Untitled

This is ridiculous. A low internal voice growled as Ash stood off to the side of the main group of people who mingled and enjoyed the drinks. “Its politics.” Ash responded quietly as he sipped his sparkling water, Hound snorting in disgust. Its childish pander. Having a large group of leaders gather so soon after an attack… Ash hummed gently, dark eyes quietly watching the crowd as he plugged faces and scents to memory. …it is bound to happen again. His internal conversation was interrupted by the approach of someone, the man glancing at them and offering them a soft smile. “Enjoying the party?”

​

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      " i am, ” she replied with a gracious smile and nod to him in thanks. she settled standing beside him, angled to continue her people watching that moments before included him. elspeth parted her company to roam and to mingle as one should but caught herself in quiet solitude such as the man beside seemed to as well. so when her gazed lifted back up from the crowd to him, the warmth of her smile radiated across her features.

      “ the more important question is if you are. parties are supposed to be all smiles and happy faces, right? here i am, giving into the ideals of it--- for a friend, of course--- but here you are, having the courage to give glances that match the thoughts weighing on my mind. so, are you enjoying the party? ”

━ LOCATION : ( under any awning )

━ WITH : ( open to all ) | @duskstarts

per usual, beck had done some drinking and with the rain pounding down on the streets he'd just needed to get out of it for a second. underneath cover of an awning, he struggles to light a smoke, striking the wheel of his lighter over and over, until finally, he gives up. resting his head against the wet brick for a moment to grumble out in frustration. he shut his eyes willing the damn thing to work and then tries again.

nothing.

the man chucks the lighter away and just as he does, someone was hurrying by to beat the rain. “ sorry ━ you wouldn't have a light on you by chance ?” he asks as loud as possible, with his head still pressed to the brick. beck was seriously worried he'd fall over at any moment were he to remove it.

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     the witch stopped with both feet together, as if a force of a wall appeared and blocked her path before turning on heel to the man and approached with slow steps. any passerby could see the state of him, smell it fade in the wafts of air. with a soft huff, she readjusted her umbrella over her shoulder and nodded.

     “ perhaps i might. i’m more likely to have one if you’re keen to pick up after yourself, ” she explained, turning her attention to the discarded plastic out of place against the ground.

location: hex & helix open to: everyone! @duskstarts​

The early shifts were a favourite of Ophelia’s. She always rose before the sun, full of restless energy, and spent a while tending to her plants before it was time to leave for the apothecary. Her feet found the familiar path past the Chambers family home - dark, empty, silent. Some mornings the gate was more difficult to walk by than others. Her feet wanted to turn and run inside, to lift every floorboard and pull each panel from the walls, as if they held answers to questions that had haunted her for decades. But she knew they didn’t. The house was just a shell. So she made her legs keep moving, sparing only a glance at the front window.

The walking helped. She took the long way to the shop, past cafes and bookstores and brownstones, occasionally making awkward eye contact with the other early risers of the borough. That was another thing she liked about opening - fewer people to run in to.

Which is why it was surprising to find what appeared to be a customer already waiting at the front door to Hex and Helix. “We don’t open for another half hour.” She stuck her hand in her bag, rooting for the key as she approached. “Not supposed to let anyone in before then.” 

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       furrowed brows lowered down to her watch, and then a quick reveal of her phone to conclude that yes, the hands on her wrist had set her earlier for the day. small clues, such as the lack of light due at this time or perhaps her lovebird chirping at her as she left, added up to tell elspeth of her mistake. yet here she was, standing awkwardly at the closed door.

      “ and i’m apparently early. i don’t mind waiting if you need time to set up. ” her beam to other was soft and genuine, though it faded quickly at the realization her entire day was going to feel a step off and out of time. “ however, i would greatly appreciate if you wouldn’t mind if i stepped in early? i have a laundry list before the day begins and i’d hate if you ran out before i got the chance to the browse. please, ” was added in for good measure, if the small jest wasn’t convincing enough.

Open Starter: @duskstarts​ Location: Riverdale Diner.

Minh was in a bit of a daze that day. She hadn’t gotten enough sleep and she felt that it would be a small miracle if she got through her shift without too much trouble. Minh was still being plagued by nightmares and she couldn’t imagine them stopping anytime soon.  She was lost in her thoughts when she thought she heard someone speaking to her. “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?” 

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      “ i was going to ask for a refill on my hot water, ” she repeated, nodding toward her tea mug, still full but about to disappear the moment she found someone to fulfill her request. the fatigue of the day could only be washed away with the warm comfort at elspeth’s fingertips--- something that seemed to resonate with the other. yet her words weren’t insistent, lingering in tone as she gave the girl a once over before sitting more upright in her seat.

      “ it must be a long day, ” she added, smile to her lips while watchful eyes were still carefully picking apart each feature in assessment. “ perhaps you need this tea more than me. ”

“ that i can understand , i can also certainly respect the need to remain private. ” there was a time where she valued her privacy , especially when it came to her business. as the years had gone by , the private aspect of things began to diminish. boundaries began to blur , council members attending the place that they looked down upon. it seemed like every move she made as of late was known by the council , her family , her coven. 

she takes the invitation and sits herself in the seat across from the woman. “ ah , i see now. ” the puzzles begin to piece together in her mind. she swirls her glass of wine as she ponders for a moment. “ are you tied down to one like minded group ? ” her tone was curious , unsure if she was overstepping. “ because , some of us are like minded on certain aspects , others not so much. ” referencing the tension between her coven and the one led by the godfrey’s. light against dark. 

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      " no, nothing of the sort, ” she replied, a polite smile gracing her lips as her finger returned to the rim of the glass, tracing it counterclockwise this time like a trance. “ while i have felt the detriments of practicing alone, i prefer to be open minded individual rather than prescribed to the ideals of a collective, respectfully. ” there was also the safety of practicing within a coven, the natural support of talents beside one another was invaluable. elspeth couldn’t bring herself to remain in one without butting heads or slamming her heel on toes. “ as you’ve described, i’ve found others who aren’t as keen on perspectives, or believe one perspective is truth. i won’t tell them that they’re wrong, but equally i wouldn’t hear it the other way. i’m too stubborn. ” she smiled a little wider, perhaps spoke a little too proud at that final statement.

      “ nevertheless, i like to check in on occasion to know everything’s all right and no ghosts have been knocking on anyone’s doors. ” the tensions between the covens was natural and expected but individuals within either could get smart and overstep where they weren’t supposed to. if anyone within the community acted on their own, the whole of it was bound to feel it as well, whether they were directly involved or not. “ if you’re inclined to say as much. i’m aware it’s not my place to know even if it’s out of polite concern. all the same, it’s good know if you are doing all right. ”

“Sure.” he mumbles. Once again he reaches over the bar for one of the bottles, as a bartender spots him Torin just gives them a nod with a knowing look and they make no attempts to stop him other than looking a little disgruntled. He was sure he’d hear about this later from Cian, the official owner of the tavern, if he bothered to talk to him that is. 

“No, I’m good.” he lied. He’d want nothing more than to take even just a sip of whiskey, but he’d just arrived and be damned if he started drinking immediately. “Will this stuff do?” he asks as he puts the bottle down next to the glasses. 

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      “ yes, that’s perfectly fine, thank you. ” and in no time, it was as if their run-in was something of an alternate universe— aside from a few sticky fingers that might suggest otherwise. as for the combined drink and second time denied offered there was no use in wasting that either. with barely a blink or a consideration, the witch took hold of the remaining liquid from her first order and knocked it back within a second before placing the glass gently down and slid the two across the bar top while she waited. he might have been fine but others present were not necessarily as much as they appeared.

      “ well, no matter what anyone else says— should they say any differently— you’ve certainly made my night a little more interesting and worth smiling a bit more. ”

      ——“ I WOULD LIKE to, yes. ” he didn’t need to be asked twice to occupy the seat beside her. the case of elspeth blackbourne was, perhaps, the only one that aleksander slade never spoke of. his one unfulfilled contract. the one being he’d left alive once the job had been claimed. the rationalization felt petty in retrospect - how completely obvious, but aleksander swallowed down that feeling, cast it aside as he had when he disappeared from her side all those years ago. HE HAD NEVER BEEN MEANT TO STAY … and yet the spell elspeth had woven on him persisted ( if emotions could be considered spellcraft ). twenty or so years was a long time to carry a torch. not that he let her know he still bore it. not that he planned to let her know, not unless she could see through him.

      “ i would never presume to know what questions you have. i would ask one of my own, though. ” he raised his glass in silent toast to hers and swallowed a mouthful, relishing in the burn for a moment before he licked at the line of his lips and spoke once more. “ private investigation? you’re much smarter than that … burying your nose in people’s private lives. uncovering adultery can only be so interesting. ” 

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      she lifted her own glass to match his own, only sipping from it as not to spoil the toast but once more placing it aside for the interest he held, still held. despite the void of years he was at her side again... and her vision blurred between the timelines. he was both the man before her sharing a drink and the one with less salt peppered through his beard, the being she once fancied to go on lifetime of adventure with. how young she felt herself, unaware until she settled further into her seat, cheek cupped into her palm, that she was still a young soul pooled in anemoia with seasoned and wizened lines pulling at her eyes.

      “ oh? the private investigator is being privately investigated? should a pot speak so harshly to a kettle? dare i ask how deep your nose buried into my private affairs? ” her tease was as playful as it was earnest. unknowingly they created a cat and mouse game, both respectively playing each part where one sought the other, learned of the other. perhaps he was being polite as not to mention the work she did outside of the practice— it was a subject left lingering before, how different would it be now picking up where they left off?

      “ but you are right. thankfully, it’s more than that, not exclusive spying on husbands and wives— though they do pop up on the occasion. even those can prove deeper than expected. i’m sure you’re aware of how strange people’s lives can be, and the questions they want have answers from all walks of life.” it was her turn to drink heavily at her gifted drink, intentionally cutting off any further thoughts from escaping her lips... or perhaps goading them with the drink to spill faster. “ what of you? tell me where you were last. what sorts of trouble have you gotten yourself into? ”

“sybil … durand.” her eyes had flickered to the way she was circling the glass with her finger. still not able to place her face, which caused her brows to crease with annoyance. like when you have a word on the tip of your tongue, but your mind refuses to aid you in anyway. “it’s a pleasure, elspeth.” a charming smile appears on her dark painted lips, hand wrapping around her drink in front of her. “have you been in the city long?” inquiring, since she was obviously intrigued. 

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      “ a pleasure, ” she replied with a polite nod in return. “ i have been, though even if i’m not difficult to find, the best of me tries to remain private. ” between work, home and the stops in between, the trek had her all about town and in several establishments regularly, and the durand name was more than a familiar murmur. of course there were the various named and owner of businesses that could have been mere coincidence--- of which she noted to renew her knowledge on those topics. more pointedly was the obvious connection to the coven. even if elspeth chose to remain independent, she was no stranger to the different covens’ members or ideals.

      “ please, join me, ” she added, stopping her mindless rotation to gesture to the seat beside her. “ if you were to know me from anywhere, i wouldn’t be surprised if it was from around brooklyn. we’re oft to seek company and crafted sanctuary from like-minded individuals, are we not? ” the reference was light, ensured to be private from any eavesdroppers, yet elspeth had no doubt the other would pick up on their shared trait

      location: o’riley tavern, st. patrick’s day.       who: @blackbourned​       when: before the plot drop transitioning to after the plot drop.

      ——HE SHOULD NOT have been surprised by her presence, in truth. time spent floating in and out of new york over his many seasoned years had information pouring out of the city like fresh blood from a grievous wound. her name was attached to one of the private investigation businesses ( what little rats those people were ) and she still kept her practiced magic out of circles. he glimpsed her from afar often, but never found it in him to approach. THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A REASON TO. explanations were sloppy, at the end of the day he had no desire to be reminded of his heart as it beat so obviously against his ribs. but now he didn’t have a reason to disappear. there was no reason to avoid her.

      clued into her drink from the bartender ( simply by asking, really ) he collected another round for himself and the witch and weaved like a cat through their owner’s legs to her. his expression was the practiced blank it always was when he stopped, though he admired he as he came to approach: flawless fair skin, soft dark hair, wide brown eyes, gentle features, the admirable slope of her neck … and offered her liquor of choice out to her like a peace treaty. the only war begun between them was the one he’d forged twenty years prior, silently.

      “ for you, ms. blackbourne. you look lovely. ”

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      his figure caught her eye a few steps before his arrival, a silhouette shrouded in shadow... no different that what memory served. no, he was no ominous figure of her past nor someone she’d quickly remove herself from her seat to avoid. quite the opposite as she adjusted her position to see him more clearly standing tall in front of her. her features, too, began at a moment of a blank and watchful gaze--- void of emotion if only to take in her surroundings, to take him in his purest visage and less of a misplacement of emotion. blank and neutral, until the moment her name graced past his lips when the smile began to grow on her face, widened more by the compliment.

      “ thank you. will you join me, mr. slade, ” she asked, accepting the glass and placing it beside her. “ i’ve been seeking good company all evening but i have faith yours will more promising. ” not once did her gaze leave his, peering back and into the memories that seemed to flicker around him in her mind’s eye. happy memories with a bitter aftertaste, made solid by his voice. no doubt his company would prove intriguing, warmed and over-brewed like a fine tea, although he was more akin to the drink at her side. they could sit in silence and the night would still be satisfying, although unlikely. but first...

      “ please, join me and tell me all the answers to the questions you think i have. ”

There were far too many people in this small pub and the bar was already overcrowded. Torin managed to squeeze his way between two people to reach over behind the back of bar for a cloth of some kind. Ignore the grumble from the two people he’d pushed between he steps back, “Here,” he says as he holds the bar towel out towards her. “Don’t worry. Sorry for snapping.” he says, now a little calmer though he is still too tense to sound apologetic. “Let me get you a fresh order. What’re you drinking?”

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      reaching behind the bar showed his sense of familiarity with the place, or at least a minor understanding as to why he didn’t take the proffered drink. she placed the two glasses on the wood top and with a soft “thank you” began cleaning up. there was no sense in being upset over a spilled drink or two, especially in a place where elbows couldn’t help but clash. 

      “ whiskey, ” she replied, turning her attention back to the former drinks, and combining them into one. “ so long as it’s not top shelf. i need the bitter burn, tonight. sounds like you might need it too, something to relax a rough night? ”

𝑻𝑯𝑬   𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑵𝑬𝑺𝑺   𝑰𝑺   𝑵𝑶𝑻𝑬𝑫 ,      𝒀𝑬𝑻   𝑺𝑻𝑼𝑩𝑩𝑶𝑹𝑵𝑵𝑬𝑺𝑺   𝑷𝑬𝑹𝑺𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑬𝑺 .      katherine   was   exactly   the   type   to   put   everyone   else   before   herself ,      something   her   parents   had   scolded   her   on   when   she   was   younger ,      as   well   as   some   of   the   o’riley   clan .      even   despite   hardening   and   becoming   more   like   her   husband’s   family   𝚜𝚑𝚎   𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛   𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚝𝚎   𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍   𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚔𝚎   𝚝𝚑𝚎   𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍   𝚝𝚘   𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙   𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜   𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎   𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 ,      not   caring   how   it   affected   her   afterwards .      ❝       i   appreciate   the   concern …     ❞      she’s   about   to  spiel   on   about   how   she’s   fine   and   that   she’s   a   medical   professional   but   instead   she   stops   herself ,      sighing   softly .      ❝       if   i   say   yes   will   you   loose   the   look   of   concern ?     ❞

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      the short huff of air could had been a laugh but the lack of mirth and pull to her tiers that lightened the mood anymore than it was. “ that’s unlikely to happen but if it helps your present savior complex the concern isn’t entirely just for you... only a little bit. ” there, there the smile peeked its way out as she gestured once more to wound.

      “ you should say yes, all the same. ” given the state of others around them, those injured as well as those unable to control their violence, the more abled bodies at better health states, the better they were to survive this. “ and given that you are somewhat calm as i am i imagine you’ve endured similar crises. you could tell me what ideas you’ve come to while i tend to it. ”

Status: Open Location: O’Riley Tavern Event starter // Set before the plot drop.

When Torin eventually decided to go to the celebration held at his family’s tavern it was only because his youngest sister had practically forced him to. Being in the place after such a long time was difficult for him and despite his brother owning the place, he felt unwelcomed. If he didn’t feel guilty about leaving his sister behind for a year he probably wouldn’t even be here. He made his way swiftly over to the bar, looking for a spot to perch for a while and have a drink but on his way over he feels a body slam into his side. Planting his feet so they don’t both topple over an arm reaches out to steady the other. “Fucking watch it” he snaps in a deep gravelly voice.

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      the drinks in her hands graciously spilled over onto her wrists, each glass now somewhere a third less than when she had ordered them for her and another she was hoping to surprise with it. still, despite the harsh tone, she was grateful for the steady hand he provided in preventing a complete topple for lost footing from the crowd of bodies.

      “ i’m trying, but can’t speak for all company present. and thank you. ” but for said company and the intended recipient, the drinks needed reordered while there was more than enough still remaining to be waste to simply discard. so she offered one of the dripping glasses of whiskey to him while bringing the other to her own lips. “ cheers. ”

𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧   𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧   𝗗𝗥𝗢𝗣   𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥 :   𝚜𝚝   𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚜   𝚍𝚊𝚢 @duskstarts​

𝑻𝑯𝑬   𝑷𝑨𝑵𝑰𝑪   𝑯𝑨𝑫   𝑹𝑰𝑺𝑬𝑵   𝑨𝑵𝑫   𝑻𝑰𝑷𝑷𝑬𝑫   𝑶𝑽𝑬𝑹   𝑻𝑯𝑬   𝑬𝑫𝑮𝑬 ,      𝑻𝑯𝑬   𝑾𝑶𝑳𝑽𝑬𝑺   𝑼𝑵𝑨𝑩𝑳𝑬   𝑻𝑶   𝑺𝑻𝑶𝑷   𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑰𝑹   𝑺𝑯𝑰𝑭𝑻𝑰𝑵𝑮   𝑴𝑬𝑨𝑵𝑻   𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑶𝑺   𝑯𝑨𝑫   𝑬𝑵𝑺𝑼𝑬𝑫 .      katherine   despite   her   injury   had   been   trying   to   usher   people   to   the   limited   safety   they   had ,      offering   a   weapon   here   and   there   to   fellow   hunters .      first   aid   kit   is   slung   over   shoulder ,      eyes   darting   around   the   room   only   to   fall   on   someone   clearly   distraught .      carefully   she   makes   her   way   over ,      trying   to   avoid   the   warpath   of   the   confined   lycans .      she   crouches ,      𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚍   𝚘𝚘𝚣𝚒𝚗𝚐   𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑   𝚝𝚑𝚎   𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚏𝚝   𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚐𝚎 ,      a   groan   of   pain   swallowed   so   that   she   could   offer   help .      ❝      you   alright ?      ANYTHING   INJURED ?     ❞

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      no doubt any onlooker might think elspeth in shock as her normal pleasant demeanor and eyes often creased with happiness was forced into silence and a darting gaze that swept over each individual with critical measurement. “ i’m fine, thank you, ” her reply even and overtly calm given the situation, lost in thought and rummaging in her bag while she took every aspect in. 

      but time caught back up to her in a half second, turning her attention to the woman who offered it and sudden furrowed brows of concerns. “ it doesn’t appear you should be asking me that, anyway. ” she gestured the growing crimson stain and then to the first aid. “ putting yourself before others is not going to help you in the long run. please, let me help you instead. ”

closed starter II @blackbourned​​

location II o’riley tavern // before plot drop

“you … look familiar, do i know you from somewhere?” the witch is quick to make small talk, it will make the time go by much .. faster. swirling around the drink in hand, she tilted her head. “sorry to intrude, but i really think i’ve seen you around.” she finishes before taking a drink out of her straw. 

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      “ while i’m sure i have one of those faces buried in the peripheral of everyone’s mind, ” she began, setting her own drink aside to provide the other with her undivided attention, “ it wouldn’t have been too unlikely to have seen me before. to which you are familiar to me as well, even if i couldn’t place it. ” only one finger returned to the rim of her glass, circling it clockwise yet careful not to produce a tone from the vibrations while she thought on it--- something familiar perhaps in faces she seen around her home, perhaps in the faces of those long passed.

      “ but i suppose we could remedy the familiar to the known. elspeth blackbourne, ” she introduced, “ though such formal introductions are usually saved for business. the night’s certainly meant for more fun than that. and you? ”

Alejandro had worked at Queen’s Motors, the autobody shop longer then most people had been alive. The owner never questioned his odd schedule of time off in the evenings and pretty much Alejandro was the manager of the place without the title and pay. The place was opened twenty-four hours, the graveyard was for after hour emergencies, roadside assistance, that kind of thing. He hadn’t worked it in years, and yet here he was waiting on the kid who was supposed to fill the position.

He hears the door of the place open and not looking up from the computer he assumes is the younger man whose supposed to be manning the desk phone. “You’re late and next time, a phone call would be appreciated if you’re going to be.” He says in a stern tone.​

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      “ i promise to be more considerate, next time. hopefully there won’t be a next time, ” she added, tone soft to the misunderstanding of company. of course, there was some disbelief in a truly twenty-four hour establishment— many only claimed as such yet preferred to remained unbothered in preference for the silence of the night. she couldn’t blame if that was the case, feeling more awake at night and into the shallow light of morning, making her hesitant and slowed approach to the counter a polite albeit cautious measure.

      “ i have an audi with a shot suspension broken down a few blocks away. i didn’t know if you also offered tow services so i figured to check before splitting it between competing companies. or even recommendation would be nice.”