Riven Wight

They Live Among Us (Vampiricchild x Siaya)

Victoria felt the presence of someone watching her. Pulling what little of her attention she had invested in the book, she looked up in time to see Alex shake his head and step toward her.
The familiar excitement at seeing him buzzed through her as she quickly closed the book and reached to put it in her backpack. She stood and shouldered her pack.
“Morning!” She turned her gaze to the bench as a few students passed by, pretending to make sure she did not leave anything behind.
When the students had passed, she looked back to Alex and smiled. “So, what’s good around here to eat?” Her stomach grumbled softly at the mere prospect of food.
I should pick up granola bars or something. Victoria stepped to Alec’s side, waiting for him to lead the way.

Mystic Orphanage (Aristocles and Siaya Dragalorn)

@Aristocles
Perfect! :-D

Mystic Orphanage (Aristocles and Siaya Dragalorn)

Glad for her timing and the lack of traffic in the halls, Thayva quickly made her way to the large double front doors of the mansion. A few papers cluttered a board mounted to the wall beside the doorway, advertising various jobs from people in town for the orphans to take up come the weekends, among other bits of information all held up by rugged nails tacked into the board.
Her tail swished behind her as she pulled the scroll from her waistband, unfurled it, and tacked it to an empty spot of board with a couple unused nails: the newest list of jobs. She scanned the other pages, checking for anything old or out of place.
After tearing down a couple old job advertisements and pocketing a messily scrawled prank note of someone looking for anyone willing to fish out a fire-breathing duck trapped in one of the boys’ privies before it blew up the mansion, she began her usual morning routine of opening the windows facing the front of the house to let in fresh air.
She paused as an unusually cool breeze blew through the window she had just opened, her nostrils flaring as she sniffed at the crisp scent. The sweet, electric smell of an impending storm rode the breeze.
Thayva leaned out the window, trying to get a good look at the sky. A line of gray clouds floated just above the tree line surrounding the front yard, looming with a puffy ominousness.
Have to keep an eye on that. Thayva ducked back inside. Don’t want the floors to rot because of an open window during rain.
She turned and headed toward the kitchen. Driven by a hunger that had begun to gnaw at her stomach, she hoped to scavenge any leftovers from the morning meal before finishing up double checking the most recent test scores.

* * *

Nick nodded in Aurelian 's direction as Ilyrana eagerly thrust her hand in the air, her face begging for the teacher to pick her. Without waiting for more than the teacher’s glance, the elven girl spoke.
“Wizards,” Ilyrana began, ignoring Laya’s raised eyebrows, “usually deal in lighter magic, and specialize in one or two subjects, while warlocks delve into the darker stuff, and usually deal in a wider range of areas. Though, they both usually need some kind of staff, wand, or other trinket to channel their magic, since they have to seek it out, instead of it seeking them out.”

* * *

The halfling gave a frustrated sigh at Serapis’ persistence. He was late. Of that he was sure. The sounds of other orphans had already faded into oblivion from more than just the distance he had placed between himself and the most-traveled areas. Before the dracon finished speaking, the gentle sound of feet padding against the floorboards drew his attention a short second before Serapis looked over at the woman approaching.
His brows furrowed irritably when the woman, too, asked about “the problem” in the same kind tone she had used on those couple occasions Galatea had been his masseuse.
“Or maybe he can’t.”
The halfling’s head dropped, his gaze turning to the floor and fists clenching at the dracon’s words.
Can’t. How he hated that word. But, no matter how often he heard it--mocking or otherwise--he refused to correct it, to prove it wrong. No. He wouldn’t break the promise he made himself after...
He hung his head lower as Galatea answered the headmaster. Turning his attention instead on the hall, he focused on keeping his steps silent as he tried to steal away from the adults, hoping neither would notice until he had already safely slipped into the back of his classroom.

Mystic Orphanage (Aristocles and Siaya Dragalorn)

@Aristocles
How long in-game-wise would you like me to wait to do my inciting event plot post that introduces my child PCs (I can't remember if I mentioned it, but there are two of them. One is more the main focus and the other is more supporting, but they go hand-in-hand. Let me know if that's okay with you, since my brain doesn't want to remember, and my body's too lazy to go back and check)? My plan takes place after dark.

They Live Among Us (Vampiricchild x Siaya)

Victoria’s phone blared out the alarm she had set for nine-thirty, stirring her from her already uneasy sleep. She shouted and nearly fell off her bed, her heart racing as she struggled against the blanket wrapped around her.
Realizing what had woken her, she forced herself to go about her usual morning tasks. She got ready for her day as much as she could without leaving her bedroom, then hesitantly went to the bathroom the three girls were to share. To her relief, she did not run into Cali.
Not entirely sure what all she would need, Victoria shoved her laptop, the books for that day’s couple classes, a few pens and pencils, and a couple folders into a backpack just large enough for the items. With her already well-folded map of the school with the routes she should take in hand, and Alex’s tour the other day in mind, she went to the dorm door.
She stopped in front of the door, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath to steady her nerves and try to tame her fears.
Only two classes today, she reassured herself. Taking another deep breath, she opened her eyes then stepped into the hall. She kept her head down, as always, avoiding people as much as possible.
She made it to the classroom for English without incident. She instinctively ignored the other faces already there. Choosing a seat near the back, she sat and took out her computer.
When the teacher, Professor Witkins, entered and the class began, Victoria’s attention wavered from her laptop only long enough to look over the syllabus that got passed out. She found herself glancing to the time on her laptop frequently. The minutes ticked by sluggishly as Witkins went over the syllabus.
When, at long last, the class ended, Victoria eagerly packed up her things and hurried to the courtyard to wait for Alex.
Choosing the same seat as she had before, she pulled her phone from her pocket and checked the time. Eleven-twenty. Unsure when he would arrive--and hoping it would be soon, with her growing stomach already angry from her lack of breakfast--Victoria sat in the same place as yesterday. She dropped her pack to the ground at her feet, pulled out the book for English, and began to read the pages assigned for Wednesday.

Mystic Orphanage (Aristocles and Siaya Dragalorn)

Oh, FANTASTIC! Congrats! I'm glad you got that.

I'm starting to think we should maybe just start assuming that apologies for delay are implied, as long as we still keep in touch one way or another. Heh.

Mystic Orphanage (Aristocles and Siaya Dragalorn)

Nick looked around the classroom as he moved the books already on the specially made desk to the floor. He pulled a thick book bound in faded leather, a wad of parchment, and ink and a quill from his usual leather satchel. He placed the items on the desk, then carefully opened the ancient book.
The runes formed an archaic Elven text he had been trying to decipher for the past six months with little, if any, success. A few notes in modern Elvish flowed over his parchment. The dialect was so far obsolete that even the teacher who had given him a majority of the scant notes had little to offer in the way of translation.
Nick looked to Aurelian at the sound of his name, his gaze distant for a moment as the gears in his head screeched into another direction. He followed the human’s gaze to the dracon in question, and took a moment to examine his face.
“Yeah.” Nick nodded slowly and drew his attention back to the thick tome. “I think so. Haven’t seen him in any of the sleeping quarters.”

* * *

Kia closed her eyes and suppressed a yawn. She cracked one eyelid open when Laura spoke to her from her other side.
“Can’t wait to be capable of taking a nap.” Kia exaggerated a yawn and stretched like a cat. “Though, who doesn’t look forward to a massage?” She plopped back down on the pillow and curled up in a fetal position. She moved the pillow over her head, trying to block out the natural light streaming in through the windows.
“Alright, class.”
Kia groaned loudly at the sound of the teacher’s voice. She made a show of forcing herself into a sitting position, and let the pillow drop from her. Her hair stuck out at odd angles, static electricity making a few strands stand on end.
“You’re so melodramatic,” Ella whispered, rolling her eyes as she closed her book.
Kia shrugged, then reluctantly placed the cushion beneath her where it belonged.

* * *

The halfling child turned to take a less traveled route through the mansion to his first class of the day. A longer route that most avoided, the child knew well that it would be virtually deserted this time of day. Even when he was sure the dwarf was far behind him, the child did not stop running. Anger and hatred for the dwarf, the demeaning nickname, and his own reaction burned in his chest, forcing his feet to move faster. Their pounding on the floor matched the rhythm of his heart, and furious tears threatening to spill over.
“Hold on there, youngling!”
The child bent to duck around the draconic body that stepped in his way. Just in time, he realized who, exactly, stood before him, and slid to a stop.
He blinked at the dracon, craning his neck to look at the headmaster. His mouth parted slightly in shock at seeing--let alone nearly running into--Serapis himself.
“What seems to be the trouble?”
The child dropped his gaze, subconsciously glancing slightly behind him. He shook his head in a silent, “Nothing.” He gestured down his desired path with his eyes and a slight nod as he stepped slightly further on his way.

They Live Among Us (Vampiricchild x Siaya)

Victoria grinned at Alex’s bow. She returned his wink with an equally theatrical curtesy—partially to keep the red she felt flooding to her cheeks hidden. “Until the morrow, then, milord.”
Casting him only a quick glance for fear he would notice the coloration she was sure tinted her face, she ducked into the building.
Victoria hesitated at the door to her small, third floor dorm suite. She took a deep breath, then unlocked the door with her keycard.
Inside, a miniature living room with enough space for a couch, mini-fridge, and a few storage bins separated the two doors to the bedrooms on either side. She glanced over as the door of one of the bedrooms opened, her gaze still more on the floor.
“Vic!” the human girl, Amber, greeted, a smile on her pudgy face. A freshmen, like Victoria, the girl bounded out. A second, slightly older woman followed. “I want you to meet Cali. I talked her into taking my extra bed.”
The other girl stepped beside Amber. “Pleasure.” The girl held out a hand to Victoria. Victoria swallowed, then tentatively reached to take the girl’s hand, her gaze shifting to Calli’s tan face.
For a moment, relief washed over her. Calli’s human form did not waver.
She started to return Calli’s smile. Then, the girl’s form flickered, like a glitch in a video game. Whatever enchantment Calli used melted away for Victoria.
Goat-like horns sprouted from Calli’s auburn hair, and her ears were long and folded.
A-a faun! Victoria thought, swallowing back her panic. She took her hand from Calli and looked back to the floor, her hair falling in her face.
“I-I… things to do.” She pointed a thumb toward the opposite door, then rushed inside, leaving Calli and Amber staring after.
For the rest of the night, Victoria refused to leave her room, busying herself with anything she could until she fell asleep with her bedroom door locked.

Later That Night

Nyaira strode through the dark, dank corridor of the rotting warehouse, her high-heeled sandals clicking against the floor and echoing off the graffiti-covered walls. Everything about her screamed designer and wealth. From her lacy off-shoulder top and decadent scarf, to her high-heeled shoes and dark skinny-jeans, she looked as if she belonged on a runway. The contrast between her and the ripped wallpaper and dirt and dust caked onto every surface was almost painful.
The sharp scent of mildew saturated the air. A couple puddles formed in the hall where the ceiling had caved in above, serving as a reminder of the rain that had passed through only hours before. Ahead, light glowed from a window, the illumination barely breaching the layer of grime smeared over the cracked glass.
Nyaira stopped at the door and scowled down at the rusty doorknob. With her lips curled in disgust, she reluctantly gripped the knob with as few fingers as possible and pulled the door open.
A round table took up a good portion of the room’s molding carpet, surrounded by chairs. Battery-powered lanterns hung from a couple rusty chains dangling from the ceiling. Black paint blocked out the large windows on one side, trapping the light inside.
Three men and two women sat in the chairs. One man had the dark skin and pointed ears of a drow, and a second, whose muscles budged against his shirt, leaned precariously in his seat.
A tall man stood at the table with his side facing the door, the high collar of his gray duffel coat pulled up. His attention stayed on the table, where a thin pile of papers sat. He held an air of authority. Of elegance. Of power.
“’Bout time!” the man leaning back in his chair growled, his voice gruff. His eyes shone an eerie yellow, and Nyaira could smell the stench of wet dog wafting from him.
“You’re late, mon chéri,” the man standing said with a French accent as he picked up one of the pages and put it to the side of the pile. His voice was menacing despite its soft tone. He and one of the women shared the same cold beauty as Nyaira.
“It took me ages to find the place.” Nyaira brushed her feathery brown hair from her shoulder with the back of her hand as she sashayed toward him. “Really, Luc.” She rubbed a hand over his back seductively as she moved to his other side to stand between him and a seemingly teenage girl with fiery red hair. “Must you always pick places like this?” She leaned into him, her hand running down his arm.
Luc finally turned his crimson gaze to her, a brow raising irritably. “When it iz your turn to choose where we meet, Nya, you are welcome to pick somewhere more pleasant. Until zen, you are expected to arrive on time. Sit, and we will begin.” He pulled out the empty chair between him and the red-head.
Instead, Nya turned the chair around so its back rested against the table, and knelt on the seat, her body stretching over it. Heat rose from the red-headed girl and the boy beside her who could easily be the girl’s twin, the warmth brushing over Nyaira’s skin.
Luc examined everyone at the table, his eyes lingering a short moment on each supernatural. “Tonight iz zee last time we will meet before our plans commence. In two nights, zis city will feel the might of us supernaturals.”
The werewolf pumped a fist in the air with a boisterous, “Oorah!”
Luc acknowledged the outburst with little more than a slight cock of his head.
“In two nights from now,” Nyaira added, wicked pleasure in her eyes and a dark grin on her lips. She placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands. “Streets around the entire continent will run red with the blood of humans and traitors alike.” She licked her lips at the thought.
“We’ll take zis final opportunity to review our missions once more, and add any information,” he tapped the pile of papers with one hand, and brandished a pen from a pocket with the other, “zat iz still missing.” Luc pulled out the chair he stood in front of and sat. “Edmond?” Luc placed his pen to the paper and looked to the werewolf, who straightened in his seat and gave a quick salute.
“My pack and I are ready, sir.” Edmond crossed his arms smugly. “We’ll be at Club Ember well before the attacks begin. They’re scheduled to have The Dueling Rockets playing that night. They’re a popular local band on the rise,” he added at the flash of confusion that crossed the drow’s face. “The place’ll be packed more than usual.”
“Zee number of other supernaturals will be unpredictable. Will you ‘ave enough wolves?”
Edmond looked offended. “More than enough.”
Luc nodded in approval, wrote something down quickly, then looked to the other female vampire. “Nicole?”
“Lake’s Edge Community,” the vampiress purred, her blond locks bouncing in tight curls. “A community of about two hundred near the center of town. Stakeouts have revealed about fifteen supernatural families. My clan and I will have most of them and the humans dead before they know what’s hit them.”
Luc made another note. “Karlor?” His attention turned to the drow.
The drow stood. “My warriors and I will… occupy the 911 dispatchers and officers at the police stations for as long as possible. By my current calculations, our numbers outweigh theirs by at least five to one in all instances. Our best estimate of the number of supernaturals in each shift for the night in question is between a meager five and ten. We have improved our defensive abilities, and tripled our training for the past three months. Our casualties will likely be few, if any, to their many.”
“Excellent.” Luc made another quick note as Nyaira leaned over as if trying to see what he wrote. “Evain? Nick?” His head turned to the twins.
“Set fire to the city hall.” Nick smirked. “With the council still in it.”
“The city council has a late meeting planned,” Evain specified quietly. “They won’t go out after dark, so will likely be staying the night there. We’ll block off their exits, then burn the place down from the inside.”
Luc’s face darkened, and the seemingly young teenage twins squirmed beneath his gaze. “And zere will be no mistakes this time.”
“N-no sir.” Nick swallowed hard and looked to the floor.
“Good.” His face softened slightly as he looked to Nyaira. “Nya?”
“I and a few dozen other supernaturals will stir things up at the local college.” She stretched across the chair, the action feline. “Eat a few people, break some necks, all that good ol’ stuff.”
Luc’s eyes narrowed when she did not continue. “I am missing your reports. ‘Ave you done any research? ‘Ow many staff? Students?”
Nyaira smiled at him. “Of course I ‘ave, mon cœur,” she said with an exaggerated hurt pout, perfectly mimicking his accent. “It’s a surprisingly small college, considering, but most of the kids of the local higher-ups go there. The dorms only hold about five hundred students. The rest live off-campus or school online. A few of the supernaturals working with us have moved into the dorms.” She scowled as she continued. “There are about a hundred supernatural students that we’ve seen, not on our side.” She snorted. “There could be more. Out of two-hundred staff members, though, there are only about twenty supernaturals. Only a 'wolf janitor remains on campus for a while after-hours. He won't pose any problems."
“Good.” Luc wrote quickly on his piece of paper, then scanned the faces at the table. “Are zere any other concerns anyone wishes to address?”
Various forms of “no” rose around the table.
“Very well.” Luc pulled a large folder from beneath the pile of papers, then stood. “We will reconvene four days from now. I will contact you with the details once it iz safe. The best of luck to you all.”
Luc sat back down and began to place his papers inside the folder with deliberate slowness as the others dispersed.
Nyaira hung back. Once the door closed behind the last to leave, she turned around in the chair, spread her arms on the table behind her, and tilted her head back to look at the ceiling. “I thought they would never leave.”
“You really must learn to be punctual, mon chéri,” Luc looked to her, his voice light and accent thickening slightly with the others gone. He smiled lustfully at her as he stuffed the final paper into the folder and closed it. “Zis is zee zird time you ‘ave kept us waiting.”
“Iz zat so?” Nyaira stood with him, and leaned into his chest. “Per’aps you should give me more of an incentive to arrive on time, mon cœur.” She traced a light line down his face with a perfectly manicured nail.
“Incentive, you say?” He pulled back slightly, and tapped a finger to his chin as if in contemplation. “Per’aps somezing like… zis?”
He gently lifted her face with a fingertip to her chin, and bent forward. Their lips locked in a passionate kiss until Luc pulled away.
“We shouldn’t linger ‘ere.” He went to where one of the lanterns hung and reached up to unhook it from a chain.
Nyaira leaned provocatively against the table as he placed the first lantern on it then went to the other.
“I saw someone quite interesting today.” She examined her nails.
“Is zat so?” Luc returned to the table and turned one of the lanterns off. “And who might zat be?”
“Alexander Williams.”
A snarl twisted his face. “Que est-ce que ce traître le besoin?” he spat. He stood in front of Nyaira in an instant, his gaze boring into hers.
“He doesn’t want anything.” She pushed slowly from the table, her every move serpentine. “I only saw him. He attends the college. He was with this rather timid human.” She spat the race as if it left a foul taste in her mouth. “I saw them leave together, and that was that. I had other things to worry about.”
Luc snorted, then moved to turn.
“But I was thinking,” Nyaira leaned against him, keeping him from turning away. “If we could get him to join us, that would be one more on our side to help.”
His eyes narrowed dangerously. “Iz zat zee only reason you wish to speak wiz ‘im?”
Her brows furrowed in a look of innocence. “Mon coeur appartient à vous, l'amour. My heart will always belong to you.” She placed a gentle hand on his chest and looked up at him. “Alex was once a friend. He’s strong, and would be useful to us. There’s no other reason.”
Luc stared at her a long moment.
“Very well.” His jaw hardened. “But you are to tell ‘im nozing of our plans unless ‘e proves ‘e iz on our side. Am I clear?”
“I wouldn’t dream of doing otherwise, Luc.” She leaned back, grabbed the extinguished lantern, linked her arm in his, and together, the two vampires stole out into the night.

Mystic Orphanage (Aristocles and Siaya Dragalorn)

No hurry, my friend. :-)

Northwood Academy

@Kirah
Darn. Glad it went well! :-)