Pink Khione

Ember Grove - Reboot

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Time: Night
Location: The Pit
Interaction with: Noah @Helo, Adrian @role model

Much to her surprise, the redhead, who seemed ferocious with hunger in the moment, almost immediately backed down upon hearing Ava’s words of warning. His expression effortlessly switched into a smirk as he complied to her orders. Despite how unhinged he appeared, it seemed that he had some degree of control depending on the situation.

Ava released her grasp on the young vampire’s forearm and relaxed her posture, but maintained a degree of vigilance in his presence. He broke off from their conversation to pick up his phone, which presented Ava with the opportunity to finish off the remaining contents of her flask. Once the last drop of blood entered her system, her mind was no longer plagued with the urge to assault every patron in the building, human or otherwise. The trail of blood left by her most recent victim remained intensely inviting but it was easy to ignore - much like catching the scent of a home cooked meal, though deciding to not eat.

Once the redhead finished his call, he caught Ava off guard with his sudden, serious tone of voice. In their short exchange alone, he must’ve gone through an encyclopedia's worth of emotions. His words now carried weight, as if finding the mentioned witch was a matter of grave importance.

“I have only been in Ember Grove for a week. I haven’t met any witches yet, but I’m sure they’re easy to come by in this mysterious little town.”

Before the inquisitive vampire had a chance to respond, he was interrupted by the arrival of another vile creature, cloaked in hubris, who slithered through the shadows to greet his friend. He spoke crudely and laughed, as if he found his own indecency amusing.

Ava stared at the newcomer in such tremendous disbelief that if she were not concerned with maintaining decorum, she might’ve rolled her eyes so hard they would have fallen out of their sockets. She ascertained he must’ve had some form of amnesia to not be aware of his own advanced age, in order to be so willing to mock hers. She sniffed out his senility as easily as he had done to her.

“Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped,” Ava muttered, fully aware that the two vampires could hear her. “Well,” she continued, speaking clearly now, “I will have to decline, I'm not very interested in hunters.” A glint of light shone from her eyes as a sly smile found its way on her face. “But perhaps, I may feel like vampires for dessert.”

Ember Grove - Reboot

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Time: Night
Location: The Pit
Interaction with: Noah @Helo

The strange red-headed boy intrigued Ava more as he responded to her words. Her initial wary feeling about him seemed to be accurate, given how he seemed a little out of touch with reality. He didn’t seem to recall just how many years had passed since he turned, but it seemed like he would be clear-minded enough to at least know what year it was. Vampires didn’t typically just forget when they turned, but Ava could see how that may happen. The memory of her early years as a vampire resurfaced in her mind - she spent several long years drifting between moments of clarity, having fallen as low as Stage D in those times. The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth.

The way the redhead mumbled on in his attempt to learn compulsion revealed to Ava more about him. He belonged to something or someone, and whoever it was, they were strong enough to control a vampire and keep a tight leash on their pet. Until now, anyway. He spoke as if he was desperate for the approval of this other party, and his desperation brought a smile to Ava’s face. Sure, Ava didn’t find joy in torturing those weaker than her, but vampires were a different story. If I do better, she’ll come back for me. It amused her to see that the dog had been trained to expect rewards.

Ava reached up and lightly stroked a few strands of his hair as if petting a small animal. “It’s not something you can learn right now.”

Something running through the boy’s mind seemed to displease him, and he immediately caught the attention of something else. That’s when the smile disappeared from Ava’s face. She realized what he was after.

As soon as Ava heard his low growl, she clenched his arm in her grasp and dug her nails through his clothes, pressing against his skin. Her eyes glowed faintly red and directed a sharp glare at the young vampire. The last thing she wanted was to deal with whatever baggage the unhinged pet mutt came with.

“He was mine. Don’t. Touch.”

Ember Grove - Reboot

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Time: Night
Location: The Pit
Interaction with: Noah @Helo

”I know what you are.”

The sing song voice was drowned out by the electronic music, but Ava’s sensitive ears caught on to every word. Her eyes shot up from her flask, and caught immediate attention of the bright red hair that she saw earlier in the alleyway. The faint smell of blood lingered on his clothes, paired with the perfume of the recently deceased. She hardly needed the view of his pearly, sharp smile to know what he was as well.

As he approached through the throngs of partygoers, Ava kept herself on guard. He seemed young, but something about him seemed off. He obviously had a callous take on human life - most vampires did, anyway - but it wasn’t just his skewed moral compass that kept Ava on edge.

“Tell me how you did that.” He paused. “Please.”

Oh.

He was one of those. Some new bloods had a tendency to become drunk on the power and superiority that came with the change. They relished in the fact that they had become stronger, more beautiful, undying beings and gleefully exercised their newfound supremacy over humans, who were too weak to fight back. Ava didn’t exactly find joy in torturing those weaker than her, but she wasn’t virtuous either. She felt indifferent to the violent actions of other vampires - after all, they, and herself, were evil by design. Nonetheless, the young redhead seemed to want to learn more tricks in order to entertain his morbid hobbies.

Ava sighed and tightened the cap on her flask. She assumed he caught the sight of her using compulsion on the human when she took his blood. “Let me guess…it’s been a few years for you, or a decade maybe?”

Compulsion wasn’t something Ava was able to learn overnight - she only noticed she even had the ability in the most recent century of her life. Even then, it didn’t work all the time. Intoxicated victims worked the best, because, well, their inhibitions were already impaired.

“Try again in a few centuries or so, child.”

Ember Grove - Reboot

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Time: Night
Location: The Pit
Interaction with: A snack

The Pit was as rowdy as usual. There was some breathing room on the edges of the dance floor, but everyone was practically pressed together at the center of it. That was how it was preferred here, anyway. Ava lurked warily on the outskirts, examining the half-drunk specimens with a feline-esque focus. Her modus-operandi was simple - find someone relatively alone, and intoxicated enough that they won’t remember much the next day. It was much easier, in Ava’s opinion, to convince humans to forget things than to deal with dead bodies.

There was a large group of college students partying together near the bar, collectively mashing to the music and forcing each other to chug from bottles of liquor. As with any large group of friends, the core, popular members were crowded in the middle, wildly distracted by the rhythm of the music and the movement of others. Those less familiar with the friend group were sidelined - no one really paid them much attention.

“Hey there.” Ava positioned herself next to one of the group’s loners who was visibly intoxicated. She wrapped her arm around his. “Come with me.”

The guy looked visibly confused, but complied immediately. “O-okay.”

Ava dragged him to a dark, somewhat less dense corner of the club, and he stumbled as he followed. She herself leaned against the wall, using the man’s larger frame to block her actions from the view of those around them. In a quick motion, Ava grabbed his forearm and sliced an incision across his forearm using a fingernail. A faint red glow emitted from her eyes as his blood spilled outwards from the wound.

“Oh no. You fell down. Poor thing.” Ava placed a gentle hand on his cheek, gazing into his eyes to observe his reaction. He seemed to be persuaded enough that he fell down, despite having not done so.

The streams of blood collected in a flask that Ava kept in her bag. She felt averse to drinking from the source, even if it was more convenient. She hadn’t actually used her fangs in ages, and her intention was to keep it that way. Once the flask was sufficiently full, Ava licked off the streams of blood that ran down her own hand, which she used to make the initial cut. Within the first taste, Ava felt her thirst alleviate and the burning in her throat soothe. She continued with the flask, chugging greedily at its contents.

The man’s arm fell to his side, which redirected the stream of blood to drip slowly onto the floor. He looked dumbfounded, almost like a malfunctioning robot waiting for a next set of instructions.

Ava looked at the thing with pity. She placed a small peck on his cheek, and spoke softly next to his ear. “Thank you. Now go back to your friends.”

She faltered back against the wall as she watched her dazed victim slowly waddle through the crowd to his unsuspecting companions. They hardly noticed he was even gone.

test

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Time: Night
Location: The Pit
Interaction with: A tasty meal

The Pit was as rowdy as usual. There was some breathing room on the edges of the dance floor, but everyone was practically pressed together at the center of it. That was how it was preferred here, anyway. Ava lurked warily on the outskirts, examining the half-drunk specimens with a feline-esque focus. Her modus-operandi was simple - find someone relatively alone, and intoxicated enough that they won’t remember much the next day. It was much easier, in Ava’s opinion, to convince humans to forget things than dealing with dead bodies.

There was a large group of college students partying together near the bar, collectively mashing to the music and forcing each other to chug from bottles of liquor. As with any large group of friends, the core, popular members were crowded in the middle, wildly distracted by the rhythm of the music and the movement of others. Those less familiar with the friend group were sidelined - no one really paid them much attention.

“Hey there.” Ava positioned herself next to one of the group’s loners who was visibly intoxicated. She wrapped her arm around his. “Come with me.”

The guy looked visibly confused, but complied immediately. “O-okay.”

Ava dragged him to a dark, somewhat less dense corner of the club, and he stumbled as he followed. She herself leaned against the wall, using the man’s larger frame to block her actions from the view of those around them. In a quick motion, Ava grabbed his forearm and sliced an incision across his forearm using a fingernail. A faint red glow emitted from her eyes as his blood spilled outwards from the wound.

“Oh no. You fell down. Poor thing.” Ava placed a gentle hand on his cheek, gazing into his eyes to observe his reaction. He seemed to be persuaded enough that he fell down, despite having not done so.

The streams of blood collected in a flask that Ava kept in her bag. She felt averse to drinking from the source, even if it was more convenient. She hadn’t actually used her fangs in ages, and her intention was to keep it that way.

Once the flask was sufficiently full, Ava licked off the streams of blood that ran down her own hand, which she used to make the initial cut. Within the first taste, Ava felt her thirst alleviate and the burning in her throat soothe. She continued with the flask, chugging greedily at its contents.

The man’s arm fell to his side, which redirected the stream of blood to drip slowly onto the floor. He looked dumbfounded, almost like a malfunctioning robot waiting for a next set of instructions.

Ava looked at the thing with pity. She placed a small peck on his cheek, and spoke softly next to his ear. “Thank you. Now go back to your friends.”

She faltered back against the wall as she watched her dazed victim slowly waddle through the crowd to his unsuspecting companions. They hardly noticed he was even gone.

Ember Grove - Reboot

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Time: Sunset
Location: Ember Grove University - Art Exhibit
Interaction with: Clarice

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

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

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

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

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Time: Night
Location: The Pit
Mentions: Noah and co.

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

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

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

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

Ember Grove - Reboot

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Time: Sunset
Location: Ember Grove University - Art Exhibit
Interaction with: Clarice
Mentions: Remy, Alexander

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ember Grove - Reboot

AND

ℂ 𝕝 𝕒 𝕣 𝕚 𝕔 𝕖 𝕄 𝕖 𝕚 𝕥 𝕟 𝕖 𝕣

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Time: Sunset
Location: Ember Grove University's Cafe
Interaction with: Ava and Clarice @Araby264, mentions Gwendolyn & band @Eviledd1984

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ember Grove - Reboot

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Time: Sunset
Location: Ember Grove University's Cafe
Interaction with: Clarice @Araby264

There seemed to be more interruptions than usual today, out of the week she had spent visiting this cafe. It was a minor inconvenience, certainly, but Ava wasn’t too annoyed. A tall woman with long, dark hair approached the table Ava was seated at, though she pretended not to notice until she spoke.

Ava’s body was kept rigid, her face still directed towards the pages of her book, allowing only her eyes to shift up to the stranger. She allowed a slightly uncomfortable pause to linger as she stared at her, as if gears were turning in her head in an attempt to understand the question, before averting her gaze to scan around the cafe. Fair enough, it seemed that many of the other seats were taken by groups of students, study groups or whatnot. Ava didn’t much want the company of others, but decided to be courteous anyway.

Her expression relaxed somewhat, “Please, go ahead.”

With that, she returned her gaze to the novel.

Ember Grove - Reboot

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Time: Sunset
Location: Ember Grove University's Cafe
Interaction with:

There was a quaint cafe situated on the edge of Ember Grove’s university campus, where Ava found herself spending a good deal of time since her arrival in the quiet town about a week ago. The cafe itself was decorated almost like a modern cabin in an autumn forest. Dark, greyish wood lined the floors and walls, and dim lamps that perched against the ceilings created a rustic atmosphere. A fireplace crackled in an area with beanbags and other cushioned seating, spreading warmth and the smell of burnt oak through the cafe. Ava was delighted upon coming across this gem of a place - they made good coffee, and the interior design made it a little difficult for a lot of sunlight to poke through. It was easy to be sufficiently safe from the sun if you ventured a little further into the establishment.

Ava had been deeply absorbed in a novel - the second installment of an epic fantasy series that had come into popularity in recent times, about a medieval world riddled with political strife and mysterious magic. An ash-hued mug sat on the table, with a faint rosy stain against its rim, and half a latte resting inside despite having been there for a good couple of hours. Despite her apparent deep concentration, a gradual hike in volume centered around the front of the cafe was enough to force Ava to glance up. A group of students crowded the windows, murmuring and whispering about whatever it was they saw.

Outside the tall glass storefront, Ava caught a glimpse of what everyone had been so curious about. A black Rolls-Royce had pulled up in the faculty parking lot nearby, and out stepped a suave man, dressed and groomed like the rich CEO of every teenager’s self-fulfilling fanfiction. Two bodyguards followed suit shortly after he left the car, walking with a level of sophistication and glamour that felt unfamiliar to the modest town of Ember Grove. The crowd of girls that gathered to gawk traced their eyes on him like a hawk would towards their prey.

Ava folded her book, keeping an index finger between the pages she was currently reading, and picked up her now cold latte with her other hand. She sunk back into her seat and took a sip as she watched the students disperse like rats back into their corners of the cafe, as soon as the man was out of view.

“Hey Sarah,” Ava called out to the barista on duty, whose name she had learned earlier that day. “What was all that commotion about?”

Sarah whipped her head around from the espresso machine she had been cleaning, before finding that it was Ava who was speaking to her. “Oh, um, I think it’s some high profile art exhibit that’s happening on campus tonight.” She cocked her head towards the cafe’s door. “I think that rich guy’s probably a part of it.”

The edges of Ava’s lips lifted ever so slightly, enough to show confirmation of some kind, though most wouldn’t call it a smile. “Thanks, Sarah.”

Ava pondered the event for a brief moment, but her attention quickly returned to her coffee and novel. Without giving it much of a second thought, she opened her book again and returned to the fictional world between its pages.