Time: Night
Location: Trance
Interactions: Monica @baraquiel Rose @Tae

---

Violet smiled warmly and took her hand to gently shake it. "It's nice to meet you, Mo. My name is Violet." She introduced herself. "Rarely go out, hmm. I haven't been going out as much either for some time. I was born here but spent many years away. I just came back more recently in my life and all my old friends are strangers." The girl seemed sweet but a bit strange. Her friend had invited her to come out but did not seem to be present. Then there was also the fact she seemed to be quite very easily distracted by her surroundings. Violet supposed after being in her house for so long, a club was a lot to take in. Besides, she was far from normal herself. She decided against questioning anything. It was easy to tell this girl was a good person regardless.

"If you want, I could help show you around town. Ember Grove is filled with great places."Violet offered. Being in a new town was a lot of fun. The poor girl had maybe not even got to explore it yet. Exploring Paris was something she wished she could erase from her memories so she could do it all again. There were so many treasures to uncover. "Have you been to the beach here yet? I like to collect seashells so it's the one place I've been going all the time."

She wondered if it was pathetic she actually felt kind of excited to make a friend. It was a nostalgic feeling she had not felt in a long time. Unfortunately, those feelings of excitement gradually began to grow into darker feelings: shock, anger... These were not her feelings. Was Damien trying to screw around with Rose again? Violet's heart began to race and she glanced over to the spot she had seen her with the other guy. They were both gone and Felix had taken his leave too. She took out her phone and began to quickly dart to Rose's name with her finger to call her. "I'm so sorry Mo, please excuse me a moment." Getting on her tippy-toes, she craned her neck to look around the club, but everyone was taller than her. It was hard to place where the feelings were coming from; it seemed like Rose had made some distance from the area. Violet anxiously tapped her phone as the phone rang in her ear. The anger seemed to get stronger the closer she got to and Rose's feelings got rather complex and hard to put into words. A feeling a wave of worry crashed over her that was more familiar than anything else. This was beginning to feel like Paris all over again.

Time: Night
Location: Outside of Trance
Interaction: @jetipster Felix @princess Violet

---

As she ran, the dark thoughts that were flooding Rose’s mind would have been alarming if it hadn’t been for the fact that she still felt rage towards Cain. How dare he threaten her family. Had he been trying to manipulate her in some way by doing so? That thought alone made her think back to Damien, to how manipulative he’d been and how she allowed it out of fear. She hated herself for allowing someone to manipulate her. She was weak. Well that was going to change starting tonight. Never again would she allow someone to manipulate her, to take advantage of her, to play her. She’d become stronger, no matter what it took. She would completely destroy those that threatened her or her family. The demon that slept inside of her, that she tried so desperately to keep asleep, was now awake. There was a small voice telling her to not listen to that demon, to put him back to sleep, but Rose ignored the voice. He could make her stronger fast and that’s what she needed.

A familiar voice pulled her out of her head, making her stop in her tracks. She stood still for a moment, confused and wondering if her spell had fallen. It hadn’t, but she soon began to realize it was no surprise Felix would suspect it was her. Illusion spells were her specialty and she constantly used them, so why wouldn’t he first question if it was her? How would she explain herself, though? She didn’t want him to be able to see the darkness and rage she felt. She smirked briefly to herself before forcing tears to start falling down her cheeks. She dropped the cloaking spell and ran to her cousin, throwing her arms around him, and sobbing into his chest. ”Oh Felix, it was awful! I was talking with that Cain guy and then I offered to help him get a job at Alexei’s. So we left to go get an application and it turns out that’s not what he wanted at all! Why are guys such jerks sometimes?!” She made a point to not specify what happened, allowing her cousin’s mind to run wild and come to his own conclusion.

After a moment she sniffled and released him, wiping at the tears on her face. ”I wanna just hang out with you and Violet for the rest of the night and get completely wasted.” Well she’d let them get wasted, she wanted to make sure Cain didn’t come back and try to harm them. She would be their protector without them even knowing there was danger. Her phone began to ring and she pulled it out of her pocket to see Violet was calling. She also took note of the fact she had a missed text that she’d have to look at in a minute. She knew Violet had probably sensed her feelings, knowing her twin sister would be harder to convince that everything was okay.

”Hey Vi. Sorry, I’m okay. I’ll be inside in a second and I’ll explain, I promise.” She answered the phone, immediately reassuring her sister. She knew that she may be calling for a different reason, but she was willing to put money on the fact that she was worried.

Time: Midnight
Location: Operation Humanity Base
Interaction with:

---

After dropping off the old man to the Operation Humanity base, Sean remained at the base while trying to work on an operation for tomorrow night.

"It's steak time!" Sean said with a big smile as he got up from his work desk shifted towards a George Foreman grill on the far end of his desk. He pulled the freshly cooked steak from the grill with a fork and placed it onto a cheap orange plastic plate. Sean took a deep inhale as he smelled the deliciously cooked meat. He couldn't be any happier at this moment. Work and steak were the two women in his life he couldn't choose between, but the grill let the man have both at the same time. It was a blissful dream. If only he had a grill that he could install in his truck.

There were nights where it was better to not hit the streets. This was one of them. Operation Humanity had many resources when it came to either murdering or capturing the supernatural. As Sean saw it especially tonight, the night clubs were the biggest problem in Ember Grove. The nightclubs were like ice cream socials for the vampires and a safe-haven for their activities. There was too much risk and collateral for a guy like him.

Niko and Angel can match up with vampires fairly well, but I can't. They get their hands on me, and I'm in trouble. He needed a way to get them out of the clubs, and he had thought of a nice trick for the monsters that preyed on the humans inside. Tomorrow would be Friday night, possibly the best time to catch all the fish in his net.

He cut a portion from his tenderloin grinning before taking a bite. It was probable the man would spend the entire night. He eyed the sleeping bag rolled up under his desk. Nevermind it was obvious he would be spending the entire night there.

---

Mo was delighted. She didn't expect to meet such a kind person outside of her apartment. She was cooped up in her apartment for so long, with only her online clients and friends and her ghostly roommate Amanda for company, that she feared she forgot how to speak in front of an actual living human being. Mo was just used to the quirkiness and eerieness of ghosts though there were still those that retained their good nature from when they were alive.

She smiled at the kind stranger. "Hey Violet. Yep, I guess you can say the indoors are more of my thing. I'm still kind of confused about where is where in this place but I have to say, I'm beginning to like it here." It's a good thing Violet never noticed about Mo glancing every once in a while at the ghosts in the club. Rather, maybe she did notice but she just mistook Mo as someone who's easily distracted. Mo was good either way.

The reason why Mo kept on looking at the ghosts was that she wanted to keep an eye on them. They might be nothing from the perspective on the living, but they haven't had the slightest idea on the power of the dead and how these ghosts affected every waking moment of their lives.

So far Monica only kept seeing regular grey-skinned ghosts, with a couple of random Succubi and Incubi here and there. With the presence of the sexual spirits, the woman was pretty sure some people were already making out somewhere here. She figured they were all safe in Trance as long as there weren't any Furies and Corrupted within the vicinity. Otherwise, things could get real ugly.

Mo took a moment to think when Violet offered her a tour. "Oh that's so nice of you. I would really appreciate it. I'm kind of like a freelancer at the moment so it's easy for me to go out whenever I like. Let me get my number." Mo said before getting her phone from her bag. Her first time out of her apartment for so long and she already saw a woman getting in trouble and another woman offering her kindness, both ends of the spectrum. Mo wondered whether she was a trouble magnet or a good samaritan.

She paused from looking her number through her contacts when Violet told her she wanted to excuse herself for a moment. "Of course. Take your time." Violet seemed very troubled by something because she was calling someone on her phone and looking around the club as well. Now that Monica thought about it, she did notice Violet was with someone a while ago before she approached her.

Mo was worried. She read articles on the internet about women being roofied or something by sleazy men in clubs. She put a hand on Violet's shoulder. "Violet, is everything okay? Do you want me to call the police or...?"

Time: Night
Location: Back into Trance
Interactions: Rose (@Tae)

Where there had been empty space there was suddenly his cousin bowling straight at him and into his arms. He could only stroke her hair and make a shushing noise as she blabbered on about a guy called Cain and him wanting more from her. He was momentarily surprised about the Alexei’s part of the story, his mind momentarily wondering if this Cain guy was a warlock too, but another sob from his cousin drew him from his thoughts.

”I wanna just hang out with you and Violet for the rest of the night and get completely wasted.” she had finally mumbled out. ”Then let’s do exactly that then” he replied rubbing her arms ”Come on, let's get back to Trance”. Before he could even say anything else Rose picked up a call from her twin. Of course Violet knew how Rose was feeling, and if it was strong enough for her to call then it was definitely worth him acting upon.

As they walked back to Trance with his arm around her, he slowly sent a trickle of magic into his cousin’s body to perform the first spell he ever truly mastered: adjusting homeostasis. His mother taught him to subtly control basic body processes at an early age - a skill always needed before you even considered starting to magically heal someone. As his consciousness spread out throughout his cousin’s body his magic calmed her breathing, slowed her heart rate and re-balanced her hormone levels. He hoped that he had helped calm her and that she would find it an intrusion.

He listened into her phone call as he extended his personal shield around her as well. First the old warlock, then that shadowy Damien guy and now this Cain person… When they were back in Trance he’d have a word with Vi incase she thought a ward around the club was a decent idea for the remainder of the evening. He quickly escorted his cousin through the club entrance and tried to see through the crowd to reunite her with her twin.

Time: Night
Location: Ember Grove streets, outside of the hospital garage
Interactions: @Liv
Ambience: Ember Grove at night

---

The encounter with Sean had left Mia entangled within her own thoughts. Usually her evening run could take her mind off of anything, tonight though it wasn't working its usual magic. It would be a better idea to turn back and head home. Without realizing Mia had taken a completely different route, wandering all the way to Ember Grove general hospital. She was amazed she wasn't tired yet, it was at least half an hour away from the park. Mia slowed down her jog and took out her I pod, to change her song when she....

Mia almost lost her footing when she bumped into another woman. She gasped in surprise and held her hand to her chest, strangely similar to what Natalie was doing. Mia recognized her from around the hospital. They'd had a handful of casual hallway conversations ever since she started working there.

"It's okay, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going" She said, sounding regretful. Mia noticed Nathalie was still wearing her work clothes. A night shift probably. Those were though.

"Done for tonight?" Mia asked, gesturing to her scrubs.

She brushed her bangs out of her eyes, her skin glistened a little with perspiration. While she was standing still on the spot, Mia stretched her legs, to ease the tension in her muscles.

---

Time:NIGHT
Location: Road 68
Interaction with: @Milkman Finn

---

Boris blinked. The barrage of questions thrown at him sounded like a bunch of incomprehensible noise coming out of the stranger's mouth. He could understand the beginning, but his mind was still trying to catch up to the words spoken. For Boris, when people spoke to him in English, he'd have to almost translate the words in his head; sometimes being able to fill in the blanks for words he doesn't know. So he just stood there, still trying to catch up to the last thing the man 'Finn' was saying. Tonight seems to be the night full of strange encounters, huh?

Boris' jaw slightly lowered for a moment as if he was about to speak, but then immediately shut it. He turned his gaze down to his shirt and couldn't believe he was about to ask this. “I need another sh-shirt.” was all he said. He knew it wasn't exactly a question, but if he was lucky, maybe the stranger had an extra shirt in the trunk of his car or something. He struggled to keep eye contact with the other werewolf, the same way he found it difficult to make eye contact with the wolves back in the forest. But his voice was gentle, and calm, and hoped the stranger could help him so he doesn't have to walk looking like this through town.

“And...” Eventually, his mind did catch up to some of the questions, and he realized that he doesn't exactly have an answer for them. He doesn't really know what happened, and didn't care enough to question it, he just trusted that his Alpha knew what he was doing, and decided to step in and help however he could. So, in a very Boris like fashion, his answer was quick and concise. He pointed back at the forest and simply said: “...Vampires.”

Time: Night
Location: Trance
Interactions: Monica @baraquiel Rose @Tae Felix @jetipster

---

Violet was relieved as Rose answered the phone and told her she was okay. From her emotions, it seemed like things had deescalated, so she believed her. "It's okay. I'll see you inside."She replied on the phone and then turned to Monica. Truthfully, she wanted an explanation and to tell her it was not okay to run off, but Violet preferred to do it in a private setting later on.

Monica's voice stirred her from her thoughts and she turned to her, shaking her head. "No, everything's okay I think, but thank you, hun. " She then took out her phone to exchange numbers with her, returning her attention to the girl, "I am taking off from school right now so I probably should get myself a job as well, but right now I have too much free time."

Once that was taken care of, she took a quick scope of the club. Things seemed to have calmed down. Maybe they'd be fine here after-all, had Felix left already? That question was answered as she spotted him and Rose coming back into the club. "Ah, that's my sister and cousin. Hard to tell we're twins with the way we present ourselves, but I think the resemblance is there."

Violet found herself pondering Mo's behavior. She had been on and off looking around but never fixating on one thing, so nothing, in particular, was distracting her. She was not fixating on any one thing. The girl seemed to be ... watching something or maybe even watching out for something that Violet could not see. There could be any number of reasons to explain why she did this, but Violet had learned quite quickly in life that the truth eventually comes out, so there was no need to go searching for it.

Gwendolyn Dexter Barrett

Time: Night
Location: Ember Grove Streets/ Riverwood Cemetery/ Ember Grove Embassy
Interactions: Nobody

After a few hours of trying to sober herself up and try to hook up with any guy or woman around her, She had no such luck and everyone seemed to want to distance themselves away form her. As she walked out of the club and down the cold streets hearing the busy streets and the people having conversation, unaware that a savage beast was listening into their conversation wanting so desperately to be heard. Gwen could hear a couple talking while walking passed them, form what she could extrapolate was that the woman was planning a baby shower and was telling the male of whom they could invite. The thought of not being able to have a baby filled the vampire with immense dread, cursing underneath her breath knowing that she would never know the feeling of caring for a child nor the deep intimacy with a man. As she made her way down a few smaller streets before making her way towards a certain cemetery, this was the place she had buried both her mother and her former sire. Her sire the person that turned her into a a vampire was a German named Till Hagen, He was a former German solider since WW2 and from what he hold her was turned by a tall bald vampire named Count Murnau.

Till was killed by some hunters in the mid 00's, which left her alone for the next couple of years. She hated being alone especially with her mother's death in the mid 10's and her father slowly losing his mind because of dementia. Standing in front of her mother's grave kneeling down wiping away the snow so she could see the name and other information on the gravestone, "I'm sorry mum i could not be the good person you wanted me to be" Staring at the grey slab of stone feeling tears welding up in her eyes, "I only wish you and poppop can forgive me for ever shitty thing i've every done" Continuing having had aspirations to being a mortician or even a doctor if she wasn't a vampire and had gotten her shit together. Kissing the cold gravestone before walking towards Till's grave which was under the name Kelvin Watts. "Hi ya kraut, i hope your burning in hell or suffering wherever you are. Even though you saved me form myself, you inflicted more pain then you did trying to save me form it" She stared at the grave of her sire, spiting on the grave and even going as far as urinating on it to show her contempt for her former sire.

After doing all of that she walked away form the cemetery and towards the Ember Grove Embassy, Wanting to speak with someone about doing a job instead of wallowing in her pain and suffering. She felt that doing such a thing would go against her mentality of moving forward and trying to find a bright spot in her bleak future. Walking into the building and speaking with the front desk wondering if she could speak with the boss lady about doing a job.

Time: Night
Location: Campgrounds
Interaction:@Tae - Sorrel @Helo - Liam


“Thank god, you’re okay.” he said relieved at the sight of her and giving her a light hug. “It’s not your fault, don’t blame yourself for this,” Cyrus assured her. Once they had finished their talk, Liam had come to help Sorrel in which Cyrus took her other arm over his shoulder and they led her to the RV and onto a couch. He watched as the group helped Sorrel making sure they were not doing anything odd. Cyrus wasn’t the type to trust right away. He nodded to Liam at his comment respectfully and stayed by Sorrel’s side as the other werewolf aided her.

Location: Road 68
Time: Night
Interacting with: @Kkushmar Boris

Finn was waiting for the response to all his questions but the man in front of him looked rather flabbergasted. As if he did not understand the English language. Or maybe he was more of the strong and silent type. However when the first worlds left the bloodied man’s mouth at least one of Finn’s questions got answered. The man in front of him spoke with a tick accent. In Finn’s mind, the man’s accent kind of reminded him of Ivan Drago from Rocky IV. So maybe murder hobo from the deep dark forest was Russian.

The young wolf found it rather odd how the stranger in front of him avoided eye contact for most of the time. Maybe it was how they did things where he came from or maybe the stranger struggled with the idea that others noticed him. Whatever it was, bloody shirt man was a strange encounter. However one word that the man spoke peaked Finn’s interest, Vampires. The young wolf deliberately started to speak way more slowly then he normal would. ”So… you… where…in…. a…..fight….with vampires?.....Why?”. Finn paused a bit to wait for the man to respond when he suddenly realized that he had asked for another shirt.

”You….need…..another….shirt,…..right? Said Finn as he walked back to his car. He wasn’t sure how well Finn’s clothes would fit bloody shirt man. The guy looked like he was at least two weight categories above him. Wearing a shirt from Finn would look ridicules on the man. But at least it would draw less attention then walking around in a blood soaked shirt. Finn put his keys in the lock of the trunk of his car and watched how it opened. The young wolf’s eyes stared at a dark and empty place as he realized he had left his bags in the room at Alexi’s. Crap! Sorry, no shirt. I’ve left everything in town at my room.. Finn paused a bit as he realized he was talking fast again.

For a moment Finn thought about how he could help the stranger get into town without drawing a lot of unwanted attention. There was really just one way to do it. Finn started to speak slowly again ”Sorry….no…..shirt. I…can…offer….you….a…..ride…..back…..to……town.” But before Finn opened his car he suddenly realized that the man in front of him hasn’t given his name yet. ”So…what…..is….your……name?

Time: Night
Location: Ember Grove streets
Interaction with: Mia @dreamingflowers

---

"Yeah, yes I am," Nathalie smiled, recognizing the small-framed girl from around the hospital. She looked down momentarily and hung up the phone, unsure whether someone on the other end of the line had picked up. Regardless, it didn't matter; she would simply call them back later. "Actually, I was supposed to stay on shift until the morning but luckily for me, my relief came to work very early. He, on the other hand, is not so lucky."

As Mia stretched, Nathalie realized that she herself needed to stop procrastinating and pick up her exercise routine once more. She'd go on a jog here and there, but she wasn't as committed as before. Ever since she and Jason moved to Ember Grove, Nathalie had put off the gym altogether.

"I don't mean to pry, but are there any nature trails you recommend? I would like to get back into running, well, do more than what I do now. It's my miracle cure to combat stress, you know."

Time: Night
Location: Viet-Et-Mort
Interaction: @Potter - Desiree

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Marceau made his way to Viet-Et-Mort at an almost ungodly speed after leaving the Holiday-inn. There was not much going on around him while he traveled there and was a rather quiet trip. He was immediately let into the gated community without issue; they all knew him by face there. Once Marceau got to the door to the structure Desiree was located in, he opened it to the large interior of the entry area and strolled through into the lounge. “Greetings everyone!” He said in a loud tone to announce his presence. Marceau looked around the room and quickly spotted Desiree. “Ah, my daughter. You seem to have a hunter infestation in town, it’s pretty bad the moment I get here I nearly get shot and then bumped into by one that had a similar speed to that of a vampire in the same night. They have mutated humans in their ranks. This one was a young woman with red hair. I have dealt with mutated humans before but they seem to be expanding their range. We need to find a way to cull their numbers before they can get an upper hand. I came to speak with the leaders of the vampire clans not to clean up the mess from others who should be capable on their own. If I am needed I will help I have purged many hunters from their pathetic existence adding more should be no issue." Marceau was not pleased with the situation and was rather disappointed in Desiree’s capabilities. “Get me a drink I am sure you have one worthy for me or I would hope,” he said to a female vampire that happened to be standing around him. “Enough of this I will let you speak for yourself now daughter.”

Time: Witching Hour
Location: Ember Grove Streets
Interaction with:

---

Everything was set in motion. Damien followed behind Kyran as he made his way home from work. The madman had contemplated on how he would do it for hours. It was all about the staging or eas it all about how much he would enjoy this? Kyran walked with a pep to his step, enjoying the crisp sounds of night as opposed to throwing in earphones. Tonight had been an easy night for him as far as work went. He just couldn't wait till he could get home and feed Moham some food he managed to bag up. He definitely loves the pork chops. The little guys is probably waiting right at the door for me.

”Help!” Rose's voice called from a dimly lit garbage filled alleyway. Kyran raised an eyebrow confused as to what his coworker could be doing in such a nasty place, but worry took him away from his thinking.

"Rose?!" Kyran entered the alleyway looking around as he tried to find the young woman he had worked so closely with. The two were not the best of friends, but he wouldn't just leave her helpless.

"Help… me… Holy Saviors… They..." Rose's voice was much more faint, but sounded as if it was coming from the far end of a brown dumpster. Kyran hurried to the dumpster, but before he could round it, he felt excruciating pain pierce his back before being raised up from off the ground. He had let out a yelp as he dropped his plastic bag of food, but it wasn't enough to give attention to his fate. "Surprise!"

Kyran spit up blood while in shock as he felt his legs go limp. Whatever was digging into his back was deliberately crushing his spinal cord. He whimpered and panted as he felt his body get elevated high enough that all he could see was the night sky above him before he started to gurgle and choke on his own blood. CRACK!

His body was violently slammed into the brick wall of the alley. The left side of his body might as well have been hit by a speeding car. The pain was nothing he could comprehend, yet he couldn't scream. All that came out was a disturbing stuttered mess with a wheezing that sounded like it belonged to some feral creature fighting to live. His left arm swung loosely from its dislocation.

A growl escaped his assailant before CRACK! Again his body was slammed, but this time it was the other side. And this time Kyran didn't utter a sound as blood leaked from his wounds.

Kyran did not deserve a death like this, but Damien found pleasure in every moment of it. The body was tossed into the dumpster as Lucy fluttered out from behind the dumpster with a croak. Once it was shut, the Damien scaled the walled of the alley before using the short rooftops to travel into the woods south of Road 69.

This is just the beginning, Rose. I will stand at your side as we watch your world crumble together. Won't that be special?

Time: Night
Location: Ember Grove streets, outside of the hospital garage
Interactions: Nathalie @Liv
Ambience: Ember Grove at night

---

Mia listened to Nathalie while she explained her reasoning for leaving work early. Lucky her, and probably well deserved too. Being a health care professional was a tough job. She wasn't a qualified nurse herself, not yet at least. Hopefully she would be able to finish her education sooner rather than later. At the hospital she worked alongside doctors like Nathalie all the time. They carried the responsibility of the patients, at the end of the day they would be held accountable. It was a lot of responsibility, a weight Mia had dodged on purpose by not becoming a doctor but a nurse instead.

With a job like that you definitely needed some sort of way to relieve the stress. Mia was more than happy to recommend some routes to Nathalie. Sean's presence however had complicated things. Having run into him earlier had made her more weary. He in himself wasn't dangerous, but the creatures he hunted were. And if he was here in Ember Grove, it meant there were vampires, werewolves and maybe even witches here too. Stalking the streets at night where Nathalie and her would be going on a "careless and stress-free" run.

Mia thought it through for a minute. Obviously she couldn't tell Nathalie this. Even if she was in the loop, knowing things like that was dangerous. She wanted nothing to do with the supernatural herself either. The safest option would probably be to run together. That might actually be fun. It would give her another opportunity aside from the hospital to be around people. A regular evening jog with Nathalie would force her to socialize. Her evenings filled with sulking at home by herself, thinking about the tragic events that happened to her the past year, would be off the schedule for at least an hour.

"That's pretty much the only reason I run too, to take my mind of off things." She answered with a knowing smile. Mia could tell Nathalie was the kind of woman who'd had her fair share of bumps on the road too.
"You know.." Mia began. She switched off the lights on her running bracelets, so their energy wouldn't be wasted standing still.
"If you like we could run together. I run every other day, for about half an hour."
"We could take it slow obviously, it took me a while too." Mia smiled reassuringly.

Time: Late Morning
Location: Ember Grove
Interaction with: N/A

---

Who would have thought that Thursday would become so eventful. Newcomers made their impressions upon Ember Grove, while the locals braced themselves to the change in their patterns of life. Success and failure hosted a night that included the continued living of the strong willed and the deaths of the unfortunate.

A battle brewed between an unforseen alliance of wolves and the fanged devils that hoped to best them. Unfortunately, hope was not invited to this night. The wolves were victorious, leaving the vampires to gather and plot with their disappointed undisputed master.

The slayers of monsters may not have been satiated by their desire to undo evil or fulfill their lifelong vendettas, but their patience and preparation will allow them to take the following night by storm. Word of the red haired demoness possessing speed rivaling a vampire has spread rapidly among the ranks of even the most peaceful vampire clans in the area. Does this make her a target or the boogeyman to haunt them?

Outside of the violence, there were some somber moments that occured. Friendships began to kindle between the likely and unlikely. Not all prospered, but a bond is a bond, no matter how foul or prosperous it may be. Some may be an illusion, some could be desperation, but there are those that ring genuine.

Friday... It begins by weeping from the pain and bloodshed that occured from the previous night as a light rain washes away the blood, sweat, and tears left behind. The sun fails to poke its head through the clouds lessening its effect on the devils that despise its presence. The seemingly endless rain is accompanied by air as cool as the previous evening, but promises for a warm humid night. A night that can be enjoyed or feared by all that will experience it. The appetizer has passed, Friday is the main course. Capitalize on this day to take the night.

Time: Night
Location: Taco Bell

---

Nikolaus waved him off. ” I’m not worried about the other one. She can be someone else's problem right now. Dakota’s here as well.” Niko turned to ignore Sean’s comment, not glancing at Angel. He didn’t want her seeing the worry in his eyes or the way his heart had skipped a beat upon the vampire biting her. When Angel spoke, he looked at her out of the corner of his eyes as he began stuffing his gloves away in his pockets. He grinned at the idea for food. His stomach had been rumbling; prior to leaving to rush after Angel, he’d been about to eat dinner with his sisters in the Operation Humanity clinic. He hoped Sean had a safe drive home; he didn’t want anything to happen to his friends.

” Yes, I’d love some food. It’s your pick, Angel... I also do need a ride, because I stole some kid’s bike on the way here. Poor kid.” Niko didn’t glance at her as he gestured for her to lead the way. He wanted her to lead so in case anything happened, she was able to escape faster. ” Do you want to eat in your car or at the base? I'm down for either.” Niko’s skin crawled at the idea of going back to the base. While his sisters were safe, the more sinister threat lurked. He kept his tone casual and light, though he glanced at his watch.

” And let’s get going, okay? I’ll buy, and it’ll be my treat too.” Nikolaus grinned at her and took a small bandana from his bag and handed it to her. ” Your neck is going to be bruised for a while, but it’ll heal quickly with the ointment I put on it. Best to keep it covered, too.” Niko turned to survey the area, his hands near his weapons in case of any danger and waited for her to make the next move.

Angel smirked as he told her he stole a bike. She led the way without a second thought at the gesture as she was not one to follow others’ lead. “Delinquent. She teased him with a smile, glancing over her shoulder briefly. However, she quickly turned it back forward from his sight to conceal its flush as she considered the situation. This isn’t good. She thought. Then he brought up eating at the base and the hairs on her neck stood up. “No.”She abruptly answered him, the tone of her voice solemn, “The car or inside the restaurant.”

She walked up to an old jeep wrangler and turned to look at him as he handed her a small bandana. It was black. Angel kept her gaze down at it, spending extra time to look it over as she got lost in her thoughts. “Now I’ll look like a dog fresh out of grooming.” She mused, putting it on her neck. Angel heard him say he was going to treat her but made no comment. She did not accept favors or “treats” from people. Trying to argue would be a waste of time, so she’d just suddenly pay for it once they got there and let him bitch about it if he so liked. Ideally, she’d preferred they’d pay for their own meals separately, but he did help her out a lot tonight so perhaps it’d square them off a bit.

Silently, she got into the front seat and waited for him to join in before putting the keys in the ignition. She seemed to willingly ignore her seatbelt’s existence. There wasn’t much in the backseat of the car beside a blanket and pillow in the back, and a couple of bottles of vodka almost discreetly hidden under the blanket. It was relatively clean inside. Her jeep was an older model so she could not quite use an aux cord. There was a small collection of CDs in between the seats. What was in the glove box was another story.

“Taco Bell?”

Niko chuckled at her comment regarding the dog and bandana combination. He decided not to comment however in case he offended her in any way. He examined her car as he climbed inside. He briefly pulled the sun visor down to examine the back of her car. He pretended to wipe the blood from his face off and some dirt that had accumulated on it. Niko noticed the bottles of vodka but didn't comment on it. Niko understood she’d become more defensive and wanted to enjoy his time with her. He knew she was wild, and hoped one day she’d relax her habits. Niko didn’t blame her though; from what he had heard, her past sounded horrible. Her solemn tone reminded him of how he dreaded to return to the base as well. The only thing that brought him back was Missy and Shay.

When she suggested Taco Bell, he grinned from ear to ear. ”That would be great. Live más, Angel.” He tried again to joke and hoped it didn’t fall flat. He looked away from her self consciously, though he remained discreet. Niko set the sun visor back up and sighed. As he sat, he couldn’t help but worry about his sisters again. They would love to have Taco Bell; he’d make sure to order it for them. Niko knew it was late but he’d do anything to see them smile again.

Angel laughed at Niko’s words. More so because she thought Niko was truly an enigma. He was so quiet and cold normally. There had been times he’d go hours without speaking and his brutal nature often scared others off. Even when they were training, he’d always been so serious. Now here he was, quoting the Taco Bell slogan.

She started the car and intense rock music started playing immediately. After lowering the volume, she drove to Taco Bell and through the drive-through. She ordered a party-pack of tacos without hesitation, giving time for Niko to make an order too.

Once at the pay window, the girl looked at her as she went to hand her the bags, “Party tonight?”

“Nope. Just me.”She replied, taking the bags and moving to pay for both hers and Niko’s food.

Nikolaus grinned shyly at her laugh and turned away so she wouldn’t see it. She had enjoyed his joke - yes! He didn’t mind the music, though this late at night, it was bothersome for him. He flinched at the noise, despite her lowering the music at the drive-thru. Once she had ordered, he also ordered a party pack and then two dorito-locos tacos. He also ordered two bottles of water. Niko grinned when the woman asked if they were having a party and shook his head. ” No, we just want to live más,” Niko stared at the women’s confused expression and started laughing.

When it came time to pay, Niko moved his arm in front of Angel’s to block her with super-strength from being able to pay. He grinned at her cheekily and took the change. ” Here’s your change, you filthy animal,” He told her with a smirk as he finished paying and moved his arm out of the window so she could roll it back up. After paying, she drove off into the parking lot. She chose an inconspicuous area and they began eating their tacos. He kept his sisters’ order off to the side, so it was not mistakenly eaten.

Angel had never seen him smile so much. Taco Bell really got the guy in a mood. She inhaled when he had put his arm in front of her, and folded her arms. Now she owed him. Great. Muttering her thanks, she took out her tacos once they were at the parking lot. “So… Who are you and what’d you do with the quiet dude that’s too cool to talk to anyone?”She inquired.

”He’s on a break right now,” Niko told her as he ate. He changed the subject as he glanced at her and tilted his head to one side. ”How’s your neck?” Briefly, his eyes twitched, and he gritted his teeth gently so he didn't harm himself. The loud rock music, albeit being soft, was still bothering him but he was trying not to show it. He kept grimacing and glancing at the radio occasionally. He hated the burdens that the experiments had brought upon him.

Due to the nature of his sharp teeth, he was wolfing his taco down and shredding it. Niko was trying to eat properly, but the teeth made his life slightly more difficult. ”Fucking teeth,” he muttered to himself as he drank his water. ”So, Angel, what other food places are you interested in?” He didn’t know what else to say and didn’t want to make it awkwardly silent. He hoped he was being good company; he was trying his hardest.

He kept glancing at his phone as well to check the time. There were a few messages which he read in the meantime while she gathered her thoughts. He texted Shay back, ”I bought you both Doritos Locos tacos. R u OK? Is Missy with you?” He then set his phone down and ituated the taco bag up against his legs so it wouldn’t tip over. Niko would not let his sister’s food go to waste.

Angel side-eyed him, noticing his eyes twitch. She followed his gaze to the radio and finally turned it off, catching on to it bothering him. “Gino’s Pizza is pretty amazing. You?” She replied to him. It had been a long time since she had sat down with someone and had a genuine conversation. Usually it had been vampires or random guys she had hooked up with for the hell of it. None of that really counted as genuine connecting. It was kind of fun to have someone take interest in what she liked.

While Niko texted on his phone, Angel turned her attention to her food to work on eating it. She managed to eat eight tacos before leaning back in her seat to wipe her hands with a napkin. She watched him for a moment, the corners of her lips tugging upward without her realizing.
Were they friends now? Angel wasn’t sure. She had such an elementary understanding of everything. How long did it take?

Becoming friends could be a bad thing. It had taken her so long to be able to stop thinking about the loss of her family so constantly… If she befriended Niko and lost him, then she’d have to start all over again and she’d be worthless at giving her family justice. Though they might be stronger together, what she wanted to achieve was not something he could or would just tag along with. Angel had to stop this in its tracks before it got too far; she could not forget her goal. She gripped her knees, stiffening. “Where do you live? I can drop you off when you’re done eating. ” Her tone became less relaxed and more rigid, as it usually did after a few moments of conversation with her.

Nikolaus finished eating six of his tacos before setting it down. His blood pressure monitor and apple watch were at home, since he forgot to put them on since he’d been in a rush. He had been about to ask her more questions regarding Gino’s pizza when she stiffened up. He frowned, wondering if he’d done something to offend her. He blinked in surprise, turning to face her. Embarrassment filled him and he wondered if he was being a total dud. He hadn’t been able to keep most friends as a kid, due to his father’s nature. His mother had not been the friendliest either. As a result, Niko grew up protecting his sisters and taking care of them. They had been his life, and remained to be the same now as well. He frowned to himself, unsure of what had transpired.

”Oh.. I uh, I live on base. We have a house, but I’m staying on base for now.” Missy and Shay were being held for the week at Op. Humanity’s base to monitor their health and to run more tests. Holly was going to look them over as well to see if she could do anything. Nikolaus sighed as he turned to glance at the window instead so his disappointment didn’t show on his face. ” Thanks for the ride and everything. Please take care of your neck. I’ll see you tomorrow for training.” He told her and fell silent for the remainder of the trip.

Once at the base, Niko climbed out and went inside with the tacos in his hand. He delivered the tacos to his sisters, much to their delight and surprise. He then settled down in their room and remained awake so he could watch over them.

Angel hadn’t expected his facial expression to sting as much as it did. He tried to turn away to hide it but she had seen the initial frown. She had hurt his feelings. She wished she could apologize, but it was probably better off the less he liked her. He was silent for the rest of the car ride and so was she. She nodded to his words, gripping the wheel tightly and keeping her focus ahead of her as he spoke.

She had done this so many times that she thought maybe she would have gotten used to it by this point. So many thought so lowly of her. There was no doubt in her mind Niko had heard the rumors of how much she gave everyone the cold shoulder. They called her selfish, heartless, a bitch, and any other name in the book. However, Niko had not treated her like she was any of that, despite probably hearing all those things, and she still did it again.

Angel took a moment to wipe her eyes before driving home.