Fantasy Sunset Bay (Vampires, urban fantasy)(closed)

[Mikotsuhime]

((Check out the interest thread for more information.))

The sun was just about setting. Adrian sat in the patio section of Marcie's, one of the better local cafes, and watched it sink towards the ocean as the seagulls cried around him. A rather shy looking waitress brought him his usual order of coffee and their cake special of the day, flushing a little bit as she did so. Adrian couldn't say he wasn't used to it; he had made quite a splash when he rolled into town six months ago.

It was a story that his father had just barely managed to keep out of the news, a famous surgeon quitting his job at one of the largest hospitals in the country in favor of a much lower position in the hospital of a beachside town that didn't nearly get as much traffic or attention. People in the medical community had been surprised by his actions, considering his youth and promising career ahead of him, but then, there had been talk of an accident of some kind. The details had been obscured in the way that only a lot of money could provide, and the media hadn't gotten a hold of that story either. There were still whispers, though, amongst those who cared about that sort of thing.

Not many people cared in Sunset Bay. Adrian found the quiet of the early spring, not quite tourist season, to be almost stifling compared to the big city. But luckily people here seemed more interested in his looks and his money than the circumstances of his past, and he was grateful for it.

He took a bite of his cake with a pensive expression, glancing at the newspaper sitting on the table beside him that he hadn't really been reading.

There was another missing person's case. Police stated that the missing man had criminal connections. Adrian was pretty sure that was an understatement.

The corner of his mouth twitched a little, and he sighed as he set his fork down and leaned back in his chair, looking out towards the ocean once more. Pretty soon he'd have to start working on his second job.

For now, though, he was content to enjoy his desert in peace.

 

[Reynarda]

“I told you that piece of junk would be the death of me.”

“You’re not dead, yet.” The taller and broader of the duo shrugged. “The alignment’s just messed up.”

“Because somebody thought running over a vampire would be a good idea.” The dark-headed one flicked black eyes back to the old red truck’s grill as if it would show evidence of a vampire’s unfortunate end.

“You weren’t even in the truck, Vlad.”

Vlad adjusted his blazer as he avoided a trash can, his lifted nose suggesting it very well did not matter his location during the aforementioned activity.

His companion ran a hand through his red hair and rolled blue eyes. “Let’s get something to eat. I’ll look at the truck later.”

“Should we not check into our hotel, first, Abraham?”

“Don’t ‘Abraham’, me,” Bram said, shoving his hands into his tan hunting jacket. Vlad respected his wish to be called his diminutive except when he was irritated. “And it’s a motel, this time. The Guild wasn’t exactly generous.”

“Maybe because you spent two hundred dollars on food for two days.”

Bram didn’t have an argument for that, so he punched his slight companion lightly on the shoulder. Vlad stumbled, nearly careening into a flower bed.

They didn’t get Guild-official jobs often, but the powers that be had decided the duo were particularly suited for this delicate situation. Vlad considered their awareness to be rather shocking and hoped the Guild wasn’t actually becoming intelligent.

“That is a ‘no’ on checking in, then?” Vlad asked lightly as Bram pulled open the door to the café.

To be honest, Bram was not sure his old truck would make it to the motel. He had seen this stretch of shops and figured it was a good place to stop. The truck had begun to shake more than usual, and he was worried it was the clutch. But he was not about to admit that to Vlad. “I’m hungry.”

This was not a lie, of course, as he was always hungry.

The duo was a study in opposites. Bram was tall, muscular, and had a complexion that suggested Dutch heritage. Vlad only just came up to Bram’s shoulder and could easily hide behind him, with features that whispered of Eastern Europe and perhaps some Roma blood. Vlad kept his black hair surprisingly messy for such a persnickety person, while Bram kept his neatly trimmed. Bram preferred what Vlad called “lumberjack chic” and described Vlad’s style as “pretentious ass”.

Bram waved to the waitress and gestured at the doors. “Let’s sit outside in case any hot girls in bikinis walk by.”

Vlad rolled his eyes. “I doubt that will occur as it is the off season, Abraham.”

“You never know.”

Once they were seated, Bram ordered two coffees and two slices of pie. Once the waitress reappeared with their order and disappeared, Bram picked up his fork and grinned.

“Now it’s time for another fun round of ‘Human or Nah’.”

Vlad pushed his slice of pie to Bram and pointedly flicked his eyes to the man seated at the table next to them. His companion did not speak quietly.“Human or nah?” Bram repeated.

Vlad sighed and picked up his coffee, disregarding the half’n’half and sugar the waitress had left. “Considering the targets, human.”Bram grinned. “My money’s on ‘nah’. Usual deal?”

Vlad nodded. A new knife for Bram if he lost, or a new journal for him if he won. He didn’t like making guesses this early as it was nearly impossible to tell. But Bram insisted on it. It was all part of the hunt.

“Hey,” Bram said, leaning over and gesturing to the newspaper on Adrian’s table. “Can my friend borrow that for a sec?”

Vlad sighed again. He had already read that newspaper, but Bram was practicing being more subtle. It was better than his usual, “Hey, have you heard about people turning up dead?” approach.

 

[redroseknight]

"Aren't you even the slightest bit concerned, Gwyn? Someone is daring to hunt our kind in one of the most vampire populated cities in this country! That takes a bravado that most humans don't have, and we don't even know who they are targeting exactly! I heard word that Cassandra ran into trouble the other day, and Cassandra never causes trouble! You! You on the other hand constantly cause someone distress, someone who isn't me, might I add," an immortal teenager dressed as if she doubled as a gothic lolita doll on the weekends huffed pointedly at a woman who was older than she. Much, much older yet somehow not that much wiser.

"You worry too much, Abigail, and besides, how am I supposed to know that a lady isn't completely unavailable if she doesn't make that information known to me?" the vampire known as Gwyndolyn asked flippantly with a flick of her hand. She was taller than her companion even when slouching against the railing humans had placed around a high cliff to try to keep humans from doing something daft like jump off of it. The wind rippled through her vibrant copper red hair, green eyes bright like a cat's focusing on the girl beside her. She was lean and muscular, a woman that was not unfamiliar with hard work even before she had been turned by her manipulative sire. "This isn't the first time that a hunter has targeted some of us that aren't causing strife, Abby, and it won't be the last. Just do what I told you, keep your wits about you, and you'll be just fine." Her tone had softened, the Irish barogue of her alto voice not quite so harsh. Sometimes she forgot just how young Abigail was, the girl only being eighteen both in human and vampire years. Gwyn was not her sire, not by any means...but she had taken on the role when Abby's own sire had just left her in an alley to try to figure it all out on her own rather than teach her how to be a proper vampire. Now they had fallen into an odd familial relationship which usually meant a bit of trouble for the women that Gwyn playfully pursued.


"And the meeting with the clan? Do you think they will have any answers by now?" she asked, blue eyes closely matching her short blue hair looking up at Gwyn with some hope of an answer. She was still learning about how the clan worked, being so young both as a fledgling vampire and as a young woman.

"They might, but I wouldn't hold my breath," Gwyn teased, once more returning to being carefree and flippant. She had behaved that way even in her life as a pirate back in 1589, waging war against the English in her own private war since she didn't agree with Grace O'Malley making peace with them after what Elizabeth's men had done to the Emerald Island. Some had called her the Lyoness of Erin, a fearsome combatant that had a tendency of toying with her foes like a cat toying with a cornered mouse.

Straightening her long black coat, she brought her hand to Abby's shoulder. "Come on, the letter said that we are to meet the willing members of the clan down at the pub. Let's make sure we make a fashionable entrance, hm?" It was a smart idea, meeting in public and talking. No one paid attention to what hid in plain sight.

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Adrian couldn't lie and say that he was uninterested in the conversation being held at the table next to him. He distinctly heard the words 'human or nah?' and immediately his attention zeroed in on the two strange men. Were they talking about somebody in particular? Or just the rash of disappearances in general? Normally he expected rumours of the supernatural to come from teenagers, but these two were clearly grown, possibly even older than he was. It was enough for him to put his guard up, even as the redhead asked for his paper.

He found his actions to be quite rude, and normally he wouldn't have any problem telling him so, but he was too interested in their conversation to risk alienating the two of them.

"Yes, you can have it," he said as he rolled up the paper and handed it to Bram, trying to memorize his features without being too obvious about it. If these men were somehow involved with ~that~ world, then he needed to be careful. He wouldn't have all his hard work going up in flames so soon. He shifted awkwardly, knowing that he was terrible at human interaction but that it would be key to finding out these two's intentions.

"It is... unusual to see tourists during the off season," he said awkwardly, hoping that was enough of a conversation starter.




Chase stood at the doors to the local pub, a red leather jacket pulled over his usual sunny attire to account for the spring chill in the air. Winter had been harsh this year, even though he'd only been in town for half of it. That thing they said about the coast being warmer than inland seemed like a load of hogwash considering how many times he'd gotten frostbitten going around town at night.

He hadn't known vampires even could get frostbitten. He was honestly still pretty new to the whole thing.

It was unusual for a fledgeling of six months to be without a sire, but Chase's hadn't really stuck around longer than to show him the ropes and teach him the basics. She'd stayed for a week, maybe two, before declaring him fit to make his own name in the world, and so he had.

Not a very big name, really. More of one for cheating at cards and pool and swindling folks out of their money in bars. He was pretty sure that the owner of the pub would have banned him by now, if she didn't like him so much. Which, he was a pretty charming guy, he couldn't deny that.

The local clan had pretty much taken him in when he moved to town, to dissenting opinions amongst the members. He was pretty good at keeping a low profile, and pretty much kept to himself, though with the rash of murders lately - because really, that's what they were - he was a bit on edge. Young ones were always the ones to go first in these situations, and Chase had no intentions of dying.

It seemed that he was one of the first to show up, though. He breathed into his hands to warm them up, even though his breath was as chilly as the wind. He could probably wait inside, but he didn't really want to head in on his own. People who had a problem with him were less likely to start something if there were others around.

 

[Reynarda]

Vlad watched the man thoughtfully. He didn't miss the way he eyed Bram. He also didn't miss the subtle shift in the man's seating. He was concerned about something.

Bram took the newspaper with a thanks and passed it to Vlad. He watched Vlad's pupils suddenly dilate, then he blinked and they were back to normal. Why he had felt the need to check the man's aura, he had no idea, but Vlad just shrugged when he raised his eyebrows at him.

"Oh, we're not tourists," Bram said cheerfully as he stuck his fork through Vlad's pie.

Vlad glanced up from his feigned perusal of the paper. They had not decided on their alibi in the truck as they had be arguing about whether or not Bram should take it to a mechanic.

"We're just passing through on our way to the city. Our truck broke down right over there."

Vlad flicked the paper up to hide his frown. Bram was angling it so he could claim they were PIs. He hated it when Bram told people they were investigating something. It gave others a warning about them. He nudged Bram's shin with his foot just to tell him to be carefully.

Bram held out his hand. "I'm Bram, by the way, and this is Vlad."

Vlad lowered the paper enough to give a polite nod.

"This seems like a sleepy little town," Bram continued in his most casual tone. "Anything interesting ever happen here?"

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Luckily for Adrian, it seemed Bram was good enough at talking for the both of them, as he took the bait and then some.

"Adrian Pierce," he said gruffly as he took Bram's hand and shook it. People in town knew who he was because a newcomer with such an exceptional background was rare, but he doubted that these two men would recognize him, unless they kept up on the medical community. Even when he had been the youngest head cardiac surgeon at his previous hospital at 27, he had not been the type to make many public appearances. He had tried going on talk shows, and he usually ended up freezing or being too rude to the host. "I believe there is a garage in town. I don't drive."

He shifted in his seat, eyeing Vlad, who seemed to be letting his companion do all the talking. So far it wasn't anything too suspicious, but...

Adrian pulled his hand back and shrugged his shoulders in a motion that was too stiff to be entirely casual.

"I've only lived here less than a year," he said. "I don't... get out much."

Which was entirely true. Between his 'other job' and his position at the hospital, the only time he ever left his apartment was for his weekly dessert at the cafe.

 

[NerdyBirdy]

“So the town is just full of robots?”

“No, they’re not robots, they’re programs. It’s a simulation designed to torture the guy.”

The younger cop peeled the top of his yogurt and slurped it down. Beside him in the driver’s seat was his partner, an older, heavier officer with a mustache and a balding head. They sat in a squad car next to the road leading into town, a speed trap. The older man held a hand held speedometer to the window, occasionally looking at it as cars came by.

“Sounds stupid, Jenkins.” The older man said, clicking the trigger on the device. “Sixty two.”

“Are we done yet, Anders? I got a early shift tomorrow.” Jenkins tossed his empty cup out the window into the grass.

“One more and we’ll call it.” Anders looked over at his partner before glancing in the side mirror down the road. “Oh. We got a live one.” Anders said as a black car zoomed past. He pulled the trigger. After an audible beep, he glanced at the display. “Sixty six. Let’s go.” Jenkins tolled his eyes.

“One mile over, seriously?” He complained, strapping himself in as Anders started the car and flicked the siren. They sped down the dark stretch of road, quickly catching up. Anders put on the high beams and Jenkins could see the car itself wasn’t a typical one. “Oh come on, a HEARSE? You are gonna pull over a hearse for speeding by one mile?”

Anders gestured at the car ahead. “Hey, those things can be used to transport drugs, guns, even illegal fireworks. Not everything is what it seems.” The hearse soon pulled over to the shoulder. Anders followed suit and gestures that his partner join him. Jenkins sighed and exited the car.

“This is a waste of time.” Jenkins said. Anders waved his hand at the statement. He approached the driver’s side window and tapped on the glass. The tinted glass slid down. Anders shone his flashlight into the vehicle, revealing a young woman behind the wheel. She was dressed in black, her full face done in makeup typical of the local goth kids Anders was so fond of hassling when he worked the streets. Her hair was bright green and done in pigtails. Jenkins could see the car was littered with junk food wrappers and energy drinks. She flinched and threw a hand up to block the light from her eyes.

“Hello, officers. Can I help you?” She inquired, her voice small.

“License and registration, ma’am.” Anders ordered. The girl produced the articles and handed them over. Anders looked them over and passed the license to Jenkins. He looked at the card. Vera Myers, 17. Jenkins saw the license was from the Sunset Bay DMV.

“You know how fast you were going, Missy?” Anders asked. The girl shook her head. Anders neglected to inform her and moved his light to the back of the vehicle. “What’s back there, if you don’t mind?”

“A nuclear warhead.” Vera quipped, getting a giggle out of Jenkins. Anders shot his partner a look at his noise and turned back to the kid with a no nonsense grimace on his face. She deflated. “It’s a coffin. My sister just died and we’re on our way home for the funeral.” Anders had a skeptical expression on.

“Step out of the vehicle, Pop the back and roll it out please.” Anders ordered. Jenkins scoffed.

“Are you really going to be like this, man?” Jenkins asked.

“Hey, like I said, drugs, guns, fireworks.” Anders justified as the young woman exited the hearse. She pulled open the back and pulled the coffin out on a tray connected to the hearse.

“It’s just my sister, officer. Just her and still as the grave.“ She said, emphasizing the end. She lifted the lid up and stepped back. Jenkins looked into the coffin as his partner put the light on it. A woman lay in the silk confines of the box. She was dressed in motorcycle leathers. Her skin was chalk white with red lips and black eyeshadow. Her hair was long and wavy, a section of it dyed midnight blue. Jenkins could see from her folded hands clasped over her chest that her fingernails were black as well. Jenkins looked up at Anders.

“That’s a real “dead girl” looking firework case, Sherlock.” He said. Anders scowled and moved around the box.

“Wait a minute. Look at what we have here. The lid.” Anders pointed to with his light. Jenkins looked and saw a small grey tip of something poking out from the silk lining. Anders reached over the body and pulled it out. He turned it over in his hand, light on it.

“It’s a...a...” Anders looked at it with confusion. Jenkins looked at it and recognized the item.

“A blood bag. For like hospitals.” Jenkins looked at Anders and then at the girl, looking for an explanation.

“Umm, well...that’s a...oh-“ she started to say.

“Balls.” The body said sourly. Anders and Jenkins looked into the coffin as her blood red eyes shot open. The body shot a fist up at Anders, connecting with his jaw and sending him to the ground. The body flipped over and out of the box, a high heeled boot hitting Jenkins in the chest. He fell to the ground and rolled, the force of the kick causing him to tumble. He looked up to see the body already moving towards him.

Before it reached him, however, gunshots rang out. He saw the body jerk as bullets entered her from the side. Jenkins saw Anders had recovered and pull his gun. He fired a few more rounds, one penetrating the corpse’s head. It turned to look at Anders as Jenkins could see clear through the hole in its head. The body moved quickly, almost inhumanly fast as it descended upon Anders and pulled the gun from him, flinging it into the darkness. It placed a hand on his face as he screamed before slumping to the ground. Jenkins fumbled with his holster, attempting to pull his own gun before he realized the body was already standing over him.

“Yeah, you already know that’s not gonna work.” It said, its voice smooth and low. She grabbed Jenkins by the jaw and forced him to look her in the face. Jenkins saw her eyes turn violet and felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him. His eyes fluttered and he drifted off.

_____________________________________________

Vera closed the door of the cop car, looking in on the two sleeping men inside. She reached in and brushed off some die from the younger man’s shoulder before pulling her head out and walking to the hearse. Her “sister” had already closed up the back and was texting someone on her phone. She looked up at Vera as she pocketed her phone.

“I just texted Abby and Gwyn. They know we’re close and we’ll meet them at the pub soon.” She said, crossing over to the driver’s side of the hearse. “I’ll drive us. You get some rest.”

“Are they gonna be okay, Evie? They’re not going to remember all this, right?” Vera asked.

“Of course not. They’ll just think they took a nap on the road and it’s all been a bad dream. I got this.” Evie assured her. She opened the car door and entered, Vera following suit.

“Whatever you say, Nana.” Vera said, giving her a bemused look. Evie looked at her with mild annoyance at the nickname of her actual relation.

“Don’t make me feed on you.” Evie grinned, her fangs lowering. Vera rolled her eyes at the empty threat.

“You could just turn me.” Vera said. Evie started the engine and pulled off the shoulder.

“Not till you’re 21. You still have some life to enjoy first. And then, if you’re still interested-“

“I’m already interested. I WANT to be a vampire like you.” Vera interjected. Evie sighed as they passed a sign that read “SUNSET BAY - A HAVEN FOR ALL”, signifying they had entered the town limits.

“You say that now because you’re young. You still think being a vampire is all Twilight and Underworld. It’s not, Vera. It’s more than just pretty skin and immortality. As you just had a front row seat to.” Evie said, poking at the hole in the side of her head. Vera cringed.

“Ugh, gross. Is that going to heal soon?” Vera asked.

“Can’t heal. I’m not that kind of clan. Just hypnosis and wall walking. I’m sure Abby can fix it up. She’s handy enough.” Evie said, turning down into the lighted streets. She soon spotted a pair of women making their way down the avenue. She pulled up to the curb behind them and opened the door.

“Well look what the morticians dragged in!” She called out to the pair.

redroseknight

 

[Reynarda]

"Good to meet you," Bram said, continuing his cheerful chatter. "'Don't get out much'?" Bram echoed, feigning shock. "I saw the way the waitress was glancing at you. I'm sure you're lack of activity is greatly disappointing to the ladies."

Vlad eyed Bram over the top of the newspaper. He certainly was laying it on thick. Though, these days, Vlad couldn't tell whether Bram was just chatting or if he was buttering people up. He was naturally encouraging even to strangers.

"Anything interesting?" Bram asked Vlad.

His companion shrugged. "Missing persons case," he said, folding the newspaper.

"We're PIs," Bram explained, Vlad's kick coming too late. "What do you think, Vlad?"

Vlad sipped his coffee to hide his annoyed scowl. "Hard to tell if it was malicious or not."

"Bummer," Bram sighed. "It would be interesting to do while we waited for the truck to be fixed." He turned back to Adrian. "What do you do? You look like some high-brow job or something. Lawyer?"

While Bram talked, Vlad flicked his eyes over the man. He didn't have the body of a desk job, but looks could be deceiving. Bram might guess some pencil pushing job by his baring and clothes, but Vlad guessed he worked with his hands. He had the fine movement of delicate and precise work such as music or artistry. But there was something in his eyes that suggested analytical intelligence rather than creative intelligence. Vlad was going to laugh if he turned out to be some kind of physician.

 

[redroseknight]

Both vampires turned when the familiar voice called out to them, Gwyn's gaze brightening when she saw both Vera and Evie. Before she even said two words to the women, Abigail smacked her solidly against her stomach.

"Behave, Gwyndolyn Mhaille."

Gwyn pressed her hand to her chest and looked offended. "What! I am nothing but a gentleman at all times, Abby."

"That...is the problem," she scoffed with a roll of her eyes.

Gwyndolyn gave both women a charming grin and inclined her head. "Forgive Abigail, I think she forgot to feed today so she is a little more ornery than a cat with a crooked tail. I'm most pleased to see that the pair of you doing well, some might say you look just as young and beautiful as when I last saw you, Evie," she teased with a wink. Abby was more concerned with the wound that was now visible to the teenage vampire. Healing was something that she excelled in, one of the reasons that she didn't just die when she had been abandoned by her sire in the middle of the alley. Which was a good thing since her surrogate sire had a tendency of getting into fights over her head, mostly due to the woman's sire riling her up and playing on her sense of honor.

Abby rolled her eyes at Gwyn then looked at Evie, motioning toward the gunshot wound. "Go with me to the girl's bathroom and I should be able to help you with that. We need to take care of it before others notice. Harder to blend in with a hole in the head."

Gwyn then looked to Vera, leaning casually on the hearse. "And how are you, álainn bhean?"

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Adrian's face actually turned a light shade of red at Bram's comment, and he quickly cleared his throat and shook his head.

"I'm not... That is, I'm not interested in that sort of thing," he said quickly, stumbling over his words a bit. He wondered if saying 'my fiancee just died' was the kind of thing that was considered oversharing. He had just met the other man after all.

He narrowed his eyes at the mention of the missing person's cases, clicking his teeth as he took another sip of his coffee.

"They're not the types worth missing, most of them," he muttered, more to himself than to the other men before he exhaled slowly. The question about his career wasn't exactly unusual, but he also didn't want the drama of explaining the whole story. That was definitely oversharing.

"I'm a surgeon," he said simply as he popped another bit of cake into his mouth. "I joined the team at the hospital here six months ago."

That was the simple explanation anyways, which worked well enough. He just wished he were better at talking to people, since most of his replies came out a little wooden. The idea of an autistic surgeon always seemed glamorous on television, but in reality it was just tiring. He was an excellent surgeon, for sure, but his bedside manner would never be spoken of highly.

 

[Reynarda]

"Oh, gotcha," Bram said easily when Adrian said he wasn't interested in the ladies. "More ladies for me, then."

He threw a friendly wink at the other man so he would be undertood to be joking, and he could see Vlad rolling his eyes in his peripheral vision.

The man clicking his teeth earned an arched eyebrow from Vlad, but he said nothing until Adrian's comment about the missing persons. "There is more than one?"

Bram gave Vlad an appreciative nod. He could always count on his companion to catch people in their words. "The paper says this one's got criminal ties. Do the rest of them?"

Vlad smiled in self-satisfaction when Adrian revealed he was a surgeon. He did so love being right. He made note of the time frame of his arrival in the hospital system--more out of habit than any suspicion.

"Oh-ho!" Bram said with a big grin. "You're one of those super smart types, then, eh?"

"What is your specialty? Or are you a general surgeon?" Vlad asked out of curiosity.

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Adrian paused with his cake half-way to his mouth, having been caught in a rather obvious slip of the togue. He frowned, but then ate the piece of cake anyways, trying not to let it bother him.

"There are always disappearances in Sunset Bay, as far as I know," he said, trying to smooth over his mistake. "Normally they take place during the summer, however there have been a few lately. Mostly types with criminal ties and the like."

Animals, he kept himself from saying outloud by gritting his teeth together. Beasts that killed people for their own sustenance. Certainly not the type that would ever be missed, at least by the human population. He wouldn't dare say that aloud, though.. Instead he just offered a weak half shrug.

He did not shy away when Vlad asked about his career, though, and it seemed to be the thing that he was most confident talking about all night. He was, at the very least, confident in and proud of his abilities.

"I specialized in cardiac surgery at my previous hospital. Here there isn't as much of a need for it, so I do general surgery as well as taking on the tasks of a general physician," he explained, then raised an eyebrow at Bram referring to him as 'super smart'. Well. "I am exceptionally skilled at my job, if that's what you mean. I aim to be the best cardiac surgeon worldwide."

He had to, after all. He had dedicated so much of his life to his career that anything other than excellence would be a black mark on his record. It would be disrespectful, moreover, to Marianne, if he was nothing other than the best that he could be in her memory, if only as an apology for not being a better fiance while she was alive.

 

[voracity]

It was a most pitiful thing, Selene had thought, that such a lovely dining hall, meant to fit hundreds was only host to a meager twenty three patrons the previous night. As she peered up from her task, some guise of cleaning and polishing the instrument of her choice tonight, a heavy weight settled in her cold dead heart as the last person shuffled out the doors, and out of view. The cold and snow had always seemed to rob her of the things she cherished, and wanted most, she couldn't help but to think most bitterly, though not without some measure of resignation.

If only it were summer, she lamented silently as she pulled the zipper of her white jacket up to her neck, then there would have been a real show, a real audience. It would never measure to her fondest memories, of Italy, Germany, or France, but her sire had named her well enough, Darling of Strings, who would not stray from her love of musics, theatrics, and presentation. Even if she could only perform for the smallest of crowds, whose only intention was to somehow escape the harsh bit of winter rather than pay her any mind.

Her one hand held a thermos, while the other snatched up a pair of sunglasses. Well armed, Selene gave a rather contained cheer to floor manager as she, too, left the empty dinning hall, "I'll be back when there's a roaring applause to rouse me awake, goodnight boys, and ladies," she announced as composed as possible as she tucked the glasses over her eyes, steadfastly ignoring one particularly exasperated voice that was quick to inform her that, "you look a moron wearing that!"

Rather than ducking into her assigned quarters, a quaint little bedroom for the in house staff at the Rosewood Hotel, Selene marched out the doors with clear determined intention. While she was more of a visitor than an actual member of the local vampire clan, she was old enough to understand, quick to remember, that the fastest way to determine whether the circumstances of human and rumors posed any sort of danger would come from the clans, or at the very least, from local vampires.

Spotting an individual posed in front of the pub, in striking red, Selene regarded the individual for a few moments before smiling. Tucking a wayward stand of long blonde locks behind her ear, she then un-lidded her thermos, releasing a rather tame, if not entirely-unappetizing scent of blood into the immediate vicinity. "Are they closed?" She asked him, prodding at his decision to remain out in the cold, outside of the pub, of his ability to do so. Without a blink of an eye - hooded by the out-of-place sunglasses - she took a generous sip of her beverage, a silent confirmation.

Mikotsuhime

 

[Reynarda]

"Strange for such a sleepy town," Bram mused. "Wonder why the numbers dropped."

Neither were surprised or confused, of course. Both were very aware of the local clan. But the fact that there were no bodies was worrying. The lack of bodies limited evidence. Bram wondered if the vampire politicians had ever cautioned the clan against their body count. If so, they hadn't done a very good job. The Guild had been angling to get in here and deal with the clan, but politics had forced them back.

"You gonna talk to the locals, Vlad?" Bram asked in the same musing tone, his voice too low for most human ears.

Vlad wrinkled his nose. He did not apparently have a good opinion of the locals. "It is usually polite, but I would rather them not knew I am here. My authorization
is shaky, at best."

Bram flicked his eyes back to Adrian and smiled. "A heart surgeon, huh? Dang, that's pretty cool. Yeah, I bet you are really good."

He glanced at Vlad, and found an amused smirk curling his lips.

"What's so funny?"

Vlad's smirk stretched into a wide smile. "Oh, nothing."

Bram eyed Vlad. He knew something, and he obviously was being quiet about it. But Bram was pretty confident in his own ability to wheedle information out of Vlad.

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Adrian gripped his fork tightly, his mouth thinning into a tight line.

"There are some... unsavory people in sleepy towns like this," he said, unable to keep the malice entirely out of his voice. After a second, though, he took a deep breath and set his fork down. There was no cake left on his plate, and he had no reason to stay and talk to these men any longer. And yet, he was reluctant to leave, too. Something about the shorter one and his attitude was putting him off, and he didn't know why. It could be because most people put him off, but somehow he doubted it.

He scrunched up his nose at Vlad's smile, though, a little annoyed even though he didn't understand entirely what was going on. He was laughing at him for some reason, though.

"Is my profession amusing?" He asked, a frown on his face, but he was a little bit more interested in the talk about the locals. Bram was a pretty big guy and looked perfectly capable of looking after himself, but still...

"I would advise to use caution around here, even if you're only passing through. As I said, there are... unsavory people. Especially at night."

( Reynarda )

**

Chase looked up at the newcomer with a little grin on his face. He had always been fond of women, whether it was because they tended to fall for his charms or because they sometimes didn't was unclear.

"Oh, no, they're open. Pretty sure this place would have to be on fire for it to close down this early in the evening," he said cheerfully. "Don't mind me, I'm hanging out out here because Billy in there is still pissed at me for winning his last fifty bucks on a game of pool last weekend."

He said it with a grin, clearly not at all ashamed of his actions, though the scent of blood from the thermos made him freeze for a moment. He had to take a deep breath, count to ten and then back down again, closing his eyes for a moment before he managed to quash the urge to steal the thermos from her. That would not be a very polite or gentlemanly thing to do, and he was supposed to be getting over these stupid urges by now, wasn't he? Either way, it was embarrassing that he had to fight to keep his composure, but he did, and only showed off a little bit of fang as he gave a confident little smirk.

"You just here for a drink then, Madame? Or something more social?"

( voracity )

 

[Reynarda]

“There’s unsavory types everywhere,” Bram said, finishing off Vlad’s pie.

Vlad arched an eyebrow at Adrian’s irritation. “Oh, no, not at all. Your profession is an important one, indeed. I have no doubt you have saved many lives.”

In truth—despite his amusement—Vlad was resisting the urge to pull out his phone and look the man up on the internet. It seemed a little odd he would be here, in a small tourist town. If he was as skilled as he claimed—and Vlad had a feeling he was—why was he here and not in some big hospital system?

Vlad stacked their plates and drained his coffee. Noticing Bram still had coffee left, he drank that, too, and stacked their mugs. He turned a polite smile on Adrian. “You need not worry about us, Dr. Pierce. We can handle ourselves. But we will be careful. Thank you for the warning.”

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Adrian 's face was grim as he nodded along with Bram's statement. That was true; as much as he wanted to, there was no way he could get rid of them all, either. He finished off his own coffee quietly, then turned to Vlad and nodded.

It was true. He saved lives, that was what he did. If that was on the operating table or by getting rid of a murderer, then there shouldn't be any difference.

"I only hope to continue to save more," he said resolutely, then bowed his head politely as he left his coffee cup and empty cake plate on the table. He considered just leaving it at that without another word, but Vlad was being polite, and, well... He did actually care about people, as much as it wasn't always obvious. Human people, anyways.

"Well, then I wish you safe travels," he mumbled, then paused for a moment before continuing. "I would advise to stay away from the pub, regardless. It tends to attract... rowdy folk this time of year."

( Reynarda )

 

[voracity]

Very cute, Selene was quick to note of the young man, and young. Resealing the thermos - a small mercy for herself, she supposed. If the local clan had someone this young, she had no desire to needlessly risk having other possible younger vampires converging in on such a temptation - she returned the smirk with one of her own, though she had did not practice moderation as he clearly did, and allowed her fangs to present, prominently.

"Why not I help myself to both?" She threw the suggestion between them both, "I've got all night," she declared boldly, as she slid the shades to rest at the top of her head, revealing slitted hazel eyes. She made to squint at him, lips curled into a teasing smile. "If everyone is as cute as you in there, I don't mind trying a little of everything and anything - what say you, boy? Care to be my number one tonight?" She boldly challenged, though she made no move to close the distance, or make any motion that could have been interpreted as an invitation. Unfortunately, her attention had parted from him already, eyes and ears picking something up from a bit of ways away.

When she had gathered herself once more, seemingly back to the present, she gave a sheepish expression, "Sorry, repeat that for me?"

Mikotsuhime

 

[Reynarda]

Vlad dipped his head, agreeing that Adrian should continue saving lives. That was certainly preferable to the alternative.

Bram grinned at the young doctor. “You keep up the good work, and we’ll do ours.”

Vlad stacked their dishes to make it easy for the waitstaff to clean it up. Bram figured he would have washed the dishes if they’d let him.

“Thank you,” Vlad said as they rose from their seats. “We will stay away from the pub.”

Bram glanced at him. “We will?”

Vlad frowned at his companion. “What did I just say about the locals?”

Bram shrugged. He figured they should absolutely check out the pub. Regardless of whether Vlad liked it, they would have to talk to the local clan eventually.

“Thanks for the tip,” Bram said. “You stay safe. We’ll see you around.”

As he turned, he gave Vlad a look that said he would be telling what he learned the second Bram figured they were out of earshot.

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Chase blinked, a little taken aback. He wasn't used to his casual flirting being returned so aggressively, and a tiny hint of colour came to his face as he tried to keep his cool guy persona up with a cocky grin.

"Ohoho? Can't say that's the usual reaction I get, not that I'm complaining. I am pretty cute," he said. "Though I can't say I can make too many plans right now. Family meeting and all that."

He gestured his head back towards the pub with a little shrug of his shoulders. He noticed when Selene got a bit distracted, though, and one of his eyebrows rose a little bit.

"Well, seems I'm not doing a very good job at keeping your attention. Anything interesting going on in the world?"

He considered adding 'more interesting than me?' but figured that was probably a little bit much.

( voracity )

**

Adrian nodded his head, taking that chance to pay his bill and slip away. He did, after all, still have work to do tonight.

He meant what he said about avoiding the pub. He usually avoided it himself, simply because the monsters tended to swarm it like a home base, and he was not in the business of getting caught. However the vampires were starting to catch onto his tricks of poisoning blood bags to catch them off guard, and he wasn't sure how long he could keep using his fake distribution site (something he had found out about from one of his first victims, and had come in plenty handy) before he got caught.

For now, though, he was going to go home, take a shower, get changed, and then maybe look around to see if he could spot a loner vamp. If he didn't, it wasn't any skin off his neck, but if he did, it would be another step closer to avenging Marianne. Though fighting a vamp one on one without the boon of drugs slowing them down was iffy, even if he'd done it before.

 

[Reynarda]

“So?” Bram demanded the second they were out onto the sidewalk.

Vlad slid his hands into his pockets and tilted his head. “Mm?”

“Don’t play dumb. I saw you check his aura.”

Vlad smiled. “He is no average human, that is for sure.”

“And what’s so funny about heart doctors?”

“Nothing.” But there was that amused smirk again.

Bram scowled. Vlad would tell him if it was life-threatening. Still, he didn’t like it when Vlad kept secrets.

“Fine, keep your secrets,” Bram said, turning and marching off.

“Where are you going?” Vlad asked, suddenly realizing Bram was marching past the truck.

“To the pub,” Bram called over his shoulder.

“Abraham! No! I told you I am not—“

“That’s fine, but I’m going,” Bram said, not even slowing.

Vlad jogged to keep up with Bram’s long strides. “You cannot just waltz in there!”

“I can and I will.”

Vlad growled and clenched his fists. There really wasn’t much he could do. Bram would do what he wanted.

And he was goin to get himself killed.

Vlad hurried after him, lightly touch in the inside of his left forearm to assure himself his knife was still there.

He jogged to keep up with Bram. They made short work of the distance, even without the truck. Soon the pub came into view.

Vlad swallowed. “Vampires.”

“Obviously.” Bram rolled his eyes. This wasn’t his first rodeo. Besides, that one had just showed off her teeth.

Bram marched cheerfully up to the two standing outside the pub. “Good evening. This place any good? We’re new here, and I’m in need of a drink.”

 

[NerdyBirdy]

Both vampires turned when the familiar voice called out to them, Gwyn's gaze brightening when she saw both Vera and Evie. Before she even said two words to the women, Abigail smacked her solidly against her stomach.

"Behave, Gwyndolyn Mhaille."

Gwyn pressed her hand to her chest and looked offended. "What! I am nothing but a gentleman at all times, Abby."

"That...is the problem," she scoffed with a roll of her eyes.

Gwyndolyn gave both women a charming grin and inclined her head. "Forgive Abigail, I think she forgot to feed today so she is a little more ornery than a cat with a crooked tail. I'm most pleased to see that the pair of you doing well, some might say you look just as young and beautiful as when I last saw you, Evie," she teased with a wink. Abby was more concerned with the wound that was now visible to the teenage vampire. Healing was something that she excelled in, one of the reasons that she didn't just die when she had been abandoned by her sire in the middle of the alley. Which was a good thing since her surrogate sire had a tendency of getting into fights over her head, mostly due to the woman's sire riling her up and playing on her sense of honor.

Abby rolled her eyes at Gwyn then looked at Evie, motioning toward the gunshot wound. "Go with me to the girl's bathroom and I should be able to help you with that. We need to take care of it before others notice. Harder to blend in with a hole in the head."

Gwyn then looked to Vera, leaning casually on the hearse. "And how are you, álainn bhean?"

Evie gave her friend a quick embrace. “Last time we saw each other, you were still rocking the Rachel while this one was speaking in Elizabethan because of that Anne Rice nonsense.” She gave Abby a hug as she spoke. When she pulled back, she noticed the concern on her face. “Had a run in with the local law enforcement. Nothing to be concerned about. I gave them a nice nap.” She informed. She made her way to the entrance of the pub, spinning on her heels with grace. “Vera, stay with your Aunt Gwyn, don’t talk to strangers and don’t get into cars with dead boys!” She called out before turning back around.

The barman behind the counter regarded the two women with apprehension as they entered. “No minors!” He barked, wiping down a glass.

“She’s not a minor, Ed. Just 36 and dead.” Evie called out. Ed gave a curt nod as the pair went for the restrooms. Evie slipped off her jacket and shirt before putting her hair to one side. The wounds were empty of blood, the insides looking dried. Evie stood still as she let Abby work.

_____________________________________________

Vera leaned against the car as Evie walked into the pub. She looked at Gwyn as she addressed her. “I’m doing great for a girl traveling across the country with her undead three times great grandma drinking bags of blood in the trunk.” Vera have Gwyn a hug. “You look great. Mom sends her best, as well as this.” Vera reached into the hearse and produced a large bottle of rum from the driver’s side hold. “1621 Irish Rum. She said it was your favorite and to tell you it’s a bribe to keep you out of trouble.” Vera giggled.

“So?” Bram demanded the second they were out onto the sidewalk.

Vlad slid his hands into his pockets and tilted his head. “Mm?”

“Don’t play dumb. I saw you check his aura.”

Vlad smiled. “He is no average human, that is for sure.”

“And what’s so funny about heart doctors?”

“Nothing.” But there was that amused smirk again.

Bram scowled. Vlad would tell him if it was life-threatening. Still, he didn’t like it when Vlad kept secrets.

“Fine, keep your secrets,” Bram said, turning and marching off.

“Where are you going?” Vlad asked, suddenly realizing Bram was marching past the truck.

“To the pub,” Bram called over his shoulder.

“Abraham! No! I told you I am not—“

“That’s fine, but I’m going,” Bram said, not even slowing.

Vlad jogged to keep up with Bram’s long strides. “You cannot just waltz in there!”

“I can and I will.”

Vlad growled and clenched his fists. There really wasn’t much he could do. Bram would do what he wanted.

And he was goin to get himself killed.

Vlad hurried after him, lightly touch in the inside of his left forearm to assure himself his knife was still there.

He jogged to keep up with Bram. They made short work of the distance, even without the truck. Soon the pub came into view.

Vlad swallowed. “Vampires.”

“Obviously.” Bram rolled his eyes. This wasn’t his first rodeo. Besides, that one had just showed off her teeth.

Bram marched cheerfully up to the two standing outside the pub. “Good evening. This place any good? We’re new here, and I’m in need of a drink.”

Vera turned to the two men that just approached. She instinctively stood close to Gwyn and let her do the talking, knowing that the vampire community here had a fondness for unclaimed quarry.

 

[redroseknight]

Abby laughed a little at the little; sometimes it was beneficial to be a vampire. She didn't have to worry about producing fake ids for herself and her friends anymore. Before she had been turned, Abby had been a bit of a wild girl. Her family had been a nice upper middle class family that provided for most anything a girl could need. Well, except for the fact that Abby had been sent back and forth through insane asylums because she had been a sensitive even before she had been turned. It was accepted she was crazy rather than psychic, and that led Abby down her path of self-destruction. Irony, then, that her sire's blood line carried with it the healing properties just as Gwyn's had carried with it a siren's.

"The law enforcement has been jumpier as of late due to all of the disappearances. This whole town seems to have been shaken up by someone hunting vampires. As if trying to keep Gwyn out of trouble wasn't hard enough," she laughed while examining the wounds. The bullets at least weren't lodged in her body; that made things easier since it messed with the healing process. Abby concentrated then let out a slow breath, weaving back the tissue that had been blown away by the bullets entering her friend's body. These were small caliber at least, so it didn't take too long for the immortal teen to finish her work.

"There! Good as new." She leaned forward to give Evie a nice big hug. "It's so good to see you again. The clan is made up of way too much testosterone and I'm at my wits end dealing with Gwyn. The Duchess of York is being a manipulative harpy again and trying to get her to go back to England. You know, like she actually cares about Gwyn rather than using her like an attack dog." This had been a common rant for the blue haired teen. Why Gwyn ever found herself caught up in an unrequited love for her sire, Henrietta Stuart, Duchess of York and vampire from the eleventh century, was completely beyond Abby's comprehension. It seemed so obvious to her that Henrietta just used Gwyn, yet the redhead just never listened!

----

Gwyn returned the hug and laughed brightly. "Well then you are doing quite well indeed! Evie is an excellent traveling partner though we will always have a discord over musical preferences." Her interest was piqued when a bottle was extended to her. "Oh she shouldn't have..though I do question why everyone seems to think I cause so much mayhem. I am innocent as a new born fawn," she stated with an exaggerated bat of her eyes and a smile. Her mirth was stilled a little when the vampire and her human companion were approached by two men. They were unfamiliar to her, and that usually spelled trouble. Still, she was going to play this off as nicely as possible since she did have Vera's welfare to be considering.

"Good evening, gentleman. If you're looking for a good pint and craic then I'd suggest O'Shaughnessy's down the way. None of this watered down swill that Americans tend to favor, no offense intended. Even mention that O'Malley sent you and he'll cut you a good deal."

The vampire was trying to send these two elsewhere to avoid some trouble tonight, for once in her life. They both had heartbeats, so they were clearly not vampires that she was familiar with. Considering that there was a meeting with the coven at the pub that night, it was just better all around if she tried to send humans on their way elsewhere. Besides, Vera was too close to avoid getting caught up in a fight in things took a turn. One of the fellows looked like he could definitely hold his own in a bar fight which, while tempting on any other day...not exactly what Gwyn needed when she was, for lack of a better word, babysitting.

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Chase glanced past Selene, eyebrows rising a little bit as he eyed the small group nearby. Two women and two newcomers. He sort of recognized the girls, though it was more from seeing them around town or at past meetings than actually knowing them. He was, after all, still a bit of a newcomer even though he'd been in town for about five or six months now. The men, however, he had no knowledge of. They were both kind of handsome in their own way, which made him perk up a bit. If he hadn't already been flirting with Selene he probably would have offered them each a private drink, but that would be rude right now. Besides, he was still a little taken aback that his brash flirting had worked.

"Looks like a bit of a party going on over there," he said with a nod towards them.

"I think it's only polite to introduce ourselves, hm? By the way, I'm Chase," he added with a little wink.

( voracity Reynarda redroseknight NerdyBirdy )

 

[voracity]

"Selene," she replied, though her smile had dimmed, tightened even. "Sorry 'bout drifting off on you earlier back," she shrugged, "just caught a whiff of something in the air, sent a shiver crawling down my spine - and not in the good way," she stated, tucking a hand into a pocket with a small shrug. Like Chase had done, she turned ever so slightly to keep an eye on the larger group a few ways away from them.

She wasn't exactly sure how the locals treated human wanderers around these parts, were they friendly with one another, like in the cities? Hostile, like in the south? With supernatural hearing, she managed to catch word of the lovely lady's instructions, suggestions, to the two men. That simply made her task all the harder as she wasn't exactly all too willing to step into the same establishment with two humans inside - even having had a small snack in her thermos would not keep her thirst sated all night.

Luckily for her though, some of her questions could probably be cleared by the new acquaintance she had made, "Is it normal for folks of their kind to make their way out here, in this kind of weather? A little out of the way isn't it?" She mused, to him, taking a step closer to the larger commotion, though her head tilted at him, an invitation for him to lead.

Mikotsuhime Reynarda redroseknight NerdyBirdy