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It's been a rough adjustment for Rina since she woke up from what even actually happened to her. All of the soldiers that she needed to avoid so that she wasn't caught made her stress. It was a whole new level of caution than she ever had to do while in Tytonidae. When moving about the streets, Rina made sure to hide in the shadows at all times only slipping out to hunt in designated hunting areas where she wouldn't be questioned for who or what she was. She had been spending most of her time hunting, trying to gather her strength once again.

It all seemed too much all at once for the information that had been given to her about the changes of the city. She wasn't sure what she could or couldn't do but still needed to keep her head low to avoid the bounty list that still seemed quite functional according to the Crownet. Rina needed a break as she headed out for another hunt. She got a few blocks from Docere Enterprises when she saw another group of soldiers coming down the road. Ducking into the nearby alley and before she could let the shadows wrap around her, a boy came running by and bumped into her. "HEY!" The boy never looked back and she was running out of time before the soldiers found her. Stepping backwards, she pressed her back against the wall of the building and called to the shadows to swallow her whole. As the soldiers passed by and she was in the clear, she made a run for the transit to get some time in to hunt.

After a few hours, she decided that she wanted to get in to do more studying on the city. Rina wanted to know the schedules of the sweeps and checkpoints to make going out easier. She didn't want to run but she didn't want to be an experiment either. Reaching into her bag to pull out the tome that would take her home so that she could go through her treasures and store them in the appropriate boxes for her rituals. As she thought she had a hold of the tome, she pulled it out and looked down at the envelope that was in her hand resting upon the book. Furrowing her brow as she looked around to see who might have put it in her bag only to find that she was alone. "What the..." Suddenly her mind thought about the boy that had ran into her and a grumble slipped from her. He had the nerve to not apologize for poor manners but then put something in her bag.

Flipping over the envelope, she pulled out the page inside only to find an invitation with a map. Not at all what she expected. It was really pretty writing and reminded her of when she had married Raphael. It was elegant and dusted with gold embossing and it brought a smile upon her face. Hell the invites weren't as glorious when it was her and Lions but the minute Raphael returned after she thought he died, she ended her relationship with Lions. To her Raphael was and always would be her husband and she had no intentions of filling a romantic void any further. Shaking the thoughts from her head as she actually read the invitation. A party? Why was she being invited to a party and a themed one nonetheless. It was strange that it had appeared in her bag and by a complete stranger but then again...maybe that was the point. Hitting the invite against the palm of her hand as she thought about actually attending. Shrugging as she turned and changed directions to find a dress shop.

Stepping into the mall, she looked around for a dress shop. Dresses were the farthest of her chosen and desired attire and for a Roaring 20's party it was a mental battle on if she would wear a dress and shock attendees or at least if anyone was there that knew her well. Walking through Quartermaine Creations, taking in each of the items available and nothing was screaming out at her. A deep frown set in her facial features as she left the shop to go to another shop only for a slow smirk to slip on her face. She had the perfect outfit already at home and she would pull a gender bender. Opening the book that she had been carrying in her hands and read the ancient text that would pull her home. Rushing to her closet, she pulled out one of her favorite pin-stripe suits and a black tie and her black rose corset top to top off the outfit. Getting dressed, she looked in the mirror after she slipped on her six-inch stilettos to add the needed height desired. Tilting her head from side to side as she turned to each side. Something was missing. After a few minutes of thought, she rushed back into the closet and pulled out a black fedora. Now she was complete.

Picking up the invitation, she flipped it over to see the map to the location. Memorizing it after a few moments, she took the fadeportal that landed her on the transit station. Taking the transit to the next station that would put her close to the cemetery indicated on the map. Making the short trip to the cemetery, she stopped and stood before the wrought-iron gates and smirked. How fitting for a party for vampires. Stepping through the gates, she made her way to the crypt that was indicated on the map she had memorized. The gargoyles caught her off guard as she walked in only for one of them to start talking to her. Rina shouldn't have been surprised by this as it was Harper Rock after all but at the same time, she was surprised.

A riddle? Hmm, speaking each phrase as she heard it while trying plug in different answers mentally. As the last phrase was spoken, she lit up. The answer wasn't as hard as she was making it. Speaking the answer out loud, she waited only for the other gargoyle created the path that allowed her to enter the party. Perfect!!! As she descended to the party below. Her eyes dazzled with the lights as Rina entered the room. This was indeed going to be an interesting night. Taking a vampire friendly drink off of a tray as a server passed before making her way to the bar to leave the information required for her account and open a tab. This was going to be a very interesting evening.

A mysterious envelop had slid under her door hours ago that Kennedy had picked up. There was no information indicated who it was from and it alarmed her. Her whole training was given to her by two killers that were important to her so she didn't trust mystery letters. Sitting at her crafting station making traps, her brilliant dark orbs continued to glance at the envelop that taunted her on the corner of the table. Growling as she tried to ignore it and decided to make weapons instead, only to break a few good pieces because her concentration was on the stupid envelop. Slamming the broken pieces down on the table, she snatched up the envelop and ripped it open.

Carefully her eyes danced across the words only to tilt her head. A themed party? Who would invite her to such an event? The sender wanted to remain hidden as when she had originally gathered the invitation upon entering her home, she had quickly opened the door to see who sent it only to be greeted with the elevator doors closing tightly. Kennedy wasn't one to typically get dressed up unless she was dancing but wondered if she had something stashed away in her closet to avoid going to the store. The thought hit her just before she reached the bedroom and she smirked. Kennedy in fact did have a dress because someone almost conned her into going to a party for Halloween several years back but she had gotten out of it so the dress had never been worn.

Pulling the lovely blue number out of her closet, she took a quick shower so that she didn't look like she worked on a car all day. Carefully she slipped the dress on once she wasn't covered in crap, she fixed her makeup and hair to match the decade requested. It was time for the little squirrel to get out and meet new and old faces. She need to live her life because she knew that her family would be disappointed that she was wasting away in isolation. Hell she was an allurist, she needed to be around people and their charismatic yet chaotic energies. It almost filled her soul so whoever the sender of the invitation was, they knew exactly what she needed.

Grabbing the map as she rushed out the door of the apartment, she studied it in the elevator. It somehow didn't surprise her that the big shindig was in a cemetery because where else would vampires get the chance to party without having to worry about the prying eyes of the local military that tried to enforce their power upon her kind. Allurists in her mind had an easier time passing the checkpoint tests especially when they looked healthy but there were small tests that she couldn't pass and her fangs were a dead giveaway. It was going to be fun to be able to just have a night to relax.

Kennedy followed the map to a T as she made her way across town. It wasn't long before she was standing in front of the designated crypt. There wasn't anything special about how it looked but she took the chance to enter anyway. The gargoyles were glorious and something she wanted if she ever decided to purchase a crypt. They were large and intimidating while looking powerful as they guarded over the crypt. What she didn't expect was for one to actually talk and yet with the amount of power and magic in the city....she wasn't sure why she was surprised. Thinking as the riddle was spoken, she grumbled to herself as riddles weren't her strong suit. Hated them in fact with a passion. Shrugging as she realized that she probably wasn't going to be able to attend the party, she took a guess. It was when the other gargoyle moved and provided the entrance was when she realized that she had guessed correctly. She wasn't about to question the gargoyles as she rushed down the stairs.

The room below was large and exquisite and definitely displaced a flashback to the 20's. It was luxurious and well thought out in it's design. It was almost like they stepped through a door that threw them back in time. The average person would think that thought was obscure but this was Harper Rock after all. Her eyes moved across the room and she found a bar in the back. She needed a drink and the bar looked fully stocked. Ordering a top-shelf whiskey and as she tried to pay with her card, the bartender snorted with a sigh as he pointed to the sign. Apologizing, Kennedy provided the information needed to pay straight from her account later. Once she had a drink in hand, she started to make a round to see if anyone she knew was in attendance.

Nimrod has came across the invite, if there was free food he was all about that. Would it be safe is the more important question. He had his wolf, Peter and his friend Candy Man. Now Candy Man was a human he accidently enthralled when he was let to feed on a vampire friend. Nimrod thought the man was just nice and helped him out, but didn’t realize he was just following commands. And then the man would get moody and leave him for awhile, the vampire powers wore off and he wouldn’t come back until Nimmy had the power again. Not that this clicked what was happening.

“1920s. Well that’s awhile ago.” Nim said, he threw together an outfit. Pants, shoes, shirt with a vest, a hat. “Good enough.” He said, he looked like he was about to sell some newspapers. He turned to Peter, he had a few outfits for the wolf to help cover up the fact that he wasn’t a living wolf. He put a tux pet outfit on the wolf, complete with bowtie. Candy Man did his own thing, a suit. Nim didn’t even know what his real name was, all he knew the man always had Candy on him.

“You sure you should be going out to this? I bet it’s a bunch of vampires gathered.” Candy Man said as he followed the child like man outside with his freaky wolf.

“I’m friends with vampires. I’m not worried.” Nim replied simply, heading to the graveyard.

“Well this isn’t creepy at all.” Candy Man muttered.

Nimmy got to the riddle part, he frowned and looked at Candy Man. “I’m no good with riddles.”

Candy Man sighed, thought about it for a moment and answered. Nim hurried off into the party, Peter at his heels. Nim was either looking for food or someone he knew. He spotted drinks first, ones made for humans, he found some snack foods as well.

Peter gave a small roof, sniffing someone out. Nim spotted who he was sniffing out and gave the blonde a big hug. “Yay, someone I know.” He said, it was nice song lady AKA Kira, who was friends with his employer, another nice blonde lady. Peter sat down, just keeping watch while Candy Man just sighed and sipped on a drink.

Kira wondered where her wraith went, listening for gossip no doubt. That was one of their favorite pastimes. At least the female side of the wraith, the male side rather watch TV.

“Chance is here.” She heard her wraith say behind her. “And Myk.”

Kira nodded, she wasn’t sure if she ever met Myk, just that he was part of Q2. Her mind seemed to forget things, people. She wasn’t sure why. Chance she knew only a little, they did a raid together and she asked if he had a certain jacket, which he did. She was trying to find homes for all these jackets she ended up with, she was still trying to sell them off.

Before she could move from the spot, she heard someone speak to her. About her hair… now wasn’t the first time she ended up at a party and the thing brought up was her hair but those times she had worn a Butterfly clip and she was sure there were masks involved. She raised an eyebrow, looking over at the woman. “Thanks..” she said, not helping but to hear another voice. Wraith? Spirit? She stared at the woman for a moment, “You look familiar..” she said, she had spent some time hunting in the abandoned sewers, there were quite of few people there.

She could hear her own wraith holding in laughter. “God, Kira doesn’t need any more stalkers.” She said, laughing harder.

Kira shot a glare towards Lady Baron, Tessa at the moment. Though the wraith was correct, she didn’t need any more stalkers. She froze up when she felt arms around her, ****, speaking of stalkers? She looked over, “Nimmy..” she said, a bit relieved it was the man child. “You’re not here with Windy are you?” she asked, she looked around, she saw his dead wolf thing and some man. She blinked, ah ****, did he enthrall a human? She let him feed on her so he could gain some powers to protect himself. She would have to ask him about it later. “I don’t have any candy on me…can you let go now and are you sure you should be here with all these vampires?” she said. As much as she wished for vampire and human peace, she still thought of Nimmy as someone who needs protecting.

“I think you overestimate my abilities as a counselor, Every.”

Chadwick Setzer stared at the woman that wasn’t the woman he remembered. Dark hair, angry eyes. Yes, she had similarities in the way she spoke, but Every Leighton had changed bodies. She’d grown mentally, and she was as abrasive as ever. Mercy Devereux was the name she’d given to the soldiers that had told him to prepare for a search. She’d shown some sort of badge that said NADUMA on it, and when it hadn’t done her any favors, she’d been quick to break the neck of the men that had stopped his car.

She was a criminal.

She was a murderer.

And, she’d enthralled him.

He still didn’t understand the complete and utter nonsense that the news called vampirism, but there she was, standing in front of him, with an offer. No, not an offer, although she’d made it sound like that to his ears, but he’d understood the demand for what it was. To take one of hers on as a patient. “I think you’re afraid, Chadwick, to fail again.” The challenge to his pride had been the right way to go, as he’d scoffed at her and that had been that. There were fangs in her smile as she said, “Although, for the record, I’ve been clean for almost eight years now.”

---

The little addict that walked in front of him had surely been a case of migraines for Chadwick. She fought him at every turn, and he suspected if it weren’t for their mutual acquaintance she would have given him the finger and relapsed. It was not only his neck on the line, but her own. Although, he also suspected that unlike himself, Caligrace Summers would be receiving just a disappointed glare. The first time, she’d thrown him into a wall and he was still sure that his shoulder had never been the same. The second time, she’d thrown him through that same wall.

He hadn’t had a chance to point out the hypocrisy, really.

Then again, she supposed it wouldn’t matter.

Every knew better than anyone how it went.

Still, he enjoyed irritating the petite allurist. And, in particular, the fact he knew that like himself, Every had given a strict sense of instructions not to harm him to Caligrace. So, he spent doing what he could to agitate the woman outside of their sessions. Like that evening, for example, as he found himself in step with her heading towards a graveyard.

Tit for tat, he supposed.

Chadwick showed no outward interest in the two massive gargoyles. They were stone, for all he could tell, until one spoke and the two relayed the answer. He moved followed after Caligrace, rolling his eyes and lifting his hand to cough as she called one in particular sugar while covering his laugh. “Why you absolute little -.” He started. His eyebrows furrowed. Meanwhile, there was bellish laughter in his head that told him that Every had very well seen the exchange. “Are you enjoying this, eh?” He spoke out loud, very aware of the fact she’d be able to hear him. It was usually how they communicated during some days. He talked to himself and she often answered telepathically. Both women were absolute nuisances if one asked Chadwick, absolute nuisances. Clenching his jaw together, Chadwick spoke the riddle answer again and the gargoyle slid open. Stalking after the red headed female, he muttered something inherently about vampires and women.

He found her with another man. Luca King, if he recalled correctly. One of Every’s. This one, blood, rather than adoption. “Miss Summers, that better not be any sort of liquor that you’re drinking.” He spoke through clenched teeth, but then he heard a warning growl in his head that had him glaring up at his reflection, confusing the bartender before he looked at the man. Fine, if she wanted to play it that way and to continue to be an enabler. “Boulevardier, please.” As he dug out his wallet, he slid enough to cover a proper tab for the evening, and resisted the urge to down the drink as soon as it came to his presence. “I believe she forced us all to come along.”

Chadwick's dark eyes moved across the collective. He wondered how many were human, how many were vampires. Only time would tell, but for now, he took a drink from his glass and tried to relax.

The tuxedo brought something out of him; an old-fashioned sentiment of pride and confidence that had been wishing to surface for such a long, long time. Of course there was always an impersonation of pride and confidence glittering in Henry’s well-manicured visage, but it had been skin-deep at best and was likely better described as arrogance. The mask he put on whenever he needed access to information, intimacy, or nourishment was a shallow front. There was rarely any requirement to share stories - if there was even a need to share names - and after a few years living like a hermit crab replacing those masks as often as shells, eventually Henry had started to forget who he really was beneath it all. He’d been living so long just to survive that he’d forgotten that he could slow down and enjoy the freedom he’d been chasing for the majority of his young, young life. So when he’d put his paws on the invitation to the 20’s themed party, it must have seemed like Fate’s hand was guiding him down the path to finally enjoying this thing he’d earned, this thing called life.

The Vampire had passed the gargoyle’s test some time ago and therefore had plenty of opportunity to watch from his perch at the bar as guests made their way in through the swinging doors. Every single face was a stranger, every single one was dressed in a fabulous frock, and yet there wasn’t a single one that didn’t interest him. Even though Henry had never been particularly bothered with people on a personal level, he had always been an empathetic soul and was gifted with having a keen insight into their motivations. These skills had made him a master manipulator, funding a journey of enlightenment as well as entitlement which had reached places even dollars or status couldn’t necessarily help him penetrate. Henry had found that people were weird like that; they were much more willing to do you a favour if it was because they felt like you were one of their own or if it could spite someone they didn’t like very much. And, just very occasionally, people did favours out of the sheer goodness of their hearts - these people were crazy.

In Henry’s experience, Harper Rock City was a mixed bag of nut jobs, sycophants, and ghosts. There wasn’t a person living or undead that lived outside these three categories and it was perfectly possible that one person could sit in a combination of all three categories given how broad the definitions were. That’s not to say that it was necessarily a bad thing, however, as the Vampire found their particular brand of deviancy quite intriguing. This was a vibrant city, one that was buzzing with promise; there were diamonds hidden in the rough if you knew just where to dig. This party had brought out a sample of the best of them too in Henry’s eyes. Everywhere he looked there was another point of curiosity - plenty of beautiful women and handsome men; their perfect complexions and ageless bodies impressed upon him some terrible, fascinating secrets that were waiting to be shared.

As the musicians played on stage in the smoky rainbow haze, the music danced out of their instruments in that swinging rhythm. Henry’s foot began to tap and his shoulders swayed as he listened; his hazel eyes remained studying the crowd. The Brazilian enjoyed any kind of music so long as it had a good beat to move to and the soul-racing howls that came out of the saxophone and trumpets alongside the punching piano keys were just right. Henry loved to dance, but dancing on your own was kind of sad. His gaze fell on the man who’d been abandoned by his date with a touch of pity as he was very suddenly left alone on the dancefloor. However, it wasn’t too long before that pity melted into humour and Henry turned to reach for his drink from the bar. He’d already started a tab, but as it was nearly impossible for the Allurist to become intoxicated, this was likely to be a very expensive night out as he surfed the high of premium strength whiskey and drank in his environment too.

If there was one thing she could be certain of in regards to the newest addition to Every’s small lineage, it was that he would catch the eye of a blind woman. There was something about the aura that surrounded him that demanded attention, and tonight was no different. The moment he descended the staircase, her gaze - along with others - automatically sought him. It wasn’t one of those gravitational pulls that was written about in the most basic of romance novels, but something more, a tether of a connection that she felt deep within her bones. It’s probably because he radiates danger with a dash of melancholy, she thought, slender fingers lifting the glass to her lips to take a sip of the sweet liquid within. The mixture of berries and bubbles splashed across her tongue, and she gave a satisfied smile before taking another sip.

“If it’s a surprise to find me here, you still have a lot to learn about me,” she replied easily, though she didn’t bother to answer his question. Instead, she bumped her hip to his, just to set him off balance with the playful act, before lifting her glass. It had barely touched her lips a third time when a familiar - and unwelcome - voice danced through the crowd and over the delightful melody of the band. The cheerfulness in her eyes diminished, and for a moment, the vampire within her sparked through the cracks of her mortal facade. Instead of breathing life to the retort burning on her tongue, she tipped her head back, draining the contents of the glass as his gaze focused above and beyond her.

With an amused laugh, she tapped her the manicured tip of her nail against the emptied glass, and despite the glare that she was certain the bartender received - it was instantly refilled. “I wasn’t aware they were letting just the riff-raff in tonight, but I suppose even you deserve a moment or two of recess.” Despite the cheerful, sweet tone to her voice, her eyes bellied the annoyance she felt at the mere sight of the man. Pushing past it, she swirled the alcohol tauntingly within her glass as she waved her free hand between the two, painted lips curving into an amused, charming and mischievous smile.

“Luca, this is Chadwick. Employed by Every. He loves me, but I don’t particularly care for him. Chaddy, Luca, an officer and her childe,” she chuckled, her attention soon drifting to take note of the rest of the room as more people came and went. A flash of white caught her eye, and she smiled as she watched Myk with a man that she didn’t quite recognize. Of course, the telepath seemed to be the only face she could put a name to. Others looked familiar, but she had never encountered them long enough to learn who they were. That didn’t stop her from memorizing each line of their face, the color of their outfits, or the way their emotions hummed throughout the room and across her skin like electricity.

His mood slowly brightened as the music played and the party continued on, it was good to simply relax even if only for a few hours. Casually he scanned over the assembled group of party-goers, most seemed carefree and intent on the party while he kept a close eye on the entrance and the people who continued to arrive. People arrived at the party quickly enough, most headed straight for the bar before they congregated into smaller groups and scattered throughout the event.

Ladies and gents arrived in their party attire, beautiful ladies in a variety of colors and stylish dresses while the men dressed slightly more conservatively in darker colors that offset the ladies nicely. Jewelry and dresses sparkled in the light as the bearers moved, the twinkling gave the party a life of its very own as he watched. The whole scene was a stark contradiction from the nearly war torn city above. That thought wasn’t lost on him either. With all the police, militia, and other squabbling groups had proven rather inhospitable to any that lacked caution and a little restraint.

He recognized several of the arrivals that he had seen in different parts of the city and the night was still young, he couldn’t say if the opportunity would arise to meet any of them. Regardless of meeting Kira once before, she was hard to miss as she entered and he couldn’t help smiling as people quickly gathered around her. He wondered if that happened often but suspected it did. He caught a quick glimpse of Myk and his friend but they were quickly swallowed up into the crowd on the way towards the dance floor.

Chance tensed ever so slightly with Myk’s sudden appearance at his side, he wasn’t used to displays of their abilities so openly. The surprise faded just as easily while he politely glanced at the man that stood beside him. “You look debonair tonight, Myk.” Myk’s attire definitely drew attention from all and it didn’t surprise him even from the little he knew of the man. “From the looks of this, I have been missing out on the more interesting parts of this city.”

She had found the invitation while breaking and entering before mentioning it to her childer and friends. It had been a while since they’d all gone out and merely had fun, and although Myth provided an enjoyable scene, something a little more lucrative settled in Every’s mind. It would come to no surprise to those that knew her best for the pure white suit to come into play, a black crop top twenties theme, but inspired. There would be no tie as Every still didn’t understand the appeal of going around with a noose resting around her neck. After checking her makeup in the mirror, she’d noticed the way Mercy’s eyes followed her every action - the spirit manifestation seemingly approving of her attire for once.

From the Andras family crypt, Every made her way to the instructed and slid her arms properly through the jacket she wore. The black and pinstripe fedora sat upon the top of her dark brown hair, styled carefully in an updo to keep it from her face, with a pair of simple black boots to tie the look together. Her hazel eyes glittered with amusement and a hint of mischievousness as she listened to the riddle. As she did, her gaze fell over the detail of the gargoyle, the craftsmanship interesting before she spoke the answer without thought. “Well… at least it’s not an elevator.” Every muttered out loud, noticing the path didn’t thrill her either way, as she stepped inside and heard the door shut promptly behind her.

Although the firelight was calming in comparison to the small spaces, Every mentally went over the possibilities of Dealer’s identity to distract herself before her proper arrival, taking in the decor and the firelight that went around the room. Different, unique. It was certainly more unique than most of what was offered for vampires in Wickbridge. Afterwards, she took in the collective there so far: an unfamiliar man, Kira, two of her own brood, although there was an unimpressed glance sent her way from her thrall, Lizzie… Every stepped down and blew a kiss to Karina, followed by a wink to Kennedy - she’d have to stop by and say hello to the woman later - before she arrived at her childe and adopted childe, throwing her arm around her thrall’s shoulder. Chadwick’s reaction was almost immediately to crumple under contact, giving her a dirty look.

Every ignored it briefly to lift a hand in wave to Myk in greeting, studying the other unfamiliar faces as if to recall them later, before she greeted her thrall. “I can’t say I’m surprised with Luca and Cali, but you actually took me at my word, impressive, Setzer.” She grinned, and a roll of the man’s eyes followed as he said, “And you certainly took the appearance of a gangster and ran with it.” She merely shrugged a shoulder, inclining her head towards the other party goers. “Anyone up to mingle? Flynn and Lea should be coming not too much later.” She’d messaged Jayden and Sullivan, Hudson. Whether or not any of them would show, that was their prerogative.

She’d done her work. It was time to have fun.

"I see at least one Worthington family member and an Andras family member that don't hate my guts, so we can start with one of them?"

Sullivan isn’t used to playing dress-up. He isn’t the type of man who takes a dress-code seriously, either. What he does do, however, is take orders from Every. When that woman tells him to jump, he humbly asks her to specify how high and to where, to which she might reply with a request to leap 100 feet off a cliff someplace far away from her. The funny thing is, he might just do it, too. Sullivan has never been rational in regards to romance and neither does he learn lessons the easy way.

Deciding he doesn’t want to let her down, Sullivan manages to pull together a black tuxedo - minus the bowtie. He makes his way to the crypt. A breeze blows through the cooling air, softly rustling the individual blades of grass and leaves on the trees that frame the area. The tomb-like structure that lies before him is frosted with moonlight and cobwebs. He feels his pulse start racing as the gargoyles stare at him, then this voice booms out and demands an answer to a riddle. He mumbles the first word that comes off the top of his head, his throat feels parched, but, it’s enough to satisfy the stony guardians which make a path for him to descend. Sullivan makes a careful journey down the stairs; his way is guided by the flicker of torchlights that cast ominous shadows around the walls.

The cool breeze is replaced by sticky, humid air that smells strongly of earth as he descends. He could sense the alcohol that lingers in the air; a cocktail of wine, spirits, and blood. He almost stumbles over the threshold; shocked by the sudden, drastic change in the atmosphere. People fill the space to its capacity, yet more people trickle in behind him. Even after every two steps that Sullivan takes, he is bumping into another body dressed in only the most expensive clothing. There is a constant buzz in the air as music blasts from the speakers, resonating through the entire space and shaking the walls. Laughter vibrates in every direction as women giggle flirtatiously in response to men’s witty comments. Meanwhile, friends gather to share in the latest gossip. There’s this freak, unconscious thought that twists like a knife in his gut, that they could all be buried alive down here.

Sullivan stands in one spot as people continue to move about him. He glances left and right until he spots a group of familiar faces gathering at the bar. Caligrace reminds him of an exotic bird as she sits there, poised to perfection; her emerald flapper dress, pale skin, and ruby hair is the type of intense plumage that keeps men spellbound. Luca is there too looking dapper as ****. There’s this bookish-looking man that Sully doesn’t recognise, and then there’s Every. She could wear a potato sack and still be the centre of his attention - in the most adoring way possible, of course. Eve’s rocking this gangster-chic look instead and his eyes will linger on the flashes of bare skin for a moment too long every time he’ll look at her tonight without even noticing it. A tense breath escapes him and he wastes no time joining them with a smile.

Upon reaching the bar, Sully sidles up to the vampire of his affections, though makes sure to give her space and not touch her.

“Here’s my people,” he says, jovially. “You all look fine as hell.” His gaze lingers on Eve as he smiles.