(Side Story: Exposed!) Out Of The Coffin

[Aaron Hunter]

Aaron meandered over to his wardrobe, pulling the doors wide open as if he were drawing back the curtains to greet a beautiful summer’s day. He plunged headlong into the tangled mass of clothes, undoubtedly knotted up by a certain redhead, and delved deeply inside to root out what he was looking for. Had he dived in any further, the intrepid explorer would have probably ended up in Narnia. Instead, he emerged from the wooden cupboard holding a dark grey hoodie that he hadn’t worn in months. There was a nagging voice in the back of his head telling Aaron to be as inconspicuous as possible, to blend into the crowd, to not stand out in any way.

The punk rocker started to hum the theme tune to Ghostbusters while he slipped the decidedly average item of clothing over his head and onto his athletic torso. A burst of less than tuneful lyrics escaped from his lips as he adjusted the hoodie to fit his frame.

“If the secret’s out,” sang Aaron, “and vampires exist, who ya gonna call? Call Kaspar!”

A cheeky smirk crawled across the stubbly face of the musician. It was crystal clear why he was a drummer and not a vocalist.

“If the humans know,” continued the makeshift singer, “are they gonna be pissed? Who ya gonna call? Call Kaspar!”

The music scene in Harper Rock was surprisingly vibrant for a relatively normal city, with plenty of bands to keep the local inhabitants entertained. The “Kaspar” in question was the frontman of a popular group, and a recent acquaintance of Aaron’s. The pair had casually crossed paths on several occasions, but had officially introduced themselves to one another at gig a month or two back. It was clear pretty quickly in their fledgling relationship that the two young men had more in common than just a love of music and playing to a live audience.

Aaron was hardly the shy and retiring type, but Kaspar was in a different league, with his flamboyant presence and oozing charisma. He’d been in the public eye, a minor celebrity if you will, due to his father being a famous rock star. If Aaron knew anyone who may be able to connect to the general public and get a genuine insight into the thoughts of the humans, then it was probably Kaspar.

The laid back drummer may have believed in peace and harmony, but that didn’t mask the fact that he was a ruthless killer, a murderer, a vampire. Maybe his actions didn’t always align themselves with his philosophy on life, and perhaps he’d end up facing an angry mob with a burn-the-witch attitude, but Aaron needed to know the word on the street. Were vampires going to be public enemy number one, or welcomed into the fold with open arms?

Grabbing a couple of weapons, just to be on the safe side, Aaron bolted from his apartment like a runaway stallion. Rather than simply calling Kaspar on the phone, the young punk decided to pay him a visit in person. A face-to-face chat would be more fun, and besides, Aaron really fancied a bit a fresh air to clear his mind.

The journey across town was hugely uneventful, although Aaron noted several groups of humans talking with passion in their voices, and gesticulating wildly. The perceptive vampire was certain that their topic of conversation was not dissimilar to the one that he hoped to be having with Kaspar. He kept his hood up and his head down.

Arriving at a renovated old church, the home of Morningstar Inc., Aaron slid passed a street scuffle, the cause of which was unclear, and darted inside. He walked purposefully through an open door into the main studio area, pausing as a small sea of unfamiliar faces gazed back at him. The drummer felt as though he had wandered onto the movie set of a western, and had entered the local saloon like a high plains drifter.

“Howdy, dudes,” said Aaron, flipping back his grey hood as if he were removing a Stetson. “I guess you’re not all here to audition for backing vocals?”

[Skoll]

"People like you." The words were almost involuntary. His eyes locked with Kaspar's for the span of a breath. If they had been alone, the tension might have coiled between them like a severed power line. A divisive line that would spend itself quickly. He dropped his gaze a moment later with a low scoff, his feet rising from the floor to hook over the back of the chair in front of him. It was easier. It did nothing to chase the tension from him, taste of it ozone sharp, making every unnecessary breath crackle in his lungs like static electricity. He leaned back in his own chair a split second later, the toe of his boots pointing upwards as his heels caught the back of the forward-chasing chair, digging in for purchase as his seat rose onto its back legs; a carefree display that bordered on arrogance.

It was easier for Kaspar, and those like him. Those whose complexion hadn't waned to the point where their veins blossomed like branching bruises under their skin. Those who could still mingle freely among society. It was easier to think of their talents as 'gifts.' Skoll lacked that luxury. His repertoire was designed to intimidate. Manipulate. Confuse. All glitter, no substance. The irony that the word for 'vampire' in his native tongue also meant 'ghost' wasn't lost on him. He swallowed his skepticism for the moment - the temptation to remark that those ties, given time, would gradually form a noose. Was it any great horror if they one day did? Dead was dead. The legs of his chair settled to the floor with a sharp crack. Others had begun to filter in, slowly but surely. He rose from his chair a second later. He left Kaspar to greet the new arrivals, offering them a brief wave and the barest flash of a smile.

His focus, however, was on the main entrance. The faint strains of the earlier commotion that had drifted in with Hannah's arrival, though muted, were still audible. His gaze narrowed - slanting with a mixture of both curiosity and lazy contempt. His steps were measured as he made his way across the room, involuntarily tracing the dull point of a canine tooth with the tip of his tongue. All too eager, it seemed, to shed the traces of his humanity like snake skin. Hang on, he thought at Kaspar. I'm going to give the rabble something to scream about. That was the intent, however - he was practically dripping with it. As it was, he was forced to step aside with Aaron's entrance. For a moment, he stared at him, lofting a brow. He risked a glance over his shoulder at Kaspar. "Really?"His attention shifted, briefly, back to Aaron. "I'm afraid not," he said flatly. "This is hemoglobin anonymous."

[Kaspar]

Hey all, loose posting order from here is as follows:

Hannah Lynn, Kaspar, Kaylee, Adley Reed, Aaron Hunter, Skoll.

If anyone else jumps in they can join wherever, and if it's been over 48 hours since a post you can skip to the next person and so on. If you are skipped please feel free to jump back in wherever you feel it makes sense. This is not a strict order, if you feel that you need to post and reply to something, if it makes sense to skip for a better RP go for it, within reason.

[Hannah Lynn (DELETED 8242)]

The woman had no idea where she entered, just that she entered a place that should be safe, and probably fairly empty. Only, it wasn't. It wasn't exactly bustling, but there were more people in here than Hannah first anticipated, which would probably work to her favor. They wouldn't throw her out to a crazy mob, would they?

"Wait. What?" Hannah said as she looked around to the first and only person to address her; even going as far to give her a name of some sort. "Oh. A meeting?" Hannah looked around for any tall-tell sign of what this meeting might be about so she could reference it while she lied and said that she was here for it. "Uhhhhmmm." Nothing was seen during a quick sweeping of her eyes, so Hannah slowly shook her head no. If she was going to lie, she wanted to tell at least a half way reasonable one. One that might be believable. "No. I'm not here for the meeting." She admitted as she took a couple more steps inside the building. "I-well...I didn't actually know if anyone would be in here." She started out before Hannah half turned towards the door. "Please, don't make me go out there." Hannah could deal with one or two potentially difficult people. A mob? Not so much.

"They think I'm a vampire." Hannah started explaining, no tone indicating anything other than fear, about the statement she just gave. "I'm not. I actually don't even know any vampires, but somehow they think I am one." Hannah started inching further back from the door. "Is there a back door, maybe? I don't mean to interrupt, but if I could just slip away...even a window would work. Doesn't even have to be that big. I'll make it work." Hannah assured everyone as her eyes moved to any and all windows towards the back of what used to be a church, but clearly wasn't anymore.

[Kaspar]

He studied the woman quietly, watching her flustered and blunt explanation. They think i'm a vampire. That wasn't good, if they were left unattended they may grow in number, feed each other's fears and become a violent mob intent on hunting down and destroying a vampire. They would probably get themselves killed if they tried, and he wasn't a fan of the idea of putting the gathered group in the middle of it. Skoll's words touched his mind, Kaspar giving him a short, sharp flick of the eyes that communicated his disapproval. Luckily for him Aaron had entered the room, creating a barrier between the recently turned Telepath and the exit. The banter made him laugh, shaking his head and quipping in response. "Aaron, man, I think it is best this isn't a vocalist audition. I'll call you next time I need someone to hit things with sticks." He winked, gesturing for the man to head further inside, to where the studio door was open.

The human in front of him was talking again, more flustered and speaking of desperate escape plans. "Never met any, you say? I would not be so sure. It is alright, you are safe in here and we will have them dealt with." Before Skoll could take this as a cue to run out the door and try to play mind tricks he hissed, "Nein, dummkopf!" Pointing sharply away from the door, "I do not want any of you put in harm's way, we will call the police. They can deal with this." It would be so easy to step into the street, to use his abilities to soothe the rowdy crowd and reign them in but to do so would be to reveal himself. Any of them, in fact, could be revealing themselves to an angry crowd with the use of abilities. Nimble fingers tugged the phone from his pocket, the musician making quick work of dialing the emergency number. A hurried discussion ensued, Kaspar being his charming self and giving the necessary details, expressing his concern as a business owner and private citizen feeling threatened by mob mentality. There was assurance that assistance was on it's way, and the call was ended.

"There is a back door, Miss, but it might be best to wait until they disperse. Perhaps we can get you a drink and something to eat to steady your nerves. I'm curious, you said they thought you were vampire. What might give them that impression? You really do not know?" He queried, genuinely curious. Wasn't this what they needed? An unbiased view of an innocent, human being not at all involved with the supernatural world behind coincidence. She had not met one, she believed, and here she stood among them seeking refuge and assistance. "In fact, we were planning to chat about the current state of things. How do you feel about vampires? Do you think it might be better if you did know some?"

[Aaron Hunter]

At some stage, we’ve all attended a wedding where the only person that we really know is the bride or groom. Reluctantly, out of politeness, we accept the kind invitation, hoping that the meal or the evening’s entertainment will be worth the effort. Maybe a crazy uncle will get drunk off his face on cheap red wine, and end up dancing like a lunatic, finding himself plastered all over YouTube the next day. Perhaps one of the bridesmaids, with her over-elaborately curled hair and somewhat uncomfortable looking golden dress, just happens to be a fan of The Ramones or Iggy Pop, and cannot wait to show you her tattoo of a dragon. Whatever the outcome, the event always starts awkwardly. Who do you speak to? Did you simply steam in like a runaway train and ask the obvious “are you here for the bride or the groom” question? Etiquette effectively dictates that you cannot spend the whole time talking to the one person that you actually know, because they are far too busy doing the rounds and chatting to everyone. Oh, and they also have the small issue of getting married to deal with.

Aaron’s dark caramel eyes swept across the studio like the mop of a diligent janitor, not missing a single spot of informative dirt. Other than Kaspar, the rest of the faces, three of them, no, make that four as a young woman burst through the door like a headless chicken, were strangers to the punk rocker. The ensemble was a mixed bag, not really resembling the clichéd musical types that would normally be hanging around a recording studio. It was clearly not knitting club either, so why were they here? Could it be a case of the gathered group having a similar idea to Aaron, and they’d all come to pay Kaspar a visit? Was the vocalist the hub of the social wheel, the groom at the wedding party?

“Good to see you, Kaspar,” said Aaron as he ventured deeper into the room. “I was really hoping for some stick bashing action. Maybe later, yeah?”

The killer kept a particularly watchful eye upon the young woman who was blurting out something about the rabble outside the building thinking she was a vampire. Was the innocent looking female the cause of the disturbance on the street? It was clear from her words that she was a human, a human who was shaken up, a potential loose cannon, bearing in mind the subject matter on Aaron’s mind.

“Haemoglobin?” said Aaron quizzically to the man who had just spoken up. “Was he the bad guy in Spider-Man, or was that the Green Goblin?”

Aaron cast a mischievous grin in the direction of the sarcastic male, making a snap judgement that he was on Team Vamp rather than Team Human. The other two unfamiliar faces, a man and a woman, gave off no signals to indicate on which side of the fence their allegiances lay. Aaron would reserve his judgement on the pair for now.

“So they think you’re a vampire?” asked Aaron, focussing on the flustered female. “Yeah, I’ve heard all these stories. It sounds pretty cool! What do you think about it? Do you believe the news?”

What better way to gauge public opinion on the revelation that vampires were wandering the streets of Harper Rock, than to ask a human? Aaron had already broached the topic with his thrall, Poppy, but an unfortunate side effect of her enchantment was that she always seemed to agree with everything that her master said. A neutral view was definitely in order.

[Skoll]

"Wer ist dabei, mich aufzuhören?" He demanded, the question as hushed as Kaspar's hissed directive had been. He could respect Kaspar's desire for civility. For order. The assumption that the mob that had begun to gather outside the studio would be in agreement was a naive one. Fear was a curious thing; tannic and contagious. It was a pheromone to the hive mind; almost viral in the way it could be exchanged with a glance or a word. Left unchecked, the humans - like wasps - would unite under their hysteria. And swarm. He could hear their heartbeat; practically taste the sharp, bitter tang of the sweat that coated their skin. "Sie werden nicht --" he began. Their thoughts sent him reeling; as darting and chaotic as a school of fish evading a net. It came in flashes; fragmented like a bag of assorted puzzle pieces, none of them coming from the same box.

He didn't fault their fear. He'd been one of them, only months before. The fear of the unknown could be an intoxicating thing. The fear that some horror - some boogeyman that was supposed to stay in the locked closet of their children's imagination - was newer, but no less potent. They had their children to consider. Their loved ones. Would he have felt differently? If he'd been given the chance for a family. Normalcy. His gaze flicked briefly to Kaspar, and he drew in a breath to speak. Aaron was speaking, but the words were lost on Skoll; muffled like a television whose volume had been lowered, heard through a paper thin wall. His focus shifted, stolen by the still imagery of a man in his early thirties; his hair falling in chestnut waves, framing a pair of sharp cheekbones and a smile that looked as if it had been torn from a commercial for Crest. It wavered; replaced by a dim news crawl. The man had been missing for over a month.

He took a step away from Aaron and Kaspar, leaving them to their banter. "Hemoglobin would've been a pretty **** v--" he responded over his shoulder, absently, before inhaling sharply. Grief. Anger. Surface thoughts, but as abrupt and violent as a punch aimed at an unguarded midsection. It didn't take him long to identify the young woman the emotions belonged to. For a brief second, he felt a flash of irritation for the woman who'd introduced herself as Hannah. Far from calming down, the crowd outside seemed to become increasingly agitated, fixated on the 'vampire' who'd vanished inside. He was only half-listening as Kapar attempted to regain control of the situation. His mention of the police might, at the very least, placate the flustered human in their ranks, but Skoll doubted it would be effective at diffusing the issue long term. He took advantage of both Kaspar and Aaron's apparent distraction a moment later; weaving towards the doors and pushing through them.

He would let Kaspar talk. It was what the man excelled at. As for Skoll? He dazzled. Whether on a runway or behind the lens of Aris's camera. He stood on the steps for a moment, considering. Weighing. He was calm as he made his way onto the street - sauntering closer. "If I could have your attention for just a second..."

[Hannah Lynn (DELETED 8242)]

Hannah attempted to focus on every single face that said something at or to her. Someone mentioned a drink and Hannah nodded her head. A drink of water, or a drink of soda, or, well even a drink of anything would be nice. "I mean, I don't know. I don't think I have. I just don't know if I have or haven't. If I have, they haven't told me they were a vampire. Which is okay." Hannah said with a look at the second guy who was talking about how cool it would be if there were vampires, or if the stories were true.

"Maybe? I guess? I don't really know what to think." She said, her voice more solid and steady than before as she looked to Kaspar. "I was just trying to go on with my night. There were people at a newstand. Talking about vampires. Guessing who was or wasn't one. All I wanted to do was go past them, but they said I was with them. With vampires." She shrugged her shoulders. "Like I said, I'm not one, not that I care who is or isn't a vampire. I've never seen one and no person in Harper Rock; vampire, or human-well except this one time, but he's just a creep anyways...what I mean is no one has done anything to me to warrant me to dislike them or anything. Vampire or not. So I don't think life would be better or worse or anything different if I did know one." Hannah took a deep breath in after all that, and looked back at the guy who thought it might be cool.

"But no. I don't think it would be cool. I actually feel bad for anyone who might be a vampire with people like that out there. I feel sorry for everyone who gets on their radar, vampire or not." She finished before glancing back at Kaspar. "And I'd really, really like that drink right now. If you have it. Please." She said after taking a seat, both her hands resting comfortably under her thighs, as if she needed to sit on her hands to hide them, or potentially hide the nerves coursing through her body.

[Adley Reed]

With the entrance of two more bodies to the small meeting, the atmosphere shifted. Adley watched as everyone gravitated toward the door; he hung back with Kaylee, always more of a watcher than a doer. Not until he was called for, anyway. Even from here he could hear the rabble outside, one voice punctuation the dim chattering more often than the rest, a second backing it up, a third, a fourth. All they really needed was someone with a different perspective and a louder voice, and they would be fine. Wouldn’t they?

Adley wasn’t that person. If he were a charmer in life he’d probably have ended up an Allurist like Kaspar and Jameson, like Indigo. What did it say about him and the group of friends he kept, that he was the odd one out? Even though his skin was naturally tan, under the lights there was something a little off about his pallor. Something a little different, a little creepy. Death clung to him like a long lost friend; it radiated from his touch. Yes, he had power over life, too – he could heal. But it exhausted him, sometimes, to do good. Death came easy.

The human – Hannah – babbled. She was nervous, clearly. Who wouldn’t be? She sat with her hands beneath her legs, and though Kaspar had been the one to ask if she wanted something to drink, Adley would have stopped the man in his tracks, instead gesturing toward the door.

”I’ll get the drink. I think you need to go and see what he’s up to,” he said, indicating toward the door that Skoll had disappeared through. At least Adley could make himself useful. He grabbed one of the plastic cups and didn’t take much of a gamble – he poured Hannah some water. He spared a glance for the door as he brought it back over to her, holding it out with a smile.

”I’m Adley,” he said, glancing over at Aaron at the same time. Aaron, whose name he knew only because Kaspar had called him by it. In any case, Adley was glad that a drink was involved, and that the handing over of the beverage would keep he and Hannah from any kind of physical contact via handshake.

On the subject of vampires – on whether or not they were ‘cool’ – he remained silent. Anything he had to say would only give him away, and given both Kaspar and Aaron’s glossing of the subject, neither of them giving themselves away, Adley kept to the same course.

[Kaspar]

Kaspar watched the woman curiously, smiling to Aaron as he joined them and gave the fellow musician an approving nod. "Definitely, I would enjoy that. Actually, I wanted to show you something. The album is ready, pre-orders are happening and I have got a few copies here. Thought you might take a listen?" He clapped a hand to Aaron's shoulder, glancing over it at Skoll who was hissing at him in German, to which he replied. "Dummkopf." Idiot. Simple and straight to the point, because he hoped Skoll knew him well enough to know that the answer to his question of who was going to stop him was, "I am". That was, he would stop him if he got half a chance, while he let himself become distracted by the human woman in front of him the blonde ma, who he thought of as at times infuriating but cared for younger sibling, was making his escape out the door and into the growing crowd.

They were getting closer, their voices rising and he was yet to hear the sounds of approaching sirens. If they damaged his property he was going to be more than a little annoyed.

She was interesting, this woman, even when she spoke of uncertainty it was with a certain confidence that Kaspar had to respect. The woman appeared to be older than him, and wore clothing that spoke of a particular type of work. There was nothing remarkable about her, she was pretty, but she didn't look supernaturally so nor was she overly pale, or in any way eery looking. What had made those fools think she were vampire? "Fascinating, thank you for your opinion. You are right, I think, that vampire is not the easiest title to wear and I can't imagine what kind of bravery or stupidity, perhaps, it would take to openly come out as such. Poor things. They need support, perhaps some way to show that they are in some cases more than just base killers. Do you think this may by an idea to consider, Miss Hannah? Perhaps a media interview with some, ja? The facts, the truth. There is horror to speak of too, I am sure..." He sighed, watching her with pit on his face as she tucked her hands beneath her.

"A drink, yes, of course I wi-..." Adley was at his side, already in the process of fetching drinks and making people at him. Thank goodness for that, because Kaspar knew he had bigger issues to deal with. His hand clasped the man's shoulder, leaning in to mutter against his ear. "Danke, arschloch... Keep her safe." And he was walking away, out the front door of the studio to Skoll's side, staring at him surprise just as the humans seemed to have caught an eyeful of him.