[IC] The Protectors

[Jones Sparrow]

The tree branches blocked most of the clear, crisp night, but moonlight did make it way on to the roads. Brooksfield Colorado was a very quiet town. It didn't have much of a population, but it wasn't a completely small town. Warm and cozy looking houses and log cabins lined a coupe of the blocks, with chimneys letting out smoke in to the cool air. There was only one major road that went through the town. The people didn't really get visitors often, most people don't know this place exists...

It was late, and all was peaceful. wildlife made noises, wolves howled... and if you listened closely... you could hear screams of rage from something that doesn't sound human... Nate's Groceries from a distance looked just like the other stores. Closed for the night, silent, and empty, but upon closer inspection you would see the large glass window had been shattered. Inside the light from the meat aisle gave a very eerie feeling. Shelves were knocked down, packages torn apart. There were also moans of pleasure muffled by something chewing and ripping of meat.

Something that looked like a young teenager kneeled over in the corner, devouring raw meat from the fridge. And suddenly it stopped, then turned around. The young face glared around, his face covered in blood, and his eyes slowly turning darker and darker. "Hmmm.... A lot of my kind's death reeks on you... You must be the infamous Sheriff..." The voice said gently, a smile rising on its pale white lips.

From an aisle a man wearing a trench coat stepped out, staring at the vampire. The man looked tough, grizzled man. His eyes were hidden under the shadow of his cowboy hat, the light from the fridge reflected off his sheriff's badge, and resting on his shoulder was a battle worn silver axe. "Those stories you heard of me also should mention that I'm going to give you a chance to turn yourself in..." Benjamin Ford said, staring at the creature, his axe dropping from his shoulder, the corner hitting the floor, his hand gripping the handle.

The young teenager laughed a bit. "You don't scare me, Sheriff... You should be afraid of me. I am immortal, a wolf among sheep... don't let my appearance fool you. I am certain that I am older than you, although not by much..." It said, mocking the old Sheriff.

"One more chance." Ben said simply.

With that, the vampire's eyes turned black as the darkest pit, his already pale skin turning almost translucent, his black veins showing everywhere. His teeth turned razor sharp, and his hands in to claws, and with blinding speed, it charged at Ben.

Although Ben was older than most people in the town, he was extremely fit, and the most experienced in vampire hunting. Ben side stepped, and as he did, swung his arm upward, slicing the vampire's chest, it screeching in surprise. It fell to the floor, Ben turned to it, staring at the horrifying creature, but he knew it wasn't the time to be afraid. The vampire looked down at the blood in terror, then rage at Ben. With a loud bloodchilling scream, it charged at him again. Ben pulled an object from his pocket, and struck it on an aisle shelf, then looked away. A blinding light illuminated the store, and another scream.

The vampire clawed at its eyes, slamming to the ground, barely missing Ford. Ben walked over to the whimpering body, completely surprised at his defeat. This clearly was a newer one. The mature vampires wouldn't even dare challenge Ben in a fight. Ben put a foot on the vampire's chest, raised his axe, and let it fall on the creature's neck.

---

Police cars flashed outside of Nate's Groceries. Most of the police force here were apart of the Protectors, the people who swore to protect the town from Vampires. Basically, they were the police of both human laws, and vampire ones. "The body is already in a bag. Get a couple people to clean out the blood, and when we call Nate, tell him it was a Mountain Lion..." Ben said quietly to a deputy, who nodded. "you got it, Boss."

Most of the town had no idea that vampires existed... All they knew that there was some sort of creature out there, and the sheriff did not like it. He could see people peeking out of their windows, but none daring to go outside. It will be the talk of the town tomorrow though. "Sheriff? You were supposed to be off the clock a couple of hours ago... Why don't you get some rest? You do have the first shift in the morning, after all.." A deputy said, giving the man a smile.

Benjamin shrugged and smiled. "I guess you're right... But if anything else happens, give me a call." Ben didn't have a cell phone, but he did have a home one. The deputy nodded. "Night, Sheriff."

"Night..." The old sheriff said, resting his axe on his shoulder again as he made his way down the road, his eyes burning from the loss of sleep. Anyone who knew Ben would say that he is a very nice man, always being there for the town and its people... and that he takes his job very seriously, which concerned his friends. Ben kept glancing around, especially around the treeline of the town. He knew he was being watched by some, because of the screams from earlier. The vampires either respected Ben, or despised him. Luckily most respected him. Although he lost his father to vampires, he put his anger aside and tries to make sure both sides are on good terms.

Ben reached his house. An old wooden cabin that has been added upon from each generation of Fords. It had the basic plumbing and electricity, but only a simple cable television, and other simple items like two armed clocks, and a dial radio. he was old fashioned. As he walked in he placed his hat and coat on a rack, and made it to his room. The cabin was warm, and comfortable, with animal skinned rugs on the wooden floors, and animal fur blankets. Leather couches, old kitchen supplies, and a fireplace in the master living room that provided heat throughout the house. Ben changed out of his clothes, climbed in to his bed in the master bedroom, placing his revolver and axe near him, and fell asleep almost instantly.

[Lily Kierstrider]

Florence Reiner stood at the edge of the treeline, where the forest meets the town of Brooksfield, Colorado. She gazed longingly at the quaint little place, wishing she could be a part of it. She hated how isolated she felt. She wasn't part of the world of humans or vampires. She was always afraid of hurting any human she became close to, and the other vampires frightened her with their unconstrained blood lust. A gentle breeze tugged at her clothes and her auburn hair, which she then tucked behind her ears. Florence lifted her hazel eyes to the starry sky above and let out a sigh. Yet again, she would almost enter Brooksfield, and yet again she would turn away. She was such a coward.

A sudden crash jerked her from her thoughts just as she was turning to walk back into the forest. She spun back around, searching the dark streets for the source of the noise. It seemed to come from a grocery store a little ways ahead. That was odd, she thought. Florence wondered what the humans were doing up so late, or maybe... She inhaled deeply, taking in the chilly night air. She felt uncomfortable about how she could recognize another vampire just by its smell, but occasionally it came in handy. The pungent aroma of fresh blood flooded her senses. She shuddered, taking long breaths to control her own craving for the stuff. Not now. Not with one of them nearby. She had also identified the scent of one of the humans who hunted her kind. They always smelled distinctly of death to her.

Florence hugged her middle as she struggled to contain the inherent blood lust that was trying to wash over her. I have to get away from here. She felt the familiar blackness threaten to take over her vision. She turned and stumbled back into the forest, hoping that putting some distance between herself and whatever was happening at the store would calm her primal urges. It worked. She felt the blackness ease from her eyes and the tugging in her gut became less frequent. Heart racing, she leaned back against a tree, sliding down until she was in a crouching position.

That was too close. Florence knew it was only a matter of time before the Protectors found her. She could only do so much to suppress her cravings for human blood, and they were coming much more often lately. It had been almost thirty years since she had last killed someone, and she was beginning to feel anemic. Something inside her told her she shouldn't leave, though. She still hoped against hopes that she would eventually work up the nerve to approach the Protectors and ask to become an ID Vampire. Maybe then she could finally live in peace among what used to be her kind.

---

Zach Anderson turned off the engine to his car and stepped out, slamming the driver side door behind him. He blinked against the harsh mid-morning light, which his clear blue eyes failed to effectively block out. His photophobic symptoms were one of his few complaints in life. He walked purposefully up to the front door of the old wood cabin, knocked loudly, and waited. There was no reply. Zach frowned, He must be sleeping in. Probably had a late night out hunting the blood-suckers again. He reached into the back pocket of his well-worn jeans to retrieve a spare key, one which he had been given years ago when he and Ben had become close. Although he would never admit it to Ben's face, Zach looked up to him like a big brother, or maybe even a father figure.

"Hello," Zach called out once he had unlocked the door and stepped inside. "I come bearing gifts!" It was true. He had picked up some breakfast at a McDonald's drive-thru on the way over, ordering enough to feed two people, but not so much that he couldn't eat it all himself if Ben declined the offer. He settled down into one of the leather couches adorning the living room, placing the plastic bag of food on a nearby table as he kicked back to wait for Ben.

[Plightz]

Christopher Scott (Shortened to 'Chris'), woke up in his bed, he takes a quick glance at his phone '9:42'. Getting out of bed, he quickly stretched and went outside his house to pick up the daily paper. "Vampire attacks" it read, "Again, huh" he mutters to himself while slightly frowning.

Chris has been living under the strict guard of The Protectors and have been paying most of his fees, but has been told by Ben to find a day job, much to his dismay. Shrugging he says "Well Whatever, need to drop by the old mans house to ask what jobs I can do anyway." Quickly putting on his clothes and taking his machete with just in case, he gets out of his house and walks towards Ben's house. After a long (and rather agonizing) walk to Ben's house, he sees Zach knocking at the door. "Sup Zach" He says out loud to the Mc donalds carrying Protector. "What are you doing here? Oh and can I have a bit, didn't eat yet" and all the while offering him some candy.

[MissAddler]

April May whistled to Jeff, her black Labrador, as she walked down the road - sticking to the white lines in the middle of the road; there were no cars around this early in a morning. The black canine circled around her, trotting with his tongue lolling out to the side, as he nudged the hand she was holding a tennis ball in. Throw it, he seemed to be saying in doggy speak.

The air was still brisk from the previous night and the sun was only just beginning to seep across the horizon, staggered by the dense forest that surrounded the whole town. April May liked this time of day - it was quiet and she could almost pretend she was somewhere else, someone else. Far away from the expectations of her parents, who wanted her to...well, she wasn't exactly sure what they wanted. She didn't want to find out.

She glanced at the IT store, where she worked. The windows were currently dark, as no one would be in this early. She would be there in a couple of hours, though, starting another long shift that paid peanuts. Deliberately to keep her in this town, she thought bitterly - the owner was probably bribed by her parents to keep her on minimum wage.

She found herself strolling past Nate's groceries, which she was surprised to find swarming with cops. She adjusted her glasses and kept a fair distance, clipping Jeff back on his lead and tugging him away from the people that had gathered outside. She strained to hear what they were talking about and caught snatches of conversation, murmurs about a mountain lion attack. April May raised a sceptical eyebrow. The second one this month? She could virtually picture her parent's reaction. The exchange of a knowing glance before they sent her off on some pointless errand, whilst grabbing the phone and ushering her out the door. They were not the best at keeping secrets, so it was good job that April May wasn't too bothered about learning this particular secret. Glancing away, she forced herself to walk past.

She took Jeff back home and headed back out for breakfast. When she finally walked up to the entrance of the town's diner, they were just opening throwing their doors open. She nodded at the owner - they shot her a quick greeting - and then she ambled over to her regular table. She didn't even need to order her food; they knew her order, the same each day, off by heart. She picked up a newspaper that was lain on the table behind her and commenced scanning the front page.

[WinterNightSky]

"These damned trees are slowing me down."

Adeline complained as she walked through the forest. She expected to get to Brooksville before sundown, but it had taken much longer than she liked. After a few more minutes of walking, the dim lights from the small town came into view. She sighed in relief, "About time." As she was about to walk out of the forest and into the town, she caught a whiff of blood; making her pause. It wasn't human blood, it was the blood of her own kind. Curious, she climbed up a tree and sat on a thick, sturdy, branch. She could see the blue and red lights that came from the police cars, and the smell of vampire blood was thick in the air. ..Hunters.

Adeline shrugged and leaned against the tree, "Hmm.. So those pesky beings are here too." She said nonchalantly. The thought of being hunted down never bothered her, in fact, she found it pretty exciting. What could be better than a little chaos and fighting? Adeline tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, listening intently on the conversations of the police. She chuckled lightly, again with the mountain lion excuse.. 300 years and they still haven't come up with a better one. Suddenly, the scent of vampire blood grew nearer and nearer, and she looked around to see where it was coming from. Her eyes landed on a tall man with black hair and a silver axe in hand; the axe still showing visible signs of a fresh new kill. She eyed him coldly.. she could sense the death of a great deal of vampires on him. After a few seconds, her expression softened again, "I see, I see. You're the big shot around here." A smirk crawled to her lips as she watched him walk away.

"Interesting.." Her eyes glimmered in amusement.

When the man was out of sight, and the police cars had driven away, she jumped down from the tree and entered the town. She could sense another vampire nearby, but she payed no mind. She walked around, searching for an inn where she could stay in for the night; and she finally found one after a few minutes of searching. Adeline went inside, not bothering to look at the name of the inn. "A room for one." She flashed the innkeeper a playful smile. The old woman handed her a key, "Room 21. I's on the upper floor." She took the key and opened her bag to get her wallet. Thankfully, she was able to get loads of cash from the bank that she robbed in the previous town. She took out a 100$ bill and handed it over. "Keep the change." She winked, before walking away and heading towards her room.

[Zaitherin]

Azuriel scoffed when he heard the bloodcurtling scream from a vampire. Young ones always thought they were untouchable like gods, that they can't be touch by anyone weither it be protectors or fellow vampires. It was when the scent of blood drifted to his nose, his forgotten hunger reared its ugly head. Images of the innocent people he had slaughtered quickly reminded him of why he wouldn't touch blood anymore. Too deep in his thoughts Azuriel found himself so close to stepping into town until he looked up to see the sheriff, the leader of the protectors, walking back home. Once, and only once had he had a run in with any of the hunter after his vicious slaughter when he was still young and when the town was still new. "Who's the idiotic one that thought he could just waltz in during the night and thinks he could break into one of the buildings to feed?" He muttered with a slight chuckle before he sat down next to one of the trees to rest. Everytime a young vampire gets himself killed, its always either a mountain lion or a black bear attack. The protectors never could think of something more original than that. If he stays here for the night, people are going to ask him why he's in the forest, but it will have to wait until the next day...if the light doesn't blind him first.

[Rithas]

A scream echoed through the air, another one who had been wasted. Their desires too much form them, maybe they were too bold, or they were just too stupid. All Valis knew was that a protector had gained another kill. Valis moved in his little camp that he have had for over a hundred years. "Let's seeee..." Valis jumped onto a tree, "This a way!" He laughed as he started running through the forest. He could sense the other vampires, either resting, or just like him, wanting to what happened. As he barely dodged the trees he reached the end of the forest, skimming into the edge of the town. And it didn't take long to see the red and blue lights. Flashing constantly, he hated those lights. Constantly the colours blared into his eyes. He even got too see the sheriff, He was like an old friend. If old friends tried to kill you a lot. Many times Valis and the sheriff have met. Many times they have fought. Good times...

"Pitiful" Valis snorted as he crouched, but then he smell something new..Well, a new vampire that is, Once you were old enough and experienced enough you could tell who the vampire was if they were close enough. It only took a couple of seconds to spot the vampire, who seemed to be heading into a inn. Valish laughed a mighty laughed, "Stupid" Valis muttered as he looked around. He saw a few others looking at the lights, a few had been here for a while. Not as long as him of course. Valis decided to give this vampire a little welcome party. So as he quickly ran towards the inn. Taking a second to look back at the forest, taking note of the other vampires. Giving a little wave, he jumped onto the wall. And it didn't long till he reached the window that he could smell the vampire. He could see her, what was she thinking?

He knocked on the window, "Hellooooooooo"

Seriously, Who would go into a human inn, one with a protector and all

[WinterNightSky]

After arriving in the room, she threw her bag to the bed before plopping down next to it. After walking for hours, she could finally rest. Not before taking a shower though, of course. She slowly removed her shoes and stood up, deciding that she should take a shower. The faster she does, the sooner she could go to sleep. Just as she was about to lift her shirt up, a sudden knock came from the window. She immediately put her guard up. The town was full of pesky hunters, and it wouldn't be a good idea to be so carefree. "Hellooooooooo" She groaned. It was just another vampire. Absolutely no need to get worked up.

Adeline headed towards the window and opened it. She got rid of the scowl on her face, and instead, flashed him a sweet smile. "Here to welcome me to the neighborhood? Thanks!" She exclaimed before closing the window shut. She flipped her hair and walked away, not bothering to socialize any longer. It's not like he was going to break the window or anything... right? Adeline went over to her bed, deciding that she would take a short rest before taking a shower. Her feet were painful from all the walking that she did. Why did she wear heels while walking through the forest? Right, because they looked good. She smirked.

[Rithas]

Valis gave a tilt of the head as she turned to him, "Wel-" Valis grimaced as she shut the window. "Aw man...You shouldn't of done that, I'm the friendly neighborhood vampire!" Valis laughed as he looked around. He could leave her alone, but then again he was extremely bored. "And to be honest, You probably shouldn't of gone right into a human inn. There could be protectors anywhere!" Valis said through the window, loud enough to make her hear him. Who cared if probably a lot of other people could hear him. "You don't want to die! Cause that would suck....extreeeemly" Valis smirked as he smashed a small bit of the window with his hand.

The Police had reinforced a lot of the windows to stop the vampires from easily smashing the windows and getting in, which to Valis made it more fun. Plus, who want all the windows to be broken, that would cost money...Or....at least that what he remember with windows. As he took his hand out of arm sized hole he made. He wondered how many people heard that. Valis snickered, "Just so you could hear me, Don't to miss a word I say do you?"

[WinterNightSky]

"Aw man...You shouldn't of done that, I'm the friendly neighborhood vampire!" Adeline comfortable lay down the bed; ignoring the stranger. She was tired, and was in no mood to do anything. Not even talk. She rolled over to her side; her back facing the window. She pretended to fall asleep, hoping that it would make him go away. That trick usually works all the time. Though with someone this persistent, there was only a fifty-fifty chance. Anyway, she was still willing to try. It was better than shouting and wasting even more precious energy.

"And to be honest, You probably shouldn't of gone right into a human inn. There could be protectors anywhere!" She rolled her eyes. "As if something like protectors would scare me.. And why is he calling the hunters as protectors?" She said quietly to herself. "You don't want to die! Cause that would suck....extreeeemly" The vampire continued. Adeline scowled, "Death doesn't scare me either." She said to herself again, completely ignoring him. Just when she thought that the persistent guy had already given up, she heard the sound of glass breaking.

Adeline immediately sat up and turned around to face him. "Just so you could hear me. Don't want to miss a word I say, do you?" She furrowed her eyebrows, "Actually, I do. And that's it. You're paying for that window." She stood up and walked over to him with her arms crossed. "And that was totally unnecessary. I could hear you as clear as day. Vampire hearing, remember?" She snarled. She didn't like the idea of sleeping in a room with a broken window, but she couldn't request for a new room either. Great, just great.

[Lily Kierstrider]

Florence paced at the edge of the town. It was getting closer to dawn, and she see the nighttime sky grow just a hint brighter. Even though she disliked the daytime, she knew that was probably the best time to approach them. If she showed her face to them at night, they would probably be more suspicious. She continued pacing. Suddenly, her steps faltered when she heard a solitary voice tear through the silence. It was quite obviously distant, but her sharp hearing picked it up nonetheless.

"...gone right into a human inn. There could be protectors anywhere!"

Fool. If she could hear him from where she stood, just imagine who else did. The town was probably crawling with Protectors just waiting for a chance like this; for some loudmouth vampire to show up at their doorstep. Florence shook her head and resumed her pacing, listening as the vampire continued his very audible shouting. Some part of her deep down wished she had his confidence, though. She wanted to be able to confront the Protectors and ask to be ID'd, but every time she had an opportunity she shied away.

Not this time.

This time, she resolved to approach them at last. No matter how inwardly terrified she felt.

---

"Yo, Chris," Zach said, flicking his wrist in a cheery two-fingered salute. "Come to visit the boss today, too?" He reached into the McDonald's bag to retrieve a breakfast sandwich, which he tossed to Chris, and then gestured at a leather couch positioned across from where he was sitting. "Why don't you join me as we wait for him to rise from his eternal slumber?" He dug in the bag to draw out a second sandwich for himself, tore off the wrapper, and took a large bite, letting out a satisfied groan. It wasn't the most delicious food, but hey, what can you expect from a two dollar meal? As long as it filled Zach's rumbling stomach, that's all that mattered.

[Plightz]

Chris sits down and says "Thanks Zach, and yeah, need to get a job from him but he never gives me the harder jobs, for some odd reason." Chris slightly chuckles at the joke he says, while opening the wrapper and then opening the sandwich to take out the pickles. "Eugh, pickles." he takes out the lollipop in his mouth and then takes a bite. "How's work going Zach?" he asks to try and get rid of the awkward silence "Heard there was another 'Bear' attack down at Nate's groceries". Chris thinks to himself "Why can't they find a better excuse, it's usually always been a bear or mountain lion attack, it won't work forever, people get suspicious" but always dismisses this thought.

[Rithas]

Valis grinned as the person talked, "I just thought that you want a nice welcome to this place, seeing as your just in a inn doing nothing, unless your going to become an ID vampire soon enough, You probably shouldn't be sitting there...You never know when they'll be knocking on your door...but that's none of my business" Valis chuckled, He broke another piece of the window. "I'll just come in here...." Valis smirked as he squeezed into the room. "Only for a small bit, everyone needs their rest anyway" Valis remarked. "However...." Valis face became more serious, suddenly he turned around. He saw another vampire, he didn't know what she was doing...but he was pretty sure he knew her name..."Hey you...uh,Florence....Flower...Floreney?" He said more quiet then usually.

She had a name didn't she?

[Jones Sparrow]

"They are monsters, Benjamin! They will kill us all!"

"Even if they wanted to, they never could! They won't, Natalie!"

"What makes you so sure? Hmm? You seemed to be fighting them! Drunk drivers my ass, you come home with all these scars from them, why keep it a secret to everyone if they are dangerous?!"

"Because not all of them chose that life! Not everyone is out to kill, they are out there to fit in! yes, its mostly dangerous. yes, it is absolutely crazy, but if everyone knew, there would be riots, and many, many deaths... All i'm asking is for you to trust me, and be here by my side."

"No... No, I can't do that. You can't ask me to... We are leaving. Jamie, and I are packing up. If you are done with this life you can come with us... But I don't think that will ever happen."

---

Ben's eyes opened, the first thing he saw was his axe lying next to his bed, and his hand gripping the handle. Instincts. He let go of his famous weapons when the voices started to sound familiar. Zach and Chris. Both orphaned at a young age... having to talk to them both about how their parents died and by what... He took Zach in as a son, and friend. Chris shows potential... but like most young recruits, they think they are just as invincible as the vampires... Not everything has to be about killing.

Ben climbed out of his bed, stretching. He smelled food. He hadn't eaten in a while, so his stomach was rumbling for it. He took a quick shower, and dressed in worn out jeans, his boots, and a red and black flannel over a white shirt. His black hair was done neatly, touches of gray still on the sides. He s" Btepped out of his bedroom to still see the two. "Hello boys." Ben said, taking whatever was left in the bag, and taking a bite. He then walked back in the kitchen. He started his coffee maker, staring outside. "What do I have the pleasure of having you two here?" He called out, pouring some coffee in a cup. Then the phone rang.

He walked over to the phone hanging on the wall, and answered it. "Sheriff." Ben said, leaning on the wall, taking another bite of his breakfast. "Hey boss." A deputy said. "Our night shift just came in, and put in their reports. There were counts of 'pale people sitting just in the tree line', and the inn owner reported a suspicious woman renting a room. No ID on her. Might want to check that out when you check in at the station." He said.

"Alright. I'll be there in ten." Ben said, hanging up the phone. He made his way back in the living room, giving a nod to Zach. "Thanks for the food. My shift starts again soon." He grabbed his old hat, and coat, putting both on.

[Plightz]

Turning away from Zach whom he was having a pleasant conversation about vampires, he hears the old and gruff voice Hello boys, It was Ben. Nearly screaming "Hey Ben!".
"What do I have the pleasure of having you two here?" Without much hesitation he says "Funny you should ask, I've been wondering if you could give me a job that is a bit harder than what you give me sinc-" The phone cuts Chris off. Ben lumbering over to the phone he waits.

"What was the call about?" Chris says as he finished the last bite of his sandwich and then crumpling the wrapper to throw into the garbage bin. "Was it something about vampires? Can I come, Please?" He asked with a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes, being a protector, he has never seen too much vampires and only seen them a few times in his life and was very curious about how the vampires acted, how strong they were and what they looked like. Will they look like the monsters he'd seen in fairy tails or would they look human-like with very pale skins. These questions plagued Chris' mind and could only ever be quenched if he were to see the vampires himself.

[Zaitherin]

With all the vampires that decided to try their luck and sneek into the town, it was only a matter of time before inexperince protectors accuse the vampires that stays in the forest for the attacks. Azuriel sighed when he couldn't consintrate for very long, considering that he won't feed on anything or anybody when he really needs to. That young vampire just had to make his hunger rear its ugly head, but then again anything can do that nowadays. "I want to see what that vampire are doing inside of town, but the protectors probably didn't forget what I did when the town was only five years old." He muttered as he stood up and paced around after he clearly heard, from his own hearing, a vampire talking loudly.

[Lily Kierstrider]

Florence blinked. She could have sworn she heard someone say her name... among other things. She narrowed her eyes, scanning the closest buildings. When her sight swept over the hotel, she stopped. Staring down at her from a second story room was Loudmouth. She vaguely recognized his features. Perhaps she had come across him before sometime in the past. That would explain how he knew her name. It didn't matter. Why was he trying to get her attention? At first, she considered turning away and pretending she didn't hear him, but she knew that wouldn't work. Being a vampire as well, he would know how sharp her ears were. She sighed in resignation and looked down at her feet. She was standing at the edge of the road, the border between the town and the forest.

Well, better late than never.

Florence stepped onto the road and walked to the other side. She had to cross to the hotel before replying to Loudmouth. She wasn't going to follow his example by shouting across the street. Ingrained with a learned cautiousness, she crept through the shadows to reach the hotel then swiftly clambered up a neighboring tree to peer through the window. Inside she saw the vampire who had called out to her - after seeing him up closer she was certain they had met before, she just couldn't remember when or where - along with a second female vampire. She was strikingly beautiful, Florence noted with a grain of envy. She self-consciously brushed a lock of wild red hair out of her face.

"What do you want?" Florence said softly, shifting her hazel gaze back to the male. She crouched on the tree branch and tilted her head at him quizzically.

---

"How's work going Zach?"

"Well, nothing new has happened, if that's what you mean," Zach replied with a nonchalant shrug. He finished off the rest of his sandwich, crumpled up the wrapper, and made a basketball shot with it for the trash can. He leaned back into the couch. "The vampires attack and we take them down. Business as usual." He glanced at the door to the bedroom just as it begin to open and Ben stepped into view. Zach followed him with his eyes as Ben walked into the kitchen to make some coffee.

"Hello boys. What do I have the pleasure of having you two here?"

"What, do I need a reason to pay a visit to my pseudo-dad?" Zach replied sarcastically, raising his eyebrows in mock surprise. The phone rang and he watched patiently as Ben moved to answer it. It was probably another call about work. He sighed. Ben was out late last night, and now he was getting a request in the morning. The poor guy couldn't seem to catch a break.

"Alright. I'll be there in ten." Then to him and Chris. "Thanks for the food. My shift starts again soon."

"Well, I've got nothing better to do," Zach said, jumping to his feet. He didn't bother asking if it was alright for him to tag along. It's not like Ben could tell him off anyway; Zach never changed his mind once it was made up. He walked over and stood next to the front door, waiting to leave.

[WinterNightSky]

Adeline raised an eyebrow, "You wanted to give me a nice welcome by breaking my window? Ahh, I see. How lovely." Her voice was laced with sarcasm. She stepped aside as he entered through the window, and she scowled at him. "You didn't even ask for permission before entering a lady's room. How uncultured." She said while rolling her eyes. "Only for a small bit, everyone needs their rest anyway" he remarked. "However...." He started, but the look on his face changed before he turned to face the window. "Hey you... uh, Florence.... Flower...Floreney?" Adeline looked at him weirdly before walking over to the window to check who it was.

As she looked outside the window, she could see a girl with red locks. "What do you want?" She asked rather softly. Before the persistent guy could respond, she shot the girl a sweet smile. "My name's Adeline. Is this your friend? Boyfriend? No? Yeah, I thought so." She giggled mischievously before speaking again, "Anyway, he broke my window. And he entered my room without permission. I think we should totally send him off to the hunters." She said while nodding her head up and down. Adeline sent the guy a sideways glare before looking back at the girl with a smile.

[MissAddler]

After April May had finished, she sat in her chair - just thinking - for a good five minutes, before she realised she needed to get moving to work. She tossed some cash in the direction of the waitress and gestured for her to keep the change. The waitress didn't question her and grinned as she pocketed the change. That guaranteed April May a nice big portion tomorrow.

She exited the diner and hugged her coat tighter to her body. She began trouping down the sidewalk, heading towards the IT store where she worked. She had worked there, now, for approximately two and half year and though the work wasn't greatly paid, she had managed to save up a small fortune that she was eventually hoping could get her, her own place (or at least a deposit on one). She was still a long way off, though, yet.

She dug the keys to the store out of her coat pocket and stuck them into the door of the IT place, unlocking the front door. Cal wouldn't be in yet, she could guarantee it. Though named after him by his father, the founder, Cal wasn't exactly committed to keeping his father's business, 'Cal's Computers', in profit. He took days off whenever he liked and basically - even though he had inherited it from his father, a decent bloke - a monkey could run the store better than he could. But it was job close to her home and so April May put up with her useless boss and bit her tongue, whenever Cal stumbled in late and hung-over. At least he didn't forget to pay his employees.

As usual, the store was empty. April May dropped her coat and bag in the back room and flicked on the lights, flipping the sign on the door from 'closed' to 'open'. The computer and cell phone displays sat lifeless - it cost too much money to run them, especially considering Cal's Computers only saw a handful of people in a day, on a busy one. April May had been pestering Cal to set a website up, but Cal, as usual, couldn't be bothered and simply waved her away. She sat down on the chair behind the counter and adjusted it, so she could see the front of Nate's groceries through the grimy shop window, settling down into glancing between her magazine and the people flooding the front of Nate's groceries, eager to know what had happened the night before.

[Rithas]

Valis gave a wide smirk as the women talked back at him, "I'm meant to be uncultured" He remarked as he turned his head towards Florence.
"What do you want?" Valis smirked as Florence talked, "Well I'm just seeing how you are....I haven't seen you in a long time, well I think so at least.I just want to know how you are, since I'm the friendly neighborhood vampire and such " Valis moved his head sideways in a happy fashion. Valis made a strange face as the woman, Who now announced her name as Adeline made a sarcastic remark. "Pfft, I'm too old for that, and perhaps living...." Valis gave a shrug as he listened to Adeline...once again say something that if Valis was a little softie and had no idea of sarcasm would be so hurt he would melt.

"In this town there called Protectors,I know it's stupid but that's what they are called... but you can call them whatever you want...You sure ramble on a lot don't you...Adeline?" Valis gave a small chuckle as he wondered if the protectors were alerted or even coming to the location right now....eh.

"But seriously, This place gets boring after a while, is it too much that I want to know how my neighbors are doing?" He joked to both of them. Tapping his fingers against the shattered glass