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CALIGRACE

The street outside was dimly lit and near barren, sans the lone figure pacing the alley. He kept to the shadows, the dark glint in his eyes enough of a warning to keep away. With a single flick of his fingers, he sent his cigarette flying, uncaring where it landed. While he thought himself alone, his actions were monitored closely, and she found her lips curving into a slow smile at the thought of the watcher becoming the watched. “You only get what you deserve,” the petite redhead hummed as she ended the program and tucked her phone into the pocket of her jeans. A second later and she was at the back door, a pale and freckled hand pressed to the metal to push it open with far more force than necessary, but the point had been made as the man spun on his boot, his ‘eat **** and die’ glare at the ready, until he realized just who and encroached on his ‘special alone time.’

“Roman, just what do you think you’re doing? You’re needed inside. I’m sure the trash can do without your lovely company for one night,” she quipped. It was too easy to irritate the man, and as his fingers clenched, she swallowed back a laugh. “Yeah, okay, tough guy. Get inside. The door isn’t going to watch itself. Who knows what kind of riffraff you’ve let in.” Ducking her head back inside, she followed the steady thrum of music to the club floor, pausing just on the other side of the door. You can do this, girl. It’s just a few more hours. You’ve made it this far. One step at a time, she thought to herself, ignoring the way her fingers trembled as she pressed them through her thick fire colored curls. It was the same thing, night after night.

Swallow down shot after shot to ease the pain.
Ignore the weight of her pill tin in her pocket.
Fight off the swarm of emotion that threatened to drown her.
Try not to call Every.
Rinse. Repeat.

Hearing the back door slam behind her, she quickly composed herself and stepped out onto the floor, where she was immediately overwhelmed with the myriad of emotions from her patrons. Bodies swarmed the floor, the scent of alcohol, perfume and sweat permeating the air. The lights flashed in a multitude of colors, and she could tell almost instantly that Fate had been tinkering with the system again. Instead of the shades of red she had chosen to mimic fire, Myth was lit with colors more akin to cotton-candy and rainbows. “It could be worse. Every could be here to see it,” she chuckled to herself as she pushed herself across the black tiled floor towards the bar, where her thrall was hastily pouring bubblegum pink drinks into shot glasses.

Without a pause, she swept one up and tossed her head back to drain it, the sweet candy taste almost making her choke as it overwhelmed her senses. As Lorde began to blare from the sound system, she weaved her way through a few bodies towards the stairs, where she paused halfway up and turned to scan the crowd with a pleased smile.

Tonight was going to be a grand night.


NOAH

The city thrummed with tension at every turn. In his short time here, Noah had seen more police walking the streets than he had in any other major city before - more than New York, Chicago, Montreal, or even London. Each officer, same as the last, rested a hand on their gun ready to draw and shoot at any perceived threat. And despite being a relatively large city, the civilian populace also kept their distance. Whether due to the pandemic or something more insidious, it seemed that the human populace was afraid to be near each other in public.

Not that he could blame them, really. In a city where any person could be one who tried to feed from you, paranoia was bound to become standard. For his part Noah also kept a solid six feet away from everyone he could as he walked through the streets of his new home, occasionally tugging at the mask on his face to readjust it.

He took his time to explore, passing apartment buildings, shops, banks, and casinos on his way to his destination and mentally noting their locations for later. He loved the activity the city greeted him with. Despite the tension and fear, Harper Rock was still a thrumming den of activity, and he had no doubt his family would thrive here. In more ways that one, if he had his way tonight.

The stroll concluded in time as he reached his target destination: a club named Myth. From the outside it looked like any normal club. The roar of music could be heard from the street, the throbbing bass felt in his bones, and he could almost smell the sweat and sexual tension pulsing through the party-goers as he approached the door.

Noah did not wait in the line. A bouncer met him at the door and with a small tip slid into the man's palm, he made it past while others who had waited hours in the line shouted at the injustice from behind him.

As he made his way in, weaving through entangled partners and strobing lights, his gaze darted rapidly around every corner. In truth, he had no idea what to look for - but he knew he would know it when he saw it. Because despite its outward appearance, Noah's contacts had been able to pinpoint this club as more than one type of den. Here, he knew, he would find both the sorts of people he was used to dealing with and... something new.

He pushed his way to the bar, ordered a whiskey neat, and turned to prop himself against it without drinking the drink as he kept his eyes open.

CALIGRACE

Resting her hip against the rail of the stairs, she searched the crowd with something akin to a lazy, yet watchful, eye. Most were her regulars, but tonight, there seemed to be a new kind of energy, and as she watched the dancers mingle and the men work their so-called magic at the bar, she realized there were a lot of faces she didn’t know. “Roman,” she called, voice quiet, but somehow, the man had managed to hear her. Without wasting a beat, he was behind her, one large hand pressed to her lower back as he bent his head. “Who’re all these people?”

“We had an influx of potential customers this week. Most I have dealt with.” His voice was steady, but she could feel his nervousness. It was more than the way his fingers drummed against her lower back. It was the pull and push of his anxiety mingling with her own. It had a unique sensation as the tendrils of emotion weaved their way into her soul. “Some straggles, I assume,” she sighed, her lips pursing for a moment in thought. “That’s fine. As long as they pay and follow the rules, I don’t care.” With a lift of her shoulder, she turned her gaze towards the bar, where Fate was practically rushing to serve someone new.

He hadn’t been there a moment before, and something about him seemed… intentional. He was relaxed, but it was if he was searching for something - or someone. Clearing her throat, she tipped her head in his direction, and without having to voice her question, Roman answered. “He wasn’t one of them, but he does look familiar. Give me a minute.” Without waiting for her response, the thrall turned and disappeared back into the shadows. Of course, he had intended for her to stay where she was, but curiosity got the better of her, and she began to make her way back down, her body weaving once more through the dancers with grace.

“Caligrace! When are you doing another theme night? I ******* loved last weeks super heroes.”
“Man, you can’t just demand things from the owner like that!”

The question caught her by surprise, and she laughed, shaking her head. “Of course you did, doll, but why would I go and spoil all the fun by telling you now? Just keep coming back,” she replied easily, applying just a touch more of that special charisma to ensure that he listened, even as she winked at his friend that had reprimanded him. In truth, she didn’t mind the questions. It was when they got handsy that she usually tossed them out.

“Fate, girl. How are sales? And can you please push something less girly for the men? Seeing them with pink drinks is making me think I should send them across the street to Pixie.”

NOAH

The crowd bustled and flowed around him in rhythmic patterns, but Noah remained rooted to his spot. He had no interest tonight in the elaborate mating rituals society practiced nor in his - surprisingly well-aged - whiskey. Though his track record and the rate at which he had grown his enterprise might not indicate it, he was a patient man. The time spent here was time well spent, whether or not he would find exactly what he was looking for.

All around him, people whispered rumors of militias, feral vampires, ghosts, zombies, and other strange creatures throughout the city. He noted these details quickly and sorted them away mentally for later use.

"Oh my gaaawd," one young woman in his vicinity muttered, stretching and exaggerating her vowels. "I never go there, the whole place is a crack den!"
"It's not that bad!" The first woman's clubbing partner, a stringy blonde with sunken eyes protested. "And I know how to get us the best deals..." She finished with a wink.


Noah rolled his eyes and was just about to focus his attention elsewhere when he was approached by another club patron. The girl looked to be in her early twenties and had large, golden hoop earrings that bounced beneath her auburn hair as her head bobbed with every word she spoke.

NOAH

"Buy me a drink?" She asked Noah, sliding up to him.
"No, thank you." He replied with a smile, stern but polite.
"Oh come on..." She drawled, running her fingers down the arm of his leather jacket. "Just one drink won't hurt."

Noah laughed and shook his head, a grin forming across his jaw.

"Tell that to my wife," he countered as he lifted his hand to show her his wedding band. With a scoff, the girl turned and went to find someone else to pay for her night out.

It wasn't necessarily that Noah hadn't been interested in her, though. He and Clio had what they called a modern relationship. Rather, his gaze had flicked to something substantially more interesting. Drawing the gaze of every man (and more than a few of the women) she passed was a tall, graceful redhead parting the crowd.

Her beauty, though obvious, was not what compelled his gaze. It was the way the sea of bodies parted before her without hesitation. It was the man he kept in his peripheral who was nodding along to her as she spoke and making his way towards Noah now.

If she was not management, she was celebrity. Noah liked to consider himself rather caught up to the times though and didn't recognize her as any actress or musician he had ever heard of. Still, there was more than one type of celebrity in Harper Rock, wasn't there?

Another small grin pulled at the corner of Noah's mouth as he sipped his whiskey again and forced his gaze away from the woman, feigning disinterest.

CALIGRACE

It hadn’t taken long for the bartender to toss her the log book for the night, the page filled with hastily scrawled numbers that were nearly illegible. Had she not been so used to the chicken scribble, she might have struggled to decipher the total, but it only took her a quick scan to realize that they had gone above and beyond their goal for the evening. A quiet hum left her as she lifted herself up and onto the stool closest to her, one black and silver heel dangling precariously from the tip of her toes as she swayed her leg back and forth. Tonight had been a more casual night in terms of attire - skinny jeans and a simple shirt, but that didn’t mean she didn’t do what she could to ensure her appearance was suitable. Those that looked at her believed her to be so certain of herself, but that was as far from the truth as possible.

Pushing the thought aside, she slid the paper back across the counter and lifted the drink that had been placed in front her, smiling as Fate slowly lifted her hand from covering. “I’ve told you, they wouldn’t dare,” she chuckled, her gaze dancing across the bar until she found Roman. The man had made his way quickly - and quietly - across the floor to approach the stranger, determination in his eyes. Something told her that the conversation would be an interesting one, and so she lifted her drink and hopped from the stool, the men holding her full attention.

“He’s too old for you, girl,” Fate called, earning an infectious laugh as the redhead shook her head. Attraction was the farthest thing from her mind, though she admitted he was attractive. However, she had enough on her plate with a certain telepath, and it was her curiosity to this stranger’s presence that led her to her other thrall’s side, just as he bent his head to ask the stranger his name, his arm outstretched as if to act as a barrier between Caligrace and the male. “Roman, that is no way to treat a guest of Myth,” she chided, her smile warm and welcoming as she tossed her hair over her shoulder with flourish.

“I’m Caligrace Signe,” she offered, offering her free hand to the man as the new last name rolled easily from her tongue. It still took getting used to, but she was proud of how far she’d come, and she wanted something to show her progress. That didn’t mean that she had forgotten where she had come from. “Most also know my last name as Norgard. This is my club and Lyngvi is my town.” It wasn’t said in any bragging way, or to seem intimidating. No, the small allurist didn’t think of things like that, and instead, viewed herself as being helpful as she snapped her fingers and motioned to his drink to ensure Fate had it refilled quickly.


NOAH

Roman.
Caligrace Signe.

Each name was memorized, stored away in his vast mental database. The dynamic between the pair was fascinating, of course. Roman fancied himself protecter and bodyguard, tension flexing throughout his muscles. But it was clear to Noah within the first five seconds of meeting her that Caligrace was not a fragile creature and did not need protecting. Her body language and the way she entirely discarded Roman's attempts told Noah that she knew this, as well, and that if there was a hierarchy between the pair, she was squarely on top of it.

Noah watched Roman's eyes take him in. Whether from sheer curiosity, some attempt at dominance, or perhaps a flicker of recognition, Noah did not yet possess enough knowledge about the man to know.

He remained calm under the pressure, though there remained a healthy tension in the back of his mind. While Noah was confident in himself, he knew neither of these people nor their disposition to strangers. And here Noah had come unarmed. Well, at least personally. He was content in the knowledge that one of his employees was waiting outside for him should things go wrong.

Noah focused his gaze on the woman, though kept the man in his peripheral vision. He was curious as to how he would react to the introductions.

"Noah Levesque," he answered as he took Caligrace's hand and offered a firm shake. He had no reason to hide his identity. After all, he had never been formally charged with anything. "My wife and our children just moved to Harper Rock. It's a pleasure to meet you."

CALIGRACE

As he spoke his name, something flickered across Roman’s features and his brow twitched before his arm came tight around her waist. If Noah had been paying close enough attention, he would have noticed the way her own features changed for the briefest of seconds to show her utter displeasure at the action. Her thrall dropped his arm instantaneously, and instead opted to bow down, whispering something into her ear before taking a step back and resuming his place behind her. “Noah Levesque,” she repeated, carefully, her head tilting as she slipped her hand from his to brush her fingers along the edge of her nearly drained glass.

“I’d ask what brings you to Harper Rock, but it seems that your reputation precedes you. So, instead, I’ll ask what brings you to my part of Harper Rock?”

The question, though direct, was delivered softly and with her signature smile as she held her hand to the side to allow her drink to be refilled. Shortly after, his was, as well. Roman shifted at her side, his hand lifting, thumb brushing across the strong line of his jaw as his glare remained zeroed in on the stranger that had captivated her attention. “And, ignore him, as I stated. He’s protective, though he hasn’t a reason to be. I don’t think you’re here to cause me any harm, are you, Noah?” Her words sweet, she took a sip from her fresh drink, youthful features bright and welcoming, despite the fire and genuine curiosity in her eyes as she watched him carefully.


NOAH

A soft, amused laugh bubbled from his throat at the darkening of Roman's gaze and the way he tried to sweep in to protect the woman. At the very least though, it did confirm he had found himself in the right place. Noah was not a celebrity by any stretch of the imagination; only a few scattered news articles ever mentioned his name. Only those with connections would recognize him that abruptly.

"Opportunity," he answered wryly, sweeping his arm out to gesture at the ever-growing crowd. "I hear it's the Wild West out here. I always did enjoy those old cowboy movies." He winked then as he lifted his glass towards her and put on his best imitation of a Southern American accent (which was not very good). "I's just come out here to pan meself some gold and take care of ma family, missus. Wouldn't harm a fly, no sir-ee."


CALIGRACE

“I wouldn’t do that again. You’re awful at it,” she chuckled, index finger running in a small circle to indicate the accent he’d just put on. The amusement died a few seconds later, however, when his words fully registered. “You brought your family here?” The question must have left her with more force than she intended, because Roman’s shoulders tensed before she rested her hand on the small of his back. “Go check on Fate. It looks like she needs help,” she whispered, the thrall having no choice but to obey, despite his better judgment. With one last glare towards Noah, he stalked off through the crowd and towards the bar, where her other thrall was battling drunken hands and a tray full of shot glasses.

“I’d apologize for how accusatory that sounded, but I can’t think of a single opportunity this place could offer you, that you would risk your family. You yourself just called this the Wild Wild West.” Resting her chin in the palm of her hand, she watched him with a newfound interest, her drink forgotten as her nails tapped lazily against her cheek.

"I am a father and husband foremost," Noah explained casually. He gave no indication that her forceful reaction bothered him, except perhaps the slight smile that came as he turned to lean his elbow upon the bar and angle the direction of his body towards her, indicating that she now had his full attention. "I go nowhere without my family."

"They can handle themselves as well as I can, I assure you," he laughed with a wolfish grin. "And better, in some cases. None of them are actual children, you understand? And if my reputation precedes me, then you should know that it was built upon their backs. I am nothing without them."

"And no need to apologize," he offered around the rim of his glass as he finally took a drink. "I can understand the fear, but you see..."

Noah leaned in conspiratorially, lowering his voice to just above a whisper. "I'm hoping to cement our... immortality, if you will."

“I can promise you, Noah, that you’ve never encountered anything as dangerous as what lurks within this city,” she sighed, her gaze drifting from him to watch the crowd as they started to scream-sing to whatever song Fate had forced the new DJ to play. It allowed her a moment to collect her thoughts, to truly focus on what she was learning about this stranger with his debonair smile and calculating eyes. She didn’t need to be clairvoyant to know what his future held. Before he had even uttered the last sentence, she already knew. One way or the other, this man before her was going to end up dead. The only question that was left in regards to that was if he would rise again.

“I also don’t care if they’re children or old enough to be my grandmother. They are still your family, and you’re leading them into the lion's den, Mr. Levesque.”

The truth left her quietly, but he had leaned close enough, that she knew the words would reach his ears. If they broke through to his mind, well, that was a different story all together. Twisting her glass around in her hand, she focused back on him, her head tilted as she took a moment to appraise him. He was nothing more than a human. There was no supernatural strength to him, no abilities hidden beneath his skin, and yet, he was dangerous in his own way. Not to her - and definitely not to the immortal creatures that roamed the city - but to himself. His family.

“So, tell me, then. Just what are you wanting? Say the words.”

Noah had grown accustomed to danger over the course of his long (or short, depending on your perspective) life. He had been born into it. His very existence was a miracle considering all the drugs his mother had pumped herself full of while still carrying his fetus. He had been raised in it, mentored in childhood by a known criminal who taught him that same lifestyle. And he had thrived in it, cutting out a piece of the world for him and his. Each threat the Levesque clan had face, they had triumphed. From shady brokers to nearly all-out gang wars, together they had reigned supreme in their shady arena.

Noah was a smart enough man, however, to realize when he was outmached. One of the first rules he had ever learned growing up was to never fight if you knew you would lose. Humans were one thing. What he had brought his family to was an entirely different playing field, if even half the rumors were true.

That was why this needed to be done quickly.

Into the lion's den? Certainly. But he had no intention of remaining prey.

His family, meanwhile, was relatively safe for the moment. Their transition to Harper Rock was a slow process, and Noah was among the first to have come for precisely this reason. When Caligrace balked at his audacity and expressed fear for his family, he knew too that had been a smart decision. But the pieces were moving. It was now or never and he did not have time to explain this all to her.

"I like the lion metaphor," he quipped. "I'd say I want to join the pack, but..." Noah's gaze followed hers to the crowded dance floor and the numerous patrons who remained unaware of what was occurring just feet from them. Sheep, all of them.

"But you are a woman who values more concrete terms, yes?" He smiled again, easily and without a trace of sarcasm. He could appreciate that about her. "I have come to your corner of this city, Miss Signe, seeking the undead. I wish to become one and, God willing, provide the same to my own family."

He finished off his glass and set it back down on the counter. As the bartender moved to refill it, he waved away the gesture. No sense in dulling senses this evening.

"So you wouldn't happen to know where a man could meet a vampire in these parts, would you?"

What are you going to do, Caligrace?
Are you going to let him walk out of here - or are you going to save his life?

Was it saving his life, though, if she doomed him to immortality? He sought it out like it was a gift, the Holy Grail, something to save him, when it was nowhere close. It was a curse. He wanted to become a monster - and she knew if it wasn’t her, then it would be someone else. Someone that wouldn’t take his family into consideration. Someone that wouldn’t care if he survived the night - if he learned the way the city worked. Someone that could turn him into her enemy. Someone that could make him a threat to her family. The thoughts morphed and grew, each scenario playing out in her mind, each worse than the last -- but in the end, she knew the answer. In the end, she knew she would be the one to accept his proposal.

She couldn’t allow him or his family to suffer simply because he was a foolish man playing a dangerous and deadly game. She had the ability to save them.

Spinning her glass around still, she scanned his face as she listened to him, a quiet sigh leaving her as she finally downed the rest of the alcohol. “If I did, it’s not as simple as you think. I’m sure there would be rules to follow. You seem to be a man that believes he can take on the world - but this world is far out of your depth. You’d have to be willing to listen to the vampire, because trust me, darling, they’d know far, far more than you could ever dream. Is that something that you think you could do?”

And just like that, the tone of the evening shifted. Though his features remained smooth and calm, and his muscles as relaxed as ever, his gut reeled. This was it. He blinked once, slowly, and shifted his gaze carefully towards the redhead.

Now or never, Noah. This is your one chance to save your family.

The stakes had never felt so high. His own life had been put on the line more than once, but now the man was determine the destinies of every person he had ever loved.

For Noah, this was not simply about power. The man was greedy, certainly, and ambitious to boot, but were this simply a matter of acquiring more, this would never be an option. But a storm was looming, a hurricane that was threatening to consume what he held dear.

The breeziness in his tone evaporated. As he responded, it was with the same gravitas that Caligrace herself spoke with.

"I am not so arrogant to believe we can face an unknown threat without guidance or allies. I would acquiesce that we would need to operate within set guidelines. Decided by myself and the vampire in question, upon whose experience I would rely - a partnership, if you will. The sole caveat being that if one of mine is threatened, retaliation would be swift and without question."

“A partnership is earned, Mr. Levesque, it’s not simply handed over. You’d have to prove yourself, and in turn, so would the vampire,” she replied, fingers tapping against the counter-top as she closed her eyes for a moment. You can save them. You can give them a choice, she thought, her leg starting to bounce. “As for your caveat, that isn’t the way this world works. You don’t run headlong into danger. If one of your children is harmed, an investigation would be launched, if you will, to ensure that it’s not someone making a mistake - or something more sinister that could bring more danger than you imagined. That said, it’s rare that attacks go without being handled in some form,” she smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She was already moving on to the next step in her mind, now that it was made.

I’m going to save them, Every.

It was a fair enough request, he supposed. She knew nothing about him other than his reputation. Alliances were earned, not given, and until then, he would need help navigating these waters. In due time, he thought, the dynamic might shift. Until then, he was perfectly content to accept the guidance of someone who had survived here. Granted, of course, certain qualifications were met. In the worst-case scenario, he supposed, he could always break off the agreement, though he hoped it would never come to that.

And though he was not quite happy about her rebuttal of retaliation, he realized quickly enough that if vampires could not actually die, then he was risking an altogether different sort of war with every bullet than he had ever faced before. Again, fair enough.

"Agreed," he replied. "Though one wonders what would qualify the vampire to be making such decisions. How old are they, how long have they survived, what have they faced?"

Ignoring the soft - yet harsh - voice that answered her thoughts, Caligrace focused on the man in front of her once more. Her mind was a jungle, vines of doubt, elation, and wariness twisting together to form a new emotion, one that she couldn’t name in that moment. She had made it clear as to what she wanted to do - she wanted to save this new family. She wanted to ensure that they couldn’t be used against her own family and faction. She wanted to offer them something she hadn’t had the ability to do so, but -- what was she risking? She could tell - even without her empathic abilities - that he wasn’t too keen on her response. Something she had said hadn’t sat well within the man who had no idea the mistakes he had made.

Tracing her nail across the rim of her glass, she settled back against the bar and raised a brow at his question. It was a personal one, but one she couldn’t argue. If she had had the choice, it was something she might have asked Freyja, herself. “I would say two or more years. In two years, you can learn a lot about this city, if you put your mind to it. In my case, I’ve been here five years this past August,” the truth was slipped in easily, and though her features didn’t change, she watched him closely for any shift in his own, “In five years, I’ve been killed, abandoned, hunted for sins that weren’t my own, and defended my family and friends from some horrible, horrible people. I’ve witnessed enough to know what’s right and what’s wrong, and what path is the best path to take.”

Tipping her glass over, she set it upside down and danced her nails across the bottom with a grin, “I’m your best chance at survival, Mr. Levesque. The question is, do you think you have what it takes to make it worth my while?”