Multiple Settings The Preying Seasons | Main

[apolla]

VICTORIA ZABIELSKI

Outfit: Click! | Mood: annoyed; curious| Tags: Art ( _amaranth_ ); Jolene ( MadiRaiCat ); Alarick ( Desert_Blossom )

Tori's day was really starting to look up, and quitting on her father had already lifted quite a weight off of her chest. Although he didn't know she'd quit yet, she had no doubt he'd be receiving a phone call from one of the tech guys within no time, so she was just waiting for another phone call from her father to come through. Only this time, she wouldn't answer. Hitting the ignore button, even in her mind, felt extremely nice. He hadn't called her the whole time she'd lived outside of Maple Grove, and granted, she hadn't called him either. That told her all she needed to know about their relationship, and honestly, it was freeing to have that realization. She didn't plan on hanging around in Maple Grove, and hopefully by the time the festival came around next year, she'd be long gone. Maybe with her name up in lights on a billboard for all of the world to see. She could just see it now. The second time around, she would make it work.

Meeting Art had been a chance thing, one of those events that you didn't plan but still turned your life around. Even though she didn't know just how true that thought was just yet, she could sense it. It put an extra pep in her step as she made her way back to him after dropping off her headset. Those killer heels didn't even phase the blonde as she linked their arms together, tilting her head back to look up at the taller man. She smiled brightly at his response to her question, looking thoughtful when he mentioned he'd seen a bar set up nearby. There were quite a few of them she was sure, and even though a part of wanted to get as far away from this festival as she could, she found that the rest of her didn't mind staying as long as she had someone to enjoy it with.

"Leading the way." A smirk tugged at her lips as she started off towards the main cluster of booths, away from the stage and her former job. She didn't even look back as they wove their way through the crowd, her eyes lighting up when she saw the bar booth. She recognized the name of it as they got closer, and her eyes dropped to the person manning it, her steps faltering for a second when she recognized Jolene. Though she was leaning across the bar currently, talking to a man who looked damn good even from this angle, Tori had history with the bartender. Tori had had a fake ID for quite some time now, and Jolene was the only person to ever call Tori out on it. Tori had paid a pretty penny for the ID and she knew it looked legit, but Jolene saw through it in a heartbeat. She'd even kicked Tori out of the bar.

But Tori was no pushover, and she was determined. So she'd returned, though Jo hadn't been behind the bar that night. That gave Tori the confidence to come back, though of course it was inevitable that she would run into the other girl again. And she had. But to Tori's surprise, Jo hadn't kicked her out that time, though she did keep a close watch on Tori to make sure she was safe and had no problem cutting her off. But it was better than being kicked out. They'd developed an interesting relationship, a friendly one where they actually chatted here and there. Tori had vented to her about her father numerous times, along with other things. But still, seeing her now, Tori couldn't help but feel a flicker of doubt in her mind, wondering if Jo would call her out for being underage.

Not about to let that deter her, though, Tori acted as though nothing happened as she approached the bar, still arm in arm with Art. Jolene had leaned back from the guy she'd been conversing with, having poured two glasses of a dark liquor, one for each of them. Sliding up to the bar next to the man, Tori released Art and leaned forward, drumming her fingers on the makeshift bar. "Hey, Jo." She greeted her friend warmly, another bright smile on her face as she silently prayed the bartender went along with their usual scenario. "How are you?" Glancing over at the man on her other side, Tori smirked as she looked at Jo again. "Making new friends? That's sweet. Can I have a shot of Jack, please?" She tilted her head slightly as she glanced back at Art. "And this is Arthur, my drinking partner for the day."

coded by natasha.

 

[apolla]

ADRIAN BECK

Outfit: Click! | Mood: flirty | Tags: Mari/Alarick ( Desert_Blossom ); Jolene ( MadiRaiCat ); Arthur ( _amaranth_ )

Adrian was pretty damn positive that this year had turned out fairly easy for him when it came to finding his wife. Though he did feel a twinge of guilt as he always did for knowing he was going to be taking her away from everything she knew, he couldn't deny that there was a connection between him and Marissa. And looking at the beautiful human woman, he liked to think that he saw something in her eyes as well, a connection that she felt on her end as well. He could very well be making that up, but he was an immortal being and had been around the block quite a few times. He liked to think he could read emotions fairly well, and if she wasn't interested, she would have ditched him when he spilled her drink all over her sweater. Not that he would have blamed her if she had chosen to do that, but he was glad that she chose to remain by his side instead. She changed into the new dress and he couldn't help but whistle and grin at her, leading her away from the clothing tent after he paid.

She didn't seem the type to have fun often, and he wanted to change that. Everyone should know how to have fun, and if his hunch was correct, she did once know how to do so. Whatever she'd been through in her life had closed her off, but Adrian felt like he was the perfect man-- well, merman-- to bring her back around to the fun side of things. As they walked, he asked if she'd only come here to work, having to throw his teasing comment in at the end. She glanced down at the flyers in her hands, turning them over as a sheepish expression crossed her features. She started to speak but trailed off, and he just chuckled and decided that he was definitely going to help her have fun. Telling her to show him where she needed to drop off her flyers, she said her company had a booth not far from them.

It didn't escape his notice that she turned the flyers over, and he chuckled under his breath again as she said she could leave the flyers with her assistant. "Sounds like a good plan to me. It's a beautiful day, you can do so much more than hand out flyers or stand at a booth." Scoffing lightly, they started walking towards the booth in question to find the one that belonged to her company. Adrian was looking for said booth when she asked if it was his first time at the festival, and not paying attention to what his brain was thinking, the wrong answer slipped out at first. "No, I've been to the festival many times. I visit with my brothers, though it's been a century since we've been here last." Realizing too late what he'd said, he snapped his head down to look at her.

It wasn't a lie, but definitely not the truth he wanted to tell her right now. Fuck, his brothers were going to kill him if he fucked this up. "I just meant it's been a while." He smirked at her, though on the inside he was still mentally hitting himself. "Isn't that something the cool kids are saying now? That it's been a century?" Okay, Adrian, stop while you're ahead, jesus christ. He nearly stopped dead in his tracks as she said the tourists were great for business, shaking his head as her booth came into view. "Great for business, hm? Yeah, you and I were definitely fated to meet." He laughed, stopping outside of the booth. "This one is yours, right?" The assistant was a tiny woman standing on the other side of the counter, staring at him with wide eyes behind her thick-rimmed glasses. He barely noticed her staring at he plucked the flyers from Marissa's hands, turning to hand them to the other woman.

"These are your responsibility now, okay? I'm taking your boss to have fun." He started to turn away, then turned back. "And no phone calls. She's off the clock." He nodded and then turned back to Mari, a huge grin on his face. "So, then, Mari. We have an entire festival at our disposal." He reached for her arm, gently placing it on his as he led them away from the booth. "Do you like the rides? The games? Or should we just get a drink first, and then decide?" The grin never left his face as he spotted a bar-booth not far from them. "Oh, I guess our choice is made for us. It's only fair, though, considering I spilled your drink earlier." Shrugging, he led her towards it, recognizing Arthur and Alarick as he got closer. "Brothers!" He boomed, causing the tiny blonde standing between them to jump almost a mile. He laughed as he approached them. "Fancy meeting you two here. Marissa, this is my brother Arthur, and my brother Alarick. Unfortunately I don't know their companions names, but hello, I'm Adrian. It's a pleasure to meet you all! Marissa, what can I get you to drink?"

coded by natasha.

 

[MadiRaiCat]

location

outdoor bar

mentions

Marissa, Adrian

interactions

Alarick ( Desert_Blossom ), Tori ( apolla ), Arthur ( _amaranth_ )

outfit

x

Jolene

werewolf bride

Bartending was one of the few things that calmed Jolene's mind, surprisingly. To her, it was simple, an equation of ingredients that came together into something delicious. Going through the motions of making a drink was relaxing, therapeutic in a way. It gave her something to focus on when she didn't want to deal with her own problems or thoughts. Over the months of doing it, though, certain drinks had become muscle memory to her, allowing her mind to drift a bit. That's why she took up being a sounding board for her patrons, listening to their problems and giving them advice. It had a dual purpose in helping her gain information about her target, though recently leads had all but fizzled out. Those were the moments when Jolene was the most anxious, the most annoyed. Every second she didn't have a lead was a moment someone else could have one, and therefore could be getting ahead. After all, bounty hunting was a competition.

Taking a sip of the bitter amber liquid, the blonde grinned at the man across from her. "Well, it's certainly nice to meet you, Al." It was rather interesting that he didn't tell her his full name, especially when she told him hers. But maybe he was more reserved, less trusting of some stranger he just met. She couldn't say that she blamed him for that. The world wasn't exactly a great place, and one couldn't be too careful in who they gave their information out to, especially when that person was someone like her. A few too many times she caught a guy redhanded simply because he gave out information about himself to the 'pretty blonde at the bar.' Jolene smiled at him and shook her head, "I'm working on things, waiting to catch another lead. We'll see where it goes."

The festival was a chance for her to live a little without worrying about the job as much. It had been a while since she had truly had fun, and if she were being honest with herself, she kind of missed it. What better way to have fun than with an attractive guy at some small-town festival? "No, not all week. In fact, my shift is over here fairly soon. Think you might be up for doing a bit of exploring this festival with me?" Jolene asked, a flirtatious smirk playing on the edges of her crimson-painted lips. Before he could answer, however, a familiar young face sat down at the bar. The blonde bartender turned her hazel gaze on Tori, tilting her head curiously at the man she had in tow. He seemed older than her, maybe a bit stoic, but otherwise handsome. What was she getting herself into?

"How's it going, darling?" Jo greeted Tori, nodding to the man with her. She let out a light laugh at the mention of making new friends, rolling her eyes playfully. "I could say the same thing to you. This festival is full of surprises, isn't it?" From their previous encounters, Jo knew full well that the blonde across from her was underage. Hell, she had even kicked her out of the bar for it before. But, Tori kept coming back, and Jo eventually decided it was better for her to drink under her supervision than in the basement of some asshole trying to take advantage of her. "Sure, shot of Jack for the pretty lady," she answered, setting down her own glass before making one for Tori. Sliding it across the bar to her, Jo turned her attention back to the man Tori had brought with her. "Something tells me you're a scotch man," she commented, setting a glass of the amber liquid in front of him.

A loud voice caught her off-guard, causing the blonde bartender to flinch ever so slightly. She wasn't used to be unaware of her surroundings and quickly followed the sound to its source. A large, tattooed man with long hair entered the bar stall then, a pretty blonde at his side. Registering his words, Jolene couldn't but glance between the three men. "Brothers?" she repeated, trying to see the resemblance between them but not really finding anything other than their stark handsomeness. "You mean, y'all are related? Well, ain't that the catfish in the trap. Nice to meet ya, I'm Jo. And that-" she said, gesturing to the man now moving behind the bar where she stood, "-is my relief. So, if ya have any more orders, direct them at him." Grabbing her glass of bourbon once again, Jo slipped around the bar to stand alongside Al, glancing curiously between him and the other two men. "So, brothers, huh?"

nine lives

 

[MadiRaiCat]

location

roller coaster

mentions

none

interactions

Carina ( _amaranth_ )

outfit

x

Asher

elf king

Who knew that the modern era would have such fun contraptions? Asher felt his heart racing in his chest, partially from the rollercoaster and partially from the feeling of such a pretty woman's hand in his. But it wasn't a bad feeling, it was an exciting feeling. As though he had been asleep for a hundred years and had awoken again. Maybe, in a way, that was true. After all, the last time he had walked the streets of this town, it had been the 1920s. Back then, women were becoming more 'free' in a sense, jazz was thriving, and bars were hidden behind mirrors because alcohol was illegal. Back then, it had certainly been a change for the brother, some of which enjoyed and others disliked. Asher, who was a rather go-with-the-flow type, accepted the differences and enjoyed the moment as he usually did. Just like he was doing then.

"No?" Ash questioned, furrowing his brow in a bit of confusion. Did she not have as much fun as he did? Was it because he held her hand? Before his thoughts could race off in a million directions, the pretty redhead continued, a beautiful grin gracing her features. Her smile was contagious, so much so that Asher found himself returning it with one of his own. Her grip tightened on his hand, and he automatically tightened his as well. "How about..." he began, pondering the options she had provided for a moment, "We do all of that? Trust me, sweetheart, I have nowhere else I need to be." With that, Ash turned his attention to the ride attendant that approached them. "Once more for the lady." Their lap bars were pressed firmly back into place, and they were off once again.

All too soon, the ride came to a halt a few moments later. Asher felt her hand still in his and gripped it a little tighter. Turning his chocolate brown gaze on her, he grinned and asked, "Better?" The lap bars popped open, and Ash finally released her hand to step from the car. However, he held it out once more for her to grab and help her out as well. Though he was generally a straightforward man, vain in some ways and cunning in others, one of his more redeeming qualities was his adventurous, fun side that was also passionate. When he loved, he loved deeply and fully. For some reason, he couldn't help but smile being around her. "I'm Asher, by the way," he found himself saying, a bit entranced by her. Shaking himself out of it, Ash continued, "Now tell me about this cotton candy. What is it, and where do we find some?"

nine lives

 

[Desert_Blossom]

Marissa Locke

The last time Marissa had been at Maple Grove's festival, she had been with James, still hopeful that her new husband would be cured and that they would get the chance to attend many more fairs together in the future. That had not been the case unfortunately, and the young woman locked away her love for the week-long celebration along with all her despair over losing her childhood love. Though it had been difficult earlier today to force herself to drive over to the festival, it had become increasingly easier to stomach the fairgrounds since running into a certain long-haired, tattooed man. While she had originally only intended to work until it was time to watch her niece, she somehow found herself agreeing to play a bit of hooky and enjoy the fair with Adrian.

Curious about this stranger who had charmed his way into spending time with her, Marissa asked if this was his first time at the festival. No, I've been to the festival many times. I visit with my brothers, though it's been a century since we've been here last. Adrian's response made Marissa tip her head to the side a little quizzically, though it wasn't so much his choice of words but the way he said them that seemed a bit peculiar. He said "a century" as if it was the truth and not just an expression or exaggeration. The blonde was realistic enough to know that couldn't possibly be the case, but it was out of place enough for her to do a double take. Adrian must have noticed her odd look, because he subsequently began explaining himself. I just meant it's been a while... Isn't that something the cool kids are saying now? That it's been a century?

Marissa laughed and shrugged. "I have no idea what the kids are saying these days..." She replied, accepting his explanation without further question. Though she wasn't much older than most college kids, the blonde felt like an old lady when it came to trends and the current terminology used by younger generations. "But I know what you mean... It feels like a century since I've been here too." She added, a tinge of sadness creeping into her smile as she glanced away to view the grounds, commenting on how tourists were good for business.

Great for business, hm? Yeah, you and I were definitely fated to meet. Adrian's comment and laughter made Marissa glance back up at him, a bit puzzled by what he meant. He wasn't from around here, so she wasn't really sure why tourism would be good for his business, or why that would make them fated to meet. "Fated? What do you-..." Marissa started to ask before Adrian pointed out that they had arrived at her booth. "Oh, yeah, this is it." She nodded, smiling at her assistant in greeting. Before she could even say hello to Chrissy and explain the change of plans, Adrian had grabbed the flyers from her and handed them off to the awestruck assistant. These are your responsibility now, okay? I'm taking your boss to have fun... And no phone calls. She's off the clock... So, then, Mari. We have an entire festival at our disposal.

Within twenty seconds Hurricane Adrian had dealt with the matter of work, likely stunned poor Chrissy, and placed Mari's arm on his as he led them away from the booth. The blonde woman blinked, feeling a little windswept as she glanced back at her equally flustered assistant. Marissa was trying not to laugh at the look on the poor girl's face and she looked back up at Adrian with her best attempt at a scolding look as she tried to keep a straight face. "That wasn't very fair to Chrissy... I should have at least explained a little more..." Mari said, glancing once more over her shoulder at her assistant. "If she quits on me, I'm going to blame you." She added, an amused smile slipping out as she shook her head and sighed. What was done was done, and thanks to Adrian she was free to have a little fun now.

As Adrian asked what she wanted to do, Marissa glanced around at all the options. She noticed the bar up ahead a little and was going to suggest they start with a drink, but she didn't even have to. The tall man beside her grinned as he too spotted the bar and decided that was their next stop. "No objections here..." Marissa nodded, happy to participate in anything that involved a stiff drink. As they walked over though, Adrian recognized two of the figures and shouted over at them. Marissa jumped along with the blondes at the bar, one of which Mari recognized almost immediately as Tori.

Before Marissa could open her mouth to question what the 19 year old was doing at a bar, Adrian introduced her to his brothers, Arthur and Alarick. Caught a little off guard, Marissa offered a polite, though sheepish, smile and nodded a little in Art and Al's direction. She recalled that Adrian had mentioned he and his brothers attended the festival a few minutes earlier, but she hadn't actually expected to meet them. That was definitely breaking another one of her rules- don't meet a guy's family. Though, it was a little hard to see the resemblance between the men. Yes, they were all strikingly handsome and caucasian... but that's where the similarities ended. Perhaps he'd meant fraternity brothers?

Adrian's question about what she wanted to drink broke Marissa from her thoughts and she glanced up at him for a moment, before back over to the bar. The blonde woman she had seen a few times was ending her shift and another man took her place. "I'll just have a vodka lemonade please..." Marissa said to the bartender, deciding to order something more refreshing for the hot day than strong. At least for now. She waited for Adrian to place his order as well, before she took a seat on one of the barstools.

Marissa was trying to be chill, but she couldn't help but watch Tori with some concern as she talked with the older man next to her. Part of Mari wanted to bust the young girl for underage drinking and tell her to be careful around men who might take advantage of her, knowing that Tori's father would likely not be pleased, but the other part of the blonde didn't want to be that person. Hoping that Adrian's brother was as pleasant as him, the blonde reminded herself to mind her own business.

The vodka lemonade was placed in front of Marissa, and she smiled at the bartender before turning to Adrian again. Each time she looked at him, she couldn't help but feel her troubles slipping away. Even her protectiveness over Tori was pushed to the background, for better or worse, and she relaxed once more. "Now, when you say brothers..." She mused, studying Adrian's face for a moment, before turning to study Al and Art as well. She overheard Alarick respond to a similar question from Jolene, which answered her own before Adrian had to, and Mari’s blue eyes found their way back to Adrian's. "Ah, so half brothers, huh? Must have been interesting growing up." She laughed lightly, taking a sip of her vodka lemonade.

"So is it like a family tradition to take a trip to the festival then?" Mari asked, referring to Adrian's earlier comment about coming to the festival with his brothers. "How'd that start?" She was curious as to how this group of men found their way to such a small town, and why they made it a point to come back together. She certainly wasn't complaining, but they seemed like they belonged on a yacht vacationing in the Greek islands, not at a fair in Maine.

Curious

Fairgrounds

Outfit

apolla MadiRaiCat _amaranth_

nine lives

 

[Desert_Blossom]

Alarick Vernon

Well, it's certainly nice to meet you, Al. The grinning blonde's words sent a pang of guilt through the werewolf that he tried to ignore. Sure, Jo thought it was nice to meet him now, but he wondered if she'd feel the same way this time next week. Likely not, but that's how things usually went. He had a wonderful time with his bride-to-be, who was clueless to the fate that lay ahead of her, for a few days, and then once she found out that she'd been ripped from her home to marry someone she'd just met, things turned sour. Just how long the women Alarick married stayed mad, varied from woman to woman. Some were over it within a week, overcome with the splendor of being a Queen... and some took up to a full year or two to get over things. It wasn't unusual for the women to become upset later in life, though none had become as upset as his most recent wife. The thought of Rose darkened Al's mood enough that he had to forcefully shake off the memories so he could focus on the beautiful blonde in front of him.

To get his mind of things, he inquired about her progress with the bounty she was chasing, and about her work schedule. Hearing that she wouldn't be chained to the bar all week, and that she was going to be getting off work soon brightened Alarick's mood, and he grinned. Before he even had the chance to ask her if she'd want to join him this afternoon, Jo asked him. Think you might be up for doing a bit of exploring this festival with me? There was nothing quite like a woman who knew what she wanted and went for it, and Alarick was pleased to be one of those things Jo wanted. He realized her confidence and forwardness would likely come back to bite him once he stole her away from her life, but for now, it was refreshing and attractive. Even before giving his reply, the flirtatious smirk playing on Jo's painted lips made Al wonder just how long it would be before he could taste them. Hopefully not too long.

The brunette man was just about to tell Jo that he was up for anything she wanted to do or explore, when their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a young blonde woman and... "Art?" Alarick uttered, a little surprised and annoyed to see his brother. He'd just been about to seal the deal with spending the afternoon with Jolene, and his brother just had to crash the party. Jo's attention was turned to his brother's blonde companion, so Al took the opportunity to shoot his brother a scowl. "Couldn't find another bar, huh?" He muttered quietly just for Art to hear, before falling silent when Jo turned to Arthur to pour him a drink. The werewolf was impressed by Jo's ability to guess his brother's drink of choice, but his fascination was quickly interrupted once more by the arrival of another brother.

Adrian's booming voice called out as the tattooed man approached, another blonde in tow. Al's surliness only increased, especially since Adrian identified them all as brothers. That was another conversation Al preferred to save for later. Jo immediately echoed the merman's words, and Alarick just nodded, drowning his annoyance with another swallow of whiskey. Adrian made introductions, and the werewolf glanced at the blonde named Marissa who looked a little out of her element by his side. She didn't look terribly thrilled to be suddenly introduced to the family, and Al couldn't blame her. It was a lot to take in, especially since they didn't look anything alike.

It wasn't that Alarick didn't care about meeting the women his brothers chose as their wives, but after this week, they'd be spending a lot of time together anyways, so he wasn't in a rush to get to know them. He was in a rush to get to know Jolene though so he could make sure they were compatible, which was even harder to do with an audience of his brothers and their potential mates. Group dates were never quite Al's style, and he usually found them more forced than anything. Luckily though, Jo introduced herself to Adrian and then introduced her replacement bartender. Al let out a breath of relief, now knowing that they wouldn't have to remain planted at the bar much longer.

Al watched as Jo left the barback to come around to stand next to him. It was nice not to have a counter between them now, and he couldn't help but give her a subtle once over now that Jolene was standing before him. "Unfortunately..." He replied sarcastically to the blonde's musing that they were brothers. "Only half though." He added, with a small smirk before taking another sip of his drink. "So we can ditch them once we're done drinking without there being any hurt feelings." Alarick said with a chuckle, feeling his good mood returning now that Jo was off the clock. "And we can go do some of that exploring you mentioned."

The curly haired man was looking forward to having the afternoon, and if things were going well enough, the evening to learn more about the Southern belle that had caught his interest. He was almost certain that she would be his next bride, but he was wary to rush into things. The last thing he needed was to wake up from another coma and learn that his wife had gone insane and attacked him. Al didn't really blame Rose for what happened, as he knew he put his wives in a difficult position, but still... "Are you a ride kinda gal? Or do you prefer carnival games?" Alarick asked, setting his blue gaze on Jolene.

Ready To Explore

Outdoor Bar

Outfit

MadiRaiCat apolla _amaranth_

nine lives

 

[_amaranth_]

Carina Hawthorn

Adrenaline was rushing through Carina’s veins this whole time and while she screamed alongside the others, it was not because she was extremely afraid, more like she had never experienced anything like this before. All those loops were making her blood run faster, her heart was pounding against her ribcage and the redhead was hoping the ride would never end. Alas, the cars stopped way too soon and the smile on Cari’s face faded away a little as it seemed that the fun part was over. She would definitely perk up the second she would move on to the next attraction but for now, she was almost pouting. When the man by her side asked her if it was everything she was dreaming about, she simply told him no. His furrowed brows made her giggle and she added it was only because it was way too short.

Posing all those options, harboring even more of them written on a small piece of paper in her purse, Carina was incredibly pleased to see that he was immediately up for anything and her face lit up even more. Their hands still touching, grips tightening, Cari felt ants crawling up her arms, the pleasant ants, something, she hadn’t felt for a very very long time now. “Trust me, sweetheart, I have nowhere else I need to be.” he told her and Carina felt this warmth spread around her heart. Her thoughts went back to Dean for a moment and to the ring resting on her bedstand back at home but considering Dean had no problem flirting with her friend and wasn’t even sorry, Cari allowed herself to loosen up a little.

“All of that it is.” she nodded and was ready to leave the car when he asked an attendant for another round. Immediately, Cari felt another wave of excitement wash over her and the lap bars returned down to secure them in their seats to take them to another ride of screams and laughter.

Once that was over, Carina’s face was flushed with red hues, hair fluffed up by the wind but the girl was happier than ever. She couldn’t remember when was the last time she had so much fun in a few moments so when Asher got out and offered her a hand, she grabbed it and let him help her stand up. It never occurred to her to be careful around a stranger. To the redhead, he was simply someone who wanted to have fun at the fair, same as her. And they totally could do it together.

Once out, she finally gave the man a good look, measuring him head to toes. He was indisputably handsome, his smile was fresh and captivating and there was this spark in his eyes that was attracting Carina so much she was already thinking about asking him out. Shame or not. And then he asked her about cotton candy which, once again, made her look at him the way a child looks at a colorful window of a shop at Christmas. “It’s, um…this big…fluffy…pile of sugar, it’s soft and sweet and it smells so nice, makes your fingers and lips sticky but it’s all so so worth it! Come on!”

Carina laced their fingers together automatically, darting off in a direction of the first cotton candy stand she could see. The smell of burnt sugar was floating in the air already. There were so many kinds and colors to it, pink, blue, green, purple, any flavors you can imagine. Not that you could ever taste the flavor in all that sugar. A small stout man was standing at his counter with that cordial inviting smile, ready to offer his service. “What can I get you two loverbirds?” he asked, eyeing their laced fingers. “The biggest cotton candy you can make. Pink one.” Cari spoke excitedly and her eyes never left the man’s hands as he started to create their sugary treat.

mood; ecstatic| location; fair | outfit; click! | tags; Asher MadiRaiCat​

the elven bride

code by low fidelity.

 

[_amaranth_]

Arthur Donnovan

It would definitely seem that Arthur’s search for his next wife might end even before it really started. But in the best way possible. The ethereal being in front of him was definitely the one he was looking for. One might even say that it was only because of her name. Victoria. It was still echoing in his head and Tori’s voice mixed with Viktoria’s. It sounded like both women introducing themselves at the same time and Art couldn’t stop focusing on it this whole time he walked after the petite blonde to get her purse. Looking for a wife had always been an extremely painful process for Art and it was the one and only time he wished to have a bit of Adrian’s or Al’s carefree nature. It wasn’t like Arthur himself didn’t have enough game to approach and woo ladies but usually, he found most of them obnoxious.

Even back in 1920s, the girls were different then but some of them still threw themselves at men, at prospective husbands, at those who looked like they could provide a comfortable life in luxury. And Arthur and his brothers definitely emanated that glamour and lavish lifestyle back then. These days, well, Art didn’t know a lot about this century but in that short while he was walking this place, he noticed that not much had changed since the roaring twenties.

Shaking his head a little, Arthur send the gloomy thoughts away and instead offered a small smile to the one he had chosen to accompany him not only at the fair but also during the next century. Something about her felt a tiny bit different but it was not like Art to get his hopes up or getting ahead of himself. For now, he simply knew he had found his next wife and now he needed to keep the girl interested. Drink was definitely what they both needed and to someone like the centuries old vampire, age never really mattered. He remained oblivious to the fact Tori was probably still a minor and quite frankly, it never even occurred to him.

Tori confidently made her way through the crowd with Art in the tow and led them to the bar with one pretty bartender there. And his brother sitting there as well. A small smirk tugged on Art’s lips but he hid it at the speed of sound, not wanting to spoil anything for Alarick. Arthur might have been stoic but it did not mean the man was not capable of eluding a smile or two. Instead, he quietly greeted his brother, patting his shoulder.

His new blonde companion shamelessly asked for a shot of Jack and introduced him the bartender to which Arthur nodded in acknowledgement. What made him like her even more was the way she knew how to do her job right and set a glass of Scotch in front of him with her little witty comment. “What gave it away?” he asked with that typical small smile he was wearing most of the time and took the glass to have a sip. “To unexpected meetings then.” Clinking his glass against Tori’s, he tasted the amber liquid and held it on his tongue for a moment before swallowing. Damn, the bartender truly knew her liquor.

A loud voice suddenly bellowed behind Art’s back but the vampire didn’t need to turn around to know that Adrian made his loud entrance. “Here we go.” he muttered sarcastically and looked at Adrian with the right corner of his mouth raised slightly higher than the other. “Hello, Adrian.” he spoke and nodded towards Marissa as well. His silent gesture of appreciation. It would seem that his brothers were already as lucky as he himself.

The disbelief in the eyes of ladies upon hearing they were brothers was amusing. Too bad Asher was not with them to deepen to confusion even more. But then Alarick explained they were only half-brothers and that seemed to settle it. Art turned to Tori, circling the Scotch in his glass and scanned her face as if trying to remember every single detail of that gorgeous doll face. “Well, now that we have a drink, do you need more of those shots or shall we actually give this place one more chance? I’m willing to try if you are.”

mood; actually having fun | location; fair | outfit; click! | tags; Tori, Adrian ( apolla ); Jolene ( MadiRaiCat ); Marissa, Alarick ( Desert_Blossom )​

the vampire king

code by low fidelity.

 

[apolla]

VICTORIA ZABIELSKI

Outfit: Click! | Mood: annoyed; curious| Tags: Art ( _amaranth_ ); Jolene ( MadiRaiCat ); Alarick/Mari ( Desert_Blossom )

Tori portrayed a confident girl, she put on this front of a girl who had it all together because it was important to her for others to think that. She didn't need or want other people knowing her deepest, darkest secrets or her insecurities, because that's exactly how people took advantage of you. Her father didn't even know her that well, definitely not as well as he claimed, and he tried to do just that. He used Tori's weaknesses against her, just like how he'd gotten her to work for him at the festival. But she'd had enough of it, and that's exactly why she quit. So far, her phone had remained quiet, but she had no doubt that he would be calling soon, trying to figure out why she'd quit and what it would take to get her back under that headset. But she wasn't going to do it. After all, she'd found a new companion now, and she wanted to get to know him. She certainly couldn't do that while working on the music portion of the festival. And since they'd both been in line to get a drink, why not get a real one?

Finding Jo behind the bar, Tori had a momentary panic set in, thinking the female bartender was going to blow her cover. But to Tori's surprise and relief, Jo played along, brightening Tori's smile even more. "Well, you know, they say there's a first time for everything." Tori smirked as she leaned against the bar, responding to Jo's response to Tori asking if she was making new friends. "Thank you." She stated, dragging out the words as Jo slid a shot of jack her way. She didn't take it yet, just glanced up when Jolene rested her eyes on Art, figuring out his drink within seconds. "What gave it away?" She glanced over her shoulder, and seeing Art smiling that way at Jo caused a stab of jealous to shoot through her. She felt it in how her body tensed, her grip on the shot glass tightening. She didn't say anything, but even the fact that Jo was making eyes at the guy on Tori's other side only alleviated some of the green monster within her. Pushing herself upright, she turned to face Art more as Jo handed him his scotch. "To unexpected meetings." She echoed, smiling as he clinked their glasses together. Lifting the smaller glass to her lips, she downed the shot easily, the harsh liquor burning down her throat but she didn't even make a face.

Thankfully, she'd already swallowed the liquor or Art might have been covered in it as a loud voice boomed nearby. Nearly jumping out of her skin, Tori turned to see another man approaching them. But her eyes shifted to the woman by his side, and Tori recognized her immediately. She'd already had the shot, sure, but if Mari wanted to blast her for being underage then Tori was definitely screwed. She tried to keep her face impassive as she approached with the tattooed male. He seemed quite happy to see Art and the other guy, and what he'd said registered in Tori's mind just as Jo repeated it. "Brothers?" She couldn't help but question, too, as she looked from Adrian to Alarick and then finally to Art. The guy Jolene had been talking to when Tori and Art approached explained that they were only half brothers, and Tori made a small 'ahh' sound of understanding. Her eyes shifted back to Art when she heard his voice, another smile appearing on her face. "I think we can find something to do." Pushing off from the bar, she turned to the others. "Well, Jo, nice seeing you again. You too, Mari." Her eyes jumped to the other two brothers before she turned back to Art, looping her arms through his again.

"Come on. Brothers or not, I think you can live without them for a day. Or a week, if I decide to keep you." Unaware of the implication of her words, she started to lead him away from the bar, looking around at all the booths that were set up around them. "Something tells me you're not really a guy who gets his face painted." She smirked as they passed the face painting booth, where a little girl was getting transformed into a tiger. Moving on, Tori navigated the paths of the festival in her heels expertly, stopping outside of a tent that advertised 'old timey photos'. "Oh, I've always wanted to do one of these. You want to? You just go in and dress up in clothes from older times, and someone takes your picture." She looked over at Art, seeing the look on his face and unable to stop herself from laughing. "If the picture is bad we can burn it, I promise." Turning him towards the tent, she tugged him in that direction. Removing her arm from his, she started sorting through the racks of clothes until she found a dress she liked. "After this, we can do anything you want, I promise." Her smile was slightly teasing as she slid closer to him. "Just... humor me?"

coded by natasha.

 

[apolla]

ADRIAN BECK

Outfit: Click! | Mood: flirty | Tags: Mari/Alarick ( Desert_Blossom ); Jolene ( MadiRaiCat ); Arthur ( _amaranth_ )

Adrian could hardly contain his excitement in knowing that he'd pretty much found his bride already. Though the amount of time it took for him (and his brothers) usually varied, there was some pressure in knowing they only had a few days to choose. That had sometimes led to bad choices on all of their parts, but Adrian was damn positive this time that Mari was the one for him. Maybe even... no, no, don't get your hopes up, Adrian. He quickly shoved those thoughts from his mind as he and Mari made their way towards her booth. He knew he was being slightly forward and rushing her, especially when he took her flyers and handed them to her assistant with his special instructions. He started to lead her away from the booth, not wanting her to get caught up in shop or work talk and take away from the time he had to figure out if she was the one. Glancing down at Mari when she said what he'd done wasn't fair, a frown appeared on his lips as she realized she was right. Holding up one finger, he stopped them and turned back around to call out to Chrissy. "No quitting allowed!" He told her, winking with a grin before he turned back to Mari. "See? Problem solved."

Getting a drink seemed like a natural thing to do, and he was glad to hear that Mari had no objections. Adrian greeted his brothers in his normal Adrian fashion, and he couldn't help but chuckle when he saw the blonde beside Art and the blonde bartender jump. Granted, the one beside Art jumped more, but still. He hadn't meant to scare Mari, though, and he sent her an apologetic glance as they approached the others at the bar. Maybe he shouldn't have greeted them as brothers, considering the female bartender was sharp as a whip and immediately questioned it. Before he could come up with something, though, Alarick explained that they were only half brothers, and the girls seemed okay with that answer. Deciding to instead focus on the pretty girl by his side, he asked Mari what she wanted to drink. She ordered a vodka and lemonade, and Adrian nodded to himself. "That sounds good, actually. Two of those." He held up two fingers, and the guy behind the bar immediately set to working on them. "Always been a clear liquor guy myself." He murmured to Mari, smiling softly at her. "Good choice of drink for today."

She slid onto one of the barstools and he leaned up next to her, glancing over as Jolene moved to stand next to Alarick. The other blonde seemed very interested in Art, and he couldn't help but smirk to himself. Were they all getting lucky this year? The drinks were placed on the bar and Mari turned back to Adrian, bringing up the brothers thing again. God, Art and Alarick were going to kill him for bringing that up already. Keeping his face as impassive as he could, he just picked up his drink and took a sip. Plucking the tiny straw from the drink, he set it on the bar and decided to drink straight from the glass instead. "You have no idea." He grinned into the vodka, taking another sip before setting the now half empty glass back down. He was a big man, okay? And a merman at that. He could drink practically anything like it was water. When Mari asked if it was a family tradition to come to the festival, though, he nearly choked. Yeah, he was definitely dead. Deciding not to look at either of his brothers right now, he was silently thankful with the other blonde started to drag Art away. That was one less brother who would kill him, at least right now.

"You could say that." He nodded, glancing over at her as she asked how that started. "Our mother." He spoke up before Alarick this time, turning his back to the bar so that he could see everyone. "She likes the festival. You could say she's got a real gift for nature, and people, and all of that. So something like this? Right up her alley. And so she sort of started this... tradition." He shrugged, reaching behind him to grab his drink again, bringing it to his lips to pretty much finish it off. Looking down at the ice swirling around in the glass, he turned back to the bartender. "Two more." He grinned at the man, then turned back to the rest of them. Crossing his arms over his broad chest, he noticed the attraction between the other two. Leaning forward, he clasped Alarick on the shoulder. "It's nice to see you getting out, Alarick. Making friends and all." Laughing some, he released his brother's shoulder and then turned back to Mari. "So, Marissa, as I said. We have a whole festival to our disposal here. What do you wanna do? I mean, unless you wanna stay here, drinking these all day." He lifted up one of his new drinks, grinning as he took a gulp. "We could people watch. Are you judgy? Because I can be judgy." He shrugged, obviously teasing (mostly) as he winked at her.

coded by natasha.

 

[MadiRaiCat]

location

outdoor bar

mentions

Art ( _amaranth_ ), Adrian ( apolla )

interactions

Alarick ( Desert_Blossom )

outfit

x

Jolene

werewolf bride

Jolene had often wondered what it would be like to have siblings. Growing up, she did enjoy being the only child. I mean, what kid wouldn't like getting spoiled by their parent and not have to share the attention with anyone else? But, she missed the idea of having a built-in friend, someone that she could call for help regardless of the situation that wasn't the Captain. They could have been someone she talked to, gossiped with about relationships, and complained about rules to. She often watched TV shows about girls with sisters and how much they had each other's back. But, Captain Soriano's wife had died before Jo was left on the steps of the firehouse, and he never remarried or adopted another child. To the Captain, Jolene was the miracle child he and his wife had wanted, left for him after her passing by some act of God or something else. Whatever the case, he was satisfied with their small family and, for the most part, Jo was as well.

It was rather easy for the blonde bounty hunter to leave her small town behind. She hadn't exactly made lasting ties there other than her father. For most of her life, people either looked at her with pity, the girl whose mother left her behind, or disgust, the offspring of probably some drug addict who was abandoned. She was the so-called 'weird kid' and most other kids didn't really want to be her friend. But, independent as always, Jolene didn't mind at all. She couldn't deny that her childhood was far different than those around her. But it had built her into the strong woman she had become. Now, several years later, she was a badass bounty hunter living on her own and traveling the country, taking down criminals for entertainment and a paycheck.

Jo's hazel eyes glanced from Al to each of his brothers, a smirk playing on her red-painted lips. "Half or not, family is family. Looks like you boys certainly have some good genes running in the family," she answered with a teasing grin, though her words were true. All three men were handsome in their own ways, though she had to say she preferred Al's rugged look. Taking a sip from the amber liquid in her glass, the blonde let out a light laugh at the notion of ditching his siblings. "Normally I would say the more the merrier," she responded, "But six is a crowd, and it's hard to get to know someone in a crowd." Something about Al drew her in, similar to how she felt when she first met Charlie. However, with him, it had been the bad boy vibe that most girls needed at least once in their life so that they could recognize when a truly good man crossed their path. But with Al, it was more about the mature mystery he possessed, and she wanted to learn more.

"Exploring it is," Jolene said, throwing back the rest of her bourbon with ease. She sat the empty glass across the bar, turning her body completely to face the brunette man. They were fairly close, nearly touching, and the blonde was fairly certain she would let him take her home at some point. It was just a question of when, and they had the whole festival to find out. She tilted her head curiously at his question, pondering her answer. Jo didn't enjoy not being in control of her surroundings, and carnival rides were almost entirely that way. While she could appreciate the adrenaline rush they brought, most of the time she preferred to keep her feet on solid ground. "I think carnival games would be nice. I've always wanted a nice guy to win me a teddy bear," she answered sarcastically, though there was some truth to her words. Nodding her head towards the rest of the carnival, she continued, "Ready to get out of here?"

nine lives

 

[MadiRaiCat]

location

roller coaster -> cotton candy stand

mentions

Alarick ( Desert_Blossom ), Adrian ( apolla ), Arthur

interactions

Carina ( _amaranth_ )

outfit

x

Asher

elf king

Immortality was a dual-edged blade, a bittersweet existence that one had to have a strong mentality to endure. Asher never really claimed to be strong mentally, but he had existed for so long that he basically had to. After all, there wasn't really anything that could kill him or his brothers, at least nothing that they had found just yet. Living forever meant forever outliving those that he cared about, aside from her brothers and mother. Wife after wife grew old and passed away, never the prophetic one to last the tests of time with him. His people, elven friends, died too, though their lifespans were considerably longer. Nevertheless, he had gotten to the point where he could attend the baby showers and funerals of the same individual. The repetitive nature of loss got tiring, and sometimes he wondered if it were better to not get involved at all. But Ash knew that letting emotions out was better than bottling them up, as some of his brothers did.

The prophecy laid out for them was one of the few things that kept Asher going, why he continued to choose a wife every hundred years or so. There were years that he was certain the woman he chose was his true elven bride, and there were others that he knew would undoubtedly leave him like the others. The heartbreak of losing wife after wife was a lot for the four of them to handle and, though a few of his brothers never talked about it, each was looking forward to the moment they found their one true love. Ash knew that they were told about the prophecy to give him hope, and he continued to have hope each time. But he couldn't say the same for Art or Alarick or even Adrian. Over the years, the brunette had watched his brothers lose and even be injured by their wives, so much so Al had been in a coma for quite some time. No matter how hard he tried to tell them to let out their feelings, for the most part, it was like speaking to brick walls.

So, as Asher looked upon the angelic beauty that was the redhead at his side, he was sure, for probably the thousandth time, that she was the prophetic elven bride he had been searching for, that this was the year the brothers would finally find their loves. Her cheeks were flushed and hair askew, but she still looked perfect in his eyes. Part of him felt bad, knowing that in a few days, he would sequester her away to his kingdom and trap her though. But he hoped that, in those days, he could somehow convince her that he was the one she was meant to be with as well. "Pile...of...sugar?" Asher repeated, confusion furrowing his brow. How could sugar, a crystalline substance, be soft and fluffy? Determined to see what kind of sorcery was at play, he grinned as she laced her fingers through his and dragged him from the ride towards the food stands.

"What can I get you two lovebirds?" The question caught Ash off-guard. Sure, they were hand in hand at a town festival. But did they already look like they were in love? He certainly hoped so. "Whatever the lady would like," he answered, gesturing to the redhead at his side. She proceeded to order an extra-large, pink cotton candy. The stout food service man nodded and began to make the treat, pouring some sugar into the bin. He twirled a paper cone around it through the mix, collecting the strings that formed it in a fluffy mound. Around and around, he twirled until a giant pile of pink floss sat atop the paper cone. Pulling a bit of Earth money from his pocket, he handed over what was probably far too much to the man before taking the cone. Holding it in between them, Asher tilted his head curiously at the girl alongside him. "Ladies first."

nine lives

 

[Desert_Blossom]

Marissa Locke

Ever since Marissa ran into the tall, tatted man, she felt like she'd been swept up in Hurricane Adrian. He was charismatic, confident, assertive and didn't seem to stay in one spot for too long, which didn't give the blonde much time to find reasons to object to all his suggestions. One minute the man had spilled her drink, and the next he'd convinced her to let him buy her a dress, play hooky from work, and grab a drink. Though admittedly, she didn't take too much convincing for the last one. Adrian was a force to be reckoned with, evidenced by all the self imposed rules he already had Marissa breaking and the laugh that escaped her lips as he called back to Chrissy that she wasn't allowed to quit.

The blonde covered her mouth a little with her hand to stifle her laughter, not wanting to condone Adrian's antics, but unable to help but be amused when he turned back to her with a grin. For a moment she just glanced up at him, envious of his carefree ways and zest for life before she caught herself and nodded. "Oh, well now that you've told her not to quit, she definitely won't." Mari's tone was teasingly sarcastic, but part of her wondered if there wasn't some truth to that. A glance back at Chrissy told Mari that the young girl took Adrian's words to heart, and the blonde decided that she'd still have her assistant after today so there was nothing to worry about.

All Mari expected to find at the bar was something to drink, so she was surprised to find Adrian's brothers as well. Or rather, as the man named Al explained, Adrian's half brothers. Tori was at the bar as well, drinking illegally, but Mari decided against calling her out for it, not wanting to seem like a wet blanket next to the man who was so full of life. The blonde simply ordered a vodka lemonade and was a little surprised when Adrian ordered one for himself as well. She obviously wasn't as good as Jolene at being able to tell what kind of liquor people preferred, because she would have guessed the large man was more of a whiskey drinker. Though as he smiled softly at her and complimented her drink choice, Marissa was pleased to hear that he was a clear liquid kind of guy. She didn't much care for dark liquors either, so they'd make good drinking buddies.

Typically Marissa didn't like asking about the family of any man she was even slightly interested in, preferring not to get too personal with her questions. But since Adrian and his brothers were the center of focus at the moment, the blonde let her curiosity get the better of her as she inquired about their history with the festival. For the briefest of moments, it almost looked like Adrian was uncomfortable or caught off guard by the question, but he quickly recovered, providing an answer that satisfied Marissa and didn't spur any follow up questions. Parents were definitely a subject Mari avoided in conversation, so inquiring more about Adrian's mother, who apparently started the tradition was against her rules.

Besides, Adrian finishing his drink in two gulps and immediately ordering two more drinks was enough of a distraction to shift the course of conversation. For a moment, Marissa glanced down at her own drink, nearly as full as when she received it, and she picked it up, taking a couple large sips to try to keep up while Adrian said something to one of his brothers. The other one had already left with Tori, which was just as well so Mari wouldn't feel responsible for the young blonde. She had a feeling Tori's father wouldn't approve, but really it wasn't any of Mari's business, even if she did have work deals with the Mayor.

Turning her blue eyes back to Adrian as he asked her what she wanted to do, Marissa bit her lip a little thinking it over. She briefly glanced at the drinks when he mentioned staying at the bar and drinking all day, deciding that probably wasn't the best idea. At the rate Adrian was going, he'd either be sloshed within an hour and she'd be left with an intoxicated giant, or she'd drink herself under the table trying to keep up. "Maybe we stay here for one more round... at least for me, that might be a few more for you..." She teased, flicking her gaze up from the drinks back to Adrian.

The blonde frowned a little when Adrian asked if she was judgy, considering the question. While she did enjoy people watching, she wouldn't necessarily consider herself judgmental. The hobby was mostly so she could live vicariously through people's happy lives. "No... I wouldn't say judgy..." Mari replied with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "But the ferris wheel does provide a good vantage point for people watching..." She added, raising her glass to her lips to finish it. Mari gestured to the bartender for another drink, sliding the empty cup away from her.

"And yes, you seem oh so judgy..." Marissa laughed, rolling her eyes a little. She leaned her elbow on the counter, resting her cheek on her hand as she began to relax. For a moment, Mari studied Adrian wondering who in the world this man was. He was a bit of an enigma, and the blonde couldn't quite put a finger on why she was finding it so hard to resist his charms after five years of being immune to men. Had she judged the tattooed man, she likely would have mistakenly believed him to be intimidating from his size and ink, perhaps even unfriendly, but thus far Adrian was proving himself to be quite the opposite.

Adrian's other brother and the female bartender took their leave just as Mari's second drink was set in front of her. "Thanks..." She smiled simply, taking a sip. "So... do you and your brothers typically do everything together? Or is this tradition just a special occasion?" She asked, nodding in Al’s direction as he walked away, the coincidence of all the brothers bringing girls they'd seemingly just met to the same bar at the same time at the same festival not escaping her powers of observation.

Relaxed

Fairgrounds

Outfit

apolla

nine lives

 

[Desert_Blossom]

Alarick Vernon

Normally I would say the more the merrier... But six is a crowd, and it's hard to get to know someone in a crowd. Alarick was pleased to hear that Jolene was game to escape from the family reunion, and game to get to know him. He relaxed a little, trying to let his annoyance from Art and Adrian's appearance dissipate. Though his eased mood didn't last long when he heard Marissa ask about their reasons for coming to the festival and Adrian's explanation about their family tradition. The tatted man was smart enough to be vague without actually lying, but it all still hit too close to home.

Alarick tensed a bit, glaring a little at Adrian when he clapped him on the shoulder and commented about him making friends. There were times when Al enjoyed goofing off with the merman, but today was not one of those times. “Yeah, yeah… why don’t you worry more about your own friend and less about me.” He retorted, before turning back to the stunning blonde beside him when she decided that she wanted to go play some carnival games. I think carnival games would be nice. I've always wanted a nice guy to win me a teddy bear. The werewolf chuckled a little, but nodded at her decision.

"I'm sure I can manage to win you something... But who said I was a nice guy?" Alarick asked, a smirk playing on his mouth as he raised his glass to his lips and drained the rest of the amber liquid. The werewolf's question was teasing, but there was truth behind it. Depending on who one asked, Al wasn't sure if he could be considered a good guy. Thousands of years of kidnapping women to wed had a way of making one question their morality, even if it was for the good of the Earth.

Setting his glass back down on the bar, the dark haired man stood from his seat, stretching a little as he prepared to head off with Jolene. "Try to behave yourself Adrian..." He warned, glancing between his brother and the woman who could potentially be his sister in law. Though, if her questions continued and Adrian kept giving away information about their family, she'd have to be. His tone had been lighthearted, but the look in his eyes told Adrian he was serious. "See you around..." He added, offering a lazy wave and a nod to Marissa before turning to Jolene.

"Let's go get you that teddy bear, huh?" Al grinned, reflexively holding out his hand for Jolene to take. The gesture was a little old fashioned, but old habits die hard. Besides, at this moment in time the desire to feel Jolene's soft skin was too tempting, even if it was just simply the touch of her hand. The Southern Belle was charming and intriguing and he potentially had six days with her before the honeymoon period was shattered by the truth of his way of life. "Promise I won't bite..." The werewolf ironically joked, his hand still outstretched. Yet... he added in his head.

Once Jo decided whether to accept his hand or not, Alarick led them away from the bar, eager to put distance between him and Adrian and his loose lips. He didn't want to be forced to choose Jolene just because his brother let too much information out. The two moved deeper into the booths that housed the carnival games, and Al took inventory of their options. There were darts to pop balloons, or the stereotypical ring toss, or some kind of raised hoop that people were throwing large balls into. A celebratory dinging a few yards away announced the strong man test, where people hammer down on the apparatus to test their strength.

"So... which stuffed animal is calling your name?" Alarick asked, noticing that each booth had a different kind of prize- ranging in colors and sizes.

Up For a Challenge

Festival

Outfit

MadiRaiCat

nine lives

 

[_amaranth_]

Carina Hawthorn

Carina was slowly but surely realizing that she might have made a mistake. Running away from the foster home as fast as she could felt so liberating that she got drunk on the feeling. For the first time ever, there was no one to stand over her and spank her when she said her prayers wrong, no set of rules to bind her, no punishments for being disobedient, no dark closets or nuns who were rather terrifying and scared her that she would go to hell if she did not listen to God. It was the greatest feeling in the world. Freedom. And maybe that was why Carina got way too carried away and fell in love with the first boy she had met on her road.

Dean was nice, he was funny and knew a lot about everything. To a girl who had spent her life locked in an orphanage, it seemed interesting. It intrigued her and when he suggested traveling together, Cari had no reason to refuse. And it had proven to be the greatest choice ever because the couple had the best time, they traveled across a few states, slept in cheap motels, pretended to get engages at least a million times to get free drinks or a meal. So when they got to Maple Grove and Dean got down on one knee and actually proposed for real, Carina had said yes as she thought it was the best choice she could have made.

Until he had proven her otherwise.

And so at this point, her ring was resting at home and Cari was enjoying the fair on her own. She didn’t mind being alone since it was almost a default setting for her at this point. However, what she didn’t expect, was the handsome stranger joining her for a roller coaster ride. And for one more after that. And for the cotton candy. It surely seemed that Cari had found herself a companion for the day and she didn’t mind at all. He seemed nice and apparently knew even less about fairs and attractions than her which was putting her in the position when she could explain and feel important for knowing stuff. Just like with the cotton candy.

Cari realized that her explanation was probably not the best and assumed that it could be easier to show him. Her fingers wrapped around his hand as she led him towards the cart and asked for the largest size of a cotton candy the man could make her. Her eyes shimmered with joy and amazement as the strings of sugar started to fly around, being caught by the paper cone until it created the sugary treat. And those eyes went even wider upon seeing how much money Asher handed the vendor. “But…” she started but they were already on their way so she decided to drop it.

“Oh? A gentleman than.” she grinned at her companion and tore a piece of the sticky pile. It smelled sweet and Cari felt those tingles at the back of her neck in expectation of something new. She stuffed the piece in her mouth and narrowed her eyes a bit to assess it. “Oh my god…” she whispered. “It’s…so good!” she exclaimed right after and took more. “Go on! Taste it! It’s like…sugar…but better!” she provided her own explanation and licked her two fingers she had used for eating.

“So, um…you’re not from here, right? I mean…I haven’t seen you around before so I guess you are a visitor? A tourist? A new resident? I’m just wondering, you know. This town does not have a lot of residents so it’s easy to spot a new face. You’re a new face.” Cari grinned, stopping her rant for a moment to wonder whether she had already introduced or not before continuing her chatter. “Oh, I didn’t even tell you my name, did I? Or did I? Really, I can’t remember. I was just so excited so…yeah. I’m Carina. Cari for short. You can call me that, too. Or Carina. Whatever you like really.”

mood; ecstatic| location; fair | outfit; click! | tags; Asher MadiRaiCat​

the elven bride

code by low fidelity.

 

[_amaranth_]

Arthur Donnovan

His whole life, Art was mostly alone. Of course, he had his brothers but the four of them were not together every second of the day. When Art had Viktoria, he felt like he found someone who would spend eternity with him and that was the one and only period in his eternal life that the vampire was less stiff and actually enjoyed life, learned how to relax, wasn’t the cold reserved version of himself because the girl had the way of reaching to him that was putting him to peace of mind unlike any he ever experienced before. But then she was taken from him so Art returned to his former self and got even more closed off than before.

It was the name that had him intrigued the most so far. Tori had something around her, some sort of flair that kept him want to hang around her. But then she revealed her name and somehow, she became even more interesting to the ancient vampire. And maybe he would find out that she was so much more than her name and locks of golden hair crowning her head. Art was not shallow like this but he was careful. After seeing so many women wither by his side, whether quietly and peacefully or kicking and screaming, Art had no more place for mistakes in his life.

Circling the amber liquid in his glass, Art took a small sip of the Scotch while his brothers talked to their ladies and he wondered whether those were just random dates or any of them actually found the one to marry for next hundred years at least. The idea of finding the one special bride was slowly dissipating from Art’s head because his faith in it was getting weaker. With a being so old as Art, eternity meant so much more than just not dying. Being around from almost the beginning of time, it was hard to believe that finding the one and only woman was possible.

But since he had his girl by his side, it was time to find something to do. Fair was not the usual place for Art to move around but he could not change the setting. All he could do was roll with it so he did and followed Tori wherever she wanted to go. Waving casually to his brothers and nodding politely to their companies, Art emptied his glass and set it back on the counter before leaving the bar. “I will see you later, gentlemen.” he spoke and fixed the collar of his shirt.

As she spoke next, Art almost stumbled. “Oh, is that so? If you decide to keep me?” he asked and his right hand went up, reached for her neck as she walked and gave it a soft squeeze. Small gesture but rather powerful one, showing her who could be easily in control. It was not to hurt her. More like make her feel some sensation. She was leading him deeper among the stalls and even joked about the face painting. Well, Art was not aware it was joke, of course. “No, Victoria. Face painting is really not something I enjoy.” he spoke. Not that he had ever done it before but somehow he thought he wouldn’t.

Only when she found the place which seemed to be taking pictures, he perked up a little. And so did she, apparently very excited about it, begging him to do it with her. Art nodded and approached the racks of clothing, watching her browse them for a moment. She picked a dress and Art examined it to get the idea before he started to look her a costume matching the period. “This would look very nicely next to the lady.” A girl chirped from behind him and handed him a costume that missed the period by around twenty years. She was persistent though and insisted he wore it. “But that…is not right.” he spoke and forced his voice to be calm. “This is not the same period. Also, the dress you are wearing, Victoria, that is something a prostitute would wear back in…”

Art stopped himself, realizing the look on the girl’s face and grabbed the outfit. “Fine, let’s butcher the history.” he grumbled and disappeared in one of the changing rooms to put it on.

mood; actually having fun | location; fair | outfit; click! | tags; Tori, ( apolla )​

the vampire king

code by low fidelity.

 

[apolla]

VICTORIA ZABIELSKI

Outfit: Click! | Mood: annoyed; curious| Tags: Art ( _amaranth_ )

Tori's mood had definitely shifted since just an hour ago, when she'd been flustered and stressed trying to figure out the music portion of the festival. Her father clearly hadn't given a damn how laying something on her that heavy affected her, and it'd felt good to throw the headset down and leave the stage with a handsome man in tow. She wasn't sure what it was that attracted her to him, because at first she'd just assumed it was the pull of having someone to spend time with who wasn't in her father's pocket. But the more time she spent with Art, the more she thought it was something else. Was it that charming smile? Or maybe it was the way he talked, almost like he was from another time in general? A time different than this one, which led her to believe he was one of those 'old soul' types. Or maybe it was just the way he carried himself, with the confidence of a man instead of that fake confidence of guys her age. She'd had enough of guys her age. They only cared about one thing, and sure that one thing could be fun, but in Tori's experience it definitely was not. Sex was supposed to be a wonderful thing, but the guys she'd been with only cared about themselves and thought they were god's gift to women. They definitely were not.

But Art... she could tell he was different, and she was definitely hooked. Looping her arm through his, she led him away from the makeshift bar, wanting to have more alone time with him. Her words had held a teasing lilt to them, and he returned the tone with his own response, bringing a smile to her face. She hadn't seen his hand come up, but she felt it land on her neck, giving it a soft squeeze as they walked. She automatically moved closer to him, not even noticing that she'd done so, he was that good. "That's right. If I decide to. Guess we'll find out at the end of the week." Once again unaware of how true her words actually were, she glanced his way, a playful smile tugging at her lips. Her eyes were bright and shining now as she led him through the stalls, looking at this one and the next, commenting on the face painting one as they passed it. She nearly snorted at his serious response to her words, looking him way with a quizzical look. "Calm down there, buddy. I'll save you the embarrassment of getting a bat or something painted on your face. This time." She let her gaze linger on him for a few more seconds before she looked ahead again, and spotted the old timey photo area.

Art actually seemed pretty interested in the photo booth, so she silently gave herself a high five as she started to browse the racks of clothing. Score! Both with Art seeming interested and the amazing dress she'd just found. She pulled it from the rack, turning around to show it to Art, excitement shining in her own eyes. He studied the dress and then started to look for something to match. She immediately decided to slip into the changing room, stepping out of her heels and peeling her clothes from her body. Once she had the dress on she stepped back out, humming to herself as she admired herself in the mirror. Catching sight of a woman approaching Art in the mirror, Tori turned around and saw that she had an outfit in hand, offering it to Art to wear beside her. She approached the two of them, spotting the frown on his face as he looked down at the clothes. She watched them go back and forth for a second, but it was his last statement that almost choked her right where she stood. "Did you just call me a hooker?" Had she not been so hung up on that statement, she might have inquired about the sentence itself that he hadn't finished.

Instead, she stared in disbelief as he disappeared into one of the changing rooms. Looking down at herself, she looked back up at the woman who'd handed Art the outfit. "I think you look amazing." The girl gushed, calming Tori's anger a little. By the time Art reappeared from the changing room, her temper had calmed completely, and she was waiting for him up on the makeshift stage where their pictures would be chosen. It was a little makeshift bar of sorts, and once the photographer noticed they were both there, he immediately started telling them different places they could stand and poses they could do. Tori glanced at Art. "I could just hop on the counter." She told him, smirking as she gestured to her dress. "That's something a hooker would do, don't you think?" She was teasing him still, but there was still a jab in there somewhere. The young photographer said nothing, but his cheeks were slightly red as he stepped forward, gently moving them into one of the poses he suggested, with Tori leaning against Art and standing slightly in front of him. He placed Art's hands around Tori's waist, then stepped back to snap their first picture. "Wow. You look incredible." He glanced up at the two of them, then quickly ducked back behind the camera. "I meant both of you. Great, uh... outfits."

coded by natasha.

 

[apolla]

ADRIAN BECK

Outfit: Click! | Mood: flirty | Tags: Mari ( Desert_Blossom )

Adrian could hardly believe that he along with two out of the three of his brothers had seemingly gotten lucky already at the fair. He briefly wondered how Asher was faring, but figured they'd catch up to him eventually. Somehow, Adrian believed that he was off somewhere having fun with a lucky woman. Or perhaps he was the lucky one. That was definitely how it was for Adrian-- he was the lucky one in Marissa's company. He was glad that he could be the one to help her have fun, because he could tell she needed it. He wasn't sure what had happened in her life to make her eyes so sad, but the few times he'd seen them light up so far had really warmed his own aquatic heart. He had been at this business long enough to know when he found someone he wanted to spend time with, and the beautiful blonde was definitely someone he wanted to get to know. He only hoped that once the truth came to light at the end of the week, she would feel the same. Despite his carefree personality, he really was affected deeply when his chosen wife didn't want anything to do with him. It hurt him to think that she could have had a better life without him, and he'd taken her from it. But something about Marissa was calling to him, and he really wanted to see if he could make her eyes light up again and again.

Art and his pretty blonde left first, and Alarick and the sassy bartender were next. Adrian gave Alarick a half-hearted wave as he told Adrian to behave himself, rolling his eyes before he settled his gaze back on Marissa. Watching her bite her lip as she pondered his question made him lick his own, almost leaning forward in that moment to grab her and press his lips to hers. Holding back was not Adrian's strong suit, but he was really trying here so as not to terrify the already jumpy girl. One wrong move and she could run away, and Adrian might never see her again. He knew he had to make it so that she wanted to spend time with him, which so far, hadn't really proven to be too hard. But if he fucked this up, he'd have to settle for someone he didn't want, and he'd spend the rest of eternity wondering what could have been. Fuck, he was already getting sappy. He could really use some stoic-ness here, but again, that was something that Adrian just... well, he just wasn't. He wore his emotions on his sleeve and was always honest with how he felt. Granted that didn't always work out for him, but he wasn't changing anytime soon.

Mari's next statement brought another huge grin to his face as he looked at his second vodka lemonade. "Trust me, darlin'. Liquor is like water to me. My brothers, too. You're not gonna be babysitting me." He winked at her and then, as if to prove his point, he drained the contents of the glass within a few short seconds. Setting the glass back on the counter, he signaled for another one and then looked back over at Marissa again. "No? Not Judgy?" He teased her as she shrugged, letting out a loud bark of laughter as she suggested the ferris wheel. "Done. Ferris wheel it is." Two more drinks appeared in front of them then, and he chuckled again when she called him judgy, obviously not meaning it. "Trust me. I'm far from judgy. Seen my fair share of shit." He lifted the new glass to his lips, taking a much smaller sip this time as he glanced around the area, half wondering if he'd see Asher around. When he didn't, he looked down into the mixed drink, swirling it around a few times before he let out a sigh.

She asked about his brothers, and his movement slowed as he thought about how to answer. "You might be surprised that we're as close as we are, considering how... different we are." Which was very true, considering they weren't even the same species. "Sometimes we don't even mean to do the same things. It just... happens that way." He shrugged, letting his oceany eyes travel back in her direction. "Sometimes it feels more like we're all the same, but we're definitely not. I mean like twins, but four of us. What's that called? Oh, yeah. Quadruplets. But trust me, we are very different individuals." He grinned as he finally drank what was left in his glass, giving her a few moments to finish hers before he looped their arms together again. "I believe you owe me a ferris wheel ride." He started to lead her in that direction, making sure to leave some money for the bartender as well before doing so. "Do you have siblings, Mari?" He asked her, taking his time on their walk, not wanting to rush through anything. "I want to guess that no, you're an only child. Am I right?"

coded by natasha.

 

[MadiRaiCat]

location

outdoor bar

mentions

all others at the bar

interactions

Alarick ( Desert_Blossom )

outfit

x

Jolene

werewolf bride

Jolene had always been intrigued by the fantastical, the mysterious, and the hidden. From conspiracy theories to the supernatural to simply finding out someone's deepest darkest secrets, she wanted to know the truth. The Captain, as both a fireman and a fire marshall, was in charge of finding out the truth when it came to arson cases, and she oftentimes found herself staying up late, stealing his case files in an attempt to help out. As a child, she spent a lot of time alone, and she filled that time with reading. Jo wanted to understand how the world worked, the ins and outs, what was hidden behind the emerald green curtain. The unknown intrigued her more than she would probably admit. Because, as the old saying goes, curiosity killed the cat. Maybe that was what she enjoyed about bounty hunting, being able to understand a person enough, uncover things about them to the point of knowing what moves they would make next. Though her current pursuit was at a bit of a standstill, the thrill of the hunt kept her on her toes.

In a way, she felt that way about the men she picked up along the way, the ones she allowed to take her home. In that scenario, however, the roles were reversed. She was the one being chased, and she enjoyed every second of it. There was a certain power that came with leading a man on, and Jo couldn't help but enjoy it. At the back of her mind, she knew that Al would be leaving after the festival's end, and she would probably never see him again. But, she could take what fun there was while it lasted and move on to the next when he ultimately left. After all, Jolene took no offense in being called a bit 'promiscuous.' Al seemed rather happy that she wanted to spend a little bit of alone time with him, though that was short-lived when his brother clapped him over the shoulder. Something was off about the four of them, their interactions seemed a bit strained. But Jolene couldn't quite put her finger on what it was or why.

Shaking those thoughts away, the blonde watched as her new friend downed the rest of his bourbon after a comment about being 'nice.' She let out a light laugh and shook her head. "Maybe not. I'm a bartender, so my definition of 'nice' might be a little bit cattywampus," she answered back with a teasing smirk playing on her painted lips. With a few final goodbyes to his brothers and the women they were with, Al held out his hand to her. She hesitated for a moment, not really used to such a traditional gesture. Most of the men she "dated" were quick to pull the trigger, so to speak. Despite the tall, dark, and handsome facade, he seemed different from the others. So, putting a bit of blind trust in him, Jolene slipped her hand into his, smirking at his joke. She used their intertwined fingers to pull herself close, her lips just a breath away from his ear. In a seductive tone, she simply whispered, "Maybe I want you to."

Without waiting for a response, the blonde pulled back and let him lead her towards the booths of what were no doubt rigged carnival games. Stacks of bottles glued together, rings that were slightly too small for their targets, a strong man test that was just a glorified ego boost. Despite all of that, the nostalgia of it all made her feel warm, comforted. Though that might just be the strapping man she was walking alongside.... or the booze. They meandered amongst the booths for a bit, all the while Jolen tried to find a stuffed creature that called to her. She had been joking when she had suggested they do this, moreso looking for a way to get some alone time. But now that they were here, she might as well reap the benefits. They passed by a dart game, and she saw it. A cute, fluffy wolf with big blue eyes. With an excited smile, Jo stopped and pointed at the plush toy. "That one. It's perfect."

nine lives

 

[MadiRaiCat]

location

cotton candy stand

mentions

his brothers

interactions

Carina ( _amaranth_ )

outfit

x

Asher

elf king

Art had been Asher's way of expressing himself for as long as he could remember. Being immortal and watching those he loved die over and over again brought up a lot of emotions that, sadly, became more and more familiar over time. He often preached to his brothers about finding an outlet, something they could use for a sort of cathartic release. After all, bottling up emotions could only work for so long before there was a huge blowout. Art was his outlet. Whether it be playing the piano, painting on canvas in his studio, or writing poetry, Ash used art as a means to communicate his emotions without actually having to talk about them. Strangely, he was much better at talking about other's emotions than his own. Nevertheless, he had become quite prolific over the years, teaching and training the elves to work with their own mediums. Many elves moved between his kingdom and the mortal world. What the humans didn't know was that many of the most prolific artists throughout history were elves under his instruction. Michelangelo, Claude Debussy, even Sappho were all students of his.

As Asher stood alongside the gorgeous redhead, he felt the strong urge to paint her portrait. Her features were divine, ethereal, almost reminding him of the elves he ruled. Her hair glistened under the setting sun, effortlessly gorgeous. Her skin was soft and flawless. She seemed like the perfect muse, hidden away from the rest of the world for far too long. He believed all of his previous wives were beautiful. But something about this woman was different. Maybe it was the way she carried herself, effervescent and unpredictable, that drew him in. Or maybe it was her excitement over what seemed like the smallest or simplest things, how she took joy in them. Whatever it was, Ash was hooked and he couldn't get enough. Though he had thought it several times before and was knocked down each time, he couldn't help but think it again: she was the one.

"I try to be," the brunette man responded with a grin, dark brown eyes watching as she tore off a piece of the pink floss and popped it into her mouth. Her eyes focused as she savored the flavor for a moment, and he felt like he was on the edge of the seat, waiting for her critique. But that was short-lived as she quickly took more. "Alright, I guess I have to see what all the excitement is about," Ash answered with a low chuckle, picking off a piece for himself. He assessed it for a moment, realizing she had been right about the fluffy, soft texture. It smelled sweet, like freshly made caramel almost, and he still didn't quite understand how the sugar went from crystal to floss. Ignoring the fact that the vendor might be a magician, Asher finally placed the treat in his mouth, eyes shooting open. "It's gone! It just dissolved! How interesting!" he exclaimed, taking another piece only to experience the same endeavor. It was rare that something surprised him in his old age, and yet he had already been surprised twice that day.

The redhead spoke up again, and Ash finally had a name to put with such a pretty face. "Cari, it's very nice to meet you," he responded with a soft smile, admiring how well the name seemed to fit her. "You can call me Ash if you like. Usually, only my brothers do, but I don't mind if you do as well. We aren't from around here, no. I wouldn't say we're tourists, we visit every so often for the festival." While Maple Grove had always been a small town, it wasn't all that often that the people there seemed out of place. Carina, however, seemed like she was more free-spirited than that, like she wouldn't be tied down to a small town. Curiosity got the better of Asher, and so, as he picked off another piece of the cotton candy, he couldn't help but ask, "What about you? Are you from this town? Or somewhere else?"

nine lives

 

[Desert_Blossom]

Marissa Locke

As a rule, Marissa made it a point to avoid men who she might become interested in. While many women sought men with substance or great personalities or qualities that would make them good to take home to their parents, the blonde widow sought the opposite when looking for potential one night stands. The more shallow and into himself the man was, the better. There was no danger in Mari catching feelings for these kinds of guys, even if they were attractive, and no danger in them texting her again looking for more than just a hookup. She didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so she avoided men who seemed like they might take it to heart if she never wanted to see them again. And for the last few years, Marissa had done almost a perfect job adhering to her rules. Until today.

Appearance-wise, Adrian ticked all the right boxes. He was attractive, tall, muscular, and his visible tattoos had Marissa imagining what other ones might exist beneath his clothes... But personality-wise, he was one red flag after another. He was charming, engaging, confident, alluring... and Marissa was interested in him. Which was a problem. Normally by now, the blonde would have made some excuse to part ways with any man she found herself drawn to, but for some reason she remained on the barstool beside Adrian, suggesting they get another round of drinks before riding the ferris wheel. Maybe it was the vodka talking, or being back at the festival, or the knowledge that Adrian was only in town for said festival and would soon be gone. Though whatever it was that had Marissa breaking her rules right now, she wasn't fighting it too hard.

The blonde was losing count how many drinks her companion had consumed at this rate, but she had to give it to him that he definitely could hold his liquor like he said. It was a good thing she decided against staying at the bar, because even though she could drink enough to deserve questionable looks from her family, she would not have been able to keep up. The last of Adrian's siblings had left the bar and Marissa asked Adrian about his brothers while she waited for her other drink, studying him for a few moments as he pondered his answer. Marissa laughed a little when Adrian had to think of the word quadruplet, amused by his response. He was a lot different from the guys she usually conversed with at bars, who typically tried to answer questions in as few syllables as possible. Adrian surely wasn't at a loss for words, and it was refreshing. "That's nice that you are all so close, even though you're so different." Mari replied, draining the rest of her drink after noticing that Adrian had finished his with a grin.

The long-haired man looped his arm in Marissa's once more as he started to lead them away from the bar. I believe you owe me a ferris wheel ride. Marissa had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing at the innocent comment. Typically, if she was leaving a bar with a guy, it was because they thought she owed them something else. But now she was leaving to have quite a different type of ride simply because she didn't want to end her time with Adrian and not because it would necessary lead to a satisfying romp. Reminding herself once again that breaking her rules was okay because he was only here for the week, Marissa allowed herself to loosen up a bit. "Yes, I believe I do..." She smiled as she walked beside him. "That is, if you actually let me buy the tickets, you seem to have a knack for paying for everything else." She added, a bit teasingly since he'd now bought her dress and drinks. The least she could do was buy the fare for the ferris wheel.


Do you have siblings, Mari? I want to guess that no, you're an only child. Am I right? Mari glanced up at Adrian when he asked about her siblings, and she tilted her head to the side a little when he guessed that she was an only child. For some reason it was a little bit satisfying that he was wrong. Maybe it was because so far he seemed nearly perfect, so it was nice to be reassured he was actually human. "Actually, you aren't..." She smirked a little. "I have two siblings, an older brother and an older sister... But I'm curious why you think I'm an only child? I don't seem that spoiled do I?" The blonde added with a fake pout.

"Though, I'm not quite as close with my siblings nowadays as you seem to be with yours. They both are married and have kids now and I really only see them for family events or when they're handing off their children to me to babysit." Marissa added, sighing a little as she was reminded of how much she'd withdrawn from her siblings in the past few years. Her grip on Adrian's arm loosened as her thoughts wandered to the past for a moment, the impulse to retreat back into herself taking over. This was why she preferred the comforts of her home and a glass of wine for company. The wine didn't ask innocuous questions that her mind skillfully twisted into bad memories.

A man calling out "Tickets, here! Get your tickets!" brought Marissa out of her thoughts, and she let out a soft "Oh..." as she realized she had to decide whether to runaway like she usually did, or take a ride on the ferris wheel as promised. Her blue eyes flicked up to Adrian as she slipped her arm out of his and took a step away from him. Really, she hadn't even realized she'd made up her mind until she found herself inexplicably offering him a smile as she held up a finger. "One moment..." Marissa said, turning and going over to the man at the booth to procure the tickets. She gave herself a mental pep talk, urging herself to commit to having a good time so that she wouldn't scare off the attractive man that she would be insane not to sleep with. Or at least try to sleep with. Unlike the usual skirt chasers she went home with, Adrian actually had personality and seemed like a decent guy, so maybe he wasn't the hookup type? Though that would be a real shame because...

Marissa realized she'd zoned off and was gazing over at Adrian while the man at the booth was trying to hand her the tickets and her change. "Oh, thank you!" She chirped quickly, grabbing the items and fleeing the booth. Trying to recollect herself, she returned to Adrian's side with a sheepish smile. "Where were we?"

A Mess

Fairgrounds

Outfit

apolla

nine lives

 

[Desert_Blossom]

Alarick Vernon

Alarick had been alive for more years than he could accurately keep track of, and yet in all that time he had never heard the word "cattywampus" come out of anyone's mouth. Let alone a mouth so perfectly framed by two deliciously painted lips. A grin answered Jolene's teasing smirk as Al chuckled a little. "In that case then, I'll be whatever kind of nice you want."

Bidding his half brother farewell, the werewolf held his hand out to Jolene, desiring even the most innocent of physical contact. Her hesitation to take it did not go unnoticed, but it did go unmentioned as Al patiently held out hope that the blonde would accept his gesture. And she did. Her hand was warm, and comparatively delicate inside his own, though he imagined Jolene was quite capable with her hands as a bounty hunter. Her soft skin was not from a lack of hard work or grit.

Al's grip on Jolene's hand tightened reflexively when she pulled herself closer to him, whispering Maybe I want you to after his tease about not biting. His pulse quickened a little from her breath on his ear, and it was all he could do to keep a low growl from emitting from the back of his throat. Jolene's scent at such a proximity was intoxicating and Al wanted nothing more than to test the truth to her comment. It would only hurt a little for him to taste her fair skin, but he'd make it up to her in other ways...

Luckily, before his animal instincts got the best of him, Jolene pulled away from Al and he collected himself, loosening his firm grip once more. "I'll keep that in mind." He replied, clearing his throat a little as he took the lead towards the game booths. Focussing on the task at hand to distract from his desires, Al inquired which stuffed animal his beautiful companion would like. The reality that Jolene had meant hitting the carnival games more as a joke was lost on Al, and he was very determined to win her a prize. This wasn't quite like the challenges of the olden days to win a maiden's favor- and a lot less dangerous than a joust- but nonetheless, he saw it as a test. And one that he intended to pass.

Once Jo finally found a prize that caught her eye, she pointed at it with an excited smile. A dry laugh escaped Alarick before he could stop it when he saw the wolf plush, amused by the coincidence. Here Jolene was desiring a cute little stuffed wolf, when she could have the real deal that stood beside her if she wanted. Of course, at this rate Alarick was nearly certain that it wouldn't be a matter of if Jolene wanted. But rather a matter of having the real deal whether she wanted him or not. And perhaps unfortunately for her, Al wasn't quite as cute and cuddly as the toy. At least she liked wolves on some level though. It was a better start than with some of his wives...

"If you are certain..." Alarick nodded, glancing at the little plush that stared out at the carnival guests cutely and innocently, giving wolves a bad rep. He shot the little wolf a small glare as he walked up to the game master and paid the fee. The man explained that Al just had to hit 3 out of the 5 moving targets to win the large prize, while hitting 1 or 2 would result in smaller toys. Of course, Al would not accept failure, so it was the large plush or bust.

A less prideful man might have put on a better show of concealing his skills that thousands of years had honed and missed one or two shots, but Al was not that man. As much as he ragged on Adrian earlier for giving away too much information that might be suspicious, Al was not good at heeding his own warnings. With a confident air, the werewolf held out his hand that held the darts towards Jolene. "For good luck?" He grinned, implying that she should blow on them. Then turning back to the game, he made quick work of the task at hand.

The game master began watching Al with mild interest, a smug smirk on his face from watching hundreds of people fail to win the top prize. However, with each dart that left Alarick's hand and swiftly found its intended target, the man's smirk faltered. By the fourth and fifth dart, which were unnecessary, the man was outright scowling, and it was Al that was now wearing the smug grin. Rather than throw the last two himself though, Al held them out to Jolene once more. This time for her to take and try her own luck, rather than to blow on them.

"I don't want to have all the fun. Let's see what you can do..." He said, his gaze steadily on her as he smiled. He was curious to see how the bounty hunter's aim was now that he had proven he could win her a prize. Part of him half hoped Jolene would miss terribly the first throw and he could use it as an opportunity to get closer to her by showing her proper throwing form for the second attempt… But Al also had a feeling that Jo wasn’t the type to need that kind of help. Well, unless she wanted it.

Lustful

Festival

Outfit

MadiRaiCat

nine lives

 

[_amaranth_]

Carina Hawthorn

After spending most of her life in between the four walls of the orphanage, cut from all the joys life could offer, Carina was eager to experience everything and catch up with all the adventures she had missed as a child. Maybe she was too soft, too gullible for this world and simply unfit to roam it on her own but nothing stopped her from trying to experience it all. There was only one life and she spent a large portion of it locked in a dark closet, clutching her book of Alice in Wonderland close to her chest, eyes squeezed shut and trying to imagine she was the girl falling down the rabbit hole. The closet felt like it for sure. And Cari was hoping that once the light flooded the enclosed space and she would crawl out into the sun, she would find herself in a rose garden with red paint dripping from the white petals.

Unfortunately for the redhead, it never happened and when the door opened, it was always one of the guardians, asking Carina whether she was calm and done with all that fantasy nonsense, her voice strict and shrill, piercing the ears of a child sitting on the floor. Even today, Carina sometimes heard that voice in her head, especially when she was alone and getting into her thoughts way too much. But not now. Not today. Not at the festival. This day was going to be filled with fun and trying things she had never had a chance to try before. And what was even better, she was not alone anymore.

The large pink pillow of the cotton candy smelled so sweet Cari couldn’t wait any longer and she went for it immediately, letting the sugary treat dissolve on her tongue. A pair of dark brown eyes watched her as she did so and then again before he himself went for a piece. Cari laughed joyfully, seeing how those beautiful eyes went wide as saucers and he got as excited as her when tasting the fluff. Eating more and more, Cari couldn’t get enough of it, ignoring small strings of the cotton candy sticking to her full lips.

The two moved a bit further, talking some more and finally getting to introductions. “Ash.” she repeated his name thoughtfully, loving his easily it rolled off her tongue. “Well, Ash, I’m gonna call you like your brothers do then.” Carina winked, filling her mouth with one more piece of the cotton candy while he talked. “Me? No, no. I’m not. I mean, I am now, I live here but I only came here some time ago. I am definitely not what you’d call a local. I’m from…all over I guess. I traveled before, but I can’t say I have ever found home. Maybe I’m hoping this town could be it? I don’t know. It was supposed to be but then…” Her thoughts went to Dean and her gaze fell on her left hand, the empty ring finger, and her smile faded away for a split second. “Well, here’s to hoping.” That smile returned immediately as this was not time to be grim. “How many brothers do you have? Are they here with you? Or do you prefer to travel alone? It must be really nice to have siblings though. I am an only child, never had any brothers or sisters. Well, not that I know of. But I always thought growing up with siblings had to be far better. Like…you have someone to watch out for you, right?”

mood; chatty| location; fair | outfit; click! | tags; Asher MadiRaiCat​

the elven bride

code by low fidelity.

 

[_amaranth_]

Arthur Donnovan

It was less than usual for Art to choose his bride after barely joining the festivities and yet, here he was, following the daughter of no one else but the Mayor himself around. Arthur was definitely the most stoic of the brothers. With Adrian and Alarick being those loud, fun-loving scoundrels and Asher the artistic soul among them, Art was the brother who usually stood in the background, watched, observed and assessed the situation before joining it. He rarely spoke a lot and only when he had something real to say. Small talk was a waste of time to him and after eternity spent walking around the world, he felt like there were not many things that could actually surprise him.

And here she was, the ethereal blonde fairy with attitude stronger than any man and Art’s heart was captured. She was opinionated and strong-willed which was a rare feature in a woman. Then again, the last time Art came to join these humans was one hundred years ago and while the ladies of the 1920s were already gleeful and frivolous, this was a whole new era and the women were visibly different. And not just their attires. Their behavior went in all kinds of directions and Art was not sure he liked it. But the strength and power inside the young Mayor’s daughter intrigued him so much that he couldn’t resist wanting to know her some more. Even the way she walked, the way she carried herself around, the way she spoke, there was some magic in it and the ancient vampire was hooked.

Activities at the festival were also different from those one hundred years ago. When Tori spoke about face painting, Art was positively freaked out because really, what kind of idea was that? Fortunately, she decided against it and they moved on to find the photo shoot. That was definitely an interesting activity and Art became invested. But only until he saw the outfits, realizing they were all wrong. He told Tori her dress was something a prostitute would wear and judging from her reaction, his observation was not greatly appreciated. Words flooded his mind and he was about to explain some more but it mattered only very little because he himself was pushed into a changing room.

Once out, he was grumpy a bit because the clothes were all over the place. Trying to ignore it, no matter how hard it actually was, Art focused on the photo shoot and did exactly as told until Tori teased again, reminding him of his earlier statement. “See, I never said you were a hooker.” he looked at her with serious gaze. “What I meant was the dress is something a hooker would wear. And it does not match this period. Nor my own clothes. If I was to choose your attire, I would go for…” There was no time to finish as the young photographer approached them and put them into a pose. Art snaked his arm around Tori and pulled her closer, pressing her small frame onto his body. Ignoring the clicks of the shutter, Art now focused only on the girl, looked deep in her eyes and his other hand slipped up her back onto her neck. He gave her a squeeze and held her there for a moment. It would be so easy to mark her now, to lean closer to that pale neck, sink his teeth right into it and taste her sweet blood, letting everyone know she was the vampire bride. So easy.

His thoughts had him so tantalized that Art indeed leaned closer…and even closer. His lips were less than an inch from hers but the last second, he moved a bit aside, brushing them on her cheek. “For the picture, right?” he breathed, letting the hot breath graze her ear.

mood; surprisingly flirty | location; fair | outfit; click! | tags; Tori, ( apolla )​

the vampire king

code by low fidelity.

 

[apolla]

VICTORIA ZABIELSKI

Outfit: Click! | Mood: stunned| Tags: Art ( _amaranth_ )

Meeting Arthur had been a complete chance encounter, but it was one that Tori was finding increasingly incredible. Maybe she was getting ahead of herself here, but she was enjoying her time walking around with Art, meeting his brothers and even seeing a few people she was friendly with. She might not go so far as to call them friends, but both Jolene and Marissa were nice enough to not rat her out for being underage. Art didn't seem to mind, if the thought had even crossed his mind. When it came to friends, though, Jolene might be the closest thing Tori had to a real one. Tori was a few years younger than the sassy, southern bartender, but they'd shared a few heart to hearts that Tori actually appreciated. On top of that, Jolene let her drink, as long as Tori didn't get wasted. Marissa definitely also knew Tori was underage, and Tori had seen the look the other girl had given her. But thankfully she minded her own business as well, and before long, Tori and Art were separating from the others and going their own way.

They found themselves at one of those old timey photo booths, and honestly, Tori had always wanted to do one. History was never her strongest subject in school, nor was she a centuries old vampire, so of course, she had no idea the clothing was off. She just found something that wasn't completely stuffy, and decided to go with that. Something about the way Art spoke told her that he wasn't trying to be insulted, but she couldn't help but feel a little insulted. She wasn't a hooker. She wasn't even easy! Guys had to work to get with her, and that's even if she let it go that far. For the most part, she didn't even feel like most guys were worth it. But maybe it was an age thing. Art was a few years older than her, she could tell that much, though she hadn't come outright and asked him. After all, she just expected to spend some time with him at the festival, and then figure out how the hell to get back out of this fucking town. She needed to get out from under her father's thumb-- again-- and stay away. Shoving those thoughts from her mind, she decided to try and enjoy herself, starting with these pictures.

Being close to Art gave Tori a slightly tingly feeling, especially where he touched her. The cameraman posed them a few times, and Tori couldn't resist throwing another jab at him for calling her a hooker. When she met his gaze, though, she saw the seriousness in his and realized yet again that something was... off. He was definitely different than the guys she talked to normally. An old soul. And even though she never would have guessed she'd be into it, she definitely was. He continued, insisting he hadn't called her a hooker, but the clothing she'd picked. Then he started in on the clothes being wrong, but the photographer stepping towards them caused his sentence to trail off. For the last set of pictures, Art snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Her breath caught in her throat as he pulled her body against his, and the photographer returned to his camera. She could feel Art's eyes on her, and she couldn't stop herself from turning to look at him, her lips parting slightly as her eyes got trapped in his.

His hand moved to the back of her neck, squeezing slightly and her back arched, pressing her closer into him. And then he was leaning in, and Tori's lips parted further, as though they were waiting for the inevitable kiss. Her eyes even started to close. But at the last moment, he shifted directions and his lips brushed her cheek. "For the picture, right?" She felt his hot breath on her ear and nodded after a moment, once she remembered how to move. "Right." She told him, not realizing that her hand had found its way to his chest, flattening against it. Only when the photographer spoke, stating he had enough pictures, did Tori snap back to reality. With her wide eyes on Art, she pulled back and glanced down at herself. "Okay." She swallowed, trying to regain her composure. "I'm gonna... go change. While he does... whatever he does." She gestured vaguely to the photographer before she disappeared back into the changing tent, pulling her own outfit back on before she slipped back out, waiting by the counter for Art and the photos.

coded by natasha.