{Invite] Upper Management

[Bjorn]

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August 28, 2020 — Evening

Bjorn might as well have been sponsored by Nespresso. Similar to a coffee machine, his brain whirred to life long before the rest of him complied, consciousness a staccato overture.

Sound was the first thing that permeated the vacuum, gave context to his renewed existence. That distant pitter patter was the rain trickling down against the reinforced aluminium shutters. The layered buzzing was the number of electronics plugged in.

Touch was the second sense to activate. The intangible buzz of wireless signals catching on the folds of his mind. The heft of his body as he began rediscovering its existential boundaries. The dryness in his mouth, awareness of which gave rise to taste - thirst.

Taste precipitated scent, triggering a deep breath, then another.

Bjorn awoke in the same position he’d fallen asleep in and, with his eyes still closed, proceeded to stretch out his limbs. From the curl of his toes to the accentuated arch of his spine, every joint seemed to crack, giving way to flexibility and a fluidity of movement he’d not felt in the early hours preceding sleep.

Acknowledging the physicality of the recent past meant recalling the morning in its entirety, and as such the reality Bjorn was waking up to this evening crystallised at the forefront of his thoughts.

“****.”

Eyes still closed, he sunk back into the couch and into himself, reaching across the ether towards a singular point - a much needed anchor.

Gotta talk.

Bjorn suggested they meet in twenty minutes, which was long enough for him to restore his blood levels, get dressed and make it to their rendezvous point. Her offer to summon him meant he’d need far less than that.

Ready whenever you are,

The telepath pocketed the farmhouse tome (still damp from earlier exploits in the waterlogged cathedral), and on second thought snatched the enchanted leather jacket off his crafting stool just as his surroundings began to blur.

Wearing

[Every]

It had come to no surprise to her about the topic that had come to light. The recurring theme, really, was unsurprising given the circumstances.

Noah.

The man was truly chaotic, running headfirst into a fight with the paladin. Once the man’s blood had been boosted with Aubrey’s help, Every had waited only long enough to help Chadwick with the majority of the mess before excusing herself. Even if she chose to wear dark clothing to avoid the concern of stains, she didn’t like to linger in it. She lingered by the dwelling long enough to shower and change her clothing before heading out to her newest property acquisition.

Her lips twitched only slightly when she tucked her hands into the pockets of her jeans. Quietly, she considered Noah. In many ways, he made Every want to rip out his throat - the woman was still rather annoyed with his decision not to run before near death. He would learn, or he would lose. That was that. She didn’t mind his wife, but she liked his children out of the majority as they were promising. Even with Eloise choosing to remain human, and Alex, although the man had a rough, initial start with his introduction to Harper Rock. The Levesque family were different to what she had experienced in the past, but with time, she was certain they would hold strong.

Stone flooring, high walls, the sound of the river pouring into the natural pool that drained in a way that Every didn’t fret about yet. Here and there, the ceiling had fallen away to reveal the sky - natural skylights, she had joked to an unimpressed Caligrace upon coming across their discovery. Nexus had become a promising home for the uncommon crew, a faction of her own, that Every had begun to claim. The former castle had needed updated elements - working plumbing, heating, a proper internet connection. The crafting tables and altar had been added towards the end, followed by the forge.

A quiet melody of piano filtering through the stone building connected to speakers as she turned on the speaker before getting to work. Every sat in front of her portable crafting bench, screwdriver in hand and cursed quietly as she was startled out of concentration as Pickles brushed her side, hopping past. Her finger slipped against the metal, the inky red substance coming out a mixture of shadow and mystic blood. Almost as quick as it split, the wound healed.

“Damn rabbit.”

From where he lay, Skoll eyed the white whiskered creature and put his head down. Glancing at her watch, Every checked the time and on cue, the welcome voice of Bjorn entered her mind. As her attention turned back to the part in her hand, Every summoned the telepath towards her. Practiced ease. The trust between the two, often unspoken but understood. He kept her steady in the worst of the storm and she appreciated him more than she admitted. “I’ve sired walking nightmares myself. I still have nightmares from dealing with Hadrian.” She stated, setting the piece down as she leaned back and looked up at the tall, lanky man.

[Bjorn]

Bjorn allowed relief to wash over him as Nexus materialised around him. Every’s summoning afforded him plausible deniability of the fact that he was eager to escape the farmhouse where he’d left the allurist sleeping. Finding Caligrace in his bed could have yielded a far different feeling at leaving the estate should it have occurred under different circumstances, but as things stood the sight of her fast asleep in his bed amplified his need to escape.

It was his first time at the faction’s stronghold. As soon as Every was accounted for, on the floor at her portable crafting table she was so fond of, Bjorn spun slowly on his heel to take in the surroundings.

“None of your nightmares went on a siring spree without facing consequences for it. What consequences is Caligrace facing? Because she’s sleeping it off at the farmhouse after leaving you to deal with the mess.”

— And there it was: Every had been left the physical clean-up, which was her prerogative, but Bjorn had been saddled with the emotional labour he was too conflicted to perform and which he’d never signed up for. He’d been blindsided, and if there was one thing Bjorn didn’t like it was being blindsided.

[Every]

wearing

“It was also a different set of rules. The masquerade then was my main priority as a member of Tytonidae. Something that you know better than anyone.”

Now, it was survival, wasn’t it?

Although, she supposed Noah was entirely counter productive to that priority with how he brought trouble around with the paladin. As it was, her agreement with the paladin’s ***** was wavering. “What would you propose the consequences of Noah’s actions that she receive? I’ve ripped out fangs before. I would have flat out been killed, had it been me.”

Every pushed herself up off the floor and stretched her arms above her head briefly. There wasn’t much of a pile created by the gun parts that she had upgraded, but it would grow in time.

“I told Caligrace to go play with Pickles or go to the club.” Her eyebrow lifted, faint amusement crossing her features before they disappeared, “She boosted his blood and became useless when the idiot began waving his missing limbs around. Her decision to go see your pickle is entirely of her own accord.”