Haunted Roads

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: Hale and Adian
What: An adventurous date
When: Tuesday evening

So the idea had just sort of come to him in the midst of a murder investigation. Yeah, it was a little weird to be thinking up dates while examining blood splatters, but he'd take inspiration where he could find it. The murder weapon had been a gun. Guns could be dangerous, yeah, but they could also save lives. And to be perfectly honest, he'd been worried sick about Adian getting offed by that bastard she lived with. Yeah she was a vampire and strong and all, but he was older and stronger, not to mention he displayed all the warning signs of potential trouble. He really didn't want to investigate her murder; he'd rather just shoot the creepy bastard in the head right now, but he had to follow the law and that would be looked down upon just a tad. But--and this was a big but as far as he was concerned.

You see, there was no law about defending yourself. And he was pretty sure Adian, though he found her proper ladylike behavior endearing, had no idea how to shoot a gun. But he did, and he knew a shooting range where he could teach her how to do it as well. Yeah, it would be an unregistered weapon if he left one with her but that kind of thing would be the least of her worries if she actually had to use it. Still, handing someone a gun and saying "pull the trigger if necessary" was usually not the best plan of action.

So, he'd decided to take her to the shooting range for a crash course in shooting. Hopefully it wouldn't completely scare her to death, but he always found shooting to be a great stress reliever and living with Vallis had to create a lot of tension. Nothing like squeezing off a few rounds from a 9mm into a target to decompress a bit.

So, he got ready to go on tuesday evening after work, ditching the suit and tie (he'd been in court that day, testifying) for a pair of blue jeans and a plain black polo. Not too shabby, but not over-dressed either. After all, he'd told her to go casual, right? So at the agreed-upon time, he put his shoulder holster on and slid his personal gun into it. No sense in using his on-duty pistol. The 9mm Browning Hi-Power was smaller than his police-issue weapon, and would be easier to start out with. Though, he figured once he got there he'd check out a .22 for her to start with. Less recoil, easier to get the hang of aiming... yeah. His brain was on the guns until he got down the hall to Adian's door, and then his train of thought took a hard right. Focus on the girl. Right. He knocked on the door and stood back, adjusting his black leather jacket over his shoulder holster so it didn't show. Might ruin the surprise!

Who: Hale and Adian
Where: Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, then Hale's apartment.
What: Adian's weekly performance turns interesting, with an unexpected in attendance.
When: Evening
Rating: Eh... probably tame. We'll see.



"Turn down the lights, turn down the bed....Turn down these voices inside my head. Lay down with me, tell me no lies. Just hold me close, don't patronize--don't patronize me." Accompanied by the piano, as well as a softly played drum, Adian began to sing. One hand wrapped around the top of a microphone stand, the other with dangling cigarette between her fingers. "I can't make you love me, if you don't. You can't make your heart feel, something it won't. Here in the dark, in these final hours... I will lay down my heart, and I'll feel the power... But you won't, no you won't... and I can't make you love me, if you don't." Adian was so focused on the song, that her eyes remained closed through the entire stretch. It was a solemn song, and she didn't think one should watch people, while singing it. There would always be one, or two in the audience, who could relate to the words. It was always obvious on their faces, and it made her curious of their own heartbreak.

When the bass guitar began to play, she stepped back away from the mic, knowing that the solo would buy her enough time, to enjoy a bit of her wine, and cigarette. After snubbing it out, of the bottom of her leopard print shoe, Adian ran a hand over the silken black dress, she had decided to wear this night. Blues music, and black clothing always seemed to go well together. Or so she thought. Blues had always been a bit about mourning the lose of something in ones life, so it was fitting.

As she returned to the microphone, she allowed her eyes to scan the audience. Most were enjoying the gentle bass solo, but it seemed there were always a few walking about. Most of the time they were employees of the Alley, serving drinks, and taking orders. Adian thought nothing of the figures, until a certain one came more into focus. He seated himself at a relatively close table, and it didn't take her long to recognize just who it was. So, he really did wish to see her perform, another point to him, for being honest, and listening. It was difficult not to smile, a problem she noticed having, when ever around him. She needed to focus on the song, at least until it was complete.

"I can't make you love me, if you don't. You can't make your heart feel something it won't. Here in the dark, in these final hours... I will lay down my heart, and I'll feel the power." She began once more, plucking the mic from it stand, so that she could pace along the stage. "But you won't, no you won't. And I can't make you love me.... if you... you don't baby..... I love you, you don't have to love me back baby." As the music began to die down, she vocalized softly till the end. When the audience began to applaud, she gave a little nod. "Thank you." Adian smiled to the crowd, before her eyes found Hale once more. That little smug smile of hers appeared once more. She was pleased to see him, no denying that.

Who: Hesper and Hale (the double H!)
What: Having an unhappy Valentines?
Where: The only pub not decorated for love
When: Thursday Night
Rating: TBA

Valentine’s was one of those things about humans and supernaturals up here that she just never got. Everything was all done up in red and pink. It was if they needed an excuse to indulge in the things they already indulged in. All in all it seemed a very impractical holiday. Though there were always jobs after Valentine’s from those who had received the ultimate slight. So perhaps the day was not terribly useless. But still Hesper found it a sick sickening in the majority of its ‘sweetness’. Really, why would someone decorate with hearts anyway? They did not even look like real hearts. Plus there was not even any blood with the hearts.

She wandered out into the city and walked into the first pub that was not decorated. The only red in the room was some man’s shirt and she preferred it that way. In fact it looked like she was the only girl in the place that night. It was all too perfect really, cut off from the foolish romantics of the outside world. If she was real lucky there might even be a card game to jump in on in the back room. Though there was a pool table that was looking awfully tempting.

Of course pool was stricken from her mind as two officers past her on the way to the door. She knew they were officers because they had said hello to her, having seen her come to bother Nox at ‘the office’ every so often. Mostly on the days when he was pretty sure that she was up to something and she felt the urge to seem innocent. Giving a wave and a cute smile, she looked over her shoulder to catch a glimpse at one of their behinds. Oh she was so right; it was the one with the cute ass. Smirking contently she headed over to the bar.

But at the bar was an even better prize. If it wasn’t her brother’s adorable partner, maybe it was turning out to be her lucky day. Hale did not like her much, but then again he was as uptight as Nox was so it was understandable. Sliding into the seat next to him she flagged the tender down. “You got anything to make a girl question her better judgment?” she asked the tender with a coy smile.

Maybe today would be some fun after all.

Who: Nox and Serena (and Hale joining)
When: 3:15 AM
Where: Totally awesome 24-7 Thai restaurant... yay!

Nox had been on the other line when he heard a beep of another call coming through. He couldn't switch over. He was talking to the M.E. about some autopsy results, and they took precedence over just about everything else at the moment. The second he ended the call and saw that he had a voicemail, he listened. His face had been quite serious just a moment before, not happy to learn that the cause of death wasn't blunt force trauma, but poisoning instead, making the husband look a lot more guilty than before. But now, as he listened to a chipper voice asking him about Thai food, he busted out a broad smile. That was a message worth saving... at least for the time being.

Seemed strange that she was calling so late/early, but maybe she was a night owl like him. He preferred the overnight hours, and even when he wasn't working, he could often be found up late in front of the TV just passing the time. That's where he was right now. Camped out in his boxers and a tank top, a half eaten turkey sandwich on the coffee table beside an empty bottle of beer, and the remote in his hand... he was the very model of chilling out. There was also a great deal of case work spread out on the the couch cushions to his left and right, as well as under his sandwich plate. He had yet to nail down a solid suspect in the case of the murdered seven year old from the week before. Sure, there were a few persons of interest, but not enough evidence to actually arrest any of them. Something was missing, and he was determined to figure out what it was. He couldn't get a decent bit of sleep until the elusive clue was found.

Still, maybe a break would do him some good. Nox had a good memory for numbers, typically remembering a string of them after only hearing it once. Picking up his cell again, he quickly dialed Serena's number and waited for her to answer. When she did, he couldn't help but smile again at the sound of her voice. "Hey. It's Nox. And I know a great Thai place."

Who: Gidget and Hale
Where: Floor 7
When: Wednesday, around 3PM
What: Friendly neighbours!

3PM usually meant a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Usually, however, it wasn't considered an acceptable time to be ready for, or for just coming home without sleep. Gidget and Hale, however, were perfectly suited to be neighbours if nothing for their motley schedules. Both tended to be coming and going at all hours of the day or night. It just so happened today that she had woken up just an hour before and was headed out into the day when he was just coming in.

Gidget was stepping out just as he came around. She knew she had a neighbor, but hadn't had the opportunity to meet him. Seemed like kind of a shut-in, she could hear his television sometimes. Her linen closet was like a portal into his living room. She also knew that he had a dog, but hearing barking didn't require someone to have more than a braincell to figure out what that meant.

She stepped out of her door, huge oval sunglasses with red frames on her face and almost ran right into him. Quick reflexes; she stepped back almost immediately on her towering black heels with the red and black speckle pattern on the inside heel. Gidget had on an oversized black sweater with bunched ribbon coming from her right hip to meet with a similar sewn-in track of bunched ribbon from her right shoulder to meet just above her left breast in a bright reddish-pink. For the weather's sake she was wearing opaque black leggings. Nails sharp and as red as blood. Matching lipstick. China doll wig. Gidget's earliest schtick involved her showing up at random, inappropriate places dressed and acting as Miss Scarlet from clue.

Behold her more quality wig and lack of white face paint. "Oh my!" She purred, very large red leather handbag propped up by one elbow. It was easy to look up at him over her sunglasses. Her first instinct that he was tired. Her second was that he was just darling, darling! "Long night?" She asked, wicked red smile over white teeth as she set her hip.

Hello, new neighbor!

Who: Hale, Adian, and Vallis
When: Evening
Where: Old Town Towers, seventh floor hallways, and Hale's apartment
What: Neighbors getting acquainted, isn't that nice?

"Perhaps if you hadn't offered to pay her afterwards, then she might have agreed to return home with you. Honestly, Vallis. Not all women are prostitutes." It had been rather obvious, that Vallis had used his gift against the woman. Why else would she have crawled beneath the table of a five star restaurant, and tended to him, with her mouth. At least he had been conscious enough of their surroundings, to keep his voice down. They didn't need to draw the attention of the other patrons, she was sure they all ready stuck out as it was. He'd been insistent, that they have the finest table in the restaurant, throwing money around carelessly, in some idiotic attempt to prove his deserving of it. Adian was quickly learning, that he was a great embarrassment. Though, it worried her more, that so many were willing to bend to the will of his money... even herself, though she was not quick to admit it. Her reasons, did not lie with his money, solely. It had it's perks, she couldn't deny that, but rather his connection to her sire. If she were to seek anyone out, it would be him, her brother.

With an ego, as large as his, any bruise it received, was felt in volumes. It had always been this way for Vallis. He was vain, and expected that alone, to catch any womans attention. If that wasn't bait enough, he could always convince them, that they wished to do nothing more,than please him. The gift, it seemed, he had a struggle with, after copulation. The aftermath of an orgasm, usually left a man shaken for a moment. A vampire was no different. It had been in these moments, that the woman had slipped from her stuper. Such a bruise had been received this night, and he didn't exactly appreciate his pet, adding more pressure to it. "Any woman can be a prostitute, at the right price. Even you, Adian. You think far too highly of yourself, when the truth is, that you, and all those in possession of a cunt, are no better than the whores, walking the streets." He hissed, moving around the song bird, as the two walked from the lift.

Those normally pouty lips, became a rather thin line. Once more, she had to question her desire to be around him. Was it really all worth it? With each day that passed, her reason wore down. "You give women far too little credit, and yourself too much. This line of thinking, may have been suitable in your day, and age, but things have changed. Not everyone can be bought." Rather annoyed at this point, her hand moved into the enterer of her hand bag, searching out the apartment key. The sooner she could have Vallis from her sight, the better. "I've never meet a man, who can seem so charming one moment, and then next, be the biggest piece of shit, that ever existed."
The dark blue heels, clicked across the floor, as she walked, sounding a bit more heavy, due to her new found anger. The dress, a gift from Vallis, that she wished she hadn't expected. Every thing in her closet was a reminder of how persuasive he could be. How manipulative.

Before she was able to reach the door, his arm shoot forward, the palm of his hand, pressed against the wall. Haulting her steps. "Ma beauté... if you have no right, to speak of me in such a way. Your mouth, in my opinion, has two purposes. To sing, and bob between my thighs. If you do not mind your tongue, I will make sure, that it is used for nothing more. Are we at an understanding, Adian, l'amour?" She wasn't allowed to answer, his hand rose, so that two fingers laid across her lips. "A nod will do."