Realistic or Modern A Night Bleeds (Closed)

[Vinegar Bees]

A different lake altogether greeted her in the shallow layer of dreams she plumbed amid the clouds. It was a bright lake, sun-dappled and undulating gently, the air damp and summer-sweet around her. Waist-deep she stood in the water, her jacket fanning out around her hips. The water was lukewarm, like a glass left out to sit in an airy room.

Another girl faced her, a tiny sprite of a girl—but she stood atop the surface of the water rather than beneath it, and so even in her smallness, she towered above Maylee. A twee little ribbon dotted each end of her braided pigtails, and her flouncy sundress did not move with the wind.

Maylee could not bring herself to meet the girl's eyes. "What do you want?" she asked bitterly, painfully.

The girl did not look at her, her glassy eyes pointed obscurely ahead. "Mama?" she whispered, a tinny voice that echoed off the surface of the water. "Mama, there's a monster in my closet."

Maylee gritted her teeth, her fists clenching at her sides. "Stop it," she hissed, fighting to keep her voice steady. "I'm not your mother. We don't have a mother."

The girl blinked. "Mama," she called out softly, and then her voice grew with each repetition: "Mama, mama, mama—"

Maylee tried to raise her hands to cover her ears, but she found them rooted to the water, unwilling to move. In perhaps some sort of feeble compensation, she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Mama, mama, he's going to eat me—"

"Enough," Maylee lashed out, wrenching her eyes open only to feel the familiar sting of tears on her cheeks.

"Stop crying, Maylee," the little girl said suddenly, low and sharp like the chill of an icy bath.

"I'm not—" Maylee protested weakly, and then she realized the water level was rising rapidly, her tears feeding a quickly-swelling tide.

"Stop crying, Maylee," the little girl said again. As the water rose, she rose, too, her bare, grass-spotted feet always hovering just above the surface of the water. In vain, Maylee tried to reach for her ankles, to find some kind of purchase amid the inexorable tide.

"Help, please," Maylee cried hoarsely, throwing her head back as the water level lapped around her neck.

For the first time, the little girl tipped her head down, her dark brown eyes void of light as she met Maylee's gaze.

"We've been through this, Maylee," she said flatly. "Stop crying."

And then water rushed in through Maylee's mouth and nose.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯​

Maylee awoke with a start, covering her mouth to stifle the reflexive, hungry gasp for air. They had landed.

Disoriented, she glanced around the unfamiliar interior of the jet until she settled on the now-familiar (or, at least, as familiar as she was going to get in this situation) faces of Shia and Evelyn.

Carefully, slowly, she took mollifying breaths through her nose, savoring the sensation of lungs filled to capacity.

You can be scared, she repeated to herself, a familiar mantra, but don't let it show.

Maylee remained mostly quiet as she followed Shia and Evelyn off of the plane. As Shia thanked Evelyn for the amenities of the private jet, Maylee prepared to awkwardly offer her own gratitude, but her voice cut off in surprise when Shia thanked her, too.

Her? But she hadn't actually done anything—

"Hopefully, we can correct what is wrong with the moon and you may both return home sooner rather than later."

Maylee bit her tongue, her fists tightening at her sides.

"Don't worry about it. Whatever is going on with the moon, it... it's bigger than whatever life I had back home."

If you could call it home. Still, Maylee hoped Ms. Baker was at least doing all right. If whatever sinister condition had afflicted her was on behalf of those gentlemen following Maylee, perhaps her departure from town had guaranteed the older woman's safety.

She hoped so.

When Shia had mentioned a driver, she hadn't been particularly expecting a limousine and a sharp-dressed, butler-looking type.

"Um... thanks," she mumbled to the driver, unsure how she was supposed to address him. She lowered her gaze uncomfortably as she shuffled into the limousine, propping her messenger bag up once again on her lap. She didn't even own a car, opting instead to use her bike to get around—it was jarring how thoroughly everything had changed in less than a day.

"So, um, this Devlin," she said to the others as they joined her in the limo. "I'm guessing he's got plenty of money to spare, too?"

maylee song.

hunter | werewolf

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Shia D'Shire

Tags: Evelyn Maeteris Maylee Vinegar Bees | Location: Houston, TX​

The limo had plenty of room even with Shia, Evelyn and Maylee inside the back. There was also a small cooler along one side with fresh fruit, cheese, and other snacks. Bottled water was chilled, just shy of freezing, and there was one bottle of champagne with glasses.

It pretty much answered Maylee's question, but Shia did as well. "Yes. Which helps greatly in the research of what is going on." Shia helped himself to a bottle of water, enjoying the cold drink before adding anything more. "He isn't outside affliction from the moon as well. It is best to speak with him during the day, but there are still moments of clarity at night, at least when we left him."

Shia thought of other things he would have liked to know before meeting the man. "At times, he may seem a little scatterbrained, but it is due to his... sight. Sight is the best way to describe it. Like.. how I can see strands of magic, he sees.." Cheeks puffed out as he made a little pttth sound, trying to find the best way to describe it.

"... Visions. Omens. Prophecies." There was a small sound, not unlike a chuckle. "Perhaps it helped him build his current portfolio of wealth, but.. truthfully, I'm glad I only see magic."

coded by natasha.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Conversations on a Plane | Current Timeline: May 14th​

Tags: Roje @Britt-21
Location: New York ✈ Florida

Key settled into a chair on the opposite aisle from Roje. A flight attendant was already asking what they'd like to drink, and if they needed a meal yet. Key took ice water for now, and some cheese and crackers for a snack.

"The flight staff are in the know, so we can discuss some things more freely. As for your ring, it would not take long to add extra enchantments to the one you have, or add another. I would need to consult with the coven however on the best method."

Roje accepted some water and some kind of granola bar. Human food never really filled her the same way, but she still ate it till this very day. "Well whenever you hear something, you can let me know. Not a big deal." she leaned back in her chair and started to ask questions now "How many people are in this group? You said there were others to help this asset learn his abilities. Something like that."

Key replied, "There are two being sent to escort him to the transfer point. He was on our radar before the issue with the moon reared its head, as a possible candidate for guided training."

Roje nodded, confirming that she had listened before tossing another question out there "Do you think this moon incident was caused by Magic? After all, Magic always comes with a price."

Key made a little 'hmm' sound before answering. "Possible, probable. However, it's unwise to speculate. The coven has some of the best researchers scouring for information. We'll speculate if there are no answers, as it needs to be taken care, regardless of the how."

Roje rested her head against her fist "I do agree with you on that. Are we able to talk about the asset or is that still off limits? I'm not sure when we're in wards and when we're not."

"We can talk some, yes. Some of it I am instructed to wait until we are at the coven debriefing, but... I will answer what I can, and what I know." Key gave her a glance.

Roje asked, "You said he was a Duster. Could you explain more? I haven't heard of a Duster Fae before."

"They generate dust, which, if you've never been to one of the black markets, go for some of the highest prices on auction. Depending upon the type of the Duster. There's different effects. Sorrow, rage, ecstasy, more. They're often used in potions, salves, food. You name it, it can probably use it."

Roje raised her eyebrow "Should I be...Afraid of inhaling this? Would it affect me?" It was obvious she had no knowledge on the Fae that acted this way, but learning about the race now was a good idea before she started to protect the guy and got herself into some trouble.

"That will be part of the debriefing. Precautions to take, prevention methods to keep yourself safe. As his bodyguard, you'll need to take extra steps. We'll also likely test it, see how much it affects you. Then we know the level of precautions needed." Key answered.

"This shit wont kill me I hope." Roje said, shifting her position and crossing her arms over her chest. "I guess we'll see when we get there."

Key shook his head, "No, unless you ingest it in mass quantities, or.. wind up being allergic. Doubtful, but.. it'll be in a controlled environment."

"Well, the more you know, right?" Roje knew there was more to it. But classified information had to be classified "Do you have any questions for me?"

Key paused to enjoy some of the cheese and crackers, appearing to think about it before speaking again. "What would you say are your two biggest weaknesses?"

"My biggest Weaknesses... One would have to be my anger. I'm short tempered but I know when I'm going to be bad and when I'm not." And another weakness... Roje wasn't entirely sure. "My lack of knowledge. I know your common supernatural beings, but not the extras like Faes."

Key offered up some hope in that department. "You'll have access to some of the coven's books, the basic ones anyway, I am pretty sure I can make that happen. You'll need the knowledge to adequately protect your charge. Don't always believe what you may have seen in movies, or read in stories. What works on one, is not guaranteed to work on others."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks. I really do appreciate that." Roje continued to look at him, still wondering why he was wearing shades "Why are you still wearing your sunglasses?"

Key smirked and his head turned toward Roje. Fingers slid the glasses down the bridge of his nose, revealing milky white eyes. "Because, I'm technically blind." Before she could ask the inevitable follow up question, he wriggled the fingers of his left hand, each one bearing a different ring. "Without these, I would still be blind. These allow me to see, differently than you or others, but I can still see what is important."

Roje was actually surprised to learn this information. So the only reason why he was able to see was because of his own rings. "That is... Actually really interesting. I didn't think that magic can work that well to a point of making a blind man see." now it all made sense with his shades, hiding his eyes from the world. "At least you're able to see, granted, differently, but to an extent."

"It's ... different." Key paused briefly. "And not without a cost, like most things. I've adjusted, not sure I could manage actually seeing."

"Well, dont worry too much about it. If something isnt broken, dont try to fix it. You're comfortable." Roje pointed out "If I was comfortable with something, I wouldn't change it."

Key gave a small "Mmhmm." And snacked on more of the crackers and cheese. He knew she'd have more questions sooner rather than later.

Roje didn’t even touch anything she had been given, just because she wanted to ask more questions. “There are many questions I want to ask but I’ll wait. Since we’re not in any wards.”

Key nodded, adjusting his shades in afterthought. "Feel free to use the pad to jot them down. There won't be much time after the debriefing if you forget to ask something."

Roje grinned and spoke “You underestimate how much time I can make. You have yet to know all the ins and outs of my own mind. Though you may get lost in the process.” She looked out the window for a brief moment before looking back at Key.

"Well, time as in others to grant you answers, post debriefing. I won't be by your side, and this isn't the only charge we'll be handling." Key clarified.

“There’s even more charges? Shit.” Roje bit her lip “Then I better start getting to work on more questions. Am I able to train the asset? To fight just like me?”

Key pondered this, evident by the small tilt of his head to the side. He took a sip of his drink, mulling it over before answering. "Your charge isn't ... the fighting type from our observations. His traits definitely stray toward non-combatant. And it may distract you. He will be trained upon reaching his final destination in accordance with his skills."Key pondered this, evident by the small tilt of his head to the side. He took a sip of his drink, mulling it over before answering. "Your charge isn't ... the fighting type from our observations. His traits definitely stray toward non-combatant. And it may distract you. He will be trained upon reaching his final destination in accordance with his skills."

So much for teaching her charge how to actually fight. Roje sighed from this information "Fan-fucking-tastic." she sarcasticly said "Looks like I'm going to have to equip him with something then. I cant protect him if I'm caught up in a fight to protect him and someone else decides to come along. I'm only one person."

"Well..." Key added, "... depending upon how the retrieval goes, you might have one or two others along to assist. If it goes well, they will be requisitioned to continue the escort. If not, we may see about one additional unit."

"That sounds like a better plan. Another question, can you tell me more about the group that's intercepting us?" Roje asked.

"Just they also appear to be supernatural." Key gave a small, tight smile. "We are still in the gathering intel process as this was just reported to us very recently. Otherwise, we might not be looking into such strong measure to protect our investments, our charges."

Roje began to plan staying awake around the clock. She didnt really need sleep, but she did it to be human. But if this group was supernatural, she needed to be on high alert. "A group of supernaturals. Then uh.. Let's just add literally every weapon I need to kill every single one." she said with a casual shrug.

Key chuckled. "And how will you carry all this gear? You will be mobile, not stationary."

"Depends what gear you give me. The stakes I plan on hiding in my boots. Knives I plan to strategically place around my body. Pistol, common spot on my lower back. I prefer the smaller stuff. Easier to manage and I'm usually in a lot of people's faces."

"Your better bet, would be combining strengths into one where possible. Different bullets for example, maybe with .. clips? Something you can easily switch depending upon your target." Key gave Roje a look and a bit of an eyebrow raise.

Roje nodded, “That could work. Though it could be easy to disarm me from a gun and render me at risk. Where as if I’m up close, it’s not as easy.”

"Well, you have time to try and consolidate as best as you can. Remember, you can think outside the box to some degree with a coven's abilities at your back." Key finished off another cheese and cracker 'sandwich'.

“Well tell me what you got then. I’m not a vampire with magical power.”

Key finished his bite, then answered. "You'll need to think of ranged items as well as up close and personal. You'll have tonight to talk over items with some of the tactical members. They will have a good bit in stock, and should be able to provide you with a good deal by the time you need to be mobile. I am not part of the tactical team, so, I am not the best sounding board for weapon creation."

"Then my questions will wait till then." she ran her hand through her almost-dried hair and looked back out the window "Good to know I have tactical members on my side." in all honesty, she figured that she would be on her own and would have to do everything in her power to manage alone. But Key had basically reassured her that she would not be entirely alone in all this.

"That's part of the debriefing." Key offered. "Give you more information on your charge, and find out who you may need to work with in the coven before your departure for the greatest chance of success."

"I like the sound of Success. Prefer that over failure any day."

Key grinned. "I agree."

coded by natasha.

 

[KodakWolf]

Maddox Ward (Leif Hjalkarssen)
Location: Kansas (Wyoming --> Texas)
Tags: Chase Moon ( Out Of Words )​

The barmaid didn't bail, and showed up at Maddox' door on the agreed upon time. His blunt answer to her questioning about why he travelled at night, 'Because I'm a vampire', had only sparked her curiosity, and it wouldn't actually cross her mind that he wasn't joking about it. Working with the public, she wasn't a stranger to unusual stories, and actually enjoyed hearing them. What she usually avoided, however, was flirting with customers. Though that morning it'd felt almost as if she wasn't really in control of her actions. Conversation had flowed so smoothly she found herself agreeing to meet the man after her shift before she could give it much rational thought. She'd done some more thinking throughout the day, after he'd left, but the effects of the earlier interaction seemed to have remained, lurking around her thoughts. A little bit of adventure now and then was just what one needed to bring excitement and sparkle into an otherwise boring daily life, right?

Maddox only played that trick of speaking a straightforward but unexpected truth that would never be taken seriously with the right people, and a short while into the conversation he'd been able to tell that the woman was one of them. And indeed, it worked like a charm. He wasn't one to pass up on opportunities for casual hook ups, but he was also not one to put that above everything else, and while hooking up and feeding would now and then coincide, that wasn't such case. Whereas the sun had chased away the moon several hours ago now, it's influences could still be felt during the day. Not as bad, but definitely there. And those influences were what raised the odds of an accidental death that would be really inconvenient. He struck his prey the moment she had her guard down and her shirt off, as too many blood stains would also be inconvenient. Afterwards, her presence didn't affect him as badly, and he was able to doze off some more before it'd be time to leave again.

When he woke up, it was already dark outside, and everything the moonlight touched seemed tinted in red as usual. His alarm clock should've gone off before it was dark though, but the thought didn't really bother him. He didn't seem able to focus on the fact that Chase was probably waiting outside for a while now, and the detail just felt like some background noise in the back of his mind, easy to ignore. He got off the bed and headed into the bathroom to wash any sleepiness off in the sink, but the sight of what was in the mirror made him stop before he could bow his head down to meet the water.

A normal reaction to seeing the creature he saw looking back at him in the mirror would've been to at least freeze, stomach sinking down in apprehension at the sight of what looked like a cross between a human and a creepy combination of... what, really? No point in trying to figure out. Strangely though, he felt nothing unusual, as if waking up to that in the mirror was routine.

Sharp, golden eyes stared back at him, glowing in the dark. The skin was greyish, pale, what was once blonde hair now looked like a thick mane, slicked back like a crest over the creature's head, mingling with the fur collar wrapped around the base of it's thick neck. It was obviously humanoid, with sharp, leaf like ears and way more prominent facial bones than any normal human, making it's eyes and cheeks look sunken and giving it a beastly air, only countered by it's glare, that alluded to a certain level of intelligence. A glance downwards gave Leif a glimpse of a pair long arms, equipped with two long and clawed fingers, and... what was that connected to it, a membranous wing? By that point he was aware that the creature wasn't only inside the mirror, but also outside staring at it, and yet it didn't feel any different. Had he not looked down, he'd never realize the strange arms and digitigrade legs, also equipped with two long claws.

A background noise caught his attention, coming from behind him. A glance back up at the mirror allowed him a glimpse of the slumbered woman still on the bed behind him. She'd rolled over in her sleep, facing away from the bathroom and pulling the blanket over her exposed skin. He'd fed on her, but she was still alive, and suddenly the sound of her breathing, air flowing in and out of her lungs, was extra loud, almost as if surrounding him. He could feel it, even more than hear it. It had to stop. The chanting also started making itself heard again, far away.

His glare switched back to the creature in the mirror, but this time it didn't mimic his move, and remained fixated on the sleeping woman. Only then, when the supposed reflection failed to reflect, was that his heart started racing, as if finally realizing something was off. There wasn't any time for pondering though, as a few seconds later the creature opened it's mouth in an inhumanely wide angle , revealing two pairs of formidable fangs, a long, narrow tongue and the lateral rows of sharp teeth meant for tearing rather than chewing. It let out a bone chilling hiss, worthy of the Jurassic Park raptors, eyes still fixated on the woman. Of course the Jurassic Park analogy only came to his mind later, after he woke up from falling off the bed onto the carpet.

Leif jolted himself up from the carpet, sitting upright as he gasped for air for several minutes, being interrupted by a couple fits of dry coughing. If he hadn't known better, that he was indeed immune to diseases, he'd think he was sick again, even though it didn't feel quite the same as a millennium ago. To add to the whole experience, he was also drenched in cold sweat and feeling as well as someone usually does when having a fever. It felt like the emotions he should've felt during the dream all caught up to him at once. and it took a while for his heartbeat to stop racing. After getting himself back together, a good fifteen minutes later, he peeked over the bed, double checking that the woman was asleep (or passed out, really) but still very much alive, his glare akin to that of a misbehaving child checking if the path was clear to get away.

He could hear the distant chanting, indicating night was about to fall, but he still double checked, peeking through the closed curtains before rushing to the bathroom for a cold shower. The chanting started sooner everyday now. Once he was done, he packed his stuff up to leave as quickly as possible, as he was already late, and would also prefer to leave before the barmaid showed signs of waking up, and before he started showing signs of wanting to kill her again.

Maddox was quick to spot Chase at the hotel diner, glad to be only about five minutes late, which still bothered him but not enough to make him feel like telling the shifter about that dream (or whatever it was) at the moment. He wasn't as baffled as a younger vampire of his kind would be after that experience, though. While he didn't really know why it happened there and then besides it being related to the bloody moon phenomenon, he knew very well what the creature was. He'd never fully shifted into one himself, but he'd seen it before, both in feral vampires and in those submitted to experiments. He saw himself in the creature in the mirror, whether in it's glare, or in the shadow of his facial features that remained; he couldn't really tell, but he knew. It was ironic that he had to kill and consume human blood in order to maintain his humanity.

"Sorry I'm late." he hushed to speak with a greeting nod as soon as he approached Chase, sounding a bit too casual, as if wanting to avoid a certain subject. He pulled a chair to sit at the table, glancing out through one of the windows before speaking again.

"Should've said 8:30, huh?" he made a brief pause, still talking rather fast. He placed an order for a large coffee, no sugar, before turning his attention back to Chase and leaned forward, speaking in a quieter tone after glancing around them to make no one was in earshot.

"You know, if I had your blood, we could leave right now." he didn't divert his glare from the shifter, watching his reaction with a more serious gaze. It lasted only a short moment though, as his eyes didn't take long to give away the amusement he was getting out of the situation. Once the coffee arrived, he chugged it down still burning hot, pausing only once in between chugs to breathe. Only then did he lean back on the chair with a sigh, settling down and bringing his voice back to normal speed.
"I meant what I said yesterday, you're safe." he added with a dismissing wave.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Conversations in a Diner | Current Timeline: May 14th​

Tags: Maddox Ward KodakWolf | Location: Hotel Houston, TX

Chase didn't seem to mind Maddox was late, though he had picked through a few of the fries. His attention was drawn with the vampire quietly mentioning supernatural blood would help, in this case, Chase's blood. And his mind went there with a soon to be trademarked Chase wuffle. His voice mirroring the hushed tone. "How.. much?"

"How much what?" Maddox turned his head to look at Chase with a furrowed brow. While he had apparently settled down, his thoughts still raced and he didn't grasp which context Chase was referring to.

Chase's nose wrinkled as his expression scrunched up, like a child not wanting to repeat himself because maybe they said something wrong and it was a chance to -not- say it, even if the other heard it. Wuffle. His voice even quieter. "Blood."

Now it was Maddox's lips that formed the shape of an 'oh' as he grasped what Chase was referring to. That'd been one of the few moments in which he hadn't really thrown any baits, and instead was just teasing with some bad joke, yet he'd been taken pretty seriously, it seemed.

His surprised expression didn't last long, having been quickly replaced by a thoughtful one. They had a long drive ahead of them, another several hours of battling the moon's influence, and if that moon induced bloodthirst followed the logic of regular bloodthirst, only more intense, it'd subside and give him some relief from being constantly aware of Chase's presence. With the plus of giving Chase some good nap time.

No, he wasn't really pondering on whether or not to accept the offer, but on how much he needed. Truth was, he couldn't know. It'd depend on how pure the blood was, and that he couldn't tell (with a few more extreme exceptions) without actually tasting it. Thing was, he craved the blood, plus there'd be a level of benefit from it, and that was enough for him to take up the offer. He could be nice, yes, but he wasn't Mr Goody Goody.

"Not much, I've had dinner." he'd focused his attention back on Chase, sensing the tension that'd built up. He didn't stoke it like before at the church though, and instead retained the casual demeanor, as if the topic in question was no big deal, even though it really was, in fact more to him than to the shifter. If they were at the chamber underneath the church ruins right now, he'd have waited for Chase to exit it before turning off the flashlight and leaving the chamber in complete darkness.

Chase really wasn't the type who could hide what he was feeling for long, it usually wormed a way out in his expression, or the varying nuances of his wuffling. Wuffle wuffle.

Foolish to trust a vampire, he knew it, but he also went on his gut instinct a hell of a lot. It was part of what made him a natural Runner. Only in his human form did he wind up second guessing himself, if he dwelled on it too long. So dwell, he did not.

"As long as it won't kill me." Wuffle, shrug, wuffle. "Though, probably best to uh.. sooner rather than later, right? Cause of the moon?"

Maddox let the question hang in the air for a moment before replying with a nod.
"That'd be good." he spoke in regards of the moon issue.

The sooner the better to satisfy what he craved, but there really were advantages for both sides. He was more than proficient at doing what vampires do, and he knew how not to kill, though he wouldn't want to take chances under direct moonlight. Not only killing, but wounding would suck too, considering they were supposed to work together and he hadn't even met the rest of the group yet.

Anticipation built up, as he really wasn't counting on that and had accepted he'd have to manage his instincts during the whole trip, though he didn't let it slip through his flawless casual demeanor.

"Won't kill you. Won't even hurt." He added, his eyes outlined a hint of a smirk. He did know what he was saying though. It wasn't every vampire that could control how a bite was perceived, and it'd certainly taken some time to master.

"You left your phone in your room, I think." Maddox spoke with a nod towards the connecting archway into the hotel. His room had someone else inside, alive, he'd be sure to add.

Chase wuffled quietly with a nod. He picked up his to go box of food, and slipped out of the chair. "I did leave my phone in the room." He gave a sideways, somewhat sheepish smile as he moved to the door and murmured, "You coming? We can go.. after." Only a small pause, he wasn't accustomed to lying, but this wasn't so much lying, as pretending in his head. And even Chase knew somtimes... sometimes it was called for.

He headed back to the room, fishing the hotel card key out of a pocket. Soft little wuffles seemed to emanate from him every couple of moments. Chase unlocked the door and headed inside, letting Maddox close it behind him. To say he was nervous would be an understatement. "So, uh.. what do you need me do?"

Chase set his box down on the counter as he moved farther inside, palms running along the sides of his pants. Why were they slightly sweaty? Yeah, he knew why. But still his gut instinct wasn't telling him to flee, it was that little nagging voice in the head asking, What the ever loving fuck are you doing?

coded by natasha.

 

[Maeteris]

Evelyn Harper

The skies seemed a little more ominous down here, tinted behind dark glass of the limousine where solis appeared to be little more than a struggling dot. She’s barely aware of the background noise, filled intermittently by chatter from her two only companions. Her heart lurched, as if plucked by an unseen hand and cast away into the void that dwelled in her chest. The evening draws close, and with it the red tide.

The silent hours in-transit alone had bought her time to dwell on matters--of the past and present. Frankly, she didn’t enjoy the line of thought conjured by her mind, but it was necessary.

Death.

A possibility that existed no matter how miniscule still deserved calculation. She couldn’t let that befall her, there was no question. But plans often disagreed with nature’s chaos. Three hundred years… A considerable amount of time--for a mortal--yet so short for an Elf. She shook her head. The Scuris line cannot be defeated so prematurely, Evelyn will see to it.

Her gaze flickers towards D’Shire; young, impressionable perhaps, dutiful. Then to Song: Younger, timid, resolute. Considerable allies. What does that say about their enemies? Was it possible they could even be mightier? Possess resources that outweighed both Scuris’ and Wright’s?

You fool yourself, Varya Scuris.

Eyes closed, she massaged the bridge of her nose. Here it comes. The voice of reason, the messenger of rationality--

You evade the real question.

The sole reason for her social ineptitude, baroness of one--

Will you betray these mortals to ensure the survival of Aelven kind?

Yes. A mental reply. Teeth biting into her bottom lip.

Yes, she would. There was no question. There didn’t need to be one, it was the unwritten law, told through ancient stories of mighty Elf warriors that slew whole villages for a scant few elf captives; Of scoundrel politicians siphoning funds from mortal institutions for Aelven interests and dozen other stories.

None can fault her for trying to throw away emotions. It made it all easier when she’d plunge the knife.

location: Houston • tags • mood • Outfit • interactions

 

[Maeteris]

Yeo-Jin Park

Thank God they weren’t going to Banks by foot. Goddamn leg is acting up again, and she’s been trying to keep it from showing on her face. One of these days she’s sure she’s going to be seen limping like an old bag of tuna. She’s not sure if Banks knew of her conundrum though. He’s holding the door for her, rarely happens, so it’s possible he did and he’s trying to be sweet about it.

“Pretty comfy here.” She comments off-handedly as she enters after him. She almost kicked her shoes off out of habit. “Wonder why you still single if you’re livin’ in a pad like this.”

She follows him a moment after examining the surroundings, deeming it safe-ish enough for her to proceed inside. She marks all the interesting bits. Mostly concerning a large body of water; e.g the pool, which was quite a drop down, the closest being the bathtub probably.

“Nice rig.” She says, eyeing the blinking tower, absolute unit compared to the toaster they got in precinct. She folds both arms on the chair’s headrest, “Nah, I’m good here.” She tunnels in on the words plastered on the screen. “That’s a short window.” She remarks. Flicking her tongue on sharp teeth. “Slippery little buggers.” They looked crunchy, and would get their dainty bones stuck between her incisors. “Probably don’t taste good--I mean, not worth the trouble.” A little too late to correct that slip but damn her if she didn’t try.

location: Florida • tags • mood • Outfit • interactions

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Griffin Banks

Tags: Yeo-Jin Maeteris | Location: Florida​

Banks was so very excited by this assignment, he very nearly clicked the accept button before asking Park. "Okay, so.. You're in, right?" Her comment about it not tasting good had him giving her a brief confused look. He just really wanted this assignment. It was a double bonus, he'd get to meet a Fae, and hopefully get what seemed to be an important mission for the coven under his belt.

Parks gave a casual roll of her eyes, "Of course, I'm in."

Banks whooped and might have hugged her spontaneously, if he wasn't so focused on clicking accept. It took them to another section, with a portfolio on their target. Banks was giddy like a little boy, and let out a happy whistle as he perused the information.

ASSIGNMENT # 64-5-13-20 Target Name: Morgan Feigh Gender: Male Age: 18 (Heritage discovered at 16) Height: 5'5" Race: Fae Subspecies: Duster (Type: All - Unconfirmed) - closely related to Pooka/Púca Residence: 555 Sideway Lane, Orlando, FL Adopted at age 13, still residing at family home. Older brother is our contact (Brandon Feigh, 21).

Pick up equipment at Block C before departure. Package will include (not limited to); PPE, control collar, control cuffs, two doses of antidote spray. Target is to be picked up and delivered alive to Block C by EOB May 14th. Contact: Brandon 555-3231 Do not contact until in the area. Brother will arrange for opportunity to pick up target.

Precautions required!! Dusters generate 'dust' which is capable of affecting others. Target is suspected to be type ALL (unconfirmed), capable of creating dust based upon any strong emotion. Dust will invoke the same emotion in others if comes into contact with skin, or injested. PPE strongly recommended (included in equipment package). Avoid getting dust in eyes, nose, mouth. Immediately report any incidents, including date/time and symptoms displayed.

coded by natasha.

 

[bread-and-butterflies]

Allison Hagan

tired leaving the hotel outfit Bug Out Of Words

Allison returned from packing her things, only to find Bug curled up, half asleep in the shower. This was the first time she'd seen him calm, and she almost wanted to let him rest, but she couldnt bring herself to leave him curled up in the shower with the water running. Maybe this was normal for Bug, but Allison was having none of it. He could drown, or at least catch a cold.

“Alright Bug, I'm all packed, let's check out and get out of here, alright? You can sleep in the car if you like.” She suddenly imagined Bug, soaked to the bone, sitting in her car. “Did you want to dry off first, or - ?” If he didn't want to get changed before they left, she'd grab some clean towels from the bathroom to put down on the seat.

As soon as Bug was ready, Allison accompanied him down to the front desk, making sure to place herself between him and any bug lamps they might pass. Along the way, she stifled more than one yawn. That definintely had not been enough sleep.

As soon as they'd finished checking out and stepped outside, she felt the pain in her wrists sharpen. She was not a fan of driving under the moon, but the sun would be up soon enough. And Bug, it seemed, could not wait. Hopefully, by the end of the day, she'd be in Houston and know something more about what exactly was going on.

code by yousmelldead

 

[Maeteris]

Yeo-Jin Park

A plethora of information slid down the screen, and Banks couldn’t keep his excitement in, almost contagious as she breaks a smile. It might be their ticket into the big leagues. Finally respected enough to get reliable information from the grapevine. She didn’t need to tell Banks twice to get his ass up, he almost flew off. They take a cab to Block C, the streets almost barren and frankly eerie under the red lamp of the moon.

“I ran his ID through the system, no hits.” She tells him. Unsurprising, Fae tended to fly literally under the radar, opting for the quiet life. Not quite enough to escape the Coven’s attention though.

She pays for the cab this time, and holds the door for Banks, offering him a sly wink. They arrive at Block C. “How are we gonna do this?” She asks, rubbing her now gloved fists. She loves a good fight as much as the next guy but it pays to adapt. “You wanna do the thing?--what’s it’s called--Diplooomacy?” She casts a sideways glance, twinkling with mirth.

location: Florida • tags • mood • Outfit • interactions

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Griffin Banks

Tags: Yeo-Jin Maeteris | Location: Florida​

Banks was quiet on the way over, though one could see he was near to bursting with glee. When they got there, he stood outside, just smoothing down his clothing and using the time to do some breathing exercises. Well, in between the hushed rambling.

"This is big. Like.. don't fuck it up big. If we fuck this up, I doubt we'll get another chance. God! This is fucking gold, gold, Parks." He grinned and for a split second, looked like he would kiss her. Only a second. He knew better. Ahem. "Okay, soo, let's just get this package first, see what's in it. And we'll figure out strategy on our way to Orlando."

They entered through the front doors and upon identifying themselves, and the assignment number, they were asked to present their IDs and weapons. They'd get them back upon leaving. Once Banks and Park complied, two uniformed guards escorted them to a small private room. It felt like some vault where security deposit boxes were kept. A box and key was set on the table in front of them, then the door closed as the guards exited.

Banks grinned at Park, and let her open the box. "You do the honors." Inside would be two sets of the following; face masks, glasses with protective lenses but not as obvious as security goggles would be, and gloves long enough to cover up to the elbow where sleeves would normally protect the rest of the body. There were two small vials with a clear liquid inside, obviously an antidote should they have an 'incident'. The vials had a small push down button on the top with a cap, so it worked like a pump spray.

Next in the box was an adjustable collar, two wrist cuffs, and two sets of keys. Also two burner phones, fully charged but off at the moment, and an envelope. Inside the envelope was a number of photos of the target and the brother, labeled with the name Brandon. On the back of the photo was a sticky note.

Collar and cuffs are for Morgan
Will help suppress ability to generate dust, prevents changing to animal form
Glasses will show target's hybrid form
All should be returned with delivery of target, damage will come out of pay
Bonus for speedy delivery

BRANDON

MORGAN

coded by natasha.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

BUG

Tags: Allison bread-and-butterflies | Location: On The Road Again Houston, TX​

Bug woke, and mumbled something about drying off first. Drying off wasn't with a towel though, for Bug, drying off meant changing forms. It took about five minutes, where his human body slowly gave way to thousands of winged dragonflies, still in a humanoid outline, then back to Bug once dried.

There was a small smile given toward Allison to indicate he was ready. Bug didn't have any bags with him, which was good. It let him cover his ears with his hands as he hummed to the tune of 'Would you like to swing on a star'. An attempt to avoid hearing the lovely humming of those bug lights. Allison did have to guide him past one or two, but he made it to the car and nearly sobbed in relief.

"Wicked, wicked things. They made it that light on purpose. I always loved blue and white lights. And the hum is like.. mama singing for you to come home. Well.. if I knew my mom. Sure. Maybe. Anyway, thank you. I think I'll be good once we get away from here. Thank you, Ally-Ally."

Bug gave her the biggest thank you grin and likely would have hugged her, if she wasn't already driving. So, instead, he just leaned to the side and let his head press against her shoulder in a head hug. Even chittered a cricket serenade for her. "I love you."

coded by natasha.

 

[Vinegar Bees]

Visions were one thing, but prophecies—? So this Devlin, presumably, had reason to believe that what he saw was bound to happen. How many times had his visions eerily repeated themselves in reality?

Briefly, Maylee tried to imagine having the ability to see the future, to protect what she loved from danger before it had a chance to strike.

(We're going to be okay. We're all going to be okay, Princess.)

The past, of course, was too crystal-clear to bear looking at.

(I promise.)

She clenched her fists against the rough canvas of her messenger bag.

"...truthfully, I'm glad I only see magic," Shia said, and Maylee's gaze snapped up to meet his. That seemed to imply there was some sort of drawback to Devlin's ability to see—an intense drawback, perhaps.

She would have been willing to suffer any burden if it meant saving her family, she thought—but in the next moment, she chastised herself. It was easy to say so, but when it had counted, she had been too weak, too afraid.

Stop crying, Maylee.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, she glanced over at Evelyn, who had been silent the duration of the ride and, indeed, seemed to be preoccupied with her own ruminations. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking—those sharp, keen eyes of hers were like an impenetrable fortress. Then again, Maylee had a habit of courting the impossible, a Sisyphus endlessly rolling his burden uphill until it overtook him.

She wanted to know Evelyn, Maylee decided.

Now, though, wasn't the time. She turned her attention back to Shia, fighting the urge to hike her knees up to her chest as she often did for the feeling of security it brought. "Prophecies," she repeated wonderingly, and then she dropped her gaze, suddenly self-conscious again. "Um, maybe you can't answer this, but—does that mean Devlin saw... us? Is that how you knew where to look...?"

Her fingers had wormed their way together, and she stuffed them beneath her messenger bag before she could begin to fidget. "I guess I'm just... unsure why us, specifically. What's, um, special about us."

But that wasn't it, was it? Shia could see magic. Evelyn was a member of a pristine and esteemed race of beings. There was plenty special about them. But a born-human? A sheep in wolf's clothing, trying to convince herself her bite was big enough?

She left the truth to burn behind her locked lips: What's special about me.

maylee song.

hunter | werewolf

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Current Timeline: May 14th​

Tags: Allison bread-and-butterflies | Location: On Road Houston, TX

Allison's eyes widened at the forwardness of Bug's affection, but her expression quickly softened to a smile. She was far too reserved to reciprocate his affection outright, but she had no problem admitting to herself that she was beginning to grow fond of the odd little shifter.

Bug sat back in his seat after what he felt was an appropriate time of head hugging. With a big yawn, he curled up in the seat, more than able to go to sleep now that he wasn't plagued by haunting humming. The ride was quiet for a long while, silence only interrupted occasionally by Bug snoring, which was a cricket chirp.

Bug needed to be woken for the address of where to go once they hit Houston. He stretched, chittering happily as hands pressed against the roof of the car. There was some smacking of the lips and a cracking of the neck, eyes blinked to get his bearings. "Okay, sooo sleeping is the way to go when traveling. For sure. Unless you're like driving, then no sleeping, Cause that'd be super bad. But lemme get.. something.."

Phone was fished out of Bug's pocket, followed with the most mournfully sounding, "Oh.. oh no." His phone had been in his pocket when he took refuge in the shower. "Uhh.... " Bug looked lost and absolutely apologetic. "I can find it. Lemme think. I'm good at thinking.. I think. I'm sorry. So, so, sosososososso sorry!"

Allison turned to face Bug, unsure what he was apologizing for and..oh. That was a problem."Hey, hey, shh. It's alright. We'll figure this out." She patted the air in his general direction as she watched the road, her brow scrunched in concentration.

"Well, normally I'd suggest a bag of rice, but I think it might be a lost cause at this point." She winced in the phone's direction. "You don't happen to remember the phone number of any of your associates, do you? We could try calling one of them and asking for the address...?"

Bug looked like he was going to cry. Knees were drawn up as much as he could manage on the seat. "I.. maybe. Memory isn't my best cup of forte tea." His face had the look of half concentration, half willing himself to not cry over his mistake. "Think. Think. Think."

Suddenly, "OH OH OHOHOHOHOHOHO! YES! The doggy! Chase! I remember his. He helped me remember it. Like sat with me and made sure I had it memorized! Yes. Yes." He repeated the number in his head, and then repeated it again, and twice more for good measure.

Allison's face lit up, and she turned to beam at Bug. "Perfect!" She scrounged blindly in her bag for a few moments, keeping her eyes on the road, before pulling out her own cell phone and handing it to Bug. "Text him, would you?" She smiled, pleased with herself and Bug for navigating this small roadbump so efficiently. Everything was back on track, and they'd be arriving at their destination in no time.

Bug chittered and cradled the phone on his knees while texting with fingers of both hands. He was good at texting at least. "Chase! Bug, new phone who dis?" He laughed at his own joke but kept on texting and narrating it.

"Smiley face, smiley face, jay kay, not my phone. My phone took a shower. Sad face, sad face. Need help. Need addy to go to. You got? Please? Using lady love's phone. Over and out. Pee ess. Please hurry with response." Bug pondered more to send and wound up with, "Smiley face, heart, smiley face, oooh you have gifs! Oh snap." And he appeared to be looking for an appropriate GIF to send, too.

Allison waved her hand at Bug. "Oh, no gifs, please. They eat up my data." This wasn't a lie, exactly, but if Bug had looked through her text messages, he'd know she had dropped more than a few reaction gifs in the coven group chat. No reason to bring that up now, though.

After a moment of thought, she added, "Oh, do you know how to use the Maps app? Enter in the address once you get it from Mr. Chase. You can be my navigator." She grinned at Bug, hoping he might like the chance to assist her.

Bug's grin was ear to ear and he quickly started looking for the maps app, even as his attention shifted back and forth. "Maps, maps.. Oh oh.. you play CANDYCRUSH! Ohmegerd!" He very nearly tapped on it to open it up when there was a text response from Chase.

Bug turned it to show Ally the message, well, more like showed the screen before he was reading it himself. "Got the addy Ally! Oh yeah. Maps. Maps. Candy crush I'll come back to you I promise." He finally found the maps app and plugged in the address. "If we see a Braum's on the way, can we stop? Pretty pretty prettyprettyprettyplease? Best burgers and shakes, ever!"

coded by natasha.

 

[KodakWolf]

Maddox Ward (Leif Hjalkarssen)
Location: Kansas (Wyoming --> Texas)
Tags: Chase Moon ( Out Of Words )​

The whole thing seemed too good to be true, and if he hadn't known Chase a little bit by now, he'd seriously think the shifter was maybe messing with him. Or setting up a trap. These were the kinds of people he'd encountered the most, and always expecting them was key to living a long life as a supernatural being of any sort. The sort of tension he smelled in the air hinted that wasn't the case. Chase wasn't wrong to trust the vampire either, as Maddox couldn't simply turn up in Houston with Devlin's dead or half dead messenger.

His lips split into a grin as Chase played along, revealing fangs that couldn't otherwise be seen.
"After." he got up to follow him. "After you have your phone."



"Nothing." Maddox spoke, with a light shake of his head as he closed the door behind him, watching as Chase headed farther into the room. The gaze that fell upon the shifter while he had his back to the door was predatory, though it wouldn't persist if their eyes were to meet again.

"But I'd suggest clearing your mind, closing your eyes." he'd dropped his backback on the floor and now approached Chase with undisturbed steps. "Half the pain's in your own mind. Let me handle the other 50%." he paused. "Have I lied before?" he watched the shifter with sharp eyes, stopping a foot to his right.

"And stretch an arm forward." he added.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Room Service | Current Timeline: May 14th​

Tags: Maddox Ward KodakWolf | Location: Hotel Houston, TX

Chase took in a few deep breaths, turning around with a small shake of his head at the question of Maddox lying before. He tried to clear his mind and relax, but the bit about stretching an arm forward had him confused. And the words left his mouth before he even thought to hold them in. "Not the neck?"

Chase's question resulted in another grin from the vampire.

"You just ruined the surprise." while it could seem like he was teasing Chase, and Maddox usually would be, what he'd said had it's purpose. The shifter would most likely not be able to relax as he should, and therefore would still feel a certain level of pain. It took mental training to learn to get bitten painlessly, and awake. That was why vampires could feed on sleeping victims without they even realizing: their minds were shut off to the outside world; which wasn't the case when you were awake.

"Could be helpful for you if you weren't expecting it." he absolutely didn't need to be doing all that explaining. However, the fact that Chase volunteered so promptly made him feel like rewarding him with being extra nice.

Chase's mouth formed an 'O' briefly, then he couldn't hold in the mix of a wuffle with a chuckle. Truthfully, his curiosity was closer to a feline at times, like now. Part of him was very intrigued by it all, and he hadn't ever been fed from. Was it strange to want to experience even this part of life?

Chase had always been open to life, and as long as it wasn't something that would kill him, or harm an innocent, he put his best wuffle forward. Wuffle wuffle. "Okay. Uh.. do you prefer.. the left or right side?"

Maddox could feel some of the tension being dissipated, what he now expected given Chase's reaction. It'd usually be a path he wouldn't happy to go down, as fearful and anxious victims gave hunting an extra thrill, and rendered the blood... seasoned? There wasn't really an exact word to describe it. But that feeding was a bonus, and he'd never be ungrateful for a bonus of supernatural blood.

He chuckled at Chase's question, and stepped around until he was in front of the shifter, a thoughtful expression on his face for a moment as he seemed to assess both sides from where he was standing. Didn't really make much of a difference.

"Do you really wanna know everything?" he asked with a frown that was clearly not serious.

Chase nearly tucked his chin with the wuffles that followed. A sheepish smile on his face. The vampire's closer proximity did kick his heart up a notch or two, and the knowledge that he was about to to be bitten swam through his thoughts.

Before he gave into the nagging of his mind, blue eyes closed and he tilted his head toward the left, exposing the right side of his neck. Another wuffle before he very quietly admitted, "Maybe."

coded by natasha.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Shia D'Shire

Tags: Evelyn Maeteris Maylee Vinegar Bees | Location: Houston, TX​

Shia gave a small shrug. "He sees something. I can tell we're all tethered to the moon, but... He sees differently from what I have gathered. It isn't always in his control. Night time is the worst, for reasons we already know."

A hand moved to rub at the back of his neck for a brief moment, then stopped as if he caught himself in an inappropriate habit. "We're tied to it more than others, Devlin was doing some more research so, hopefully he'll have more information to share when everyone's back."

Which apparently made him remember something else as he glanced to Evelyn and Maylee. "Chances are not everyone will be back today, or tomorrow. I believe we had estimated Friday at the latest. In the interim, we'll have rooms at his place, and maybe we can help in some research, I'm not sure. I'll reach out to the others tonight and check in on the progress. We'll have a better idea then on when everyone will return."

Shia frowned, "In the very least, I plan on making use of his resources to try and find out about those who attempted to reach Maylee. If there are others, knowing their intentions and numbers will be most.. beneficial."

coded by natasha.

 

[Vinegar Bees]

Coda stared sullenly down at the dingy desk he had been told to stay at. Over the year he had worked for the coven, he had been all over Block C—the many security checkpoints, the debriefing rooms, the winding halls—but his least favorite definitely had to be the part of the training area that had classrooms instead of weapons.

He was to stay at Block C, they told him, and train while he waited for Key to return from a high-priority assignment. Just the thought of it made his skin crawl. Key—he didn't like that guy. Too vain. Too smug. Even though he was far shorter than Coda, he somehow made it seem like he was always looking down at him.

And yet Key was the one with the important assignment while Coda was wasting his time back at home base. It made him feel sort of—vestigial.

The signals they had been sending him lately weren't exactly clear. He was supposed to be getting promoted soon, they had told him, as a milestone for a full year of employment—but they didn't seem to have much use for him. So what was it? Did they seem him as a king or a mere pawn?

He would not be a pawn on anyone's board.

The glaring fluorescent lights above buzzed like insects, and Coda sulkily puffed out air through his cheeks. At least it was morning, so that fucked-up moon was about as far as it could get. The others were always quieter in daylight, though they were seldom silent anymore.

What's he doing? Why is he just sitting there?

Idiot. They're gonna come for him. When they get him, it'll be his own damn fault.

Ha! Schoolboy can't leave without a hall pass?

Others. Voices. Peanut gallery. He had plenty of different names for them, many of which were nothing more than increasingly-colorful combinations of swear words. With a frustrated huff, Coda pulled his hood up over his head and pressed his head down on the desk, as if that had ever worked before. Between the buzzing lights and the buzzing pests in his head, it was enough to make him want to smash at least one of them.

For a moment, he tried to rhythmically suck air in and out through his teeth, but it wasn't enough. Burying his head as far beneath his arms as he could, he started to quietly sing,

"Another head hangs lowly, child is slowly taken..."

It was a song that echoed faintly from his childhood, one of the only sounds he had found to calm him with any rate of success.

"And the violence caused such silence, who are we mistaken?"

A woman with ardent eyes and warm hands used to play it at a low volume over the books she had spread across her desk. Sometimes she crooned softly along, and he tucked his head against the pillows on her bed and drifted to sleep with the sound.

Schoolboy and a mama's boy.

Gritting his teeth, Coda plugged his fingers into his ears and tried to drown it out: "But you see, it's not me, it's not my family—"

All at once, the door to the classroom opened. Flustered, Coda bolted upright, and then he quickly adopted a slouched, absent posture, trying to appear as if he had just been roused from a casual nap.

One of the other personnel he had run into a few times over the year stood in the doorway, and Coda remained coldly silent, waiting for him to speak first, as the man crossed over the room and sat across from him.

"As I'm sure you know, your training isn't complete."

Yeah, yeah. He had already gotten the your training is never complete spiel plenty of times. They didn't need to patronize him to motivate him to get stronger.

"You're doing well with combat," the man said, "but there are some other important areas in which you are... lacking. Such as, well..." The man cleared his throat. "...people skills."

Coda blinked, speechless.

People skills? Had he heard right? In the beat of silence that followed, the humming lights in the background seemed almost to be chuckling at him.

He narrowed his eyes. So that was how it was? Key was out doing the important shit while he had to stay behind to... learn how to talk to people? Even pawns moved silently.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," he hissed.

coda.

half-demon

 

[Maeteris]

Evelyn Harper

D’Shire’s plan was sensible and Evelyn agreed with his decision. Though it gave her the impression Wright was running low on staff if he’s having D’Shire doing almost everything. Ironic for her to say so. She could’ve just as easily had some half-ling to go do this task and be in a vault sipping martini. But pride came miles before rational thought for an Elf, especially a Scuris.

“Help with research.”

Tick.

“Remember our discussion regarding expertise, Mr.D’Shire?.” Of course he remembered, but the nail had to be hammered in. She spared him a glance, Song’s quiet countenance registering in her vision--another mystery in itself, Evelyn blinked, returning to the sight of passing scenery. “I’ll find other matters to occupy myself with.” She said finally, deciding to ease on the mortal for once; a short rest on the plane wouldn’t have sufficed for a mortal’s shell. That’s all it was, just careful calculation on her part.

She folded her hands neatly on her lap, eyes closing briefly, and then she could just feel the phantom bumps as the carriage rolled onto cobblestone streets, shrill voices muffled but audible, hollering their repeated lines. The scent of freshly baked pastries wafted the air, and Young Evelyn would concentrate on it, ignoring the stench of man-filth that overpowered everything else.

Most importantly, she’d tuned out the burning scrutiny from father. Sat across her as if on a throne, his gaze burned lines on her skin, she’d never had the audacity to meet those orbs.

And all she would do is close her eyes and purse her lips, holding onto the homely scent of mortal-made bread like an insect. Perhaps that was what Song felt, cooped like a hen in a cage with a veritable ancient and a magic weaver such as D’Shire. Frankly, it wouldn’t make sense for the woman to have such thoughts--for she was a hunter, a sought out profession in the days of old; revered by churches and even common folk.

Evelyn was looking at it wrong, she surmised. It had something to do with Song’s unnatural nature. A hunter yet cursed with a mongrel’s blood. That made more sense. Her chin dipped in an unnoticeable nod, satisfied with the conclusion her thoughts had brought her.

But how does one placate a mutt-hunter?

Her brows furrowed momentarily. Answers milling her mind. It would be so easy if Song was a normal mortal, they were easy to appease. But Evelyn relished a challenge. “I am in your care, Ms.Song and yours as well Mr--Shia. To be honest, I am far from any useful family assets, and by my own I am not as formidable as I’d like to believe. Therefore---What I am trying to convey is, I appreciate any efforts to protect me.”

Why did you say that fool! Now they know the truth! You are weak here!

She closed her eyes, calming her breaths. The voice tuned out. Her mindseye casted inwards, scathing the inner-turmoil, it retreated in it’s dark corner. It will return, bearing even more distrustful advice. Until then, Evelyn took note to guard her thoughts.

location: Houston • tags • mood • Outfit • interactions

 

[Vinegar Bees]

Maylee frowned, fiddling with the straps on her messenger bag to vent some of her nervous energy. She was dangling precariously on the precipice of so much, and she felt almost as disoriented as she had in that haunting dream, suspended above the nightmare lake.

How, exactly, was one to research the current phenomenon? She couldn't imagine there was a historical precedent for something like this—unless it had happened before and had merely been buried in the archives of some arcane, secretive coven. For all she knew, perhaps Devlin even belonged to such a coven himself.

And that other group—the men who had tracked her down to her apartment. Certainly they didn't have the same access to Devlin's visions, so where were they getting their information? And—she felt a shudder run through her—what would they have wanted from her if they had gotten in touch before Shia had?

Now that she thought about it—what if Devlin was hiding some sort of sinister secret, and these other men had been trying to warn her about it—?

No, she told herself, shaking her head. She may not know enough about Devlin to trust him—she didn't even know whether he was an old, wizened man or a startlingly young one—but she had vowed to trust Shia and Evelyn.

At that moment, Evelyn spoke up, and Maylee glanced up, surprised. She made reference to some prior conversation she had had with Shia—how long had they been traveling together before they found her, Maylee wondered?—and after another moment of silence, she made a startling admission.

"...I am not as formidable as I'd like to believe. Therefore—what I am trying to convey is, I appreciate any efforts to protect me."

Maylee blinked, stunned. Really—? Surely she was just being modest, right? Not that modesty had particularly struck Maylee as one of Evelyn's qualities (and what reason would a wealthy elf have to be modest?), but she couldn't imagine an elf wouldn't have some incredible abilities at her disposal. And for Evelyn to think of her as a worthy candidate of providing protection—?

She furrowed her brow. This sudden admission—Evelyn was putting her own trust in the group, wasn't she? Stirred by a sudden sense of determination, Maylee spoke up.

"I... yes. That's my job, after all." She let her eyes drift briefly shut and took in a breath. "What I mean is—I became a hunter because I wanted to protect, not destroy. I wanted to keep people safe from the things they couldn't keep themselves safe from, even if it meant being their shield." She frowned, clenching her fists against her bag. "That... that goes for anyone. Anyone who feels helpless, or scared, or lost—I don't want them to carry that feeling within them. So I'll protect them."

Maylee felt her cheeks flush a little, both from the sudden burst of passion and the ensuing mild social embarrassment at having had such a bout. She lowered her gaze. "We're a team now. I don't know why the moon brought us together, but... we're a team all the same. So I'll protect you, both of you, with my life."

maylee song.

hunter | werewolf

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Leviathan Black

Tags: Edwin @Thropian Clementine @AsherMasher | Location: Paradise, NV [/font]​

Levi and Edwin enjoyed some food, while Levi's phone charged up. They both headed out, address pulled up on his phone. Before they departed, Levi wrote down a couple of numbers for Edwin. "Seeing as how I'm not that great on keeping my phone charged, if you hold onto this, we'll at least have the numbers in case my phone dies again. Any of them will have the address we need to get to." There were three numbers and names, Chase, Shia, and Bug. "Bug's the last resort. Good guy, but .. real scatterbrained at times."

A quick hailing of a cab, on Devlin's dime, and they were on Clementine's block by fifteen after four. Levi requested the cab let them out at the end of the block, and spent some time finger combing his hair to be just right. "Okay, so uh.. yeah. I'm just going to talk to her. When I have a plan, I tend to muck it up so... If you want to wait on the sidewalk just out of sight maybe?"

Levi looked up at Edwin, he had to look up at nearly everyone really. But when he glanced up at Edwin, the grin was wide. "Wish me luck, Pops. Gonna go talk to a girl." Levi chuffed and winked before walking up the sidewalk to the address given.

The first few steps were confident, maybe a little cocky, but by the time one hand lifted to rap upon the door, it had waned somewhat. Knock, knock, knock. Hands thrust into pockets, suddenly overcome with uncertainty. He fought the urge to look back at Pops for a small confidence boost.

In the end, after a minute passed, Levi turned his head slightly. He attempted to use his hair as a curtain, taking a peek at where Pops was going to be waiting. Truth was, he couldn't see the man from here, but knowing he should be there, was enough to put a small grin on Levi's face. And he murmured, "Pops, heh."

coded by natasha.

 

[bread-and-butterflies]

Allison Hagan

nervous/excited driving in Houston outfit Bug Out Of Words

“Hmm.” A burger and shake did sound tempting. But she didn't want to stop now, when they were so close to maybe, finally, getting some answers. “Sorry, Bug, not this time. Maybe another day. I expect we'll be in Houston for a bit.”

Since they'd entered the city, a nervous energy had been building up in her body – she felt it rattle around in her arms, and she had to stop herself from clenching the steering wheel so tightly. But she chided herself – tsk – and reminded herself that nervousness was just another word for excitement. The magician they were going to meet might know exactly what was going on with the moon, and, hopefully, how to stop it. With that last thought, she was suddenly struck by the enormity of the task she and these others he was gathering would be involved in. If they were able to affect any change on the moon, good or bad, they could, quite literally, change the world. It could affect the tides – maybe even the Earth's rotation? Allison wasn't an astronomer, but it sounded at least plausible. And who knew what would happen to shifters? She quickly glanced at Bug, as he happily studied the phone's screen.

And how were they going to fix the moon? It would take an enormous amount of magic, more than Allison or her coven had ever dealt with – what kind of consequences would there be if they made a mistake? And could these strangers be trusted with that kind of power? And -

Allison snapped her eyes shut in a hard blink and shook her head vigorously.

“Our morals are our own.
Trust comes only with an oath.
There is space and time for everyone to speak.”

As she muttered the first part of her coven's code under her breath, her thoughts calmed somewhat, and the rattling energy calmed with it. She took a deep breath. No point in working herself up about what-ifs now that she was already here. For the rest of the trip, she willed herself to focus solely on following Bug's directions and navigating the streets of the strange city.

code by yousmelldead

 

[Maeteris]

Yeo-Jin Park

“Alright, alright.” She waves dismissively with a shake of her head, inadvertently reminded why she’s considered the calmer of the two, that spoke volumes in itself since there was no keeping away from firecracker Jin.

“Security’s improved, what’s the occasion?” She asks, the question goes unanswered. She wasn’t expecting a reply anyway. She’s left with Banks, a key across them and in typical Banks fashion he makes her go first, which could be considered chivalrous, if it weren’t for the nature of their profession.

“Do you ever go first? It might be a bomb or something.” She jokes. She palms the key, nothing unusual about it, just a normal looking key which she then used to open the box. Inside was the PPE they were promised and further info on their targets. “Right, seems manageable. No combat background, sweet.”

Everything seems in order. The usual fare, if a little beefed up. Everything checked and squared away, she finds herself being escorted along with Banks outside again. She helps Banks load the equipment on board an Altus, with Banks taking the driver seat. Orlando was a bit aways from here, so she reckons Banks would have to sleep some time. “Roooad trip.” She announces with a grin.

location: Florida • tags • mood • Outfit • interactions

 

[Maeteris]

Evelyn Harper

Evelyn silently observed Song’s reaction through her peripheral, a difficult feat mastered by centuries of practice. It was easier to grasp emotions on faces than anything else and that by itself was worth it, anything to avoid meeting eyes with mortals. Song’s brows scrunched in thought, she could practically hear the gears turning in the small-one’s mind as the words fell out of her mouth, slowly at first as if picking them like hanging fruits.

And there it was, the slow ascent into determination. Her cheeks were tinted, and those eyes had not addressed her yet but Evelyn’s bit had accomplished it’s task. Determination was better than anxiousness in the face of uncertainty; Fury was better than despair in the face of an overwhelming foe. “Very well.” Evelyn said, “I am counting on you.” The lie was smooth as butter.

location: Houston • tags • mood • Outfit • interactions

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Room Service | Current Timeline: May 14th​

Tags: Maddox Ward KodakWolf | Location: Hotel Houston, TX

The air was building up to be so dense one could almost touch it, a different kind of dense not really related to the still not apparent moon. With a now permanent smirk on his face that'd widen slightly whenever Chase wuffled, Maddox reached forward to feel the pulse of the shifter's carotid artery with skilled fingers, another move that served no point other than to verify the obvious racing heartbeat, which he admitted felt rewarding, and to possibly stoke it some more. The teenage movies that said vampires were cold to the touch weren't exactly accurate, not always. It'd feel pretty similar to a human touch, with the exception that it conveyed energy way more intense than that of mortals.

The vampire's own heart thumped within his chest with the realization that he was still in control, the control he'd had for centuries. The moon wasn't slithering into his mind, not significantly; it was still early. Any apprehension he'd had about not being able to ensure Chase wouldn't get too hurt was gone, and his mind could focus solely on what was about to happen. Knowing he wouldn't have to resist it made the fragrance of the blood all the more appealing, if it was possible.

Maddox splayed his hand on the side of the shifter's neck, about to slide it down to his shoulder to prepare to strike when he detained himself, leaning slightly forward with sharp eyes, grasp still on Chase's neck.

"You know, I wasn't gonna ask." He could feel Chase's warm breathing reach his face. "But do you wanna remember, or do you wanna forget?" he spoke quietly. He had some level of control of how much memory a victim would have once they recovered.

The heart thought it was suddenly on a racetrack when Chase felt the touch to the neck. It was a struggle with himself to not peek, but keep his eyes closed and his body relaxed. Wuffling beyond what he heard with his own ears, Chase was trying to count slowly in his mind, breathing in for a count of eight, then out for another eight.

The question had Chase jerk slightly, breathing exercise to calm his beating heart flew right out the window. Chase was aware of his personal space, and how it was being quite taken over by Maddox. Wuffle wuffle.

"Why would I want to forget a new experience?" Chase loved learning new things, experiencing new things. If it wound up being good or bad, it was an experience he could say he had. "Remember, please and thank you."

And then for a moment Chase thought it sounded like he was telling Maddox to remember his please and thank yous. "Not that I'm telling you to remember your please and thank yous. I just meant I'd like to remember, please." Wuffle. "And thank you." Wuffle wuffle.

The amount of positivity that could fit in one person was remarkable. Maddox could name a thousand reasons one would want to forget a new experience, but still, an interesting concept. He needed an extra second to process the 'thank you', not something he was expecting to hear but instead something he indeed should've said himself. The dwelling didn't last long though, as he'd only briefly snapped out of the bloodlust induced trance like state.

Maddox then nodded affirmatively, not having the necessary focus to formulate any more words, letting his hand slide down to grip Chase's shoulder while the other would be placed on the side of his head, holding it in place as the vampire stepped closer.

The vampire's attention turned to the exposed neck and he bent his head forward, his lips lingering above the skin for a moment, with the technical purpose of sensing exactly where the blood was running, as it was different for every person and required for an accurate, painless bite.

Maddox could hear the blood running, loud and clear, and once fangs pierced the skin at the very right spot, he could finally taste it, some drops running down Chase's neck to stain his shirt.

How painless it'd actually be didn't depend solely on the vampire, but Maddox' part was proficiently done as promised. It took him a huge amount of effort to pull his head back up and away from Chase's neck, as the intention had been to keep Chase from completely passing out for long so they could reach the truck without drawing too much attention, but also not take too little because... well, opportunity.

Maddox didn't move away though, and had moved both arms to underneath Chase's in order to support his weight and drag him to the bed. Once he'd been set down, the vampire moved swiftly away and across the room, actually as far away as he could without leaving the room, letting himself fall onto an armchair, breathing still fast as the bloodlust slowly gave place to what could only be described as similar to the effects of a not so heavy drug.

The taste still lingered in the vampire's mouth for a good while., impossible to define by common words used to describe food. It sufficed to say it was special, in a way only vampires could understand. The blood was pure, pure enough to grant a decent bit of sunlight protection, which was a bonus but not really the main reason he craved it. He let his head fall back onto the headrest, taking long breaths in and out as he stared blankly at the ceiling.

"Thank you." Maddox mumbled under his breath with a quick glance at Chase. No, he would not forget his thank yous.

Chase was reeling, it had simultaneously felt like it went in slow motion, and was all a blur. It was a contradictory sensation, leaving the wolf shifter alternatively gasping for breath, and wuffling. There had been some pain, truth be told, Chase had expected more.

Like two needles being pushed past the barrier of flesh, Chase had winced slightly, and pushed out a breath in a laden wuffle. When he felt a pull, his hands had come up to hold onto Maddox for extra stability. However, Chase was a good boy, and his eyes remained closed.

It felt hot, warm, cold, all in the same breath. The heat was being pulled out, he could feel its tendrils loosening from within and tugged upward, and out. It left cold slivers of something he likely should have been afraid of, but wasn't.

Chase was filled with a strange sense of calmness mingled with a rapt fascination for what was going on. Fingers curled in their hold on Maddox's shirt, an action he wasn't completely aware of. He was very aware of the drinking, the feeding, and the vampire doing so.

And then he was aware of the vampire not feeding. It was a slow realization, the room had spun around and Chase found himself staring upward at a ceiling. A ceiling looking like it was tilting slightly, warping, then it stabilized, leaving Chase with a ragged breath, and husky wuffles.

Maddox's thank you drifted to Chase, and he couldn't help but give a low laugh. When he spoke, it was low, as if out of breath, peppered with those wuffles with nearly every exhale. "Well, I had wanted an experience." A chuckle, and a small wince as Chase turned his head to look at Maddox. It wasn't painful, his neck just felt tight, like he hadn't moved his head in ages.

A grin was plastered on his face, Chase's expression matched someone who was trying to figure out if they had liked something or not. "Feel better?"

coded by natasha.