Realistic or Modern A Night Bleeds (Closed)

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Block C | Current Timeline: May 14th​

Tags: Coda Vinegar Bees | Location: Miami, FL

There were two people who came into the classroom by the time Coda's training began. It was clear the other one was there for backup, just in case things went south. It wasn't specific to Coda, it was routine, though maybe this other person had a bit more spellwork at the ready, because it was Coda.

The coven recognized the dangerous nature of the half demon, even had training to help cultivate it, shape it, hone it into the weapon it could be. All to benefit the coven of course. However, even well trained dogs could turn on their masters, and they needed to be prepared for that possibility.

The one sitting across from Coda gave a small smile. "Talking to people will be part of your duties with your new assignment. Nothing big, no, nothing like that. Just sometimes you'll need to talk people down, or dissuade them in order to avoid a confrontation. There will be times when confrontation is not the better choice, or even dangerous to the one you are responsible for guarding."

A packet of material was placed on the desk in front of Coda. "First, there's reading. A good bit of it, do's and dont's about how to avoid escalations, different scenarios where you pick the course of action and see the result. Kind of like one of those.. choose your own adventure books."

The man stood up and moved to the desk in the front of the room. "Then this afternoon, we'll have some actual applications in the training area. And we'll see how you're doing. If all goes well..." There was the silent hint that going well would depend upon Coda. "... You should be leaving for your new assignment tomorrow or Friday."

He sat down and started to work on his laptop, "You can begin."

coded by natasha.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Wright Wranch | Current Timeline: May 13th​

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

Shia noted the use of his first name, rather than the last. There was the small quirking of a lone eyebrow before he tucked his chin with a head bow. He was silent though, contemplative perhaps. Regardless, his expression, while neutral, hinted at thoughts under the surface. Thoughts he didn't share as the driver indicated they were there.

The car passed under a large wooden sign, held up by two posts on either side of the road. Wright Wranch, it stated, trying to be clever on the spelling, so it could also be referred to as WW. As the car continued up the flagstone driveway, the rustic style barn like house came into view. The fencing matched the rustic style, giving it a slightly worn down appearance, even though the quality was anything but worn down.

The driver pulled up the front, and held the door for the trio. Bags were lifted from the trunk, and Shia led the way into the front room. There was a combination of wood and stone inside as much as there was outside. The front room had furniture made of iron, steel, and reclaimed wood, with sofas and chairs that just looked comfortable, inviting one to sit and find out for themselves.

A middle-aged woman appeared, red and white plaid apron being used to wipe her hands off as she emerged from the kitchen area. Her brown and greying hair was tied up in a bun, messy by now, with a few strands drifting out and touched with flour. "Oh! Ye wee bairns. Come in! Come in!"

She had an accent that seemed to come and go, but a welcoming smile as big as one suspected her heart to be. "I be Tilly, and I've been a cookin' up sumething fer ye bellies! Devlin will be 'round innabit. Set yer bags there, an' relax a wee spell."

coded by natasha.

 

[Vinegar Bees]

Winnie's lungs were screaming for air by the time she found Kessler sitting at a bench outside the McDonald's. She had never been much of an athlete, even before she became some sort of undead creature of the night, and her knobby knees buckled beneath her as she tried to catch her breath.

"Hey—!" Kessler said sharply, and he stood, catching her by the shoulders.

"I'm—I'm—sorry—" Winnie shook her head feverishly, embarrassed at how visibly frail she was. "I'm o—"

"Hold on," he cut her off, "take a second and catch your breath, yeah?"

She snapped her mouth shut and obeyed, not daring to speak again until her lungs no longer stung.

"I see. So she's home alone and not taking visitors," Kessler murmured when she was finished explaining.

"Yes, and, um, I think if we could get through to her grandparents first, um—"

"Worth a shot." Kessler pulled out his phone as he began walking towards the McDonald's parking lot. "The bosses gave me this tracking app. Something that only works on regular old humans, they said."

"Oh," Winnie murmured wonderingly as she scrambled to keep in step with him.

"...Got it. Looks like they're at a bazaar a few blocks away. Shouldn't take long to get there—"

He turned to glance at her, his gaze sweeping not-so-subtly across the length of her knobby, scrawny legs.

"...On second thought," he said, "we'll call a cab."

(OOC: The spoiler below is some interim conversation I got way carried away writing and is not necessary info for the story progression of this post.)

Spoiler

Winnie could feel her heart thumping in her ears in unison with the cab rattling around on the poorly-paved streets. How had she ended up in this situation? Why had her mistress sent her away to these unfamiliar magicians in this unfamiliar coven? Surely there was someone better-suited to the task than her. Why was she always being asked to do the dirty work, to play the part of bait leading unsuspecting victims to the center of the black widow's web—? How ugly, blackened her soul must be now, dripping with sin, a sight even a benevolent God would turn away from in revulsion.

Feeling sorry for yourself again? Grow up, Winifred.

Gr͏o̗̝̖̲̣̝͞w͚͍ ͓͠ṵ̧̜̭͔͓p̦͇͓͚̰͙͡, ̴̞̼̬̼W̧̗̖ͅin̨͙͔̮̯i͉̺f̦r͚̞͈̻̳e̗̰̣̭̱ḍ̳̻͈̞.̢͕​

Winnie shuddered and then glanced up at Kessler, his head resting pensively against the window. Seizing on an opportunity for distraction, she spoke up:

"Um, Kessler! That's... that's your last name, right?"

Kessler glanced quickly at her, his eyes narrowing in what must be suspicion. "Yeah. What of it?"

She flinched. Oh—had she said something wrong—? Swiftly, she tried to backpedal: "Oh, um, I was just curious, s-sorry—"

Kessler seemed to pick up on the harshness in his tone and shut his eyes, running a hand over his face. "No, forget it. It's a perfectly normal question. Just—trust me, you're better off calling me by my last name."

Really? What could be so bad about his name...? Winifred could be a bit of an embarrassing name, to be sure, given how old-fashioned it was, but she had gotten used to the old lady jokes. Was it a girl's name, maybe? That sort of thing had been getting trendier in recent years, but she imagined it was still the sort of thing schoolchildren seized upon for a mean joke.

"Well, um, I'm sure your name is wonderful," she mumbled timorously, "whatever it is."

Kessler glanced briefly at her and then away. "...You sure you want to know?"

Huh? Was he really okay with telling her? Winnie felt her chest lighten in excitement. "Oh, um, only if you're comfortable sharing, I mean—"

Weakly, her voice trailed off, and then Kessler turned his face away, pinching the bridge of his nose. "...Kush. My name is Kush."

Winnie blinked, running the word over in her mind to confirm she had heard correctly. "Really? Like—"

"Yes, like that."

Oh. She frowned, uncomfortable for making him bring up something he had probably been teased mercilessly for.

"...Well, sort of." Kessler turned to face her again, his brow scrunched in what was obviously meant to be a disgruntled expression, but she could see a tiny smile trying to force its way through his teeth. "My mom was from India. Suffice it to say it means something a lot more flattering in Hindi."

"Oh," she murmured. "Your father didn't tell her what else it meant—?"

"My father wasn't worth the oxygen he breathed," Kessler said swiftly and sharply, and Winnie flinched again. Oh—he didn't like his father. Again, she had brought up something he didn't like—

(That sharp tone resonated within her chest. She didn't like her father, either.)

"Hey, don't worry about it," he said, softer. "It's not your problem. Just—keep this between us, yeah? I've heard enough Cannabis Kessler jokes to last me a lifetime."

"Of course!" Winnie chirped, holding out her pinky in earnest confirmation. "I promise!"

Kessler glanced at her and then away, embarrassed, as he linked his pinky with hers, but she could see the smile he was no longer able to keep hidden.

"You know, Sawyer, you're a nice kid," he murmured. "How'd you end up with a job like this?"

"Me? Um—um, my mistress gave it to me," she said automatically.

"Your what?" Kessler's eyes had again reverted to suspicion, and Winnie's heart lurched. Stupid—mistress wasn't really a normal term outside of the coven, was it—?

"Um, I mean—my lady—um—" Swiftly, she deflected, plastering a nigh-manic smile to her lips: "What about you, Kessler? How did you get this job?"

The suspicion hadn't left his eyes, and for a moment, Kessler seemed to be pondering asking a few more questions, but he left her stunned when he looked away and answered with piercing bluntness:

"I've got cancer."

Her mouth went dry. Oh—oh no—she had brought up something really awful this time—

"Just found out. It's a freak thing, you know? Not the kind of thing that usually happens to guys like me." His voice was barbed with acerbic bitterness. "A real asshole variety, too. Glioblastoma. I've probably got six months if I sit on my ass and do nothing. Less than that, really, since I won't get to be up and around like this much longer."

He hesitated, turned his face farther away. "If I fight it, I could have a year. Maybe two. Some people even get up to five. I plan on being one of those tough bastards. But—" She watched his jaw twitch in a caustic smile. "Chemo's not cheap, and these guys—this coven or whatever the Hell they really are—they offered me a pretty penny." Another pause, a scoff. "I never got insurance. 'Cause nothing bad could possibly happen to me, right?"

He added a whisper through his teeth, barely audible: "Dumbass."

Winnie squeezed her hands together in her lap, at a complete loss for how to respond. Finally, she offered a low, gentle, "I'm sorry."

"What for? Not your fault."

"I know," she said, clenching her fingers. "But—sometimes—things happen to people that they're owed apologies for, and the world only gives them silence. I think... they ought to get it from somewhere."

Finally, Kessler turned to face her again, and she saw the redness he had been trying to hide in his eyes. Then he swiped a fist across his eyes, and for the first time, she saw him grin.

Winnie wobbled a bit on her way out of the cab, her prosthetic leg scraping for purchase on the cracked pavement below. Flippantly, Kessler offered her an arm to steady herself, and he began striding off once she had regained her balance, though she noticed him glancing over his shoulder to make sure she was close behind.

She was. She was finding it easier to keep up with him now, though she pretended not to notice that he had slowed his gait to accommodate hers.

"The app says they're around this corner," Kessler said. "You ready?"

She wasn't. A thousand contingencies flooded her mind, all of them disastrous, all of them ending in her meeting the harsh strike of a displeased superior. She didn't want to hurt the girl or her grandparents, but what choice did she have—? If only she could just run—

Right. Because that's all you know how to do.

A hard lump had formed in Winnie's throat, and she swallowed it queasily. She wasn't ready, but she nodded.

winnie sawyer.

psychic vampire

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Conversations on a Plane | Current Timeline: May 14th​

Tags: Roje Britt-21
Location: ✈ Miami, FL

“You know, key... were you born blind? Or did something happened?” The vampire suddenly asked, glancing over at him and taking a good look at his appearance. Taking notes for her own precautions.

Key smiled, apparently pleased by someone asking questions. "No, I wasn't born this way. There was an accident, a few years back."

“Magical accident?” She asked, tilting her head “or something worse than that?”

"Magic was involved, yes."

“Oh the wonders of magic.” She said with sarcasm dripping off her words, leaning her head against her hand “I could only imagine you were probably devastated. I know i would have been.”

"Initially, but there was a choice to be made." Key gave a little lift of one shoulder. "I could either adapt and grow as a result, or wallow and be stagnant. I chose to grow."

“At the price of your own sight.” She continued to look directly at him “I wouldn’t sacrifice anything just to grow. I’ll find an alternative method.” She gently ran her fingers over the tattoo that had been against her head but behind her ear. “There’s always another way.”

"No, you misunderstood. When the accident happened, I chose to adapt, rather than wallow in what was lost."

Roje blinked for a moment, knowing that she just had just made a rookie mistake and caused her to look off to the side “Right.” She said “I know how that goes.” She knew it all too well. At first she wallowed. But then she eventually accepted it.

"In hindsight, if the accident hadn't happened, there would have been more doors in my way. Suppose it is as they say, things happen for a reason."

“See, if I believed that for just a moment... I would lost my mind. I don’t ever believe that things “happen for a reason.” I think they happen because the devil wants to fuck around with others just as he fucked me.”

"Suppose it all depends on the circumstances. Just in hindsight, I can see where point A connected to B, then C, and so on."

“I can see what you mean. Would make the most sense.” She took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh, shifting in her seat and once again crossing one leg over the other. “How did you figure out I was the best one for this job? Others could have been at your disposal.”

Key let his face turn in her direction more fully. "We have had a few on our radar for a little while. Prospects. You excelled where they have not."

“I’ve been told I’m special but I refuse to believe it. I admit I am a warrior. I’ve been though shit. But when push comes to shove I will do the right thing.”

Key gave a little nod. "And perhaps that is why you excelled."

“Probably. Not many people have the right pride anymore. Nor do they have the right morals.”

"Very true. Tell me about what you believe in, what is right and wrong in your eyes?"

“It all depends on what my own personal morals are. I don’t feed on humans because I feel it’s wrong. Which is why I use blood bags or animals.” She turned her head back to him “Keeping my asset safe to help the moon return to normal is also a right thing to do. It’s wrong for others to try to stop it. Which is why to me, killing them wouldn’t be wrong. I’d be removing pain in the asses from this earth.”

Key gave a nod of his head, "And if your charge doesn't understand? As I said, some of your duties will be protecting your charge from himself. He's young, he is newish to the supernatural world, and the way his brother has kept him ... sheltered, his exposure has been very limited. It is highly likely he will fight to escape."

“If my charge even tries once to escape from me, I’m cuffing him to a metal pipe and calling it a day.” She said with no hesitation while her tone held no remorse “there are ways that I can convince someone. He may be sheltered, but I can show him what the world is really like.” This asset she was going to protect... man he was going to be a pain in the ass with everything she would most likely do. Every action every word. Key better had hoped that the vampire wouldn’t give that fae a good punch in the face. “I can improvise. I’ve done it fine this far.”

Key smiled, "Good to know. There will be some tools to help until he can understand the important part he is to play. The ones who will be bringing him will likely have to use them. Nothing painful, just a collar and wrist cuffs if need be. We hope it will help keep you protected from his dust in transit as well as keep him from any mistakenly made choices he might make."

“This kid is going to learn real fast what a knuckle sandwich is if he tries any dumb ideas. I may have morals but I know how to punish someone when they’re being a royal pain in the ass.” She had to keep him alive at all costs. So if he was trying to get away all the damn time, or try to do some bullshit from movies, he would only make her life harder than it had to be. “Just give me a tranquilizer gun and we’re good. Keep him asleep for times we don’t need him and wake him up for times we need him.” The vampire shrugged. No need for cuffs or a collar. Just a good ol’ tranq gun and fists.

"Well, the tools are designed to help suppress his abilities. We haven't had a Duster before, but it has worked on others, like shifters. So, there is a chance they won't work. We'll have a better idea when he is brought to us tonight. And, we'll test a small sample of his dust with you in a controlled environment, just to make sure you do not have any allergic reaction to it. We want you safe as well."

"I doubt I'd be allergic, but thanks for your concern." she just hoped his dust wasnt some crazy shit that she couldnt work with and fight off on her own. "It sounds like we're doing some drug dealing or some shit."

Key laughed. "Well, there are circles who reportedly use Dusters for such. And there's a decent amount on the black market. So, it isn't unheard of."

Roje couldn't help the smirk tugging the side of her lips "Don't expect me to be snorting any dust while watching my charge. That's definitely not my thing."

"Yet another reason you excelled."

"Sometimes I feel like you probably stalked me for a long while just to get information like this." how he concealed himself? No idea if he actually had done it. "Do you have a secret file on me that I dont know about?"

"We observed for a little while. And nothing one couldn't get from public records."

"You witches sure like to get around." she rolled her eyes with a shake of her head and a smile on her face "Especially when someone is in your debt."

"We don't make deals lightly."

"Considering you practically threatened my life if my Charge was killed? Yeah, I can see it." Key chuckled. Roje continued, "I've said it once, I'll say it again: Magic comes with a price." she lifted her hand to show him her ring "I really wanted this just to feel the sun on my skin again. And this," she gestured to the environment of the plane "is the price I have to pay. On top of playing Bodyguard."

"Aren't you a little bit excited to play bodyguard?"

Roje grinned "Maybe just a little bit." she admitted with her own laugh. One that was genuine, one that she hadnt done in a long time. It felt good to actually... laugh for once. And Key grinned.

coded by natasha.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Block C | Current Timeline: May 14th​

Tags: Roje Britt-21
Location: Miami, FL

After their plane landed, they were picked up by a driver, in another limo, and taken to Block C. They arrived mid-day, just in time for lunch. The outside really didn't stand out as anything different than some warehouse turned into an office. At the entrance, both Key and Roje needed to show their IDs and wait to be verified. Any weapons were required to be temporarily surrendered, and baggage would be set in the secure room to one side. They would be able to retrieve it upon leaving.

Key led the way down the hall to the left, apparently known in this area or he had enough clearance to not need a guard escort. "There will be some refreshments this way, and I'll show you the file we have on your charge to be. It likely won't be until this evening when he arrives."

The room they entered was like a guest room of sorts. One corner had a futon for catching up on sleep if needed, there was a coffee table, and a couple of chairs around a small office table against one wall. A kitchenette, like something you'd find in a hotel suite, took up the other side of the room with a microwave, full sized fridge/freezer combo, and a four burner electric stove with all the necessary pots, pans and other utilities tucked away in the cabinets.

On the office table was a computer, and Key moved to sign in. One hand gestured vaguely toward the kitchen area. "Help yourself, they keep it pretty well stocked. Ramen, other soups, microwave meals, usually some fruit and sandwich makings, last time I was here."

Key's sight allowed him to see just enough to know what page he was on, and where to click to enter information. A touch typist, entering the data wasn't difficult. Once he had signed in, it was just a matter of bringing up the file. "And then you can come check out his file."

ASSIGNMENT # 64A-5-13-20 Target Name: Morgan Feigh Gender: Male Age: 18 (Heritage discovered at 16) Height: 5'5" Race: Fae Subspecies: Duster (Type: All - Unconfirmed) - closely related to Pooka/Púca Residence: 555 Sideway Lane, Orlando, FL Adopted at age 13, still residing at family home.

Subject will be picked up and delivered alive to Block C by EOB May 14th. High likelihood of resistance, appropriate equipment issued to retrieval units Assignment accepted May 13th: Unit #2-1-14-11-19 Unit #16-1-18-11

Precautions required!! Dusters generate 'dust' which is capable of affecting others. Target is suspected to be type ALL (unconfirmed), capable of creating dust based upon any strong emotion. Dust will invoke the same emotion in others if comes into contact with skin, or injested. PPE strongly recommended if suppression measures are inadequate. Avoid getting dust in eyes, nose, mouth. Immediately report any incidents, including date/time and symptoms displayed.

coded by natasha.

 

[Britt-21]

Roje Jenkins

Interaction: Out Of Words | Location: Block C

The trip wasn't so bad to Florida, actually, it was filled with questions and casual talk. It wasn't filled with dread and anger as Roje thought it would be. After landing, the pair were picked up by another limo driver. There are so many things I could say. I guess I'm going to actually get used to using limos and not shitty cars. The building didn't surprise her since she had lived in NYC were many things changed almost every day. When asked about her ID, she sighed and pulled her wallet -yes, wallet- out from her pocket, she handed them her ID to check out and see if it was valid. For a vampire, IDs were a pain in the ass because not only would people wonder why you're the same age, but why you look so much younger too. The amount of times she's had to compel people just to forget she existed was a pain. Not long after her ID was checked, they took her bag and she rolled her eyes. You're joking. Have fun looking through that. The vampire followed Key through the halls, not saying much along the way and just taking more mental notes just in case she needed to pull anything.

"Good, I have some time to chill out and think about how I'm going to educate this kid." upon entering the room, she noticed how well furnished it was and how it was perfect for relaxing or catching up on refreshments. Key went to his own spot in the room, which was with the computer. He gestured toward the kitchenette and she casually strolled over, looking through the fridge and catching a blood bag. With a shrug, she pulled it out and tossed the bag into the microwave to heat up. "I'll be right over. Let me just heat this up real quick." she said, sitting by the microwave till it was finished and she pulled the bag out, grabbing the tube part and using it like a straw. Roje then walked over to Key and leaned over his shoulder, looking at the screen that he currently locked into "5'5? Hell yeah I get to kick his ass." she commented before reading the rest of the information provided. "pfft, the warnings don't even pertain to me because I need to be tested with it so." with a shrug, she went and took a seat on the chair and sunk into it, drinking out of the bag still.

Pausing her drink, she tilted her head back and spoke "How long are we going to be here in general, Key? Are we going to go to other places after we get my Charge? Or are we staying here for as long as we need?"​

 

[Vinegar Bees]

Coda narrowed his eyes into hateful slits, watching the instructor with a hungry gaze as he sat at the front of the room and began working on his laptop. He probably wasn't even working, he thought, just playing solitaire or some other time-waster. Everything about this reeked of waste.

So now talking people down was going to be part of his job? The thought of it was almost an insult. They had taken him on for his destructive power, so why were they giving him an assignment where he would be expected to hold back?

Coda glared resentfully at the instructor, whom he was well aware couldn't be bothered to return the look.

"Why would you get an attack dog," he asked, "if you were going to teach it how to play fetch?"

He didn't wait for an answer, because he knew he wasn't going to get one. Sullenly, Coda began to pore through the material the instructor had left for him. If this was all they thought he was good for, he would prove them wrong.

Unbidden, one of the voices offered its input: You know what I think is cooler than being able to beat a guy up?

Coda froze, a spiny, creeping sensation seizing him by the spine. Naturally, he didn't like any of the voices, but the worst by far were the ones that had names.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯​

In another world, a short, scrawny boy with scruffy black hair and a scrunched-up nose sat as far up against the car door as he could. He knew what was coming—it was just a matter of when. At this point, he just wanted to rip off the Band-Aid already.

And the Band-Aid did, indeed, rip. Admittedly, there was an air of relief when Malik finally cleared his throat and spoke up: "So, kiddo—"

Swiftly, the boy wheeled to face him, instantly on the defensive: "You weren't there. You didn't see what happened!"

"Hey-hey-hey," Malik said tiredly, rhythmically, waving his hands in a mollifying manner. "Slow down. Gimme a few breaths. Let's take this one sentence at a time, okay?"

The boy sank sulkily down in his seat.

"So who started the fight?"

"He did," the boy spat out automatically, but then he hesitated, averted his gaze. "Wait—I—I guess I did start the actual fight..." Then, with renewed vigor, he pushed forward in his seat: "But he was asking for it!"

"Deep breaths, please," Malik said absently, well-accustomed to the boy's often-manic energy by now. "Mind filling me in on how he asked for it? Somehow, I can't imagine the kid walking up to you and asking to get shoved into the mud."

The boy frowned, hesitant and quiet in his response. "He... he called Mae a crybaby."

Malik's eyes lit up a bit in obvious interest. "He did?"

In a flash, the manic energy was back. "Yeah, 'cause sometimes she cries when, like, we read sad books or something. Like that one with the tree and the guy who cut off all her branches. So he went up to her and called her a crybaby." His voice gradually rose as a few tears of his own began to peek through the frustration. "Her friends told me to leave it alone, that he was just picking on her 'cause he liked her, but that's stupid! If you like someone, you should be nice to them, right? But he was being a jerk, and it was upsetting her, and nobody else was gonna make him stop!"

Malik was quiet for a moment, his eyes uncomfortably discerning as he took in the story. "...The principal didn't tell me that part."

"She didn't know," the boy admitted. "I... I didn't want to drag Mae into it. She doesn't like fights."

"You're right about that," Malik said. "So why did you think starting a fight would make her feel better?"

The boy frowned, lowered his head. He couldn't answer.

"Listen, kiddo," Malik said, reaching a hand across the car to ruffle the boy's hair. "I get it. Can't say I'm a fan of the way you did it, but you were trying to stick up for your sister. Don't tell Adrien I said this, but... between you and me, that's pretty cool."

The boy blinked through his tears, surprised.

"But, hey. You know what I think is cooler than being able to beat a guy up?"

"What?" In the boy's eyes, Malik defined cool. If he thought something was cool, it had to be.

"Making someone smile when they're sad. So what do you say we get ourselves home and try to get your sister to smile?"

When he thought about it, that did sound pretty cool. Grinning, the boy nodded.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯​

It took him some time to look through the material, to follow the different plot threads of the makeshift choose-your-own-adventure narratives. By the time he was through with it, the incensed anger Coda had been feeling had abated into something tight and somber in his chest. He ground his teeth together, hoping the noise would blot out any further attempts that voice made to speak up.

"Done," he said to the instructor in a low, morose tone. "Got anything else for me?"

coda.

half-demon

 

[Vinegar Bees]

Over the last few hours, Maylee's mind had been running wild with the possibilities of what awaited them at Devlin's abode—a luxurious mansion, perhaps, or a high-rise apartment in an expensive area of the city—but she had to admit she hadn't been expecting a ranch. The sweet scent of freshly-cut hay drifted through her nostrils as she stepped out of the car, and the unmistakable musk of fire drifted down the way from the farmhouse. Probably a wood-burning stove, she thought.

She had to admit, the sight was at once more welcoming than a lavish estate would have been, given how alien such a place would be to her own reality. To be sure, plenty of money had been sunk into this property—she could tell the iron-and-wood fixings had been made to look just the right amount of artfully rundown, and she could detect a faint scent of wood wax with her wolfish nose—but it was clear that far more care had been put into making the place appear cozy than expensive.

In a bit of a daze, Maylee followed Shia and Evelyn inside, taking in the onslaught of a warm scent that almost tasted golden-brown on her tongue. In a whirl of energy, a woman in a checkered apron greeted them, her thickly-accented voice as vibrant as her ruddy cheeks. Was Devlin a foreignor, too—? The thought of adjusting to an entirely new country was a starkly daunting one.

Without so much as pausing for breath, the woman (Tilly, she said) invited the newly-arrived travelers to set down their bags and wait for a meal she had been cooking. Before Maylee could stop herself, she piped in: "Do you need any help, ma'am—?"

Heat swiftly flooded her cheeks. Clearly this was the woman's job, something she was well-equipped to do, but the mind your manners adage that had been drilled into her head since childhood had cultivated something of a habit.

Bashfully, she found her way to one of the sofas and sat on the edge of it, her posture upright and guarded—even with the sheer comeliness of the place, she couldn't bring herself to relax just yet. Despite Tilly's instructions, Maylee kept her bag tucked beneath her knees—the familiar shape of her rabbit within was a much-needed compass in the whirlwind of the moment.

maylee song.

hunter | werewolf

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Griffin Banks

Tags: Yeo-Jin Maeteris | Location: Florida​

Banks was still excited an hour and a half later, but needed to switch places for a while. He handed the keys over to the company issued vehicle, giving Park a grin. "You up for driving a little while? The navigational panel will keep you on track to Orlando." He moved to the passenger side, where he spent five minutes adjusting the seat and everything.

"If you catch sight of a Taco Bell, I'll buy us something." And he would, if she stopped. Otherwise, he would wake up when the motion of the car indicated they were no longer on the interstate.

Eyes blinked groggily as he ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't one to wake up quickly, slumber was a friend he held close in the night. It took a vigorous rubbing of hands over his face, with a soft, 'Gggrrrrrrrwwwwlll." Blink blink went his eyes, and then the grin spread over fuzzy haired face. "Okay, let's see where we're at."

Banks checked the map on the car, and the time. "We're in the city, and only like fifteen minutes from the actual place. Uh.. pull over by the gas station. We might as well top off and I'll call the contact." He waited until Park pulled into the station and killed the engine. "I'll put it on speaker."

The contact number was called, and answered on the third ring. The voice was a bit gruff, as they had caught Brandon sleeping. "Hello?"

"Yes, we're from the Agency, you have a package for us?" The Agency was what any member was supposed to refer to the Coven as on assignments. Banks had practiced this more times than he'd ever admit to Park, just waiting with baited breath to be able to use it. One could see on his giddy ass face that he was super pleased to have uttered those words at last.

"Huh.. Oh.. oh yeah. Okay. Uh.." There was some rustling, and creaking of bed springs as Brandon moved around. "You have the address, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay, give me like.. a half hour. I'll put the key under the mat. The package is locked in the basement. Just.. make it quick and try to not destroy my shit, okay?"

"A half hour. Understood."

"Oh and.. after the package is delivered, I'll get my money, right?"

Banks' eyebrows lifted, this part he wasn't aware of but could go with the flow with the best of them. "Yes, of course. The Agency will take care of it." If the coven promised money upon delivery, then they'd likely carry through. If not, well, they'd have the package all the same.

"Okay. Half hour. Bye." And there was a click on the other side.

Banks made sure his call was also disconnected before he laughed and grinned with a puzzled expression to Park. "Well.. uh.. Okay then? Let's.. top off the gas, and get within five minutes of the place and wait?"

coded by natasha.

 

[KodakWolf]

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

Maddox's head propped up at the sound of Chase's voice. He wasn't expecting to hear him speak so soon, nor for him to hear his 'thank you', which ultimately left the vampire slightly embarassed. He studied Chase's expression when he turned to look at him, but before he could reach any conclusions the sensation of having blood on his chin slipped into his conscience, and he paused to wipe most of it off with the back of his hand. If he felt better? Hell, yes. All the side effects of that last dream were pretty much gone. However, wouldn't he need that medicine from now on? Maybe; but he'd definitely want it. An issue for later though, as he didn't really feel like overthinking right now; let alone get up from the armchair and drive for several hours.

"Like I'm floating into Neverland." he let his head fall back against the headrest with a sigh. A couple of seconds and a pair of furrowed brows later, and he added with a dismissing wave, after realizing how senseless that probably sounded: "Nevermind."

He couldn't hear any chanting either, and while he now didn't really feel like doing anything, he knew to expect an energy boost soon enough, after the initial numbing effect was gone. He shut his eyes for a couple seconds, opening them back up again and repeating the action a few times, before he turned his head to look at Chase again with observant eyes.

"I can't read you though." he admitted with a pause, his breathing finally back to a slower frequency. "How's your new experience going?" he found that way of describing being bitten by a vampire rather funny, although ultimately correct. "I'm open to constructive criticism, bring it on." he spoke with an encouraging wave of a hand. He did get a little more talkative with that kind of blood, or better, with a lighter mood.

 

[Maeteris]

Evelyn Harper

---Due for reedit--

location: Houston • tags • mood • Outfit • interactions

 

[Maeteris]

Yeo-Jin Park

“Well, that went well.” She says after Banks cut off the line. “Sounds like a pleasant fella.”

The car takes a few moments to start up again, engine growling in protest from the rude awakening. Sorry girl, no rest for the wicked. She pats the steering wheel, and drops into reverse before screeching into the mainroad. The gas station isn’t that far around, taking them a minute or two to arrive.

“There ya go, full and ready to go.” She mutters with a soft pat on the car’s roof.

She drops into the driver’s seat in time to hear Willie Nelson’s On the Road Again playing on the radio, she grins at Banks, snickering as she starts the car. They swerve back into traffic, and disappointedly get stopped by red lights on the way. Luckily they weren’t pressed for time anyway so Banks didn’t need to see the asian maniac take the wheel.

“Y’know.” She starts as she unwraps a cold Gordita crunch she’d ordered from Taco Bell. She takes a whiff, it didn’t hit her the same way live prey did but it’s the next best thing, and her family weren't picky eaters anyway. “This reminds me of cop movie stake-outs.” She took a crunchy bite, savoring the taste of chicken.

“Hvfhe yvu evhr bven ihn ohn?” Pieces of chicken and burrito wrap flies into her lap, she chews away unhindered, the held Gordita crunch waved animatedly in the air as she recounts the last time she’d been in a stake-out that ended with the police cruiser diving front end into the shop-lot slash drug den.

location: Florida • tags • mood • Outfit • interactions

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Devlin Wright

Tags: Evelyn Maeteris Maylee Vinegar Bees | Location: Houston, Texas​

Tilly insisted Maylee just relax, she had all the food under control. Then she disappeared into the kitchen, where there was the occasional clanging of a pot lid. Shia remained standing, better to stretch out a little after a long plane and subsequent car ride.

It wasn't yet sundown, maybe an hour or two of light left, which prompted Shia to speak. "When the moon comes out, Devlin tends to make himself scarce. The visions are much more .. jumbled with the moon and well.. he can get.."

"Cranky as hell." The voice was on the low end of the spectrum, a natural huskiness to it with a hint of a gravelly tone. The man who came from the stairs was six feet easy, with salt and pepper colored hair and a fuzzy face to match. "You can say it, Shia." There was a deep timbre chuckle as brown eyes turned to the others.

"Hi. So you're the first ones back. Nice to meet you. I'm Devlin Wright. And.. I know you have a lot of questions. We'll get to them, I promise." He continued to move further into the room. Hands shoved into the front pockets of his black jeans, and he wore a layered shirt, brown and, well, another hue of brown. On one wrist there were an assortment of bangles, cuffs and more, all likely magical in nature.

For a moment, he just stood there, a small sideways smile as he looked to Evelyn. "Miss Harper." And Maylee. "Miss Song." The smile grew, though his gaze remained pensive. "Welcome." Occasionally, his eyes moved, as if following something near them, something only he could see.

coded by natasha.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Block C | Current Timeline: May 14th​

Tags: Roje Britt-21 Coda Vinegar Bees
Location: Miami, FL

Key was already getting up from the computer after logging out and shutting it down. "Well, your charge should be here tonight, and we'll need to test the dust's effects on you. Tomorrow, if everything goes well, we will be leaving for another location. So use this time to relax. I'll make sure they stock more blood for you."

Key was moving to the main door. "Feel free to use the futon. Restroom is behind that door, there." Key gestured to the small closed door next to the futon area. "I'll be back. Please don't leave this room, security clearances and all." Key left, and there was one of the building's guards outside who closed the door behind him.

Key needed to go check in with someone else who was here, Coda. He knew they were trying to improve his people skills, and a small chuckle escaped. Bet that was going splendidly. He took a small detour on the way to check in on the half demon's progress overall.

His physical training had gone very well, and they worked some magical exercises as well. Key was given access to the full personality workup they did on the side, something he'd peruse on his laptop later. So it was only ten minutes later when he walked into the classroom in time to hear Coda asking what else they had for him.

"Making sure you're prepared for your new assignment." Key smirked. "Hello, Coda." He turned his face toward the instructor, "Is he finished here? He needs to start reviewing some details about his new charge."

The instructor nodded, "Yes, Mister Stone..er.. Key." The man's eyes went a little wide as he realized his mistake, there was genuine fear that flickered across his face for a brief moment. Key just stared at him, until the man moved from the chair to the floor, where he knelt, head bowed. "My apologies, Key."

Key murmured, "Hmmm.. This will be a good learning point. Coda, your new position will grant you more ... power over others than you've known so far. What would you do, if someone referred you by a name you gave up long ago? And then apologized?"

coded by natasha.

 

[AsherMasher]

Clementine Holt​

Clementine stayed under her bed for what felt like hours, curled up in her blanket with her hand clutched around her pendant. After a long wait, she willed herself to calm down. She hadn’t heard anymore knocks or talking, so she assumed the stranger must have taken the hint. Breathing a sigh of relief, she peaked out from her cocoon into her empty room. Once she saw the coast was clear Clementine wiggles out from her safe place.

Her body was sore from all the tension, but her mind was tired from the onslaught of fear and anxiety it was been assaulted with in the past week. It never seemed to end. She sat on the floor with her back against the closet door and rolled the pendant around in her finger tips, feeling waves of reassuring energy replenishing herself. She felt herself dozing off as she let her mind rest in exhaustion. However, a sudden knock on the front door startled her and made her jump awake yet again. She felt a fear creep back through her body, but it was accompanied by a familiar sense of frustration.

Driven by an increasing feeling of stress, Clementine army crawled her way across the room over to the window facing the front of the house. She peaked over the window sill ready to shout at the stranger she assumed was out there. She took a deep breath and jumped up to hastily open the window in an instant.

Leaning out slightly, Clementine shouted, “Leave me a-!” Before she could finish her sentence, Clementine noticed that it wasn’t who she initially expected to be standing in front of the door. Her cheeks heat up in embarrassment as she realized she just yelled at a complete stranger from outside her bedroom window like a coward. She noticed the other older man standing back away from the door and the anxiety within her did not lessen.

“W-what do you want?!” She shouted at the younger boy standing in front of the door. ”Why are you here?”

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Chase Moon

Tags: Maddox KodakWolf | Hotel in Kansas​

Chase's wuffle and loopy grin were rather languid, but those blue eyes remained bright. When asked about his new experience, the wuffling merged with the chuckle. "It's .. I'm not sure yet." He didn't feel quite like moving around too much, his head was the most he could manage currently.

"I expected more pain." His eyes would sometimes shift away from Maddox, like people tend to do when they were giving something serious thought. "The pulling was.. strange, like the heat was being slowly tugged out, leaving a chill behind."

Wuffle. Chase looked at Maddox again. "Ever have a moment, where you think you've really screwed up? And there are sudden slivers of ice shooting through your chest or stomach? It was kind of like that, only the slivers were not as abrupt. More like a slow growth of cold."

Chase was apparently not shy about retelling his side of the experience. In fact, he had sort of a small look of wonder as he spoke about it. As if grateful for being able to add something new to his life. "And my neck, it isn't painful, but tight. Like I really need to stretch it out, after sleeping on it wrong." Wuffle wuffle.

"Oh." And he laughed enough to make his chest move with the motion. "And I feel like I've fallen asleep sitting upright in a chair, where my limbs are weightless. I can't really feel the bed under me, but I know it's there." He gave another loopy grin with one more wuffle. "I'll take weightlessness over the nightly pain, thank you very much."

coded by natasha.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Griffin Banks

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

Banks gave Park a big grin as he watched her devour the Gordita. "No, no stake outs for this boy." He gave a little bit of a snort. "That paltry ass precinct likes to think it's in control. Doling out small crumbs hoping we'll just keep chasing them waiting on the big piece of pie."

Apparently, he had some thoughts running around in that head of his. "The Coven though? More opportunity for certain. And we get to actually use our skills, our real fucking skills. If I have the chance to get regular work from the Coven, I'm done with that damn precinct." He let out a little sigh, just thinking about it was making him wistful for the what ifs.

At least they didn't have to wait too long for half an hour to have passed. "Okay, let's go." It wasn't very long after, they were getting out of the car and approaching a nice two-story home. It was a quiet street, one of those cul-de-sac types, but there was enough foliage and fencing it should keep them mostly sheltered from noisy neighbors. And hopefully they were still sleeping.

"Okay, do you want the cuffs and I'll take the collar? Said the package was locked in the basement." Which was weird, but whatever. Not all brothers got along, he supposed. Banks was double checking to make sure they had all the equipment. "Let's put it on after we get through the front door. Less conspicuous that way."

One foot eased up the front doormat, and sure enough, there was a key. "You wanna do the honors, Park?"

coded by natasha.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Grandparent Hunting | Current Timeline: May 13th​

Tags: Winnie Vinegar Bees | Location: Paradise, NV

The grandparents were tracked to a little store, one of those quaint local farmer type of markets. They were currently toting a couple of reusable grocery bags, with the grandmother picking up a tomato and showing it to her husband. "Such good selection today!"

Winnie gripped her hands together so tightly they ached as she watched the grandparents happily browsing groceries. It was strange to see a pair of parents—grandparents or not—who seemed to actually be in love; stranger still that they seemed capable of loving the child they lived with.

There was a wistfulness to it, a distance, as if she were looking through a sheet of glass at the zoo. But she was the exhibit, she knew, the feral thing staring out with wide eyes at the real people.

“You’ve got this,” Kessler said suddenly, startlingly, and Winnie beamed a desperate smile at him.

“H-Here I go.”

Nervously, Winnie approached the grandparents from behind, quickly swiping up an apple from the lines of produce fanning out on either side of the aisle.

“Um, excuse me,” she murmured to the grandparents, staring timorously down at her shoes as she waited for them to turn around. “I-I’m sorry to bother you, um—I saw this on the floor just now. Did you, um, drop it?” Keeping her gaze low, she held the apple up for them to see.

Both of them paused, it was the grandmother who turned around to see. She looked at the apple, then at her husband. "Oh.. dear, did we drop one? Do you remember how many we picked?" She laid a hand gently on his arm before addressing the stranger.

"We might have?" The husband appeared to be peering into the grocery bags to see the apples they had.

There was a nauseating moment of doubt, of indecision—did she have to do this, really? What if she just ran and ran and ran and never turned around? Maybe, by some miracle, they wouldn’t find her—she could hide from the coven, from her mistress, from the world that seemed teeming with predators at every turn.

The seed of hope was crushed before it sprouted. All of her life had been an unending, scathing lesson that there were the strong and the weak, and the best the weak could hope for was mercy.

She lifted her head and gazed into the grandmother’s eyes, compelling her will to fill the old woman.

“You’re a very lovely couple,” she said quietly. “I’m sure you have a lovely home. May I see it, ma’am?”

The woman's eyes went wide as the connection was made, and her lips parted every so slightly. She stood up slowly, and patted her husband's arm. "Dear.. let's take her home."

The grandfather was confused and stopped rummaging around the bag to look at his wife, then he looked to the stranger. "What?"

For a brief moment—less than a blink, really—Winnie imagined the woman’s words were the truth—that, somewhere along the line, someone warm and welcoming had decided to take her home, a real home, not just a house held together by a rickety foundation of wood and DNA.

Maybe she wouldn’t have turned out like this. Maybe she would have been a good girl instead of merely wearing the scalped hide of one.

“It’s okay, sir,” she said gently, locking eyes with the grandfather. “I know it’s awfully forward of me—I’m sorry—but I really would like to see your home.”

The husband's eyes did the same thing, grew wide with a connection, then blinked slowly as he stood up. There was a warm smile on his face as he nodded to his wife. "Of course dear. Let's take her home."

They moved to an older model station wagon, that classic wood panel look model. The grandpa held the door open for his wife to get in first, then he put the bags in the back of the wagon. The back passenger door was then held open for Winnie, the smile still on his face.

Winnie offered the couple a pale smile. It was always unnerving, the smiles people wore when they were under her compulsion—waxy, peeling smiles that did not touch their eyes. They were the smiles of dolls, painted over a frowning sculpt.

“Thank you,” she murmured, following them to the car. Briefly, she glanced over her shoulder to signal Kessler—it had worked. They would meet up back at the house.

As she stepped into the car and buckled her seatbelt, Winnie tried to scrub Kessler’s unnerved expression from her mind. He had thought she was a nice kid. In a kinder world, he would have been right.

The warm smiled remained fixated on their face as they still went through their normal routine. They made sure their seatbelts were on, the radio was just right, and always looked both ways before they pulled out of the parking spot.

They were about fifteen, twenty minutes away from their home. Thankfully, they still observed stop signs, and red lights.

coded by natasha.

 

[KodakWolf]

Maddox Ward (Leif Hjalkarssen)
Location: Hotel in Kansas
Tags: Chase Moon ( Out Of Words ) ​

Maddox merely watched as Chase spoke of his side of the experience, with eyes that showed interest but that once or twice drifted away in thought or a brief moment of attention loss. It was definitely not often that he'd listen to that sort of testimony, as usually such possibility was ruled out by obvious causes. Of course Chase's experience didn't describe that of most of the vampire's victims, but it was still pretty cool to listen to. Even more interesting than how it felt to be bitten, was the shifter's reaction to it. He did seem to be feeling better then when they arrived at the hotel, so it'd apparently worked as medicine both ways.

"Sounds reasonable, yeah." he spoke with a nod after Chase mentioned the nightly pains. His attention then drifted away again, what seemed to also be an effect of the blood.

"Blood is life, and the absence of life... is cold." he wasn't looking at Chase anymore, but stared vaguely forward instead. It looked like he was talking more to himself than anything, and his tone was quieter. He bet death felt cold. The sun could burn him to death, sure, but death would ultimately probably feel cold. He'd never really asked anyone who'd been through it. Though he'd felt cold for several weeks before the ritual that'd turn him into a creature of the night, and during said ritual, it'd been even colder. "But it replenishes itself." Usually, and to an extent. Chase was lucky he actually knew what he was doing, otherwise his reaction wouldn't have been as... chill.

"The important question is..." he'd turned his head again to look at Chase with inquisitive eyes. "What's your life like?" he paused for a moment. "I mean, trying to save the moon's already a new experience. There was some risk to this... I could've been lying." Definitely more talkative. If he'd given it second thought, he probably wouldn't have asked.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Chase Moon

Tags: Maddox KodakWolf | Hotel in Kansas​

Chase wuffled, not really a surprise anymore to hear such sounds emanate from him on a regular basis. "You could have, yes. But.." Chase shifted slightly, able to move his limbs enough to find a more comfortable position. It took some energy out of him, but he was in a good spot to rest, recover, and ramble.

"I used to be the what if guy. Questioning motives of others, worrying about things that could be. Had some pretty rough experiences as a Runner, and it soured me for a time." His wuffles were a little heavy with remembered pain, blue eyes studying the floor for a moment or two.

"It really wasn't ... living. I was growing too fearful, and I stopped running and ... it was the darkest place I have ever been." His gaze shifted back to Maddox, the wuffle then was powerful. He was clearing away the old memories, blowing them out like one might a candle. "I didn't like it then, didn't like myself much either."

A long breath, would have been a sigh if he hadn't expanded his energy moving around. "So.. I changed. Wasn't overnight, but.. I really try to not be that what if guy. If something's going to happen, it's going to happen regardless. I can't stop living because of what someone else might or might not do in a situation. I mean.." Wuffle. "Yeah, maybe the situation will -stop- me from living, but ... I didn't back down. I didn't cower."

Chase gave a sideways grin. "So might as well learn while I'm here, right? Learn and live, until I simply can't anymore." And there was his grin, slow to spread, but big and bright. "It's been good. Even with the pain from the moon, I know I have it better than a lot of others. I mean.." He whispered like it was some great secret. "I can turn into a wolf." He laughed. "I'm a pretty cool wolf, too, I think."

coded by natasha.

 

[KodakWolf]

Maddox Ward (Leif Hjalkarssen)
Location: Hotel in Kansas
Tags: Chase Moon ( Out Of Words )​

"Can't argue with the turning into a wolf part." the vampire chuckled, impossible not to, when the shifter seemed to smile so much, no matter the situation.
If you knew what I can turn into... Maddox wasn't in a dark mood or anything, but Chase's last sentences instantly evoked that fact, and therefore the dream he'd had earlier, not an hour ago. Not a cool critter, not at all. It wasn't a gloomy thought though, more like a wry remark he made to himself.

Chase's view sounded sort of naive, but that was an assumption Maddox avoided to make. He'd no idea what rough experiences the shifter'd had (wouldn't say he wasn't curious), and he definitely couldn't judge from a single conversation. He'd however seen way too many lives lost to ideals of bravery and honor, things he used to believe blindly in, ages ago. He still believed in them, though nowadays with serious reservations. Considering that the lifespan of most living things hardly reached 100 years, it was foolish to give up on such scarce time prematurely or even risk it for certain ideals. There was much more to that though, every situation was unique, nonetheless he wasn't about to pry into Chase's dark memories. They both seemed to be feeling too well to ruin it with dreary topics, whether the well being came from drinking special blood, or from not feeling pain.

"There's blood on your shirt." Maddox had spotted the stains when the shifter had turned around. "Sorry 'bout that." It'd been almost perfect, way to go considering how much he craved the blood after driving for hours under moonlight with Chase sitting beside him. "I can do better." he mumbled under his breath, about to let his head fall back on the headrest again when some noise coming from the room next door caught his attention, and he looked towards the wall that separated the two rooms they'd gotten.

He'd planned to leave before the woman awoke, but the noise he heard could mean nothing else. "Girl's awake." He hadn't really come up with any stories, and would rather not see her again. Still, it was a small relief to be sure (again) that she was indeed alive.

"Soon as she clears out, we can leave whenever you're well enough it's not gonna look like I'm carrying a corpse to the truck. Your call." he spoke with a hint of humor, pushing himself off the armchair and heading to the bathroom to wash any remnants of blood off his face. Seeing his own (human) face in the mirror, his real face, brought him a somewhat peaceful sensation, intensified when he ran his fingers over it, taking longer on his ears, to find nothing unusual and perfectly human ears. He pushed the thought aside to head back into the room and return to the armchair if Chase needed some more time. While he didn't feel the need to stay as far away from Chase as possible anymore in order to ensure the shifter's safety, it was still a damn comfy armchair.

 

[Maeteris]

Evelyn Harper

And there he was: The man, the myth, the legend himself. Finally deign to grace them with his presence. He wore clothes that spoke of his practicality, though masked by the multitude of accessories hanging on his arm.

There’s an air to him unlike her two companions, familiar to a degree. Reminded her of Jefferson. The easy air underlined by a veneer of gruffness. He padded into the den, hands tucked into his jeans. She admired Jefferson but only after she’d come to terms with his line of thought. Prior to that, there were open hostilities and suspicion.

“Thank you, for welcoming us into your abode.” She replied earnestly. That much she was willing. “Rustic and homely.” She continued, gazing towards the decor. “I appreciate the chance.” It did bring her back some, two hundred--a hundred years ago? God-father Cortyh fancied this piece of American history in his living-room.

location: Houston • tags • mood • Outfit • interactions

 

[Vinegar Bees]

Lucky me, he thought bitterly when Key arrived, his tone the usual flavor of vaguely condescending.

"Is he finished here?" Key asked the instructor disinterestedly. "He needs to start reviewing some details about his new charge."

Charge—? That was new. Was that why they were encouraging him to come down with a bad case of social skills all of the sudden? Was he going to be expected to babysit someone?

Coda glowered at Key, as uncomfortably unaware as ever of the other man's true expression beneath his sunglasses. They both had their ways of hiding, it seemed—Coda had let his hair grow long and unwieldy, a buffer between his eyes (too expressive for comfort, he had learned) and the rest of the world. Key's hair was always elaborately styled in gravity-defying shapes, but that omnipresent pair of sunglasses kept his face opaque.

Resentfully, Coda knew Key had the better mask between them. His shaggy hair could obscure his eyes, but not hide them completely. Still, it would have to do. He wasn't about to start taking a page out of Key's book when it came to accessorizing.

Before he could spit out a question about this new charge thing, the instructor referred to Key as 'Mr. Stone,' a name that, judging by the swift sense of air being sucked out of the room, was meant to be unutterable.

The man dropped to his knees before Key, and Coda tried to occupy his mind with the thought that he would rather have his legs cut off than bend them before Key—but an uncomfortable memory was already beginning to scrape at the back of his skull like a worm eating its way through a spoiled fruit.

You're scaring me, .̎̂҉̬̤̘̖̣͖̬.̛̩̘̯͎̮ͥͮ̓ͪͧ̌̐.̖̯̫ͮ̓.͗ͨ̐ͧ.̦̝͙͔͌̂̎—​

And then, as if Key had been reading his thoughts, he asked: "...What would you do, if someone referred you by a name you gave up long ago? And then apologized?"

Coda clenched and unclenched his fists at his sides, trying to keep his expression cool, trying not to betray the sudden pounding of his heart. The question was pointed, a taunt, a dare.

He knew what he would want to do if someone uttered that name that always churned his guts into a stinging, confusing whirl. He would grab them, smash them, tell them to take it back, take it back, take it back—

But he couldn't walk into Key's trap.

"Ignore them," Coda said quietly, curtly. "Whoever that name belonged to is dead now."

I killed him, too.

Silently, warily, Coda eyed Key, trying impotently to discern what the slippery man was planning. Finally, he stood up from his desk and asked brusquely: "So what's this about a charge?"

coda.

half-demon

 

[Vinegar Bees]

And then, all at once, Devlin Wright appeared, and in his presence, the atmosphere of the entire room seemed to clench—almost as if the very walls had been holding their breath as they awaited his appearance.

Then again, maybe Maylee was just projecting her own racing thoughts onto her surroundings.

If, indeed, Devlin's house had been built to welcome rather than impress, Devlin himself seemed to carry a similar sort of modesty: absent of finely-tailored clothes or any extravagant accessories, Devlin instead strode into the room with a casual, laid-back demeanor, his earth-toned clothing carrying a similar sense of wear as his roughly-whiskered face. His voice was low and deep and almost immediately soothing, like the distant rumble of thunder as summer raindrops lightly pelted the leaves of the old sycamore tree that had once guarded her bedroom window.

A wringing, twisting sensation seized her heart abruptly. There was a strange sense of familiarity, of nostalgia, to his air, his gait, his attire. She was reminded of the little gatherings her parents used to host at the old house: a few snacks; the snap of cans of soda pried open; warm, bubbling conversation. Papa had always made himself a busy host, flitting about the room like an energetic bird, refilling glasses and offering snacks and compliments. Dad, on the other hand, had had a more detached air among groups: cool but not cold, an obvious, gentle warmth like the glow of a candle emanating from his lopsided smile. Papa had a way of bringing everyone around him to life; Dad had a way of making everyone feel effortlessly at ease.

Maylee furiously blinked away the burning sensation that was beginning its familiar sting behind her eyes, squeezing the bag that still sat between her knees.

Not now. If you have to cry, save it for your pillow.

Devlin greeted her and Evelyn, then, and Maylee gave a start as she gave him her full attention. "Welcome," he said, and though Maylee couldn't speak for Evelyn, she felt it.

"Mr. Wright—" She started, her voice a little thick and clumsy, and she quickly pulled it in, armoring it with the stolid steel she had forged after hours in front of the mirror. "Thank you for welcoming us. I... I won't let you down."

maylee song.

hunter | werewolf

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Devlin Wright

Tags: Evelyn Maeteris Maylee Vinegar Bees | Location: Houston, Texas​

A warm smile crossed his face, chin tucking almost in a humbled manner. "Please, call me Devlin. I'm the one with the thank yous that are due. I know it wasn't an easy choice, to put your lives on hold for strangers saying we can fix the moon. I am humbled by your trust, and I hope you will indulge it for a little while longer."

Devlin ran one hand through the unruly bit of hair on his head, it never smoothed completely down, was never really controlled by a finger comb. "It will be much easier to allow everyone to arrive, then well..." He gave a husky chuckle, corners of his mouth tugging upward into a larger grin, full of warmth. "We'll have a good old fashioned barbecue, plenty of food, music, and.. what we're all facing."

Tilly popped her messy bun covered hair out of the kitchen, looked like she had even more flour, if that was possible. "Och, dinner will be ready innabit, loverlies." And then she disappeared just as quick. Drawers could be heard being opened, followed by the sound of silverware gathered.

Devlin laughed, "That's my housekeeper, Matilda, but please call her Tilly or I'll never hear the end of it." For a moment, the smile lingered but it did subside bit by bit. "There are guest rooms on the second floor, a couple on the first floor, and a full bathroom on each floor. Please, make yourself comfortable. Mi casa es su casa."

Devlin was distracted a moment, eyes shifting to the side, following something around the front door. Took a minute, then he blinked and shook his head lightly. "Uh, Shia can show you the rooms. I'm going to wash up for dinner. I'm glad you're here. Let me know if you need anything." He gave Shia a nod, Shia gave a bow in return, and then he moved to the restroom on the other side of the stairs, closing the door behind.

coded by natasha.