---

Helene wrapped her own arms around herself as she got back on the asphalt roads of Ember Grove, a nervous look in her eyes as she avoided the gaze of every person that walked past. Her movements were twitchy as though she had consumed a large dose of caffeine. Phantom voices whispered in her ear and formless shapes threatened her from the corners of her eyes while the growing hunger inside her pushed her more and more to satisfy it. Her mother had taught her to be a respectable lady in every situation but she couldn't help it as she was just so scared. Dread loomed over the inevitable decision that she would have to make. Her life or someone else's. Helene wanted it to be as painless as possible. The thought of making another suffer was almost too much.

That was why she decided to make her way into the center of town to Alexei's, where a number of back alleys and drunken patrons would give her ample options. There was no way she could be like her mother and seduce her target into a false sense of security before striking. If she tried to get to know her...victim, then she doubt she would be able to go through it. Every step she made she felt she was being watched from afar by a being with killer intent, yet she could not hear or see anything which made it all the more terrifying. After a long, grueling walk she arrived in front of Alexei's almost stumbling like she was already tipsy. "Helene...daughter of Catherine of the Sinclare Clan...you can do this." She whispered to herself for encouragement.

Helene walked through the front doors and was greeted with her first ever sight of an American dive bar. This already would have been a lot under circumstances. She gave a faint smile to the man who stood at the door and gave her the bracelet, informing her of its purpose. She nervously held her hands to her chest as she made her way to table off to the side, constantly looking over her shoulder as pictures and objects on the wall would shift and distort before snapping back to normal "Hello, welcome to Alexei's! My name is Sierra. Here's a menu as well as our special tonight! Can I get you something to drink?" The bubbly waitress said, catching Helene off-guard as she forgot for a moment where she was "Blood!" The word slipped right from her mouth, before she realized what she said and looked at the drinks menu in panic "A b-bloody mary, p-please!" Helene quickly corrected herself, though the waitress gave her an odd look "You got it, be out in a bit." Helene nodded quietly as Sierra left her table, desperately trying not to fidget in her chair as she could almost feel the blood coursing through the waitress's veins.

There was a limit to how many slow paced steps Ava could take while looking at the sorrowful expressions of unmoving women before she grew disinterested. The building thirst in her throat began to distract from the enjoyment of the gallery - even the free wine - so Ava took it as her cue to leave. She finished off her fifth glass of the beverage, and set it down at a collections tray nearby. The alcohol was setting in now, and her cheeks felt somewhat warm.

Clarice had been looking at the artwork and Ava caught sight of her after a quick scan of the room. Unexpectedly, Clarice looked stiff or worried, and though her eyes were pointed towards the painting in front of her, she didn’t really seem to be looking at it. Ava hesitated to approach Clarice given her agitated aura, but decided that maintaining a degree of courtesy would be the best approach in the long run. If Ava intended to stay in Ember Grove for a length of time, she had the burden of a reputation to maintain.

Ava lightly tapped on Clarice’s shoulder, and greeted her with a slight smile. “Sorry to interrupt - you looked a little lost in thought. I’m not feeling too well, so I hope you don’t mind that I will be retiring for the night. Thank you for your company this evening.”

Without giving the dark haired girl much room to respond, Ava retreated out the front doors of the venue. The quicker Ava got something to eat, the better. Her black Audi was parked in a visitor lot by the cafe, and she swiftly retraced the steps through campus that she and Clarice took.

---

There were two notable places in town where a vampire could get a good meal, as far as Ava knew in the week she has been in Ember Grove. The Pit was the perfect place to go for a quick and easy bite - the nightclub provided the perfect shelter for all kinds of unethical dealings, with dark lighting, loud music, and endless crowds of bodies. The other option was Trance, a more high end locale which was similar, but more difficult to work around with their heightened security. Ava’s choice for the night, out of the options, was The Pit. She couldn’t be bothered to find blood the hard way right now, and not to mention, she wouldn’t be able to fully enjoy the upscale services at Trance on an empty stomach.

Her car rolled to a stop in a public parking lot behind The Pit. There was a designated lot for the club’s patrons closer to the building, but it had already filled up. Ava took a few seconds to get ready before heading out of her tinted vehicle. Business casual didn’t fit the dress code for the student-focused nightclub and Ava wanted to blend in as much as possible. She took off her blouse, revealing a black tank top underneath, and threw the removed article of clothing on the passenger seat. She quickly threw on a fresh wash of lipstick, and exited the car.

As soon as her door opened, Ava caught the scent of blood in the air. She immediately felt a cold wave pulse down her spine. Instinct alone began to lead her towards the source. Her feet carried her closer and closer to the Pit, until she found herself peering into the alley behind it, hiding in the shadows around the corner. Three vague figures stood by the back door, one with red streaks of hair that subtly glistened from nearby streetlights, another with white locks. Ava couldn’t quite make out their faces, but it was clear that they threw a body or two in the dumpster next to them. She had made a hypothesis prior to coming to Ember Grove that it was home to a population of supernatural creatures - the sight in front of her confirmed her suspicions.

The scent of blood emanating through the darkened corridor was overwhelming. Ava didn’t idle any longer, and resolved to get past the trio to get a meal of her own. She took several quiet paces back in the direction she came in, stopped, and turned around again to walk towards the Pit as if she had just left her car. Her face donned a nonchalant expression as she walked past the entrance of the alley, feigning ignorance to what had just transpired, and circled towards the club's entrance.

Time: Sunset
Location: Ember Grove University
Interaction: @FunnyGuy Alexander
Mention: @princess Angel
Vibes:

---

Always the gentleman, Maeve grinned as Alexander placed a kiss on her hand. While she’d never been much for “proper” etiquette, she most definitely could appreciate it still. Most men in modern times had lost much of their gentlemanly ways, becoming what some from centuries ago would consider vulgar and rude. While this could result in fun, it was still refreshing to Maeve to see older ways being upheld. ”Well when it involves your art I will always make an appearance, darling, as I must say your art is one of my favorites.” She gave him a playful grin, but then sighed. ”Of course I am saddened if this is to be your last, yet I’m excited to see what hobby you decide to pick up next. Poetry perhaps?” She suggested before taking a sip of her wine. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed an extravagantly dressed red haired woman stuffing cheese into her purse. What a curious thing. She would surely have to make her acquaintance later.

She turned her full attention back to Alexander. ”I am an open book, inquire away. Who is this woman? A lost lover perhaps?” The last bit she added teasingly with a smirk

Time: Dusk
Location: Operation Humanity Base
Interaction with: @Andreyich Valentin

---

Oh he’s here? Damn, you’d think a witch was charming me with luck. Sean smirked at his phone as he had just left a brief briefing regarding the Coopers. Besides a bit of a history lesson on the pack, Sean didn’t learn of anything too out of the ordinary about Michael and Finn. If anything, Sean was starting to think Colonel Trotter just had a vendetta, a justifiable one, but still a grudge. While traversing the halls, Sean decided to type up a reply to his colleague.

Perfect timing then. I’m at the base as well and can meet up with you and the colonel.Can’t wait to see what you got cooked up.

Sean put his phone in his pocket and proceeded towards a break room to get his hand on a quick snack. Then, he’d head for Trotter’s office.

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

The idea of writing poetry almost caused the old vampire sigh. He’d tried that in the late 1400s, but he didn’t find it to be overly fulfilling on its own. To Alexander, poetry was like a great condiment you could apply to other arts of life. And even if he found a style that would sate his yearning for new mastery, he had wanted to try something a bit outside of his scope. Something new… Well new for him. Alexander was a bit behind on the times, which meant his bucket list for new hobbies seemed endless. Almost three millennia and he had only started about a half-century ago. He would probably be 4 thousand before he ever got around to mastering basketball.

However, he couldn’t allow himself to hang on that, the most important matter at the moment was the girl. Sure, he hadn’t put too much pressure on his clan to find the escaped Shay Knight, but he couldn’t allow her to venture freely. If she fled the county in fear, fine. If she was dead, perfect. What he didn’t want was a situation where she lingered in the area. Alexander was sure Operation Humanity had a faint idea of his clan’s activities and surely his identity, but he did not need some fifth-rate witch spreading the word of his in-house operations.

“Lost lover? Lost, yes.” Alexander peered once to his left and then once to his right before speaking gently with a slight grin while slightly closing the distance between the two. “She’s not one of yours I can assure you. And she can’t compare, I promise, but she is like yourself… If you look behind you, at your eight o’clock, there she is. Painted to perfection about to be purchased on a bid, Shay Knight. Escaped my custody about a week ago. I figured she'd run to a coven for protection.” Alexander studied the young woman that was bidding with the wealthier gentleman who had shown a desire for the painting since first walking in. The girl appeared to be a student. It would be an oddity if she could afford the painting, but Alexander was aware of how looks could be deceiving as he was a prime example himself. As Maeve looked onward, he piped up. ”Billiards. My new hobby will be billiards.” He announced evenly.

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

Much to Finn’s surprise, his little pickup line didn’t put Maeve off at all. The woman seemed quite amused by the young wolf’s bold attitude. Finn had a habit of moving forward without overthinking his actions or tasting his words in advance. Some would say he was overconfident but Finn simply lacked the ability to oversee the consequences of his actions. Not to mention that he would feel most alive in the heat of the moment. Deep within there was just this burning desire for action that drives him to turn everything in a leap of fate, rather than thinking things through.

“Yeah, I’m not really into this kind of art. I don’t really have the patience to stare at paintings. Not my kind of activity. My brother would have liked such an exhibition. He could lose himself in the gaze of the portraits. ” Finn paused a bit as he tried to hide the fact that he was worried about Mike’s well being. The young wolf missed his brother more than anything and he hated the fact that he left New York even though he perfectly understood that there was no other option.

Finn stared a bit to one of the paintings before he continued. ”We’re not really a family where you can return to. Once you leave, you’re out. Something with ancient stupid traditions. Even if he would leave Ember Grove, returning home is not an option.” The tradition Finn was referring too was an ancient werewolf tradition that was hardly ever practiced in these modern times. Once a wolf would leave the pack without permission of the alpha, he was no longer welcome to return. Something that counted for both Mike and Finn now.

The young wolf was a bit annoyed by the fact that the host of the party butted in on the conversation he was having with Maeve. Couldn’t he tell that they were having a good time? What an asshole to ruin it. For a moment kicking Alexander’s ass crossed his mind but he quickly discarded the option. That would surely not leave a good impression of Maeve. She was here for his art after all.

However what happened next came as a surprise. Finn blushed a bit as the red haired woman handed over her phone number and invited him over to her cafe. For a moment the young wolf wondered if it was a date or just a general courtesy. He couldn’t really tell. But Maeve had surely gained his interest. ”Sure, I’ll be there. Seeya around” Said Finn as he waved Maeve goodbye.

Now left alone, Finn stared around the place a bit. There really wasn’t much interesting stuff going in in this joint. Just paintings of ladies and more paintings of ladies and even more paintings of ladies. For a moment the young wolf wondered if the host ever had painted anything else at all. This wasn’t exactly Finn’s definition of fun.

Bored he strolled through the different areas until another redhead caught the young wolf’s eye. Somehow from all the people in the room she stood out the most. Maybe it was because she’s dressed to kill, maybe Finn just has a thing for redheads or maybe the color red was associated with danger and danger was far more interesting then these dull paintings.

The red haired woman seemed not to be too interested in the artwork. Maybe she was up for a friendly conversation. ”So, you like the artwork? My personal favorite so far is the one with the moustache. ” Joked Finn as he approached the lady with the hair of blood.

Time: Sunset
Location: Sorrel’s Apartment
Interactions: @Ithradine Volfango
Mentions: N/A

---

Sorrel had plopped herself down on one of her barstools, a book in hand as she patiently awaited Volfango to show up. Before the man could even knock, she’d heard his footsteps approaching her door and so did Helmar who in turn let out a single deep ‘woof’ to alert Sorrel of the new presence at the door. She giggled to herself and shook her head at the dog, glad he at least knew to alert you of someone’s presence. It would be more useful for someone who didn’t have almost comparable hearing and smell, however. Of course Helmar had no idea about that, he was just doing his job.

She set the book down and moved over to the door, opening it with a smile. ”Most handsome indeed.” She giggled as she looked him over, her eyes landing on the roses in his hand. ”Roses for me? My, you really do know how to swoon a woman. Come in for a moment as I find them a vase.” She said, grin still in place as she welcomed him inside. The roses had a rather strong scent, but there was another scent she picked up hidden behind the roses. A scent that was much similar to her own, the scent of a werewolf. So she hadn’t been mistaken before while at the bakery. She definitely suspected he was a werewolf and it was part of what motivated her to accept the invitation of going on a date, but now with him here and no other people around it confirmed it. It would be rude to outright ask him, tho, and so she had to find a more creative way to bring it up. She needed the information if he was in another pack here in town. Last thing she needed was to be involved in a territory war all because she didn’t know what territory belonged to who.

She found a vase quickly and filled it with some water, then set it on her counter ready for the flowers. ”So what might be on the agenda for tonight?” She was curious as to where this date was going to lead.

Right. See you there.

Valentin made his way to the meeting, and once everyone was assembled and greeted everyone he pulled up his laptop bag, and removed the device from within before unfolding it.

"Unless they're there to simply gather intelligence, the agents at the university are wasting time. Between all the people at the exhibition to the security about campus, there's no space to work and too much the little shit can use to his advantage if making a getaway. What's needed is a trap." the Professor said, turning on his computer.

"That we can make. Before I knew what thing was it spoke to one of my students. I ran him down and it seems that he had a roommate. Guess who?" It would be inevitable they'd make the connection, and Valentin would smile when those in the room would have it visible that realization was dawning. "Well, what will our friend Brian Dudley have thought about some random fellow approaching him? I don't know to be honest, I don't pay attention to those piece of shit kids. But I don't think he reacted the way our prey wanted him to react. Now with the background out of the way, a course of action!" the man roared, spreading his arms with little care for volume control. This really isn't like a lecture he thought.

"There needs to be bait, and the dormitory is perfect. From our imprisoned friend we can get spittle, hair, skin flakes, whatever's needed to make a scent trail. It won't be hard to pressure his roommate to make a post on social media saying he'll be 'chilling with his roomie', maybe get a friend or two of the brother to add our prey on facebook or whatever they use now given they add people they never met all the time anyways and thus they can share, retweet, et-cetera, spread the knowledge that our boy is supposedly still on campus with many proofs he still is. Pressuring some students won't be hard, a few men in black suits with sunglasses will get them to cave to anything if they aren't fierce ideologues. In-group hunters can probably get into Michael's accounts and help confirm whatever narrative we like with edited images. All efforts need to be made to make the kid believe that his brother is out and about and that he can get to him. Then just have a few operators staking out the dormitories when our friend inevitably comes, easily concealed in the rooms themselves if needed. I like the expression 'a wild goose chase' I heard when I first came to America, it perfectly describes what a hunt for this creature across all Ember Grove will be. But a good trap? Perfect." Well, he had said it. He had gotten through this speech and that was good enough he reckoned. Chances were he wouldn't participate in this operation himself given how hard it would be to overcome the overwhelming urge to break every single bone in the beast's body once it was caught, but if all said just now helped Operation Humanity get a big win then his standing in the organization would surely grow.

Time: Dusk
Location: Operation Humanity Base
Interaction with: @Andreyich Valentin

---

That leftover Taco Bell wasn't too bad. Something you want to eat fresh though… And I'm 90 percent sure it was Angel's… She'll forgive me if she ever finds out it was me. I think.

Sean popped a stick of spearmint gum into his mouth as he headed to the Trotter's office… Empty. He could have texted Valentin again but opted to just head to the conference room instead. He did mention others, so that room would be the likely setting for whatever plan he wanted to suggest. As he entered the room, Valentin was just starting to explain how to get this Finn kid. He was the subject matter expert when it came to how to deal with supernatural at the university. His mention of other agents in the vicinity piqued his curiosity. He had just woke up, but he tried to always remain informed of current operations.

While waiting for the contract hunter to finish with his briefing of what he thought was best for a capture mission, Sean shared a brief look with Colonel Trotter. No matter how many times he saw the man, Sean witnessed the same look. It was as if that serious and unpleasant look never left the colonel's face.

"Hey Val, who's at the university right now. You mentioned agents already on the campus. Maybe we can use them in this operation."

"Angel and Remy. I'm not sure why they are wandering freely Agent Stone, but it would behoove you to reign in our assets. Especially those two…. Valentin, good work. You may be a contractor, but you and most times Sean bring innovation to the table. In-group, you heard the man. I need two Out-group agents to approach the roommate convince him to cooperate and two more to gather some DNA from Michael Cooper… If there are no further questions, head out."

There were a few "yes sirs" amongst the group before feet started moving. Sean remained with his eyes on Trotter.

"I know you tacked the two ladies as my responsibility, but you can't expect me to play babysitter when we have ops to run. Aren't the agents that were experimented on supposed to make the job easier?"

"Are you volunteering for enhancements? If not, get moving and protect the assets who have them." Trotter said coldly as he moved to make his exit from the conference room.

Enhancements. That's what some of the brass and scientists called it now. Sean stuck to the proper term, experiments. Sean didn't know the ins and outs of all of it, but he was sure the whole thing was fucked up. Remy was proof enough that children were used and Angel was proof that it was not exactly consensual or what it was made out to be. Even with all the side effects and risk of death due to "complications," there was a bit of temptation. The enemy was stronger, faster, more resilient. Any edge over them was considered. The only downside that really turned Sean off was becoming the property of Operation Humanity. Despite what others said, you were no longer an agent. You were property, equipment, an "asset" with no freedom.

Time: Night
Location: The Pit
Interaction with: His very first shot of whiskey

Noah had thought that they would leave after disposing of bodies but this was not the case. Silas grabbed Noah by the back of the neck and quickly shoved him through the side door and into the thunderous room of The Pit. The club’s music rattled around in his head and the lights inside strobed and flashed. Random faces lit up for fractions of a second, not long enough for him to focus on one but forcing his eyes to dart wildly around as each sweat covered meal was lit up under colorful spotlights. Nothing stayed in focus, there were swarms of people everywhere and every single body in the room smelled like dinner. Even after having just eaten the overwhelming scent of warmth, sweat, and lust caused his vampiric hunger to claw its way back up his throat. He didn’t understand how other vampire’s hunted here, how they could control the vampire instinct when everything about The Pit seemed designed to strip control away. Noah had never really learned control to begin with, the only thing that stopped him from massacring every living thing that crossed his path was a desire to please his clan and its leader.

As he stood frozen and wide eyed he felt his hand being pried open and something forced into his hand, startling him out of his trace-like state. Noah stared for a second at the objects placed in his hand, a dark pair of sunglasses and two strange squishy things. He then looked back at Silas and tilted his head in confusion. The older vampire gestured to his ears and it look another few seconds before Noah understood what the squishy things were; ear plugs. He twisted the ear plugs into his ears and put on the dark tinted sunglasses. He slowly realized why Silas had shoved him into The Pit, it was just like when he was a child and his older cousin had pushed him into a pool to teach him how to swim. Sometimes you either sink or you swim and Noah had learned to swim that day. And now he would learn to walk around with the humans in their noise pit, and he would learn control.

“Better?” Silas asked. Noah could still hear the vampire but the volume of everything in the club had now been turned down, and the lights where much less distracting. He nodded slowly in response, more able to focus than before as the distractions of the club dull slightly. His hunger for blood still gnawed at him, and the smell of the place was still overwhelming but now he at least could hear his own thoughts over all the noise. It was then that Sierra appeared holding small glasses that clearly did not contain blood. He hadn’t even noticed when she had left but he took the glass offered to him and starred at it. The other two vampires were drinking from their glasses so Noah did the same, although he wasn’t sure why he would drink anything that wasn’t blood. What purpose would that serve?

The dark liquid burned its way down his throat in an entirely different way than the hunger burned. It quieted his hunger for blood just enough to that it wasn’t the only thought that occupied his mind, and sent a warming sensation throughout his normally cold skin. He starred at the empty glass thinking, at first, that it was some sort of witch potion but upon smelling it recognized it as something his father would occasionally drink. Whiskey. Noah had never had alcohol before, and he decided that while it paled in comparison to blood, he still liked it. Noah looked up from the small shot glass and grinned. Sierra responded by clapping her hands in amusement and plucking the shot glass from his hand. He followed her back to the bar where they got more whiskey.

The whiskey helped Noah relax more, and after some time the club seemed less and less unbearable. He watched how the humans acted in the club, doing his best to imitate them, trying to seem less out of place than he normally did around his prey. He was understanding the point of the exercise; to be a better vampire he would have to learn to blend in, and he had to learn quickly in order to locate more witches if he wanted to find Drake’s lost pet. It had been a long time since he had been around so many people, and all of his normal human experience had ended at fourteen. From then until he became a vampire, he was nothing more than cattle in a cage. He held no ill-will towards his captors, as that experience had led him towards his elevated state; a vampire. It did, however, make blending in with other humans particularly challenging for Noah. After being turned his vampire conditioning consisted of only how to kill and torture, which he greatly enjoyed, but was also not a huge help in blending in with his prey. This experience gave him a chance to watch the humans, as well as hunt them, and to work on his ability to focus and control himself. All while not having to have too much interaction with his prey, it was clear that no one came to The Pit to make conversation. This realization made Noah see The Pit as a new training ground, rather than the dreadful place he had thought.

---

Time: Evening
Location: Ember Grove University-Art Exhibit
Interaction with: Shay @Potter

Elias continued with his attempt at understanding the whole art scene, carefully studying each painting as he wondered around the rest of the exhibit. The only one he’d found to be truly interesting was the one that had apparently been vandalized earlier in the evening with a moustache drawn onto the woman and horns and a tail on the baby. That one made him chuckle slightly, and he wondered if it was some sort of protest against the artist. He found himself more interested in the people watching than he did the art appreciating though, and at least the people walking around looked far less miserable than the one’s inside the portraits. He caught sight of a redhead who shot him a wink and while his first impression would’ve been ‘vampire bait,’ with the blood red hair and eye-catching outfit, he noted that she moved with the fierce determination of someone on the hunt. Possibly another hunter, or judging by her clothes, vampire seemed pretty likely, but his attention was soon drawn elsewhere.

A nearby pair engaged in a heated bidding war over one of the paintings, heated enough that it ended in the older man being escorted out of the exhibit. Eli certainly hadn’t expected an art showing to need security, or even be all that exciting, but apparently the art crowd was rowdier than he thought. The other half of the bidding war, a college aged woman, returned just after the man was led out of the building, to try and by the ridiculously expensive piece of art. From what he overheard it was a staggering eight thousand dollars for the thing, which was a whole hell of a lot more than his beat-up old truck had cost him. Seeing as how she seemed more than eager to drop that kind of dough on one painting, he figured she’d be the one to ask about the art.

“Interesting choice of dorm décor, college isn’t depressing enough?” He said jokingly as he approached the woman who was intent on purchasing a painting. “But to be fair I can’t say I know a thing about art. Hey, since you seem like you’re here to buy, maybe you can help enlighten me on what the appeal is of dozens of paintings of people who look so sad? I’m trying to broaden my horizons and all, but not sure I really get this particular horizon.” He asked, though as he rambled on, wine tended to make him rather chatty, he noticed she seemed on edge and maybe he’d picked out the wrong art fan to chat with.

---

Volfango raised his right eyebrow at the sound of a singular bark that came from inside the apartment, slightly surprised at his own ability to hear such a sound. He absolutely loved dogs as he grew up with four big ones in Italy, but he hadn't gotten one since he went to college as his lifestyle and schedule didn't really allow for one. Regardless of her furry guardian, Volfango stood upright and proud as he waited for the door to open and gaze upon his selected beauty for the night. When it did open, Volfango smiled wide at the sight of Sorrel, liking what he saw, as he handed her the fresh roses.

He let out a small laugh as he stepped inside "It is because you have captivated Volfango to do so. His voice proclaimed proudly, though as he looked around her apartment the tainted memories of his past relationship entered his mind. The feelings of that night and the following morning were still fresh in his mind, as well as the reality of his new life. Would this Sorrel call him handsome if she knew what he was now, or a monster? Volfango hoped their time together would be over before that question would be answered, unaware of the secondary agenda of his partner for the night. These ill feelings did not sit well with the energetic and positive Volfango.

Upon hearing her question, Volfango approached Sorrel and took her right hand gently in his while placing his other hand on top "Well, marvelous Volfango would like to take the sweet Sorrel to the art exhibition tonight. After that, Volfango shall treat the exquisite Sorrel to dinner." The tall, Italian man looked down into the green eyes of Sorrel bearing a great smile. "Of course, no painting will be able to compare to the living art that is yourself." The words rolled each other in smooth succession. Confident as he was in himself, there was the ever-increasing call of the beats that threatened to cut the night short.

Time: Sunset
Location: Ember Grove University
Interaction: @FunnyGuy Alexander
Mention: @Potter Shay @Helo Elias
Vibes:

---

Shay Knight. That was a name Maeve hadn't heard before, but it definitely didn't mean that someone in her coven hadn't heard of her or been approached. She turned to look at the painting in order to know what the girl looked like and also took notice of some bidding war going on. She kept one eye on the bidding war while also still keeping her attention on Alexander. "She is quite a beauty, that's for sure. Unfortunately I have yet to hear her name. I will definitely keep my ears open tho and ask my people if any of them have heard anything." She was completely honest with him, giving him a small smile. While she couldn't in good conscience promise to help him get the girl back, she'd also probably keep from helping the girl as little as possible. She might even suggest to her that she flee town if she ran into her. Either way she needed to stay in good graces with Alexander all while not becoming a culprit in his keeping of people. It was a tough situation to be in, but she'd manage as she always did.

The bidding war seemed to end in neither parties winning, which Maeve was rather glad the man didn't win. He seemed to be quite the pompous ass and was a little condescending to the girl. That was something that irritated her. She turned back to look at Alexander, however, as he declared that billiards would be his next hobby. "Oh billiards sounds like a wonderful hobby. We should get together and play sometime then." She said with a smile and then glanced over to the college girl who lost the chance to buy the painting of Miss Shay. There was another man who seemed to be talking to her now and as the girl was distracted, Maeve made a decision. "Would you allow me to purchase the painting of Miss Shay? I'll gladly give you triple of what your asking for it." She asked him hopefully.

Time: Night
Location: Art Exhibition, Ember Grove University
Interaction with: @Tae Maeve, @Potter Shay, @princess Angel, @Milkman Finn, @Helo Elias

"Triple? Ms. Brannigan, I would never stop someone for overpaying for my work…." Alexander's eyes darted towards exhibition entrance as five men entered, all casually dressed. One might have taken them for students, though these five were familiar nor enrolled. Alexander's eyes met one of theirs from across the room. The man gave a swift nod before three of them spread themselves among those in attendance. The other two, just remained close to the entrance. "All I request is that you leave this venue after your purchase… A woman like yourself shouldn't get too mixed up in this kind of crowd. And I'm really looking forward to playing a game or two with you."

Alexander remained cryptic, but he was sure she knew what he was getting at. During this entire event he had worn a fake smile to be as welcoming as he could, but now his smile was genuine. The vampire was looking forward to what would occur in the next few minutes. Even if he wouldn't be there to participate. He cleared his throat and turned from Maeve to address his guests.

"I am so grateful for how many of you came to look upon my artwork! Truly! I almost want to not make this my last exhibition, but unfortunately, I must move on from this passion and onto others! The exhibition has not ended just yet, but I must leave early to attend to some personal matters. The artwork will stay up for the next hour. If you wish to purchase a piece, speak to Charles at the entrance or Demetri here who is currently selling a piece as I speak! Some of the remaining paintings will be donated to the university! The one that was artfully drawn on is up for bid starting at one dollar! There will also be more cheese and some of the better quality wine coming in shortly. Now, as much as I would love to partake, I bid you farewell, hope you all enjoy your evenings and live it to the fullest!" Alexander gave a quick wave before making his exit.

"Oh uh Ms. Brannigan… I didn't know you were here. The painting is currently priced at eight grand. I can begin having it wrapped right now." Demetri was attempting to speed up the transaction. He was aware of who Maeve was, and knew she had the funds to buy the pieces available. There was also the fact that he was trying to get her out of the exhibition quickly so she was not caught at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Four more men entered with fresh wine and assorted cheese. Alexander walked the campus grounds, now alone and feeling accomplished. It had been a fine night. He would even get to drive his vehicle home. As he entered the parking lot, he noticed about a dozen women packing the last of the many long boxes into the back of a box truck. He smiled in their direction before entering his car.

"I think I should start being more progressive… The men do the dirty work and the women prepare the food… God, I am always behind the times." Alexander jokingly complained as he pulled out of his spot and drove away with the box truck following. In two minutes, the eleven vampires at the exhibition would spring their attack on all in attendance.

Time: Night
Location: Art Exhibition, Ember Grove University
Interaction: @FunnyGuy @princess@Milkman


As Remy was stalking the entrance of the art exhibition to make her great re-entrance she noticed five men walked in dressed casually. ‘That's weird’she thought to herself.Every other man here was dressed like a penguin. These ones were not. Even when she saw Angel go in, she wore some beautiful dress, which was not her normal style. It wouldn't surprise Remy if Angel just went in to raid the buffet, after all Angel was the type to walk into random hotels in the morning to raid their free breakfasts. She even used to save a raspberry danish for Remy. But these five guys seemed odd, because if Angel had a dress on why would these men not be just as well dressed? Something wasn't right. Scoping out that area from her vantage point, she saw some man leave from the gallery with a certain look on his face. She watched as he just stood there watching a bunch of women pack a box truck. He was not even lifting a finger to help them. ‘‘What a loser’ Remy thought at least he could have had a bit of chivalry. ‘Men.’ The guy got into his car and that’s when Remy knew what to do. Everything lined up perfectly; this was the moment she was waiting for.

Remy jumped on her skateboard and timed it so she could perfectly aim at the man’s windshield with her Super Soaker Mk V™, covering it with red paint that she knew would leave him stuck there. She yelled “HA! NOW YOU GOTTA CLEAN IT YOURSELF! THERE’S NO WOMEN TO CLEAN IT FOR YOU!” She was hoping he wouldn't be able to drive again or clean it off. ‘Serves him right’ Remy thought with a feeling of accomplishment. Now it was time to tell Angel about the suspicious men. Remy always looked up to Angel and knew that she’d know what to do. Remy did an ollie up the stairs to the art gallery and then took her aim, spraying the guard that came out after she left with a bunch of red paint on his face. “Rekt. 2-0 Remy,”She chuckled. When she got into the art gallery, she skated through drawing a lot of looks and gasps. She saw Angel talking to a boy and kicked her skateboard away and ran towards them.

“Angel those men are weird!”

Time: Sunset
Location: Ember Grove University
Interaction: @FunnyGuy Alexander @Potter Shay @Helo Elias @princess Angel @Milkman Finn
Mention: @masterducky Remy
Vibes:

---

”Ah yes, it is getting rather late isn’t it? Have a wonderful rest of your evening Mr. Drake.” Maeve bid the old vampire farewell, catching onto his cryptic warning. She wasn’t entirely sure what he had planned for the poor people that decided to stay at this exhibit, but she could only imagine. While she felt bad for leaving them to a potentially terrible fate, she also knew she needed to keep a low profile and helping save all these people would be doing the opposite of that. Not to mention she would surely upset Alexander if he knew she interfered with his plans and the last thing she needed was a feud with the vampire. So she would take her leave as soon as her business was over with.

She moved over to Demitri in order to pay for the portrait, pulling out her checkbook as she approached him. She began making the check out for exactly what she’d offered, triple the asking price. Some may think she was absolutely insane for paying that for the painting, but she’d learned long ago that if you had the money to spend why not spend it? ”Oh no need to wrap it Demitri, I don’t mind taking it as is. That way I can be out of your hair as quickly as possible.” She said as she gave the man a wink and handed the check over.

As soon as the painting was in her possession she moved over towards the young woman who had bid on the painting earlier. As she was approaching her and the man that was speaking with her, she also reached into her purse and grabbed hold of two business cards. ”Cingo terminus..” She whispered, modifying the boundary ward to be attached to the two business cards. Then through that spell she also attached a defensive spell that would repel a vampire from being able to attack whoever possessed the enchanted cards for the next ten minutes. It wasn’t much, but she’d hoped it would provide enough time for the recipients to get out of there before any harm came to them.

”Excuse me, I’m so sorry to intrude on your conversation, but I have a gift for the young lady.” She gave both Shay and Elias a friendly smile as she held out the painting to Shay. ”I just wanna say that I’m impressed that a young woman such as yourself is showing interest in art. So I figured that should be rewarded.” Once the painting had been taken she also held out both business cards to Shay and Elias. ”I also wanted to give you both these. If you bring them into the shop I’ll treat you to anything you want on my menu. I hope to see you both in my shop sometime soon. Now I must be off, I don’t like to be out on these streets too late at night as there are wicked things that like to come out to play.” She flicked her gaze to the men that were entering the exhibit now, hoping that the two caught onto her warning. She may not be able to save everyone in here, but she prayed she could at least save a few. She then bid them farewell as she began heading towards the exit.

She took notice of Finn speaking with the lovely redheaded woman and decided to say something to them on her way out. ”I love your dress, it’s almost as lovely as the woman who’s wearing it.” She gave the redhead a wink before looking at Finn.

”I do hope I’ll see you tomorrow, I don’t like being disappointed.” She blew Finn a kiss, all while silently placing a protective ward over him, the redhead, and even the young girl who’d drawn the mustache on the one painting. It wouldn’t be as strong as the cards she’d given Shay and Elias, but it should at least reduce harm that may come to them. She knew she was being risky by using this magic on these five people as if any of them were familiar with magic they’d realize that they’d had a spell cast on them as soon as anyone tried to harm them, but it was a risk she was willing to take. She wasn’t completely harmless and if she could help someone get out of here alive tonight then she’d take it. With that she left the exhibit and got into her car, ready to head home for the night.

As she was about to drive away she noticed Alexander in a vehicle who's windshield was covered in paint. It would only take one guess as to who was the culprit behind that as she thought back to the little girl on the skateboard. "God dammit..." She sighed as she began to regret casting that spell on her. The little shit probably deserved whatever was about to happen in there. She shook her head and then made a decision as she pulled up beside Alexander. "Hey handsome, need a ride?" She said through her window, giving him a smile though her face showed that she felt bad that he couldn't catch a break tonight.

Location: Ember Grove University - Art Exposition
Time: Sunset
Interacting with: @Tae Maeve, @Princess Angel, @masterducky Remy
Mention:

The response of the lady with the hair of blood surprised Finn. She seemed clearly dressed for the occasion and yet she was burning down the exhibition with a cold demeanor that would make the arctic jealous. The redhead clearly wasn’t into the artwork and didn’t seem an admirer of this Alexander Drake fellow either. It clearly was a mystery why she was at this dull exhibit. Something that made Finn more interested in getting to know her.

It took a second before Finn was over his surprise and chuckled at her remarks. “Yeah, It’s kind of creepy that the dude painted all these paintings of sad ladies. They all look like they are kept in his basement only to be let outside, get dressed up, sit still and put back in the basement again. Sounds like a pervert now that I’m thinking about it.”

Finn paused a bit as he noticed how Alexander Drake started his little exit speech. For a moment he looked into the man’s direction and noticed how he made his way to the exit.

“Ha, even the man of the hour finds his own party a dull exercise.” Joked Finn as he looked at his red haired companion. “Maybe we should follow his example and go to a more interesting place. There are more interesting places in Ember Grove, right? I’m kinda new to town.”

But before the young woman could answer Finn’’s question the young wolf noticed that the little girl who improved one of the paintings was running towards them and called out to the girl Finn was talking to. Seriously? She’s here with her little sister? There goes his plan to go to a more interesting place with her thought Finn as he tried to hide his disappointment in the sudden appearance of the young girl.

However the child’s remarks about the weird men caught the werewolf’s attention. He narrowed his eyes as he scanned through the gallery. Three new men were posting at the door. Then there were Frick, Frack and at least the four guys who dropped some extra wine and cheese. At least nine men who were working for Alexander Drake were now at the exhibition. Somehow the mood had changed and the young wolf felt trapped. As if something bad was about to happen. Something far worse than getting cockblocked by a little sister.

Finn closed his eyes and tapped into his inner wolf and took a deep breath through his nose. The aroma of the dead filled his nostrils. “Vampires” murmured the young wolf to himself. He had smelled some earlier in the evening but didn’t give it much thought. No vampire would make a move in such a crowded place. However now the realization sunk in that he had smelled Alexander Drake and his cronies. The vampires are the hosts of this exhibit and they were up to no good.

The strain of thought of the young werewolf was interrupted as he once more heard the pleasant voice of Maeve. He quickly opened his eyes and let the yellow glow fade away, giving the woman one more good look as she made her way to the exit. Her attention and wishes for him seemed to be genuine and yet Finn could not let the feeling slip away that Maeve knew what was about to happen in this place as she walked casually to the exit.

“I will, don’t worry.” Shouted Finn to Maeve. And yet their next ecnounter might not become the kind of date both had imagined when meeting earlier tonight. The fact that Maeve was on friendly terms with this Alexander Drake guy and could just simply pass his vampire cronies made Finn second guess her intentions and wondered if the lady could be trusted at all.

As Maeve left the art exhibit the three vampires posting near the exit locked the door. The four men who brought in the extra wine and cheese started to make their way towards Finn and his two companions. Finn could clearly feel their eyes piercing him. The vampires were clearly aware that he was a werewolf and were hellbent on killing him first.

Finn turned towards the little girl who ran to the redhead talking about the weird men. She was right to distrust them. They were all vampires and all the humans in this place had zero chance to survive the coming onslaught. “Yeah, they are out for blood kiddo. But don’t worry, I got superpowers. So better stay really close to me if you want to draw some more moustaches on these paintings later.”

Finn had barely finished his sentence or the first screams of panic echoed through the art exhibit. Chaos erupted as vampires left and right started to attack and feed upon the unsuspecting attendees. Many ran to the door, screaming of monsters only to be forced back by the three men who were posted there. Blood splattered on the walls as the vampires were murdering everyone in sight. The young wolf realized how little chance they had as he was the only one capable of fighting back.

From the corner of his eyes the young wolf noticed how the first vampire was charging toward him. A straight line of attack, Finn’s body responded near automatically, tapping into his inner wolf, raising his foot and kicking the charging vampire with all his might in the solar plexus! A scream of pain left the vampire as the air was forced from his lungs. The young wolf didn’t hesitate and grabbed the vampire's head and started to slam his knee in its face. One, two, three times. With every knee that landed, the cracking of bones could be heard as Finn was turning the face of his assailant into pudding.

Barely had Finn tossed the first vampire away or the second one jumped him. The man was fast. To fast for the wolf to react to. With the might of a vampire Finn was smashed against the wall! From the corner of his eye, Finn could see the shiny object that was launched towards his left chest. A dagger! In a split second he would feel the sensation of a knife piercing his heart for the first and last time. Finn was sure of it. This was the moment he would die.

“Aargh!!!!” The young wolf unleashed a scream of pain as the dagger pieced his shirt and made contact with the young man’s skin. This wasn’t how he imagined getting stabbed in the heart would feel. No this sensation was different. This felt like the intense burning sensation of silver on his skin.

From the corner of his eyes Finn saw the blade. It penetrated but had stopped before reaching his heart. No, not stopped. It was barely moving deeper into his chest even as the vampire was applying more force every second. It was like he was hitting an invisible wall. As if a magical force was protecting the young wolf. How was this possible? Did someone cast a spell on him? Had anyone here any interest in keeping him alive? Was one of the girls he spoke to at the art exhibition a witch? Was it Maeve? The redhead chick? Or maybe the little kid? He had not noticed anything strange until now.

Finn Quickly grabbed the arm of the vampire as hair started to grow all across his body. The young man’s size and shape were quickly changing as he pushed back the attacker. Finn’s hands turned into claws and his ever growing body ripped through his clothes as he shifted into his wolf form, releasing a loud howl. Quickly the large creature launched himself forward, sinking his teeth deep into the neck of the vampire, sending a fountain of blood into the air. The wolf was unleashed.