Haunted Roads

Who: Alex and Prissy
When: 7pm
Where: The Towers Lobby

Alex was actually a little bit nervous about tonight. The conversation he had had with Nox was still weighing heavily on his mind as was the whole situation with Serena. It had been an impossibly long day and he had seen neither hide nor hair of his sister. He had thought about calling this whole meeting off, sending a text to let her know that something had come up, but he didn't. He wanted to see her. He wanted to be here. He felt as though he had to be.

He had showered, shaved, and had dressed himself up pretty nice. His jeans were tight, his cowboy boots polished, and his button up shirt was left un-tucked but was certainly free of any wrinkles. He smelled of cologne, Cool Water to be exact, and as he waited there in the lobby, his hand running back through his already mussed hair to make it even more out of order, he got more than one look from the ladies that past through. Yep, Alex was definitely a ladies' man.

There was one thing he hadn't figured out yet and that was exactly what he was going to give her in the stead of what he had originally planned to do. It was insane that he had even thought it, that he had gone through with it. He barely knew this girl. It was entirely unlike him to give a girl he didn't know anything at all much less build a car for her. He wasn't going to give it to her though, or at least in his present mindset he wasn't. He was going to list it and sell it and use the money for something else. Maybe he could say that the surprise was just a nice dinner or something of the sort.

Alex looked down at his watch to see what time it was, sighing a little as he moved his hands down to tuck them into the pockets of his well worn jeans. Maybe he should have brought flowers. That might have been a good idea. She didn't seem like the flower-loving type, but then again, what woman didn't like a show of appreciation like that?

Who: Cecily and Tony
What: She's responding to a modeling ad
When: Night
Where: Tony's condo

Busy, busy, busy. That's all Cecily ever seemed to be lately. But it was kind of hard, being in the position she was in. She and her brother supported each other. He held down a more major job to pay the rent and provide for most of their every day needs. Cecily had her two jobs for extra expenses. All of that combined with going to her college classes on a regular basis had her flitting about like a buzzing little bumblebee. There were other girls like her in the world, it was true, but on top of all of that she had a secret to keep. The secret having to do with her brother and his being a part of the supernatural world. He was a werewolf while she was just human. And yet he refused to change her too.

That confused her to no end. She was a defenseless human living in a world where supernatural creatures existed. And could potentially hurt her. Garrett just insisted on protecting her his way, which usually just involved setting a whole bunch of rules for her to follow. Don't stay out too long after dark, call him every so often, blah, blah, blah...it got so aggravating! Cecily didn't like feeling like she was bound under layers and layers of rules! She wasn't a baby. And being a teenager, she didn't like being treated as such.

That's why, when she'd seen the ad posted up on the campus of the school, she hadn't told him a thing about it. This would be something she acted on for herself, without her brother's input. It was an ad put up by a photographer at the school, looking for girls to be models. Cecily had never been the type to be a model, or so she thought, but people had told her before that she was pretty. Curious, she'd made a mental note to answer the ad. If nothing else, it could be a new experience for her!

Oddly enough, the photographer worked out of Old Town Towers. That just made her curiosity peak further. She was practically skipping home, thoroughly excited for what she was about to do. And her brother couldn't stop her. That was the best part.

The only specifics the ad had said was to come by at night and that appointments weren't needed. Once again, her brother was out. So, she picked up her bag that she took everywhere with her and took the elevator up to the eleventh floor. It wasn't hard to find D11 and soon Cecily was standing in front of the door. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door. No need to psych herself out of it now.

Who: Nox and Hesper
When: Tuesday night, sometime after 10:00
Where: their apartment

Nox was feeling somewhat drowsy. He'd had a busy day, and the previous night was a mentally taxing one. It had taken a lot of patience to explain things to Alex, but in the end it all paid off. Alex didn't fear that Nox would rip his head off and drink from a blood pool. At least he didn't seem as though he feared it. By the time they'd finished talking, they were joking once again and making plans to build a car together. All in all, it had been a successful revelation of a very big secret.

It had never been the plan to let Alex in on Nox's supernatural side, but Nox didn't see another viable option. He wanted to help in the situation involving Serena and Kayden, and Nox didn't know how else to make Alex see that his sister wasn't crazy. Besides, Alex was a good guy, and Nox had solid instincts. He felt he could trust his new friend with such information.

Hopefully Hesper would agree, since in revealing himself, Nox had outed her as well. Hale's secret was out there too, but Nox was confident Hale would trust his judgement, especially since Alex seemed to be ok with it all, at least where Nox was concerned. Alex wasn't fond of Kayden being a vampire, and it worried Nox as well, but hopefully after some investigating, Nox would find out that Kayden was a man worthy of Serena.

Hesper didn't give any indication of when she'd be home, just said 'tonight'. Usually that meant she'd arrive just in time for dinner, or just as Nox was headed to bed. Well, dinner came and went, with leftovers ending up in the fridge for her whenever she decided to munch on them, and Nox's eyelids were starting to feel heavy as he read, legs stretched out across the length of the couch. In fact, his eyes were just about close for the count when he heard keys in the door.

Who: Justine and Tony
Where: Chroma
When: After dark, of course

Chroma had for so long been her shelter outside of the penthouse she and her siblings shared. It had been a place of her own creation, under her own control where that inevitable feeling of safety that tended to come with the familiar settled in. The recent visits of Mikkos, his son, his wife had shattered the solitude it had once provided. Now the evenings where she had once looked forward to spending her hours amongst her patrons were dreaded, that unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach, never knowing who might show up next in this same unexpected manner. She felt hopeful that no sign of any of the Aristedes family in recent days meant perhaps she was truly going to be left out of whatever familial drama was going on amongst them. She hadn't been tied to them for years, for lifetimes. Whatever softness her heart held for Mikkos, or his for her, was surely just nostalgia - or so she wished, so she tried to convince herself.

She'd kept word of all visits but that very first from her siblings, from Chloe especially. She loved her younger sister, but given her propensity towards brash action, Justine feared the worst outcomes should the littlest Baptiste discover all the tawdry details of the recent going-ons at Chroma. It was obvious that something ate at Justine, disturbed her usually unflappable grace, but her siblings respected her privacy enough not to pry - something she couldn't have been more grateful for. She couldn't sort out her own emotions when it came to Mikkos' grand return, she had no desire to try and discuss them aloud.

It was late when she finally gathered herself together enough to ready herself for Chroma. Dark hair was pinned up elegantly, back and out of her face, accentuating those stormy jade-hued eyes of hers, a light dusting of make-up covering her pale skin. She went with black for the night, wanting to blend into the crowd that was surely already filling at least the main bar area. It took only moments to select a pair of shoes, to grab a small clutch and take her leave of the Penthouse.

Sure enough, the parking lot was full when she arrived and though a line had formed outside, she obviously made her way in without an issue. Justine dropped by her office only long enough to lock away the small purse she'd carried, the keys on a stretchy chord around her wrist as she headed back out to assist her staff behind the bar. Lingering alone in her office seemed an invitation for trouble as of late and there was no need for that tonight.

Who: Nox and Alex
When: Monday night, 10ish
Where: The Barking Spider Tavern, then Nox's apartment

Nox finished with work later than expected, but it had taken time to tie up all the loose ends at the crime scene. He had to make sure everything was catalogued, photographed, and taken to the lab if necessary. Then there was the matter of sealing up the residence to ensure any evidence that might still be lingering would stay undisturbed. Elderly woman, killed in her own home. Her husband was missing. Nox didn't like to think about it, but the pieces were starting to add up. It appeared as though he'd likely stabbed the woman to death and ran. How could someone in their 80's, after more than 60 years together, snap like that all of a sudden? It didn't make sense to Nox, then again, few things he saw had any rhyme or reason to them. People were insane.

When he realized he'd soon be leaving, he texted Alex, telling the guy he was on his way. Heading for his car, Nox gave his partner a pat on the back, "I'm off to meet up with Serena's brother. I'll call ya tomorrow." With that, Nox left, trying to clear his mind as he drove. It was difficult not to carry around the gruesomeness of his job, though he'd gotten better at compartmentalizing his life over the years. It was the only way to function. You had to turn off your soul sometimes while working, and you had to put the disturbing scenes in a box when you weren't specifically dealing with them. He couldn't think about that stuff right now, he needed to focus on whatever might be bothering Alex.

The voicemail message had been brief, but Alex sounded sufficiently frustrated, and maybe even a little scared. Nox wasn't sure what to make of it. At least it didn't seem critical in the way that something bad might have happened to Serena, just sounded as though the two might be at odds with one another. 'My sister has lost her fucking mind' could simply mean that she'd made a decision that Alex disapproved of. Nox assumed as much, and that was the attitude he'd keep until Alex gave him cause to actually worry.

Soon enough, Nox pulled up to the Barking Spider. He pulled up the collar of his jacket as he walked from his car to the tavern, a gust biting at the back of his neck. Once inside, he was able to pull off the jacket, loosen his tie, and have a seat.

When: Night
Where: Local bar
Who: Kaden and Serena

One of the great things about working at a hospital was that there was never a shortage of shifts that needed to be covered. With the home life a tad tense, Serena tried to spend as much time away from her apartment as possible, which sucked because she rather liked her place. But she knew that trying to pin her brother down for a talk was just asking for trouble. After their last blowup they both needed some time apart to think things through. It was obvious that he wasn’t going to believe her any time soon and so she needed to regroup and come up with a new plan of attack.

But tonight wasn’t the night to figure out how she was going to deal with Alex. No, after countless double shifts it was finally time to take a night off. Kaden had left her a note about his upcoming gig earlier in the week and she had spent all the days leading up to it being excited for him. The last time she had seen him play hadn’t exactly ended well so she was more than ready to enjoy watching him perform once again.

After dressing fairly simply and styling her hair, she grabbed her purse and headed down to the cab she had called for earlier. The issue with Alex needed to be resolved soon because she couldn’t go much longer without her own form of transportation and if she went out and picked something on her own, she knew she would catch even more hell from him and that would just be bad. No need to add fuel to the fire.

The drive to the bar didn’t take too long and after a brief wait outside, she paid the small cover charge and headed inside. There was actually a decent sized crowd forming in front of the stage complete with the standard issue groupies that seemed to appear whenever a musician played. Ahh memories. Dealing with groupies was like a favorite hobby of hers. Sometimes they just needed to be told to keep their skanky hands to themselves.

Since the guys were still setting up, she walked over to the bar and took a seat. A drink was ordered and soon the sound of his unfairly sexy voice filled her ears and caused her skin to tingle. Her lips curved into a smile as she turned to watch him from where she sat. Man, he was gorgeous.

Week Ten
Dates: Monday April 7th through Sunday April 13th
Season: Early - Mid April

Announcements:
Monday: At the Photographic Center Northwest tonight is the "Crossing the Water” exhibition reception and book signing. Local artists, Claire Garoutte and Anneke Wambaugh, bring years of experience and research to this exhibition. Their evocative photographs not only draw the viewer into a world rarely witnessed by outsiders, they also offer viewers an unprecedented opportunity to better understand the diversity of Afro-Cuban religious traditions.

Tuesday: Early last night a woman was mugged coming out of local grocery store and shortly after a young couple were mugged just a few blocks down from the store. Police are seeking any information that citizens may have on these attacks, as they believe there are more witnesses out there then those that stayed to wait for police arrival. Police urge all to be careful late at night and watch out for each other on the streets.

Wednesday: 2nd Annual Office Chair Downhill Race! So, the title of this post pretty much explains what this event is all about. People race each other rolling down a hill in office chairs. The race will be on 2nd Ave and will be "after work whenever people start showing up" which is about 5:30pm. The location is near the Pacific Science Center and Key Arena.

Things to prepare for if you plan on racing this year:
Wear protective gear, you'll probably crash because everyone crashes.
Bring your own office chair. If you have more to spare, bring those, too.
Bring a camera, there will be many lovely photo opportunities.

Thursday: EMP is proud to present the 2008 Pop Conference on April 10-13. This year’s theme is Shake, Rattle: Music, Conflict, and Change. The conference will pose the following questions: How does music resist, negate, struggle? Can pop intensify vital confrontations, as well as transform and conceal them? What happens when people are angry and silly love songs aren’t enough? The largest Pop Conference to date, this year’s event will feature more than 160 presenters across some 40 sessions and panels.

Friday: With a Chinese crackdown under way in Tibet, the Dalai Lama will visit Seattle April 11-15 for a conference to nurture kindness. The sold-out Seeds of Compassion event will draw more than 150,000 people to panel discussions, a concert and talks from the exiled Buddhist leader. The goal is to encourage compassion in children.

China has blamed the 72-year-old Nobel prize winner who lives in India for recent violence in Tibet that threatens to undermine the summer Olympics in Beijing. Chinese leaders accuse his supporters of keeping guns and explosives in monasteries. Dalai Lama has condemned the violence. His government-in-exile maintains it's committed to a nonviolent struggle.

Saturday: Other highlights from the EMP Pop Conference include a performance by Seattle political hip-hop leaders Blue Scholars on April 12 at 1 p.m.; a talk about being a “ghostwriter” by the king of the music as-told-to book, David Ritz on April 12 at 6 p.m.; and presentations ranging from music and the war in Iraq, youth struggle from Sierra Leone to Colombia, Bob Marley, grunge’s anti-nostalgia, to John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change.”

Sunday: With today’s warm weather many are hitting up Seattle's local parks. Today Gas Works Park will be promoting group sports, all are welcomed to show up and join in with some teams to have a great time. Over at Green lake many are pulling out their bikes and helmets and biking the day away. Show up and join in to have some company with your ride.

Weather:
Monday April 7th: A bit of a breeze (High: 50°F Low: 44°F)
Tuesday April 8th: Grey and clear (High: 53°F Low: 46°F)
Wednesday April 9th: Light rain late in the night (High: 52°F Low: 44°F)
Thursday April 10th: Light rain in the morning (High: 53°F Low: 47°F)
Friday April 11th: Spotty sun sightings (High: 55°F Low: 46°F)
Saturday April 12th: Clear today (High: 56°F Low: 44°F)
Sunday April 13th: Clear with some blue skies (High: 56°F Low: 45°F)

When: Afternoon
Where: Their hotel
Who: Mikkos and Nikolaos

Eighteen days gone. Eighteen days too long. For one so old the days were but a blink, but now held more value to the centuries old demon. Everything had changed. Nothing made sense, and every day held a new urgency.

He’d learned much an absence, and for all he learned he knew he learned not near enough. Only that all he’d known for so long, was now in question. Even family loyalty. No… especially family loyalty. He’d punished the one who brought such questions to light, but that did nothing to erase the doubt. A doubt that now grew with each passing day.

Even speaking with his father had done nothing to diminish it. No, no questions were asked of the old man, and Mikkos was careful not to allow any doubt to show, but neither did his father utter a word about all the questions now in Mikkos mind.

No word from Haimon seemed as good as a confirmation. Haimon after all, feigned as much carelessness as Mikkos, when both knew neither felt anywhere near as careless as they seemed.

Still, it made no sense. None at all. Especially when given word that Nik had Dorian in custody. All the years, all the urgency, and now that they had him, there was no hurry at all in bringing him home.

Mikkos hadn’t even returned to his own suite, instead he went straight to that which Nik stayed in. The guards alerted Nik even before his father arrived and let the elder in. Once inside, the demon washed his hands, splashed cool water on his face, and straightened his suit before fixing himself a drink at the bar.

When: Night
Where: Towers
Who: Bastian and Sophie

Bastian was not looking forward to this. He didn’t sleep all day or the night before, he sat up knowing that all too soon he’d have to sit down with Sophie and tell her what had happened. What had really happened. He knew he should have done this weeks ago, he should have just bitten the bullet and blurted it out to all of them. But he hadn’t…and the longer time went on the more he began to wonder if just…not telling her was best. He knew it wasn’t though, as living in a lie never made anything better in the end. Living in a lie was never how he wanted things to be between him and his family. But this wasn’t exactly the easiest conversation to have. He wasn’t even sure how to start it up. He’d managed to get through it with Maggie and his father though. One more time…for some reason he didn’t think it was going to be third times the charm for him.

Typically he’d be at the bar by now. He’d be behind the counter handing beers over to eager patrons and keeping his mind busy with endless tasks that never really distracted him as much as he hoped they would. By now he’d be listening to the mumbles of the tv spouting of scores for sports or the weather for next week. By now he’d already be ready for the night to be over with. But instead he was sitting in the living room with a drink in hand and the bottle too far away in the kitchen.

He’d refilled the glass at least five times by now.

A cigarette was between his fingers, the smoke floating up and out the open window just behind him. He always tried to avoid smoking in the house, habit that his ma got him started on long ago. No one wanted to smell that when they first walked into a place. If there was ever any night to let that rule slide a bit though, it was tonight. A drag was taken…soon after another was…. The cigarette burning down, counting the minutes by exhales and inhales. By the clinking of melting ice in his glass, by the slight tick tick tick of the clock on the wall that Bastian didn’t remember.

This entire place felt like that sometimes, like it was nothing but rooms he didn’t remember. So much was made to mimic the house but it was always just a bit off. Just…not the same and he knew it never would be. It made him feel like a stranger…or maybe it was just the place that he was blaming that feeling on. Something to bitterly pick apart rather then that bigger picture of what really made him feel like that. Those obvious reasons that he couldn’t face…those reasons that made him not even want to look in the damned mirror. Running away from them didn’t do anything. Denying them didn’t somehow change it. Bastian was well aware of this…too aware…but sometimes it felt like the only choice out there. Or the easiest at the least.

Easy wasn’t going to keep the rug from being pulled out from under him again. That fact was always apparent in his thoughts. Some flashing fucking sign that followed him constantly. He’d been trying to find those to speak with, others to create some sort of tie to in order to keep his family safe. But what it always boiled down to was that he didn’t know a damned one of them. Anyone could talk kind words and pretend to be a caring bastard and then, at the right moment, would fucking snap their jaws shut around you. The last thing Bastian wanted was to somehow get them into all of this even deeper then they already were.

Faintly Bastian sighed, the sound seeming to echo in the empty place. No one else was home, out for the night leaving Bastian to sit and wait. He’d told Sophie he wanted to talk with her tonight however, he hoped that was enough to get her to come home rather then stay out through the night too. So far he wasn’t certain, night had been around for at least an hour or two now.

The silence was starting to eat at him….gnawing at that calm he was trying to keep. Suddenly in an almost jerky motion he was up to his feet, finding some music to turn on to help to curb that vacant feeling the place seemed to hold tonight.

It didn't help.

Who: Ardin and Chris
When: Afternoon
Where: Old Town Towers, Lobby

The one nice thing about being an "independent contractor" was that you could take a day off whenever you wanted. That's what Ardin did yesterday. She used to live on an acreage not too long ago, and the friend she had lived with wasn't having any of the crap Ardin left behind, so it was boxed up and Ardin was told that she better come pick it up or it's going to be sold. For the life of her, Ardin couldn't remember what was in those boxes, it didn't seem like she had forgotten anything. But her ears perked up as soon as he said 'it could be sold'. If anyone was selling her stuff for cash, it would be her. People profiting off of her wasn't how things worked, Ardin liked it a whole lot better when it was the other way around. So, she was stingy with money! Who wouldn't be? It's not like income was guaranteed when you're taking it from other people.

( On Friday she left early in the morning )

When: Nightfall
Where: Around the city
Who: Tavin – Narrative

Eliina. Tavin hadn’t let himself think about his sister in a very long time. The past was the past and the only family he held concern for was the brother that he had to protect. Beyond that Tavin had all but given up. Long ago the pair had attempted to look for her. Seeking out information, going through the available channels to those like them. People that wanted no paper trail and only paid in cash. The sorts of people that refused to give up information on them but were demanding it from others. The search never went well and always resulted in dead ends. Eventually the two had to simply move forward. Forget all else and just focus on surviving the days ahead of them. Now when the two weren’t looking she was there.

Supposedly.

Tavin didn’t believe anything anyone spoke. Especially those paid to make someone see their way. Tavin wasn’t going to be convinced by some total stranger that what they said was true. And though the nosey woman had spoken of “neutral ground” Tavin knew that to be bullshit. There wasn’t really any such thing. Not for the people that he knew could be after them still. Sure I don’t know you but I’m going to sit right here where you tell me and why don’t you just tell everyone where to find me….no thanks. Tavin watched his ass better then that. After that meeting Tavin was a ghost, falling into the shadows and scarcely seen by anyone. That didn’t mean he stopped working, far from it, but he did so in a way a bit different then before. Tavin knew how to keep out of sight. It was something he had to excel in more and more as the years passed.

It was never him that he was worried about though. Tavin knew he’d be able to find ways of escape, ways to disappear. Jerzy…that was another story. He told the kid to stay inside for a bit, not necessarily the best way to keep him from being seen since the Towers was pretty active but it worked. It was good enough for right now at least. While Tavin did some investigating of his own.

He didn’t go to any of those that he knew, even if many of them owed him favors. He didn’t go to the supernatural he worked for either…no point to get anyone more involved then they had need to be. Plus if someone did you a favor…you had to do one in return. Tavin attempted to keep himself out of the negative when it came to that. Finding her wasn’t the easiest thing he’d ever done, but it wasn't impossible.

A different name, some big company, a bit of digging and he found the person that had been looking for him at the least. Was it really her? He couldn’t say, not completely. He’d seen her once, at a glance, in passing that he made sure would be nothing more then that. Lost in a sea of faces Tavin could blend right in. The sight of her meant little however, how could it after so many years? But at the least the characteristics he remembered were the same. But the feel…scent…that was an unknown. He hadn’t been able to get close enough. There were too many around, making it difficult to focus just on her.

Tavin hadn’t told Jerzy yet. He wouldn’t either. Not until he was certain. Completely, one hundred percent, certain. Though that was just the start wasn’t it? Even if she was their blood….their sister…that didn’t mean shit if she had ties with those the two were never going to be near again.

Tavin had a lot of digging to do…much as he disliked it he might even have to call in a favor or two. He’d do what he could to learn all about her and then, once he had, meet her on his terms.

Who: Rei and Lirije
What: Reunion
Where: Outside the Towers, to start with
When: Monday evening, early

To say Liri had been on edge since that meeting with Drystan weeks ago would be an understatement. Every time she opened a door, turned around, or walked into a parking lot, she expected him to be waiting for her, to finish the job he'd left undone before. He wasn't one to give up. She knew that. Every time she got out of the shower and looked in the mirror, the D branded on her hip reminded her of it. Ever present. Never fading.

She made it out of ballet safely again, walking with a group of girls from her class. They were twittering happily about some triviality. Lirije tried to join in as best she could, and made a good show of it, but she never felt as if she belonged even if they accepted her. She had seen too much, been through too much. She just didn't have the naive ability to just be happy for no reason, to live life so... exuberantly. It didn't exist within her.

She drove back to the towers and parked the car in the closest parking lot possible. It was nearing dark, but she wanted another cigarette before she went upstairs. She was a neat freak about her apartment, the first place she'd ever had for her own. Smelling like smoke was out of the question. Her pointe shoes were draped around her neck, ribbons tied together so they wouldn't get misshapen while damp in her bag with her other clothes. Her tights were rolled up to just below her knees, a pair of flip-flops on her feet since the relative chill was really no concern, and a light sweatshirt had been thrown on over her leotard, along with a denim skirt. Her hair was still in its usual bun.

She pulled a pack of cigarettes out of her ballet bag, tapped one out into her hand, and replaced the pack before letting the bag fall to the ground beside her. The bright orange lighter in her skirt pocket made quick work of getting the nicotene flowing, and she took a long drag, leaning against the wall near the front doors to the building. She closed her eyes as she exhaled, smoke flowing out in a thin stream.

Who: Ecks & Bastian
When: Wednesday, late in the evening
Where: The Barking Spider Tavern
What: Nothing to do but drink

The thing about living in your car was that you never want to spend more time in it than necessary. Apartments, no matter how small, were larger than the backseat of your car. You could stand to waste some time in a shoebox of an apartment than a tuna can of a car. Fairly certain of an impending bout of claustrophobia looming in the future, Ecks had taken to driving with the front windows down. Even on night like this, when it was almost could enough to snow, he was the only man on the street with his windows down. At the red light, he considered for a moment to put them halfway up, but his hands never moved to do so. Ecks was on the prowl for somewhere to go, to get out of this can. His options were temporarily limited. The venues were vast in this city but his review was not complete and the direct result was the tank running nearly on 'E'. As soon as he was paid, he would fill it to the brim and blow the rest on cigarette papers, booze, and a bit of food.

He woke up on the wrong side of the seat or something this morning. Ecks had been in a piss-poor mood for most of the day and though he had become something of an introvert in the last few months, today and really just been one of those days. Angry, just plain angry, at everything in life; the car, the job, the money, the city, the guy that looked your way for longer than a second, the pigeon that shit on the windshield, whoever did whatever that landed you in your current situation. Why not be mad at the world today? Wednesdays were good days to tell the whole planet to go blow itself.

The Barking Spider Tavern looked like the perfect place to sit and drink. He was hardly in the mood for actual conversation or contemplation and alcohol did seem to take care of that pretty well. The weather was going to be unforgiving tonight, again, and sleeping in the cold while half off your rocker was not healthy but effective. He parked the car down the alley a bit as there was every intention once he had finished his stay at the tavern that he could stumble right home and sleep it off.

Before he opened the door, he checked his worn leather wallet to see how much he had left. Jackson crept up in front of brightly-colored Post-Its with names and numbers scrawled across them--names of people for stories and reviews. Tonight looked like it was going to be the last night he could spend at the bar for the next few days, until he had managed to crank out at least two decent reviews and make the weary freelance-writer's fee. Thankfully, there was still enough papers and tobacco to last until his next binge. Ecks entered into the tavern through the door slowly enough to absorb a bit of the atmosphere. It seemed like any place that had its regulars and drifters such as he, kept up enough to be clean and pass the health inspections but nothing to put on the cover of the city's highlights magazines. This was perfect; a place where a guy could come and have a drink or two, hassle-free.

Ecks strolled over to the bar and sat a good five seats away from another customer. He unzipped his beaten-up leather jacket, the room a great deal warmer than the interior of the car, and sat with the four layers of shirts snug against his skin that were rotated for warmth and to supposedly keep them clean longer. The note was put back in his wallet, hardly enough for a man of his tolerance to get completely and utterly soused, but he could get licked with it. "Bourbon on the rocks," he gave without emotion in his voice to the figure behind the counter. Elbows were placed comfortably on the edge of the counter; his heels hooked the bottom rung of the stool, and for a short time, his eyes drifted to different areas of the outdated decor.

Week Nine
Dates: Monday March 31st through Sunday April 6th
Season: Early April

Announcements:
Monday: Join us at the Seattle Aquarium for Sound Conversations – hosted by KING 5 Meteorologist Jeff Renner. These talk show style events will delve into the plight of Puget Sound and efforts for its recovery. Come to the Aquarium and start your evening off with appetizers, local beers and wine. Register on line at www.seattleaquarium.org to join us and participate in this unique forum and celebrate Puget Sound in Seattle’s green gathering place – the Seattle Aquarium. Tickets are $20 and include refreshments and access to the Aquarium. Seating is limited

Tuesday: April Fools Day. Rarely does anything good happen on this day and often Pranks can get a bit out of hand. Today it seems more then a few people decided that pulling pranks would be a good idea around the city. This morning workers at Lava Lounge awoke to find their entire establishment covered in toilet paper. Another manager came in to find workers scrapping off egg from the front windows. Fortunately for that business they found out who did it. A worker there that, in a drunken dare the night before, thought it would be amusing. It wasn’t so amusing when he got a talking to that afternoon.

Keep an eye out today for continued pranks and jokes!

Wednesday: A prank yesterday went badly when a boyfriend of a young woman decided to try to scare his girlfriend late in the night. After she came home from work he decided to sneak into the house unseen and heard and spook her by running out after her suddenly. The prank took a turn for the worse when the startled woman slipped in her attempt to get away and fell harshly against some counter tops. Neighbors in that apartment complex were awoken in the late AM hours by emergency vehicles that were called to the seen. Thankfully the woman will be fine and the man has, hopefully, learned his lesson. Some pranks just aren’t funny.

Thursday: Come to the The Pike Pub tonight to see the Rolling Boil Blues Band from 6pm till whenever they decide to stop playing! Tonight there is no cover for the show but don’t expect the same for your drinks and food.

Friday: On first avenue today there will be the “ArtXchange”. An exhibit on "compassion," featuring 35 artist from all over the world, stretching from Seattle to Israel. The show supports the Seeds of Compassion, an organization that encourages compassion in children. The nonprofit is supporting Dalai Lama's visit to Seattle April 11 to 15.

Saturday: Mercury Nightclub will be having a night of “art” tonight starting around 6pm. People attending should come in their most artistic or “painted” outfits. At 10pm there will be a contest where those there vote on the best outfit of the night. Drinks are a dollar off from 10pm to closing tonight as well so come in and enjoy a drink, see some creative outfits, and dance till the club has to close its doors.

Sunday: Belltown Billiards will be having a pool competition today from 1pm to 6pm or longer depending of course on how the event goes. Contestants are winners from previous competitions that have earned their right to try to win the prize amount tonight. Expect a lot of tricks and fancy shooting, these players know what they are doing and it should turn out to be a great show!

Weather:
Monday March 31st: Grey and cool today (High: 45°F Low: 36°F)
Tuesday April 1st: Light rain off and on (High: 47°F Low: 38°F)
Wednesday April 2nd: Windy with a bit of a chill (High: 44°F Low: 35°F)
Thursday April 3rd: Clear day though still crisp (High: 46°F Low: 35°F)
Friday April 4th: Clear and calm (High: 48°F Low: 37°F)
Saturday April 5th: Slightly windy tonight (High: 49°F Low: 33°F)
Sunday April 6th: Rain in the morning to clear by night (High: 48°F Low: 36°F)

Who: Chris and Hesper
When: the wee hours, just before dawn
Where: the enclosed gardens, 13th floor

After getting in from work, Chris had found that he was unable to even consider going to bed yet. It had been a particularly tough night for him, involving a lot of necessary conversations with co-workers, questions to be asked and answers received. Most of the time he could hide out in the file room or lurk behind his supply cart (or even in one of the supply closets) and not have to talk with too many people. At least Vernon Johnson, his nemesis, was on vacation this week, but everything else had gone wrong for him tonight.

He was a nervous wreck and still cold from being outside, where the temperature was close to freezing currently. After changing into a thick grey sweatsuit and grabbing his sketchbook and a charcoal pencil, Chris left his apartment on the seventh floor and took the elevator upstairs to thirteen. He'd had an unpleasant experience in the pool area, but thus far the gardens had been a good place for him. Lush and earthy-smelling and, to him, reminiscent of his growing-up years in Cypremort. Being outside in nature had been a constant in his life, and he missed that. It had felt safe somehow.

Chris settled down in his favorite spot in a back corner, out of the line of sight of the entrance and beneath one of the windows that didn't open. He thought that maybe they were treated with something, because when he was here in the daytime, he'd noticed that they didn't seem to let in as much light as they should. He didn't know that for sure, though. He pulled the hood of the sweatshirt up over his head so that nothing showed but his pale face and dark-blue eyes, taking a deep breath and gazing into the nearest mini-forest of greenery until it all blurred together.

He needed to relax. The last time he'd visited his aunt, she'd asked him if he was sick, telling him he looked as if he'd lost weight. He probably had, though he wasn't the sort who weighed himself. He gauged things like that by the way his pants fit, and actually he had needed to tighten his belt a notch to keep his work pants from falling down in recent days. Chris wasn't sleeping well, and he found himself constantly looking over his shoulder. He was typically nervous as a rule, but he seemed to be more so lately.

Finally he turned his attention to the sketchpad, flipping it open and hastily skipping over the pages that were filled with lavish drawings of creatures with membranous wings, of fire and smoke spiraling toward a cavelike rock ceiling, of desolate leafless trees stretching anguished limbs toward a black sky. Tormented flashes of the pictures that had been invading his brain since he'd been forced to touch the blonde woman he'd run into on the street that night several weeks ago. He was determined to draw something pleasant, something that would soothe him and lull him toward sleep.

Chris was warming up now in the thick sweatsuit he wore, and he bent his head over the sketchbook that he'd propped up on his knees, one corner of his lip held gently in his teeth as he began an elaborately detailed sketch of the dimly-lit vines that clung fiercely to a wooden trellis. The contrasts made it look like a secret garden all its own, sheltered and shadowed and safe.

((OOC: for Dimitri, will post this evening... same story.))

Who: Eliina and Justine
When: Monday night
Where: Chroma


Work had been complete and total hell.

Her nerves had been on edge all day, flustered and frazzled like she had never been before, at least not professionally. But Eliina went to great lengths to ensure that what she felt inside, what troubles she might experience in her personal life stayed just that... exceedingly personal. But Monday morning it all seemed to bleed together and she couldn't quite seem to get herself to reach that professionally aloofness that she had mastered years ago.

Her secretary asked her three times if she was coming down with something and just wanted to take the afternoon off. True to form, Eliina denied this offer and stayed through the day. No matter how difficult it was she far preferred to bury herself in her work than sit another day in her condo and try to figure out exactly what she had done the week before and why.

Clearly, she had been unable to come up with any acceptable answer to her actions as fuzzy as her memories were. They were still there. She could still see and remember snippets of the evening in her mind. She had... been with him. Eliina just couldn't seem to make sense of it. Him... HIM. She despised that vampire, and yet she had let him hold her and let him touch her and...

She should never be allowed to drink again. But somehow drowning herself in another fine bottle of wine and not even being able to comprehend the reality of the fact that she'd let herself get that close to someone she hated seemed still too tempting a pastime. In the end, Eliina had no answers. Her life for as typical as it looked to any outsider, had been far from typical. Raised and groomed to be one man's possession. She didn't know what to do with a... casual sex encounter. She had never even known she'd wanted such an encounter. Men... for the most part repulsed her, sent shivers down her spine. And not the tingle of anticipation sort of shivers. The please don't touch me sort to be more specific.

But here she was regardless of how she thought she felt about the situation. Confused and not sure that she should even speak with someone about it. However, she did know that it was eating her alive. And she couldn't drink her way through the day no matter how much that did appeal. Maybe she wouldn't actually have to talk about it with the one of the very few people she considered anything close to a friend. Justine was a woman, she might be able to help her understand all of this... if Eliina could get over her own disgust and embarrassment.


That, however, was an issue to deal with after her glass of wine. And that wine was ordered promptly as Eliina set foot in Chroma. Wine first, finding Justine second.

Where: Drystan's penthouse
When: Evening
Who: Isobel and Drystan

Isobel was bored. Rei had yet to bring her any information on Dorian and things around the brothel were relatively quiet. Of course there was always paperwork she could be doing but she was pretty much over that idea for the time being. No, right now she wanted to be entertained and there was only one person who would do. Yes, she was talking about everyone's least favorite vampire. Some verbal bantering with thorn in her side was just what she needed to get her out of her little funk and passing notes back and forth just would not do. Not tonight anyway.

It had been a while since she had last graced him with her presence so really it was like the stars were aligning for this to be happening. It wasn't very often that she became bored enough to go to Drystan of all people. Hopefully the act wouldn't go to his already over inflated head. Hmm, someone really did need to take a giant needle and deflate it for him. Oo, maybe that's what she could spend the evening doing? Oh yes, that would be amusing. Now where could she get a needle of that size? Oh, and holy tipped too for extra fun.

Sadly the needle idea fell through and she found herself heading up to his penthouse empty handed. Darn. Isobel didn't bother knocking once she reached his door and decided to let herself in. Hopefully she would be interrupting whatever it was he was doing or else she would be disappointed. Cool blue eyes glanced around his rather lavish home and her fingers walked across various pieces of furniture as she stepped further inside. Was the overly bleached vampire not home? Now that was just unacceptable.

Something told her that he would be home soon so she figured she might as well get comfortable. One of his finer bottles of wine was removed from the cabinet and she smirked to herself as she poured a fresh glass. Surely her business partner wouldn't mind her making herself at home. Drystan was known for being so hospitable after all. With a distinct sway in her hips and her wine glass in hand, she made her way over to his fireplace and stretched out in front it. She was the picture of perfection as she waited for him and if he didn't come home soon...well, she couldn't be held responsible for what she might do to pass the time.

Who: Slade and Anthony
Where: His place
When: Dinnertime
What: A bit of plottage, perhaps?

It had been far too long since she and Anthony had spent an evening cooking up the downfall of a mutual or, in this case individual, enemy whom they saw fit to take care of. Her curiosity was admittedly getting the better of her; it had been in full swing since the very first mention of the trouble that could be to come in the e-mail she'd sent to announce her return home - the very e-mail that had lead to their dinner plans for this evening. Truly, it was the conversation she was looking forward to most, nothing got an appetite going like talk of ruining lives and plotting against others. Now that the hour to share such delicious issues was nearly at hand, she could almost taste the havoc they could wreak.

Slade had even done so far as to dig up the gift box he'd left for her so soon after his arrival to Seattle, pulling it from it the black scrap he'd claimed was a dress. Usually she would dress for no man, wouldn't wear such a ridiculous get up if you paid her, but for tonight she was making an exception. After all, if he was going to give her the chance to cause a bit of trouble, then surely she could repay such generosity by donning some silly dress.

She left her office with enough time to come home and take a quick shower, washing away the scent that clung to Seattle, that faint hint of paltry little humans that clung to her high priced power-suits at the end of the day. Dark hair was washed and blow dried straight, then curled before she pinned it up and out of the way for the night - baring a tempting line of neck could never hurt when dealing with a vampire now could it? Or perhaps she simply liked to play with fire...it was her element, after all. Those icy eyes of hers were rimmed in smoky kohl liner, lips glossed in a pale pink before she tugged that little bit of fabric up over her curves. She toyed a moment with the rouching at the side, tying it off to bear a tempting glimpse of thigh. All that was left was pulling on a pair of black, strappy heels and lifting the black clutch she'd filled with what she'd need from its resting place.

Obviously the walk to Anthony's wasn't that long, in a matter of moment's she stood just outside his door. The sun had set nearly an hour earlier, plenty of time for him to be up and moving about. Raising a hand, she knocked loudly, waiting for him to let her in.

Who: Drystan (Narrative)
When: Friday Night
Where: Théâtre du Macabre


Such a busy little boy he'd been. Though the word boy did rankle him even when used in his own thoughts. Well not rankle... that was such a rough term. He was no child, no matter how often his little business partner liked to tell him he looked like a pre-pubescent boy. He could quite handly assure her that he was far from such an individual.

She liked to claim that she didn't want that little taste of evidence. Lies of course. The succubus doth protest too much.

Drstyan however wasn't one to linger over cold bitches who were one step away from old maid status, well other than to make certain she was repaid in full for the dastardly deeds done to his office. That he was waiting for the perfect opportunity for, not now when she was so obviously expecting something. Impatient as he could be, he hadn't reached his ripe old age without learning some semblance of patience.

Having things to distract him always helped and Drystan certainly didn't lack other things to focus on. Far more important things in all reality. Things like his little kitty. He had been kind enough to send her some flowers in appreciation. Not to set any tongues waggling... of course not. But really that was nothing and he only hoped that the little girl understood what fire she was playing with. Toy with flames and the only result she could look toward was a burn and that Drystan would enjoy giving her. Not to mention a few other things. He was such a giver after all.

Her little home had been found, a note would be slid under the door the next day. One that Drsystan was penning from the elaborate desk that took up a good portion of his office at the theater. The closing sounds of the late act could just be heard through the walls. And over the sound of the woman that was waiting oh so patiently in his lap for him to finish the note he was writing. She had graciously offered her blood for the penning as well. Now she was a truly giving soul.

There were few things with greater effect than a little blood written note. Said a message was coming straight from the heart... quite literally. Though in this case there was a lovely gash just above the swell of her breast that Drystan inked his quill from. There was an advantage to such old fashioned things. It would be a touch harder to complete this task with a ballpoint or god forbid an e-mail. She giggled as Drystan put the final flourishes on the letter and had her heat the wax for the seal. Stamped with his crest he let the wax fall on the pale expanse of her skin that was ripe for the plucking in front of him.

She was enjoying it too much. More than he was and if there was ever a party foul...

The show was finishing up and he had a few details to attend to, not one of which involved the buxom brunette who had joined him for the evening. Shame for her. Teeth tore into the gash that had been made earlier, her gasp was completely lost to the rush of her blood as Drystan pulled it swiftly from her form. Not a bad choice, good year... not too much cholesterol. That slight earthy tang of Eastern Europe. Not bad for the evening.

Her slumped form was left for others to take care of as it always was, a rosy youthful glow lit Drystan's cheeks as he headed out. Guests to greet and patrons to entertain. Business was good afterall.

Things weren’t the same since telling Maggie the truth of what he was. He knew they wouldn’t be. No matter the love, no matter the care, such news would draw anyone away. Creating that distance to try to…come to some sort of understanding. Even his father had taken a step back when the truth really hit him. When that painful undeniable reality was thrown in front of him. Bastian didn’t have it in him to feel anything towards it now. He just accepted and forced himself to continue to move forward. Attempting to take steps in some direction…though he never knew if they were right or wrong. Right now just the fact that he was moving at all, was good enough. Sitting still…dwelling…it didn’t do any of them any good.

Telling Maggie wasn’t the last of it though. It wasn’t as though all that truth was laid bare now. No…he still needed to tell Sophie. He knew that wasn’t going to be an easy conversation. He was prepared for scoffs and doubts. But he had to do it. One more time speaking what he hated to speak. One more time having to face that disbelief. It wasn’t all that he should speak likely, but the past was something he did not want to dig up. Not anymore then he had to at least. Wasn’t knowing that it was bad enough? The details…no one really needed to know that.

“It’s good to see you again Bas!” another shouted as they came into the bar, giving a grand wave and a bright smile. Bastian smiled back, appearing all put together and happy to be there. But though this place had always been home to him…it was now a reminder of the night everything had gone wrong too. All too often he found himself staring across the way on where it was he’d been thrown. Where he knew his blood had been spilt against the worn floorboards. At times he was certain he could still smell it…even if he knew that wasn’t the case. Too many years had passed for that. Far too many years.

Bastian sighed, trying to focus himself back on the task at hand. He was trying to get some of the work caught up for his old man. Really it was nothing more then distraction, the work could wait as it had been waiting for some time now. But Bastian needed something to try to keep his mind off of everything going on. He just…needed a damned break from it. It was too much to have on his thoughts constantly.

Distractions never worked for long though. An hour or so taking stock and serving drinks…and back his thoughts began to drift. There was so much he still had to do. So much that he had to try to figure out. He knew time wasn’t on his side in this. Meetings were set up for next week, none of it sat right with him but what else was he supposed to do? Keep thinking he could manage this on his own? He knew that he couldn’t. He knew that if she showed again he stood no damned chance against her. She’d made that clear often enough in the time he’d been with her.

“Heya Bas!” another regular to shout his name and give a smile. Thankfully not many had asked where he was, maybe after being gone that long it was an obvious that nothing good had kept him away from here. The few that did question accepted the answer of “he was just glad to be back” as answer enough.

Details…Bastian hated the details. He wanted to fucking forget the details.

“Been gone so long you forget how to pour the drinks?” One of the guys joked, Bastian cursing as the beer overflowed the glass. “Fuck, apparently….” He needed to get his head together. Wiping up the drink he handed it over to the eager patron and set to cleaning up the mess. This night was going to be too long….or not near long enough. Bastian wasn’t sure yet.

Who: Alexis and Justine
Where: Chroma
When: Thursday Evening


It was completely unacceptable.

Alexis had bidded her time, she was in no hurry to see herself proven right. Truly, she would have been content if Mikkos, for all his pratter to the contrary of her suspicions, had proven himself. Finally. But he seemed determined to do just the opposite. She had trusted that her son would be able to keep the elder away from temptation or at least cast a light of shame that even her dear husband could not ignore. But she had overestimated a father's righteous pride in the welfare of a son. Just as she had underestimated loves allure. Such a pithy emotion would not be the downfall of her family. If Mikkos wished to induldge in his weaknesses, he could do so on his own time and when the reputation of their family did not hang in the balance.

Nikolaos had already been dealt with for his apparent failure. Though Alexis may have wished it otherwise, he would grow stronger for it. It was time he realized that his father was proving everyday that he was unfit. Though she knows he held a respect for his father and even held the man in affection, perhaps Mikkos himself had finally given her the opening she needed to truly make Nikolaos realize the true potential of his birth right.

It was not her doing, in the end. She simply was doing what needed to be done. The first time her husband went to see his once earthbound creature, she could almost forgive it for the sake of curiousity. Almost. The second time? The Aristedes patriarch, Mikkos' father, had made his displeasure more than known, and her son had taken the brunt of it. Even now he dealt with the shame and that, more than anything, was unacceptable.

Obviously, her husband could no longer be trusted. Sad, really. For not the first time did she think and wonder how things may have been if only Morris had lived. Morris could have ruled. He could have brought honor to the Aristedes name. He could have elevated them to such status as they were worthy. Nikolaos was so much like him.

Which was why she was there at Chroma. Mikkos had proven that he could not get beyond the past. So she was going to have to take the future of the family in hand. She walked through the doors of the wine bar that displayed such beautiful pieces of art. Cold. Distant. She wondered if the owner was like such pieces. What could a thing of earth understand of fire and passion? Just maybe she would find out.

Alexis strode through the main area, head tilted as she took in not just sight and sound, but taste as well. It was a rather decadent spread for the senses. It was more than one set of eyes that noticed her passage, and perhaps any other day -- any other place, she might indulge. But there was only one creature tonight that drew her. And that was one Justine Baptiste.

Who: Jade and Jerzy
When: early evening
Where: the Towers' mail room, main floor

Jade had been able to make her way over from the Grand to the Old Town Towers earlier than she might've been ordinarily due to the weather. From late afternoon on, the skies were dark and the clouds low. All she had to do was put on a hooded jacket with the hood pulled down halfway obscuring her face as she walked to the car she'd borrowed from a co-worker. She actually liked cool, cloudy weather, which was a good thing considering that she was living in Seattle. There'd been very little of it where she'd grown up.

She'd spent a while in the office talking to the leasing manager about renting an apartment, something she'd been thinking about since she'd visited Tony here. Despite the fact that living and working at the Grand had worked out well for her so far, she was intrigued by the idea of living in a building that contained other supernaturals. According to her Sire, there were several vampires here besides himself. She'd thought that it might be a good idea to live closer to him, as well, considering that he'd agreed to assist her with the skills that were latent within her since he'd turned her.

She had no interest in living too close to him, though, which was why she'd decided to rent a one-bedroom place on the second floor. She'd discussed having the windows tinted with the leasing agent, something she never would have thought of had Tony not mentioned it to her. The interview had gone well, and she'd been shown the apartment and signed the papers on it. She'd be able to move in by the weekend.

Once she was finished with her business, she'd decided to wander around the place and see what amenities were offered. She'd taken the elevator to the top floor to check out the pool area and the enclosed gardens, noticing that everything seemed to be in terrific shape. She particularly enjoyed the gardens in the dim natural light. The residents' floors, while attractive, seemed to be pretty much the same, so she didn't linger there, but exited the elevator on the main floor. Before long, she'd have to drive back to the Grand and her evening's work.

Jade wandered through the commons area, idly glancing around and nodding to the occasional person she encountered, then crossed the corridor past the elevators, heading in an aimless way toward the lobby and the front doors. Fishing in the pocket of her coat for the car keys, she looked into the mail room area that was just to the left of the main entrance... and stopped. There was someone in there who looked very familiar, and she blinked as she stared at his back. No way. Could that possibly be Jerzy Luvic, here at Old Town Towers?

When: Late Night
Where: Hotel
Who: Nikolaos and Chloe

"He's trying to play us for fools..." The growled voice grated, making Nik's teeth clench and eyes blaze. Fingers curled until blood seeped from the flesh as claws dug in, feet wore a path into the carpet where he paced back and forth. "I understand..." he hissed sharply in return, dark eyes cast towards the sound of the voice but there was no demon there to see. His grandfather was in hell, his words spoken by the mouth of another that was scarcely even aware of where they now were. This conversation had played on for hours now. Over and over the warnings told. Over and over the demands made. It was Nik that was made to feel the failure. He had not stopped this from occurring. The work done with the other demon, Dorian, mattered nothing today.

No work would ever mean anything if Nik failed the family in keeping his father away from those fucking corpses. Already he was failing, failing and seen weak by it. Failing and seen as less than a man for it. "How do you expect to rule the family if you can not rule one!" the question slammed through the room and Nikolaos's lips twisted into a sneer. "You expect me to rule he who is ruler of the family now?" Nikolaos was brought to his knees painfully as the demon servant in the room wormed pain through his veins. He was not to question. He was not supposed to doubt. He was to do as he was told. He was to not fail. To fail was to not only make his own self weak but to make them all.

( I expect you to be stronger than this. )

The two others in the room turned without a glance back, leaving Nikolaos alone to the hotel room. Heavy silence hung over head, a weight that threatened to crush him. Nikolaos had sought to deny coming to the surface for this reason. He feared what would come to pass, that his father would fail all the tests placed before him. He knew that if he did it would be on him to correct it. Nikolaos knew he could rule, he could hold the family name up high. But never once had he truly believed that he would have to throw his own father down from that place in order to take it.

The silence exploded as Nikolaos lashed out. Glass shattered to the floor, his fist slammed through the walls; objects were thrown across the room to splinter into hundreds of pieces. There were no words to describe his rage. No…..not just rage. That was too simple. To….hollow. Nikolaos had respected his father. He had believed the man knew the importance of honor, of family and name. And yet here, upon the surface, in this city, he had dragged them all through the mud. He chose that dead bitch over them. He chose her over him. He had to hear it everyday now. Snarled by family, reminded constantly.

Roughly blood was wiped away from his mouth as he went for the door. His jacket grabbed and the door thrown open. He wanted to know what it was about these Baptiste that made them worth lowering ones self for them. What made them worth more then the family name.

“Send word…” he growled in the face of a guard. The man froze, hesitant to listen to Nikolaos’s word. “Do it.” How does one remove a threat without knowing the details of it? If he was to eliminate the problem he had to better understand it. Get to one you get to all….Nikolaos would ruin the corpses one at a time if he had to. But more then that, beyond anything he would ever speak. He needed to know why. Seeing one would not give him an answer but in his rage now it was worth the attempt.

The guard turned, leaving to send word to the youngest Baptiste who had earlier contacted the demon. Nikolaos took only a moment to compose himself before he ventured down to the hotels bar, paying to clear the place out. Waiting for the sister of the bitch to show.

Week Eight
Dates: Monday March 24th through Sunday March 30th
Season: Late March

Announcements:
Monday: The strange animal attacks that happened over the weekend are still being investigated by both local police and animal control through the week. The animals have yet to be found and local parks and areas surrounding them have been put on alert. If anyone spots an animal in there area that seems vicious please call police immediately. Do not attempt to go near to the animal or trap them in any way. While the help is appreciated there is too much risk for someone untrained to try to catch an animal that has already done so much damage. Keep alert and be careful at night around those areas.

Tuesday: Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder stunned movie fans at two Into The Wild screenings in Seattle, Washington on Monday and Tuesday night when he showed up to perform for them. The rocker, who penned and recorded the soundtrack for Sean Penn's acclaimed film, performed full sets in advance of the launch of his first solo tour next week.

Wednesday: Oh, look, another wine event! “If you love wine, purses and handbags, you’ll love this second annual wine tasting & fashion event! “Bags & Bottles” is a fundraiser for Gilda’s Club of Seattle. All of the women who buy tickets and attend this fundraiser will bring a new or almost new purse for the silent auction portion of the event. We will feature 30 wineries pouring their delicious wines and a host of boutique stores with their most current bag and purse designs on display.” This event will be from 4pm to 7pm at the W hotel.

Thursday: The temperatures will dip down below 32 degrees today. It’s expected that there will be some light icy conditions after the rain earlier today. Make sure to take it slow on the streets and be aware of the weather. The temperature shouldn’t stay low for long so hopefully we’ll be able to avoid ice all together!

Friday: Tonight there is a musical Throwdown at El Corazon. Show up by 8pm to get a seat for some great musical entertainment. The throw down tonight will include: Soilwork, Through the Eyes of the Dead and War of Ages. The place is expected to fill up fast so make sure to arrive early.

Saturday: Tonight is the night for Earth Hour - The Space Needle and Qwest Field are among the Seattle landmarks that will go dark Saturday night in observation of "Earth Hour." People in cities across six continents will switch off lights and nonessential appliances for one hour as a symbolic gesture to help the environment and save energy. In Seattle, many city buildings will dim the lights at 8 p.m. Homeowners were also asked not to use energy during that time.

Sunday: Northwest Kennel Club Dog Show this weekend! Come be a part of one of the northwest great traditions. This is its 70th year and has over 2000 dogs competing for best in show awards. Make sure to stop by the Qwest Event Center early to be able to see the great show.

Weather:
Monday March 24th: A cold front moves in leading to a chilly day (High: 40°F Low: 33°F)
Tuesday March 25th: Hail tonight (High: 42°F Low: 31°F)
Wednesday March 26th: Grey and cold (High: 41°F Low: 34°F)
Thursday March 27th: Light rain and cold night (High: 40°F Low: 30°F)
Friday March 28th: Heavier rain today (High: 43°F Low: 32°F)
Saturday March 29th: Clear with a light breeze (High: 45°F Low: 33°F)
Sunday March 30th: Light rain in the morning only (High: 47°F Low: 35°F)

When: Night
Where: Admiral Theater
Who: Prissy and Sophie - Narrative maybe

“Here puppy puppy….” Priscilla cooed into the shadows of an alleyway near the Towers. She could hear the wounded little werewolf growling and snarling in the darkness, she could envision the way that blood dripped from his muzzle and the bright red that had to be staining his pretty fur now. She’d seen the fight, quick event that it was…and had followed this little puppy to his hole where he was trying now to lick his wounds. How many humans would realize what those howls were tonight? How many would figure out that the dog seen racing by wasn’t just some ordinary dog….

“Aww is there a wounded dog in there? I’m a vet…” the words were sickly sweet near to Prissy’s ear. She smirked, she couldn’t help it. The human had walked right into this. Prissy turned, doe like eyes glossy with tears threatening to be shed. “I think he’s really hurt…” she pouted, glancing quickly back into the darkened alleyway with frantic urgency. “Is he yours?” the woman questioned and Prissy shook her head “No, but I feed him sometimes. He’s a stray I think.” She sounded so genuinely concerned and very afraid. She couldn’t let the poor puppy sit there in the dark all alone could she? He needed some company….

“Don’t worry; I’ll take a look at him okay?” The older woman moved Prissy off to the side, giving her a pat on the back in that comforting gesture that all would be okay. Prissy sniffled and nodded her head. Her amused little smile for now buried back under a false guise of tormented worry. Slowly the woman moved into the alleyway…were the hairs on the back of her neck standing up? Could she started to feel that doubt eating away at her gut….

She didn’t have time to listen to her instincts and turn back. No soon her soothing words to the dog unseen turned to a short lived scream. A harsh sound cut off as sharp teeth clamped down over the woman’s throat, crushing it. Priscilla giggled, peeking around the corner to witness the fresh wash of blood that splattered to the wall in a decorative display. “Now don’t you feel better?” she questioned, arching a brow with that smirk now holding her lips. All she got for answer was a muffled growl. He was too busy enjoying his new found meal.

With a laugh Prissy turned away, continuing to make her way down the street. Normally she could have been driven right to the theater…normally she would have taken up that eager driver of daddy’s on the offer. But tonight Prissy wanted to be out and walking the streets. She wanted to smell the blood in the air and hear those cute noises from dark corners where the werecreatures hid away. How many would die tonight? How many would be reborn?

By the time she’d made her way to the theater there were at least two dead that she knew of….well the last one might have survived. Prissy didn’t stay to watch, she just smelled the blood as she passed by the park. But as fun as tonight was just for that sort of show…Prissy had a different kind to get herself focused on. She had a cute little teenage girl to corrupt and play like a puppet. Her and her band mates. Not a difficult task for Prissy, not at all. In fact she was rather looking forward to it. They all made such pretty dolls. She just had to pull a few strings…

Once to the theater Prissy stood out front, leaning her back against the wall and putting a cigarette to her lips before pulling out her phone to give Sophie a text to let the girl know she was there. Of course if Sophie and the rest of the band were out front they’d likely notice the succubus right away. She always stood out a bit…tonight by stance as much as by persona.

The full moon. Tavin was always on edge on the full moon and never wanted to work. People were just too fucking much when his nerves were shot. Idiots and their attempts to try to con or talk like they knew more then him. Other dealers thinking today was the day to try to push and dominate. No…work rarely went well the day of the full moon. Before working with the supplier he now was Tavin had to fight his way through it, just grit his teeth and manage to get through the day somehow. Now working for the one he was, they knew to give him today off no matter how damned busy it was.

Losing business wasn’t in any of their best interests and today with Tavin like he was, it was a good possibility. Normally a smooth talker and great charmer…Tavin was more likely to snap today then give a shit about working something out.

No work to take up his time…but Tavin didn’t really stay around the towers either. He knew that all things considered, the whole shifting thing still didn’t always sit well with Jerzy. Shit it wasn’t like Tavin could blame the kid. It wasn’t exactly a pretty process and Tavin wasn’t exactly a sweet and cuddly person before or after it. Well…maybe after a bit as he was too damned tired by that point to complain.

Tavin was at the apartment through the morning only because he was passed out till sometime around noon. One advantage of it all, he got to sleep in today and tomorrow. Rare damn thing for Tavin who tended to be up nearly 24 hours a day all week long. Sleep and him weren’t exactly close but today he gladly took the hours that it allowed him.

Once awake he crawled out of bed, showered, dressed in worn clothes that didn’t matter, and said his goodbyes to Jerzy. Giving the monthly speech about keeping the doors shut, not going out, all the shit that the kid already knew but Tavin always restated anyways. He knew that Jerzy understood why tonight was such a bad night but…it never sat well with Tavin to be so damned removed from contact. Once shifted…getting a hold of him wasn’t easy. He had sense of self when shifted but it wasn’t like he could just come running back to the towers if he somehow knew something was wrong. Humans noticed some wild cat running through the halls.

What was left of the day was spent driving for Tavin. He removed himself from the city where it was far too damned likely someone would spot him. Again it was difficult to take himself that far away but it was what needed to be done. If a wild cat was spotted out in the middle of no where no one really cared. If one was spotted in downtown Seattle…it became headlines. Neither of them wanted that. Tavin knew to keep out of sight and mind when shifted, just like his life normally was really. But things happened…and it was just better to not tempt fate too much. Getting out of dodge was always the smarter choice.
Soon enough the car was parked and Tavin started walking by foot. Putting distance between the car and him, keeping those links between everything as distant as possible. Especially with nosy bitches following him around lately. He made sure no one was following, that no one even had a clue as to where he disappeared to tonight.

Slowly the night hours bled away…city turning to dense forest around Tavin as he walked. Eventually it was time for the countdown. When the last bit of light began to fade away and darkness claimed everything. Clothes were stripped off and tucked away to be found after the night. Tavin waited…staring up at the sky as the moon became the dominating presence.

Staring upwards until the still slightly painful shift was over and it was time to run….time to hunt….

When: Late Night
Where: Underground
Who: Nikolaos and Dorian

Dear Dorian was thinking about leaving. Nikolaos knew this; he knew that it would occur all too quickly. He'd wanted to act swiftly when they first arrived because of it. The other was skittish, paranoid of his own shadow and constantly seeking out a reason to pack himself up and move again. The only reason he'd delayed this time was because of that succubus that had his balls leashed. That had worked in their favor and was going to continue to. But first Dorian needed to be made aware of this. More then that he had need to be told just how things were going to go. Running wasn't an option for him right now and Nik was going to be the one to deliver that news.

It was about time that they had a bit of...family bonding wasn't it? Nikolaos had been told to keep back; it was well know how much he truly loathed the weaker demon. He wanted to kill him, bring his head back as a trophy to remind all what living on the surface made a demon become. It weakened the spine. It made them forget what power and place really was. More then that it weakened the blood. Their name. It was something to hate...and something to stop. For more then just this one.

Plans had changed however; Nikolaos took it upon himself to see to that. But he had the backing of both mother and grandfather on this one regardless. Why leave this task to the other too distracted by his past to worry about the task he was sent here to complete. Did he know what Dorian planned to do? Or that he'd seen his precious succubus. Had he been watching him like he should have been? How could you watch when you were watching another? Nikolaos would see to the job himself then.

Someone needed to.

It was far from the best time of course, but timing mattered little. Nikolaos knew that the departure of the other needed to be stopped and his own anger would not jeopardize what he was told to do. Nikolas knew how to bite back that rage, to contain it and appear eerily calm. He was taught well to keep that control. He knew he'd have chance to let that anger out. But this wasn't it. Not yet...soon....but not tonight.

Down into the underground Nikolaos and loyal guards went. They knew exactly where the man was. Nikolaos knew where he sat even and what drink was currently in his hand. Another was there, watching, listening. They knew what the man had planned for after that drink. One last shot to still the doubts hmm? One last drink before family came to visit.

The smell of chaos was in the air, Nikolaos could nearly taste blood upon his tongue with each breathe. The underground was familiar territory for the demon even if it didn’t compare to home. Tonight he was down here for a different kind of play then typical. Tonight he had a job to do. Every exit of the bar was soon watched. Nikolaos waited at the exit, back to the wall near the door. The other would come out on his own or soon he’d be flushed out. Nikolaos certainly hoped that his dear cousin made tonight difficult on himself.

All thoughts were pushed from his mind but the task at hand. The events of the nights before were all but forgotten. The anger so buried back that it scarcely was even a flicker now inside of him. None of it mattered tonight. Nikolaos knew how to see to tasks given to him. The job came before all else. Nikolaos stood, calmly now…waiting.

He had sent her flowers. The sick fuck had sent her flowers at work, as if she wasn't already scared enough. She hadn't slept in two nights, convinced that he would come in and kill her--or worse--in her sleep. She had gone to work because it was the one place she thought she could forget, at least for a few hours, the terror that now consumed her life once again. And for awhile it had worked. Classes and rehearsal required such concentration that she had no time to waste worrying about when the big bad vampire would come looking for her again.

Only then had come her lunch break. One of the office workers had approached her with the vase, smiling like it was something she would be happy about. The dancers she was heading out to eat with thought so as well, all twittering about who Lirije's boyfriend was, how sweet he must be to send her flowers at work, how they wished their boyfriends/husbands/significant others would do that for them. The didn't even have to look at the note to see who it was from. She didn't know anyone else in the city and she was fairly sure that a chorus dancer would not have a secret admirer among the ballet-goers. A glance at the note confirmed her suspicion.

She begged out of lunch, saying she had to make some phone calls, and made her way to the stage door. The flowers and vase went into the dumpster, and she went back to the studio to try and distract herself from her pounding heart until rehearsal started back up.

The day after, she was no less terrified. Monday was a long day at the studio, but not long enough. Eventually she had to go home. Eventually she had to leave the company of the other dancers (not that Drystan would mind an audience, most likely) and get in her car, alone, to drive back to the towers. She normally took the stairs, but she had taken to getting on the elevator instead. It was better lit, and she could see everyone in it. There would be no surprises in the corner of the landings, like there might be on the staircase.

She looked paranoid, speed-walking to her door with her key already in hand so she didn't have to fumble for it, slamming the door behind her only to lock and bolt it. And even then, 'safely' inside, she turned all the lights on so there were no shadows for someone to hide in.

If he had wanted to get in her head, he had succeeded. She knew all she could do was wait until he decided to come back for her. Because he would. She had no doubt about that. The only question was whether she would survive.

Who: Ardin and Keisuke
Where: Outside several bars (Ardin's walking a lot tonight heh)
When: Night

Ardin both loved and hated St.Patricks day. It was a good excuse to let out steam and party, but more often than not she couldn't quite resist working her ass off on this particular night. Bars were crowded, money was carelessly thrown away and best of all - she could be completely obvious and the drunk's pockets she had her hands in wouldn't notice anything. Actually, all the money lost around the bar might be the best part, seeing as how she could forget pockets altogether with that one. Ardin snickered, the good really did outweigh the bad on this particular day.

She dressed simply, dark jeans and a green t-shirt. Nothing special, she wasn't walking around to attract attention. Quite the opposite in fact. Ardin wanted to be so forgettable tonight that anyone remaining sober would forget her.

( She was fairly new to the city )