Ylva's statement perked Millie's interest and she tilted her head her way. "Oh that's terrible Ylva. What happened last night? Did your store get robbed or something?" She asked her sympathetically. She had been so entranced in the drama with Marius yesterday that she had neglected to pay attention to anything else happening in Ember Grove. Maybe she could do something to help Ylva get a new job. It was a pity that she had the luck of getting a job so soon after coming to Ember Grove only to lose out on it. Her magic was not there to be wasted, after all.

Millie had also paid attention to her other new acquaintance as he spoke. The man here seemed to carry a warm and friendly demeanor. Even though she tried to see good in others, there was always a painful skepticism deep inside her that sometimes some people were too good to be true. Any time she encountered kind folk such as him, she found a small part of her wondering how much of it was real. They always seemed genuine enough. Perhaps it took one to know one.

Anyhow, the waiter came over to take their orders and Millie ordered her blueberry pancakes and some tea. There was something about the way the guy ordered coffee that reinforced her earlier minor suspicion. She reminded herself yet again she was overthinking just as she had with Marius. Millie pretended not to notice. She was surprised when he turned to her specifically and introduced himself as Luke.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Luke, and you too, Ylva. I have lived in Ember Grove all my life so if there's anything either of you need, I'd be happy to help. There's so many charming little places we have here. Ylva, maybe I could help you get a new job and if you need one too, Luke I can try to help. "

Time: Morning
Location: Operation Humanity Base
Interaction with: @princess Angel, @MasterDucky Remy, @Potter Shay

---

I did not want to push this button… Sean kept a neutral expression as he listened to Angel. He did not like this kind of confrontation, but here it was. Sean was not one to engage in a serious argument about a matter that he could just remedy on his own. If Angel did not want to share her destinations and intentions despite being tasked to do so, he would just find another way to keep track of her. Unfortunately, nothing reasonable had seemed to work. Courtesy calls, text messages, notes, nothing worked. At least Remy, who by the way, concerned him the most at times gave him some sort of heads up. Sometimes in the oddest of forms, but she usually tried to leave a… notice?

"Agreed." Sean let out somewhere in the middle of Angel's tiff. Part of him wished he had remained at the base and napped, but he had to put in some effort to keep track of Angel, especially after last night. Remy's odd and sudden entrance gave Sean an opening to covertly sigh at the situation.

When Remy rode off alone on her skateboard he sighed as he watched her coast down the long road. He sighed again, but this one was not hidden.

"Let me know if you need a ride back later!" Sean called out to give her the option not to skateboard for the hours it would take to get into town. His eyes soon set on Angel who stated she was 'done' and he couldn't help think of when he heard those words last. He raised his hand to the steering wheel and turned up the music some. Not to the previous volume, but enough to where it could not be considered low. "I'll see you later then… Take care." Sean simply said as he turned from the vehicle and headed back towards his own. The last two words seemed to be where his concern pushed to the surface. He didn't want to be the overbearing babysitter and Angel did not want that either, so he'd wish her the best and keep it moving.

Besides, his true gripe was with Trotter.

Location: Sorrel’s apartment
Time: Morning
Interacting with: @teaSorrel @IthradineVolvango
Mention:

The young werewolf woke up to the smell of bacon and sausages. For a moment he looked around the apartment just to see where he was. Then he remembered last night. The nights of a supernatural tend to be weird. But when you run around naked in the forest with a beautiful lady but still end up on the couch, then your night was really weird. Far more weirder than transforming into a werewolf and fighting with vampires ever would be. That part is just regular weird in Finn's book, or maybe even normal.

Quickly Finn followed his nose towards the kitchen and looked around the corner. As he was expecting to find Sorrel behind the stove making breakfast he suddenly stared at a scene that looked like it came straight out of a really bad porn movie. Behind the stove was the other man, Sorrel’s date wearing only a cook's hat and an apron. The young wolf could not help it but he looked straight at the well, not so covered butt cheeks of Volvango. “That are some delicious looking hams and sausage” talked Finn more or less to himself.

But just as he spoke those words the front door opened and Sorrel entered the room and Volvango turned his head around. As Finn stood there butt naked he could kinda feel his cheeks turn red. “I totally meant to say bacon and uhm smell, yeah smell. Breakfast smells delicious. That was what I was talking about. I should totally go make myself useful now and put some plates on the table.” Spoke Finn quickly while he nervously scratched his head while he found himself in a litle awkward situation.

---

Ylva sat down on the table together with Emelie and Lucius as she continued carelessly eating her sandwich when Emelie asked what happened with the store she worked at. Ylva was a bit surprised at first that Millie haven't heard about the attack that happened at the art exhibit on the university. According to the news, there were some dead and it seemed to be kind of a big deal, enough that even Ylva who not only was new in the town but didn't care much about the news ended up knowing about it.

"Oh, don't worry. Nothing happened with the store I work. That said, haven't you heard about the attack that happened in the art exhibit on the university? Anyways, it was kind of a bit deal though. Even I who don't care much about news knew about it." Ylva asked, surprised.

"It seems that a few people died and the circumstances behind it were... shady... at best. Lots of rumors going on about what really happened. Still, thanks for worrying about it." she said with a shrug before she turned to Emelie with a smile.

Truth be told, Ylva knew very well that some of the rumors, particularly about the creatures that some people claim that they saw weren't a lie, especially since she knew that there were other werewolves in the town. That said, despite knowing that, Ylva didn't know much about the circumstances for that attack. Which was the reason why she didn't care much about it nor she tried to know more about what happened.

Despite his rather cheerful attitude, it was still a bit strange on how fixated the man was on Emelie. It was strange on how he kept staring at her. Still, she had nothing to do with that as long as he didn't try doing anything funny. That said, Ylva did find his over energetic and happy behavior a bit annoying.

The moment he made his order though, Ylva couldn't help but to notice how his tone of voice seemed to change when he told the waitress the type of coffee he wanted. While normally she would dismiss that as just a bit strange, the fact that his demeanor was so bright, amicable and energetic, almost overly so made Ylva think that his behavior was a bit forced.

"It seems you have quite a strong preference to black coffee, haven't you?" Ylva asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked at him with a smirk, making it clear that she noticed the change on his tone when he ordered.

"Nice to meet you, Luke. I'm Ylva." she said, looking to Luke after he finally introduced himself and nodding towards him in a simple greeting.

Unlike her, Emelie didn't seem to notice or at least didn't react to the change in tone that Luke had when ordering coffee. Greeting him and Ylva with a warm tone, saying how she lived on Ember Grove her entire life. Even though Ylva had been on the town for a few weeks, it was indeed true that it did seem to be quite a lovable place to stay.

"Oh, don't worry. I wasn't fired or anything. The Starbucks on the mall simply didn't open today due to what happened. The owner said something about solidarity to the victims or something. That said, it is good to know that if something happens to my job there's someone to help me to get another." Ylva said with an amicable smile to Millie.

"Even though I've been here for only a few weeks, the town indeed seems like a lovable place to be. I still need to find some time to visit some of the interesting places I saw around here." she finished as she gave the last bite on her sandwich.

“Lives were lost?! LSD??”

Vivian stood next to the men with her jaw agape in astonishment. She hardly expected the incident to be as serious as it was, evident in her light-hearted jokes about it earlier. Alexander’s passionate speech about the whole thing caught Vivian off-guard. There was something strange in the way he spoke—though he appeared not much older than she was, Vivian felt like his manner of speech held an idealistic or grandiose tone. At the very least, it sounded different from casual jargon.

Despite Alexander’s apparent concern for the lives lost last night, Vivian found that his presence at Alexei’s juxtaposed the meaning behind his words. After all, here he was with the intention of playing pool and flaunting his wealth, actions that displayed nonchalance rather than worry. Rather than comment on it, however, Vivian kept her opinions silent in the interest of earning a wage from the wealthy man.

“Well, since it’s an open tab, I will gladly accept the offer.” As Elias walked off, Vivian shouted her order down the bar, “Whiskey on the rocks, Eli! Top of the shelf!”

Vivian turned her attention to Alexander. “Let’s head over to the pool tables.”

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

---

The smell of bacon and sausage was unexpected, but not unwelcome as she steadied herself on the counter while kicking her shoes off. She had briefly spotted Volfango in the kitchen, but didn’t fully look at him until after he had spoken and her shoes were off. ”Why does it not surprise me that you like...your….eggs...uhh...woah.” She began, looking up and then trailing off as she took in the scene in front of her. Where did he find a chef’s hat?! She then vaguely remembered having been given one during a baking competition, but forgot she’d had it. Unthinkingly her eyes wandered down to his backside and her head tilted to the side slightly as she stared, a slight grin forming on her lips.

Finn’s voice snapped her out of it and she turned to look at him now. Bad idea. Once again did something without thinking and gave him a once over. As soon as she realized she’d done it her face turned bright red. She needed to speak instead of just staring at the two naked men in her apartment and so that’s what she attempted to do, attempted being the key word. ”Clothes!” She began stupidly as she pointed to the bags and then began kicking herself. ”Er, I mean I bought you guys clothing to wear...not that I’m saying you have to wear clothing...Wait! That came out wrong! I mean…” She facepalmed as she took in a deep breath and then let out a long sigh. ”Worauf habe ich mich eingelassen?” She mumbled to herself, a part of her wanting to die from embarrassment.

”How about I just help you set the table Finn. Then we can just all sit down and eat the delicious smelling food that Volfango has made for us.” She finally said as she forced a small smile onto her face and moved into the kitchen. Normally the nakedness of another wouldn’t bother her, but the whole scene she’d walked into had just thrown her completely off guard and she felt like a fumbling idiot.

She opened the cabinet next to Volfango and pulled three plates out. ”I’ll take my eggs however you wish to prepare them, I’m not picky.” She told him, still forcing a smile before turning to hand the plates to Finn and then going to grab cups. ”What would everyone wish to drink? Personally I could go for a shot of whiskey or something, but perhaps it’s too early for that.” She asked with a small laugh, now trying to make light of everything.

---

---

Time: Noon
Location: Alexei's

Alexander took note of Elias. He was either some conspiracy theorist or a problem to be dealt with. However, there was little worry due to the absence of an immediate threat to him and his lesson today. For now he would follow Vivian's lead, as well as study her in order to gauge her suitability as... There were many things that came to mind, but Alexander would keep that solely to himself.

"Let's" Alexander gave her a nod before trailing behind her. In stride, he removed a sleek black pool cue with gold accents along it. He set the case down on a nearby stool and assembled the cue with a serious expression. But once his eyes met Vivian's again, he smiled. "Don't be intimidated. Money can't buy skill... Well not directly anyway." Alexander removed a fat envelope from his back pocket and set it down on the edge of the pool table.

Vivian watched as Alexander swiftly assembled his pool cue without wasted movement, as if it came naturally to him. Not to mention how expensive the cue looked itself, with a sleek shine and gold accents, it looked like he could've been a seasoned player. It definitely didn’t scream ‘beginner’, at the very least. Vivian found it amusing how serious his facial expression was as he assembled it, not noticing that she had been staring until Alexander’s eyes met hers. She flinched reactively, out of embarrassment for getting caught for her lingering gaze.

“I wasn’t-” Vivian almost rolled her eyes when Alexander assumed she would be intimidated in that moment. Where the hell did he get his confidence from, for a self-proclaimed beginner at that?

That’s when Alexander placed a thick envelope on the edge of the pool table by where he stood. Vivian’s eyes gazed upon with intensity, a smile forming on her lips as she pondered on its contents. Even if it was an envelope of one dollar bills, it looked thick enough to cover her rent.

“That’s an interesting pocket of something you have there.”

"I'm glad it has your attention. You don't seem like you would teach a man like myself for free. Or am I wrong?" Alexander maintained his warm smile and laid his cue gently on the table. He knew in his unbeating heart he was right.

Vivian’s lips pulled into a sly smile. “You’re right.” She decided she would reply with the same level of self-confidence as Alexander had shown. “My time and presence are very valuable. Pool expertise even more so. Eventually, I predict you'll agree.”

She made Alexander genuinely chuckle. Despite her status as a human, he did not find her unsettling. She was quite amusing so far as a matter of fact. "And if I do end up agreeing... How much am I paying? How much do you deserve, Vivian?" His hand tapped the envelope twice before it rested on top of it.

Alexander’s question came at a slight surprise. Vivian expected he would have already decided on a price he was willing to pay, but in hindsight, it made more sense for the provider of a service to set the cost. “Ideally, I’d accept whatever you’re willing to spend but let’s see...industry-wise, pros can cost over $100 per lesson or hour. I’ll admit it is my first time teaching, so I’ll go for a modest $100 an hour.” She tilted her head to the side. “How does that sound?”

"Sounds..." Alexander paused with a neutral expression, gazing into Vivian's eyes with his own. He never stopped analyzing those he came into contact with. Never. "...honest." He smiled. "And that's exactly the type of quality I search for in a teacher." Alexander held up the envelope and removed five one-hundred-dollar bills with one hand and tilted the envelope revealing a thick piece of cardboard with his other.

Vivian’s eyes widened as he took several bills out of the envelope. One, two, three...five hundred in total, from what she could see. The summed amount was more than she predicted or asked for, and her skin began to tingle at the greedy thought of what she could spend it on. She almost had to stop herself from reaching her hand towards the bills, so fixated on them that she hardly noticed the cardboard left in the envelope. The cardboard didn’t matter to her.

Her eyes glanced back and forth between Alexander and his hand holding the money as she replied with a sheepish smile. “With payment decided then, shall we begin?”

"Absolutely. I know the basics I think. Shoot the balls into the holes using the stick." Alexander oversimplified.

Vivian chuckled. “Yeah, that’s the gist of it.”

---

Once again, Ylva referred to the event with a kind of indifference to the whole thing and without a sign of fear in her eyes. Emelie on the other hand hadn't heard anything, yet showed more concern over the possibility of a simple robbery. He could chalk up to a difference in their personalities, but he definitely believed that Ylva was a supernatural of some kind with enough power, or pride, to not be affected "That's kind of what I've heard as well. It's a shock for sure." He replied with a momentary shiver, lightly shaking his head at such tragedy. Lucius of all people should know that not everyone is who they seem so he naturally has to be wary of anyone he comes into contact with for a extended period of time. He had no safe haven. No one in the world to turn to. It might sound sad but it stopped bothering him after the first few centuries, the rotting feelings replaced by an ever increasing determination in his mission.

His teeth clamped down as Ylva mentioned his preference for dark coffee, a signal that his lapse hadn't gone unnoticed. He let out a kind of embarrassed laugh "Yeah, I almost kinda need it. My dad used to drink it a lot. He refused to acknowledge any other kind of coffee." Bright, blue eyes met with Ylva's as he lightheartedly spoke. It was likely to win her over, but he always had back-up plans in case anything ever went wrong when he was out "Ylva?" Lucius purposefully butchered the pronunciation a bit, before continuing "Now that's a cool name. Nice to meet you too!" That name at least confirmed the foreigner identity.

"I have lived in Ember Grove all my life so if there's anything either of you need, I'd be happy to help."

Now that was quite interesting to hear. This entire conversation Lucius had been monitoring and listening carefully to what Emelie was saying to figure out who he was talking with. How does someone who lived their entire life in the town not know of a major tragedy like what happened last night? News typically travels fast in towns like this so the idea that she didn't hear about it from anyone presented the old warlock with more questions. Emelie, or Millie, had the kind of personality that should earn her at least a few friends in this town if what she was saying was true about living here her entire life. It was possible that she was simply a sheltered girl or perhaps she had lied about living here. Her offer, then, gave him the chance to investigate further.

"That's very kind of.." He had started saying with a smile before he looked off to the side, pausing for a second in thought before speaking again albeit without a smile and a kind of humble look on his face "I would...actually appreciate it if you could. If you're free after this, perhaps you could show me a few places?" His presented energy dipped with the first sentence, a not-so-hidden look of pain in his eyes covered by his friendly demeanor. A smile returned to his lips as did his energy when he ask the question to Millie as his adopted personality continued to evolve to meet the challenges and reactions of those he was engaging with.

Lucius turned his head as nose caught wind of savory aroma of bacon, and the light, buttery scent of pancakes "Looks like our food is coming just as Ylva is finishing hers." He mentioned as the waitress returned with their orders, placing them on the table with a smile. It would be far simpler to cast a spell to determine what manner of supernaturals the two women were, if any, but that required time, space, and resources he didn't have. Any witch worth their salt would be astounded by what he carried on his person normally, so for just today he left most of it behind. At least what they would consider "dangerous" and "taboo". Lucius took his silverware out from the folded napkin and began cutting his eggs "I hope this is as good as that sandwich!".

Lucius needed a lead from this whole farce and while Ylva was almost certainly a supernatural, it was far too much of risk to pursue right now. Her strong indifference to the incident and personality made him believe she would be a greater hassle to manipulate than Emelie, though even then he needed to be careful. Lucius had used a similar avatar during the first 'World War' to sabotage some of the supply lines of the Central Powers. It was amusing to see the faces of weathered soldiers as a seemingly young girl dispatched their friends one by one. One must be ready for change and the unexpected in any form in which it might appear.

---

---

Time: Noon
Location: Alexei's

Vivian walked towards one of the side pockets and pulled out a pool ball to set on the table. It took her a bit of searching to find the cue ball.

“I hope you know the white one is the one you’re supposed to hit.” She placed the cue ball at one end of the table, and the blue ‘two’ ball near the center. “Let’s see your stroke—just try hitting the cue towards the two.”

After set-up, Vivian leaned against a nearby barstool. “What made you interested in billiards in the first place?”

"Hit the white one... Into the two. Of course." Alexander placed the money he had taken out back into the envelope that he set down on the barstool with his pool cue case. He then positioned himself at the end of the pool table holding his cue. "A few things honestly." Alexander leaned in like he had observed others do. "The turn-based strategy. The many elements of physics..." Alexander's stroke did not have the best form, but he shot anyway. The cue ball sped past the two ball, bounced off the cushion and hit two. He frowned. "...and I thought I might find it enjoyable." He shrugged and took a step back from the table. His eyes met hers again. "Yourself?"

“I started playing by chance. The first bar I worked at also had billiards tables, so I played on my breaks. They had small tournaments every now and then, and I liked winning.”

Vivian got up from her barstool and stood next to Alexander. She leaned towards the table and into her pool cue to demonstrate, resting the tip of the cue on top of her fingers, her palm slightly raised from the table's surface. “This is an open bridge, easier for beginners.” She switched her hand position, arching her fingers over the stick. “This is a closed bridge. Keep your grip on the base of the cue loose, and swing your forearm like a pendulum. Imagine your elbow as a hinge.” Vivian got up from the stance, and leaned her back against the rail of the table. “Try again.”

"Interesting. I didn't think so much finesse was necessary in this game." He grabbed the cue ball and placed it on the table. His face was was serious as if he was preparing for a paramount action. He leaned in towards the cue ball and tried the closed bridge hold. "But I should know that things are always more than what they seem." He made his breath shallow and exhaled. This establishment contained witchcraft that dulled his senses, but a dull blade could still draw blood with enough effort. He hit the cue ball into the two, knocking it against the cushion allowing it to roll to a stop at the center of the table.

A smirk painted on his face. This game was not completely uncharted territory. The elements of many other "hobbies" he picked up over the course of his life were applicable. Get the ball in the hole by any means necessary. Hmm. No, that's too simple. There must be more to the game. He place the cue ball back in place. He leaned in again, but looked to Vivian.

"So far so good. I guess I'll have to invite you to continue these lessons." His eyes then focused on the table. "It would be at my residence, if that's fine with you." He shot the cue ball into the two and both rolled into the same corner pocket. Interesting.

“Scratch,” Vivian called, watching both balls fall into the pocket, “That’s what it’s called when you sink the cue ball in the pocket—you generally don’t want to do that, just control the strength of your stroke.” She noticed that Alexander caught on quickly with her feedback; she estimated that it wouldn’t be long before he started to grasp the right angles to shoot as well.

“Truthfully, you caught on fast, I’m impressed with your progress.” Vivian smiled, walking around the table to empty its sockets, rolling all the solid and striped balls towards the center. "I'd totally be down to continue this at your home..." Vivian paused, standing idly by the table as her mind focused again on what calculated question to ask to get more information about New Paeonia. "I hear New Paeonia is...a little exclusive, from a co-worker who moved there. What is it like to live there?"

As if gears in Vivian's heads started spinning once more, she unfroze and grabbed a triangle rack and placed it in the center of the table. "Ah, let's play a practice round as well."

Alexander had been a bit quiet. He was fond of the concept of the "scratch." Why could one not go all or nothing. Sometimes sacrifice was necessary for victory, just how the failure of the Art Exhibition gave wind to new opportunities. As Vivian spoke of New Paeonia, something about her caught his attention. A beat. A pulse. It was faint and he knew that if they had been anywhere else, it would sound like a lonely yet peppy war drum. Alexander kept his amusement inward in order to maintain the current mood. There was little pressure and therefore no threat. It was how any predator in the wild wanted their prey to feel. At ease.

"Practice round? The best way to learn is by doing after all." Alexander took a step back so he could watch how Vivian set up the game. "New Paeonia... Honestly, it's quite boring. Nothing but rich geezers who don't know what to do with themselves and spoiled brats trying to suck anything of little worth dry... It is quite nice to be amongst your own though." Alexander seemed to show genuine pride and happiness as he stared off for a moment. "Who is your friend by the way? Don't tell it's... Alissa. If I remember she moved into the community a bit ago." Alexander guessed.

Vivian immediately perked up at the mention of Alissa’s name, looking towards Alexander with widened eyes. “Oh shit, do you know her? New Paeonia must be close knit.” A smile instantly grew on her face knowing she was getting closer to finding her, but her next thought wiped it off just as fast. Maybe she’s safe and well after all. She's deadass ignoring my messages though, if that's true.

“I also had the impression that your community was full of rich old people,” Vivian laughed, “Devin gave me that impression about you too.” At this point, she finished setting up the table and took a spot to the side, leaning against the rail. “You can try breaking if you want, shooting the cue ball to disperse the others.” Vivian nervously tapped the varnished wood of the table before deciding to inquire more about Alissa. “How is Alissa, by the way, if you know? Haven’t heard from her since she moved there.”

Alexander was grinning as he moved around the pool table to break. He had seen this before in media and as excited as he was to perform such a well-known action, he also had questions to answer. He had flashed a bright smile when Devin was mentioned. He wished Devin had not been so honest with Vivian. He leaned towards the table with his cue in ready to strike.

"Sorry, but I only know of her. She's quite new to our community, and I haven't met her yet..." He focused on the balls across the table. "I will say that her ignoring you is pretty common among some of the people that find themselves in the community. They start over. New place, new life... new purpose." He shot the cue ball that hit the other balls with a loud crack. One of the balls jumped a bit, but they all remained on the table except for the two solid colored ones that found a respective hole to roll into. He raised an eyebrow as he waited for Vivian to explain what came next. "I can assure she's not chopped up in some scary man's basement... or a new member of the Illuminati." Alexander joked honestly. New Paeonia did not chop people up in basements!

“That…” Vivian thought about what to say, finding it a little hard to believe, but tried to keep poker face of sorts. ”...sounds kinda melodramatic if you ask me.” The whole notion of cutting away your past life to start anew sounded a little cult-like in Vivian’s perspective. Her suspicions only rose, despite Alexander’s reassuring words. Something about his mention of basements and the Illuminati didn’t quite sit right with Vivian, but she dismissed it as an off-color joke.

“I would love to see Alissa anyway, maybe after our lessons at your residence.” Vivian raised an eyebrow at Alexander with a mischievous glint in her eye, to gauge his reaction and test the boundaries of what might be acceptable in New Paeonia. She would try to sneak around either way, regardless of what the rules were.

“You sunk some in so you can keep trying to score until you miss. Your points are the solids, mine are the stripes.”

Alexander nodded proudly at the mentioned results of his break. He found this game to be far less difficult than painting but he would have to admit it was a lot more fun, even in the company of a human.

Vivian's attachment to this Alissa woman presented some risk, but Alexander was not concerned.

"I can try to help with that. Maybe have her call you or we could all meet for our next session. It's just a matter of me making contact with her first, but it's definitely doable." Alexander assured with his attention seemingly on her instead of the table. All to appear genuine.

Vivian gleamed at Alexander’s response—it seemed like meeting him was the luckiest thing to happen to her in the entire time she's been in Ember Grove, even if she found him a little odd. She didn’t expect her detective work to end so soon, but she was glad Alissa was safe either way. Her grin stretched from ear to ear, “That would be great! I appreciate the help.”

With her objective met and guard now more relaxed, Vivian realized that it’s been a while since she ordered her drink with Elias—she assumed he was busy with an influx of orders since they were all being paid for by Alexander. “Excuse me for a brief moment, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go grab a drink for myself on your tab.” Vivian gave a quick wink and smirk to Alexander before she walked off to the bar.

Millie leaned her head on her palms as she listened about the attack on the art exhibit. People had apparently died. She furrowed her eyebrows. If attacks were going on in this town so close to Marius, she needed to investigate it. Millie would not stand for it. She smiled sweetly at her and thanked her for the information briefly as the screws began to turn in her head. She tuned out the conversation until she heard Ylva address her again and glanced at her, returning the smile back.

"Of course Ylva. I'm here to be your friend!"She told her and patted her hand gently.

Ylva had expressed her want to see her other places and Luke also politely asked her to show her some places after their meal. She met his eyes and frowned immediately. He was acting so friendly yet in his eyes was something Millie knew all too well. She wanted to ask why but figured it was best to let him share on his own terms. Millie gave him the friendliest of smiles she could muster. This poor man must have been having a bad day. She could most certainly spare some time for him and Ylva and spend the second half of her day investigating the art exhibit. Besides, she could easily just come up with a story that would persuade Ylva gently to give more information.

"Luke, I'd love to show you some places! Both of you."Millie told him with a warm and cheerful tone. She inhaled as the food was finally brought over and she excitedly pulled over her blueberry pancakes. With a fierce and determined expression, and took her fork and knife and began going to town on them.

Millie was only a few bites in when she noticed two young women walk through the door. She fixated on them nervously, picking up on that the red-haired woman seemed to be avoiding eye contact. She frowned a little as her thoughts started to spiral a bit paranoidly. She picked up her teacup and began to pretend to drink from it as she whispered under her breath, "in mentem."

She set it down as new emotions began to tiptoe into her head. Millie first looked at Ylva. She had not been counting on intruding on her ner friends' emotions but since they were strongest by her, it was best she made sure they were satisfactory. Ylva seemed happy, but perhaps a bit suspicious of something. Her gaze made its way over to Luke.

Curious. He is not happy nor is he sad.

Millie met his eyes and gave him another smile, "How is your food?"

She made a subtle glance towards the women again but found nothing threatening from them so she turned her attention back to Lucius to pick up on his emotions as he spoke. She wanted to get as much as she could before the spell wore off.

Time: Late Morning
Location: Holiday Inn Furry Convention
Interaction: @masterducky


Scott was able to accomplish so much within just 5 hours. That “random group” Scott was somehow merged in with the scalies, which he wasn't too keen on that group. He never understood the appeal. They were cold blooded. Both in and out of their fursuits. (*Refer back to 2 years ago and the “Pool” incident.) They were often aggressive towards furries. Like for a couple of hours ago, they had just finished the Puffy Pageant and out of 24 contestants, (only 4 scalies, the rest were furries and bronies etc.) the first, second and third prize went to scalies... Just like last year. And the year before that, and before that.

But hours after, he somehow ended up with those 4. It all seemed like a blur. All he remembered was heading to the “Transformation Room” aka the changing room and taking a quick drink from the water fountain and that was it. Next thing he knew, Scott woke up in a red room and realized that his underwear was missing from under his suit, which was then replaced with an adult diaper. Which he would mention, was much more comfortable than what he had expected. So he left the diaper on. Scott looked up and he was just laying on some sweaty couch with 4 scalies yiffing right above him. His initial reaction was utter horror; some of the juice ended up on his 500 dollar custom head piece. He crawled from under them and was able to escape back to the changing room in tears.

After drenching his head piece with water and soap, he stole from one of the hotel rooms, he aggressively texted Steve. “ *whimpering in wolf, and howling into the sky* WHERE ARE YOU MY DEAR OLD FRIEND! I need you more than ever *hot wolf tears run down my fur* “ Over 40 texts were sent to Steve and no reply. Scott started breaking down in the bathroom and started howling from the top of his lungs. He was so loud, people outside of the changing room could hear it and they all began to howl. A cacophony of howling throughout the entire floor of the convention. Scott stopped as he heard the howling from outside. He teared up not from Steve but from the sound alone. He never felt so proud to be considered a furry. This empowered him to carry on throughout the convention. He wiped the tears off his face, and the scalies’ juices off his head piece and charged out of the Transformation Room but on his way out, he crashed into someone too small to see at eye level.

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It had been early afternoon when Veronika and her entourage had approached the town of Ember Grove, the car a blur of metal as it drove along the woodland path. Road 70 wasn't easy to traverse, and the journey from the estate had been long and arduous. As soon as the tree line of The Night Order's territory ended, the car slowed down to a comfortable pace.

"We should have taken the chopper," Loukás commented as they entered Ember Grove, relieved that the long drive was finally over.

Veronika shook her head but didn't say anything. It was beyond doubt that the long drive had been far from pleasant. The path was narrow, jagged and rocky. The journey back home was not something she looked forward to, and the idea of taking a chopper back to the estate was rather tempting. For security reasons, Veronika decided against it. She did not want to draw unwanted attention - or worse - give away the estate's location. Road 70's treacherous path played a role in keeping their estate safe and hidden. Most humans stayed away for it was thwart with dangers.

As the car headed for the park, Loukás' concern did not go unnoticed by Veronika. She could tell by the occasional sideway glance, tight jaw, and his hard grip on the car's roof handle.

"If you don't ease up a little, you might break that poor handle," Veronika remarked.

Loukás immediately let go of it and sighed. "It has been a decade since you last set foot into Ember Grove. What is the reason for your visit?" He asked. With the recent happenings in town, he felt uneasy. Veronika was not the type to do things without reason. He searched her face for answers.

"Eight years," Veronika corrected. "I'm here for a change of scenery."

Loukás was not convinced, but he knew better than to question Veronika. She always had a reason for doing things, but she never shared said reasons. He had given up long ago on trying to figure her out. It was pointless trying to get inside the mind of someone who has lived for almost 2 millenniums. Perhaps anyone who hasn't lived that long would never truly understand what went on inside the minds of those who have.

"You worry for naught, I'm only here for leisure." Veronika assured him before looking away, signaling she was done with the conversation. She could not fault him for being concerned about her safety. Ember Grove was infested with hunters, and the density of supernaturals in such a small town only attracted trouble.

Loukás decided not to press any further. Instead, he reached into his pocket and took out a ring she had given him for safekeeping. He opened the red box and handed it to her. "The ring, my lady."

Veronika took the ring from its box and held it up to the light, the stone glittering as she moved it. She gave it a quick look over before slipping it into her ring finger.

In the blink of an eye, Veronika appeared to be a few years older. Her main features were the same, but her body and facial structure changed to that of a woman's. She looked more mature, which better matched her sophisticated demeanor. The illusion looked so real that Loukás was taken aback for a moment.

"You haven't worn that ring in awhile," he commented as he continued to stare for a second too long. Veronika gave him a half hearted smile as her mind went to a trip down memory lane. The ring had been a gift from a friend she had centuries ago. A powerful witch who died in the hands of hunters; betrayed by her own coven.

The car pulled over to the side of the road, pulling Veronika away from her thoughts. Loukás exited the vehicle first and opened the door for her. She took his outreached hand and got down the car, giving the driver a quick thank you before closing the door behind her.

The first thing Veronika noticed was the crowd of people gathered at the park, mostly families enjoying a picnic. Although she would've preferred a more vacant setting for her afternoon stroll, the crowd was to be expected on a Saturday afternoon.

As Loukás excused himself to pick up a phone call, Veronika's ears picked up on a melody not too far away. It was a beautiful song, and as a musician herself, Veronika could not help but perceive the emotions the violinist tried to portray behind every note. It was a melody of sadness - and perhaps longing. Veronika found herself walking towards the direction of the song, curious to see the face behind the melody. It led her to the center of the park, where a woman sat on a bench, playing her violin. She had snow white hair and a somber expression to match.

Veronika kept her distance, standing a few feet away as she watched and listened with interest.

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Time: Morning
Location: Operation Humanity Base
Interaction with:

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"Colonel. You got time?" Sean said as he stood in the door frame of Colonel Trotter's office, while the man stood at his desk outfitted with a mount that allowed him to work on his computer while standing at his desk. Both men shared stern looks upon their faces.

"Depends on what it is. So out with it, Agent Stone." Trotter did not mince words, but Sean expected as much. He shut the door to the office and walked up towards the desk. There was only a chair on Trotter's side so sitting was not optional unless you wanted to just go criss-cross applesauce on the nearly reflective floor. It appeared to be so clean, one could probably eat off of it. The budgeting of this group…

"Colonel… I've voiced my opinion about my current responsibility and… I agree with you. The assets need to be tracked due to the value of their biological enhancements and the advantage they give us." Sean explained before sighing. He chose his start wisely. He was intentionally stroking some ego, but now he had to be a bit more real with the man.

"But we can't accomplish that with tracking chips and myself alone. You're basically sitting me out of the game to be the water boy for a team that's not even playing."

"A team that's not even playing?" Trotter was not totally following Sean's analogy.

"The assets. Task them with actual missions and investigations instead of keeping them cooped up. Angel won't tell me, but she is up to something. And I don't need to have a higher clearance to know that this group is keeping her from it. She's going to find out anyway, so why not guide her."

"Because she can't handle it! She wants to kill the leader of the Sanguine Moon and it will only lead to her death. Operation Humanity cannot have that. Even now, we have coordinated an ambush to take that cocky son of a bitch down! To get Alexander, we need patience and coordination. Not an impulsive child with a vendetta." Trotter scowled, showing he was not budging. "You want to know why the experiments are just the roving guards of Ember Grove and not an organized team? I'll up your clearance so you can find out yourself and see things the way I do, Agent Stone. In the meantime, I have people who can keep a close eye out on our assets... Times up by the way." Trotter returned his gaze to his monitor as Sean gave a nod before exiting the room.

Fuck that guy. He wants me to read up on the frankensteins. Fine, but I'm sleeping first.

Time: Afternoon
Location: Alexei’s
Interaction with: Niko @Potter, Vivian @Pink Khione

Eli kept busy at the bar while making sure to keep an eye on Vivian and her knew vampire friend, just to make sure she didn’t end up on the next set of missing posters that frequently littered the town. It wasn’t long before another familiar face walked in, fellow hunter and son of the moustache himself, Niko. Someone with hunting skills like Niko had not gone unnoticed by Holy Saviors. He was rumored to be one of the ‘unnatural experiments’ that Operation Humanity conducted, but Eli had never asked about it, being a human experiment seemed like the sort of thing one would let the other party bring up if they actually wanted to talk about it. This was however something he was very curious about, what sort of hunting advantage the experiments had, what they entailed, all he knew was that he highly doubted it involved a pact with the devil like Father Xavier had claimed.

”Well if it isn’t jolly ol’ St. Nick. Don’t you know it’s always hunting season in Ember Grove if you know what to look for.” Eli replied as Niko took a seat at the bar, now while he liked the guy he certainly had the attention span of a squirrel today. He went from ordering a drink and a snack, to hitting on Vivian, to keeping a watchful eye on the vampire by the pool table, all over the course of a few minutes. Now, since Niko was clearly very distracted and not watching him, it seemed like the perfect time to prank him. Eli couldn’t help but grab the wrong bottle and pour a similar looking but all together awful spirit into a shot glass for Niko; peppermint schnapps. Niko had a sense of humor after all and Eli needed a lighter mood to get through the work day. Seeing as how Niko was Operation Humanity’s golden boy Eli often liked to call him St. Nick, and what went better with that than the disgusting taste of liquid candy cane.

After placing the shot of schnapps in front of Niko he put the order for nacho’s in at the kitchen window and went back to the bar. Apparently tracking down an elusive agent of Operation Humanity wasn’t going to be too difficult and seeing how Niko was easily a more friendly option than the ones who he’d encountered last night he decided to offer up his suspicions about Drake to him. It also helped that some distracting conversation might ensure that Niko didn’t notice that the shot smelled a lot more like mouthwash than it did of vodka.

“I see you’ve noticed the illustrious artist in our midst, he was just talking about how he has a plan to ‘help’ our town out after the disastrous events last night. Currently he’s taking pool lessons from one of our bartenders, I see you’ve met Viv.” Eli said as he gestured towards Vivian who was now at the bar. “What’ll it be Viv? Need something to wash down the New Paeonia Kool Aid?” He asked with a grin.

---

Ylva couldn't help but let out a chuckle when Millie replied to her, gently patting her hand with a sweet smile. Not only her reactions were incredibly harmless and cute but her sweet personality just made her see Millie as a small and fluffy bunny even more. It was simply adorable. So much that she had to resist the urge to tease and hug Millie and take a moment to recover her composure.

"Thank you, little bunny." Ylva said with an amused, but kind smile.

Even though she was still a bit unnerved and annoyed on Luke's overly bright and enthusiastic personality, she simply nodded when he mentioned his father after she inquired about the manner he ordered his coffee. Unlike the impression that his words gave off, that he admired his father for that, what Ylva had felt on his tone was different from it. Whether he was talking the truth and his reaction was merely a reflection of some family issues or if he had other motives for such reaction to black coffee was something that she didn't care that much about. It wasn't like she was a psychologist or had the patience to listen to other's problems

"Hah, thank you." Ylva said when Luke mentioned her name with a chuckle. His mispronunciation of her name didn't offend her at all, in part because she was already expecting people to mispronounce it, considering it wasn't really a common name on that country.

"I was already expecting for people to find it strange or to mispronounce it. It isn't exactly a common name in this country. I do carry it, just like my heritage with pride though." she said, getting a paper napkin from the table and cleaning both her fingers and wiping her mouth after finishing her sandwich.

Just after she finished saying that, she noticed a two more people entering the dinner and sitting on a table. Since she was already somewhat of a regular customer, she knew that around that time the diner started to receive a bit more clients so it wasn't really that surprising nor noteworthy for her.

Returning her attention to the table she was on and the conversation with both Luke and Millie, Ylva once again noticed a strange change of tone in Luke's voice as he accepted Millie's offer to show him around the town. The first time it happened, she thought it probably had some personal reasons, but after happening it again made Ylva a bit suspicious. She did find his personality really annoying at first, almost as if he was trying really hard to be likeable but now she was suspecting it a bit more. Sure, it always had the possibility that she was just overthinking all that, but it was still strange for her despite his tone having quickly returning back to normal as the waitress arrived with his and Millie's order.

"Are you feeling well, Luke?" Ylva asked, looking at Luke with a sharp, penetrating stare as she analyzing his reactions to her question.

"You sounded... strange when you replied to Millie right now..." she finished still looking towards Luke.

While normally Ylva would just ignore someone who was acting as weirdly as Luke was or deal with it either with intimidation or a good punch to the face, he seemed to be rather interested on Millie and despite knowing her for such a short amount of time, she couldn't just leave such an innocent and harmless creature on her own.