Realistic or Modern Phanotte's Folly [Closed]

[crypt]

Avery
​

Avery nodded and stood up, sliding their hands down into their pockets. "Yeah, we can leave," they paused for a moment, picking up on the scent of alcohol from the spilled drink. They smirked. "You have a drink on the way here? You smell like the majority of people in here," they said, snickering softly.

They then turned and began walking to the door, stopping once they got to the doorway. They took the keys to their car out of their pocket and twirled them around their index finger, turning around to look at him. "Your chariot awaits, good sir," they said, putting on an awful posh accent. They added a light bow, grinning from ear to ear. "Only the best of transportation for someone of such high status."

In reality, their car was a beat-up 2010 Chevy Aveo. The paint on the hood was terribly sun faded to the point of looking silver and it was missing an exhaust pipe. Admittedly, they needed to buy a new car and they had the money to do so, but they didn't want to make that investment until they had to (ie: when the car literally couldn't run anymore). Besides, even if the car decided to stop working, they had a motorcycle that was still in good condition in the garage to use as backup if needed.

They took out their motorcycle from time to time but didn't use it as their main mode of transport.

"We should probably go before the next rush hits," they stated, motioning to the main entrance with their hand. More people were coming in. "You think it's packed now? Just wait, in a few more minutes, you won't be able to make it to the door."

Lucas
​

The room was beautifully decorated and was perhaps a bit over the top. The room's palette was much darker than the rest of the building, Silas opted for ebony wood walls and a mahogany floor. A glass chandelier hung from the ceiling, which lit up the room well. Scattered about were a lot of bookshelves that contained all manner of books, some books were new and others were dated. In the left corner of the room was a Lee Enfield rifle inside of a locked glass case and in the right corner was a shelf that housed a shit ton of photos.

All of the photos on the shelf appeared to be extremely old, some dated back to World War 2.

​

Silas walked over to his desk and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. Lucas, on the other hand, opted to sit across from Adria in one of the comfortable leather armchairs. He sank back into it and folded his arms over his chest, letting Silas talk.

"Of course, it's all very important," he said, interlacing his fingers and placing his hands down on the desk.

Again, another not-so-hidden eye-roll from Lucas.

Silas didn't seem to care and continued. "As for how you can be of use," he hummed thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "You are a Leukocyte, correct? I have heard of your kind and I am well aware of what benefits being a Leukocyte has," his lips turned up into a grin. "Put simply, I would like those benefits for myself," he concluded.

"If you can help me with that, I can put in a good word for you if it is citizenship that you desire. There is a trial period, during which you can make absolutely no mistakes. If you make any mistakes, there will be repercussions for both of us, is that understood?"

 

[Lucyfer]

Evander just gave Avery a dull stare for the poor joke. Obviously, he hadn’t drunk here. Nor had he drunk of the drunks. He didn’t prefer to get caught up in that, though he knew some debauched vampires enjoyed mucking up their own mental awareness. He wasn’t the sort. He preferred to maintain his control.

So, he followed after them with silent seething, before rolling his eyes at their flash of keys. He knew a good set of keys when he saw them, and that did not have the markings of Rolls Royce or any other worthwhile brand on them. Nor did they look terribly new, either. Of course, they could be a set that was remade in a Wal-Mart, but he doubted it.

Or rather, doubted they were ever good keys to begin with.

“I don’t care if the place empties in the next thirty minutes,” Evander had no interest in waiting around and pushed the door open to step back out into the brisk wind, holding it open long enough for Avery to step out, as well.

“Which marvelous chariot is yours?” he knew he was going to hate every second of this, as he gestured out casually to the street once he could let the door go, and look at all the fabulous options waiting for their owners.

None of them could ever seriously be described as marvelous.

~***~

The time where Silas reached the heights of his mortal life, and possibly his vampire life, were obvious in the designs of the room. He was stuck back in the time of WWII. That meant they were around the same age, or she was a bit older than him – Adria wasn’t sure, and wasn’t inclined to bring up her own age. She’d rather Silas be left to wondering about it.

Besides, the drain was already starting to press on her, beating the beginnings of a headache into her mind, as she kept up that powerful aura.

Silas, thankfully, didn’t mask his intentions. He didn’t even direct her to offer teachings to the whole – only himself, and only the rarity. No surprise – he could learn the arts of Hunger from others, but a Leukocyte? Well, if there were others outside of Almos, they kept it well hidden. Likely, what Almos should have done from the start, but he preferred to boast.

Certainly, what she should have done. When Almos was discovered dead, word would start to spread – but not yet.

“I can help to teach you,” she couldn’t. She had no idea. But she knew enough about how the Schools went about teaching things in general, that she could bullshit it for long enough. Changing one’s self didn’t happen overnight, or even over weeks. She could begin to teach, and get in on that trial period, learn more about Silas, and put an end to him.

Simple.

“And I will not step out of line. We had similar rules where I came from with probationary periods.” It was a common rule, usually how childes became citizens immediately after being turned.

 

[crypt]

Avery
​

The keys were not in the best of shape, the brand name on the key itself had been worn away after years of use. Avery had some charms attached to the keys via a carabiner, although they weren't in any better shape than the keys themselves. A laminated paper tag with Avery's name printed on it Sharpie had yellowed to the point of the writing being hard to read.

They strutted over to the black, beaten-up, Chevy at the back of the parking lot and leaned up against it. "This is it," they said with a chuckle. "She's a beaut, isn't she?" They kicked at a tire, noting that it was slightly low, but not low enough to be dangerous to drive on. Other than the sun-faded paint, missing exhaust pipe, and low tires, it appeared to be in..decent shape.

"Eh, should be fine," they thought. They'd just have to fill the tires up when they got the chance.

They popped the driver-side door open and looked over at him. "Like I said, only the best of transportation," they hummed, getting in. They leaned over the center console and opened up the passenger-side door for him. "C'mon, we don't want to waste the night away." They sat back in their seat, put the key in the ignition, and turned it over. The engine came to life without any troubles surprisingly.

The interior of the car was pristine, which was in stark contrast to the outside. There was not a scrap of garbage to be seen, nor a stain on any surface. Most surfaces even appeared to be freshly wiped down. A packet of cigarettes sat in the cupholder, but the car didn't reek of cigarettes. Avery smoked a fair bit, but they didn't smoke in the car so as to not permeate the interior with the smell.

"My place isn't too far away from here, only about fourty-five minutes."

Lucas
​

Lucas wasn't surprised in the least that Silas took the opportunity to use the offer for himself.

"Excellent," Silas said, leaning back in his chair. "Just a few, minor questions," he laid his hands down on his lap and held eye contact with her. "How long do you think this will take?" he questioned. "Furthermore, what kind of teachings are you going to be using? I am curious and would like to know more. I may know a lot of things, but I am not that educated on this topic."

Even though Silas was in a pleasant mood due to Adria's aura, he was asking these sorts of questions to test her. He wanted to make sure that this deal would be worthwhile for him, he didn't want to stick his neck out for someone who wasn't capable of helping him.

Adria would have to sound confident in what she was saying for him to be convinced. Lucas hoped that she did know what she was talking about, for both of their sakes. Silas didn't take kindly to liars or people that weren't useful to him.

The only reason Silas kept Lucas around was that he hoped he could still influence him, that he could mold him to fit what he wanted.

Silas knew that all he had to do was push harder and Lucas would eventually fold; he had a plan in mind to do so, but he wasn't going to reveal his hand yet. He had a lot of options available to him, although one had been standing out to him for a while now. If he went through with it, it would eliminate something that had been a constant pain in his side from the moment he turned Lucas. It would crush Lucas, that was certain, but he needed to time it correctly for the best result.

The best result for him, not for Lucas, of course.

 

[Lucyfer]

The Chevrolet car was an absolute travesty, and Evander did not hide his disgust with it. His nose wrinkled, and he did wonder at his own safety in the vehicle – but then again, Avery wasn’t going to on a suicide drive. It should be fine, but he didn’t understand why Avery would use this damnable thing. Couldn’t they afford better? Didn’t unlife grant them some ability to do better?

He had to wait until the passenger’s door was opened from within, and then he slid into the seat. Despite the fact the interior was clean, it was still obvious he was trying to touch as little as possible.

“Forty five minutes?” Evander couldn’t help but sound surprised, “You live that far away and make this area your hunting grounds?” he didn’t really understand it. True, the Praxis also didn’t exactly live on their hunting grounds, either, but this still seemed excessive to not only pick hunting grounds far from home, but to do so to spite the Praxis.

At least, he assumed they did it out of spite towards the rules, since they seemed to want to spite everything around them.

He sighed, and tried to get beyond that.

“Have you come up with any plans of engagement for the hunters yet?” he could focus on that, rather than the sinking suspicion he’d be with Avery for far longer than he’d initially thought. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to just deal with the hunters himself. They couldn’t be that difficult, could they?

~***~

That Silas had questions was no surprise. What they were was also no surprise, and Adria held his gaze. She’d lied straight to her sire’s face often enough, she wasn’t afraid to lie to Silas, either. “Length of time varies for every student. It will depend on how well both of us learn to communicate with each other. I do not know how many Schools of thought you’ve learned, but knowing more of those will aid.”

Not a lie; Almos knew several before he figured out this trick – but that was no surprise. He had no teacher for it, and was thousands of years old. It’d be a crime if he didn’t know multiple schools of thought before creating one for himself.

“Leukocyte teaching requires testing the mind under increasingly stressful situations, to make sure nothing can break it. Once in place, it cannot be turned off.” Unlike her aura, which threatened to flicker out as she held focus. The teaching did, ironically, help with maintaining it, giving her a greater focus overall, but it was weakening in its influence, “For that reason, Almos taught it as a survival instinct, the way breathing is to humans, who will end up gulping in water instinctively when they are under it. Teaching begins with mediation, and escalates into maintaining that state under various stressors.”

Torture, in a word. Not uncommon in any school. Even the School of Hunger had required severe starvation and torment with blood so near at hand.

“Ideally, we would also involve a mind reader if there happens to be one in the domain, but it’s not strictly necessary. This was something I learned without the use of one,” but she had no doubts at all in her knowledge of it, so there was no doubt in her tone, “It helps you to feel what mental violation is like, but it would need be someone you trust, or someone…well, disposable.”

After all, even clandestine thoughts were protected. No one wanted their secrets out there in just anyone’s hands.

 

[crypt]

Avery
​

"I do," Avery said simply. "The land happened to be in my possession before I was turned, so I've just repurposed it to fit my needs." They put the car in reverse, turned to look over their shoulder, and backed out, driving out of the parking lot. "When my group grows, I'll buy somewhere closer, but there's no point in doing that now given how small we still are."

It was a bit more complicated than that, but they kept the explanation brief.

After being turned, they distanced themself from their family but continued the production and selling of wine at the vineyard. After some convincing, they were able to get their father to transfer the land to them so they could continue making wine for the business in solitude. He was confused by their sudden desire to be alone since they'd always been close, but he complied. He asked them what had brought everything on and they gave him a generic excuse that he ended up buying. They couldn't just tell him what had happened, so they lied.

This excuse brought them some peace, but eventually, their family came knocking again. When they did, Avery was in more control but they didn't think it would be wise to become a member of the family again despite that fact. They kept the communication with their family brief and dove headfirst into their work. The family visits all ended when their parents went overseas to further expand the wine business. They would always send postcards in the mail but they didn't write back. Even though they didn't write back, they kept each letter and card they received and tucked them away for safekeeping.

They then started down the road, not caring that they were speeding in the slightest. They always drove over the speed limit through town since no cops were out to penalize them for it anymore.

With one hand, they took out their phone, opened up Spotify, and clicked on their 2010s playlist. The sounds of Destiny's Child's Jumpin', Jumpin' began playing over the mediocre speakers. They placed their phone into the other cupholder and returned their hand to the wheel.

"Of course, I have a plan," they said, scoffing out a laugh. "We're gonna try and enter through the rooftop using the vents, then drop down to take everyone out quietly," they explained. "No muss, no fuss."

Lucas
​

"I see, I see," Silas hummed, rubbing his chin. "I have some experience with the other schools of thought, but the only one I have mastered fully is the School of Virtus," he explained. "I hope to learn them all someday, but that may take me a while due to my packed schedule. Thankfully, seeing as things have been rather slow lately, I have time to devote to my studies available."

Not being able to turn it off was the least of his worries, the fewer people being able to see into his head, the better.

The thought of someone else prying into his head didn't sit well with Silas; if they were to involve a mind reader, they would indeed have to be disposable. There were thoughts inside of his mind that needed to stay there. Silas knew that there would be challenges for him to overcome if he were to learn, but he was confident in his abilities. He had been through a lot in his time so he figured there was nothing that he couldn't accomplish if he set his mind to it.

He would master all of the schools even if it took him a long while to do it.

Silas folded his arms over his chest and leaned back in his seat. "We can involve a mind reader," he said. "I am sure that there is one available here that I can borrow for a while. I would prefer someone more..expendable, you understand, don't you?"

Silas knew there were a couple of mind readers inside of the Ars that he could enlist to help him, all he had to do was ask. If no one was willing, he could always get help from Nicoleta, but that was more of a last resort.

 

[Lucyfer]

‘Why don’t you just join an established group?’ Evander wanted to sigh, but he didn’t. The kid would have their hopes crushed eventually, when they realized the hard way why people joined groups like the Praxis or the Ars Sanguinis, that had outposts all across the world. Right now, Avery was lucky to be getting a sort of handout from the Praxis.

He knew it wouldn’t last long.

Especially if they kept investigating something they clearly shouldn’t.

Evander gave a sidelong glance to the phone for the music that played. He wasn’t really familiar with this. He’d never been much into hip-hop or rap, so the music didn’t exactly appeal. However, he kept his mouth shut on it, half-certain Avery was doing this just to annoy him, and he wouldn’t give them anymore satisfaction towards that than necessary.

The plan was…something.

Evander let his gaze lift back to Avery’s face as they sped along the road. Evander wasn’t concerned about that, either. He did it all the time; the Praxis had their own agreements with the cops. “You’ve never done something like this before, have you?”

~***~

It was hard for Adria to imagine a packed schedule that didn’t involve either teaching other schools of thought, or learning them. That was mostly how she remembered the schedule for Almos; every day, he was trying to create something new. He’d mastered most that were known, and went after ones that were mere rumors, instead. Diablerie played a heavy role in it, so much that Adria did wonder if he’d sped things up by learning schools through that.

She didn’t know.

She only knew her result with it, and the trailing thought, ‘Could I learn Virtus if I just devour you?’

How simple!

How terrible!

Yet it remained, as her being yearned for that addictive taste of heart’s blood, while her mind wanted that power. She’d agreed to off this man already, so why not? A thought for later, as the headache finally overwhelmed her focus and the charm melted away. Adria could only hope she’d started this out with a good enough impression it wouldn’t be so noticeable.

“I understand,” or she wouldn’t have suggested it. She held that comment back, thankfully. “Then, do let me know when you are prepared to begin and have sorted some of those matters out. If you do find a mind reader, you may even use it to confirm what I’ve said of myself,” so he’d know, for certain, she didn’t lie…at least, on being a leukocyte.

Her teaching methods would be an absolute lie, but he didn’t need to know that.

 

[crypt]

Avery
​

Avery didn't turn on the music with the express purpose of annoying him but didn't particularly care if it did bother him.

"I haven't taken on a job this large, no," they said. They looked over at him for a moment, giving him a look. "Since I know you'll be thinking it, that fact doesn't make me any less capable," With that, they returned their gaze back to the road. "I can handle this," they stated, squeezing the steering wheel for emphasis.

In truth, Avery didn't know if there was actually a vent on the roof. Most hotels in the area had them, but not all.

In a way, Avery felt like they had to succeed to prove that they were capable. With their small group size, it was only natural that they'd want to prove themself. Their interactions with the Praxis only pushed them to keep trying to achieve that goal. To them, it felt like the Praxis saw them as an insignificant little fly on their grand, marble wall. They wanted to prove them all wrong so someone would take them seriously.

Although they hated working with the Praxis, they did acknowledge the fact that completing this task could create a lot of positive opportunities. They would take any opportunities presented to them that benefited their group and themself, even if it meant working with the Praxis more. Besides, they were starting to enjoy making Evander annoyed.

"By the way, this car isn't diseased, you can stop acting like it is."

Lucas
​

Silas' eyebrows furrowed for a moment before his expression returned to what it was previously. He then pulled out his smartphone, which appeared to be the newest iPhone, and opened it. He tapped around for a few moments before he found what he was looking for.

"I am available from tomorrow to the end of this month," he said, sliding over the phone so she could take a look at his calendar. "I can push my schedule back further if needed."

He leaned back in his seat and folded his arms over his chest, his lips curving up into a wide smile. "I believe I may enlist a mind reader just to confirm," he hummed. "I made the mistake of not confirming if something was fact or fiction once before and it did not end well. It didn't end well for the man who tricked me, that is." He tidied up his desk as he spoke, unbothered by what he was implying.

Silas then switched gears completely, looking over at Lucas. His eyes were narrowed in a scowl. "Oh, and Lucas," he began. "Stop looking so dreadful, Adria is still a guest," he scolded. "You act as though you don't want to be here."

"Maybe that's because I don't want to be here," Lucas fired back, which made Silas' scowl shift to something dangerous.

Something incredibly dangerous.

"Do not step out of line, lest you forget our last disagreement," he warned.

That was all it took. Lucas immediately shrank back into his seat at his remark and held his arms close to his chest. He didn't dare say anything more after that.

 

[Lucyfer]

‘It does make you less qualified.’ but Evander kept that to himself, at least verbally. His face said enough regarding his opinion on the matter. He would at least believe they could handle it.

He had to believe that. The Praxis believed they had a chance, though if they failed, the Praxis was still rid of one annoyance. They didn't lose, with either outcome.

“I'll act how I like,” Evander snapped. “Just as I let you play your ridiculous music.” No, he wasn't growing any fonder of the sounds coming through the speakers. He was impressed the speakers worked, though.

“Regardless,” he didn't want to dwell on their disparate opinions, “have you done any jobs similar to this, or faced hunters before?” Evander had.

He was a negotiator, after all.

Which did make him wonder why they weren't negotiating with this group. The more he thought about it, the more he realized these actions were unusual, even for the Praxis. Unless someone else had been sent to talk to them already, but then what was the result?

He didn't like any of this.

~***~

Adria took a look at the calendar, but it was an unnecessary courtesy. She had no plans, after all. She nodded at this mention of a mind reader, but could not respond before he lashed out at Lucas.

‘My, my, you might be more mad than Almos.’ she didn't say as much, of course.

Or the lingering impact of the aura made him believe he was safe to show her this side of himself. Almos kept his rage locked up well so it never slipped.

Instead, she rose, and input her own number into the phone, “I have yet to make plans here so my schedule remains open,” she'd disregard the act as if it was a normal one between sire and childe. It may as well be for what she knew. “Let me know when your mind reader is ready, and I shall be here. I'm currently residing in the hotel downtown owned by the Praxis.” And she didn't have plans to change that, either. “But unless they have need of me, I can make it wherever you want to meet.”

But Lucas remained someone she needed, too. “In the meantime, perhaps it would do your childe good to have another influence? He was wise enough to connect us, and I'm Rather unfamiliar with this town. Until you have things arranged, perhaps he could introduce me to the city of Phanotte itself?”

 

[crypt]

Avery
​

The speakers were not the best sounding; the audio was rather flat. There was absolutely no bass to be heard in the tiny speaker box, even if you turned up as loud as it could possibly go. They were going to drive the car until it was dirt, so they weren't concerned about a dull-sounding speaker box. They already had a car picked out for when the small Chevy did decide to give out.

​

Avery didn't want to make it into an argument either, but they weren't just going to sit back and ignore what he had said. "You let me play my music? Well, I hate to break it to you, but this is my fucking car, as shitty as it is," they retorted. "The driver plays the music, that's how it goes. What would you prefer, huh? Bach, Mozart, or Beethoven?" A New York accent shone through as they spoke, which only fully showed itself when they got pissed off or annoyed.

"For full disclosure, it was a damn joke so hop off of it," they finished with a shake of their head.

They paused for a moment before moving on. "I've dealt with a couple of hunters before," they said. "Some vampires wanted three hunters taken out because they had killed four of their own, so I did them a solid. It didn't take too long and we made it out with zero casualties."

It was no lie, they did have experience with this type of job. Of course, they rarely involved hunters, but on the off chance that they did, it got resolved nonetheless. Even though their vineyard was a successful business, they still did some extra work on the side for more money.

"I specialize in these sorts of jobs, believe it or not," they turned off the main road, beginning down a side road. "This will get taken care of so there is no need to get your fancy-ass slacks in a twist."

Lucas
​

Silas merely nodded and took his phone back. "Very well," he said.

Such interactions between sire and childe weren't unheard of in the Ars. It was bound to happen because when you give someone the power to bend another to their will if they so wished, some will jump at that chance. Sometimes there was a reason behind it, like Silas' reasoning for keeping Lucas around, and other times it was just abuse without rhyme or rationale.

Power, when given to some, can be a powerful narcotic, a narcotic that they can't get enough of.

Silas was one of those people.

Lucas perked up at the mention of getting out of the building and looked over at her. It would be nice to get some air without Silas breathing down his neck. Any time that he went out, Silas was practically glued to him. No matter how much Silas hated Lucas, Lucas got that feeling he wouldn't let him go. He didn't know why Silas kept him around and he didn't want to know.

Silas pursed his lips in thought and looked over at Lucas, then back to her. He then rose from his seat and closed the gap between him and Adria. He folded his arms over his chest and sighed. "I don't know if there's much more that can be done with this one, but if you'd like to try and take him under your wing, I'll allow it," he stated. He was hesitant to let Lucas go out without him there. "Don't let him out of your sight, I wouldn't put it past him to run off for a couple of hours." A lie.

If Lucas were to run off, it wouldn't just be for a couple of hours; he'd run and never look back. He didn't say that though.

 

[Lucyfer]

‘Just because it’s yours doesn’t mean I have to let you control the radio.’ There was a temptation building in Evander to throw up their nightmare aura and see how that changed Avery’s tune. He had a feeling they’d become quite a bit more timid – at least for a bit. They’d realize, eventually, what happened, so he didn’t flare that aura, nor did he laugh at their supposed joke.

Nor disclose the music he preferred.

It was none of their business, so he just turned his head to watching the scenery go by the window.

It seemed the Praxis hadn’t chosen completely wrong. Avery was familiar with dealing with hunters, although Evander wondered about the allowances. Was their actions in dealing with hunters earlier endangering the Praxis? “You know, we try to keep agreements with hunters on file. If you killed a few we had agreements with, this could be why we’re having more trouble now.”

He didn’t know that for certain, and supposed it didn’t matter.

Hunters were useful tools to sic against vampires who got out of line, but they were just one of many tools. They were a risk, as well. They could threaten any one of them, or expose them. Thankfully, most hunters preferred not to, since they couldn’t risk the exposure either – but it was always there.

“You should check in and make sure we don’t have any agreements on file next time. You risk the entire domain if you kill the wrong ones.”

~***~

Adria did not step back at the intimidation display when Silas closed the gap between them. She looked up at him, and only slightly adjusted how she held herself. She’d be prepared if he tried to move against her, although she knew if he was of the Virtus school, he’d still have an immense advantage in physical combat.

It was why she usually avoided it.

“It’s curious what exposure to other vampires can do for a young mind,” Adria said, “I promise I will not let him roam free. I will return him here,” at least, for now, until there was some false trust between herself and Silas.

She didn’t intend to put herself in the role of Lucas’s keeper for long, not when that could backfire spectacularly if she was lax. He did want to run off and find his family, after all, and if that happened on her watch she’d have to deal with Silas’s wrath.

She didn’t really care to start that earlier than necessary.

“If you’ll excuse us then, I do need to begin getting acquainted here.”

But she wouldn’t step back first.

 

[crypt]

Avery
​

The scenery down the side road was very beautiful; the buildings of the city began to fade away and were replaced with rolling hills and trees. Avery had to admit, their parents couldn't have chosen a better plot of land to set up shop. The location was gorgeous, there was hardly anyone around, and there was room for expansion if you so desired it. They could expand if their group got larger, but they'd probably just buy a location closer to or inside of the main city.

"I highly doubt that," they said, turning the music down a couple notches when Lady Gaga's Monster came on. "They were hardly anything that the Praxis would work with and besides, that was a couple years ago so I really don't think that would be affecting anything now."

They let out a gentle sigh. "To be honest, I wasn't exactly sure how to contact your group then," they explained. "There isn't exactly a number posted online that I could have called." They glanced over at him for a moment to gauge how he was receiving the information, then looked back to the road. "Even if I did have your number, I didn't have any useful information on the hunters that you could have used to confirm whether or not it was okay to off them; I was given a location that they frequented and was told to avenge what the vampires had lost, so I did."

Avery didn't imagine that particular group of hunters would have been involved with the Praxis. They were unprofessional, unprepared, and arrogant. They thought they were hot shit when in reality they weren't.

"We should be at my place shortly," they hummed. "I'm sure you'll be grateful to get out of this car, no?" They flashed him a small grin before focusing back on the road. They knew this road like the back of their hand, so crashing was the least of their worries.

They did begin to wonder how the rest of their group would react to a member of the Praxis being on the property. A good portion of the people in Avery's group shared their views on the Praxis, though the majority were just indifferent or uncaring. Despite everyone's mutual distaste for the Praxis, they knew that everyone would cooperate because everyone trusted them.

Lucas
​

Silas smiled at her courage, seeming satisfied. He moved his hands and clasped them behind his back. "It is quite curious," he agreed.

He was the first to take a step away, although it wasn't because he was intimidated. "It does please me to hear that you will be careful because I do so look forward to working with you," he said. "I would hate for something to go awry."

There was a hint of a threat in his words, but it was masked with pleasantries.

Silas then moved over to stand next to Lucas, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. Lucas practically flinched away from the contact. He leaned down next to him; his smile widened at Lucas' inability to meet his gaze. "Are you going to behave for Adria?" he murmured, narrowing his gaze.

Lucas let out a shaky breath and gave a small nod. "Yes, I will," he replied.

This seemed to please Silas and he let go. "Good. Best be off then, you're going to be her guide."

Lucas was quick to stand up after that. He cleared his throat and looked over at Adria. "I'm ready whenever you are." His eyes were basically begging her to say that they could go. He didn't want to be there any longer than necessary.

 

[Lucyfer]

“Fredericka holds court in the Black Diamond. She has for years,” it was possible that Avery didn’t know that, being an outsider, but Evander had some doubts. After all, they knew enough to hate the Praxis, shouldn’t they know how easy it was to reach them? People who weren’t even citizens yet tended to find out how to reach Fredericka so they could introduce themselves and learn where to feed, after all.

It couldn’t be that hard.

“The Black Diamond’s number is online,” although asking for Fredericka probably wouldn’t be that easy, since she was just a guest of the hotel. A permanent one, but nonetheless, a guest. Still, people took messages. “Still, if it was two years ago, it’s not connected. But for the future. You can look there.” Evander was willing to wave it off.

And he was eager to get out of the damned car, as they continued across the countryside. He wasn’t really expecting so much, well, nature. He didn’t tend to see much of it anymore, since he stayed in the city.

Nature felt…dangerous

Exposing.

There weren’t many places to hide if the sun came out. The shade of a tree wasn’t enough; he’d be ashes in minutes.

“What exactly do you do all the way out here?” he couldn’t help but ask, shifting his gaze from the window to Avery. His tone was almost without accusation or agitation. Almost, simply curious.

~***~

Silas stepped back. Adria forced herself not to reflexively relax, or acknowledge what the moment had been. She remained poised as she was, only shifting to watch his approach of Lucas and his inquiry, which only had one answer, of course. Lucas was able to give that, before hurrying to her as Silas gave his farewell.

Adria wouldn’t keep him in there longer than necessary.

“I’m ready,” she agreed, and with an inclination of her head to Silas, she’d turn to leave the office, and let Lucas guide to the quickest way out of the building, now that she had no need to stay in the Ars Sanguinis.

She’d wait until they were outside to ask: “How are you holding up?” that clearly had to be a bit tense for him. And she wouldn’t be surprised if he was doubting their alliance; she had just spoken so many lies to his sire with a straight face, after all.

She’d be wondering.

 

[crypt]

Avery​

Truth be told, Avery wasn't as connected to the vampire community then as they are now. Of course, they now knew what the Black Diamond was, but back then they didn't have a clue. They figured everything out on their own after they were turned; they were just sort of tossed into vamprisim headfirst thanks to their ex-coworker.

Every now and again, they'd wonder if he was still around. He turned them and ran, so it was entirely possible that he was still living, or well, as living as a vampire could be.

"Noted," Avery said, making a mental note. They didn't like the Praxis but dealing with them was unavoidable now.

In contrast to Evander, Avery was most comfortable outside of the city. They were used to rolling hills and trees rather than tall buildings and crowded streets. Moreover, being in the countryside of town reminded them of their parents. Once they were turned, they kept contact with their parents at an absolute minimum. It was for their safety, of course, but Avery still wished they could have spent more time with them.

"Well, besides the whole vampire gig, I run a successful wine business," they replied, looking over to briefly meet his gaze. They were slightly surprised by his curiosity but decided not to remark on it. "You may have had it before if you're a wine guy, the brand name is Morgan Vineyards."

Morgan Vineyards was a very well-known company that had been around for years. It was almost the best-selling wine company multiple times, but it was never able to reach that coveted spot at the top of the list. Regardless, it remained one of the best brands on the market. Even though it never got the best-selling title, Avery was still proud that their business was as successful as it was.

Lucas
​

It was only when Lucas was completely out of the building that he seemed to visibly relax. It was in fact very tense for him, all interactions with Silas were.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine," Lucas said, brushing off his shoulder where Silas had placed his hand.

He was not fine and, in truth, he was beginning to doubt if Adria was on his side. Being around Silas had caused him to develop some awful trust issues, he began to assume the worst of people because of Silas' abusive treatment.

Either she was lying to Silas, or she was lying to him. It was unclear which.

Lucas cleared his throat. "So, I'm supposed to show you around, right?" he finally turned to look at her and slid his hands down into his pockets. "You wanna just walk around or is there anything you'd like to go see specifically?"

 

[Lucyfer]

In life, Evander had enjoyed wine. In death, well, he couldn’t. However, that didn’t stop him from being aware. His own business required him to maintain contact with humanity, and so he had to keep up on what wines were good, what humans considered to be luxury. So, he was aware of Morgan Vineyards.

He hummed, “I knew they were close. I did not realize they were run by a vampire,” he didn’t really bother to look into their ownership much; he had assumed if it was vampire run, he’d know.

Apparently not.

“Whenever I need to show certain people a local flair, that is the one I spring for, but I’ve never known the taste myself,” he shrugged it off, though. There were plenty of things he now had to miss out on thanks to his turning. Sure, drinking wine wouldn’t kill him, but he knew his tastebuds were skewed. Not to mention, vomiting it up later was never enjoyable.

The things he did to feign humanity….

~***~

Lucas definitely wasn’t fine. It was too easy to tell he was still rattled from the whole affair, but Adria opted not to call him on it. He slipped into the role as guide fairly easily, and Adria nodded. “I would like to know the Ars Sanguinis feeding grounds. That’ll be important, even if there is plenty on tap.”

She didn’t want to have to depend on their generosity. She knew how to hunt.

“I’d also like to see the locations of any other groups. I know the Praxis headquarters at the Black Diamond, but I’m sure the Ars and Praxis aren’t the only two groups in town,” that seemed unlikely. There were always those wanting to disturb the Praxis, and then those who went the less scientific routes than the Ars Sanguinis.

After all, why trust fully in science when the supernatural was revealed as real? Those who dove more into that usually found themselves in the mix somewhere.

 

[crypt]

Avery
​

Avery smiled slightly and said, "Well, now you know."

It did give them a sense of satisfaction to hear that even people in the Praxis purchased their wine, but they would never say that to his face. They had a large distaste for the Praxis, yes, but they were still happy customers regardless.

They turned down yet another, long, dirt path that appeared to go on for a while and let out a gentle sigh. "All we need to do is take a right turn off this path and then we're at the vineyard," They stated. "It's no condo, but it's far from quaint. I think you actually might be able to tolerate it if you loosen up a bit," They chuckled, tapping their fingers on the steering wheel.

"Anyways, now I have a question for you," They looked over to meet his gaze once more. "What exactly do you do inside of the Praxis? Are you just an errand boy for the higher-ups, or do you play a bigger role?" They asked. "You can of course choose not to answer, but I feel that it's only fair you give me this since I've shared something about myself with you. Think of it as a team-building exercise, m'kay?"

They figured that if they were to be working with him, they should at least know the basics about him. All they knew about him was that he was filthy rich, worked in the Praxis, and had the tendency to be an uptight douche.

Lucas
​

Lucas took in a deep breath, sighed it out, and smoothed his hair back. "Okay, so the feeding grounds," He started, beginning to walk. "In the immediate vicinity, there's two that I know of. One completely encompasses the town park and the other covers a few popular buildings. Namely, a bar called the Lounge, and the local mall."

Unfortunately, he didn't know the locations of any other feeding grounds. He never asked about them because he had no interest in going. He could barely bring himself to drink blood, so there was no way he could handle drinking it straight from the vein. Silas tried to encourage him to drink from the vein, but he always declined.

"Sadly, I don't know much more about feeding grounds, but I can help with groups," He said. "Besides the Praxis and The Ars, there's an up-and-coming group that's currently being run out of an old vineyard so I've heard," He slipped his hands down into his pockets and let out a sigh. "It doesn't have a name, but it's run by an Avery Morgan," He explained. "There are a few other minor groups in the area, but nothing serious. The Praxis, The Ars, and the group run by Avery Morgan are the main three in town."

"I'm not sure where Avery Morgan's group is located, but a Google search would point you in the right direction," He concluded.