Wake the Shadow [Dragomir]

[Cordelia]

"I'll be a bit late," Cordelia said sweetly, "I need to be more appropriately dressed for a rave." As she pulled out the tome Azraeth had given her, she took a deep breath. "Neon's appropriate, right?" Then she was pulled back to the apartment in Beta Towers.

Immediately, she ran around the corner, rifling through her box of dresses and extracting a bright yellow bodycon dress, then a neon yellow-green pair of pumps, lavender earrings, a pink heart pendant, aqua stretch bracelets, and a set of purple-tinted glasses. Within a few moments, she was out of her black jeans and white jacket and into the neon getup. She then made her way back around the corner to the fade portal, which she immediately took, and then hopped the transit to Gullsborough.

With the purple-tinted glasses over her honeyed dragon's eyes, and the myriad neon garb she wore, she looked slightly unusual on the street. But she didn't care. Avoiding the streams of the streetlights, Cordelia made her way to the slums. Where she'd still stick out like a well-dressed sore thumb.

wardrobe

[Nikolae]

Nikolae's newest female childe all but floated into the Temple and he beamed a proud little smile at the girl. He knew she would be unique, a touch of the madness that seemed to be part of all the female Dragon's turned by his wicked black blood. If he were a better man he might feel bad for that. But he was Nikolae Dragomir, and eternity was ill served if lived in regret. He plucked up Yvette's pale hand and dotted a kiss to the top of the appendage.

"Hello, little Dragon. I'm so glad you could make it. Mackinsey so does steal your attention from us," He winked and dropped her hand again gently, patting the basket on the stone alter. "Yes. Flowers. Freshly picked. If you see one you like, it's yours, my dear." He added fondly, a doting smile given to the waif of a woman. Ah, that dragon madness was something he had sorely missed too he realized.

His enigmatic dragon males rarely had that madness. And those that did, it tended to hide itself until they went full on homicidal and got themselves slaughtered on the streets. Messy business that. No, not much fun at all. But Yvette, like his long-slumbering Skuld, has the madness that gave a passerby chills, made mortals sieze up with unknowing horror, and brought warmth to his black Shadow heart.

"Only you would want to bring chains, Raeth. Don't give Enzo any ideas. He doesn't need them, the vagabond." He drawled, eyes twinkling with mirth. Everyone was running off to change, so he looked down at himself assessingly. Eh. It would do. He followed his first-borne out of the place, tilting his head and offering an arm each to the lovely Yvette and Merry, should they be willing to dirty up their current gear. And he had no doubt the endeavor would be messy indeed.

[Merry (DELETED 7994)]

Merry watched the others interact and move around each other, their body language speaking volumes about how they were connected, how they felt towards one another. Each of the Dragomir's within this temple were unique, some of the cooler, unapproachable variety and others that held that dragon's fire, the kind that would burn you if you tried to touch them for too long. It was beautiful to watch and she let herself stare in silence, trying to remember these faces and remember the connections between them all. One thing each had in common was the blood, and she felt a strange draw to them, a desire to know them once more. To be a dragon in earnest. Others left to get ready for the rave, there was much discussion of appropriate clothing and Merry had to wonder what that meant. She simply had no idea what one would wear to a rave, and frankly she wasn't prepared to worry herself over trying to find another outfit. They'd have to take her as she was.

The pale featured waif of a woman who had entered last hovered near the fingers, Nikolae's idea of a gift, the oddness about her both spoke to and yet frightened Merry. There was a quiet, contained way about her that spoke of something more dangerous lurking beneath the surface. The quiet ones were the most likely to go for the throat, in her experience, to tear relentlessly through flesh, muscle and bone until they had nothing left to destroy. Even with that in mind she felt herself moving closer as Nikolae spoke to the woman, accepting his offered arm with a grateful bow of her head. "I think your Enzo, he is naughty da? A cheeky boy?" Her lips curved into a smile, hand patting gently where it rested upon Nikolae's arm. "Will you dance with me, dark Dragon? It has been so long since anyone has danced with me."

[Yvette Marie]

((I hope it's okay if I skip Requiem. I tried to wait for a few days.))

The blonde smiled at Azraeth's introduction. He seemed ready to go, and she was determined not to keep her family waiting any more. As he vanished in the dark, she clapped her hands in delight. Oh, she so loved when people did that. It was like playing a version of supreme hide and seek.

"Hello, little Dragon. I'm so glad you could make it. Mackinsey so does steal your attention from us...Yes. Flowers. Freshly picked. If you see one you like, it's yours, my dear."

Listening to Nikolae's words, Yvette nodded and her eyes lit up with excitement. "I will keep one for after our family outing. Who knows if one of us may need a digestif?" Plucking the smallest finger from the basket, she kissed it and put it into a hidden pocket on her dress. The blood seeped slightly through the cloth, but the pale girl simply smiled serenely and patted her pocket. Mackinsey danced in the air above her head, obviously excited over what the spirit considered being acknowledged. The woman's eyes flitted up toward the ceiling. Putting a finger to her lips, she smiled but shook her head softly, before looking back to those still in the room, and placing her clean hand daintily against her sire's arm. Listening to Merry's words, she smiled at the other woman, before murmuring, "Dancing in moonlight is surely bliss, for we are made of stardust, you and I."

As they moved towards the doors, she pressed a finger delicately against Enzo's hand that was holding the door open for them as a way of thanks, and as a hello. She smiled brightly at him, before turning toward the street. The blonde honestly had no idea what a rave was, but going by the question Merry had asked, it had to be something to do with dancing.

Mackinsey floated nearby, occasionally popping in and out of buildings as they passed them. Thinking of the voices and words she had heard so far, and her new blood kin around her, brought an amused smile across her face. They are just so lovely, and their voices are all like darkness, violins, and honey. I wonder if I can keep- "Mackinsey, no peeking at the people bathing or sleeping. Naughty brother," the blonde said suddenly, distracted from her thoughts as the spirit poked from yet another building with a wide wicked grin. However, at her words, he moved slowly toward her, before hovering above the street nearby with a frown sliding across his face. The girl stared at him, sighing, and then shook her head, using her free hand to make a shooing motion. She didn't want him to distract her while she was having such a nice time.

As the group moved down the dark street, and closer to their destination, she began to see the lights and hear the beat, just as Azraeth had said. The beat sank down deep in her, and she began walking in time to it, humming as she went. She was looking forward to dancing now as well. Perhaps one of my lovely new brothers would care to join me in a dance. Or at least show me how to dance to this lovely beat. And maybe we can enjoy the music before the massacre. Before the masks are already slid into place. Randomly, her eyes lost their focus again, and she placed her free hand against her head, smearing blood across her cheek "They are all excited around us, feeding from us in their desire to live again. Are we alive, or are we pretty puppets on strings? No matter, no matter. We dance to the music given."

Yvette smiled dreamily as she brought her eyes back into focus, turning them to Nikolae. "Is it true that eyes are mirrors to the soul? If so, I'd like to take them. Not yours, of course. They much prefer staying in your head, and they do sit so lovely there," she said to him, before peering around him to look at Merry with a soft smile still curving her lips. "Yours belong with you as well. I wouldn't want to take your eyes. They make your lovely face complete." She turned her head back to the road ahead, going back to her soft humming.

[Requiem (DELETED 7830)]

(sorry had no Net for almost two weeks am back now) as, usual she came in late she wasn't much in a hurry to do some partying, she wasn't much of a party girl, and she had on the same outfit earlier such as her hooded robe coat like with black pants and top. Her hood covered most of her face except for those red slit eyes which to those who look upon her may feel intimidated.

[Azraeth]

"A little recreational bondage never hurt, sire-mine." He said briefly , but the words were there and gone, just like Az. Time marched along quickly, bringing with it flashes of faces. The night was a hungry beast, and the euphoric, emphatic energy of partygoers was its food of choice. The darkness could feast forever on a good party.

And so the street marched on around them, an endless urban path into the concrete jungle. They cut quite the appearance, the whole group of them moving over the sidewalk like some sort of demented circus troupe. And maybe they were freaks, given to insanity, with eyes that made it so they never quite fit into the human world or amongst other vampires. That was the secret burden of the Dragomir. Being 'different' was rarely a good thing. Because people ostracized anything different. Or strange. Or unique. As if by daring to fall outside of the norm, divisive lines were drawn in the sand. Only by going quiet had the Dragomir been able to find peace. By taking to the darkness, by keeping their own countenance, they had finally been able to extricate them from the early 'politics' which had been Harper Rock's supernatural community. But, in the paraphrased words of Benjamin Franklin, even peace could have too high a price. By acquiescing, and showing complacency, Harper Rock had lost much of the spark which had made it entertaining.

So many vampires were cookie cutter creatures who seemed to think that blending in with humanity equated to being painfully boring. And then there were those who enforced the 'rules'. Constantly tryingi to sell themselves as badass rebels, when the truth was that they had for years been the police, the fuzz, the 'man'. Don't build an institution unless you're willing to deal with the flak that goes with it.

What was the point of 'power' anyway? Az relished his bloodline. He needed the Dragons to feel truly at home, and alive. That was all the influence he needed to feel content with the world, as evidenced by the toothy smile he wore as the ground itself rumbled under him. The music was loud, and it was low. They were nearing. It was like a rising crescendo. Like that moment in the movie where you know it's about to hit the climax. But all of that came down to proximity. They got closer and so the sound had less distance to travel to get to them. He padded along while the others stepped behind him. They arrived at the rave itself only a moment later. Held in one of the abandoned factories, it was impossible to miss. The number of humans in Harper Rock had been gradually decreasing since vampires had risen from the Shadow Realm. Business owners had relocated. People had sold property. Initially, it had related to the government's tight lipped approach to the Quarantine Zone, but the rise in violent crime was slowly turning Harper Rock into an inhospitable host.

How long until it was a ghost town?

And they were about to make the problem worse, weren't they?

At one point, Az might have felt bad about that. Because vampires were essentially bound to the city. They could leave, but if they died elsewhere in the world, they would be unable to return. Thus, it seemed most economical not to draw attention. Didn't want to get nuked of off the face of the planet for being monsters, right? Except he knew that wasn't the only option. Only a few months before, he had been able to perform a ritual which had minutely opened the rift. What had that proven? That the rift could be blasted wide ******* open with the right use of resources. They weren't damned to a single one horse town. They could spread. They could thrive. It was just a matter of time. Waiting. Endless waiting for the rest of the vampiric community to catch up with the way his mind worked. For the rest of them to see the potential and push against the boundaries of what they knew and understood.

He didn't hold his breath.

But he also refused to let a bunch of half-formed assumptions dictate how he was going to live out his vampirism.

And so when they arrived, he reached into his bag to toss some of the chains and padlocks to Enzo. "Ladies and gents, make your way inside. Dance. Drink. Have fun. Enzo and I will lock up behind you. Make sure not a single soul escapes. Wouldn't want any witnesses, now would we?" He asked before he gestured for them all to enter. The good thing about a factory? Not a ton of open entrances. Many of them had been welded shut just before the place shut down. Which meant that they had a wide open area to play in. Only once everyone had made their way inside did he turn to close the entryway behind him. Chains came out next, which he wrapped into place to ensure the door was secure. A padlock clunked to seal the deal, and he pocketed the key. Then he went about looking for the rest. The other Dragomir could enjoy the music. Or the people. Or whatever. He was used to making sure all the 't's' were crossed and 'I's' dotted.

A crime was only a crime if the person got caught wasn't it? There were probably two or three dozen of them. All young. Between the ages of about twenty and forty. Their bodies moved like someone had taken a livewire and touched it to water covered floor. The atmosphere was electric. Time to let down the walls. Time for a little bit of real fun and revelry in the darkness.

[Enzo Dragomir]

He looked up at the building, his arms linked with Merry on one side and Yvette on the other. A wide smile transformed the stark lines of his face into something fallen and beautiful. He began to hum Iggy Pop's "Sunday" under his breath as he swung the ladies into a grand sweeping dance toward the door and then set them down laughing, turning to Az as he shook out their failsafe. Enzo took the chains handed to him, tipping two fingers to his forehead, clicking his heels in a happy salute. Laughing he reached down and took Az's face between his hands, kissing his mouth with European exuberance before shoving off and walking down the sidewalk to secure the back doors. His brother was his grounding stone, his well of information. There was nothing Enzo was not allowed to ask, to question... and for the Allurist that was a gift beyond measure. He wanted to know everything..

Had he been able to read minds he would have been stunned to realize how closely his thoughts mimicked his brothers. To him the vampires of Harpers Rock had become utilitarian, as dead on the inside as the outside. Going through the motions too stuck in their ruts to just let go of this life.. it was obvious this gift had become wasted on many. The nights sparkled for him like a Hollywood opening filled with every A list star they could cram in, booty calls and gift baskets for all!

If every A list star was named Dragomir. He brought up each of their faces in his minds eye and there wasn't one that didn't have a spark, a "Please sit the **** down and do as I tell you" verve that commanded attention... he understood why there was a time they had fell into torpor, into silence... but he was watching every night the vampiric hold in the city begin to crumble, lose ground because no one had the balls to actually be what they said they were. Acts and posturing.

Sometimes it took a great shake from the ground to topple the scrapers in the sky... and this newest batch of fledglings... were most definitely tectonic plates waiting to happen. He wasn't even close to being a man of modesty, humility was for cowards and liars. Enzo was blazing through this city, from his physical strength to his business dealings and fortunes. His nature wouldn't allow him not to make contacts, alliances, but he was not a fool and new with that came enemies... some inherited and some because he was a god damned asshole.

Laughing now he slipped into the back door, knocking over a young couple franticly tearing each others clothes off, oblivious to their viewer. He looked down for a moment then stepped around them and chained the doors closed. The pair were so high on X it was no mystery their rutting wasn't interrupted for anyone... He looked around what had once been a back lot for truck deliveries and then hauled the man up by the scruff of his neck, bashing his head into the concrete wall while putting his booted foot on the shocked girls throat, holding her silent and still while his mouth yawned open and practically fell on the generation dead's throat. Hot bursts of blood hit the back of his tongue as he swallowed greedily, the frantic thrashing of the girl was ignorable while he took what was his. He kept his gaze half open, watching the doors to make sure they were not interrupted and after squeezing his arms around his prey, pushing every bit of liquid into himself he then threw the body carelessly over to the corner. The body made a splatting sound as bones crushed against stone and it slid down slowly to pool in a limp pile... nothing more than rat food now.

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand he looked down at the girl pressed under his foot. She was a pretty thing, half naked and glistening with her mingled passions. Her flesh was firm and tan, hair so blonde it was white in the moonlight. The plump little lips began to work as if wanting to plead, to talk, anything to him and that amused him. There was nothing she could say that he wanted to hear. Reaching down he picked her up by the throat until her toes were just barely touching the floor, her hands grasping his for purchase, tears beginning to spill from dark lashes. Enzo carried her to the corner where her got himself dead mate lay already stinking up the place. He smiled once and then tore her throat out with just as much care as his first victim had received... none.

When his thirst was finally sated for the moment he again cleaned his face and then strolled with the beat of the music toward the doors leading to the rave... and his family. His perfect and horrible family...

"Daddy!" he boomed as he rounded up behind Nikolae, grabbing a couple of girls from beside them into a grind in time to the **** they called music. His eyes took in his surroundings, making sure all of the Dragonesses were safe and enjoying before losing himself in this dead mans party.

Who could ask for more?

[Requiem (DELETED 7830)]

She decided it was best for her to leave.. all these people knowing each other like it was a normal thing, she's been around longer than the recent ones and she felt a little left out on things. Oh well. she thought to herself, it was better this way anyway. Time to go on the prowl once again maybe go, shoot up some gangs in the land of gang slums. She turned around and headed out the opposite direction.

(Sorry guys I can't compete with all the long-winded writers. )

[Cordelia]

The thumping beat of the music pulsed through Cordelia as she slid inside, winking at her sire before she melted into the crowd, immediately taking the chance to dance with a lavender-haired girl, losing herself to the music. The play of lights made it difficult to tell that she didn't have a shadow of her own, and her sunglasses hid her Dragomir eyes.

The way she moved, though, it drew attention to her. A little preternaturally graceful, just a hint too easily. Dark hair swaying, arms raised.

Waiting for a signal to get started.

So what if I'm crazy? All the best people are, she thought.

[Merry (DELETED 7994)]

Merry looked around in amazement as she was ushered inside, one arm holding Niko, the other Enzo. That is until the latter decided it would be more fun to send her spinning into the humans. The sound of protest died in her throat, he and Azraeth were apparently busy locking up. Locking up, locking them in. A swell of panic began to rise within Merry, she'd wanted to dance, to laugh, and to hide amongst her fellow vampires but here she was in a sea of writhing human bodies. Why was she not running? Getting out before they barred the doors? Perhaps it was because somewhere deep inside, some dark place she tried to contain a voice was calling out saying, "Do it. Lock them in." Since her return she'd felt the pull of the shadows, it might have been because her Perry, her sire and so much more was hiding amongst them. It also meant that her curiosity, her attraction to the things that frightened her was harder to control. She wanted to tear, to bite, to see the blood pool and spill.

It horrified her, utterly, and yet...

Her hips found the music, against her better judgement, and she began to sway. Her hands reached up to free her dark hair from the ties that bound it, letting it fall down over her shoulders, the familiar a weight a comforting embrace across her bare skin. Easing her way back through the crowd she spotted Cordelia, then Yvette and Niko, trying to decide who best to get close to. She had told the dark haired sire of the lineage that he must dance with her and so it was to him she moved, arms opening, reaching for him. "Come, dance with me Nikolae?"