasizing about it. She knows how she came into the world-- her mother being taken over by the female snake-loa Ayida Wedo, and then the mate-snake Dumballah coming and mating with her-- and she secretly hopes this might happen to her! Eek-- but not with her father there! Her father would KILL the loa!! Or TRY to, anyway!

Vanessa glances at Armande with a bemused little smile on her face. She knows exactly what her daughter is thinking about, but she knows better than to tell Armande. She decides to cover up for her daughter!
'Wow...she's really thinking hard, isn't she!' Vanessa thinks to Armande with a grin.

'Yeah she is. Think she's noticed the rum?' Armande says. 'And yeah she's looking at all the statues...not sure about the penis one.'

Vanessa grins and bumps her hip against Armande's teasingly, folding her arms. 'Don't worry-- it may be big, but it's got nothing over YOU!' she thinks, smirking at him admiringly.

Armande laughs. 'Thanks...' he says. 'I still don't like it.' he says with a visible frown.

Suddenly Kassandra realizes what she's missing-- the rum to let Papa Ghede know which thing she has a question about! ACK! She can't put the rum in front of the phallus!! Heeheehee! Her face turns red.
"I need rum!" she calls, a little too loudly, and then covers her mouth to cover her smile.

Vanessa can't help but laugh-- her daughter is so delightful! She can't believe she's still a virgin! Oh wait...her dad's Armande! She can believe it! Vanessa tries to suppress another giggle.

Armande smiles, "That's right," he says letting go of Vanessa and digging into his jacket pocket. He pulls out the 8 oz bottle of rum and hands it to her. "No drinking it." he says wagging a finger at her when she takes it. "Anything else or are you ready?"

Kassandra takes the rum and looks around.
'Ashes...statue...veves...candles...incense...rum...matches...feast...drums...' she thinks for a moment. Finally she looks up and shakes her head. "I can't think of anything else, Dad." she calls.

Vanessa nods. "She's ready, baby." she whispers. "You drum, I'll chant." She gives Armande an excited squeeze.

Armande nods and sits down by the drums. He picks up the drums and puts it in his lap. "Already over here." he says as he begins to drum out a beat.

Vanessa gives Kassandra a nod and closes her eyes, starting to sway slowly to the beat Armande is playing, preparing herself for trance.

Kassandra takes the jar of ashes and starts at the top of the room, sprinkling them on the floor and making a circle. She pays careful attention that the circle is not broken anywhere, and then puts the jar out of the way. The drums and her mother's humming are starting to calm and lull Kassandra's nerves.
She kneels before the statue smoothly and sprinkles some of the myrrh on the charcoal. Then she lights the black candles on each of the veves. Finally she pours the rum into a fancy rum-glass. She looks at each of the veves. She really wants to put the glass by the phallus-veve, but she just can't do it with her father there! Instead she places it in front of the veve that represents healing. That sounds like a safe one. And who can't use healing-knowledge? Maybe that's how her mom and dad stay so young year after year!

She sprinkles more myrrh onto the charcoal and then picks up the burner and carries it around the circle, chanting. She slowly starts to dance, inhaling the incense and letting herself fall into the trance.
Vanessa senses this cue, and starts to dance around the circle in a tribal-looking dance that comes straight from her island. This encourages Kassandra, and she places the incense back in front of the statue-- the room quite smoky now-- and she starts to dance and chant more enthusiastically, calling for Papa Ghede to come to the feast...come drink some rum...come see his child...

Armande continues to up the pace of the drums until it's almost at a fever pitch when the candles start to flicker. The smoke of the incense is suddenly disturbed and there is a face within the smoke.
"Who dere? Who calls da papa to come?" the voice says in a deep rich voice.

Kassandra actually stops dancing and gasps in amazement. She drops to her knees in front of the incense, raising her hands, palms out in supplication.
"It...it's me, Papa...Kassandra..." she quickly says, sounding out of breath. She can't believe it! Her first ritual and she brought her patron loa!! She glances over and sees that her mother is still dancing and chanting...still in a trance...and Kassandra quickly resumes swaying back and forth while on her knees.

The candles flicker out and then back in an instant. There on top of the healing veve sits, impossibly, Papa Ghede. He wears a black suit with no shirt. A bone sticks through the septum of his nose and his curly black hair sticks out of his top hat.
"Kassandra, my child...you got me feast dere...it lookin good and da rum," he says taking the glass and downing the rum. "Now watch you need?"

Kassandra beams when he calls her 'my child' and feels a sense of comfort and relief. She continues to sway a little as she stares up at him.
"Today is my 16th birthday, and Mom said I'm finally old enough to talk to you, myself. She said you've claimed me as your child and you watch over me. So I wanted to thank you for claiming me and watching over me by giving you a big feast!" she smiles a little shyly, although her voice sounds strong and unwavering. "And...I wanted to learn from you...so I can be a great mambu like Mom." she finishes hopefully.

"Dat right?" he says. A pair of crows appear on his shoulders and he hops down off the veve. He walks over to her and sizes her up. "You goin be a good mambu, you mum be da best." he says. "But you gots potential yea dat." he says. The crows fly off his shoulders to the banquet table. They begin to noisily eat the food.
"Dat serious chow. So I grant you wish I do." he says. "I teach you dat healin art."

Kassandra's mouth falls open and her eyes light up. 'WOW!!!' she thinks to herself. She hopes her parents are hearing all this! She know her mom has the healing-power. She's seen her mother heal herself...she's seen her mother heal her father!
"Thank you, Papa!" she says breathlessly, holding her hands up to him palms out in gratitude again. "I'm ready to learn! How do I start?" she asks eagerly.

Papa Ghede looks at her and walks over to the table. One of the crows flies up to his shoulder and shakes it's body. A feather drifts loose and Papa Ghede takes it from the air and hands it to her. "Use dis. Dis help wit da healin sure enough." he says. "Close your eyes, chile and concentrate. Imagine a wound..." he says.

Kassandra closes her eyes and imagines what she saw when she peeked into her parents' bedroom: dripping wounds on her parents' necks after they bit each other. She remembers watching her mother licks her father's wounds and they suddenly closed up and stopped bleeding, and then watching her mother lick her finger and rub her own wounds and they, too, closed up. Her mother must have been given healing-power in her saliva!

"Yeah dat right..." Papa Ghede says. "Nows you ready to meet someone who's ready ta meet you?" he says. The room begins to get cold and suddenly there is a brilliant light and a rainbow illuminated snake in front of her. The snake is giant and nearly takes up the whole room, but doesn't disturb a single piece of the room. The snake turns its head to her and looks her up and down.

"Dat right," Papa Ghede says. "Yeah dat...no..she can't...go ahead den ask her."

The snake turns to Kassandra starts to hiss. Papa nods in agreement. "Well?" he says to Kassandra.

Kassandra's eyes are huge as she stares up at the giant rainbow-rippled serpent that towers above her. It must be Ayida Wedo! The female snake-loa who inhabited her mother's body when Kassandra was conceived! Kassandra has been so excited to see her, too! She thinks of her as...well...a god-mother, literally!
Kassandra looks at Papa Ghede pleadingly. She can't understand what Ayida is saying! Oh no-- does this mean she's failing as a mambu?? She glances worriedly towards her mother-- who has also sunk to her knees at the other end of the room and is swaying back and forth while facing Ayida. Suddenly her mother's shape ripples and she forms into a giant snake-- a ritual that Kassandra is very familiar with seeing. Her mother hisses softly, her head swaying hypnotically.
Suddenly it clicks in her head: if she is to respond to Ayida, she has to be a snake, too. But...no one has ever taught her how to become a snake! Her mother didn't prepare her for this! Oh no! Why didn't her mother prepare her for this! Ayida hisses again to Kassandra, and Kassandra's looks up at her in helpless frustration. The story of her own conception again fills her mind. Oh Ayida must be so disappointed in her, that this child she created cannot even speak snake or turn into a snake!
Kassandra looks at her mother...she looks up at Ayida...she looks at Papa Ghede...and she's suddenly overwhelmed with despair and disappointment in herself. Just as her grief reaches its climax, the room suddenly seems to explode with colors of rainbow light. She sees this light radiating from the alter...she sees it radiating from the loas...the crows...the food...her father has his own light...her mother is glowing with a very pale light...and then she understands. She understands that this is the magic that surrounds and fills everything! And she can see it with her bare eyes!
She's suddenly filled with a calm peace. She reaches inside herself and there's a knowledge there that wasn't there before. The knowledge of how to shift into a snake! To become a complete snake! Excitement bursts from her, and she quickly pulls on this knowledge with all her might, and her form ripples...shimmers...and then smoothly slides into the form of a snake that's almost 6 feet long! She raises her new snake-head up to look at Ayida and is even more excited when she realizes she knows how to hiss a greeting to her, and so she quickly does!

"Yessss...chilld of minesssss..." the serpent says. "Purrrfecttt....Ghede issss your loa....but I am your motherssss..learn welll we ssshalll sssseee each other againssss...." the serpent says and then dissappears.

"Dat right, KK. You don forget now..." Papa Ghede says. "Dis power you got takes responsibility...you can't just show it off ta everybody, dat right." he says. "You'll learn, you will."

The Vanessa-snake's head freezes in mid-sway and watches the Kassandra-snake with glittering eyes. After Ayida disappears, Vanessa changes back into her human form and sits on the floor with her legs tucked to the side, staring at Kassandra in amazement, red tears of blood staining her cheeks.

Kassandra's form shimmers, and she also changes back into her human form-- breathing heavily and sitting on the floor with sweat sheening her skin. She looks up at Papa Ghede and nods, trying to catch her breath. "Are you going to be my teacher?" she asks, elation filling her body that she passed all her tests and gained approval from both of her family-loas.

Vanessa looks up at Papa Ghede and thinks, 'There is one who can teach her on this plane, Papa...Constantine.'

"Nah chile, there is someone else who'll teach you, sure enough. You listen to him you listen well, dat right." Papa Ghede says. "I come from time to time ta see you." he says. "You need help, Papa be there for you." He sits back on the veve. The crows fly to him and sit on his shoulder. "Time to leave chile. You stick to da books."

Kassandra nods quickly, getting back on her knees and holding her hands palms-out again in supplication. "I will, Papa! Thank you, Papa!" she says, her eyes shining with happiness.

Vanessa murmurs her own thanks to the loas, watching her daughter and Papa Ghede talking together and filling with such pride-- her cheeks shining red in the candlelight.

Papa Ghede nods, and with a flicker of candle light is gone-- leaving only puff of cigar-smelling smoke behind.

Armande blinks and stops drumming. He rubs his sore arms. "Well did it work?" he says looking around the room. He sees that the feast is gone. "Yeah I guess it did then."

Vanessa crawls lightening-fast over to Kassandra and pulls her into her arms, rocking and hugging her tightly, murmuring in Spanish into her hair about how very, very proud she is of her and of how well she did. Suddenly her eyes widen and she pulls back and looks at Kassandra.
"Baby...how DID you turn into a snake?" she whispers.

"Mom-- there's blood coming out of your eyes!" Kassandra exclaims, looking around quickly for the crow-feather Papa Ghede had given her.

Vanessa's eyes widen, and she quickly wipes at her eyes and cheeks. She gives a nervous laugh. "I must have...changed too quickly. That's all. I wasn't prepared when Ayida appeared...I was too enthusiastic. She quickly catches her daughter's hand when her daughter holds the feather out and concentrates on healing her mother.
"No, Kassy...I'm fine. See? I healed myself." she says quickly. If her daughter tries to heal her she might find out her mother is "dead," and Vanessa's not ready to teach her about THAT just yet.

Kassandra lowers the feather, looking a little disappointed that she can't try out her new powers yet. Then she looks over at her father.
"Papa Ghede came, Dad!! He told me he's going to teach me how to heal! He said a teacher is going to come! And then Ayida Wedo came and I changed into a big snake like Mom!! I did it! I passed the tests! I'm going to be a great mambu someday!" she cries, her disappointment forgotten.

Armande nods and gets up. He kicks out the kinks in his legs and puts his hand on her head. "I knew you do great, there Kassy." he says. "We're so proud of you." he says. "A teacher eh? I wonder who that could be?" he says. "Changed into a snake like your mom? That's good sweetie. You're going to be great."

Kassandra beams up at her dad, and then wonders if she can show him her new snake-form! She reaches deep into herself where she found that knowledge before, but...as much as she searches and as desperate as she tries she cannot find it. It's...just gone. Kassandra's forehead wrinkles as she thinks to herself. Maybe she can only do it when Ayida Wedo is here. Hmmm. She'll have to ask this teacher who's supposed to be coming.

Vanessa stands up and helps her daughter to stand, glancing at Armande. 'She really DID turn into a snake...I don't know how she did it...I did not know mages could do that...' Armande can hear the spite coming from Vanessa's mind, as much as she tries no to let it through. She's a little upset that this power isn't unique to her branch of Cain-- oh, she doesn't begrudge her daughter this ability at all! She's ecstatic that her daughter can do it! She just doesn't like the idea of OTHER mages being able to do it! Hmmm...but maybe her daughter is the only mage who CAN do it because of her parentage...because Ayida Wedo willed it...
All these thoughts leak through the mind-link, and then abruptly stop as Vanessa realizes what she's doing.
'Sorry!' she smiles apologetically at Armande, re-establishing communication through the link. 'I think I need to have a little chat with John. I think it's that time.'

'Yeah and stop thinkin into my head. You rambled there and it was confusin.' Armande says. He laughs a little.

Vanessa grins sheepishly and thwaps Armande in the arm playfully.

Kassandra is busy sweeping up the ashes and blowing out the candles. She wants to show her parents what a good mambu-in-training she is by finishing her responsibilities as the ritual-leader.

"Look at that. Cleanin the room all by her lonesome." Armande teases. "You want help hun?" he says and takes a step forward. Just then there is a knock at the door. "I'll get it." he says and walks out of the room.

"God...who could THAT be?" Vanessa murmurs, knowing it must be around 1 AM. 'Oh please don't let it be Nero again...not tonight...' she thinks. She joins her daughter by reverently moving the statue and poteaumitan back to their resting-places, and then she and Kassandra start putting the veves and candles back. Vanessa holds up the large phallus-veve and smirks at Kassandra.
"You were going to put the rum in front of this one, weren't you, mija!" she teases.

Kassandra looks over, and her face instantly turns bright red. "Mooom!" she protests, and then giggles. She pauses a moment. "Weeell...maaaaybe..." she says, turning a darker shade of red.

Vanessa throws her head back and laughs. "Good! This was my favorite one, too, when I was your age! Don't worry, Kassy! You and I shall have a girls-only ritual one of these months! Then you don't have to worry about your father bursting a vein in his head!" she grins, waving the phallus at Kassandra teasingly.

Kassandra shrieks laughter and covers her face, running to the other side of the room.

Armande walks back into the room. "John's here. He says he wants ta see you, Vanessa." he says. "I'll stay and help clean up." he says. "I left him in the parlor." he says. He then notices the phallus in Vanessa's hand. "How about I take that?"

Vanessa looks down at the phallus, and then back up at Armande with a grin. She walks over to him with her slinky-walk and slides the phallus into his hand suggestively. "How about you do...since you're the expert at handling it..." she purrs, leaning in and nibbling at his ear. She's in a very good mood-- made even better by the fact that she doesn't have to search the city for John tonight. Whenever it's HER seeking HIM out, he seems to treat it like he's doing her a favor-- probably out of habit! Or just to tease her! Now it's HIM coming to HER door! She won't have to deal with his usual shenanigans! Maybe!

Kassandra is secretly watching her parents as she goes about tidying up. She loves watching them interact. They love each other a lot. And are so affectionate towards each other. She wants that someday...maybe sooner than later.

Armande shakes his head in mock exasperation. "You better get up there before he smokes us all out."

Vanessa laughs and rolls her eyes. She knows how particular Armande is with keeping the house spic and span. He's probably going to spend tomorrow deodorizing the parlor now! "All right, all right!" she says melodramatically.

John sits in the chair and lights a cigarette. He sets the ashtray on the little table next to him and waits. She'll be up soon and today is the day for the little talk. He felt her Awaken half the city away. It's been years since he had a student. Zantana left him a few years ago, cocksure and ready. It had ended badly but no hard feelings right squire?

Vanessa brushes off the front of her black summer-dress as she walks up the stairs, trying to get the last of the ashes off. She glances in the hallway mirror and tries to scrub the blood off her cheeks. She doesn't want John to think anything bad about her religion, not to mention her species. She knows he's a little gun-shy around vampires-- she's probably the only one he trusts! And that was some hard-won trust, too!
She walks into the parlor with a smile. "Ah John...I knew you were in here! I just followed the aroma of burning tobacco!" she grins, taking a seat across from him and crossing her legs. "Armande's going to throw a fit tomorrow when he has to air it out!" she teases.

John raises an eyebrow. "You know why I'm here." he says. "I felt your daughter halfway across town." he says. "Have to teach her a bit of restraint," he says. "Luckily I wasn't doing anything so I did a little mask job." he says.

Vanessa uncrosses her legs and sits forward, suddenly all-business. "You could feel that??" She makes a little hissing-noise, looking worried. "Is she going to have those men in black after her? Madre-mia what am I going to do? Was it the turning into a snake that did it? How does she shield herself?" she asks in quick succession.

"Nah, I masked it." John says. "Turned into a snake? That's a nice one." John says. He looks at Vanessa seriously. "She'll always have the men in black after her, love. They are after all of us." he says. "I'll teach her about them, don't worry. And how to hide from them."

Vanessa sits back and rubs her temple, thinking for a moment. Then she looks back at John, and her face softens when she remembers her daughter's big moment.
"She did her first ritual tonight...summoned Papa Ghede all by herself! Then Ayida came to meet her...and the next thing I know Kassandra's turned into a snake and is hissing a greeting to her! The loas were SO pleased with her, John! I was so proud!" She pauses. "Can all mages turn into snakes?" she asks worriedly.

John shrugs, "I'm not big into Ars Anime, but I have a few books. So she's that type eh? That's fine, she can still get a bit of knowledge from me and the rest from the books and a few others I know about," John says. "So are you having the big talk with her first or am I?"

Vanessa raises her hands, shaking her head. "Oh I haven't said a word to her-- just like you requested! Besides, I don't know anything about how you do your magic...what you say to a new mage...I know YOU use blood-- which is a nice touch!" she grins. "But other than that I'm actually out of my league. Oh I've told her things here and there...about the loas favoring her...about how she was conceived...so she's grown up believing in magic and knowing it exists. She...well...she's seen me heal myself when I didn't think she was watching. She thinks I'm like a goddess, or something! I know she's been so excited for tonight-- so sure that she would follow in my footsteps. It won't be hard to have this talk with her at all-- I promise!" she smiles encouragingly.

John considers a moment and takes the last drag of the cigarette. He sighs out the smoke and stands. "Alright then, send her up. I'll have a talk with her...alone if you don't mind. I need her in a frame of mind that she won't be looking to you for approval." he says.

Vanessa stands, too. "I understand. She kept glancing at me during the ritual, as if to make sure she was doing it right. But I know that if I hadn't been there she would have been confident and gone with her intuition and everything would have gone smoothly, anyway. I guess me being there was a kind of...crutch." she says, pondering. She glances at John for a moment. 16 years have gone by since the night she accidentally gave birth to a human baby in his bathtub. He's aged, but it suits him.
"You know, John, I was just thinking...your looks have finally caught up with your ego!" she grins. "You were such a big-talker when you were young-- so full of confidence and arrogance and all that! Now you actually look seasoned...experienced...like the man you always thought you were..." she says, musing. "I mean that as a compliment, by the way." she adds as an afterthought.

John raises an eyebrow, "Yeah..." he says. He shakes his head. "And you haven't aged a day. Good luck explaining that to her. Go get Kassandra-- we're not all nocturnal like you. And besides, the quicker I can talk to her, the quicker we can get her to tone down those vibes she's sending out."

Vanessa looks worried again at that reminder, but quickly smoothes her face back to a pleasant hostess. She puts her hand on John's shoulder. "I miss your sense of humor, though...haven't gotten laid in a while?" she asks, concern on her face. "I wish I could help you with that..." She gives him a smile and a wink. "I'll go get her." She pats his shoulder and makes her snakey-strut way back to the stairs.

John shakes his head as he watches her leave. He lights up another cigarette and stands up. He paces across the floor taking drag after drag until she returns.

Vanessa emerges back into the ritual room to see Armande and Kassandra stacking up the plates and platters from the devoured feast, Kassandra animatedly rehashing to her father how each of the loas came and what they said to her. She looks over to see her mother is back.
"Dad said Uncle John's here! Is it because it's my birthday? Ooh-- we don't have any cake! Dad took me out to eat and we had cake there and everything!" she says looking worried.

Vanessa smiles and strokes her daughter's hair. "No, no-- he's not expecting cake! It's OK! But he DOES want to talk to you! He's up in the parlor!"

Kassandra smiles happily. "OK!" She turns and hurries out of the ritual room.

Vanessa waits until Kassandra's gone and then sighs and helps Armande with stacking the plates. "Her new powers are radiating across the city-- that's how John knew to come. He's here to start her training...to teach her how to...to keep from radiating." she says, unsure quite what John meant and feeling a little lost.

"Whatever that means." Armande says. "I don't like that guy. I think he's trouble from the get go." he says with a frown. "Is it necessary he had to show up like this?"

Vanessa nods her head enthusiastically. "Oh yes, baby...I've seen what happens when a mage-spell is felt across the city. These men in black suits in black cars show up and try to kill the mage and everyone with him. The last thing we want are any of THEM showing up here." she says, worry creeping into her eyes. "I might be able to take them, but who would THEY take with them? That's what I'm worried about."

Kassandra hurries noisily up the stairs and down to the parlor. Her dress, hands and face are smudged with ashes, but despite that she still looks like a younger, less-developed version of her mother...with her father's smile.
"Hi Uncle John! You remembered!" she beams.

"Hey squirt," John says with a genuine smile. "Happy birthday," he says digging into his trenchcoat. He pulls out a gift-wrapped present and hands it to her. He smiles as he watches her open it.

Kassandra looks excited and eagerly starts unwrapping the present. It's a thick black book with empty pages. The cover is fine leather with a snake engraved on the front in silver. On the front page is an inscription, "To Kassandra with great expectations, Uncle J."
"Wow..." she says, looking the book over. She flips through it and sees that the pages are blank, and then looks up at John. "This is really pretty! Is it a diary?" she asks. "I like the snake on the front! Oh Uncle John! Wait until you hear what happened tonight!" she exclaims.

John puts the cigarette to his lips and takes a drag. "I know what happened tonight, squirt. I felt it halfway across the city. And no that's not a diary, it's a book of shadows...to write your spells within." he says. "You're a disciple-- a mage-- yet you won't have that title for awhile." he says. He watches her to let that sink in.

Kassandra looks at John in surprise-- more because he KNOWS about magic than that he told her she was a mage! That's the first shock! She thought he was just their family-friend! She didn't know he knew about magic-stuff! Then she realizes that he said he FELT what she did! From halfway across the city! Her eyes open even wider.
"You're a...magic-person, too?" she asks, almost in a whisper. "What's a disciple? And what's a mage?" she asks. Her mother had kept her promise to John and hadn't told her a thing about the supernatural community-- aside from the voodoo-lore that could be gained from a book in any library or store. Kassandra always knew she was special, but she's never heard the terms "mage" or "disciple" before!

"Right, we're going to have to get together tomorrow and I'll explain everything, just don't do anything else tonight, kiddo. Promise me that? Don't wish too hard or try to talk to your loa or pray or anything. Keep your mind clear, think you can do that for me?" John asks. "It's important, squirt."

Kassandra's eyes get wider and wider as he talks to her. "Oh no...what's wrong? Did I do something bad?" she whispers, hands going to her mouth. "Mom and Dad seemed really proud of me..." She looks up at John, eyes still wide. "Are Mom and Dad mages, too?" she asks.

"No no," John says waving his hand. "You haven't done anything wrong, kiddo. I'm very proud of you as well, right? I'll explain everything tomorrow. I promise, eh? Just promise me nothing tonight. Trust me you'll get a lot of practice tomorrow. Alright?" John says.

Kassandra seems to relax at this, and she nods her head and runs her hand over the cover of the book, deep in thought. "Are you going to teach me the spells that go in this book?" she asks. "Wow, Uncle John! You're a mage! I can't believe it! Are there different kinds of mages, because you never do voodoo with Mom! Do you have a religion? Is that what a mage is? Someone who's been chosen by their god?" she asks curiously.

John laughs and takes a drag. "Look look, I know you have questions and I'll try to answer them all tomorrow. Now tonight enjoy your birthday with your parents and I'll come round tomorrow morning and you and I will have that chat. Alright? Clear your day tomorrow...we'll have a lot to discuss." he says.

Kassandra looks disappointed at first, but then John makes tomorrow sound so exciting and fun that she perks up and gives him a big smile.
"OK...I'll clear my schedule!" she giggles. He can see her struggling to keep more questions inside. Her mind races as more and more questions seem to fill her head! She bites her bottom lip. She wonders how many mages there ARE! And how she can tell if she's meeting a mage! And if there's a special greeting they do! And if they were given feathers or something by their gods! That reminds her!
"Oh! Look, Uncle John! Look what Papa Ghede gave me!" she says, reaching into the pocket of her dress and bringing out a shiny black feather. "He said I'll learn how to use it to heal! Isn't that great?? Do you have something like this, too?" Then Kassandra remembers that she's not supposed to be asking anymore questions tonight, and promptly shuts her mouth.

John shakes his head. "No squirt, I don't have anything like that." he says. He walks towards the door and stops, his hand on the doorknob. "Remember your promise, love. No funny business tonight is that understood?"

Kassandra looks disappointed again when she sees that he's leaving. She sighs. "OK Uncle John..." she says, a dejected look on her face.

Vanessa steps from around the corner and slides up next to Kassandra, putting her arm around her daughter's shoulders.
"Sneaking away without a proper good-bye, John?" she asks, eyebrow raised with a little smile on her face. "Listen...you're going to bring her back, right? I'm being serious. I need to know what your plans are now. Is she still going to be living here with us?"

Kassandra looks up at her mother in panic, and then back at John. Leave?? She can't leave! She just started high school!

John nods, "She'll still live here, but I need to see her everyday for awhile, perhaps longer. It will depend on how she progresses, right? She and I have a date tomorrow, early in the morning I'll be round to collect her." he says.

Vanessa listens carefully, a concerned look on her face, and then she squeezes her daughter's shoulders and gives her a little smile. "You hear that, Kassie? You got asked out on your first date on your 16th birthday! What more could a girl want?" she teases. "Sounds like you didn't need to libate the phallus after all!"

"MOOOOM!!" Kassandra cries in embarrassment.

John shakes his head.

Vanessa throws her head back and laughs, and then nods. "All right...tomorrow morning. I'll let your father know since I'll probably be dead to the world by then." she says, giving John a wink. "Be careful with her..." she says, the worried-mom-look coming back into her eyes. She holds Kassandra tightly to her side in a protective, possessive manner-- much the same way she held Kassandra protectively to her chest when she was a newborn and that "Stranger" came to look at her.

"I will. Don't worry about anything tonight, Sunshine. Everything is being taken care of. I should go," he says looking out the door when he opens it. "I have to toddle of to bed, sounds like I'll be busy answering questions tomorrow. Night," he says waving and then closing the door behind him.

"Wow-- he left fast!" Kassandra says, sounding sad.

"Yeah...that's John for you!" Vanessa says, shaking her head. "He always reminds me of a skittish cat-- anxious to get away once you have him cornered. Well I wouldn't worry about it! Sounds like you're going to see a whole lot of him from now on! You may long for the day he wants to leave early after a week or two!" she grins, secretly wishing she could peek in on their lessons!
"Now come-- we need to get you to bed, too, so you'll be awake tomorrow! John's always had short tolerance for people who can't keep up with him-- although I think you've got him wrapped around your little finger!" Vanessa grins.

Kassandra grins and shrugs. "He's always been nice to me, Mom! I think it's funny when you two tease each other, though! Oh! Look what he gave me!" she cries, holding up the grimoire."

Vanessa takes it and looks at it, impressed.

"It's where I'm going to write all the spells he's going to teach me!" Kassandra explains.

"Aaah...I know what this is then! I've seen one or two in my day!" Vanessa nods. The two enter Kassandra's room, and Vanessa places the book carefully on Kassandra's dresser. Then she starts cleaning the ashes and soot from her daughter's face and arms.

"Mom...are you a mage, too?" Kassandra asks.

Vanessa gives a little laugh. "John would say no way, but he's a little biased! Don't worry...I'll explain more about my "magic" after John's had his say. I promised he could teach you first before I told you anything about mine." she says, trying to keep her face calm and cheerful. She definitely has not been looking forward to telling her daughter what she really is. She's given her little clues here and there over the years, but so far her daughter hasn't connected the dots.
Vanessa waits as Kassandra gets out of her dress, and then takes it carefully from her. This is the dress Kassandra will wear each time she participates in a ritual now. She'll ask Armande if he'll take it to the cleaners tomorrow. Kassandra gets into her nightclothes and then goes to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Vanessa goes to find Armande.

Armande is in the bathroom brushing his teeth. He shakes his head in disapproval. He's never liked John, just tolerated him. He's seen the type before, nothing but trouble, and now he's supposed to entrust the care of his daughter to the man. No good can come from this.

Vanessa leans over and kisses Armande's cheek. "You did great tonight, baby. Papa loved the food-- as always! Thanks for cleaning up. Speaking of cleaning up, think you could run this to the cleaners tomorrow?" she asks, holding up the dress. "John's coming to get Kassandra early tomorrow morning. He's going to explain all the basics to her. Sounds like she's going to have 'classes' with him each day until she's got her powers under control." Vanessa explains. "So Kassie's getting ready for bed now. I thought you'd like to tuck her in." she smiles.

Armande nods and spits out the toothpaste. "Yeah I can do dat. Alright I'll tuck her in then. Glad the food went over well. I wasn't sure the fried chicken was any good but he seemed to like it," he says. He walks out of the bathroom and down to Kassandra's room he knocks on the door and then enters. "I hear someone's going to be early tonight."

Kassandra is sitting cross-legged on her bed, holding the grimoire and flipping through the blank pages, trying to imagine what powerful knowledge will one day fill the current emptiness. She sees her dad and grins, setting the book on her nightstand. She quickly scrambles under the sheets. "Yeah-- Uncle John's coming to get me so he can start teaching me. Did you know he was a mage?? I didn't!" she exclaims. "He doesn't seem like a mage! Are YOU a mage, Dad?" she asks.

"No, Kassy. I'm just a man." Armande says. He sits down on the bed. "You and your mom are very special people. And I'm glad that the both of you are in my life." he says. "You know I love you, don't you Kassy?"

Kassandra cocks her head at her father, looking at him in surprise. "Yeah, Dad! Of course I do!" She leans up and gives him a tight squeeze. "I love you, too. Thanks for giving me a great birthday. I really liked that restaurant we ate at! I wish Mom could come with us sometimes when it's not dark out. I mean, I know she's allergic to the sun and everything...I hope that doesn't happen to me! Mom said she had to sacrifice being in the sun in return for the magic she can do. Do you think I'm going to have to sacrifice something? I wonder if Uncle John had to sacrifice something..."

"I hope not, Kassy." Armande says. "You're gonna learn alot of thing with John, but don't ever forget where you came from, Kassy. Alright? With what you've got comes a greater responsibility to do what's right. You understand?"

Kassandra hasn't heard her father talk all serious like this before. She listens to him and nods. "I'll try, Dad. I hope I'll KNOW what's right. Right now I'm just really confused. Uncle John wouldn't answer any of my questions! He's making me wait until tomorrow! I hope I'll be able to sleep! Hey Dad? How come you don't like Uncle John? Is there something else I don't know about him? Was he in jail, or something?" she asks curiously.

Armande sighs, "I don't know Kassy. Sometimes when two people meet they just don't like each other. They just...I dunno rub each other the wrong way." he says. "I trust him...I guess. I just don't like him is all. Your mother likes him and she trusts him so I trust him. Does that make sense?"

Kassandra thinks about it and then nods. "There are kids at school like that. You can't stand them, but your other friends like them so they're part of the group." She thinks again for a moment. "I'm sad that you and Uncle John don't like each other, though, because *I* like both of you, but I understand, Dad."
Kassandra lays back on her pillow, and suddenly there's a muffled hissing-noise and a snake-head pops out from under the pillow...followed by a snake-body. The snake slithers up and over Kassandra's shoulder to rest its head on her chest. Then it picks up its head and tests the air with its tongue.
"Culebra! What are you doing here?" Kassandra laughs, stroking the cobra's head fondly with her fingertips. "Did Mom send you?"

Vanessa grins and walks into the room. "Aah! THERE she is! Naughty Culebra!" she pretends to scold. "No, mija, I didn't send her in here-- she came on her own. Wanted to check in on her "baby," I'm sure!" she chuckles. All of Vanessa's snakes are very possessive of Kassandra-- having spent most of Kassandra's gestation in the egg curled around her, protecting her and keeping her warm!

Kassandra laughs and continues stroking Culebra's head. "See? I'm fine, mama-snake!" Kassandra coos.

Armande shakes his head. He still-- after all these years-- is unnerved by these snakes. They've never hurt him but they just...creep him out a little. He looks over at Vanessa. "Well I think it's time for bed." he says standing up. "I'll see you in the morning Kassy, I'll make us some eggs." he says leaning down and kissing her forehead.

Kassandra nods and hugs her father, and then settles down in the bed.

Vanessa smiles and walks over to the bed, bending down and giving Kassandra a kiss and hug. She hisses to the snake for a moment, and the snake hisses back.
"Let her stay in you room tonight, OK Kassy? It will make me feel better. These new powers you have...well, let's just say not everyone out there is nice. Stay close to John, OK baby? Do whatever he says. He'll show you who the nice people are...and who the ones are who are not so nice. OK?" she whispers.

Kassandra listens to her mother carefully and nods her head. "OK Mom..." she says in a hushed voice.

Vanessa smiles and strokes Kassandra's forehead. "I didn't mean to scare you, baby...just to put you on your guard. Culebra won't let anything happen to you." She gives Kassandra another kiss, and then she and Armande walk out of her room.
After Vanessa closes the door behind them she turns to Armande.
"Me and the pets will keep an eye on the perimeter of the house tonight..." she whispers. "John should teach her how to shield herself tomorrow, and then I'll relax. Funny-- I thought the tattoo on her foot was supposed to do that..." she muses.

Armande shrugs, "Who knows what that guy is talking about." he says walking towards their bedroom. "She's safe, now she's not. She's hidden, now she's not. This is all too fuckin confusing to me."

Vanessa nods, feeling just as frustrated. "I wish I knew more about mage-magic! Either Kassandra is really powerful, or ALL mages are like little beacons and have to constantly shield themselves!" She shakes her head. "I hate not knowing what's going on. Especially as her mother!"
Vanessa follows Armande into their bedroom and watches as he undresses. It helps take her mind off of things for a moment! But then she sees her snakes waiting patiently by the door and it reminds her of the situation again.
She stands beside the bed as Armande gets situated, and then leans down and kisses him lingeringly.
"I wish I could stay..." she murmurs into his ear regretfully.

"I know. You do what you gotta do." Armande says hiking down a little and laying his head on the pillow. "If there's any trouble call me, got it? Alright then. Come to bed soon, babe." he says and yawns.

Vanessa smiles and kisses him again, reaching down and rubbing his chest...letting her fingertips slide down his shoulder and arm as she walks slowly away. She gives him a little wave.
"I will...to both!" She hisses to her snakes, and the group makes its way out of the bedroom and out into the night.

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