Multiple Settings F.D.U. - Roleplay Thread

[nonexistent]

Aristide held onto Cory's hand with his own frail one, delicately leading the male towards a small wooden stage in the bar. It looked like the kind of platform where a small band might play, or some other type of performances might take place for customers to watch while enjoying their drinks. The tall male went onto the stage from the side, easily skipping a few stairs on his way up due to his long legs.

After getting to the top, Aristide led Cory to the center of the stage. It was always a bit of a thrill just to be above the crowd that laid below, having their eyes cast upon you. Aristide enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention - and hoped that Cory was drunk enough to not be particularly shy about it.

"Hello everyone..." Aristide's smooth voice cascaded over the stage, drawing the attention of many customers below. "Thank you all for coming tonight, as always." He smiled, winking at the crowd, before continuing. "Today, we're going to be playing a round of Devil's Luck! Call all of your friends, and place your bets!" The vampire grinned, sensing the excitement that rolled through the crowd through their sudden burst of discussions. Faces popped out from behind closed doors, and people emerged from other sections of the bar at hearing the news. It seemed that this game was enough to grab everyone's attention, even from behind closed doors.

"First, let me introduce our treasured guest... Cory!" Aristide lifted Cory's arm up, and the crowd below clapped and cheered with excitement. "Now, in case any of you are new to this game... this is how it works!" The vampire said, as someone approached him with a wooden box in their hands. They handed it to Aristide and exited the stage. He popped open the two latches on the box, opening it up. Inside were two old-looking revolvers, with beautiful red designs on the sides. There were six bullets in the center of the case between the two weapons - three wooden, and three regular.

"This is the ultimate game of chance - I promise you'll never feel something as thrilling... You lucky viewers get to bet on our lives tonight! Isn't that exciting?!" Aristide sounded thoroughly ecstatic at the thought, as if zero amounts of rationality laid within his body. With the amount of confidence he seemed to exude, it was as if he were certain he wouldn't die. Either that, or the thought of winning or losing both excited Aristide the same amount. In truth, it was the unknown that gave Aristide so much enjoyment with any activity like this. Not knowing if he was going to live or die... nothing could be more thrilling. He just hoped that Cory didn't back out. It was less likely considering he was drunk and that he now had the pressure of the audience on his back, but it was still possible. As he spoke, more people came rushing into the bar from outside. It seemed news traveled fast when something interesting was going on in this part of town.

"Now, both of these weapons are the same build and quality. You can check them all you want, but I promise you won't find a single fault." Aristide addressed Cory, not leaving much time for him to interrupt or argue. "You can take whichever gun you want, of course - but you'll be loading yours with the wooden bullets." Aristide smiled cheerfully, his mood entirely out of place with what pure insanity was going on right now. "We'll both load the bullets, and then spin the chamber so we don't know where they are. It adds to the fun, hmm?" He grinned, taking a step closer to Cory.

"Then, we stand closely. Intimately. We point at each other, right here..." Aristide placed a gentle hand on Cory's chest, right over his heart. He could feel it beating. "And take turns shooting, for three rounds - since we have three bullets each." He explained smoothly, removing his hand. "Whoever bets on the winner gets a portion of the total pool of bets, as does the winning candidate. The more you bet, the more you're likely to win!" Aristide encouraged the crowd, knowing how the more high-profile gang members who stayed in the reserved areas enjoyed wasting their money on such violent entertainment. They would be watching the game through a live-feed from the back, as they didn't like to mingle with the common crowd. A single member of their prestige could bet thousands at a time. "But... if we somehow both survive, then we get to split the money." Aristide explained. He was not a cheater - Aristide had genuinely been lucky any time he'd played this game for extra earnings. Most of the people in the crowd knew that, and knew of his insane amount of luck. This meant he usually got a lot of money out of playing this game on the rare occasion that he decided to try it out on a unsuspecting victim.

"And with that..." Aristide turned to face Cory, expectation written all over his face. "I'll give you first pick." The vampire smiled sweetly at Cory, holding out the box to the deer-like male. It didn't even seem to occur to Aristide just how insane this all was - there was something very screwed up in his mind to think of this as a fun activity. Nevertheless, he felt practically feverish with expectation. What could be more fun than attempting to evade death through fate alone?

TheSpeck
(Hopefully it's okay I explained this all in one reply.
I figured it would be easier that way.)​

 

[cosmix]

Mark then nodded, agreeing with her overall plan of action. It was a good step in the right direction. "Right, then. Lead the way, detective Villages." Mark smiled with determination, ready to assist his new partner in solving whatever part of the puzzle they could surrounding their madness-infused city.

At the confirmation of her plan, and the trusting look upon Mark's face, she'd feel herself warm up a little inside. The case was finally on Its feet and was proceeding to move forward, she was hopeful that it would turn out good, the prime factor of this being that she had someone who was as dedicated to solving it as she was.
Before they knew it, They were both standing outside Labella's simple-looking car.
Since most of her money was confiscated when the brothel was found out, all the money she had was the minimum wage she was able to get from working, and some small jobs on the side.
and maybe just a small amount of borrowing from her boss.
he deserves it.
"It's small, but it does its job- most of the time" She'd chuckle in a slightly awkward manner, before unlocking the doors, walking round to the driver's seat.
It wasn't a dirty car, but it was definitely second-hand, an air freshener was around the rear-view mirror, and a small necklace, with a gold-heart pendant hanging from it.
There would be an energy drink in one of the cup holders, and a few bundled-up receipts jammed into the storage box, and a puffy coat for when it's cold outside.
Soon enough, they were on the road!
The jammed road.
The angry road.
Shit road.
Labelle had flipped off around three people now, one even being at an old woman who just forgot to put her indicators on. She had road-rage, to say the least.
But now they were on the highway, there wasn't much to anger her, so she'd talk about the case.
"Now that we're going smoothly, I'll tell you about what happened to her, in detail."
She'd pause slightly as she changed lanes, leaning forward slightly, so she could see through the rain pattering upon the window, blurring her sight slightly.
"Her blood was drained in her own home, at 3 pm- exactly a week ago today. her blood drained into three bags, and it seemed as if one popped. With the half-assed job that the rest did, they gave a sample of the broken blood bag to the autopsy scientists, and since it had traces of her partner's blood, they suspected it was him. Yet it would most likely be feeding or something. But when the lie detector said that he truly didn't do it, they saw it as a dead end."
she'd roll her eyes with a huff.
"We can interrogate her partner if you think it's necessary, but they seem pretty broken about the situation, so I'm not sure if putting them in a worse state is good.
But i think finding signs of gang or criminal interaction is good for now, from phones to diary's- anything we can find that might help"

 

[TheSpeck]

Cory was confused as he was pulled up onto a small stage with Aristide, almost in a blue two guns were presented. His eyes widened at the sight. listening to the game, he started to panic. "Wha-" he barely managed to say in the middle of the vampires explanation. He started to breathe faster, his heart beating rapidly. After Aristide was done explaining he was in full out panic mode. "Are you insane?" He whispered, staring at Aristide almost angrily. "I thought we were betting our money, not the crowd betting on our lives!" Though, he didn't yell, only whispered angrily at Aristide. There was no backing out now, he'd probably get killed by a disapointed customer anyway.

Cory shakily took the gun closest to him, taking a moment to get a grip on it because of his trembling hands. He also took his bullet. It was a wooden bullet... At the moment he wished he was a werewolf from one of those story books, that can only be killed by silver bullets. But he wasn't, a wooden bullet straight to the heart would kill him just as easy as any other. He waited for Aristide to give further instructions.


......


Ari had just been finishing up with tables when he heard some sort of announcement from the stage. It seemed that there was a vampire and deer like man up there, playing a gambling game. He walked to one of the tables in front of the stage and took a seat... He'd seen a few dead people before, so this would be fun to watch.

(I put both characters in one post because Ari's side was short, hope that's fine)
nonexistent

 

[nonexistent]

"Insane?" Aristide shrugged, as if he didn't even consider the possibility. "Psychologists bore me with their questions and theories... if they felt the excitement this brings on, then they would understand." The vampire chuckled, taking the remaining gun and its three bullets. He set the box the guns had been in to the side. The bullets he took were of the regular variety - heavy and metallic in the vampire's hand as he loaded them into different positions within the gun's chamber. There was enough space so that if Cory was lucky, there would be three empty spaces in a row where a bullet wouldn't fire.

"Since you're going to be firing at me, I gave you wooden bullets. These normal ones wouldn't kill me - and that wouldn't be fair, now would it?" Aristide explained, spinning the chamber so that the placement of the bullets ended up being randomized. Now, only fate would dictate his and Cory's survival. It was romantic in a way, was it not? In Aristide's mind, it certainly was. How can you possibly get closer to someone than by challenging death together?

He gestured for Cory to do the same with his bullets. The audience was practically drooling for action - their anticipation was high, their hearts beating fast... it all contributed to the buzz of energy around them.

TheSpeck ​

-
​

Mark grabbed his sweater from the chair in the corner of his office, changing into it quickly before following Labelle out of the dreary building and towards her car. It was a bit small and looked to be obviously second-hand - but Mark understood what was available and what wasn't based on their salary as government workers. Mark himself walked to work, since he lived in a small apartment complex nearby. He had no need for a car, but was given one when the case called for travel. He got in the passengers seat, and hoped that Labelle was a good driver.

Mark was a bit wide-eyed at Labelle's obvious road rage - he wasn't sure they would make it to the crime scene if she kept driving the way that she was! It was vaguely entertaining to him, though, and waved apologetically towards the old woman. There was plenty of honking, and Mark could practically feel Labelle's hostility in the car with them until they got onto the highway. Mark would usually open the windows a bit in his own car, since he enjoyed the scents of the outside and the breeze in his hair... however, he was not going to make such a request. He had to hold up his professionalism - not seem like a dog who whines to stick their nose into the breeze.

He focused on Labelle as she filled him in with the details of the case.
"Dead end, huh?" He asked with a small sigh. "As if there wasn't a thousand other things they could have done at the crime scene..." Mark gave an annoyed comment towards whoever had been in charge of the case, simply dropping it after one interrogation. It was irresponsible.
"Were there any scent-trackers on the scene?" Mark questioned, knowing that it would be more difficult to track week-old scents than it would be if they had been fresh. He could try once they arrived, but it would be hit-or-miss. "And did it look like any evidence was covered up?"

cosmix ​

 

[TheSpeck]

Cory nearly dropped a few bullets while randomly placing them in the gun. He spun the chamber to make it randomized. "You do realize how idiotic this idea is right? You could die, I could die! That's not exciting that's stupid!" He said louder this time, getting angry when Aristide had said it was exciting.

He was fully prepared to start, hoping that either his gun would go off first or neither would fire at all...

nonexistent

 

[nonexistent]

"Death is not something to be feared... you face it and grow from it." Aristide spoke to where only Cory could hear him clearly, his voice soft and gentle. Aristide had died once already, when he had been human. It was a necessary process in becoming a vampire - a gory, violent one at that. He did not fear a second death, not one bit. Compared to the frequent pain and disappointment of reality, death would be far more merciful.

"Once you win a bet with Death, you are capable of anything." Aristide narrowed his crimson eyes, his tone entirely serious. He reached a gentle hand out, leading Cory to point the barrel of his gun directly against Aristide's chest. Then, Aristide pointed his gun at Cory's, gently touching him with the tip of the barrel. They would now be in control of each other's fates. The twitch of a muscle could determine life or death.

"Has everyone placed their bets?" Aristide questioned the crowd, who erupted into cheers to show that they had done so. The vampire chuckled. "Now we leave it up to chance." He smiled, turning to face Cory directly once again. The vampire looked at him with intensity, as if Cory were the only thing that had ever existed in the world.

"You can go first. If it's a blank, then it's my turn. We each get three turns." Aristide spoke softly, a sense of euphoria rising in his chest. This was what life was all about.

TheSpeck ​

 

[TheSpeck]

Cory took a deep breath, then stared at Aristide for a moment. "And if you lose a bet with death, you won't be capable of anything." He huffed quietly before putting his finger in the trigger.

He pulled the trigger once, it clicked. A feeling of dread built up inside him, the gun pressed against his chest suddenly feeling heavier. "Well, if this doesn't end well, just know that I'm gonna come back as a pissed off ghost and haunt you for the rest of your painfully long life."

 

[nonexistent]

Aristide stared into Cory's eyes as the other male pulled the trigger. It was a blank. The crowd seemed quiet, though Aristide's sensitive hearing could pick up the collection of their beating hearts.

Aristide placed his finger on the trigger, and pressed down. Another blank.

"See? One round's already done." He smiled, preparing for the next shot. He pulled back the hammer, which rotated the cylinder to the next spot.

TheSpeck
(If you wanna skip to the third round I'm chill
with that if they're pulling blanks.)​

 

[TheSpeck]

The third round of bullets came, he had been lucky enough already and had a bad feeling about the next shot. So tense that it almost hurt, Cory pulled the trigger a final time and it clicked. It seemed he wasn't going to be killing anyone today. He lowered his gun and held his breath, closing his eyes. He was fully prepared for a loud bang instead of a click, then a searing pain in his chest, then whatever else happened once someone died. He remembered almost dying before... It felt cold, not the chilly cold you felt when in freezing temperatures, a type of cold he couldn't explain...


....


Ari watched the scene intently. It was the last shot, and neither had died yet. He didn't have a preference since he hadn't bet on either person, and instead silently watched, watching like a vulture watches a dying animal.

nonexistent

 

[cosmix]

"Were there any scent-trackers on the scene?" Mark questioned, knowing that it would be more difficult to track week-old scents than it would be if they had been fresh. He could try once they arrived, but it would be hit-or-miss. "And did it look like any evidence was covered up?"

"I'm sure nobody tracked a scent, and since there was hardly any evidence found, there's a very unlikely chance that there was anything that could possibly be major enough to hide" She'd inform the male in the passenger seat, carefully driving into the cut-off that would take them to the neighborhood that the crime was committed. At first glance, it looked exactly like any normal area, with normal civilians and buildings.
Yet as they drove closer to the apartment complex, there were definitely some shadier sights to see.
At first, it was just the simple chase or two, mainly shoplifters.
But then there was obvious shady activity going on in nearly every turn they took.
And there were definitely people- basically breeding, in this one.
"they're really going at it"
she wasn't whispering,
actually, she was probably quite loud.
AND her window was down.
just her luck,
And as her eyes locked with one of the partakers, she'd speed up a little as she slowly turned her head back to look at the road.

awkward...

Soon enough, they were parked outside the apartment complex.
and a deep sigh would surface from the younger girl.
"Fuck, okay"
She'd never actually been at a murder scene. Which made it just slightly eerier for her.
She knew Mark definitely saw some of the most gruesome scenes, and suddenly acting nervous would probably make him think she's some sort of wuss, she'd tell herself.
so with a quick intake of breath, she'd get out of the car, quickly grabbing the pendant while she was at it too.
She was ready.

 

[nonexistent]

They were down to the final round. The audience was practically holding their breath. Aristide's pleasant eyes did not leave Cory's as the other pulled the trigger for the final time. It was a blank. It seemed Aristide was surviving yet another night.

"This is it, hm?" Aristide questioned, knowing that he was about to decide how the game ended. Was Cory going to beat death, or succumb to it? The vampire put his finger on the trigger, keeping still for only a second before he pulled it. There was no bullet that escaped the chamber. No blood. No gasp from the audience. It seemed that neither of them was dying tonight.

Aristide smiled, lowering his gun.
"Well, well... it seems the audience has lost our game tonight! Better luck next time!" The vampire teased, getting a few angry growls from the crowd below as he playfully stuck out his tongue at them. It was clear they had wanted to see someone die - but the game wasn't rigged in anyone's favor. It was down to pure luck that both of them survived completely unscathed. Aristide turned to face Cory, hoping he wasn't too traumatized from the experience.

"Well... I'm sure you're livid right now, but I'm hoping by the time you see the cash we've made that you change your mind."

TheSpeck ​

 

[nonexistent]

"Mm..." Mark hummed and nodded, deciding to think over things silently. There was only so much he could theorize without seeing the crime scene for himself. If they were lucky enough, then maybe there would be something uncoverable at the vampire's house that would help in the investigation. If not... then the two would simply have to take it from there.

As they drove closer to the house, the surroundings got considerably shadier. Mark was always cautious, but he reminded himself to stay on his guard. In places like these, it could be easy to disappear forever without a trace. Mark evaded his gaze from the people using the alleyway as a breeding ground, fiddling uncomfortably with the neck of his sweater.

Eventually they arrived, and Labelle parked the car. She seemed to be quite ready, Mark thought, as she was quick to open the door and dart outside of the vehicle. Mark opened the door and followed after her, going towards the entrance of the apartment complex. It was certainly worn-down, and the building was likely evading several safety codes. From the outside, Mark could smell some type of mold.

He wasn't really surprised that a murder took place here... though Mark figured that murders can take place where they're least expected, so he shouldn't judge.

"Well... this is the place, huh? What room did the murder take place in?" He questioned.

 

[TheSpeck]

Cory flinched as the last shot clicked. He was dead. He was dead... Cory opened his eyes. He wasn't dead? How incredibly lucky they both were. Releasing his breath, anger burned inside him like a smoldering flame.

"There better be a f#@ing ton of cash or I swear I'll stab you to death on the spot." Cory said furiously, his voice so dark it sounded almost like it wasn't his, like a demon had possessed him. He didn't wait for Aristide as he made his way off the stage, gun still held tightly in his hand. He waited for Aristide to show him where the money was. As he did a few people approached him, but the murderous glare he had on drove them away. No matter how much money he earned he was going to be enraged by the vampire, but If he got something out of it he wasn't going to lose his mind.

....


Ari watched as the last shot clicked and didn't go off. He wasn't disapointed, but not happy either. The bar tender who had told him to work handed him 20$, which he assumed was for the work he had done. It wasn't much but it was something. The vampire was interesting to him, he seemed so happy to have been in a life threatening situation. Maybe he would approach him? What would he say though... Nothing probably.

nonexistent

 

[cosmix]

"It took place on the 37'th room, floor 2" She seemed to have memorized this quite quickly like she knew every single detail about this whole case. But her mind was dimmed like she was...nervous? Was it an excited nervous, or a terrified nervous?
She'd put off the latter possibility, grabbing the other male's arm softly, and swiftly heading toward the elevator.
Entering the box would bring them to quite a sight. It was dirty, smelt like piss..and other bodily fluids. and half the buttons weren't there.
Gladly, there was a button leading to the second floor, and even though Labelle's finger would press it quite aggressively, it would take a few tries for her to actually get the elevator going upwards.
Even then, it shook and stalled.
"The smell brings back memories" She'd shiver with a fake gag, silently waiting for the 2nd floor to appear on the digital screen.
After a few small seconds, it did, and she'd breathe in a deep inhale of fresh air, which just turned out to be even shittier than the ventilation in the elevator.
But too stubborn to let go of her pride, she'd just carry on toward the room, which was only down the hall.
And her long legs did her some good because she was there just before Mark was, so she could quickly take in the exterior look of the room.
The police tape was ripped away,
And a few drops of blood were on the cheap hallway carpet.
"Amateurs work. This is definitely a gang, trying to climb the hierarchy."

 

[KaigerGalaxy]

Alaska sat at the desk in his barely livable apartment, staring blankly out the window in thought. Recently, the once glorious city had fallen into chaos; dead were turning up, vampires were disappearing, and werewolves were acting out. Werewolves that were well behaved, had themselves under control, were going berserk on the streets... Alaska broke his dissociative episode and looked down at the papers scattered on the desk. How long would it be until he lost control? Would he lose control? Those questions were on the top of the paper in the middle of the mess along with ties and lines and bullet points.

He was just a fighter barely making a living, and now he had to live in fear that he would lose his mind. Alaska sighed and put the pen in his hand on the desk, pushing his chair back to stand up. It was time he took matters into his own hands and got to the bottom of what the hell was happening. Was this a good idea? Fuck no. Would that stop a werewolf with nothing left but his sanity? Also no.

Grabbing his jacket and keys, Alaska headed out. He was on a mission, he finally had something to do. Although it may be dangerous, he began to scan the streets anyway.

((Sorry for my late join!

 

[nonexistent]

Aristide giggled at Cory's small outburst, watching as the male furiously made his way off the stage. He soon followed, his steps like small and joyful skips as the vampire made his way off the stage and into the crowd. People immediately approached him on all sides, and attempted to circle around the tall male to stop him from walking any further as they spoke, asking him inappropriate questions or making threats towards him about the results of the game. Aristide simply smiled his same cheerful smile - though it faded into a slight grimace as wandering hands touched him, grabbing and groping at his waist or bottom without permission. If Aristide were getting paid, he could grit his teeth and handle it... but otherwise, such desperate behavior was not warranted.

"Don't touch me without my permission..." The vampire hissed, roughly pulling his wrist away from the male who had grabbed it. He pried off the arm of whoever had placed it around his thin waist. "I'm not a toy. If you can pay the right price, which I'm sure none of you can, then talk to me again later..." Aristide commented harshly, pushing past the group of people and towards Cory.

"Come on." Aristide brushed the tips of his fingers underneath Cory's chin as he passed, almost touching the male but not quite. He opened the door to a back room, which had a black table with a couple of seats, as well as a separate room in the back that was covered by a curtain door. The vampire moved towards the table and sat down with a sigh, grabbing a pack of cigarettes and lighter that was on the table waiting for him. He placed one between his lips, lighting it.
"Want one, dear?" He questioned, holding out the full box towards Cory.

TheSpeck ​

-​

Mark blinked down at Labelles hand as she grabbed at his arm, not expecting the way that she led him through the building. He didn't comment on it, however, not wanting to create an awkward situation. He stepped into the dirty elevator, attempting to keep his expression neutral as Labelle slammed her hand against the button to the second floor repeatedly until the elevator finally began to rise.

Mark was forced to take in the smell of bodily fluids, wishing he could turn off his heightened senses at will. Human. He identified the urine - by the scent of it, it was somebody who drank alcohol heavily. Their liver was probably damaged. Once they reached the second floor and stepped off the elevator, Mark resisted the urge to cover his nose. The scents here were strong.

He followed Labelle to the room, looking down at the police tape that was lying on the ground.
"Well... let's see what's left for us. They sure didn't make it easy for us here." Mark chuckled lightly, stepping over the fallen tape and into the room.

cosmix ​

 

[TheSpeck]

Cory followed Aristide, backing away from the vampires small guesture of almost brushing his chin as if his finger smelled like rotting flesh. He was still pissed off, but he smothered his anger for the time being. They entered a back room, and for a moment he thought maybe it wasn't the best idea to be following a prostitute into the back of a sketchy bar, but he decided Aristide wouldn't be dumb enough to attempt anything when he was almost angry enough to snap someone's neck if they looked at him wrong.

He shook his head at the offer of a cigarette, unintentionally glaring at the vampire. "Unfortunently I'm not practically immortal like you, smoking can kill me." He growled while taking a seat.

nonexistent

....

Ari stood from his seat, making his way out of the bar. He knew one place he could go, a place he was familiar with that wouldn't care if he existed. Heading down the street, once again in the rain, he walked nearly a mile before coming across the club he was looking for. The Red Room. It sounded odd, but he felt comfortable there because of all the criminal activity. There was no way he would be targeted with so many people who had committed crimes worse then his own. It was a change of lighting when he entered the room. There were a few people dancing, some light music. But he wasn't there for that.

Ari approached the bar and found an empty seat. Now this place had something that no other bar had... Something he desired so much he would walk an extra 20 miles to get it.... Something so good it tasted better then any candy.... Apple juice. He had never tasted apple juice so good before, its taste made him feel better then any alcohol he ever drank. He waited for the bar tender to finish serving another customer, excited to taste the sweet juice once again.

 

[cosmix]

Labelle would soon follow her peer inside, staying close as they entered the room.
There was a bloodstain on the floor, dried, and hardly DNA would be salvageable from it.
There were signs of struggle, from scratches on the wall to blood splatters on the bookshelves.
A small groan surfaced from her throat, as she grabbed the bridge of her nose.
"Even seeing it sends shivers through me"
She'd stand still, feeling a sickness from her throat as she'd have to turn her head a little.
She'd saw some fucked up stuff back in her days, but not a murder scene.
And being a first-timer at it was definitely a con.
"I knew this would be bad"
She'd quickly turn to the kitchen was luckily met with some evidence that could greatly help her solve what happened.
The window was broken, smashed, from the outside, since the broken glass was on the inside.
there was a small sign carefully carved into the glass that remained.
It basically confirmed that they were amateurs.
"Mar- Mr. Huang. Come look at this."
She'd standstill as he entered the room, a few other things caught her eye.
There was a mug, with a picture of her and her boyfriend planted on it.
They looked so happy.
she didn't- well, seem like someone who would get involved with gangs, and if Labelle's suspicions were right, then her theories could be true.
Yet she didn't believe this girl was completely innocent.
"Are there any new scents you're able to pick up?" She'd question Mark just to be completely sure, before carrying on into another room.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚﹌﹌﹌*ੈ✩‧₊˚﹌﹌﹌˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

"Well... let's see what's left for us. They sure didn't make it easy for us here." Mark chuckled lightly, stepping over the fallen tape and into the room

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚﹌﹌﹌*ੈ✩‧₊˚﹌﹌﹌˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

The club was packed with awful smells and words, mainly drugs and planning extreme criminal activity, this place was the only place anyone could really do it. It was safe here, to hide out, sell unsellable things, the lot.
The well-known bartender, Xenon, would be chatting quite comfortably to another customer, who was bold with what he wanted.
This was his usual pattern every day, he'd deal with it because he got amazing pay.
before the red-head male was able to reply, one of his regulars sat on one of the stools, and he knew exactly what he wanted.
with a little wink to the flirtatious and drunken customer, he'd walk across the bar, so he was facing Ari.
"Heya, sweetie, the usual?"
He spoke in a slangish accent, his slim hands cleaning a whiskey cup, as his eyes basically stared daggers into the masked male before him.
"Do you know i make it from scratch? From fresh apples picked from the richest of trees?"
"I'm joking, It's just rich-people apple juice, but it's probably the same"
He'd turn and grab a glass bottle, filled with sweet, sweet joy.
Apple juice.
"Pour as much as you want, sweetie, nobody else orders it anyway."

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚﹌﹌﹌*ੈ✩‧₊˚﹌﹌﹌˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

He had never tasted apple juice so good before, its taste made him feel better then any alcohol he ever drank. He waited for the bar tender to finish serving another customer, excited to taste the sweet juice once again.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚﹌﹌﹌*ੈ✩‧₊˚﹌﹌﹌˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

 

[nonexistent]

Aristide shrugged at Cory's bitter refusal, setting down the pack onto the table again. He inhaled deeply, enjoying the feeling of the strangely-legal drug. It always took the edge off, making Aristide feel a little bit better. It was of course an illusion, yet Aristide didn't seem to mind.

"Don't be mad at me... there's no need to be upset, is there? You're alive, aren't you?" Aristide pouted at Cory's furious body language. He was completely delusional, it seemed - it was as if these stunts of his were just Aristide's norm, and he couldn't even seem to comprehend why Cory would be feeling anything but happy.
"Ahh - it's because you haven't seen the money yet, right? I'll go see what the holdup is. Just wait right here, mkay?" Aristide reassured with a cheerful smile, as if he suddenly wanted to see Cory be content with the situation. Or at least not look like he wanted to stake Aristide through the heart. The vampire stood and went out the door they had come in from, energy in his footsteps.

. . . ​

After a few minutes had passed, it seemed that there was a bit of a commotion outside the door. Voices were raised, and an air of danger was present that hadn't been only moments before.

The door opened and slammed closed again. This time, Aristide was not alone.

Another man had stepped inside of the room, holding something in each hand. In his left was a leather bag, stuffed ridiculously full with something. In his right, he had Aristide gripped roughly by the throat. The vampire's own frail hands held at the male's arm, but it seemed as if he did not have the will to put up a fight.
"Hmm... here's the idiot you convinced into playing your little game, huh?" The male spoke calmly, though his expression towards Cory was filled with disdain. He threw Aristide to the ground, where the male scrambled to sit up and scoot a few more feet away from the one who had been touching him.

The male casually adjusted the collar of his white button-up shirt. There was not a speck or wrinkle in the fabric. The way that he held himself, it was clear that he was confident. He would have appeared to be entirely human, if it weren't for the goat-like horns upon his head and the gaze of his deathly eyes.
"How many times have I told you?" The male was addressing Aristide once again, seeming unconcerned that a customer was hearing him talk to an employee in the way that he was.
"If I don't want you anymore, then I'll kill you myself. That's how the deal went, remember? Or are you completely braindead?" He growled. Aristide didn't answer.
"I'll deal with you later." He huffed, realizing he wasn't going to be getting anything out of the vampire at the moment.

"How rude of me... I forgot to introduce myself." The male turned to face Cory. The razor sharp grin on his face seemed to say that he didn't care in the least that he was being rude.
"The name's Hux... hope you enjoy your time here." He said, throwing the leather bag on top of the table near where Cory sat.
"The money's in there. It's all yours." Hux said, waiting for the deer-like individual to open it and confirm. Aristide sat up fully, crossing his arms and giving Hux a despise-filled glare.

TheSpeck
(I hope the black text
is legible, lol.) ​

 

[TheSpeck]

Ignoring the vampires reassuring words, Cory took a deep breath when Aristide exited the room, then exhaled as if he were trying to breath out his anger. It helped a little, enough to allow him the think straight. There was probably something wrong with the vampire, he wasn't sure what, but he couldn't blame him. Although he should probably tell Aristide to inform his next contestant that they will be betting lives and not money.

Cory jumped when the door slammed open. A strange man with goat horns and eerily black eyes was holding Aristide by the neck. Just being in the man's presence sent a chill down his spine, and he desperately wanted to run away, but he couldn't. No, when prey runs the predator chases, and he certainly wasn't the predator in this situation. He had to admit, he was a bit scared for Aristide. He hated the vampire but he wasn't that bad, it was fun to be around him. The way the man was talking to Aristide didn't help with his fear.

The demonic looking man threw a bag on the table in front of him -after throwing Aristide to the ground- saying all of the money was his. That wasn't what they agreed on, but the way the man had scolded Aristide made him assume they didn't want the vampire to have his cut... He hesitantly opened the bag in front of him and almost wanted to scream at how much money was presented. There were wads of cash, so much he couldn't even comprehend it at the moment. This was enough to get him through a long period of time without having to work... He looked up at the scary man, trying his best to make eye contact but somewhat failing. "Tha-" his voice failed him, so he cleared his throat, "Thank you sir..." He finished. He had tried his best to keep his voice from shaking but he knew it didn't work out completely as planned.

nonexistent

....


Ari looked up at the familiar bartender who approached him. Xenon. He was served by Xenon many times before, and at this point he felt comfortable around the red-haired individual. He nodded when Xenon asked if he wanted the usual, and another rush of excitement flared up inside him when he saw the bottle of apple juice. Xenon said to serve himself, since no one ever bought it.

"They're missing out." Ari said in a quiet voice, only loud enough for Xenon to hear. He took the bottle with both his paw-hands, not wanting to risk using only one. The pads on his hands were sticky enough to hold the bottle, but he'd rather lose a little pride by holding the bottle like a 3 year old year old holds a sippy cup then drop the juice on the floor. Not that he had any pride left, he really didn't care about what people thought of him. He poured himself a regular sized glass then set the bottle down.

He reached up and removed the bottom half-or the jaw-of his 'mask' so he could drink. Bringing the glass up to his lips, he took a sip and the sweet, fresh taste of apples filled him with joy. "Good night?" He asked Xenon before taking another, longer drink from his apple juice. He realized he was getting the table wet from the rain water dripping off of him, so he took a paper towel and started to dry the table.

cosmix

 

[cosmix]

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚﹌﹌﹌*ੈ✩‧₊˚﹌﹌﹌˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

"Good night?" He asked Xenon before taking another, longer drink from his apple juice. He realized he was getting the table wet from the rain water dripping off of him, so he took a paper towel and started to dry the table.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚﹌﹌﹌*ੈ✩‧₊˚﹌﹌﹌˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

Xenon watched in familiarity as Ari gulped from the whiskey cup, even though it was just simple apple juice.
He became normalized to Ari's visits, it's always nice to see a non-drunken person at a place where it was common to do so, always took him off the edge a little.
At the question, he'd turn with a smile.
"It's the same as usual really. Flirty and drunk customers all around, never anyone sober like you, sweetheart"
Another customer would shout his name from the other side of the bar, slurring his words with a drunken giggle.
"I'll be back to you soon enough"
and with that, he'd strut back to one of the customers, who had his other drunken friends, and it seemed as if they had just made a successful deal, which put the male to work with making shots for the group, while shaking off any comments that were a bit forward for his own sober mind.

 

[KaigerGalaxy]

((WOO! Finally caught up on everything!

The disappearances, the sudden rise in rogue werewolves, the fact that nothing had been done about it... Something doesn't add up.. That was the thought that kept going through Alaska's head as he locked the door (that could easily be knocked down, yikes..), stuffed the key in his pocket, and hit the road. Or sidewalk... Alaska didn't have a vehicle, he barely had an apartment!

As he walked, he went over what he had noted in his head, making sure there wasn't anything else that could be connected. The fact that things had gone so wrong told the man that it wasn't done by someone who had been doing this for a while. Anyone could see that! No, actually- It was that his ex had been a detective- Right...

Alaska had no idea where he was going to start looking; he couldn't just go to the scene of the crime and look around! Or that's what he thought up until a painfully familiar scent caught his attention. The criminal-turned-detective. Maybe he could look around after all.

Mention: cosmix

 

[nonexistent]

Mark looked around at the crime scene, picking up scents here and there as he went. It wasn't a particularly difficult crime scene to be at for Mark, considering what he'd seen in the past. There was no corpse staring up at him with cold, dead eyes, and there was not a drop of fresh blood to be found. Despite not being fazed by the sight, Mark noticed that Labelle was a bit shaken up.
"It's a bit rough, huh?" He sympathized, recognizing that it could be one of Labelle's first times on a crime scene. Mark remembered having to be desensitized to tragedy - it didn't all happen at once.

Mark looked at the bookshelf as Labelle wandered off towards the kitchen, a look of intense thought on his face. At hearing Labelle call his name, Mark walked over to where his partner was standing by the broken window. A cold wind blew through, ruffling Mark's hair. It was always a bit eerie, seeing the living space of someone who was now no longer existing in this world.

"A break-in...?" He muttered, as if piecing together something in his head. "Did this couple have any cats?" Mark suddenly asked aloud, placing the scent that had been bothering him. It was the scent of cats, but... stronger. Less domestic. Their unmistakable, strong dander was floating around, making Mark feel like he had to hold back a sneeze.

cosmix ​

-
​

"Would you look at that... this little friend of yours actually has some manners. Do me a favor and teach some to this slut, would you?" Hux requested of Cory with a grin, glancing between him and Aristide. The horned male then sighed, glancing down at his watch. The face was clearly broken, yet he seemed to be able to tell the time perfectly.
"I have somewhere to be. Aristide - I'll be waiting for you later in my office. Be there. And you..." Hux turned to Cory, scrutinizing him with a gaze, "Don't tell anyone about this little money scheme, got it? Because if you do... I will know. And it won't end well for you." Hux ordered people around without an ounce of hesitation or questioning, not caring whether anyone in the room would be unwilling or frightened by what he was saying. This was simply how the male spoke with everyone he met, no matter their status. He was not very sensitive to the feelings of anyone - even himself.

And with that, Hux turned and left, closing the door behind him. The cold chill in the room seemed to dissipate with his disappearance.

Aristide slowly stood up, rubbing at his bruised neck with a groan. His face was flushed with embarrassment and anger, his eyes focused on the floor. The vampire's unrealistic confidence and charm at gunpoint seemed to be far away from his now-defeated posture.
"Well... now you've met my boss. See why I said I'm not here willingly?" He gave a halfhearted chuckle, glancing in Cory's direction.
"Try escaping that. Not fun. I'm only here because he wants me to be." Aristide frowned.

TheSpeck ​

 

[TheSpeck]

Cory nodded without a word when Hux told him to teach Aristide some manners. He was relieved when Hux left, and he stared at Aristide for a moment. He decided he wouldn't be angry at him anymore. There was no use in making the vampires life worse. He took out one of the many wads of cash and pushed it toward Aristide. "I know you agreed to split it, but... I don't know what Hux would do if he knew I gave you half.... Unless if you'd like to risk it? But I also don't want to die- he didn't say not to give you any though..." Cory argued with himself out loud.

"It's up to you." He said after pausing for a moment. "...are you ok? Did he hurt you?"

nonexistent

....

Ari smiled as Xenon responded. He pulled his attention somewhere else as the bartender went to serve a group of drunk customers. His eyes wandered throughout the room, landing on a group moving toward the bar. They approached where he was sitting and took all the seats beside him. They were quite annoying, a lot of them yelling and play fighting with each other. He had seen this group before, they had only just started coming here. Soon enough they would be regulars, but so far they were pretty new. Ari went to take another sip of his apple juice when one of the group members approached him.

"Haven't seen you around at all. I'm guessing youre a newbie, get outa here, this is my spot." The man huffed with a prideful smile on his face. Ari stared at them for a long period of time. The silence seemed to make them uncomfortable.
"Sorry bout that." Ari said quietly and moved to the next seat over. He didn't want to deal with that today. But then the man sat down where Ari was originally sitting and grabbed the bottle of apple juice.

"Did you pay for this? I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I take some." The man said and took a drink straight from the bottle. He spat it back into the bottle with a surprised look on his face. "Apple juice?! What a poor choice! What are you twelve?" The man said, the group laughing together.
"I'm done with you, get out of here." Ari said, gripping his glass tightly. That was his apple juice, and he couldn't drink it anymore because of the man spitting in it. The group just continued laughing. Ari slowly, and unintentionally, unsheathed his claws, digging grooves into the side of the whiskey glass he held.

 

[cosmix]

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚﹌﹌﹌*ੈ✩‧₊˚﹌﹌﹌˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

Alaska had no idea where he was going to start looking; he couldn't just go to the scene of the crime and look around! Or that's what he thought up until a painfully familiar scent caught his attention. The criminal-turned-detective. Maybe he could look around after all.

"A break-in...?" He muttered, as if piecing together something in his head. "Did this couple have any cats?" Mark suddenly asked aloud, placing the scent that had been bothering him. It was the scent of cats, but... stronger. Less domestic. Their unmistakable, strong dander was floating around, making Mark feel like he had to hold back a sneeze.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚﹌﹌﹌*ੈ✩‧₊˚﹌﹌﹌˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

Labelle would finally answer Mark's question with a small huff of her breath. "I dunno, I guess it is kinda hard. I was around weird stuff as a kid, so when I became a detective, I thought that I'd be fine- but it's hard to deal with sometimes." it was a small heartful comment, and Mark shouldn't expect it a lot.
So it was a moment to savor, really.
She'd subtly look around a bit more, trying to see more signs of struggle, or anything that would show them what really happened.
Yet before she could possibly find out, her eyes were met with a sight of her partner.
"I don't think they had cats? Maybe Nekojin were involved?" She'd ask, rhetorically.
"Yet since it's an apartment complex, stray cats could've wandered in and homed themselves in here?"
She'd think on the Nekojin theory, they're very mischievous creatures, kinda' like pixies- but not pixies.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚﹌﹌﹌*ੈ✩‧₊˚﹌﹌﹌˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

"I'm done with you, get out of here." Ari said, gripping his glass tightly. That was his apple juice, and he couldn't drink it anymore because of the man spitting in it. The group just continued laughing. Ari slowly, and unintentionally, unsheathed his claws, digging grooves into the side of the whiskey glass he held.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚﹌﹌﹌*ੈ✩‧₊˚﹌﹌﹌˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
The man would scowl at this insignificant presence of annoyance. This drunken criminal wannabe had been going to the club for a few weeks with his friends. Xenon had noticed that all they ever did was drink and shout, It annoyed him.
Yet it drove him over the edge when he invaded space and drank from an unpaid drink.
With a grimacing aura, the Redhead would turn back to the direction they were all in, strutting over in a determined matter.
"I think it's best if you leave, sir. You've broken our rules, you're not welcome here anymore."
he didn't speak in his sweet tone, he was serious.
and when the man basically laughed in his face, he was more than pissed.
"What did you say to me?"
Now, Xenon felt less than civil, so with a smug smirk.
He spat right into the man's face.
It was awfully rude, but you treat others how they treat you.
and now seemed like the best time to be disrespectful.