#unveilstarters

There wasn’t a place that the dragonkin felt more at home at than the waters. While the skies were a very close second, as a dragonkin that had an affinity for water, being able to be submerged in its depths or feel the ripples in the water as it adjusted to his size was hard to beat. And as he swam through Seawater Lake, Azur couldn’t stop the smile from forming on his lips - a sight that was rare to see, given how emotionless he often came across - as he swam through the depths, using his hydrokinetic abilities to create a water bubble around his mouth and nose that acted as a respirator.

Of course, that only prolonged the inevitable - that he would have to eventually surface for air, as even with the water bubble, he had to resurface to deposit the carbon dioxide that he breathed out - and after roughly an hour underneath the water, he finally broke the surface, the water rippling around his body from the movements. And as his eyes adjusted to being above water, his body shimmering from the water that accumulated on his skin and causing his muscles to glisten in the sunlight, he noted that there was someone else there.

Levi let out a hum as he made his way through the halls of the Chateau. The dragonkin couldn’t help but to appreciate all of the outfits and masks that people were wearing. Halloween had always been his favorite time of the year. No gifts, no food, no stress...Just some candy and some costumes and a lot of creativity. 

What was there not to love? 

“What do you think? I got inspiration of this by the “Power for the Grid game.” Levi grinned as he turned around in the power ranger costume he had bought after seeing someone approach him. “I think it’s pretty dope.” Levi said with a chuckle as he playfully flexed in it.

Oh, how Kalei absolutely loved the masquerade ball that the Chateau threw every year. It was a time when so many creatures could get together and be in harmony, a notion that the warlock worked hard to achieve - many often saw him as a mediator of sorts as he tried to ensure that everyone was left happy - and even the residents in the nearby village were able to get in on the fun. Of course, he knew that some of the creatures like to mess with the unsuspecting humans - vampires showing off their fangs, weres partially shifting, warlocks practicing their powers - but for the most part? Everything was civil and merry.

And it gave Kalei a sense of anonymity, something he absolutely loved because a man as large as he was often made people feel intimidated - until they realized just what kind of man he was, at least - so with the mask on, he was perfectly able to get to know people without them feeling like he was hard to get to know just because he was a bigger guy. Dressed up as Mr. Incredible, a play on the fact that many of his lovers often called him incredible, the witch approached the drink table and offered a smile to the closest person.

“Enjoying yourself?”

It had been months since he was last here, months since Solomon had been around his friends and family at the Chateau and months since he had lost the magic in his blood and was now confined to the dark. But ever since arriving back in Louisiana, Solomon hadn’t been able to muster up the courage to walk inside the chateau and, instead, he found himself sitting on the edge of the deck, elbows on his knees as he remained hunched over in a thoughtful position.

What was he going to say? What would happen now? Would anyone in the witch community take pity on him and give him a piece of daylight jewelry, or would they punish him for getting turned into a vampire? Would they see his being a vampire as an insult on his family’s legacy or think that he was throwing away the potential that his bloodline had? So many questions ran through his mind, and as he thought about scenario after scenario, he failed to hear the sound of footsteps approaching until he could see something in his peripherals.

Even though Brock had only been at the Chateau for a couple of weeks now, he couldn’t help but be absolutely amazed by everything. It wasn’t just the fact that he was a merman and he was surrounded by supernatural creatures, but it was also because he was surrounded by so many attractive men. He had no idea how this place could be full of so many gorgeous men, but he knew that it was definitely a bonus to living in a place like this. And who knows? Maybe he’d find someone to help him move past his nervousness and fears and help him get rid of his virginity.

But what truly amazed him was the capabilities of everyone. From watching plants grow before his eyes in the garden to seeing a man perform literal water bending at the lake, he was absolutely amazed by everything and anything and so when he heard about the party that they were hosting? Well, he was quick to find a costume. And what better costume to be than Mermaid Man, complete with starfish mask and pink, fuzzy house shoes.

As darkness overcame the party, though, he had to stop from swallowing the lump in his throat - as a merman he couldn’t exactly see things as well as some of the other supernatural party-goers - and he moved to scratch the back of his neck. “I uh... I have a flashlight in my room? But uh...” he paused as he spoke to the person nearest him, looking down nervously as he realized just where his room was. It didn’t matter to him that, by telling this person where his room was would reveal his identity - or part of it, anyway - but what he was bothered by is the fact that the basement was bound to be darker. At least the main floor had windows where the moonlight could stream through.

Why the werebear had even entertained the idea of going to this party, he wasn’t sure - but he absolutely hated it. It was claustrophobic, loud, and frankly? It was definitely not his cup of tea. And while everyone seemed to enjoy the anonymity of the event, that had no positive impact on Espen considering that he had barely unpacked his (one) bag when news of this event would transpired and he hardly knew anyone there beyond a couple of faces that he had ran into - and even then, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to pick them out of a crowd.

That’s why he was outside when the chandelier came crashing down, having torn off his mask and wanting to bask in the fresh air and quiet atmosphere of the night sky when people began hurrying out of the building. Almost on instinct, he could feel his bear preparing to come out, his nails hardening and elongating until they were large, sharp claws as his fight-or-flight instincts kicked in. Because, in his mind, there was only one reasonable answer for what had transpired.

Hunters.

One of the first things that Rafael had noticed when he started to wake up was the sounds going on around him, sounds that weren’t ones that he heard in his apartment in DeRidder, and as he opened his eyes his suspicions were confirmed - he wasn’t in DeRidder, but at the Chateau. In one of the lounge rooms, it appeared. “God, did I really spend the night here?” Rafael asked as he moved to sit upright, muscles tensing and flexing underneath the black tank he was wearing when he realized that there was someone else in the room. “Do you know what I did last night?”