@VarionusNW

Brian sat drinking calmly whilst looking at the menu. He scanned through the content, taking the occasional sip of konyak. Having finished reading the menu he reactivated the binary interface chip and began sifting through data again.

The odd item of interest slipped past him here and there, a business transaction or remark peaked his interest here and there. After a couple of minutes he snapped back to reality, a couple of senators, a lawyer, three doctors and film director... hmm what prestigious company he thought to himself. He picked up the menu again wanting to double check his order when a shadow fell across him.

He looked up to see who was blocking the light, he was slightly taken aback to see Arna standing there a subtle smile on her face and a piece of paper held outstretched in a quivering hand. He took the paper from her without speaking looking down at it seeing the email and phone number written on the back in neat hand writing. He looked up about to ask her to join him when he noticed that she was already leaving. Not so much as a how do you? he thought chuckling to himself.

A couple of hours later Brian paid his bill tipping the waiter for all his help and went outside to wait for Marc to turn up with the car. After another 10 minutes he was in the back of his black limousine heading back towards his penthouse apartment.

'So err, how'd it go sir?' asked Marc his typical lack of decorum making Brian laugh as always.
'Straight to the point with you isn't?' he replied jovially.
'Always sir, somebody's gotta remind you we aren't all well speaking like yourself.'
'I suppose so, I suppose so.' laughed Brian 'It went rather well I think Marc' he held up the note so that Marc could see it in the rear view mirror.
'Nicely done sir' remarked Marc nodding his head in appreciation.
'Thank you Marc, I suspect you might have a bit more work than usual in the coming months.'
'I'm not complaining sir.'
'Haha, good man.'

The rest of the journey home was spent like this, the two joking back and forth as they nearly always did. Of all his staff there was a small group that Brian considered to be indispensable and Marc, well, he was the leader of that group. Driver, bellboy, bodyguard, Brian wasn't quite sure what he'd do without the ex-soldier.

30 minutes later Brian sat at a computer terminal in a spacious penthouse flat. He sat with perfect posture, his fingers a blur darting across the keyboard in front of him. Whilst it would be quicker to deal with everything using the binary interface chip he did prefer to do things the old fashion way every now and then. He scanned through reports from various operations around the world, corrected snippets of new code and reviewed sales data. An alarm started chiming at him, he looked over at it, 04:00 showed on the clock. Brian rubbed his eyes, finally relenting. He locked down the terminal and after what had been the longest day for quite some time he collapsed into bed.

Arna Renheim

Arna's thoughts were overcome by an air of distress which permeated every moment of the taxi ride back to the apartment. Her hands held her head, which shook with worry as she reviewed and critiqued her own actions.

"Why didn't I say anything? Should I have said something? I think i should have said something. Now he's going to think i'm weird!" Her mother's face was contorted with an akward half-smile tried to console her daughter by patting her back.

"Come on, all you did was hand him a note. It's not like you said or did anything regrettable."

"Yea, but shouldn't I have done SOMETHING?" She said, releasing her head from the clutches of her hands and looking over at her mother.

"Arna. Don't think about it too hard. It's already happened, there's no use crying over spilt milk, or unsaid words in this case. Besides, you guys are soulmates. Just talk to him tomorrow, or something, and don't beat yourself up about it." She pulled her hand back as the taxi came to a halt in front of the apartment complex.

"Yea, I guess your right. I'm just getting worked up over nothing." Arna pulled herself back together, and stepped out of the taxi, following her mother back to the apartment. "I guess all I can do is wait till he calls." Arna resigned herself to waiting. "Anyway, when do I get to meet this roomate of yours?" She asked this as her mother opened the door to the apartment, and wandered over to the sofa.

"Whenever she gets back."

"Oh, yea, right. So, want to tell me some stuff about her?" Arna asked, taking off her shoes and taking a seat on the couch across from her mother. She leaned in, as if to pay more attention to the answer.

"Honestly, we haven't had a lot of time to talk. I've been working on some cases for the council, which have kept me out on most days, and she's rarely both here and awake when I do get back. But, from what I do recall, she's an entertainer of some sort. Oh, and I think she has one of those soulmate marking things on her wrist." Arna leaned back, relaxing against the couch.

"That's it? Interesting. Alright."

"Wanna watch TV until she gets back?" Her mother asked, moving to grab the television remote off of the coffee table.

"How about a movie?"

"Sure. Here, you find one." She said, tossing the remote to Arna, who started sifting through the on demand section. Arna's mother stood up and walked into the kitchen. "Beer? Popcorn?"

"Sure, and double sure." Arna said, as she settled on some stupid comedy movie.

@Ace of flames01

The soft subtle deep red teardrop form of a single lone droplet of blood sounded out against the passionless baron walls of the empty warehouse.

All alone, untouched, unseen, pulled by the unforgiving forces of gravity, it travels by itself down along the unavoidable predetermined path set by physics and destiny. Unable to alter or steer its fate, it's very presence, it's existence and therefore weight, the nurturer and guid of its eventual transition.

The reason for being, being the reason for falling.

It glistens, caught in a single moment as it passes through a farewelling ray of light. The otherwise meaningless journey was a simple one as it fell through the still empty air. It's path pre determined and guided by gravity, it's fate, to meet and crash against the cold hard dirt-ridden merciless floor beneath it.

It's only legacy the stained shattered remnants dispersed amongst the light dust and debris coating the concrete beneath it. Desperately it toils and clings amongst what ever it's tiny liquid form can hold, unknowingly wanting, wishing, seeking perseverance, to leave a mark, to be remembered. It's colour and moisture absolved by its final resting place.

And at the end of its road, it's short story over, but a fickle moment of notice lost to the great expanse of history. It's short pattern meaningless. But, The resonance of its tiny echo that followed rippled through the silence of the warehouse.

A sound amongst silence, the appreciation of art after the artist death, the late helping hand, it drew attention to the hollow, it drew focus where there was none before.
The shadow in the darkness.
Rose:

"It's all your fault you stupid stupid little bitch!" Her words both acidic and vile spat from her mouth, leaving behind a face full of hatred and running makeup. "He went to far for you and now he's never coming back!"

There was a trembling in her viscous voice, sorrow and fear, but as it escaped her lungs, blame turned it to a passionate hate. "The only reason I do not kill you right here right now is because I don't want to send you to him." She screamed on an exasperated breath.

Turning she begins to vanish into the darkness, getting out one more snide remark before she had to run and hide the oncoming tears. "And besides, you were never worth it!"
The words slice, trying to attack her confidence and cut Saoirse down. But they were transparent, filled with jealousy and respect for the departed, what she really meant and was saying was that she could not defy Dorians last wishes. She would not make his actions meaningless.

Rose vanished.

Saoirse would feel something akin to Dorians presence as she sat near the blood. But just as the colour of his name, that too, over time slowly faded...

He was truly gone.

If ever arriving back at the manor, in place of Clay she would find a simple note.

'Sorry to leave you at a time like this Sassy, but you are one tough bitch. I know you will be alright.
I have things to sort out that cannot wait. I am glad to have met you and I know that Dorian would have been too.
You have to really be alive to be willing to die for a girl, and I promise you he was far from alive before he met you.
Live strong and carry on, he will never regret what he did, don't give him reason to!'

~The end of Dorian and Clay~
(for now)

It is late night on a Friday and no one but the dull cook who is more interested in reading his magazine which is just happen to have a second magazine inside it.

"Jake?" Mystique finally spoke- more out of boredom than actual true interest.

"Hmmm?" Jake mumbles without looking away from the magazine.

"Are you a poor reader or what?" Mystique asks with her arms crossed.

Jake looks up from the magazine with obvious irritation on his face.

'No, I can read quite well. Why do you ask?" Jake finally asks slowly.

"Mainly because for the last thirty minutes or so, you have not turned a page. " Mystique smiled mischievously.

"Just for your information, Missy, I am studying the magazine." Jake retorted as his eyes went back to the magazine.

"I hope you ace your test on the female anatomy...." Mystique sang as she walked away to stare out the window until a customer or her work relief came, which ever came first on that late night.

The air felt thick and moist, like walking outside before dawn on a foggy morning. Béatrix was back in that basement, hands still slick with the Alpha’s blood. Her chest rose and fell in excited pants of breath as she calculated the exact distance between herself and the nearest beating heart. He was close and calm, and his pulse played like a full orchestra in her ears.

Silent as the shadows she clung to, Béatrix glided to him. Even with a vampire’s grace, the wolf had sensitive enough ears to turn on his heels once she was about 10 feet behind him. This didn’t catch her by surprise, though. When he turned, she was ready for him with her right index finger pressed to her lips and her eyes keenly focused on his. Immediately bewitched by Trixy’s ‘gift’, the wolf had no choice but to do as the voice in his head instructed. Smooth as silk and venomous as a viper, she spoke only in his mind.

’Hushhh…’

Béatrix wore a predatory grin as she sized up her opponent. Insanity colored her pale features, she was going to enjoy this very, very much. And she would be able to enjoy this because her humanity was completely intact this time around. With broad shoulders and scruffy facial hair, Trixy didn’t even have to pry too far into this one’s mind to know that he was one of them. and he would pay dearly for the sins he committed against her body.

’I am going to hurt you really, really badly, and there is not a goddamn thing you can do about it. You will be as helpless and voiceless as an unconscious woman chained to a wall. You won’t cry out, you won’t even whimper, but you will feel every. single. moment.

Trixy’s hand shot out in front of her, her slender fingers bent into unnatural angles as she clutch the thin air. The wolf’s eyes widened in recognition and Trixy had to stifle a menacing chuckle before she quickly twisted her contorted hand to the right. The pain of every bone simultaneously breaking in his body shot through the wolf as she did so. He could feel the shards of bone just under his skin, threatening to pierce through and spill his blood. He wanted to look down but couldn’t take his eyes from the vampiress… his dark-haired executioner.

The agony brought the pathetic pup to his knees and his mouth opened in the shape to scream, but he was unable. Béatrix stepped forward, her bare feet didn’t make a single sound against the cold stone floor. He looked up at her with realization in his eyes, he deserved this. But that thought wasn’t his own, it was hers. Trixy wielded the dagger she’d filched from the late Alpha and poised it over the wolf’s heart…

---

The ding of the seat belt light startled Béatrix awake like an embarrassed teenage boy waking from a wet dream. How had she become someone that got aroused by the thought of murder… however justified it may be? She shook her head at the notion, it was just a dream, after all. Somewhere between the lingering rage and post-torture exhaustion, Trixy had fallen asleep and missed the entire flight, the plane was now beginning it’s descent.

Once safely on the ground, Trixy turned her mobile off of airplane mode and was greeted by a rather surprising name on the screen. Frida had called her, hell, she even went as far as to text here too. Multiple times. ’Where are you? I felt your call.’ ‘Hello?’ ‘Is this thing working?’ ‘HELLO?!’ The voicemails included a string of Old Norse obscenities. Béatrix texted her grandsire back, short and to the point: “I’m fine now, back in the States. Don’t worry.”

The other name in her recent contacts brought her goal back into focus. It was time to get some answers. Trixy made her way to her hybrid car parked in the extended parking lot of the airport. When you planned on living forever, being environmentally conscious seemed particularly important. She didn’t need a GPS to know where she was going. The blue Porsche Panamera e-Hybrid pulled up to the curb just a block away from Bartholomew’s apartment. Trixy hopped out and locked it up before marching up to his stoop and ringing the bell. He might be more receptive if she wore the face of a lovestruck soul mate coming to surprise him, so she played the part and wore that mask like a true actress.

Liana walked out of a quaint family owned restaurant, fully satisfied. Pulling out her phone, she looked over the schedule her manager, constantly updated. It seemed like she had a good chunk of free space to do whatever she wanted. Just to double check, the entertainer sent a text message to confirm that she wasn’t needed anymore at the studio. Waiting for a reply, she simply decided to head to her apartment. If she had to go back, oh well, but for now she’d simply see if she could get some rest before her upcoming photoshoot for some chain clothing store. Things got exhausting in her line of work, but at least she was trying to make a difference. It was better than those who simply took and never gave back.

After fishing out her key, Liana walked into her apartment where she shared a room with an older woman. Instantly, she saw two people on the couch, watching a movie. “I’m home,” The blonde called out a bit timidly. She wasn’t sure if they wanted to be interrupted or not. She sort of knew that her roommate’s daughter was coming over eventually. Was that today? Oh well, setting her purse on a nearby counter, Liana turned back to her rarely seen roommate and this new stranger.

"Yeah, I'm coming, I'm coming," Tholo said hearing a ring on his apartment door.

Her features felt off, her happy features were odd from the cold features he had gotten to know after their first few visits but perhaps like the text had suggest that she was changing. Another thing that caught him off guard though was the slight smile of what could of be wolf, several perhaps but one stuck out that made his hair stand on end, but he decided that he was over analyzing and just be glad she was here when he wasn't getting attacked like the last time.

"Well this is a surprise, I never figured you would be the one to do a house visit," he said giving a warm smile and letting her in ",I assumed it was just going to be a text. I take it your trip was well where ever you were?"

Besides some slight cleaning the apartment was pretty much the same as he had left it on his own trip up to Montana.

"I'd offer a drink but I haven't gotten any blood still," he said setting himself down in a chair that put his back in a corner. It was a force of habit after all this time, best way to make sure no surprise attacks was to keep your back to the wall with eyes on the surroundings. Another chair was still available or the couch which he had for the time being flipped the cushions over after the last time she was over.

"Well I assume you have a reason to come over besides to greet me. If that's the case then hell is frozen over and the world is ending. Thought it would last longer." he continued shifting in his seat, the scent still agitating him ever slightly. It was barely noticeable but despite that it agitated him to no end as he kept his other side from making him growl.

Arna Renheim

The film had turned out to be a boring, unfunny mess that drained both Arna and her mother of their will to live.

"This... this is fucking terrible." Arna's mother said, with enough slurred glee within her speech to prove her drunkenness on its own.

"Yea, but we're gunna keep watching it, aren't we?" Arna asked, knowing that her mother would condemn both of them to this torture.

"Yep."

The film was two hours long, and Arna's mother had fallen asleep at around the 45 minute mark. Arna wasn't really sure why she kept the terrible movie on, as she simply hoped for her brain to resign her to the same fate as her mother.

And then someone came through the door. It was the roommate. She seemed nice. A fairly young-looking blond woman. Arna quickly grabbed the remote and paused the film. It paused on an eerie close up of some man's awkward, creepy smile.

"Ah, you must be..." Arna thought for a second in her half-drunken stupor, trying to recall the name. She was sure that her mother had said it at some point before, be it that night, or in some previous call or text. "... Liana, right?" Arna stood from her seat and walked over to the other girl, outstretching her hand. "I'm Arna, nice to meet you." Arna looked over at the old woman snoring with her head leaning against her shoulder. "Sorry, my mother kind of fell asleep. Movie was a bit shit."

@Knight Of Doom

The Corner Cafe

Mystique slipped on her sweater as Betty came in two hours late. She was very angry because she will be in trouble for staying so long but yet she could not leave until she got relief.
Damn if I do, damn if I don't..... And I doubt that Betty will get in trouble at all...... Maybe a new job would be a good idea. Maybe a new life while I am at it....Mystique thought to herself as she looked at the number on her wrist.

Most of the time she could ignore the number but sometimes like last night when the cafe was so dead she had nothing to do. With a heavy sigh, Mystique shoved her hands in her pockets as she walked. Before she knew it she was next to the bank and nearly home. She saw some movement around the back of the bank caught her eyes. Her curiosity got the better of her and she crept around to the back of the bank slowly to see what was going on.....

Trixy’s ears picked up the shuffling of feet behind the door long before Tholo spoke up that he was coming. The good thing was that he was home and she would get her answers, the bad thing was that she had no calculated plan on how to do that. She couldn’t threaten him with death, he would see the hollowness in that, and she couldn’t seduce the answers out of him… the thought itself turned her stomach. It was revolting enough that she had already slept with him once - a wolf who was potentially involved in the murder of her true soul mate. If it turned out to be true, she would hire one of those ‘cleaners’ to kill Bartholomew for her… and then and only then would she end her own life.

There was the smallest tickle at the back of her mind that maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t the case. The Alpha had said what he did just to get under her skin, it was just another torture tactic and Bartholomew wasn’t his son at all. When he opened the door, she really wanted to believe that he wasn’t. His honey-brown hair was slightly tousled and he looked a little tired. ”Well this is a surprise, I never figured you would be the one to do a house visit,” he gave a smile that threatened to melt her before letting her in. Trixy stepped to the side and walked in, carefully measuring her steps as well as her words.

“I just got back, you were the first person I wanted to see.” It wasn’t a lie, exactly, but it wasn’t true in the way he would think. Quietly, Trixy looked around the apartment. It looked much of the same way it had the last time she was here. Her careful steps faltered slightly when he mentioned her trip going well. Trixy fought the urge to lose her cool right then and there. If he was somehow responsible for her capture, rape, and torture, that was probably one of the most fucked up things he could say. Then again, maybe that meant there was hope that he was uninvolved.

”I’d offer a drink but I haven’t gotten any blood still,” he said before sitting himself down in the corner of the room. Trixy smirked.

“Vampire soul mate and no blood stash in your fridge? Well, that’s in poor taste. Though I suppose I haven’t gotten around to making sure I have some kibble at my place for you, either.” The joke came easier and more naturally than she would have expected, given the situation. The wolf wasn’t buying it though, not completely.

”Well, I assume you have a reason to come over besides to greet me. If that’s the case then hell is frozen over and the world is ending. Thought it would last longer.” Tholo said before shifting in his seat. He seemed more bothered by her presence than normal and she wondered if she might still smell like blood. She had thoroughly showered, but wolves did have keen senses. Might as well get straight to the point, then.

“Your assumption is correct, hell can remain the tropically warm destination that it is for us.” Béatrix said before retrieving the Alpha’s dagger that she had stashed in the waist of her jeans. She had to do some serious compelling to get it past the airport security, but in the end the humans were easily swayed to believe she was harmless. The retrieval was not a threatening one, Trixy simply placed the blade on the table in front of him and slid it so he could get a good look. She crossed her arms and waited for any sign of recognition…. or guilt.

"Well I guess fair warning, I'm not a fan of the vegan kibble," Tholo shot back with a chuckle. His shot in the dark paid off though as he was correct that her visit was just to be friendly which slightly disappointed him. She revealed a blade from her jeans and slid it across to him.

Tholo looked at the blade and picked it up, puzzled by what exactly Trixy was trying to find out. The scent from earlier came back stronger then ever on the blade. It suddenly hit him why the scent was familiar which as well made him realize the blade was familiar as well.

"It's not my handy work if you are going to ask that," he said quickly putting the blade down and gritting his teeth in agitation ",It's familiar however I will say that. When I was in Francis's debt, one of the pack leaders I got info for was some rather irritable wolf carried a blade like this one. I avoided most conversations with him despite him having some odd curiosity for me, kept trying to get me to join his pack. Called me son once and gave me chills. Old bastard was more trouble then his worth to deal with. Once the job was done I was happy to be away from him. Something wasn't right with him."

His eyes focused on the blade and then back to Trixy."Do I want to know how you even got this?" he asked knowing now there was more to her trip then she was letting on. The scent from the blade lingered in his nose triggering slight images of his attack that turned him to what he was. How it all connected he wasn't certain.

@VarionusNW Brian woke 5 hours later. He rolled out of bed rubbing his eyes before looking at the alarm clock that sat on his bed side table. Its red number blinked back at him, and he swatted at it lazily with one hand as it started to bleep at him. 'Beat you to it' he said to the clock, laughing at how mad he'd seem to anyone else, talking to a clock and all.

He walked over to the long wardrobe that took up one wall and reached in taking out a long black dressing gown, he pulled it on tying it at the waist before walking over to his desk, where he picked up his pocket watch and wound it a few times. Whilst he did this he also started his computer with the interface chip and read the various papers for the day.

Hmm he thought to himself, best take note of that situation in Cairo, and send some men to Moscow too just to be sure. Then he heard a knocking at the door. He turned to face the door, placing his pocket watch in the pocket of the dressing gown. 'Come in' he called cheerfully.

Marc walked in holding a tray, a mug of tea and a full English breakfast sat upon the tray and the aroma started to fill the room with a smell that always reminded Brian of home. 'Morning sir' replied Marc already dressed in a sharp black suit, 'where'd you like me to stick this?' he asked lifting the tray.
'Just stick it on the desk here Marc' replied Brian sitting in the desk chair.
Marc walked over and put the tray on the table to one side of Brian's terminal. 'Messy business over in Cairo sir, reckon you're already sending somebody over to check it out huh?'
'Of course' laughed back Brian digging into his breakfast, 'I'm sending Jameson and a few L3's to check it out, the PM needn't worry himself.'
'He'll be glad to hear that sir.'
'I should hope so'

Their brief exchange finished Marc left the room closing the door behind him. Brian finished his breakfast whilst sifting through various stock market reports, nothing to worry about really, except the price of tungsten was fluctuating again. He got to his feet walking back to the wardrobe and changed into one of several sleek black tailored suits that hung in the wardrobe. He transferred his pocket watch to the inside right pocket of his jacket and situated his luger and its shoulder holster on the left hand side. After that he pulled on a pair of polished black shoes and retrieved his sword stick before leaving his bedroom to walk into the living room.

He looked out over the room from the elevated landing looking down over the well appointed room. The light wooden floor and furnishings, combined with the floor to ceiling windows that took the place of two walls made the room extremely light and spacious. On one side stood a bar, complete with 4 bar stools mounted to the floor. In the middle of the room in a lowered space sat a group of leather sofas around a long coffee table, whilst on the other side of the room opposite of the bar sat a long card table, surrounded by more stools like those at the bar. In the corner where the two windows met sat a large grand piano and an antique piano stool.

On the same wall as the bar stood a small silver lift and as Brian entered the room Marc and another figure entered through the lift. 'Samantha' called out Brian smiling as he walked down the stairs cane in hand. Samantha smiled back at Brian her red lips matching her long red hair. She walked over to Brian and they gave each other a long hug.
'Cousin dearest' replied Samantha 'how have you been?' her thick New York accent standing in stark contrast to his own.
'Just excellent, company shares are through the roof, and I had a very fortunate meeting last night.'
'I heard' smiled back Samantha ruefully, her eyes darting to Marc, just long enough to incriminate him.
'Well then you must know why I asked Marc to fetch you?'
'Let me think' she replied sitting in one of sofas at the centre of the room, crossing her legs and placing a single finger on her chin, a faux inquisitive expression settling on her face. 'My dear cousin has found his soulmate at last, and asks his cousin who so happens to have a show on at Bartholomew's to come see him at once. If I didn't know better, I'd guess that he was hoping for a table at the dinner show this evening?'
Brian came and sat opposite Samantha 'I do always forget how perceptive you are'
Samantha laughed 'Just you keep on forgetting, it's the only way I stay ahead of you.' she joked 'as for ticket for tonight you can consider it done, I'll have a word with Reggie he'll be glad to see you again'
'I shall be glad to see him again, it's been far too long' replied Brian.

They spent another 30 minutes chatting, before Samantha got up and left for Bartholomew's talking about wanting to get plenty of practice in before her performance. Marc saw her out and Brian returned to his room. Now that he'd got somewhere to go he thought he best give Arna a call and see whether or not she could actually make it. In hindsight he probably should've checked that first... but too late now he supposed.

Opening his desk draw he fished out the piece of paper with Arna's number on it and spread it out on the top of the desk pulling his phone from his outer jacket pocket. He sat thinking for a few minutes, what to say... what to say... Casual? No confident and certain? In the end he just went with being simple. He rang the number and it went straight to voice mail. After the buzz he spoke in what he hoped was a confident manner. 'Hey Arna, it's Brian. I got a table at Bartholomew's for a dinner show starting about 19:30, I was wondering if you'd like to join me? Lemme know, bye.'

Bartholomew reached for the knife to get a better look. For a while there was nothing to be read on his face, and then recognition lit his features. It felt like her blood was start to boil beneath her skin. She wanted to flip the table and scream and tear him to pieces all at once. But she didn’t, she stood there stoically while he attempted to explain himself.

“It’s not my handy work if you are going to ask that,” Tholo said. Béatrix was about to interceded that ‘no, it wasn’t his, it was his father’s’, but he spoke too soon. “It’s familiar however I will say that. When I was in Francis’ debt, one of the pack leaders I got info for was some rather irritable wolf carried a blade like this one. I avoided most conversations with him despite him having some odd curiosity for me, kept trying to get me to join his pack. Called me son once and gave me chills…” he continued speaking but those words hit her with all the force of a semi-truck, stunning her momentarily.

The investigator in her came out into the light. Trixy studied his face for any twitches or tells. She listened to his heart, measuring for sudden changes in beat. She looked at his pupils, watching for dilation or darting of the eyes. There was nothing… he was telling the truth. Trixy wasn’t quite as angry now, actually, she didn’t know how to feel. Her emotions were rollercoastering inside her and she somehow found herself fighting the urge to cry. Why did she feel like crying? She wouldn’t, she couldn’t! Not in front of him…

“Do I want to know how you even got this?” he asked her. Béatrix forced her eyes to meet his. Tholo didn’t seem angry, he actually seemed just as confused and perturbed as her.

“You already do. I got it the same way we get most of our things: off the bodies of dead men.” her voice wasn’t cold, rather it was matter-of-fact. This was indeed a trait that they shared. Fate had done right in pairing them up there. Her feet suddenly didn’t feel very steady, so she took the seat across from him and stared at the table a while before speaking. “I went home. First to my grandsire in Scotland, and then to my château in France. Mostly to find myself and ponder… you.” She admitted the last bit with some hesitance. “When I sent that text, I was ready. I wanted to feel alive. I wanted to feel what you feel. So, I jumped down and ran through the wilds… in my head you were there right beside me. I wanted you to be. It was stupid thing to do, I let my guard down, and he found me.” her voice was starting to shake and she wasn’t sure she could keep speaking. Yet, she had to tell her story, she needed to. There was a way for her to tell the story without actually telling him: her gift. She could share her memories with him, as vivid in his mind as they were in her own, but that would leave her more vulnerable than she liked.

“Can I trust you?” Béatrix asked in a voice hardly above a whisper. Tholo looked her over with a mixture of confusion, curiosity, and maybe even the slightest bit of… concern? He answered her question with a quick nod. Trixy let out a deep exhale and stood up to walk over to him. Placing her palms on both of his temples, she closed her eyes - not because she had to, but because it helped to hold back the bloody tears that would surely come. Projecting into his mind was surprisingly easy, given his age. Normally Béatrix struggled with elder supernaturals, this must just be another soul mate quirk.

Trixy showed him everything that she could remember. Bartholomew would be in her mind, watching her memories. It wouldn’t be like watching a movie, he would see everything that she saw from her first-person perspective. Béatrix did her best to reign in the emotions associated with it. He would see through her eyes, but he wouldn’t feel her pain, not until the most painful parts came up, that is.



Béatrix winced through it, only managing to keep her grip and the mental connection up until the point where Trixy turned off her humanity. He didn’t need to see that. Rather, she didn’t want him to see that. Her eyes brimmed with scarlet tears so she looked away from him quickly. “I thought that… that you knew… and the text… and he found me because you…” she couldn’t finish the thought.

@Ace of flames01

A number of days had passed before the unexpected arrival of Maxwell upon the doorstep. The old well groomed butler formally greeted Saoirse with his aged and polite pleasantries.

"Lady Saoirse, please forgive my absence, master" he was about to say Radshaw but quickly realised and corrected himself, "master Clayton requested that I take him elsewhere and demanded it remain anonymous."

He pauses for a small moment to gather his next words.

"I know it is not a pleasant topic nor time to talk of it, but I must discuss with you your position amongst Dorians finances.
As you are aware he had exquisite tastes.
There is the matter of his estate,, his prized resteraunt the view and all his staff from his catering company.

You see, shortly after he realised he couldn't kill you he signed you as a partner in many of his financial affairs. It was only under a set of strict circumstances in which I could divulge this information.
Circumstances which have sadly come to pass.

The restaurant is highly esteemed and well managed. Dorian often intervened but I am led to believe it is in capable hands and fully self sufficient.

Dorian left the paperwork and arrangements for the catering company to be sold to his second in charge if you wish to hand it over.

The house, while it's paid off in full, has an accessible account that covers all insurances, rates and other expenditures. There is a trifle matter of payments being deducted that he has demanded continue, even in his absence. I can't stress how important and clear he made that request.

The last detail of his requests regarding his finances was the matter of my contract."

The old man pauses and sigh's. Expecting resistance to what was about to come next.

"It would please me greatly to follow out his last request and I have already been compensated more then enough to do so. Dorian made it explicitly clear that he wished me to continue to serve you and look after the estate and any financial aspects that you didn't wish to."

And just like that Saoirse inherited Dorians wealth.
A fancy large house, a self running business and a butler.
There was the unknown matter of where or who the rest of Dorians money was going too and where it was coming from.
He had friends acquaintances in all sorts of places. From government agencies through vampire covens and sorcerer cabals to sewer-hideout thugs. Everyone had their uses.

@Silent Observer

He saw everything that had happened to her. He witnessed what they had done to her, it made his blood boil, he was angered and saddened that he could do nothing but merely watch what she had all ready been through, that he couldn't tear them to shreds himself for their cruel deeds. He felt no pain through the ordeal but could imagine that it had been, then the wretched face of the abomination that owned the blade came into view and said something that made him be the one


“Tell me,” he said before gripping her wrist and smirking at Bartholomew’s name. “Does my son like that, or am I killing you before he got the chance to fuck ya?”

After that the image faded to nothing and he was back in his apartment face to face once more with Trixy. Her face turned away from her. His revelation of the abomination terrified him but for now it wasn't about him but her. He slowly reached out and turned her face to him, wiping away a bloody tear from her face.

"I knew nothing of this," he whispered ",I'm sorry about what happened, I should of been there. I failed in that regard but he is gone and can't hurt you anymore and if he somehow lived I'll kill him myself. He's no father to me. I'd understand if you want space from being near a wolf but if you are still willing to try I'll show you I'm never going to hurt you."

@Ace of flames01

Scorn had decided to pay one of her benefactors a visit. A gang after all could do little without cash flow and she wasn't making her cash through the distribution of drugs like many other gangs did. She played the illegal arms trade but it was far more risky and fewer paying patrons. So she had some outside strings that helped give her a cash flow, doing odd jobs that were outside the legal system to comply with. One such patron however was a little late on his dues so she figured to give him a personal visit and see what was making him lag behind so sudden after so many on time payments.

"Oh Dory, you here!" she shouted entering the residence of one Dorian Radshaw ",Anyone home? Butler? Dorian? Hobo Joe?" The residence currently seemed deserted with no one around. Perhaps he was out on the town. She could wait for him if she had to, she had nothing needing to be done herself plus a residence such is this needed a good exploring something she could never do if Dorian was around."When the cats away the mice shall play," she laughed walking around the home as she waited for anyone to come back.

@Dark Light

In a matter of moments, the world Saoirse had been working so hard to build up over the past 8 years, had come crashing down on her head. She had seemingly lost everything. Her money, her home, her soulmate. Everything seemingly lost in an instant. An indescribable feeling shook her to her very core. A feeling she knew all too well. The feeling she had the day she forgot everything. The feeling of being just.... Empty. The feeling as if all emotion, all sensations becoming numb, like everything that led up to that point was just a taunting dream that she couldn't wake up from, like nothing mattered anymore. She had pressed a blade of silver against her chest, directly above her heart. She wanted to die, to end all of the pain and suffering, to end it all! Yet... She found herself unable to commit the deed.

Days passed, Saoirse barely ate or slept and locked herself away in her room. Why? Why did this have to happen?! Why was she fated to be alone?! Saoirse could only blame herself for what had happened. Rose was right; this was her fault. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do to fix it. He was gone.

Maxwell had come to explain her inheritance from her late soulmate. Nearly everything he owned now belonged to her. However, this news fell upon deaf ears. All Saoirse could do was nod. "I see... Please just call me Saoirse. The term 'Lady' is not a title that I find myself worthy of nor very fitting. That aside, thank you for agreeing to serve me, even if it is just because it was Dorian's last request to you. Thank you. I will surely be needing the help in keeping up with the manor." She finally replied.

@Argetlam350

Soon after, Saoirse heard a female voice ring out throughout the manor. She decided to address the voice as she entered the main entry way. "Can I help you? I'm afraid to inform you that Dorian has passed away. I am the current owner of this residence." She replied to the interesting, skull faced woman. However, to say such a thing was truly painful to say and even more painful to know it to be true.

Valyna sighed in exasperation. Was there no one who could follow orders in this century? Every one of her assistants had failed her in some way or another. Was it really that hard to go pick up a person at the airport? Valyna had been waiting for the corporate hot shot from Europe and now she finds out that he was lost at the airport because her assistant Sharon couldn't manage simple directions. She picked up a highly valuable tanzinite stone off of her shelf and threw it shattering Sharon's desk.

Valyna grabbed her keys and walked out of the office and called for her car. When she got down to the garage her car was ready and she climbed into the Mercedes and drove to the airport. Normally she wouldn't care if he got lost but she needed to butter him up a little for the deal he was supposed to back her on. She put her foot on the gas and the tires squealed a bit and soon she was at the airport. She called him on his cell phone. "Derek? Where the hell are you?"

He was at the exit at the wrong terminal but it still only took her a minute to navigate to him. Derek got in and immediately said, "You need an assistant who knows the airport." He said frustrated. "No worries, I'll make it a requirement on my next job add." Valyna replied. "You hungry?" Derek grinned "always! Where are you thinking? Italian?" "Of course!" Valyna laughed at her friend.

Valyna was at a stoplight when the name and date on her arm disappeared. She looked down and became a little agitated. Derek noticed and asked her if she was okay. "Yeah, I guess. It's just weird to know that he died and that he will be so easily replaced by another name."

Valyna dropped Derek off after dinner and she went back to her estate. She was thinking about it again and picked up a paper to look for his obituary.

VALYNA VALANCE

The following morning Valyna was in a mood. She had spent most of the night mourning a beloved she never got to meet. It had happened a few times over the decades and she always looked at it as personally as if she had known them. After getting dressed she went into her bathroom and applied the extra makeup that was necessary to cover her swollen eyes. She hurried down the stairs and yelled at the butler that she was late and ran past him and out to her sportscar. She needed speed this morning.

Valyna knew that sometimes it took a day or so for the new name to show up on her arm. She knew there would be one but that didn't make it hurt less. She wondered if it was just a cruel trick the universe played with Earthlings or if there were other planets that had to learn how to deal with this too.

She got into the garage and left it for the parking attendant. Once in the elevator she massaged her temple and remembered the text she had sent to the HR rep last night. It had read: Fire Sharon, get new assistant who knows the airport blindfolded. Need new assistant desk too asap. Val

When she got into the building backs straightened, heads turned and focussed on work and all talking stopped. 'Oh good' she thought to herself 'at least they can tell when the boss is in a bad mood.' She continued past the place where the assistant's desk used to be and into her office.

The maintenance man had put her stone back on her shelf. She sighed and picked it up. The color of this stone was incredible and she was just really taken by it's striking irradescent beauty sometimes. It seemed to have a calming quality about it.

@VarionusNW

Liana didn't realize her roommate was asleep until the younger girl mentioned it. So, she quickly lowered her voice. [color=ff5d7]“Yes, my name is Liana. It’s nice to meet you Arna,”[/color] She said softly. The entertainer took her outstretched hand and shook it. “If you need anything please ask, but for now I’d better get some rest while I still can.”

Liana went into her room to change into her pajamas. They were heavenly. Her body was no longer restricted to uncomfortable or revealing clothes. Of course there were many times she enjoyed looking nice, however she definitely appreciated the small comforts of her life. There were many out there who didn’t have as much fortune as she did. As soon as Liana climbed into bed, her eyes closed and her brain shut off. Within moments she was in dreamland.

Upon waking to her phone violently vibrating and chirping, Liana felt as if the world threw itself back onto her. Her responsibilities weighed on her like a sack of bricks. However, she took the call with a bright, cheerful voice. After a few moments of conversation, Liana threw her covers off and gathered a nice outfit for the day. According to her manager, she had the day off today! Of course, she had the option of sleeping some more, but once she woke up there was no going back. The green eyed female took she clothes into the bathroom and began a nice, long shower.