[ARPC] Problematic.

[Nakia]

Maybe it was just because she’d been holed up inside for so long, that the streets seemed to be alive. Each corner she turned, another face. It was overwhelming, really. How did people do this every day? What in the world possessed them to crawl from their crypts and the comfort of solitude to face the real world? Clearly, she’d made a horrible decision to give up her hacking. She craved her familiar isolation, the feeling of the keys beneath her fingers, the light glow of the screen. Instead of sticking to what she knew, she had decided while in a clear mental break-down, to see what life there was beyond the computer – and now she regretted it deeply.

Shaking her head, Nakia ran her fingers through her hair, smoothing out the tossed curls as she squinted, trying to make out the bright, blurry lights of one of the store signs. She’d been walking for hours, and had found herself completely and utterly lost. Instead of trying to reach out to Kallista or Jersey – even Peter – she’d decided to keep herself going. After all, she’d put herself into this mess, why expect them to save her from it? She’d been in worse positions. She just had to remind herself of that. Hell, she’d been lost in the middle of Saudi Arabia on a mission before, running from gun fire and men in turbans. Or was that Israel? She honestly couldn’t remember, each mission blurring together in her mind as the lights swam in front of her vision.

“Great.” It was making her physically ill to be outside. When was the last time she’d stepped foot outside of the Café? She’d found herself a nice little corner to tuck herself away in, and had barely had to face anyone. As her stomach twisted, she placed her hand to it and glanced left to right, noticing the sensation for what it was. Hunger. She was being overpowered by the scents, the sound of their pulses as they danced beneath their skin. As her gums started to ache, she dashed across the street and yanked open the sewer’s lid before dropping inside. Connecting to the ground with a soft thud, she picked up the pace and raced through the shadows.
Here, she found comfort. There weren’t that many people, and their faces blurred as she ran passed them, trying to escape the craving that was weakening her. By the time she had realized she’d put enough distance between herself and the human world, it was too late. She was in the heart of the sewers, abandoned, and without a single sense of direction. “Oh, ****,” she breathed, her eyes darting from one wall to the next as she spun in a complete circle. “Come on, Nakia, think. You got this,” she chuckled, her soft voice bouncing off the walls as she began to backtrack the way she had come. Just as she stepped around the corner, there was a loud pop followed by a painful burning in her stomach. Looking down, she watched as her black blood seeped through her shirt, and snapped her fangs. Pulling out her blade, she dropped the hunter before he had a chance to feel satisfaction, his blood spraying in an arc and splattering on her clothes as he collapsed to the ground, dead.

Grinding her teeth together, she wiped her sword free before leaning it against the wall. She didn’t have a choice, it seemed. Sliding her cell from her pocket, she shot off a quick mass text to her sister, sire and boyfriend. Hypothetically, if someone were to get lost in the underbelly of Harper Rock, how would they find their way out? Once the message had been sent, she tucked her phone away and picked up her blade. God only knew how long it would take them to answer, and she wasn’t about to keep herself still for another attack.

This day was really shaping up to be one of the absolute worse.

[Renee]

She had found herself becoming bored and was aching for a fight. Well not so much a fight as the satisfaction of killing someone. She had found that in the year she had been turned she had gone form the kind of person that chose to stay away from violence and live life behind a computer screen to one that craved blood to shed. Perhaps it was her blood line that she had been 'Born' to or the 'friends' she chose to keep. Maybe this was the sins of her human father ripping their way out of her and begging for more. Who know? For all she cared it could be all three as long as she did what needed to be done she was fine.

She put her head phones in and jumped down the man hole. It did not take long for her to find her first victim. He shot her in the arm. She turned to see the hunter smiling to himself, so she smiled too. Her mouth widened almost ear to ear as every tooth became a razor sharp fang and it almost seemed like more sprung from her gums. She lunged forward at the hunter grabbing him by the back of the head. He shot again this time grazing her side but it was already too late for him. She pulled his head back as she sank her teeth into his neck. Flesh ripping and taring as blood gushed from his punctured artery. He was dead ad she was still hungry.

She danced further into the sewers. Her mouth had returned to normal but the blood was still wet on her clothing and flesh. Carol of the bells was playing through her headset when she heard the sound of a gun go off. It was a little ways ahead of her. She took off in that direction.after a moment of two she found herself looking at woman standing over a dead body. She pulled her head phones out and placed her hand on her sword. She was not sure if this one was friend or foe, having never seen her before.

"Are you lost?"

[Danton (DELETED 5283)]

The stonework was cold in this sort of darkness.  The sun was banished from this place, likely until the days that the city crumbled around them and Harper Falls sank into the intricate labyrinth of sewers and tunnels that ran beneath it.  Down here, in the dark, things lurked.  They hunted.  They hungered.  Creatures stuck somewhere between life and death, walking this plane in a constant search for sustenance, eternally battling the pull of the other Realm.  It had felt like he had always known, had always believed, that such things were possible; even true.  He was one of them now, proof beyond proof.  He could feel the power that the woman Kallista had given them, the benefit of the gift they were granted.  He also lived the curse, knowing that in order for him to live, he had to thieve the very substance of life from others.  The pull of the shadows were always there, tugging at the back of their minds, weighing down their spirit, looming over their heads like a doom that they each shared as the countless days passed, each shouldering their own piece of the gloom.
 
This life, this gift had not gone without appreciation.  His Petit Chat had come with him, his Little Cat, his Nakia.  The woman had changed his life before the trip to this dark place had even been a thought in either of their minds.  They had been caught up in one another, twined together by fate.  When the world itself had tried to pull them apart, the undeniable strength between them had remained true.  She had been so many things in his eyes by this time, it was hard to pinpoint exactly where he fell in love.  Student, friend, lover, those had been so casual, such normal relationships, before she had vanished.  It was only when they had found one another again that he had begun to learn of her true identity, the roles she played in the world and how truly insignificant he was meant to be.  Now they were inseparable, together even when they were apart, just as now.
 
His hand passed along the damp stone, cool to the touch as the dank mist that consistently filled the sewers lazily wisped along the corridor in which he stood.  He frequented these passages, seeking out objects discarded along the tunnels, littering the skirts of the paths that those creatures dashed along, so much of the world around them ignored in that quest for gratification, the satiation of their lusts.  He was not innocent of the same impulse, often times emerging from the darkness to lure an unsuspecting youth into corners, taking only what he needed before discarding them, sending them stumbling along in the stupor he recognized in a staggering number.  It was the greatest hint to just how impressive their population truly was, the number of average people stumbling around in a vacancy that bordered the symptoms of some hallucinogen.  As he stood, his fingers curled around a discarded vial of chemicals he was sure would fetch a price from the auction, or would be desired of Kallista for one ritual or another, he felt his phone vibrate against his thigh.
 
His pale grasp sought the sleek object, wedged deep into his pocket as he gingerly slid the steel vial into his pack.  One hand tucked into the black bag strapped to his back, the other deftly unlocked the phone, swiping his thumb across the screen as it flared to life.  He let his lips twitch into a smirk when he saw the message waiting, knowing full well who it was that would be texting him.  As the message opened, his smirk grew into an amused grin.  She was so intelligent, but she sometimes ran into things in which she was so clueless.  Navigating this labyrinthine system beneath the city had always been one of them since the day that they had arrived here.  His hand moved freely, swinging away from his pack and resting against the slick, damp brick of the wall of the sewer as he walked, steps slow and deliberate as the other hand responded to her text.  I would have thought that you would have figured the maze out by now, dearest.  Tell me what you see around you, and I will come find you.  I will need to go over the map with you again, I feel.  He chuckled, and sent the text.  Even in his foulest of moods, he was always in a good humor with her.  She never seemed an inconvenience as he was always happy to go entirely out of his way to see her, much less to help her.
 
His hand fell to his side, still clutching his phone as he walked to the nearest main passage, the artery a common connection to several of the paths that so easily confused her.  As he stood, waiting on her response, his unencumbered hand passed along his hip.  His blade was free in its scabbard, ready for drawing.  The hefty weapon that had been suggested for him was laid across his back, its weight resting on his shoulders.  He was certain that before he had met Kallista, that he would never have even managed the strength to lift something like a mini gun, and now he hefted it about like it was a toy.  He was no fool, the sewers had as much potential as anywhere for danger, and the way she attracted it, he was certain to find her in a predicament that would require him at the ready.  As he moved to lean against the archway that led into that main path, he caught movement from the corner of his eye.  He turned, and saw some distance away a pair of figures in the mist.
 
Both seemed tense, one looked unsure, her stance passive, but ready to lash out at any moment, hand resting against the blade she carried.  The other looked confused, her shapely legs planted by a third figure that rest against the ground unmoving.  Even in the darkness, with only her silhouette to recognize her, he knew the legs.  His mind both relaxed and tensed in the same instant.  She was near, somewhere he could watch over her, though it seemed she had already seen to an attacker, and was on the verge of coaxing another into action.  He watched as she shifted her weight on her legs, his form still tucked neatly into the shadow of the side passage.  He unclipped the gun from his shoulders, the harness that held it in check releasing the massive weapon with a sharp click.  He looked ridiculous, standing in a navy blue Armani three piece and his steel grey tie, holding a weapon as long as he was tall.  He couldn’t help but imagine he looked like some kind of comic book character, more laughable than intimidating.
 
He carried the weapon passively, resting across his body as he stepped up to the pair standing over the body, the sharp clap of his John Lobb’s against the cobblestone walkway announced his presence long before it was necessary.  He was thankful, not wishing to startle the pair as he approached and making the situation more tense than it was.  He let his weapon hang from his shoulder freely, both hands moving from the heavy gun as the heavy strap that held it in place bit into the groove of his shoulder, just shy of his neck.  With a lifted hand, the pale grip met Nakia’s shoulder, giving the slender joint a tight squeeze.  “Nevermind, it appears I’ve found you.”  He offered a smile to her, first, pressing a peck to the corner of her mouth before he waved his phone and tucked it into his pocket.  “Ignore my text.”   He then turned to the woman standing before her.  “And who is your friend?”  He asked, glancing about them.  He didn’t see anyone else lurking in the shadows around them, though in this city that meant nothing.  Even without the signs of apparent danger, he remained vigilant.
 
Even at the ready, he appeared relaxed.  His muscles were fluid, his stance casual as his arm slid to hold her shoulder opposite him, lightly encasing the woman at his side in his embrace.  His free hand lifted to push through his thick shock of dark hair, the strands effortlessly falling back into place, his image entirely undisturbed.  His fingers twitched, aching to reach beneath the patch over his left eye and scratch.  His fingers closed into a fist and rested against the hanging weapon at his waist as he resisted the urge.  His good eye glanced between the pair, the dark brown orb focused upon them now.  He could sense in the tension that they were not, in fact, friends.  His hand opened once the knuckles had turned white, and laid his open palm across the long barrel of the gun, his elbow resting against the hefty action of the minigun.  His shoulder rolled as he rested his weight against a single leg.  Finally, his eyes settled on the stranger, once he had confirmed that in spite of the corpse at their feet that Nakia was in a single piece and mostly unharmed for the time being.  This new face, however, appeared to be an unknown to them both.
 
He flashed a smile, cool and confident, as his hand moved along the steel barrel.  Just the touch calmed the burning desire to return the hand to his face, to scratch at the wound in his eye to alleviate the burn, satisfy the itch.  It was driving him mad, he could feel it, his mind slowly circling itself into singularity, the only thought was on that wound.  He clenched his fist again, pushing that thought into the back of his mind, even as he focused on the situation in front of him, he could still feel it there like a faint scratch against the back of his skull.  A twitch developed in his good eye as he concentrated.

[Jersey]

She sat behind the counter counting the cash needed to close up her register, listening to the conversations around her with a smile dancing across her lips as someone passing the door mentioned a date going wrong. It always amused her, the things that people said sometimes about their partners and significant others before she finished. Sliding off her seat, Jersey heard a buzzing sound coming from her purse and paused. “What the hell is... oh. My phone.” The telepath sometimes forgot that she even owned the device unless talking with Kallista or Peter in a one-sided conversation. Even though she charged it nightly, she usually kept it on silent and only took it out when talking to others. It was just easier for her to speak to everyone telepathically, it had become second nature.

Waving at her co-worker, she collected her purse before digging through the accessory curiously as she headed to the door. She found the device at the bottom and then lifted an eyebrow as she received the text from Nakia. Her eyebrow lifted. “Hypothetical, my ***.” She frowned, making her way past the smell of deep-fried meats and covering her nose as she typed back a response. You know, there are maps. But if I were entirely lost, I’d ask Kallista to summon me. She pressed send, playing with an app on her phone that told her the weather afterwards, humming as she went towards the Wickbridge sewer exit to go find Nakia. “I take it that you are lost and need help?” She chimed into her sister’s mind a moment later.

And then to Danton’s, “We really need to Kia to read a map, I think she’s lost. I’m supposed to be the blonde one.” Her tone was playful before she sent a text to Peter, I might be home a bit late, love. She hoped it wouldn’t bother him and tucked the device away into the pockets of the jeans she wore. When she had first been turned, Jersey had hated the sewers after the sensor turret had ended her life – that’s what took it, not her sire. It was whoever’s fault that set the trap down that killed her, Kallista had saved her. She knew it and meant every word. She would never know her killer because in this city, it didn’t seem that too many people could own up to their own mistakes.

Now, she thought of them as just another daily task. The waste that she needed for her knockout bombs and the fungi were found down there; as much as it made her ill at the thought of being down there for long, looking for it amongst the bodies of hunters and dodging bullets of the live one, it was something that needed to be done. After she’d get home, she’d go straight to take a shower and then go find Peter in his office to do her usual amount of messing with his hair before going to play with the dogs.

It was a routine that she had fallen into an accepted as she tucked the purse underneath her arm after pulling out the pistol that had been hidden inside. Jersey didn’t like to kill. She didn’t like blood and every time that she managed to see it, there was usually the accompanied retching that followed. For a while, Jersey walked in the sewers and whistled quietly to herself once more, the tune mindless and something that she didn’t know she knew. It was something that Marilee knew. Or well, Jersey’s lost memories knew.

Finding her siblings and a stranger, the blonde lifted her eyebrow as she spotted what Danton was wearing and frowned, “You look ridiculous.” It was a simple comment, her green eyes flickering over him as if she were reconfirming it before she looked to Nakia and inclined her head, “Hi sis. And stranger.” She then waved to Renee. The blonde could smell the blood lingering in the air and made a face before she tucked her nose beneath her shirt, taking in the scent of her vanilla perfume instead. “If Danton is here to play superhero, I’m gonna start wandering in that direction,” She pointed with her gun in the east direction, “unless one of you either want to carry my unconscious body out of this or tell Kallista that you made me faint.”

It was still a miracle, in all reality, that Jersey hadn’t done such with her feedings or killing the blood thieves that kept asking for her blood. Of course, she felt terrible every time she did it. But between them badgering her and Paladin punching holes in her clothes and body, even her patience reached its limits at times.

[Nakia]

Nakia hadn’t set foot in the sewers since her first week in Harper Rock.

The memories were still too real, too vivid in her mind. She had, instead, thrown herself into her work. Instead of being on the streets, taking out the criminals and saving lives like some dark superhero she’d always dreamed of being, she remained planted behind her computer screen, trying to forget how differently her life had turned out to be. She had spent so much time staring at the screen, memorizing the codes that even now, she could close her eyes and still see the numerical patterns as they twisted and turned, their blinding colors forever embedding into her sight. Yet, none of that would help her now. Nothing could save her from being lost in the middle of no-where, and of course, she had left her maps at home. Why would she need them? She never thought to go back down below. Nothing in the world would have possessed her to hang out in the sewers after she had been attacked – after she had lost her life. And yet, here she was, standing in the middle of a bloody puddle as a stranger approached from the shadows.


So, was she lost?

Of course she was, in more ways than one.


Why wouldn’t she be? Nothing else seemed to be going in her favor in the moment. She had hoped to have an answer and be out before some unknown vampire – or worse, hunter – saw her peril. Instead, she was standing with her hand barely keeping her stomach together as a stranger flexed her fingers over her sword’s hilt. “Yes,” she replied quietly, her voice trembling as she lifted her hand from her own weapon, slender fingers trembling just slightly as she smiled, trying to show she wasn’t a threat. At least, not one that she woman needed to worry about as long as she kept her weapon out of sight. “I can lead myself and a team through a sand storm, but I can’t seem to work the sewers of Canada.” The words were spoken with a humorous tone, though there was a glint in her amber eyes that spoke volumes of her character. Taking a silent breath, she winced when her stomach expanded, the black blood spilling through her fingers as she shifted from one foot to the next, trying to find a decent balance for her weight.

She didn’t offer the stranger her name. She didn’t offer her any more detail. Instead, she seemed rather calm about the fact she was in the darkest part of the sewers with someone she didn’t know. She had years of training, years of painful, excruciating, and mind-numbing training in how to handle every possible situation that could arise. This was just another situation, another scenario. She could handle it, surely. With her free hand, she tucked a dark curl behind her ear as she cautiously bent to pick her blade up from the wall. Twisting it into the air, she sheathed it against her back as the shadows began to dance around her, fingers moving through the air with a quiet, calming beat. It was something she did in time of crisis, the way the dark wrapped around her comforting her in a way. It was the one thing she had to thank Kallista for. Her maker swore that it was something their own subconscious chose, but Nakia refused to believe it. She thought, without question, that Kallista had chosen this path for her.

After all, she’d also saved the man of her dreams the same night she’d saved her.

As if pulled from her very thoughts, Danton approached them, his stance protective and possessive. It didn’t matter how many times she’d seen the man before in her life. Each time was like a hit to her heart, the still muscle constricting painfully. He’d been so much in her life, and she had tried to fight every one. She still remembered the first day she’d seen him, when she had walked into his class room. She’d been so tempted to turn around and walk back out when she saw how young he was. How could someone so young have any more knowledge than she had? With a quiet smile, she pushed the memories away when she felt the brush of her lips against her clammy skin. Knowing he’d react to the pain she was in, the Shadow lifted her hand and laced her fingers with his, holding his arm secure over her shoulder. “I didn’t mean for you to come out and search for me, baby. You could have just sent me the GPS co-ordinates,” she chuckled, amber eyes turning back to the woman. “I don’t know. I hadn’t gotten to her name yet. You know I’m socially awkward.” This time the chuckle was a strained laugh as she used the back of her hand to wipe at her lips, clearing them of blood.

Before she had a chance to ask the other her name, another form stepped from the mouth of the sewer. The light footsteps told her that it was her sister before her melodic voice reached their ears. “Jersey,” she smiled, head shaking as she turned to get a full look at her boyfriend. “She’s right, you know. You look utterly laughable,” she teased, leaning up with a wince to press a kiss to his jaw. “Though, at the same time, the pirate look suits you. Professor Pirate. However, if you were better with your blades, this wouldn’t have happened, sis." Taking a steadying breath, she supported some more of her weight against her boyfriend's muscular form, ignoring the trembling in her hands. With the fresh wound, the entire reason she was lost was coming back to her with perfect clarity.

She was starving.

“So, now that I have a search party that I didn’t ask for, can we get out of here? I’m sure she,” she motioned to Renee, “has better things to do then hang around and watch you two bicker. Though, I have to admit, miss, it’s a sight to see.”

[Renee]

She watched the woman for a moment. It was clear she was hurt and that she was not human. This relaxed her a bit and she eased up on her grip of her sword. She listens as the woman specks and watches as the shadows start to move around her. This further proved that she was in fact not a human, at least in Renee mind.

The woman finishes talking and seconds later foot steps can be heard coming their way. Renee turns her head towards the sound and a man holding a very large gun approaches them. It is made apparent quickly that the two know one another.

It does not take long for Sweet in her head to start making jokes about guns and sizes. She was glad she had learned to hide her laughter and that most in her family chose a sword to a gun. She could already see it in her head now though and she could not help but crack a smile.

The man ask her name and before she can answer another woman appears. This one too seems to know the lost one. She lets go of her weapon and relaxes as more talking starts. The lost one motions to her and calls her 'miss'. Renee has never been called miss.

"It's Renee and it seems like you are having a family reunion in the middle of the sewers and that I am intruding. I had just heard the gun shot and was coming to make sure no one needed help, though it appears the Calvary has arrived." She motions to the two new comers.

[Nelle]

No, it wasnt the ideal time for her to be running around the sewers. No, she didnt make it a habit to run through them at all. No, she usually didnt. But tonight was different; tonight she needed things that were easily found in the sewers. More specifically, lost keys. She couldnt help but move as quietly as possible, on edge. There were more than just lost keys in the sewers, especially at night, though really at any time because it was so dark and dank. It was home to the creatures of the night, the demons that Corwin had told her about, the monsters that killed mercilessly and took what they pleased - life included.

She heard voices, ripping her from her thoughts as she turned a corner and stopped just short of the next one, the voices around that corner making it clear they were congregating there. Nelle swallowed thickly, pulling out her gun that Madison had made for her, hand moving instinctively to the rod that she pulled, and instantly she cursed under her breath.

click, shink.

If they hadnt heard that, they could certainly hear her heartbeat that rose and stuck like a pill in her throat. She could handle herself, she could, but that didnt mean she wanted to be in this position. Who knew a sorcerer could get into so much trouble these days?