(Side Story: Exposed!) Out Of The Coffin

[Aaron Hunter]

In an ideal world, the humans would open their arms and accept the vampires into their fold. They’d all live happily ever after in a giant hippie commune, listening to cool music while they chilled out. Unfortunately, the world was often far from perfect. In the darker recesses of Harper Rock, the neighbourhoods where right-minded folk never dared to venture, and even the cops kept a cautionary distance, battles were raging. Secret factions had been fighting for control of districts. It was a turf war, and even Aaron’s own vampiric family had been drawn into the fighting. What worried Aaron was the fact that the protagonists were often different clans of rival vampires. If vampires were already fighting vampires, what hope was there that the humans wouldn’t join in? Vampires needed to come together, to display a united front. Maybe this small gathering of people was the first step in the right direction?

As Aaron continued to let his eyes drift around the room, taking in as much information as he could about the strangers who occupied the studio, he couldn’t help but focus on the jumpy human woman. She was the human cat amongst the vampire pigeons. It was somewhat ironic that the place was full of, presumably, vampires, but the angry mob outside had turned its attention towards an innocent human. Aaron had racked up enough kills during his time as an immortal bloodsucker to warrant an infinite number of life sentences in a dingy prison cell, yet the lynch mob in the street had labelled the young woman, who had probably never even received a speeding fine, as the dangerous witch who needed to be burned at the stake.

The strange twist of fate that had befallen the random human female both amused Aaron and vexed him in equal measures. Were the humans simply going to look to find a scapegoat, someone to blame, someone to punish? Innocent bystanders could easily become caught up in the crossfire, and that was something that sat very uncomfortably in Aaron’s thoughts. Aaron was a fair man, one of the good guys, and would hate to see the wrong person being strung up for a crime that they didn’t commit.

Aaron acknowledged one of the group members, who had introduced himself as Adley, with a gentle nod of his head.

“Hey Adley,” he replied, “I’m Aaron. Nice to meet you, buddy.”

However, his attention generally remained focussed on the words of the human woman while she explained her predicament. She was clearly shaken.

A second figure was also catching Aaron’s eye, the young man who appeared to be speaking a few words of German. Aaron assumed it was German, but his conclusion was based on watching far too many war movies and listening to Rammstein albums. This guy was obviously eager to address the crowd head on, which may or may not be a wise move. Kaspar was a natural front man, used to dealing with audiences, but Aaron knew nothing of this other headstrong character.

Ruffling his jacket, Aaron ensured that his weapons were in easy reach, just in case the **** suddenly hit the fan. If push came to shove, he’d tome home, and get out of Dodge before there was a gunfight, but he wanted to be prepared for all eventualities.

[Skoll]

The crowd turned like a tide, their attention drawn by the command for it. It was blind instinct, nothing more. There was something measured in their collective gaze; an imperceptible energy that, like a kettle left unattended, threatened to forge its own release. Their expressions wavered between dubious and wary. The shock of his voice rising above the din had been a small diversion - a thimble of mercy - dearly bought. It had silenced them for a time, their own clamor freezing in their throats, but already a handful had begun to shift impatiently at the back of the crowd. He only vaguely acknowledged Kaspar's presence; a sharp, low scoff escaping him. He was half-tempted to tell the man to hover somewhere else; that his interference was like alkali in the groundwater, tugging at the edges of his concentration. One didn't need to be a Telepath to guess at Kaspar's thoughts; they were written plainly.

He shot him a brief, sidelong glance - long enough for his attention to slide from the turned faces that regarded the pair, their interest palpably waning. Skoll could almost feel the inattention. So he reached for them. There were a few whose thoughts shied away - recoiled from the sudden, invasive sensation of thoughts that were not their own. It was brusque; like someone thumbing through the pages of a well-worn book, roughly squeezing the cracked spine, combing through yellowed pages for a passage that stood out from the rest. But the rest...the rest were easier. Their minds were unguarded, unprepared for the assault. His focus narrowed - stretching to blanket the jumble of the thoughts of the most vocal among them. The man in question was a 'leader' only in the sense that it had been easy enough to force to take up his frenzy; obedient mouthpieces who mumbled along with the same conviction of a play chorus.

If his resolve buckled, Skoll was confident that the rest of his flock, directionless, would follow suit. It only took a suggestion; a gentle tug on their collective unconscious, directing it, following it with the same patience as one follows the wide loops of a wire to its tangled nest. Those nearest to the man saw it first; their gaze flicking briefly to the storefront window just behind him, noting the dim showroom lights, how they illuminated his sudden lack. His reflection was missing. The realization struck those gathered with the force of a fist; the few nearest to him stumbled away. The barest flicker of a smile settled onto Skoll's lips as, confused, their erstwhile fearless leader watched as the crowd parted around him like the Red Sea made flesh. Their gaze darted from neighbor to neighbor, suddenly realizing that they didn't look as they should. Paler, somehow; the press of their shoulder a few degrees cooler, maybe, than it should have been in the late July heat.


The panic that had been just underneath the surface abruptly spiked, but Skoll hardly seemed to notice. "Kaspar," he gritted. "Go back inside." It was the only warning he gave, before his focus sharpened, cast itself like a net for the mind of the young woman. He found it easily enough. His gaze narrowed. For a split second, nothing happened. Her eyes widened - flooding with a potent mixture of hope and disbelief. An uncertainty that warred with the apparition that pushed through the crowd, those chestnut curls, curving gently to frame his face, their tips brushing along his jawline. The same easy smile, one that brightened at the sight of her. Her breath caught; shallow and ragged. It was him. It was him, and how couldn't she have known, how couldn't she have seen? She took a blind step forward, reaching for him, for this impossible miracle. She drew up as sharply as if she'd struck a door.

Something was wrong. His smile was as bright as ever, but it suddenly wavered; crumpled into confusion and hurt. Why wasn't she coming closer? The right shoulder of his shirt was awash in red. And those pale neighbors of his could smell it. It wasn't particularly a shock when the crowd broke, prompted by the high, shrill scream of the woman. A handful stayed behind, bemused but toothless. "I can't remove it," he said flatly, glancing at Kaspar at last. "The best I can do is make sure they don't kill each other."

[Hannah Lynn (DELETED 8242)]

Names started trickling out from the other people in the room. There was Kaspar, who Hannah sort of already found herself identifying or relating to at least. He seemed nice and helpful too. Then there was Adley, who was offering her the glass of water. With a small, appreciative smile, Hannah pulled one hand out from under her thighs and took the glass from him. "Thank you." Hannah said as she looked at the water. While not a fan of the water in Harper Rock, that didn't deter the woman from taking it and drinking it. Something to do and something else to focus on other than the crowd outside that was growing rowdier and rowdier by the seconds.

Then there was Aaron, whose name she caught in passing when he gave it to Adley. She couldn't really find a way to relate to him, or feel any particular way about Aaron. Not like Kaspar or even Adley, who was at least helpful. If not to her, then to Kaspar as he took the initiative to get the water Hannah requested. The other, unidentified male; the one speaking a foreign language she wasn't positive she had ever really heard other than in an occasional movie here and there, as rare as those sessions were. While she didn't dislike movies, Hannah preferred to read. Books and movies were rarely ever the same; proof came from one of her absolute favorites, 'Memoirs of a Geisha.'

"Wha-where is he--?" Hannah asked as her eyes fell to Skoll, the one speaking a very foreign language. She watched him with an eagle's gaze, sharp and attentive. Afraid for...everyone in the room. There were so few of them, and so many of them outside. "No-don't-" But it was too late. Regardless of her weak protest, the doors were open and the male was faced with the crowd that possessed an array of emotions and feelings about the vampire species. There was chaos and screams, causing Hannah to drop the glass of water, which shattered and dispersed water in every which direction. "I-I'm so sorry." She said, stammering as she rose from the chair she sat on, darting behind it as eyes bounced around the main area, looking for that escape route that was probably needed right about now...

[Adley Reed]

Adley was quite comfortable on the edges; with someone like Kaspar as a friend and confidante, it was easy to remain out of the spotlight. The blonde rocker assumed the mantle of leader seamlessly, smoothly. The limelight was water and he was the fish that happily lived within it. Though these days, perhaps not as happily as he might have liked. Adley’s sharp eyes watched as Kaspar left, going after Skoll like a master over a wayward puppy. He had not given himself away as a vampire to this human, and so Adley would follow suit – especially given that he was the horror that Kaspar had not spoken of.

Hadn’t he and Indigo made minced meat of some woman just because she’d smelled so ******* good? Yeah, best to keep his secrets close to his chest. Kaspar had tried to ease Adley’s guarded woes, and though it would have looked like he had succeeded, on the surface, it really hadn’t done a thing. Yes, the Necromancer had a healing touch, and he could do some good. Some. But he also killed with a touch, and a single drop of blood could turn him into some kind of godless berserker.

When the scream pierced the air, Adley became hyper-aware of his reaction to blood. If this scene turned violent, should he stay, or should he get the **** out of dodge? Glass shattered as Hannah dropped the glass that Adley had only just handed over. Apology stumbled from her lips, and for a moment Adley was confused.

Although he had no idea what was going on outside, the authorities were on the way and he had to have faith that Kaspar could handle the situation until then. Still, Adley had to take a step toward the front doors, body angled in such a way that he might be able to at least see. What he could see was Kaspar’s straight back, the shock of blonde hair. For the time being, he was fine. Adley took a deep breath, the air filling his lungs and expanding his chest in a comforting manner.

His shoes were clipped on the hard floor as he took the few steps back to Hannah; he could see the way her eyes darted around, as if looking for somewhere to go. Fight or flight, and her body was choosing flight. Adley held out a calming hand, fingers splayed.

”It’s going to be okay, Hannah. The police are on their way. There’s nothing to be sorry about. Why are you sorry?” he asked, lips splitting into a grin, a soft laugh accompanying his words. Gentle and confident. He could talk, his words could act as warm arms wrapped around a trembling body. Of course, his arms were not warm, and any embrace he gave would only be comforting insomuch as it would be numbing. Well, Indigo had liked it, anyway.

There was no saying that it was anyone else’s cup of tea, though. So he made sure to keep his distance.

[Kaspar]

He didn't really care about the people outside, not really.

Were they to become injured, distraught or even if death found them it didn't really matter to him. Outside of what trouble these things might cause for him and his own, he couldn't waste his time thinking about what was going to happen to these people, or truly think that their lives were more important than protecting his own. That was why he stood by watching, his hand reaching to grip Skoll's shoulder, giving a firm squeeze of warning at his insistence that Kaspar retreat. There was little he could do to stop the man without making a scene, the young wolf was hungry for chaos even as he declared he was going to bring order and it was something Kas was acutely aware of in that moment.

Chaos was inevitable, they stood in a few blessed moments of calm before it inevitably erupted around them.

It was as if someone had thrown a pebble across a pond, and it had failed to skip. The woman's scream broke the surface creating a rippling effect, new waves of panic and disorder as they looked at each other, flailing and screaming to get away. The crowd was dispersing, sure, but in no great order or in a controlled manner. Kaspar stared, glancing from Skoll to the humans in disbelief, an irritated sigh parting his lips. "You just had to.... What the hell DID you just do?" He hissed, quietly enough that he had to lean forward slightly to ensure the other man heard. "You know what? Do not tell me, arschloch. This way I can deny I was involved. Eva might kill you if she hears of this, you know this, Skoll? The absence of your self preservation is a problem, brother." The hand at his shoulder patted vaguely, already feeling himself detach from the scene. What could he do? Calm them, call to them with that voice of his and soothe them, the pied piper calling the rats to flock and adore. Exactly what he didn't want, them coming closer, although the advantage of having them calmer and easier to herd for the police might be advantageous.

The police, of course, were taking their time to arrive. He knew the closest station wasn't far, it would take perhaps four minutes on a good run, six tops. The sirens were faint, but they were approaching at speed and he decided for the last time that he would let them handle it. This, however, had proved to him exactly what it meant to let humans feed on their fear.

Kaspar returned inside the building, closing the door whether Skoll was in the mood to follow or not, he was putting the place on lock down until the appropriate actions were taken by the authorities to clear the crowd. Aaron was spared an apologetic look, a silent request for patience as he saw the man fidget uncomfortably, hand seeking the comfort of something inside his clothes. A weapon, Kas figured, as much as he wasn't the biggest fan of them he too had started carrying a gun and knife on his person at most times. People were afraid of vampires? Wait until they saw the zombies, the fae and all the other nasty bastards that stalked the streets around them. Who were they kidding? The unknown was scary, and right now most humans had only rumours, whispers of information that only lead to more questions. They needed something concrete to cling to, good or bad, to form their opinions. They needed the truth, in it's entirety. Was he the one to give it? He glanced back over his shoulder, peering through the window to the panic outside. No, it wouldn't be him just yet to stand up and say "I am vampire", but perhaps he could help in some other way. Throw his support behind a campaign, help get information out there.

Hannah looked panicked herself, adrenaline high and the signs of distress written all over the lines of her body. Adley was reaching out as if he might offer therapeutic touch, but the hand hovered, his attempts to calm might be beneficial but Kaspar knew they came at a price. It was up to him, then, to soothe the mind of the woman. Toying glass aside he stepped forward, grimacing as he heard the crunch of a few stray shards beneath his heavy boots. "Hannah..." His voice was surprisingly soft as he spoke, slow and warm, dripping from his tongue like warm honey. "It is alright, they can not get to you in here, they can not hurt you. We will protect you. The police will arrive soon, everything is under control." There was a natural grace to his movements as he slunk closer, comfortable with his height and the length of his limbs, managing to avoid appearing gangly. Kaspar reached for her then, a long fingered hand curving around her upper arm, rubbing up and down it slowly. "I promise you that you are safe with us, come, let us go further inside. We can sit in the studio, if it makes you feel better the door locks and seals. It is designed to be a soundproof, controlled environment so it is remarkably ideal for keeping people out." His hand trailed around until it settled between her shoulder blades, urging her forwards with gentle pressure towards the suggested destination.

It was times like this he once again thanked his lucky stars for his human appearance, offering her one of his lazy grins, the kind he'd used to charm the media and fans alike. There was genuine concern in his gaze, it would be easy enough to mistake it as concern for this woman's welfare. He did care what happened to her, she was in his his studio and he'd offered her his assistance. He cared because what happened to her would reflect on him, and at the end of the day what happened to him was something he DID care about. "Adley, Aaron... Komme." He gestured with a tilt of his head to where Kaylee remained, towards the room where he'd spent hours playing the instruments that lined the walls and putting his blood, sweat and tears into creating art. "Why don't we all sit down and talk about what is going on out there, and how we can improve this situation."

[Aaron Hunter]

Sitting on the fence, adopting a neutral stance, could be a double-edged sword. Taking an elevated position in the centre ground could afford the undecided individual the pleasure of seeing both sides of an argument. The pros and cons could be carefully weighed up until an informed decision was formulated. However, fences could be full of nasty splinters, and having a stake stuck up one's *** because of sitting on a weathered plank of wood for too long a period of time was a distinct possibility. Could vampires get haemorrhoids?

Aaron was still unsure as to which way to turn at this most important of crossroads. His carefree, optimistic soul wanted so desperately to believe that everything would be great, and that humans and vampires would hang out together in a hassle free society. But, and it was a big but, there was still a huge nagging doubt at the back of his mind that not all humans would see things in the same light. In fact, surely there was also a bunch of vampires who wouldn't want to be on the same level as the humans any more? Those vampires who believed, rightly or wrongly, that they were better than the weak, mortal humans.

Even in this small gathering of bloodsuckers, it was clear that there were differences. Kaspar seemed relatively restrained, keen on finding a solution to prevent the rowdy crowd outside from flipping over the edge and becoming a violent lynch mob. Adley, the man who had recently introduced himself to Aaron, also appeared to have a calm head upon his shoulders. He seemed to care about the human woman in her panic-stricken state, and was remaining pretty relaxed. It was the young, headstrong guy speaking German who was worrying Aaron.

Initially, the laid back punk had assumed that the jumpy human woman was going to be the loose cannon in the room, but it was becoming more apparent that the German-speaker who had gone to confront the crowd was the one firing off the ammunition. The screams from outside were definitely a cause for concern. The last thing that this peaceful gathering needed was the human urban militia battering down the door or throwing trash cans through the windows. Sure, the cops were undoubtedly on their way, but a full blown riot would be a disaster. It was not exactly the kind of public relations exercise that the newly exposed vampire community would be looking for. Everything needed to be positive. Even the smallest negative crack could be ripped open to form a gapping chasm of hatred.

"Hey, who is your crazy friend outside?" asked Aaron as Kaspar ushered him towards a large room adorned with various musical instruments. "That guy is gonna get us all in trouble, bro."

There was a genuine tone of concern in Aaron's normally casual voice. Was the guy outside busting a few special vampire moves? Drawing too much attention to oneself was asking for trouble. Unless that was the answer, the way forward? Maybe hitting the situation full in the face was the way to go? Taking the bull by the horns may sound like an insane plan, but perhaps it was the blatantly obvious solution. Hey, look at me, I'm a vampire! Deal with it, dudes!

[Skoll]

"Rotna í helvíti." The deadpan was barely an octave above Kaspar's hissed incredulity. His gaze remained fixed on the handful of humans who remained. Their expression were curiously slack; dazed in the aftermath of their botched rally. His jaw set as Kaspar spoke against his ear, his gaze growing as flat as a shark's. His shoulder rose sharply, the movement jagged with tension. "You are so utterly predictable,." If it were possible to make a single word sound interchangeable with an insult, he managed it in the sharp utterance. "The only reason Eva knows anything because you tell her." The anger that had been absent moments before colored his tone. "I gave you the chance to go back inside," he continued. "So spare me the ******** indignation." He shrugged free of his touch, the dismissal in the rough gesture plain. "You forget, brother, that not all of us have the luxury of hiding in plain sight. If you want to play the martyr, be my guest. But if you're going to pretend to care, stop to think for a ******* second about the people you're leaving to burn at the stake."

There was an open challenge in his stare; the man's hackles were clearly up. A sharp bark of humorless laughter escaped him a second later. Kaspar's rigidity was frustrating at the best of times. It was moments like these, however, where his tolerance for their differing philosophy's slipped; where his willingness to be brought around to the other man's way of thinking came to an abrupt halt, like the floor of a gallows falling away. There were times when Kaspar's attempts to rein him in - to leash him - held the whisper of the bite of a noose. Optimism was well and good, to a point. Willful blindness, less so. He made no move to follow Kaspar as the door swung shut, his gaze drawn up the street, the distant rise and fall of the sirens cutting through the sudden stillness. It would have been easy for him to leave. To jog the last few steps down the stoop and fade into the night, leaving Kaspar to pick up the pieces. It was painfully tempting.

Instead, releasing a short, agitated breath, he pivoted on his heels, shouldering open the door. It was less out of loyalty or any sense of obligation, and more out of a desire to not be called as a witness in the event that the police arrived. The rise and fall of the voices of those gathered was easy enough to follow, the acoustics of the building creating the curious, wavering phenomena that seemed to plague all churches; creating echoes in impossible spaces. Even then, he didn't make any obvious effort to rejoin them, instead settling inside of the doorway. His gaze fixed on Hannah, eyes narrowing slightly.She is more trouble than she's worth. If you are done coddling, I'd suggest getting to the point, he thought at Kaspar. Before the police decide to pay a visit.



*Rot in hell.

[Hannah Lynn (DELETED 8242)]

Adley and Kaspar seemed to be trying to do their best to ensure that things would be fine by the mention of the police and confessing they couldn't come in. While the former may be true, the latter, in her mind wasn't. If a mad, crazed crowd wanted in, they would find a way in. That much had been proven of the course of the years throughout history. Adley asked her a question, and so he had her attention for a couple of seconds. "For coming. I shouldn't have-I'm really sorry. I didn't know where else to go. I didn't know it was so...bad." Slowly, Hannah's eyes moved away from Adley and to where she suspected a back door would be.

A faint smile passed in Kaspar's direction as her eyes moved to another possibility to where the mysterious back door many be, before her attention shifted completely to the front of the once upon a time church. The look the unidentified male gave Hannah told her what she already thought. What she already believed. The narrowed gaze wasn't amused and hardly appreciated by her presence. She shouldn't have came here. Hannah looked away then, back to the two possibilities of where the door might be. "I'm really sorry." Hannah said as she stood up, opposite to where the glass cup had fallen a few minutes ago. "I-I should, I'm going to go." Hannah said right before a loud smash erupted in the building, glass from a window flying all over the place as a metal trash bin bounced off the floor not once, not twice, but three times before it rolled off to the side near a wall. "I'll pay for that." Hannah said as she moved around Adley, eyes on Kaspar as she went to the first possibility, a hall, where she was hopeful the back door was at. "I'll come back, I promise." Hannah assured them as she reached in her scrub top, for her phone. "I'll call the police again. Sorry for interrupting your meeting and causing-" Her eyes fell to the trash can tucked against the wall. "All this. I'm really, really sorry, Adley and Kaspar. Tel them I escaped or something. I'll be back tomorrow." Hannah professed before she ducked down the hallway quickly, deciding it was best to remove herself from the building and from them, should anyone come inside.

[Adley Reed]

Kaspar’s attempts to get them all to move to a quieter and safer room were all for naught. Hannah was like a wild animal lured into a cage – with wide eyes, it was almost as if Adley could see the fight or flight response kick in, and he saw which way the scale tipped. Though, the scale had been tipped that way since she’d arrived, it was only now that she acted upon it.

The Necromancer flinched as the trashcan was thrown through the window, as the shattered glass created a musical melody all of its own. It would almost be beautiful if it weren’t for its promise of chaos. The violent act triggered something in Adley; his fingers curled into fists before stretching, his body turned from the fleeing human and instead toward the broken window, as if waiting, daring the crowd to follow. If they did, surely one or two would break their skin on the sharp shards of glass. There was no blood, and yet Adley could smell it already, a phantom twitch that called to his other self.

Upon learning that Indigo shared the same curse as he, Adley had at first been horrified. To think he had passed such a darkness upon a woman who was filled to the brim with optimism and light – it was crippling. And yet, she had not complained. Instead, she seemed to enjoy it, the two of them indulging in their darkness in ways that could make the innocent blush. Rather than control the lust for spilled blood, Adley had instead learned to embrace it. As shameful as it could be, and as unhelpful when considering the current city politics, in this moment it came to the fore.

Plump lips peeled back to reveal the sharp canines – a brief glimpse of the lust which was just as soon covered, sheltered. Pupils dilated and fingers curled into fists for a second time. Adley hadn’t brought weapons with him; he hadn’t really thought they’d be needed. But this wasn’t the first time he’d been so naïve.

”…Kaspar,” the single word was uttered with rugged gruffness, the name both a warning and an enquiry. If those humans came tumbling through that window looking for a brawl, there was no telling what horrors could ensue, nor could one predict the volume of blood Adley would seek to spill. Kaspar was a natural leader, whether he wanted to be or not – this was Kaspar’s house, this was his place, this was his meeting. What would he do next? What would he have Adley do?

For all intents and purposes, it looked like Adley had turned to block entrance to the hall that Hannah had disappeared down; it would look like some noble attempt to keep her safe. And yet it was nothing at all like that. It was instead only a pure lust for blood and gore, that dark spark of hope that he might be able to let loose the chains and release the monster within. There was nothing noble about Adley’s stance.

[Kaspar]

Skoll was talking at his back as he turned to come inside, but the flinch that stiffened his shoulders had been obvious. He worried about few, in any genuine way, and Skoll had somehow become on his list of people to keep an eye out for. He knew that he needed to trust him, that he could take care of himself but in a way Kaspar also knew that maybe he couldn't. Not because he wasn't capable, but it was a lack of caring, a rebelliousness and desire to do things ones own way that made Skoll a hazard unto himself and those around him. For the most part the guy kept his head down and kept to himself, but when the mood struck him and an idea crept through that intelligent mind he was quick to act upon it. Kaspar wasn't entirely better, he too could be at the mercy of his whims and fancies but lately he'd been trying harder to think, to really think and to reach out to others before actions were made.

It was why he didn't stand out there, reaching out to the crowd to stop them.

The sirens were growing louder as the human among them grew ever more frantic, he thought they might be in the clear until he heard the shattering sound. One of his windows, one that had seen abuse in the past and had to replaced, was broken in by an empty metal trash can that bounced and rolled across the floor. "Fick!" He snapped, his jaw setting in frustration, pulling his mouth taut into a thin line of irritation. Kaspar barely acknowledged the woman who apologised, promising she'd be back, before fleeing towards the back door and out into the night. He didn't care really, if she came back or not, he'd have the window fixed as quickly as he could through his insurance but was mightily pissed off that yet again they'd have to go through the painstaking process of trying to make it match the others. They were all original, as old as the building and beautifully made, trying to get a new one to replace the damaged window in the first place had been a nightmare but at least now he knew who to reach out to.

As irritated as he was and, though he hated to admit it, concerned about the panic and fear that hung heavy in the air around him Kas tried to keep his cool. Aaron was at his back, and Adley in front of him, a stark hunger taking the latter man's face that was quickly hidden beneath a questioning glance, the seeking of direction. It was up to him to take charge, to keep the situation from growing into utter madness. "It is ok, Adley, it is just a window and the sirens are almost here. Can you not hear them?" In fact they were the loudest they'd been, he heard the screech of tires as a car pulled up and then the noise of men and women, armed and ready, trying to call to the crowd to settle. He wondered what use it would do, if they would listen to their human police or if whatever Skoll had done would have them continuing their madness.

A head peered through the broken in window, an older man with a startled expression looking remarkably uncomfortable. "Uh, right. Are you ok in there? We are trying to get this group under control, we've called backup and have a few vans on the way to collect them but best you stay inside and..." He flinched, almost imperceptibly but a bead of sweat dripping down from beneath his hat gave him away. "Away from the windows." Kaspar flashed a patient grin, making a show of taking hold of Adley and Aaron by the arms, shoving them further into the room and away from the windows, towards the sealed off doorway of the sound booth. "Officer, you are doing a FANTASTIC job, you can do this. I believe in you." He spoke with a confidence and belief that resonated inspiration, and the officer in question took to it. He looked baffled for only a few more moments, then he puffed his chest out, lifted his chin and turned to stride back into the fray.

Kas joined the others, opening the door only to shut it with a firm click behind them. "A little inspiration goes a long way." He said, head shaking slightly. The room was reasonably sized, it held a small leather couch and two comfortable swivel armchairs, deep and plush, worn with time to a comfortable smoothness where the leather didn't creak or crack beneath you. He sunk his weight into it, fingers rubbing back and forth over the buttery softness of the chair arms. "Well, this was a ******* disaster. I hope Skoll will join us, but he may not. I am sorry for this, while it was not my doing there were things I could have done to put an end to it." He leaned forward to fiddle with some switches on the sound desk, putting on the record that was in there, his own and turned the volume down low so it was simply a backing track to their discussions.

His expression darkened, his voice at first low, distant as if he weren't speaking to any at all even as he posed questions to the room. His blue gaze was focused on his own hand, watching it shift levels slightly, fiddling with the sound controls. "They stink of it, do they not? Fear. It is everywhere. I am not able to put myself into that danger, because it is not just me but my wife, my son, my partner, my friends and lineage who will suffer. I do, however, think we need to colour their opinions. Good P.R., information pamphlets taking away the unknown element, explaining vampires to them so that they understand. Finding homely, kind looking creatures to present as "This could be your neighbour, your best friend, your family member. Vampires aren't all bad." Something like this, it might help... We can not hide, if people want to find out there are many clues, for some of us more so than others." The man leaned back in his chair, pulling his hands back behind his head, fingers lacing around his blonde hair as he looked at his companions. "Am I mad to want to try? I want to know what you want, what you hope for. What can we do, my friends?"