Who: Mitsuko, Chris and Logan
When: Late afternoon / early evening
Where: Mitsuko and Logan's Cottage
What: Logan gets ready for the Gray-Raokas Dinner Party and Mitsuko has some "girl talk" with Chris

"Logan!" Mitsuko called up the stairs. She was smiling up at her brother. "You better get yourself ready! Chris is going to be here any moment for your date!"

Logan slipped out of his room, his dress shirt half-buttoned and his hair mussed. "It's not a date," he rasped out, his cheeks turning pink. "Maddy just asked us over. Charlie's going to be there and lots of others."

Mitsuko was still getting used to Logan talking-- and thus, talking back-- to her. She let out a small laugh. "Yeah, well, Chris is coming all the way over here to walk with you to Malcolm's, which is a lot closer to her place than yours. That sounds date-like. Now come on! Get ready! Look as handsome as possible."

Mitsuko wrinkled her nose as she went back to the sofa to sit. She couldn't believe what was going on around. Her own shy, nervous brother had a date, the same day as her ice queen of a mother. And she did not. There was definitely something wrong with the world.

At least there was one advantage to Logan taking so long to get ready. If Chris arrived soon, it would Mitsuko a chance to talk to the girl about Hayate. She needed to find out all she could about the vampire, before she made her next move.

WHO: Hayate and Chris
WHEN: 8:30 PM
WHERE: Hayate's Cottage
WHAT: The vampire still needs blood.
WARNING(S): Mature situations between an adult and young teen.

Despite having gone on the hunt the night before, Hayate's thirst for blood had not been entirely quenched. In the process of healing, it called for more than the usual dosage merely needed to keep the vampire sated from day to day. Cold blood had not helped subside the thirst. Still, it was there, lingering beneath the surface as he watched Chris from his seat in one of the sitting room's most comfortable chairs. His eyes followed any of her movements quickly, the soft pulse of blood ringing in his overly sensitive ears. He could hear her heart pumping from where he sat a few feet away.

His senses were only so overly developed when his craving for blood was overwhelming. Fingers twitched with an unnatural speed of no human. Drink, whispered a quiet, seductive voice from the corners of his mind. Go, it urged softly, echoing like a faraway bird call in the sky of a foggy early morning. Take what you want . . .

Hayate slowly closed his eyes and rolled his head around on his shoulders. He reopened them and found his eyes fixed on Chris's neck, the beating pulse underneath the skin beckoning him to pierce it with his fangs. Hayate's tongue ran across the front of his teeth, passing over his sharp canines. The blood of a drunken man had not been enough to quench the thirst, nor had the nearly frozen blood of the medical pavilion. Hayate only just barely realized in that moment the way in which he stared at Chris like she was a meal; it was the beginning signs of what usually ended in an attack.

Heart pumping faster inside of his chest, Hayate's tongue grazed over his lips to moisten them. He would have to act soon. The longer he waited in an attempt to draw it out or hold it off, the worse it would become. The fingers of one hand clenched into his fist, a motion barely detectable. It did not appear as if it was clenched on the outside.

What are you waiting for? spoke a voice, hissing inside of Hayate's head.

Who: Zach and Chris
When: Noon
Where: The Planck & Jung Cottage
What: Zach checks up on Chris a few days after his talk with Logan.

Zach didn't know where Chris lived until he spoke with Logan about it. He knew, however, that he wanted to talk to the girl that caused Logan to be so flustered and worried over her. He wrote down some scribbled directions, trying his best to find his way to the Planck cottage. Zach lived in town, so it took a walk to get to the forest cottages. From there, he was in search of their residence and got lost a few times along the way. He stood on the one of the roads, scratching the back of his head and squinting one of his eyes halfway shut as he stared at the small piece of paper in his hand. "Am I even on the right road?" Zach asked himself, dropping his hand to his side and sighing aloud.

Continuing to walk once more, Zach hoped he was on the right path. He came to a cottage that looked like the one he was meant to find and headed towards it. "You better be the right one," Zach said to himself, shaking his head as he approached the porch. He carefully made his way up some steps and reached the door. Hesitantly, he raised his knuckles to knock. "Hello?" Zach asked loudly. "Is anyone home?"

He stepped back and watched the doorway, listening for anything inside of house. People coming to answer the door, maybe? Instead, Zach heard nothing as he stood there. Was anyone even home? Frowning, Zach walked up to one of the windows on the porch and glanced through the glass with his hand shielding the top of his eyes from the light. His hand kept it from glaring on the glass as he peeked in to see if anyone was inside. Zach didn't see anything, though, and he stepped back again and stared at the house. He returned to the doorway and began to knock again. "Hello? Anybody home?" he called out again.

Who: Hayate, Faye, Chris, and Guards
When: 10:20 AM
Where: Town Hall
What: Answering the summons. In other words, Hayate plays the wounded puppy routine.

After Hayate received a sudden letter at his door last night, he found himself immediately opening it to read its contents. With his fingers curling tightly into his palm, Hayate crushed the paper in his fist. All of this time he spent trying to make his stay in Elysium last without a single mark on his name, and that blonde bitch went public with the incident at their cottage. Gears began to turn in his mind, searching for a solution to the problem. His wounds had not yet healed, and he sought no treatment for them, allowing them to heal on their own.

Hayate knew if he showed up with the wounds, a bandaged face and limp leg, he would receive sympathy. It was only self-defense, he would tell them. He wanted to believe Kaiya did not have the backbone to step up and say anything like Faye was saying. After all, Kaiya's name was not in the letter. Faye went alone, and it was his word against hers. Kaiya wished nothing more than to distance herself from the experience. He knew her type, and he knew she would keep her distance and hold her tongue for fear.

Chris asked to come with him, not wanting him to travel alone. Having someone on his side helped him look good, and Hayate conceded to letting her come along. He brought with him a makeshift cane in order to lean his weight onto his non-injured leg and off of the one with the deep knife wound. Half of his face also remained bandaged, even though he had the ability to illusion away the wounds. Why make them go away when he needed them to prove he had also been attacked as well?

With Chris at his side, Hayate left to make his case and prove his innocence. If Faye had not sliced half of his face open in the first place, he would not have done what he had done in retaliation. The walk itself did not take long as the pair reached the entrance of Town Hall. Given all of the evidence on his side, Hayate believed they would listen to him.

His calm words were better than the ravings of a tempermental fae.

Who: Hayate and Chris
When: 3:00 AM that morning.
Where: Hayate's Cottage
What: Waking up to discover frightful truths . . .

When Hayate finally awoke sometime in the early morning hours, so early they might as well have been considered in the dead of night from the day before, he first registered the ill feeling of his body. The antidote had killed the garlic in his system and saved his life. The second thing he noticed, only moments within of the first, was a liquid clogging his throat. He coughed up the blood and turned his head to the side, staining his bedsheets with the blood inside of his mouth. Where did it come from? What was it . . .

Then, he tasted the familiar sweetness of youthful human blood. He swore he had tasted this particular blood once before. Chris, his mind said before his mouth, and Hayate realized he was lying in a bed when he had passed out in the bathroom. Quickly, he sat up despite the dizzy feeling that blurred his vision temporarily. However, the room came into focus, though it was still dark. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, but his hands moved across the bed. There was nothing there. Finally, he could see and still he was all alone in his bedroom.

Or are you? whispered a voice.

Hayate's head swiveled around until he saw a body on the floor. Alarm rang inside of his head, and he dashed off of the bed, a shock of pain shooting up his leg. Hayate gritted his teeth and bit back on the pain. It was true he could heal quickly, but deep wounds were painful even for a vampire. Still, he moved off of the bed and fell beside the figure on the floor, catching her scent before he ever saw her face or hair.

( He smelt her blood, piercing the air. )

Who: Chris [Narrative]
When: Evening
Where: Hayate's cottage
What: Chris finds an unconscious vampire and tries to help

Restlessness consumed the young girl even though she had been to town earlier that day for some impromptu shopping. She had stopped by all of her favorite shops, including the herbalist, and even picked up an ointment that was supposed to heal cuts, scrapes, and bruises without leaving a scar. The shopkeeper pointed it out to her because he said she was "young and apt to trouble", and who was Chris to argue? She did have a tendency to get a little too rambunctious with her playing. She took the ointment, and had spent the rest of her time in town at the café, drinking iced chocolate milk through a straw.

The sun was beginning to set beneath the horizon, sending shades of bright orange and dark purple across the sky. Chris finally left the café then, waywardly walking to no place in particular. She didn't feel like going home, and she didn't feel like seeing Hayate especially since she wasn't one-hundred percent happy. Despite that feeling, Chris's feet inadvertently took her toward the vampire's cottage in town. She didn't even realize where she was until she looked up from the ground and spotted his front door.

( She almost turned around to go back home... )

Who: Chris and Emily
When: Evening
Where: The Plancks' cottage
What: Chris needs to be cuddled by a motherly figure

She couldn't believe he was gone. Two days had passed since his death, and only a day since the wake and funeral, and yet it all felt surreal to Chris. Like it really hadn't happened and this was all some sort of dream, except that it wasn't. Pryce had died, and time (and life) moved on like normal. Chris had taken the death harder than Charlie. She had initially wanted to see Hayate, but she didn't even feel like leaving the cottage. Chris didn't even feel like changing out of her pajamas, and she didn't feel like eating. Her body felt numb despite the dull ache in her heart.

The young girl trotted around the house in her PJs and slippers, shuffling from one room to another like a zombie. Pryce's death had reminded Chris about her own parents. She and Charlie had no idea where their parents were, or if they were even alive. The twins always hoped that they were, and they kept that hope alive in their hearts, but did they actually know? No, they didn't. Chris didn't like to think about the fates' of her parents all that often; it was something that she couldn't answer, and she didn't like that. She would at least have been able to live with the fact that they were alive, and just living in another haven somewhere. Chris could have dealt with that.

But to not know at all? That was the worst.

Pryce's death had gotten Chris to think about those things even though she tried her hardest to not think on them at all. She preferred to live in her fantasy land where everyone was happy, and alive. Sure, the world might have been destroyed, but at least she and her brother were safe. And mom and dad were, too, they just weren't with them. That was happiness to Chris - the reality of death, or potential death, was not.

And so the young girl dealt with it by moping about the cottage. Wanting to see Hayate - wishing that he would feel that she needed him, and that he would come and see her - since she had no desire to get dressed or even leave the house. But he was a vampire, not a telepath, and the chances of him coming to see her were near impossible. She sighed out loud, and huddled into the blanket that she had wrapped around her body. Chris sat near one of the windows, and looked beyond the glass with dull, blue eyes. Her small dog, Wolverine, came up to her and pawed at her leg. Chris looked down at the puppy, and scooped him up into her arms. She was sad, and what she needed most at the moment was a hug.

Who: Everyone
When: 5 PM
Where: The Mausoleum by the Temple
What: Dr. James Pryce's wake

Zane stood in front of his mirror, adjusting the tie just one more time before he would slip on the black jacket. He could hear Pryce's voice in his mind, "Why so dressed up, Smithy? Planning on getting laid tonight?" The thought made him smile a little, only to find that the idea of never having to hear his friend's voice tore him up inside. He swallowed the lump in his throat, and smoothed out his hair before he left for the mausoleum.

The tone was somber as with any funeral service. The attendees were downtrodden, and a few of them were crying. Zane was trying his best not to be effected by it, but it was hard when there at the front of the room was Pryce's coffin. It was left open for anyone who wanted to come up and say a few words to the dearly departed, or for anyone who wanted to pay their respects. Though many people did not know Doctor Pryce personally, many knew of him since he was one of the few doctors in Elysium.

The service was presided over by Theora, and the Elven priestess spoke words that offered comfort for those who felt the loss the deepest. "Do not think of James as being gone," she said. "For he will live on forever in our hearts and memories. We honor him best by living our lives to the fullest." Zane had kept his emotions in check until the moment he walked up to Pryce's coffin. The top half was left open, and Pryce was lying inside, dressed up in his nicest suit. He looked like he was sleeping, and in some ways that brought Zane some comfort.

"This is it, buddy," he said in a low voice. The tears that had welled up in his eyes were falling down his face now, and the doctor made no attempt to hide them. "Look at you, all dressed up. I don't think I've seen you this dressed up since the wedding." He chuckled a little through the streaming tears, wiping them away with the heel of his hand. "I can't believe you keeled over on me before our next poker night," he added, trying to make light of the situation. "Dammit..." The jokes weren't working as well as he thought, but he kept talking. "Thanks for everything, but most of all, thanks for being my friend. It won't be the same without you." Zane wiped at his tears again and moved to pat Pryce's cold hands as they lay folded along his middle. "See you later, buddy."

And with that Zane moved away from the coffin, making room for the next person to say a few words to the late Doctor James Pryce.

Who: Chris, Hayate, Charlie, and Logan
When: Around 2 PM
Where: On the way to the forest cottages
What: Running into friends along the way

Chris hated that she had to leave Hayate so soon, but it was time for her to go back to her cottage in the forest. Emily would have been worried if she didn't come home, and Chris didn't want that. It was the reason why she wasn't going to tell Emily about her little abduction; there was no point in worrying the healer especially since Chris was safe and sound. But the girl wasn't taking any chances this time around, and had asked Hayate to walk her home.

The weather was nice with clear, blue skies above them. It wasn't terribly cold out, but Chris had decided to wear her favorite brown sweater anyway. Coupled with a faded pair of jeans (with rips along the knees), her sneakers, and her hair in a ponytail, she was a vision of teenage loveliness. Hayate was carrying her bag for her, and they were walking down the road from Helicharis toward the forest cottages.

Chris smiled over at Hayate, and she took the occasional glance over at his hand. She wanted to ask if they could hold hands, but she wasn't sure if that was okay. They had kissed the day before, not a little kiss like at the festival, but a grown-up kiss. A French kiss. They kissed a lot, but then they had stopped. But they had kissed. Did this mean they were boyfriend and girlfriend? Chris had never had a boyfriend before, but she always thought that sharing a kiss meant that people liked each other. She knew that she and Hayate were friends, but was it more than that now? It was all so confusing!

"So," she said drawing out the word. "Thank you for walking me home. And, thank you for carrying my bag for me." She tucked a few stray strands on her hair behind her ear and smiled brightly at the vampire.

Who: Hayate & Chris
When: 4:13 AM
Where: Hayate's Cottage
What: The lion and the lamb play with cards — and tattoos.
WARNING: This post contains sexual overtones between an adult and a young teen. It is also contains bloodplay.

Ever since they had awoken from their long slumber to make up for the past two days, Hayate made sure Chris received proper food to eat for an early breakfast the next day. Again, he cooked the food himself, trying his best to remember how to use human things like stoves. Certain appliances created for modern day people were beyond Hayate's comprehension if he had no use for them, and a stove was one of those things he simply had no use of. However, with a new visitor to his house almost every other day, he was beginning to find use for his cupboards, freezer, and fridge. He stored human food in them for the young girl whenever she came over to visit him. The kitchen was no longer a barren wasteland, but filled to the brim with whatever foods he found that he thought she might have liked. She ate her breakfast, and he drank the blood taken from the medical pavilion after warming it up.

With all of the lights out and only a few candles lit to see by, Hayate and Chris sat at the kitchen table to play a game of cards. Chris suggested the pastime, and Hayate knew card games and saw no reason not to participate. After all, she couldn't play them by herself. Her happiness was strangely important to him, so he found a deck of cards in his house and brought them out for the two of them to use for their games.

Though it was still nighttime, all of the curtains upon the windows were drawn shut. Hayate's suspicions would not give him peace unless he had absolute and complete privacy, locks on his windows and doors, and curtains closed at night. Sometimes he even kept them closed during the day, but he wasn't often home during the day unless he had a reason to be here. It gave him peace of mind, which was enough for the vampire. As long as prying eyes could not spy inside his home, Hayate was able to relax and not worry about the outsiders of Elysium looking into his life. Those were such things the vampire did not, under any circumstances, appreciate very much from anyone — whether they were like him or not. People were nosy, and sometimes they were too nosy for their own good.

Hayate looked over the top of his cards at Chris. She sat directly across from him at the table, a scrunched and thoughtful look upon her face. A crook appeared at the corner of his mouth as he smiled slightly, wondering what cards she had received in her hand. Were they enough to beat his, or hand she landed a poor hand? So far, he had won two games naturally, but the third he had failed on purpose to give her a win. However, it didn't mean Chris couldn't get lucky at some point and find a win all on her own.

Who: Chris and Hayate
When: Evening
Where: Hayate's cottage
What: Reunion - aka: Have you ever seen Hayate being more adorable?

There was something nibbling upon Chris’s hair, tugging at the blonde strands as if it were searching for a hidden treasure of some kind. It was enough to bring the girl forth from her forced slumber. She stirred, her body shifting against the tree trunk that she was leaning upon. Chris let out a low groan, and whatever it was that had been chewing on her hair had been scared away by the sound. Her eyes opened slowly, lashes moving up and down until her vision came into focus.

Chris let out a gasp and sat straight up from her position. She looked around, surprised that she wasn’t surrounded by four walls or darkness. What was she doing outside? Not that she was complaining! It was just… odd. She was sure that her escape attempt would have landed her back in the forest prison; instead, she was outside. Out in the open. Free. A smile began to forum upon her face and she let out a disbelieving chuckle. How absurd was it that she had been held captive for two whole days only to be released without any other consequences? Again, she wasn’t complaining in the least! The young girl was glad that nothing more had happened to her, but she couldn’t help but wonder why she had been taken in the first place.

Sighing, Chris finally stood to her feet, and picked up her bag that had been left beside her. She could find her way back to the forest cottages from where she had been left, but she didn’t want to go home. She wanted to see Hayate – that was her original destination, after all. She started off toward the town in an easy jog. Walking would have taken too long, and she was anxious to get to Helicharis as soon as possible. Once she had arrived she made a bee line straight for the vampire’s house. It was funny how she managed to keep her emotions under control up until that point, but the moment she saw Hayate’s cottage in the distance she felt tears welling up in her eyes.


( The long road home... )

Who: Dante and Chris
When: Around Noon
Where: Abandoned shack
What: Dante likes to play with his toys

The day after the full moon was one of the most relaxing, at least in Dante's opinion. He enjoyed the hot shower he took once he returned to his cottage. The sight of the water turning red from the blood on his skin brought a smile to the werewolf's face. The feel of the soft pillow beneath his head, and the feel of the blankets around his form was as comforting as a mother's embrace. Not that Dante could remember what that felt like, but he assumed that it was something warm and cozy. Sleep was the most welcome thing after the full moon. Though he was an experienced lycanthrope and needed less recovery time than newer Weres, Dante still liked to get at least a few hours of rest after the transformations.

He awoke a little before noon. His mouth gaped open in a yawn that almost sounded like a lion's roar, and he stretched his arms overhead. He had had a good night of hunting, and killing. Caught and ate a few delectable animals while in the enclosure. Got into a scuffle with another male or two. Tried to find Adrienne that night, too, but he didn't have any luck in that department. Pity, he was going to make up for being such a jerk to her that day at the wedding reception. He had found a nice rabbit to give as a peace offering, but when he couldn't find her he ended up eating the fluffy creature himself.

Dante had a few things to do that day. Most notably he had to go and check up on the girl, Chris. He hadn't harmed her, and he didn't leave her to fend for herself for two days. There was plenty of food and water left in the shack for her to survive. The only thing that might have befallen the girl was that she became the victim of a bug bite or two. Nothing serious since she wasn't his real target to begin with. What he had done to Chris was all a part of the game he was playing with Hayate. He hadn't played any such games in far too long, and he wanted to so badly. Taking the vampire's prized possession was just to push buttons and to have fun. Really, it was far too amusing seeing the vampire run around town and the forests in a panic. Hayate should have been more aware of his environment, but his focus was solely on the girl and that allowed the wolf to watch him to his heart's content.

( The girl had made quite the fuss the first night... )

Who: Logan and Chris
When: Night
Where: Logan's room / Dreamland
What: Dreamwalking into a bad situation

Logan took the brush away from the canvas. He was panting, as he had been concentrating so hard on the painting in front of him. He had been working on it for hours now. Days. He actually had no idea how much time had past since he had started. Did it really matter? What mattered was it was now done.

Chris. Ever since the festival, she had been on his mind. When she had looked so beautiful and she had been with... That guy. That other guy.

Why did it bother him so much that she had been with a guy? Well, he supposed it was because guys wanted one thing from a pretty young girl and it was Logan's job-- along with Charlie's-- to protect her. But... No, it felt different than that. Would brotherly protection make his insides twist like this?

Logan fell back onto his bed with a heavy sigh. Why was Chris so deep in his thoughts? He hadn't even dreamwalked Kaiya for a few days, so preoccupied with what he had seen at the festival.

Dreamwalking... Logan stretched out a hand to the canvas. His fingertips just skimmed the surface of the painting. It was still a bit wet and the paint colored his fingers. But Logan didn't notice, didn't care... His eyes were already close.

Chris... He called out with his mind, trying to reach the girl and hoping she was asleep.

Who: Chris [Narrative]
Where: Abandoned shack in the forest
When: Early morning
What: Chris laments her current situation

Chris woke up in a start, her head pounding with a dull pain. Darkness met her eyes as did four unfamiliar walls, and her chest clenched with fear. Where was she? Why was she there? The last thing the young girl could remember was bending over to tie her shoe lace, and when she stood back up a strong arm crossed over her neck. Her brow furrowed slightly - someone must have brought her here against her will.

She stood to her feet and immediately moved to the door to open it. It was locked tight, as were the windows in the small one room building. Her small fists began to bang against the door. "Help me!" She yelled loudly. "Somebody please help me!" Little did she know that the shack was deep in the forest, far from anyone's ears or eyes. And had Chris known that the dilapidated house was covered in vines and shrubs, practically insulating its sound from others, she wouldn't have tried to yell as much as she did.

( HELP! )

Who: Chris and Danté
Where: Near the forest cottages
When: Afternoon
What: Something wicked this way comes

When had Chris become such a good liar?

She had talked with Emily earlier that day asking for permission to spend the night at a friend's house. Of course, Chris didn't mention which friend it was in particular knowing that Emily would have said 'no' if she knew that Chris's friend was Hayate. But the older woman didn't ask anything beyond whether the friend was a boy or a girl, and without a second thought Chris answered that it was a girl. Emily seemed okay with the answer, though, and allowed Chris to go.

Chris couldn't hide her excitement as she packed her overnight bag for her sleepover at Hayate's. She had been over to the vampire's house plenty of times during the day, spending the entire day with him. But overnight? For more than ONE night?? Alone?! Chris was practically jumping out of her skin with happiness as she shoved her pink slipper boots into her bag and zipped it close. Chris couldn't remember a time when she had ever lied to an adult, and she most certainly had never lied to her parents when they were together. But this was an entirely different situation, one that required a small, white lie. That was okay, wasn't it? Of course it was! They were lucky that she even asked in the first place!

She bounded down the steps two at a time and jumped the last two stairs for good measure. "Hey I'm leaving!" She called out to no one in particular. She didn't see anyone in the kitchen or living room, and assumed that they were up in their rooms or out somewhere. She shrugged her bag off her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor with a muffled 'thud'. Chris reached into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out a folded note she had written while she was up in her room.

"Just a reminder that I won't be back until after the full moon! Thanks again for letting me spend the next few days with my friend. Don't get into any trouble without me! - Love, Chris"

It was a simple note, one that reminded Emily that she wouldn't be home and that she had been given permission to leave. Adults had the tendency to forget little things like that at times, and kids always got in trouble for it. It was crazy really, but that's how parents were.

The young girl lifted up her bag and let it rest upon her right shoulder. Thankfully it wasn't too heavy so the trek to town wouldn't be so bad. Chris left the forest cottage with a bright smile on her face, and without a care in the world.

Who: Everyone!
Where: Just outside of Helicharis at the Festival Grounds
When: 6 PM till ??
What: Autumnal Equinox Festival - It's the first day of Autumn!

ooc: To join in on the festivities, simply comment to the main post. Your entry can be a narrative or open to others. If you are replying to someone else reply to their comment and not to the main post. All activities are open for participation, it is up to your discretion what your character will do.

The past week had been nothing but preparations for the coming equinox that would herald the new season. It was a happy time for the forest creatures as they were the ones that spent hours on end setting up the grounds for the joyous celebration. Wooden lamp posts lit with orange flames bordered the area as well as throughout the entire festival grounds. Each attendee was greeted with a flower garland for their head, neck, or wrist if they desired one.

Fairies had decided to attend this festival as well because of the bright colors that had attracted their attention. There were bonfires all throughout the festival as well and they added warmth to the cool night air. The fiery glow that came from each pyre added a comforting feel to the entire atmosphere, and there were many fauns and fae dancing around each one in a happy manner. They were singing songs and laughing joyously as they pulled passers-by into their happy circle.

Musical fauns played their instruments as they marched through the festival. Fae and fairies flew around the traveling group, singing and humming to the music that resonated in the air. A large stage was set up for those who wished to perform in front of a large crowd be it with singing or acting or any other sort of talent they possessed. There were shows held as well, particularly by those who possessed magic and wished to entertain the crowd for an hour or tow.

Food and drink tables were set up nearby to feed the many attendees with whatever they could think to eat. And wine, they couldn't forget about the wine! There were scantily clad fae handing out the intoxicating liquid to everyone with a free hand. The wine this year was extremely potent and anyone with a weak constitution would no doubt get inebriated with just one cup.

The southern part of the festival held the games geared toward the young or simply the young at heart. Barrels were available for those who wished to roll down hills, piles of leaves were created for those who wanted nothing more than to jump and play in them. Colored sparklers were handed out freely and there were even pegasus rides for anyone who wanted to soar through the skies. There were contests here as well, simple ones that had participants bobbing for apples and fruits and curious prizes, searching for toys in piles of hay, and even pinning horns on a wooden faun.

Contests were set up again as they were just a month earlier. Archery contests and wrestling matches, potato sack and three-legged races. There were various game booths set up as well, such as knife throwing and ring tossing. There was even an area set up for pie eating contests and a Dwarven ale contest where participants could try to out-drink a dwarf.

Fireworks exploded periodically throughout the night and the gleeful sounds of the festival echoed all around. Elysium was a joyful place tonight as citizens celebrated the equinox beneath the near-full moon.

Who: Chris and Charlie (possibly narrative)
When: Morning
Where: Town Hall
What: Reporting the incident!

The trip to town from the forest cottages barely took any time. Charlie was a fast runner, he was even faster when he was in his Pronghorn form. Even with Chris riding on his back Charlie could reach speeds that rivaled even the fastest of race horses. The buildings and people in town went by in a blur, many citizens had to dodge out of the way of the speeding pronghorn. "Sorry!" Chris would yell to people along the way until they reached Town Hall.

There, Chris jumped off of Charlie's back and led her brother to an empty room. "Hurry up and change while I find someone," she said before she closed the door. It wouldn't take Charlie long to transform back into human and put on his extra clothes, but Chris was determined to find someone. Someone big. Someone in charge. Someone like -

"Mr. Dylan!" The young human girl spotted the wise Djinn in the distance and waved excitedly at him. She ran up to him and wrapped her small hands around the material of his suit and looked up at him with wide eyes. "Mr. Dylan, something happened at house! I like woke up super early this morning and went downstairs to get something to drink, y'know? Oh but first I went to the bathroom to like brush my teeth and and comb my hair and stuff and then I went downstairs. And like I noticed that there was this weird smell but I didn't think anything of it cos like, y'know, there are tons of weird smells around. But anyway I kept going down the stairs and like waiting there for me were dead animals!" She paused to take a breath and her eyes widened even more than before. "DEAD. ANIMALS." She repeated it for emphasis and the look on her face was grave.

"Someone had broken into our house and put all these dead raccoons on our table and their guts were like all out of their bodies and on plates and someone set them up to make it look like they were eating their own guts and stuff and it was so so sooooo gross and you have to come and look at it now okay because I think Ms. Emily wants to clean it up but she can't clean it up until someone looks at it." She took another deep breath and blinked up at him. "Please, Mr. Dylan? Please... this is serious!"

Charlie emerged from the room, fully dressed, and noticed that his sister was talking very animatedly to one of the Head Council members. He jogged over and smiled at the Djinn and then nudged Chris in the side. "Stop being so hyper active!" He complained and then rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry Mr. Dylan, my sister's a motor mouth at times and it's hard to understand her."

Chris placed her hands on her hips and huffed in annoyance. "I am not hard to understand. Mr. Dylan understood me just fine, didn't you?" She beamed up at him with big, blue eyes and batted them cheerfully. "I just told Mr. Dylan what happened, Charlie. I'm not stupid, you know."

Charlie sighed but decided not to argue with his sister. "Basically we woke up to find dead animals on our dining table and we were hoping that you could send someone over to check it out. It's pretty gruesome and we wanted to report it to you guys cos like, someone broke into our house dude. I mean, Sir."

The twins watched the ever stoic Djinn call over two of the Elven guards and relayed the events of what Chris and Charlie had said. The guards nodded and immediately rushed off toward the forest cottages as Dylan escorted the children to his office for another rundown of the events of the morning, in a much calmer manner.

Who: Emily & Echo Planck, Chris & Charlie Jung, Irei Arakaki, Sascha Connolly, and any visitors!
When: Morning
Where: The Plancks' cottage and Irei & Sascha's bungalow
What: An ominous tune lingers in the air despite the sunny and cheerful morning.

The early morning hours started off as peacefully as any other. Birds were greeting the new day with their song, the lake monster was swimming happily in the water, and Helicharis was beginning to bustle with activity. And yet despite the seemingly happy atmosphere something was amiss. It was hard to pinpoint exactly, possibly because the occurrence was so isolated that no one noticed unless they happened by the places on accident.

How often did citizens travel by the waterfront bungalows or the forest cottages anyway? Would they have noticed or even paid attention to the dolls that were outside one particular bungalow? Would anyone think to look inside the darkened window of a nearby cottage to see the dinner party that was already underway? No… no one would look or pay attention. And yet perhaps they should have.

OOC Note - There will be sub-threads for each location and those involved will need to reply to the appropriate sub-thread. Please note that these ARE open for anyone passing by or just visiting the residents in each location. Remember, have fun with it and do whatever you want with it! There is no specific outcome or reaction that needs to be had ^^

Who: Chris & Charlie, and then Chris & Hayate
When: Mid-morning
Where: Planck cottage
What: Chris argues with Charlie and goes to check up on Hayate

"Chris." Charlie's voice was quiet, but firm and it barely resonated through the upper floors of the cottage. He was staring at his sister with a stern gaze, trying to assert his authority over her as the 'older brother'. But it was obvious that Chris wasn't going to listen to him as she stood there with her hands on her hips in a very defiant manner. Her lips were pursed and her brow was furrowed angrily.

"Christina listen to me," Charlie said again, pleading with his sister to just hear him out. He only wanted to talk some sense into her so that she could stay safe. He had promised their mom and dad that he would take care of Chris no matter what, even if she protested it. But this was something that Charlie wasn't going to relent; for all he knew his sister's life was in danger especially if she kept hanging out with him.

"He's a vampire, Chris. A vampire. You know, the blood-sucking things from movies that drain you till you die. That's what he is. He's dangerous. I don't want you hanging out with him anymore." That's right, he could be tough. He was older after all and she had to listen to him. He knew better about these sorts of things, and he knew all to well that she wouldn't be able to defend herself when push came to shove.

Charlie moved to place his hands on his sister's shoulders. He sighed deeply and looked her straight in the eyes. "You could get hurt," he said softly. "What if he attacked you? What would you do? You're just a hum-" Charlie stopped himself before he continued his words and chewed the inside of his cheek. Well he just messed up... royally. He wouldn't hear the end of it now.