[Last week on Buffy The Vampire Slayer...]

Thunderbolt, a sleepy parish of Savannah, GA

The Duprees summoned Gracie Lynn to an unexpected family gathering.  Darius Simmons tailed her to a lone cabin in the marshes of Thunderbolt.  The popular cheerleader found herself face-to-face with a family she often avoided.  Darius found himself confronted with unexpected truths about his potential girlfriend...

Gracie Lynn's grandfather took her face between his weathered hands.  "Baby girl, you're here because we know you ran into some vampires very recently.  We know your boyfriend met 'em, too."

Gracie Lynn just stares at Grandfather with a blank (or shocked) look "You all know about them?" she asks weakly.  What else had they not told her about.

The old man nodded grimly.  "Yes, Gracie.  Our family's known about 'em for generations.  My grandfather taught me about the vampires...that's the way it's been done, parent teaching the child.  All the way back to the 'Old Country'."

Papaw sighed.  "We wanted to wait 'til you were older, finished with school, hopefully in college.  Unfortunately, that she-devil y'all ran afoul of pushed the plan up earlier."  He nodded to Gracie's big sister.

"Lorinda had a vision of your encounter."  Lorinda smiled knowingly.  "How do you think I always know when you've used my lipstick?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:07, Fri 04 Dec 2015.

Gracie just looks at her older sister "Oh please, I only used what I knew didn't look good on you"

Then she looks back to her grandfather "Don't you think you should at least warn people that things like that are out there? I mean, I could have been killed by it." she says almsot begging. What else have they not told her?

"Who would believe us, Gracie?  To the world at large, we're just a bunch of white trash circus freaks!  Besides, people live with enough fear in today's world:  the economy, AIDS, terrorism.  What makes you think they're ready to learn that the bogeyman really sleeps under their beds?"

Papaw shook his head.  "Mundane folk insulate themselves from the terrors that lurk in the night.  It's why we hide the more...extraordinary members of our clan in the sideshows.  The circus lets us move without too much suspicion."

Lorinda spoke up.  "That's why we travel a lot, Gracie.  The circus has always been a good cover for our other work:  huntin' the evil demons--and the vampires."

Gracie looks at Papaw and knew he was right. She lived in the normal world.People would not belive in vampires. "Ya, I guess your right. it jsuts seems to wierd. Um, what do you mean by extraordinary members of our clan?" but them most of the other cheerleaders would just not be able to deal with it.

She looks at her sister "OK, so that where you went. But what do you mean by hunting thing?"

The old man gave her a cockeyed look.  "Sugar Plum, did you really think Earlene has quills because of a birth defect?"  He couldn't quite resist a teasing cackle.

Lorinda answered her sister with a patient, understanding demeanor.  "We're demon hunters, baby sister.  We go after the monsters who prey on humans.  There are a few demons who are sympathetic to our cause.

Most of the 'freaks' in fact.  They help us out, and we give them shelter and income.  It's worked out so far.

And there ain't a DAMN thing in my makeup counter that doesn't look good on me."

Darius continues sitting dumbfounded. It wasn't disbilief that registered in his face, nor fear, just the agonizingly slow process of trying to justify everything in line with the rigid indoctinations of his own youth. His mouth works slowly, and silently, as questions go un-asked... because the answers seemed rather self-evident. Demons. Vampires. Demons Hunting Vampires. Quills. Cyclopses. Visions.

Visions. That word rings the loudest in his mind, paranoia amplifing all the worst conotations.

While Darius processed the preternatural shocker, his smartphone rang.  Darius heard the song he'd especially chosen for his family.  The phone rang insistently.

Nor did his discombobulation go unnoticed by the Duprees.  The quills on Earlene's head bobbed as she stared askew at him.  "Gracie Lynn, is your boyfriend gonna be alright?  Do you want some sweet tea, honey?"  Despite her scary appearance, she actually had a charming Southern drawl!

Darius' mouth snaps shut, his eyes clearing the moment he's put on the ropes. It was that time to think that had hung him up... Darius is a man of action, and it was the element of reaction in which he felt most comfortable. "Sorry, yes, I would love some sweet tea... Dry mouth is one of those few drawbacks to a good days ride..." He says, nodding vacantly towards where he'd parked his motorcycle while thumbing the silent button on his phone as he pulls it from his pocket to check the caller ID.

Earlene poured a tall glass full of sweet tea!  This wasn't the watered down variety served up North, oh no.  This was the kind of tea that had so much sugar in it the spoon probably stood up straight!  "Here you go, hon.

What about you, Gracie?  You always liked my sweet tea when you were a young'un!"

As Darius checked the caller ID, he saw his mother's number.  He'd received a text message.  The envelope icon indicated a new, unread message.

Gracie just shook her head "I guess I really didn't about why Earlene had quills. I guess I did think it was some kind of birth defect. What else would I think if no one told me. So am I to get some crash course on demons and vampires now? Are they going to come after me?" she said almost in a worried voice? Here whole world was crashing down around her and she at least had seen a little of her relatives but she was sure Darius would be in shock. "Oh, he will be fine" she hoped.

She looked Earlene "Sure, tea is good. What about some whiskey?"

"Thank you." Darius politely accepts his tea, closing his eyes as he takes a deep gulp... he relishes the feeling as it oozes down his throat. Ever the dutiful son, he checks the text message.

Gracie takes Darius's hand and holds it. She wants to comfort him and herself.