Topics

1

Grigori Inc / Return to the North

« on: August 21, 2019, 06:34:53 AM »

Reserved for Seragil

Dom was feeling a little bit of trepidation as he approached the office building, following his conversation with Kerr the previous night. Nothing he'd heard about the Dark Angel made him think this would be a pleasant discussion, but one which needed to happen.

And he had told Kerr he would go in with an open mind, so he would try - his animal side was wary though.

He had called up to make an appointment, although the person he spoke to seemed reluctant to get the time booked in, especially at such short notice. Last night he'd gone casual, since Kerr was no longer a leader of the city and more of a friend. Saraekiel, however, was a District Leader, and not just any - he was Dom's replacement. So the shifter wore a smart, dark grey suit, teamed with a dark blue shirt and tie which brought out a hint of colour in the grey of his eyes. Caden had burst out laughing when he'd seen him, since it had been so long since he'd seen Dom make an effort with his appearance, but he shut up quickly when Dom reminded him of the position he'd been in when Caden had come to live with him.

The dragon tattoo on his neck was just visible under his collar since his hair was too short to hide it at all, a sign of his previous position in the city. Before they had been ripped apart by location rather than offering proper support to those who needed it with the necessary knowledge behind that support.

Dom stepped out of the taxi, smoothing a hand over his suit to remove any potential wrinkles as he eyed up the impressive looking building. It had none of the classic architecture some of the older buildings in the city did, but it had clean lines and looked like it was built to be imposing.

Or maybe Dom just got that impression because he knew who worked inside.

His shoes clicked on stone outside as his tall form moved into the building and he pushed the door open effortlessly before approaching the reception desk.

"I have an appointment with District Leader Saraekiel. My name is Domink Lowe," Dom said, his voice low and rough. He stood up straight, one hand slipping into his trouser pocket in a relaxed pose.

2

The Luminary / Blood & Bears

« on: August 11, 2019, 12:49:12 AM »

"Come on, we'll get somewhere with a basement, we have a couple of weeks, we can strengthen it and put the locks on and then we're set, we don't need to stick me back in that prison," Caden said, bouncing along on his toes, trying to keep up with Dom as he pleaded and made excuses like a petulant teenager. Seriously, Dom made him feel that way sometimes (although he would freely admit that he'd given Dom reason to in the past).

"And we will do that if there is no other option. You should meet others like you, and if something happened to me whilst you were locked up... this is safer," Dom said, repeating himself for what felt like the hundredth time and rolling his eyes as he spoke. "And it's not a prison, or at least it wasn't."

"Yeah, but you're not in charge anymore, fuck knows what they've done whilst you've been away," Caden said, reaching out to touch Dom's arm, but the shifter shook him off, which made Caden stop in his tracks. Dom had been striding quickly, but now he paused, glancing around the streets before he turned to return to Caden. Most people wouldn't listen, or glean much from a word or two from people passing in the streets, but a pair in discussion stopped, getting in people's way, that could bring more attention.

"You were in charge when you said I had to stay with you, I could go now," Caden said, lifting his chin as he glared at the taller man, his heart pounding. Refusal to go in each month had been the reason why Dom had taken guardianship over him, and when it had just been them in the forest it hadn't been so bad. But now, back in the city, it felt like going back into a prison each month. And being locked up with others... it hurt. They would try to fight, with bars in the way. They would be fed, yes, but when there was fresh meat the monster within wanted that more than the dead animals they were given. Waking up the next morning in a stinking room filled with other cursed creatures. It was demoralising and there was no way out of that for the rest of your doomed life.

Dom gave a sighed and lifted his hand to rest on Caden's shoulder, squeezing gently.

"If everything is still in place we will check it out, we will work with them to make it as comfortable as possible. And if there's nothing, or it's horrible, we'll work something out," Dom promised, earning himself a snort of disbelief from Caden. After everything they'd been through, neither of them wanted to be the one to walk away from the other and they both knew how important it was to compromise with each other. It wasn't something either of them found easy though.

"Go. The bar you were talking about is nearby," Dom said, gesturing down the street. "I don't know how long I'll be with Kerr, so I'll see you at home tomorrow. Good luck," he added, referring to Caden's plan to attempt to get a job (and hopefully meet a few people). Caden stared at him for a moment longer, then shook his head.

"Whatever," the werewolf muttered, turning away and striding down the street, shoving his hands in his pockets as he went.

Dom watched him go, hooking his thumbs into the front pockets of his dark jeans as he stood quietly. As soon as Caden disappeared around the corner Dom cleared his throat and continued on his way. If felt weird walking through these streets again - he'd never been much of a city guy, but it felt familiar. He'd worked for the Oligarchy for a few years before becoming an Oligarch, then a District Leader (what the fuck was the point of all that?) so it was no effort finding his way to the Luminary building.

Dom's grey eyes cast around the impressive foyer, his nostrils flaring at the scent of blood coming from the cafe in the foyer. He'd heard rumours that Kerr had been busy since his rebirth, or at least his fledgling had, but this was something else. Did people really feel comfortable in places like this? Or was that not the point? Was it more of an intimidation tactic?

Dom approached the reception desk, feeling a little out of place in his jeans and a black t-shirt (Hell, this wasn't a business meeting, he wasn't dressing up in a suit) but he didn't let that discomfort show in his face or body language.

"My name is Domink Lowe. I'm here to see the Lum- ah, Kerr Galvin. I don't have an appointment," Dom said, resting an elbow on the cold marble of the countertop. Whilst things were familiar, it still felt strange to be back here. He'd never applied to be an Oligarch, never asked for that responsibility, so now being back here, without that weight of responsibility, it was nice. Although he did have responsibility for one werewolf still.

3

66 Pandenning Court / Home Again

« on: July 21, 2019, 12:01:23 AM »

The sound of the motorbike disturbed the quiet of the street with its low rumble, but there was no needless revving or prolonged engine running whilst the rider drove up onto the driveway and dismounted. The garage was shut, otherwise he probably would have taken it right inside, but for now he left it where it was.

Will removed his helmet, running a hand through his pale blonde hair as he cast his grey eyes over the familiar building. Even though it had been almost two years since he'd left, it still felt somewhat comforting to be back. He wore a sturdy backpack which he removed now to sling over one arm to dig a set of keys out of a side pocket. He'd made sure they were near to hand before setting off home, although all the time he'd been travelling he'd known exactly where they were so he could come back.

He took in a breath of anticipation as he slid the key in, relieved to find it still worked on the swing door and main door.

"Anyone home?" he called through the house as he swung the door open into the lounge, dumping his rucksack by the door then undoing his black leather jacket to reveal a white t-shirt underneath. He'd travelled a fair way tonight and it was good to finally be able to move properly again after being in one position for so long, so Will stretched his arms above his head, scraping his fingertips against the ceiling as he listened for a sign of life (or existence at least) within the building.

4

† OUT OF THE CITY † / Start and End

« on: July 12, 2019, 10:08:51 PM »

It had been a long shift, but Caden loved the bar he worked at and thoroughly enjoyed it most of the time. In the early hours of the shift he would be one of the star attractions, showing off his flair for flavours and tricks, tossing and catching bottles with ease, spinning them and making a cocktail which tasted amazing along with the show. The later hours, once the music was in full swing and people were just focused on getting back to grinding on the dancefloor, so it was a case of handing out bottles of beer, pouring quick shots, occasionally being a shoulder to cry on. As daylight approached it was a case of clearing up - putting on the playlist of whichever member of staff won the coin toss that night and dancing together to make the job go faster.

Eighteen months. It seemed longer since they'd left the city. Caden had initially hated living with Dom and Carrie so they could 'keep an eye' on him, but Dom did treat him fairly and Carrie was a pleasure to be around (apart from the hormones and stress of being pregnant). Dom and Caden had worked together on making the cages that Carrie and Caden spent a few nights in each month, and since he was properly involved Caden took a sense of pride in it. He knew they were strong, he knew what they were for, and because he'd helped make them, it made going into them easier than it had been when he'd been told to report to the Oligarchy each month having been allowed to roam free previously.

Caden had never really put much thought into starting a family - who would want a kid with someone who turned into a monster each month? But Dom and Carrie seemed to make it work, and the cub, little Sadie, was adorable. And growing at a fucking amazing rate.

Dom had explained that her quick aging was due to what  he was that she'd inherited - black bears could have a life-span of up to 25 years; it seemed sad to Caden that her life would be so short, but she was learning quickly and the baby - somehow now a toddler, was full of life and charm and Caden was smitten with the little darling. He was more than happy to spend hours with her, reading, playing in the forest that surrounded their cabin, making her dinner and putting her to bed when his shifts allowed.

Their cabin was an hour outside of the city by car and it was rare that Caden got home before 6am, usually giving Sadie breakfast to give her parents a bit of a lie-in before she or Dom would take over and Caden would crawl into bed. Dom was usually a grouch in the mornings, especially if his sleep had been disturbed, just like Sadie (although she was usually the one doing the disturbing). They didn't always get along brilliantly, all three of them had their differences and despite them having a baby, Carrie and Dom hadn't really known each other longer than they'd known Caden. But most of the time they made it work.

As he was giving Sadie her breakfast that morning though (boiled eggs from the chickens out back), Caden heard raised voices coming through from the larger bedroom. Carrie was screaming at Dom, something about being locked up that night. She seemed to have been getting more tense about it recently, and Dom wouldn't give an inch, which really was for the best.

"Come on Sadie, let's turn breakfast into a picnic, shall we?" Caden suggested to the youngster, before scooping up her and the eggs and heading outside, venturing into the forest so they could finish their breakfast out of hearing of the shouting from her parents.

He spent a little longer with Sadie that morning, giving Carrie and Dom a chance to work things through. There was a tense moment when the little girl transformed into her bear form, but she still knew him and they played for a bit before she transformed back. Shifting always wore her out, so Caden was relieved to hear a car leaving as she turned back and he scooped her up and took her home, finding Dom on the front porch, his long legs stretched out as he sat on the steps.

"What happened?" Caden asked as Dom stood to take Sadie from him, resting her head against his shoulder.

"The usual, she doesn't want to go into them tonight. I hope she comes back in time," Dom said nodding in the direction the car had driven off in.

"She will, she always does," Caden replied, although he felt a spark of worry. He'd spent plenty of full moons out in the wilderness, but they were closer to the city than he'd been during those times. And there hadn't been a baby around then.

Dom gave a slow nod, before turning and taking Sadie inside. "Get some sleep Caden, you'll need your rest for tonight," he said over his shoulder to the werewolf. Caden gave a nod and headed to his room, stripping and curling up in his bed to sleep the rest of the day away.

It was only half an hour before moonrise when Caden awoke and he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, feeling a jolt of surprise as he registered the time.

"Fuck," he mumbled to himself, rolling out of bed. Dom or Carrie usually woke him up before then. That was their routine - Carrie and Caden would have a big dinner whilst Dom put Sadie to bed, then they would be locked up, a pile of meat in their separate cages to keep them busy, then they would hopefully sleep the rest of the night, whilst Dom patrolled to make sure they stayed in line. But they had let him sleep and there was no smell of food cooking, or the sound of movement anywhere in the cabin.

Caden raced through the cabin, until he found Dom stretched out on the sofa, a glass of juice on the coffee table before him. Caden quickly checked him over, shaking the shifter, but although he was breathing, he wouldn't stir. Caden took a sniff of the juice and smelt something... unnatural. Surely Dom should have smelt that before he drunk? Maybe not if he was distracted. He'd been drugged, definitely.

"Carrie?" Caden shouted, "Sadie?"

Nothing.

Caden did another quick search of the cabin, but there wasn't time to go further. In a state of panic Caden made his way to the cages and locked himself up, curling up in a corner to pray that Carrie and Sadie would be ok.

The next morning Carrie returned. She was cold, unclothed, muddy, blood-splattered and without her child. Dom had finally awoken in the early hours of the morning, feeling groggy and acting like a ... well, like a bear with a sore head.

As soon as Carrie was back and Caden was released from his cage, they went back out hunting for her. Carrie was sobbing, apologising over and over again for drugging Dom in her frustration over their argument, but Dom merely grunted at her in response. Dom followed their scent, but it was a winding trail that Carrie had taken and it had been hours since they had set out the night before, so it was fading. When the werewolf in her scent became more intense, Dom visibly tensed up and it wasn't long after that before they found little Sadie's body.

She was cold and been torn apart. Caden stared at the sight in horror, how had she done that?

No, that wasn't the right question - she'd not been herself, she'd been a monster when it had happened. But she'd been stupid enough to take her daughter with her when she knew she was going to turn. Dom was silent, still as though he couldn't believe what was in front of him, until Carrie mumbled something between her sobs about how she'd told Sadie to turn into her bear form and then she would have been safe. But she hadn't listened.

That was what had flipped Dom. He had turned on Carrie and before Caden to make any move to try to stop him, he had snapped her neck with the strength of a bear.

The two men stood there, both in shock over what had happened for what seemed like hours. Their whole life that they'd built here had fallen apart in just a few hours. Eventually, Dom stirred, glancing up at the sun to check the time.

"We should go home," Dom said, his voice like gravel. "We don't have time before you'll turn tonight, we'll go after this cycle is finished, I don't know what's happening in the city for werewolves now," he added.

"What? You mean, actual home, not the cabin?" Caden asked, getting only a nod from Dom in return as the shifter turned away. Caden thought he was heading back to the cabin, but Dom started to gather large branches and bring them back. As soon as he realised what he was doing Caden began to help. They put Carrie and Sadie next to each other and covered them with the branches, the only burial they would get. They couldn't set a fire in the forest and had no tools to dig a hole, so this would have to do.

When they made it back to the cabin it no longer felt like home. It was cold, silent, and they went about their business, starting to pack up the few things they wanted to take with them. The next few days they hardly spoke, hardly ate, but went through the motions of daily life, locking the werewolf up at night, Dom letting him out in the morning.

After a couple of days, they had packed up the necessities and headed back to the city. They left the cabin unlocked, in case anyone in need came across it. Dom had no intention of going back. Just before he headed to the car Caden stepped into  Sadie's room. He picked up a small, cuddly toy bear and put it carefully in his rucksack before heading out to the car. Dom glanced sideways at him, checking he was set before putting the car in gear and driving off without a backwards look, heading back to the city they left a lifetime ago.

5

The White Rabbit / Breaking News - Part II

« on: July 09, 2019, 04:51:01 PM »

(For Billy)

Murphy had taken a taxi from the Luminary to the White Rabbit, his nervousness growing with each block. Ben had wished him luck, reassured him that he didn't immediately smell Lazarus on him, although there was something ancient about him - so maybe Lazarus' plan would back-fire. Maybe Jake wouldn't hate him just because of who had turned him.

And if he did this would be a very short visit.

Murphy slid from the taxi smoothly with a word of thanks to the driver. He had texted Jake to let him know he was on his way, but had kept it brief, giving no other information and then putting his phone on silent in his pocket so he wouldn't be tempted to write again if Jake replied with questions.

It was crowded inside, but Murphy had no trouble making his way through the mass of bodies. He got a couple of double takes, from people who spotted his golden eyes, from vampires who felt the age of his blood, but Murphy ignored them.

He wound his way towards the entrance of the warren, and spotted Lisa-Joe lingering near the entrance, surveying her kingdom. Murphy hadn't intended on speaking to anyone before Jake, but it looked he would have to in order to get past to Jake.

"Lisa-Joe, it's good to see you, is Jake in?" Murphy asked, approaching the beautiful red-head with trepidation, now needing to wonder what her reaction would be in addition to Jake's.

6

The Luminary / Breaking News

« on: July 05, 2019, 03:42:44 AM »

It was a week before Murphy felt ready to venture out of the estate and face those he needed to. Jeanne, Royce and Hugh had been taking it in turns to train him throughout that time, or simply supervise his feeding... their various techniques and enthusasm for the task differed. Murphy had seen Charon a few times over the week and the young fledgling's confidence had grown as they tested out his abilities which were far beyond any other fledgling at that point which Charon had come across.

Murphy had decided to go to Ben first, telling himself it was because he needed his spare keys, but in truth he believed Ben might... might... be more understanding, less emotional. Less likely to want to keep him there with him. He missed his friend, but was worried about what was to come. He'd run over different scenarios in his head multiple times, each one different and probably all wrong. It had taken some gentle urging from Jeanne to prompt him to actually go rather than just mull it over. She knew he needed people around him who he had a proper bond with and he trusted her judgement.

When Murphy had got his phone back from Charon he'd scrolled through the messages the patriach had written - vague, shutting down any questions, stating simply that he had a task for Murphy.

Some task.

Come to grips with the fact you're dead and your sire is now out of mental reach. Easy peasy.

Murphy sent Ben a short text:

I need to see you tonight, you at home? x

He was already in the car by the time Ben replied in the affirmative, sitting back in the comfortable back seat, letting his fingers run over the leather he'd not been in any state to appriciate last time he was in here. Murphy had spent a lot of the past week experiencing things like this, like he'd never felt a soft towel before, well kept leather, smelt the flowers in Charon's conservatory, seen the stars so clearly. And the taste of blood, that was more intense and delicious than he'd ever imagined. His self control was improving, and he was able to pick up on when to stop drinking from a donor by himself now, but there was still that little voice itching at him to have more, to take what he wanted so badly.

The first night he'd awoke at Penbrook, he'd found a pile of new clothes which fitted him well and were in styles he would have chosen - although of a better quality than the shops he would have gone into. Tonight Murphy wore dark denim jeans and a dark red button up shirt over the top of a white t-shirt. HIs sleeves were rolled up to just below the elbows and he wore no jewelry other than his usual watch (after he'd manged to clean all the blood from it). Jeanne had commented that the red of his shirt went well with the new gold in his eyes, which made Murphy a little self-conscious about highlighting the new colour, but the car had already been summoned qand he tried to focus on the compliment, not his own concerns.

"Thank you. I don't know how long I'll be so I'll get a taxi back, you don't need to hang around," Murphy said as the car pulled up to the Luminary. He might regret that decision if he wanted to make a swift exit, but he didn't want someone hanging around waiting for him, then he'd just feel like he needed to rush.

He lingered on the sidewalk for a moment, watching the car drive off, before heading inside and heading to the reception desk.

"Hi, I'm here to see Ben Samson, please," Murphy said with a warm smile at the well-kept man behind the desk, before he turned to move away slightly out of instinct - just in case anyone else came in who wanted to be seen.

As he'd done thousands of times over the past week Murphy mentally reached out to Lazarus, but felt nothing. He couldn't even tell which direction his sire was in any more. That was probably for the best and would help ease that stupid habit. Instead he raised his gaze to admire his surroundings properly for the first time, seeing all the little details, smelling the polish from the desk, the flowers in the vase, the after-shave the human wore. He'd become used to Penbrook, but now he was out in the world there was so much more to feel.

7

Old Roleplays / New Experiences

« on: June 20, 2019, 07:20:20 AM »

Continued from here

The taxi ride didn’t take long and the two immortals continued their playful banter on the journey, combined with a few subtle touches to heighten their anticipation of what to come. Seb hadn’t bothered arranging for a driver – he would either drive himself around or get taxis, that suited his lifestyle currently. Maybe in the future, but for now it seemed unnecessary. Now they were in close quarters her scent was even more intoxicating. He was already well fed tonight, but the anticipation of tasting her, an angel, made his mouth water as he let his blue eyes roam over her unashamedly.

Before long they had pulled up at Seb’s relatively modest looking home. It wasn’t a mansion as some of the buildings around the city, but was spacious, well decorated and beautifully maintained. Seb offered the beautiful angel an arm to walk her up the front path and letting her in.

As he shut the door behind them Seb mentally scanned the house – his housekeeper Lucy was away for the night. She had a room upstairs, but also her own home not too far away (which he’d also provided). She’d been loyal whilst he slept, keeping the house well maintained and ready at any moment for his return, so when he’d awoken he’d managed to slot back into this space he’d hardly resided in, as though he’d always been here.

“Come in,” Seb said warmly, guiding Zoheret through into the spacious living room and he would let her make her choice between the two sofas, or the armchair (but that seemed unlikely given the reason for her coming here) before joining her.

“Nervous?” he asked with a smile. She’d seemed so keen to experience being fed from, but he knew that experiencing new things could be difficult for someone set in their ways, especially for someone with so many years behind them. He knew that this would be a truly memorable experience for him.

“Would you like a drink, or food?” He added hospitality before giving a chuckle, “I now know you can drink, I assume the same is true of eating?”

8

Penbrook Church & Estate / Finding a Nest

« on: June 16, 2019, 09:46:24 PM »

Continued from Hot Tip

It didn’t take long before they pulled up at Penbrook. Murphy had spent most of it staring blankly out the window, not really seeing where they were going. He could have been appreciating the new detail he could see; if he’d opened the window all of the new scents would have been a good distraction. But he just sat quietly, lost in his own thoughts, fiddling with the clasp on his bag.

He was running over what he thought Ben would think, what he’d say. Maybe he’d feel guilty because he hadn’t sired Murphy like he’d agreed, but Murphy hoped not. That was mainly for selfish reasons – with what he’d just been through he didn’t want to feel Ben’s guilt on top of that.

And Jake… would he smell like Lazarus now? Would Jake look at him and see the blonde who had tormented him? Their relationship was still so new, Murphy had a bad feeling it wouldn’t last this, but maybe it could.

He didn’t noticed the car had stopped until the door was opened and Murphy blinked in surprise, glancing across to see Jeanne was already out of the car. He slid out, giving the driver a small smile and a word of thanks before he followed Jeanne’s lead to head up the stairs, following any instructions she gave. His hunger was growing again in a frustrating manner, but he tried to ignore that, knowing there would be nourishment inside.

9

The White Rabbit / Moving On

« on: May 05, 2019, 07:58:07 PM »

Murphy had got public transfer to the Luminary, so took the same route back to the White Rabbit. It didn’t take long at this time of night, with hardly anyone around to get on or off the bus. He stared out the window blankly, not really seeing where they were going, then almost missing his stop and having to scramble to push the bell and get off.

He knew Ben was going to be busy with a meeting about the new campaign, but wasn’t sure how long that was going to be going on for. Right now he wanted a few minutes to himself to settle in his mind how things had changed in the past couple of hours. How all his plans for the future had crumbled apart.

Murphy headed straight to the bar, and ordered a beer, then whilst the bartender was getting it Murphy ordered two shots of whiskey as well, downing them in quick succession before taking a pull on his beer. He pulled out his phone and flicked through it without really seeing anything and before long his beer was gone and being replaced by the man behind the bar who seemed to sense Murphy had been about to order again, and another shot. He glanced down at the phone again, scrolling through the comments on his article and frowning as he saw a couple aimed against Jake or Ben.

How the fuck had this happened? At the start of the night he’d been dating a cute boyfriend, had a friend who would be giving him immortal life, he’d written an article which loads of people were reading. Now Jake was busy with a new campaign, Ben wasn’t going to sire him because it was too complicated and some trolls were making reading the comments on his article a lot less enjoyable.

He gave a sigh and ran a hand through his hair before taking his waiting shot and finishing his beer.

Let me know when you’re done, I’m in the bar. X

Before he’d finished texting another beer and shot had appeared – damn, that was good service. He had the shot then told himself he’d drink this beer more slowly, making it last until Jake arrived, or invited him to the back rooms. He felt weird just heading back there without an invitation so early on in dating.

10

Old Roleplays / Reactions

« on: May 01, 2019, 07:07:51 PM »

A flash of lightning flashed from the dark clouds with a crackle and then an immediate rumble of thunder echoed around the outer walls of the Block. Alena appeared as if from nowhere in her demon form, petite and bright white in the darkness. There was a paper clutched in her claw and a look of thunder on her face.

She was let in through the gates and the main entrance without hesitation and once inside she transformed into her human shape, flicking her dark red hair as she strode up to the front desk.

“I need to see Zeus,” she said, her annoyance clear in her blue eyes. She had been back a few times since her first meeting with Zeus to give reports on demons she’d met in the city, information she’d found out about Jake,  so she wasn’t a rare sight, but usually her demeanour was somewhat different.

“Please,” she added after meeting the gaze of the demon behind the desk for a few seconds as she realised politeness might get her moving a bit faster.

11

The Luminary / Promises Of Eternity

« on: April 28, 2019, 06:56:53 PM »

Murphy had slept terribly that day – he wasn’t made for a night shift, unlike most of the people he was currently spending his time with. Fortunately a lot of his job allowed him to sleep for most of the day, but his body clock wasn’t quite adjusted. Also, he’d woken up several times worrying about the conversation he and Ben would be having tonight. Was it a follow up on the discussion on siring, actually putting something in place now the Academy was done? Or was it going to be Ben letting him down with a thud because he was now running and Kerr was back.

After the opening of the Academy the night before Murphy had gone back to the White Rabbit with Jake and despite the initial discussion about Ben’s announcement, it had been a very good night. Murphy had needed to crash a couple of hours before Jake and had woken up before him as well, when the sun was still in the sky.

Murphy had showered, then left the White Rabbit, giving Jake a kiss as he slept and leaving him a note. Jake knew he had plans to see Ben tonight, but he didn’t want to disappear without leaving anything.

Enjoying the last bit of the day’s sunshine, Murphy had strolled around until he found a diner and he chowed down on a burger and fries to fill the time (and his rumbling belly) before he was due at Ben’s.

Before too long Murphy was back at a building he hadn’t set foot in for months. It seemed weird that Ben had moved back in here, but it made more sense now that Ben had revealed his plans. He ran a hand through his hair, silently wishing that Kerr wouldn’t be in, butterflies flittering around his stomach.

He walked across the foyer, hesitating for a moment before moving towards a smartly dressed man behind the front counter.

"I'm here to see Ben Samson, he's expecting me," he said with a smile, fiddling with the cuff of one of sleeves as he spoke.

12

Penbrook Church & Estate / A Summoning

« on: April 02, 2019, 04:56:55 PM »

The previous night had been a whirlwind and Murphy’s head had been spinning when he’d finally gone to bed a couple of hours after the sun had risen. The trial hadn’t gone on for as long as he had expected. After Jake’s testimony Lazarus had just seemed to have… given up. Murphy wouldn’t have thought that likely from what he knew of the ancient from Ben, but after a few things had come up during Jake’s time on the stand, Murphy had realised there was a lot about Lazarus and Jake that he hadn’t known.

The mortal had gone straight home and started writing up his notes, wearing his headphones so he could replay parts of it. He had to stop himself every now and again though, when he realised his writing had too much feeling. Ben was his best friend, it was difficult to write objectively about something so horrible that had happened to him, but Murphy kept going. He went back and re-wrote parts, removing the emotion and skimming over the more detailed parts of the description.

The Doctor was interesting and Murphy highlighted his parts a little more than maybe necessary. He’d run into plenty of vampires and some of those could probably do with a trip to a therapist so mentioning he was available couldn’t be a bad thing.

Just as he was finishing, his email dinged and a smile lit up his face as he read it:

Murphy Hilton,

Attached are several sketches from the trial for your article.  I would like to see the article when it is published.

Astrid Kragen

Murphy hadn’t really expected her to send anything over, especially not so quickly. But this was plenty of time to get one or two included in the article. He examined the photos carefully, trying to pick which should be included.

Murphy eventually settled on the sketch of Lazarus cross-examining Ben – it had been difficult for Ben, but he had stayed firm and Jake was proud of him.

The other sketch he chose was of Jake. Murphy didn’t want to let himself think about the youthful looking vampire at the moment. He would be going round to see Jake the following night and at the moment he was pretty confused about what he wanted from that. It was only the previous night that Jake and he had spent hours chatting, getting to know each other, and that kiss…

But when they had met Jake had been with Lazarus and Jake had never thought it should come up. Murphy couldn’t help feeling that those meetings just hadn’t meant as much to Jake as they had to Murphy – but it hadn’t felt that way at the time. Jake had been pushing to get to know him, asked to kiss him. Maybe he had just been a bit of fun that first night. Finding out about Lazarus like that during the trial had been difficult though.

Pushing those thoughts from his mind Murphy responded to the witch’s email.

Good morning Astrid,

Thank you for sending over those pictures so quickly. They look amazing. I’ll send you the published article and ask for the payment to be forwarded on to you.

Kind regards,
Murphy

Once that was done he took a final read over the article, tidying up a few bits and bobs before writing the email to forward it to his editor. His finger paused over the send button though and instead saved it as a draft. It wasn’t often he wrote about people so close to himself and he wanted to get some sleep before a final review.

Once he finally crawled into bed, Murphy fell asleep quickly, worn out from the activities of the previous few nights and his body clock being messed up from the usual hours of his companions.

He awoke a couple of hours before sunset and busied himself with showering, then eating a bagel smeared with peanut butter as he re-read the article. He didn’t make any more amendments, but something still kept him from pressing send. He was going to see Jake tonight and it was that which was making his hesitate. He wouldn’t let Jake read it first, but… maybe something would come up in their conversation which would add to it. Something about that relationship which hadn’t come up in the trial.

Oblivious to the theme of the night at White Rabbit, and intending to speak more privately with Jake tonight, Murphy dressed in black jeans and boots, teamed with a dark red shirt over a white t-shirt. His hair was clean and roughly styled and he felt comfortable and confident, rather than going all out to impress.

At the last moment Murphy grabbed his tablet and shoved it in his bag – if there were amendments to be made he could do it on the move and get it sent off ASAP and if there was nothing to change then it could go as it was. Murphy locked the door behind him and headed downstairs just as the sun was setting.

Murphy set off in the direction of the White Rabbit, but popped into the newsagent at the end of his block to grab an iced coffee drink. As he was handing over the money in the empty shop, he realised the shopkeeper was watching him a little more carefully than usual and Murphy raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Charon would like to invite you to Penbrook tonight,” the shop keeper said conversationally as he handed over Murphy’s change.

“Thanks,” Murphy replied with a nod, pocketing the coins and turning to leave quickly. He hadn’t set a time with Jake and to be honest maybe it would be best not to turn up just as the sun had set. Jake probably had loads on anyway, and depending on how the conversation went Murphy might not want to rush off from the Prince.

He paused outside the shop, opening his glass bottle and taking a long drink of the sweetened coffee as he mulled over the change in his evening plans. The message hadn’t indicated timings either – but it was definitely ‘tonight’. Without any more hesitation Murphy stepped towards the road and hailed a taxi to take him to Penbrook.

The ride didn’t take too long and Murphy was soon stepping out in front of the manor and the door opened as he ascended the stone steps. He'd been here plenty of times, most recently only a few nights earlier, but it had been a while since he'd been summoned like this and it made him nervous. He tried to swallow down that fluttering in the pit of his stomach though, to focus on why he was actually here.

13

Old Roleplays / Drenched with a Soaking Joy

« on: March 25, 2019, 03:59:38 AM »

The few hours of security snatched in the abandoned Oligarchy Chambers seemed long ago, but was only a couple of days. Alena felt like she’d walked miles in that time, trying anywhere she could think of to find a demon who might have any sort of idea of where to look for her God.

Eventually she had stumbled upon an air demon, who didn’t seem to be all there, so Alena wasn’t completely convinced that what she’d heard was the truth, but the demon spoke of a compound outside the borders of the city. He told her about the high walls, the feeling of demonic activity around it, about how it had been a buzz until the fall of the Oligarchy. Then nothing, a feeling of death, but the air demon was convinced it was still alive.

It wasn’t a huge amount to go on, but Alena had nothing else.

Clouds had been building throughout the day and now, as darkness fell, the storm had finally broken and the heavens opened. Fucking typical. She could feel the electricity gathering in the clouds above which gave her a bit of energy, but in the rain she felt helpless and out of control, even more so than she had since her family had died.

“Go back, go find somewhere dry. Come back when it’s dry,” she mumbled to herself, her hands shoved deep into the pockets of her leather jacket. But her feet kept trudging onwards, she couldn’t turn back even if she was marching into nothingness.

Alena’s stamped through a puddle and she winced as a she discovered it was deeper than expected and the water splashed up to the top of her ankle boots, seeping inside. By the time she began the trek up the driveway her hair was sodden and hung in strings around her face. She was cold, but there was a spark inside her, driving her onwards.

The demon felt the tingle of electricity in the air before she triggered a floodlight, shining to show her the way. They were on sensors, so they didn’t mean anyone was home, but it was a good sign, it had to be. Then a security camera moved and she looked up at it with a glint in her eyes.

She legs felt like lead as she took the final few steps and pressed her body against the fence, her fingers trailed over the intercom for a few seconds. Alena wished she could just use her powers to seep into that currently and get inside, but in the rain there was no chance of that, it was too dangerous.

“I need my God, he must be here,” Alena whispered, a quiet prayer just for herself, to give herself a boost of strength before she pushed the button.

“I need the Oligarch, the leader, Zeus, is he here? Please,” Alena said louder to be heard over the pouring rain as she pressed the intercom button, her voice cracking with a combination of emotion and cold. Was this it? Was she about to find her God? A deep warmth stirred in the pit of her belly, full of hope, excitement, joy.

14

The Luminary / Where Is My God

« on: March 20, 2019, 04:41:36 AM »

It was a still night, overcast but it didn’t feel like rain was imminent. Maybe that would come later. Despite there being no storm brewing, there was a sudden spark of lightening, followed by the deep rumble of thunder which made a few mortals in the surrounding area gasp in surprise, but, as usual, they quickly went back to their own business. Things like unusual weather were not too much of a shock in this city.

As the light of the lightning bolt disappeared, there was a bright white figure stood in its place who hadn’t been there before. The creature folded its pale wings close to its body, then gave a small shiver as the sexless form transformed into a young woman. She was wearing a leather jacket which was too big on her and her jeans had holes in the knees which were definitely not designer. Underneath she wore black leggings for warmth and a t-shirt which had once been white but was now a faded grey.

Alena’s eyes slid shut and she took in a deep breath, her arms outstretched as she stood on top of the tall building. Her thick, dark hair blew in the wind, giving her a windswept look, but she made no move to try to restrain it. She could feel the electricity which had been in the air from her appearance fading far too quickly for her liking.

Buildings like this were usually throbbing with electricity, but there was a distinct lack of that in this quiet building and that was unnerving for the demon, and might put a flaw in her plan. She had been expecting some kind of electronic lock on the door up to the roof, but instead when she shook the handle, it felt like there was a large padlock on the inside. Alena gave a small sigh and glanced around, a smile appearing on her lips as she spotted a potential other option.

To be honest, she knew there would have been easier ways to get in on the ground floor, it was a known squatters den, but she was hoping there was something here who might be able to help her who wasn’t one of them and if they were here they would be on higher levels. She didn’t want to go through a load of squatters to get to what she needed, if it was even here. She had nothing against them, she was one of them, but she didn’t want to waste time.

Alena dragged a couple of concrete blocks over to a large vent and hoisted herself up onto them, before pulling a small penknife out of her back pocket. She made quick work of the screws which held the vent cover in place and lowered it quietly to the floor, wincing slightly as it made a quiet clang. She waited for a few seconds, listening down the metal tunnel, but hearing nothing gave her confidence a boost and she quickly pulled herself up and slid into the tunnel. Her heavy boots would have made a loud sound, but the noise from dropping the vent from higher than intended had put her on edge so she took more care to be quiet as she moved.

Alena made her way down the internal ladder, designed for workmen, not intruders, her heart pounding as she went. She hadn’t done anything like this by herself before, usually there was the back-up of her family, but they were gone so this was all on her. She couldn’t let herself get distracted by that though, so she focused on feeling for each rung carefully, until she found herself in the air vents. Alena crouched down, then arranged herself onto her hands and knees to crawl through the tunnels. She peered through the first vent she came to, her eyes drifting over the plush furniture and designer features of the top floor quarters.

Her fingers made a move to look for the penknife again, but then she paused, instead pressing her hand against the metal. Not electricity, but there was something which she could sense but not quite put her fingers on. No, there was no point even attempting to get into this penthouse apartment – maybe there would be some useful shit in there, but she didn’t want to waste time to get nowhere.

After moving on, Alena eventually made her way to an elevator shaft and she grinned as she finally found something she could use. She swung her legs out first, letting them dangle for a second as she eyed up the various wires which held up the machine which she couldn’t even see in the dim light. There was emergency lighting which Alena was very happy about – even if it wasn’t the main power source she could still use it. After stealing her nerves, Alena flung herself into the middle of the shaft, adrenaline shooting through her as she grabbed the wires and wrapped her body around it. She could have transformed and flown, but despite being small, she wasn’t sure her wings would stretch out fully in here, and where was the fun in life if you didn’t take the odd risk or six?

Once she was secure Alena did transform, a necessity to use her powers. She let out a happy hum of pleasure as she felt the delicate buzz of power in the cables and she let her spirit flow into it, her corporeal form disappearing in a flash.

Her movements were much faster now as she travelled the current, searching for some kind of hint of what she might be able to use to her advantage. Before long, she reappeared on floor 26, not bothering to transform into her human form as she entered the residence of one of the Oligarchs. The apartment was looking quite bare, but not completely empty, like whoever had been here had moved out in a hurry, leaving behind things which didn’t matter. But their scent remained. It was a type of demon she’d smelt before, but not for a while. It smelt of darkness, despair, but for her it was hope.

“Where did you go?” she whispered to herself as she strolled through the rooms. They were huge, especially if only one person had been living here. His scent was old, it had been months since he’d been here, but it gave her a start. She now knew what type of demon he was and his scent if she were to run into him in the future.

The study was dark, but a brush of her fingers against a lamp changed that, sparking it to life with the flicker of equipment which had been out of use for some time. Alena rummaged around in the desk drawers, but there was nothing of any kind of use. No computer, no papers, fuck all. In one Alena found a marker pen and moved back to the living room, uncapping it with a flutter of anger in the pit of her stomach as she scrawled on the wall where the TV should have been.

WE NEED YOU

She stepped back to admire her handiwork, her blue eyes glinting and a smirk on her face. Well, even if she couldn’t talk to him it made her feel a little better to get it out there. And the red showed up so nicely against that perfect white paint.

After discarding the pen on the floor, Alena made her way into the bedroom where the bed lay made, but slightly wrinkled, as though people had placed things on top of the cover – maybe whilst packing bags? At least the bed was still here though. Alena transformed back into her human form and kicked off her boots revealing bare toes, before crawling onto the huge bed, running her grubby fingers over the smooth silk sheets. It wasn’t more comfortable in her human form, but with demons being killed in public it didn’t feel safe resting in her winged form, where it was too easy to see what she was. The sheets smelt stale, but his scent was strong amongst the pillows, unwashed from when he was last here.

Alena curled up amongst the pillows on top of the sheets, resting her head on them. She didn’t really know what she’d expected coming here, but she couldn’t help being disappointed. The Oligarch had been gone for months. It wasn’t like she’d show up here and… what? He’d just be sat here waiting? Like that was all it needed, someone to tell him they needed him and he’d reappear? That was too much to fucking hope for. But there had to be someone who could help her bring down that vampire scum.

Alena rolled onto her front and let out a scream of rage against the pillow, before flinging one of them across the room where it hit the wall with a very unsatisfying 'flump'. She scowled at it for a few seconds before flopping back onto the remaining pile of pillows, then with a click of her fingers she put out the bedside lamp (which shattered the bulb in the process) and rolled onto her side to consider what to do next.

15

Approved Characters / Alena

« on: March 18, 2019, 12:39:01 AM »

Name: Alena
Age [appearance]: Late teens
Age [actual]: 18
Gender: Appears female in human form
Species: Electricity Demon
 
Human Form(can vary if needs be, but the below is her usual human form)
Hair: A thick main of dark chestnut hair, with a few hints of red running through it. It falls in waves and the ends curl a little. It can be a little frizzy and is very prone to static, which she usually seeks out.
Eyes: A very pale blue, large and frames with thick dark lashes.
Frame: Alena is definitely best described as petite, with a slim frame and standing at a fraction over 5 foot.
Tattoos/Distinguishing Marks: On the inside of her wrist Alena has a small Pikachu tattoo in bright colours. Her skin is pale, with hardly any flaws (although you can’t usually tell under a layer of dirt). Her favourite outfit involves wearing a battered leather jacket which is too big for her but keeps her warm, a gift from Ekaitz.

As a demon Alena is somewhat embarrassed by her small frame, but it does come in useful at times – an imposing figure is not always the best option to go with. Her demon skin is alabaster white and her batlike wings have the slightest tinge of blue to them.
 
Personality: Alena is a very energetic young creature, who rarely thinks things through properly before acting. Through thorough training she knows how to keep quiet when she needs to be, but she does find it difficult and would rather not to. Alena is passionate and can easily get carried away with things. She gets worked up easily, whether than be with anger or excitement.

There’s not many people Alena cares about, but when you get on her good side she would give her life for you, given the chance. If she doesn’t know you she’ll be visibly wary around you and can be rude and snappy. She doesn't much see the point in going out of her way to help someone she doesn't know if she can't see what benefit there is for her.
 
History: Alena doesn’t know much about her early years, other than vague memories of being taught about some of her powers by a male power demon she assumes was a parent. She can’t remember much about losing him, but she was told by Ekaitz, the leader of her newfound family, that her guardian had been killed by a hunter and they had found her because they had taken down the hunter not long afterwards. She had been only eight when Ekaitz, a weather demon, took her in to join their gang. A few people came and went over the years, but there were rarely more than 5 or 6 of them, fiercely watching out for one another.

Ekaitz helped Alena develop her skills and made use of her for his… entrepreneurial ambitions. Alena could travel through power cables into buildings, before deactivating alarms or locks to let the others in to take what they wanted, or hurt who they needed to. Alena loved being a part of the family, feeling useful and a key member of the team, despite her youth compared to the others. They moved around a lot, finding squats to shelter in, looking after one another. Fortunately (for Alena at least) having a weather demon as their leader meant that the rain which would have been torture for Alena rarely came, but localised dry thunder storms were a common occurrence when they were in the neighbourhood. Alena loved her life and always felt safe with her adopted family until only a few weeks ago.

The scumbag vampire leader of the Centre invaded West, where everything had been running so smoothly (in the opinion of some). Ekaitz told Alena to flee and hide and she had watched through a security camera as McCloud’s army slaughtered her family. She followed McCloud's people through the powerlines to watch as they murdered others, then back to the vampire’s headquarters to learn of his location and his family. She had been tempted to try to strike him down, but he had an army, Alena had nothing, so she retreated to look for support elsewhere.

Alena knows some other demons who had spent time with their gang, but she hasn’t been able to find them after everything happened as so many went into hiding and she’s been keeping herself scarce as well. She knows there used to be an Oligarch for Demons, who may be able to help her.
 
Awareness of Supernaturals: Aware of vampires, demons, angels, witches, werewolves, imps etc
Occupation/Job: None
Domicile: None

Weakness: Water & other liquids, especially she she’s using her powers.