Haunted Roads

When: Afternoon
Where: Towers
Who: Bo – Narrative (unless someone really wants it)

Cat had escaped.

That Bo knew was a very bad thing. He was supposed to keep an eye on the fluff ball and make sure that it didn’t get out or do anything bad. Lately Bo wasn’t managing that job very well. The Cat was a sneaky thing! Bo put it in a room, it got out. He told it not to sleep on a certain chair, it only slept on that chair. The only time he seemed to like it was when it was sleeping. Then it made a sort of fun purr sound. Or when he could chase it…which likely had a bit to do with why Cat had run off the moment the door had opened. It was Bo that was supposed to be leaving, not Cat. Cat didn’t agree and off it went.

A faint growl made one of the servant girls look his way, asking if everything was alright. Bo lied of course, grinning widely and saying everything was fine before rushing out into the hallway to try to catch up with Cat. Leaving the door wide open in the process, thankfully the girl would be there to close it and Bo wouldn’t have that on his head too if Chloe found out. But he was a bit more focused on not losing sight of Cat then he was about doors. Or other people for that matter as he slammed right into the delivery guy that was in the elevator. Boxes went everywhere, Bo would have helped pick them up if he didn’t notice Cat slipping into the elevator right as the doors were closing. See, sneaky!

With a grumble Bo dashed for the stairs, racing down them and at least being smart enough to go to the next floor and look to see where the elevator was going to be stopping. Third floor….that was a lot of stairs. He didn’t hesitate but just ran for the stairs again, taking them two at a time and more then once nearly tripping down them. Bo wasn’t exactly graceful sometimes, especially when he was all flustered. Stupid Cat. He was supposed to be out right now picking something up for Chloe. He couldn’t remember what, but it was on a piece of paper in his back pocket so he wouldn’t forget it.

In a rush Bo shoved open the doors to the third floor, leapfrogging over some kids playing in the hallway and skidding around the corner to the elevator. The door was open and people were getting in…but there was no Cat in sight. No fluffy white ball of fur prancing around all happy that it managed to get out. It wasn’t going to be so happy when he chased it down. Or maybe it would, maybe it thought it was fun. Bo didn’t know, cats were strange. He liked his snake pet better. It just curled up warm places and didn’t really try to escape. Well…besides that one time. But now that Bo fed it, it didn’t mind staying in the room.

( Bo made a face )

When: Very Early Morning
Where: Towers
Who: Tavin and Jerzy

It had been too long since Tavin had spent a night at the apartment. He knew that Jerzy had noticed his longer then normal hours. He knew the kid wondered, but didn’t question. He knew and yet more often then not, he was still out late and back out early. It wasn’t the first time Tavin got a bit consumed by work but it had been a damned long time since he seemed to put it first. This time around, however, it wasn’t work that really had Tavin’s attention. The last few days he was able to get a few meetings with supernaturals he thought might be able to help his sister out. The trouble was that he had to keep the details rather vague. He wasn’t looking to make it obvious what was going on. Tavin never let his personal life be open and he couldn’t take the risk of tying his name to hers. Not yet.

All in all by the time the night was near over Tavin was frustrated as fuck and less then pleased. He hated the fact that he had to go about things this way. It felt like the past all over again. Where the only methods he had to protect them with was actually damned risky and far from what they actually needed. He fucked it up before, he didn’t want to again. Which made every failed meeting or day with no progress that much harder to take.

The sun would be up in an hour or so. Tavin was slowly making his way back to the towers. His car was parked there already, left in favor or walking to his last meeting. He needed the movement, that way to expel some energy. He needed the time to calm his racing thoughts, to get his act together before the meeting would start. And now…now he needed some time to get that irritation out before he made his way back to the apartment. Would the kid be awake? Tavin didn’t doubt it. Jerzy too often stayed awake waiting for him. Was a nasty habit to get into, made for a lot of sleepless nights. Not that he slept much anyways.

The streets were nearly empty, but in the shadows Tavin could feel the movement of a vampire racing back home and the slight shift to the air as a demon moved nearly unseen in the air not that high above him. It amazed him at times how obvious some of this shit was and how oblivious those few others on the streets right now were. The bum down the way didn’t even blink. The earlier riser catching the bus didn’t look up from her phone. Tavin ignored it all, pausing only for a second to put a cigarette to his lips and light it. It wasn’t what he really wanted, wasn’t even close to enough to start to calm him down. But it was a start. One that would work till he was in his own room.

By the time he got to the towers the cigarette was spent and discarded, snubbed out before the tower doors were pushed open and Tavin cut through the near vacant lobby. The worker at the front desk gave him a nod, Tavin vaguely returned it before finally making his way back to their apartment. How long had it been since he’d stayed for more then an hour? Hell how long had it been since he’d slept?

It was probably a bad thing that he didn’t know the answer to those questions.

At the door Tavin jiggled the keys a bit before opening the door, always gave Jerzy a bit of a heads up that he was home. Kid could get spooked pretty easy. Not that Tavin blamed him leaving here. Was one of the many reasons Tavin had to debate moving already. That was a thought for fucking later though…he was too tired for it right now. “You awake?” Tavin questioned just loud enough to be heard but not so loud it would wake the kid if he wasn’t.

When: Night
Where: Towers
Who: Keisuke and OPEN

Vampires for the most part, hated to travel. It was understandable really. For a species that could not bear sunlight and one that was weakened by its need to stay away from light, traveling meant being at the mercy of whatever unknown environment or people they were near during the daytime. Traveling was a hassle, a risk to be avoided. This was one of the reasons many and most vampires chose to stay root in their native home. Keisuke traveled more than any of the other "siblings" of his clan- he'd always been a bit of an outsider, this was merely one more strange characteristic to set him apart.

He didn't especially like traveling, much for the same reasons any other vampire wouldn't like traveling. Although he had safety spots, rooms, places he knew he could get to if he needed to stay somewhere in emergency, the chances of being trapped by daylight somewhere brought uncomfortable memories and the closest thing to fear that the vampire could feel actively. The faint scars from his last experience with daylight still decorated the back of his hands, though they had long since faded from their original burnt flesh look.

He'd been gone for a good few weeks, delayed by publications then by his own desire to stay put in Los Angeles to regain some security and establish a few more connections before returning to Seattle. He'd finally booked his return flight through the internet, marveling at the ease that modern technology allowed things to be accomplished these days. No longer did he have to worry about having to buy things at night, limited by what was open or relying on a third party to do his purchasing for him. Now he could order whatever he wanted from the internet. Amazon was your friend.

The flight was on time and he'd taken a taxi from the airport back to the Towers. Time was a strangely viewed concept for the undead and the few weeks that he'd been gone felt both like no time at all and like forever. It didn't matter. There could be time for getting to relearn the place. Holding the small travel duffel he'd lived out of during the trip to California, he made his way through the double doors of the Tower into the central lobby, shaking off the bit of rain he'd gotten on himself from the taxi to the building entrance.

Week Thirteen
Dates: Monday April 28th through Sunday May 4th
Season: Late April – Early May 2008

Announcements:
Monday: Lucifer's Lounge is a monthly night thrown at the Mercury Club in Seattle featuring Jazz, Lounge, Vegas, Crooners, and Swing starting at 9pm, Cover is $4 at the door, and there are drink specials. Dress to impress and spend the first part of the night listening to classics from the 20's -40's at a volume you can talk to. We know its a Monday, and we all have to work in the morning, but stay until midnight for the Coconut Monkey's Toast and see something you won't see at any other club in Seattle. Club participation isn’t mandatory, but you won’t want to miss out on the fun. Heavy Swing after the Monkey toast for you late nighters. We stay open until we close, or the hosts get too tired to play.

Tuesday: A joint Internet prostitution sting using the popular site Craigslist landed eight hookers behind bars, including one who is listed as a missing sexually exploited child. "Prostitution is going from the streets to the Internet. It's going from the asphalt highway to the information highway," said Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor. The FBI, Pierce County Sheriff's Office and Lakewood Police conducted two operations Thursday night to catch prostitutes.

The underage girls will be reunited with their families. The older women will be charged with prostitution. This is the third Craigslist bust for Pierce County. So far, three pimps and seven underage girls have been arrested. Pierce County plans more stings, including ones designed to catch customers. Two years ago, Seattle Police conducted a similar sting, arresting more than 100 men for soliciting prostitutes on Craigslist.

Thursday: Today is Beltaine. Beltaine is an anglicization of the Irish "Bealtaine" or the Scottish "Bealtuinn." While "tene" clearly means "fire," nobody really knows whether Bel refers to Belenus, a pastoral god of the Gauls, or is from "bel," simply meaning "brilliant." It might even derive from "bil tene" or "lucky fire" because to jump between two Beltane fires was sure to bring good fortune, health to your livestock, and prosperity.

Come celebrate at Golden Gardens Park tonight at 7:30pm at the waters edge. A local group of pagans will be performing a Grounding, Casting of the circle, Purifying of the circle, Calling of the directions, Portrayal of the rescue of the May Queen and the victory of Summer over Winter, Spiral Dance of Victory, Bidding farewell to the directions and an opening of the circle. Afterwards there will be a potluck, cakes, and ales. All are invited that wish to partake or simply watch. This is a family-friendly event. Please bring warm clothes, altar items and food or drink to share.

Friday: Benefit for Noel House Programs at the Capitol Hill Arts Center with array of desserts from Seattle's most prominent chefs, Gypsy-swing and French-jazz from the Zazou Trio, photo exhibit featuring the women Noel House serves. Arrive at 7pm to have time to enjoy the arts or show later to sample the desserts.

Saturday: Belltown Billiards will be having a competition staring at noon today and going till 7pm or the competition is over. Competitors had until 7pm on Wednesday to sign up to play and teams had until 7pm on Tuesday to get their paperwork in. Anyone wanting to watch can show up at any time and enjoy the half priced beers that will be accompanying the competition. Linger for awhile after the games have completed and sample some local beers. The beer tasting will start about 9pm. There will be a twenty dollar cover for the tasting and it is limited to 30 patrons.

Sunday: The Seattle Cheese Festival is conducting a recipe search for the best grilled cheese sandwich in the city. The winner of the contest will appear during the Seattle Cheese Festival, which takes place May 16-18, 2008, to give a live demo on the chef’s stage. The winning sandwich will be featured at the DeLaurenti café during the festival. The top 10 finalists will have their recipes featured online at the Seattle Cheese Festival site.

Weather:
Monday April 28th: Overcast (High: 62°F Low: 45°F)
Tuesday April 29th: Mostly cloudy (High: 57°F Low: 39°F)
Wednesday April 30th: Light rain through the morning (High: 64°F Low: 47°F)
Thursday May 1st: Cloudy morning with clearing in the afternoon (High: 67°F Low: 50°F)
Friday May 2nd: Clear through the day (High: 65°F Low: 49°F)
Saturday May 3rd: Clouds begin to return late tonight. (High: 65°F Low: 47°F)
Sunday May 4th: Light rain through the day. (High: 63°F Low: 48°F)

Dorian Narrative Save spot!

When: Late Night
Where: Hotel
Who: Nikolaos, Dorian, Mikkos, Guards
What: Demons - Mikkos' Point of View - Narrative

Such hatred. So strong that it could be felt easily through the walls of the hotel they both still lived in, and even simply within the city. Mikkos spent little time within the city however. Most days were spent in trying to clean up a mess not his own, though surely he too had some dirt on his hands. No, he'd not take all the blame, not for his father's treachery. All the talk of family, all the talk of loyalty, and in the end? It was Haimon who proved the traitor. In the end it was Haimon to sell his own blood, to hand them not to their known enemy, but to another.

The enemy, Mikkos had learned, was now Haimon's ally. The old man had been busy. All he needed was Mikkos and Nik to be gone for an extended amount of time to complete his treachery. Mikkos had learned much, though not enough. He knew no amount of evidence would convince Nik that it was not Mikkos' doing, not even Mikkos' choices on the surface, that had swayed Haimon in his treason, but something deeper and darker that belonged to Haimon alone.

And to his enemy. Yes, Haimon's enemy turned ally.

Mikkos hadn't at first believed it. Even now he had trouble in accepting it, but it was true, he knew. The enemy he had known always to hate, the enemy Haimon had spent a lifetime fighting against... Haimon now had joined forces with. And both men, he learned, were doing a bit of house cleaning. The truth had been hard to swallow, especially since it had come not from his own men, but from the enemies. In fact, it was one of the Kreskas' that first told him. But not before Mikkos and he had a vicious fight. Followed of course, by another.

None of it made sense, and in fact, the Kreskas had very little to offer in the way of evidence or rational conviction, but what little he did offer, coupled with what little Mikkos knew on his own family's side... he knew it was likely all too true. Which meant as bad as it now was, it was only going to get worse.

Of course, he had no idea just how bad it really would get.

That did not mean however, that his guard was down. A message from Nik, from his own guard, the same guard that had watched the boy from his childhood. There was no trust in him, no rust now in any of the guard. No trust in anyone. In fact, if Mikkos were a wiser man, he'd have no trust in his son. Logically, rationally, he knew he should have none, but he knew also, that if he could not trust Nik, ill-placed as that might be, then he had in fact, truly lost everything. The truth of the matter though, was he didn't know how much, if any of Haimon's plot, involved Nik, or if the boy truly was as much a pawn in this game as everyone else now seemed to be.

His eyes swept 'round the room. first Nik, then Dorian, then the guards, and then back on Nik expectantly. He had called this meeting after all, there must have been a reason. Wait. Something was off... some guard that did not belong. Too late. A warning, and then the lights came on. Brilliant, enough to cripple the shadow creatures. A shot, Nik's gun bringing one down, and Mikkos quickly became a part of the shadows, fighting within them. The battle waged on, his own guard, all new, hand picked, and made up one hundred percent of old friends, surface demons... better known back in the day, as pirates.

No epic music played, and the battle was anti-climactic, valiantly fought, but unexpected. As much by the the guards who turned on them as by Mikkos and Nikoloas and Dorian. The mutinous guards, acting on higher orders, had not expected any fight. "Retreat" had been sounded more than once, but Mikkos refused. Not without his son. And not without his sister's son. This now was his family. He knew, beyond all doubt, that this now was his only family. And as the order was given, and Mikkos too, fought as Nik did, and Dorian too, the shadows darkened, all went black, and when he came to he was no longer in the basement, no longer in the hotel, or even in the city, but in the stronghold of his friend. The battle had waged on without him. But not long he was told, as when he fell, the others did retreat, dragging his sorry unconscious ass with them. But not before killing as many of the others as they could, and at least attempting to take his son and nephew.

They'd expected his rage however, and when it came, they simply took up another battle. This was as much fun as the salty old pirates had had in all the centuries since their mate had left them.

Who: Maggie and Sophie
Where: Starting outside Sophie's school
When: Friday Afternoon


Time moved too fast sometimes. Other times it seemed to move too slowly. The years that Bastian had been gone had felt like she was stuck in molasses, dragging her feet through the motions of day to day life, trying her best to make Sophie happy but knowing that the girl missed her father and no amount of Maggie's actions could change that fact. The past few weeks though, they seemed to be on a lightening pace.

She couldn't keep up with it. Didn't know what to make of the immense changes that had come so quickly. All she could do was keep her feet moving and hope that she didn't stumble. She wasn't sure she could make it much longer without that stumble.

Extra shifts had been handed out to Maggie like they were candy, apparently there was a bit of a staff shortage too many pregnancy leaves all coming at the same time. Must have been something in the water. Maggie couldn't complain too much about the extra hours, money was always something that their family needed, especially trying to keep the bar up and going. Expenses never seemed to stop adding up. But the extra hours didn't help the situation at home.

She didn't like to think of it as a... situation, but she wasn't entirely sure what else to think of it as. A change in circumstance? A change in the way she had to view the world? Knowing that things... no beings she had never thought to be real were very much so... it fundamentally changed a great number of things. Almost too many things. Despite all that it did change there was one thing Maggie was determined not to let it change and that was their family. She prayed every night that it wouldn't, that they could somehow sort through it all and make sense of this new world. But she knew that prayer alone wasn't going ot manage it.

She had to make certain that it didn't. She knew that talking with Sophie was the only way and once that hurdle had been crossed a small amount of peace had settled into Maggie's heart. Things were far from simple and far from certain but it was the small things that were what mattered to Maggie. Knowing that Sophie had accepted this... change in the person that her father was meant a great deal to Maggie. It wasn't easy for her, it sure as hell wasn't easy on Bastian but knowing that Sophie was finding her own peace with the idea went a long way to curing those nervous motherly worries.

Of course that didn't last long with a teenager. The message that she'd received from Sophie that she wanted to talk had sent a whole new flurry of those through her. Overreacting... perhaps but it was one thing for the mother and daughter to talk another to receive the request (that she didn't put out first) from Sophie. The topic... a mystery. Left her mind entirely to wander which wasn't always the best thing despite the fact that Maggie trusted her daughter. She wouldn't be a mother if she didn't have the ability to think of the worst.

So even before the final bell rang at Sophie's school she had her old worn volvo parked directly in front of the school. She was waiting for the students to come spilling from the doors including her daughter.

Who: Maggie and Bastian
When: Wednesday Night
Where: Barking Spider

Maggie was in the back, up to her elbows in suds as she worked her way through the last of a few odds and ends that needed to be cleaned before the evening could officially be called. A few knives, cutting boards... hand washing them kept her hands busy. Strains of music still made their way back to where she stood, the running water not even cutting off the butchering of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' that was currently going on. Maggie could only smile to that as maybe someone hadn't fully thought through their aspirations to follow in Queens' footsteps just yet. At least they had a passion for the song... even if it was entirely out of key.

And the keyboard they had brought in was just painful.

A towel was picked up and Maggie set to drying the last few items as the music finally came to an end. Open Mic night... you never knew what the proverbial cat was going to drag in and tonight it had been all sorts. Not that Maggie had been around for the whole evening but glad as she was to have the bar holding such nights again she'd had to stop by after her shift at the hospital. After work she had come she had managed to change out of the cheerful bear printed scrubs she wore while working... some how that just never seemed to work when she stepped foot in the bar. Instead she was clad in nothing more fancy then a pair of jeans and a simple scoop necked shirt that skimmed her figure.

It had already been near to closing when she arrived. Maggie had sent Jonathan on his way home assuring him that she could help close the place up and that she wouldn't take no for an answer. She did have her moments of stubbornness. A buss to his cheek and she'd made herself at home behind the bar, greeting regular customers but mostly just setting about tidying up and readying the bar for it's closure.

Hearing the music though... despite all the challenges life had thrown them over the past decade... always brought her back to another time. When she'd first met Bastian. The sound of his fingers working over the strings on the guitar as he worked out the chords that fit the melody in his head perfectly. It had been too long... felt like it had been too long since those days. And that was almost as painful as the reality of their lives now, complicated and uncertain.

But it was that simple thing missing that made it so much more difficult.

Maggie could hear the jingle of the door as the last few patrons begrudgingly made their way out. She hung the towel up and stepped out of the back and behind the bar. "Good night?" She asked, placing her palms flat on the counter behind her. "This place needs music, live music. Makes it..." her eyes closed briefly before opening them and looking over at Bastian. "alive again."

Who: Chloé and her favorite pet, Bo
Where: Vivant to start
When: Eightish
What: Chloé and Bo have some fun

The street level doors of Vivant had closed, but inside the lights still shown and a few people still milled about. Not customers, no. These were people Chloe had paid to be here. Models, a photographer, a videographer, and her highly paid web designer. If Chloe could ever convince Drystan to come into the 21st century, he too might find an appreciation for the kind of work those computer people were capable of.

The models and photographer were not an odd thing, and neither was the web designer, as Chloe had, for some time now, been posting high fashion art on her website. Tonight though, they would be doing something new, videotaping the session. That too would be posted on the site, and if Chloe was pleased with it, the next session might well be cast live on her site.

Not that Chloe could truly understand why the visitors to her website would care for the video but the web designer assured her they would, that they'd get a sense of being there, get a better feel for the shop, and then have more of a desire to actually be there in person. They would want to be a part of the action, to live as the glamorous beautiful people do even when they were being casual, and blah blah blah, Chloe had tuned him out after a while, lit a cigarette, and walked away to something of interest while the man had droned on. Though not for long of course, as he'd noticed immediately that the haute couture dress designer had left him hanging. He assumed she'd lost interest. He was right of course, but that didn't mean she didn't like the idea, just his continued explanation. Her attention could only remain focussed on something so dull for so long.

And where exactly did Bo come in? Well, there were other models of course, other male models, but none had quite the personality of her pet. Chloe knew that she loved being in his company, and if the idea of this video was to entice people, and to entertain, then no one could do a better job then that. Although, there was a certain succubus in their building Chloe decided would make a wonderful addition to the next video. Just not this one. Bo could play with the human girls, he didn't need the distraction of a demoness.

Already Chloe and her assistant had arranged several outfits for Bo. The three female models were already dressed in the first of their outfits, had their hair and make up done, and all that was left to do now was to have some wine and cigarettes while they waited for the star model to arrive. Of course, Bo had no idea what was in store for him. No matter, it involved her, and it involved other girls... Bo would be more than happy.

When: Late Night
Where: Hotel
Who: Nikolaos, Dorian, Mikkos, Guards
What: Demons - Nikolaos's Point of View - Narrative

Bright light made him squint as he stared across the room at the other still held captive. Trapped there behind bars that never would have held him if it weren't for the light keeping the shadows at bay. How long had it been now? The days began to blend together. Weeks he knew, weeks with so little change. No words, no orders. He was left in this fucking purgatory for acts he had not committed. If he were going to be damned no matter what he did then why keep to the rules of allowing this one life? Why do any of what he was told to do in coming here? Bitterness had begun to snake its way through his veins, slowly feeding the fuels of fires that already nearly tore him apart.

His entire life meant nothing. All teachings were thrown away. He knew this now, the evidence was too striking for him to deny now. Even his mother had somehow managed to slip away. Crawling back to the depths to lick the boots of the old man too lost in his own fucking head to see anything anymore. He spent years under his tutelage and for what? For this disrespect. Never had he put disgrace upon the family and yet he was left to that fate. Denied entrance back into hell, viciously kept here. Forced to remain. He wore scars upon the flesh of the battles fought in attempt to regain rightful place.

Guards were dead. Blood of kin coated his hands and never did Nikolaos feel satisfaction in their fall. This was not what he had wanted. This was not what he had thought would come to pass. But how obvious it was now that he'd never be enough. That always his fathers shadow would veil him from true sight of ever being considered leader. All the tests were false; an act to convince both that he would take up place next while other plans were made.

Betrayed. Backs turned. He could see it in their eyes. The way they wished to sneer as they looked at him, the way lips twitched in the act to remain blank. Lips were torn from the faces of those that dared to lose that false state of indifference. Eyes ripped from the sockets of any that happened to glare in his direction. Tongues removed from those that had no right to speak to him of honor or respect. For each that fell another remained. The numbers were indication that something was amiss. More now then there had been before; none spoke word to father or son. None answered to their demands or snarls for obedience. Yet they remained here. Watching over the other. Only uttering that he was to be kept from escaping still. Why? That they would not answer. There were no answers to be found through their pain or their deaths. No answers to be found through the others that no longer remained.

Nikolaos would not even be here if it were not for words that answers would be given tonight. He was told that it was his father that called him here. That solution had been reached. He held no hope in such utterances; he had no faith in any sense of what had been returning to him. The family he had come to respect was lost. The work done his entire life mattered not. His worth had been made clear.

( Still he showed, taking stance in the shadows and waiting. )

When: Late Night
Where: Restaurant
Who: Dimitri and Ophelia - Narrative

Always Dimitri went into meetings with Ophelia with that calm demeanor that seemed as though it could never be budged. He swallowed down emotions and sought to look upon her and not feel so…swayed. But those intentions always so quickly faded the longer he was around her. She, like no other, knew how to get under his skin. How to wiggle her way past that calm and strike at all the other emotions buried within. In a way he loathed her for that, how quickly she could unravel him. And yet at the same time there was a part of him that loved her still for it. It was in her presence that he felt alive. It was with her that the dullness of the world around him seemed to shed away. Leaving something else so remarkably different in its place.

She did not allow him to hide beneath that work or that indifference. She pointed out the flaws in all he spoke and all reasons he gave. She attacked his reasoning’s as though they mattered not. But the trouble was that they did. That for all the reasons he had to let himself truly be swayed by her, he had just as many reasons to not. To deny her presence and walk away.

Yes he had reasons….and yet none of them seemed enough to curb that ache that formed when she spoke that she would be leaving. He had known the words were coming. He knew by her actions and her tone that this decision had been delayed for some time now…hoping to push him to follow. He knew, but it did not dull the weight of the words. Somehow, however, he managed to keep at bay the depth of the reaction. Giving her so little of what she wanted to see from him. He could not falter, as always with her losing even that slightest bit of ground meant that you would soon fall.

Already she had spoken her goodbye to the only other childe she had that would allow themselves to care. Nothing held her here….save him.

( Candlelight from the dinner table flickered as he watched her. )

When: Night
Where: Towers to start
Who: Dimitri and Justine

Dimitri’s time, as of late, was both spent on family and work. While the others within the family were always busy that did not mean that Dimitri was not aware of where they were or what was going on in their lives. All seemed to make it a point to keep aware. But the distraction of work was a well needed thing for him. The Towers did not give him near enough work often, but the last few weeks were busy with talks of possible expansion of the Towers property. There was a company interested in restoring some of the land to make a park behind the towers. Dimitri, of course, had a bit of mixed feelings on the topic. He knew well the sorts of creatures that lived in the depths below the others and was not…completely convinced a park in this location was a wise choice. However though there were risks he did know that many of the supernaturals in the Towers had children and that likely the werecreatures and fae types would enjoy having some nature a bit closer to home.

So far it had come to a bit of a pause, Dimitri speaking that he’d only agree to the park being put on his land if he was allowed sole rights to it after dark. During the day all were welcomed but it was to close at sundown. For all the humans had to know that simply meant none would be there after dark. But Dimitri’s plan was to allow it to the Tower residents at that time. Especially the weres around the full moon. Perhaps if there was a place close where they could roam there would not be so many…attacks around that time.

Still the talks were nothing but busy work. Something to occupy his time but hardly give him anything truly challenging to deal with. Dimitri was the sort of man that needed a bit more activity. A constant need to be on the move and have his hands in various business deals. He did not enjoy the lazy life or sitting idle. He had no idea how his brother had ever been content to simply mill about the towers doing nothing else with his time. It was for these reasons and more that Dimitri was questioning his place here at the Towers.

All thoughts of business and matters of that sort were pushed aside for tonight. Tonight he had plans to have dinner with Justine. His first thought had been to cook something for them. But really Dimitri could use some time outside of the Tower walls and instead had made reservations for them. Neither of them were exactly picky about food, as neither would likely be eating that much. For Dimitri it was far more about the ambience of a place.

It was still a bit early as Dimitri closed the file he was working on and shut down the computer. Early enough that the light was just beginning to fade from the sky to signal the fall of night. It wasn’t the nearing night that stilled his work but more the simple desire to be done with it. It all became so monotonous. Nothing but repetitive acts over and over again. Words that all blurred together, movements that felt near robotic in nature. Something had need to change. He knew that much.

Until his sister arrived Dimitri retired to the library, picking up a book to read that most humans would consider ancient.

Who: Drystan and Rei
Where: Le Chabanais
When: Monday Night



Oh he'd left a mess. Silly him, how could he do such a horrible thing for the well appointed staff to have to deal with. Drystan was just so ashamed of his actions. Of course he was... nevermind that this was done what one might call almost weekly. Granted the 'mess' was different each and every time because what was life without a little variety. But just the same, he did enjoy making his presence known in his business partners little venture.

And of course now he had to be even more conscious of the place with poor Isobel leaving a... well Drystan would reserve what he really thought of the thing in charge now for when he talked to him in person. He didn't like to waste his best material. But someone now needed to hang around and make sure things were run according to the level that Le Chabanais required and how could someone like Rei manage that.

Drystan was certain it was impossible because you could take the boy off the streets but you certainly can't take the street out of the boy. Or something to that extent. He knew very well who Rei was, Drystan hadn't lived for four hundred odd years without an ability to keep track of his business endeavors, not to mention that it did pay to have a large payroll that could verify whatever the fuck Drystan wished. Some days he liked to make them find stupid facts just for his own amusement. One had to find things to pass the time.

Like tonight. He'd left a very pleased little half fae in the currently messy room. She was mostly unconscious but she had begged him to keep going, he couldn't be blamed for perhaps over indulging slightly in her sweet blood. Nor could he be really held responsible for the fact that some of that blood had made it all over the furniture. She was the one who kept moving and kept insisting that she wouldn't break. Unfortunately she did. And was rather loud about it in the process. Her leg would be better in a few days... hopefully. No one wanted to fuck a gimp so she'd better hope that it healed, not that she was complaining at the moment.

Drystan was almost sorry that he wouldn't be telling Isobel about the current state of one of her women. She always got so... riled up when he did. That irritated little twitch of her eye. Oh Drystan would miss that so. Time to see what her little boy-servant would have to say about it. Not that Drystan truly cared, but he should talk with the boy regardless... for Liri's sake and all. Always thinking of those less fortunate than him.

Now where was the boy?

Who: Mikal & Alex.
Where: Sidewalk down the block from the Towers.
When: Late Night
What: Chance meeting.

Tonight had been a good night for Mikal. Work had been surprisingly rewarding, and she was damn near confident that she'd be able to pay the bills and afford a bit of the white stuff. It was always nice to know that not every fella in this town was cheap. But of course, in Mikal's line of work, that same thought also lead to the realization that more and more men were willing to pay out of pocket just to catch a glance at some naked girl they didn't know wriggling around to some trashy music. It seemed that every bit of positivity had some kind of tragic downside to it these days.

Like the man that had been following her for the last block or so, for example. It wasn't exactly uncommon to have some drunken sleeze lurk around outside to try his luck with the girls. Of course, most of them became disenchanted the moment they realized that, no, you didn't walk around with your clothes off all the time. But then there were those that pushed the creep factor to a new level. They were rare, but she supposed it was just one of those occupational hazards. You know, came with the territory and all.

She was doing her best to ignore it, subtley quickening her pace while she rummaged into the bag hanging by her hip for her cigarrettes. Her jacket, a simple back zip-up hoodie was slung over her left forearm, and when she finally managed to withdraw the pack of Malboro Reds she had to readjust it, slinging it over her shoulder instead so that her arm could be employed to better pack the cancer sticks instead. The smack of the cardboard box against her wrist seemed to echo; it was really rather late, and at the moment the road looked pretty much deserted. Late hours in a big city was also a hazard. She'd be sure to add it to the growing list.

Finally the Old Town Towers building came into view. Sighing in some relief, she did a slow jog the rest of the way to the stairs, pausing only briefly to pull a cig from the pack with her teeth. However, that seemed to be more than enough time for Creepy McCreepster to close the distance between them; she felt a hand on her arm just as the sole of her neon blue flat touched down on the first step leading up to the front doors. So close, and yet...

Whirling around to face her persuer, she knotted her brows and narrowed her eyes at him, jerking her arm roughly from his grasp. "Back off, asshole." An unintelligible slur was his response right before he lunged at her again, sending her off-balance so that the two stumbled away from the stairs. Adrenaline coursed through her as she found her back suddenly pressed into the wall, her heartrate accelerating with fear and anger; this guy was seriously going to do this right here!?

She groaned in disgust as the smell of his breath, a vile combination of alcohol and god-knows-what, invaded her senses but was immediately distracted when she felt one of his hands fumble clumsily for her. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Hey!" A scuffle ensued then, ending when a sound slap was delivered across her attackers face. This only served to anger him, apparently, because she felt his hand collide with her jaw a moment later, the cigarrette falling from between her lips, the taste of blood in its wake. This was not looking good.

When: Night
Where: Bar
Who: Prissy

Another shot bought from a pretty little boy was downed; the sharp burn making Prissy purr before it was all too quickly lost. None of these drinks were nearly strong enough. The human bars were always so tame, so lacking in variety for the supernatural sorts. Of course she could go down underground but the little humans here were just too much fun to play with. Little puppets to tug about all night long till she tired of them. Tonight they were proving rather entertaining.... That probably had a bit to do with the amount of liquor they were consuming and the songs they were vainly trying to sing to impress her with.

It wasn't very impressive. At all. But it did make her laugh.

”This songs for you!” a older man slurred as he winked at Prissy and dragged himself over to the jukebox. No stage, no actual mic or set up...for some reason these guys just felt like making a show of singing. She was just waiting for them to get up on the bar and start dancing. That would be the icing on the cake. Prissy watched him lumber a long, punching buttons to get the perfect song. And that was? Wild thing of course. Prissy actually groaned, couldn't they get creative at all?

All too soon the music was blaring through the bar and Prissy was downing another shot from a boy that barely looked old enough to drink yet alone able to really afford it. He looked down and out, like he spent more time on the streets then anywhere considered home. It was sort of sweet, the way he was trying to smooth his wild hair back and straighten his clothes when he thought she wasn't looking. Was he all alone? Would anyone miss him if he was gone... Prissy would have to find out.

But not yet. She wasn't finished with the other boys in the bar yet. “I bet you could pick something better huh?” she questioned the man sitting nearest to her, arching a brow with a sweet little challenging smile to her lips. The guy glanced at the man singing, then back to Prissy. Looking her up and down, taking his time, Prissy made sure she was sitting just right to help with that show. “I could do a hell of a lot better.” he retorted finally as he finished off his beer. “Well....show me then.” she pushed, giving him a nudge.

It never took much to get men moving. To get that competitive streak all riled up. They were so fun to watch then, as they started to push and shove wanting to be the top. Of course she was hoping for a fight. For that bickering to turn to snarls and growls of frustration. For bottles to crash and furniture to be shoved around. She doubted she'd be disappointed tonight...the men were already trying to one up each other.

The guy was quick to his feet now, leaving the barstool empty next to Prissy. The slightly down and out cutie quickly took place there instead. He was a shy little thing, glancing down at the ground before even looking over at Prissy. Prissy just smirked and started up conversation for him. Time to find out if he'd make a good playmate for the night or if she’d have to try to find something else to entertain herself with.

Who: Alex and Hesper
Where: Nox's apartment
When: Late Night
What: Alex is freaking out about Serena moving and goes to see his BFF but finds his sister instead.

So Serena had dropped a bombshell on him. She had gotten a job offer. She was moving across the country. And he had a feeling that she really didn't care whether he went with her or not. When he made mention of his plans, his obligations here, she said that it didn't change anything about that, her leaving. And then a big fight ensued, he accused her of running off with Kayden, she insisted that she was NOT doing that, and then the fight ended when he took off, slamming doors behind him.

After way too much to drink, he was human after all, he decided to go to the one place where he knew he would find someone to talk to, Nox's apartment. He would have called first, texted, something, but he was really really drunk and he dropped his cellphone in the pisser and now it wasn't working at all. He'd have to go get a new one tomorrow. So on rather unsteady feet, he made his way back to the Towers, narrowly avoiding a spill down the stairs once or twice, and onto the floor where Nox lived. He pounded heavily upon the door.

Now normally, Alex was a good looking guy. He was never entirely clean shaven and he had a tendency to wear his hair a little too long because he never got around to cutting it, and tonight was no exception. Granted, his eyes were a little red and glazed over, but he still looked nice in his tight jeans, his cowboy boots, and his white wife beater, not that he cared, and not that he thought Nox would care how he looked either. All he knew was that the women at the bar hadn't minded his slightly disheveled appearance at all.

Once more, he pounded on the door. "Nox! Open up, man! I gotta talk to you." He hadn't thought about the possibility that he wasn't there, or that he was sleeping. But if no one answered, he'd probably just have himself a seat in the hallway there until someone showed up.

Who Bastian and Hope/Alyssa
When: Monday Night
Where: The Barking Spider
What: Reunion

Nox had found out a lot. Well, perhaps not a lot, but enough to make Hope wander if her instincts that told her to come here had in fact been correct. There was a girl reported missing, daughter of the owner of this Tavern, fifteen, nearly sixteen, years ago. The hair, the eyes, it all seemed to add up, but how had she, as a teenage runaway, or was she perhaps abducted, able to get all the way across the country to New York? That was the one question she could not answer, well, one of many. But it was time to stop delaying it and see if it were possible that she was, in fact, Alyssa Veniamin.

She had been working up the courage to step inside of this bar since the first day she had arrived in Seattle and had yet to do so before now. But one foot was inside the door, and soon the other followed, and without much reluctance, she was crossing the barroom floor to the actual bar itself, situating herself upon a stool as her eyes glanced around the place for anything that might seem vaguely familiar. There was nothing.

A hand moved up to push long strands of dark hair back out of her face as she slipped off her jacket, the same one she had had on the night that she had watched the woman die. The blood stains had come out easily at the dry cleaners though she now lacked the belt that she needed to keep it closed. Eventually she would track down something else that would work, but that had been the last thing on her mind since she had arrived here.

In her well-tailored, dark-wash jeans, and her deep brown sweater and brown boots with a small heel, she looked more than a little out of place in this bar. But she was here on a mission and she hardly noticed though she couldn't say there wasn't at least a small bit of intent there. That last thing she wanted was to garner any unwanted attention from drunken bystanders. She was a beautiful woman, this she knew, and attention generally came easy if she dressed herself up, but she hoped that dressing down would alleviate this.

The bartender made his way down to her but she didn't look up immediately, eyes instead focused upon the beer menu in her hand. "Let me have a Beck's Dark." She looked up as she spoke. Nothing too heavy for her tonight. Things were potentially going to get heavy enough as it was.

Week Twelve
Dates: Monday April 21st through Sunday April 27th
Season: Late April

Announcements:
Monday: Seattle's son returns home. Experience Music Project presents Jimi Hendrix: An Evolution of Sound Exhibit. Daily, throughout April, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Afterward, you might want to head over to Broadway & Pine where Jimi in bronze forever wields his axe. If you have time and want to make a whole Jimi day of it, drive out to Jimi Hendrix Memorial Park in Renton.

In other news, the Seattle Police Department has advised that calls to report bear sightings, coyote sightings, or any other wild animal sightings could deliver a death sentence for that creature. Settle animal control will no longer risk the deadly attempts to capture and release.

Tuesday: A high-speed chase of bank robbery suspects played out through Seattle neighborhoods and downtown Tuesday, leaving many residents to wonder if it was real or if they were merely witnessing the latest movie filming to be done in the Emerald City. By the time the chase and gunfire had stopped, one suspect had been critically wounded, and likely wishing he were only an actor in the all too real scene. Fortunately, no one else was seriously hurt.

Wednesday Open Mike Night at The Barking Spider, Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. Welcome Musicians, comedians, spoken word, magicians, etc. Sign-up from 6-8 p.m. If Virtual Talent is more your style, head on over to The Spectator Bar and Grill for their weekly Guitar Hero II competition at 9 p.m.

Thursday: A man accused of stabbing and beating the woman who lived across the hall from his Seattle apartment was charged with second-degree murder. While there are currently no other suspects in the case, Seattle Police continue to question the uneasy neighbors. The weapon has yet to be recovered and some witnesses claim the woman was killed by a bear. When pressed however, they could give no details, and some even insisted it was a wolf, or even an entire pack of wolves. With such "cooperation", it's unlikely questioning will continue much longer.

Friday: The "cold case" shooting of a man at a Pioneer Square bar back in 1969 was finally wrapped up, when a 69-year-old longtime criminal was sentenced for the killing. In an unrelated story, a woman was stabbed to death Thursday in an apartment in the Central District, and a man was jailed in the killing, police said.

Saturday: The Magnolia branch of the Seattle Public Library will reopen to the public at a celebration this Saturday.

Sunday: About 400,000 spectators turned out downtown for the annual Gay Pride Parade held for the third time in downtown Seattle rather than its traditional home on Capitol Hill, which, according to some estimates, was roughly 170,000 more than attended last year's parade.

Théâtre du Macabre presents Blood Squad Lives. Live improvised horror skits with suggestions from the audience. Sundays at 3 p.m.

Weather:
Monday April 21st: Overcast with light rain. (High: 51°F Low: 35°F)
Tuesday April 22nd: Mostly cloudy, but with only a slight chance of rain in the late evening. (High: 57°F Low: 39°F)
Wednesday April 23rd: An overcast, calm day gives way to scattered clouds, variable winds and more chances for light rain in the evening. (High: 54°F Low: 43°F)
Thursday April 24th: Clouds remain. Light, southwesterly winds with light rain near the noon hour. (High: 52°F Low: 43°F)
Friday April 25th: Scattered clouds remain throughout the day, clearing up finally in the early evening. (High: 55°F Low: 41°F)
Saturday April 26th: Clear skies mean a cooler morning and a warmer day. If venturing out doors to enjoy the warmer spring-like weather, don't forget the sunscreen. (High: 66°F Low: 37°F)
Sunday April 27th: Clouds return, along with an increased chance of showers throughout the evening, diminishing into the night. (High: 63°F Low: 48°F)

When: Night
Where: Barking Spider Tavern
Who: Bastian - Narrative

Eighteen. The little girl he remembered long before she could even talk was now considered an adult. No longer a kid. No longer a child. He’d missed it all. All those important years before this. Bastian wore a smile all through Thursday night. He cheered for her on the stage; pride was evident in his features. But beneath that smile was always that hint of sadness. That harsh reality that was placed before him all too clearly. Sometimes the rage for that reality was all too thick. It choked him as he tried to keep calm. As he tried, tried so hard, to give them reassurance that things would be alright. The problem was that he couldn’t believe that. Not like he wanted to.

Tonight Bastian was at the bar, behind the counter and yet barely even aware of what was going on. He’d spilled two drinks, dropped a bottle, cut himself on the glass. Jokes were made that he didn’t even seem to hear, requests lost in the haze of thoughts. A few had asked if he was alright, the answer of just having an off night seemed to sedate them. Everyone had those now and again right? Waking up on the wrong side of the bed. Bastian wished it was that simple. That tomorrow would wipe all these thoughts away. But nothing did. Everyday it was the same.

That feeling in his gut. That twisted dread that couldn’t be calmed. He could feel her still. That bitch writhing around in his veins, tugging at the blood she’d forced him to take. Was she still outside of the city? He didn’t know…but there was a part of him that didn’t believe so.

Bastian sighed, running a hand back through his hair and taking a shot of whiskey that had been poured for another but now was his. The bite, the burn, wasn’t near enough tonight. Never seemed to be. “Hey…” the guy muttered, Bastian didn’t even give him glance. He just grabbed up another glass, filled it, and slid it across the table top to him. The man gave him an odd glance but took the drink and set his cash down on the table for it. No tip. No surprise.

Most likely wished old John was there instead. But John was at home, passed out in his bed by Bastian’s demand of it. His old man was wearing himself too damned thin. He needed to take care of himself, needed to start watching how much he slept and see to his health. He of course tried to wave Bastian’s worry off but Bastian wasn’t having any of it. On a typical night Bastian could handle the bar just fine on his own. Tonight the extra hands might have been helpful. But he’d deal with it, at least the Saturday was slow so far.

“Hey can we turn this up…” a guy remarked, looking up at the tv in the bar and the flash of the news screen. “Earlier today a woman was viciously attacked by a dog…” Bastian sighed, shaking his head. The full moon was near; stories like these always became more prominent. “No.” Bastian retorted blankly, making the man narrow his eyes once more at him. “Why not?” Bastian didn’t even really give him a reply. Just a shake of his head before he changed the channel all together. The guy huffed and walked out. Good.

Who: Jade and Tavin
Where: The Towers, 13th floor - Pool Area
When: Evening
What: Imagine meeting you here...

Jade had a night off from work, and after she'd been awake for a while, she'd decided to try out the indoor pool that she'd seen before but never swam in. She was sure that other tenants must use the pool, but there was nobody else up here, same as the day she'd toured the building. She didn't mind that. At her job, she spent so much time dealing with people that it was nice to have some downtime. Hotel management was definitely not a job for the meek.

Once arriving at the pool, which was dimly lit and surrounded by deck chairs and foliage, she put her towel and robe down on one of the chaises and strolled to the deep end. Pausing briefly, she seemed to be waiting for a signal, or possibly just orienting herself to the humidity in here. Once she was ready, she dove into the water, propelling herself through the light and shadow cast by the lights beneath the surface. It was soothing, and she turned to float on her back after she'd swam for a few minutes.

Life had been busy lately, and when it hadn't, she'd made it so. She needed distraction from her Sire and his machinations and manipulations and from the knowledge that Tavin and Jerzy lived right here, in the same building. She'd made it her business to find out which apartment they occupied, though she'd done nothing with the knowledge. It had upset Jerzy terribly to see her as she was now, and she could only imagine what he'd told Tavin. She was probably lucky that Tav hadn't come to hunt her down with a stake and holy water, she thought wryly.

She'd love to see Tavin again, which was an excellent reason for her to stay away. One, he didn't want her, and she couldn't imagine that her being a vampire would change that, and two, she could be dangerous to him. Well, him and Jerzy. She hadn't given in to Tony's... unique information gathering methods at the Theatre du Macabre that night, and she didn't plan to. She supposed he could try to torture the information out of her, but he hadn't taken that tactic yet. She'd be rather surprised if he did. It wasn't that she didn't think him capable of it, but it hadn't been a tactic he'd seemed to have any interest in using on her thus far.

Ah, well. Right now was for forgetting problems, not trying to create more. Jade floated, occasionally trailing her hands through the water to achieve a small amount of movement.

When: Night
Where: Towers
Who: Tavin and Eliina

The night before the full moon, Tavin should have been home with Jerzy. He normally was. He’d come home early in the morning, he’d eat the breakfast Jerzy always had waiting and spend the entire day with him since he knew tomorrow night he'd be gone. He wouldn’t work, hell he’d not even really go anywhere if he could avoid it. But tonight was different. Tonight he told the kid he needed to go out for a bit and he didn’t want him to worry none. Just something to take care of and he’d be back. The words weren’t lies; there was something he had to take care of. Eliina.

He’d been watching her off and on for weeks now, following her through the city, seeing where she worked. He gathered up every bit of information on her he could. He’d waited and he’d debated. Tonight wasn’t the night to do this. There would be better times, better chances, if he just waited. But the days around the full moon always put him on edge. His patience always seemed to flat line. He wanted to know who she was. He needed to figure out what her presence meant before Jerzy accidentally stumbled into her. The kid didn’t need to know she was here. Not yet. Not until Tavin had some real answers for him.

Maybe others would be joyful; they’d have tears in their eyes and hope in their hearts. Tavin wasn’t one of those people. What he had was wariness and disbelief. He didn’t trust her here. He didn’t trust anyone that sent nosey ass little humans after him. There were too many ifs. Too many unknowns. And those she kept company with did not exactly give him anymore reason to trust.

If he got even a hint that something was up Jerzy and he would be gone by morning.

Tavin was never ever letting someone hurt that kid again.

He was protective of family, he had always been. Once that had included Eliina…but he didn’t know who she was anymore. Maybe, deep down, there was a part of him that wanted to believe that there was chance to have her back in their lives. They had looked for her…hunted for her so that they could be together again. Now that she was possibly in front of him it wasn’t so simple anymore. Not that it had ever really been.

There was no more delaying, no more digging into her life or watching from the shadows. Tavin was waiting now just beyond her door…he knew she was going out tonight. Someone had spoken so the other day when he’d been so very near and yet so very far away. Tavin had a knack for that, far better then any human could. Heightened senses helped in that but it was more the stealth and speed he had on his side then anything. Abilities that helped to keep him unknown to those he watched.

He could hear her now on the other side of the door. The slight jangle of keys grabbed. There was still time to turn away. Time to rethink this. To realize any other night would be better. But to him there were no other times. No other chances. That patience was gone and now there was just that need to know.

Tavin waited…and he stood there still when the door finally opened. Back to the wall, arms folded against his chest, bright cat like eyes hidden behind dark glasses. But though she couldn’t see his eyes he could see hers. Eyes that were too familiar to not be hers. Eyes that he knew to be his sisters…

Who: Tony and Eliina
Where: Tony's place
When: Thursday Evening
What: He pissed her off!


She'd been avoiding him. For weeks now. Avoiding him quite handily if she didn't say so herself. It would have been easier if she'd had a typical sort of job. One where she was only out about in the hours of the day where he would burn, hopefully to death. No, she had to work with others of his kind and it did necessitate hours that weren't always idea for avoiding fanged individuals.

But whether or not he'd had a mind to harass her, she'd done everything in her power to not have to see him, or think about him. Easier said in theory than actually done. Physically it hadn't been difficult but not thinking about what had happened that proved almost impossible. She just couldn't understand it. She avoided men, especially avoided men like Tony. Old vampires who had spent years manipulating and using those weaker than them. Perhaps that was a bit of a generalization based on little concrete knowledge... But Eliina was alright with that. She'd rather be safe than sorry.

Though safe was the last thing she'd been when she thought back on the memories of that night. Little sense that they made. Why? Why on earth had she done any of that! There was no logical explanation. It should have made her drink less, made her think that perhaps she did go too far and leave herself open to mistakes such as that... but it also was a fantastic numbing device when she couldn't stop thinking. In the end, yher vice always seemed to win.

Thursday had been a particularly long day at the office. All day in court then a series of appointments in the evening with clients who could not come to see her at any other point. Saying Eliina was exhausted by the time she arrived at her condo was something of an understatement. In her usual routine the mail was picked up, including the delivery. But it wasn't until she had set everything down in the entry of her condo that she had the space and hands to open the box. It was odd... she didn't often receive things, unless she had ordered them. And she didn't recall making any purchases recently but maybe something had been backordered that she had simply forgotten about.

Of course, it wasn't anything as simple or as pleasant as that. Eliina stared at the dress that was just under the fine wrapping. Even for a woman who took little heed of fashion, she knew that it was a beautiful dress. The work on it spoke of money. And she hated it. Hated it for being so beautiful and hated what it stood for. The bottle of wine was discovered next and set Eliina's blood to boiling. She was ordinarily such a cautious woman but here and now... that caution was set out the window.

There was only one person who would send her something like this.

Eliina's eyes flashed as she slammed the lid back on the box. She turned immediately on her heel and made haste out of her own condo. In her avoidance her own investigative work had been done and she knew exactly where he lived. The elevator ride was short, he lived far far too close. It was short enough that she still bristled with her anger when the doors dinged open. It only grew as she cross the hallway and approached his door.

She would not be his little doll to dress up either. Never again would she be that... thing. He could take his gift and shove it, quite literally. Which encompassed her plan entirely, to whoever opened the door.

When: Late afternoon
Where: Towers
Who: Bo – Narrative

Bra...panties....weird tank top thing that looked like sort of a bra and panties and....how did that thing even go on? Bo lifted it up, twisting it this way and that, holding it up against him like that would make some sense of the strangely made Rubik clothing that he happened to stumble onto. Shrugging his shoulders it was tucked back into the drawer and he continued on with his rummaging. Shinny thing, ruffled thing, lacy thing that she never wore but really really should.

Squinting he turned his head this way and that way, trying to peer further into the bottomless pit of a drawer. That is until he heard the door open. Then he jumped about three feet in the air, slammed the drawer shut...on his hand....and blurted out in a rush 'I was just putting her clothes away!'

The servant girl looked at him as though he'd done lost his mind.

Bo just breathed a sigh of relief. Until the pain registered, then he was a bumbling mess of trying to get his hand free and shaking it around as though that was going to still the pain. It didn't. But it did knock over an expensive bottle of perfume that nearly sprayed him right in the eyes as it hit the table. Bo jumped back to evade the smelly attacking particles, narrowly missing the servant who was working to clean up the room. By that point he realized being still was a good thing. Still...and his red hand drawn up to his chest in a wounded fashion.

He was eyeballing the dresser like it was all it’s fault.

Scowling he wrapped his hand up in his shirt, vacating the room before the dresser decided to strike again. Little did the dresser know that Bo had one. A stolen artifact was now tucked under his shirt and Bo was slipping out of the room to go hide it. He couldn’t keep his stash in Chloe’s room, she’d surely find it and then he’d have nothing. No he hid it outside of the room…but even the apartment itself was too close. One of the other siblings might find it and then they’d give them all back to Chloe too. So no no that wouldn’t work. His stash had to be kept outside of the apartment all together.

Around the apartment complex was risky too but Bo knew lots of secrete places. He had plenty of time to explore. There was the basement and the room with all the wires and stuff that shocked him when he sniffed it. And there was the room with all the pipes, and a little shed up on the roof. And then there was the hole in the wall down in that room that was before the underground. But the rats liked to try to steal stuff when he hid it there. He’d chased one down once but they were tiny and could slip away too quick.

( Tip toeing away from the room he peeked down hallways... )

When: Late night
Where: Hotel
Who: Nikolaos – Narrative

More then a week had passed. More then a week since his words with Mikkos. More then a week that he'd been seeking to gain entrance back into hell and was denied at every pass. Guards had been killed, slaughtered for trying to prevent him and yet there were always more. The numbers were high; such had been made certain of before they'd even left hell. Now Nikolaos was beginning to understand why. It was not to ensure that they did not fail, but to ensure that if they did fail that they would be punished for it. For Nikoloas this punishment was a slap in the face. This was worse then all other pains. He would take a thousand physical and mental tortures before he would take being denied his home. Yet it mattered not what he wanted.

Still he remained here on the surface. Scorned. Insulted. Belittled.

His worth was made clear. His father’s fate was his own. It was not he that his grandfather wanted at his side still. Not anymore.

The guards would speak nothing however, no matter how Nikolaos sought to...force it out of them. Such attempts to question a superior were rarely met with any acceptance. Nikolaos had been punished in the past for it. But he cared not. No he questioned now, he pushed and he demanded answers. But three was a demon alive that the guards feared far more then Nikolaos. All methods of persuasion went denied. They'd die before speaking that which they were told to not. They did die.

The other demon being contained, however, still seemed to be a part of the family wishes. The guards remained vigilant there and though they did not deny Nikolaos access to the room eyes were always upon him, watching him as though they believed it was he who was traitor. It had never been him. Never once. But he could feel the weight of those sneers from the shadows. It made his skin crawl....made him want to tear into them and rip the sneers from their faces.

( The days passed slowly )

Week Eleven
Dates: Monday April 14th through Sunday April 20th
Season: Mid April

Announcements:
Monday: Tonight at the University of Washington there is a lecture called “Color, Cloth, and Plant Dyes in Ancient Japan,” This lecture is free to all. Fifth-generation dye master and textile scholar Yoshioka Sachio presents an illustrated lecture on colors and cloth used for Buddhist and court rituals during the Nara and Heian periods.

Tuesday: The Dalai Lama’s sold out Seeds of Compassion event drew in more than 150,000 people to panel discussions, a concert and talks from the exiled Buddhist leader. The goal of this entire event was to encourage compassion in children. Today is the last day that he will be in Seattle. Tonight he will hold his last discussion group, if you missed your other chances to attend this event then come out tonight. Though packed the conference center will be attempting to allow in as many people as they can.

Wednesday and Thursday: 98.9 KWJZ and the Pacific Jazz Institute at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley present contemporary jazz supergroup Acoustic Alchemy. Set time on Wednesday and Thursday is at 7:30pm, doors open at 6:00pm Wednesday and 5:30 pm Thursday. AA has grown its legacy via an adventurous mix of Latin, jazz, pop, and more recently soul and reggae textures, along with their core commitment to the twin guitar sounds.

Friday: A black 2002 Audi tooling around Seattle's streets has a vanity license plate that appears to have gotten in under the radar of the state licensing police.
The inscription, C9H13N, is a label for many chemicals including amphetamine. There's an outside chance that the plate may be all right because the chemical compound can be amphetamine, which is used in medicines.

The plate appears to be counter to state regulations that ban vanity plates making reference to alcohol or illegal substances. The driver of the car, whose name was not released, told state officials in his application for the plate that the series of letters and numbers represented red food coloring, said Brad Benfield, spokesman for the state Department of Licensing. But according to the UW Chemistry Department, the compound represented on the plate is not a formula for known red food coloring. It is still unknown just how this case will be handled, as revoking a license plate is not a simple task

Saturday: Laugh Out Loud , $20+, this one has already been getting good press. The chuckles tend to be sparse at the ballet, so this one is a notable. Pacific Northwest Ballet mashes ballet and comedy together for some interesting combinations. These performances are great for ballet newbies, and for families with kids and their short attention spans. They also have a Backstage Bash party tonight after the performance, where the stage of McCaw Hall is transformed into your dance floor.

Sunday: Today is National Walk Day; a day where you're encouraged to step out for a 30-minute walk, and hopefully make it a habit. Thankfully today will turn out to be a decent enough day for it. Get some friends together and get out for some fresh air and work towards a better body and mind! Tonight will also be a great night to see the Full Moon.

Weather:
Monday April 14th: Grey and cloudy (High: 54°F Low: 42°F)
Tuesday April 15th: Another cloudy day (High: 56°F Low: 44°F)
Wednesday April 16th: Overcast with a faint night breeze (High: 55°F Low: 46°F)
Thursday April 17th: Cloudy with light rain in the night (High: 57°F Low: 43°F)
Friday April 18th: Light rain continues through today (High: 54°F Low: 44°F)
Saturday April 19th: Cloudy for most of the day (High: 53°F Low: 45°F)
Sunday April 20th: Some clearing later in the afternoon (High: 55°F Low: 43°F) - Full Moon Tonight

Who: Chris and Hesper (with a brief appearance by Chris' nemesis, Vernon Johnson)
Where: beginning outside UW Medical Center, then a nearby diner
When: early morning, just after dawn
What: breakfast

It was peculiar enough to be standing outside the hospital after work instead of heading home to sleep after a long night spent restocking supplies and filing and attempting to avoid people. It was also very unusual why he was standing out there. He was waiting for Hesper Alekos, who'd pushed a note beneath his door the day before telling him she was taking him to breakfast today in thanks for the sketch he'd left for her, and that she'd pick him up outside the hospital. There'd been no option for declining, and at this point he probably wouldn't have, anyway. After the rocky start to their last encounter where she'd found him up in the enclosed gardens, she'd seemed to go out of her way to be nice to him, charming even. That had possibly been one of the reasons he'd matted that sketch and left it for her, since it had seemed to bother her so much that he'd drawn it. One of the reasons. Any others, he wouldn't let himself examine. It was too confusing to him.

Chris wasn't even nervous about seeing her again right now because he was too busy being annoyed. The drawback to having to wait out here was the fact that Vernon Johnson, who seemed to have nothing better to do during his shifts at work than to hunt down Chris and taunt him, had spotted him through the glass doors outside which he stood in the brisk morning air. Chris had changed out of the scrubs he'd worn to work in, something he usually didn't do, since normally he was just going home and who cared what he had on? Despite the fact that he and Hesper would undoubtedly go to the Diner several blocks away, which, though it had excellent breakfasts, was nothing fancy, he'd felt compelled to put something else on, anyway. He was dressed in black jeans and a fisherman's sweater in a deep blue with a white t-shirt beneath it that just barely peeked out from beneath the sweater's crew neck. The color intensified the shade of his eyes, and maybe he'd noticed the effect when he'd looked in the mirror, although that sort of thing wasn't anything Chris generally considered.

He'd been standing still, minding his own business as he usually did, when Vernon burst out of the doors like a demented jack-in-the-box to stand beside him. The burly black man was still dressed in his work scrubs, bulging out of them actually, and he'd tossed a nearly threadbare coat on over them against the chill. "Yo," he said, his big white teeth showing as he smiled joyously. "Whatchoo doin' out here, Morgan? Ain't it time for mice to get back in their holes?" He poked Chris on the arm, having already figured out long ago how much Chris hated to be touched.

Anger flared instantly, and Chris turned his head to glare at the guy, deliberately stepping a foot to one side. He wished for Hesper's claws; though he hadn't seen them anywhere but in his mind's eye, he knew they were there. He was reaching the point with Vernon where he'd love to fight back, but there wasn't a lot he could do. The other man was bigger than him and brasher, loud and obnoxious. He'd likely been the sort of little kid who'd pulled the wings off of butterflies. He seemed to have no human kindness or sense of appropriateness. Chris said nothing, but his jaw tightened as he hoped the other man would give up and go away.

"You lookin' fiiiiiine, baby," Vernon said. "Got a date? Or you takin' up pros-ti-tu-tion?" Every syllable of the last word was spoken as if it had been a separate word, with a definite mocking flavor. He closed the space between them and started to rub Chris' arm, as if assessing the quality of the wool on his sweater. Chris' cheeks were blazing red, though he was more angry than embarrassed at the moment, as little as he liked another man touching him like that here in public. He wouldn't have liked it anywhere, but here was worse, outside his workplace. His dark brows drawn down in a glower, he yanked his arm out of Vernon's grasp and then elbowed the man as hard as he could, as little as he liked to stoop to his level. He just couldn't tolerate it anymore.

Who: Alex and Serena
Where: Their Apartment
What: Making up is hard to do

The apartment smelled like food with only a little bit of burning scent mixed into it. Hey! He couldn't become a gourmet chef overnight, right? But he had tried and that was worth a lot in his book. And so far, the end product didn't taste too bad. It wasn't as good as what Serena could cook, but the point was that she didn't have to cook it. And not having to cook usually made pretty much anything taste better.

For the past couple of days, all Alex had been doing was sleeping and working. His time out with Prissy had worn him out, and left him a little bit mind-fucked. That girl was something else. And he was something else when he was with her. There was no way in hell he was going to tell Serena about that whole thing though. She would kick his fucking ass from one end of the Towers to the other and back again. Some things were best just kept to one's self.

Barefoot and wearing nothing but his plaid pajama pants and a wife beater, Alex found himself actually dancing around the kitchen. He had the Allman Brothers playing, Midnight Rider, blaring fairly loudly on the stereo in the living room. Singing along, he took the Ziti out of the oven and popped in the garlic bread. Serena would be home any minute. Of course the thought had barely entered his mind when he heard keys rattling in the door.

She would have little to no time to react before her purse was taken from her and tossed aside, and she was grabbed by one hand and pulled in for a twirl around the dance floor, or the foyer if you really wanted to be picky about it. He dipped her, pulled her back up, then he let her go. "Hungry?" He raised his voice enough for it to carry over the sound of the music.

Who: Hope and Nox
When: Saturday Night
Where: The lobby of the King's Inn

Ever since being witness to a murder, Hope was having a very difficult time sleeping. When she closed her eyes, she heard screaming, she saw that.. that.. glove? The more she thought about it the less she thought that it was really a glove. It was like.. nails, or claws rather, and she couldn't get the image out of her head. She had remembered something, two things actually, though whether or not they were actually real or just figments of her overactive imagination, she couldn't be sure. But that was why she had asked the Detective to meet her. Maybe he would think she was crazy, but then again, maybe what she remembered now would help. Maybe it would be similar to someone, or something, that they were looking for.

Hope didn't think that 7pm was ever going to arrive. She had been ready and waiting since 5pm, dressed in a nice, retro-inspired, black dress that looked like something one would wear out rather than something they would wear for a formal meeting. She was supposed to have gone out, to dinner, with Ginger and her father, but they had canceled at the last minute and Hope had been too tired to bother searching through her wardrobe for something a little more casual to wear. She had spent the two hours of free time sitting on the edge of her bed instead, listening to her I-Pod, to music that helped relax her. She had very old-school taste in music. She enjoyed things like Argent and Crosby, Stills, and Nash. She was also a huge Eric Clapton fan. She adored the Moody Blues and Bob Seger. It helped. She felt far less stressed when the clock finally struck five minutes till seven.

Slipping shoes into feet and grabbing her purse and jacket in case they decided to leave the lobby, or in case she decided to go somewhere for dinner after their meeting, she glanced once into the mirror to make sure she looked okay. Skin was pale but cheeks were flushed. Her dark brown eyes seemed troubled, as they always did, her thick, brown hair framing her face with soft curls. Good enough. She took the elevator just because the stairwell scared her a little. It was almost exactly seven when she stepped off into the lobby, eyes scanning for a face that was familiar enough even if she'd seen him only once.

Who: Hesper and Hale
When: Wednesday Evening
Where: Basketball court outside The Towers then Hale's apartment.

She had spent the entire day out. It might have been because she had just a little bit of agitation that she needed to work off. There was no way to do that at home so it was out onto the streets she went. Recently it seemed like she spent more and more time away from the apartment, not even just for business either. But right now she just did not want to see her brother. And since the apartment was one of the few places he would be outside the station, she avoided it.

There was no point in being mad about it, but that did not stop her. Sure she had fucked up plenty of times when it came to things like this. Still, she did not like the fact that now her brother was scoping out some vampire for some girl, the same girl whose brother he showed his wings off to to prove the girl was not crazy. Nox was a good guy and all, but Hesper did not really like all too much just what he was doing for this girl. Especially if this girl was doing nothing for her brother. Why should Nox even bother with her? For that matter, why should she? Granted, she had never met Alex or whoever his sister was, not really at least, so where was her room to judge?

Who was she kidding, she was going to judge them anyway.

Kicking a rock on the sidewalk, she shoved her hands into her pockets. It was still so damn cold out. Why couldn't she have settled someplace warm? Shivering slightly, she looked up at the basketball court she was passing. Raising an eyebrow, she watched her brother's partner play on the court, by himself. It was really a sad little picture that he had painted of himself. "Hey, Hale." she called out. "Isn't is a bit fucking cold to be playing out here?"

Who: Hope and Nox
When: Late Evening
Where: A Crime Scene on the streets of Seattle

The past two days had come and gone and Hope still had yet to manage to go into the tavern. She had come close to it. She had sat out on a bench across the road from it once for a couple of hours, but she still couldn't bring herself to go inside. It was daunting, to say the least. But she had made up her mind that tonight was going to be the night. She was going to go in, order a drink, and see what happened. Fate, however, had other plans.

She had opted for a walk due to the fact that she needed the fresh air in order to prepare herself. She had dressed simply, a pair of dark wash jeans, black heels, a nicely tailored dress shirt that was black with a few silver pinstripes, her hair up in a loose bun on top of her head, a few strands hanging down to frame her pale face with flushed cheeks.

She was tucked into a black jacket, one cut in the short trench style, hands in her pockets, heels clicking upon the pavement on her way to her destination when she had heard the sound of someone screaming. Being a nurse, it was impossible for her to turn her back on someone that needed help, so she hurried towards the sound just in time to see the woman from whom the scream had issued crumple to the ground, blood gushing from a wound in her side, and a tall man, dressed in black, fleeing the scene, a trail of blood left in his wake, dripping from his weapon, whatever it happened to be.

Hope was one that worked well under pressure. She had never served any time in the trauma department, but she was no stranger to blood. No time was wasted in phoning the authorities, giving them a brief synopsis of what had happened and where she was. The cell was tucked away in her jacket pocket as she moved to the aid of the woman who lay bleeding, dying if truth be told, on the pavement.

Having no gloves was certainly an inconvenience, but in spite of that, hope did all that she could. The belt was tugged from her jacket to serve as a makeshift bandage, bunched up and placed upon the wound, Hope putting as much pressure as she could upon it in an attempt to stall the bleeding.

When her breathing stopped, CPR was performed, Hope using a knee pressed hard against the woman's side to keep the pressure tight while she compressed her chest and breathed into the woman's mouth. She had barely started when she heard the sirens of the ambulance.

Seconds later, the paramedics arrived and Hope moved out of their way to let them do their thing. Her hair was disheveled now, cheeks flushed even more, hands covered in blood. It all happened so fast that she had just now had the chance to digest what had really occurred. She was shaking a bit, trying to focus on her breathing as the woman was placed upon a gurney and loaded into the ambulance.