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Ava found herself on staircase somewhere when she awoke, in what looked like the fire escape of a building. The sharp bend of the steps and the cold cement prickled against her skin, stirring her into a sitting position. It felt like it was evening at this point, golden hour maybe, before sunset, but there weren’t any windows nearby to make an accurate assumption. It was probably for the better anyway - it’s a miracle enough that Ava managed to find shelter from the sun, before passing out the previous night.

Waking up, however, is hardly ever as easy as sleep itself, in Ava’s case. Leftovers from yesterday’s dinner were sprawled at the end of the flight of stairs. Whatever amount of blood remaining in the cadaver had coagulated and dried around long incisions that stretched across his wrists and neck. Nearby, a few flasks meant for alcohol laid next to the body, stained in the same hue of rusted red. 

[color=#C5D1FB]“F-fuck,”[/color] Ava shivered, not cold, but paralyzed by a wave of anxiety that ran through her. She darted to the body, placing her shaky hands to the side of the man’s neck, right below the jaw. There wasn’t a pulse, obviously - his glassy eyes and sunken cheeks were more than sufficient proof that no life remained in his form. 

Then, she noticed that her fingertips were dyed scarlet, the same hue that gruesomely marked the man’s sallow skin. A weighted hollowness overcame her, and suddenly, the stairwell felt suffocating. [i]She[/i] did this. [i]Again.[/i]

Ava clenched her hands so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. Unfortunately, she didn’t drink quite enough to forget what happened the night before. She had been feeding on a string of intoxicated partygoers, taking small amounts from each. Greed clouded her reasoning, though, once intoxicated enough. The last man was unlucky.

The flasks placed by the man likely contained his blood. Ava vaguely remembered collecting it the night before. The memory disgusted her - it felt like she was a passenger in her body, observing the actions of some ghost that possessed her. Still, Ava opened a bottle and chugged the contents, shoving the remaining three flasks in her bag. 

---

Ava’s apartment was in the basement of a building, with a small window at the top of one of the walls. It was scarcely decorated and rather messy. A single mattress sat in the corner of her bedroom, draped with a thin blanket that spilled onto the floor. Piles of personal items, paperwork, and clothes burdened the modest desk nearby. The invitation sent by the Black Iris Society was placed on the corner of it, reminding Ava of tonight’s plans. She was appalled at the thought of attending an event infested with vampires, but thought it would be a good opportunity to see what kind of people vampires were. She figured that if she had enough to drink through the night, the presence of other vampires wouldn't agitate her as much. 

Ava arrived at the Black Iris manor around two hours later, with the flasks she collected earlier that night in a small bag. She hadn’t bothered to change out of the dress she was wearing the night before - soft, black fabric, with thin straps and a plunging neckline, and a skirt hemmed shorter than appropriate for a formal masquerade. Black tights and strappy heels added to her uncouth attire, which Ava weaponized as a way to show her disapproval for the event. Despite her intentional underdress, she was disappointed by the appearance of the shabby event venue. Nevertheless, most others seemed to be dressed much more formally than her, juxtaposed to the poor exterior of the building.

The tables of food and hor d'oeuvres caught Ava’s eyes. She was baffled - everything she used to love eating tasted like bland mush now. Maybe it was for the witches and werewolves - there seemed to be a few in attendance. Ava took one of the tall champagne glasses displayed on the table - it seemed to contain sparkling water or something similar - and dumped the contents on the white floors. The glass was refilled with the deep red concoction from one of the flasks she carried. Stepping over the puddle, Ava walked deeper into the venue to explore the area, as more guests rolled in.