— Blood⧸ Water

❝ that does sound divine. i've heard some people like to dip fries in a frosty, i wonder if espresso martini or boozy shake holds the same taste like that. ❞ the brunette teased, grateful to have this time to herself with her oldest friend for as long as she could remember. though she did feel a bit of guilt, one for not telling katya, two for not telling cassius. but he would find out eventually. ❝ this is a passion fruit martini. have at it. ❞

❝ ⸻ Oh It does , although I like the classic non-alcoholic . You can definitely taste the difference but still good ❞ Katya took the glass she offered to take a sip and nodded in approval . ❝ ok forget what I said , I'm going to get this instead . ❞ she motioned at the bartender and ordered one for herself. ❝ So , anything new ? ❞

❝ well, that is truly unfortunate. i don't eat much of this kind of stuff but what can i say? i'm a foodie and i always allow myself to indulge every now and again. ❞ that was one thing she liked about being what she was, she could survive on both food and blood. ❝ what foods do you like then ? other than sushi, of course. ❞ the blonde gestured to the others food.

❝ ⸻ you can just dot it up that I am a pescatarian . ❞ Nerissa cheekily smiled considering she could also be called A MANEATER . both definitions of it ringing true about her . ❝ ⸻ I indulge myself in what comes from the sea ❞

❝ that doesn't seem like my problem at all. it doesn't give people the excuse to be over the line. ❞ her shoulders shrugged, pressing her glass to her lips to take a drink. plus, in her mind it was only one less creature she had to deal with.

her brow lifted at the other woman, shrugging her shoulders while one leg crossed over the other and a hand ran through her hair before sipping her drink. ❝ you know exactly what reputation i'm talking about and it is not anything to do with the community. ❞

valentina was enjoying her time alone, something she did often. her sister was off 'finding her bliss' whatever that meant, and had been the last five years or so. so it was truly just valentina for the first time in a long time. the brunette was building a fire, it didn't do a thing to warm her skin as it did when she was a human but it was still a comfort from that time. her hands reached out, feeling the warmth of the flame against her palms when she heard a noise. quickly she spun around, not going to let anyone get a jump on her. ❝ it's not very smart to sneak up on someone. ❞

❝ ⸻ given this beach is basically a crime scene , I highly doubt you are even suppose to be here , darling .❞ ares was there on business rather than pleasantries . and the way agatha died was no simple matter .

adrian knew agatha but he wasn't too familiar with her. she would smile at him and he would do that same. his partner would probably know more about her but they weren't here right now. the werewolf sighed. "i didn't know her that well either, it's a shame, though." he admitted, taking a sip of his drink. he glanced over at the woman who sat next to him. he recognized her a little but again, adrian spent most of his time at the den or in his own home. the drink tonight was purely business. now that someone had died, he needed to be seen... he needed to make more of an effort. he had gotten too comfortable with his routine.

❝ ⸻ she's been a pillar to the community according to some . death is part of life but , to find her MURDERED like that . What kind of monster would do such a thing . ❞ Feyrah shook her head as she motioned for another drink . Although , she honestly is waiting to see if Agatha left the house to a relative or would she be able to buy it , to resell it.

work is work and she loved every sale and commissions she got . ❝ I'm sure the police will do their work and find whoever did this . ❞

with so many lovely places to visit, the brightborn had had difficulty settling on somewhere to start. it hadn't been until she'd been passing the pier as the sun began setting that she'd made up her mind, setting up her easel and pigments to capture the sunset. she easily makes it halfway through the painting in a dreamlike state, gentle smile remaining firmly on her face. she sighs softly, the sound accompanied by a murmur of, ❛ it's so beautiful here. ❜ the childlike wonder likely doesn't seem fitting on someone of her age, but she can't help it. there have been so many firsts for her lately, and discovering another never gets old.

feyrah had just finished selling the house nearby . She was gleeful considering her 6 percent commission which by tomorrow her bank account will be 50,000 dollars fuller . with Watermelon Strawberry Caprese in hand and another fork for the brightborn before her to try , the woman looked at the sun setting and then at the canvas . ❝ ⸻ It's peaceful ... yet you always have be wary , küçük olan ❞ she held out the treat for the other to take . ❝ you paint beautiful . It's not Vincent van Gogh , but still a work of art . try it , it's good ❞ well , it was the only thing she would eat around here . Feyrah preferred to cook her own meal or make her own snack from scratch .

❛ not dead ⸻ but certainly on its last leg. ❜ the joking tone came easier than he anticipated, so easily slipping back into a more positive disposition with her return. almost . . . hopeful for the future again. it was exceedingly difficult, holding back from brushing his fingers over the heat of her blush, so enamored by the sight. he hummed lowly, looking rather pleased with the admission. ❛ how lucky for me, kotenok. ❜ and it spoke of their shared past, even if she was unaware of it herself. he would ensure she would know of it someday. ❛ at the risk of sounding too presumptuous, i will go out on a limb and say they are positive. ❜ he resisted the urge to further take hold of her, the instinct nearly overwhelming. ❛ you are hungry, correct? shall we start with having dinner? ❜

the joke was not a miss and very much amusing . ❝ which I am sure , you probably are holding it for selected few given the world today . ❞ Katya only thanked the gods for deciding in getting dress up for the night . Or at least look good in all black . she smiled at the nickname . understanding it fully well and if alexandra were here , she would be telling her this was the man she would be taking home tonight if he hadn't made the first move . ❝ ⸻ Well , considering you're confident enough , you're already half way there , moy zver' ❞ Katya was bold when it came to what she see , she liked ... and she very much felt strong feelings the moment their eyes met . yet she confused herself when she called him my beast ... why ? LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT ? the thought alone seemed silly . for now she told herself this is just ATTRACTION . ❝ We shall . Stay here or we can always go to another place . Anything in particular that you're craving tonight ? ❞

The redhead barely notes her want to laugh at the other's comment. It was such a mundane comment, and yet it soothed some dull ache that now rested in Lilith. She had only seen the house twice, both times being for coven-related business. Yet, even now, it was hard to believe that it may now sit vacant. "My thanks, though I would hardly consider the Supreme my friend." More so a boss, but one that was held in the highest esteem. "I cannot imagine it will be an easy task for the council, selecting a new Supreme."

❝ ⸻ She was in the supreme courts ? ❞ Truth be told feyrah worked too much to even bother knowing who the vice mayor or elected judge is . Not that she got in trouble with the law and unless they buy from her , she doesn't care . ❝ I may not be a judge but I'm sure , the judiciary committee elects and votes for the next qualified person . ❞

the familiar name mentally sent him back millennia, nearly making him dizzy. ah . . . there was certainly no room for doubt now, and he could do no other than go all in. ❛ katya, ❜ he repeated, said as a murmur. ❛ that's beautiful. ❜ taking her hand, he raised it to his lips, brushing a kiss to the back of it. ❛ my name is cassius. it's a pleasure to meet you, love. ❜ he lowered her hand, but didn't release it. perhaps because he simply wasn't strong enough to ⸻ not after so long of being apart. ❛ i can be excellent company when i have the mind to be, katya. would you mind terribly spending some time with me? ❜

her cheeks of each were overspread with the deepest blush as he introduced himself and kissed the back of her hand . ❝ I guess , chivalry isn't dead ❞ After all , not many people would do such a gesture now a day . ❝ Pleasure is all mine , Cassius . ❞ She found herself lightly chuckling at the name . ❝ Funny how it just so happen to be a favorite name of mine ❞ She had only dreamt it and assumed it being one of many reasons . ❝ ⸻ I would not mind at all . Plus , for some reason , I can already tell that I definitely have strong feelings for you. curious to find out if they're positive or negative . ❞ She teased , with her hand still in his , the brunette realized she didn't let go , herself . holding on , part of her didn't want to let go . but she also didn't want to think she was odd . she could always blame it on the alcohol ? slowly she would take her hand back .

❝ How cute . playing with your food . No need to be food aggressive considering I prefer korean bbq . ❞ Amara lightly scoffed at his warning as she shook her head . ❝ Good thing you aren't me to decide that . feel free to carry on. ❞

there was no mistaking her, his eyes instinctively finding her from across the room and remaining locked on her form. he quickly closed the distance between them, carelessly pushing the patrons out of his way as he moved with single-minded intensity: to be by her side again. he finally reached her after a small eternity, automatically gentling his voice and oppressive aura ⸻ it wouldn't due to scare her off during their next first meeting. his head tilted, akin to what a puppy might do when seeking attention, and his dimples flashed as he offered a smile. ❛ i couldn't fathom a guess, but perhaps you could settle for some company? ❜

There's an opposite to déjà vu. They call it jamais vu. It's when you meet the same people or visit places , again and again , but each time is the first . Yet , the moment she heard his voice it was like something insider her stirred . something she could not explain . Instant attraction . a pull ? ❝ Perhaps .... given that my friend practically ditched me . ❞ Katya smiled at the taller male . ❝ ⸻ and you look like very good company . So , let me start off by , Hi , I'm Katya . ❞ The brunette held out her hand as she introduced herself .

❛ she wasn't, ❜ came the blunt reply, though she didn't necessarily mean for it to be so. just part of her . . . questionable charm. or maybe her social skills were still more rusty than she realized. ❛ the thought is appreciated, though such deaths are hardly surprising in these parts anyway, ❜ she added, black painted nails tapping impatiently on the bar top as she waited for her drink.

❝ ⸻ Still , death isn't easy when its a dearly departed one . ❞ Although she knew nothing about it . Death is part of life. Even when her father took his last breath in front of her , feyrah felt nothing . ❝ It is a curious thing , the death of a loved one. ❞ She muttered more to herself . ❝ Any ways , I'm sure the police will catch whoever killed her ... Hopefully . ❞

callie had just gotten off of a long shift, she had to pull a double because of short staffing. honestly though ? she didn't mind, it meant being away from her mother and the coven for a good reason, and she loved being a nurse. the blonde was now off for the next three days and the start to enjoying that, was going on the boardwalk and getting a korean corndog and a frozen lemonade. sitting on the bench, her corndog in lap and drink next to her. ❝ oh, here - you can sit. ❞ she mused, moving the drink to the ground beside her feet. ❝ plenty of room here. have you tried one of the korean corndogs? amazing. ❞