aphrodite

She heaves a dramatic sigh, and finds a seat - "You're fine to not check in if you don't feel the need to, Zane." It also allows her to try and control a narrative here, and spin it a bit. "I'm a little worried about some of my younger relatives, is all."

Valka notices the slight twitch of the woman's lip, her mask disguising the more distinct features of her face but doing nothing to mask the lower half of her. She wonders what causes the flash of emotion, but it's cooled just as quickly as a more philosophical question is offered.

"You offer a vampire nothing but flesh and they'll wither. You offer a wolf nothing but blood and their ribs will show in time. But flesh bleeds," the hunter offers in morbid meditation. "And on both a crude and spiritual level, they both describe family. But I bet most would say it's the blood, not the flesh, that makes ties most meaningful. People tend to think of themselves as flesh, though, not blood. I don't know what to make of it, honestly. But I think the significance just depends on what you're hungry for."

Though Valka was curious to get a better read on the guests for the evening, it does make her uneasy knowing she wasn't the one behind planning tonight. Meaning no matter how cautious she is, someone's got the drop on her. "Easier to fall from a height, I suppose. If someone tried anything tonight they'd be remarkably bold, maybe suicidal. But, hey, I might not linger myself either way. Gotta let the dog out, y'know? But it's been a pleasure."

The hunter offered her hand to the stranger -- a working woman's greeting, a symbol of good faith. And maybe she was double checking this chick had a pulse, just in case.

Subtly, she shifts her drink from one hand to the other, settling the pin in between her fingers. All she needs is a pinprick and her magic can do the rest. Whoever the woman is - her blood will tell her all she needs to know.

She reaches out to shake the hand offered to her and slides the pin into Valka's skin - she should feel nothing more than irritation and a slight pinch, which is risky enough. When her magic latches hold onto the bits of blood that flow, she weaves it to settle onto the head of the pin, floating there - somewhat solid to the naked eye.

"This city takes its pound of flesh however it can," she says, tensing somewhat. "Best wishes to your family. It's hard, knowing you can't always protect them."

Valka knew she'd be denounced a hypocrite by those who considered the monsters a little more human. They had lives, loves, families -- hell, some of 'em even had pets of their own, which she found hilarious in a certain light. But the hunter didn't just kill for the fun of it. Wolves called it a curse for a reason. Vampires spread themselves like a sickness. Witches may have control over nature, but they were anything but natural. Her motivations were one part mercy, one part vengeance. She knew she'd never get her niece back, but she could stop those beasts from taking anyone else away from the light.

"I think it's wise to be cautious no matter whose company you're in. But especially when it comes to those who make meals of human flesh."

Valka, of course, doesn't consider the flesh she consumes to be human any longer.

Her lips twitches in anger.

"Are flesh and blood one and the same?" She murmurs, not really expecting an answer here, but wondering if she'll get one all the same. "But true - Caution no matter where you are is important. Otherwise one might fall into a trap."

Hopefully there won't be one tonight, but time will tell.

Interesting. Someone aware of the attacks, but ultimately fine. With a family to boot. She doesn't say pack, which suggests this isn't a wolf -- or if she is, she ain't the touchy-feely type. But most wolves didn't really call their fur-fellows family unless it was by blood, not too many legacy packs in Leiry. Vampires were similarly vain. More possessive over their fledglings, rarely saw them as equals. So Valka suspects she's talking to a witch, simply by virtue of the fact she knows what went down lately and doesn't sound like a hunter playing dumb about it.

She'll test that theory at her earliest convenience.

"I got a little roughed up," Valka says, and it's not wholly a lie. "But it wasn't me they were after. Not much family to speak of either, so all in all... could've been worse." Also not a lie. It always could be much, much worse.

In fact, she's counting on it next time.

"But it does make me wonder if the vamps putting this thing on are doing it more to save face than take names. Call me cynical, I'm guessing some of these folks won't make it to sunrise."

If this is a hunter, then she needs to play nice anyways. No need for a brawl in the middle of mock high society, even if she's sure she could take her.

A glance down towards her legs makes her narrow her eyes and she commits that to memory, too. "It very well could have been worse. Cheers to your health."

It is why she chuckles, and welcomes the conversation. "Things have always been like this ⸻ Peasants die, the royalty throws a ball, and as long as it is not you in the ground, no one cares. It is why they built the Colosseum, no? There is enjoyment even amidst tragedies."

Was this thrown by the council or the leaders? Hard to tell, hard to assume, really.

The movement on the dance served to entrance Aurelia in almost hypnotic effect. It had been far to long since Aurelia had been dancing. The last time had been with her wife over a decade ago before things had gone so wrong. The voice broke Aurelia out of her thoughts and back into the moment. Reminding her just how dangerous the position she had put herself in was.

"People live in ignorance when they think themselves to powerful to be affected by the things that touch the little people" Aurelia mused to the other women. Sharp eyes trying to figure out what kind of creature the women speaking was.

With nothing enhancing her senses to help, there's no particular way to figure it out, and instead she just gestures towards a server to bring them over and lifts another glass of red off of it to hand to her new companion.

Unless she saw faces, everyone here tonight was an enemy. Valka knew she shouldn't even really be here -- it's more than fucking generous to believe that even these bloodsuckers and fleabags wouldn't try to pull some shit. No amount of witchy-woo and mesmerism could disguise the baser instincts of these creatures. But she'll play nice, see if she can't get any rumblings that'll give her more intel for her next attack.

A demure smile graces her lips at the stately stranger's sentiment. "Took the words right outta my mouth," the hunter says, tipping a drink to her lips to better drown out the amusement in her chest. "It's all bread and circuses. Hell, I think I even saw Nero playing the fiddle in the orchestra there." She pauses.

"Were you affected by the most recent onslaught?"

It would look bad to try and get a feel for the other's blood. Maybe. Could try later.

“Yes, sir, of course. I ⸻ Yes, no, I understand. Thank you.” Finishing the call, he lets out a disappointed sigh. How could he not be? This is the third job that has turned him down in the past week. Dorian knows he lacks experience in a lot of field, and hiring him is a big leap for many companies, but he hoped for an easier time with his new resume. Of course, hoping and reality are two different things. He knows that too well. He can't help but miss soccer in moments like this; he will never regret doing what he did to save Eliza, but he misses his team. His opportunity. He sighs again. “You don't happen to have a job offer lying around, do you?” He asks the person near him. “I can read lips amazingly well.”

The answer doesn't matter in the long run, so she doesn't wait to ask another right after - "Have you been downtown much, yet? I own a little shop there is why I ask. The Crow and Chalice doesn't require too much experience or knowledge of.." Another pause, and she leans in - bright smile, very much selling the idea of a witch shop - "The arcane."

"Oh, honey, you should've come to me sooner. Here, drink this." Harley spoke to the other, slipping them a healing potion. He kept a lot of them on standby, and outwardly he liked to be helpful within the community. A true healer. Everyone has their secrets, though. "It'll speed up the process, but still keep an eye for infections or anything of the sort, okay? I'll give you a salve you can put on it to try and stop any infections." A shadow crossed in front of him, he felt it blocking out the natural light. He spoke without looking up from the wound he was working on, "Can I help you?"

"Delivery, hand-picked herbs from the Crow and Chalice to help you with you and yours." A breath, then. "It's good to see you again, Harley."

"The person, of course." With Zane, it's an odd sort of.. world, her aging and him not quite. The blood magic she'd learned from him would give her the power to do so - but she's not quite ready to stoop quite that low yet. Besides, there's still much she has to do before she's ready to delve into the deep crimson.

Water is still her favorite, after all. "I'm just coming to check on you. See how you and your partner are. How the store is doing." A bit of a pause, "If you've heard any news of the coven."

Aviel is always so careful with his curious fingers when he comes into Crow & Chalice. So many interesting herbs and little baubles and crystals... he could spend all day jotting down notes on the things he sees. The prices that sometimes seem a bit odd, the ingredients that he's not sure are 100% legitimate. But who is he, besides a human? Certainly an experienced human- one who knows the truth, and who seeks more truths. And so he knows of witches.

But it's always so fun to decipher what's real and what's not. What's a P.T.Barnum scam, and what's the real Fiji mermaid.

"Grace!" Avi smiles as he sees the owner, an air kiss blown to her. "I have another crystal I found that I'd love to show you. And... I found a few odd little assortments of items, in a few abandoned buildings around town... laid out in very particular ways... took some photos, would love to hear if you think someone was attempting a spell... but you know I need your expert eye, my dear."

And yet still, they can't seem to find those actually charged with the energy they need. It's all amusing, and she knows how to play it off and speak their language.

Aviel, though, is something entirely different. His podcast speaks more of the truth than most of his listeners would care to believe, and Grace simply gives him a soft smile as he calls her name. She clasps her hands behind her back and tilts her head. "Is this research, love?" Said with an amused lilt to her tone.

"But, yes, of course - you know I don't mind helping. Crystals are one of our areas of expertise." She gestures for him to show her the photos. "Let's see them?"

"No, no... they're all fine at the pack, some minor injuries... nothing that isn't probably healed already." The chaos that had followed come the darkness had been enough for some of the hunters to try their luck. Aaren would be damned if anyone from the pack were weak enough to not deal with it. "Don't worry about me, I just wanna fucking kill those bastards... I hate sitting still, we need to do something... attack now, they wouldn't expect us to."

But.. she couldn't abide by just attacking with no information, though she understood the sentiment. What she wouldn't give to get one of the hunters alone and pluck them apart piece by piece and give them a taste of what real magic is like..

Instead, they must wait. They have to. "You know I have no say in what you do with your pack, Aaren. But.. I would advise caution. Perhaps they want us reckless and attacking."