Group 2- Black Thursday

[Kaelyn]

Nexus had closed an hour ago. Kaelyn had just finished her nightly cleaning, picking up empty beer bottles, clearing glasses, etc. Her job was done and it was time to go home. She enjoyed her walks home. While she could tome, most of the time she preferred to take her time, take in the sights of the late night. It probably wasn't the safest thing in the world for a 17 yr old to be doing, but she enjoyed it and unless another vampire or some creature came after her, she'd be able to handle herself.

Tonight was different than most nights though. It was beyond windy, it was almost scary. She had never seen it like this before. Clutching her coat tighter around her, she continued on her way down the road. She was stubborn and refused to take the easy way home. She continued on even after a small branch flew past, grazing her cheek, cutting into it. She hissed as a hand came up, wiping at the lash. This was becoing too much. A new decision had her heading to the Gullsborough transit to at least get out of the storm. At least she'd still be able to people watch.

Kaelyn never made it to the transit though. Only a couple blocks away and the ground began to shake, large branches began to snap from trees. Car horns were blaring all around her. Even the sidewalk was starting to crack. She needed to find somewhere safe and quick. The closest building happened to be the Dragomir Temple. Yanking the doors open, she flew inside, pulling them shut fast behind her. Pews had shifted from their spots, some even tipped over. She made her way to the back wall, trying to find a safe place to rest til she could get home. It was then that she realized her purse was still at work. She didn't have her tome. There was no way she could get back to the house in this weather.

[Nimue]

Nodding to herself in satisfaction, the young woman and newly turned vampire closed the hood of the car gently. All around her other cars were skidding off the road in the icy rain and wet snow or stalling out like her rental just had. Growing up with a gang of cousins that owned an auto chop shop had had it's advantages however. Aine knew her way around a car engine. She was gifted when it came to anything mechanical. Getting back into the driver's seat, the young woman almost smiled when the engine turned over but she hadn't had any doubts that it would.

Watching the other traffic, as sparse as it had become, the girl carefully steered the car the rest of the way off of the bridge. She took it slow and kept a cool head despite the raging storm around her. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before. Her recent adventure in Egypt suddenly seemed like a lifetime ago. And after what had seemed like miles to her but was only a few blocks, the woman came to Thornside Station and was able to pull into the parking lot.

Finding a spot that seemed as safe as any place, Aine parked the rental car and then simply walked away from it. She hoped it would be alright but as far as taking any more responsibility for a vehicle she didn't own, she had done as much as she cared enough to. Uncle Jeff would have given her a pass. It was an import anyway.

The wind was freezing cold, and the snow becoming smaller and harder pellets. the icy rain more ice than rain. The temperature was still dropping fast. The river was still close enough to where the girl was that she could hear the sudden loud cracks of that began the chain of sounds unlike any Aine had heard before. She might have traveled the world growing up but this was her first earthquake.

Startled, she got down into a crouching position, as if to fight something that wasn't there, while trying to keep her balance on the sidewalk that was more like a sheet of ice. A few blocks away, she watched as the part of the bridge that she could still see shook and vanished. The same bridge she had just been on.

"Well, ****." Was all Aine said as she looked around wondering what to do. She couldn't stay there playing crouching tiger all night. Being new to town, and only knowing one other person, the girl considered going back to West University, where she took classes as well as had a part time job. The map off Harper Rock was still where she had first found it, in the glove box of the rental car. Aine hadn't even considered stealing it.

Unsure that she could find another way over the river and back to the south side of town, the fledgling started trying to find her bearings and just pick a direction to go in. The parking lot seemed like the best idea. Going back to a wide open space where the chances of a building falling on her were more remote.

She was getting rattled. She admitted it. The sounds of alarms, sirens, breaking glass, and screams all blended in with the howl of the wind and something else, something the young vampire couldn't really 'hear' so much as feel. Something moving below the earth. It made her feel gut sick somehow. Sick, and terrified.

Being it was her first earthquake, Aine didn't know if that was normal or not but something terrifying was under her feet and despite being pretty sure going inside a building wasn't the best option? She found herself inside the Dragomir Temple before she even realized she had touched the doorknob.

[Nirvana (DELETED 5978)]

Who knew that such shitty weather could hit a city all in one night. The news said it was going to be cold, snow – the usual for a Canadian town really. Especially for Nirvana who had lived here her entire life. Though, she had always had a feeling in the gut of her stomach that something was off with the place, less people around in the day – more activity at night, but not that many clubs. Loads of people used the gym in the night too. More so than people in the day. It just didn’t sit well with her, well – until she met Micah. Everything made sense then. She knew about the secrets about vampires.. He had opened up her eyes the secrets of the place. How naïve she had been.

Nirvana had been in the shop. She was selling off a few zombie ears she had acquired, about seventy or so. She needed the money to pay for the contraband blood. She fed of that daily. She knew about Micah’s faction, she knew about the rules of ‘don’t get caught’ so she cautious, spending her wages wisely. As she leant over the counter handing the shopkeeper a blue, velvet bag of soggy ears he handed her about $350, or near enough. She ended up giving him $200 back. The blood was so expensive but it beat getting caught, she’d have to deal.

That was when the first tremor started. It was a slight shake, and it made her question if she was dizzy but then it came again this time with a little more force. She whipped her head to the shopkeeper who was gripping a few jars making sure they didn’t smash. “You feeling this?” She asked him, as he nodded his head vigorously. Her chocolate looked back out at the streets as the cracks began to form against the pavement. The shaking became heavier. The killer whimpered as she began to walk. She had to get to the dwelling, the key Micah gave her was now firmly gripped in her hand as she tried to head quickly for the sewer grate that would lead her down to the dwellings. Finding the nearest entrance to the sewers she pulled open the grate as the water tickled at her converse boots. The banks of the river had broken and were overflowing into the streets, better yet into the sewers; there was no way now she could get herself into the dwelling. She huffed and turned on her heel. The water was still sloshing against her shoes. Another vigorous shake happened and she knew that had to be the aftershock, or another earthquake.

That was when an electric pole fell, the generator fell into the water causing a spark, and the wires broke against the impact of the concrete. The water was eating away at the electrical wiring, causing the sparks to dance a top the water’s surface. She knew she had to get away from the sparks, the water – it wasn’t safe. Especially if she managed to get herself electrocuted. Micah would not be happy with her.

Another collapsing electrical pole had her skittering in the opposite direction, the sound of screaming and a mixture of crying people were dulled out by the adrenaline and need for shelter. She didn’t even realise she had been pushed into the direction of Dragomir Temple. Her pale hands curled around the handles and she thrust them open, she didn’t even acknowledge the two people in there who had claimed sanctuary. No, she was looking for sandbags. She needed something to stop the water from entering the temple. Anything that could help. Nirvana dove to the right and grabbed one of the pews, and began to drag it over to the door with her killer like strength. She didn’t even get it all the way across the door before someone else came bursting through the doors. She waited until they were in fully before she dragged it fully in front of the door. She dusted her hands down, and against her black leggings. She wore a black and pink vest top with the nike logo just above the breast. Nirvana had planned to go to Sully’s Gym to do her evening shift there before any of this kicked off.

[Amalea]

There was a certain appeal to living in a city that never slept. Where once the sun went down and the moon rose, the real fun and mystery of the city began. It was still amusing to the red-headed female that most of the city’s mortal population was unaware that they were surrounded by immortal children of the night. She knew some humans knew of their existence with there being a divide between those that sought to destroy them and those, like herself, that worked alongside them. It seemed as though it had only been yesterday when she had presented her application to Amaranthia; in reality, it had been nearly three and a half years since that fateful day. While she had known of the existence of vampires prior, thanks to her father’s journals, the woman had been the first one she’d actually, knowing, met. Amalea was incredibly grateful that she had gotten the job.

As a Blood Doll, there was never a dull moment and one met some very interesting characters. Having a position that allowed her to naturally interact with vampires was beneficial to her pursuit to not only learn more about them, but to also aid them in keeping their existence hidden. In truth, she got along far better with the fanged creatures than she did with other mortals. It had been an initially surprising revelation, though once the woman had thought about it, it made much more sense. A soft sad smile tugged at her lips as she recalled the first real vampire she’d met, unknowingly at the time. The emerald-haired bartender had caught her attention the first time she had ventured into The Necro, with Ruby, for a round of drinks. The drinks and Ruby’s company had been wonderful, but it was the bartender that kept her in the establishment far longer than she intended. She had even surprised herself in agreeing to go back to the woman’s apartment, though it was a decision she’d never regretted, even to this day, despite everything. Reyna occupied a very special place in her heart and thoughts; nothing would be able to change that.

The red-head swept her gaze over the main area of The Dungeon. She had many fond memories involving the woman that took place here, but she gently pushed those to the back of her mind until later. It was getting easier to do so nowadays, though it wasn’t something she particularly enjoyed given it only delayed the inevitable flood that was sure to come later. For now, though, she wrung the extra water from her cloth, using it to wipe down the ritual altar. Satisfied that stone was clean, as was everything else, she returned the cloth to her bucket and went to empty and clean both. It had been a bit weird at first for the young woman to transition into working in The Dungeon full-time, essentially giving up her position as a Blood Doll, but now, she enjoyed it. On the rare night, when it was slow down here, she’d still wander up to The Necro proper and help out or just greet the various patrons.

Tonight, though, it had been slower than normal, which wasn’t entirely surprising given the forecast. The threat of snow storms typically meant that the majority of the human population stayed nestled in their homes unless they absolutely had to wander out. Grabbing her coat, she climbed the stairs, slipping into the bar, unsurprised that the patrons had further thinned out since her last check. While they were immune to the elements for the most part, even the immortals weren’t all huge fans of crappy weather. A few moments were spent chatting with a couple regulars before she headed out into the night.

The stinging wind was the first thing the woman noticed as she closed the door behind her as it refused to do so on its own. The second was the sound of limbs snapping off trees and landing with a resounding ‘thud’ on whatever was unlucky to be beneath them. For a moment, she debated heading back inside, shrugging off the thought as the transit was only a couple blocks north and her apartment building was right beside her destination station. It wouldn’t be too long before she’d be tucked safely into her apartment for the night. She knew she could just as easily call upon one of her powers to get there sooner, but there were too many prying eyes still out and about to do so safely, so she walked. The wind whipped her hair around as she carefully stepped around the fallen limbs, mindful to keep away from any trees along her path.

A mere half block from the transit, a string of choice words flew out of her mouth as she surveyed the down electrical pole blocking the road. Knowing that even if she could find a way past, the station likely didn’t have power, she turned back, heading towards the river and the path that led home. She stepped carefully as ground was quite icy and the falling snow was making it hard to tell where the patches of the slick substance lay. After only another half-block, she heard a sound that made her pause in her tracks. The sound of rushing water was unmistakable, particularly to a woman who enjoyed listening to the river, but this was different. It sounded angry and much closer than it had any business being, given the river was still easily seven blocks south. With a soft curse, she decided against approaching the river and instead headed east towards where she knew Dragomir Temple stood. It was typically empty and would be a good place to tap into her powers, particularly since it was seeming as though that’d be the only sensible way home.

Crossing the portion of Thornside Park nearest the building, she noted that the ground seemed much softer and soggier than it should for this time of year. Silently she hoped neither the lake nor river had flooded. As if in reply, the ground beneath the female began to shake and tremble. Looking around quickly, she noted no one in the area, ruling out a vampire, unless they were hidden, though she very much doubted that at the moment. Even more cautiously, though at a much faster pace, she approached the side of the building. Keeping close to the wall as to take advantage of the overhang and the tiniest shred of protection it offered, she quickly followed it to the front of the structure as another tremor shook the area. The sheer amount of water lingering just out of reach of the door indicated that the river had indeed flooded.

Yanking the door open, she skittered inside, dodging around the woman with the pew as the door slammed shut thanks to the ever shifting winds. She didn’t even pause to wonder what the woman was doing as she passed. Once she was safely inside the Temple, she stopped. A quick glance told her that things inside the Temple had gotten shook up in the set of tremors that had just passed through, though nowhere near as bad as it was outside. Pews had shifted and tipped over, but there didn’t seem to be any major structural damage, which was a good sign. Aside from the woman at the door, she counted two others. Wonderful, she was barricaded into a building with a trio of females she didn’t know and with her luck, were most likely vampires. Silently, she thanked the gods that she had been gifted a Bane not too long ago, so ending up as dinner wouldn’t be on tonight’s menu.

Warily, she eyed the others, as she wandered closer to the back wall, trying to put some distance between herself and the door. She didn’t fancy getting soaked if the flood waters decided to come visiting. It also seemed as though the rear of the structure had sustained less damage in the tremors, making it a bit more of an ideal location as she suspected there was still more to come.

[Kaelyn]

Kaelyn watched as three other people made their way into the temple for what looked to be the same reasons she had; to escape the crappy weather outside. It was a bit alarming to see the one female grabbing the pews to shove against the door, barricading them in. Why was she doing this? The logistics of whatever she was doing didn't quite play through her mind. She kept her distance from all of them in the back corner, trying to keep her eye on all of them. She didn't recognize any of the ladies and therefore did not trust them.

As the one woman walked towards the back of the temple where she sat, she pulled herself further against the wall. The terror from the storm and the strangers gathering around had her anxiety soaring on high alert. She wanted nothing more than to get back home to Jesse, Ishaq or even Victor at the moment, even if they weren't on the greatest terms. Thoughts of them flooded her mind and she started to worry how they were doing in the storm. She was sure they were all safe and sound, all able to take care of themselves. She needed to clear her head and focus, worry about herself and her surroundings for the time being.

Taking a few breaths to steady her nerves, she began to calm down a little bit. Removing herself from the stairs she had found herself crouching on, she moved closer to the center of the room, looking at each of the women there, assessing them and their actions a bit. One was full of action, blocking up the door in attempts to prevent something from happening...what, she wasn't sure. The other two looked a bit panicked. One had even secluded herself in the back closest to where it had seemed safe, just as she had moments before.

She spoke up to the three of them, attempting to get each of their attention. Maybe one of them had answers. "What just happened? Was that an earthquake? If so there will probably be aftershocks." Discovery Channel at its best. She had picked up a thing or two during her stay in the hospital. Boredom had her watching a lot of documentaries and what not. "I've never felt an earthquake here in Harper Rock before." She had been here all 17 years of her existence and it was true...not one earthquake. This was something completely new for her.

[Nimue]

When Aine had first come inside, she had no idea what kind of building she had entered into, There was another woman towards the back of what seemed to be a church but the place otherwise had at least appeared to be empty. But it didn't stay that way. Soon there were two more women seeking shelter in the house of... God?

Aine had wandered towards the back as the one woman tried to move around some pews, as it that would keep the storm out or the earth from moving. There were some... interesting things around the altar. Whatever deity was being worshipped in this temple, Aine was certain it wasn't God.

Not that the newly turned vampire cared. She wasn't religious. Unless one counted her devotion to her two great loves, Archeology and Oceanography. Harper Rock was new to the University Student, she had only been in town a few months after having spent the past year on a dig in Egypt.

Still new to being a vampire, still new to town, new to earthquakes and what else was new? The young woman grunted a bit and looked around the floor for anything useful, trying to ignore the fact that one of the other survivors inside the room with her was a human. And Aine hadn't fed yet.

The original occupant of their shared shelter spoke and Aine stood up straight, giving up on searching the debris and stepped over towards the blonde. "If that wasn't an earthquake? I sure the hell don't want to ever be in one. Hi. I'm Nimue."