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Realistic or Modern A Night Bleeds (Closed)

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Evelyn Harper


D’Shire rejoined her and Song, seemingly satisfied over something. She honestly hoped he left a parting gift for their pursuers; a fact realized a moment later, D’S’hire sporting a grin followed by odd movements of his brows, she could only wonder the message behind the action. “Indeed.” She commented, fixing the locks of hair back in place, an indignant huff bit down. If it had been any other day, she wouldn’t be spotted dead walking amongst the cretins on the streets.

Her gaze rested on Song; a silent and thoughtful creature that offered little words, though when she spoke, it was measured with adolescent meekness and insecurity. She exhaled, withdrawing her previous assessment. It was too early to dispense judgement on the woman’s character. A finger came up to rub her chin. One might make the mistake of underestimating her and be caught unprepared; hunters are flexible. Not one of them are the same; each with their own tactics.

Evelyn’s eyes darted to D’Shire, gaze narrowing briefly. She hadn’t underestimated him, and was proven right for it. “Yes, to be precise, it’s the family’s.” She corrected, careful to isolate the hint of pride. “It’s proven it’s practicality in recent years.” She said. Remembering the hundreds of hours she spent in transit just flying; hours she’d treasured, thousands of miles away from the largest crowds of mortals.

She wanted to clear the air. To put the unwritten facts into words because simply hinting of her heritage to Song was irresponsible and insufficient. Evelyn didn’t want Song to mistake her for a vampire; A leech, an overgrown tick, a lamprey of blood. She was a proud Elf, a daughter of Aelfrele; born into a dynasty of inventors, artisans and warriors not some… Parasite!

It would explain the lack of words from Song and in extension the meekness. The widened eyes, realizing she’s a creature of the night; a creature she’s supposed to hunt yet this circumstance forced them to cooperate. Hmph. Evelyn could understand the moral debate Song was having mentally right now. Yet it was all so wrong! Her jaw tightened. Blast this mortal driver. She should’ve bought a car instead, even if it was temporary at least it came with the luxury of privacy.

Blast herself for being too proud to address the fact directly instead of speaking in riddles and songs. She leaned her head back into the headrest. “I am not what you think.” She remarked, her gaze kept straight. There I go again in riddles!
location: Portland, Maine • tags • mood • Outfit • interactions
 
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Yeo-Jin Park


“Oh heard that did you?” A brow quirk, eyes sliding over the monitor and catching Banks laughing his ass off. She hears Banks rolling his chair across the space between their desks, she flinches hearing ‘This time’. It’s not her fault crooks keep getting hurt when all she’s doing is her job.

Tick, tack, tick. She keeps typing away at her keyboard, but her ears digest the information from Banks. Interesting. Though not enough to snatch her away. She breaks away from the monitor, glaring at Banks. Then what?! But she catches herself and quickly reorients her attention back to the monitor. Almost got me there. Har!

The last bit definitely snagged her. It’d certainly speed up whatever shit they’re working on to reverse this red moon if they had a magician like that. Her eyes follow the folder in Banks hand, shaking all the while like a sack of meat. She rolls her eyes, “Fine.” She drawls. “You’re buying me a drink though.” She grins back, snickering as she types. A free drink and info, a perfect end to a rather okay day.
location: Florida • tags • mood • Outfit • interactions
 
Clementine Holt​
Clementine didn’t see that night. She found herself laying in bed after forcing down a dinner she couldn’t stomach for the sake of her grandparents’ suspicion. The necklace was placed around her neck and was giving off an aura of relaxation and safety. As she stared at her ceiling in thought Clementine toyed with the heart shaped pendant, feeling the comforting warmth that emanated from it. Her mind drifted back to the accident and to Ash. A sudden feeling of nausea crept into her stomach as her throat tightened in anxiety. She clench her palm around the necklace and felt another calming wave soothe her nervousness.

Her mind raced with many questions that were impossible to answer with the little information Ash had given her. She clenched her jaw in frustration and turned onto her side, facing away from the closet out of habit. She ran a thumb over the heart pendant and wished for sleep to come to her, but it never had.

That morning Clementine went about her daily routine as regularly as possible. She kissed her grandparents goodbye and took small bites out of her breakfast before rushing off to school. By this point she was use to the exhaustion her body felt without the proper amount of sleep. However, she was not accustomed to being as tired mentally as she was physically. Classes seemed to drag on painfully slow as her eyes fought to stay open. By lunch, Clementine had a headache that followed her the rest of the day. She breezed through her quizzes and packing up her things when the final bell rang.

She walked outside the school building and, without thinking, began walking through the student parking lot on her normal route home. As she walked past the post Ash’s car was, Clementine snapped back into reality and stopped in her tracks. She felt the world slow down in an instant as a wave of panic coursed through her body. Her panicked breaths came as bile rose into her throat. Feeling a panic attack coming on, Clementine clenched her eyes shut and clutched her necklace pendant. She quickly fled the scene the second the felt the warmth of the heart on her palm and never looked back. I guess I’ll have to find another route home, she thought grimly as the panic began to subside. She walked quick back to her house without any delay and hoped that tomorrow would be a better day than her current week had been so far.
 
Edwin Blut​
"Right, right, the oranges. Aynway, if we're doing the new neighbor thing, we can't know their names going in. If you're a classmate that'd be more believable though." Edwin responded. "We'll have to have decided which story we're going with, can't really switch if one fails."

He laughed as they were leaving. "Come on kid, call me old man, or pops. And an allowance? When I was your age I was working for my food. I had to forage. Up hill. In the snow, all year 'round!" His laughter died off as the returned to the station.

As he finally caught his breath, he turned to look at Levi. "Thanks kid. The woods were nice, but I didn't realize how much I missed talking to people. Been too long since I had a good laugh."
 

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​




Shia D'Shire

Tags: Evelyn Maeteris Maeteris Maylee Vinegar Bees Vinegar Bees | Location: Portland, Maine​


Shia didn't try to do a privacy bubble, to be honest, he needed some time to essentially recharge. He gave a bit of a nod when Evelyn confirmed the plane would be ready. Once the conversation died down, perhaps it was inappropriate, but Shia needed a moment.

Eyes closed, head tilted back to rest against the seat, Shia did his breathing exercises. Slow deep breaths in, then out, hands rested and relaxed in his lap. It was something he had done a few times on the plane over, something he needed to do with fair regularity. Seeing all the magic on a constant basis had a tendency to be very disorienting, or in the very least, overwhelming. Even with all the ways he trained to tune out the strands, he was still aware of them. And if he was distracted, or lost his focus, it was difficult to shut them out.

It had been growing even more difficult with the bleeding moon. Aside from the growing paranoia, the strands were shifting more than before. Colors changed in and out of the usual spectrum, sometimes as bright as a neon sign. It made his eyes hurt from the back toward the front, something he likened to a migraine, only focused in the eyes.

Whether he wound up actually having a power nap, or just lost track of time in his meditation, Shia couldn't say. When he did lift his head, they were at the airport. Shia got out and held the door for Evelyn and Maylee before he turned and paid the cab driver, tipping as the man did wait for them per his instructions. They didn't always listen, so he appreciated the ones who did even more.

Fingers rubbed at his eyes briefly, then he was offering to help Maylee with bags if she needed. Otherwise, he would look to Evelyn to lead them to the private area where her jet should be parked and ready to go. There was a couple moments spent checking his phone messages, and a few texts sent out.

Shia updated the other two as they walked toward the jet. "So, one in Baltimore has declined. She has a way to reach us, should she change her mind. Otherwise... the others are in contact with more. Nevada, Wyoming, oh.. and California. Huh. Well.. hopefully they'll be able to take a moment to send an update once they see the message."

coded by natasha.
 


"To be precise," Evelyn said, "it's the family's."

The way she said the word rang far different from the way Maylee usually said it to herself. In the privacy of her mind, the word family was something dressed in longing, a wish, a bereavement. When Evelyn said the word, it was framed with a sort of gravity, a dignity. Perhaps naively, Maylee found herself wondering whether Evelyn was some sort of royalty.

Then again, maybe she just belonged to a prestigious family of politicians, or a clan of business tycoons—as remote as the concept seemed from her own modest lifestyle, Maylee didn't imagine one had to be royalty to own a private jet, right—?

Her ruminations were silenced when Evelyn spoke to her, sharply and decisively: "I am not what you think."

A jolt ran through her, a thousand questions flooding her mind: could it be that, somehow, Evelyn was able to read her mind? Could it be, then, that she was wrong about everything—? Maybe Evelyn was not an elf but something entirely alien to her, a sort of being Maylee hadn't even heard of.

Maylee's stomach churned with anxiety as the cab hurtled towards their destination. There were so many things she wanted, needed to ask, but it would be stupid and reckless to open such a can of worms while the cab driver—an ordinary human, no doubt—sat within earshot.

For the remainder of the ride to the airport, Maylee found herself wracking her brain for any and all beings she had studied in her training, even the most obscure: ogres? No, Evelyn was far too elegant-looking for that. Huldrefolk? Were huldrefolk known to have inordinately perceptive senses? Maybe some sort of yokai? Perhaps she had taken a Caucasian human form to divert suspicion—

Before she could comfortably settle on a choice, the party arrived at the airport, and Maylee tried to keep her thoughts clear as she followed Shia and Evelyn out of the cab. To her embarrassment, Shia offered to help her carry her bags, and she mumbled a vague sort of deflection: "Oh... you must be tired. Um, I've got it. Oh, but—thanks—"

She really was hopeless when it came to casual conversation. She was hopeless at a lot of things, to be honest. How long until Shia decided he must have found the wrong person?

As Evelyn led them to her jet, Shia checked the notifications on his phone, murmuring something about the others and their ventures in Baltimore, Nevada, Wyoming, California—whatever this mission was, it was taking Shia and his associates all over the map, wasn't it?

"So—there are four others?" Maylee guessed, judging from the number of places Shia had named. A moment later, though, she felt color rush to her cheeks. Now probably wasn't the best time to start grilling Shia for answers.

"Never mind, sorry—I'll save the questions for the flight," she murmured sheepishly. "I'm guessing we'll have plenty of down time."

maylee song.

hunter | werewolf

 
Maddox Ward (Leif Hjalkarssen)
Location: Kansas (Wyoming --> Texas)
Tags: Chase Moon ( Out Of Words Out Of Words )​



Maddox had to look twice to confirm Chase was actually dozing off on the passenger seat. He didn't expect the initial tension to remain for the whole trip, but he also wouldn't expect the shifter to nap, not after the honest answers he'd given the man during the first miles. He didn't trust himself that much, how could Chase be napping? He had to remind himself the shifter didn't know that bit and couldn't read minds, plus he'd been pretty convincing.

The decision to stop came when the easternmost side of the sky turned a lighter hue of blue, signaling a forthcoming morning. Driving at night allowed them to traverse considerably faster than would be possible during the day, and it seemed reasonable to stop somewhere in northern Kansas and leave the rest of the drive for the next night.

"Cool." he said as Chase mentioned he had funding. It was not necessary, but still appreciated, especially considering they could be walking into a trap, even with the whole 'tethered to the moon' thing being true. He had yet to find out which metaphorical tribe Devlin Wright was part of, if at all. For all he knew, the guy could be just someone with a little more knowledge than most, taking advantage of the situation. Whatever, they were halfway there now.

Maddox suppressed a chuckle but couldn't suppress a grin when Chase got out of the truck and collapsed on the ground beside it, making for a comical scene. By now he was rather familiar with the tense wuffle, the scared wuffle, the thoughtful wuffle, the sleepy wuffle, the curious wuffle, the random wuffle, and now the irritated wuffle. He didn't have time to feel bad about wanting to laugh though, as as soon as the engine and the radio were shut down, it was very clearly there again: the ominous chanting, making his grin disappear almost as quickly as it'd appeared. Suddenly, the scene that was kinda funny turned suspicious, close to threatening, as if something dangerous lurked just outside the truck, waiting for them to slip.

He debated for a moment whether or not to help Chase up, as he'd prefer to keep his distance for facts he'd stated earlier. Still, wouldn't be nice if someone were to spot a man on the ground next to the truck, so Maddox walked around it to first collect the wad of bills, then offer a hand to help Chase up (and a shoulder to carry him into the building, if needed).

"How about we get you inside before you draw unwanted attention?" Either way, the air felt considerably heavier outside and the proximity to Chase required Maddox a lot of will to keep his focus on heading into the building. He could sense the pulse of the shifter's blood running within his veins and arteries. Thankfully, it was a short walk, soon they were inside and Maddox headed to the front desk to request two rooms, 'as far from each other as possible, no offense', he'd pay the difference if needed. He wouldn't take chances, even if they didn't really need to go outside at all anymore, since he picked a hotel instead of a roadside motel for that specific reason. Everything was in that same building and wouldn't require walking under sun- or moonlight to reach.

The whole process happened seamlessly besides him having to reassure the front desk agent that Chase was just fine and didn't need medical assistance. He was way past the phase of caring too much about impressions, so he wouldn't really bother coming up with any stories unless he felt there was a risk of the police being brought into the matter. As he headed back towards Chase, a young woman in bartender attire crossed his path and headed into the hotel restaurant through an archway to his right, drawing his attention longer than the usual 'check someone out' did, some sort of brief fixation, that he never really gave away under normal conditions. It didn't take long for the woman to disappear inside the attached room and he continued his path towards Chase, handing the man a room key. "8pm tonight?" he asked casually. "Feeling any better?"
 
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A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​




Griffin Banks

Tags: Yeo-Jin Maeteris Maeteris | Location: Florida​


Banks grinned, "Deal. You let me know when you're done here, and if you have a place you prefer." And with that, he seemed to focus on his work again, though the folder was kept under his keyboard, just to be safe, you know. Banks continued to work on his cases, and his write ups. Though every now and then he'd glance over to Parks, but he stayed quiet and portrayed the good little worker.

When Parks was ready, Banks gave a nod, locked his computer, and secured the folder in his desk. A teasing grin as keys jangled on a ring before finding a home in the pocket of his pants. Wheels squeaked briefly as the chair was pushed in, and he stood waiting for Parks.

They headed to the place she chose, or the one that was closest if she didn't have a preference. "Bar or table?" Table would likely allow more in depth conversation, but he would let her pick. "And what do you want to drink?" He made sure they had their drinks in, and he made sure to order some soft pretzels with cheese. Then, they could get down to some of the nitty gritty.

"You get to ask the first question, then I get a question, sound good?"
coded by natasha.
 
Evelyn Harper



Evelyn didn’t spare another glance as they exited the cab, her long strides carrying her to the rented hangar. She nodded towards the cockpit from below, behind the thick glass the pilots began to go through their checklists. “That’s unfortunate.” She commented. She couldn’t comprehend the logic behind the decision, safety was secured in numbers. “Is there a plan once we have everyone? Or is this a trap in itself? It’s ingenious if it is and rather dramatic.” She quipped, her heels clacked against the steel stairs, and upon reaching the top, her coat passed towards a flight attendant: Maxine, a half-elf brunette, if Evelyn recalled correctly.

It didnt matter, her presence was quickly forgotten as Evelyn sunk into her seat. She resisted the urge to lean her seat back and stretched as far as her body could manage. Her ageless bones definitely felt the centuries of strain whenever she’s had to deal with mortals. Her gaze fluttered towards the cabin entrance, Maxine waiting on the mortals with a beaming smile. Eugh. What kind of fate had cursed that woman’s elf parent to intermingle with bloody humans.

And then there was Song and D’Shire. Two additional bloody mortals. Why was she even entertaining this mad goose chase? You know bloody why! The claws around her lungs were absent, a mere lingering phantom remained to remind her if she ever chose to forget.

Then Song came in bags first. The impractical length of hair blowing gently, her disposition never strayed far from bashful. Adorable? No, a socially docile hunter that still thinks I am a parasite. Highly unfavorable, she thought. The woman spoke, in her meek and now familiar tone. Evelyn found herself agreeing with her assessment. “I am an Elf.” She started as soon as Song had found her bearings. “Incase you thought I was a vampire.” She added, her gaze followed Maxine for a moment as she sauntered past the aisle. Yet for all the faults she'd rendered unto mortals, she still felt the need to correct Song's notion for some reason. Tsk.

The cabin door closed with a thump, jet engines whirring to life. And for a moment, Evelyn forgot there had been mortals on board.
location: Portland, Maine • tags • mood • Outfit • interactions
 

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​




Out Of Words

Conversations in the Car | Current Timeline: May 13th​

Tags: Allison bread-and-butterflies bread-and-butterflies | Location: CA 🚚 Houston, TX

Bug managed to keep his mouth occupied with singing along for about a half hour. It was long enough to get them out of the city, mostly anyway. "Yanno, it's a real beauty of a car. I don't drive, for obvious reasons, but if I did drive, it'd be something like this. Probably, maybe, maybe I'd need a Hummer. Then I'd really be dangerous behind the wheel though eh?"

One hand moved to pat the car's dashboard in a similar way he tended to hold a hand against his chest and pat his fingers. "Real pretty, maybe I just need one of those little electric scooters, but honestly I don' t think I should drive at all. I'd miss so.. Ooooh was that a cow?"

Bug was suddenly twisting around in his seat to track the cow on the side of the road. "Oh my bees knees, it is a cow! I don't get to see those in the city. I mean, yeah, I travel and stuff, but I forget to watch the ... ANOTHER ONE!"

Allison smiled at the compliment. Though she mostly led a frugal life, this car was one of the few luxuries she indulged in, and as such she put in the work to maintain it. It was nice to see her work appreciated.

As Bug interrupted himself to turn around to gawk at the cows, Allison clicked her tongue softly, though she was in too good of a mood to be truly annoyed. "Yes, Bug, I can see why you'd be hesitant to drive." Especially a Hummer, she thought, imagining one of the huge SUV's dangerously swerving along a busy street. She quickly shook the thought out of her head.

"You say you're from the city? Which one?" she asked, glancing at Bug for a moment. "I was born and raised in Sacramento, though I moved to Weaverville as a young woman to be closer to the coven.

Bug settled back in the seat, but every so often, something would catch his eye, and his attention. "I don't remember the first city. Lived in a few. Like I don't remember where I came from or any... Ooooh was that a tractor? I wanna drive a tractor sometime. I like farms. Only well, I like to eat their crops mostly, and then they don't like that. And the pesticides? Blech! So much blech!"

He even did a little spitting action, without actually spitting. But then he was back on track more or less. "But yeah, cities... So like.. I was a bit wild when I was younger and all. And wound up losing a good bit of my bug swarm, and when that happens, well..."

Bug frowned and fretted, toying with the glove compartment box. "It hurts, for one. It's like a collective. I am Seven of Nine.." He did the vulcan sign for the whole live long and prosper deal. "Borg are pretty scary, but kinda neat. You know the Borg? Star Trek?"

Allison furrowed her brow, taking a longer glance at Bug as he fretted with the glove compartment. She wondered what kind of life he'd had, to move from city to city, and lose a part of his swarm. She couldn't imagine what that was like, though it probably wasn't pleasant.

"Yes, I'm familiar." She settled on a simple response, not wanting to pry into something that clearly caused Bug discomfort, but not wanting to entirely change the topic of conversation, either. Her fingers tapped on the steering wheel as she considered her words.

"What is it like, in your bug form? How do you control them all? I'm more familiar with those who shift into a single animal. Becoming an entire swarm seems....chaotic."

Bug gave a bit of a sideways grin, one could tell he felt a measure of pride or accomplishment at being more than just one thing. "It can be. It took a good bit to figure out and control. And then I had to relearn it cause I forgot when I lost a good bit of the swarm. When that happens, I lose memories. I don't recall much of anything before ... eight? Yeah, I think we're up to eight years now."

Bug stopped fiddling with the glove compartment in favor of locking and unlocking the doors with the little handy dandy switch right at his fingertips. Click. Click. "Depends a lot on the type of bug, too. Like.. ladybugs. I just want to go over and hug all the pretty flowers." Click. Click.

"Oh oh! But the worst, but .. also kinda cool if you put aside the whole diet thing.. is the scarab beetles. I had to use them sometimes. I did work for like a mafia group, and well.. it worked really well to get rid of the bodies." Click. Click. "Horrible taste though. And it wasn't like I knew they were mafia. They totes said the guys were bad, like really bad, and were going to abuse their kids or puppies or .. well.. whatever they wanted to use to convince me to do their dirty work." Click. Click.

Internally, Allison went through a rapid series of emotional responses - shock, confusion, disgust, suspicion, sympathy - though outwardly, all she did was raise her eyebrows as Bug spoke, keeping her eyes on the road as she processed that chunk of information.

"I.....see." A collectivist mindset, overly affectionate, a history of being taken advantage of by shady people - pieces were starting to click into place for Allison, and she suddenly felt a little less comfortable driving halfway across the country to meet a stranger on Bug's recommendation.

"Say, Bug-" how could she put this as delicately as possible? "You say this Devlin Wright knew things about you - that certainly proves he has power, and perhaps even special knowledge about this-" she waved her right hand in a vaguely sky-ward direction "bleeding moon thing, but what has he done to make you trust that he's a good person?" Allison shot a look at Bug, trying to gauge his reaction.

Click. Click. Bug had to keep his hands busy, if this wasn't apparent before, it should be by how he continually clicked the lock and unlock button. With Allison's words, the click click paused and his head tilted to the side. For a few moments, Bug was actually motionless and silent.

Not for long though. Click. Click. "Well... I mean.. if it was just me, I'd likely be worried and all that, but the other three were there, and they were most definitely more skeptical than I can be. So, it's more about trusting them."

Bug shifted around in the passenger seat again, fiddling with the seat belt as they were never, ever comfortable. Thwap thwap went the belt as he pulled it out, and let it snap back into place. Thwap. Thwap. Click. Click.

"Shia's really cool, took a little bit, but like he magickededed a pocket for me, and it's like some bag of holding now. Which is really really handy when there are so many pretty shinies out and about. Oh, reminds me, do you have any gum? Like the kind wrapped in foil that you can then rub your fingernail over to unwrinkle? I just want the foil, you can keep the gum."

"A magical pocket, huh? Sounds pretty handy." Right. She'd almost forgotten the others who, like Bug, had been sent out to gather those tethered to the moon. A dark thought fluttered through Allison's mind - what if they were all conspiring together? What if this was some kind of trap? - No, no, no that was just the moon-inflicted paranoia talking. This line of conversation had gotten her agitated, and the constant click of her door locks was not helping.

Keeping her eyes on the road, she dug through the compartment beneath her radio for a moment, before pulling out a half-empty pack of cinnamon chewing gum. Wordlessly, she held it out to Bug, hoping to placate him with a less noisy item to fidget with.

"You said the other two were shifters, right? A wolf and some kind of cat? What are they like?"

Bug cooed when she handed over the gum. It wasn't just one coo, but definitely a swarm of coos. He forgot he said she could have the gum, and popped it into his mouth before he thought about it. He then proceeded to smooth the gum foil on the car dashboard.

His tongue stuck out the corner of his mouth briefly as he focused initially on smoothing it out with the back of a fingernail without tearing it. Delicate work.

When Allison asked about the others though, his motions were slower as he answered. He really didn't want to tear the foil. "Pretty cool I think. Levi's the youngest so far. Like he just got out of high school or something. I never finished high school, couldn't do the work they wanted me to do. Meh. It was.. BALLS!"

He tore the foil. Bug chittered and unwrapped another piece of gum, which joined the one already in his mouth. Once more, he was trying to smooth the foil without tearing it. Smooth. Smooth. Smooth.

Took a prompt to have him focus on the answering again. "Levi is a smol boy, smol cat too. Like some .. leopard of clouds? Something or other. And the wolf, Chase, he's like some important racer. Says running is his job, and he's real fast like." Smooth. Smooth. Sm.."BALLS!"

Allison was about to ask more about what kind of racer Chase was when Bug let out his exclamation. She sighed, realizing that she'd have to accept that she was on a long drive with a man who was naïve and a little irritating, and she was headed to meet potentially powerful strangers that she knew almost nothing about.

"Help yourself," she said, watching Bug jam another piece of gum in his mouth. Allison turned the radio up and focused on the dull roar of the air rushing by.

She didn't say much more after that as they drove towards Houston, only keeping up any polite chit-chat that Bug initiated. Around 6pm she decided to call it a day, pulling into the next town she passed and checking into a decent, though not overly pricey, hotel for the night.
coded by natasha.
 
Yeo-Jin Park


“‘Ere you go, Cap.” Smack.

Hollander’s eyes narrow, darting to the stack of papers she’d unceremoniously tossed on his desk and then meets her own gaze, unimpressed. He straightens, the swivel chair creaking audibly. Sausage fingers flick through the stack. “Good work,” She smiles, fading quickly when Hollander adds,”In time for once.” She bites back a retort. It wasn’t worth the added hours.

“And it’s, Sarge, for pete sake.” He shouts behind her back. Nah, she isn’t going to spend another minute here if she could help it.

“Nice work, Park.”

“Been playing GTA, Park?”

Goddamn. She’d anticipated these comments. It’s another thing to actually hear them. “Yeah, yeah. Fuck you too.” She hooks the coat by the chair, and throws it on her shoulder. Time to collect Banks.

She found him ready and waiting by his desk and had thrown him a lazy roll of her eyes. Banks knew how to lay a bait for her that's for sure. Well, two can play at that game.

It took fifteen minutes to reach their destination.

And She’d insisted on walking. It’d been an effort to shake the impish smile from giving it away. From a few feet away, the brightly lit storefront stands like a beacon, illuminating the wet pavement. Neon colours spelling ‘The Barside.’ spills onto their feet, rippling as if alive from the light rain and footsteps. “Tada!” She all but shouts, splaying her arm wide and happily skips into the pub.

“Your best please, bartender.” She quickly says, cutting Banks as he was asking. A fancy drink in a slender wine glass arrives first, she grimaces as she scrutinizes the layers of what-ever-the-hell she was looking at. Banks’ meal arrives a little later, and honestly, it was more appetizing than she’d admit.

She stirs the drink, cloudy white liquid swirling in a tide with purple and red streaks. She hums, “Sounds good, first question. Where’s the guy now?” Her tone drops low, the gloom captured in her gaze.
location: Florida • tags • mood • Outfit • interactions
 

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​




Chase Moon

Tags: Maddox KodakWolf KodakWolf | Wyoming 🚚 Texas​


Chase groaned a few times and wuffled just as much as Maddox helped him from his rather embarrassing fall to the ground. He stood there a moment after finding his feet, just to make sure his knees didn't want to pull the buckling trick again. He did accept the offer of a shoulder to help stabilize his steps when they ventured into the hotel office.

They were given two rooms, next to one another, a single queen bed in each. Chase used the doorway to help keep him upright while Maddox paid with the money Chase had offered up. He did spy the strange lingering gaze upon the woman who passed into the other room, but when Maddox handed his room key over, Chase didn't comment. He put two and two together, and whether his four was the correct answer, or not, Chase pushed it aside.

Wuffle. "Yeah, a bit. I think a hot bath will help a bit, and when the moon goes away, I might be able to sleep more. Eight sounds fine. Thank you." He glanced at the room number with more wuffling. Yeah, he could make it. Pretty sure. "See you then."

Chase pushed away from the doorway, but not too far. One hand trailed along the wall, just in case, as he slowly walked out of the office to find his room. Good news, he made it to the room, just barely. By the time he locked the door, his legs felt like they were on fire. Pain that traveled up each leg and wrapped around his spine.

Chase lasted long enough to turn the television on to muffle some of the noise, then he crumpled onto the bed. Fingers fisted in the sheets as he buried a small scream into the mattress. Just a small one, he'd get through this. It was getting worse, but it wasn't taking his breath away yet.

coded by natasha.
 

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​




BUG

Tags: Allison bread-and-butterflies bread-and-butterflies | Location: CA 🚚 Houston, TX​


Bug, thankfully, fell asleep sometime on the drive, which gave Allison several hours of peace and quiet. Though, sometimes he did talk in his sleep. "... Waiter! .. a roach.. my soup.... not paying!" He snored off and on as well. Not big honking snores, but something more like insects at night. Chittering, clicking, chirping noises slipped out.

When they stopped, Bug sat up, "Wha.. Huh.. where... oh. oh.. Oh. Yeah. Hi. Okay." One hand wiped at a bit of drool along the side of his mouth as he struggled to wake up fully. "Sweet. Okay. One room? Two? If you want to save money, I can just like sleep up in the corner of the ceiling as spiders or.. uh.. something."

When Allison politely declined, he got them two rooms, they were on the same floor, across from one another. Bug came out holding a brochure of the place as he was handing Allison her room key. "So yeah, pretty neat. Oooh they have a pool! Probably not open at night though. Oh free breakfast! Sawheeet!" He was all excited over the little things.

As they walked toward their rooms, they passed by one of those little bug zap lamps on the outside. The soft humming was very audible, well, to Bug. Eyes grew wide, one twitching at the corner. The brochure was forgotten, and he very nearly dropped his room key in favor of moving toward the zap lamp, one hand reaching out. His voice sounded like he was nearly hypnotized by it.

"Ooooh soooo prettyyyyyyyy."

coded by natasha.
 

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​




Shia D'Shire

Tags: Evelyn Maeteris Maeteris Maylee Vinegar Bees Vinegar Bees | Location: Maine ✈ Houston, TX​


Shia managed to make it to his seat and through take off before the day seemed to really catch up to him. He made it to the restroom before losing what little was in his stomach at least. Thankfully he had the privacy of the bathroom to take a moment and clean up after. His skin was likely still a touch too pale, but he did his best to maintain some composure.

Back in his seat, he made use of the bottled water, taking a sip before holding it up against his forehead. Eyes closed, he murmured his apologies. "I am sorry, it has been a rather... eventful couple of days." A small, albeit pained, smile was given life, and maybe for a brief moment, he looked like the twenty year old he was, instead of someone who had to grow up too fast and bear the weight of responsibility beyond his years.

"Do you by chance have any tea, not iced?" Hot tea would help him rejuvenate enough to chase off the pain behind his eyes for a short while at least. Long enough to see if they still had some questions, now that they were able to talk about such things more freely.

Keeping his eyes closed, Shia was able to hold the bottle in his lap rather than against his head. "If you have questions, Miss Song, I will do my best to provide you with answers. However, most of the answers will likely have to wait until we reach Houston."

coded by natasha.
 
Allison Hagan
tense on the road outfit Out Of Words Out Of Words

Allison's eyes went from the transfixed Bug to the zap lamp. Surely he wasn't going to... “OW.” She shook her head slightly in disbelief as he rubbed his fingers together...then reached out to touch the light again.

“Alright, Bug.” she jostled herself between him and the lamp. “Let's find our rooms, yeah?” She put her arm around his shoulder in an attempt to gently lead him away from the zap lamp. “Why don't you get settled down, maybe order some room service – your boss gave you money, right? - and try to get some rest - if you can.” Allison smiled and pat him on the back. “I think I'm gonna turn in so we can get an early start tomorrow – the sooner we make it to Houston, the better, right?” After saying her goodnights she crossed the hall and retreated into her hotel room.

By the time she finished her night-time routine – checking in with the coven and her mom, meditation, her nightly rituals – the sky was beginning to darken. Allison rubbed her wrists, the dull ache gradually building as the sun's light faded. From the direction her room's window was facing, she couldn't see the moon, at least not yet, but she could feel the sense of unease it brought.

Despite the feeling, she burrowed under the covers, hoping her sleep would be less troubled than it had been the night before. She pulled one arm up out from under the blanket, tracing a finger down the long scratch marks. The voice echoed in her mind again: “Dreadful sorrow, Clementine.” If this really was related to the bleeding moon, maybe she should ask Bug if the phrase meant anything to him. Or maybe it would be better to wait and ask this “Devlin Wright.”

She yawned and pulled her arms back under the covers. Either way, it was a question for the morning. For now, she'd have to get some rest. It was still a long drive left to Houston.
code by yousmelldead
 

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​




Out Of Words

Conversations on the Bus | Current Timeline: May 13th​

Tags: Edwin Thropian Thropian Winnie Vinegar Bees Vinegar Bees | Location: CO 🚌 Nevada

When the bus was ready, Levi settled in the back seat against the window again. There were a few more people than the previous bus, but not by too much. Benefit of being early, better choice of seating. "So... Pops." Levi chuffed as he set the to go bags of food between them on the seat for security. And easy munching range by either of them.

"Which one would you suggest we go for? Older means wiser, right?" Levi was having probably too much fun with this whole 'dad' idea. "Never had a chance to be a rebellious teenager, maybe now's my time to shine." Snoffle.

Edwin settled in, reclined slightly, and closed his eyes. "I'd say neighbors first. If they decline dinner, then it'll be less weird for you to show up after school on her." He thought for a second. "And older doesn't mean wiser. You get wise by saying your wise and waiting on someone to call you out."

Levi pondered the options, "Will we need to tell them where? Like what if they ask where we moved and they know all the neighbors?" He gave a bit of a wicked grin, enjoying being 'devils advocate' a little too much, perhaps. He didn't want to draw it out though, and gave in way too early. "Sorry, sorry. Just ragging on you a little. You'll find I talk a lot if given the chance." Levi chuffed. "So, if I start to get on the nerves, just let me know."

Wait for it. "Pops."

"Hm, that is actually a good point. But if they know all their neighbors, then she probably knows all of her classmates. We'll just have to take the gamble." Edwin said, and smiled. "And chat all you like. We got some details to still work out. Like, where's your mom, and why isn't she with us. Or why did we decide to move out there."

Edwin thought for a moment. "Actually, divorce might work for both of those. You got any descriptions of your real mom, so we can keep the story straight?"

Levi looked taken aback when Edwin initially asked where his mom was, not associating it with their little scenario at first. When the two clicked together, Levi blinked and glanced out the window for a bit, still quiet about a minute after the last question. Levi was definitely a bit more subdued, but one could hear the effort to push past it in his voice when he spoke. "I don't have any. She died when I was like.. three. So, don't have any descriptions. Probably just go with blond hair, green eyes."

Winnie shifted uncomfortably in her seat on the bus. She hated being scrunched into small spaces, though all things considered, she supposed she was lucky. Kessler had insisted she take the aisle seat, reasoning that she needed to be closer to their marks to keep an ear on the conversation, and she certainly didn't envy his position backed up against the window. The poor man was nearly folded in half.

Her eyes drifting shut, Winnie directed all of her focus toward the odd pair chatting a few seats back. "Neighbors," she murmured quietly. "They're going to pretend to be new neighbors. And... the younger one is going to pretend to be a new classmate...?"

"Huh," Kessler said thoughtfully. "I don't suppose we could play the neighbor shtick, too. Two moving in at once is a little too convenient." Winnie wordlessly hummed in agreement. "Why don't we just grab her?" Kessler suggested. "Boss says we need to bring her back, but not exactly how, right?"

"No, no—!" Winnie feverishly shook her head. "We... we want her to come with us. Willingly."

"So... what do we tell her, exactly? I don't know about you, but they didn't give me too much info to go on. Told me to take the pay and do as they said and shut up, and..." He frowned. "I need the money."

Need, Winnie thought, and she remembered a bright, cheerful voice drifting to her ears like a siren's song.

Oh, yeah, my auntie, she's got plenty of money. She'll set you up right!

She had experience in this field, didn't she? Was this really any different from the times she had lured unsuspecting humans into her mistress's jaws? It chilled her how easily she was able to slip into the mindset of a predator. "We get her to come with us," she whispered in a cold, subdued voice, "by offering her something she needs."

"Oh, hey I'm sorry. I didn't realize." Edwin looked around nervously, unsure of how to handle the situation. "Yeah, beautiful woman. That sounds good."

Edwin coughed and ran his hands across his pants leg. "So, uh, what kind of job do you think your old man would have, since the new neighbors will ask?" He asked, trying to push past the awkward. "I was thinking artist, since I do carvings and such, but I don't know if that's a real job or not."

Levi gave Edwin a bit of a small grin, which grew when they started to talk about what kind of a job Pops would have. "An artist would be pretty cool. And yeah, carvings are ... artsy." Levi chuffed and laughed suddenly, "You know, this feels so weird, coming up with this extensive back story and all. What if we just go by whatever time we get to the city, and just go to her house and.. I'll call her name and see if she'll talk?"

"Yeah sure, and you can hold a radio over your head, maybe apologize for something. You know, normal first meeting stuff." Edwin replied. "I'm not saying it wouldn't work, just, it might not be the best choice. Regardless, you are the linchpin, so it's your call in the end."

Levi snorted with the chuckling then. "Yeah, but the more complicated a story gets, the more loose ends and it just gets to be more trouble than it's worth I think. But.." Levi shrugged. "We have like what seven hours? Ugh. I hate confined spaces." Levi settled into the seat, sneaking out a couple of fries to munch on. "Soooooo... your turn. What are those carvings, anyway?"

Edwin was a bit taken aback by the question, and pulled out a stone to look at. "They're- they're runes. All the books I found had that as how druids accessed natural powers. Do you have some other form? Like, that'd be amazing, even my old master didn't know of other forms." He looked to Levi, a mixture of confusion and excitement in his eyes.

Levi looked at the stone and the carving before quietly murmur, "That's cool. I can't even finger paint." As for the other, green eyes peeked over the seat in front of him to look through the bus. Most were settling in, earbuds in their ears, or reading a book, some sleeping. Levi sank back down and kept his voice as low as he though he could make it and still be heard by Edwin. "Yeah. Ever see a clouded leopard? Most beautiful cat ever. Like.. ever." Yeah he was pretty damn proud of his cat form.

"Oh—!" Winnie yelped suddenly, and then she slapped a hand over her mouth, contrite for making unnecessary noise.

"You, uh... you okay?" Kessler asked.

"His energy shifted," she explained, wringing her fingers together in a futile attempt to calm her nerves. "He stood up. I-I think he noticed us..."

Kessler's gaze flicked back and forth between Winnie and the back of the bus for a moment before he appeared to reach a solution. "So what? We're just a couple of people on the bus, same as them. We haven't done anything."

Kessler was right in theory, of course, but what if the pair had some sort of psychic tricks of their own? Winnie couldn't read any psychic energy coming from them, sure, but if they were skilled, they ought to be able to to block it.

Apparently noting her unabated anxiety, Kessler offered: "Hey, I'm from Jersey. I'm no stranger to telling someone to mind their own fucking business on public transit."

Before Winnie could try to talk him into a gentler approach, though, she felt the boy's energy shift again—he was sitting back in his seat. "He... he sat back down. They're talking again... quieter." Like they knew she was listening. Her heart began to race.

"Can you hear anything yet?"

Winnie squeezed her eyes shut and strained her senses to filter out all noise except for the boy's whispering. Even then, her perception was imperfect—she could only pick up something about a beautiful cat. "They're, um... talking about cats," she mumbled, embarrassed. There had to be something important to it—he wouldn't have lowered his voice otherwise. She balled her hands into fists against the soft fabric of her skirt. Sharp as they were, her senses still weren't good enough.

"Oh. They lost me there," Kessler said wryly. "I don't trust cats. Like I said, dog person."

Meanwhile, in the back of the bus, "Oh." Edwin said as he stroked his beard. "I understand. And you doubt your skill for your age. Such mastery of communing. Perhaps when this is over, you could teach me, and I could teach you what I know of carving."

Levi was a little confused. "Teach you what?"

"To commune as you do?" Edwin replied, "To have as strong a connection as you and your cat spirit have. To draw power so directly."

Levi shifted on the seat a bit, his mouth opened, then closed. A minute passed before it opened again with words this time. "I.. don't honestly know.. how. It just.. was. Is." He didn't feel completely comfortable discussing such on a public bus, so his voice lowered even more. "My mom.. was the one. Dad.. didn't like that it was passed on to me. Sooo.. kinda... self taught, really."

"Then I shall have to simply observe you, perhaps I can learn from watching. In the mean time, I would like to take some time to meditate and reflect." Edwin said, as he pulled his legs up to cross in the seat. "Let me know what plan you prefer when we get there."

Levi chuffed with a sideways grin. "You got it, pops." Yeah, that name was totally sticking, no matter what.
coded by natasha.
 

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​




Griffin Banks

Tags: Yeo-Jin Maeteris Maeteris | Location: Florida​


Banks knew Parks would make him shiver in antici... pation somehow. Maybe that was one of the reasons he found himself drawn to her. Or maybe it was because they were both working for another group not tied in any way, shape, or form to the precinct.

Glad he ordered food, it let him pay Parks back for some of that antici... pation. See, he couldn't answer while he was still chewing. So he held up a finger, devilish grin behind it, to indicate he would answer soon as he was finished with the current bite. Well, after he finished the bite and took a long slow slip of a drink. Ah, yes. There we go.

"Which one? The perp, or the cop?" He hid the huge grin behind a hand as he was already taking another bite to draw out the answer when she picked one or the other. He did gesture to some of the food with his fingers, to indicate she could have some if she wanted.

The perp would have the response, "Hospital for mental evaluation, he really tried to jump off the building." Another moment spent with a bite and drink before he would add. "Do you think he did the floating mumbo jumbo if he wanted to jump?" Banks loved seeing Parks think.

coded by natasha.
 

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​




Out Of Words

Nevada Arrival | Current Timeline: May 13th​

Tags: Edwin Thropian Thropian Winnie Vinegar Bees Vinegar Bees Clementine AsherMasher AsherMasher
Location: Paradise, NV

By the time the passengers all unloaded in Paradise, Nevada, Leviathan was more than ready to get off the bus and stretch out. Arms lifted above his head as he stretched with a rumbling sound in his chest. Levi just had the bag on his back, and he wasn't sure if Edwin let his bag be checked or if it was small enough to be considered allowed on the bus. Either way, he waited for Edwin to be ready before he moved to look for a taxi.

"Okay, sooo it's three thirty, she's likely just getting out of school or soon to be. I don't know exactly which school, so probably safest to just head to the address we have for her? Gimme a sec to pull up the details Shia had sent over for her. He did all the research." Levi pulled out his phone and swore, forgetting it had run down.

"First thing, we need to charge my phone. Just enough to where I can power it up and get the information. Uh.. most cafes probably have something we can use. Kinda hungry too. Maybe take a half hour detour?" Levi was pointing out a McDonald's nearby, one with a more modern look. "We can try there first. I can never turn down their fries."


Clementine made it home before four easy peasy, followed only by any ghosts in her head from the day before. Her grandparents were there to welcome her home, but they were heading out. "We might pick something up on the way back from the store, but it'll probably be closer to six or seven. If you get hungry before then, just put the dishes in the washer, it's ready to go. Love you."

They were heading to the store, and figured Clementine's homework would keep her occupied until they returned. It was Tuesday, and they liked to do some grocery shopping and top off the gas tank. And maybe pick up a lottery card or two, but they never admitted to the last part. Maybe if they won, they might.

coded by natasha.
 
Last edited:

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​




BUG

Tags: Allison bread-and-butterflies bread-and-butterflies | Location: Hotel Room 🚚 Houston, TX​


Most of the night was uneventful, until about four in the morning. Knock knock. "Ally?" Knock knock. "Ally?" Knock knock. "Al..." Then there was silence for a minute before the squeaky wheels of a maid's cart wheeled down the hallway. It didn't stop, but kept on going until the sound disappeared.

Another couple of minutes, then a soft chittering sound could be heard by the door. Or, more specifically, under the door. You know, where the small swarm of crickets began to enter the room. They stayed together in a thick mass, moving to pile together in a far corner of the room.

The insects sang their song softly as the pile continued to grow upward. It was forming the shape of a human, insect by insect. The whole process took about a minute, two maybe. And then wings began to flatten, and their color shifted until it was Bug, thankfully in clothing.

His expression was one of great concern, and his tone of voice matched. "Ally. Ally. I.. I can hear it Ally. I can't sleep. I can't tune it out. No matter where I am, I can hear it. Humming. Calling to me." At which point, he imitated the humming noise of the bug light outside the hotel. Apparently there was one pretty close to his window.

"Like.. it's sooooo .. mesmerizing and like. I want.. I want to go to it. But.. I want to go as ... bugs. Like.. bugs to a bug zapper, Ally. I don't know.. I came here.. sorry sorry, I came in an attempt to keep it at bay. Can I .. Just.. sit in your shower with the water on until morning? Please? Please? Please."

He was the picture of great distress, and occasionally parts of his hair fluttered like insect wings fighting against the urge to take flight. Like he was barely holding himself together, in a very literal sense.
coded by natasha.
 

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​




Out Of Words

Conversations on a Jet | Current Timeline: May 13th​

Tags: Evelyn Maeteris Maeteris Maylee Vinegar Bees Vinegar Bees
Location: ✈ Houston, TX

An elf—! So Maylee hadn't been hopelessly off-base. It seemed Evelyn had merely been concerned that she not be mistaken for a vampire. It was true that she had encountered vampires with sharpened ears before, but in Maylee's experience, vampires in that state tended to be half-starved, their bodies slipping away from humanity beneath the weight of their bloodlust. Evelyn was far more collected than any feral vampire Maylee had encountered.

In that case, though, did elves disdain vampires...? She had read the mythology that portrayed elves as proud, insular beings, but she had never before met a real one to separate the myths from the truths.

Maylee's attention turned suddenly to Shia, who asked Evelyn—or, perhaps more accurately, one of Evelyn's flight attendants—for some hot tea. Maylee noted the dark circles beneath his eyes with concern. He had clearly been traveling to find and collect Evelyn before her own turn came—just how long had he gone without a real rest?

"Oh—" Maylee tripped over her tongue for a moment after Shia offered to answer any questions she might have. "Well, um—" Maylee paused and took in a sharp breath, trying to summon up her courage. "Well, before that—I think it's only fair to identify myself, since you and Ms. Evelyn already have."

Maylee glanced a bit nervously at Evelyn, wondering if elves harbored disdain for her kind, too. "I'm a hunter, as I told you before, but that's just what I do—what I am is a wolf shifter." She hesitated. "...Now, but not always. I was turned a few years ago. Before that, I was just... human."

Painfully human. Too human to protect what she loved.

Maylee's heart raced as she fought to keep the painful memories at bay. If Shia and Evelyn questioned the nature of her transformation, she would have to give them some kind of answer—but she would prefer to keep it as private as possible. "As for my questions, um... I have a lot, as you can probably guess. But first..."

Maylee held her messenger back close to her chest. Inside, she could feel the familiar form of her beloved stuffed rabbit. "...Are you okay, Mr. Shia?" She fumbled a bit over the title, not entirely sure how to address her new companions.

Maylee didn't want to sound stiff, but first names only seemed far too casual. "I, uh... I don't mean to be patronizing or anything, I just... you went through a lot of trouble to find me. I don't want to throw a bunch of questions at you all at once if you need some time to recharge."

Shia managed to crack one eye open to peer over at Miss Song when she spoke of being both a hunter, and a wolf shifter. "Hm. Interesting." When her first question was about his own well being, he gave a small smile. "Just Shia is fine, or you may refer to me as Weaver, my .. specification, if you are more comfortable with such." He was accustomed to others finding first names too intimate, but he truly needed to change his last name as much as he tried to avoid it.

"And.. I will be better with some tea and rest. However, it is an opportune time for questions." Though Shia was pretty sure he would feel worse if he had to try and focus on remembering more than one question directed his way at a time. "Maybe just gently lob them one question at a time?" He actually chuckled softly. "I am feeling a little overwhelmed, but not by you or Miss Harper."

Shia felt an explanation was warranted. "The moon is affecting how I perceive the strands of magic. Upon occasion, I cannot tune them out, especially when their colors lean toward the neon side of the rainbow." He let the one eye close again, head against the seat. "So, please pardon if I speak with my eyes closed for a little while."

"Oh, yeah, no problem, Mr.—Shia," Maylee said hurriedly. The moon seemed to be affecting its chosen victims in different ways. Given Shia's extrasensory eyes, she supposed it made sense for his eyes to be most afflicted by the curse (if, indeed, a curse was what they were dealing with). She couldn't imagine what the sensation was like for someone who could see magic, someone whose reality was so much more intricate than her own, but it couldn't possibly be pleasant.

For a brief moment, Maylee allowed herself to wonder about her own symptoms. That tether puncturing through her chest, coiling up her neck like a viper, like a familiar pair of hands—

"But, um, yeah, one question at a time. Of course." In her heart, Maylee knew what she wanted to ask—how had Shia known to look for her, specifically? And on that note, how had those sinister gentlemen known to look for her? Someone like Evelyn—it made sense. Stately people with a refined manner and private jets stood above the rest. But Maylee? She was nobody.

The thought of asking such a bare, honest question, though, was too shameful to entertain. Maylee had to put up a stronger front than that. "I guess the most pertinent thing is what Ms. Evelyn was wondering before, too," she said, summoning her steel back to her voice. "When we land, where do we go from there?"

Shia's forehead crease eased as he was finally feeling the eye pain recede slightly. "Once we land, there should be a car waiting for us. And then we will meet with the others at Devlin's place. It's outside the main part of Houston, he has a good bit of land. And... we should all learn more once everyone is back together."

A dog . Evelyn said inwardly, eyeing Song. The diminutive woman was a wolf shifter slash hunter. Fitting. Before Evelyn could reiterate her previous question, the smaller woman voiced it first, fortunately. It irked her to repeat herself despite the clear exhaustion D'Shire was having. Mortals were so frail, and yet so bold; too eager to test the limits of their faculties and somehow surpassing it every time.

"I suppose that's the most we will ever hear regarding the matter." Evelyn said, sighing into her palm. "I will be frank and say I do not like it."

Shia gave a short laugh in agreement. "I did not care for it myself, however I could have stayed and bickered, or gathered people to get back there faster so we can end this ... blasted thing." Blasted was not the word he was about to use.

Maylee frowned. She wanted to see the best in others, like she had when she was a child, but—the world was not the kind place she had believed in back then. The rational part of her mind told her that it would be foolish to trust Shia and Evelyn so thoroughly, that she was a fool for thrusting herself into an unknown situation with unknown people—but her heart whispered that Shia and Evelyn were on her side, that they only wanted to accomplish what she did: figure out a way to stop these sinister occurrences with the moon.

This Devlin, though—Maylee didn't know anything about him other than his name. It was difficult for her heart to offer up a reason to trust him, too.

"Um—I don't mean to be—contrary," Maylee began hesitantly, "but... Devlin is... he's the one in charge of all of this, right? I just..." She noticed herself wringing her hands in her lap and abruptly stopped, furrowing her brow instead. "Something about all of this secrecy doesn't feel right. I mean... you said there were others, right, looking for people like... like us." She wasn't entirely sure how to qualify what made them, well, them. "But Devlin isn't looking for anyone himself, is he? When you take that, and all of the mystery, I can't help but feel sort of—wary about him."

Shia opened his eyes, blinking them slowly as he was trying to adjust to the strands he could still see. There would be some squinting in the process. "If it had just been myself, I would have been much more wary, as it was, we all questioned him rather extensively. And we all came to believe he knows how we can end the troubles with the moon."

Nope, strands still shifting around in the neon hues. Eyes closed again, but Shia continued speaking. "He isn't going out after anyone because he's trying to find more who need to be contacted. The more we have who are directly tied to this, the greater our chance of success are. Suppose I would be more skeptical if I couldn't see the tethers to the moon on everyone he has located so far. But the others..." He made a discreet gesture to the airplane staff. "They do not have it. We.. we do. Tied to the moon. It really looks like a blood vein connecting us. Quite.. disconcerting."

"What happens if one of us dies then?" Evelyn asked, eyes flickering back and forth between her two companions, Song's rather innocent demeanour was almost unwelcome, bordering on peeving Evelyn but it reminded her of a quiet time; her past self, so she endured and possibly taken by it.

D'Shire seemed better. Or possibly not, judging by his choice of vocabulary. She never heard him curse.

Shia's mouth twitched. "That, I do not know, and truthfully, would rather not find out. It might boost the moon's power, it might diminish it. With what knowledge I have, I honestly do not know."

Maylee scowled. Dying—the thought had certainly occurred to her. At some of her darkest moments, death had seemed almost a comfort, a tantalizing possibility. If she followed Dad and Papa down into that bloody abyss, maybe she could find them again. Maybe they could be together.

But Maylee couldn't. She knew she couldn't. Whether for good reason or not, she had been spared—and she couldn't call herself daughter unless she found justice for her parents before her last breath had come and gone.

"Then we don't die," Maylee said firmly, her fists clenched at her sides. "We survive no matter what."

Shia grinned bigger at that, and murmured, "I concur."

"And so do I." Evelyn waved dismissively. "Feel free to pilfer the private bar, Ms.Song. It's not as if anyone else uses this thing." The last few sentences uttered under her breath. There was a silent conviction behind Song's eyes that impressed Evelyn, a resolution made strong. Naturally, she approved.

"The bar—?" Maylee was no stranger to drinking, even if it was a bit of a shameful secret, but whenever the craving struck her (once a rare occurrence; more frequently in recent times), she usually had to jump through a few hoops just to procure alcohol. Evelyn hadn't asked for any sort of identification, though, and it occurred to Maylee that she hadn't shared her age with the others. "Oh, right—thank you, but I'm, um, not quite legal. Just twenty. Don't want to get you in trouble."

Was there any danger of trouble for Evelyn? Certainly if an ordinary bartender at an ordinary restaurant served Maylee alcohol, they would be slapped with criminal charges, but Evelyn was one of the elite. It seemed likely that at least some of the rules were slightly different for her.

"Oh, but—" Maylee thought of something and stood. "Is there any tea I could brew?" Shia had been wondering about some tea before, and Maylee found the idea of a hot cup of tea appealing herself. In her experience, tea tended not to produce the subsequent headache coffee always gifted her.

Shia sipped on his own hot tea when it was brought, the relief was visible as it did the trick bit by bit. His voice would sound less strained eventually. "So, I am of the belief a team works better together when they know each other. It is entirely your choice what you wish to share, if anything. Let me know if you have questions. Most things I will freely answer."

Shia tilted his head to either side slowly, stretching his neck muscles before murmuring. "I have seen the strands of magic as long as I can recall. The moon has been ... not kind with the twisting of the threads. Some nights they shift in and out of various color ranges, sometimes they pulse, sometimes they are loud, thrumming with some sort of ancient resonance. And.. I am questioning myself more than I have when I was a younger magician."

"Legal?" Brow quirked and head cocked, Evelyn wondered for the faintest moment what Song meant. Until she figured it out later. "Apologies then and yes, Maxine is there, make use of her tea brewing talents. Mr.D'Shire has definitely enjoyed it for the past few flights." A hint of sarcasm and malice, pointed squarely at the attendant.

"Ancient resonance you say." Evelyn's fingers thrummed on the arm rest . Nothing D'Shire told them made any sense. She'd thought she had left this world of magic a long time ago, yet it still had it's clutches around her it seemed. "I have learnt a long time ago not to question too much if it involved magic. Nothing ever makes sense."

By now Shia was certain Evelyn just enjoyed the wince that crossed his face each time he heard his last name said out loud. It wasn't unusual, it was why he didn't care for the last name. Most of his peers enjoyed using it as an attempted demeaning factor when his magic seemed to excel theirs. However, Shia was fairly sure Evelyn's use of it came from annoyance at the whole situation. Something he wouldn't hold against her.

"It is difficult to decipher. I suppose seeing the strands connecting the points of the magic helps me to some degree, but .." Shia sighed tiredly. "The amount I do not know still greatly outweighs what I do know."

Maylee was quick in making her way to the bar and enlisting Maxine's help—though, to be honest, Maxine more or less took care of it while Maylee awkwardly offered her assistance in the background. She would have to leave the woman a tip later, Maylee thought as she returned to the others, a cup of hot tea in each hand.

Maylee quietly sipped her tea while Shia and Evelyn spoke, until the mention of strands and pulsing began to fill her with a sense of dread. She remembered waking up just that morning, shuddering from the remnants of the sinister dream that had haunted her the night before.

"I don't know if this, er, adds anything, or if it's just more—cryptic nonsense," Maylee said, "but I... I had a dream last night. All of those things you were saying... the pulsing... the vein. In the dream, I could see them."

Maylee paused, frowned, clenched her hands against her teacup. "The moon was hanging over this huge lake. Maybe it was blood, maybe not—I couldn't tell because everything was tinted red, even my hands when I looked down at them. There were... people, I guess, tumbling into the lake, but—they were limp. Like dolls. They weren't fighting it at all."
When Maylee pressed a hand to her throat, she imagined, once again, that she could feel the sensation of deadly breathlessness. "I had a vein connecting me to the moon, and it pulled me in. I fought, but it was too strong—or I was too weak." She gritted her teeth. "I woke up before I landed in the water, but—for a moment, I could see my reflection in the lake. Not just one reflection but several. I could tell they were all me, but they all looked—different somehow. Like they were me in some other life, some other world."

It occurred to Maylee that this was the most she had spoken all at once in a long, long time, and Maylee drew her knees up to her chest on her seat, a bit embarrassed to have shared so much so abruptly. "I don't know if it means anything. But the things you were saying about magic made me think of it."

Shia did open his eyes and listened closely when Maylee spoke of her dream. At one point, he reached into an inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small notepad and pen, taking notes.

Song disappeared to the galley, Maxine's polite yet grating chattering stinging her ears. She returned a moment later, followed by the wafting scent of tea and once settled in, proceeded to regale them with her previous dreams, which sounded actually like premonitions of an Aelder Aelf. Ironic, considering Evelyn couldn't remember her dreams at all past of late.

"D'Shire." Evelyn dispensed the honorifics for once, "Perhaps you should rest, sleep only comes with solis now."

Shia scrunched up his nose, but finished jotting down a few other items from the dream he felt might be good to recall later. Then it was tucked back into the pocket of his jacket with a little nod. "Yes, I think a small slumber would be... beneficial."

Shia finished his tea before setting it aside and then set the chair to lean back. "Please do not hesitate to wake me if I am needed before we land."

“Oh—yeah, you should rest,” Maylee said, feeling a little guilty that her story had prodded Shia into opening his eyes for so long. “We’ll wake you up when we land.”

Maylee glanced briefly at Evelyn, wondering if the stately elf would choose to rest, too. It seemed likely that they wouldn’t have another opportunity for a while—when they landed in Texas, she expected, they would hit the ground running.

Maylee herself wasn’t chomping at the bit to go back to sleep—she could still feel the eerie horror of that dream hovering behind her eyelids—but she wouldn’t be of much use to the team if she were asleep on her feet.

“I, um, should probably try to get some sleep, too—while we can,” Maylee murmured to Evelyn, willing herself to maintain eye contact with the intimidating woman. “Whatever we’re going to find in Texas... we have to be as ready as we can.”

Evelyn took note of Song's hesitance. "Do not feel sorry for the pursuit of revelation, even at the expense of others." She glowered, not meeting Song's gaze.

Song's timid voice shook her from dark thoughts of ages past and only did then she met the younger woman's eyes. "Yes, by all means." She said earnestly. Did all mortals nap so much? Indeed, the modern era beheld such soft creatures so unlike their predecessors--Brutish, unrefined yet savage in their energy. "Do not let me hold you." A chance to prod and poke into Song cut in it's infancy by the mortal leash. Regrettable, yet none was lost. The flight like countless others before it would have to be enjoyed in silence.

A soft clang resounded from the galley, and Evelyn held the urge to massage her forehead. I would rather die than suffer a half-lings company.
coded by natasha.
 
Allison Hagan
tired hotel room outfit Bug Out Of Words Out Of Words

“Ally?.....Ally?” The word began to pull at Allison's sleeping mind. “Al..” Begrudgingly, she wrenched her eyes open...was that a dream, or was someone calling her? The stready throbbing in her wrists told her the moon was out – a glance at the digital clock by her bed confirmed it was just past 4am. Her drowsy mind fumbled as she tried to recollect where exactly she was, her eyes grazing over the unfamiliar room. The nightmare...Bug...Houston...

Before her brain could fully catch up, she saw a figure begin to materialize in the corner of the room. Suddenly much more awake, she scrambled to the opposite side of her bed, throwing on the lamp next to her. Just as she was about to reach for something to swing at her intruder, the figure reconciled into the shape of Bug, looking very distraught.

This, naturally, alarmed her, until he imitated the hum of the zap lamp. She put her head in her hand. “Yes, yes, go.” She gestured to the bathroom door gingerly, moving her wrists as little as possible. “Do...whatever you need to do.” She turned her head and stared at the clock face for a long moment, briefly indulging in the thought of returning to sleep. But Bug was apparently in danger from this...lamp. She hoped he didn't notice the soft grunt of annoyance she let out. She reminded herself she had dealt with far more egregious shifters, and other supernatural folk, than Bug, and they weren't even being affected the way he was by this bleeding moon.

She threw off the covers with a sigh of defeat. “Will you be okay by yourself in there for a few minutes, Bug? I'm just gonna get dressed, make sure our stuff is all packed, then we'll get an early start, how about that? I'll even let you pick where we go for breakfast.”
code by yousmelldead
 
Yeo-Jin Park


Jin grumbles. “The grandma who watched the affair--of course the perp.” Her lips curl. Typical banks, she’d thought picking the classy pub would’ve shook him a little. Drat.

“Well…” She starts, gracing Banks with a sweet smile, “Won’t hurt if a couple of officers come and collect statements.” Not a bad idea, unless precinct already sent others. Then she’d have to do this the old fashion way. Honestly, the old fashion way was hell more fun but included alot of tip-toeing. She winces. Hurts to tiptoe if you got fins.

“Are you gonna finish that soon?” Banks is eating pretty slow, probably enjoying the sight of her squirming. Blegh. She glances away to a hive of activity around the bar, raucous laughter over some game playing over the TV in the far corner. The scent of perspiration permeates the cold air, stinking of human hormones and blood. Naturally, her nostrils flare, air rushing through her nose as her mindseye draws an invisible line towards a cluster of prey. Like a school of inebriated fish.

She sighs wistfully, and draws her attention back to Banks. “I wish this moon thing would just go away.”
location: Florida • tags • mood • Outfit • interactions
 


Winnie stayed a safe distance away from the other duo as she and Kessler made their way off the bus. The latter was rubbing his knees as if in pain, and she again felt a twinge of regret for squishing him up against the window seat.

"Are you okay?" Another meek smile encrusted her lips. "If you need a rest, sir—"

Kessler raised an eyebrow.

"Kessler! Sorry, I meant Kessler," she said frantically, but Kessler merely scoffed again, a strange expression crossing his face—it wasn't a smile by any means, but if a smile were a butterfly, it was something of a caterpillar.

"Forget it," he said, nodding in the direction of the other pair. "Can you still hear them?"

Snapping back to focus, Winnie squeezed her eyes shut and tried to pick out their voices among the hum of the bus station. As long as she stayed close, it was actually a bit easier than it had been on the bus, given how noisy the locomotive had been.

She scrunched up her forehead, puzzled. "They're... they're going to a McDonald's," she murmured. "They don't seem to be in much of a hurry—? I don't..."

"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Kessler said, and Winnie peered curiously up at him. "If they're not racing the clock, that means they don't know we're trying to find the kid, too."

Oh—! Winnie pressed her hands over her mouth. That had to be true, right? It wouldn't make sense otherwise.

"I say we strike while the iron's hot," Kessler said before awkwardly adding: "So to speak, you know. I'm not suggesting we actually beat up a minor."

Winnie smiled, then faltered for a moment, and finally murmured: "Actually, Kessler... um..."

Her tongue seemed to swell, filling her mouth. She wasn't used to suggesting ideas of her own, and just the thought of it made her feel guilty.

"What is it?" Kessler stared down at her. "If you've got something to say, speak up."

She fumbled for another moment, spread her hands over her mouth, and mumbled feverishly through her fingers, trying to get it all out as quickly as one might rip off a Band-Aid. "ActuallyIthinkyoushouldstayoutofsightbecauseshe'sayounggirlandyou'reumnotandsomeonemightseeandumgetworried."

Her heart hammered as Kessler furrowed his brow. She wouldn't dare speak her own mind to her mistress—she could only hope Kessler wouldn't react in a similar manner.

"You've got a point," he said, and Winnie felt her chest lighten. "Might be more useful to split up. You can go talk to the kid, and I'll keep an eye on those other two." He fished his cell phone out of the pocket of his fluffy aviator jacket. "Might be worth a quick check-in, too. I don't know if the bosses know someone else is after their mark, too."

Winnie nodded, relieved. "Yes, that—that sounds like a good idea."

"But, hey, listen up," Kessler said abruptly, and Winnie stiffened, readying for a blow, as his arm reached out toward her—

—instead, she felt him lightly scratching the top of her head, the same way one might pet a dog.

"You be careful, got it?"

Winnie blinked rapidly, too confused and disoriented to form words. Finally, she managed to nod her head sheepishly.

"Good. I'll see you in a few."

Winnie didn't have much time to reflect on the strange, unfamiliar sensation of an affectionate touch. Her mistress would be angry if she failed to complete the mission her associates set out for her. Shaking her head, Winnie pulled out her own cell phone to double-check the address and photo she had been given at the start of the assignment.

Just don't mess it up, she cautioned herself.

As she made her way to Clementine Holt's house, Winnie formulated a quick plan: she didn't know much of the finer details about why her mysterious new bosses were targeting a teenager from Nevada, but she knew, at least, that it had something to do with the moon and the girl's lineage. Apparently magic ran in her family, and Winnie's new bosses needed it for whatever their plans were with the moon. The briefing she had received before the mission explained that they had unsuccessfully sent a revenant after the girl earlier that week, and after a somewhat messy clean-up, they had opted to send someone a little more lucid in its stead.

Enter she and Kessler, she supposed.

When she stood in front of Clementine's door, Winnie pressed her hands to her chest, trying to calm the racing of her heart.

You've done this sort of thing before, she reminded herself, a would-be reassurance that left a sour aftertaste. With a deep breath, she knocked on the door.

By the time the door opened, Winnie had fully donned her candy-sweet coating. "Clementine!" she cried cheerfully, leaping forward and taking the young girl's hands in her own. "Oh, it is you!"

Quickly, Winnie scanned the girl's face. She definitely looked like the picture her employers had provided, if a bit older—it seemed they had acquired a yearbook photo from the previous year—and she was, predictably, noticeably taller than Winnie herself.

"Oh, ohmigosh, I'm sorry," she said quickly, drawing back and clapping her hands over her cheeks. "I must seem crazy—oh, please excuse me!" She bowed her head briefly and then looked up at Clementine, smiling through closed lips to conceal her fangs. "You don't know me, I'm sure, but I know you. Oh, gosh, that just sounds creepy—" Again, she self-consciously folded her hands over her mouth. "I mean, not personally—we haven't met before—what I mean is—"

She glanced up at the sky, streaked with reassuring sunlight, and then lowered her voice to a whisper: "The moon told me about you."

Winnie clasped her hands together in front of her. "...Or something like that. I don't... it's hard to describe. But you've felt it too, right? That the moon is... different somehow?"

She paused, thinking of the ill-fated mission her employers had assigned to that half-crazed revenant. "Clementine, um... something scary happened to you recently, right? The moon told me about that, too. I'm sorry. You must feel really... alone." She looked up at the younger girl, holding her gaze as warmly and earnestly as possible. "But you're not, okay? I want to help you."
Tags: AsherMasher AsherMasher ​

winnie sawyer.

psychic vampire

 
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Maddox Ward (Leif Hjalkarssen)
Location: Kansas (Wyoming --> Texas)
Tags: Chase Moon ( Out Of Words Out Of Words )​


Watching Chase find his way to his room was a bit of a pitiful experience. Maddox couldn't yet tell exactly how he himself was tethered to the moon, but the spine was definitely a particularly bad way. The sight tickled at another side of him though, the one that screamed 'opportunity' at the sight of someone technically not sick, still unable to escape. He was used to dealing with those thoughts, and even though they'd lately been more present than ever, he managed to push it aside, eventually finding himself standing at the beginning of the hallway that led to their rooms for way too long while Chase disappeared around a corner.

With a quick shake of his head, he turned around and headed back into the main office to see that Chase had some breakfast delivered to his room. They hadn't stopped for food ever since leaving Wyoming, and there wasn't really any food in his cabin, after all. Yes, when he wasn't killing he could be that nice. Life's not black and white. He then headed to the restaurant for a beer, or coffee since it was early morning and the world wasn't ruled by vampires.

The one thing he had to keep in mind the whole time was that he absolutely couldn't kill there, unless he wanted them to become fugitives for the next part of the trip. Sounded obvious, and it was; nevertheless he had to keep reminding himself of it, hoping the morning lights out the windows would ease those thoughts away a little bit. Such irony: he used to resent daylight and the limitations it brought with it, yet now he almost welcomed it.

It didn't take him long to engage the bartender in conversation. Something about ordering beer at 6am either ruined first impressions, or made for a good topic of conversation. In this case, it was the latter. The stories that said vampires were charming and even seductive beings were founded upon a certain level of veracity. Probably a combination of more life experience than most other beings and some extra, supernatural expertise granted by vampirism, the fact was that while it was never guaranteed to succeed, the odds of convincing someone to do as you say were considerably higher.

The woman was at the beginning of her shift, and after some time agreed to meet once she was out in the afternoon. Mission accomplished. Now to maybe get some sleep. It was one thing still almost undisturbed by the moon, since he slept mostly during the day, out of reach of the moonlight.
 

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​




BUG

Tags: Allison bread-and-butterflies bread-and-butterflies | Location: Hotel Room 🚚 Houston, TX​


As soon as he was given permission, Bug disappeared into Allison's bathroom. He had tried his own, but it was too close and he could still hear the hum hum hum of the pretty blue lamp calling his name. Like hum Bug hum Bug hum Bug. He was sure of it. Now that he was farther away, it felt like he could think and breathe again. Like he wasn't going to just burst apart into hundreds of fireflies at any second.

Bug got into the shower, fully clothed, and turned the water on. Didn't matter that it was cold at first, the feeling of the water washing over him helped soothe frayed nerves more than he could say. He sank down into a crouch at the bottom of the shower, knees drawn and held against his chest. It was there he just rocked, eyes closed, getting soaked to the bone. But the hum Bug noise was faint, so faint he could almost pretend it didn't exist.

Allison would have to come get him when she was ready, because after a few minutes, Bug was nearly asleep. Sitting on the floor of the shower, in one corner, soaked to the bone, but at least the water now was warm. He hadn't had much rest at all in his room and without the humming calling to him it was super easy to sleep. He'd slept in more precarious positions before. This was nothing.

coded by natasha.
 
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