Realistic or Modern A Night Bleeds (Closed)

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Leviathan Black

Tags: Edwin @Thropian | Location: Colorado Nevada​

Levi gave a small laugh at being a boring old accountant, but it was quickly followed with "Ack!". It was definitely a sound effect brought to life when Edwin ruffled his hair. Levi resembled a cat who had been rubbed the wrong way and had to fix it then and there. Fingers came out and he proceeded to comb his hair back the way he liked it. Only when he was satisfied did he seem capable of focusing on something else.

"Maybe. On account of my vertically challenged state of being.." Levi paused to chuff and fix a strand of hair he caught in the edge of his periphery. "..Never got along with a lot of others my age. Probably was just some high school pissing contest thing. Glad I'm done with high school." The grin was back when the glance shifted up to Edwin. "I thought about living in some forest somewhere for a while. Then realized I am too addicted to modern conveniences. Like.. hot showers."

A small rumbling sound came from Levi, his body shifting slightly, settling even deeper into the seat. "Man, I always get sleepy when riding in a car. Probably be a couple of hours before we stop for a break. And nothing makes time pass faster than a good cat nap. Or two." He winked at Edwin before letting his head rest more fully in the spot formed between the seat and the window. "If I snore, just elbow me, willya?"


The bus would continue to rumble down the highway on it's fifteen and a half hour long trip. The first stop came at Idaho Springs, Colorado. They were allowed a small break to use the facilities, grab snacks, and what not. There were several more stops along the way, but they were had an hour layover in Grand Junction, Colorado, where they had to transfer to different bus. It was the last stop in the state, next wouldn't be until they hit Utah.

Levi had to stretch something awful by the time they got off the bus. His yawn had the slightest hint of a growl as arms reached high over his head in the stretch. "Oh man. Maybe I should learn to deal with a plane sometime." He rubbed at his face, and his nose with the palms of his hands. "So glad the windows can be lowered. Man. Someone needs to wear less perfume on that thing. Ugh! Okay. Let's get something good to eat. I still have enough I can cover both of us, easy peasy."

They headed across the street to the open diner, and Levi slid into one side of the booth, already checking out the menu. "I hope they have crispy bacon." Levi glanced at Edwin over the top of the menu. "How are you holding up?"

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: Portland, Maine​

Shia actually showed relief on his face when it was indeed Maylee, and not voicemail. Eyes closed as he listened to her speak, as if memorizing the message in case there was something he had to recall later. "Yes, of course. We will meet you there. Thank you." The call was disconnected, phone tucked away, and Shia spent one more moment with eyes closed before he relayed the words.

"Lincoln Park, off Pearl street. She should be there in about ten minutes." Shia had noticed Evelyn made a phone call herself, which had been another reason for closing his eyes. It allowed him to dissect the two conversations, and maintain focus on his own. He did catch enough to understand the ruse and hopeful diversion to give them time from any possible pursuers. As she turned and led the way, the crowd parting, Shia tucked his chin and hid the brief wide smile.

They made it ahead of Maylee, and Shia fought the urge to take a picture and send it via text in case someone was monitoring communications to the woman. He did scan the area with hands held up in a frame again, peering through the square of his fingers and thumb as Evelyn spoke. "What is your forte, if I may ask."

"Administration obviously; but if you're asking if i have any combat experience then no unless you count swordsmanship a useful skill against fire lobbing mortals."

When Shia finished his sweep of the area, he strode toward Evelyn, one hand reaching inside his black coat. "When we have the time, and I have the components, I can enchant a pocket of a clothing article of your choice. It can be advantageous." He drew out an item that was larger than a normal pocket would have held. "While this isn't a sword, it does have an enchanted blade you may find of use." Shia handed the dagger over, handle held out for Evelyn to take.

The blade was black, and etched in runes of silver that shimmered when the light caught it just right. It was finely balanced indicating it could be thrown if the need arose. "Most magicians overlook protecting their sides, they focus too much on the front or back, sides tend to be a good bet. And if they don't see you as a threat, they'll likely ignore you if they are engaged with someone they do see as a threat."

He pointed out the end of the handle, where it looked like it could be pressed in like a button or switch. "Otherwise, when pressed, this gives a temporary shield, good to block one attack before dissipating." Shia bowed at the waist slightly once Evelyn took the dagger. "When you have your preferred sword, you may return the dagger, until then, it is yours to use."

Shia gave a single hm as he turned back to where they were. He withdrew his phone from a pocket to pull up a picture he had of Maylee Song. This was shown to Evelyn, "This should be a fairly recent photo, and this is who we are looking for. I am going to try and set some basic protection wards, if you can keep an eye open for her, it is appreciated." When Evelyn had a good look at the photo, the phone was put away.

Shia then turned to the immediate area. He murmured incantations under his breath, performing intricate finger movements as he cast a few wards. The spells were basic, nothing that required more than one to cast it, though the latter would have made it stronger. It should be enough to help create a diversion should interference find them before they were able to leave.

coded by natasha.

 

[Maeteris]

Varya Scuris "Evelyn Harper"
Outfit​

Evelyn took the offered weapon by the handle, feeling the exquisite blade to hilt balance presented. She gave the weapon a quick once over, beautifully crafted by mortal standards. Perhaps even satisfying the elven criteria. A dagger wasn’t a weapon she’d used before but a blade was a blade, and it’s said the length of the blade scales with your opponent’s expectations. Suffice to say, this blade's wielder wouldn't be perceived as much of an opponent until too late... Unless the wielder was Evelyn.

Her eyes darted back towards D’Shire, bent forward in a bow; curious man he was. But she didn’t feel the need to inquire… yet. “Thank you, it’s a fine craft.” Very fine, exquisite, bordering legendary. Her thumb slides over the blade’s length, tracing over the arcing lines. High-carbon steel and traces of silver, fashioned into damascus. How quaint and utterly mortal. She thought. The dagger balanced and spun around on her palm. She nodded and filed away the information for use if it came to a battle. “I will endeavour to appear unthreatening.” She said sarcastically. The natural height advantage seemed to spell out a juicy target for any opportunistic opponents; either in the office or on the dueling mat. She would bet it didn’t differ all too much in real combat.

Evelyn had to squint her eyes at the held phone, the sunlight glaring off the display. Maylee Song looked almost asian, at least to Evelyn’s perception; her skin color and eyes lent a considerable amount to that speculation. Other than that, the girl appeared absolutely normal and athletic. Evelyn nodded, and watched for a quiet moment as D’Shire went about his warding before casting her attention around the expansive park.

 

[Vinegar Bees]

It didn't take her long to reach Lincoln Park—she knew the way. Once upon a time, a girl much smaller in size and softer in heart than Maylee had imagined the park as fertile soil for adventure, making swords out of twigs and a mystical spring out of the ornamental fountain at the center of the park. Now, of course, those memories lay drowned like the tarnished coins sleeping at the bottom of the fountain. Her companions were all gone—the two wise kings she had often rescued were sleeping themselves beneath the earth, and the partner who had always fought by her side had decided he liked the view on the other side better.

Happily-ever-afters were only for stories.

Shifting her focus back to the situation at hand, Maylee scanned the park and found two figures standing sentinel-like at a distance. She raised a hand to shade her eyes, but still the sunlight blotted out any meaningful apart from vague silhouettes. Maylee felt a hint of worry beginning to climb up to her throat—there were two figures. Mr. D'Shire hadn't said anything about another, had he—? Reading between the lines of their conversation, she had surmised that someone may be on her tail, tracking her down beginning at Ms. Baker's shop. If that were so, had this other party gotten there first...?

Then again—she replayed Mr. D'Shire's exact words in her mind: And it is of utmost importance we meet. He didn't specify that he would be alone, either.

She hovered in place for a moment, mind racing, before she took in a deep breath and squared her shoulders. Even if she was walking into a trap, this was the closest she had come to anything resembling answers, and she was in no position to refuse them.

Be brave, even if you're scared.

She dismounted her bike and walked it the remaining distance towards the two figures, whose details sharpened as she approached. There was a man, well-groomed and slightly taller than her—his well-kempt appearance seemed to match the meticulous, cordial voice she had heard on the phone. Beside him was a woman, lithe and graceful and dressed in a sharp pantsuit—and standing well over a head taller than Maylee herself. The woman cut an impressive and (if she were being honest with herself) intimidating figure, and Maylee found herself standing up a little straighter in meek compensation.

"You must be Shia D'Shire," she said, "and, um..."

Her voice trailed off as she wondered whether it would be wise to ask the woman directly for her name. After a beat, she returned with renewed confidence to something she knew she knew: her own name.

"I'm Maylee. I don't know how much use I can be, but I'll tell you everything I know." Another beat, and she added somewhat bashfully: "Which isn't much."

maylee song.

hunter | werewolf

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Current Timeline: May 12-13th​

Tags: Maddox KodakWolf | Location: Black Hills, Wyoming

Chase showed a small measure of relief when Maddox gave him the keys and told him the directions to the cabin. He needed to get out of the moon's taint, his legs were already starting to throb with pain to the point he nearly winced with each step. He certainly wuffled a lot more, then again, he always seemed to wuffle so maybe not. At the cabin, while he was dismayed at the lack of provisions, and toyed with actually imbibing some alcohol, he was just grateful to be inside.

The urge to look around was a difficult one to not indulge in, but with more than a handful of wuffles, and some vigorous brushing of hands through his hair, Chase managed. He settled down eventually and while staying away from any wolf pelts, found a place to settle in and nap. His legs were propped up and he did his best to get comfortable for the time being.

Meanwhile, in Black Hills, once Leif made it to the top of the tower, it was akin to seeing things with fresh eyes. The blood hue cast things in a different light, twisting, warping, giving the beholder a new point of view. Had those markings along the top, shallow with age and wear and tear, always been there? Were they hidden in normal light, only revealed in the blood letting of the moon? Then again, maybe it was just the strange moon's influence on Leif, and a figment of his imagination.

It showed the moon, tethered with ropes, being pulled out of the sky by an unknown tribe. As if their hostage, unable to do anything but follow the pull of the ropes. Several yards away, there is another circling of figures, another tribe, arms raised toward the moon as if in alarm. Trying to free it, but unable to reach it in time. And in between either tribe, a pair of antelope, rushing and racing toward the moon, toward the hostile tribe. And halfway between the antelope and the tethered moon, a coyote, laughing as it is faster than the antelope, and bearing down on the hostage moon.

Strangely, the moment Leif saw the whole picture, it changed. No, the sky changed first. The blood seemed to pulse, and a beating of a heart could be heard if Leif listened closely. The pulsing changed the markings in a series of flashes, nearly as quickly as the blinking of an eye. The moon wasn't held by ropes, but it was breaking part, piece by piece. The hostile tribe wore hooded cloaks, arms lifted to the moon, fingers greedily reaching for each piece as it came toward them. The coyote shifted to a humanoid figure, which split apart again into hundreds of smaller specks, all suddenly floating, flying toward the moon. The antelopes multiplied five times and changed to human figures. They were varying sizes, shapes, genders, but all had a thread tied to the moon. And the other tribe on the far side, morphed into a small globe, a small earth.

There was a sudden bright flash of light, like lightning, accompanied by a rumble of thunder strong enough to vibrate through the Devil's Tower itself. Leif was left with a trembling sensation under his feet, lungs bereft of air for a brief moment, and one hell of a headache.

Tags: Luciana @Clownery & Bug | Location: Baltimore

It was clear by Wednesday morning, Luciana was not ready for such a decision. And Bug received another text, calling him away. He felt like he had failed somehow, and his usual upbeat demeanor was much more subdued, saddened. "It's okay. I mean.. I almost did the same thing. Thought it would be too big for the likes of me. I like music, dancing, fun things and this is so far from fun, it's like.. .. ... not fun." Bug fished out a small card and handed it to Luciana. "In case you change your mind, okay? If no one answers, leave a voice mail. We will get to it, just you know, can't always guarantee someone is free to answer the phone but.. that's us. Okay?"

Bug chittered and couldn't help but give her a quick hug. Like super quick, before she even knew what it was, it was gone. "Room's paid up through tomorrow, so.. stay if you need. Uh.. and.. be safe. And dance a little, yeah? Okay. Bye."

Bug left the hotel, one hand covering his heart, fingers doing a little pat pat as he let out a quiet sigh. He hoped the others wouldn't see it as a failure. Bug failed at a lot of things, but he had really, really, really wanted to not fail in this. Maybe it would have been better if Shia had talked to her. "Stupid Bug. Always messing things up. Stupid, stupid, stupid Bug." He moped as he headed out into the street, still deserted in the dark hours of the early morning.

One last look at the hotel room, breath held, as if by doing so, Luciana would appear and stop him, agreeing to come along after all. But it didn't happen. Bug chittered soflty into the night, "Who's your daddy.." Then his silhouette burst apart, hundreds of dragonflies spilling out and upward, swarming in and out as it made a beeline toward the airport. He had to get to California where hopefully, he wouldn't fail again.

Tags: Clementine @AsherMasher | Location: Nevada

Clementine made her way up the embankment toward the highway. Attempting to use the phone on the way, there was no service, not until she actually reached the side of the road. And it was spotty at best, however she did manage to reach a cab company. They said they could get to her in about ten minutes, give or take. It was nearing early evening, the sun showed signs of setting soon. Surely it would be fine, she'd get the cab, get back home, and maybe this would prove to be just a bad dream.

Five minutes have passed.

There was a low, keening wail back in the direction of the car crash. Clementine would definitely recognize the sound as the creature calling itself Ash. Guttural noises, along with the screeching of metal being torn, echoed up the embankment. Followed by silence, the type of silence no one likes. It was almost like a vacuum of sound, she couldn't hear the cars rushing by on the highway. Or the birds overhead. Or the breeze that was rustling the leaves of a nearby tree. Just... nothing.

Six minutes have passed.

"Oh my darling, oh my darling. Oh my darling, Clementine." The singing had an otherworldly haunting quality, low, raspy, coming from every direction all at once. It was the only sound she could hear, aside from her own breath, or her heartbeat. "You were lost and gone forever, dreadful sorrow, Clementine." There wasn't any sign of the creature, or the car still presumably down the embankment. Just that .. singing.

"Drove the horses to the water, every morning just at nine. Hit her foot against a splinter, fell into the foaming brine." Or was that movement? Down back the way she came. One tree rustled stronger than the others, as if grasped and purposefully shook. "Ruby lips above the water, blowing bubbles soft and fine. But at last, I was no swimmer, so I lost my Clementine."

Seven minutes have passed.

Down along the highway, toward the city, a yellow and black vehicle with the taxi light on top was approaching. It seemed to be going slow, reading the mile markers in order to find the one where Clementine was waiting by. Still, the vacuum of sound surrounded her, with the song bearing her name. "Oh my darling, oh my darling. Oh my darling, Clementine. You were lost and gone forever, dreadful sorrow, Clementine."

The taxi saw her, and had put on it's hazards to indicate it was pulling over. A low, frightening growl was getting louder, and louder, something could be heard scrambling up the embankment behind her. Did she dare look? The song was now just words uttered, "You were lost and gone forever, dreadful sorrow, Clementine." There was a bit of wind rustling, causing her clothing to move. Or was that the hint of a claw?

Eight minutes have passed.

"You coming?" The taxi's back passenger side door was open. The driver didn't hear or see anything amiss as he waited for his fare to get in.

"DREADFUL SORROW, CLEMENTINE!"

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: Portland, Maine​

Shia gave Evelyn one of his genuine smiles, something slipping out more and more. Then he did the framing action with his hands again, spotting someone with a bike growing closer. It was only for a moment, but it did let him know Maylee was genuine. He stayed in place, hands by his side, giving a bow in greeting when she neared enough to have a conversation. "Yes, greetings. This is Miss Evelyn Harper, and you may call me Shia." This time he just tilted his chin in a head bow of respect.

"My apologies, I cannot get into great detail here, however you should be informed of the crux of the matter. I am a Weaver, a magician, and I work for another who has tasked me, and a few others, with locating select individuals who he believes can help put a stop to our current moon phenomenon. And apparently, there are others who seek to stop us from doing so. One such gentleman has taken occupancy in your florist shop and it is not safe, nor advisable, to return there."

Shia had different manners of speech, when he was 'on the job' so to speak, he definitely had a more formal way of speaking. It would slip slowly into something more relaxed the longer he was in the presence of others. For now, it had to be business, he couldn't afford to slip up. It felt like the weight of the world was upon his shoulders. Shoulders he had began to roll now and then when he believed no one was looking.

"We are to gather in another city as soon as possible for the next steps. Are you willing, and able, to travel with us? Time is... very important." Even now, he did keep a wary eye around them. Everyone walking in their line of sight was suspect in his eyes. "Financial means are to be taken care of by my benefactor, anything you will need is covered." Truth was, the longer he was standing in the park, out in the open, the stronger his unease grew.

coded by natasha.

 

[bread-and-butterflies]

Allison Hagan
Witch
Weaverville, California​

Allison closed her eyes for a moment, letting the cool breeze and the pine smell of redwoods wash over her. She opened them again and was immediately comforted by the tall, sturdy trees around her, and her dog's friendly face looking at her, apparently done investigating whatever interesting smell he had found earlier.

"Ready to move on, Berkley?"

But the sheepdog walked past Allison, pulling the leash back towards home. She was puzzled for a moment, before she noticed the light filtering through the trees had begun to fade, and the clouds in the Western sky were tinged with blue and pink. Allison rubbed her wrists instinctively as she searched the sky for a sign of the moon, but between the clouds and the trees and the last rays of sunlight, it wasn't yet visible. She couldn't quite bring herself to be relieved, however, since she knew that when night came, she would feel its effects, regardless.

Her thoughts drifted back to a month ago, when the moon had first begun to bleed. Allison had gone to bed without even noticing it, that first night. It had been a long day overseeing negotiations between two cantankerous shifters, and she had hit the hay almost as soon as the sun went down. Later that night, however, a sharp pain in her wrists yanked her out of her sleep, and she was greeted by the slick, blood-red light spilling in through the window and oozing down her bedroom walls.

The coven had an emergency meeting that night, and although everyone was alarmed and unsettled at the moon's appearance, only Allison experienced the throbbing ache in her wrists. They'd all done research since then, reaching out to all their contacts and consulting every resource they could find, but no one knew what the bleeding moon could mean, or why it was having such an affect on Allison in particular.

Allison clicked her tongue in irritation at the thought. She could handle the pain. It was small, but it was consistent - every night, the intensity ebbing and flowing with the phases of the moon. The uneasy sleep, and even the small, creeping tendrils of paranoia that wormed into her mind when the moon shone were bearable. But the not-knowing got on her nerves. After spending a quarter of a century as a full fledged magical practitioner and having regular dealings with beings of every kind, she had gotten comfortable with her competency in the supernatural. She might not be an expert on everything, but she knew enough to deal with most situations that she would reasonably encounter. This business with the moon bleeding, however, was not at all reasonable. She shook her head in disapproval at the whole thing, and Berkley gave a soft "woof," as if in agreement with her train of thought.

"Couldn't have said it better myself. Let's head back, Berk."

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Current Timeline: May 12-13th​

Tags: Allison bread-and-butterflies | Location: Weaverfille, CA

The night fell, and the moon rose, bleeding still. Tonight the ache was particularly strong, but not enough to prevent Allison from eventually falling asleep, perhaps out of sheer exhaustion. However, there was a sharp sound in the night, bringing her out of slumber before her body was ready to wake.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

It sounded like a knocking on the door, no, a pounding. Heavy handed, or maybe someone in urgent, dire need, whoever it was, they did not seem likely to stop without the door being answered. Nothing seemed to be triggering her magical wards, yet there was definitely someone at the door. Yet, Berkley wasn't barking. If sought out, the sheepdog would be found sleeping soundly in his usual spot.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Drawn into the other room, Allison moved toward the door, unable to pause her step. The light of the moon was strong though the windows, edging past curtains to cast eerie red light throughout the foyer. The doorknob lay waiting for her to twist it and pull the door open wide.

BANG. BANG. BANG.

The sound could be felt, as if something had punched her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her lungs. Allison was unable to stop her hand from reaching out, but she didn't have to touch it to make the door suddenly swing inward. A figure stood, outlined in red, both from the light of the moon, and actual blood. It rained down from the top of her head, trailing along braided brown hair to pool underneath her bare feet. A college sweatshirt, several sizes too big, was ripped and nearly shredded in some parts by something with sharp claws.

As Allison stared, brown eyes turned white, and the youthful face opened her mouth. In seconds, the skin began to appear cut, dry, ragged and rotting. Teeth blackened, and still the mouth opened wide, wider than a human's mouth was physically able to. An unholy wailing began as hands reached out toward Allison. Though the figure never made actual contact, there was a sharp pain, as if knives sliced through Ally's skin.

Black shadows welled up around the figure from behind. It wrapped the young woman up in tendrils that tugged and pulled the figure backward from the safety of Allison's home, into darkness. The scream became suddenly louder, blocking out all other sounds, the air thick with fear. And then suddenly, a masculine guttural cry.

"DREADFUL SORROW, CLEMENTINE!"


Berkley was there, whining and trying to comfort Allison when she woke up from the dream. The dawn had already come and gone, her clock read nine in the morning. When Allison moved her arms, it hurt, and there was a stickiness coating her skin. Upon investigation, there would be two long, thin but shallow, claw-like slices down either arm.

Oh, and her wards were going off. A shifter was at the door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

coded by natasha.

 

[Vinegar Bees]

Maylee watched carefully as Shia spoke, her gaze darting every now and then to the statuesque woman he had identified as Miss Evelyn Harper. So he was a Weaver, a sort of magician—

(Something tugged privately at her heart. Papa had been a magician.)

—who had been tasked by some mysterious third party to assemble what seemed to be a task force to combat the strange lunar happenings. She could only assume Evelyn Harper was another of these individuals, and Maylee found herself wondering what she—a small, inexperienced shifter—could possibly offer beside someone as visibly formidable as Evelyn.

(Papa wouldn't have liked her thinking like that.)

There was another group, however, whose mission was to preserve whatever sinister process was happening within the moon—and one of them, Shia said, had taken up residence at Ms. Baker's flower shop, temporarily vacated while the owner herself recovered. Maylee felt a shiver course through her. Who was this gentleman? Had he had something to do with that terrifying fit that had possessed Ms. Baker so suddenly?

Countless questions danced on the tongue she kept locked behind clenched teeth. Shia's tense demeanor reinforced what he had said—he couldn't spare time nor details at the moment. It seemed that, if she wanted to learn anything about what was going on, she needed to accompany Shia and Miss Evelyn Harper.

"I'll come with you," she said firmly. "What city are we heading to—?"

Not that it mattered how far it was. It wasn't like she had any family waiting for her to come home.

Something else gnawed at her mind, though. Shia was a magician—she could only assume, then, that Evelyn was likewise an individual of the supernatural persuasion. Had they learned anything about her other occupation before scouting her out here—?

If she were going to be traveling with them, she thought, it would be unwise to keep such a damning secret.

"Just one thing," she said, her hands kneading together uneasily. "I... I'm a hunter. I don't—"

She frowned, clenched her brow, tried to pinpoint words through the fog of apprehension that permeated her skull.

"I don't go out of my way to hunt anyone down. I have no reason to harm anyone who isn't themselves doing harm. But if—if someone like... like us is threatening human lives—I have gone after them. And I will."

She drew in a breath through her teeth, trying to steady the hammering of her heart as she glanced at Evelyn and then fixed her gaze on Shia. "I guess it's the sort of thing that would be important to know about me. Is that... going to be a problem?"

Shia was certainly a pleasant man at first glance, and though she was physically intimidating, Evelyn seemed perfectly collected herself. But if there were others in this group the Weaver was assembling, who was to say whether they weren't of the more bloodthirsty variety?

maylee song.

hunter | werewolf

 

[Maeteris]

Varya Scuris "Evelyn Harper"​

Evelyn heard Maylee first before she could actually see her, the girl arrived on a modest transportation; which would explain one of the reasons for her athletic figure, illusioned under a jacket, an odd choice of attire considering the outside temperature, but Evelyn kept that to herself, the multi-layered clothing Evelyn wore wasn’t exactly suitable either. The girl stopped, contemplating, Evelyn knew this was Maylee Song, but she held her tongue, a misplaced word might cause the girl to tuck tail and run, best let D’Shire handle this one.

She stifled a snort as the girl finally approached them of her own accord, her posture straightening as she came within talking distance, Evelyn never took her eyes off this curious creature. There was an odd air about her, something Evelyn could not truly place, in the midst of her deliberation she’d missed the opportunity to introduce herself; an unintended faux pas.

Fortunately, D’Shire was there to pick off where Song left off rather timidly; this man was beginning to inherit her secretary’s position by the minute. Not to mention he was becoming increasingly accommodating by the day. Her finger inadvertently brushed against the handle of the dagger tucked beneath her blazer. Convenient. She scoffed at the mention of financial aid however. Appreciated, however I can do without. She stopped a twitch of annoyance from marring her countenance.

Once in a while, she’d catch those eyes--feral eyes--glancing up at her. In response Evelyn’s brows furrowed slightly, cerulean blues attempting to tap into the windows of this one’s soul; young, compared to Evelyn. But she wasn’t interested in discerning whether her character was pure, Evelyn herself was far from that particular trait. No, over the years this habit of hers had just become just that; a habit with no particular motive in mind, just a small guilty pleasure of hers that she indulges every so often. Song’s voice tore her away from her thoughts. Evelyn nodded, her lip curling into the barest of a smile and turning away.

Evelyn had begun a march into the busy street again when sole weight from Song’s voice compelled her to stop. Her head angled curiously. A hunter? An apt description, if a little generous; their quarry were intelligent beings of their own will unlike the common animal. Like everything before, she kept that to herself. It seemed like a difficult topic for the young mortal, and Evelyn dared not to break the team synergy before it had a chance to stem.

She turned, waited for D’Shire to answer. Personally, she didn’t have a problem with it. But she couldn’t say the same for the others, only D’Shire knew. Song was right to disclose the fact early. Evelyn hadn’t accounted for the disparity between members of their… unique league of supernatural persons--to be rather inclusive.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Shia D'Shire

Tags: Evelyn Maeteris Maylee Vinegar Bees | Location: Portland, Maine​

"We are to reconvene in Houston, Texas." There was the matter of her bicycle, and if she needed some things from her home first. "It might not be completely safe to return to your home first, it is your choice. Otherwise, perhaps we can check the bicycle as ... check in luggage?" Since it was Evelyn's plane, he wasn't completely sure of the procedures and gave the woman a glance.

Oh, but then Maylee was revealing how she was a hunter. In general, just the word hunter carried a negative connotation . Shia gave the matter a moment of pause, weighing the possible conflict against their needed goal. "I cannot speak for any of the others, however, this ... event does not seem to care who is what, aside from being supernatural in origin. We have a part to play, and it stands to reason the more parts to come together, the closer we will be to achieve the goal of ... setting the moon right again. I do appreciate your candor."

Shia ran a hand through his hair, a little tense, but it could be a residual effect from the knowledge of others actively seeking out Maylee. Who knows who else they may be going after. "It is something for discussion when the group is together, I suspect. Again, I have no conflict at this time." He gave a little bow, and then looked to Evelyn. When she indicated she didn't have an issue with it either, Shia gave Maylee a small smile, meant to reassure and perhaps prompt a departure from the open area.

"So, to the airport, or do you desire to chance a visit to your home first?"

coded by natasha.

 

[bread-and-butterflies]

Allison Hagan
Witch
Weaverville, California ​

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Ugghhhh.

Allison rolled out of bed, her irritation at being woken in the middle of the night mingled with an inexplicable sense of dread. She pulled on a night robe, wincing as the pain in her wrists flared, and cautiously ventured out of her room into the rest of the darkened, blood-lit house. A quick peek in the second bedroom showed her mom was fine, still sound asleep. At least the late-night knocking hadn't disturbed both of them.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The feeling of dread intensified as she entered the living room. Her mind hardly even registered Berkley snoring in his kennel, her eyes fixed on the front door as she slowly approached. She wanted to walk over to the windows and see if she could get a look at whatever waited for her, but her body wouldn't obey, instead moving steadily through the room until she was standing in front of the door.

BANG. BANG. BANG.

Allison clutched her abdomen, bending over as she was suddenly winded by the noise. It was all she could do to wonder at how the whole neighborhood didn't hear it as she watched her arm slowly reach for the handle. Then the door flung open, revealing a young woman, bleeding heavily from her head. Allison wanted to reach out to her, to comfort her, to help her, but she couldn't move. She could only watch as the girl began screaming, her face stretching and contorting, before she was pulled violently away into the darkness.

---

Allison sat up in bed, shaking the the echos of that booming voice from her mind. Dreadful sorrow, Clementine. Where had that come from? There was no time to process the nightmare right now, though: her wards had gone off, informing her there was a visitor at the door. A shifter - maybe a client? It certainly wasn't a neighbor, unless someone had been turned the night before, which she very much doubted. Whoever it was, she wouldn't find out from bed. But as she pulled the sheets away and began to push herself out of bed, she noticed the sticky residue of dried blood and the sting of the shallow slices down both her arms. The image of the young woman reaching out to Allison flashed in her mind. Maybe a further examination of the dream was more pressing than she had originally thought.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Alright, definitely more pressing. Allison quickly got dressed and headed for the living room, Berk trailing behind her. The house was quiet - her mom must be out. Probably for the best, whether her visitor was here for business or...something else. Allison paused just before the front door, collecting her breath. She performed a quick series of hand gestures, ignoring the pain in her arms as she muttered an incantation to get a read on the visitor's intentions. As far as she could tell, there was no malice or ill will waiting for her on the other side of the door. This must be business, then. It wasn't too common, and certainly not desired, for potential clients to show up at her door unannounced, but unfortunately, it wasn't unheard of, either. The dream would have to wait: coven business always came first. Allison straightened her posture, put on her best customer service smile and opened the front door.

"Hello there. My name's Allison. May I help you with something?"

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

BUG

Tags: Allison bread-and-butterflies | Location: Weaverville​

At the door, the tall man with a faux mohawk, of sorts, stood back a couple of feet. He gave a smile that was ear to ear, before he thought to reign it in and tamper down his enthusiasm. "Grrreetings!" Yes, he rolled the R's there. He was too full of energy, and squashing it took a lot of effort, like... a lot.

"Allison? Allison Hagan! LOVERLY!" He cleared his throat, and forced his voice into a more normal, less weird person vibe. "Sorry, I may be a bit jet lagged. Long plane trip. Came from Baltimore! Would have gotten here sooner, but.." His head bobbed from left to right as he made one of those don't really want to tell the story, but can't help but tell the story faces. "Kindaaaaa got held up after landing, and had to uh.. get my way out. TOTAL misunderstanding on their part really. I mean.. I can understand it, it's difficult to understand me, I am a little too much lately since the moon. OH! The Mooooooooon."

His face scrunched up and there was a solid smack of a palm hitting his forehead. "OW!" Followed by a vigorous rubbing, eyes opening back up to peer at Allison on either side of his hand before it lowered. "Sorry. I'm Bug. Just.. Bug. It'll be evident why eventually, if it isn't already. I mean.. FOCUS!" Bug's hands curled into fists at his side, deep breath in, then out. And he grinned and started over.

"Hello, my name is Bug. I am here about the bleeding moon. On behalf of the bleeding moon. My employer has given four of us tasks to find others he says is very, very, very, very, very, very important to ending the .. bleeding of the moon. And BONUS!" He was doing well to stay on track, but it was slipping. "You're one of them! Come on down! See the prize you've won!" Sooo slipping.

"Sorry. Sorry. I.. It's.. really hard for me to focus lately, because of that stupid bleeding moon. And uh. Yeah. So.. help me, Obi-Won-Allison. You're my only hope. Well.. right now. There are a few others, but like we need everyone so please, please, please, please.. help us?" Bug was desperate to get a 'win' after losing Luciana. Like.. so desperate, he would get down on his knees and beg and oh.. .wait...

He was on his knees. "PLEEEEASEEEEEEE!"

coded by natasha.

 

[Vinegar Bees]

To Maylee's relief, neither Shia nor Evelyn seemed to have any immediate objections to her occupation, though, of course, the question remained whether the rest of the group would take as kindly to the news. She was beginning to grow more and more uneasy at the thought of meeting the others—Maylee was a bit shy at the best of times (though she tried to play it off as a cool, detached persona, to mixed results), but walking into a room full of presumably quite-powerful supernatural beings from various walks of life was a little more intimidating than the average encounter.

Before she could fall too deeply into rumination, however, Shia asked whether there was anything she needed to retrieve from her home, though he cautioned that it may be unsafe to return now. It was certainly a tenable thought—if that strange gentleman had been able to find out where she worked, certainly there was nothing stopping him from finding out where she lived.

But could she afford to skip town now, without so much as another glance home?

The reality, of course, was that the apartment wasn't her home. The only home she had known was gone, now—its walls nothing more than a skeleton vacated of the two souls who had given it warmth.

But there were still practical considerations for the place she had been living. Some of them were largely inconsequential—there was no need to retrieve a few houseplants that were barely pulling through to begin with. Some, though, left a bit more weight in her chest. That family photo she still kept framed, facedown on the table beside her bed—

(Three smiling faces. If she slipped it out of its frame and unfolded the corner, she would see the fourth she had hidden from view, too furious to look at it but too weak to tear it off altogether.)

—if she left without it, she almost felt as if she were leaving her parents behind.

The clinching factor, though, was of immediate, concrete importance—the equipment she had collected over the years, albeit hidden, was still in her apartment.

"I think... I think I need to go back," she said hesitantly, pulling her bike to an upright position and gripping it by the handlebars. "I've got some things back at the apartment. Some of it isn't all that special—just, um, regular weapons and such. But some of it is a little more..." She struggled to choose an apt identifier. "Potent?"

She drew in a breath, her mind racing with images of that strange old man and Ms. Baker's horrifying fit. Could something like that be waiting back at her apartment, too—?

"Like, um, some more specialized weapons. An amulet for protection. The sort of thing that could be useful for us, but also... the sort of thing we might not want an enemy to get their hands on."

Maylee frowned, carefully considering her options. There was no telling what sort of dangers awaited at home, but it was a risk she was willing to take—on the other hand, it would be selfish and foolish to drag Shia and Evelyn into danger on her behalf.

"I need to go back," she said more decisively, shifting her weight onto the seat of her bike and preparing to pedal. "If you want to follow me, um, I can show you the way. But... I can go in alone. I don't want to you to put yourselves in harm's way for my sake."

maylee song.

hunter | werewolf

 

[bread-and-butterflies]

Allison Hagan
Witch
Weaverville, California​

Despite the spell she'd cast earlier, Allison still felt a small relief at seeing an uninjured, decidedly un-monstrous person at her doorstep. She relaxed her posture somewhat, nodding in acknowledgement at the mention of her full name, and smiling sympathetically at the mention of airport troubles. Airports were a hassle in the best of conditions, and she imagined they could be particularly troublesome for shifters, whose other forms might be less than comfortable in such confined spaces. But, though she was sure the ...energetic young man had a dramatic tale to tell, presently she was more concerned with what exactly he wanted from her.

Her eyes widened slightly when he mentioned ending the bleeding of the moon. As far as she knew, the entire supernatural community was baffled by it - had someone finally found something? If so, it was imperative that she learned what it was, for her coven, and herself. But, when Bug mentioned that Allison, in particular, was needed, she pulled her head back incredulously. Was this some kind of scam? The moon did seem to affect her more strongly than others, and apparently Bug as well, but years of experience had taught her to be skeptical of anyone claiming to have all the answers, and she didn't know yet if this employer was someone she could trust.

Either way, the desperation in Bug's voice sounded real enough, and after the disturbing vision from her dream, she felt especially empathetic towards the young man. ...And now he was on his knees. Oh dear. While the mention of an employer and the bleeding moon did more than pique her interest, she felt her first priority was calming Bug down.

“Mr, ah, Bug, was it? Please, there's really no need to apologize. This...moon business has all of us a little on edge, I'm sure." She offered a hand to help the young man stand back up, smiling reassuringly. Either he was an unwitting participant in something shady, or his offer and employer were both sincere. Either way, the best approach seemed to be to get more information. "I'd be happy to help you, Bug, once I know a little more about what exactly you want from me. Why don't you come in and have a seat. I'll make us some tea, and you can tell me more about this employer of yours."

She stepped back from the door, gesturing towards the two armchairs and couch in the living room. After a brief pause, she made her way to the kitchen. Luckily, it was connected to the living room, so she'd be able to easily converse with Bug as she got the tea ready. “How do you take it? Milk? Sugar?”

 

[KodakWolf]

Maddox Ward (Leif Hjalkarssen)
Location: Black Hills / Wyoming
Tags: Chase Moon ( Out Of Words )​

The moment Leif reached the top of the impressive rock structure he could tell his assumption had been correct. He might not know what exactly lie there waiting, but it'd be different, different than what he'd experienced so far ever since the whole thing started. Not only was the air different, so was the rock he was standing on. The crimson hue seemed to reveal markings he'd never seen there before, that at the same time showed signs of age, as if they hadn't been created by the phenomenon, but instead, revealed. And they told stories, it seemed. Yes, it could of course be a product of his imagination, who would be so foolish as to rule that out given how the moon seemed to be affecting him (and apparently not only him) lately. Still, being in the mind doesn't necessarily make something any less real, so figuring out the tale those carvings wanted to tell was what he focused on.

The story depicted on the stone wasn't unfamiliar, and it didn't take him long to remember the tale of the moon being stolen by a hostile tribe, one he'd heard more than once in the past. Were the figures moving though? Or was it his brain filling in the blanks of the story he already knew? Either way, he didn't have long to ponder on that, as a sudden pulsation that came from above disrupted whatever train of thought he was trying to come up with. The sensation was nothing less than disturbing, and that coming from someone who could very clearly perceive other people's heartbeats on a daily basis. But this one brought him a rather intense, macabre sensation, maybe because it wasn't coming from a person or animal, but rather from the moon (an assumption he assumed to be correct, even though he didn't divert his gaze from the rock to check out the sky). His heart had barely had time to sink at the perception of the pulsation and the markings started changing in flashes, capturing his attention once again.

New figures were formed before he could process the previous ones, and all he could initially make out of everything was that the figures now encompassed more than the traditional tale he was already familiar with. He tried to make a mental note of everything to try to put all the pieces together later, but it all changed the moment the lines forming the antelopes split and twisted, forming several human figures tethered to the moon. At that point, he needed nothing else to piece things together and a smile formed on his lips before he could take notice. Only then did he notice his feet felt attached to the rock underneath them, frozen, as he tried to move closer to the markings, but the feeling didn't last long as a sudden flash of light, bright enough to leave spots in his vision, hit his eyes, followed by a more than formidable, jarring rumble of thunder he was able to feel through his own body (and the tower beneath his feet).

Leif gasped for air as he tried to counter his lungs, which seemed to be trying pretty hard to collapse, seemingly the only thing that remained of the whole experience, as the moment he looked down from the sky at the rock surface, the markings were gone and he couldn't make out any figures from the natural irregularities on the stone. It took about a minute for him to be able to catch his breath, about the same time it took for the stinging headache to settle, another souvenir of the whole spectacle. Nevertheless, the smile that had formed on his lips was still there as he slowly sat down on the rock, not really in conditions to climb down, but feeling mentally better than he'd been feeling in all of the last month. No, he still didn't know what was going on with the moon, but he saw Chase's words in the tale told by the rocks, the people tethered to the moon. It didn't look like Chase's friend (Shia, was it?) was hallucinating, unless it was some sort of a group hallucination. The reassuring rumble of the thunder at the end, however, ruled that possibility out for him. While the blinding lightning was likely partially to blame for his headache, it'd brought him a message of reassurance, an important warning that shouldn't be ignored, not a threat by itself. Important messages weren't always delivered smoothly. He couldn't repress a laugh, partially in relief from finally knowing something, even if vague, partially from the mental state that site brought him.

Only several minutes later realization stroke him that the chanting was nowhere to be heard, even though the moon still bled. The crimson tones that seemed to undulate over it's surface appeared almost... alluring, like blood was supposed to, actually. He was barely aware of his own movement as he let his body lean gradually back until his back was against the cold rock, the moon framed within his field of sight, bewitching. The headache kept pounding within his skull, but looking at the whole picture it wasn't bothering him as much as it would otherwise.

It was only once the sun timidly started tinting the dark sky with a lighter hue of blue to the East that Leif finally stood up. While the darkness of the night preserved the peace of those sanctuaries, daylight now made them into ordinary touristic destinations. Leif's figure disappeared from the top of the Tower before the first beams of sunlight hit the rock, leaving a trace of dark smoke behind that dissipated shortly after. He took refuge in a nearby backcountry cave to wait for nightfall, a place generally left undisturbed by hikers.

When the setting sun tinted the landscape in shades of orange and golden, Leif left the spot where he seemed to be keeping guard over the passed out, pale hiker, who was barely breathing, but otherwise showed no signs of violence, the delicate punctures on his neck with barely any traces of blood. A very clean scene, compared to what Leif usually left behind, especially lately under the influence of the bloody moon. The passed out young man would be just fine, of course after several hours, with no serious side effects other than loss of any memories from the event. Not that the vampire cared, but what happened the night before seemed to have rendered him a lot less inclined to kill for the moment. The headache was almost completely gone by now, and as soon as no more direct light beams reached the landscape, he vanished once more.


Leif landed near the old church, another clear sign of the moon's influence, significantly stronger than it was at the Black Hills. He had to walk the rest of the way, only managing to recover from the effects of the long distance trip once he reached the log cabin Chase should be in.

"Houston, you said?" he spoke with a quick glance to where Chase was when he opened the front door, swinging the bear pelt off his shoulders onto the nearby couch and heading upstairs to gather some stuff before they could leave. His change of mood was noticeable in his voice. Some minutes later he got back down , a black canvas backpack hanging from one of his shoulders, having replaced the bear pelt by a leather jacket. "Did you get here walking?" he asked with a light frown, wondering how the man planned to travel.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Shia D'Shire

Tags: Evelyn Maeteris Maylee Vinegar Bees | Location: Portland, Maine​

Shia had hoped they wouldn't need to risk going to Maylee's home, but in reality, he strongly suspected it would be exactly what they would do. "We will go together." He nodded his head and moved toward the main street to hail a taxi. Thankfully, the one who stopped had a bike rack in the back, and once Maylee's bicycle was secured, he held the door for the two women to get in. He took a seat next to the door, making sure the others had plenty of room.

They weren't a very talkative group, long travel, others on their trail, plagued with exhaustion both mentally and physically, the ride was silent for the next ten minutes, aside from giving directions to the driver. When they neared, he did speak quietly, "I would rather we stay together, and will ask the driver to wait for us at the next block." He never did like splitting the party if it could be helped.

Once there, Shia did indeed ask the driver to wait just ahead one block, and gave a twenty to help convince the man. Shia let Maylee lead the way into the apartment building, but as soon as they were out of sight, he did the framing fingers. Only this time he gave a quiet explanation. "This helps me focus on the magic strands I can see as a Weaver. I see them without it, but have had to force myself to be 'blind' to it now and then. This, helps me focus." Seeing the magic all around him could be extremely distracting in a dangerous way, if he didn't learn to tune it out to some degree.

At Maylee's door, Shia stood off to the side, so he wouldn't be seen by the peephole as he did a more thorough scan. There didn't seem to be anything unusual, but they could also be masking their trail if they were suspicious. Shia gave a nod to Maylee, a glance to Evelyn, and then he prepared a small spell. He held the last finger movement, just in case it was actually clear inside.

coded by natasha.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

BUG

Tags: Allison bread-and-butterflies | Location: Weaverville​

Bug took the offered hand, and kissed the back of her hand as he stood up. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank youuuuu." He could do this, he really could! And he would! Allison would have to tug her hand free however, otherwise Bug would walk holding it and swinging it between them until shown to where he could take a seat.

He picked one of the armchairs, wriggling all around until he felt comfortable. Hands curled around the chair's arms, he felt the material with a little, "Ooooh, soft." As for the drink, "Ah sugar, honey, honey.." Definitely sang that bit out loud before he caught himself. "Oh, I shouldn't have sugar. Probably. I don't think I need the extra hype boost it will give, but it's so much better with ah sugar, honey, honey..." Bug most definitely sang random song lyrics as they came into his head.

"However you fix it, is fine, really. I like eat anything. Except pineapple." Bug made a face, before he forgot about pineapple and remembered why he was there. "Oh yes, well yes. Soooo this guy, like.. magic user, and he knows stuff, BIG stuff, like all the stuff about me no one else would know. I mean.. yeah, I talk, a LOT, but not about these things he knew. And there's like a few of us.. Uh.. lemme see if I can do the Reader's Digest version.. probably not."

Bug laced his fingers together so he'd stop fiddling with the couch. "We're all tied to the moon, literally. And because of it, only we can help the moon. He's gonna give us more when we're all together like, so he doesn't have to repeat it again and again and.. again. And.. yeah. And so also cause of this like tie thing, we're really feeling things from this moon thingamabobberdohickey. Like.. I am full of energy, like it's super hard for me to even sleep and I love sleep. Like.. if sleep was a life partner, it'd so be mine. Others have a bit of paranoia, breathlessness, uh.. nightmares.. Chase.. this wolf guy, is having problems with his legs, which sucks for him. We're all a little different."

When she brought him the tea, Bug would sit up a bit straighter with a grin and ask outright, "What's it doing to you?"

coded by natasha.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Chase Moon

Tags: Maddox Ward KodakWolf | Location: Near Black Hills, Wyoming ​

Chase hunted in his wolf form during the day, as alcohol was not the nourishment he needed. A rabbit was eaten away from the cabin, and he had cleaned up before returning to both his human form, and Maddox's cabin.

When the man returned, Chase was sitting on the floor, legs stretched out in front of himself. Feet pointed, then flexed, as he was stretched out his legs, expression filled with winces more often than not. He didn't even have time to start to stand when Maddox had already headed up the stairs. "Uh.. yes. Houston." Wuffle.

Chase was standing by the time Maddox came back down with his bag and a leather jacket, which Chase preferred over the bear pelt. Wuffle. One hand rubbed the back of his neck as he gave a bit of a grin. "Uh, no. Took a flight. Would have taken me too long by paw. If I have a window seat, I can usually manage airplanes okay. But.. how would you prefer to travel?"

Chase pulled out his phone and attempted to google what kind of transportation they could get from here to Houston in the smallest amount of time. "The others are still out, we'd be the first ones heading back, as far as I know." They tried to keep everyone updated by text messages, but sometimes things happened. He really wasn't sure where the hell Bug was, but they were lucky if the Cipher remembered to even check in.

coded by natasha.

 

[Vinegar Bees]

Maylee couldn't help a little twinge of regret when Shia insisted he and Evelyn would be accompanying her. Surely they were in enough of a hurry to begin with, and here she was adding a detour to their journey—inconveniencing the group at the first meeting probably wasn't stellar as far as first impressions went, was it?

Just be quick, she told herself.

She was quiet on the taxi drive over, her gaze and hands planted in her lap. Maylee was acutely aware of her company—every crossing and uncrossing of the legs, every impassive glance out the window—and her ears burned as she wondered whether it would be better to say something to fill the silence or to let it hang. Any attempts she could make at small talk were likely to seem stilted and desperate, either way.

With a twinge of embarrassment, Maylee realized her companions' thoughts were probably consumed with something a little more important than mundane social discomfort.

As they pulled into her apartment complex, Maylee pressed a hand to her throat, trying to steady her racing pulse. If someone or something were waiting for her inside, at least she was expecting it—she knew to be on guard. At Shia's prompting, Maylee led him and Evelyn to her door, where the former began to gesture somewhat strangely with his hands.

"This helps me focus on the magic strands I can see as a Weaver," Shia explained. She tried to imagine what it was like to see the world through Shia's eyes—seeing everything, all the time. She was sure he had gotten used to it over time, but—had it ever been frightening for him? Was it still frightening sometimes?

And Evelyn—Maylee glanced at the tall, sharp-eyed woman of few words. Someone of a more easygoing temperament (like Papa) or a more self-possessed one (like Dad) would likely have asked her some friendly questions. Where was she from? What was her nature? Pitifully shy as she was, Maylee could only wonder whether the woman was a shifter like her, a vampire, or perhaps something entirely more otherworldly.

She realized with a start that, lost in her thoughts as she had been, she had been looking at Evelyn for suspiciously too long, and Maylee quickly fixed her gaze on the floor in embarrassment. She was just curious, but if she kept staring like that, she might give Evelyn the idea that she was suspicious instead.

To her relief, Shia signaled for her to lead the way into her apartment, and Maylee took a deep breath as she readied she keys she had fished out of her pocket. Adrenaline swept through her veins as she pushed the door open and leapt inside, assuming a defensive stance—

—and then she exhaled, only half-relieved but relieved nonetheless. The room looked exactly as she had left it.

"You can come inside," she said to her companions, and Maylee felt a pointed heat spring to her cheeks as she walked inside. There was something uncomfortably private about showing near-strangers her personal living quarters—the half-wilted houseplants hunched over as if in illness, the unwashed dishes from last night's dinner in the kitchen sink—but perhaps worst of all was the stuffed rabbit perched atop her futon-bed. She had slept with it every night for a couple of years after Dad had won it for her at a carnival—and then again every night after he had gone. Should she try to hide it in a quick swipe, or would that merely draw more attention to it—?

Maylee squared her shoulders and told herself to remember what she was here for. Decisively, she headed for the squat bookshelf near her futon-bed.

"Um, I'd offer you some water or something," she murmured to Shia and Evelyn, "but I figure you want to be leaving as fast as possible."

She placed her hands on the shelf and, with a heave, pushed it out of the way. Maylee then crouched around the dust-ringed spot where the bookshelf had been and pried up the floorboard she knew to be loosened.

Beneath the floor was a small stash of hunter-adjacent tools: a few knives, a one-handed crossbow, an amulet from an old family friend.

(Papa's old friend. She hadn't spoken to him in years, unable to separate his presence from the memory of Papa.)

Maylee scooped the items she needed out of the hole in the floor and then replaced the loose board and the displaced bookshelf. Quickly, she crossed over to her closet and fished out an army surplus bag to store her supplies in.

"Sorry," she said as she began to feverishly pack. "I'll be done in just a minute."

Maylee didn't feel particularly safe in her own home at the best of times—her brother had shattered any sense of sanctity or safety she had once innately believed in—and that was when there wasn't an unknown, mysterious party tailing her.

maylee song.

hunter | werewolf

 

[Maeteris]

Varya Scuris (Evelyn Harper)​

Unsurprisingly, Maylee Song decided to take a detour to her abode first, and it had been a silent trip, with nary a word exchanged. An unproductive pass of time. Her mind had been too preoccupied with the thoughts of entering a stranger’s home. Her lip curled in distaste. What does one do in another’s sanctuary? Blast it all, her knowledge regarding the subject didn’t extend that far. Christmas parties and business dinners were evaded with perfect consistency, never in her lifetime had she been forced to attend those petty soirees.

These thoughts carried on, even as she was being led before a door to an apartment in a modest part of town, perfect for a gray man. Song’s career was not the most glamorous option nor the safest. Yet, with these thoughts of hunters and magical assailants the thoughts that bother her the most as her back hugs the wall was the apprehending fact of entering Song’s home. Take a hold of yourself. This is no different than granting D’Shire the same lenience in New York.

Her unease calmed a little. But she is not you, Scuris. She may not extend the same courtesy. Then Evelyn was prepared to stay outside. There. A perfect conclusion to that line of thought. So engrossed she was in her mental turmoil, she’d dismissed the pair of curious eyes gazing at her for the second time today. Perhaps Song was politely asking her to stay outside and take watch. Yes, that would make sense. Evelyn nodded wordlessly, moving swiftly to assume guard as D’Shire and Song breached. The calming presence of D’Shire’s blade weighed in her pocket awkwardly.

She heard Song welcoming D’Shire in, Evelyn suppressed the urge to correct the woman’s choice of words. It’s as if she’s honestly inviting her--an elf--in. She shook her head. Then again, it was entirely possible Song was uneducated of Evelyn’s genetic lineage. Evelyn was positive someone who lives to hunt would’ve been able to whiff Elven blood, she’d been told it had a distinct quality. Hm, I might’ve underestimated this simple spell. She absently flicked her ear, the sharp tingle reminded her of the unnaturally long appendage.

 

[KodakWolf]

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

Well, considering they were several miles away from any major road, and the closest town was about a 2 hours drive away, it was still impressive that Chase reached his place with nothing but one flight, which seemed to be what he'd done as there were no other vehicles or means of transportation outside.

"You might not get any signal here unless it's Verizon." Maddox spoke as he saw Chase trying to use his phone. "Or magic." he added with a shrug. There had to be magical networks at this point, right? The idea of taking a flight didn't sound like as a good option, as they'd have to drive to the nearest airport anyway, then there were the queues, security, crowds, bureaucracy, etc etc etc. Not to mention having to rely on cabs and other people to get around once they got to Texas. He avoided public transportation (especially planes) whenever possible, leaving them with the only option to drive there. Longer trip for sure, but he'd taken longer journeys.

"I'd drive. There's a motorcycle outside too, if you think it could be of use." Being inside made it a lot easier for him to talk to the shifter without struggling to keep his attention on what the man was actually saying. He was pretty clueless as to what expected them in Houston, but the feeling of suspicion regarding Chase's words, and most importantly, the dilemma of whether it was worth listening to what he was saying instead of taking advantage of the fact a supernatural being willingly walked into his home had dissipated off his mind, as the one thing he really wanted right now was to hear what else that Devlin Wright knew.

While he hadn't made any remarks, Maddox had noticed that upon his arrival, Chase seemed to be having issues with the bloody moon's effects on his legs. It was definitely strange, how the same moon seemed to affect everyone differently. The thought made him wonder about the other mentioned individuals, how the moon affected them. Following the train of thought, he couldn't help but wonder how the whole dynamic was gonna play out, and how he was expected to work together with who knew how many other supernatural beings (who did affect him a lot more than regular humans) under the supposedly ever worsening influence of the crimson moon. Maybe Chase was given the wrong name, but too late now. If they offered answers, he'd take it, and the rest could be figured out later.

"I can only travel at night." he added, briefly tilting his head almost apologetically. That wasn't entirely true, not in every scenario, but he was aware of the current context and had enough control over his mind (thanks to the roof and walls for helping block the moonlight) that he knew it wouldn't be the best move (nor would it be effective) to present Chase with the other option. "And I drink blood. You can connect the dots now." In case he still hadn't, that is. It sounded as if he was saying something automatically, something he'd forced himself to say way too many times before and didn't quite enjoy having to say, especially not in that context. He awaited Chase's reaction, not expecting anything positive but also not really fearing the guy would give up on the whole mission, not after what he'd already accomplished. It wasn't that being a vampire had much of a negative impact on his life after that long. Nevertheless, it was still a hassle for him when it posed an obstacle or disadvantage on the way to any goal.

 

[bread-and-butterflies]

Allison Hagan
Witch
Weaverville, California​

Allison couldn't contain a shocked grimace as Bug kissed her hand. She tugged her hand away quickly, in the most polite and dignified way she could manage, and gestured again to the seats. “Please, sit anywhere you like, and I'll get us that tea.” She let out the smallest of sighs in relief when he settled down on an armchair, letting her prepare the tea in peace.

Listening to Bug singing and chittering away, she steered away from the box of black tea she'd been about to grab, instead plucking a box of some relaxing chamomile from above the stove. After she grabbed a couple mugs, she crossed her arms and leaned against the counter, listening to Bug's explanation intently as she waited for the kettle to boil. If she and Bug and these other people were really all tied to the moon...that would make a kind of sense. Allison had been experiencing more severe effects than anyone else she knew, and she had no trouble believing Bug when he said this energy level was not his usual. Poor kid.

Allison poured the tea as Bug finished, and carried the two mugs of plain, unsweetened chamomile into the living room. “So he doesn't have to repeat it again and again...tsk.” She smiled apologetically at Bug. “Well, I suppose that's not your fault.” She handed him a mug and sat down on the couch, near Bug but just barely out of arm's reach, just in case he got touchy-feely again.

“What's it doing to you?"

The question caught her off-guard. Allison took a long sip of tea, taking the time to compose her thoughts. “For me, it's mostly manifested in pain in my wrists. Makes it a little difficult to perform spells at night, but it's mostly manageable.” At least so far. She didn't mention her suspicions that it was getting slowly worse over time. “I do also experience some...paranoid thoughts. And you mentioned nightmares-” she pulled up the sleeve of her right arm, revealing the injuries she'd received in the night. “I've been having those, too, it seems. Perhaps your employer will have more information on them, once I finally meet them.” She wasn't interested in discussing either her paranoia or nightmares in any more detail at the time – if this “employer” can keep his secrets, than so can I – and would politely decline any questions about them Bug might have.

Berkley was sitting conveniently in arms reach, cocking his head at their strange visitor, so she took a moment to ruffle his scruffy head and bask in the morning sunlight streaming through the windows before she continued. “What has been bothering me more than anything, though, is not knowing what's going on. And on that note...” She began to fire off questions.

What was this magic users name? Where exactly were they meeting up with him? When would they leave, and how long would they be gone? (Allison hoped to leave ASAP, and return soon as well, though she'd be willing to negotiate that last point.) Who were the others they would be meeting with, and how many of them? She pulled her cell phone out as they spoke, texting back and forth in the coven group chat and relaying all the information Bug gave her. Learning about what was happening to the moon, and possibly how to fix it, was too good an opportunity to pass up, but she wasn't naive enough to leave with a stranger to who knows where without letting the coven know what was going on.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Shia D'Shire

Tags: Evelyn Maeteris Maylee Vinegar Bees | Location: Portland, Maine​

Once inside, Shia did a quick check before allowing the held spell to dissipate, unused. Shoulders rolled as he allowed a minute relaxation. "Let me know if I can be of any assistance." A bow of his head, and then he stood out of the way to one side.

Shia allowed his thoughts to drift slightly, something he tried to avoid most of the time. However, his body had been charged with all the possibilities of what could happen, what might be waiting for them in Maylee's apartment. Now with their apparent safety, the battle ready feeling twitched and faded just a touch, and with it, his thoughts wandered.

Having a hunter in their group was likely to cause some tensions, but that could be said for nearly any supernatural being thrown together with others. They weren't guaranteed to all be the same 'kind', and maybe that was one reason they were all supposedly destined to save the moon. If they could learn to work together in this apparent catastrophe to be, well, maybe there was hope yet.

What part each of them could possibly play had yet to even be considered. Shia did not like having only a few pieces of a puzzle in the palm of his hand. The not knowing was like a little worm, nibbling away at his confidence, bit by bit. The sooner they all gathered in Houston, the sooner he could squash the worm under the sole of his shoe.

In the stairwell, voices softly carried, normally too quiet to make out. However, Evelyn could hear them quite well, and would recognize one as the man from the store. "Finally got her address from the store's files. She's held up with a delivery, gives us time to set up." It sounded like there were two, maybe three sets of feet.

coded by natasha.

 

[Maeteris]

Varya Scuris "Evelyn Harper"​

Evelyn turned slowly, a lifetime of discipline tempered her nerves from simply rushing into Song’s home and screeching alarm. She walked inside, with a deep inhale--immediately regretting it and with a choked cough into a balled fist, she spoke with the lowest voice “The men we met at Ms.Song’s workplace have arrived, and it shouldn’t be long till they reach this floor.” Her eyes darted between them, gleaning for any tells; weakness or otherwise, Evelyn couldn’t afford hesitation, if they meant to run, then it should be done in earnest.

She breathed slowly, praying her nose would provide her clemency and spare her from inhaling Song’s scent permeating in the air, she squashed an unbidden shiver. It reminded her why she avoided another’s abode; the idea she might achieve that level of intimacy with anyone had been unfathomable. “They spoke of ‘setting up’.” She said, glancing towards Song’s back, the woman herself was hurriedly occupied with packing. D’Shire looked bored--No, it’s just him looking as he always had; quietly content.