There weren't really many things that hinted that the club was open. Other than Corinna herself, there were only a handful of people outside. It was early after all... Corinna knew that, but she wasn't the type of woman who would be satisfied with sleeping all day long...
“Well we’re open now. And if you’re interested, I can help you skip the line for sure.” a man said to her as he walked towards the front door. He wasn't wearing anything that striking or even showy... In fact, his clothes were very simple, but by his smile certainly was very charming.
Even though Corinna was used in always having whatever she wanted, not even herself would expect that it would be that quick. Maybe it was indeed the right decision to wear something a bit more... striking on that day.
"So charming! Waiting outside would really kill the mood... I would love if you could do that for me." Corinna said, delicately raising her hand, in a gesture for him to take her inside and carefully watching his expression as she did that. Her hands were completely uncovered, as she wasn't wearing gloves that day.
"I know its a bit too early, but I just can't stand staying at home doing nothing at all... I'm so glad you can help me with my boredom!" Corinna said, with a kind smile.
But before she could do anything else, or even the man could answer her, a familiar chuckle interrupted them, coming from behind her.
“Aren’t you going to be in hot water with the owner for already being late? Then again, you don’t strike me as the type to mind it. Especially for a pretty woman.” the voice said, coming from seemingly nowhere.
She had already heard that voice before, but where...?
After a few seconds, the owner of the voice finally revealed itself, materializing amongst the crowd. It was the woman she met on that irritating alchemist's shop, Mrs. Quarin.
But unlike the other time, she was wearing something much more beautiful and alluring. Her clothes almost... invited others to gaze at her body, to appreciate her curves. To top it off, it wasn't only her outfit, but her movements, the mischief on her eyes, her smirk when she noticed others looking at her, her confidence... She was almost an entirely different person than the last time they met each other.
“A very pretty dress, Ms. the vibe is so different from what I first type saw you in.” she said to Corinna.
"I'm surprised to see you again, Mrs. Quarin!" Corinna said, looking to her.
"A woman has to show herself a bit now and then, right?" Corinna said, smiling and winking to her with a mischievous expression and a cute giggle, covering her mouth with her hands and her sharp fingers.
"Although... I do think darker colors fit me a bit better..." Corinna said, putting her hand on her hips, immediately drawing a lot of stares as her dress shown her leg up to her thigh.
"And what about you, Mrs. Quarin? Do you work here or maybe... you are just looking to have a bit of fun?" Corinna asked, with a mischievous grin.
Lily Quarin did say that her dress had a completely different vibe from the one she first saw Corinna, but she would never had expected that her claim was so correct. It wasn't only her dress. If she paid enough attention on Corinna's words, on the way she was moving and talking, she would perceive that it was almost like Corinna had... adjusted her personality to match the location she was right now. She was much more daring, confident, uninhibited... There was still the formal and noble tone on her voice and words, but she was much more direct...
Those subtle changes on Corinna's personality were very impactful. Especially to someone who had already met her before, such as Lily Quarin. Seeing Corinna' changing her entire ego like only raised more questions. Those changes were subtle enough to still show some key, remarkable aspects of her personality, but impactful enough to make her look almost a different person.
There was a sharp knock on Darius’ office door. After several moments, the knob twisted then clicked open. A familiar face edged halfway inside. Afua. Her eyes flipped from one end to the other, searching for Darius. At first glance, she failed to spot him until her eyes came to rest on his desk. Lips slowly softened into a smile at the sight.
Feeling safer inside than half-way out, she finished entering the room. Her hand casually tossed her dreadlocks over her shoulder as she bumped her hips backward, the door softly clicked shut. Mindful to lock it, she pushed off it.
No one should see him like this. It would crack the image he worked so hard to establish, especially among his employees. It surprised her, really, to find him sound asleep at his desk. He look vulnerable with torso hunched over the top, an arm folded into a makeshift pillow and chest gently slumbering. If it wasn’t for the fact it would insult his pride, she would dare to call him cute.
Afua found herself relieved she found Darius. The less trustworthy would’ve taken advantage of his state and possibly end his life with a blade through his unaware head. Ending his reign in Ominar’s Entertainment District. She shuddered at the thought then reached for his shoulder.
“Baas,” she began to get his attention, “Wake up.”
As her hand made it halfway, Darius’ arm shot up. The coarse fingers tightened instantly about the wrist. Afua flinched but bit her tongue. Inside, she knew it was her own fault. She owned up to that and would bear through the punishment of her foolishness. Sluggishly Darius’ right eyelid lifted to reveal his golden iris. He momentarily sized Afua up then released his grip, allowing Afua to jerk it back. She tenderly rubbed her wrist as she broke the growing silence.
“Ag, a little rough. Was that really necessary?” Her words hinted at sudden, and needed aggression. It wasn’t the only thing that changed.
His paranoia practices had waned since his intimate connections. It was a fact that concerned the younger woman. Infatuation was one thing, but she had started to wonder if this wasn’t something more. She hoped not. Nothing against Masha, but Darius couldn’t afford the luxury.
Pushing her discomfort to the side, she forced her posture to relax. She leaned against the desk’s edge. Her arms propped her upright, waiting for Darius’ answer to her question. The necromancer’s gaze searched for the expected bullshit she felt he might sprout.
Ignoring her scrutinize, Darius righted himself in his chair. His hands began to rub away the grit in his eyes. Slowly pulling them down his muzzle, his golden eyes tightened in suspicion at her attentive concern about his well-being.
Inhaling, he tried to put those ‘concerns’ to rest.
“I’m fine. I’m just…tired.”
“And aggressive.” Afua shot back. Her smile withered into a frown at his indifferent attitude, unable to understand its origins.
His expression hardened at her words. Afua inhaled then decided to move the subject. She wasn’t going to get answers with him like this. Feeling her fingers brush a letter’s corner, her head tilted down. She gripped the unopened envelope in hand then curiously examined it. It was a familiar address, one of the Royal Blood’s lucrative business fronts, causing her to comment on its existence.
“The Royal Bloods…contacted you recently?”
Darius accepted her change of subject without resistance. His hand plucked the letter from her grip then shoved it into the top drawer. It slapped shut, keeping it out of her reach.
“Yes.”
“Over?”
“It seems the Serpientes de Ouroboros have been intruding on their territory, more aggressively than normal. I’ve been requested to deal with it personally…”
“You’ve gotta be shitting me…what have the frots done this time?”
“Assaulted one of their people and nearly killed them, attempting to frame me.”
“Oh, the little bastards. I assume you clarified things with McCarthy”
“Of course. We are in still in good terms, and he knows it wouldn’t benefit me to ruin that.”
“I hate to be them when he gets his hands on them… They would be better off dead. How did he handle the news of his man?”
“Badly. I managed to dissuade him from tearing apart the Entertainment District, mostly by reminding him whose territory it was. A bloodbath is the last thing I want to clean up. Especially before the gala event tomorrow.”
“It might be happening so soon?” Afua asked shock spread along her face.
It made sense, she shortly realized, since it happened the same time every year. Seeing Darius’ displeasure at her slip up, she avoided eye contact as she pushed forward slightly.
Darius leaned back in his chair, moving on.
“Yes. This had been prearranged for nearly a month now.”
Afua’s sarcasm poisoned her otherwise earnest compliment. “They have such lovely timing.”
She stepped toward the cabinet, noting the unused coffee maker. Her eyes glanced back to him for permission. Darius gave a small nod causing her to crouched down. She began to search the cabinet’s lower storage, then considered something.
“The club’s grand opening is tonight, are you going? Are you considering it at least?”
From her peripheral vision, she caught the change in his image. A sorrow wove within Darius’ body language. It screamed in the little ticks of his ears, whiskers and even in the small way his posture lowered at her words. She had grown up to read these painful signs. It all added up to regret.
“I am, but… I’m debating on if I should skip it.”
“Why?”
“Personal reasons.”
Her hand slapped the mug down, causing them to clatter. She turned to face him with heavy sensation building in her core. Afua wasn’t about to ignore this as she studied him a moment.
“Darius, are you alright? Honestly. You’ve been acting rather… strange, especially lately. Forgetting brief snippets of conversations and your aggressiveness. This might be not like you.”
Instinctively, her lithe legs strode across the distance. Her palm pressed against Darius’ forehead. Disappointed at the lack of a fever, she bit the side of her mouth and sought another reason. She backed away once more.
“Maybe I should schedule another appointment with M’ve or see if Mr. Taeryn might have something.”
“I doubt M've will find anything, he hasn’t yet during the last two examinations. Nabriales, I rather not owe a favor to or waste his time.” Darius’ tone seemed resigned in his current condition, a fact that didn’t sit well with Afua.
“Do you have any idea of what might be causing it?”
“Stress, I hope. It’s the only different factor in the last three months. The other explanation is one that I seriously fear the most. If it’s true, no one could help me.”
Darius’ eyes averted from hers, lowering to his desk. His hand folded underneath his muzzle as he became lost in thought.
“I’m currently considering upgrading the security system and have a few of your eyes infest my home.”
Afua’s jaw nearly dropped.
“What? You’re not serious, are you baas? You can’t stand the scent of the better ones… why do you think this is a good idea?”
“Afua, I’m missing an hour of time now. What happens when it becomes more? I need someone I can trust to inform me about what happened during that missing time and prevent any problems.”
Those words promptly silenced her. Right now, she wanted to just beat the living daylights from his very being. This was absurd. The whole plan was, but the face he displayed nailed her heart deeply. The pain spread and burned until she could no longer stand it.
“Fine, but let it be on record I don’t like this. If it might be stress, this just makes it more important to go to the club’s opening. You need a break from all this.” Afua gestured to the desk and its contents.
Darius seemed unpersuaded by her display causing the necromancer to sigh. Realizing this conversation was hitting a dead end fast, Afua moved toward the door.
“At least consider it?”
She let her last words linger in the air before she vanished out the room. Maybe she wasn’t the only one to notice or be willing to fix it.
Marcus looked around, trying to find Lily, after a short jump from being startled from hearing her voice so close without her being nearby. She had done that to him before, but that didn't mean that it didn't still startle him some when she did it. "Well, you know I'm a bad boy," he said with a little smile, feeling his cheeks flush slightly when he did catch sight of her. It was mightly unfair for her to look so damn good like that. "And you know that she likes bad boys."
He turned back or Corinna, catching then the sight of her hands. His blue eyes going very wide for a moment. That...that was not quite the appearance he was expecting with her face. But he couldn't deny that now that he's seen it, it didn't look out of place. He swallowed slightly, figuring if Lily was talking with her so easily, she wasn't going to be of immediate threat. Unlike Masha who might actually hurt him if he was any later. At this point in his life, things just started to go from surprising to just...whatever. Even more so the longer he worked under Masha. She seemed to draw in a very wide assortment of people. “Well this way ladies,” he said with an awkward little laugh. “You can finish this chat inside, and I won't be run through.”
"Níl tú ag gníomhú di ar cheart Clara. An bhfuil tú ag mothú go maith? An bhfuil sé toisc go bhfuil tú ag iarraidh dom a choinneáil ó thrioblóid?" The young woman asked while leaning over Clara’s head with a look of concern upon her face. This wasn’t the first time during three months which she honestly felt strange. The oldest woman shifted on the bed only to see that her lighter half had switched sides as well. A fairly annoying thing this human was but her concern was much appreciated.
"Cad é a chreideann tú an Erin seo? B'fhéidir go bhfuil mé ag plé go cúramach chun mo chorp a thógáil ar ais. Nó b'fhéidir go bhfuil mé ag tuirseach ag aistriú áiteanna leat i gcónaí. Slí amháin ní chreidim gurb é seo aon ábhar imní ort.“ The woman coldly remarked. In a way the woman didn’t want Erin to worry over something like homesickness.
"Fine. Bhí mé ag iarraidh a iarraidh ar mháthair an grúpa staidéir a chur ar ceal ionas go bhféadfadh tú síocháin a dhéanamh síochánta ach dearmad a dhéanamh air. Rinne mé dearmad ar an gcaoi a bhféadfadh príomhfheidhmeannach Ifrit clan a bheith.” The girl remarked. She managed to grab a fairly decent outfit last night, not to showing too much skin to make people uncomfortable but enough to show her figure, just like Corrian had taught her.
"Mar sin, an bhfuil tú ag fanacht síos anseo le breathnú géar ar d'aghaidh nó an bhfuil tú ag teacht suas staighre. Ról mo aingeal caomhnóra a imirt, amhail is dá mba leanbh beag mé fós, gur gá fanacht slán? An mbeidh sé ina thaibhse de na botúin anuas chun eagla orthu i bhfad ar shiúl uaim?" The teenager asked walking up the stairs. Clara scoffed while following.
Emmett looked around the living. In the center of the room were set up a few snacks and small tray tables for their needs. It seemed Erin’s Aunt had come prepared as usual. He wasn’t surprised because it was just as he remembered.
His arm adjusted his backpack across his shoulder while his feet shifted on the floor. He scratched at the splatter decal on his grey tee-shirt out of boredom.
Though there was nothing to be nervous about, he couldn’t help feeling the anxiety build. Emmett knew he needed to watch that. He swallowed it down as he gave Olivia a look.
His little sister had a frilly jean skirt and tights underneath, topped off with a baby blue shirt. The words ‘Girls Rock’ stretched over the font. He knew she had picked it out herself because the shirt was her favorite one.
She didn’t notice his look as she twirled her finger around the end of a braid, the tip rested on her shoulder. Emmett rolled his eyes at his sister’s distraction. At the sounds of footsteps, his head turned to spot Erin coming up from her room.
His tension melted away at his best friend’s sight. He cut the distance between them as he teased her.
“Erin, are you done in your crypt?”
"Bhuel ní raibh mé ag súil le do mug gránna a fheiceáil nuair a dhúisigh mé Emmett." Erin teased back at him. In a way, she hoped he wouldn’t remember some of the Irish words she taught him so long ago.
A familiar playfulness shined in Emmett’s expression while he gestured for Olivia to move. His sister gave him an annoyed look at being ordered about when he wasn’t her parent. She snatched her backpack, purple in color, from the couch then hopped over.
The young woman softly chuckled as she watched the siblings interact. Slowly the girl turned back towards the stairs, noting Clara’s unusual behavior being to increase by the minute. Her worried look deepened as a hand went towards the thin air. Granted to her she was touching the Ifrit’s forehead. ” No fever considering you're as warm as usual. Why don’t you go rest? Perhaps you’ll feel better after a nap.”
” I’m perfectly fine Erin. Please stop touching me.” The Licentia asked politely making the human blink. ” You’ve always wanted to play the normal human. Now is your chance. If you don’t stop then they’ll think you're insane. In the end, making sure I win.”
” Funny thing. I was beginning to think you had a heart. Guess I was completely wrong on that front. Guess you can’t teach an old dog new trick.” She remarked while going to sit down between Olivia and Emmett. In reality, this group thing wasn’t going as well as she was hoping. Though there was a huge plus in this. None of the children were fighting.
Sighing in a nearby chair, Azulia sat crisscrossed as she was looking down her school iPad. She blew her blonde and purple hair out of her face. A month before she found a place that sold hair chalk and she bought all kinds of colors. Currently in her hair was her fourth hair color, which was a light purple.
Looking over at Emmett, she leaned over to where he was sitting and showed him the math equation she was currently stuck on. The problem was |b|-5<7 and below it was a number line graph.
”Hey Emmett, you have any idea how to solve this equation. I have been stuck on it forever now” She had to admit, she was no math genius, she knew enough to pass, but there were some parts that always confused her. In front of her on the tray, sat her book which had the section she was doing. Graphing Inequalities.
“Uhhh, give me a moment to check something.”
Emmett set his book bag down and rummaged through it. He shifted the pads and pencils to one side, found his notebook. Pulling it free, he noticed the vis infused snacks Aeris had him pack. There was apples, grapes, and various other fruit with cheese and nuts. It looked innocent enough if it wasn’t for the special Vis ingredient.
Sighing, he decided to plop them on the table for himself. The others had seen him bring snacks with the understanding he had specialized needs. So not even Olivia snatched his food.
Emmett waved for her book then flipped through it to the correct chapter. He pulled Azulia’s Ipad closer for a moment before he checked for a nearly identical example.
“Alright, according to the book you to rearrange the equation until b is on a side. I think it stands for y in this case… ” He said then proceeded to explain how to solve it.
It was math way ahead of him, two years at least, but he was slowly figuring it out.
Azulia leaned over, her hands pressed together to the side of her face as her eyes followed each movement the cursor moved on her iPad. ”You are pretty smart” She complimented.
“Thanks, I guess. I still used the book mostly for it.” Emmett shrugged.
Erin chuckled as she watched, fingers grabbing the table. In reality, she wasn’t used to all of this. Friends staying over without being threatened, as if there was some other source at play here, granted that this sounded ridiculous. Slowly the girl’s fingers relaxed thought they did tighten up when something dashed behind Olivia. Her head shifted to the right as Clara’s figure jerked upwards.
"Bhí sé sin go leor aisteach. Cibé rud a bhfuil Olivia ag iarraidh a dhéanamh níor cheart í a rá. Inis di fanacht fós le Erin mar is dóigh liom go bhfuil an créatúr ina luí." The licenta remarked as she slowly moved to the left.
"Aontaigh, déan cinnte go bhfuil tú cúramach le Clara. Bíodh eagla ort ar an luch a bheith eagla ort ar rud éigin. Chun a bheith macánta níl mé ag iarraidh an fhoinse a fháil amach." Erin said as her hand slowly went towards the floor. ” Olivia whatever you do stay completely still. Emmett, can you grab an empty container in the kitchen? We need it once Clara tells me what’s going on. Azulia I need you to stay put. Keep your legs off of the ground.”
As Olivia caught a glimpse of something darting toward her foot, she jumped. Climbing up onto the crouch, she slammed hard into Emmett. His grip on the book was lost causing it to slide across the table. Snacks and drinks all spilled onto the carpet, creating a mess.
Emmett felt his emotions heighten. Already his vis extended into his shadow causing the shape to waver. He took a breath, trying to rein in his emotions like Mai and Aeris taught him. Lips thinned into a frown while his eyes glared at his sister.
“What is your problem? What’s the deal with bumping into me?”
His annoyance melted into confusion upon seeing Olivia now crouched on her seat. She looked like a cat ready to pounce. Her head peered over where she spotted the blur, appearing to search for something.
Emmett sighed.
“Hey,” His arm reached over to shake hers, “What are you looking for?”
“I saw something.”
“Saw… what?”
“Something. I’m not sure what it was. It was too small to see clearly.” Olivia’s curiosity shined through her voice as she dipped forward.
Emmett looked at her for a moment. Mentally he was evaluating if she was being serious or pulling his leg. Finally, he decided this whole ordeal was ridiculous.
“Azulia, can you help me clean this up? I don’t want to upset Erin’s Aunt.” Emmett requested while he leaned over to scoop up the platter.
He was careful to keep what was left still on it.
Nodding her head, she got up from her seat. She began to clean up the scraps of food that were around, her hand bumping Emmett’s hand and she mumbled sorry every time she did it. Gathering a somewhat dry napkin, she placed all the tiny food scraps in it.
“Stop apologizing. You’re fine.” Emmett commented as he overlooked her reactions. Still trying to not grind the crumbles into the carpet.
”Erin, where are your cleaning supplies.” She asked.
” Yeah it’s in the kitchen, underneath the sink, just please be careful. Clara do you know what we just saw?”
“A vacuum might be better, Emmett’s getting crumbles into the carpet.”
“I am not!” Emmett snapped back.
”To be honest I didn’t get a good look at it. I just know that it’s very fast.” She remarked as they all heard clattering in the kitchen.
Azulia was rumbling through the cabinets and got out disinfectant wipes, however, when she went to get up, her head immediately hit the edge of the cabinet, making a loud ‘thuck’ noise. Groaning, she held her head.
”Oooowwwwww” She sat there rubbing the sore spot.
“You alright Azulia?” Emmett's eyes looked toward the kitchen area.
”Yeah. I don't think I got a concussion. Ask me again in 24 hours” She said.
“I think your head is hard enough to prevent that. Especially with a cabinet.” Emmett countered.
Erin slowly shifted into the room to check on the Azulia. Something felt strange as if a child was playing some sort of game then again she might be seeing things due to the new meds. Something to help her have a calmer sleep and help battle depression for the month. At least that was what they said. The girl looked inside and noticed Azulia by the counter. ” I forget to warn you that mother added more things inside the counter. Some sort of decoration that,” She said with a long pause.
” Erin? Are you alright?” Inside the area was a few pictures. One show a much older looking Erin holding a young man beside her. Their rings showing as clear as day while the necklaces that Azulia had seen countless times on their daughter. The Licentia slowly placed a hand on the human's shoulder.
” Can someone please shut that. I don’t want to see that right now.” The girl remarked as Azulia would see this very small animal with Emmett’s snacks in it’s paws peeking out from the doorway.
Emmett, driven by his curiosity, drew into the kitchen with the rest of the girls. Olivia remained on the sofa. She continued to search for whatever creature had skirted underneath. The girl had little success in her efforts. Gradually she gave up as she slipped off the edge and began to follow Emmett.
“Everything alright, Erin?” Emmett asked, gently.
"Iarrann tú orm má tá mé ceart go leor Emmett ... Tá mé i bhfad ó ceart go leor. Tá mo lá breithe ag cromadh ormsa mar choinín ó iontacha. ó bhród mar a d'fhás a bolg a bhean lena n-ollphéist taobh istigh di. Bhí a gcuid ama ag sileadh as a dtuiscint nuair a chuaigh an dáta dlite níos dlúithe a chuaigh sé níos gaire. Saol amháin a cailleadh tar éis ceann eile a chruthú.”
Blinking, Azulia rubbed her eyes and looked again. When she saw she wasn't hallucinating, she stood and went towards the doorway, being slow as to not scare the creature.
The creature seemed to grin at the girl, making what sounded like happy sounds, as it dashed underneath a shelving unit. They would hear small scratches as a mouse scampered out of their original home, jumping past their feet. ” Holy shit! What the hell was that about!?”
Azulia jumped back quickly so the mouse wouldn’t touch her feet. Once the coast was clear, she knelt down near the shelving unit’s bottom. ”Hey, can one of you guys get a flash light?”
Olivia squeaked in surprise when she caught sight of the mouse darting across the floor. She back pedaled from its path as her head watched where it went. Emmett managed not to flinch. Though it wasn’t easy. His breath held in his chest as his figure tensed, mindful of his surroundings.
His eyes fell to the ground below, carefully eyeing his shadow. It didn’t even twitch much to his relief. Relaxing some, Emmett casually looked toward Erin who knew where everything was.
Erin slowly leaned towards the floor, eyes closing tightly, as a hand opened the cabinets once again. Her hand shifted inside the darkness as if she was a blind man attempting to find his way through a crowded station. A few more shifts deeper inside towards her right forced the box of pictures to fall towards the ground and spill their contents. ”Goddamn it! Why does this have to happen today!? Why can’t she fucking burn these!?” She said losing her temper for the first time in front of the group.
"Tóg an t-anáil domhain Erin. Ní féidir léi iad a dhó toisc go bhfuil siad ar leith de do threibh. Inhale, Exhale."
”I know Clara. Happy thoughts and all that bullshit. Before you ask I haven’t taken my depression pills today. Honestly I don’t want to because I need to learn to get over it. Their deaths are on my hands. Granted you were the one to kill him.” She said while trying to hold tears back.
Clara walked over and gently grasped her shoulder in a comforting manner. She hated when the parasite was like this. The woman know her lighter half was much stronger than this. Yet the girl was falling into a dark pit which the human didn’t want to come out of. Pushing the girl would cause her to go deeper into the mess, which she created on her own, making the licentia completely useless.
”Give Azulia the flashlight Erin. She can look for the creature while you calm down. Ask Emmett to get your pills from your Aunt's bathroom. We can get through this with their help. Deal?”
The human nodded as she stood. Her head continued to keep downwards as her legs moved towards Azulia. The object was placed on the floor next to the young woman.”Azulia do you think that it could be hungry? Considering that we’ve had fewer mice this year than previous ones.”
”I don't know. Perhaps it is hungry, whatever it is. Emmett, did any of those snacks survive the fall to the floor out there?”
“I haven’t found them. I was waiting for Azulia to get the vacuum when she bumped her head.”
”Well why don’t you go look dipshit. You’re just being a pain. Granted something about this scenario feels oddly familiar. The last thing that made this type of chirping was a few creatures back home. I wonder if it will.” The woman remarked out loud, Clara briefly taking hold before retreating back.
“And how about you learn some manners, instead of being a jerk.” Emmett shot back.
He slipped back into the living room. His figure lowered to one knee and found his small stash. The bag was torn wide open with a small crumbles trail left in the thief’s wake. Emmett frowned as he carefully gathered what was left then rose upright on his feet again.
“It ate quite a bit…”
Emmett answered, making his way back into the kitchen. His hand held up the nearly half-eaten bag. Annoyance filled his expression because he knew Aeris wasn’t going to be happy about this. These were supposed to prevent him from getting hungry. Now he refused to touch them, even if the animal was clean.
”That’s not good.” Erin mumbled quietly.
The team would hear more chirping as the creature scampered inside the wall. A few shifts, as if it was trying to decide where to go, as if it was playing a game of hide and seek. A light tapping inside the kitchen confirmed the feeling. The creature nibbled on the snacks in its paws while it shifted its head back and forth. As if to clean away the crumbs that clung to the face. A small sound like a hiccup cause a small puff of smoke to signal the hunters of its position, granted if any went to investigate it would be completely gone once more.
“You think? I hope I don’t get hungry before Aeris picks us up or this could be very bad.”
Emmett grumbled, he was still irritated by Erin’s earlier comment. He plopped the remains on the kitchen counter. Within Sight. Though it wasn’t a heavy loss, it still irked him.
”Emmett please calm down. We’re not sure if it grabbed all of the snacks.” The young woman remarked as she stood upwards. A hand grasping Clara’s shoulder in order to help with balance making the cold-hearted woman stand still. The lighter half crept towards the pictures, quickly picking them from the ground.
“I’m sure it’s going to be all right. We can call Aeris and see if she will bring more?” Olivia piped up.
Her hand touched Emmett’s arm in an attempt to reassure him. The boy allowed it, grudgingly. It was about this time a loud sound rustled throughout the cabinets. Olivia’s lips turned into a lopsided frown while she held out her finger for Emmett to stay put.
She walked over to investigate… only to find the cabinet empty.
“What the…”
Olivia began then broke out into a small coughing fit. She used a hand to wave the smoke away, seeking fresh air to breath in.
Azulia went to Olivia and patted her back to calm her coughing fit. This was really confusing to the young teen. Being new to all these creatures. She didn't have a damn clue of what to do. Seeing Olivia's coughing fit calm down, she smiled and stopped.
Olivia’s eyes blinked away the water collected at the edges. The back of her hand wiped them to clear her vision. After blinking a few times, she nodded her thanks toward Azulia. Her hand shifted to her throat, rubbing it a bit, while she considered what she saw.
Azulia's eyes looked around the kitchen. She was hopeful it might give her clues about what they were dealing with, but she got nothing.
Thinking of what to do in this situation, she tapped her chin. There was only one way to find out what it was. The creature had to be lured out.
Turning her attention to her surroundings, she knelt by the hole and flashed her light in it. She found herself meeting eyes with the strange creature.
Olivia became distracted when she spied Azulia keeling down. Curious, she stood behind the older girl.
”Hey little guy” Azulia cooed softly tapping her finger on the ground to lure it out. ”You can come out, nobody will hurt you”
Shardsheek glared at the half breed, eyes narrowing as if attempting to see something in the new person’s mind, then poofed smoke on the girl’s face. It’s figure running inside the pre-made tunnels heading into the basement.
”Shardsheek!” Clara shouted.
”Shardsheek? Clara, what in the world is a Shardsheek?”
”Devil Monkey from my world. The thing has Phoenix-like reincarnation.”
Olivia had once more backed up, avoiding the smoke this time.
Yet, Emmett’s eyebrow raised at Erin’s reaction. He looked from the cupboard then back to his friend, debating on his wording.
“And how do you know this? That thing doesn’t look like anything from around here.”
Emmett’s tone would be familiar to Erin. It was one that indicated he wasn’t taking her excuses or silence for an answer. She would also find clobbering him much more difficult now than last time. Casually he placed his hands into his pockets as he walked toward Erin, his chest puffed out.
“Well? What's your answer?”
”Because I know this. The boy is beginning to get on my nerves now. How about I finally introduce myself to them?” Clara remarked in a smartass tone making Erin shift in discomfort.
” How about not and say we did, Clara. You know half of this is your fault. If you would have kept your mouth shut like you promised none of this would have happened. Besides who names their pet Shardsheek!? Why would you keep a pet anyways!? You most likely abuse the poor thing.”
“Erin. Do you know how much effort I had to catch that thing in the first place!? Those things are fucking fast as babies without their mother chasing your ass. It took me three days to catch that thing with its parents trying to kill me. Not adding it's to show how strong I am to the clan. Just like how I hurt Charles all the time.” She said with a frown.
Erin glared to her left. In reality, she knew this was how Clara acted but in another way she did expect better from the licentia. ”Fine. Have it your way. The reason I know is because I share a body with someone else, Emmett. If you want to meet her just ask.”
Emmett was getting used to Erin talking with herself, but now it wore at his patience. The shadow underneath him flickered then wavered slightly. He barely realized Olivia had placed her hand on his shoulder. It drew Emmett’s attention and distracted him from his anger, dissipating it.
“Let me properly introduce myself, Clara. I’m Olivia Matthews, and it’s nice to meet you finally.”
She extended her hand to shake Erin’s. Seemingly obvious to certain facts as she attempted to ease the tension within the room.
"You're not acting right Clara. Are you feeling well? Is it because you're trying to keep me from getting into trouble?“
"What makes you believe this Erin? Perhaps I'm carefully plotting to take my body back. Or maybe I'm growing tired of switching places with you constantly. Either way I don't believe this is any of your concern."
"Fine. I was going to ask mother to cancel the study group so you could rest peacefully but forget it. I forgot how bitchy the Ifrit clan chieftain could be. What an asshole."
"So, are you going to stay down here with a sour look upon your face or are you going to come upstairs. Play the role of my guardian angel, as if I'm still a small child, that need to stay safe? Or will it be the ghost of the past mistakes to frighten them far away from me?"
"Well I did not expect to see your ugly mug when I woke up Emmett."
"That was fairly strange. Whatever Olivia wants to do she shouldn't. Tell her to stay still Erin because I think the creature is in her pant leg."
"Agree, make sure you're careful Clara. Be afraid of the mouse to be afraid of something. To be honest I do not want to find out the source."
"You ask me if I'm alright Emmett...I'm far from alright. My birthday is creeping upon me like a rabbit from wonderland. The animal's pure white fur stained crimson due to the mad hatter. The man losing his mind from pride as his wife's belly grew with their monster inside her. Their time slipping from their grasp the closer her due date crept closer. A single life lost after creating another one. The guy's mind falling into complete darkness after that fated event."
"Take a deep breath Erin. She can't burn them because they're apart of your tribe. Inhale. Exhale."
In the background, the nightclub seemed to have picked up. The DJ, from what Lily could tell, was doing an excellent job driving the crowds into a frenzy. Electrical neon lights darted through the entrance, bathing the nearest patrons with its inviting display. The rhythm oozed from the club creating an intoxicating draw. The vibration of the music fed Lily’s confidence and drove her eagerness to return to her passion, her foot subtly tapped to it.
Lily’s smile widened at being acknowledged by Corrina. Truthfully, the siren believed the younger woman had forgotten her. It had been three months after all.
“Every girl on a night on the town needs some embellishment, and you’ve done a wonderful job on yourself. And yes, I’m working a singing gig here. It took a few favors, but it was worth since my rock star days.”
Though Lily had only met Corinna once, her mind observed the woman’s behavior. Her gut stirred slightly causing her to make notes about the odd change in mannerisms. Part of Lily wanted to explain it away with the nightclub setting, but it seemed the changes were too drastic. It was hard to place exactly what bothered the older Licenti about Corinna’s display.
Her attention turned to Marcus’s comment next.
“I agree. Come on, it’s no fun staying out here.” Lily commented then gestured for them to follow Marcus.
Corinna couldn't help but to let out an amused smirk after he saw Marcus' expression when he saw her hands. It was always so fun to see the look on their faces, their reaction... It was simply so amusing the way he looked at her... The fact that Lily was being rather friendly with her might have made him a bit less 'alarmed' by Corinna's unusual appearance, but it was still amusing nonetheless.
"Be careful... I do bite..." Corinna said, with a mischievous smirk and a giggle, looking towards Marcus after he said for both her and Lily to get in. Her giggle made it look like she was just teasing him, but her expression, her mischievous eyes certainly passed a strange feeling. Was she flirting with him? Was she just joking and teasing him? This small commentary almost urged you to look at her hands once again, her sharp, dangerous fingers and nails.
Turning back to Lily with a curious expression, Corinna asked about what she had just said about singing.
"I didn't knew you could sing, Lily! I am surely looking forward to hearing you sing!" Corinna said, smiling innocently towards Lily.
"I wont lie... I'm a bit excited... It's been some time since I got out at night... Will you guys show me around?" Corinna asked, following both Marcus and Lily inside the club.
"It shouldn't be that bad for a girl to loosen up, and have some fun, once now and then, right?" Corinna asked, with a giggle and a mischievous smile.
Another day of being with the old gang and for once Killian’s nervous was completely shot. Once again Tiara Dunne was attempting to fill his mind with unwanted things. Trying to place doubts within his relationship with Emma. Granted that this word seemed foreign. Almost unreal when it comes to the present events. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell her. This was just one of several rules of that fox’s game.
A lingering sense of danger seemed to flood the young man as his figure continued to get ready for the night life. The nightclub was a simple job yet there was always some sort of trouble lingering within the darkness. Always there as if to tingle every nerve of fear. A single sigh escaped his lips before the guy placed another french fry inside his mouth.
For once the human wished for the night to end. The call into work wasn’t unexpected considering who all worked there. Yet the urge to work on his normal income had struck hard and now here he was inside the car getting ready to leave. Go figure this would happen. Killian grumbled to himself and opened the glove apartment, grabbing the gun that was ‘assigned to him’ by the gang. He double checked the clip just in case there wasn’t any ammo inside. Thankfully there was a full clip making things much easier.
The African american turned the key after placing the gun inside it’s holder.Now that he was ready it was time to drive to the club. With a prayer that his new boss won’t note the extreme tardiness. Than again that woman was rather odd. Considering she seemed almost always keen towards her employees. Hopefully nothing eventful would happen today. If so nothing...unwanted.
Marcus caught himself just after he turned and smiled. “That's fine with me,” he said with a smirk. And normally that was true, but maybe not so much with her. But that would be something to be addressed later. Or possibly never. He was good enough at flirting with no purpose that wasn't always easy to identify when he was doing so with sincerity or not.
“I'd love to chat more, but I've got work to go to, I'm sure I'll see you ladies around.”
He caught sight of one of the waitresses as he was going towards the back and gestured her over to him. “Hey, Rebeca,” he called to the ginger girl.
She turned from her trip back to the bar, smiling sweetly at him. “Marcus,” she said, though it was more a question of what he wanted just then.
He merely smirked and nodded his head back towards Lily and Corianna behind him. She looked past him and nodded, changing her direction and headed over that way.
“Lily,” she said with a friendly smile once she was close. “And Lily’s friend,” she went on looking at Corianna with a smile that was not just a fake customer service smile, but something rather genuine.
One Night in Hell (Nightclub section), Entertainment District in Ominar
He caught sight of one of the waitresses as he was going towards the back and gestured her over to him. “Hey, Rebeca,” he called to the ginger girl.
She turned from her trip back to the bar, smiling sweetly at him. “Marcus,” she said, though it was more a question of what he wanted just then.
He merely smirked and nodded his head back towards Lily and Corianna behind him. She looked past him and nodded, changing her direction and headed over that way.
“Lily,” she said with a friendly smile once she was close. “And Lily’s friend,” she went on looking at Corianna with a smile that was not just a fake customer service smile, but something rather genuine.
Upon entering the club, Lily was bombarded by the scene inside.
Electric lights of greens, blues, and pinks carved through the nightclub. They strobed from one side to the other, dispersed by the hazy smoke, skimming across the masses below. All gathered for a sinfully good time. Sweaty bodies of various patrons heightened the club’s temper as they bounced to the music. It vibrated throughout the walls, drowning everyone in the beat until it took control.
Lily Quarin thrived in this type of atmosphere. If it wasn’t for the fact she had been in it already and gotten her fix, she wouldn’t have been able to contain her excitement. God, how much she missed it. A mixture of her vanity and fear had long ago ruined the experience for her until now. A giddiness spread through her veins, igniting her nerves into life. It spread like a building need, waiting for her to release it.
Motivated by her own enthusiasm, the energy erupted from her movements. Her legs carried her toward the stage as one of the band members held out his hand. Upon helping her onto the stage, he passed her the microphone.
“Nice to have you back, the crowd’s getting restless.”
Lily chuckled, then answered.
“I can tell, so let’s relieve them of that. Shall we?”
The man nodded his head. He stepped back as his hand jerked at the DJ, cueing at the man to turn things up. Lone Digger by Caravan Palace began to play through the speakers. Excitement built into her core before it spread to her throat. Soon, everyone was lost in the words she sang. Subtly, her right foot tapped alongside the rhythm to nudge her into motions unused in years.
While she continued to sing, her eyes caught someone small and lithe, a girl, darted through the crowds below. Unable to cease her performance, Lily hoped another staff member might have noticed it.
Marcus was really charming. Corinna herself wasn't sure if he was indeed flirting with her or if he was just messing around. As they entered the club, Corinna was awestruck by the atmosphere. Too distracted absorbing all the information her enhanced senses were providing her, Corinna simply followed them, her eyes darting from one place to another, looking everything as a mischievous smile crept up across her face.
The avalanche of information was almost too much for Corinna to take in just one go. Bright and colorful neon lights, turning on and off, making quite the light show. The vibrations from the loud, but quite catchy and pleasant music were intensified by the bodies of the other clients inside, bouncing around together with the beat in a primal, almost instinctive way. The slightly sweet scent of the hazy smoke that flooded the room, mixed with others scents such as sweat, saliva, bodily fluids, alcohol & etc. were almost... intoxicating for Corinna. Her predatory instincts mixing up with the many sensations she was feeling... Desire, hunger, excitement, lust, made her a bit more disinhibited and less worried about keeping up her 'inoffensive' appearance. That would be quite the night...
“And Lily’s friend,” Marcus' voice yanked her out of her almost trance-like state, making her pay attention to the ginger waitress that was near them.
"I'm sorry... I got a bit lost with the atmosphere~!" Corinna said, with a giggle. As she did so, her fangs shown under her smile, reflecting the neon lights from the club. It was quite clear that Corinna was a bit more loose now than before, be that good or bad...
Apparently, she wasn't the only one excited about all that. Lily was almost bursting with excitement. It was almost like if that place was made to her. The way she walked, her voice, her expression, something on her told Corinna that she felt at home on that place, and the way she walked to the stage left absolutely no doubts about that.
As Lily started singing, Corinna simply started to move together with the beat and Lily's voice, letting her body and instincts take her away. The music, the smells, the lights... it was all so... intoxicating, so intense... It was most certainly quite the view, as Corinna danced. Her skintight dress accentuating her beautiful body, and to make it even worse, the seductive stares she was inadvertently throwing towards others who looked at her, be they man or woman, made her even harder to ignore.
Not even Corinna herself knew if she was just having fun or if she was 'hunting'. She simply let her desires and instincts control her, as she continued to dance.
Uncle's Apartment -> One Night in Hell (Arc 2)Day One Midday->Night
The screeching rumble of a passing train shaking the home woke Damian from his slumber with a start, glowing violet eyes flashing open in fear as his gaze swept across the scene before him. The room before him was little to look at, with peeling wallpaper and the thick smell of mold hanging in that air, the only light present came trickling in from the window. And yet, it proved no less frightening to Damian in this moment. With a shaky breath, Damian made his way out of bed, wincing slightly as the rotted floorboards let out a agonized groan in protest to his weight. He waited a moment longer, staying alert for any signs of movement in response to the sound.
When the coast seemed clear, Damian let out a breath he hadn't quite realized he'd been holding before making his way over towards the window. Peering through the blinds at the dismal view of one of the cities railway tracks, he noticed something a bit upsetting after studying the position of the sun.
"Fuck, I'm going to be late!" Damian let out a short curse, as he rushed away from his window, giving no heed to the noise he made as he flung open the door to his room, entering an equally unimpressive living room, a radio blurting out some news in the background as an unconscious form lay sprawled along the only couch in the room. Damian tried to hurry out the rest of the way to the door, and had the door nearly fully opened when he heard a sudden 'swishing' sound cut through the air. Before he could even think, Damain quickly ducked to the side, expecting to see a black claw speeding by. However, it proved to be little more than common knife, which ended up planted within a neighbors door across the hallway. Damian gaze drifted from the thrown projectile to a set of stairs right next to it, considering making a break for it. 'Maybe he's not up yet. It could always just be a reflex to the noise.' This vain hope was ended quickly as a gravelly voice growled out from behind him, the mere sound of it causing Damain's body to freeze stiff.
Stop making so much goddamn noise, you little shit." Damian's uncle slowly readjusted himself into a sitting position, holding his head in what looked like a vain attempt to hold back the pain from the hangover he was obviously suffering from."What the fuck are you even still doing here, I though you had left for that one job with that fruity drug dealer? Don't tell me it took you that long to recover from last night's scuffle."
'Which means he's irritated. . . shit.' Damian thought, fidgeting nervously with the edge of his shirt as he wondered what his Uncle would say next. The man was never easy to predict, as his mood seemed to be attached to a hair trigger at all times. One moment he could seem entirely fine,even at ease, and the next he seemed so enraged that all it took was one wrong word to set him off. Last night he had been the latter of the two, and Damian could still feel the aches and pains from last night's 'scuffle' quite clearly, even if there were no outward markings of the event. The perk of his Nightwalker blood, tho it never truly felt like one when dealing with his uncle. "I-i d-don't feed as often as much as y-y-you do, sir."
His Uncle scoffed at the excuse, but went back to reclining reaching for a nearby bottle of vis-infused alcohol that seemed to be about half full of the potent drink. "Whatever, just get out of here already. If you lose out of this job Darius hooked you up with, I doubt that either of us will get off it scott-free, and trust me that whatever shit Darius gives my way will come your way to." With that threat left hanging in the air, the black-haired man chugged the wrest of his drink before tossing the bottle behind him.
Seeing that the conversation was now over, Damian was quick to exited out the door, making sure to shut it gently so as to not risk further irritating his uncle. He also made sure to remove the knife from his neighbors door, shoving it into a nearby pocket for now before he quickly made his way down the nearby stairs, trying to chart a quick route to One Night in Hell in his head as he quickly rushed down the steps, three at a time. Thanks to his Uncle's little speech, he likely wouldn't be able to make it to the train, which mean that if he wanted any chance of making it to the club with a semblance of punctuality, he'd have to take a variety of back alleyways in his shadow form, which was much faster than his human. A route he hated for the tendency of it being filled with less than sound of mind Licentia prowling around for an easy target, around this time was the likely start of said prowling to begin. Still, if he was fast enough, maybe he'd get lucky and wouldn't be harassed by any of them, or at least could outrun any of the ones that did notice him.
Damian would enter One Night in Hell through one of the buildings vents, the dark streak of shadow being hardly noticeable within the darkened room, and any who could possibly see him having long lost themselves to the pounding beat of the music, especially with the enchantingly melodious tones of Lilith's singing holding most enraptured in awe. The banging of the club also hid the banging sound that echoed out of the vent Damian had come from, as the Licentia that had been chasing him the past quarter block attempted to one lat futile attempt to grab at it's prey before finally leaving. Damian himself had taken human form in an empty booth nearby, letting out a breath as he did so.
Once he had managed to get his bearings and calm himself down from the chase, Damian got up and made his way towards the staff section of the club. As he made his way around the less active patrons of the club, earning more than a few curious looks as he did so before they went back about their business, he felt a slight chill go through him. His eyes shifted from green to violet as he began sweeping the dance floor, his Vis sense having picked up on a rather distinct signature. Scanning the mesh of moving bodies on the dance floor, it took him little time to spot who he was looking for.
Corinna.
Her outfit was quite different this time when compared to her visit to Victorious Secret, but he'd have easily been able to recognize her after the utter fiasco their first meeting had been. He'd been trying to avoid thinking about it over the past couple days, but seeing her now left him quite shaken. Why is she here? Does she know I work here? Had she grown tired of waiting? And if she did, for what? Payback . . . or . . .? This and other thoughts swirled in Damian's head before he settle himself with a deep breath, shaking his head clear of any further paranoid ramblings. Your over-thinking this, Damian. It's just a coincidence. forget about it and get to work before Masha fires you. His mind made up, he continued on his way towards the staff section, though he remained unable to cast one more glance in Corinna's general direction, once more thinking back to what had occurred in Victorious Secret.
'Maybe I should tell Masha to have someone keep an eye on her. . . just in case.' @13org@Fallenreaper@May
The preparations for the club's grand reopening had been going on for some time, and each step along the way had been laboriously pored over by Nabriales at some point or another. Minor adjustments for taste and style, proper organization, and outsourcing the majority of the contractors had been something he'd been happy to take on and delegate amongst his vast commercial network of contacts. While money was not an object for him, the plans to fund One Night in Hell had only very recently begun and it was not quite as simple as giving away free money - though he'd filed the paperwork for Victorious Inc. earlier in the day and the company would be formally recognised by around 15:00, the work did not end there. He had enlisted a veritable brigade of legal, commercial, and financial staff to create for him the sprawling network of shell corporations that was required to effectively begin the movement of funds (as well as start what could very well become a multinational conglomerate the likes of which had never been seen before) to One Night in Hell, and by virtue of that, to the Resistance.
As such, he'd been extremely busy. By the time he'd finished up with Sarah and Sophia, and closed Victorious Secret for the day at 12 on the dot, he had immediately teleported himself to the entrance of One Night in Hell, creating a far larger poof and explosion of colour than he normally would. Without a grand entrance, he reasoned, there was no occasion - and the occasion of the grand reopening was spectacular indeed! The second he materialised outside the doors, he waved a friendly hello to the doorman and strode into the club. He'd picked his outfit especially for the opening - nothing but a rainbow-coloured jockstrap, covering the bare essentials but leaving almost literally nothing else to the imagination. It was an occasion to impress, after all, and he felt that it would really best represent his own personal stakes in the club.
He gave the room a moment to admire him before teleporting himself directly into Masha's office. He knew that at this time she'd be probably be down someone's throat, chastising them for unnecessary delays and interruptions to the schedule, or perhaps because the services delivered weren't quite up to her particularly exacting standards. It was a quality about her he admired - many people simply weren't... cutthroat enough for business, and if the last few months of work together had taught him anything about her it was that she was certainly capable of that level of ruthlessness and attention to detail. He'd also long since worked out that she was Darius' beau, and had been developing an appreciation for his taste in partners as well as teasing the fox relentlessly about it. In his mind, it was the perfect arrangement.
"How are things going, love?" He started, before realising he was interrupting a phone call and promptly shutting up. In the time it would take for Masha to finish up her call, he summoned a bottle of the good champagne - one of his favourites, the Moët & Chandon Dom Perignon White Gold (he figured she would like the collectability of the bottle) - and two equally opulent flutes. Bringing her the most expensive and decadent of alcoholic beverages had become part of his job description at this point, he thought to himself, and was amazed by how happy he was at the fact. Many people simply didn't have the taste for luxury that he had, and having someone to share the experience with was what made it so valuable.
Masha hung up the phone with a finality to it that said she might never speak to them again. It probably wouldn't be the case, but she felt the threat had been conveyed enough that they'd get their shit together and she wouldn't have to deal with that again with them. She sighed heavily, flopping herself down in her chair again, grabbing at her cigarette case first before murmuring a thank you to Nabri in her native tongue for his offered drink.
She hasn't been certain at first that she would like him. She honestly still wasn't sure that she did like him and not just his money and that he gave her nice expensive booze for free when she needed it. He was...alright. And he did do a good job bartending. And sometimes that made it feel like he was paying her to work. And she liked that.
Taking a long drag of her smoke, she ran her free hand through her black hair, looking down at her dress. Which was fine and lovely, even if not up to her standards for opening night. She'd have to change still, which was something she tacked on to her ever growing list of things she needed to do.
When she looked up at him she blinked golden eyes in confusion. “Please tell me you have shorts on or something,” she murmured in a tone that said she knew if he did that it would be a lie.
"You're right, I think it's a bit much... There'll be plenty of time for a grand reveal later, no?" Nabriales winked back, letting out a slight chuckle as he took Masha's joke in stride and turned around, showing his bare buttocks to her and twisting his head around to look at her, before giving her a wink and teleporting a chair directly beneath him for him to sit on.
"Aren't you doing something similar? I know you're dressed up to the nines, love, but surely you're going to show some skin at some point during the evening? Tonight is about marketing, and we have to show our assets if we're to attract the kind of clientele and attention that you so desire. Besides, you want to show Darius what he's missing every second he's not here, hmm?" Nabriales continued, simultaneously summoning his phone to his hand and scrolling through his contacts. He had a fairly considerable amount of social influence that he could leverage to ensure that the opening night was a success - but there was far less he could do to ensure that they wanted to keep coming back and bring their friends with them. Masha would have to shine tonight - it was a delicate act to balance the influence she had on the operation of the club. She would have to be seen mingling with the guests, but not be seen micromanaging every aspect - though, of course, that is exactly what she would be required to do.
Though their relationship was somewhat tenuous at best, Nabriales had already fairly thoroughly evaluated all of Masha's skills and traits. Reading people had always been something of a gift of his, and though she was markedly more complex than he had originally imagined he at this point knew enough about her to know that there would be no issues. The corners of his lips turned up into a warm smile as he glanced over at her while continuing to weave his subtle social machinations through his phone, and he took her measure entirely. Masha looked stunning - he expected no less, of course - but the combination of her natural beauty and fierce personality shone through superbly; every facet and every detail was worked out exactly, precisely, to the point that Nabriales questioned if there were mistakes woven in purposely to give an illusion of human error that quite simply did not exist.
Noting the state of her neckline, however, Nabriales' eyes shone with a scintillating spark of magic and mischief. With a delicate gesture, he pulled from the aether quite smoothly a simple black velvet box and handed it to Masha. He cracked the lid open slightly, and even in the ambient light of the room the box emitted an array of twinkling colours, shimmering gently as if to invite the eyes to look. He'd leave the rest for her to open herself, though he did make sure to note that the necklace within was hers to keep, if she so desired.
Contained within were vis crystals, pure and flawless, made to look like precious stones. The craftsmanship was, to put it bluntly, peerless beyond measure - and though he wasn't sure exactly how much they were worth in traditionally financial terms, they had taken him the best part of a month to make. Everything was, of course, tailored to Masha - it evoked a primal sensuality, subtle but domineering, and a sense of elegant refinement that simultaneously drew the eye and challenged one to shelter themselves from the brilliance on display. To call it anything less than a masterpiece would have been shameful - and as he handed it over to Masha he kept his gaze locked on hers, ready to vicariously drink in her enjoyment as she beheld his craft.
Masha watched him with at first slight surprise (though really she should have expected him to show off his ass to her, even if he wouldn’t ever be interested in her) and then frustration. “I don’t need to show off my body on opening night just to get people to come back,” she said with growing frustration. It wasn’t that she had any sort of problem with that, but that was just not something she wanted to default to on the first night. Where did you go from there? “And I don’t need to tease Darius like that any. He already knows what he’s missing well enough.”
She paid no mind to him looking her over, she was sure he was up to something, but she couldn’t spare the brain power at the moment to worry about what he was thinking. So instead she took the few moments of respite and just enjoyed her drink and her smoke as he did whatever it was that he was doing. There was so many things she had to worry about, big and small. And she knew that there was going to be someone working against them from the inside as well. Because Cortes was still being a thorn in her side, even if it had seemed to take a back seat in his priorities.
Since her mind had wandered towards the less pleasant things, it took her a moment to notice that Nabri was talking to her again and offering her a box. A jewelry box. She took it from him, confused, and put her cigarette down in her little ashtray (that could really use to be emptied because she’d been mostly chain smoking a good portion of the day). She looked at him, then to the box, and back at him with a raised eyebrow before looking back down and slowly opening it up to see what was inside. The gasp that came out of her was totally reflexive and outside her control.
Masha didn’t need to know him to know that this thing was more than just a pretty trinket. She could feel the power in it, and knowing him, she knew that he hadn’t just acquired the gems, but made them. The sapphire and emerald stones glittered in the light, drawing your eye into every perfectly cut facet. She murmured in Russian about its beauty, trailing thin fingers with sharp, dark nails along the chain and then the gems, her lips tweaking into a wicked little smile.
“You spoil me almost more than Darius does,” she said with a little laugh at last, looking up at him as she pulled the necklace free from the box and put it round her neck. “Though his spoiling is a little more physically satisfying.”
"I do have potions for that..." Nabri quickly retorted in response to Masha's last comment, also giving her a wry laugh to indicate that while he was definitely serious about the quality of his potion, the context was largely made in jest. As much as he'd have liked to have watched her fawn and swoon over the work of art he'd given her, he appreciated very intimately that they were pressed for time and elected to decide to move on to the actual business at hand. He'd noticed that Masha was very hands on with her work, and while he appreciated that she could only reasonably have confidence in her own abilities it was about time that she let someone else take over and actually get herself ready. Stress was as much of a killer as the metaphorical and literal knives in the back associated with the life Masha had chosen, and though he always worked to provide her a little succour wherever possible it was absolutely not enough.
"Look, love... You're going to kill yourself with all of this stress. You can be the perfect host or you can try to micromanage every aspect of the evening - but you can't be seen to be doing both! Let me make sure that everything is running smoothly while you take a few hours to get yourself ready, hmm? You deserve to relax with how hard you've been working and you know that I can take care of all of the rank and file business. I have looked over all of the plans at least as many times as you have!" Nabri smiled, walking over to her as he began talking and placing his hands on her shoulders to give her a quick massage. He kneaded her muscles as he spoke, working out where the most tension was kept and gradually releasing it with kneading of varying pressure and depth. As a man who worked with his hands practically all day as well as a self-confessed hedonist, Nabriales' massage skills were nothing short of excellent - though he normally put his talents to more carnal uses, Masha would still receive nothing but the very best he could offer her.
"If you're so inclined, I can teleport you over to Darius' place and back once you've had plenty of time to... Enjoy yourself? You just let me know what you want and I'll make it happen - and I'll worry about all of the details. We've tended this little garden very carefully, and I'm more than capable of making sure that any thorns don't rear their ugly heads..." He spoke, adding a soothing lilt to his voice. It wasn't quite singsong, but gentle and melodic like the wind passing through chimes. He wasn't sure that he'd be able to persuade her to let go of even a shred of control with how she was, but he knew that he had to try for the success of the evening. Much hinged on tonight, and part of his own success relied on the evening going well. As an afterthought, he produced a small bottle containing just a mouthful of a lightly pink-red liquid - something Masha would recognise as his own substitute for morphine. All of the high, but none of the downsides - and something he only offered sparingly. He offered it to her knowingly, making an exception for the severity of the night.
She had started to shift when he’d put his hands on her shoulders, but it only took her moment to decide that she didn’t want to make him stop. Her eyes closed and she did little beside taking a drag from her cigarette. She didn’t want to let go of things, she wanted to make sure that everything was perfect. But he was, as much as she hated to admit it, right. And if she could trust anyone to do it, it was him. Because the success of this night was important to him for slightly different reasons. But it was important nonetheless. Whatever political thing that they had going on, she was still trying to work it out because her brain had been too busy with the club itself, was going to need this place to thrive as well.
Masha looked up at him with a slightly saddened smirk. “As much as I would like that, I don’t think he’ll be as inclined at the moment to have me popped into his office in the middle of the day.” He made plenty of allowances for her as it was. But there was only so much he could do and still make it appear that he wasn’t favoring her any or that they were in fact together like they were. And she understood that, she didn’t like it, but she understood it and wasn’t going to make a fuss about it.
She had already considered taking his offer up, for at least giving her a little bit to go get herself ready, but then, oh then, he offered her something even better than good wine or vodka, better than any shoulder massage he could give her, and sometimes, even better than the offer to go see her favorite lover for the afternoon. She didn’t even give him a chance to detract his offer, to teleport himself out of her reach and stop her from getting it. She reached out with her free hand and snatched the little bottle out of his hands. “I do need to change…” she said with a smile that was wickedly delighted by the idea of what he’d give her. As much as she didn’t mind things like the occasional hallucinations that came with too much morphine, it would be nice to be able to continue to work while also enjoying the high of something better than just alcohol and nicotine. She stood up, looking around her for a moment before shaking her head to clear it. Not succeeding, but trying anyways.
“I'm sure you can...you can…” she trailed off, her brain skipping ahead now that she had be given the choice, though was it really a choice when they both knew how she’d be when given that? She was normally much better at that sort of thing, keeping her priorities straight. But she was so very stressed, and she knew very well how unstressed that would make her feel.
Nabriales laughed to himself under his breath softly as Masha chomped at the bit to get at the vial he had offered her. The immediacy--the primal urgency--that was expressed as she stole away the vial as if it were under threat spoke volumes about the habit that he was enabling - and truthfully, he couldn't bring himself to feel negatively about it even a little. There was a purity in the moment that one surrendered themselves to the singularity of sensation; there was a satisfaction unrivaled by the fulfillment of desire on that intimate chemical level. It was something that nothing else could provide, and if it were ordinarily not so horribly dangerous and slippery he'd have been an advocate for everyone in the world experiencing the peaks that narcotics could provide. Fortunately, his particular skill set removed all element of risk - even addiction was a plaything for him to tinker with, and no risk to himself or any under his wing.
It had always been instilled in him, even from a young age, that mastery was important - vital, even - to the human experience. Without mastery, what did we truly have? Without mastery, what did we aspire to - what was the point of existence without wanting to better it and experience that betterness? When he had been old enough to understand that calling that sung to him from within his marrow, it was the first time he had truly known fulfilment. It was an experience he had sought to relive through the use of powders and potions and physicks, and only through sheer mastery had he accomplished it. There was nothing he could not distil and decant - decadence and denial; dreams and domination. All elements of the human experience were there for the taking, and watching that unfold in another being was deeply satisfying heedless of any potential consequence. Still, he was careful to have a downer for her just in case anything went wrong.
"Tell you what - I'll pop you over to my place and you can check the wardrobe out there! If there's anything else you want, take my card and order it - delivery is so fast these days! I'd give you a spending limit, but short of you spending over a billion pounds I don't really care..." He chuckled, handing her a sleek black card and noting down the PIN for her. His own wardrobe was plentiful, but likely not in the style that Masha went for - so he figured throwing money and the equivalent of drugs at her was the best way to ensure her own peak performance for the evening.
She grabbed her bag from under the desk and started to slide her various things that had been strewn about the desk back into place. Picking up her glasses, her phone, her tablet, and all the other little things like chapstick and cigarettes as well as his little gift. She was too distracted to notice the way he’d reacted to her eagerness, and in that moment, she wouldn’t have cared anyways. She was not afraid to admit that she had a problem, she just had no desire to fix the problem. It wasn’t currently affecting her life, she was still being prosperous, she was working just fine, and her social life was doing just grand. So there was no reason to change what she was doing. Masha considered his offer for a moment before she shook her head slightly.
“No thanks, I’ve already had something picked out for weeks now, and I don’t want to change my mind now,” she said with a little laugh. She considered for one more moment before taking the card from him anyways. “Accessories though,” she said with a little smirk. Not that she’d probably get much of anything but a new pair of earrings perhaps to go with this lovely necklace he’d given her. Not because she didn’t want to take advantage of his offer, but because she had already picked out her outfit for the most part and didn’t have much plan to deviate from that.
“So if you’d like to pop me home, that’d be great,” she shrugged, an expectant little smile playing on her lips.
"Have fun, love! If that hit isn't enough for you or you need a top up, let me know!" Nabriales laughed and waved before poofing her home as she'd asked. She had his number and vice-versa - it wasn't like getting into contact with one another would be an issue. With Masha off getting ready, Nabriales could turn his focus to ensuring that her preparations were completed and strictly adhered to. He knew that a lot of people would think of her specifications as simply guidelines - but he certainly knew better than that, and her instructions were to be taken as gospel. The One Night in Hell stuff would mostly know to stick to her plans exactly - but the external contractors were not typically so informed (minus the unfortunate souls that had been on the receiving end of her earlier verbal thrashing) and Nabriales' job was essentially to make sure that everything went exactly how she wanted it. There were bits and pieces that he'd do differently - aesthetic differences, mostly - but the club was hers and it was her vision, so he wanted to remain completely true to that.
They had their differences, but Masha let him be himself and do things his way and he absolutely had an appreciation for that. As two people who were both used to having a domineering presence, it would be very easy for them to clash and never get anything done... But he thought they'd found a nice harmony in which he could get exactly what he wanted out of the deal, and Masha got showered with lavish displays of wealth for the privilege. Ordinarily, one would think it was a deal that favoured Masha quite heavily - but Nabriales was not easy to get along with when it came to work and he was very well aware of that; it was why he had opened his own store and conducted things his own way.
He spent the next few hours directing things towards their proper place, helping out with magic and money where necessary, and as the time neared opening everything looked pristine. He was pleased with himself for ensuring that events had unfolded as per Masha's designs, and he couldn't help but admire her sense of design. Where in pieces he had thought things looked a little disparate, they had come together with her chosen aesthetic wonderfully. For a brief moment he allowed himself to be envious of her good taste before being shaken from his moment of reflection by the buzz of his phone and Masha asking to be brought back to the club. He obliged her immediately, bringing her right next to him behind the bar, and invited her to look upon the fruits of their labour with a theatrical sweeping gesture of his hand.
"I must say it looks better than I thought it would! Aren't you just full of surprises?" Nabriales heartily chuckled, looking her up and down as he did so. In her completed ensemble she looked stunning - radiantly and fiercely resplendent. Everything came together wonderfully, though his eyes were naturally drawn to the necklace that he'd crafted for her - perhaps it was narcissistic, but he couldn't help but admire just how beautifully his handiwork had turned out. On Masha, the jewelry was breathtaking. Combined with everything else about her, it was a beauty the likes of which he'd witnessed only a handful of times in his life, and he was grateful merely to have been a part of it. After noticing he'd looked a little overlong, he laughed and turned to the space before them. He wanted to watch as Masha presided over the night - it was certainly going to be one to remember.
She looked up at him, the languid look in her eyes flicking with annoyance for a second. “I'm much more capable than I seem, yes,” she replied smugly. “I do know what I am doing after all. Even if you might not think the same way.” And with that she flipped a few stray hairs back over her shoulder and headed towards the stage.
It was finally time. After months of working on this. After hours and hours of stressing. After countless all nighters and all that passion she’d poured into it. It was time. The official opening was about to start. They’d been open their normal hours, but the real party hadn’t yet started. The best deals, the best foods, the best booze, the best music. Everything was going to be the best it possibly could be. And if it wasn’t, there would be hell to pay for it.
Everything looked so nice, the floor was already filled with people, the lights were chill for the time being and not the flashing show they’d be later in the night. There had been a steady flow all week leading up to this night, but tonight, she knew they’d be packed. It would better than it had ever been. And certainly better than it could ever hope to be under Cortes.
The band had been on a break just before and was getting back into position when Masha joined them up on stage. Most of her hair was up, pinned with tiny little poppies and braided perfectly, what was down had been put into loose curls held in place with a fair amount of hair spray. The flowers gave the impression of a crown, and as this the start of her kingdom she wore her little crown with pride.
Her dark green peplos style dress clung to just the right places, flowing freely around her feet. She mindlessly fiddled with her new necklace as most of the crowd looked up to her on the stage, mic in her other hand.
“Welcome,” she said, smiling and hardly blinking when the lights focused on her, catching the gems around her throat brilliantly. She chewed at her lip playfully, playing up her sex appeal with a practiced ease, not even smudging her perfectly applied lipstick.
“Welcome to One Night in Hell. Your new home away from home. Starting now, all drinks are half price, as are appetizers. So eat, drink, dance, indulge. Party like you've got nothing to lose.”
She took a step back, letting Lily come take her place back at the center of the stage. She lingered there though, even after the music had started up again and Lily’s sweet voice floated through the air, golden eyes watching as all of her work came to fruition right before her. She was surprised that aside from a few small hiccups, nothing much had happened. Which of course only made her more nervous. Cortes had to be up to something, she'd done what she could already to start weeding out his ties in this place, but there were lots she didn't know and she just knew him and knew he would do something to destroy this.
But she wasn’t just watching for hiccups. She was searching for familiar faces. Hoping, but also know knowing that it was unlikely, her slick foxxy would be there. If he was, she knew he wouldn’t stay long, and he wouldn’t be like he was alone with her. They’d spent much more time together alone than in public and she wasn’t sure if right this moment she’d be all that distant with him. And as much as she didn’t want to admit it, she needed him there just now. Maybe, just maybe, he’d show up but not in his normal form.
Arc 2, Day 1; 9:35 AM On the Gray Line, courtesy of Ominar Transportation Services Corner of Camdarry Alley and Basken Dr --> 4040 Culphey Ln, Apartment D2
"Earbuds are fucking tripe. I have never been so offended in my entire life."
For Naomi, life had just become an arduous journey. The truest version of a trawl through hell. The clasp of the little headphones dangled annoyingly in front of her nose, pods shoved haphazardly into her foxlike ear canals. A song that could really only be described as 'butt rock's younger brother, butt pop' pumped through the noisemakers as Nao quickly whipped the wire behind her head, temporarily tangling herself in the cord as she played a short game of hot potato with her phone.
You see, it would have been quite strange for her outburst to not garner attention, but the fact of the matter was that the sweet southerly Australian accent could not even nearly match the sheer gravitas of the massive, floating hands that hovered at either side. Aldous--the left--gingerly picked up the phone, coming to rest at an angle that didn't irritate the edges of Naomi's ears.
People were staring. Well, most were staring. Some were licentia... Who had certainly at some point adopted a form that wasn't catered to by the likes of Bose or AKG.
Others were human. Some were elderly, looking upon her with sneers and snide expressions as her outcry had interrupted whatever video game they were playing--or merely interrupted the sanctity of the 'seen, not heard' clause of being--or just looking--like a licentia in Praesville.
But, of course, Naomi was not a licentia. She was just another human, plagued by a kink for the bizarre. And by headphone cords being entirely too short. Her tail swished lightly hither and yon, sensing a humorlessness in the air. Like a dowsing rod for stink-eye. The licentia she sat next to, however--a great big man, shaped like a shark that hadn't skipped a single leg day--gave her salvation in the form of a chuckle. "Hey, listen, least you've got a place to put them. See these?" His girthy finger gestured just above his false gills, at a tiny hole in the side of his head, "Yeah, I haven't figured out how to get ears on me without making it look like someone taped some normal ears on and painted 'em blue. Made me look like a fuckin' extra on a kid's show." The faint Geordie twang merely added to his hearty chuckle, clapping her on the back in a show of camaraderie. A crooked grin played across Nao's face--she couldn't help it.
"Now, you know what's really shit? Shoes. Look at these." Her pawed foot rose slightly, allowing her to present it with a pair of outstretched well-manicured hands--and two giant floating gauntlets. The shoe itself was quite simply made--a wrapping with a sole, clasped with two golden buckles and a heel descending to meet the open toe. Her paw wriggled in demonstration.
"Fox feet was the worst idea I could've had. I..." Naomi looked across the cabin of the bus. It was entirely too quiet. It didn't help that these were the types that looked like they'd swoon at the sight of a pair of wings and sticks shoved where holes should be.
"...Think we should move this conversation abovedeck. I could use some fresh air, couldn't you?" She offered George to the man, who wrapped his hand around the ring and hoisted himself up--Nao winced ever so slightly as she shifted her ostium's discharge to shoulder his weight, but otherwise hardly changed expression as her heels clicker-clacked against the floor.
And lo, there it was.
Ominar's Camdarry Alley--the longest stretch of Old Town, nestled right along the River Dour. It smacked of the old world, of a time before the time before--Romanesque architecture lined the streets and side paths, all resplendent in the morningtime mist. Autumn slipped its ruddy hues and sunlit yellows in between the sepia-tone streets, breathing warmth into the dawning chill. Something about it all made Nao feel wistful for the days where she was cooped up in the attic with a book on vis circuitry, with Kapsey downstairs cooking up something fresh and simple. Lots of salt, though. Naomi's arteries whimpered nostalgically.
"You're a queer one, aren't you? Come all the way up here and then you glaze right over. Where are you from, anyway? I can't hardly pin that accent. Sounds proper." The mammoth of a man leaned gingerly against the side railing, hardly even reacting to the biting wind that buffeted the open-air seats.
Naomi planted herself against the rails, looping her tail through the underside as she sat herself up on the rim of the bus. Her tiny size forced her to make a bit of a hop, but it was altogether fairly fluid. "Sorry, didn't mean to space out like that. I'm just thinking about home--little place called Alice Springs." "Fuck me, that's not Britain at all! Where's that? South Africa? Australia? You don't sound too tourist." A sharp, cheerful chirp sprung from Naomi's throat. She answered with a single finger-gun at the sound of her home country, a smile playing across her sickeningly-saccharine face. "That's the one! Look the place up. Good-size town, right in the middle of Australia. Really, just a bunch of decent folk. My dad was a licentia--but, uh, no relation, though. I'm human as they come, with a couple of, uh, tweaks--"
Her tragic backstory screeched to a halt, as did the bus. "The fuck is that?"
The fuck in question was a raucous mob standing directly in the way of Naomi's bus ride home. A standing protest.
"Well, that's a crying shame. They've disrupted the whole government. You see this bus?" The shark-man gestured to the vehicle below with a sardonic grin, "Whole of fucking Parliament in here. They're really making a difference. Wait, did you say you're not--" "Hold the queries for a moment. What are they even protesting about? Licenti rights?" Naomi peered over the front end, trying to get a better look at the tiny sea of signs. The first one that jumped out at her was perhaps the most beautifully designed, simple, and excellently executed sign she had ever seen in her entire, blessedly short life:
PRAE ARE CUNTS
"That's really hard to argue with. They made a statement, and they meant it. Guess I was right about the licentia rights thing. You can see 'em all in the crowd." Naomi pointed to the variety of folk--reptilian men in hoodies, strange ears and eyes abound, a small bevy of non-standard legs and tails--that were riotously chanting an incoherent garble of different messages. "I can't tell if they're saying all different things or just speaking Welsh."
The many-toothed man's browless brow furrowed in disappointment and consternation. "This is exactly the kind of shit that gives us a bad name. It's not great. Didn't one of those prae queen types just die? What're people going to think when they see these folk on the news? They never think about the image of us working types. I can't afford to be losing what job I've got for some chav with a heroin habit what wants to have fourteen tails and a wing growing out his arse in public."
Naomi, however, had had quite enough of waiting. "Well I'll be fucked if I'm going to sit around waiting for some tit with a head like an orange to tell Bastille Day 2: The Reckoning down there that they've got the wrong spot. Are you coming?" Half of this, of course, was said as she quickly made her descent down the side of the bus, using Aldous and George as her own personal staircase. As she hit the ground, she offered a massive ringed mitt to her newfound companion, which he gingerly took--and the other construct carefully grabbed his other arm. "Just jump on down, I've got you," came Nao's surprisingly reassuring voice as her friend hopped down, fall slowed considerably by her two floating helpers.
And then, of course, Naomi had to say something smart. She'd been mulling on what sounded the most clever for the past minute, and continued mulling until the first syllable cleared her lips:
"Hey, come on, derv-verv-er..." she trailed off, having to start again. Nao's tongue clicked against the roof of her mouth as she internally 'reset' herself. "Diversity hires coming through! We have a friend who needs us so he can make racist jokes!"
A twang of pride forced her chest out and forward, as she used Aldous and George to pave a path--she was only a block away from the sweet solace of home, and she knew she deserved a nice shower. Her newfound ally quickly tottered after her, pushing past the little wall of people in order to catch up.
The next few minutes were spent conversing. Small talk. His name was Ghillie, and he was actually from Newcastle. The shark thing really wasn't intentional--he was born at sea, and his parents were both sailor types. He got to be out on the ocean so much that his body simply adapted to it--and he'd always liked sharks. It just became natural.
They talked about the graffiti on the walls of old-town buildings. How bigoted things were getting. The Exeo's death. That one new movie--the action flick that everyone was talking about. They didn't even have special effects, really--most of it was licentia stunt-boys and the like with a little bit of CGI to make them suit the artist's renditions. "Real impressive stuff, honestly. I love that we're getting more roles and such, but I do still wish they'd give us another starring role--you remember Beauty and the Beast? Great live-action. Comsey Kade was great in it."
Eventually, though, all good things must come to an end--Naomi reluctantly bid her farewells to her newfound comrade, though they promised to keep in touch.
All of that, of course, was a great deal less important than home, sweet home. 4040 Culphey Lane. Naomi had to feed Cap--she'd been out of the house for the past four hours, attending courses that she wasn't enrolled in and using her phone for day-trading. He was going to be so upset.
As she entered her homey, cozy little apartment, the cry of a hungry parakeet drowned out her thoughts.
"Aw, Cap, honey, I know--I've been out of the house all day. But I've got your feed right here, okay?" Naomi skipped past the hastily strewn clothes and pulled a little baggie out of the cupboard--all seeds and berries. Cap's favorite.
This was home, for Nao. A place with her stuff, a place with her bird, a place where she could just be herself and not have to worry about the outside.
It helped, moreover, that she wasn't paying utilities. Reluctantly, she pulled up her phone and began to scroll through the messages, looking for things of interest--and her heart immediately sank.
Her face was already tagged on a photo. Alongside words like 'race traitor.'
"Fuck," stated her sense of dread. Her fingers quickly began tapping away as she began back-tracing her photo, looking for as many of them as possible--and, of course, there she was, pushing licentia out of the way during a protest like nothing was wrong.
This was going to be a long morning.
"Fuck," reminded Cap.
For Naomi, life had just become an arduous journey.
A Collab between [@Rajinslayer] and @May, featuring Masha and Damian
Masha gave up trying to find Darius in the crowd and made her way off of the stage from the side. If he was there she was sure that he would find her. Even professionally it wouldn’t be strange for him to seek her out on a night like this. So she'd either see him here, or see him later. Either way she couldn't worry about that right now. She needed to focus on the club now. Even if the stress of that might just drive her even crazier than she already was.
She winded through the crowd that was starting to really enjoy the musical show that Lily and the band were putting on. As much as Masha might class with her husband, she had to admit that she liked Lily. And especially liked her singing. It brought in a lot of people and that brought in a lot of money. And what wasn't to like about bringing in money?
As she was making her way towards the bar, she spotted the semi slinking form of one of her employee's. “Damian,” she called, adjusting her course the slightest bit and headed towards him. “Don't run. It isn't worth it.”
Damian flinched slightly at the tone of Masha’s voice, knowing that she was likely more than a little disappointed with his lack of punctuality. For a moment, he considered making use of his Incubus aura to perhaps soften her mood a little, but after a moment’s thought, dismissed the notion. Even if his tardiness wasn’t completely his own fault, that wasn’t reason enough to mess with someone’s head just because it might help him out of the jam. Ashamed at himself for the momentary impulse, he quickly turned around to face Masha as she approached, eyes cast downward as he tried to find his voice.
”I was actually, um, l-l-looking for you, M-Ma’am.” His voice could just barely be heard over the rumble of the crowd and rhythmic beat of the club music. He quickly fell into a deep bow, raising his voice up a bit more so it could be heard above the noise. ”I’m sorry for my lateness, there is no excuse for it and I will accept any reprimand you deem fit.”
She raised a dark eyebrow up at him, snorting softly and rolling her eyes. “of course you were,” she sighed, gesturing him along with her as she walked away. She could still never understand with it was that someone as powerful as him, just naturally so by what he was, was so subservient and afraid of someone like her from time to time. She of course enjoyed knowing that he was, it swelled her pride nicely. But it confused her too.
“I'm in a good mood right now,” she went on, heading towards the quieter part of the club, her preferred part, of seats and more closed quarters. Something classier than just grinding bodies. “So you can get by with just my disappointment.” She didn't head inside, but stopped near the wall, waiting for Damian to join her. “So what was it you were looking for me for?”
Damian nodded somewhat disheartedly at Masha’s response, grateful that she hadn’t fired him right then and there, but the quiet tone of her voice doing more than enough to convey her disappointment in him. Shaking his head to rid himself of his doubts for the moment, Damian rose up from his bow and followed Masha through the crowd. For Damian, pushing his way through the mass of bodies was nothing short of a nightmare, his meek words of apology for making his way through the throbbing mass of humanity(and non-humanity) going mostly unheeded.
When he managed to escape the dance floor, he’d take a quick moment to recuperate before speaking, deciding to get right to the point of the matter.
”Aside from letting you know I was here and apologizing, I also wanted to inform you about a licentia I sensed in the club a little bit ago that we might wanna keep an eye on. Her name is Corinna, and sometime ago, she attacked me at my other job. As he mentioned the incident, Damian could help but shudder at both his own actions that day,(what he could remember of them through the haze of the potion he’d been forced to drink) and those of Corinna. "I don’t think she’s here to hurt anyone, but it never hurts to make sure, right?"
This time, when she quirked an eyebrow up at him it was in amusement. “Attacked you say? At Nabri’s place?” she hummed, trying so very hard not to laugh at the absurdity of that. While she was sure that he would allow something awkward to happen to those in his employ, she doubted that he would let something of a serious nature go so easily. “What did she do? Flutter her eyelashes a little too provocatively?”
Chuckling some and shaking her head she did still scan the crowd for the Licentia that he spoke of. She couldn't afford to look over anything, even if she thought it was silly. “Well you keep an out for this...Corinna and you come to me when you find her.” Her quest to find the woman was halted when she set eyes upon one of her bouncers. “Or handsome muscles over there,” she said with a nod towards Marcus as he was trying, and failing, to flirt with a girl near the bar.
Damian couldn’t help but pout at Masha’s taunting, but didn’t respond to it besides some anxious shuffling and shifting his gaze away from her. The less he had to think about how his and Corinna’s first meeting ended, the better. When she spoke again, he’d returned his attention to his employer, following her gaze to the man known as Marcus as he seemed to talk with a woman at that bar, one that looked very unenthused about the conversation. “Keeping an eye on her shouldn’t be an issue. Even now, I can pick her up on the feel of her Vis from within the center of the crowd. . . and even if my description of our encounter is a bit. . . exaggerated, I’m not as naive as people think I am.” As Damian spoke, a bit of frustration, perhaps even anger, seeped out of him for a moment, his aura shifting momentarily in response. Creeping whispers fluttered through the air, along with a chill that would cause Masha’s hair to stand on end.
However, near as soon as it appeared, the moment faded as his expression shifted from one of exasperation to fearful panic, instantly shrinking away from Masha, his arms lifted up slightly as he ducked down, almost as if he was expecting a strike to come his way. His body was literally shaking, his form losing it’s very stability in his current state of fearful anticipation. However, as the strike failed to come, Damian looked up, remembering with a flush of shame where he was and who he was with. As much as he respected Masha and as much as he feared the weight of her words, even he was aware that there was little she could due to truly harm him in a physical manner. After he’d taken a moment to collect himself, he attempted continued speaking as if the lapse hadn’t occurred.
“A-anyway, I’ll keep m-my eye on her as I m-m-make my r-rounds.” Internally, Damian cursed his stutter, along with a whole list of other things about himself that he wished now more than ever to be rid of.
She watched him closely, stepping back away from him slightly. She teased him often, and the most he normally did was flush and stutter a little. But this...this was something else altogether. She shivered a little at the charge of magic that went through the air around them, wrapping an arm protectively around herself without thinking about it. Maybe what had happened has been a little worse than just some flirting.
But then, for all that show of power he shifted to being afraid of her again. Little old her. Who could next to nothing against him. And as much as she hated to admit it, he could very easily make her cease to exist she was sure, and there would be little she could do to stop him. “Damian…” she said after he’d at least visually regained his composure. “What the hell was that?” And it was clear that she wasn’t asking about his anger and slip of the darkness inside of him, but about the way he’d grovalled at her as if she was going to literally rip him apart. She didn’t want to admit that she liked the boy, man...whatever he was. He was valuable to her, but even still, she liked him.
“I-I-It was n-nothing, Ma’am. I j-just forgot . . . where I was for a moment.” Damian spoke, hands anxious pulling at the hem of his shirt while his gaze seemed to dart around the club. Even though he knew that they weren’t here, the nightwalker could almost feel the overbearing presence of his uncle emanating from every shadow in the place. Especially with the strong underlying scent of alcohol that hungover many of the club’s occupants. “I just . . . forgot myself for a moment, along with who I was talking to. B-b-but like i said, it’s nothing to worry about.”
He shifted in place slightly, wishing Masha would let well enough be alone. His uncle was his own problem, and he didn’t want others to get involved if he could help it, didn’t even want people to know if he could help it. This reluctance was as much for the safety of others as it was for himself. For all of his indulgences in vice and sin, the man was a terrifyingly strong Nightwalker still, and often had a dangerously short fuze.
“It is definitely not nothing,” she said with a huff, letting the shiver run through her body for a moment before she gathered herself back up again. “But you can keep your secrets to yourself. For now. But you’re gonna have to answer to me sooner or later.” She hummed thoughtfully, trying to remember what it was that she had stopped him for in the first place now. Her mind was all over the place and she had way too much going on now to focus easily.
“Ah yes,” she said with a brightening smile. “I’m gonna need to use those lovely skills of yours this evening. I need someone to keep a very good eye on Cortes and his lot. Make sure they aren’t going to do something very stupid. Existing for them is stupid, so they’re already are at a disadvantage.”
“O-Of course. . . ”Damian muttered in response to Masha’s promise, hoping against hope that she’d forget about it in time. Despite her word of warning, the matter had been dropped for the moment at least, allowing Damian a moment of respite from the tension he’d felt curling in his stomach since his slip-up. As Masha mentioned that he was to keep an eye on Cortes and his associates, the boy responded with a blank look for a few moments before he finally remembered who exactly the man was. Cortes hadn’t really left much an impression on Damian during their first meeting, and he’d had yet to even really talk to the man that was essentially his other boss.
With a nod, he began to search for Cortez’s Vis signature, a slightly more difficult scenario considering the mass of humanity that was currently present in the bar. Find a Vis signature he wasn’t quite familiar with in such a packed building would prove a tad challenging, but he felt he was up to the task. That being said, he couldn’t help but wonder what Masha expected from Cortez. Considering that Darius was now the one who owned this place, anyone with knowledge and common sense wouldn’t be willing to cause a ruckus on opening night. . . right? Somewhat worriedly, he would bring up this concern with Masha, though he kept his wits about him enough to not directly say Darius’ name, not quite sure who could be listening to their conversation in a building such as this.
“No one has ever said that he was a smart man,” Masha said with a sigh, starting her walking again and gesturing him along with her again. Cortes had done a lot of stupid things before she got there, which was partly why she was there to begin with and not in some other club that had ties to Darius. So she wouldn't put it past him to do something tonight. She expected it. She just was hopeful it wasn't going to be too crazy.
She sighed, feeling the itch for something to calm her nerves down again. The high that Marci had gifted her was already gone and the leftovers of it were fading away. So she needed a smoke or a drink. Or both. And she needed them now. But her cigarettes were in her office and it would be quicker to stop at the bar and get something there both liquid and smoke.
When she got to the bar she waved down Rich, the young man sliding over easily, already with a bottle of vodka in his hands. Like he knew his boss well. When she simply nodded at him, he poured a shot for her that he slid to her and returned to his work.
“Perhaps,” she said thoughtfully after taking the shot, “it might be best if you stuck near me tonight. Maybe...I don't know.” She groaned, letting out a string of curses in Russian before she collected herself again and put on a smile that was only partly fake.
Damian sat down next to Masha, listening to her for a moment while his gaze shifted through the gyrating throngs of people dancing in the mosh pit. For a moment, he allowed his eyes to unfocus, green irises giving way to a soft pinkish-violet glow as he looked past flesh and bone to view the flow and surge of Vis. Thinking back to Corinna despite himself, he couldn’t help but think she found herself quite a perfect hunting ground, if that was indeed her purpose here. The heightened emotions that was being created by the atmosphere, the frenetic beat of the music, even just the sheer amount of people in the room, it all lead to a heightened potency to the Vis present here.
Even a licentia as adverse to predation as himself couldn’t help the nagging temptation, especially given that last night’s . . . altercation with his uncle had left him feeling somewhat drained. That being said, with the help of a few steady breaths, Damian managed to reign in his impulses, at least for the moment, instead focusing his attention on Masha. Even he could tell that his employer was feeling rather stressed and ill at ease at them moment, no doubt due to her worries over this Cortes guy. Gnawing at the inside of his cheek, Damian did another once over of the crowd to see if he could identify the man, but the hunger in his core was making it difficult to focus.
Letting out a sigh, the Licentia began mulling over other ways he could comfort Masha. He considered going out to search for Cortes more thoroughly but. .. he didn’t trust himself to be alone in the club at the moment. After that, he was coming up with nothing. . . well. . . almost nothing. There was one thing he always did for his mother whenever she was facing a great deal of stress, and while he wasn’t quite sure if it would have them safe effect in this context, it was worth a try at least. Taking a breath, he allowed the shape of his form to disperse into an amorphous black mist, which quickly reconstituted itself into a much smaller form. Where Damian had been now sat a rather fluffy cat, with black that was as soft as sin and a familiar pair of violet pink eyes that shone in the dim light of the club.
With a bound, he’d leap up on top of the counter and proceed to nudge and rub his face against Masha’s arm, letting out a deep contented purr as he did so. After that, if she did not object to the sudden display of affection, he would leap into her lap and curl himself into a ball, tail flicking too and fro ever so slightly. He wasn’t sure if this would be of much assistance to improving Masha’s mood, but given that Damian had all the speaking skills of a floundering fish, this was the best he could do.
She only caught was he was doing near the end of his shifting. But when he sat there, looking at her from the slitted eyes of a cat she was surprised. She knew he could. He had before, just not in front of her like that. And then he was up against her arms, rubbing and purring. And then he was in her lap. She blinked a little bit before reaching a hand down and running thin fingers along his spine, feeling the little rumbles of his purring though her lap and hand.
This was certainly an unexpected change. One in which she was not going to complain about. Cats had always been and would always be her weakness in animals. And while she didn’t mind her little kitten at home, sometimes, it was nice to pet one that wasn’t a little rotty. “You do know I will abuse this,” she said with a little chuckle as she scratched at his ears gently. “I will abuse this oh so very much.”
One Night in Hell (Nightclub section), Entertainment District in Ominar
After Afua departed, her path wove itself back to her residence. When her hand reached out and twisted the knob, it was shoved open on her way inside. The hinge gave a loud screech as the rust resisted the movement. Her mind flinched at the sound penetrating her ears. She ignored the painful throbbing, then snapped it shut behind her. Her heavy sounds betrayed her causing seven eyes to jerk into her direction instantly, followed by needy meows and scrambling paws.
Seven felines, all in various stages of autolysis stages, pressed themselves near her ankles. Each one had traces of taxidermy along their sides where internal organs had been removed in order to prolong their ‘life’. It was a new method Afua had been trying to develop, shifting from the softer and more moist variety to drier ones using a variation of freeze drying more commonly used. It still required tweaks because the creatures’ flexibly suffered. She couldn’t help but noted a few of the cats’ tails hung to one side, often bent at odd and unnatural angles. Afua’s affection remained strong.
She bent down at her knees as she tenderly stroked their rough fur. Her fingers ruffled along the hard, bony spines drawing a dry rattle from their throats. When a few moment passed, she rose upright then proceeded to closet. She needed to pick something lovely out for Masha’s official opening later tonight.
Through it was an important night, she wanted to blend in. It was best if there was less eyes on her.
Her fingers brushed by a pair of jeans laced along the side, the gaps suited to expose her dark skin through its gothic butterfly design. The imagery caused her lips to turn up into a smirk as she gently pulled it off the rack, then tossed it upon the bed behind her. Next she located the perfect v neck tank top with broad straps. Finishing up her ensemble with a small cat choker, she applied her black lipstick and examined herself in the mirror.
Afua leaned over for one last good-bye to her pets before she walked out of the door.
~| One Night in Hell|~
The night air was chillier than normal causing Afua to regret not being a jacket. Her figure walked through the neon sea of lights, their colors altering her skin and enhancing her allure. Each step made her tight curls bounce across her face as she pulled them across her eyes. A long line stretched across the pavement to the street. The club entrance seemed backed up by the eager patrons waiting to satisfy their curiosity about floating rumors. Afua found herself faintly surprised by the fact due to the club’s reputation as she skirted past the line’s end, heading to the front.
One of the bouncers were about to stop her until she jerked up her VIP badge. Flashing it caused both men to come to an abrupt halt then waved her by, one of their arms even pushed the door open. She gave a distinct nod then strolled right in. Maybe a bit too much like she owned the place, but she had other things on her mind besides appearances.
Afua narrowed her vision across the scene. Patrons wiggled like insects partying in a corpse, their movements carefree and sometimes sexual, as they became lost in the music. She fought against the siren’s influence while she panned for Masha’s location. The necromancer found her target currently busy with another of her ‘co-workers’, Damian.
“Shit,” Afua muttered under her breath.
She couldn’t approach him without the little hybrid blabbing to Darius. Deciding to wait until Masha was alone before approaching her, she sought someone else that could give her the answers she needed: Nabriales. Resigning to her second option, she made a beeline right for him.
Water cheerily burbled from the prim little fountain, nice and contained, and Katarina sat and listened with a slight smile as she sketched the idea of the means to commit genocide. The fountain was a touch of the wild constrained for human enjoyment, without any fear of getting wet or treks to where a waterfall may naturally occur. And the concept dreamed up by Katarina was still similarly bottled up. No danger of it getting out of the safely contained realm of imagination, at least for now. Somewhere there was probably someone with the power to make dreams, or perhaps nightmares, reality.
~Mmmm... Now lets just brainstorm the general idea without worrying about whether I can make it happen yet, or if it's a good idea.~ Katarina's hand pulled the pencil to the top of her notebook and produced forth a bundle of lightning bolts, drawn in the Assyrian style, three pronged bolts. It was an iconography that had just stuck in her head from long ago. One little high school book report had forced her to look outside of Wikipedia, and she had by chance grabbed a book of Mesopotamian Poetry. She felt it looked a little odd without Adad's hand holding it, but the novelty of something different charmed her. Or perhaps it was simple straightforward pretentiousness and latching onto something old and not frequently was what she desired.
~It will need to be far more advanced than any human virus. Than even our conceived diseases. The Prae have far superior technology and magic to our societies, which in turn exceeds my own. So my disease needs to be BETTER than I can make it.~ Katarina drew a simple figure. Not quite stick figure, but similar, still flat and two dimensional. Katarina took a moment to draw forth a red pencil, and add a flash of both hair and scarf that bled together. That hint of color felt right, that it made that image unequivocally represent her, despite the fact that she was stooped over an anvil with hammer in hand, not in a lab with beakers and vials. She felt a bit of a mythological theme to the drawing, and the anvil, the forge, the blacksmith, these felt associated in her mind to the idea of the creation of making a divine weapon in an ancient myth. Even though her weapon in mind was no sword.
~That means it needs to be able to grow. A disease that learns. Accelerated evolution? Or perhaps.. What if I made a learning disease, that could edit itself? Grow?~ From the anvil and hammer blows flowed smoke, getting bigger and bigger with each successive cloud drifting away until at last it gained eyes. The creation was the kind of spoooooky smog blob that is not all that scary. Angry eyes on a formless cloud just don't really do it. But in its own way, its blobiness reminded her of bacteria. Which was related somewhat to the idea of disease.
~Maybe if I gave the disease my communication ability that doesn't care a bout distance. Make it a.. self-replicating distributed computing network? Hmm... That sounds like a bio-magical grey goo scenario. Might have potential. But that link could be used to strike at the entire disease at once, there needs to be some distribution to prevent it from being targeted like that. Multiple strains competing over food to drive its evolution faster? Hmm, given I'd likely only have one shot at this before I get ganked by some super Prae, unleashing a whole bunch at once might be a good idea anyway.~ The smoke monster separated into many streams of color now, like dragons winding over each other in impossible streams, all nipping and biting at the same target while they jockeyed for position with each other.
~How should it transmit? Teleportation might work, creating wormholes even might be efficient for microscopic organisms. But they'd have to know where to go. Some sort of vis sight ability? I should look into that. Even if I never execute this plan, that might be fun to try and learn, even if I don't really have any more room in my head.~ Now Katarina gave the previously indistinct being that the smoke dragons had been biting at eyes. Large eyes, greater than the rest of the being. With a smirk, she chose heart pupils to represent life, which in turn represented Vis, at least in Katarina's chain of thought. A little touch of humorous whimsy, she assured herself. ~Because, of course, I'd never actually use it.~
Vaciti walked through the entry doors, her head held high, and paused to take in her surroundings momentarily. Blue, white, and gold colors stood out against black line, borders, and accessories. Exactly what she expected from a HQ building. Her Exeo was here, having summoned Vaciti to this world and her side.
A smile lifted her lips at the thought.
Taking her time, Vaciti stepped towards the counter, running a gloved hand along the smooth surface.
"I'm here to see her excellence. Vaciti vex Contierre," she stated confidently to the receptionist, a young human female. Pointed towards the elevator, she entered.
Up and up and up she went. As the door opened, Vaciti smoothed her jacket and adjusted her hat.
Entering the room, she courtesied and announced herself clearly. "I am ready to serve, my Exeo."
Amon found had found just the kind of place he was looking for. It was called, 'One Night In Hell', and it seemed like the most lovely location. Since it was a big city he'd had the idea of setting up shop in a previously established location for a bit, maybe run around and try a few places out. The people he'd talked to spoke quite well of the place. There seemed to be a few burly men at the door who were in charge of letting people in and there was quite a line! Amon waited patiently enough, wondering if he needed an ID of some kind. Any Prae in Medius was pretty much old enough to be in bars by definition and generally people couldn't tell how old they were anyway so Amon was pretty confident they would just let him in. If not... Hehe, he could always sneak in. But he didn't want to break any laws already. Amon couldn't wait to go inside, he had a little light show pre-planned and everything!
Arc 2 Day 1 {One Night in Hell club | Around 6 pm }
A Surprise Run-In
Emma wasn’t sure that Killian was going to like her showing up at his job, but she thought he’d eventually like the surprise. She’d been to a deal of clubs, despite her generally quiet, sort of mousy nature. She liked going with people. She didn’t like going to just go. And as such, she’d been to a deal of clubs.
So she took a look around as she climbed out of the cab, adjusting her skirt back into place and feeling a little self conscious about how short it was just then. But only for a moment and she got herself into the line to get in because she knew there was no way he was likely to put her on any list to get in faster. But as the bouncers seemed inclined to get the pretty girls in, she moved up enough in the line that she wasn’t outside too long before she was in through the door.
Her blue eyes took in the flashing lights, the throbbing bodies, and the general macabar decor and thought to herself, This is certainly the sort of place that Masha would like. It felt almost like a place Masha would be running.
She made her way through the crowds towards the bar to get a drink, winding her way through the sea of humanity, and non humanity as well, to be greeted by a site that she had not expected to see, but was really not entirely surprised either. “Masha,” she called as she moved up to the bar and stood nearby to her friend. “What are you doing here?”
Masha looked up in surprise as well, putting her shot glass down. She’d just sent Damian off on some little mission a few moments before so she was basically alone again. A genuine smile crossed her face for a moment as she spun on her stool to face Emma head on. “I think honestly the bigger question is what are you doing here? Because you don’t normally go to bars alone.”
Emma laughed and took the empty seat next to her. “I’m only kinda alone,” she admitted with a little shrug of her shoulders. “I’m actually here to sorta surprise my boyfriend. He works here.”
One of Masha’s dark eyebrows quirked up at that, a wicked little glint in her eyes for a moment before she turned to Rich behind the bar and gestured him over. “Oh he does? What is your boy’s name?”
“Killian,” she said with a proud sort of smirk, turning to Rich and relaying her drink order to him. “He didn’t mention me?” she asked of him, because she hadn’t quite put two and two together to realize that Masha did in fact own this place.
Rich chuckled as he poured her drink. “Oh no, he did. But I don’t think him boss lady are too chaty.”
Emma’s eyes widened for a moment before she laughed and shook her head. “Well that is ironic,” she said, turning to her friend. “I thought this looked like a place you’d run, and here you are, running it.”
Masha beamed proudly, sliding off of her stool. “Come in the back room with me, it’s quieter there, we won’t have to talk so loudly to hear one another. And we can plot how to surprise your boy about this.” She gave Rich a look that said simply that he was to keep his mouth shut, to which he pretended to zip his mouth closed and handed Emma her drink.
Emma thanked him and stood as well. "Lead on then."
Location: One Night In Hell Time:Day 1 (Arc 2) About 6pm
Killian grumbled as his car pulled up towards the club. One Night in Hell wasn’t far off from the truth considering clubs sometimes stirred up trouble. They also tended to become targets for those wanting to cause a massive ruckus with the owners. In all honestly the young man hoped Marsha wasn’t one to cause trouble or make unreasonable dealings. Granted that his new boss was clouded in nothing but mystery.
The young man shifted out of the car, his figure moved towards the trunk, fingers grasping the hidden latch as they gently tucked on the lever. The subtle whooshing sound made a comforting said granted nothing but darkness laid inside the area. Darkness that had just recently reached the light of day until that one single day. Then again this was bound to catch up with him. Considering that those who are closest to him was still in the illegal game. It was just a matter of time before the seed of chaos spread towards them. Granted when this day happened heads would roll.
” Shit. I need to get inside before Marsha has my head. I hope she's in a good mood tonight.” He mumbled to himself as he gathered the prison break outfit and shut the door. The guy’s figure slowly walked toward the entrance, noting an unfamiliar face exiting with hurry, making the feeling in his gut crawl more. The guy knew it would be best to mention this to his boss later. Once inside the human walked into the locker room area and changed. His figure moved out from the room and went directly to work.
