Black Thursday (Group 11)

[Lorelai]

The weather was abysmal and usually Lorelai would have been at home but Prudence had told her to go out and socialise more often, which of course meant she felt compelled to do exactly that. Thankfully, Prudence hadn't specified that those she had to socialise with had to be of this world, which meant that rather than waiting for the ghosts to come to her, she was out actively looking for some to help. The spirits were never far away and so she really didn't have to go far but she felt guilty that she didn't spread her gifts a little more evenly throughout the city and it was for this reason that she found herself wandering around the district of Gullsborough.

She'd managed to help a couple of ghosts before the weather got so bad that she had to think about taking shelter and toming home. In this weather she'd need to take shelter before removing her tome from its usual hiding place, else the paper could be ripped from her hands or made sodden by the rain. The wind whipped about her tugging at her hair and dress and tangling both around her to the point where she was fighting the elements to move. It was for this reason that she ducked into the doorway of Alpha Towers.

Lorelai waited for a while in the hopes that the rain would stop but the streets soon began to shimmer with water that didn't seem to want to drain away.

"Please I need your help. Please. You have to come. Please."

Lorelai turned to face the person that was perhaps addressing her and saw an elderly woman standing in the doorway and without further explanation being necessary as she was a trusting and helpful soul, she followed the woman inside. Only Lorelai wasn't following an elderly woman, she was following yet another ghost. The ability she possessed was a tricky one and at times she was simply unable to tell the dead from the living.

"Are you okay? What's the matter? How can I help you?" she asked as she followed the spirit to the elevator.
"I need... I must show you. You won't believe me. Please. Please just come with me."

Lorelai offered the woman a reassuring smile and waited for her to press the button only the woman didn't, she couldn't, of course Lorelai didn't know this. The woman stood away from the elevator controls and looked to the woman that had come to her aid.

"Which floor do we need?" Lorelai asked, still none the wiser as to what it was she was speaking to.
"Eleven," the woman replied.

The trusting blonde pressed the button to the eleventh floor and waited patiently to find out how she could help the woman as she rode the metallic box to the appropriate floor.

"1104," the woman told her as the elevator dinged and the doors opened.

Lorelai stepped out and paused, not knowing which direction to walk in as she'd never been in this complex before. The elderly woman followed suit, only she didn't hesitate, she simply made her way towards her apartment.

"Could you get my spare key for me please? It's behind that plant pot there."

The woman pointed to the potted plant and waited for Lorelai to do as she asked. Lorelai didn't even bat her eyes at the request as she was happy to help and swiftly retrieved the key from its hiding place as instructed. Only as she went to hand the key over, the woman backed away from her. Lorelai frowned slightly and followed the woman's gaze as she looked from her to the door.

"Should I..." she gestured towards the lock and the woman nodded.

Lorelai unlocked the door and pushed the door open but did not attempt to enter. Vampires were unable to enter any private domain without an invitation and the woman had yet to actually invite her in. Once more the weather beaten beauty had failed to realise the truth of the situation, as she had felt no resistance around the doorway as she stood by it. There was no supernatural barrier meaning that this property was currently un-owned.

The elderly woman moved past her and entered her abode, stopping to look at the hesitant young female. Lorelai was hesitant to cross the threshold even if she were invited though, as her clothing was wet through and she didn't wish to ruin the woman's home by dripping all over the carpet.

"Are you not coming in?" The woman asked.
"Oh... I... I'm all wet... Perhaps if you could lend me a towel so that I might dry myself off a little first?" Lorelai asked, stalling for time in the hopes that the woman might offer her the invitation she required.
"Oh don't be silly child. It's only a little water. You are fine to enter as you are."

Lorelai stepped into the apartment and closed the door behind her. Stepping into the front room, she quickly realised what it was the woman might need help with as she looked from the spirit to the corpse.

"Oh my stars. I'm sorry. I didn't know. I didn't see." Lorelai's words came quickly and with such compassion that the woman to whom they were directed couldn't help but smile.
"It's okay child. I didn't feel anything. It was just my time."
"Do you need me to report your death?" It was the first thought Lorelai had as to the reason that her services might be required.
"Oh. Yes. I suppose I do but that isn't what I needed your help with?"
"It wasn't?"
"No," the woman replied. "I need you to feed my budgies. They are starving and need water. I've been asking people for help since I died but no-one could hear me."

Lorelai nodded to the woman and set about feeding and re-hydrating the ailing birds. They weren't so far gone that they weren't able to feed and drink under their own power, so Lorelai wasn't too concerned for the poor creatures, but they were a little listless.

Having done what the spirit required of her, she half expected the woman to disappear, only she didn't. Instead they sat and chatted for a little while. The former person invited Lorelai to take a fresh towel and dry herself off, she even offered her, her choice of clothing to wear and the use of her tumble dryer so that she dry off. Offers that Lorelai took her up on, choosing to wear the old woman's pink and fluffy dressing gown with cream lace trimming while her dress dried. The process was half complete when the lights began to flicker and the electricity temporarily cut out.

The electric flickered on and off over the space of the next hour. The wind picked up outside and rain battered the windows with such force that Lorelai began to fear that the windows might break and allow the tumultuous elements into the apartment itself. The building shook several times under the power of several tremors, tremors that increased in frequency and intensity as time went on. Once more fearing for the integrity of the double glazed windows, Lorelai moved the cage the birds were in, into the hallway where they'd be safe if the glass did shatter. The spirit was now begging her to take the birds home with her and keep them as her own, a request that Lorelai was more than happy to indulge her in, once the weather calmed. She could tome home of course, but she wasn't sure if the birds would move through time and space with her, as she'd never tried carrying a living creature before. With the safety of her beloved pets assured, the woman finally crossed over, leaving Lorelai alone once more.

Lorelai's plan was to wait out the storm and take the tiny creatures home with her, at least that was until she heard a series of loud, booming, cracking noises coming from below. She was going to investigate it but soon realised that she was still in the dead woman's robe, so investigating it would have to wait a little while longer. What she would learn later, when she either changed back into her still damp clothing or ventured out in the pink fluffy robe, was that a section of the stairwell between a couple of the lower floors her had collapsed. With the electricity intermittent at best, the elevators had been stopped and so leaving the building would be difficult.

[Isabeau Valachi]

A flicker of light lit her face as Isabeau passed an open window in the apartment. The lightning was soon followed by the crashing boom of thunder, this called the thief's attention to the weather outside. She had lived in this city a long, long time - never had she seen a storm of this scale. Yeah, the recent global warming was definitely making things like 'Polar Vortexes' a yearly thing, snow up to someone's eyeballs wasn't a big deal anymore. This though... This was leaning towards near-biblical. That thought alone had Bo's eyes turning skyward. Not to pray. No. She hadn't been religious since she was very young. Her thought was 'If I'm going to hell, at least it'll be for doing stuff that I found damn fun!'

This storm though, the rain, the sleet, the snow, the light show... All they were missing was the water turning to blood and the locust and they would be set. Another lightning bolt from the blue (or rather dreary grey) lit her face for only a moment as she put yet another camera and some traps she had been stealing from the apartments into the bag she carried. As it was she was near capacity, so she would have to call it quits after this. Checking to make sure that everything else was in place - she wasn't a thrash and dash kind of thief - she turned and started for the door.

That is when she heard it. At first she thought it was just another dull roar of thunder, but then the initial first jolt tapped her, ****-kicker clad feet. Then the floor actually sharply shifted under her, she had to balance herself to keep her *** from landing on the floor. An earthquake? Here? She thought to herself then continued as the shaking did to think to herself. How in the blue balls of Christ are we having an earthquake?! To her knowledge there was no fault anywhere near them to slip or sink or part... the plate they were on was as solid as an oak table as far as she knew.

As she thought of this the shaking grew more intense and keeping herself from falling was no longer an option. Her only option was that she crawl for the nearest area that was most supported, the area least likely to collapse on her. As she reached it the windows shattered, unable to keep anymore. The strong wind blew in the icy chill and the heavy rain, sleet and snow. She now, for a split second felt bad for whoever lived in this apartment. They would come home to a disaster, and it wasn't going to be her fault. Still, that moment of conscious would not see her dumping out the things she had stolen.

Once the shaking had stopped, she pulled herself upright and out of her hiding spot. Looking around at the disaster that the quake had done, she was surprised that more damage hadn't been done. The strong shaking could have done a lot more, but thankfully it seemed the building itself was likely to keep standing. A good thing since she was 110 feet or eleven stories up. Slowly, making sure that she didn't trip over anything, she made her way to the door, a flashlight in hand. It was likely to be just as dark in the hall now as it was in this apartment.

Yet, as she opened the door, she noticed the light was still intact. Yes, this building had survived remarkably well thus far from what she had seen. Now, she slipped into the hall and closed the door behind her, however, the quake had made it so that the door no longer sat right so it squeaked loudly as she attempted to pull it shut. She looked around the area, but thankfully, no one else had yet to come out of their apartments, if they were even there at all, or if they even could. If they couldn't then they were screwed in her book because she couldn't care less about anyone other than herself.

[Lorelai]

The clothes in the dryer were still damp and Lorelai wrinkled her nose at the idea of putting them back on as they were. With electricity intermittent, it was unlucky they'd be ready to wear any time soon. The blonde looked about her and back down at the robe she was wearing. Okay, so it looked like an old lady's robe but her one a home was pink and fluffy too. It was likely the best the woman had to offer her and it was at least warm and dry. The thought of looking in the woman's wardrobe for a dress of some kind crossed her mind but the idea just seemed wrong for some reason.

When the lights flickered once more and finally died, Lorelai looked in the direction of the front door. It was pitch black now but that didn't matter to one like her. She could see perfectly well in the darkness, and so nimbly made her way around the birdcage she'd placed in the apartment’s hallway and to the door. She listened for a moment to see if she could hear anyone but not being particularly well trained when it came to the use of her supernatural hearing, she didn't pick up on the number of heartbeats about her or anything that could be useful to her in the least.

Her delicate hand unlatched the door and she pulled it open, noting stiffness in the movement that she hadn't felt upon entering. What Lorelai would not have understood was that the wood may have swollen due to the weather outside or that the doorway itself may have begun to warp due to the effects of the weather upon the building's structure. Had she been trapped, she would have had no choice but to call to Prudence, as while she was stronger than the average human, it was not an attribute she had actively been seeking to improve since the night of her death.

Slipping out into the public hallway, she left the door ajar and wandered down to the elevators. Of course the lifts were not working and there didn't appear to be any emergency power. It was possible the building did have some sort of auxiliary system but it had failed to kick in, but again, Lorelai didn't even think about it. She moved to the stairwell and peered into what should have been complete darkness. In here at least there was some sort of emergency lighting or glowing paint, something that would help to direct people in the case of a fire or some such. At first she saw nothing wrong in what she was looking at, but as she continued she noticed the markings were disjointed and spatially inaccurate. The stairs too seemed too far away. While she may have been blonde, Lorelai was not stupid and she soon discerned the damage for what it was, even if she did have to creep a little into the stairwell to see it clearly. A couple of levels worth of stairs had collapsed the floors below her being now inaccessible. However she was getting home, it wasn't this way.

She moved back into the public hallway and paused. If she were trapped, then so were others. She wasn't sure how many people were on this level with her but there were half a dozen or so apartments on this floor and some were bound to be occupied.

"Hello?" Lorelai let her soft voice echo down the empty hallway.

There really wasn't any need for her to be trying to call to others, had they need of assistance they'd probably let it be known, but then she remembered how the weather was beating against the windows of the old woman's apartment and the loud crashing noises she'd heard. It was entirely possible that someone had been injured in their home or that the windows had been blown in on the opposite side of the building. As it was, she was semi confident that no-one had been caught in the stairwell when it collapsed. She was new to this life still but the scent of blood wasn't one that could easily be ignored.

She began at the door closest to her and began to lightly rap upon its smooth, painted surface. "Hello? Is there anyone there?" the blonde asked, as she pressed her ear against the glossy surface; eyes closed, she concentrated as she strained to hear if there were even the faintest of replies to be heard from within.

[Odin]

He had been watching her for the last two weeks.

Some people keep such a strict schedule it sometimes makes it too easy.

Within the next hour she would be clocking out and going home. Alone. Odin glanced out the window at the pelting rain. The weather had recently taken a turn for the worst, and this was to his benefit. He decided to pay her a visit tonight.

He shrugged on an over-sized hoodie, something he didn't normally wear, and checked the pockets. He hand enclosed the small glass bottle and he grinned. The other pocket contained a few other necessities. Odin nodded to himself and set off to Alpha Towers. By his planning he'd be there in plenty of time before she arrived.

The driving wind and constant chilled rain wouldn't have made it a necessarily comfortable walk for anyone, but Odin's biggest concern was not leaving a telltale puddle on the carpet in front of her door. He opted for the driest route, put the hood up over his head and celeritied as close to Alpha Towers as possible, not to be seen.

In another few moments he was inside. Odin decided to take the stairs. There was almost no one that used the stairs anymore, from his experience. He stepped out on the the twelfth floor and walked casually to her apartment. He had checked out the security previously and was satisfied he wouldn't been seen unless someone came out of their apartment. He easily picked the lock and let himself in.

The apartment was neat, with the occasional knick knack here and there. Odin started to head to the back of the apartment when he felt a shift under his feet. He glanced around the hall at the unexpected movement as if one of the portraits on the wall could explain what was going on. In the next moment Odin realized the entire building was trembling. A loud groaning of twisted steel and concrete crashing down followed.

"What the hell?" he growled as he tried to keep his footing. The rumbling stopped and he went quickly to the front door. It was silent on the other side of the door, so he opened it to take a glance out. The hall lights were all out now shrouding the hallway in darkness. Odin grinned at this. He couldn't believe there was what appeared to be an earthquake here, but this definitely put a chink in his plans.

Need to reschedule this party

Odin went back to the stairs and started to head down when he realized that the obnoxious noise he heard was now, obviously, much of the lower level of the staircase collapsing.

"Dammit," he cursed under his breath. He wondered what else in Harper Rock had been damaged by the tremor. For a moment his mind went to the mall. What if the containment for Orin had been damaged, cracked? The flooding would be immense, not to mention it wouldn't be good for the shark to be out of water.

'No, it can't be damaged,' he thought. He had spared no expense on the shark's aquarium. He was positive it could withstand what had just happened. Still, his next goal was to get out if this building and make sure affairs of concern to him were in order. He opened the door to the 11th floor and swung quietly into the hall.

His hopes of leaving the building without being seen were left at the door. He spotted a woman at the other end of the hall on this floor. Odin was actually surprised this was the first being he saw after what had happened. Regardless, he was certain she would notice him too if she hadn't already.

"It looks like this place could use a few renovations," he stated.

He headed slowly toward her with a slight grin on his face.

[Lorelai]

There was nothing but silence from inside the apartment she was listening to. This one at least was empty. Lorelai felt a little better about that for about a second and then she began to worry for the occupant. Were they outside in this? Could they be trapped in the storm? Were they downstairs in the lobby, unable to reach their home due the collapsed stairwell. Here she was worrying for stranger and she'd yet to even consider her new family. Where was Pru? Levi? Were they safe? Were they at hers? She wanted to tap into the internet, send them a message and it was then that she realised the lack of power had made the world a more isolated place. In some ways it was a good thing, as she felt overwhelmed by the world at large the majority of the time and she would have rejoiced in this stillness, only... Levi and Pru did not have her gifts and while she could reach out to the, she would be unable to receive their replies.

Pru? I don't know where you are Pru but please be safe. I'm not at home but I'm safe. Please don't worry for me. Having sent her telepathic message to Prudence, she then concentrated on Levi: Levi? Do please be safe... wherever you are.

An unknown male appeared in the corridor and while she probably should have been worried about his sudden appearance seeing as how he was a vampire and all, she seemed almost relieved to see him. He was obviously trying to be funny but Lorelai didn't have a great sense of humour, or rather she didn't understand humour. The people of Hoshkosh, while kind and dedicated, were not well versed in the art of comedy.

"Oh yes. Yes. There will be quite a lot of work to be done once the power returns and the storm weakens and dissipates."

She closed the distance between her and the unknown male, her search of the other apartments temporarily forgotten. Lorelai could tell that he was a vampire, as he had that vibe about him but while she could recognise him for what he was, she was unable to pinpoint his path or lineage.

"Are you okay? Are you injured? Do you require assistance?"

Lorelai pulled the robe a little tighter about herself, as she suddenly recalled how she was dressed. The natural waves in her hair were more apparent while it was damp and even in the darkened hallway it's form was discernible. Her natural colouring however was not so apparent in the darkness but still, she would likely appear human to those she met as she did not have the normal vampire aura.

[Isabeau Valachi]

Isy was glad that the lights in the entire building, in fact it seemed the entire city had blacked out when she had looked out the window before leaving. Now she was really glad, she could hear people talking, but she could tell from which direction. Instead she stayed quiet, her flashlight off so that she could stay hidden. It wouldn't take too much longer for her eyes to once again re adjust to the blackness. She may not have cat eyes, but the fact that she was used to working in darkness meant that she was more likely to take to the dark. Know her way around and all that.

Slowly she started walking, following the voiced of what she could now tell were a woman - who had called out earlier to see if anyone was there, and a man who was clearly a master of stating the obvious. She shook her head at the thought and started to make her way towards the people. She kept quiet though, not wanting to be heard, not wanting to be seen or caught. However, she knew the moment that she got passed them, headed for the stairs and opened that door, she would be. So before she got too close. She let out a clear cough, faked but clear.

"Holy Crap! What was that?" She asked in a quiet, almost frightened tone, not wanting to sound like she didn't belong by being clearly fine with the current events. "Can anyone see anything?!" She asked, hiding her flashlight in her bag, making it seem that she was searching for her phone. "I think I might have my phone in here..."

[Lorelai]

Before the male can reply, a female appears in the darkness. Lorelai hadn't noticed her approach, but then the female was usually so distracted by other attacks upon her senses that she hadn't even begun to hone her abnormally heightened vampiric ones. Unlike most others, Lorelai did not expect danger to be lurking around every corner and so didn't pay much attention to her surroundings.

"The stairwell has been destroyed and the elevators are not working," Lorelai began, probably pointing out the obvious on the latter. "And I would help you find your phone if I could but I do not carry a mobile myself, and I do not have access to any other light source that might be of use to you, or us."

It had yet to occur to her that the old woman likely had candles somewhere in her flat and even if it did occur to her, could she really take people into the place when there was a dead body in there? Setting aside the creepy factor that most people would feel from having to be put in that position, Lorelai wasn't sure if the old woman would want yet more strangers traipsing around her apartment; dead or not.

Don't go offering to look for her.
Look for what?
Her phone.
Why would I do that?
Because you can see perfectly well in the darkness.
It's not that dark is it?
No. Not if you happen to be a member of the walking dead and have impeccable night vision.
Oh.
Yeah. So be careful what you say and do Lorelai. Be smart for once in your life.