Realistic or Modern A Night Bleeds (Closed)

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Foster Croft

Tags: Rhyme | Location: ✈ ​

Foster was nearly tearing up now. He couldn't keep doing this. It was making him feel too much, remember too much. He couldn't do this. Foster's voice wavered, thick with emotion barely held in check, as he whispered to Indy. "I can't.. I can't..."

He shook his head and turned to look forward, arms wrapping around himself. Foster was quickly becoming lost in memories he didn't want to ever remember. But all the captivity, brutality and more kept dragging it back up from the depths of the ocean he buried it in with cement blocks.

Foster drew his feet up to the seat, so his knees were pulled against his chest. One hand wrung the other, green eyes focusing on the back of the seat opposite. He could almost make out the back of Morgan, who had curled up and fallen asleep to deal with everything going on.

Foster wished he could do the same, but in sleep, he knew his demons were waiting to say hello. Demons he had been running from for a couple of years. Demons he had denied existed for so very long, the realization they were still there was like a bucket of cold water thrown over him.

There was the soft sound of something snapping, muffled cracking. Foster was slowly dislocating and breaking the bones in his left hand. Too in shock to feel the pain, or worse, he was welcoming the pain to keep everything else from overwhelming him and letting his demons out.

He wanted the cuffs off.

coded by natasha.

 

[bread-and-butterflies]

Allison Hagan

curious Wright Wranch outfit Thropian

Allison greeted Edwin with a friendly smile as he approached. “Please, just Allison is fine. And it's Edwin, correct? How can I help you?” Her curiosity was definitely piqued, so she listened closely to his explanation as she took care of her plate.

“How interesting. I'd certainly be willing to give you any insights I have.” Visions weren't really her forte – she dealt with the material, not with symbols and imagery – but people wanting to understand a vision were usually hoping for results in physical reality. “And it's true, my magic isn't usually very vague, but unfortunately it also only works with hard facts. I don't know how well it could help interpret your vision, but I could certainly use it to help investigate it, if you wish.”

After a short pause, she continued, "Did you want to discuss it now, or...? We could go inside, if you'd like." She obviously didn't yet know what the nature of the vision was, so she tried to keep her tone as open and polite as possible.

code by yousmelldead

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Chase Moon

Tags KodakWolf ⬇
Location: BBQ ​

Chase gave Leif a smile and a few wuffles while finishing up his plate of food. "I feel kinda like I slept in one position for way too long and too hard, and now my body is protesting it bit by bit." He wuffled more with a tuck of a chin as he added, "Definitely not planning on expiring any time soon."

However, upon learning that a small handful seemed to know about the bloodletting benefits, blue eyes shifted around. He just happened to catch Tilly glancing at them, and she waved with a grin. Looks like she was about to say or yell something at them, but Bug drew her focus away, and her yelling ways.

Chase wuffled several times until an outright laugh bubbled out. One hand clapped over his mouth, but one could see by his cheeks and crinkling around the eyes, he was grinning big. Which laughed more at the observation of Levi trying to get some type of sports going.

"Well, the moon hasn't come out yet, maybe he's not yet to the stage I'm at. Kinda hope he doesn't get too bad, he's like what.. seventeen? Too young to deal with this stuff. And yeah, uh.. just a coke is good. Oh wait.."

Chase tilted his head and glanced to Leif. "Does what I drink affect the taste at all?" Rather interesting concept if it did. "Like.. do you want me to get drunk because...." Wuffle wuffle.

coded by natasha.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Shia D'Shire

Tags Evelyn Maeteris | Location: BBQ ​

Shia left the study to answer the knocking on the front door, as Tilly was occupied outside and most of the others were outside as well. When he opened the door, while he was not expecting to see Evelyn standing there, he was glad to see her.

The smile spread slowly across his face and he gave her a deep bow at the waist. "Welcome, Miss Harper." He moved aside and one arm did the sweeping 'come in' gesture. "It is good to see you. Have you eaten yet? Would you care for another plate of Tilly's cooking?"

Shia closed the door behind her. "Would you like any bags taken to your room? It's still open." Shia couldn't stop smiling. He was pleased Evelyn had returned. "Sorry, I am glad to see you." Shia tried to reign in the grin, but managed to make it more of a sideways smirk.

Shia waited to see if she'd rather have bags settled in her room, or "You can also set the bag here and it will be safe, if you would rather indulge in some of the best barbecue in the state." He'd stake his reputation on Tilly's BBQ being the best and in Texas, that's a bold claim.

But it'd be a correct claim.

coded by natasha.

 

[Maeteris]

Evelyn Harper

Breathe.

The pain is merely a figment of your wild imagination, Varya.

The door opened to reveal D’Shire, a growing smile etched on his face as if he’d seen an old companion. He’s mistaken. The words stuck in her throat, so she pursed her lips, laying down the sentences in order. “Y-yes.” You did not just stammer, Varya Scuris. “I had matters to arrange, you’d understand.” Looking away, an unnamed heat occupying her cheeks.

“That wouldn’t be necessary.” She quickly said, the strap held tighter in her hand. She navigated past D’Shire. The smell of the proclaimed ‘best-BBQ’ seemed to be more intense as she stepped inside. She navigated through the halls like second nature, whether D’Shire was following her or not, she didn’t mind, unless he’s seeking the real reason for her disappearance.

She stepped into the living area, stopping abruptly in mid-stride. The smell was stronger, definitely stronger here. Which meant the others were close. Her lip twitched. She couldn’t face the humiliation yet, not when these mortals were clearly celebrating over something. They’d demean her absence, poke holes into her Aelven valour, all while clinking their beer bottles together as they sing, dance and whatever degenerate activities mortals did at these soirees.

Be fast, be confident and they will ignore you.

She steeled herself, posture straightened. Her gait resumed as if it had never been broken.

location: Houston • tags • mood • Outfit • interactions

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

BUG

Tags: Maeteris ⬇
Location: Wright Wranch​

Bug had just hopped, skipped, and jumped back over to Tilly to get another plate of food. In the process, they both worked on letting out any stress through loud noises, proven technique. "THANK YOU TILLY! YOUR FOOD IS THE BESTESTESTEST IN THE WORLD!"

Tilly laughed, and her yelling was quite impressive, but what Scottish woman didn't have an impressive loud voice when they wanted to? "YER WELCOME ME BUG O' ME HEART!"

Bug chittered happily, walking backward with one hand over his heard, pitter patting away, the other held his refilled plate of food. Only when he swung back around to return to his seat posthaste, something else caught his attention.

"EVIE!" And he ran toward the living room window nearest where he saw the tall proud elf woman. Bug smushed himself as flat against the glass as he could. His nose was all mushed, most of his face was as flat as it could get without changing forms.

He held up the plate of food, and pointed to it by lifting his free hand up and over his head. "EVIE! WE HAVE FOOOOOOOOOOOD! TILLY FOOD! COME AND EAT EVIE! I MISSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDD YOUUUU!"

So maybe the extra tendrils he had picked up along the way were affecting his behavior. But... probably not. This was probably just the way Bug was.

coded by natasha.

 

[Thropian]

Edwin Blut
Location: Wright Wranch
Tags: bread-and-butterflies ​

"Investigate it." Edwin repeated, scratching his beard. "Yeah, that could work. If you are free to discuss now, there may be much to figure out. I have already asked Devlin on permission to explore the caves, as they were in my dreams. We may need to speak with Levi and Chase, as they were involved, so as not to be prying into their lives without permission."

Edwin grabbed a drink, before sitting with Allison to discuss the dreams. He took a moment to gather his thoughts, and recall the dream.

"It started with my bear spirit, walking through the caves, but also through pale moon light. It guided me to the waterfall, and from the falls came Levi's cat and Chase's wolf. Both went to their owners, and bonded with them. Then my bear came from the falls and spoke to me. It told me to find the truth, and their freedom." He spoke slowly, and took a deep breath after he finished.

"And then, then it got fuzzy. Another dream, another cave. Different, and I couldn't move. With loud alarms, and a voice saying 'not yet'."

 

[Maeteris]

Evelyn Harper

Evelyn swore in all three centuries of living, she'd never felt her heart leap up to her throat like it just did. Thankfully, she managed to catch the uninteded yelp before it escaped her, pushed it down to the deepest pits of her black heart.

She quietly stomped towards the window Bug had planted himself on, a twitch bracing her lip. His features were mushed against the clear glass, voice muffled as he declared for all to hear. So much like a real bug! Where are the wipers?

"Hush!" She brought a finger to her lip, or tried to anyway, the duffel bag made it quite tedious, she settled on hefting the bag halfway up. "Fine! I shall dine with you if you cease your infernal buzzing."

She had half a mind to sprint to her quarters. But the better half told her it would mar her image, if it wasnt marred already.

She quietly stalked outside, the smell of grilled meats was appetizing, so much so, she could feel her stomach grumbling. Spirits damn it.


Evelyn kept her head down, for all the help it would do now. Quickly, she procured salads, and a measly drink before stealthily slithering away to a secluded part of the yard.

What would Maylee Song say if he saw her now? Or better yet, what would the vampire think? No doubt take her for a coward! Perhaps even entertaining the thought of her retreat caused by his presence.

She snuffed an indignant snort.

location: Houston • tags • mood • Outfit • interactions

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Sage

Tags Hayley Britt-21 | Location: Coven HQ ​

Sage grinned with a bit of a rumble. "Right. Sick fish can't help." He did stop looking for a snail when Hayley said they might be hiding. "Maybe hiding. Maybe next time." He moved to check some of the plants in the boxes along the walls. He touched their leaves and looked on the underside to make sure they were healthy and getting enough water and nutrients.

"I sometimes work in other rooms. Or uh.. carrying things. They like me to carry a lot of things around for them." Sage tilted his head to one side, a hand rubbing at his head where the horn stub would be. "And I tend to plants and fish. And pets and.. clean things."

There was a lot of little things he did, some he didn't mind, others he really didn't want to think about. But he really liked the garden area. "This is my favorite place. It smells nice. Makes me think of rain, but.. rain smells ... fresher? Still. Close to rain smell. I .. I made the fountain there. Took me a while to get it just right. To make it sound like rain."

"I made it for the sleeping room first. And then I liked it, so I made it here too. Others have different fountains. Some like the rushing sound. Like waterfall. One.. one wanted it with some of the lava sleeping deep down in the ground. It is pretty, but.. burned me some. It's all healed now." Sage held up his left hand showing the palm, which was healed, but faint scarring could be seen. "It's fine now."

coded by natasha.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Griffin Banks

Tags: Vinegar Bees ⬇
Location: ✈ ​

Banks always at least looked like he was listening to what Winnie was saying. And he was, that was one of the good things about the man. He found it interesting to hear about the lives of others. I made his world more robust, and diverse. Somehow he gained a sense of personal satisfaction in being a 'good listener'.

"So.. was the master the only one who could? Or just the others could but wasn't given permission to?" He gave a bit of a chuckle. "I've seen similar power plays in different groups, even in humans. Someone claims they can do something, but in reality, they actually couldn't do the thing."

"And would you question anything your .. lady would tell you do now? With all the things you know now, have experienced since then.. Would you still do whatever she asked you do, no matter what it was?" Banks knew about blind loyalty, it was a concept that was intriguing to be sure. He couldn't say he'd ever be in that kind of position, or what he'd wind up doing.

"Are there things you wouldn't do? And if so, why?" He gave a little laugh, and waved one hand in apologetic dismissale. "Sorry, you don't have to answer any of that. Just.. curious. I like talking, talk too much sometimes Park would say." A small chuckle then. "Hope she gets the promotion at the precinct opening up soon. Don't think she even knew about it."

coded by natasha.

 

[KodakWolf]

Maddox Ward (Leif Hjalkarssen)
Location: Wright Wranch
Tags: Chase Moon ( Out Of Words ) ​

"I outright refuse to fetch you a coke with that drink selection." His words didn't outright answer the questions, but his eyes did. Again, it wasn't really a pre planned thing, but it seemed like Chase only needed a small hint to come up with stuff himself; not gonna complain. "What's it gonna be?"

He'd get up to fetch whatever Chase chose (except coke, he wasn't lying), avoiding Tilly as possible (or her eyes, at least) as she was definitely not the quiet type. He fetched himself a plate of food for once too, as it seemed just stupid to not try Tilly's cooking when everyone seemed to worship it.

"Guess we're all too young to deal with this stuff. Devlin's probably too young to deal with this stuff." Leif spoke as he handed Chase the drink. The moon seemed to be taking it's toll on Devlin the hardest, in fact, with all the visions. Tilly, however, didn't seem as badly affected. "What do you mean by stages? If it's the same moon, why would people be in different stages?" he tilted his head a bit, taking a seat back on the arm of the chair across from Chase.

A once again screaming Bug drew his attention as he ran back towards the house, smushing himself against the window to greet (who would've thought) Evelyn back. Leif frowned slightly as he watched the woman ultimately head to the barbecue area, grabbing some food before retreating to a more secluded part of the yard.

"Someone's back." he merely uttered, before turning his gaze away from her, not yet sure what to think. Her returning had to be a good thing, probably a better chance at succeeding in their task. Still, her presence everywhere would be, at the very least, a distracting factor. He hoped Devlin'd seen enough to prevent previously made mistakes, as Tilly had implied.

 

[Vinegar Bees]

Maylee flushed with embarrassment at the tower of meat balanced precariously on her dish—honey-glazed ribs still dripping from the grill, a sweet-smelling steak jutting ever-so-slightly off the edge of the overcrowded plate, even a roasted leg with a pine nut coating. It was enough to feed three people her size, or perhaps even four, but Tilly had insisted, and Maylee had found herself too disoriented by the woman's firecracker pop of energy to put up much resistance.

Still, though the human side of her stared with daunted bewilderment at the feast she was meant to conquer, the wolf within her thrilled. If it were the friendlier type, it may even have wagged its tail.

She was just lifting the leg to her lips, taking a restrained bite as the scalding meat released its juices into her quickly-overwhelmed mouth, when a sudden clamor caught her attention. It was Bug, screaming again, and she felt her heart drop to her feet. Oh, no. Was something bad happening to Bug again?

But as she raced to investigate, Maylee saw a decidedly ecstatic Bug greeting a newcomer to the festivities—

Her heart leapt at the sight of the tall, fine-boned woman. No—not a newcomer at all.

Maylee felt a smile take shape as Evelyn collected her food and skulked off to eat in a disgruntled manner, and before she could stop herself, she was walking over, the meat stacked atop her dish listing dangerously as she went.

"Ms. Harper—er, Evelyn—"

She could think of little to say except the truth.

"I'm glad you're here."

No judgment. No implication, really, that she had even left in the first place. Maylee didn't want to overwhelm the woman into changing her mind again, especially after Bug had given such an animated greeting.

For a split second, the impulse to give Evelyn a light, friendly hug flashed through her brain, but Maylee was able to suppress it in time. The plate of food occupying both of her hands would make that difficult, to be sure, and she didn't imagine Evelyn was the type to be receptive to such a thing. She surely wouldn't be as gracious about it as Shia had been.

"I... I'll let you eat your food in peace," she said, nodding at the much more modest portion of food on Evelyn's plate. "But... really. I'm glad."

Maylee hoped the smile she left Evelyn with wasn't too ungainly as she turned to allow the elf her privacy. After any amount of time without training, her muscles would grow stiff and clumsy, and apparently the muscles that made smiles were no different, though she had had more opportunities for practice tonight than she had in a long while.

One of the less-familiar faces caught her eye, then—the tiny Leviathan, a whirl of energy as he tried to summon the group to activity. Maylee set a course for him.

"Hi," she said, a little cautiously, when she had caught up to the fair-haired boy. He hadn't voiced any objections when she disclosed her line of work the night before—none of the group had—but she hadn't spoken with most of them privately, and she didn't know whether Levi harbored any doubts about her occupation.

"I, uh... I have a lot to work off," she said, nodding at the slightly-diminished but still profuse tower of meat on her plate. "So I'm game for some kind of... well, game. Pun not intended." A nervous chuckle escaped her throat. "What did you have in mind?"

( Tags: Maeteris | Out Of Words )​

maylee song.

hunter | werewolf

 

[Rhyme]

Indy
Tags: Out Of Words
​

Have you ever danced in the congregation?

Indy had. A single fish among the sea of white dresses that crested like waves as members of their church churned and spun against the rhythmic sound of the pastor's voice, all to the background sound of a screen of drumming rain that splashed from all sides of the open wood canopy. Even as a child, tossed along with the movement, she had known to keep her eyes to the ground--to avoid looking up at God, at the wide-eyed, stretched expressions of the church members in worship as their gazes glazed over with panic and reverence.

Foster had that expression now, his mind undoubtedly plagued with demons invisible to Indy but viscerally real to him. His soft voice echoed his hesitation and pain, repeating his refusal toward calm, toward his present reality like a chant to the heavens as he clutched his arms around himself.

"Foster, you," she was interrupted by the sound of cracking joints. Her head whipped back to see Key, still reclined and seemingly unaware, before turning back to Foster. His hands were gripping each other tightly, right squeezing the left like a bundle of dry sticks as it cracked. Indy reached out instinctively, grasping his hands in his own and trying to stop his fingers as they dug desperately into his own skin, red streaks standing out on his pale hand.

"Jesus Christ." Her own hand was numb. If he lost it, if he lost his mind, she would be alone in this, she would be alone in trying to escape and maybe she could leave him but fuck wouldn't that be wrong and she needed him to "Snap out of it!"

The words were harsher than she meant to speak, coming out in a low his as she pulled her hand back and carefully snapped the phone shut and shoved it in between the chair cushions.

Her left hand was still limp, but numb. She had enough mobility to reach up, grasping his face with both hands as she tried to direct his distant, haunted gaze back to her.

"If we don't stay calm, if we don't plan, we will die. Okay? We will fucking die. So fucking stop and listen to me." She took a deep breath, looking at his hand and back up to his face.

So the road to Hell was paved in good intentions; maybe the road to freedom was paved in pain.

"Listen to me." She reached forward and pressed her face alongside his, mimicking a hug and she spoke quietly in his ear. "We have to do this, together. Or we fucking die."

She reached her hands into his lap, on top of his as she grabbed his left hand in her right.

Firey anticipation welled up in her gut. She could smell him this close, all the delicate and earthy smells of small mammals contaminated by the sterile scent of the plane. She breathed in once, filling her lungs and gritting her teeth.

"Together." She whispered. "So I grab your left, you grab mine, and on three, we fucking pull. And we don't fucking scream."

Her fingers curled around the cool metal on his left wrist, wrapping around it tightly as she braced herself for the oncoming wave of pain.

 

[AsherMasher]

Clementine Holt​

As the days dragged on, the warm pendant that lay on around her neck seemed to be the only thing to ground her in reality. Clementine forced herself to ignore the shifting visuals when in the presence on her grandparents and faked smiles when they were around.

She thought tonight’s dinner wouldn’t be an exception. As her view changed to a unfamiliar cave, Clementine’s mind went blank. Even as she became desensitized to this shift, the rapid change of the peaceful setting disoriented her. The strange voice emanating from her grandfather send chills up her spine. She clenched her hands around her knife and fork in frustration and fear.
Clementine had taken each blow to her subconscious in hopes that it would prevent it from affecting those she loved. This new shift seemed to break something in her. This has been going on for too long. Without thinking, she suddenly stood up at the now nonexistent table and went to shout at the vision. But before she could summon her voice, the scene came back to as the normal dinner setting. Clementine blinked and looked at her grandparents in disbelief and embarrassment. She almost lost control and, almost as punishment, a pain became to form behind her eyes.

She excused herself from dinner saying she wasn’t feeling well. She quickly escaped into her room and threw herself onto the bed. Even with the headache forming in her temples, Clementine made a determined huff and grasped her pendant confidently. She closed her eyes and began thinking of what the winged girl in her dream told her all those days ago. While sitting in her room alone, Clementine recited her mantra and pressed all her thoughts toward the girl. Maybe that way she could think of a plan to escape this hell.

 

[Silver-]

Silver Blackwood
Tags: None | Location: Wellington, FL
​

Ethereal rays of a crimson hue bore down on the land for yet another night, the once comforting glow of the moon now a phantom menace in the eyes of the skeptics and those that had once gazed skyward with naive hope whom could only avert their ogling. The celestial body was not reverting back to it’s colorless form anytime soon. A pair of dark eyes stared down at the light that had made it’s way into their bedroom but not with the same fear that most others of her kind held but instead with pure interest. Silver sat up in bed after having awoken from another nightmare—the third day in a row this week, she noted. This nightmare in particular left her with a pressure on her chest as if an invisible force were pushing her down even as she sat up, her hands gripping her bed sheets tautly as she scanned her room to locate the non-existent source. It nearly felt as if she were being watched.

Glancing into the open doorway of her room, all that greeted her was the yawning darkness of the unlit hallway that led to the living room and front door. Even from here she could hear her parents snoring softly, sound asleep. They had seemed unaffected by the staining of the moon, going about their daily routines as if nothing were going on or at least, her mother had been. She stared down harshly at her lap when she thought of her father and his annoyingly aggressive antics that had increased in volume since the moon had changed two weeks ago. He tended to turn his inner paranoia into bouts of yelling tantrums against her. The pressure on her chest spread as a result of her fierce emotion, forcing her to abide as she laid back on her bed and squeezed her eyes closed as if it would make the sensations go away.

The invisible eyes followed her everywhere lately, the fixation inescapable unless she were to fall into her dreams where even then were only bloody nightmares full of humans now. She dreamt less and less of her wolf lately which only upped the anxiety that fluttered constantly in her heart at the possibility that maybe they had gone away, driven off by the phenomena mixed with her inability to stop the depressive episodes that exhausted her on the daily. Silver’s furtive attempts to hide the anguish that her father incited had been done for so long that she was used to ignoring her own emotions until proven to be an issue. No matter how interested she was in the crimson moon, for example, the onslaught it brought forth on her both mentally and physically were deteriorating her in ways she didn’t notice until the phases helped define the fluctuations that racked her.

Full moons and new moons were when she slept the least as those were the times when she awakened in the middle of the night from dreaming of some kind of dark wolf-like beast standing at her bedside with blaring crimson eyes staring straight down at her. She couldn’t help but fear that one day she would get up and it would really be standing there, tangible and all. The buildup to those dreams was the very pressure that sat on her chest right now, growing with every minute that she stayed awake along with the feeling of being watched through the closed blinds on her windows. Not to mention her ever present incubus that hounded her every night. Thankfully, during the day there was relief from both the gruesome scenes her unconscious mind conjured as well as her father. The only thing that remained consistent were vertigo and nausea but she correlated those to something more logical: her terrible ability to remember to stay hydrated.

Shaking her head, Silver growled softly to herself in irritation. I need to clear my head. She couldn’t allow her nightmares to overwhelm her any longer, regardless of their level of morbidness. They were just dreams. Her breath caught in her throat when she slipped out of bed, her swift movement combatting that of her actual readiness and in turn causing her to feel as if she was falling; her vision failing her as vertigo grasped her in all it's familiarity. She caught herself just before she could make a loud commotion, using the edge of her bed as support to then stumble slightly over to her desk chair that some of her clothes sat folded on. She swapped her large sleeping t-shirt for a black sweater with a red logo on it along with a pair of leggings before silently making her way to the back door of the house. After slipping on a pair of sneakers, she carefully opened the door and snuck outside into the backyard. Her skin crawled at the sight of the moon’s nearly full appearance but her mind hummed with excitement.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

BUG

Tags: Maeteris ⬇
Location: Wright Wranch​

Bug had, surprisingly, not spilled any of his food in his attempt to become one with the window while welcoming back Eve. He had half expected a hug or some such, though in hindsight he didn't know much about the elf lady.

So when she grabbed some food and slunk off to a lonely table to be lonely, well, Bug couldn't have any of that! Maybe that's why she left! She was lonely! So moments after Maylee departed, Bug was there, claiming a seat and putting his food down on the table.

"Bug won't let you be lonely! I'll be your Bug Buddy! Trademark pending. Somewhere. After I remember to file for the trademark. Heh." And then he noticed her plate of food did not have any of Tilly's great BBQ meat on it. "OH! OH! Here.. I already ate, I can share."

Bug then proceeded to pile BBQ chicken, BBQ turkey, BBQ brisket, some roasted on the grill corn, a grilled baked potato and.. oh just have the whole plate. Bug pushed the plate over to join her little teeny tiny salad.

"I'm so glad you came back, because one, you have pointed ears." Bug could see things. Not like Shia tendrils and what not. He just saw things, but half the things never registered in his head as something he just saw. "Two, you're tall" Bug chittered with a grin.

"Three, you're cool." Bug flashed her two thumbs up with a weird over exaggerated wink. "Four.. I can count to four!" He held up his hand and showed each finger up to four. "Wow! That was unusually focused for me. What was I.. oh.. FIVE!"

Now at this, he moved out of his seat to suddenly attempt to wrap his arms around Evelyn in a hug. Bug thought he gave the best hugs. Because you know, Bug in a rug gave the best hug. Or something like that. He hugged and did one of those joint swaying things people in hugs tend to do as he gave the fifth and final point of why he was happy Evelyn was back.

"I love you, too!"

coded by natasha.

 

[Maeteris]

Evelyn Harper

The vampire murmured something under his breath, too far for her to hear. But she didnt miss the gaze he'd sent her way before just as quickly turning away. Tch. She poked her fork through the salads, spearing lettuce and apple and crunched quietly, determined not to raise anymore attention towards herself.

But alas, it seemed Bug's voice had alerted the whole yard, nay, the neighborhood as Evelyn heard the crunch of footsteps approaching her spot.

It was Maylee Song, a smile gracing her tanned features, a plateful of food on one hand. Evelyn held the urge to grimace from the sight of such an extravagant meal. The mix scents of honey, spices amongst other unnamed ingredients assaulted her nostrils.

Evelyn braced herself for the barrage of taunts and insults. Oh she could hear it ringing. Coward! No wonder we dont see Aelves anymore! So youre a french Aelf huh? Makes sense for you to surrender before a fight.

Maylee Song would not know of the truth about the latter however. Evelyn heard that particular barb far too many times for her to forget.

But for all her preparations, Evelyn did not prepare for the best of outcomes, if it could be regarded as the 'best'.

Maylee Song padded away after she'd said her piece--twice in fact. Somehow 'glad' Evelyn was present. Glad. For what purpose?

The question remained unspoken, her voice caught in her throat from the sudden surprise. Her meal lay forgotten as the scene transpired again in her mind. Eager to prove a point, whatever it may be. Perhaps Maylee Song was just being courteous. Yes.

Or a hidden agenda.

No. She's far too much of a stick. Evelyn thought as she watched Maylee Song's retreating back.

A sudden clamor beside her jolted her attention, "Spirits damn it." Evelyn cursed, looking away from Maylee Song, glancing quickly to the source, a plate of food. No. A plate of a glutton's food. And here, the glutton, Bug, in all his splendour. "For wha-" She started, the sentence already written in her mind, but cut off just as quickly.

He went on, and somehow Evelyn was surprised she'd let him. She chalked it all up to a part of her still reeling from the embarrassment. The air went quiet just for a split second, as he appraised her meal, was he thinking of eating her salads?! Her hands flew up to block, but again, her presumptions proved false, as he merely added a year's worth of food on her plate. Her hands retreated back to her lap, fingers burying into her palms as she watched the meats falling, followed by the grilled greens until a dribble of barbecue sauce followed.

Finally the man thought to give up his endeavour and just shove the plate--his plate--next to hers.

She opened her mouth, and the plan was to politely. Veh'lkhasaa politely, thank him for his thoughtfulness, and then make small talk, if it pleased him, of that she was sure it will, then ask him to leave.

But the man was faster on the oral trigger than she was, and in no time, an entire dictionary of words flew out of his cabbage hole. In a way, perhaps she could see him poking fun at her aelven features, but he was clearly… too innocent for such a feat. The honesty was radiating off him like Solis.

She found herself nodding. Slowly at first, convincing herself civility will reward her in the end, and then the nodding just became monotone, to satisfy the creature known as Bug so she herself wouldnt need to interrupt his rambling with her own voice.

He was proud of counting to five. How adorably childish. He stopped talking. Evelyn forced herself not to sigh in relief. Finally, patience and civility does win in the end. "Thank you fo--"

He moved, just in the opposite direction she'd wanted him to. And now he was wrapped around her torso like… like.. Her brain ceased to function from the close proximity. The scent of smoke and barbecue hung off Bug was strong.

The rational part of her brain that still functioned tried to make sense of why Bug moved her body slowly like grass to the wind.

Vehklas!WhyareyouallowingthisVaryaSCURIS?! Throw this knave to the side and kick him in!

She almost did, until she'd caught the sight of Maylee Song, happily socializing with another, and her attention flew somewhere else, the vampire and the charming mortal looking so contented with each other's company, does the other not realize he dines on blood? And there was Allison Wright and the Bear of a Man Edwin, casually chatting away in the night.

She looked down, the radiating honesty was too close. Scorching. But there was a message. She sighed, prying herself away from Bug's grasp as gracefully as she could manage. Her hand goes to fix a non-existing tie, and she realized too late, so she just rubbed her chin to cover. "As I was saying, thank you for… Caring. And I do think you are 'cool' as well." Heat rose to her neck.

Turning away momentarily before sitting down. "I could assist you with the trademarking of this Bug-buddy. Of course you would need an attorney but that comes later." Gradually, she felt like herself and then more.

Love. What was it.

Evelyn didnt know, nor did she pretend to. But Bug talked like he did, so in a way, he was more than her. And that was enough to humble the Aelf.

location: Houston • tags • mood • Outfit • interactions

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Tags Silver- | Location: Wellington, Florida | Wed, May 13th ​

The moon dominated the sky with it's bloodied face, casting spells and hexes some would claim. There were more reports of strange occurrences by word of mouth, spotty, as if it wasn't really news. One could find them digging through the articles online if they searched long enough. It was something that would be printed on page 14 of section B in the newspaper rather than on the front page.

In Florida, a lot of them seemed to be getting tied to the 'Florida Man' meme the state seemed to have. It was as if the world was trying to give an explanation to the unexplained, business as usual. What they couldn't explain, they didn't report on, simple as that. Didn't mean it stopped happening. Didn't mean there wasn't something magical. Such as when Silver left the quiet, debatable safety, of her home, and stood outside to view the moon with unfiltered eyes.

Silver's area was a small neighborhood, considered rural as it was mostly quarter acre plots, with neighbors with small crops, others with fenced in livestock such a chickens, pigs, goats, and horses. Small bits of land left unsullied by the busier city limits. Most of the area backed up to a treeline leading farther out of the city, where the woods ruled.

It was among those trees where Silver could spot movement silhouetted by the red light of the moon. It was rather tall, standing higher than an average human when using the trees as a comparison ruler. A second look clearly revealed the form to be something not quite human.

Standing on two legs, limbs were longer, almost misshaped when using human standards. The pointed ears, bushy tail, and elongated muzzle appeared closer to a wolf, or other animal. There was a howl, the type to cause goosebumps. The figure's head lifted, shoulders and back arcing as clawed hands stretched out to either side as long as the howl continued.

Then, almost abruptly, the howl was cut off and the figure stumbled. It crashed against the bark of a tree and slowly slid down to the ground, hidden by the natural brush and undergrowth of the woods. Silver could pick up a soft echo of the body falling to the ground.

And still the bleeding moon watched from above.

coded by natasha.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Chase Moon

Tags KodakWolf ⬇
Location: BBQ ​

Chase laughed at the outright decline of getting him a Coke. "Well, pick something for me then. Something sweet?" Wuffle wuffle. Chase didn't often drink alcohol, so anything Leif got him would likely do the trick sooner rather than later.

He wound up with one screwdriver, a shot of windex, and a bloody mary to finish it off. Wuffle. Chase started sipping on the screwdriver before remarking on what he meant by stages. "Seems like it affects us in different ways, and different stages. Like.. Bug. He's got.. according to Shia, a mega ton of those tethers. He isn't feeling in pain, it seems to be increasing his energy. Probably can't sleep, probably getting difficult to keep his thoughts focused."

He gestured to Levi who was now in conversation with Maylee. "Levi said he had some trouble sleeping, and some tightness in his chest. But he's still able to function from appearances at least. Where as with me.." Wuffle. "It just started with a strong physical ache, and moved swiftly into pain in my spine and legs. From what I've heard and seen, mine is currently the most debilitating physically."

He was nearly done with the screwdriver, and his face was a little flushed. "So, seems like different stages. Or different ... degrees?" Then he saw Bug throwing an excited fit, and he couldn't help but wuffle and grin as he watched. Chase finished the screwdriver and followed it with the shot of windex as a chaser.

Wuffle wuffle. "Looks like it. Probably go..oh Bug. No. I.. oh. Bug." Chase covered his mouth to muffle the laughter as he watched Bug go over and hug Miss Harper. Eyes crinkled and his cheeks grew more flushed. "Yeah.. okay. Sorry. I don't drink so uh..." He laughed with a shrug, letting the drinks he did take so far settle before trying the bloody mary."What was I saying?"

coded by natasha.

 

[Vinegar Bees]

Banks, as it turned out, was far more interested in talking about her than about himself, which troubled Winnie deeply. In her experience, it was usually the opposite—most people, when she asked, were more than happy to oblige her feigned interest in them (not that she didn't care to learn about others, just that she would prefer to flee from most conversations), as if they had been waiting for the opportunity to abandon the topic of something as pallid and uninteresting as herself. But Banks wasted no time in glossing over her own question and firing off a veritable magazine of his own—there was no time left in between each, even, to allow her to answer, and Winnie could feel her head beginning to spin. He was a cop, wasn't he? Was she being interrogated...?

She could feel her heart pounding in her temples as she tried to process everything Banks had asked. He would be angry if she didn't give a proper response, right—? At the manor, she was expected not to speak unless spoken to, but when addressed, a proper response was mandatory.

"U-Um... well..."

What did she really know about the process of turning? She had just sort of assumed that the master was the only one in the manor with the ability—Banks's new suggestion, that perhaps others could but were not permitted, left an uneasy feeling within her.

"The master is the only one who can create... more of us. That's how it has always been in the manor, um, even before I got there. So... th-that's it. I don't question the rules. I just follow them."

It was the other question, though—because, really, the last few questions were really one wrapped together—that dug the greatest pit of trepidation within her.

Would you ever defy your Lady?

It was a question Winnie wasn't even sure she could answer herself. No, she thought automatically, of course not—but could she, really, promise unflagging loyalty to her Lady? As far as she knew, she had thus far succeeded—but what if there came an order she found herself too cowardly to fulfill? Or worse—

It was a private thought, one her subconscious had barely even unveiled to her waking mind, but it had haunted her in fleeting, violent flashes during nightmares birthed in her rare moments of sleep. If, somehow, the balance between them were to shift—

If she were the one standing above the Lady, holding her leash, authority clutched firmly in the palm of her hand—

—would she be kind, magnanimous? Would she be a petty tyrant, fussing over meals and the precise sweep of her hair? Or would she be something far worse—?

"My only purpose is to serve my Lady," she said firmly to Banks, her mouth pressed together in a hard line. "Children's dolls have no wills of their own, and neither do I. If my Lady ordered me to give my life for her, I would. Without question."

No, she thought in a faint panic, that's too much of a platitude. Too rehearsed—disingenuous. Her eyes darted quickly back and forth as she desperately searched her brain for something with more impact, more weight.

After a moment, she pulled the 'skirt' of her oversized sweatshirt up to her thigh and bent at the waist to run a hand over the cool, bloodless material of her prosthesis.

"If my Lady ordered me to get a new one," she said, with more decisiveness than she felt, "I would find a way."

( Tags: Out Of Words )​

winnie sawyer.

psychic vampire

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Leviathan Black

TAGS: Everyone at the BBQ ​

Levi gave Maylee a big grin, one of those ear to ear things that made his green eyes seem even brighter. He was happy someone was taking him up on the offer of physical entertainment. Levi felt like he needed to burn a lot of energy off in order to sleep well on the plane.

Leviathan wasn't a fan of planes, hadn't been on one yet, so the anxiety of doing so was starting to get pretty high. Best to burn himself to the point of exhaustion before then. "Well, I remember Devlin saying he had some old sports equipment in the shed by the barn. Let's go look!"

Levi chuffed happily and gestured for Maylee to come with him. "I don't know what he has, but he has something. That's better than nothing." Next to the barn was a shed that could have been a tiny home all by itself.

The door wasn't locked, so Levi opened it up and flipped on the light. There were shelves upon shelves of just stuff. They were organized in boxes, but the manner of organization was questionable. There were some soccer balls with the volleyball net, while the volleyball was with the croquet stakes. And then there were some giant foam fists for some type of boxing. And..

"Oh.. my god.." Levi quickly turned around and showed Maylee what he found. "Is this what I think it is?" It looked like a long cone on a stick. It was like a modified replica of olden times, only not as lethal. It would still pack a good wallop, but the death rate was nil if used correctly. The cone itself was a thick foam wrapped in fabric casing.

"Grab the others, I've got these. This is great!" Leviathan then trotted out of the shed carrying two, leaving Maylee with another two. They bobbed slightly as Levi walked with them, like foam things tend to do. And they were almost as long as he was tall. Maybe even matching his height.

"WHO WANTS TO JOUST?"

coded by natasha.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Foster Croft

Tags: Rhyme Vinegar Bees | Location: ✈ ​

Foster was reaching the level of shallow breathing which would result in hyperventilating sooner rather than later. When Indy held his face in her hands, it seemed to snap him out of the remembered nightmare, at least for that moment.

Green eyes were watering, from pain, from fear, from a deep seated sense of helplessness he had vowed years ago to never feel again. Yet here he was, here it was. His chest shuddered with a silent gasp of breath, a last vestige of hope against a growing darkness on the horizon.

A tear fell, trailing down an all too pale face to land on one of his hands. He couldn't feel it, his body numb, too numb. Something wasn't right, bu this head was in a fog, he couldn't put two and two together much less dissect why he was suddenly absofuckinglutely terrified inside.

Foster did at least seem to hear Indy's words, or rather he was nodding his head. His hands were slower to move, he couldn't quite figure out how to grasp or what to grasp. Green eyes blinked as he tried to focus on Indy's face, lips parted as he wanted to say or ask something.

Only Key was there first. His face looking at them from slightly between and above their seats. His expression unreadable, but his voice was cold as ice, chilled enough to warrant goosebumps along the arms. "If you're quite finished. Indigo, return to your seat. Banks!"

Key stood up and also gestured for the flight attendant. "Two for sleeping." He gestured to Indy and Foster. "Banks, please sit here, and keep an eye on them. I need to talk with Coda." Key gestured for Banks to sit where he had been, which gave him a view of the rest of the plane.

He moved then, intercepting the flight attendant, taking the tray from her. Key moved to Foster, holding out a pill. "Easy way, or hard way. You will not like the hard way. Easy way, you sleep for a little while and your hand heals."

Foster didn't offer up resistance. He wanted to sleep through the merging of two nightmares, he needed some type of mental respite. So the pill was taken and swallowed down with his bottle of water. "Coda, please meet me in the cabin in the back. I will be there shortly, after I see what Miss Sanderson is going to do."

Key offered the pill and the same offer, his face trained on her, as if hoping she picked the hard way.

coded by natasha.

 

[Rhyme]

Indy
Tags: Out Of Words Vinegar Bees
​

She could see the pain and confusion in Foster's eyes as his fingers ghosted over her cuff, his lips trembling as he started to speak---

Then Key was there, like Hades appearing from the shadows as he was suddenly looming over them, the surrounding temperature freezing Indy in her place. Then, more goddamn pills brought by more goddamn flight attendants with plastic smiles and plastic trays carrying capsules of potential death. And bargaining, don't forget the bargaining that Key presented, as if Indy had any chips left to play with. She hated him for that most of all, that suave act he presented as if their choices were truly their own and he was simply an orchestrator of circumstance.

Indy stood slowly. She stared into her own reflection in Key's glasses, hand twitching with the desire to rip them off and spit in his eyes. For all she knew, that pill was death--sleeping in the lion's den without any chance to fight back or react.

The woman in Key's glasses stood at odds with Indy's internal fire, however. That woman looked older, swollen circles framing darkened eyes and an erratic nest of hair that stuck glued to the nervous sweat on her reddened cheeks.

Behind Indy, she heard Foster take the pill with minimal hesitation and swallow it quickly. The woman in Key's glasses glanced back at Foster's broken expression, her own eyes diming at the sight. The fires of rage died to bitter exhaustion, rolling through her body like a heavy stone as she looked at the offered drugs.

May the coals stay warm in this dark winter.

She reached out and took the pill, not the challenge, as she stuck it into her mouth and swallowed--the chalky chasing leaving an itchy trail down her throat and into her gut. She stuck out her tongue briefly, proving she swallowed it as she spoke. "Promise I'll dream of you?" Her voice was raw. She reached up, giving into minimal temptation as her fingers hovered over his glasses, her fingertips just a hair away as she mimicked a light tap. "Always hated guys who wore sunglasses inside. Just dickheads."

Then she turned, ready to make her way back to her original seat with one last glance at Foster.

 

[Britt-21]

Interactions: Out Of Words | Location: Coven HQ

Thank goodness, Sage dropped the snails as he got up and started to check the plants that were in their own boxes along the walls. Pushing herself up from the crouching position, she continued to watch him, listening to what he would do, or what he had done potentially for the day. Though what she was hearing made her feel worse about his life and how he was treated as basically a slave. Taking care of plants, pets, cleaning, being a pack mule, and a construction worker. Things were going to have to change once she had a nice chat with some people, her business side was threatening to come out just to deal with this herself. The magic user continued to listen to the Minotaur, smiling gently as he said that this was his favorite place with the smells and made him think of rain. She took a look at the fountain he was talking about, nodding softly "It looks very pretty, Sage." walking up next to him, she gave him that same warm smile that was hanging around her lips. Though when he had shown her the scar on his hand that was faint, she shook her head just a bit.

"Sage, how would you feel if I told you I can possibly help you get into a better spot than the one you're in now?" she asked, slipping her hands into her pockets as she looked at him with her Hazel gaze. Maybe make him something other than a slave to the coven. "Just something to show my appreciation for helping me with my bedroom." she pursed her lips while her thoughts began to roam. Despite what I saw in the file, I feel like there's more I need to figure out about him. The only people who'd know that are the higher ups, and talking to them is usually quite difficult at times. "I just don't want to give your hopes up if something doesn't go as planned, which is why I'm not making any promises right now." if he was comfortable as he was, then she wouldn't force him into another role that could possibly make him uncomfortable.​

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Serious Talks (via Discord Chat) | Current Timeline: May 15th​

Tags: Vinegar Bees
Location: ✈

Coda blew out a slow, measured breath through his teeth as he waited for Key to join him in the back cabin. What was that guy planning—? It had been unmistakable. When he had heard Indy and Foster's strange, stilted conversation and moved to intercept, he had briefly locked eyes with Key (well, as a figure of speech, anyway) and noticed a subtle but unmistakable shake of the head from the serpentine magician. He didn't know what the two had been planning—or, well, if they had been planning anything, if he were being truly honest—but allowing two prisoners to talk privately between themselves seemed like an invitation for mutiny.

Either way, Indy was his charge—for the moment, at least. Why hadn't Key wanted him to step in as her guard?

And this... the talk they were about to have. There was no denying that he was downright ravenous to learn something more than the pittance he had so far received, but it struck him again just how thoroughly unreadable Key had made himself. Whatever Key was planning on telling him—he was sure there was a veritable iceberg of what he wasn't. Just how productive was this talk going to be?

Only one way to find out, he supposed. And so he waited.

It was only a few minutes later when Key entered the cabin and made sure the door was locked. If there was an emergency, he'd know. Inside the cabin was a desk, one chair behind it, two other chairs facing the front of the desk. Key gestured to the two. "Please, make yourself comfortable."

Key moved to the chair behind the desk, fixing two glasses of Scotch from the mini bar along the wall on the side. No ice, straight Scotch. One glass was set in front of Coda, the other one Key held up in a toast.

"To the Coven."

As directed, Coda took a seat—the leftmost of the two—though he couldn't imagine mustering comfort in Key's presence. He grasped the glass Key had set down in front of him, eyeing the Scotch rippling within. Coda didn't much care that he was, technically, under the legal drinking age, so it was good to know Key didn't care, either.

Still, it puzzled him, the sudden gesture. Paranoid, maybe, but he had a hard time not viewing everything Key did as some sort of puzzle to be solved.

As Key toasted the Coven, Coda nodded his assent. "And to the victors—history." Then he took a swig of the Scotch, faintly noting that the burning sensation felt like his own blood.

Key downed the amount that was in his glass and set it down on the table with a satisfying thunk. Then he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest. "So, we still have a long trip ahead of us, but would be good to iron out some things before we land."

"First... I need to know do you need to feed after landing, or can it be postponed until we have everyone settled in, which would be maybe a couple of hours after landing."

Every cell in his body was screaming: Now. Rend. Tear. Rip. Now. And, indeed, if it were completely up to him, he would rather sink his teeth into something wicked the moment the plane touched down, but—again, he found himself picking apart every word out of Key's mouth. Was this another test, maybe? A challenge? Did Key suspect he lacked the endurance to hold off a little longer—?

"I can wait," he said firmly. "The hungrier I am, the better the show you'll get."

Key nodded, "Good. I will have a task for you then. If you think you need to feed first in order to carry it out, speak up. Otherwise, I will need you to severely wound someone to the point of it would be a mercy for them to be killed. But you are not doing the killing yourself. It needs to leave them in such agonizing pain, that they beg for mercy."

Key tilted his head a bit and gave a small smile. "Think on it a moment, and let me know your thoughts."

Severely wound someone? Beg for mercy? Coda could feel something like electricity tracing his skin at the thought, the hairs on his arms standing on end. The memory of Indy's shrill, agonized scream still echoed between his ears, and the intoxicating pleasure it brought was equal parts enthralling and disgusting.

More, the voices within him clamored. More. More

Tantalus had had his taste.

"I can do it," he said fiercely, staring at the glassy dark surface of Key's glasses. "And I don't need to be sated first. I could be at death's door and hurting would still be what I do best."

Key gave an actual smile and another nod of his head. "Good." Though there was a pause before he added, "Even if it is someone on this plane?"

He paused, a jolt running through him. Someone on this plane? Why would Key want to bring someone on the plane to the brink of death? It didn't add up. There were employees—well, Roje, of course, he had already maimed, but she would recover—and, though he was fairly certain Key saw everyone on the plane (including Coda himself) as resources more than individuals, Key certainly didn't seem the type to squander resources so quickly. And the captives—he had taken special care to emphasize that they must not be killed or permanently damaged. Why go through all that trouble only to revoke the rule when they landed?

He narrowed his eyes at Key's ever-opaque expression. Just what kind of piece am I on your board, Key?

As for the question—

Everyone on the plane—what were they to him? Strangers at best, insults at worst. The cargo? Nothing more than cargo. Banks? A name and little else. And Roje—?

He thought of their earlier fight, the first one, and how she had backed off when he stupidly allowed his demons to slip through. He thought of her laughing as she tugged his hood down.

A frustrated heat simmered within him.

"As far as I'm concerned," he snarled, "they're all in my way."

Key was getting to be a pro at nodding his head. "Good. It will be after we land and the cargo is sorted. I will let you know when. You have until then to ponder all the ways you can carry this out. The messier, the better."

Now for other items on the table. "Afterward, we'll use the Minotaur's labyrinth and let you hunt to your heart's delight. We have two lined up, a little bonus if you will. You can have both, or save one for later. Let me know before we land as it will take a little arranging."

And the most important. "Once you have fed, you will meet your new charge. They are part of the Silver Circle. The top of the top. Do you feel ready for such an important position?"

The messier, the better.

A little bonus if you will.

The top of the top.

Coda could feel the tense excitement threatening to break into shivers across his skin, and he clenched his fists to keep his hands from trembling, his feet rooted firmly to the floor so his knees wouldn't bounce.

It was what he had been born to do, wasn't it? The earliest years of his childhood were foggy, but certain memories stood out in stark relief, among them the lukewarm bathwater on his skin as his mother scrubbed shampoo into his hair.

You know, when I found out you were on your way, I was sort of expecting an abomination to pop out of me.

He hadn't understood the word at the time and, indeed, didn't hear it again until years later, when it immediately drew the memory up from the depths of his brain.

That's what Mom thought I was.

You're afraid of me, aren't you, Mom?

Mom, why won't you open the door?

Mom...?

"I've lived my whole life getting ready for this."

After all, he had been born to destroy everything he touched.

"I know. We didn't randomly select you. We haven't been easy on you because you have a lot to live up too." Key moved to the computer on the desk. He powered it up and tapped at the keys, the screen not in Coda's line of sight.

"The Coven's time is nigh, and you will help bring us into the reign that is rightfully ours." He turned the monitor around to show a collage of pictures, all taken of Coda in various stages of his life. They had apparently been watching him for a while.

"You and your sister." A keypress and the pictures changed to Maylee, both young and growing up with Coda, and then beyond. Past the hurt of Coda's betrayal, growing up, becoming something else, something darker. They had a picture of a mangy, black wolf, and a picture of Maylee as recent as three months ago.

What? A lot to live up to? What the hell was Key talking about? His mother—? Couldn't be. She had been too weak to face the demons she herself summoned. His father, then? But he didn't have a father. Not a real one, anyway.

Those pictures... they had been with him his entire life. He remembered clammy, sleepless nights when he pushed a pillow over his head but still could not drown out the susurrations in his head, when he climbed beneath his bedframe but still could not shake the eyes he felt, somehow, had to be watching him. To know, now, that they had, that after so many years of thinking himself crazy, he had—

But then everything stopped—his thoughts, his breath, even his heartbeat, if only for a fleeting moment. For a moment, in fact, he did not exist, only the pictures on the screen.

He recognized most of them, if from different angles than those in the family album. That one must have been taken on their first day of middle school, back when he still went to school—she edged him out a little bit in height, back then, her skinny knees pressed together as she held onto the strap of his backpack for safety. She had been so scared, scared that nobody would like her, scared that she would walk into the wrong classroom, scared that she would fail tryouts for the track team.
Little did she know how much she would soon have to truly be scared of.

But those other pictures—he recognized them in the sense that he recognized the short girl with braided dark hair as the same one who had been glued to his side that entire first day of school, but she was changed—there were pictures of her, limping and bloody, and then bold and strong. She had become an athlete during middle school, had grown out of her gawky, skinny frame, but the girl in these photos wasn't a mere athlete. She was a fighter.

Maylee, who cried and scolded him when he squashed a spider crawling on the windowsill.

Her appearance, though, had changed the least. Most of the pictures had been taken at a distance, but he knew her well enough to see it in her stance alone: how she had changed. How her rose-colored glasses had shattered. And that wolf—he didn't want to make the connection, even as his mind told him that of course he knew fucking well what he was looking at.

Coda's heart was pounding as a whirlwind of feeling rushed in his blood, so swift and heady that he wasn't even sure what he was feeling. Anger, yes—but at whom? At her for the life she had gone on to lead? At Key for knowing this whole time? At himself for being the rotten seed that brought this whole inimical orchard to harvest?
Anger, shock, grief, guilt, hate hate hate hate.

"She's not my sister," he said finally and sharply, his voice rising with the blood in his ears, "and she never was!"

His hands were on the desk, now, he realized, shaking as they curled into fists.

"Two freaks without parents," he snarled as the shaking traveled up his arms and chattered in his teeth. "That's all we were. And now—"

Unbidden, an image of Adrien and Malik's ruined bodies flashed in his mind.

Before anything else, you're my son.

"—that's all we'll ever be!"

The last was spat, more of an assault than a simple declaration, and Coda looked down, breath trembling, and realized he was standing, leaning forward at Key's desk. A cold sweat bathed his entire body.

Forcefully, Coda made himself sit back in the chair, gripping the sides as the rage within him lowered to a simmer.
He glared at the picture of the ugly, ragged wolf. "Who did that to her?" It was hissed through gritted teeth, and it was lower and more controlled in volume than his previous outburst, and it was a stupid fucking thing to ask when he already knew the answer.

You did that to her.

Key didn't move from his chair or his relaxed position while Coda threw a bit of a fit. He watched and observed all of the half demon's reactions, taking mental notes and waiting for Coda to show restraint again.

Wasn't as long as Key would have placed bets on, which earned Coda another small smile. Or maybe it was at the question. "She did. She sought out someone to make her into something stronger. At first, she sought out a vampire. Only they didn't have the ability to make another into them. So your sister was pointed toward a werewolf who had the ability to infect her with his darkness."

Key moved a couple of keys to go back to the mangy, black wolf. "Now it is her darkness." Key left the image on the screen, side by side with a younger image of Maylee, before she was infected. "Now, she hunts. Now.. you two have quite a lot of similarities."

oda was able to keep his breath from rasping by holding every muscle as rigid as possible, but no matter his posture or expression, the sweat dripping down his neck would betray the inner turmoil. At the best of times, his skin was a poorly-stitched cocoon just barely containing all of the thunder that constantly roared beneath; now, it was strained to the point of bursting.

There had been a small thread of hope that she had, again, been a victim—fuck’s sake, listen to yourself—that she had suffered some unfortunate attack and had simply moved on with the hand she was dealt. But no—the fact that she had sought out transformation on her own meant something worse than victimhood. It meant he had turned her into someone who knew how to hate.

Even so, his first thought was an impulse to track down that werewolf who had turned her and rip out all of his teeth one by one.

It was clear what had happened. Her darkness. Her hunting. She wanted to destroy him for everything he had destroyed. And in that case—fine. When the time came, he deserved a violent end. But for her to be the one to deal it—it misaligned with every memory of her he kept tucked away in his brain. The damage she must have sustained to fall to that state was Herculean.

Coda felt as if his lungs were studded with glass as he looked from the picture of the snarling, bristling wolf to the girl who used to draw hearts and butterflies on her arms with colorful gel pens. She could have turned out like Adrien, sweet and bright and magnetic. She could have turned out like Malik, grounded and cool-headed and smart.

The worst thing that could have happened to her was to turn out like him.

“I should have killed her when I had the chance,” he said in a low voice, and, for one reason or another, he meant it.

Key observed every little bead of sweat, every tick of a facial muscle, the small twitch of a finger. And he waited. He let the silence linger, the moment drag on, Coda would determine when the picture changed, or when the topic moved on. In Key's mind, this was a necessary mental battle Coda needed to have to face what was coming.

"And should you cross paths again?"

Should you cross paths again—

It was a sickening thought. The pain that now framed her entire existence—it was evident even from the distant, voyeuristic perspective of the photos. To think of looking her in the eye and seeing the hate that had molded and marred him reflected back from within her—

How she must hate him. And how he hated her, too—he always had, he recognized, and even when he loved her, it was with such violence that it was a butchery of the word. Selfish and bottomless—no matter how much she had loved him, back then, it would never be enough to fill the cracks in the swiftly-sinking ship he had become. And he hated her for it.

In the end, he supposed, it would come down to whose hate was stronger.

“If we cross paths again... I imagine only one of us is going to walk away from it,” Coda said. “And I don’t plan on dying until long after I’ve burned my mark into the world.”

Key smiled. "And you'll do that with the Coven." He turned the monitor back around, but slowly, seeing how much he tracked the picture with his eyes.

"Okay, what questions do you have for me? If I can answer them, I will."

Then she was gone, as quickly as she had appeared. Coda watched the image on the monitor turn around and imagined Maylee turning her back on him, her braids lashing at him with contempt.

You, too, he thought resentfully. You were afraid of me, too.

He squeezed his fists tighter and forced his tongue to lurch forward, even if his mind lagged behind. “The moon,” he said. “You’ve been saying we’re going to ‘take care’ of it—does that mean bringing it back to the way it was before? Or—this bleeding. Is that what the coven wants?”

Key tilted his head slightly to the side. "I'm not in one of the inner circles to know what their plan is. However... once you are assigned to your new charge, who is the inner circle, she may be able to give you the information you seek."

"I can say, I do believe the bleeding is a side effect of something the Coven did. How they plan on proceeding..." Key gave a bit of a shrug.

For one reason or another, he suspected that Key knew more than he was letting on, but—

It was unlikely he was going to get more information out of him even if he was lying about not knowing more. Knowing that the moon’s affliction may have been caused by the coven was a start, and if his new charge indeed had the answers he sought... the tense energy within him hummed.

“My new charge. Does she know to expect me? Did she... want a demon to be the one guarding her?”

"Yes. And yes, you were specifically requested, hence, your training." Key moved then, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a small vial. It was black with gold runes, with one small clear strip. As if the strip was to quickly gauge how much was inside the vial.

It glowed slightly, twinkled with small white and colored sparkles. This vial was slowly slid across the desk to Coda. A finger tapped it before Key released it. "This.. is a finer version of what you have already grown accustomed to taking. This.. is a little more powerful, so start with small amounts. Just a fingernail worth, twice a day, for a week. Then it can be increased gradually from there."

Coda’s mind was reeling as he examined the vial and considered this new information. Whoever this woman in the inner circle was, she knew about him—maybe even more than he knew about himself. The thought that he had been specifically requested sent a thrill through him—a sense of power—but it was blunted by how many questions still swirled in his head, questions that wouldn’t get any answers until he met the woman herself.

And the vial—Key knew about his Dust habit?

(Habit, he scoffed. Keep kidding yourself.)

Of course he knew. As Coda had been swiftly learning, nothing slipped past Key. But why encourage it? What did Key stand to gain from feeding Coda’s growing addiction?

Questions within questions. Coda studied the vial for a moment before pocketing it.

“Understood,” he said, and then: “One more question.”

The meeting had illuminated one thing above all else: the coven knew him, inside and out, even the things he tried to hide. Could it be, then, that they knew even the things about himself he had never been able to find answers to—?

The words felt heavy on his tongue even before he spoke them.

“Do you know who my father is?”

Silence lingered for a little bit. Key tapped fingers on the arm of his chair, obviously debating about what to tell Coda. In the end, it seemed like Key gave in and provided the half demon with what he knew.

"Not specifically. However, there is someone in the inner circle who has that information. Not your new charge, but.. she will be able to help you find out who does."

Another thrill went through him, this one unmistakably alloyed with a tight apprehension. All his life, he had wanted to know who his father was, why he hadn’t considered him worthy enough to so much as meet. Then, after he learned the truth of what he was, that his father was not a man but a monster—his drive to find out only grew.

It was dizzying, the thought that he might finally learn who it was, whose name to curse instead of the vague, nameless abstraction he had built in his mind.

“No further questions,” he said grimly.

Key nodded and shut down the computer before standing up. "Very well. Please be sure to find the phone your charge lifted before you sit back down. They should be asleep by now, for a few hours. When you do find the phone, please return it to me."

Key then moved to open the door and held it open for Coda. He tapped Banks on the shoulder to indicate the man could return to his other seat. "Thank you, Banks."

coded by natasha.