#abnvrmals.

he shakes his head and stands from his bed, but when he hears footsteps coming toward his room he sighs. he is expecting lorenzo, for obvious reasons but the scent that comes through is not him. he turns his head to glance at the door then looks away. he doubts it is alex, why would it be alex? who comes to the house of the wolf who attacked you? nolan stands at his desk, handles fiddling with a grinder to keep himself busy and not thinking about alex. or that he lost control. on alex. that he attacked him. 

the day is seemingly dragging on as the acalia shuffles his way through the kitchen in the back of the diner. eventually, it’s half past seven, and there is a dip in the customers coming through lucky’s. now he has the chance to slip out the back door, wiping some grease from his hands over the apron tucked around his waist before he hangs it on the hook.  he grabs his cellphone and hooks a pod into his ear, letting some music drowning out the street noise into a small background lull. he is scrolling through his phone for a few moments before pocketing it, and idly glancing out at the people walking around him. there is a huff echoing from him at the realization he had forgotten the small dinner he had stocked for himself to take back to his apartment. he turns on his heels, ready to return to grab it when he collides with someone.  “oh shi--- i’m sorry!”

fresh from a stage show, the incubus is clad in nothing more than a slim pair of shorts and a matching tie around his neck. the black fabric has his pale skin seeming even more mute toned, especially with the lights colliding against his chest. he doesn’t mind ---- his toned form is enough to attract who he needs, and if not, it’s not like he needs physical aids to charm those around him. he can feel a set of eyes on him. a smirk touches his lips as he beelines for the owner, and he tilts his head.  “ enjoy the show ? “  ash muses.  “ most offer to buy me a shot at least, if they do.  and, well,  who w o u l d n ‘ t. “

everything needs to be perfect. from her own appearance to the presentation of every glass and bottle and table, she had continuously been fiddling and twisting things to get them in the right spot or angle. lips press together in a firm line and she moves toward the table at which she had noticed her wife. “everything looks good.”  johanna does not have to ask it, her arrogance regarding her work leaves no room for a question mark at the end of the statement. her hands smooth over a slimming black dress then she looks to the other woman.  “have you tried it? did they bring you a glass?”  there is a new malbec blend that was to hit shelves and tonight was a reveal of it. a tasting party, if you will. 

“well well well,” chimes the curly haired male as he takes in the other’s presence. “i was wondering if where you disappeared to.” a grin washes over his pale features and his head tilts as he looks at him. “been a while since i’ve seen you, i would have started to take it personally but, i mean --- i’m me.”  he comments, grin still prominent on his face. his arrogance knew no bounds.

“so this place seems fun.” the upir mentions as he comes into the shared living space of his brother’s place. he falls back onto the couch and brushes some of his unbrushed hair from his face. he had not been in town long, but if this is any indication of how things were around the parrish, he was in for some wild ride.  “did you get all fucked up or whatever was happening?” kellan asks, hands lifting around his head as if to add emphasis to his point.  “heard some people got right wrecked.”  he says, leaning back against the cushions.

since the last time he had seen luciana amongst the fleeing crowd of was once a comprised circus group, matty has not shifted in his supernatural form. having spent endless time without any other choice, and shoved into the smallest of crates and cages, he found no desire or impulse to ever even attempt it again. he was free, that included being free from himself in a way. he never wanted to be this, and he found he could easily ignore what he was. pass for a human as long as he wanted.  it starts with a finger, then his wrist--- what sounds like snapping branches echoes in the room. he can feel his body shrinking again. despite the years between now and his last shift, it’s not a feeling easily forgotten. his spine is next, allowing him to become even smaller. he winces through a clenched jaw, tears brimming his eyes, but he manages to bite out her name.  “luci---- lu---”  another snap.  “help!” he gasps out between small but sharp gasps. he does not know why it’s happening, it feels like someone else is controlling the shift. it’s going dark in his mind again. he has been here before.

rage is nothing new to the phoenix, it has always ran beneath her skin. some days are quieter than others, but there is a shift in the air tonight. something is off and something is wrong. fingers curl around the marble of the counter, her grip tightening with some new found anger and violence surging through her. something explosive. something invasive. she has lived long enough to know when something is toying with her mind, stretching and bend her to its own accord. then, hear burns beneath her limbs against the marble. while she is immune to the temperature, the resistant marble cracks under her grip. “milo---” calls ava, out into the air of her small home. her control is slipping, heat growing into embers in her palm and she steps back. she glares at her own hands.