Who: Rosalinda & Kazuki
When: Evening
Where: The Temple
What: Well, it is Christmas Eve. Where else would she be?

Snow had begun to fall while Rosalinda was inside one of the chapels within the temple. The white flakes falling outside of the glass amazed her as much as the inside of this temple. It housed separate quarters for each religion imaginable. It was lucky to be big enough to house so many separate ‘chapels,’ as she saw them. None were too big or too small, and each held a variable size to its expected amount of visitors at one time. Rosalinda let out a soft sigh and leaned back into the pew. The snow continued to fall, the corners of the window frosting up. She glanced forward, taking in the head of the chapel.

Given that she was Catholic, she chose the Catholic chapel. A small smile formed on her face as recognized both one for Catholics and Protestants. This chapel was adorned with stained glass windows, dark oak walls, and all of the proper ornaments. A statue of the Virgin Mary looked down on her, and Rosalinda said a final prayer before picking up her long skirts and shuffling her way out of the chapel into the corridor beyond.

It was dark inside of the whole of the temple, lit only by candlelight in these hours. If she had her family with her, she might have been spending Christmas Eve with them. Darkness settled on her heart when she faced the truth yet again: they were not here with her. No matter how many months passed her by, it was impossible for her to overcome it. She was alone in this world with very little to get her by but her faith and a few kind hearts around her. It was little reassurance, but it was better than nothing.

Who: Adrienne and Kazuki (and maybe Adair?)
When: Late Afternoon
Where: Tailoring shop
What: Looking for a costume

"Kazuki?" Adrienne's voice ran out in the tailor's shop as she opened the door. The tailor was nowhere to be seen, and the werewolf had been hoping to find him. He had sent her a ntoe a few days ago asking her to stop by, and this was the first chance she had to do so. As she walked in further her fingers grazed against the fabric and clothes that lined the wall.

"Kazuki? Are you here?" She called out louder this time while peeking around a nearby corner. The shop was unusually quiet, and Adrienne wondered if everyone had gone home already. If they had gone home then the door would have been locked. Or they could have forgotten to lock it. Either way she hoped that someone was there so that she could get a last minute Halloween costume while visiting her friend all at the same time.

Adrienne wasn't sure what she wanted to dress as for the All Hallow's Eve Festival, so she was literally at the mercy of the tailor. She trusted Kazuki's judgment in matters of fashion, but Halloween costumes weren't the same as regular everyday clothes. At that point, she didn't even know what Zach's costume was going to be. If she had known she would have tried to get something to match him, but as it were she'd just have to pick something that would 'wow' him. At least he wouldn't be the only one with a surprise when they revealed their costumes to each other the next day.

The werewolf continued to look around the shop, making note of things she found interesting or just plain pretty. Kazuki would show up eventually, or at least she hoped he would.

Who: Mitsuko and Kazuki
When: Afternoon
Where: Kazuki's Shop
What: Ordering a uniform and (hopefully) meeting a new friend


It had been a very impulsive thing. Several days ago, Mitsuko had gone to the cafe for some coffee. While she was there, instead of placing her order, she had asked the waiter if she could get a job there.

While Mitsuko had always thought of her "career" as thief, she had various employments in the seven years she'd been on her own. Waitress was a very common one for her. It was a job that didn't change much whether she went, she got to meet lots of people and it kept her busy.

Now that she was in Elysium and had basically given up her thievery, she was finding it hard to keep herself busy. In the old days, she would have just moved onto the next place, to the next adventure. But now that she was in Elysium, she needed to find contentment here.

She hadn't yet started work at the cafe. She was still doing training, however given her experience, it wouldn't take long for her to officially have a job.

Amongst the various waitressing jobs she had, one of her favorites had been at the Maid's Cafe in Akihabara. It was a convenient way for her to conceal her Kitsune identity, as most believed her ears and tail to be her appealing to those who liked KItsunemimi... With the tips she'd gotten, it'd worked well. Mitsuko always liked attention and the cute maid's uniform she had worn certain got attention. So she'd made the suggestion to her new boss that she don a similar costume when working in Helicharis. It had gone over well and that was why she was at the tailor's shop. She needed to get her uniform made so she could start work.

She went into the small shop and looked around for the owner. "Hello?" She called out. She pushed a lock of hair over her ear. She hadn't yet been in the tailor's. She'd been a bit hesitant about it, with her fetish for designer labels. But now that those designers were out of business, she would have to get her clothes locally. She just hoped she liked whoever worked here.

Who: Yolanda & Kazuki
When: Afternoon
Where: Helicharis (im)proper.
What: Sugar-Rush Vampire Brigade, Take One: WTF? Why are you following me?

That whole curfew thing? Yeah, it sucked, even with the buddy system. Still, Yolanda was determined to make the best out of it, which is why she was out in the day. She wanted to get while the getting was good. Okay, so maybe she was slightly grumpy, but being out in the day did that to her sometimes. She'd been under the sun for a while now, wandering through the shops -- particularly any that provided shade -- and making conversation with some of the people who worked in them. As she walked a flyer caught her eye.

ATTENTION: All patrons of the arts.

Since Yola liked to think she fit the bill, she read on. A theater? Here? She smiled widely, and bounced on her heels a little. "Nice!" Looking at the name, she committed it to memory. Duncan Boyard. She'd send a him note about that. The vampire couldn't act for shit, unless you counted the sort of two-faced behavior that was required to get food sometimes. Which, by the way, she hated doing, because she wasn't into the whole duplicity deal. But that was a whole other issue. So, she wasn't going to be in any starring roles anytime soon. Still, she could paint the sets, or maybe they needed an in-house band. There had to be some way she could help out, right?

( The fuck? Was she being followed? )

Who: Duncan, Kazuki, Adrienne
When: Later in the day, before closing
Where: Tailors!
What: Duncan needs a new pair o' shoes! Among other things.

Duncan had brought some things to trade in at the tailors, since money was not an option. He was rarely comfortable taking anything without offering at least something in return, even if the value was not comparable. However, he had found he had very little in his home that might be useful to a tailor except for a long blade sharpening belt. He'd kept it for his own knives, but he was confident he could figure something else out in between today and the next time he needed to sharpen his kitchen knives. He'd packed his offering in a cloth bag and held it loosely in his left hand as he strolled to the tailors.

He hoped there were some earthy colors available. Although he had been told endless times that he looked good in black -- one woman had even gone so far as to say 'yummy' -- he didn't think black was appropriate attire for a dinner party. Especially if there were going to be vampires there. Sometimes vampires were touchy. He didn't know if Nathaniel was touchy, but he didn't know who Nathaniel was inviting, either. Duncan liked himself best in tones of green and brown; because it did not wash out his face or make his hair appeal dull. Also, not that Duncan ever noticed it, earthy colors made his hazel eyes do interesting things. Depending upon the vibrancy of the green or brown, his eyes would shift to match. It was intriguing.

He entered the shop slowly, not wanting to bust the door down should the hinges be loose. It wasn't that Duncan assumed the shop was dilapidated, it was just that one time, he hadn't been careful, and had swung someone's door open so hard he'd made a whole in the wall on the opposite side with the doorknob. He wasn't immune to accidents.

"Hello!" he said, cheerfully, but he was already looking around.

Who: Warren and Zach (Brief appearance from Kazuki)
When: Afternoon
Where: Tailors
What: Not a promising start

Elysium was a hard place to get used to. Waking up in a bed just as comfortable as home could easily deceive someone. Well Warren at least. He would get dressed and expect himself to be inside his apartment complex, the previous day nothing but a nightmare. Of course that was not to say that where he actually was residing was a nightmare. He just missed home. Electricity, phones..oh yes..and an iPod. The ipod came first. It was so sad that he considered an iPod more important than anything else.

As mid morning drew near, he dressed fairly aware of what he was wearing and walked (staggered most likely) down the road. He stopped by the café before he entered the tailor’s shop, oddly suspicious that it was dark, but there was someone working. He opened the curtains to let some light in but he was immediately greeted by a very vibrant haired young man.

Kazuki made almost a growling nose as he shut the curtains, rubbing his head. “What the hell? You can’t just open the curtains without asking an employee. Who the hell are you?” He was in a very bitter mood. He was trying to modify a dress for Umeko and it was going perfect before some guy decided to interrupt him. He was very cute, but he had an aura that said he was going to be an annoyance. The worst part was he wasn’t moving. “Ugh. May I help you?”

Well, what an honor it would be to work with such a man. “Uhm. Actually we’ll be working together. So, if you don’t mind. I would prefer to not work like we’re sewing up dead bodies. It’s a little bit on the freakish side.” Warren turned to the other side of the room. Would they have to resort to working on opposite sides of the room? Most likely he could tell with this odd bloke.

Kazuki turned his head slowly towards Warren. “Wo..Working together? With some British smart ass who is already working my nerves?” It was Kazuki’s lunch break so to call it and he needed it. The vampire looked at the piled mess in the corner. “Fine…I suggest you get to the mess in the corner. Considering I have been here longer, I say I can tell you what to do.” He went towards the door and left, quite in the pissed off mood.

Warren simply sat in the chair Kazuki occupied. “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me. It looks like a dog tore up that corner.” He couldn’t believe he was being ordered around by someone who looked like they were fifteen years old. Sighing he decided he better get to work before there was hell to pay.

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: Pryce and Kazuki (with a special guest appearance by Zane!)
When: Late Afternoon
Where: Medical Pavilion
What: Stuck in a storage closet. How will they ever get out?

Pryce held both of his forearms outward, the flat of his hands aimed toward the door in front of himself. His eyes were closed as if he was trying to focus really, really hard. Taking a deep breath, Pryce exhaled it slowly and spoke to a figure behind him. "If you break my concentration," he began, "I'll use you to open the door. Do we have an understanding?" Nice, brunt, and to the point. The initial talking, jibberish, and slamming his fist into the door hadn't gotten them anywhere, but it did give Pryce a sore hand. Pryce knew their best bet was for him to use his powers to open the door, and that's what he was going to do.

His mind focused on using half of the force behind his full capabilities. If the door didn't fly immediately off its hinges because of that, well then Pryce wasn't sure what to do. He took another deep breath. Exhaled. Finally, all of his muscles noticeably tensed up. His face was strained, the veins in his arms and hands bulging.

A small dent appeared in the metal door.

Pryce suddenly opened his eyes, hands still held out. He stared in shock at how two-hundred pounds of brute force psychokinetic power couldn't open the damn door! A slew of curse words exited Pryce's mouth, and he rammed his shoulder into the obstacle in their path.

"Ow," the doctor said, stumbling away from the storage closet's door. Well, that didn't work either. "Good grief, we're trapped in here," Pryce said morbidly.

Who: Adrienne and Kazuki
When: Early afternoon
Where: Western caves
What: Spelunking!

Though Zach’s birthday had already past by one day, and though the couple had already celebrated the night before Adrienne ventured out to find something more to give her boyfriend. A late birthday present it wasn’t, but merely something that the werewolf wanted to do for Zach and the good weather had presented ample opportunity. Her quest took her far from Helicharis and toward the western slope of the mountains that surrounded the valley. Some of the dwarves in town had mentioned the presence of caves in that area, caves that held a plethora of minerals that could not be found elsewhere.

The information immediately caught Adrienne’s attention and her first thought afterward was that she wanted to go exploring for some raw materials for Zach to practice his alchemy with. The lycanthrope knew that it was hard finding different materials to work with especially since they were so isolated within Elysium. While the elves had sought to provide the citizens with almost every necessity, the items that were available to them were already processed and made into something usable. Adrienne wanted the alchemist to have raw materials to practice with, and since the elves didn’t often go mining the dark-haired girl decided to go on her own.

With a backpack full of supplies the girl headed out toward the western caves on foot. The trek there was long but not tiring. The weather had been much cooler since the month turned to September and it made walking long distances that much easier. Within an hour she had made it to the point in the road where she would start heading toward the mountains. The dwarves had given her some direction to the caves that were nestled there and Adrienne hoped she would be able to find them.

And she did with ease. The dwarves directions were surprisingly accurate – “You’ll see an overhanging rock that looks like a witch’s nose! Twenty-five paces to the right and there be a cave, right there!” – and it didn’t take long for the girl to find the entrance. It was dark, and Adrienne could feel a cool breeze blowing out from within its depth. She crouched at the entrance and deposited her backpack on the ground to loot it for her supplies. There were no flashlights in Elysium, and while Adrienne had brought one with her she didn’t bring enough of the D size batteries. Instead, the werewolf opted for a good old fashioned torch that she made that morning out of an old tee-shirt and a branch from a nearby tree. She had brought a flask of oil with her and some matches and was about to light the torch when she heard a noise behind her.

“Who’s there?” She asked quickly, rising to her feet and turning around to face whatever it was that had followed her.

Who: Giles and Kazuki
Where: Main Road
When: Near Midnight
What: You know you're too drunk when...[Snippet]

Giles somewhat stumbled down the main road, eyes half closed as he was trying to sleep at the same time. His head drooped down at least a dozen times, but when his chin hit towards his neck, that was his friendly wake up call not to 'drink and walk.'

Some animals were making loud noises and he made a rather loud "SHHH" noise drawn out for at least thirty seconds. He squinted an eye.

"You mind!? Some of us are trying ta sleep!" He yelled drunkly and grumbled in the direction of the animals.

( Fucken inconsiderate animals. Probably gettin' more ass than I am. )

Who: Voe and OPEN
When: early afternoon
Where: the road to Helicharis
What: Meeting someone new.

With each step, gather sensation. Discover what tries to remain unseen. Twentieth Edict of Elegance. Voe walked on the path leading to Helicharis with her posture ramrod straight and her footfall quiet and gentle. The black veil fell over her face, attached to her favorite black hat. Long black velvet swished though her gait was slow and she glanced around at the surroundings of the forest. The urge to climb one of the trees was overwhelming, but that was hardly wise during the day and while she wore this impressing outfit. Later tonight was the time for feeding. One of the most unfortunate aspects about Elysium was that she no longer was able to feed on humans without it being suspicious. She did not want nor deserve to capture animals for their blood like Alix and her savage friends were. Ugh. No.

Voe's fingertips grazed along the hilt of the dagger she attached to the inner sleeve of her dress. There was no need to use it, obviously, but its presence comforted her. Though she could protect herself with self-defense moves, it never hurt to have a second weapon. Ever since she was young, Vanessa had insisted that she carry a dagger on her person at all times and Voe followed the order obidiently. The short blade became another friend to her. Ah, Nera. (She decided on its name when she was thirteen, like Vanessa had with hers.) It served her well when she took her revenge on Alix for murdering Vanessa, and a few years earlier, marking Lizard with teasing cuts so she could lick the blood dripping down his chest.

Damn man left her just as Lysander had done, the fool. How she wished she could see Lizard again to make him truly sorry for what he did to her. Voe now saw the town on the horizon and her head remained high. She might encounter a suitable victim in town, for future reference. Feast upon the blood of fools, for no one mourns their passing. Fifth Edict of Elegance.

Who: Faye and OPEN [Faye wants to meet new people!]
Where: Market Place
When: Noon
What: Stretching her wings and wandering.

Faye fluttered her wings to free them from their folded position on her back as a refreshed sigh escaped her lips. With the sunlight shaking down on her face from above, she glanced upwards at the bright sky. A delicate hand shielded her face as she began to beat her wings. Grinning unlike anything she ever had before since she had been in Elysium, she hurried across the grass with her sandaled feet and took flight. Her path led her over the cottages of Helicharis and towards the market place. She had no idea why she was headed there other than to be amongst the bustling crowds.

Without a list of things to get or any idea of what she was going to do, Faye landed carefully upon her feet next to a fountain with few people around it. She stood on her tippy toes and looked out towards the crowd, wondering if anyone she knew was here. It did not matter if someone she knew was here or not, though, as she felt particularly sociable today. Adorned in a yellow gossamer gown of sorts, Faye paraded through the crowds with her wings folded down to protect them. Short enough that she couldn't be spotted over the tall heads around her, she passed by various shops and wondered where she should stop.

Breaking free from the throng of people, she wandered over to the windows of the nearest shop and poked her fingers at the glass as if to touch the objects beyond it. It wasn't that Faye had no knowledge of glass. In fact, she knew very well that she was poking at glass. The vain creature just happened to be observing her reflection, which looked back at her through the trick of light upon the reflective surface. Faye thought she looked rather pretty today. Backing away from the window slightly, she began to observe herself further to check if her gossamer gown was perhaps a bit too plain. She needed to acquire more fae clothing, something to catch the eyes of others easily.

As if wearing a see-through gown wasn't enough to catch everyone's eyes, especially when she often wore very little or nothing beneath it. Faye thought not. So, yes, it was time for something a little more extravagant.

Who: Kazuki and Irei
When: Night
Where: Tailor Shop
What: Kazuki's about to close shop and actually gets a visitor!

Kazuki was getting rather tired of playing a one man game of catch. He had found a random tennis ball in the grass, luckily enough before the rain had hit. Kazuki now decided to hit it roughly against the wooden wall that he had been staring at several minutes prior. He ducked and winced a bit. Every time the ball hit the wall, the sound caused a faint sting. Finally, it annoyed him enough to stop. Just one more throw though.

Of course, Kazuki nearly didn't catch it. The vase behind him was twirling towards the end of the table and he outstretched his hand enough to catch it as he rose to his feet. That reminded him of the worst part-clean up. At least Kazuki wasn't too bad. He actually was pretty fickle about where things went and was rather tidy as well.

He traced the table area where he once sat before he headed towards the various areas where the clothes were. Kazuki began to stow them away carefully, making sure not to wrinkle or tear them. He then began to check the perimeter for any mud as a result of the rain. That would be of his doing since Kazuki did not recall one customer. To his benefit, the place besides putting the clothes in their proper place, was easy to clean up after.

Kazuki took a look around after the usual tasks of basically making sure the floor and area were clean and most importantly the clothes were safe and headed towards the door so he could get out and lock it safely. Luckily, he still had a lot of the night left to himself.