——— SHADOW OF THE MOON

Katya had practically skipped the whole way to the lake, the idea of having a get together and swim too good for her to pass up on. She had set up a little bar area on the edge of the lake, drinks for all and a cooler with treats just in case, for a moment she battled with her hair before twisting it up into space buns, humming to herself as she worked. The vampire had been attempting to eat one of the ice creams from said cooler while doing so but it had ended up mostly melting while she was distracted, her full spoon almost dripping down her causing her to swear under her breath before speaking out loud,  “Okay, who do I gotta shower in kisses for a cooling spell?! At least for the ice cream?”

.

Cian knew this impromptu little lake day was innocent enough but for as old as he was he went not expecting good things to come about. He came really to observe the town his adoptive son had settled into and the people knowing there was plenty of information to gather before coming to his other originals with a plan. Perhaps he'd be lucky and see an 'old' friend in the counterparts they had been created to oppose. After a thousand years though what opposing was there left to do? They were always the line the other measured to. Caught in his thought and in his surveying of the lakeshore Cian stopped to turn and see a woman, sweet enough greeted with a conundrum. The vampire was - different than he expected from most vampires he knew - most people he had encountered. "You're going to shower a person in kisses for ice cream. What about a cooler - i'm sure someone has one of those and ice. I have ice. Careful though if you keep advertising kissing someone they may ask for that"

How many times had originals tried to kill other originals? Too many to count but at some point it became less of a need and more of a remembrance that both sides were stuck in an endless battle with time, unable to expire, tired of the world and work that repeated itself over and over. So when the sharp eyes of the MacTyre saw the figure of what one could vaguely call an old acquaintance of ( at this point what original couldn't call another that? ) he called out to the being. "Kang." Cian bowed his head in respect even if there stood centuries of less than friendly run ins at times between the two. "It is good to see a familiar face but strange with the circumstances that bring us all here. How have the years treated you?"

Sure enough it had taken roughly a thousand years but his stance on the creatures he was created to help control, to serve as a natural enemy of had lessened. Would it shock someone somewhere that even in that period of time he'd seen to working with a few who were semi decent beings? Perhaps. Still he cold tell this woman was one, senses alerted him to as much. "The heels are memorable I have to say that. You pull off red stillettos well, madame"

“I suppose in some ways, those said bad habits of yours are worse,” Ekrem threw out the tease, an attempt to find lightness in the dark dilemma they were shrouded in. But he nodded in understanding. “I’m sure he’s a good lad,” he agreed. There were other ways to send an address, like through text for example. Though Ekrem took the card naturally as if he too would’ve gone that route. Even with modern times, he could admit that not everything he did was done in the new way. “If we are to discuss conversations with counterparts,” Ekrem began, raising an eyebrow. “I think I’ll take the strong drink.”

.

Small for us. That was definitely both a fair and true point. A mortal could mention twenty years like it was a huge chunk of their life. Meanwhile any immortal - especially old ones like them - would say that sounded like minutes compared to how long they’d been around. Ekrem nodded toward the plan. “How is he?” he inquired about Cian’s son, wondering how Archie had been faring in Ashwick. Nowadays, Ekrem could assume it had been stressful, but if Archie was still living there, perhaps he still liked it despite the chaos.

“And the suggestion of more than one entity only brings more questions,” he murmured with a mentally tired sigh coming. But he couldn’t let pessimism get in the way of their investigating. They were there to help the town, and help they would. Even if it took far longer than anyone thought.

-

Quick to jump into defense mode, Chase was ready. She would have argued and she would have yelled, and she would have done so much more to fight the poor person over a single bottle of wine that seemed to separate her from reality and absolute grief and insanity. She’d gone as far as taking the bottle from the shelf, ready to defend it- until she saw the look on the man’s face and finally paused. Maybe he wasn’t there to take her broken tradition away from her. But did she really want that? “Why?” Chase asked a little defensively, stilll studying the man “It’s an expensive gift you’re wanting to buy.”

.

"I have money and while that does not give me the excuse to buy your wine for you and some might say its awfully sus wondering what strings are attached - it is not. For the woman who looks like she needs it and you can use what you would've paid for anything else not that you would need to." Cian said with little expectation that the woman would believe him but still his gut told him it was the kind thing to do, the right thing to do where so often he could skirt that over the centuries. "Why do you need that particular bottle, if I can ask?"

Cian was eternally grumpy, too often had his eyes seen the world do its worst and more often than not and too often for his liking it had taken people that mattered to him so the edge he had to his person was more than understandable. One did not survive through  eternity without loss or pain and the originals knew this well. Yet as much as Cian tried to avoid falling in love like the plague which in itself was interesting to live through he did occasionally fall in love. Archie's mother was unexpected and Archie even more so but the boy was like his own, Archie was his own despite the originals being unable to sire offspring. In a thousand years Archie was truthfully the only one he'd given his name to or called son. The boy was special like his mother whom Cian also mourned and missed in his own way whenever he saw her son. He had not been in a relationship since her and it was often when the boy was growing up that he would tell him that his mother was the only one he could remember that had made him happy because she was good and kind and saw the world like he did. "No hug for your father? Is this what has happened since you've moved here to this town? Then again I still remember the baby that would giggle endlessly and curl up in my arms. It may surprise you son but I've decided to take up residence here as well" Cian called out seeing the boy he'd watched grow and that he himself had taught. He had a moment for pleasantries for this child always only knowing the conversation would dip into the seriousness of his actual arrival all too soon knowing Archie had been here for years and Cian just weeks but not meeting the boy until now.

x

“Pick a time and place, I’ll be there,” Ekrem promised at the suggestion of a meeting. And yes, it wasn’t just them in town. Their vampire counterparts were also up and about in Ashwick. “I’ve run into a few of them,” Ekrem added with a nod, referring to the old vampires they knew all too well. The words echoed in his mind before he released a huff. “The weird occurrences, especially the information about the carnival. Seems… far more strange than anything we’ve encountered before,” he murmured, and they had encountered much, whether together or not in the past.

“I agree, it is hard to pinpoint much at this stage, but I suppose no doors can be closed just yet.” Though that didn’t mean it was necessarily a vampire case either. Maybe not even witches. Maybe it was an entirely knew entity they were up against, but no one could say for sure. 

.

                      the  brightening  of  his  expression  did  funny  things  to  her  heartrate  ,  his  smile  completely  unexpected  after  his  (  completely  justified  )  irritation  just  moments  ago  .  she  simply  stared  at  him  for  a  beat  ,  knowing  then  and  there  that  her  attempt  to  swear  off  any  sort  of  romantic  affection  for  at  least  a  few  months  had  been  in  vain  .  her  last  break  up  had  been  especially  nasty  ,  and  she  was  really  still  recovering  from  it  .   but  unfortunately  for  her  ,  this  man  was  perfectly  her  type  ,  as  though  he’d  been  plucked  straight  from  her  dreams  and  placed  in  front  of  her  ;  and  he  could  easily  be  her  downfall  if  she  wasn’t  careful  .   ‘  i’d  feel  bad  if  you  paid  for  their  drinks  ,  ’  she  mused  ,  smile  denting  her  cheeks  as  she  finally  met  and  held  his  gaze  .   ‘  but  …  i  would  be  happy  to  take  your  number  .  i’m  briar  ,  but  you  can  just  call  me  baby  .  ’

.

Cian had already shifted into the movement of holding out his hand to program the number in her phone thinking naturally she'd offer it before he found himself blinking fast for a moment. If he had a drink he would've quietly choked on it but he still wore the dry stout that soaked through his shirt. Clearing his throat his hand was still extended waiting for the electronic device. She was forward and quick at the draw but he wasn't certain if her saying he could call her baby was a nickname or permission to call her a pet name like they hadn't just met in the most awkward of ways. "Baby? This is- is that a nickname or ..." Cian thought holding back the words at the type of his tongue, a remark about people these days that would've revealed how absolutely ancient the man was. Staring at her though and the sudden surprise of whatever that just was he chuckled again, biting the bottom of his lip giving a shake of his head. "Whatever it is, Baby if you prefer that it would be the most gentlemanly thing of me to call you how you want to be not that I have been accused of ever being a true gentleman. Hand me your phone - it'll be easier than handing you a napkin that you might use to clean up beer on anyone else."

                       god  ,  this  was  awful  ;  she  couldn’t  remember  the  last  time  she’d  been  so  flustered  .  she  scrambled  and  reached  for  some  nearby  napkins  ,  her  whole  face  pink  now  as  she  patted  at  the  spill  on  his  shirt  .  ‘  i’m  so  sorry  !  i’ll  pay  for  dry  cleaning  ,  buy  you  a  replacement  drink  ,  whatever  you’d  like  ,  ’   she  frantically  assured  him  ,  grateful  she  at  least  got  through  that  without  stammering  .  his  closeness  wasn’t  helping  matters  ,  her  dark  gaze  purposefully  avoiding  his  light  one  to  prevent  scattering  her  thoughts  even  further  .  she  probably  should  be  taking  a  step  or  two  back  ,  but  her  feet  felt  cemented  to  the  ground  -  so  that  probably  wasn’t  happening  any  time  soon  .  his  shirt  seemed  like  it  was  beyond  being  saved  by  her  ,  so  she  lowered  her  hands  ,  her  face  sheepish  .   ‘  i’m  sorry  ,  ’   she  repeated  miserably  .  ‘  i  swear  i’m  not  drunk  !   i  actually  have  a  rather  high  tolerance  .  plus  i’m  really  just  grabbing  more  drinks  for  my  friends  ,  ’   she  asserted  ,  oddly  feeling  as  though  she  was  being  scolded  .

.

There was a smattering of napkins spread across the bar now and in her hands staring down at the woman she was a confounding soul, full of surprises and dark eyes and her rambling thoughts and continuous stream of thought. A brow lifted at her assertion and pieces of her reminded her of women he had loved and then none of them. He was being harsh yes, mean and a voice somewhere scolded him for being ungentlemanly. By whatever was left in this world that was holy or some divine power like the ones that made him - Cian actually smiled. "The shirt is priceless but let me buy your friends their drinks and you tell them you got the number of the guy you spilled his beer on him. Or you could just take the number and give me your name"

“Greetings, brother,” Ekrem responded, feeling a lightness in his chest by saying that out loud. It had been a long time, a smile forming as he further approached Cian. And it was true, the questioning of time. It was slow and fast at the same time. “Yes,” he agreed, patting Cian on the shoulder before glancing toward the parts of the town in their view. “It’s a feeling hard not to notice. I visited Kaylee at the Wolf’s Attic, you and she are all I’ve seen thus far,” he explained. “Arrived last week, so I assume what information we have is most likely the same. Which is… unfortunately little.”

.

If Cian were the sappy sentimentalist he would return the comment made, the small greetings brother with how he had missed that term. Cian was but incredibly deep down stirred that creature and the original kept the emotion caged. With the pat on the shoulder, he too peered out across the town with the view the two had of it. “Kaylee is here this is good. I haven’t ventured about too heavily but have sources I’ve been reaching out to see if any chatter about the town has spread through the usual channels. Roughly the same time, and that is unfortunate. We’ll need to have a meeting - all of us together to gather what we know and someone to keep a watch on the vampires. With talk of bodies drained and the events, people are still wagging tongues about without any solid information... We have our work cut out for us”

status: open to anyone where: Lazier’s Winery & Vineyard @ashwickstarters​

Ten years. It would have been ten years since Chase had gotten married, it would have been quite the anniversary. They talked about it, right after their ninth anniversary. Chase wasn’t big on parties, yet she was willing to compromise, willing to celebrate their love, because it was pure, it was natural, it was.. human. It was everything she had ever wanted, and after everything that had happened to her, he and their son were a fresh breath of air in her life. Now, the party was cancelled, and all that was left of love was grief.

Still, she needed to stick to the traditions. One of them was buying her husband a good bottle of wine, always 2008 Didier Dagueneau Silex, all so the two of them could have a nice dinner and drink it afterwards. it was all so simple, all so serene, and everything she always loved.

Oh, how she missed it now.

Even now, staring at the bottle on the shelf, Chase remained silent, falling back into the painfully beautiful memories, only to be interrupted as she saw someone move in her sight of vision. “What?” she snapped, taking a deep breath to push the tears back, every muscle in her body tense from the emotions running through her. “I’m taking the bottle.”

.

Cian's brow lifted as the person snapped at him, teeth nearly bared in her tone of voice but the moment the creature turned to look at him he understood. Whatever this woman's pain was he knew it all too well himself. He had lived long enough to taste nearly every flavor of painful experience there was and it had soured him as in individual to feeling most emotion openly. "Take it - I don't own the vineyard" Cian stated knowing in the back of his mind he could but he preferred to collect the things he did and use talents that were - hard to acquire at the level he'd sharpened them to. "Let me buy it for you. A gift from a stranger"

starter  for  @cianmactyre​  !

                      ‘  three  ,  two  …  one  !  ’   at  the  end  of  the  countdown  ,  baby  and  her  group  of  friends  all  tossed  back  their  shots  before  giggling  like  schoolgirls  .  while  not  normally  her  scene  ,  said  friends  had  refused  to  stop  bugging  her  until  she’d  agreed  to  go  out  partying  with  them  .  and  she  had  to  say  ,  now  that  she  was  actually  out  and  having  a  good  time  ,  she  was  glad  they’d  insisted  .  ‘  i’ll  go  order  some  more  !  ’  with  that  announcement  ,  baby  made  her  way  to  the  bar  .  she  almost  made  it  there  before  someone  bumped  into  her  ,  causing  her  to  pitch  forward  .  her  hands  reached  out  ,  one  managing  to  grab  the  bar  ,  while  the  other  automatically  latched  onto  something  much  closer  -  and  much  warmer  .   ‘  oh  !   i’m  so  sorry  ,  i  didn’t  mean  to  grab  you  like  that  ,  ’  she  stammered  ,  immediately  releasing  his  arm  ,  dark  gaze  moving  up  to  his  face   ;  the  resulting  blush  kissing  her  cheeks  was  only  partially  due  to  the  booze  she’d  downed   .  she  simply  stood  there  like  a  moron  ,  having  completely  forgotten  what  she’d  been  doing  .

.