Ava raised an eyebrow at Clarice upon hearing her introduce herself. It seemed to Ava that the young woman intended to start a conversation with her words, get to know her a bit more. Or, perhaps she was trying to make light of what could be an awkward situation, seated next to a stranger not necessarily by choice, given the lack of seating options in the cafe. Ava decided she would indulge - she hadn’t really made any connections since coming to Ember Grove, and she figured if she was going to stay in the town, it would appear less suspicious to make some friends.

“I’m Ava. Nice to meet you.” Ava picked up her coffee mug once again, sipping at the cold contents. There had been latte art of a leaf sitting on top at some point, but the image has since distorted a fair amount. She put the cup down, “Are you a student here?”

Clarice shook her head, "No-" the word came out hoarse, most likely due to the liquid fire that had just rolled down her throat. Clarice put her coffee down and leaned her head to the side and covered her mouth while she cleared her throat. "No, I'm not a student. I intern at the lab just north of here. This is just the closest Cafe to my apartment. Plus there are usually..." Clarice searched for the word. "Activities going on near colleges, and my sister has me on this kick of trying to not be so... boring." Realizing that she just told a total stranger possibly way to much information and also in the process called herself 'boring' made Clarice mentally scold herself. It was almost enough to make her decide scorching her vocal chords out was a better option than to continue rambling. "What about you, are you a student here?"

Ava almost chuckled watching Clarice struggle with her hot coffee, but held back from visibly reacting. She mentioned a job here, an internship, and an apartment, leading Ava to believe she’s lived here for at least a few months, likely longer.

“No,” Ava spoke bluntly, “I’m not a student here.” She didn’t go further into explaining who she was as Clarice had done - from her years of jumping around, Ava learned it was easier cutting ties with humans if they didn’t know much about her to begin with.

Ava calmly changed the focus of the conversation from herself to something Clarice had mentioned. “In terms of activities, there was some commotion in here just a little earlier.” She motioned towards the front of the cafe. “Some rich guy with bodyguards pulled up in a Rolls-Royce. Art exhibit, apparently.”

While she listened to Ava, Clarice ran her finger along the edge of her coffee cup. She let her magic slowly seep into the cup and when Ava drew both their attention to the front doors pf the Art gallery she activated it, casting the smallest of cold spells into the brew, Not enough to cool it all the way, but enough to make it drinkable.

"Well, its been years since I've been to an art exhibit! I would love to go to one, thank you for the information." Clarice paused for a moment, contemplating whether or not to ask the question she wanted to. "Were you planing on going? After she asked the question Clarice picked up her coffee and drank some more. It was warm and though it stung over the parts of her tongue that were absolutely burned, the overall sensation was a good one.

Ava took a slight pause to think about it before speaking. "I've considered going. I don't have much else to do today." She took another sip from her mug - at this point the coffee was pretty much just about finished. "Are you particularly interested in art?"

Clarice thought for a moment before answering. "I don't think I ever got the chance to be interested in art, but I would love to try. What about you? Ever had an intrest in art?" Clarice took another long sip from her coffee. She could already feel the electric tingles of caffeine jumping across her skin.

Ava smiled, the first time since arriving in this cafe, in a somewhat mischievous way. It was almost 200 years ago, approximately, when she became acquainted with Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun in Italy, after the French Revolution. People had such obnoxiously long names back then, yes, but the two bonded over their shared first names. Élisabeth had become quite a popular portrait painter in her time, best known for her painting of the infamous Marie Antoinette. The memory of her late friend gave Ava a small moment of delight.

“I am acquainted with artists,” Ava remarked, without much enthusiasm in her tone of voice, keeping her delight private. “I don’t personally paint myself but I can always admire the skills of others.”

Clarice noted the smile that crossed Ava's face, it was hard not to when it lit up the room the way it did. Clarice took one last pull on her coffe and finished it off, before setting it back down on the table. It was now or never. "Well, would you be interested in accompanying a lonesome stranger, less learned in the ways of art than yourself, to a certain art exhibit? I was recently informed of one nearby from a wonderfully interesting woman."
Smooth.

The coffee cup in Ava’s hand was emptied by now, and her mind had long since left the medieval world of the novel she had been reading. Ava had already visited art galleries around the world before, and the thing with art galleries is that the pieces on display don’t change too often. An art exhibit might be more interesting if it features a new artist Ava has never encountered, so she entertained the idea. Not to mention, a nearby table in the cafe was becoming increasingly crowded by a group of people, loudly chatting about a concert or whatnot. The volume was something Ava could do without. She shot the group a side glance that displayed a flash of visible contempt, before returning her attention to Clarice.

“Sure,” Ava replied. She didn’t need much convincing at this point, and Clarice’s compliments were a nice bonus. “I actually just got into town so I’ve never explored the campus before. Know where an event like this might be?”

Clarice blinked bit in surprise. That worked... apparently. She stood and walked to Ava's side of the table, offering her arm like an old-fashioned gentleman. "Of course, allow me to lead the way."

It would be an understatement to say that Ava was surprised at Clarice’s outstretched arm. It felt a little too forward for Ava’s rather traditional and reserved mindset, when Clarice was only a stranger she had exchanged a few lines with. She figured maybe a revival in chivalry was a trend for youth these days, though she had high doubts.

To appear courteous, Ava gently accepted the offered arm, only to hoist herself up from her seat, before retracting her hand back to her side. She grabbed her purse that was placed behind her, and stepped away from the table. “After you.”

Time: Sunset
Location: University Cafe
Interaction: None
Mention: None

---

The bus into town was a blessing, Ravyn was gifted a ticket from a witch couple she met a few days ago; her shoes were already worn, they were more for decoration than foot protection at this point. The scenery had been lovely, surrounded by trees and critters her mind was lost in the rare opportunity of having a blank state of mind and a chance to rest. The witch was the last passenger on board, and the quietness was alarming at first; however, she had come to enjoy the peace. Her head rested on the window; she was appreciating the simplicity of just being clean, being on the run made her grateful for the little things in life, like the indoor bathroom the couple had let her use to get clean.

Leaving the bus Ravyn took in the nearby area, the town did not seem to have a dedicated bus station, so it used the bus port for the university. The sun was setting, and she would need to find a place to camp for the night, however, the lights of the university were alluring and the café she spotted from the bus made her salivate from the thought of freshly brewed coffee. Ravyn strapped her travel sack onto her backpacked with the freshly cleaned clothes and a few personal effects. The university seemed to be having an art exhibition taking place, she would have loved to attend, though she felt a bit underdressed for such an event. The walk was not far, but it gave her time to think about what the woman driving the bus warned. “You be careful Hun; this town is a bit odd and I don’t trust it.” The warning was appreciated but unnecessary. She was already aware of the dangers; Ember Grove was infamous of being a beacon for people of the night.

The café smelled heavenly, the aroma of coffee beans hit her nose like a truck, Ravyn took in a deep breath of the pungent beans enjoying the scent longer than she would had intended. She came out of her momentary stupor and realized the shop was mostly packed with university students dressed much like she was. Ravyn began to feel self-conscious of her clothing; she had her ebony hair in a messy bun, she had a large military grayish-green style jacket, an oversized black shirt, and black ripped jeans. Ravyn gathered her courage, she was not the best at talking in public. The barista in front of the register and smiled, she seemed to be a bit older than Ravyn, though she looked a bit younger than her own age.

“Hey there, what can I get for you?” she said with the façade of a smile that was required for a person working in customer service.

“Uh-Yeah, I’d like a Caffe latte, thanks,” Ravyn replied with her own nervous smile.

The barista’s smile faded slightly and looked at the witch expectantly, “Uh. You have money to pay for this, right?” she asked becoming annoyed.

“Oh, of course. Sorry about that I’m a bit rusty at talking with others. I mean not that I don’t regularly talk with people…I mean I do but you know, it’s rather hard sometimes… I’m so sorry here’s the money and I think I’ll take a coffee cake as well.” Ravyn said handing over a twenty-dollar bill. She felt guilty for spending so flippantly, though the sugar was too enticing to pass over.

The barista smiled more genuinely, “it’s no problem, I’ll get this out for you in a bit, here’s your change. Also, what was your name?” she said with a chuckle.

“My name’s Ravyn,” she said taking the change then found a spot near the fireplace and took off her gloves revealing her tan scarred hands and warmed her chilled fingers.

She scanned the room for possible places for her to sit, it seemed to be nearly at capacity, though there were pockets here and there; she would need to brave the possibility of awkward socializing. The thought almost caused her to panic, however, she calmed her nerves. She wanted to make friends, she needed to make friends. The life of a lone witch was sad and short, though she did not think she would find a fellow witch here she could use the practice talking with some humans.

“Ravyn, I have your Caffe Latte waiting for you!” the barista shouted over the soft mummers of quiet conversations taking place all over the café.

Ravyn placed her hands back into her black leather gloves and made her way back to the front, she gave a smile as she wrapped her covered hands around the hot glass cup feeling the warmth through her gloves. She noticed the napkin under had a number and a name, “Selena”. Ravyn looked back to the barista and caught a wink from the woman before she disappeared to the back. The witch was left confused, why on earth would she give her number out to a customer was she supposed to call and give her opinion on the drink, it was quite adorable with the foam shaped in a heart.

She thought about this weird interaction as she made her way to a table with a group of three female students, there was a fourth chair and the table was rather roomy. “H-hello, would you mind if I join your table. It would seem that this café is very popular.” she asked with a polite smile, copying the smile Selena had given her.

The three-woman looked at each other and smiled back at Ravyn and said. “Sure, the more, the merrier. But we were about to leave soon; we don’t want to miss the art gallery.”

Ravyn sat with her perfect posture and put her cup and cake on the napkin with the number. Years of living in the manor with tutors enforcing proper etiquette was hard to shake, even in the two years of running from her father and his minions. She sat quietly listening to the woman’s fruitless conversation.

“Yeah, it’s going to be amazing,” the other woman added.

“Heck yes it is, it’s going to be worth going just to see Alexander Drake, he’s so freak’n hot!” the third said with a large smile.

“And his paintings!” The first woman started with a light tone, “are really interesting too.” The three-woman laughed lighthearted before packing up their garbage and other belongings before saying bye and heading out.

Ravyn smiled and watch the three leave, she was a little jealous, the three felt so comfortable with each other and could laugh so openly. They had beautiful smiles and she could sense the room darken as they left. The witch could feel a pit of loneliness start to spread from within her. She could feel the depression coming as tears start to swell in her eyes. She would fight the incoming emotions as best she could, however, this was the price she paid for practicing dark magic, even if she were forced.

She looked around the café again to distract her from her internal pain. She noticed two women in the back, away from the fading sunlight. She took note of the woman with the white hair reading the thick book. The woman sitting at her table was beautiful as well, but the white hair woman was unnaturally so, she was nearly stunned by her beauty and would be caught gawking with tears. Ravyn watched as the woman casually took each other’s hand like a couple, she quickly looked back down at her drink and flushed at the cheeks as they would have to pass her to leave the café, she hoped that they did not catch her impolitely starring.

Location: Operation Humanity’s Ember Grove facility
Time: Sunset
Interacting with: -
Mention: @Princess Angel @FunnyGuy Sean @Andreyich Valentin @masterducky Remy

Mike sat as comfortably down in the metal chair as he could. The chains around his ankles and wrists were as tight as they could get. Even after four weeks of imprisonment without any violent incident from his side the Operation Humanity guards still took all the precautions they could when dealing with an imprisoned werewolf. Their strength and ferocity could not be taken lightly, even when they refused to show it.

“So Finn is in town? Then I have been enjoying Colonel Trotter’s hospitality for about four weeks now. Seems to me that we have arrived at the point where you’re going to threaten to kill Finn to make me talk.” Spoke Mike without showing much emotion.

The werewolf was perfectly aware why Operation Humanity had detained him and not ended his life. It had all to do with the incident in New York, eight years ago. During that eventful time, Operation Humanity attempted to dispose of the New York based Cooper Pack in one giant sweep. However word of the operation leaked out and the Operation Humanity soldiers were ambushed by the werewolfs before they could strike. No one survived and the mole who leaked the information was never found.

What made this incident worthwhile for Colonel Trotter was the fact that the Operation was led by a close friend of his. Getting the information out of Mike was not just about finding the mole, it was a bit of a personal vendetta as well. Something the werewolf was extremely aware of. Colonel Trotter’s hate for the mole and desire to capture him far exceeded his desire to kill Mike.

Mike turned his attention to Colonel Trotter “There are only two people on this planet who know who betrayed the operation. The mole and I. We both know that I am the only way you can find the mole and have your vengeance. If my brother dies, I will take the information with me into my grave. “

Colonel Trotter looked at his captive with his ever stern face. Piercing the wolf with his gaze as he tried to determine if Mike was bluffing. Quietly sat on his chair before reaching into his pocket for his cellphone and started to type a message;

Target: Finn Cooper
Class: Werewolf, Pureblood
Known associates: Cooper Pack in New York City, none of note in Ember Grove
Last known location: Ember Grove university campus
Orders: Capture him alive


Location: Ember Grove University - Art Exposition
Time: Sunset
Interacting with: @Tae Maeve
Mention:

Before the two students had a chance to react, a red haired woman attracted Finn’s attention and spoke to him about attracting unwanted attention. “Oh? Are cheap suit Stephen and no body-spray Jay staring at my butt again? Somehow that always happens when i visit places full of fancy people. “ Joked Finn as he was clearly not concerned about the security guys keeping an eye on him.

For a moment the young wolf looked at the red haired girl next to him. She looked like she was in her late 20’s but carried herself with the grace of a true lady. And yet her freckles gave this woman a bit of a playful appearance. She was a good looking woman and certainly dressed to kill for the evening.

Just before Finn could say something more to the interesting lady near him, the student he shouted out earlier too butted in with a rather confused look on his face. “Do I know you? How do you know my name?”

A bit annoyed Finn looked at the student. Couldn’t he tell that he was busy right now? It was not everyday that a hot redhead would talk to him. However his intrusion reminded the young wolf of why he was here again. Why he left his parental home, his city and drove all the way down to this small town. He was going to find his brother no matter the costs.

“Not really, you might have heard of me through your roommate. I’m Mike’s brother, Finn. Have you seen Mike recently?”

Now the look of confusion on Brian’s face became even bigger. “Uhm no. I haven’t seen him in four weeks or so. He did not get back to his room from his night work at Trance. I talked about it with the faculty and campus police but they both said that he had returned home for urgent family business.”

With a curious gaze Finn looked at the student. He knew for certain that Mike hadn't returned home to his family. For a moment he wondered if he was lying but he looked so confused that the werewolf found it highly unlikely. Someone must have told him that story and thus there should be someone on this campus that knows more about what has happened to his brother. Finn just had to find the right persons to talk too.

“I see, thanks. Now shoo. Go and enjoy the artwork. I’ll find you if I have some more questions.” Spoke Finn quickly as he turned his attention again to the red haired woman near him, leaving Mike’s roommate flabbergasted by this rather bizarre out of nowhere encounter.

“So…. are you here for the art? I’m Finn by the way. You got a name too, right? Or should I just call you mine?” Said the young wolf with a big smile as he just dropped one of the worst pickup lines ever. At least it was not nearly as bad as the ‘Do you know karate? Cause your body is kickin’ line he once used when some girl entered the gym. That one didn’t end well for the young wolf. His coach made him do 100 pushups extra for scaring away potential customers. For a moment Finn wondered if he would scare away this lady too.

Time: Sunset
Location: Art Exhibition, Ember Grove University
Interaction: Valentin @Andreyich

“Not right now valley! But now I know you’ve been holding out games on me!” Remy then grabbed her skateboard back screaming at the top of her lungs “YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF THE GREAT REMY!” as she proceeded to skate out of the gallery for she had come up with another plan. She was gonna show these rich snobs some real art.

She always had her Super Soaker Mark V on her; it was one of her favorite weapons. She came up with the genius design with it herself. Just add Chemical V to a water gun, but the hunters wouldn't let her take a patent out on it. They just sighed whenever she brought it up. Remy’s new plan was to find some paint in the university art department then was gonna add some to her super soaker and blast all the snobs covering them in the paint.

As she was skating through the hallways, she was doing tricks. She only fell once, but lucky no one was around to see her go sailing. But she had found the art room. She had to decide what color to add to the gun. She then remembered an old joke: What’s Black, white, and red all over? She couldn't remember the punchline but those snobs were all dressed up as penguins to begin with so red was the obvious choice. The gun was half full so she topped off her gun with the paint and was now prepped. She made her way back and started to stalk out the gallery. Waiting for the most opportune time to make her entrance.

The girl had run off, and not wanting to get himself into any more situations Valentin decided now was his time for exeunt. For him the exhibit was done, and thank the Lord. The place had contained hippies, rich bastards and at times the unholy union of the two. Dear God his knuckles itched. But there was serious business at hand, and so leaning against his car the Professor only waited for his friend to whom he waved once he saw him, motioning for him to come take a seat with him in the SUV so they could have a nice private chat. Frankly he didn’t even want other hunters overhearing what had happened, knowing associating even with a nominal member of the Holy Saviours wasn’t the best optics. “Ah, Josef. Good to see you. Who was your friend?” he said, making polite small talk before they could discuss the night jobs. “How have you been?”

Josef returned Valentin’s nod with one of his own as he sat down next to the hulk of a man. “She’s just some student I met on the way out. Figured I could make sure she made it over here safely. You know what prowls around at night around here, after all.”

The professor let out a humoured “hmph” noise from his nose as Josef elaborated on the girl. “I don’t think she’s at risk in the very middle of the campus. But nevertheless: ‘how gallant of you’.” Valentin laughed at “old man”, even if in truth there was a pang or two of insecurity at the sound of the words.

“Well, I’ll get to it then. First of all I must ask a little favour. In the trunk of my car is a… friend who needs to be hidden. If you’re free then I’ll ask for help bringing them out to the woods but if not then simply for a little access to the cleaning stuff you have. There’s not much left of him so I don’t think it’ll be too difficult to dissolve and then dispose of the fiend.”

Valentin paused to take a sip of his tea while a car with obnoxiously loud rap music drove by and then continued when once again there was guaranteed privacy. “There’s two people at the university that need to be dealt with. One is a student, a warlock from what I can tell. I overheard him talking with another student about going to the family cabin, and I saw when his father went to pick him up that the bastard smoked. I don’t think it would be too improbable if at a family weekend getaway daddy left a cigarette burning and the house went up in flames. Such tragedies happen all the time, no?” The hunter smiled and waved to a fellow professor going to his car, the action intended as much to keep appearances as to punctuate the conversation. "There is also a TA, a werewolf I believe. Her lover gifts her all sorts of shitty jewellery in public, but it is from only the silver examples she recoils. I also saw her eyes go funny once. We teach different times and departments but I don't think a deeper investigation into her will be hard. Probably goes to the woods like the rest of her kind every so often. Both were here today."

“Perhaps you’re right, Valentin. But these supernaturals can be unpredictable and bold.” Josef had a feeling the supernaturals would start acting erratic once they caught wind of hunters on their trail, like a cornered beast. Especially with a hunter like Valentin making the rounds- the veteran hunter was one to send a message. Lord knows what Valentin had done to his “friend” in the trunk.

“The body shouldn’t be too hard to get rid of. We’ll have to clean your trunk too later as well. Don’t want the off chance some blood shows up on a black light.” As he spoke to Valentin, Josef scanned the parking lot, a bit wary of any passerby. The last thing they needed was some normie listening in on them, or worse yet, a supernatural they didn’t know about yet. “I don’t have much time tonight to help you with that suspected warlock and werewolf. Xavir wants the Saviors to meet. Something about witches he might have uncovered, and of course he wants us to prepare for a raid in the days to come. I wanted to ask you if you knew anything about some coven named the “Circle of the Ancients”? Xavier seems to think he’s found some evidence that a chapter of that coven is operating here, in Ember Grove.” Josef sighed as he rubbed his head thinking about the frustrations he had with his newly found Christian friends. “Seems to be the only thing Xavier cares about. Never seen him talk about anything but witches ever since I moved here, from Macedonia. Sometimes I feel that Xavier has forgotten that werewolves and vampires are also deserving of God’s judgement.”

Valentin shrugged at the first reply. “And what would you do, mop them to death?” it was a joke, although with somewhat of a serious underlying issue it meant to highlight. Josef’s train of thought wasn’t wrong, and it was precisely why a harmless professor of this town’s university carried a loaded M1911 with a silencer to capitalize on the subsonic nature of .45ACP. The “old man” was imparting some of his experienced wisdom; you could never know when a client from your night job decided to contact you during the day, so to speak. He could only nod as the Macedonian commented on the matter of disposing the body. In public life the little passive-aggressive comments to his student was as confrontational as the Professor got and had to date no problems with law enforcement, but who knew what could happen. The dead creature was sealed in plastic for now, but he knew some of the fiends of ember grove could sniff out the tiniest of droplets of now dried blood.

As Josef continued Valentin frowned, but then nodded in concurrence. “I’d prefer to bury it, let its kinsmen stumble upon it to see what fate awaits them all. But if you really need the time for your… meeting, then melting it in cleaning agents will suffice. I have enough trophies and other bits to collect my due off of it. I would like to deal with the warlock this weekend however. Looking through his social media it seems the family is going to the cabin tomorrow and staying both nights, an opportunity that may not return for a while. The werewolf may wait. Perhaps dropping a packet of silver dust in a latte of hers in the near future will do, although I want to minimize the purification we do on campus. As for the coven, I can perhaps deliver you a file. I’m only a contractor for the big shots on road sixty-nine, but I still go to their facility. They’re some of the larger fish in the pond as the Americans say, but this is not the reason they’re at the bottom of the kill list. They mostly bother other witches, and they will only be dealt with once all other covens have been slaughtered. I concur with this truth be told. Though given the opportunity of course I would feed them their own entrails, there are more dire threats for now. They do have a Chapter here if intelligence is right. I will give you the file as I said, but I suggest you steer your new buddies towards other covens."

“More likely some kid on a hike a few weeks from now would find it if we buried it. Don’t need unwanted police attention on us any more than we have to.” Valentin was always one for theatrics, which surprisingly hadn’t got him killed yet. Maybe he was just that lucky. “If you go to one of those organic stores, you could probably get some colloidal silver, slip it into some water. It is one of those health “fads” these Americans seem fond of. Probably won’t kill her. Probably will be very painful, though. As for convincing Xavier to not go after some witches.. I would probably have more luck trying to argue that the sky isn’t blue. I don’t think the Holy Saviors would take too kindly to a newcomer challenging their enigmatic leader. Still, any intelligence would be welcome if you’d be able to get your hands on it.”

Dr. Florescu rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and then shrugged. “Maybe. But I would reckon it would be a kid with a suspiciously good sense of smell.” He shifted the gear stick to D, and started driving down to the university’s road into the woods. “I’ll meet you outside Bobby’s Sports Bar then. You’ll get the papers and we’ll part ways. I’ll text you about meeting some time tomorrow evening so we can take care of the warlock, or perhaps Sunday. After I give you the documents I need to have another chat with my narc friends, apparently a friend of one of my students is some important werewolf they have to capture. You know me, I don’t do capturing. But this is important and should be easy from what I saw of the little shit. I probably won’t do it but I will help do it. I guess the werewolf TA will have to wait, vile bitch. Might just cut her throat in the parking lot or something of the sorts, or trail her home. Maybe I'll buy that silver health-shit to make her 'feel sick' so she stays home. Then I can get her during the work day when there's no witnesses. Make it look like a robbery gone very, very wrong. If you need help with your friends’ new little project feel free to ask, eh?” They were quite far on the road, and there was nobody behind or ahead of the SUV, and putting on a set of thermal imaging goggles Valentin couldn’t make out anybody in the woods nearby either. Thus he exited the car and opened the trunk, handing a shovel and a revolver to Josef while picking up another shovel for himself. After disposing of the corpse they’d have to clean out the trunk Valentin remembered. Yeah, it was annoying and wasn’t as grand a part of the eternal war. But it was important nevertheless.

Time: Sunset
Location: Art Exhibition, Ember Grove University
Interaction with: @Tae Maeve, @Andreyich Valentin (mentioned), @masterducky Remy (mentioned)

Alexander was presenting some more works to the gentleman interested in the purchase of his portrait of Shay Knight when he was interrupted by one of his men.

"Mr. Drake." The vampire addressing Alexander was met by a cold face, absent of emotion. It was as if whatever the bodyguard uttered next would decide Alexander's mood. Like stroking a paintbrush across a blank canvas. "One of your paintings was vandalized by a child with a black marker. A woman re-" He was interrupted by a raised index finger. Alexander shut his eyes for a few seconds as he attempted to bury his frustration in silence. The guest beside him just stared at the interaction, positive the gentleman who had been so articulate just a minute ago would explode into primitive rage.

Alexander opened his eyes with a scowl.

"Vandalized? Which portrait? And where is this child?" Alexander demanded. The bodyguard led Alexander to the portrait, the one he had smirked at moments ago with the mother clenching her babe close in a raging inferno.

"She exited on a skateboard. We didn't want to cause too much of a scene. And with only two of us, we remained her. She did speak to a fellow that Demetrius should be speaking with about the situation now."

Alexander listened in silence as he stared at the joke a child had made of his work. A part of him blamed himself for not expecting this from these creatures. Even in a setting that would attract the best of them, there still remained savages. His hands clenched into fists.

Meanwhile, Alexander's other bodyguard Demetri aimed to approach Valentin with the impression that Remy was his responsibility, perhaps even his child after witnessing their brief interaction, but the man was already making his exit once he greeted another man. Demetri figured the large man may have just been scolding the child for her actions. For now, it was out of his hands. Despite his feelings about the portrait, the show had to continue. He took the painting from its place, turned it around, and propped it against the wall.

Alexander stepped out into the main area where most guests were gathered with furrowed eyebrows while adjusting his jacket. His eyes darted about as he searched for anyone who appeared to be younger than a college student. He noticed that more guests had gathered, and one, in particular, caught his eye.

"Ms. Brannigan… A pleasure. Come chat with me when you're free." Alexander said with a slight smile as he passed one of the few witches he did not mind holding a conversation with. As he headed towards Demetri, the other bodyguard, Charles, called to file a report to the campus security who assured they would send someone over to assist them if the situation persisted. For now, Charles would stand by the entrance where his sole job was to make sure the vandal did not return.

Sure, Alexander could deal with this problem in an easier and much more violent manner, but that was not the kind of man he was. He didn't want to cause a scene that would leave him unable to show his face in town ever again.

"I was thinking of discussing prices for-" The guest from earlier was rudely cut off by Alexander.

"Demetri, sell the man the painting he wishes to purchase. I need a moment to myself." Alexander's patience with the lesser was running rather thin. He pulled a flask from one of the inner pockets of his jacket and took a quick swig of the contents inside before returning it. He seemed to calm some.

Be as useful as you can Charles and Demetri… As after tonight, you won't be any longer.

Time: Sunset
Location: Ember Grove University
Interaction: @Milkman Finn @FunnyGuy Alexander
Mention: @Andreyich Valentin @masterducky Remy
Vibes: A Little Bit Dangerous || CRMNL

---

What Maeve hadn’t expected was the response she got to her warning. She found herself smirking in amusement at him. He obviously wasn’t concerned with the looks he was getting which she admired, but also knew was incredibly stupid when it came to Alexander Drake. People he wasn’t fond of often seemed to disappear and, while Maeve wasn’t fond of this, she also wasn’t about to try and do anything about that. She had much more important things to worry about and frankly she actually had a bit of respect for Alexander. That didn’t mean that if she saw someone potentially irritating the man that she wouldn’t try to warn that person and look out for them a bit.

Before she could respond to the amusing comment, the guy Finn had shouted to earlier turned to look at him and started a conversation. Maeve remained there quietly off to the side, listening to the exchange. ”And the plot thickens…” She murmured, now even more intrigued by this young man. So his brother had been missing for four weeks it seemed, not unusual in this town if she were being honest, but the fact that the faculty had lied about where he’d gone was different. Why would they lie?

Maeve’s attention was pulled away for a brief moment as some commotion began happening over by one of the paintings. When she looked she saw a little girl had drawn moustaches on one of the pieces of art. She was being reprimanded by a gentleman, her father maybe? If he were her father his parenting skills were not the best she’d seen as the little girl went skating out of the exhibit yelling that they hadn’t seen the last of her. The father figure made no attempt to follow her out and Maeve found herself shaking her head. What a shame one of the beautiful pieces had been defaced in such a way.

Her attention was pulled back to Finn as he’d finished up his previous conversation and was now introducing himself all while hitting on her. ”Well aren’t you bold.” She laughed, but gave him a grin. ”I’m Maeve, it’s a pleasure to meet you Finn and yes I am here for the art. I’m quite a fan of Mr. Drake’s paintings. Sounds like you aren’t quite here for the paintings tho. I’m guessing your brother didn’t actually head back home to his family?” As she spoke she noticed Alexander appeared once more and was heading her way.

”Of course, it would be my pleasure.” Maeve responded to the greeting, giving Alexander a smile. She watched him walk away, impressed he was able to keep his composure after what happened to one of his art pieces. She would have most likely lost it and wanted someone's head.

”Well it looks like the man of the hour is requesting my presence, best to not keep him waiting too long.” She said to Finn as she opened her clutch and rummaged around for something. ”It’s truly been a pleasure meeting you, Finn, and I wish you luck in your search for your brother. If you want, why not stop by my little cafe tomorrow? We tend to hear all the latest gossip in town over there and I’d be happy to see if anyone’s heard anything for you. If anything I’ll treat you to one of the best cups of coffee or tea in town.” She wrote her personal phone number on the back of her business card before handing it to Finn. She then turned to walk away, but paused once more to glance back at him. ”Oh and, while I don’t blame frick and frack over there staring at your butt as it is quite fine, please do be careful around them. They aren’t always the most friendly.” She gave him a smirk before walking away, giving a little extra sway to her hips as she did so.

She went and found Alexander, giving him a friendly smile as she approached. ”Alexander, it’s always lovely to see you. Might I say your art is absolutely gorgeous as always. I hope the evening has been treating you fairly well?” She neglected to bring up the vandalism, just in case.

Well the corpse was buried and the Macedonian had received his file on the witches, and Dr. Florescu even had time to quietly go back into the university to use their computers in a slightly illicit way with the aim of making sure all was what he previously believed it to be. Satisfied after looking through databases of the university, he went back to his car thinking about the day, and the one to follow. Valentin was a man of faith himself, but he did feel that Josef was getting himself engaged with the wrong crowd. The Holy Saviours were batshit insane from what he could tell, and cannon fodder against the witches was their ultimate fate insofar as he could see. The true extermination of their breed would come from professional operators, men in the night extinguishing the unholy lives with not a sound coming from them. Men who didn't rely on the sole power of God as the Holy Saviour freaks, but rather those that relied on his wisdom to make ingenious weapons and munitions to slaughter the supernatural blight upon earth. In the past centuries it was only the bravest and greatest of men who could go forth and fight these beasts. The Knights of yore insured many fell foes were brought down, but they could only take on the small fry. Now the way of the sword was passed on to men who had advanced technologies at their grasp and could bring an end to the tyranny of monsters millennia old. It was one such monster Valentin sought in Ember Grove, and it would be his magnum opus to finally end an animal that had met Kings of Sumeria. Perhaps he could retire then, knowing that he ended a piece of history.

Driving home he decided to take a quick sleep before a quick dinner so that he could face the people at the Operation Humanity base more readily. Getting shut eye just long enough to rest without going into true REM sleep Valentin made himself a sad dinner ubiquitous to single guys; eggs with whatever was in the fridge thrown in to catch the four main food groups: crispy bits, fat, starch and sugar. He wasn’t going out on an operation tonight so he didn’t even bother going for his equipment, only really taking his thermal imagers and sidearm. He made sure to change however, as well as changing his license plates before driving out. It was a while before he made it to the OH base, showing his ID to get in and park. He would approach whoever was on duty at the entrance, once more flashing his ID along with the text he received from the mustached leader of the place. “I need to speak with Colonel Trotter and some higher-end Hunters very urgently. I have some information in regards to the little shit he wants to capture and I believe the means to do so.”

Time: Night
Location: From the forest to The Pit
Interaction with: Good friends and a good meal


Although Noah felt a deep sense of pride that they had accomplished something beautiful in the grizzly scene they had left within the woods this was just the beginning of the night. After such hard work he, and the vampires who accompanied him, were more than ready for something to eat. Hunger burned in his throat, awakened even more so by the small lick of blood he’d tried from the witch. While Ember Grove offered a handful of places for vampires to hunt it was, when compared to large city, terribly dull. Noah longed to see the world, to visit the places he only knew of through stories, but Ember Grove remained all he knew of the world. It was loyalty that kept him here, both to his clan and to Celeste, the one who had sired him. The sense of loss at having been abandoned by his sire was greater than what he felt even as human, when his entire family had been taken from him one at time.

From Celeste he had learned everything about pain, and every time be brought torment to another living thing, he felt a fleeting sense of connection to his sire. Blood and pain where all that Noah had to keep his damaged mind at peace, and the only thing he truly feared were the places his mind wandered to when he was left alone. But now, now he didn’t have to be alone, he had found friends within his clan. First there had been Sierra, similar in age to Noah they had quickly bonded during time spent torturing those held captive by Sanguine Moon. As they began to hunt together Noah could see the same hints of damage and madness in her eyes, although the pair rarely spoke of their mortal lives. Together they had found a mentor in Silas.

Though Silas did not share their delight in causing destruction, he instead seemed devoid of any joy, but he too needed the comfort that came with being surrounded by pain. Noah was fascinated by Silas; his quiet rage, his tales of a mortal life as a killer, and his complete lack of any traces of humanity. He was older than Noah, though when asked about his age the only answer Noah ever got was ‘I do not count.’ Silas said very little but his ideas were always the most brutal. Strangely though, he seemed content to mostly watch as Noah and Sierra played their games. As the trio of vampires walked through the pitch-black forest Noah and Sierra casually discussed where they wanted to grab a bite.

“The University? With everyone walking around buzzing on caffeine and stress, their skin vibrates against my teeth.” Sierra suggested with a delighted giggle.

“Alexander’s art showing is tonight.” Silas reminded them. “And you two would distract from his event.”

“All those people admiring his work, not knowing what befell the subjects. The irony is so delicious.” Sierra smirked at the thought of watching humans admiring the paintings of victims. Noah chuckled at this thought as well.

“We should have an art show, decorate the building with entrails.” Noah said as he wrapped an arm around Sierra’s shoulders. “Imagine canvas made from skin and painted on with blood. A sculpture made from turning a person inside out. A grand chandelier, embedded with teeth and with eyeballs covering the all the lights…” Noah continued on describing his own version of an art show so that Sierra would not feel like she was missing out on the fun. He knew Silas was right, their master would not appreciate his night being ruined.

“How horrific.” Sierra whispered with sense of awe, the way a normal person might speak on the beauty of something.

“Instead of wine and cheese we’d end the night by eating everyone who came to see, and the slaughter would be our grand masterpiece.” Noah continued on describing his idea of a lovely art show until they made their way through the forest and into town, towards somewhere they could grab a bite.

The group of vampires made their way through town looking for the right opportunity to grab someone to eat. Sierra seemed to be drawn towards the center of Ember Grove’s nightlife and the other two simply followed her and the obnoxiously loud music they were drawing closer to, made it clear they were headed towards The Pit. Noah hated The Pit, its lights that strobed and flashed. Its overpowering scent of sweat, lust, and alcohol. But most of all, its incessant music that rattled his insides to the point where he thought his head would split right open. Here he couldn’t focus, couldn’t think, all he wanted to do what was tear everything in that building apart. But how could he not follow them? Without his friends he would be alone, and he wasn’t sure which was worse. But Noah didn’t have to decide, as Sierra grabbed his face with her hands pulling his attention away from the club.

“Noah.” Sierra sang his name and he focused in on her wild eyes. “Wait in the alley, we’ll bring you someone nice and fresh to eat.” Moonlight gleamed of her exposed fangs as she smiled at him. Noah nodded, he could handle being just outside the club, and he headed off to the alleyway behind the club while his friends went inside.

So, Noah waited, and in the alleyway the sounds of the club more of a dull ache than a full-on assault. He could almost see the back wall pounding with the bass of the music. He wondered how the building could even begin to contain such noise. So much of his life had been spent in the quiet and in the dark that it was jarring to think of people living surrounded by such vibrant things. While he could vividly recall his time in captivity the part of his mortal life that was normal was so foggy and distant. He remembered being prey and then becoming the predator, and like a predator he waited in the shadows for the prey to come to him.

Before long he spotted Sierra bounding through the back door first, followed by a young couple, then Silas behind them. As Silas went to light the cigarette the female held between her teeth, Noah skulked forward. Moving silently until he was behind the male. As the male turned to see Noah behind him, Silas grabbed the female by the hair, slamming the human’s head into the wall with a loud crack. The male tried to scream but Noah already had a hand over the guys mouth and Sierra wrapped her fingers around the male’s neck, her sharp fingernails digging into his throat. Instead of a scream all that came out of the male was a gurgling sound. Silas never shared his meals, which Noah thought was a bit greedy of him, it wasn’t like there was a shortage of people to eat walking around. He and Sierra never minded sharing a meal and they hunted together often. After feeding the bodies they left behind were tossed into a dumpster with the rest of the trash. Although they’d likely be found soon enough it seemed no matter how many people in town ended up dead or missing there still seemed to be plenty of humans roaming the streets, even at night. Their prey had little in the way of sense.

Gwendolyn Dexter Barrett

Time: Sunset
Location: Art Exhibit/Ember Grover University
Interactions: @masterducky Remy (Mentioned)

Gwen was enjoying herself making fun of the pretentious art in the exhibit with her friends, "What the fuck is this suppose to be?" The bassist spoke up pointing to a strange statue made out of tin cans. "It looks like shit, why the fuck does anyone wanna buy this shit" The guitarist chuckled while the group was getting the stink eye form the patrons around them. "Oi boys it's almost 6 o'clock, we better head out to practice" Gwen spoke up collecting the group, hopefully she got the drummer to stop trying to woo a woman and outside the building.

Once the group was outside the building, heading towards their van. Gwen notice a little girl skateboarding around the grounds with a super soaker, "Good job kid, fuck society!" She shouted for the girl to hear her. She was glad to see the anarchist are starting young. Getting into the van with her band mates, she hoped she would not get a text or call form her employer. She was hoping to get some band practice for the up coming battle of the band.

The orange hues of sunset were beginning to fade from the sky, gently transitioning to nightfall’s dark blues. As they walked to the exhibition venue, the cool autumn air carried the scent of wine and cheeses that Ava could sense even before they arrived. It confirmed that her decision to go to this frivolous event was a good one, if she could nab some delicacies off the snack table.

Upon arriving at the exhibition hall, Ava immediately noticed that the crowd was rather mixed. Half of the audience seemed to be what the host expected and wanted - expensive gowns and suits, classy, done-up individuals enjoying the exquisite artwork. The other portion of attendees appeared to be there by convenience - they heard about the event, and decided to attend on a more impromptu basis, much like Ava herself. It was fair to say that since the event happened on a university campus, a number of underdressed students in attendance would’ve been expected. Ava’s level of dress stood somewhere in the middle, as she usually adorned some form of business casual for her daily attire.

“Very mixed crowd,” Ava noted to Clarice, once they stepped through the doors. The edges of Ava’s lips pulled upwards into her signature slight-smile, before she excused herself to her companion. “I think I'll start off at the refreshments. If you’d like to see the artwork first, please feel free.”

Ava paid very little attention to the artwork as she made her way to the refreshments. Wine and cheese were among her favourite foods, ever since she was human, and the preference stuck for 400 years. Even if she didn’t need to eat, Ava still enjoyed alcohol, maybe too often than most. She took one of the clean glasses and filled it with pinot noir, ignoring the presences of others at the table. She spent a good few minutes blatantly snacking on the available cheeses while sipping wine, and used this chance to look around. The exhibit appeared to feature almost exclusively portraits of beautiful women - some almost seemed familiar, in a way. They carried melancholic expressions, but their eyes carried what looked like fear. Ava appreciated the skillfulness that the artist displayed in capturing such nuanced expressions.

Amidst Ava’s alcohol and cheese consumption, there was some commotion starting up further into the venue. A kid whooshed past her in a skateboard, spewing grandiose remarks about herself as she went. Children made Ava uncomfortable, to say the least, and she instinctively turned away from where the young girl was headed. She preferred to stay away, and purposefully never fed on children either, for reasons she never liked going into.

Peering into the venue, Ava spotted the domineering man that had strolled out of a Rolls Royce accompanied by bodyguards earlier, at the cafe. Given his interactions with the gallery staff and her previous impression of him, Ava figured he was the one in charge. She let her eyes fixate on the man as he walked around the room, and tried to stifle his rage when his bodyguard informed him about the vandalised work. He carried himself well, despite how young he looked. Not to mention, he was exceedingly handsome. Ava wasn’t ignorant of the nature of crime in this town, so both observations made him a little suspicious. She overheard a guard calling him ‘Mr. Drake’ earlier, so she committed his name and appearance to memory - which wasn’t very hard to do.

Ava’s thought process was interrupted by a burning in her throat, which had appeared gradually, though she only noticed just now. It had been close to 36 hours since her last ‘meal’ and the symptoms were beginning to surface. Thirst was always accompanied by anxiety for Ava, and although she didn’t quite have the facilities for it, she felt as though her heart was racing. She took a few deep breaths, I’ll eat after this, she reassured herself. Removing her attention away from Mr. Drake now, Ava refilled her glass to its rim again, and approached one of the paintings nearby.

The sun slowly began it's decent, painting the sky with rich hues of red and lavender. A young woman sat by a large piano with her blue eyes steady on the horizon, face aglow with the last orange rays before night fall. As the girl slowly dropped her delicate fingers on the pure ivory keys, a sweet melody filled the large hall, setting a romantic refrain. The music flowed through the air like waves; the sound rushing in and around every person in the room, putting them in a merry trance. As the beautiful melody filled their ears, a wave of tranquility washed over them, warming their hearts. The room lit aglow with warm light, painting a beautiful scene that every artist would love to reproduce on a canvas.

The sunset marked the beginning for the creatures of the night. The mansion slowly came to life as the light of day drained away, replaced by a beautiful crescent moon that loomed proudly over them. The victorian lamp posts that surrounded the mansion slowly lit up one after another. The marble fountains sprung to life, the soft gurgling water resonating in the surrounding silence of the garden. The chandeliers lit up the grand halls of the mansion, highlighting the ostentatious furniture that was all handmade by masters of the craft.

The night had finally arrived, and every corner of the mansion was filled with music and wild merriment. It was a stark contrast to its atmosphere during the day; most of the mansion's inhabitants would be asleep, and the large halls would be awfully quiet and empty. From the outside, it would look as if nobody lived there, save for a few housekeepers. Though it was beautiful and well kept, it almost looked abandoned.

The nights, however, were different. The mansion bloomed with life. It was filled with warmth, music, laughter, and parties. The Night Order placed great importance on building and strengthening relationships between clan members. They accomplished this by holding fun activities and events where everyone could gather and bond. After all, the Night Order was not just a clan. They were a family. It had been a long tradition of theirs to start every evening with a lovely feast. Friday nights, especially, were special. It always called for a grand feast.

Three long tables stood at the center of the main banquet hall, each laden with delicacies. There were enormous platters of savory fruits, large baskets of warm bread, and waterfalls of wine. There were bowls of pumpkin soup, large shrimps fried to a crisp, and rare roast beef sliced as thin as paper and drizzled in rich sauce. There was an array of various cheeses, platters of sushi, and lobster tails coated with garlic and butter. Every dish you could dream of, laid in wait.

More vampires flocked to the banquet hall, clad in luxurious white dresses and suits. Each one of them looked elegant and regal. They walked to their respective seats and started filling their plates, eager to begin the feast, but none of them touched their food as they waited for the signal. The servers, dressed in white tunics, moved fluidly to and from the tables, keeping the platters and glasses full. The rich aroma of the dishes cut through the soft fragrance of lavender that came from the dimly lit scented candles. Everything was set to perfection.

The beautiful melody continued at a fixed tempo, and among the chatter of merry conversation, occasionally a loud bellow of a laugh would rise above the general chatter. The girl's fingers continued to dance gracefully across the glossy white keys. She gently closed her eyes as she felt each note reverberate within in her soul, losing herself in it. She felt one with the music.

The girl wore a lace appliqued dress with white airy tulle. It draped down her ankles, paired with white sandals adorned with small beads of pearls. Her dark hair flowed to her hips in voluminous waves, and around her neck was a beautiful pearl necklace. Everything about her from head to toe was polished.

The tempo picked up its pace as she was nearing the end of the piece. The attendees listened in awe, and finally, her fingers hit the last notes. There was complete silence as the music came to a halt. Veronika hoisted herself up from her seat and gracefully walked towards the center of the hall, her heels clicking against the marble floor.

"Let's begin." Veronika smiled.

At the signal, everyone raised their glasses and cheered.

Time: Dusk
Location: Operation Humanity Base
Interactions: @Andreyich Valentin
Mentions: @princess Angel, @masterducky Remy

---

A loud yawn broke the silence within the Operation Humanity base outside of Ember Grove, at what was a quiet and undisturbed workspace. Beneath the desk of the office workspace, rolled out a man tucked away in a sleeping bag. He crawled from his makeshift bed wearing nothing but a t-shirt, boxers, and socks as he rubbed his eyes. The first thing he did was grab his cellphone and look through his messages as he sloppily put some shorts before going forth to complete his first few daily objectives. This included brushing his teeth, washing his face, emptying his bladder, and putting on some clothes that he could actually operate in.

After several minutes, Sean was dressed and spun up on the recent significant activities occurring in Ember Grove. The most important being the arrival of a werewolf that Trotter had created a targeting packet on. Seeing the word 'Capture' alone on the forwarded document pertaining to Finn Cooper caused Sean to immediately look at what Finn was classified as. A sigh escaped him.

A werewolf… and a pureblood at that. Capturing a werewolf wasn't easy. For one they could blend in with humans so much better than vampires. Sean had heard stories of people knowing a werewolf for years before discovering what they were. But hey, if you knew what you were looking for, there was only so much one could do to evade a persistent hunter.

Sean walked from his office space, wearing black cargo pants, brown and black hiking boots, with a plain brown t-shirt tucked into his pants. His destination would be the intelligence division, where he'd ask for further information on Finn Cooper. The Ember Grove University campus was a good start, but he doubted the kid would remain there long. The sun had just gone down, and finding the wolf while remaining vigilant of other threats would prove difficult. That meant he might have to reach out to one of the other hunters.

His choices were interesting at the moment. Colonel Trotter had grouped the hunters to operate in different settlements in the area. Ember Grove had been designated as the crowned jewel of sorts. Some of his colleagues on base had made note of how ragtag the group was. Sean would argue that fact made them quite versatile. He was aware of the contractor known as Valentin worked at the university as a professor.

Maybe I can get the big guy to do some of the mundane stuff in locating the kid… I can worry about the capture part. He seems more like the type that would be better at putting many silver rounds in the wolf.

He sent a secure message to Valentin's phone that simply asked, Do you have any leads on Finn Cooper? I'm on my way from base. Figured you would be on top of the situation first.

Sean thought of Remy and as well as Angel but then disregarded the two. They had their strengths, but Sean felt it was much too early to deal with what he considered to be their weaknesses. Together, the two experiments could pile up variables up to the moon if one didn't utilize them properly. Even then, you would have to ensure several contingencies were put in place. For now, he would avoid the two ladies.

Time: Dusk
Location: Art Exhibition, Ember Grove University
Interaction with: @Tae Maeve

When approached, Alexander had collected himself just enough to appropriately greet her.

"Yes, at most this evening has treated me fairly well. And it's always lovely to see you as well, Maeve." Alexander took her hand and planted a kiss on it. And though he straightened up, her hand remained in his. It's a shame you declined my offer to join my clan. There is much I would sacrifice to turn you… Perhaps you'll change your mind in a century or two. He released her hand from his gentle grasp. "I didn't think you would grace this campus with your presence, even with the temptation of viewing and possibly the last of my artwork." Alexander stated rather smugly. "But since you're here, I have an inquiry about a woman you may have run into."

Having just spoken to the night attendant of the base, Valentin felt a buzz in his pocket. Removing his phone, he looked at the message to see it was the work of the Sean fellow. That was a man worthy of respect there, one dedicated to his profession and the eternal war. In fact, he was one of the people he had in mind when referring to high-end hunters; he’d be one of the best people to speak to about what had gone through his head.

Valentin didn’t particularly like phones, given they were just shittier computers with keys too small to properly work with but he was far too eager to really care for his distaste of the device. Tapping as fast as he could he sent out a reply:

Yes. I am at the base. You won’t catch him at the university. I wanted to speak to the Colonel along with some other professionals. I believe I have a way to get the kid with what I know, but I’ll need quite a bit of help.

---

"You...are the most beautiful, most magnificent creature Volfango has ever laid his precious eyes upon. A body chiseled to perfection, a smile brighter than the largest star! Truly, the heavens have sent an angel to Earth." The words rolled over each other seamlessly through his accent. "Tonight...shall be a great night."

Volfango stared at the reflection of his bathroom mirror for a few seconds longer looking for any faults in his image but of course, there was none. He already slipped into one of his tailor-made, custom suits that he liked to wear for special occasions like this. There was supposedly an art exhibition at the University and he figured it would be the perfect date, though he it would be his first time at such an event in America. A little cultural indulgence followed by some fine wine and dinner then letting the night go as it pleased. Just as he was about head out of his apartment and make way for Sorrel's, he felt a sudden and quick pain through his head that caused him to fall forward and brace himself on the sink. When he looked into the mirror, his eyes had changed into a bright yellow and his canine teeth had grown in size. Volfango gritted his teeth and forced himself into a normal state, but the implications were frightening even for him. His transformation was going to happen regardless of how fiercely he resisted its call. There had to be someone else that could help him. He steadied himself and fixed the collar of his shirt, it would have to wait until tomorrow. Volfango was never someone to keep a hot date waiting. He left his apartment and went to retrieve his ZR1 Black Corvette, but not before blowing a light kiss to the receptionist on his way out. A real handsome, charming fellow he was.

The streets of Ember Grove were bustling as usual but that did not prevent him from arriving to Sorrel's apartment on time, parking just outside the front entrance. The driver side door of his corvette lifted up with a soft hiss as he stepped out, confidence in every step as he walked forward. Excitement and anticipation fueled him as he lifted his hand and knocked three times on the wooden door, the other hand holding a bouquet of red roses "The most handsome and magnificent Volfango has arrived for the beautiful and sweet Sorrel." His voice called out.

Clarice was practically floating on the way to the way to the gallery, and not just from the excessive amount of caffeine coursing through her veins. She had found someone who was interesting and beautiful and somehow convinced them to go with her to do something. Maybe her sister, Christy, was right. All she needed to do was to put herself out there more.

When the pair entered the gallery Clarice had to sfiffle a chuckle. Something about seeing the high society people that this function was obviously intended for mingle with the rag-tag regular students from the college was funny to her. She looked down at Ava as she mentioned just this thing, and realized that she and Ava looked similar, what with her wearing flannel and ripped jeans and Ava wearing... Well, not jeans and a flannel, thats for sure. She surveyed the room once again in response to Ava's words. It seemed less funny now.

Soon after Ava made leave to go and get some refreshments. "I think I'll do that, I'll meet you over there." Then she was gone. Clarice began to meander the space, focusing on the paintings and appreciating the work that must've gone into them. The more she saw, the more they struck a chord in her. They were all so beautiful, but the eyes hid a veiled sadness that resonated with Clarice.

She stopped before one of a woman who had long dark hair and eyes like a storm. She held the woman's gaze for a moment, but was startled out of her trance by a nearby Parton asking how much it would cost to purchase the piece. Clarice briefly pondered how much it might cost to take home one of the paintings, but then very quickly came to the conclusion, way too much.

Clarice left that painting in pursuit of some of the different paintings and portraits on the walls. At one point she turned her head , just to look at the room, when her eye caught Ava heading in the direction of the paintings. She gave a slight wave to her, and then behind her, in the direction she had come from Clarice spotted a flash of bright red hair.

Her hand froze and her blood ran cold, then hot. Maeve Brannigan, the leader of the Circle of Ancients. She knew that face, and she would never forget it. Her hand slowly came down as Clarice had to force herself to take slow, deep breaths. Otherwise she felt she might hyperventilate. Fire rose in her veins and she had to turn her head as she realized she had been glaring daggers at the woman. She tried to focus on the painting but knowing that the batch was there she could feel a red hot poker in the direction she knew her to be.

Why the hell is she here? This is the middle of nowhere!

Time: Evening
Location: Ember Grove University-Art Exhibit
Interaction with: Some mighty fine paintings

Elias wandered aimlessly thought the rows of paintings, though they all looked very well done, every single portrait looked sad. Admittedly he knew basically nothing about art but he couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to buy a portrait of a sad person, hang it in their home, and look at it all the time. Maybe it was the price of paintings that drew people in, he knew that anything that didn’t have a price marked on it must be ridiculously expensive. He continued past the collection of portraits of terribly sad people and wandered into another room with an entirely different set of work. Paintings of what he had to guess were various historical events, several he vaguely recognized as things he learned about in history class. He hadn’t spent a whole lot of time paying attention in history class during his time in college, back then anything not in the good book or relating to witch hunting hadn’t been of interest to him. The artist either had quite the imagination or was ridiculously old as some of these paintings looked to be of events from ancient Greece. With the way that Ember Grove seemed to draw in all sorts of supernatural creatures the later was entirely possible but he wasn’t concerned about vampires and such that spent their time painting and hosting fancy parties. Everyone, even things not entirely human, needed a hobby.

The real reason he’d shown up was the promise of wine and food, though trying out something a little different, an art show, had seemed interesting as well. Only the wealthy seemed to think that a collection of wine and foul smelling, and a few strange looking, cheeses constituted a meal. Several of the cheeses on the table didn’t even really look eatable, though to be fair he was suspicious of any cheese that wasn’t individually wrapped in plastic, and yet, there were plenty of people snacking on them. Although wine wasn’t really his first choice of drink, he grabbed some and drank a dry red wine with a name he certainly couldn’t pronounce. He had tried something new today, a fancy party and an unpronounceable wine but there was no way in hell he was eating the smelly and strange looking cheeses. Eli figured he’d get another glass of wine in him before heading off, the whole elegant art show scene didn’t really seem for him and he felt more than a bit out of place. He took one last walk around as he drank the wine figuring if he was going to show up and drink, he at least owed it to the artist to look at the entirety of his work.

“Hey Father! Bless my wine would ya.” A visibly drunk frat boy approached him, with a couple snickering friends. Eli recognized the Greek letters on the guy’s shirt from his own time at the university.

“That’s strange, I don’t remember sleeping with your mother.” Eli’s reply was quick and flippant, more than used to being teased about the collar he wore. The college boy stared at him slightly shocked and a bit confused, and Eli was more than certain they didn’t get ‘your mom’ jokes from the actual clergymen around here. “I’m neither a priest nor your father.” he added to dissolve the guys confusion.

“What’s with the-“ The guy asked as he gestured to the cross and collar that Eli commonly wore.

“Fashion statement.” Eli replied with a smirk. “Have a goodnight, gentlemen.” He added, tipping his fedora as he passed, more than comfortable in playing his strange quirks off like he was just an eccentric hipster. He didn’t want to spend the night bantering with the frat crowd, he had art to attempt to appreciate, and wanted to make sure he ended up back at the wine table before the reds were gone.