(Side Story: Exposed!) Out Of The Coffin

[Kaspar]

((Recommended posting limit is between 500 - 600 words, you are welcome to go over but we would ideally like this to be a well paced thread. We will try to stick to a posting order but it is not strictly enforced, if a person has not posted for 48 hours they may be skipped. Everyone who might be interested is encouraged to join, the hope is that this may lead to further threads putting into actions plans discussed. If you want to be involved but aren't sure of a reason your character may have popped by the studio please feel free to PM me. This is very much open to people wanting to branch out, get involved in the side story but unsure of how to!))

-When the news broke…-


A laptop sat open on the closed lid of his piano, Kaspar’s elbows resting atop the covered keys as he watched the faces on the screen, listened to the rapidly spoken German. His mother’s worry, his father’s slurred remarks, Kit’s airy condescension and dismissals. His twin brother Klaus was stonily quiet, his arms folded across his chest as he sat at their mother’s side, glaring at the section of the screen that no doubt contained Nik and Kit. His father and sister were often known to team up on dividing issues, and this one was no different. A weariness tugged at Kaspar, the temptation to silence their bickering with a simple click of a button was overwhelming but it wouldn’t solve much.

This felt like coming out.

He never really had, not in some dramatic announcement as he never felt the need to. It felt natural to be open to affection regardless of gender, to just want to know people for who they were and not what. In a way it was relevant to the current issue, and pondering it helped tune out his family discussing him; how important was it WHAT you were? For some, very, there were those who had been turned that could not control their blood lust or had simply not been taught better and then there were people… No, not people, monsters. Psychopathic monsters who should an utter disregard for life and for the rights of others. They were a challenge to deal with when secrecy was in place, though fragile, what would they be like now?

A sharp reprimand caught his attention, his brother silencing the others with two words.

Klaus was for the most part a quieter presence, he wasn’t shy or reserved by any means but he chose well when to speak and what words to use, so when he did use a commanding tone it made you shut up and listen. Kaspar had missed the reason, words followed but he hadn’t managed to take them in. “Kaspar… What happens now?” He repeated, a genuine note of curiosity to his tone. “What do you DO now?”

Ah, it was a good question, one he’d considered over and over.

“What do I do?” Kaspar replied, pausing to study each grainy face on the screen, the video calls were always patchy at best no matter how good your technology. “I don’t know, but I think i’ll need a little help from my friends… Or anyone. It’s a decision I can not make alone.”

-Later that week...-

The Morningstar Inc studio was set up for guests, chairs and the couches arranged in a circular grouping for those who chose to show up and a table laden with a variety of drinks and treats. Many had been contacted and invited to come and speak about the fall of the masquerade, he’d sent emails and sms’s, called those who he was close to or went to visit them. Kaspar had even invited a few he did not know so well, he’d expressed interest in the Syndicate of Novitious or those he may have met only briefly that had given him a glimpse of hope. The secret was well and truly out, now it was time to figure out how they approached the subject. Hide away and continue to pretend, or face it and go for damage control?

For him it felt like there were two options; Kaspar could go on as he had, passing as human and perhaps try to show his support of the community before eventually coming out himself OR announce it, let it be known before it was found out through others means. There was the potential for chaos, for grand scale war and negative reactions. Hunting parties, all fire and pitchforks, wouldn’t be beyond reason. Perhaps there was some way to soften the blow, good media and PR had done wonders for celebrities who’d make mistakes, why not them? Sure it was an extreme, but perhaps not impossible to glamour over with a bit of that media magic.

Without the opinions of some of his peers, both human and vampiric, Kaspar did not know how he could possibly make an informed decision, too much of it hinged on their cooperation.

What do we do now? It was a good question, and he was really hoping that tonight it would be answered.

[Skoll]

The end table was awash in a pale, circular light. The illumination from the artist's lamp cast a dull halo against the dark varnish of the tabletop, the matte black of its surface briefly marbled with veins of gold. The light pooled across the carpet like a jar of overturned honey; fingers of butter pale light creeping throughout the apartment as the night deepened. It spilled over the pages of a sketchbook whose pages were bound in place with an eastle clip. The drawing that graced the center of the page was barely more than a concept sketch. It was intended for an abandoned water tower on the outskirts of the city; a rusted ruin, the once-white paint flecked with streaks of rust that had, perhaps fittingly, darkened to an unsettling shade closer to dried blood.

The faint lines of graphite across the page depicted the vague suggestion of a city skyline, darkly shaded in. In the foreground stood a wolf; fur light, somewhere between gold and cream. It clutched the body of a wine glass between its jaws, lips curled back with the effort to contain it. The liquid inside had grown cloudy with age; milky in appearance due to the scarred glass. A rag extended from the bottle, the end limp and burning brightly. The light around the canine seemed to leach away; shadows pooling around its paws, so that its eyes sparked like embers in the gloom. Further back, towards the skyline, it was hard to tell whether the glimmer was the glow of city lights or the predatory sheen of eyes. Some would call it vandalism. Certainly not sanctioned by the city.

For Skoll, it was a calling card. He'd spent the better part of the evening hunched in his chair, frowning in concentration as he attempted to visualize the piece on a larger, grander scale. The atonal ringing of a Skype call drew him from his thoughts. He started, biting back a curse. His gaze fell to the screen of his phone before he rose from the table, hurrying towards the open laptop, left abandoned in his living room.

"There you are." The smile in the words manifested long before the grainy image did. Aris. She was a vision in the low light; dark curls cascading over her shoulders. "Is it late?" She asked, tone suddenly fretful. The difference in time was slight - roughly four hours - but it meant that the pair often missed each other, often resorting to silly, lighthearted voicemails. "No! No. Not very." The look she shot him was playfully skeptical. "Your mother asked me to call," she began. "She says you haven't been returning her calls...? Sæti. What is going on?" "I --" he began, frowning as a popup flashed briefly on his screen, announcing the arrival of an unread e-mail.

He hovered over the popup for a moment, before double clicking mechanically. ‹"Nothing. Just work. I'm having to extend my contract longer than I thought. That's all." "But the news..." He flinched. Of course. "Everything is fine," he repeated, eyes scanning the e-mail. He gave his head a slight shake of exasperation. "Okay," Aris said, tone taking on that soft, overly neutral tone she adopted when she hadn't entirely abandoned a subject. "I got your anniversary present today," she said, voice suddenly shy. "Did you? Do you like i--****!" He hissed. "I have to...I'm sorry. I'll call you back."

He shut the laptop lid with palpable reluctance.


He arrived at the studio inside of twenty minutes, shoving through the doors with an unamused scowl. "Was it necessary to do this tonight?" he demanded, even as he dropped into a nearby chair.

[Kaspar]

Kaspar hovered by the refreshments table, picking up a biscuit which he bit into, taking his time to eat it as if this were sufficient distraction from his thoughts and concerns. Skoll burst through the door mid-chew, looking particularly agitated and sounding that way too. He chewed thoroughly before deciding to reply, weighing up his answer. "I tried calling you, and I sent you the email days ago. This is not completely last minute, and you do not have to be here Skoll. It was not a requirement, but i'm glad you did decide to come" He studied him a moment, popping the last bit of biscuit into his mouth. Skoll was unusually agitated, not his normal brand of laid back snark or cutting wit, his scowl leaning towards a more genuine annoyance than his usual sullen set of features.

"Why? What is wrong? I've interrupted your evening..." It was more of a guess then anything else, the man draping his tall frame into a seat beside the man he often referred to as his little brother, primarily to stir him up. "Forgive me, but this is important and I feel we need a better understanding of how others are feeling. I'm in a position that I COULD potentially reach more people than the average vampire, and present us in a more positive light but i'm not sure if that is right or wrong. We need to have caution, perhaps keep ourselves veiled but find a way to create some sort of campaign, a project. There are so many questions, so many ways we could go but I do not think I can just sit in silence and watch. There are horrible rumours and discussions of plans to segregate, eradicate and assimilate. We've all seen what can come of that." His expression was firm, standing once more to take up his casual pacing while he waited for others to join and Skoll to tell him he was being foolish.

[Adley Reed]

[Wearing]

Adley’s opinion on secrecy – or the lack thereof – wasn’t fully formed. When he’d first been turned he’d had too much on his plate to really contemplate whether he’d like for humanity to know of his existence or not. And as a human, he hadn’t been blissfully ignorant. He’d known exactly what the city’s underbelly produced, he knew exactly who and what lurked in the darkness. Even thinking back to how he might have felt as an ignorant human upon learning that vampires existed… well, he couldn’t really remember how he’d felt when he first found out, and he couldn’t imagine himself as a human without knowledge.

What did he want now, though? Now that they knew. The first face that popped into his head was Indigo’s. Through everything that had happened, she was the one still by his side, day and night. And despite how he might care for others… well, one other, Indigo was his first priority. He needed her to be safe. And he wanted Kaspar to be safe, too, though given their conversation the night before he realised that it was going to be a lot harder on Kaspar than it was on Adley. Adley didn’t have fans, and he didn’t have a family he’d have to come out to.

There was no one else that he’d go to for advice. His sire had disappeared and though Zodiac, his sire’s sire, had expressed minimal concern recently, Adley had ignored it. It was all well and good for her to be concerned when she wanted to be, when it suited her, but where had she been when Adley had been lost and, frankly, frightened? She’d answered his questions, but he’d needed more than that. He’d found his own feet, and though Kaspar himself might also be seeking advice, Adley would prefer to work with his friend and confidante than with some woman he didn’t know and couldn’t really trust.

Kaspar had requested that Adley come to the studio for the meeting; he hadn’t mentioned it having anything to do with the faction. Adley assumed he was going to meet with a bunch of people that Kaspar was familiar with. Perhaps his extended vampiric family. Regardless of the serious matter at hand, Adley thought it would be ample opportunity to meet new people. He sent out a couple of text messages of his own, inviting others that he knew to attend; others that he could grow to care for, given the time. If they came, they came. If they didn’t, they didn’t. He also texted Indigo to remind her where she was, the invitation given to her face to face the night before, when he’d got home.

Adley shoved his phone into his back pocket as he sauntered into the studio; as soon as he spotted Kaspar he meandered over, curiously glancing at the snacks and treats on the table but soon dismissing them as inedible.

”Kas,” he greeted with a nod, before assessing the man beside him.

”Skoll, right?” he said, nodding in greeting to the other man as he dropped into a chair nearby.

[Aaron Hunter]

Peace, love, and harmony: an excellent trio of ideals to help the world run more smoothly. As Aaron Hunter eagerly read the local newspaper headlines, he recalled an incident during a science class back in high school when the teacher asked the students what made the world go round. Apparently, the official answer was something to do with the gravitational pull of the Sun, but the carefree young punk preferred the answer offered up by a liberal-minded grunge kid named Jo, who claimed that love made the world go round.

The problem with a utopian society where everyone gets along like one big happy family, is that it would only take one person to disagree with the regime, one rotten apple in the cart, and the whole system could collapse like a house of cards.

Aaron placed the ruffled newspaper down on the glass table in front of him, stretching his arms high behind his head to crack his knuckles while releasing a sigh laced with confusion and apprehension. He clicked his tongue against the back of his pristine, white teeth, contemplating the coming days and weeks. For a vampire, the newspaper stories made for what could only be described as utterly captivating reading. The word was out; the humans finally knew the truth, the truth that vampires existed.

Realistically, what were the chances of humans – all humans – embracing vampires? Was it likely that everyone would join in a huge group hug, and that bloodsuckers would be integrated into normal, everyday society? In Aaron’s optimistic mind, that would happen, but the dark-haired musician knew that he needed to remove his rose-tinted spectacles and face reality. He may not have been able to drink coffee without his guts wrenching from the effect, but he certainly needed to wake up and smell the caffeinated drink.

In spite of Aaron’s tendency to bump off a few low-life scumbags here and there, he genuinely liked humans, and was happy to live among them. The burning question raging through Aaron’s brain like a Californian forest fire was whether or not the humans would be happy to live with vampires in their midst. Would doting parents sleep easily at night knowing that creatures from horror movies were living in their neighbourhood? Aaron even wondered if his own band-mates would disown him, like some kind of leper. Perhaps it would be better to stay quiet on the subject, just act “normal”? Maybe he could convince people that he was just an average guy?

Aaron puffed up his cheeks and let out a giant stream of air, as if he was trying to extinguish the candles on the world’s biggest birthday cake. He really needed to discuss the situation with people he trusted, people who may already have a plan, people who had a lot of dealings with the humans.

Drumming in a band meant that Aaron often hung out with the previously unsuspecting masses, so he did have regular contact with regular folk. However, despite having, at most, minor notoriety in Harper Rock, he was hardly a mouthpiece for vampirekind. With notable exceptions such as Lars Ulrich from Metallica, or Tommy Lee from Mötley Crüe, drummers usually took a backseat, literally. It was always the vocalist or lead guitarist who was wheeled out in front of the microphone and cameras for an interview. Aaron needed to talk with a frontman, someone who may be able to sway public opinion. A name instantly sprang to mind, a new acquaintance who seemed to fit the bill perfectly.

[Skoll]

“I don't? Glad we cleared that up. Good talk." He deadpanned. He took advantage of Kaspar's distraction, taking a moment to slide his phone from his pocket. He was silent as Kaspar finished the remains of his meal, intent on the faint illumination of the screen, balanced precariously on his lap. The recent call history was sparse; a handful of missed calls from his manager and equally terse voicemails. No doubt she was still attempting a graceful recovery from the week's earlier mishandling. They'd met for lunch on Tuesday, at her insistence. It had been her usual heavy handed way of nailing him down. The lunch hadn't been social; there were final waivers that required his signature, release forms, and proofs that were produced with a smug flourish. Midway through the second course, he'd been chided for picking at his meal.

He'd managed an anemic smile, forcing down the remainder of his elk tenderloin. It had been tasteless; a cold, greasy weight in his mouth that almost left him gagging. He'd excused himself some minutes later, narrowly avoiding vomiting onto the high polished gleam of their waiter's shoes. Skoll had spent the rest of the week in his apartment, pleading food poisoning. Kaspar's number registered twice. He flicked a glance at him as Kaspar settled into the chair next to him. “Nothing," he replied cagily. "It isn't important." His gaze averted, just briefly, betraying the lie. He shot him a sharp look a second later. "Not all of us are in a position to jeopardize our careers," he pointed out. "And exposing yourself is dangerous, too." He countered, jaw suddenly tensing. "I'm sure some of your fans will be thrilled. Hearing that their sex icon suddenly counts himself among the dark and brooding is probably beyond their wildest wet dreams." He paused. "Instead of autographs they'll be wanting you to feed on them. Then there are the ones who'd get jealous. Decide to pry into your personal life."

He shifted uncomfortably as Kaspar's musing reached renewed fervor, the man clearly in the grips of his own version of damage control. He allowed him to continue, unchecked, for a few minutes more before scoffing lowly. "I wouldn't make plans just yet. Not until we've heard what they have to say." He trailed off as Adley entered the room, offering a nod. "Yes. Adley, yeah?"He wasn't overly familiar with the man; he'd met him once, briefly, earlier in the month. "Maybe'll you have better luck at keeping him from wearing a hole in the floor."

[Kaylee]

It's only 407 words, but I honestly can't come up with more - hope that it's okay. Pleasedon'tshootme

Logging off of the family board - what a joke that had come to be - Kaylee's eyes found her phone. She had family, ex-roommates, people she could inform. People she could tell the truth, now. The problem was that she just didn't. She had no one, really, not anymore. Her views differed from those she knew on the current situaion, but all she could do was hope. Or was that all she could do?

As though on cue, her phone buzzed twice, notifying her of a text. She picked the device, sheathed in a relatively new case shaped like a cartoony Spider-Man, and quickly swiped and tapped. Adley. She hadn't spoken to him in a while, but there was something going on. A meeting. And he was inviting her. Well, that was handy, all right. A moment passed, and she groaned. She'd be late if she didn't leave now.

Grabbing her jacket and slipping it on - for pockets, rather than for fashion or necessity - she slid her phone into the left hand pocket, and a chunky notepad and pen into the other, then grabbed her camera case and slung that over her shoulders. Checking around to make sure everything was in its place, she left the place her sire had brought her to so long ago now, in the way she usually left. She hardly ever had to leave anymore, but this felt important. This felt like something she had to do. Then she started making her way to the address given by Adley.

On the street, however, it was easy to be bombarded by the senses. By the sounds, the smells. She'd never really noticed how intense things were before, except when a diesel truck blew past and she had to cover her mouth and nose to keep from vomiting. Her blonde hair had been blown around by the passing vehicle, though. Stopping in an alley, she straightened the disarray, smoothing the locks down over her left ear. Then she was off again.

She'd never been to a recording studio in her life. Audio wasn't her art and never would be (no one ever asked her to karaoke). Her chosen form of art would forever and always be the camera at her hip. So as she pushed the door open, trying to ignore the lack of reflection, she looked around almost greedily, before smiling at the others. Her greeting a simple word.

"Hey."

[Hannah Lynn (DELETED 8242)]

The bulky pager was pulled from her dark pink colored scrub pockets and placed down in the hands of her superior, who would charge it for the few hours Hannah would be off work, before she claimed it once again tomorrow. "Tomorrow's schedule is looking a little light, but you never know what the E.R. might bring. Hopefully, it will stay light after tonight." Hannah just nodded her head as her shoulders lifted up once in a shrug. She had worked in another hospital before, so she knew that some days were slow and some were hella hectic. She liked the latter, only because it seemed that the time always went faster those days than the ones where she was waiting for the pager to go off with a number to call, or a room number typed in.

With the pager secured in Adam's hands, Hannah smiled and gave him a small wave. "Night. Have a good day off, Adam." She turned, secured the ties at her waist for what would hopefully be the final time tonight and moved to the changing room. She had a locker where she could keep street clothes, but since Hannah typically went no where...minus the occasional place to eat or stop to get a movie...something pretty mundane and low key, Hannah never brought a change of clothes with her. However, her bag was in the locker, so she would need to grab that before heading out of the hospital.

Since tonight had been a grueling night, the first thought was to grab a pie of pizza on the way home, renting a movie and drinking...something. Probably wine, but anything so she could relax for what might, or might not be quiet and easy tomorrow. To keep sane, downtime was a huge essential part of her time off, however rare that might be. Once her bag was collected, Hannah left out the E.R. entrance and the back of the hospital where she crossed the street to get to the bank where she could use the ATM quick to grab a couple bills to pay for the pizza and wine she planned on picking up on her way home.

"Can you believe it?" She overheard someone stay at a newsstand as they picked up a paper. "I always knew. I knew this city was fucked up." The guy selling the papers and tabloids said in a monotone voice as the woman slapped a couple bills in his palm. "I had a neighbor once...I always thought something was funny about her. I bet she's one of them. Them vampires." "Could be anyone." Hannah tried to move around them and the small crowd that was gathering, pushing through to listen and put their two cents in. "We should do something about it!" A few 'yeas!' and other things were heard after some woman shouted that out.

And that's all it took, as Hannah tried to bob her way around the gathering crowd with a small mob like mentality. Had she heard about vampires in the city? Absolutely. Did she know any? Not that she knew of. Did she want to cause any problems for them or herself? No." "EXCUSE ME!" Hannah shouted as she pushed through the people, which only riled some of them up more. "If she's not with us, she's against us! She's probably one of them vampires!" And soon, the crowd turned on her, everyone giving their opinions on what to do with the girl that was a vampire or a vampire lover. Hannah dove under the masses and climbed her way over and under legs and snuck into the first door she saw...which had a churchy appeal to it, but if any place was safe, it had to be a church, right? She sure hoped so.

[Kaspar]

The studio! It is a renovated old church, in terms of looks it's very similar to this https://youtu.be/0-N31lJM1Po though the windows aren't as long and are stained glass. There is a front entry way with a reception desk and a kitchen/break style room and bathrooms that lead off from there. The main studio/recording space is through a doorway which is currently open and very similar to space in the video but also holds a grand piano. Instruments have all been moved away to allow space for the seating and refreshments table.

Skoll was in fine form, reluctant to open up about his own personal life, making a point of hiding something from Kaspar in a manner that had him narrowing his eyes on the younger male in disbelief. Whatever it was, it was important and it was something he would hold close to his chest for now. "Wildest we-... That is gross, i'm not saying you are wrong but I do not really want to think about that side effect. You are right, we will wait and we will listen, we will talk all together to decide what is for the best." He considered the man, it wouldn't be the first time someone had teased him to that effect, though he could tell Skoll wasn't trying to wind him up this time. "It is not just careers, Skoll, there are more like us who still have family or loved ones because we were only turned recently. We still have strong ties to humanity, and would rather not see that torn to shreds."

His feet carried him back and forth in that continued pace of agitation, a bad habit, like biting ones nails or drumming a pencil against a desk. His drummer did that, drummed his fingertips or whatever he could get hold of against any nearby surface when he was anxious. He'd gone dead still for a count of ten when Kaspar had explained his change to them, and then the drumming had taken up again while he'd calmly explained that it didn't change what they thought of him, they were his friends and would be with him on this. It had felt good, and they'd slipped back into their old habits quickly.

He didn't think he'd get so lucky with everyone.

Adley's arrival brought his attention back into the room, Skoll's sharp remark about his pacing making him stop. He had a point, as irritating as it was, Kaspar making the effort to still himself long enough to greet Adley. "Thank you for coming, man... There was a hint of a sheepish smile as he followed the gaze to the table, he would've remarked further on it but more people were arriving. A pat on the back was given before he headed towards the outer entrance, ushering Kaylee forwards. "Welcome to Morningstar, please, come in. Kaylee wasn't it? We met only briefly, but Adley told me you might be coming. This time I hope no drinks are thrown." He laughed brightly, though there was chance, Vienna was supposed to be showing too if she could be bothered.

The woman was gestured forward, the door opening again and a hassled looking woman entered. A human, no less. She looked flustered and he could hear the faint sounds of a commotion somewhere nearby. Damn. "Are you alright, Miss?" Kaspar asked, the tall blonde man rushing forward to glance through the door and offer her a broad smile of welcome. She wasn't who he was expected, perhaps Vienna or Aaron, one of the West's or another acquaintance he'd invited in passing but she was a stranger. Welcome to Morningstar, i'm Kaspar, the owner. Are you here for the meeting? Or some other business?"

[Adley Reed]

A glance was spared for the pacing Kaspar, bright eyes swinging over his lanky form and following his every movement. The glance was accompanied by a slow shake of the head, mouth open to admit that Adley would probably have no luck. There were two people he could think of who might have luck getting Kaspar to stop pacing, but neither were here. Yet. Adley wondered if Sigrid and Grey would make a later appearance.

Any remark regarding Kaspar’s habit was silenced, however, upon the arrival of a couple of others. One face Adley recognised, the other he did not – while he left Kaspar to welcome the flustered looking woman at the door, Adley stood to meet Kaylee halfway. Hers was a contact he’d kept in his phone, one he’d meant to use often before now. How long had it been? He felt like they were old friends rather than two people who’d met only the once. But then, he’d consumed her blood. That added a level of familiarity that was lacking in most other acquaintances.


”Hey, Kaylee,” he said, pulling her in for a brief half hug before leading her over to the chairs, and to Skoll. Kaspar, Indigo and Jameson had rubbed off on Adley. However many months he’d spent in their company had made it feel absolutely normal to greet with a hug, and to become physically familiar with people who are very nearly strangers.


”Skoll, this is Kaylee. Kaylee, Skoll,” he said, introducing the young photographer to the long-haired male – he looked like he should be out surfing somewhere in the bright sunshine, rather than holed up indoors at night time.


”How’s the photography going?” he asked. There’d be no harm in small talk before the meeting got underway; before they were all distracted and neck deep in serious business.