[h2][center][color=red]Kyle, Kayla[/color] & [color=#807B84]Ellara[/color][/center][/h2]
[center][sub]Written with [@Junkmail] and [@Lord Wraith][/sub][/center]
[hr]

The Fosters… didn’t quite know how to respond to the bartender’s question, following her rather [i]intense[/i] indulgence of the bottle of rye in her hand. The two of them sat there, with faces fixed in expressions combining both amazement and concern. Kyle was the first to snap out of it, when he realized his amulet was vibrating in the mere presence of the bartender. He tapped Kayla’s arm and, with her attention turned to him, lightly tapped his chest a few times - his long-used sign that their immediate company was not of the mundane variety.

Kayla straightened up, and whispered “[i]Elea.[/i]” under her breath. Immediately her vision changed to a form of aura-sight. The people around her immediately lit up, and then returned to normal. People like Kyle, normal people, did not have any particularly strong aura that stuck out to her, but the supernatural were immediately apparent to her. The bartender, as well as a man at the other end of the bar were illuminated by a red hue. The man, who was feverishly counting peanuts, couldn’t have been anything other that a vampire. The waitress on the other hand didn’t seem to be acting or doing anything outside of the normal. That either meant she was extremely dangerous, or that she meant no harm to them at all. From experience Kayla had learned that there was no inbetween.

“Anything domestic that isn’t shiner bock.” Kayla replied evenly. The last thing she’d want to do is alert this being that they knew of her presence if they were in fact unfriendly. The bartender looked at Kyle, indicating she was awaiting his request of drink as well. Once he caught on, he simply replied, “Uh, nothing for me, thank you.” As Ellara moved away to get Kayla her drink, she took the opportunity to address her brother.

“Guy at the end, sucky sucky type. Waitress, dunno.”

“Why do you [i]always[/i] say ‘sucky sucky’, it’s just… uncomfortable.” Kyle replied in a hushed tone.

“It’s [i]supposed[/i] to be uncomfortable and make people not want to listen.” Kayla replied, elbowing her brother lightly. That was only half true. She did quite enjoy annoying her brother like this. It was harmless enough.

“Alright, fine, what to do then?”

“I didn’t exactly predict having a beer with those we service this fine evening.” Kayla sighed, her hand falling to her satchel and feeling the book she had stolen. “Maybe we can ask her if she knows anything. When it happened. You do it, she might be able to sense me.”

“Alright.”

The bartender returned to the two with Kayla’s drink in tow. As she took it, Kyle went on to ask Ellara, “Ma’am, do you know anything about what’s going on outside? With the police?”

“Ma’am? [i]Ma’am[/i]!” Ellara raised an unamused eyebrow before deciding, “Dude, I’m definitely younger than your whiskered ass.” She retorted before continuing, “But uh, yeah I’ve heard some chatter from tonight’s crowd, mostly rapid speculation.” Ellara replied as she placed a dark lager filled glass in front of the woman, keeping her eyes averted least her face change again. Looking for somewhere else to direct her eyes, Ellara turned her head back towards the man counting the peanuts before looking at the pair again, keeping her gaze focused on the male. 

“But uh, hey, you two called the douchenozzle down there a ‘sucky-sucky’,” Ellara stated, quoting the sibling’s previous conversation before motioning towards the man at the opposite end of the bar with a wave of her hair, “Do the two of you think he’s some kind of strung out hooker?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“Gotta say the asshole has got that look going for him, the fucker’s even got the [i]fuckin’[/i] Cult’s colours wrapped ‘round his wrist.” She asked looking back at Kyle as she tried to figure out if the pair were some sort of cops. “They’re becoming a real problem ‘round here.”

Kyle’s only response was to look down, pinch the bridge of his nose, and mutter under his breath, [sub]“Oh for fuck’s sake…”[/sub] Kayla, meanwhile, just snickered in amusement. After a moment, Kyle raised his head back up and said, “Wait, cult? What cult?”

“Ellara!” Sullivan called from behind the bar as Ellara took a moment to look back at him.

“What?” She replied hollering over the din of the bar as she responded to Paddy.

“C’mon lass, I can hear ye from back here. Language! Especially with the customers. I only want positive reviews!” He called back as Ellara let a sharp breath out of her pursed lips, huffing as she blew a few strands of loose hair out of her face.

[sub]“Fuck off, Paddy.”[/sub] She muttered turning back to her guests.

“The [i]fuckin’[/i] 6[sup]th[/sup] Street Blood Cult,” Ellara replied dryly resuming their conversation, “‘Course they’re a cult in [i]fuckin’[/i] name only. They’re a damned gang of [i]fuckin’[/i] bloodsuckers.” She clarified before continuing. 

“The Cult have a whole harem of janky-ass women who seduce the local barflies and general assholes. They get ‘em with a free hit of whatever designer drug they’ve got this damned week and then keep you [i]fuckin’[/i] hopped up until they bleed you dry, sometimes for real.” Ellara added ominously before continuing. 

“Bodies show up along the beach that are little more than empty husks.” She explained, pausing as she took a moment to think before adding a final remark. “Really ain’t that different than the [i]fucker[/i] currently leaving bodies on the streets, y’know?”

“Jesus [i]Christ[/i].” Kyle exclaimed in bewilderment of hearing about Santa Celia’s current conditions. He was amazed people weren’t leaving the town in droves if bodies were becoming this common. He was starting to think two Tourists weren’t going to be anywhere near enough to make a difference here.

“Out of the frying pan, into the fryer.” Kayla hummed, resting her chin on her free hand. “So, you heard us earlier. I hope I don’t have to be concerned, after all, you wouldn’t be trying to play us for a fool right?” Kayla said, a hint of animosity to her voice that was quickly reigned in. She leaned forward in Ellara’s direction. “So what’s going on under the hood there? You’re a bit more than what poor Paddy seems to know.”

“You’re one to fuckin’ talk.” Ellara replied cooly, still avoiding eye contact with the woman. “I’ve seen your true face, and it sure as hell ain’t as pretty as the facade you keep up.” 

The look on Kayla’s face was one of inherent confusion. She had been called many things in her life: annoying, a brat, a spaz, but unattractive had never been on of them. She shot a questioning look to her brother. “...Right. Well, not sure what you’re talkin’ about there, but we’re looking for the Jäger that lives in this city. Figured that it’d be good to know someone else in the business.”

“Try the fuckin’ zoo, there are no wild jaguars in California,” Ellara quickly snapped back, her knuckles turning white as her nails dug into the hard oak bar.

Kyle hovered his hand near one of his coat pockets as subtly as he could manage. As if waiting to take some sort of retaliatory action in the event that the bartender became violent. Nails digging into hard surfaces wasn’t really a good sign, ever.

Kayla hummed and shook her head at Ellara’s desperate attempt at diversion. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Kyle moving his hand to his gun under the counter, but didn’t look down to check. Her brother had her back. “I think we both know I didn’t say anything about a big cat. I said Jäger. German for hunter, but a special type. Not for normal game. They’re like us, going for the more… monstrous type.”

You’re a Jäger, son. Just like your father, and his mother before him. You have a responsibility to not only your ancestors but to the world, to protect it. Only we can see the darkness in people, the monsters that hide within. This is our calling, our duty…

Faint voices echoed inside Ellara’s head as it began to pound again. Reaching a hand to her throbbing temple, she backed away from the bar as the woman continued to speak.

“Get the fuck out!” She called, stumbling as she tried to fight back the memory. “I don’t know what you’re fuckin’ talking about, just leave me alone, Ich spreche kein deutsch!” She screamed before disappearing into the kitchen as Ellara made a beeline for the backdoor.

The Fosters, as well as a good majority of the bar’s active patrons, watched Ellara’s act of escape with a look of astonishment. Multiple people murmured in surprise, one man calling out somewhat loudly, “The fuck was that?” Kyle turned his head to his sister, with an expression that had ‘confused’ etched all over it.

“I-” Kayla begin sitting back in her stool. “Honestly have no idea. I got nothin’.” She stroked her chin and looked over at the vampire, at the other end of the bar. She hummed and flicked her finger, telekinetically knocking over the bowl of peanuts that he was almost done counting. The man cursed aggressively, and dropped to the floor to pick up every piece again. That should keep him around for a while longer.

“What do we do about him?” Kyle said as covertly as he could, under the cover of the returning voices of the rest of the bar’s patrons.

“Same as we always do to his type. Interrogate and eliminate. Good ol’ one two.” She replied, taking a drink of her beer again. She was still confounded by the bartender’s reaction to her questions. She hadn’t cast anything, and didn’t think she had done anything to get that kind of response.

“Let’s just go over what we found at the crime scene.” She said, pulling the book she had stolen out and placing it on the bar. “This should be a good place to start.”

“Doesn’t that seem like something better done back in the privacy of the motel?” Kyle asked, a little wary.

“Suppose you’re right. Let’s grab our sucky sucky friend and step outside.” She said, slipping the book back into her satchel. “Would you do the honors, Kyle?”