Ava had gone to bed around dawn, but it hadn’t even been a few hours before the sounds of muffled grunting and scraped metal woke her from her slumber. She groaned as she lifted her tired body from the silk sheets, grabbing a nearby night robe to cover herself with as she headed to examine the source of the noise.

In a corner of the basement of the rented home, a body laid slumped on the floor. He was bound with metal chains to a pillar of the house, which clanked whenever he shifted around. The air was filled with a copper scent as blood dripped down his forehead and chin, pooling on the unfinished concrete floors. His haggard panting echoed in the silent, vacant space.

Ava knelt down to the exhausted figure, just out of his fangs' reach. She smiled, speaking softly, almost like a whisper. “I thought we agreed that you’d stay quiet.”

His red eyes gleamed in the dim room, almost brighter than the gentle trickle of sunlight that shone above the captive's head. He glared at the frenchwoman for a moment, then snarled, and mustered up enough strength to lunge towards her, only to be yanked back by the metal shackles. He collapsed back on the floor with a thud. “Give me...blood.”

“Now, I can’t do that, can I? That would be counterproductive to why you’re here.” Ava lightly tapped the battered creature on his nose with her index finger, which he then immediately tried to bite. In his weakened state, he did little more than chomp on air. One of his fangs was missing, and blood still dripped slowly from the wound. Ava had taken the liberty of removing it a day earlier, when he first attempted to take a bite out of her. In truth, in some kind of twisted way, she found it a bit entertaining that his attempted assault made her feel slightly more human, being thought of as prey. The man in front of her, on the other hand, didn’t seem to enjoy being in that position too much. “Believe me, I don’t enjoy hurting others — but you would not need punishment if you were not so...vile.”

The man had ended in Ava’s clutches by simple bad luck. Wrong place, wrong time. If it weren’t for their unlucky encounter, he might have been continuing to enjoy his macabre hobbies. Ava found him in a VIP room of a high-end club the day before she moved to Ember Grove, after following a strong scent of blood to its source. His fangs were sunken into the neck of a young woman, with the bodies of countless others sprawled at his feet and couches next to him, no doubt partygoers from the club’s dance floor below. It seemed that he was gambling with their lives, to see what would happen — some were in the process of turning, others clinging to life with whatever blood remained in their veins. He was willfully drowning himself in a cesspit of his own greed. Ava knew that in some capacity, she was looking at a reflection of what she was, what she could be, and this view of overindulgence disgusted her.

Needless to say, Ava dispatched her own brand of justice unto the greedy vampire, and dragged him with her to Ember Grove. She was sure he would thrive in the quaint, supernatural town, but she had other plans for him. She figured a few weeks looming around Stage C or D would be enough suffering for him to beg Ava to end his misery, and when he does, she would graciously accept.

“Let’s say you agree to be quiet for the next few hours, maybe I’ll give you some blood after. How does that sound?”

He nodded his head slightly.

Satisfied with his obedience, Ava returned to bed.

Location: Operation Humanity’s Ember Grove facility
Time: Morning
Interacting with: @FunnyGuySean

Mike had barely finished his breakfast before the door of his cell slammed open.Three guards with nervous looks on their faces entered the small prison while holding the captured werewolf at gunpoint. A fourth guard, equally nervous, entered the room with a pair of handcuffs. Mike found it both funny and sad that after all these days under their care without any incident the staff still believed that they could get eaten alive with one wrong move.

And yet there was something different today. It was barely past breakfast time. The interrogators were usually still busy with their first cup of coffee and reading files in preparation for the morning session. Mike could not help to wonder what had changed. It promised to be an interesting start of the day.

The captured werewolf did not have to wait long in the interrogation room before the door opened and an Operation humanity operative entered the room. The man looked young, in the prime of his life and well trained. Someone barely older then himself who looked more acquainted with fieldwork then being stuck at base doing office works such as interrogations. It made Mike wonder what this man’s intentions are.

“Good morning Sean. Your offer of pizza is certainly gracious and appreciated but the truth is, I’m more of a cereal and milk guy in the morning. Why don’t you help yourself to a slice first? You look like you’ve had a rough night and now you’re on interrogation duty. The colonel doesn’t seem to respect labor laws, or are you here on your own initiative?” Spoke Mike in his gentle voice and with a friendly smile. The werewolf was fully aware that trying to bond with a person you’re wanting to squeeze information out was a standard interrogation technique. So Mike had decided to put this Sean guy to the test and reversed the situation by asking some small questions of his own, rather than answering Sean’s questions.

Mike continued to ignore Sean’s questions and calmly continued to drive the conversation into a direction the werewolf is more interested in, Sean. The elder brother had not had the pleasure of meeting this hunter before and was curious to get to know his story, to learn what this man truly wants. ” Sean, I’ve got to be honest with you. I’ve actually expected the big boss himself today and yet you’re here. On this early hour. Something didn’t go as planned last night, right? If you tell me what happened, I might be able to help you.”

Time: Morning
Location: Operation Humanity Base
Interaction with: @Milkman Mike

---

When Mike turned down the pizza, Sean simply shrugged and pulled the box his way as he indulged in the slice he had grabbed for himself.

"Your loss." Sean said in between bites. He figured he could give whatever he didn't eat to Angel and Remy once he was done here. Traditional breakfast, lunch, and dinner were long forgotten to him as he failed to retain a steady sleep schedule. Should have brought steak… Nah, that's for me. "Sadly, I'm a slave to my own work ethic. I'm sure it's what will do me in at the end of things."

He was quite surprised that the file was accurate. This guy was actually oddly pleasant. Even seemed to feel bad for him having to interrogate him. Sean listened in as Mike flipped the script on him a bit. Oddly enough, Sean went along with it.

"I wouldn't say wrong. More like, weird. Unexpected is probably the best word for it. I'm pretty sure your brother might have scuffled with some bloodsuckers last night. If you can confirm his howl…" He placed a phone down on the table and let the recorded howl picked up by the Wolf Call Detector, WCD or "Wicked" for short play. It was Finn's howl. "There's that one, and then… this one. The second howl of the night belonged to the larger werewolf that was spotted by Sean. "Forensics say there were at least three wolves. So is this the Cooper Pack search party or what?" Sean wasn't very well versed on werewolves, but he was aware that howls weren't generic calls. Like voices, one could recognize a familiar howl or even one that belonged to a particular pack or region.

Time: Late Morning
Location: Community Park, New Paeonia
Interaction with: Maeve @Tae

It had taken some time, but time lost meaning after a few hundred years. Besides, this time would be spent on educating someone he was currently considering to be his junior. She had fallen from grace, but Alexander would help her find her place again. No one could be perfect. Even his one kind, but Alexander worked towards making it so.

A large canopy had been set up with a dozen malnourished and ragged people lined up on their knees beneath it. These were not cattle. They were a bit lower on the totem pole. They were the prisoners of New Paeonia. Subjected to whatever Alexander deemed necessary with no questions asked. Today he wanted to make a point to his dear friend, Maeve. A very bruised vampire male held a bulky VHS camera on his shoulder as he got ready to record Alexander while wondering why his wealthy boss wanted to use such old equipment. This vampire had brought the detail up to Olivia and his current appearance is a product of questioning Alexander's desire.

Alexander simply wore black slacks, black oxford shoes, a tucked white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up above his elbows, and a pair of shades to keep things looking dim. He paced in front of the line of prisoners with his hands behind his back and a bit of a smirk on his face. He enjoyed the theatrics a bit.

"Ready?" Alexander ignored the vampire's bruised face. It was not his fault Alexander was a bit chronologically challenged when it came to using certain mediums, but he trusted Olivia had good reason to hurt him. "Let's try to make this quick. I have an appointment to get ready for. Countdown from three." He continued his pacing

"Three. Two. One..."

"Ms Brannigan." The monster faced the camera with a kind smile as he stopped in front of one of the prisoners. "Where should I start? Hmm… Oh, firstly, I am deeply sorry about your small business in town. You know how young enthusiastic subordinates can be. Well, you also know how the young and enthusiastic can be in general, but we're not here to talk about your body count. We're here to discuss mine." Alexander waved his arm to present the dozen.

"Twelve. Not the whole batch, but I just need a few to show you why you should focus less on my clan's activities and more on the state of your people. Think of it as a lesson to learn and me as your humble teacher." Alexander strolled behind one of the prisoners and pulled his head up to face the camera. "You know the closest thing my kind has to your wonderful magic. And I'm serious, it's wonderful. The closest thing we have is our ability to compel. The weaker the mind or the older the vampire, the more effective it is. Lucky for me, I have both advantages at the moment. I don't even have to look this warlock in the eye." Alexander chuckled as his prisoner started to weep.

"Stop crying." And the man did. "Now tell Maeve what your favorite spell is and why.

"Sum… Summone obsurum! It feels good when I use it. It's… it's easy to hurt others with it."

"Wow that's interesting. Dark energy does sound like it might feel good. But isn't that a bit illegal? Perhaps you'll let us know Ms. Brannigan. Next!" Alexander made his way behind the next prisoner, a young blonde woman. He made her face the camera like the man before her. "Same thing. Your favorite spell and why.

"Hanc cor.. meum, quo-"

"Good enough for me. I think that one is the love spell, right. I know my magic Maeve. Love isn't a bad thing. Not unless you're forcing someone else to love you and be your loyal slave. This girl is interesting. A mix between a slave master and a bachelorette. Next!" And Alexander went from person to person down the line over the course of several minutes

"Necromancy!"

"Next!"

"Speaking to the dead."

"Next!"

"Dark energy wielding."

"Next!"

"Hexes!"

"Next!"

Alexander continued until he reached the final person in line.

"Favorite spell and why." Alexander did not get a reply from this prisoner. "Let's give it another go. Favorite spell and why." Still no reply. As if the compulsion had no effect on this one. Then Alexander chuckled. "Silly me. He doesn't have spells. How about you tell her what you used to do for a living."

"I was a chef."

"Very nice, but Ms. Brannigan and I don't care about that."

"What else did you do for a living?

"I killed witches… The spawns of satan that created all of you wretched-"

"Hush."

"She has heard so much already… You want a war with me?" Alexander's giddy smile morphed into a scowl of near disgust. "A WAR WITH ME? You have enemies at your back. At your sides! Look at them. Look at them Maeve! Now I agree that you should stop being so soft, but these ill feelings should not be towards me. And I don't have any hard feelings. Trust me, you'd know… It's easy to make me the devil and your welcome to challenge me in war. But please get your shit together first. At least give me that respect… Cut it off." And the video ended. The prisoners returned to their hell. And Alexander got himself ready to go to Alexei's. All was as it should be. Oh, and the VHS tape was being delivered shortly by way of magic by a batch of much healthier prisoners. They lacked Maeve's skill and power, but the tape would make its way to her. Her name was written in black marker on the label. Well "Ms. Brannigan" was written to be accurate.

---

Helene's shoulders slumped as she heard Ava's chuckle echo through her glass and back to her knocking some of that initial enthusiasm out of her. It was a joke, wasn't it? A vampire whose lips had only ever touched the cold, hard surface of a fancy glass drinking the blood of a victim they had never once laid eyes on. Interactions with humans were particularly rare and those few she did talk with had been a part of the Sinclaire Foundation for some time. However, she did not wish to be like the vampires that lived for the hunt nor did she wish to starve and become like those depraved souls who would kill anything for the slightest drop of blood. Helene was pouring her heart and soul into trying to convince Ava to teach her how to hunt with as much mercy as possible, but it was exactly that thoughtfulness that was making Ava hesitate.

A small smile creased her lips at Ava's apology, it was indeed something hard to believe "It is alright.". However, Ava seemed to pause for just a split-second like some wild thought had wandered into her mind making Helene wonder what it was. Self-control was something that Catherine had drilled into her since she was young but she had never felt the hunger so fiercely before. Her head perked up a little as Ava gave her some information about humans, which Helene quietly repeated "Four to five litres...can lose one..." as if it were some breaking new information unaware it was not everything Ava could have told her. She could do that, but....she'd probably need to drink from more than one person to completely stop the craving "Thank you! I...think I can do this!" It was part thanks, part trying to fire herself up to do what she had to.

As she was busy imagining what how to go about this, Ava spoke once more and made a quick departure before Helene had a chance to formulate a proper goodbye "Ah, okay..well merci et au revoir!". Pink-red eyes watched as her new acquaintance left her alone to deal with this herself, hoping that maybe she would have stayed to instruct her further. It was fine. Helene had accepted when she left the Sinclaire Manor that everything was going to be much different than she was used to. It had been refreshing to be viewed as just another person rather than some figure beyond approach. Her mother had seen to that but she was no longer hovering over her shoulder. Helene was scared and lost in the big, new world she found herself in but she was determined to find her place in it.

That was HE came into the picture. A tall, young man with wavy, brown hair that stopped just at the shoulder who carried himself with a soft-spoken confidence and she could see the intelligence in his eyes. His eyes were like emerald gems that sparkled with the flashing lights of the club. If Helene had a beating heart, it might have just about stopped because he was looking and coming towards her "Do you mind if I stand here?" He spoke as he took over the position that Ava was standing at. Words escaped Helene at the moment so she simply nodded. The drink she had gotten at Alexei's was beginning to wear off and with it came the voices and visions.

His name turned out to be Jackson, a student at the university who had came to the club with 'friends' that had ditched him "You want to get out of here? I know a place we can talk just the two of us." It was an offer that Helene had been waiting for and her symptoms were only getting worse. She kept catching the formless shadow of her mother weaving through the crowd just outside of her direct view, while her voice whispered in her ear "I would like that." She smiled brightly but she wished it had been any other day.

Jackson gently took her hand and lead her out of The Pit. By the time they got into his car, Helene couldn't even have a moment to think about what was happening as she resisted the primal urges to feed right there and then. They drove for a bit, gazing at each other and making small conversation about topics they had been discussing in the club. At last, they stopped in the dirt parking lot of a small park just on the outskirts of Ember Grove. Jackson turned the engine off and turned to her "I'm..not the best at asking these kind of things but...would you mind if we met up again?" He asked nervously, the first time she had seen him act like that. It put her at ease somewhat, but Helene had to make a move "I would not." Like a switch, her instincts kicked into gear as she moved her head forward and so did Jackson.

Helene's fangs extended and dug into his throat, the sweet taste of blood quickly touching her tongue. Jackson screamed as he tried to push Helene off of him but there was no one to hear him and Helene had far more strength than he did. His screams did not even reach Helene as she continued to drink, her first taste of fresh blood directly from the source. Ava's advice briefly fluttered in her thoughts but it was quickly overthrown by the flood of ecstasy. With every ounce of blood that was drained from his neck Helene felt more like herself and the voices lowered to a whisper and finally silence. Her mind was on auto-pilot as her fangs continued to dig deeper. A little more...just a little more.

After awhile, Jackson stopped struggling against her but Helene did not notice. She continued to drink until she was full and satisfied as if in trance. Blood trickled down her lip as she moved her head back feeling relief now that she had clarity of mind and she was no longer on edge. That did not last long as the haze that had been on her mind lifted and she was left with the aftermath of her hunger. Jackson sat motionless against the driver seat pale and without any signs of life. Helene whispered softly at first "Jackson...?" then screamed as it hit her "Jackson!" Her hands which had held him down now shook his shoulders trying to provoke any kind of response, as tears dripped down her cheeks "No! No, no, no, no, please wake up! I am sorry! I am sorry!" There was nothing left of Jackson left to respond.

Helene put her head to his chest and heard silence, felt nothing but the stillness of death from his wrists. Her head laid against his upper chest as he hands became fists and gently hit against Jackon's chest "I didn't mean to! I am-" Her sobbing words were cut off as she began to wail into his shirt to try and muffle the sounds. He was gone and it was all her fault "I am a monster!" Her voiced cried out as her fists twisted themselves into the shirt. How could ever look Ava in the eyes and tell her what she had done? Slowly Helene lifted her head off Jackson's chest and looked at his lifeless and colorless face, burning the image into her mind. There was no way she could do this again. She would rather lock herself away than take another life.

Beating heart or no, she felt a pain in her chest as she got off of him and got out of the car. A mix of anger, grief, and sadness flooding in all at once. Helene hesitantly stood there in front of the car looking at Jackon through the window, knowing that she had just taken away someone's friend...someone's family. She had to leave. It wasn't safe, or right, for her to be here with him anymore. She had to get back to her apartment before any of those friends or family started looking for him. Thus began the long walk home which gave her enough time to try and stop the tears and regret. She couldn't pretend that she wasn't a vampire and ignore the hunger again. It was clear from tonight it would only get someone hurt or worse.

Helene had little energy to do much else but just lay on the bed, so mentally exhausted from tonight she didn't want to do anything else. That emerald shine in Jackon's eyes had been snuffed and it was all she could think about. How was she ever going to be able play at the l'amour est dans l'air tomorrow knowing what she had done? How could she look into the eyes of all those people? Somehow, she had to do it. Prove to herself that she can do more than kill and give something back. That was how she could atone, perhaps.

---

Today was her first performance in front of live crowd of people she had never met before playing alongside people she had only met yesterday. Her outfit was selected and her violin had been tuned just the way she liked it. Excitement should be rushing over her in waves but all she felt was grief and regret. Jackson could have been anyone and it still wouldn't feel right. A part of her wanted to cancel for tonight and hold up in her room. That wouldn't do anyone any good. It was what had brought her to the park this early in the morning with her violin case in hand. Helene was nervous to just be by herself but it was the best way she knew to get over this in her own way. Music was her oldest and closest companion and by pouring her thoughts and emotions into every note she could feel better. That was the idea anyway.

Carefully she set down the expensive case down by one of the park's benches, unlocking the hooks that held it closed. This piece was for Jackson and for her. A requiem for a man she never had the pleasure of knowing fully, just like Boris. A requiem for his life and what could have been if...if she had not gotten involved. With somber determination, she took the exquisite instrument into her hands and rested the violin against her cheek. Helene began to play after a moment of silence, filling the park space around her with a beautiful, but melancholy sound. The music would be a reminder of her failure and a promise to never let it happen again.

---

While searching for a place to eat, Ylva's first idea was the bakery that she sometimes passed by when on a small break from work or arriving on it. Most of the days, almost the entire floor was flooded with the enticing smell of freshly baked goods, which made it hard to ignore the place. Despite that, she had never stopped to eat at the place. Since she wasn't going to work today though, she figured out that she should stop there at least once. Besides, it would be the perfect time to go as most of the baked goods they sold there probably had just gotten out of the oven. Unfortunately for her, the moment she arrived at the place, she was met with the place closed. Probably, the owner of the Starbucks on the mall wasn't the only one who ended up not opening his business after the incident the last night.

Sighing with a disappointed expression, Ylva shook her head as she looked at the closed bakery. While normally the enticing smell would flood the entire hall, she was only being able to feel a faint scent coming from the bakery, a clear indication that the ovens were cold on that day. Without any other place that she was particularly interested in the mall, Ylva would be satisfied with going to the Ember Grove Diner. It wasn't anything new for her but she simply loved the pulled pork sandwich they made there, especially after squeezing some lemon on it. Getting her cellphone from her pocket, Ylva put on a pair of earphones before putting on Flying Whales from Gojira to play as she carelessly began making her way to the Ember Grove Diner.

Thankfully, the diner was open, which saved Ylva from having to go to the market only to buy her breakfast. Since she had forgotten to go to there that week to buy food, there was almost nothing left at home for her to eat and if she did go to the market, she wouldn't have any excuses to not go shopping and would probably have to spend her entire morning at the market. Entering the diner, Ylva went to the counter and sat down in one of the chairs, taking one of her earphones off she called for someone to get her order by raising her hand.

"Hey! So, the usual again?" the attendant asked as he approached Ylva, greeting her with a smile and waving his hand.

"Hei! Ja, a pulled pork sandwich, please." she said with a chuckle as she nodded to the man.

That specific attendant, who already saw Ylva going to the diner a few times before and had already served her a few times, simply nodded to her with a small wink and a smile, indicating that he already knew exactly the way she liked her sandwich before he went inside to prepare it.

It didn't take long until she started feeling the smell of the pulled pork getting ready, making her mouth water in anticipation. While it might not be anything fancy or expensive, the pulled pork sandwich from that place was just incredible and the diner quickly became one of her favorite places to eat in the town after she arrived. They were pretty generous with the fillings and had no problems in making an extra large portion for her to eat for just a bit more.

"Takk!" Ylva thanked as the man arrived with her order, putting a dish with a sandwich that almost seemed to be too big for the plate and a lemon cut in half besides it.

The first few times she went to the diner, the people working there were a bit surprised by how much she was able to eat, but now they had gotten used to it, going as far as even making her portions a bit bigger than they normally would. Squeezing half of the lemon inside the sandwich before closing it, Ylva took a big bite out of it, appreciating it's taste as she ate.

Location: Operation Humanity’s Ember Grove facility
Time: Morning
Interacting with: @FunnyGuySean

Mike listened closely to what Sean told him. A scuffle with vampires? That sounded like something Finn would love to get mixed up in. Not because he hated them so much but rather for the opportunity to fight. For a moment the werewolf thought about it. Then he remembered the announcement of an art exhibition by Alexander Drake slightly over a month ago. That exhibition was last night.

”Vampires, such pitiful creatures. Most have been human at some point in time but are now locked in a state between life and death, fueled by an instinct to preserve themselves at the expense of others. For all eternity a threat to everyone. It is a good thing that the world has people like you, Sean.” Spoke Mike Softly.

None of the words spoken were lies. The werewolf felt generally sorry for the vampires. It was a cruel fate to be turned into one and ending their existence was the most humane thing anyone could do to them. Vampires would always remain a threat to everyone due to their need for blood. For werewolves being a threat to humans was a conscious decision. They could be if they want to but it was never a necessity. Mike strongly believed that werewolves could peacefully coexist with humans if they wanted to. However that is not something every werewolf wants. Some, like his father, consider their kind to be above humans and thus should be the natural rulers. When you combine power with ambition, that could be a dangerous combination. But history has taught us that you don’t need to be a supernatural creature to do unimaginable amounts of harm.

Mike smiled when he heard the howl of his younger brother. Its sound filled the wolf with happiness. He instantly recognized it and there was no reason to hide it. Operation Humanity already knew he was in town anyway. The other howl sounded unfamiliar. However that does not mean that Mike could not extract some information from it. In fact the sound and intonation told him that the other wolf was recently turned and not in control but rather acted out of instinct. In the intricate details he could also hear that the other wolf was male.

Mike turned towards Sean as his face turned serious. ”If my father would come for me, that would be the worst thing that could happen to Ember Grove.. The wolf paused before he continued. ”My father is not a good man. His view on the world is one of subjects and enemies. You’re either with him or against him. There is no middle ground in his mind. No such thing as neutrality or indifference. If he’d come to fight Operation Humanity in Ember Grove to rescue me, he would make sure that Operation Humanity would not be able to retaliate against him. He would come, destroy you and then leave again. Giving Alexander Drake a field day for a really long time.

Once more Mike paused. Just to let his words sink in. ”however, my father would never come for me. Our family relations are rather complicated. My father and I don’t see eye to eye. Our values and morals are completely opposite from each other. I don’t exactly walk the path he had in mind for me.

As another silence fell Mike thought about his father and former pack. There were a lot of people in it he generally liked. However his relationship with his father was severely strained with extremely little chances of ever getting better. In the eyes of his father, both Mike and Finn were just great disappointments, unworthy of even carrying the name of Cooper. ”If my father would send someone for me. It would not be my brother. He stopped acknowledging Finn’s existence when my brother was around 12 years old.”

Time: Morning
Location: Sorrel’s place
Interactions: @Ithradine Volfango @Milkman Finn
Mentions:

---

The ending of the night before was quite different from anything Sorrel would have ever imagined. They’d escaped the art exhibit out into the woods which Sorrel took over leading them through. She took a longer route than necessary in hopes to tire out Volfango just a bit before heading towards her home. Thankfully the apartments where Sorrel lived backed up to these exact woods so they wouldn’t have to really run through town either as giant wolves or completely in the nude. The latter was a bit impossible as they had to enter the building raising the least bit of suspicion. All Sorrel hoped for was that most people were asleep at that time. She’d set both guys up with a place to sleep, putting Volfango in the spare bedroom and then Finn on the couch. She’d also given Finn instruction to keep Volfango from leaving if he seemed to still not be in complete control of himself. Then she went to bed herself.

Now it was quite early in the morning, the sun wasn’t even up quite yet nor would it be for about another hour. She had a few errands to run before the others awoke and so she threw on a quick outfit and put her hair up into a messy bun before silently making her way through the house. She wrote a quick note on a piece of paper for the guys in case they woke up while she was gone.

Finn and Volfango,

Had to run a couple quick errands this morning, I’ll be back shortly. Please make yourself at home. There’s a bathroom in my room and a guest bathroom, both are stocked with towels if you need a shower. I’ll bring back clothes.

She left the note in plain view before she slipped out the door and made her way to her car. Her first stop was at the bakery. She needed to put up a sign that said ‘Closed for the day, sorry for the inconvenience’. From there she made her way to the only store she knew would be open this early in the morning, Walmart. While they didn’t carry the best quality of clothing, at least it would be something for the guys for now. It then dawned on her that she had no idea what size either of them wore so she just grabbed a bunch of different things in different sizes so that they could have their pick.

Once she was done there she made her way back to the apartments, arriving as the sun was making itself known for the day even though it was covered by the threat of rain clouds. She carried quite a few Walmart bags on her arms down the hallway until she stood in front of her door. As she found her keys she heard someone else open their door and felt eyes on her. She glanced over to see an older lady staring at her. ”Ah, guten Morgen Mrs. Jenkins.” She gave the woman a friendly smile, though could tell something was up by the judgemental look on the older woman’s face.

”Sorrel, I saw you last night.” Well of course she did, the woman was one of the nosiest people she’d ever come across. She always seemed to have to be in everyone's business in the building. It truly drove Sorrel insane, perhaps that’s what prompted her to say what she did next.

”Oh? Well I certainly hope we weren’t too loud for you last night and kept you up. I mean we just couldn’t help ourselves.” She gave the woman a wink and watched horror cross Mrs. Jenkins features as she made a disapproving huff before loudly slamming her door shut. Sorrel finished unlocking her door and shaking her head as she walked inside. ”Maybe that’ll teach you to mind your own business, you old hag.” She mumbled as she moved and set the bags on the counter, unsure if the whole exchange outside would have awoken the others as they weren’t entirely quiet.

Location: Night Order Estate
Interactions: Loukas Clermont

---

News of Alexander Drake's charade reached Veronika's ears in the middle of last night's feast. Her suspicions about his art exhibit had been right, much to her displeasure. Veronika has never been a fan of Alexander's barbaric ways and antics. For this reason, clan members were not allowed to engage with Sanguine Moon's lackeys. They were ordered to avoid them at all costs. They only spelled bad news.

"Are we going to turn a blind eye? Again?" Lucas asked in a hushed tone, afraid he might cross a boundary. He has been Veronika's right-hand man for centuries, but he reminded himself not to get too comfortable. As close as they were, Veronika was still the leader of the clan.

"If we intervene, there will only be more bloodshed." Veronika replied curtly as she scanned through the pages of a book she was reading. Veronika had always been a person of few words, and Luca wished she'd be a little more generous with her thoughts. It was always hard to get a read. He'd often find Veronika in deep thought, but he never knew what plagued her mind. Everytime he dared to ask, he was only met with a small smile.

"However.." he paused, unsure if he should continue. Did he really have the right to burden her with his foolish concerns? She was much older and wiser. She had been keeping the clan safe for more than a millenia. Perhaps he wasn't looking at the bigger picture.

"I'd like it if you continued." Veronika urged him with a small smile, now closing her book. It was that small smile he was so familiar with. Warm and gentle, yet it never reached her eyes.

"This isn't real peace." He said, referring to their luxurious lifestyle at the estate. They were living their best lives within these walls. Wearing expensive clothing, holding festivities, not having to hunt or fear for their lives. But a storm was brewing outside.

"The war just happens to be outside our walls. And what about his victims? We can't simply call them collateral and move on. Everytime Alexander kills, we are thrown further away from our goals of co-existing with humanity."

Veronika looked at him for a moment before opening her book to resume her reading. "If there's one thing I have learnt during my long years of life, it's that you can't save everybody. Even if vampires did not exist to wreak havoc, humans would still find a way to kill and wage wars against eachother," Veronika replied, her eyes still glued to the pages. She understood Luca's frustrations as she also despised how Sanguine Moon did as they pleased. However, they must only watch for now and allow the hunters and Alexander's pets to chip away at eachother's numbers. That way, she would not have to sacrifice the blood of her own clan. If anyone hated the hunters more than she did, it was Alexander Drake. It was more beneficial to have him around, for now.

Luca sighed in defeat. Veronika was right. This was the unfortunate reality, and his idealism would only put the clan at risk. He knew Veronika hated violence more than anything, but she remained patient and focused on the grand scheme of things. So must he.

As he bowed his head and moved to take his leave, Veronika signalled for him to stop.

"Prepare a car. We're going to Ember Grove."

Time: Afternoon
Location: Alexei’s
Interaction with: none

After his breakfast Eli headed to Alexei's, getting there just early enough to linger around the back and smoke a cigarette before his shift started. As far as jobs went, Alexei’s wasn’t too bad; it was pretty easy going and offered a good chance to meet supernatural entities in a friendlier environment than hunting them did. The biggest plus was obviously getting a paycheck in return, something vampire hunting did not offer. No one here ever seemed to mind if he showed up hungover or even a bit intoxicated, as long as he showed up and work got done. After his cigarette he got to work getting things up for when the bar opened; unloading new stock, setting up kegs, basic prep work. The closing shift from the previous night had also clearly half assed the cleaning but he chalked that up to everyone having an intense Friday night. So he also made sure the bar maintained its careful line of maintaining it’s run down dive bar look while being clean enough that it could still pass a health inspection.

He briefly paused to check the schedule posted up in the backroom to see who else was working today. He was relieved to see Vivian’s name listed, someone who could handle the obscure cocktail requests they occasionally got from the younger crowd. He could handle grabbing beers and making the basics but didn’t not have the time or care to learn every obscure drink with a fancy name on the off chance that some kid saw it on a buzzfeed list and requested it. He’d much rather deal with a rowdy crowd of werewolves and leave complicated orders to her. Sometimes, for fun, he’d just make up a bizarre drink name to order and he’d be damned if she didn’t come up with something without batting an eye. A long day of work was certainly easier when you had fun co-workers.

Vivian arrived at Alexei’s at noon on the dot. She surprised herself that she managed to be punctual for once, but after some thought, she figured it was certainly easier to be on time when it was worth it to make the effort. Her morning routine was relatively short anyway—after the phone call, Vivian ran her usual route around her apartment building, and grabbed breakfast from a deli at the end of the jog. It pained her and her bank account to pay for breakfast daily, but she would much rather be broke than eat whatever cooked monstrosity she may make in a kitchen. Thankfully, Alexei’s fed her dinner during shifts.

At first glance, the sports bar looked rather sparse. This was usually the case at noon, weekend or not. There were a few patrons here and there and a group of teenagers at the pool tables. No Alexander Drake, though. She took it as an opportunity to put down her things in the break room, and was pleasantly surprised to see Elias checking the schedule.

She approached him with a grin tugging at her lips, as she laid down a pair of sunglasses and a bag on the table. “How’s it going?”

Vivian had brought her personal pool cue with her in preparation for the upcoming lesson. She swiftly took it out of her bag and began to assemble it.

“Before you ask—no, I did not miraculously arrive early for a shift. I got the contact information for some rich guy who lives in New Paeonia because he wanted to learn how to play pool, so here I am. First lesson of many, I hope.” Upon mentioning New Paeonia, it briefly crossed Vivian's mind to mention Alissa again, but she decided against it. She nudged him on the shoulder with an elbow, flashing a smug smile. “He promised to pay for drinks - add a few extra shots for me, will ya?”

Time: Morning
Location: Operation Humanity Base
Interaction with: @Milkman Mike and @princess Angel

---

Sean attempted to attentively listen to Mike as much as possible, but he felt like something was missing. He couldn't believe a prisoner could not just be polite, but also flattering. Sean could normally keep his cool, but this guy's demeanor put him on edge. Intentional or not, Sean would stick it out.

The way Mike answered questions kept Sean silently listening. The answers were all there, but they were sprinkled in with the rest of his words. Someone like Angel would have probably ended the interrogation, but Sean could be patient, especially with something to eat.

"If all what you say is true… Actually, I'll save it for next time.." Sean stood up and closed the pizza box. "I'll be sure to bring cereal and milk too. Nice talk." Sean nodded before exiting. He passed the guards that would enter to take Mike back to his cell who gave perplexed looks at his pizza box. Sorry guys. Saving the remaining slices for the ladies. Conveniently, Sean's phone buzzed. He took a hand from the pizza box and checked his phone, only to see there was an alert.

"You're kidding me." Angel's vehicle had just been reported leaving the lot. He contemplated sleeping but thought of how things turned out last time. Angel left without saying a word to anyone. "Nope!"

In minutes Sean made his way to the lot, this time, getting into a grey Ford Raptor and tossing the pizza box into the passenger seat. He headed towards Ember Grove while calling Angel's cell phone.

Time: Morning
Location: Operation Humanity HQ
Interaction: @FunnyGuy
Mentions:
Unintentionally really fitting: youtube.com/watch?v=y-EF3_CbfW4

---

It was time for Remy’s great escape, sneaking out of OPHQ wasn't anything new for her. She took a cardboard box and got under it. Making her way crawling through the hallways I probably should have poked holes in the box, I can't see anything. As that thought even went to her head, *thud*, she crawled right into a door. She lifted up the box for the moment Where am I? I've never seen this place before, I thought i’ve already explored everything in here by now, that’s excitingggg. What was I doing? Oh right toooo the dumpppp She poked some holes and turned around, started to heading back to where she came from, only to get distracted by a smell and started to follow that. After trailing the tango for a bit she saw the tango head towards a getaway car. She sped-crawled a bit and snuck into the backseat of the truck before anyone could notice. As the car started moving she popped up and said:
“HI SEAN. I smelled the pizza! Where are you taking this wonderful pizza? I’m going to the dump!”

Time: Morning
Location: Holiday Inn Furry Convention
Interaction: None


Scott showed up at Ember Groves Holiday Inn. It had only been a few hours since the convention had opened up. The place is packed. So much fur, so many colors. All the cliques... (the bronies, the scalies, and the crinkles etc.) It felt like he was in a zoo. The air was filled with the smell of mildew from the building, an overwhelming smell of sweat masked by the smell of baby powder and (oddly enough) Cheetos. The interior was quite huge with blue old stained carpet. Something you’d see at an old casino or something. But none of the defects mattered to Scott. From his eyes, it was like he entered a different universe.

And to be completely honest. He wasn't here for the convention. He was here for Steve. Sure he loved being a furry. He's never felt more like himself as he felt when he was in his suit. But without Steve, he wouldn't have found his true self. And besides, these past few years, Scott had no one to really talk to, Someone who would understand his infatuation towards wolves. He was a lone wolf for so long prior to Steve. And for Steve to just vanish out of nowhere, it was like the rug was swept right under him.

The last time he heard from Steve was a couple of days ago. He had said to him previously:“I have a lot to explain. I know. But if I mean a lot to you, you’ll meet me at the next upcoming furry convention in Ember Grove.” But that was that. So Scott didn't really know where or when to meet him. So instead, he went to go hang out with some random group to go do drugs or fuck around in the hotel. Which was practically what the whole convention was doing. The Ember Grove Furry Community was notorious for the shit show they call a “convention”. Last year, they caused a fire in the middle of the lobby that was made out of dirty diapers with satanic candles surrounding the fire. Then the year before that, a small group of scalies were throwing unknown dismembered body parts into the pool. Till this day, no one (‘cept for the people who are running the convention) really knows if it were human body parts? Or just some meat scraps from the butchers back dumpster. Eitherway, hotel management was not happy. Yet Ember Grove FurryCon is still holding up strong. And no one who shows up at the convention really rats out on what goes on. You know what they say~ “What happens at Ember Grove, stays in Ember Grove.”

Time: Noon
Location: Alexei's, Ember Grove
Mentions: @Pink Khione Vivian

When the clock struck twelve, an older gentleman entered Alexei's wearing boots, jeans, a plain blue shirt underneath a black leather jacket, and an old black fedora. He walked in with confidence and took a seat on a barstool to order a drink from the working bartender.

"Whiskey on the rocks, please. By the way, when are you folk gonna get rid of these fancy bracelets" He held up his right hand, showing off the bright pink wristband that was required upon entry.

"I was wondering the same. They're not very comfortable." Alexander added as he had entered just in time to hear the old man's complaint. The old man turned to see Alexander in his black slacks, black dress shirt, deep red tie, and a pool cue case in hand. The enchanted wristbands had already dulled his senses some which along with the atmosphere of the dive bar made him crinkle his nose for a second. We are definitely not doing this here if there is a second time. Alexander scanned around for the woman who had been described to him. Raven hair, blue eyes, fair-skinned, and a slender frame.

n/a