#codes:open

The thirst had been pulsing between his gums all evening, but even Snow had grown the slightest bit paranoid with the recent news. It was no time to find a dark spot behind the bar or take a willing participant home. Not one he couldn’t trust, anyway. Perhaps he’d clock in early and resort to uneventful plan b in the form of a crimson bag. At this hour, Snow was expected to be found at the local bar. One of many favorites. Dim lit and glistening from reflected glass. An excellent thinking spot where the bass from speakers drowned out the overpowering impulse. By now, Snow had control, but as always hungered more for a distraction than anything else. “Are you just here for the drink or could I be your excuse to dance?” It did not matter who he wound up asking.

Everett tore his gaze from the newspaper stand to roll his eyes, already tired of hearing about the latest death. It’d have been interesting had they been human, but the details of the deaths made it evident they were otherwise. This one seemed to have been another vampire. Hearing someone approach, his lips twitched into a smirk. “Natural selection at its finest,” he told them matter-of-factly, returning his gaze to the text, not once looking in their direction. “You’d think they’d be more careful. This makes... how many now?”

A loud barking pulled Ella out of her trance, a squeak passing her lips as she stopped, seeing the dog poke his nose through the fence of someone’s garden. He was not happy. Carefully, sucking in a breath, she reached out her hand, wanting to comfort him. She’d always had a love for animals. “Hey, it’s okay, I won’t hurt you,” she said softly, a sad smile tugging at her features, tears in her eyes from being lost in her thoughts. As she got closer, the dog only seemed to become angrier. She leapt back, another squeal passing her lips as she stepped through someone with a shudder. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” She exclaimed, apologising out of habit, only realising after the words were spoken that the person likely didn’t even know she was there. 

Please don’t forget to give these starters some love! One and two.