| Darling you were right, caught beneath the storm. (Jayda!) |
[ |
November 16th,
2015 6:45 pm
| ] |
Ethan didn't like it. Any of it. How this place had been the last year, all the strange things happening. The way that this place felt, like it was pulling them all in and he couldn't really leave even if he wanted to. How many Slayers and hunters were around. The number of wolves. Hell, the number of shifters and vamps in general. It wasn't normal. And it had that feeling under it all, that pull. He was a fairly straight-forward guy, and didn't like things that messed with his head. And then, ironically enough, the biggest headfuck of all had been two weeks ago, when everything felt as out of whack as it had ever been, before there was...some kind of a release. Like a cork finally popping out of a bottle.
And now it was quiet again. Animals were coming back to the woods. Things felt easier, like the noose around everyone's neck had been loosened a bit. There hadn't been any fights, even between the hunters and the rest of them.
It was making him even more on edge than before, honestly.
He was out now, needing to restock on food and alcohol, the type of trip that he usually only made once a month or so. Ethan was hardly the type that required much in the way of splurges, or fancy meals. In a neutral territory, of course, still trying to get rid of his paranoia through a few rolls of his shoulders as he parked and got out of the truck he'd borrowed from Gray. This shouldn't take too long, at least.
(Open to Jayda!)
|
|
|
| The last of a line of lasts; the pale princess of a palace cracked. |
[ |
November 2nd,
2015 11:37 pm
| ] |
All it took was that one shove, that one trip for Ana to hit the surface of the opalescent tomb, her blood smearing and dripping onto its surface. Apparently, it didn't need the amount that Aiden had spilled. What was on Ana was enough, and seemed to defy the laws of physics as Aiden's slipped off of it without a trace, and Ana's streamed to gather specifically in those etchings at its surface. They glowed then, brighter and brighter until everyone in the caves had to hide their eyes from what they were seeing.
And then it was gone. The room was empty.
Outside of the cave, pale feet took their first steps in thousands of years, slowly making their way to the rock's ledge. The clouds pulled aside to show the moon and the stars, letting them illuminate the pale girl with the white hair. Her voice echoed through the caves without her mouth opening at all, a quiet power behind it.
Stop.
The white wolf was there suddenly too, moving protectively between her and whatever things may have come from the cave entrance to see what they had unleashed.
She turned, looking at them, pale grey eyes almost as white as her hair, features almost too delicate for the strength she was exuding. The air shimmered and a moment later the wolf was no longer there, a tall, blonde man looking perhaps more feral than the wolf had ever been standing protectively in front of her instead. Only for a moment, and then another flash and both were gone.
Kali, the last of the Witches, the progenitor of the Slayers, was awake.
(Open for reactions <3!)
|
|
|
| I searched my world but I can't find you. (Open to all!) |
[ |
November 1st,
2015 7:24 pm
| ] |
The fight was still raging on outside. A good thing, in Rene's estimation, as it kept the Slayers and those new additions to this whole thing from stopping what was going on inside of the caves. Slayer-strength may have put Aiden at the level of a normal vampire, but Rene was one driven with almost religious fervor at the moment, able to practically taste victory the deeper that they went, those that he considered closest still with him. The boy's struggles were barely noticeable between them.
They moved through the tunnels, guided by Cordelia and Luis in their ears, their deciphering of the texts having included a map of some kind. Unfortunately, it led them to a dead end where there should have been….something. Anything.
Aiden was shoved to the side suddenly, as they all seemed to realize where to go at the same time. Through. Vampiric strength aided them as a barrage of fists hit stone, breaking through it easily and exposing a small room behind it.
In the middle was a white sarcophagus, illuminated by two torches at the back wall running on who knew what fuel. Its uneven surface was like a solid, polished opal, only marred by more symbols on its top. The same symbols that had been in all the rest of the texts. The Slayer was shoved forward and forced down onto it, like a sacrifice on an altar. Which, really, was exactly what he was.
Noise and shouting heralded the arrival of the fighters, their faces suddenly appearing in the darkness as well to try and stop what was happening, but it was too late. With a flash of a knife the Slayer's throat was slit, his blood pouring out over the coffin that had asked for it.
...And nothing happened.
The blood dripped over the white and to the ground, with no change coming from it. It was then that every vampire in the cave had the same picture appearing in their mind, a flash of one of the girls from outside. Not one of the Slayers. A hunter that had shown up. The white-haired one. She was the Slayer that wasn't. It was her blood that the tomb needed.
"Get her."
(Open to all!)
|
|
|
| Everything that you fear is calling you and drawing near |
[ |
October 31st,
2015 11:34 pm
| ] |
Dark deeds called for dark nights, but the light of the full moon pierced through the trees as the group made their way further and further into the forest. They had the location. And now they had the key -- the blood of a Slayer that didn't belong. A male Slayer. Rene would have laughed at how obvious it was, if he wasn't shocked at how well the Watchers had actually managed to keep that secret.
It would have been easier to drug the boy, but they didn't want to risk the blood being considered impure because of it. None of them really had any idea of what would be waiting for them in there, only that it was connected to Kali, and to Lilith, and that this sacrifice was what was needed to bring the vampire queen back.
Not that it was really much of a sacrifice for the people dragging Aiden along.
Their eyes glinted as they moved through the forest, resembling more of what they really were, at the core of it all -- hunters. Killers. Not simple city-dwellers, but as dangerous a predator as any shifter or wolf that found itself out here each month.
It wasn't until they got to the cave that things began to progress more quickly. Sounds suddenly, and smells -- a pack not unlike their own, but of young women, headed their way. The Slayers, trying to get their own back. "Spread out," was the order from Rene, several of the vampire with them moving back to the darkness of the trees to engage with the Slayers as they came up the slope.
That wasn't the only interference, though. An arrow shot out suddenly, from above. The Rangers that Rafe and Gabriel had spoken of were there, at the site they were sworn to protect. No one that came near it would leave alive, as far as they were concerned. Two vampires grabbed Aiden to move him towards the cave entrance, protecting him bodily from the attacks coming at them.
(Battle Royale to get to the inside of the cave first!! Open to all Slayers, all vamps there, even a shifter passing by! Wolves are welcome to feel drawn to the area as well!)
|
|
|
| IT'S A STILL LIFE WATERCOLOUR OF A NOW LATE AFTERNOON. |
[ |
October 29th,
2015 7:56 pm
| ] |
Bears were omnivores, a lot of people didn’t realise that, but in preparing dinner the Faulkner brothers always put that little-known fact into practise. Though the larger part of their meals was made up by meat -- usually red, Wilhelm’s favourite -- they always put plenty of vegetables in as well. Tonight, for example, the older sibling had taken it upon himself to make a fairly simple but suitably filling casserole. Or perhaps it was a stew. Steak, gravy, lots of vegetables, everything they needed. Straightforward but satisfying, a fairly accurate summation of just about anything Wilhelm prepared in the kitchen.
Walking through the open doorway and into the house’s lounge he was dusting his trousers off on the legs of his pants. There was no water left on them now, not after he’d already wiped them off on a towel, but Wilhelm was a thorough sort of creature, he liked to know something was well and truly done. Only when he was certain his palms were completely dry did he focus on his brother where the younger male was sitting watching TV. Or perhaps he was reading that magazine dropped open across one knee.
“Just under an hour,” he said plainly enough, not mincing words and trusting Tomas to know what he meant, especially with the scent of herbs and onions and other various ingredients carrying on the air. “Are you coming next time?” Just like that Wilhelm picked up a conversation they had temporarily set aside before he’d wandered into the kitchen to work on dinner, the topic of the fights the older sibling was regularly partaking in coming back into his mind as quickly as if they hadn’t stopped talking about it at all.
[ TOMAS ]
|
|
|
| YOU'RE ONLY GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS, BABY, WITH YOUR ENGINES HUMMING. |
[ |
October 29th,
2015 7:39 pm
| ] |
Sharing a bed with such a light sleeper made any kind of departure from the room a difficult -- sometimes downright impossible -- task more often than not but tonight Thaddeus had managed to not only leave the mattress but also step through the door without rousing Ana. It helped that the door was always ajar, that he still could not bear to sleep in any room that was completely closed off that way, the need to have a clear and visible escape route something that would likely never leave him. It had been too long, he had gone too far without healing that particular wound and now there was a scar there amidst so many others in his mind and on his body. Scars were not so frightening to him now as they had once been. Many things had lost that kind of power.
With only a lamp borrowed from the open plan lounge flicked on so that he could see what he was doing Thaddeus calmly and methodically disassembled the first of his twin handguns, laying out the parts in a precise order that was so swiftly and cleanly achieved that it betrayed the regularity of the motions. Practise made perfect and Thaddeus had ensured he could do this as swiftly as efficiently as possible, going over it again and again and again not only in the beginning but as time went on, over the years he had kept it up so that he could do it not only without watching but without thinking about what his hands were doing. Something about the action was calming, there was a control and a power in it that made him feel steady and at ease, reassured by the smoothness of his own motions and the ease with which he performed the task.
When one of the handguns was successfully broken down into pieces, thoroughly cleaned, and precisely reassembled, fully loaded and ready to use at the drop of a hat, Thaddeus lifted his brown eyes from the counter upon which he had set out the cloth and other materials to gaze down the hall leading to the bedroom. Quiet, still, shrouded in shadow. Ana was still asleep.
Good. Maybe he would rejoin her soon. After the second gun had been cleaned, though, Thaddeus couldn’t leave the job half-finished, once he had started he had to finish, it had been that way for years now and just like that open door it was something that he could no longer imagine being any other way.
[ NARRATIVE; CLOSED ]
|
|
|
| we're so close to something better left unknown, i can feel it in my bones. |
[ |
October 26th,
2015 4:53 pm
| ] |
In all the months he'd been here, the side streets and back alleys of San Luis Obispo had grown familiar. Aiden could walk them with his eyes closed if he had to. By daylight, by the stark yellow of the street lights at night, in that hazy grey light just before dawn when he could almost feel the sun hovering below the horizon. He knew the feel of the pavement under his boots, the way the air tasted at night, the way the sounds of the city night life ebbed and flowed as the hours rolled by. The way it breathed. It was a rare thing to stay in one place long enough to feel it in his bones like this. Aiden couldn't remember the last time, if there had ever been one, and that feeling was becoming like a sixth sense as he patrolled at night, and he was learning to trust it.
And so when it started to change, when the energy shifted, he felt it.
He couldn't put words to the feeling, not yet. Maybe not ever. But something had changed in a way that he hadn't felt before, something like more eyes searching in the darkness, like the city holding its breath. Waiting for something. Looking for something. He felt it even when the shadows were empty, felt the uneasy itch of eyes on him even when he turned to find nobody there. There was a kind of tension all the time now, it was in those dark alleys before he reached them and it followed him out when he left. Aiden was starting to feel like he was waiting for something, too.
He'd been here too long to ignore that feeling, even if he wanted to. And he did want to, he wanted to let it wash over him and pass him by, he wanted to leave patrolling in the night where it belonged and spend his days in that half-approximation of normal he and Lucky had carved out. He wanted to pretend, the way they'd always been able to, because each moment of feeling almost normal and happy together could be the last they ever got. But he'd been doing all this too long, he'd been a Slayer too long to just push his instincts aside. They intruded on everything now.
He was waiting, the whole city was waiting, the darkness and the shadows holding their breath for something that might or might not come. Might or might not reveal itself to him when it did. Might or might not be more than a Slayer's keen senses in overdrive, a city on the edge after so many disasters, a creeping and uneasy sense of mortality. Might be more than all that. Aiden walked his patrol and felt eyes in the darkness, and he waited.
(NARRATIVE)
|
|
|
| SO SAFE FROM HARM, WOLVES WILL KEEP YOU WARM. |
[ |
October 26th,
2015 8:27 pm
| ] |
Wolves were afraid of fire but werewolves had the human logic and reason to temper that fear. It had become something of a tradition that they light one when they headed out for the full moons and by now they had been visiting the same spot for so long that they had taken it upon themselves to fashion a kind of pit and it was always there waiting for them when they came back. To Marcus that was reassuring, that no matter what happened between each visit their pit, their spot, was always waiting for them, exactly as they had left it. Some things never changed: that was comforting.
They had food and other provisions, everything they would need to see them through the night and the two following it, it was like any other full moon and yet it was anything but. Marcus could feel it and he was certain the rest of the pack could feel it too, that tightness in the air, that sense of something being wrong. San Luis Obispo was like a powderkeg and it was only a matter of time before it blew, there was no denying that, certainly not now, but therein lay the problem.
The pack couldn’t just up and leave. It wasn’t as easy as that. It never was.
Sitting forward on his perch on a rock he had come to favour above all the others around the pit in which the fire crackled he prodded at the logs with the long stick he was holding in one hand, listening to -- but not really listening in on -- the idle chatter passing around between the rest of the pack. It was about an hour before they would head off and transform, for now all they had to do was pass the time in whatever ways they saw fit.
[ OPEN TO THE ALVARSSON PACK ]
|
|
|
| THE EARTH IS WILD, YOU'VE GOT NO TIME. |
[ |
October 22nd,
2015 3:51 pm
| ] |
When he came to it was suddenly, abruptly, with a jolt and a start like an electric current had fired through his system to bring him back to awareness. It was with a gasp of cold morning air that he did so, his breath misting in front of his face on the way back out again and it came in short bursts after that, fear and confusion setting in quickly after the initial alarm had subsided. Where was he? How had he gotten here? What time was it? What day was it?
Kellen sat up, his dark hair falling right back across his face after he tried to sweep it out of the way, it was knotted and tangled and damp. Just dew, thank God. That did little to ease his concern, there was a bad taste on the back of his tongue that he didn’t recognise and didn’t much care to, something about it made his stomach roll but he managed to keep from emptying whatever its contents were onto the-- forest floor? All around there were trees, stretching way up into the sky, casting shadows down onto the ground below, the earth littered with fallen twigs and old leaves and every other sign that Nature ruled in this place. There were small animals scurrying around somewhere nearby, Kellen could hear them, he could smell them, they stayed out of sight but he knew they were there. When he swallowed it was dryly and with a grimace that he did so, a full-bodied shiver wracking his frame and making him realise, not without a fresh wave of concern and confusion, that he was naked.
Had he changed? With his breathing picking up speed and his heart quickening to match he looked around, trying to take stock of his surroundings, realising then that he was in something of a nook amidst a cluster of bushes and a few old rocks. A nest, almost. Perfect for a bear. The earth beyond the nook was rough and had been disturbed recently, Kellen could see familiar gouges in the dirt from claws just like the ones he’d dug in the back yard more times than he cared to recall.
Oh God. He had changed. When? How far away had he been? How much distance had he crossed? Why couldn’t he remember anything?
“Um--” Someone cleared their throat. “Hello?”
Kellen started physically and shoved himself back under more of the cover of the low hanging branches of the bushes, feeling them scrape at his bare skin. “H-hello?”
“Hi?” It was a young woman but there was someone else there as well, an older man who stepped forward just into Kellen’s line of sight.
“Oh my,” the man said, looking back over his shoulder at the young woman. Daughter? A few words passed between them in hushed tones and Kellen’s heart was pounding too hard and too fast for him to pick out what they were saying. The man’s eyes were back on him then. “Are you all right? Do you need help?”
For a few seconds he thought about saying no, shaking his head and insisting he was fine, but then it hit him anew: he didn’t know where he was or why, he had no recollection of how he’d gotten here in the first place or what it was that had made him change, he didn’t know what he had done. Before he could blink them back tears sprung to his eyes and he nodded. “Yes.” Clearing his throat to make his voice sound stronger he said again, “Yes. Please.” A pause in which he had to take a breath to steady the tremor that threatened to weaken what he went on to add, “Thank you.”
[ NARRATIVE; CLOSED ]
|
|
|
| QUICKLY MOVING TOWARDS A STORM, MOVING FORWARD, TORN. |
[ |
October 20th,
2015 11:28 pm
| ] |
"We call ourselves Rangers. We protect the Hellmouths, and what is inside of them. We have for as long as they have existed."
All of the Watchers were there for this meeting, the Slayers sent on various errands that would get them out of the house. The brothers had insisted. And, in return, they said that they would explain what they knew of the texts that had been being deciphered, and the code that hadn't been broken yet. And how it was, exactly, that they were able to read it.
Gabriel hesitated, looking to Rafe, visibly uncomfortable with the situation. But what choice did they have? The situation was more dire than they could have guessed, and more dangerous than what their brothers knew. Telling these kinds of secrets was tantamount to begging for a knife in the throat, but not acting on what they'd found out would be the same as condemning them all the death.
"Your texts -- these prophecies. When they speak of the Cassian sect, that it was never extinct. They are speaking the truth. We -- our brothers and ourselves. We are their descendants. We believe that is what this phrase means -- the watchers of the key. The key to understanding the dead language that this prophecy is in. It is with the Cassians. We were all trained in it, to read it."
The twins exchanged a look again before continuing.
"It is a Slayer's blood that will open this Hellmouth again. It will awaken Kali. A Slayer that does not belong with the others. ...Your boy." They'd seen him leave, and he seemed to be the only one that could fit the bill. Right? Gabriel noticed several of the Watchers glancing toward a younger female in their group but wasn't sure why.
There was murmuring then, and more questions coming at them, waiting to be answered.
[ OPEN TO WATCHERS ]
[ tag in with any questions you have for the bros! They will answer to the best of their abilities :). Multiple lines are welcome in this thread, no need to wait for a turn -- just tag on a new line and ask! ]
|
|
|
| I’M YOUR FRIEND NOT YOUR GUARD, WE’RE UNDER THE WOLF’S LAW. |
[ |
October 13th,
2015 10:36 pm
| ] |
Being out by himself still felt strange, Noah still didn’t trust himself after all that had happened. It didn’t matter to him that it had been the better part of a year -- more now? it was all but impossible to keep track -- since everything had erupted the way it had, that he’d been with the Alvarsson Pack all those months in relative quiet and comfort and safety, something neither he nor Raleigh though they would find in their wolfen lifetimes, it was still so far beyond him to expect everything to be okay. What right did he have to a life like that anyway? After everything he had done he didn’t deserve happiness or contentment, he had taken actions that had ended the lives of others and it wasn’t fair that they were gone and he was still here. It wasn’t fair that his mother had died and he was still alive, still drawing breath and taking up space hating everything about himself and what he had become.
Noah forgot with his mind so thoroughly occupied what he had gone into the store for in the first place, now he was just standing there in the aisle drawing the attention of the clerk for all the wrong reasons and he fidgeted from one foot to the other for a second before he uttered an apology to the young woman and made his way to the door. At least he wasn’t wearing a big jacket, the last thing he wanted or needed was to be stopped and searched, if that happened he wasn’t entirely sure he could trust himself not to do something he really shouldn’t.
It was when he got outside that something did happen though, the breath caught painfully in his chest and throat and he almost choked, his hand lifting to lay against the bottom of his ribcage like he’d been punched. His other hand went out, caught against the brick front of the store beside the window, his fingertips suddenly too sensitive to the rough surface of the mortar. Heat rushed through him, sweat beaded down the length of his spine and hugged the material of his shirt to his chest.
Oh no, oh no. Noah recognised it now for what it was, what it really shouldn’t be but was anyway, terror and dread chasing through his veins like a drug as his eyes lifted and searched wildly for some place out of the way. What if he couldn’t stop it? It felt like he couldn’t, it was eating away at him inside, the wolf was coming up and out and it would break free any minute now.
With a thin strangled sound knotting in his throat he tripped and stumbled into the alley between the two stores he was closest to and managed to make it a good fifteen feet down the passage before the pain doubled him over and dropped him to his knees. The phone in his pocket might as well have been a hundred miles away, Noah couldn’t get his hands to obey his commands and there was no fishing it out to call for help, it was happening too fast and soon enough the human thoughts went scattering like so much broken glass, the cry of pain ringing off the walls as the change overcame him.
With a full bodied shake the wolf cleared the last clinging threads of clothing from its frame, stepping clear of the pile of shirt and pants and sneakers before stretching out its limbs. Before he’d lowered his nose to investigate his surroundings another scent caught his attention and pale eyes lifted to find brilliant blue ones staring back at him from the other end of the alley.
Come with me, those eyes said, so calm and so patient, and the young male stepped forward and dropped his gaze, extending his muzzle to sniff at the huge white creature standing before him, so strong and so old.
They were off then, the White Wolf leading and Noah following. In that moment, in that skin, nothing felt more natural.
[ NARRATIVE; CLOSED ]
|
|
|
| I'M HERE, I'M WAITING FOR YOU. |
[ |
October 12th,
2015 10:46 pm
| ] |
They had not been wrong in pointing out that the cave system she and Verity were to investigate was off the beaten track. It was off any track whatsoever. Dense vegetation stood in the way, rocky formations, an uphill hike in the dark. At least there was enough moonlight that they didn't need to use the flash-lights they had brought. Cameron didn't like to bother with them if she didn't have to, they drew too much attention, they were too obvious. It there was anything nasty out here in the darkness with them then she didn't want it to have such an obvious focal point.
It was out of this same cautious protectiveness that she waded through the undergrowth first. Of course her partner for the excursion was just as capable, it wasn't about that, it was just that Cameron felt better when she felt in control. Even now, after so long working alongside other slayers, she chaffed at not being in control of a situation, a symptom of her upbringing and one that made for a great solo slayer but not such a great team player.
They had been hiking for more than an hour and closing in on their destination when she stopped.
"Verity." Cameron stood on a rocky outcropping turning her head a little, looking off to the right. Perhaps she was paranoid. Overly cautious. Every rustle of leaves and every crackle of dry twigs made her jump to attention. "I don't think we're alone."
[ OPEN TO VERITY, RAFE & GABRIEL ]
|
|
|
| OLD RIVER AND YOUR RESTLESS WONDER AND YOUR GRACEFUL LEISURE ROLLING TO THE SEA. |
[ |
September 30th,
2015 9:51 pm
| ] |
Rafe liked trees, always had, ever since he’d been old and strong enough to pull himself up into one he’d spent as much time in them as possible. Climbing in them, as high as he could, attempting to swing from the branches of one to those of the next along in the line like some sort of ungainly chimpanzee, or as time had gone on simply sitting, enjoying the natural free feeling that came from being among the leaves with the breeze tugging his hair around his face, the scent of the wild all around him. Peaceful, quiet, right.
As he sat he traced the tips of his fingers unconsciously beneath his shirt and along the lines of his ribs and the scars there, still a little pink but fading, healing over as much as the damaged skin was able after being so roughly parted. Rafe didn’t perform the action with any kind of awareness, he’d done it so much in the early days of his recovery that it had started to become habit, a tick of sorts, and it wasn’t until he heard the shift of dry twigs and dying leaves from below that he stopped. Only then did he realise what he was doing, withdrawing his hand from beneath his shirt and lifting it to rake his unruly dark hair from where it had tumbled across his face in that breeze.
Without even needing to call he knew who it was down there and after drawing in a breath to prepare and brace himself he shifted his weight so he could swing it around the branch upon which he had been perched and then down, dangling from his arms for a few seconds before he let go and dropped. When he landed it was with bent knees that he did so, his legs absorbing the shock of the landing just right so that he didn’t suffer any injury. When he lifted his head and pushed his hair from his face he offered his brother a smile that was a little closer to a grin than anything else, rising to his full height and shifting his weight a little, almost restlessly. It was still early in the day and Gabe had snuck off before the sun had even crested the horizon properly. Rafe’s curiosity was a force to be reckoned with when it was provoked. “Where’d you go?”
[ GABRIEL ]
|
|
|
| keep the streets empty for me. |
[ |
September 20th,
2015 10:15 pm
| ] |
[Backdated to Friday night!]
As beautiful as the city could be by day, by night it was something entirely different. Shadowy, unpredictable, a little too wild. Most of its residents had no idea just how dangerous it could be, but they felt that instinctive chill as the sun went down just the same, and they stuck close to the bright lights and the crowds. They laughed at themselves, but still, they stayed where it was safe. Their instincts could recognize the risk of this city at night, even their thoughts couldn't quite rationalize it.
Caleb had been like them, once, but it had been a long time since then. The city by night was his home now, it held no fear for him. He wasn't naive enough to think that his supernatural alliances made him safe, that word had long since left his vocabulary, but he knew exactly where the danger might be coming from now. If anybody was going to drag him off into the darkness, it would be the very vampires he'd allied himself with; the rest of the supernatural underworld new better than to trespass on their territory. Carmella might lose her temper one day and kill him, but nobody else would. It wasn't safety, but in a city like this it came awfully close, and it meant he could walk through the streets at night without looking over his shoulder.
Most nights, at least.
He'd been making his way home after a late night at Rosedale, his shoes still smelling vaguely of formaldehyde and his eyes scratchy with fatigue, and at first he didn't even notice the footsteps behind him. When he did, he assumed they were human, and he picked up the pace just enough to make himself inconvenient to follow. He could run if he needed to, but he might not even have to. And then the full weight of another person barreled into him from behind, much too fast to be anything but supernatural, and he could taste asphalt and blood from a split lip before he had time to think about just how badly he'd miscalculated. Somebody in this city didn't know whose territory they were hunting on, or didn't know enough to care. They'd find out soon enough, but if he didn't manage to get free quickly, that wouldn't help him very much.
Twisting sharply, Caleb tried to throw the weight off his back, but all he could manage was to get most of the way turned over and get his face off the pavement. It was better than nothing, at least. Facing upwards he could see his attacker's unsheathed fangs -- vampire, how stupid, Carmella would have this one's head in a few days -- and at least he could keep it from landing a solid bite. For a little while.
(Raleigh!)
|
|
|
| I AM WHAT I DON'T KNOW. |
[ |
September 21st,
2015 12:35 am
| ] |
backdated to saturday night/the early hours of the morning!
Wolves were not something strange to her. They were not beasts that she feared or hated or hunted. This one was different, though, and she felt that difference in every inch of her skin and down to the core of her bones.
Ana had been out hunting and had actually circled her way to the edge of one of the parks that were sprawled across the city. It was refreshing for her to patrol these areas and plenty of kids got snatched up by something fanged and vicious in these secluded places to make it worth her while to stalk through herself. What she had not been expecting was to encounter such a large, white wolf. It was bigger than any she had seen before, even in the Northern Territories she called home. Though bigger and a good deal more powerful than any normal wolf she still did not fear it, not least because the way those eyes fixed on her was more than a little breath taking. There was an old soul behind those eyes, the look she was given was appraising, thoughtful even.
It wasn't a werewolf either, she was certain. Ana could not feel it being anything supernatural like she usually could. But it wasn't just a normal wolf.
Fascinated she started to move forwards and for a moment the wolf did not move at all, just watched her with that ancient, knowing gaze, and then he turned to run away, into the darkness of the trees. Ana stopped short, she wasn't going to chase the creature but she was interested enough to take a route in that general direction as she continued to patrol the park, hoping she might catch another glimpse.
[NARRATIVE ]
|
|
|
| party till the break of dawn (come on lets do it) |
[ |
September 7th,
2015 10:07 pm
| ] |
Eloise just loved public holidays, people were always filled with happiness and there was laughter in the air, what wasn't to love. It allowed the Pride to all be together as well and that was always going to be one of her favourite things in the world. Seacliff was buzzing with energy, she could feel it pressing against her skin, wrapping her up like a blanket and filling her with warmth. She was in her element here, behind the bar serving people drinks and making sure they were enjoying themselves.
Summer was coming to a close and while it never really got cold here there would soon be a chill in the air. Eloise was going to take every opportunity to enjoy what was left of the summer weather, even when she was working and that was why she was wearing a sundress with wedge sandals. Maybe not the idea clothing to wear but she didn't care, she felt good and nothing was going to get her down.
Seacliff was always busy, especially when people had the day off work and could drink earlier in the day without fear of being judged for it. Today was no different, the place was full to capacity, loud music made it difficult to hear anyone unless they were within two feet of you. It was the perfect atmosphere to relax and have fun surrounded by other people who wanted to do exactly the same thing.
[ open to one and all ]
[ooc note: go forth and have fun everyone]
|
|
|
| today is on fire. |
[ |
September 5th,
2015 9:45 pm
| ] |
Outside the thick, heavy blackout curtains that covered Red's windows, the afternoon sun burned hot and clear. She could feel it, the warmth of it seeping through the fabric, even though the light was completely blocked out. She could touch her hand to the curtain and imagine feeling the sun on her skin again. Sometimes, on days when she couldn't sleep and couldn't keep herself distracted, she did. Most days she didn't. She reminded herself of all the things she had gained in exchange for the sun on her skin and the breath in her lungs, the years of life after death she would never have had as a living Slayer, and she left the curtain alone. Those days were better.
Today, though, the feel of sunshine through the protective barrier of cloth wasn't enough. She needed to see it, needed nothing between herself and the sun but air, and the door to her apartment stood open and forgotten behind her as she made her way barefoot down the hall and onto the stairs. It had been so long, she had been in the dark for so long. Why had she been in the dark for so long? Red could feel the pressure of need on her chest, and by the time she reached the bottom of the stairs and pushed the door open, just seeing the sun wasn't enough anymore. She needed to feel it. Her skin was pale and cold, and she hadn't felt the absence of the sun so strongly in more than a decade, and she couldn't remember why she had stayed away from it all that time.
Red padded across the lobby of her apartment building, drawing surprised glances from neighbors who had never seen her out during the day before, and the sun outside the glass doors was brilliant and beautiful and everything she'd been missing. Chills ran down her spine as she pushed the doors open and stepped out into the thin strip of shadow that covered the sidewalk. It was so close now. It was so close, and she needed it so much. Her fingers were trembling as she reached out a hand toward the edge of the shadow, through it, past it, into the light.
Transfixed, her thoughts too full of this sudden and overwhelming need to think of anything else, she barely even noticed the smoke as her fingers started to burn.
(Caden!)
|
|
|
| LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR. |
[ |
August 31st,
2015 9:30 pm
| ] |
backdated to saturday!
Since April the stars had been aligning to being them to this full moon. A Super moon. Rising in Pisces. Nadzehda did not put stock in silly human horoscopes or the like, she did not believe that a man in a nice suit could tell any of them anything other than exactly what they wanted to hear, nor that those men in those suits and the women in their incense soaked shops had any glimmer of real knowledge when it came to the powers that moved this world. That was not to say that she was the most knowledgeable either, she was no mystic, she had not been lucky enough to manifest any sort of vampiric power as of yet, though she would kill whomever she needed to in order to make sure she lived long enough for that to be a possibility, but she did know that there was power in the moon and in the cosmic shifting of planets and stars. They were specks in the eye of destiny, all of them, and nothing made that clearer than the control the moon had over werewolves, or the fact that moonlight was the only natural light a vampire could walk in safely. So scheduling this event had been an easy decision to make.
It was outside the limits of the city in an old industrial estate that she had purchased some time ago, At the time she had not decided what she would use it for, only that she wanted to solidify her position in the city, to settle down here and make if her home, and Valentín's, for the foreseeable future. Now here they were. There would be more than one fight and enough betting to make it interesting. There was even a bar set up further back from the wooden ring. Nothing fancy, nothing like the sort of aesthetic that the old vampire was known for in whatever circle he was occupying.
This was largely for the shifters; gritty, dirty, bare-knuckle fight. If a vampire wanted to get in the ring so be it. No kills. No feeding. Just fighting and spectating.
[FIGHT NIGHT. OPEN TO ALL SUPERNATURALS. ]
|
|
|
| LET'S BE COLD TO CREATE HEAT. |
[ |
August 31st,
2015 8:54 pm
| ] |
WHO: Aren Venter & Zorah Graves.
WHERE/WHEN: Laguna Lake, the edge of Venter Clan territory. Backdated to just after this.
WHAT: Aren needs to let off a lot of steam and Zorah, knowing what he's like, sets up a perfect little exercise for him. It works like a charm, obviously. She knows what she's doing. (PART II OF II).
( “Do you think lion brains look that pretty?” )
|
|
|
| LET'S GO TO WAR TO MAKE PEACE. |
[ |
August 31st,
2015 9:14 pm
| ] |
WHO: Aren Venter & Zorah Graves.
WHERE/WHEN: Laguna Lake, the edge of Venter Clan territory. Backdated to just after this.
WHAT: Aren needs to let off a lot of steam and Zorah, knowing what he's like, sets up a perfect little exercise for him. It works like a charm, obviously. She knows what she's doing. (PART I OF II)
( “Maybe we’ll find you a bear.” )
|
|
|
|
[ |
August 29th,
2015 3:11 pm
| ] |
WHO: Mya and John
WHERE/WHEN: Early evening, Bus station
WHAT: Second bus arrival to this city..
( Bumps in the Night! )
|
|
|
| Move in desires made of deadly pretends. (Open to group going!) |
[ |
August 10th,
2015 2:01 pm
| ] |
It was a risky move, to be sure. Going to the Elders home base in general, to say nothing of trying to break into certain restricted areas to get a look at (and pictures of) the ancient codices that were rumored to hold the secrets to the species' origin. The palace in Russia was open to all vampires, technically, but it seemed that few actually ventured there of their own accord unless it was to pay homage to their leaders. And even then visits tended to be brief. The most dangerous aspect of this particular trip was, of course, the fact that there were vampires within its walls that could read thoughts -- that could very well stumble upon what the true cause of the trip was.
Which was why Rene had brought something even more distracting than that for both the guards and the Elders to focus on.
A Slayer.
It was a dangerous gamble, bringing their hunter to their leaders. They were stopped at the front door for it, the guards there looking immoveable and dangerous, until they suddenly stepped aside. Someone inside had sensed them, and had ordered them to be allowed through. Rene's eyes moved slightly to Valentin, who faded to the back, and then out of sight. The guards didn't seem to notice, too focused on the silent and rage-filled girl at the center of them.
The group went through the hallways, art and architecture pristine; the Elders had always had an eye for that sort of thing, and appreciated it from each period, each era that they had lived through. They were taken to the Grand Room, an enormous once-ballroom, white coating every surface there was. No furniture or decorations to be seen, save for a red carpet that led from the door to the thrones at the back. Massive and imposing and made of wood; a show of the Elders' power, and their lack of fear of death. There were five of them, although two were empty -- only the females were in attendance, one seated at either end, and one in the middle. Jiang Rin. Mater Mortis. Their queen. Her power could be felt throughout the room, coating it in danger and death and decay. Their gaze was focused on the group of four as the guards fell away, Rene moving towards them first, guiding Mya. Vivienne similarly guiding Luis behind.
It was Anatu who spoke, from the right. "Rene Lemaire. What is it that you have brought us?"
Mniskhte's eyes moved slowly across each, listening to what wasn't being said.
(Open to selected group!)
|
|
|
| When I was a child I heard voices; some would sing and some would scream. (Aiden!) |
[ |
August 7th,
2015 9:26 am
| ] |
School still hadn't started back in sessions, but that didn't mean that Eleanor didn't have places to be and things to do. She was never one without a schedule anyway, not the sort to laze around in bed, or slowly take her time reading the morning's paper with her coffee. She needed to get to the Slayer's group home today, to work with Aiden more on his concentration and focus with his sparring, and then (of course) to settle in with Jess and Silas to try and find more of….anything, that might be helpful.
She woke up before her charge, and had never seen a reason to make sure he was moving about at the same time as her. He was usually having to sleep off coming in late, and his age and gender seemed to make it so that he didn't care as much about how he appeared when they went to where the others were. Out of bed and to the bathroom, following her normal routine, turning on the shower and letting it heat up as she undressed. She moved a hand under the steady stream of water to test its temperature before stepping in. Her eyes closed as she allowed herself a few moments of blissful non-thinking, her body absorbing the heat and the steam, relaxing her. She tilted her head back a bit, letting the water move over her hair.
Except…..something didn't feel quite right. The water moving down her face felt thick somehow, heavy. And when she opened her eyes and a bit got in, she was suddenly seeing in shades of red. She shook her head and turned quickly -- in time to see the blood pouring out of the showerhead, covering her body, swirling down the drain.
She couldn't help it. An immediate, piercing scream left her, and then she was moving, slipping, trying to get away from it. Her ankle twisted some as it hit the ground, her side banging into the sink as she groped outwards for her robe, yanking it on and tying it tight, seeing the blood seep through its fluffy whiteness. She looked back to the shower, to the rest of the bathroom, to herself. It looked like a murder scene.
Another scream.
(Open to Aiden!)
|
|
|
| you know i need you tonight. |
[ |
July 31st,
2015 10:42 pm
| ] |
The night air was cool as it moved through the trees, it ruffled her fur along her back as she walked silently along the trail she'd come across and with the light breeze came the smells of the forest. Even though the fire had been out for a little while now there was still a hint of it on the wind. The slight acrid made her skin crawl, the wolf wanted to get away from the scent and find fresher air. There would be no prey around with the lingering smell of the fire that had raged for over a week, staying was pointless and yet there was something keeping her close by, an unseen force kept her sticking close to the town even though every instinct told her to go.
She moved like a shadow, her black fur helping her to slip by unnoticed by anything that might have chosen to pick on a lone wolf. She knew it was dangerous to be alone, knew she needed the safety a pack provided but there was no pack, she had nowhere to go. Something was pulling her towards an area of the forest she'd avoided, a strange sort of awareness rippled along her spine as she moved along the trail. She knew she wasn't alone but something told her that she wasn't in danger, whatever was watching her meant her no harm.
When she came to the clearing she stopped, her nose twitched as she sought out any trace of a scent that might tell her what was out there. All she could smell was the lingering smell of ash and flame. Her eyes searched the darkness for what her other senses couldn't find. She was about to turn around and walk back down the trail when movement caught her eye, she turned her head towards it and there it was, the white wolf. A low growl rattled up her throat but died on her tongue and a whine came out instead when the wolf stepped closer. Every instinct she had screamed at her to submit, to show this wolf the respect it deserved so she did just that. Her entire posture changed as the wolf got closer. It brushed passed her and went back along the route she'd taken and without a moment of hesitation she turned and followed him somehow knowing that he would make sure she got to where she was supposed to go.
[ narrative : closed ]
|
|
|
| fail with consequence lose with eloquence and smile. |
[ |
July 31st,
2015 9:01 pm
| ] |
Just what had possessed him to clean the apartment he didn't know but the urge had struck and he'd gone with it, it wasn't like he had much else to do at the moment so he had to keep himself busy somehow. Bradley kept the apartment pretty clean anyway but he'd decided to actually move the sofa out and vacuum behind it. A decision he quickly regretted when he found the sweater that must have been tucked down there since last summer.
The moment he saw the pale blue sweater he'd stopped what he was doing and picked it up, a sigh slipped from him as he remembered the last time he'd seen it and the owner of the garment together. A round of Guitar Hero had resulted in Kenna getting too warm and the sweater had ended up flung across the room, clearly it had ended up behind the sofa and forgotten about. He smiled slightly as he thought about the Slayer, a smile that quickly faded when he realised he had no way of getting the item of clothing back to her.
His thoughts turned darker as he wondered if she was even still alive. He'd asked James to check on her for him a few months ago but he couldn't do that again. Just getting the other Watcher to do it once had been a risk, if he got caught he'd end up suspended from active duty or worse recalled to be disciplined for doing the one thing they'd told him he couldn't. That had been the one stipulation the Council had impressed upon them both, if they cut all contact with each other neither of them would find themselves facing discipline from the Council. It hadn't been easy, definitely not for Bradley but he'd done it because their jobs were important, more important than any feelings either of them might have had for the other.
He knew he should have gotten rid of the sweater, thrown it in the trash or maybe taken it to Goodwill but he couldn't bring himself to do it. The idea of getting rid of the last trace of Kenna from his life was something he couldn't do yet, maybe once more time had passed and he didn't miss her as much as he did currently he could get rid of it but he wasn't there yet. Against his better judgement he took the sweater and folded it neatly as he walked into his room and opened up one of the dresser drawers to place the sweater in with his own clothes, sliding it closed again he walked back through to finish his cleaning. People always said things got easier with time but Bradley didn't know how much time it would take for him to get over something he'd never even had, all he could do was wait and hope those people were right.
[ narrative : closed ]
|
|
|