Half Past Midnight

Who: Tayne and Desdemona
Where: 2nd Floor, Block 2, Room 3
When: 9:00 PM

The meeting had left Desdemona feeling neither better nor worse. For all it's hype, there were no grand answers, and she'd found herself silent, unable to ask questions. Without knowledge of what lay ahead, she wasn't even sure which direction to ask. Even if she had, their designated leader seemed unable to foretell the future, so what good would it actually do? Paziter had asked the question she'd never have voiced to that big a crowd, and even if the answer wasn't entirely satisfactory, she'd heard all she needed to know for the time being.

Who: Harlan and Alarie
Where: Alarie's room, this time
When: Anesus 2, late evening

It had been a long day, though in the end not necessarily a bad one. Harlan had pled exhaustion and escaped back upstairs to sit down a while, while Arie signed up for her chores for the year, and had settled on his bed with his latest book on magic until she was finished. He kept his ears sharp for the sound of her door on the wall beside his while he read the book over again-- he'd finished it the first day he'd had it, and now was rereading it for the third time, more slowly-- a trick he'd picked up not long after his arrival at the compound. It was safer to be careful, especially when you knew you weren't the most popular of people.

Who: Alarie and Svathe
When: Anesus 2, After meeting (around 8:30?)
Where: Within the Castle (in the hall?)

As much as the Lykos would have liked to tarry around the meeting hall to snap at Gochin or Remy, the fact that tonight was the night put previous enmities on the back burner. Svathe had singled out his mark, the pup called Alarie, and now it was only a matter of time before he moved in. He had caught her speaking with a blood-sucker -- another first year, at that, and one about as servile as one could get without sinking to Kierban's level. Blood and feeding; Vrykolas went against every law of nature save perhaps ticks and lice. He wouldn't be surprised if they went under Tick's protection in the afterlife, if they were given auspice at all. Didn't the lot of them kill themselves anyways? Barbaric.

Who: Paziter and Tayne
When: Anesus 2, shortly after the meeting
Where: Main Hall

Gods, it had been an awkward meeting, and not just for Tayne. After risking himself on such a faux pas, Paziter had sat silently on the bench, aware that the occasional person was darting him a look. Calculating, curious, or maybe even sinister? He wasn't sure, but he had decided then and there that he really ought to learn to refine his grasp on shadow walking... if he'd known how to sink into the shadow under the table, he probably would have simply disappeared for a few hours. What a way to start a night.

Who: Avery and Raven
Where: Avery's Room
When: 8:00 PM

Raven left the meeting in a huff, her temper never waning after she'd been cuffed upside the head. They had nothing to say that she wanted to hear, all signs pointing towards cooperation that she wasn't ready to give. Some of the questions had been flat out absurd, while others pointed out just how bad things might get there in the compound. Had Paziter actually asked for a list of people to feed on? She'd known the boy was weak, but if he couldn't hunt his own prey then he was lower than she thought.

Who: Alarie and Paziter
Where: Anesus 2, Main Hall
When: After the meeting (and Paziter's conversation with Tayne)

Alarie couldn't help herself. She waited for the blonde Vrykola to finish speaking to Tayne before she bounced after him, determined to ask a few questions before he disappeared. He seemed a bit hesitant during the meeting, nervous sort of quiet and given he asked about a list of people to feed from... or support, as he'd called it - well, that tipped her off and had her thinking of Harlan all over again. Which was why she stuck around after the meeting, keeping her eyes glued to the guy and waiting for a chance to corner him.

Who: Davie and Cathryn
When: Anesus 2, After the meeting for the new arrivals
Where: In the Courtyard

When Davie had made his way to the evening's large meeting, he had wished he could go to bed instead. Now the meeting was over, rules had been explained, chores had been assigned, people had very vaguely met each other, and Davie found himself frustratingly awake. He had actually gone back to his room long enough to lay down for about a minute before deciding that he wasn't able to keep his eyes shut even that long and would be better served familiarizing himself with the complex.

Who: Tabrika and Kierban
Where: The Main Hall
When: Anesus 2, just after the meeting

By the time the meeting was over, Tabrika had managed to wedge herself into the corner as tightly as he could, eyes wide open and hands pressed over her ears. The only reason she hadn't wound up bolting was some mix of the certainty that if she did, she'd be ridiculed and dumped to the bottom of the compound hierarchy, and the plain fact that she'd have to get through that horrible, noisy crowd to do it. And with how hard it was to see, she'd make a commotion doing it.

Who: Tayne and OPEN TO ALL
Where: Anesus 2, The main hall
When: Shortly after sunset

Though Tayne had been early, other people had been earlier still. There had been a small variety of people already in the great hall-- including a few "repeats"; he recognized poor Kierban, shooting him a little wave, though he didn't expect to get one back, and the sight of Remy already waiting made him want to groan, though he didn't. That Vrykola had made trouble for Torehl the whole year previous, and he had a feeling the spoiled brat was going to cause him no end of trouble, as well.

Who: Jacta and Remy
When: Anesus 2, Around Sundown
Where: Kitchens

Though the day had been an eventful one for Jacta Serosum just like the first of the month, things had become no less clear; the notices that littered the compound (by magical means or otherwise? Was there a mole amongst them?) only served to tantalize the human to events yet to come. One 'Tayne Peregrine', she had learned, would be revealing the days to come to them. Chore lists, rules, useful information... Jacta couldn't help but wonder why it hadn't been given out on the first instead of tonight. 'It figures, coming from a man,' she didn't voice, but couldn't help but think. With a name like Peregrine, she doubted that the leader was a lowbrow worker, which was a double-whammy against the as yet unmet man.

Who: Harlan and Elanna
Where: The basement hall
When: Anesus 2, Late Afternoon

After food, drink, and a very long, deep sleep, Harlan felt as recovered as he ever did after feeding a Vrykola, and better, he felt he'd made a new friend-- or at least ally and possible mine for technological information. Paziter seemed a good boy, Vrykola or not, and someone who probably needed friends.

Who: Harlan and Alarie
Where: Harlan's room
When: Anesus 2, Late morning

It was late when Harlan finally dragged himself out of bed. Far later than the morning before-- far later than usual. He'd been up late first for the test-- which had been nothing, mostly for Tayne, Gochin, and the first years, and not even happening until that evening-- then with Paziter, and even with the food and drink the grateful, helpful Vrykola had brought him, the best cure for feeding a Vrykola was sleep, which he'd taken in plenty. He'd need more food and drink to dispel the headache he'd woken up with, but otherwise he felt surprisingly good when he first opened his eyes.

Who: Marcus and Tayne
When: Anesus 2, mid-morning
Where: the Oratory

Marcus lay on his back on one of the benches in the Oratory, gazing calmly up at the high windows that were set with stained glass of all colors. Although it was chilly outside, the sun was high, and he was striped with bands of colored light. Green, purple, red, blue, yellow. He could see the hues as they hit his clothed body; idly, he lifted a hand up to within two inches of his nose to view the near-turquoise and green light play over his fingers. He was dressed in pants and his usual layers of shirts, his blond hair still damp from the bath he'd taken shortly before coming down here.

Who: Kierban and Raven
When: Anesus 2, around 10:30 AM
Where: The main hall

Another day, another chance to meet more of the compound's newest residents. Kierban had been up all of the previous night, anxiously flitting about all three levels of the building, subconsciously memorizing each new face he spotted but consciously looking for people in obvious need of aid. Of course all the new arrivals had been lost and drifting, but some rose to the occasion and handled themselves just fine, whereas others looked obviously aimless and unhappy. It was these latter examples to which he had cautiously allowed himself to be drawn, to render assistance if they would allow it.

Who: Desdemona and Rémy
When: Anesus 2, 5:30 AM
Where: The Main Hall

When the fliers went up at half past midnight, Desdemona wasn't sure what to make of them. First there was an overwhelming sense of relief that something would be explained to them, then there was the anticipation that followed. She had over twelve hours to wait and speculate, her mind too busy to concentrate on the book she'd acquired. 'Common practices', they'd said. 'Rules'. What if they required that the Vrykolas feed on animals? Would she be reduced to chasing rabbits through the woods on foot? Such thoughts turned her stomach, already nervous from the number of pounding hearts around her. One more day. She was sure she could at least make it till the third. By then she'd have to come up with some kind of solution. Maybe one of the common practices would be this whole 'asking' thing she'd been hearing about. At least, in that case, the blood was Human. Or Lykos. Desdemona still wasn't sure what she thought of that. It left a bitter taste on her tongue, just thinking about it.

Who: Harlan and Paziter
When: Anesus 2, 12:30am
Where: Main Hall

While Elanna's presence had been fortifying earlier in the night, Paziter had apologetically unhooked himself from her and set himself to wandering alone, intent on the only kind of hunt that he knew how to negotiate. His stomach was all but rumbling; it had been getting towards three days since last he'd fed and he really wanted to set some kind of connections up before he had to resort to something completely ingratiating, like begging. Or worse (and he prayed to Rapemi to leave him be) succumbing to blood-lust over an accident in the kitchen. That had only happened to him once before, as a child, and he had been on chicken's blood for a month. It had been a foul month.

Weather: The tail end of winter is still holding tight to the grounds, and though there is no snow, cleared by a brief thaw the previous week, it is even colder today, and everything has a light frost over it. An even colder wind picks up around sundown, though the sky is still cloudless all day. Anyone going outside would be wise to take a thick cloak and dress in layers, or to stay on one's animal form so make good use of the fur.

12:30 AM
This day's "challenge" is mainly for the first years and one rather nervous sixth year. The only obvious change at half-past the hour is the sudden appearance of notices all over the castle for a meeting that day, just past sundown, in the main hall. All newcomers to the compound are strongly urged to attend, though anyone is welcome. The notices say plainly that common practices, rules, and functions at the compound are to be explained, and an order of duties will be set.