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    1. Write 9 yrs ago
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8 yrs ago
"I feel like I could eat the whole world raw."
8 yrs ago
When one of us goes to war. We all go to war.
2 likes
8 yrs ago
Here's a limmerick There once was a team out of Haven with an outlook as black as a raven they were meant to fight BANK but our hearts all but sank WHEN WE HEARD THAT THEY'D RUN HOME AND TURNED CRAVEN
1 like
8 yrs ago
When you realize you gotta make an IC intro post and just '...'
6 likes
8 yrs ago
Big things are coming! Stay tuned ~
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๐—Ÿ๐—”๐—ก๐—š ๐— ๐—ข๐—ก๐—ฌ๐—˜๐—ง๐—›๐—˜๐—•๐—˜๐—ก๐—š


โ™ชโ™ช

In which a night shift cop from another country tries to flirt accept a casual night out with a drinking buddy. @McHaggis


Lang whistled as he took his earbuds out. Louise had signed off and they had started their flashback playlist with some Daryl Hall and John Oates. Nice to hear some American music for a change. He waved to the night secretary who was just ending her shift, Aila shouldโ€™ve been getting in pretty soon to take over for the day. He went and signed off his shift, taking his vest off, changing, and releasing all of his equipment before finally heading over to his locker. He found his baggy pullover hoodie and threw it on. It exposed the nape of his neck and a bit lower than his collarbone, but he always wore comfy clothes after work. Besides, he was only just remembering what the sun looks like.

But that was when everything his changed. As he was about to close his locker, he heard his phone buzz from inside it. โ€œAh shit, close call.โ€ He murmured to himself grabbing the phone and quickly scanning the contact it was from. But it was an unknown number.

Huh.

He read the first line offered in the preview of the message. His brain was only able to process the words โ€˜Louise and radioโ€™ before he instinctively threw his phone at the wall. There was absolutely no reason. No sensible way to explain what he had done. He gingerly picked up the phone, looking at the screen and inspecting the damage. It had a sizeable crack in the bottom half, which made Lang inhale sharply upon seeing it.

โ€œOh shit.โ€ He muttered, looking behind him. The room was empty.

โ€œOh fuck, oh fuck oh shit.โ€

Itโ€™s fake.

โ€œOh obviously.โ€ Lang started to laugh a nervous laugh, it sounded less like a healthy human and more like a cat choking up a hairball. He slid his phone into his pocket, but it felt like it weighed as much as a fridge.

Itโ€™s fake.

He continued to get ready, grabbing a few of his things. A few other night shift officers came in, quietly greeting Lang. He just stared at them. Right into their eyes. It could have been one of them.

โ€œYou good buddy?โ€ One asked, Lang squinted at him, focusing all of his cop super powers into this stare, โ€œa-are you okay?โ€ The man just seemed confused, shit.

โ€œYeah.โ€ Lang said, grabbing the rest of his things and storming off.

Itโ€™s fake.

โ€œHey Laurel, before you head out โ€“ mind if you run a number for me?โ€ Lang asked the secretary, looking somewhat like a junkie with the amount he was twitching.

โ€œOh sure, Lang. What is it?โ€ Laurel asked coolly.

โ€œUh, yeah, itโ€™s 2038073914,โ€ Lang said, starting to sweat a little.

Laurelโ€™s eyes scanned the screen as her fingers nimbly inputted the number. One eyebrow raised to almost hilarious proportions before her eyes slid over to Lang. โ€œI swear to god if youโ€™re stalking that poor girl Lang.โ€

Itโ€™s not fake.

โ€œThank you!โ€ He said taking off in a full sprint, small duffle bag in tow. He made it out the doors and continue to sprint, he made his way into the middle of the road and jumped as far as he could.

He felt like a kid again.

โ€œLang, what the fuck?โ€ Another officer shouted out at him.

โ€œShut up!โ€ He called back, sprinting around the corner and taking off towards his house. By the time he made it home he closed the door behind him and threw his sweater at his bed. Staring at the text message again.

โ€œOh my god, she makes typos.โ€ He said quietly. She asked if I was for drinks.

I am for drinks.

Lang quietly pondered what to do, staring at the propped up phone sitting on his pillow.

โ€œI need help.โ€

He quickly opened up his text messages with the only person who could help. A girl he actually knew.




Play it cool. Only advice Aila could have given.

It made sense. She was a radio host, that was basically a short walk from being a phenomenon, a celebrity. She couldโ€™ve been expecting someone like Elvis, or other American heroes.

He had to dial it up.

Lang opened up the notes section of his phone so just in case she could see him typing, she wouldnโ€™t watch him draft a good response for the next five minutes. The entirety of the time it took him to draft the thirty three word text he was beet red and felt like he was overheating. His ears especially burned with passion and embarrassment as he reread everything to make sure it didnโ€™t sound like he had reread it 100 times.

โ€œOkay.โ€ He said, moving back to the messaging app.



It was done.

Immediately he buried his phone beneath his pillow placing his head on top of the pillow and tried to wait it out. Maybe time would go by quickly and he would have a response soon?

Maybe she was just as anxious?

His phone vibrated and his pillow was nearly torn asunder as his desperate claws reached the phone.

It was the Dominoโ€™s pizza app he kept forgetting to delete.

They had a deal for 7.99 two topping large pizzas.

Wow, thatโ€™s an amazing deal.
๐—”๐—ก๐——๐—ฅ๐—ข๐— ๐—˜๐——๐—”


Andromeda took a sip of her coffee, attempting to feel the caffeine press its way into her mind. She needed to be ready and alert โ€“ she was getting there.

โ€œSo Mrs.-โ€œ

โ€œYou can just call me Kate.โ€ The middle aged-woman interrupted. She had dark hair that fell straight down her back like frozen water, there seemed to be a large amount of product in it. โ€œAre you sure youโ€™re old enough to be offering therapy to my Brayden?โ€ She asked with a privileged tone holding her sonโ€™s head in her hands in what looked to be a very uncomfortable position for him.

Andromeda took a second to look at the boy, he looked not frightened but anxious, like a caged animal but not one that was ready to resort to violence. His mother on the other hand looked like a twig supporting the weight of a fully grown mastiff.

Andi needed to diffuse.

โ€œKate,โ€ she started, her eyes slowly shifting from the son to his mother. โ€œDo you think Brayden and I could speak alone for a few minutes?โ€ She asked, her voice light as if she was speaking to a child.

โ€œI donโ€™t know if thatโ€™s a good idea, Doctor.โ€ Kate immediately shot back as if she had spent the past decade of her life working as a therapist.

โ€œI do,โ€ Andromeda said, not breaking her eye contact from Kate. Kate looked at her for only a second before breaking eye contact and nodding. She said a few quiet words to her son before departing, leaving Brayden alone with his therapist. He fiddled with his hands a little bit, biting his cuticle, it seemed like he had cut it a little bit. His right hand had a band-aid on the knuckle, most definitely recent. He wore clothes that were definitely picked out by his mother. A button up shirt she'd expect of someone three times his age, his hair very neatly combed and gelled, khaki pants. No eight year old wore khaki pants as a choice.

After a few moments of silence, Andi moved out from behind her desk, expertly grabbing a lollipop from a small tray hidden behind her computer monitor before kneeling down so she met Braydenโ€™s eye line. She handed him the sweet and met his eyes, he smiled a little bit and she mirrored his expression. โ€œIโ€™ll tell you what Brayden is that what you friends call you?โ€

โ€œThey call me Bray.โ€ He said, unskillfully unwrapping the candy and plopping it into his mouth, leaving his poor cuticles alone for the time being.

โ€œDo you think I could call you Bray?โ€ She asked with a curious intonation.

โ€œYeah, we can be friends too.โ€ Bray said looking at the window, Andi smiled.

โ€œOkay, then you can call me Andi โ€“ thatโ€™s what my friends call me, okay?โ€ She asked, he looked back at her with the smallest amazement.

โ€œOkay.โ€ He said, still making eye contact, nodding a little absentmindedly.

โ€œSo Bray, I heard you got into trouble at school last week,โ€ Andi said, carefully watching his eyes. As soon as she mentioned trouble, his eyes moved from her gaze to the corner of his vision, his head turning slightly. She let the silence hang in the air for a few seconds.

And then a minute.

Bray looked upset, but she just kept her gaze ever so gently on him, before finally he turned back to Andi.




Andi dusted off some of her things as Kate re-entered the room she found the therapist sitting back at her desk and her son, content with his lollipop. She glanced at him sitting down and petting his head like he was a beagle.

โ€œOkay Bray, your mummy and I are just going to talk about some grown up stuff, why donโ€™t you go play out in the lobby for a couple seconds?โ€ Andi said with a giant grin on her face. Bray got up and ran out to the small brainteaser toys that were located in the lobby, still well within the small area restricted to the therapistsโ€™ patients.

โ€œSo? Whatโ€™s going on with my son?โ€ Kate asked impatiently glancing at Andromeda as if she was her won disappointing daughter.

โ€œNothing out of the ordinary. He was being picked on and he fought back, Iโ€™d talk to him about using his words and speak to the teacher about making sure another student isnโ€™t picking on him but other than that you should be fine.โ€ Andromeda took a second to look at Kate once more, taking another sip of her coffee. โ€œHe definitely doesnโ€™t need therapy, just a bit more support.โ€

A glare passed over Kateโ€™s eyes, quickly but altogether still present. For a moment she mustโ€™ve considered lashing out. She was almost certainly giving him all the support in the world. But she decided against it and held her anger back. โ€œWell Doctor, thanks for your opinion. Weโ€™ll be sure to get a second one before speaking to his teachers. She said, picking up her bag in an overly dramatic fashion and carting her son off to go someplace else.

Andi leaned back in her chair, her arms slouching to her side as she absent mindedly made a Bras dโ€™honneur to alleviate some of the pent up anger.

He was a good kid though.

Shaking her mouse in order to wake up her computer, she wrote down a few notes about the session should Bray ever come back.

She leaned back in her chair and glanced at her calendar. Her day was empty and it was still the early morning. She sighed and leaned back even further until the chair creaked under the pressure. She snagged a lollipop and put it in her mouth with a slight grin. The air in Edgetoun was different than back home, not that she'd been home recently. But it felt uniquely full of opportunity. She never had any love for the politics of her people, nor their natures as self-serving brats. Instead, she liked people, even people like Kate. Sure, they were still ignorant and filled to the brim with false importance, there wasn't a doubt about that. But at the same time they were looking out for each other. Kate was a mother worried for her son, her son wanted to make friends. There was a purity about them.

โ€œIโ€™m bored.โ€ The Fae groaned leaning even further back in her chair, before she felt her weight completely shift. She threw her arms out wildly but all the same she crashed into the ground, smacking the back of her head off the wall with a dull thud.

"Fuuuuuuck." Andi sighed rubbing her head.
๐—Ÿ๐—”๐—ก๐—š ๐— ๐—ข๐—ก๐—ฌ๐—˜๐—ง๐—›๐—˜๐—•๐—˜๐—ก๐—š


โ™ชโ™ช


As the sun lazily made its presence known over the horizon Lang Monyethebeng bid his shift, the night and his waning sobriety adieu. He walked into the grocer with a yawn on his lips. Friday nights he had off, so at least there was that. In his left ear was an earbud connected to his cell phone, but he wasnโ€™t listening to music โ€“ at least not to most people. It was music to his ears though.

Well, it wasnโ€™t yet. Right now it was Cara, but Louise hadnโ€™t signed off โ€“ which meant she was probably covering for someone. She was a professional, she always signed off. This meant that he had time to listen to her still while he made his way home until bars opened up. Some Adele song started up and Lang used the momentary distraction to carry out his purchases. At first it was just the essentials, the biggest bottle of Advil he could find, some creamer for his coffee and a bottle of red wine. But upon approaching the counter he realized he had nothing to pair with his beautiful red, but he also only had enough for, like, a dozen bagels.

He grabbed the bagels and continued on his way to the register. In front of him was Eleanor English, easy enough for anyone to recognize. A lot of the other guys at the office made comments about how she looks, but Lang never really saw it. She had kind eyes, but he wasnโ€™t the best judge of character either.

He was going to say something polite, but before he could get it out she was out the door. He tried not to think about it, instead working on producing the proper amount of money as the kid behind the register who got stuck with the crappy shift started ringing everything in. Lang patted his pockets as Adele sung of past loves, he found a few dollars in his shirt pocket and a few other dollars in back right pocket. He mustโ€™ve left his wallet in the cruiser. That was when he noticed a girl standing behind him.

โ€œAh hey.โ€ He started, turning to see who was behind him, putting the money on the shelf as the cashier started to bag everything. โ€œYer one of them high schoolers right?โ€ He drawled.

โ€œOh, no my name is Aoife โ€“ weโ€™ve met a few times actually Iโ€™m studying in pre me-โ€œ The girl started, but Lang wasnโ€™t ready to continue a conversation for that long. Adele was getting towards the end of her song, which meant she was almost back.

โ€œAlright, donโ€™t do drugs Eva.โ€ He said, grabbing his bag behind his back and waving to the cashier to keep any change, with that he took his leave.

Back in the cruiser, he gently put his groceries on the passenger seat and started the vehicle, the Bluetooth FM player in the left cigarette lighter chimed to life as it connected to his phone just in time. "That was Adele's new hit break-up song. Thanks for the request, Sam, and hope you feel better soon! Louiseโ€™s signature โ€˜radio voiceโ€™ as Lang often dubbed it when gushing to others was as spot on as always. But there was more to it than that, he always took a tiny bit of pride when he heard her โ€˜radio voiceโ€™. Because just once, during a late night call he could have sworn she didnโ€™t use it. That was what kept him coming back, those blinks of realness.

Next up is a little something you might recognise, if you're feeling very 90sโ€“โ€“"

Very suddenly the signal shut off and some static came through, before a voice pierced that static and shut every other noise out completely.

Good morning, Britain.

Do you feel a shiver of fear when walking home alone at night? Do you jump at shadows whenever the full moon is out and shining bright? Doesnโ€™t the existence of beings who cannot separate themselves from carnal desires and primal urges frighten you?


Lang listened intently as a madman droned a manifesto. It wasnโ€™t entirely a call to civil war, but it wasnโ€™t so dissimilar. Lang physically felt ill at the mention of witches. Almost as if to confirm what he was he silently shifted a quarter nervously being flicked between his fingers like a poker chip into copper, then into bronze and back. The display was a party trick he often showed off as โ€˜magicโ€™.

Would anyone know, just rom his past that he was?

He ignored it and soon, Louise was back.

"Thatโ€“โ€“ that was an unauthorised broadcast, we truly apologise for the interruption and the show will soon return to our regular programming. But before we do, suffice it to say that On the Edge does not endorse any of the views represented in the previous manifesto, andโ€“โ€“

Her voice was cathartic to him, almost so much so that he considered not polishing the bottle of red off once he was off. But he didnโ€™t think much more about it with the words that followed.

"And though I am but the humble host of everyone's favourite radio show, I personally condemn the call to violence against the Other from these anonymous pirates." The confidence in her voice wasโ€ฆ Well it was certainly there, but it felt pushed. He wasnโ€™t sure if he was reading into things too much, but he felt like it was there.

"At least we'll have something for the listeners to call-in about later. For now, though, let's return to the Top 40..."

With that music would return to the airwaves, and Lang would head back to the station to call it a morning. The sun was now starting to rise over the sleepy town, he could only hope no one had been listening. But, he was and so was Louise.

He made a mental note to call in should her shift last any longer, just to check in.


๐—˜๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—”๐—ก๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐—˜๐—ก๐—š๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ฆ๐—›



Eleanor washed her hands in the kitchen sink, splashing some of the water on her face. The cold water from the tap felt warm to her skin with its unnatural coolness. The woman sighed, placing one hand on the rim of the pristine sink and the other on her forehead, rubbing it slightly.

โ€œI swear to god these kidsโ€ฆโ€ She mumbled under her breath rather quietly. She felt as though, even though she knew Caspian was out and Callie was in bed hungover, she shouldnโ€™t have said it. In truth, her children were the best thing that had happened to her in nearly 900 years on this planet. Yet, there was no time where she was more stressed, or constantly worried about anything.

She took a look at the clock on her stove and grumbled before fetching her keys from a small ring that normally held them. As Eleanor approached her small vehicle it started up on its own, sensing her keys approaching it. She got in and started off towards town. The drive was always nice enough, if not overly mundane. She had lived just about everywhere โ€“ so Edgetoun and its residual outskirts were somewhat drab to her. But she didnโ€™t want to move the kids.

โ€œGod, do I have any agency at all left?โ€

No.

Eleanorโ€™s car silently grinded to a stop outside of a small grocer. She was pretty early, the sun was only still just coming up. She popped in and immediately headed to the cashier, who had her bag prepared for her already as was usual of Friday mornings.

โ€œThanks.โ€ She said, gliding her wallet over a debit machine as a beep registered the exchange. She could smell the alcohol of an officer who should be in control of his drinking habits behind him, but didnโ€™t worry too much about it and glided back to the entrance. As the sliding doors opened a smallish girl bumped into her.

She immediately recognized her as Aoife Reilley, she shared two classes with Caspian and one with Calypso.

โ€ฆ

Okay, she probably shouldnโ€™t have that much knowledge of her childrenโ€™s goings on. But sue her, sheโ€™s a vampire mother.

โ€œOh, Ms. English, Iโ€™m very sorry please-โ€œ Aoife began, in a tone that begged condescension.

โ€œIts fine, Aoife was it?โ€ The older woman knew the girlโ€™s name. It was justโ€ฆ She didnโ€™t want to give off an air of familiarity. Perhaps that was mean, but muscle memory often is.

โ€œYes Maโ€™amโ€ฆโ€ Aoife sputtered like a beat up car. She tried to form words, the demure nature of the girl caused Eleanor to examine her more closely. Why does she find me so intimidating? I think I look nice. โ€œIโ€™ll get out of your way now.โ€ She said, clearing her throat.

โ€œPlease.โ€ The mother said to the stray leaf in the wind. Aoife nearly shook when Eleanor brushed past her. She immediately went back to her car and started the ten minute drive back to the manor.

She flicked the radio on just in time to hear Louise get cut off by another broadcast. It droned on about aberrations, fear, duty.

The full moon is on Sunday. Weโ€™re doing our civic duty. Are you?

She glanced at her radio with a smile one would give to a child who didnโ€™t understand a simple concept. She took a long, deep breath before her fist went through the car radio.

When she pulled up to the mansion she bled a fair amount, removing her scarf she wrapped it around her hand and got out, slamming the door behind her. She rested on the hood of the car for a second and willed any anxiety away.

โ€œThey wonโ€™t come for them. No one knows they exist.โ€

With a few words Eleanor was fine. Everything was fine.

She took the bag which contained a few mice, some cheeses and some medication and walked out behind the manor. She found her trap she had laid and saw that it had worked as usual. A large fox this time, was caught in the cage, yipping at her. She removed it and with one, calculated and cold movement, snapped its neck.

Replacing the now gone mice in the cage she walked back to her house. She was ready to make her daughter a fox-blood drink to wane her hangover.

It was a harder world than ever for them to live in and Sunday would be a proving grounds for their sustainability as a family.

She was desperate to make it work.

She had to.

๐—˜๐—ฉ๐—˜ ๐—Ÿ๐—จ๐— ๐—œ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—˜


โ™ชโ™ช


A slightly less than conscious Eve awoke to the sound of a kettle screaming and the Blake on her shoulder telling her to run.

I fell asleep last night oh god.

Eve immediately bolted upright, wrapping the comforter she had been curled up in around her body as she began to tiptoe her way out the door. The sound of his footsteps caused her to bolt out the door even faster.

โ€ฆWait. His? Hers?

Who knows.

Even required a quick escape all the same. She bolted out the door and up the stairs, where she was met with the little angel who lived down the hall from Eveโ€™s latest conquest.

Aoife Reilley was a strange girl, she was kind of what motherโ€™s wanted their daughterโ€™s to be โ€“ even though they were never like that. She was kind, boring, dressed nice and charitableโ€ฆ Probably? Eve didnโ€™t know that much about her, that being said โ€“ she did know that girl was as gay as they came. Eve gave her a propositional smile for a second before realizing that the Blake on her shoulder would yell at her for flirting with someone during a walk of shame.

โ€œDonโ€™t stare too hard, a walk of shame is only a walk of shame if you canโ€™t make it work.โ€ Eve said, causing Aoife to recoil just ever so slightly. As if she tasted something sour. The girl opened her mouth, it snapped into her usual light smile but Eve interrupted once more. Moving past her in a slow somewhat overly cutesy fashion. โ€œYou look pleased as punch, you know Fridayโ€™s only good after you get everything done right?โ€

Thatโ€™s right, she had lots to do today.

She kept running down the stairs to the entrance and out the door. She lived about a five minute walk from here, judging from street signs โ€“ but the nippy cold air brushed up against her wonderful, self-described sensual skin and she tried to make sure it would only be a two and a half minute jog.

Her sprint of sexual victory earned a few hollers from onlookers but Eve didnโ€™t care, she waved a royal wave and continued jogging down the street in her bare feet and fairly large comforter. Finally getting back to their building Eve darted in and felt the warmth that she paid for so regularly comforting. The blanket was nice, but when in the outdoors it did little to help.

Approaching the door to her and Blakeโ€™s apartment she knocked three times, a signal for โ€˜Hey Blake, Iโ€™m coming in early, also Iโ€™m naked, covered only by a comforter and you should probably avert your innocent eyes because who knows whatโ€™s going to happen when Iโ€™m finally home.โ€™

โ€ฆ It wasnโ€™t uncommon among girlfriends, she was sure.

She liked to think of their place as Blakeโ€™s own little fortress of solitude. Because yโ€™know, her boyfriend has never existed and sheโ€™s mean.

Thereโ€™s a better joke there, but half of Eveโ€™s mind was still overflown with champagne. She hastily creeped into the living room and poked her head into Blakeโ€™s room to make sure her roommate/live in house wife wasnโ€™t around.

Perfect. Still no Blake, no doubt she was overrun as usual at work being Lois Lane. That should give the demon enough time.

โ€œOkay Blake, letโ€™s hope youโ€™re as liberal as you act online.โ€ Eve said huffing as she moved a small chair and lifted up a floor board. Inside were streamers, a rolled up banner and a beautiful custom made card.

The banner just read: โ€˜Surpriseโ€™.

But the card, beautifully written and absolutely eloquent.

The front read. โ€œOnly you could still be a virgin after all these yearsโ€ฆโ€ While the inside in beautiful cursive read: โ€Because youโ€™ve been living with a succubus this whole time! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3โ€

She would love it.

Blake probably wouldnโ€™t.

But god damn Eve was happier than she had ever been. Maybe happy wasnโ€™t right. She was somewhat anxious, truth be told. But she was also ecstatic. Finally Blake would get that sheโ€™s not just making terrible life decisions โ€“ sheโ€™s making them because she basically has to.

After setting up the streamers and banners on the walls and leaving the card in the middle of the coffee table, Eve went into the fridge. Luckily she was able to persuade Blake to get some take out last night. She had a small cake made in honour of the excellent news, of course another custom message for her roommate.

โ€No but actually, Iโ€™m a demon, from hell. I am empowered by the lust of my enemies. Love, Eve.โ€

It was just a casual follow through to the card in case it didnโ€™t come across.

Short and sweet.

To the point really.

With everything set up Eve decided sheโ€™d just tell Blake that she had bought the comforter as a 1 year anniversary gift and threw it on the couch before heading to the shower for a quick wash up.

Some people might have considered that she was rushing things. That she was overloading Blake with information. But Eve didnโ€™t think those people gave Blake enough credit. The girl rolled with punches andโ€ฆ She had supported Eve for a while now. In a longer life than most humans get to live, Blake was one of the first people to really worm her way into Eveโ€™s rotten heart.

So she gets to know everything.

But sheโ€™s also still a bit of a loser, so she gets a card and a cake because sheโ€™s into that kind of stuff.

๐—”๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—” ๐—”๐—ง๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—ข



The shower ran hot over Ailaโ€™s scars, recently adorned cuts, bruises, and sore muscles. She stood somewhat painfully with her hands on either side of the nozzle, just letting the barely too hot water shock her awake carrying some dried blood down the drain with it. She had work soon and she was trying to quit buying coffee and smoking before every shift.

She let the water continue to pour over her until it started to feel normal. Thatโ€™s when she reached gingerly for a towel outside the shower, slicking her hair back over her head and out of her face. She dried herself off and threw on a pair of well-fitting sweatpants and a tank top with a campfire on the chest. She jumped onto her small old couch that a couple officers had helped her pick up from a garage sale about a week ago and flicked her tiny TV on to the weather station.

Thatโ€™s when she saw it.

โ€œAhโ€ฆโ€ Aila started, her eyes darting over the text and small infographic on the screen. โ€œFuuuuuuck.โ€ She groaned.

February 9 is the next full moon was all she really took in before her hand subconsciously grabbed a pack of smokes and her lighter. She made her own cigarettes, something growing up on a reserve taught her, not that it was a notable talent. Hey, my nameโ€™s Aila I want to save people, I can make little cancer sticks.

Her coat was snagged on the way out the door and in an instant the cold air was nipping at her shoulders, collar and ankles. Her cigarette was lit and with a long drag she turned her gaze to the moon which was still high in the air, without the light from the sun.

It wasnโ€™t long before Aoife Reilley came skipping out of their building like the goddamned Disney princess she pretended to be. She was literally listening to Dancing in the Moonlight.

โ€ฆ

Yeah, no, the one by Toploader.

โ€œHey Aila,โ€ Aoife began with her usual unrequited smile.

Aila turned her gaze ever so slightly towards the brunette, nodding a little, taking another long drag. โ€œHi,โ€ was all the werewolf forced out. She hated being overly polite and Aoife was nice enough โ€“ but she didnโ€™t have time for it right now.

โ€œHowโ€™s everything?โ€ Aoife pressed, assuming a ridiculous posture that was both childlike andโ€ฆ Well, kind of cute.

โ€œItโ€™s good.โ€ Aila said, tossing her cigarette but in her path and stomping it out in the same stride, pushing past the older girl in order to get back into the apartment. It was too warm near Aoife anyway โ€“ it made her uncomfortable. Her feelings around that girl were odd and disjointed. In one hand, Aoife was her senior and pushing to become some kind of medicalโ€ฆ Something. Aila wasnโ€™t listening when Aoife went into a long-winded explanation of it. But, at the same time she did see her with Cael once which seemed like the antithesis of Aoife who Aila thought was a nun the first time they met.

โ€œWho knows?โ€ She mused to herself quietly getting back upstairs. She always walked to work with Stein whenever he got up and had breakfast with him if they still had time, if it was too late sheโ€™d have to go in and wake him up again. After losing his partner he had been somewhatโ€ฆ Out of sorts, it was a while ago but your partner is someone you want to see grow old.

Not that Aila would know, she was still a secretary. Slamming the door to her apartment in momentary frustration she heard someone shout after her but she waved it off and threw her coat at the rack near her door. Grasping the cigarettes she had sworn off less than an hour ago she once again glanced at the weather station and shoved them back into her pocket with a groan.

โ€œThis weekend is going to be shit.โ€ She said to herself staring at the ceiling with a groan.

Her phone beeped, and she grabbed it. It was an email from work.

Expect a lot of calls today, local radio hijacked for an extremist message. Be in ASAP.

Aila looked at the phone and read the message a few times. Taking it in.

She read it once more, snagging a pillow from one end of the couch.

She screamed into it, kicking her feet back and forth before just throwing it haphazardly knocking a bottle or two off a nearby coffee table.

โ€œGod.โ€

She had to get going for breakfast with Stein before work, it was something of a tradition.

๐—”๐—ข๐—œ๐—™๐—˜ ๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—ฌ


โ™ชโ™ช


โ€œWe like our fun and we donโ€™t fightโ€

Aoife danced in a way that would make you think she might have been practicing. But mostly it was because no one was watching. She twisted and turned with a smile emblazoned on her face. The living room was a mess, but hell โ€“ she didnโ€™t care all that much. She was dancing on top of a chair whose cushions were torn to shreds. But all the sudden her alarm blared through her ears, she was still dancing when it sounded she glanced at Stefโ€™s door for a few long moments, letting the alarm play through for just a few more seconds before turning it off. Alarms were weird for her, they didnโ€™t make anything but sound. Her senses were only amplified to humans because of their emotions, others too of course โ€“ but the point of the matter was that a computerized sound never tasted like anything. Which was weird to the young angel. Something sheโ€™d have to get used to. But with the sun coming up over the horizon and morning breaking, it was time to fix things. She paused the song for a minute.

She sighed a small sigh of relief and got to work. Sheโ€™d have to buy new cushions for her chair, Stef had taken a massive bite out of itโ€ฆ Sheโ€™d also have to try and find an outfit that covered her collar completely โ€“ to avoid suspicion. She didnโ€™t need anyone to know that she was lodging a vampire, otherwise theyโ€™d come for Stef. Aoife wouldnโ€™t allow that. Once, Stef had referred to Aoife as a guardian angel, which had given her too much pride to back down from having Stef as her charge at this point. Besides, she had helped raise more than a few orphans and runaways. She could do this. Popping into her room she hurriedly sorted through a pile of clothes. She needed to do laundry so her options were limited but she managed to find a sweater that pretty well covered her collar, although it seemed that when she walked it shifted a little, sheโ€™d just have to remember to cover it up so Stef didnโ€™t see it.

She skipped over to the kitchen, making sure to clean up the small trails of the disastrous night in her path. By the time she was looking for eggs to make the room looked pretty much spotless and Stef wasnโ€™t due up for at least a little while still. But there was no eggs.

Darn.

Aoife took out a small notepad she used to leave Stef notes and jotted down a quick message.

โ€œHey girl,
Just running to the store to buy some breakfast supplies!

Stay Hungry,
Aoife <3โ€

And with that she had a jacket thrown on to ward herself from the cool February air and she was off.

Aoife hit play.

โ€œEverybodyโ€™s dancing in the moonlight ~โ€ She sang in a singsony voice that was almost definitely at least a little off-key. But as she was exiting she saw a girl smoking outside the building that she recognized. โ€œHey Aila,โ€ Aoife began with her usual unrequited smile.

โ€œHi.โ€ Aila responded, not making eye contact, her voice felt like pins and needles and smelt like pine. It was an emotion Aoife had gotten accustomed to feeling brush against her with the cool morning air.

โ€œHowโ€™s everything?โ€ The angel asked, placing her hands behind her back and clasping them tightly. She always tried to spin these encounters in some kind of positive way, it just didnโ€™t work all too often.

โ€œItโ€™s good.โ€ She said throwing her cigarette to the ground and brushing past Aoife on her way back up to the building.

โ€œOkay, bye!โ€ Aoife said in a slightly raised voice as the Canadian girl made her exit. The scent of pine drifted out of Aoifeโ€™s mind as she turned back on her way to the store. It was nice, Aila was nice in general, most people who were that sad were usually incredibly rude but Aila was always polite.

In Aoifeโ€™s mind that counted for something.

She continued on her way, a smile on her lips as the warmth of the sun made its presence known to Aoife, she could feel it on her wings. Even if no one else could see or feel them. It felt really nice. Aoife popped into the grocery store and immediately ran smack into a woman, in turn pausing her song. The woman had darker hair, she was tall and had a fairly imposing face. She wore dark sunglasses that completely blocked Aoife from seeing her eyes, but the posture, the way about her โ€“ it was pretty obvious who this was.

โ€œOh, Ms. English, Iโ€™m very sorry please-โ€œ She began, but the older woman had no time for the young angel.

She sighed a deep, breathy sigh that felt like a punch to the gut. โ€œIts fine, Aoife was it?โ€ Her unsureness about her name sounded like a certain amount of contempt and bored intolerance.

โ€œYes Maโ€™amโ€ฆโ€ Aoife managed to stutter out, she felt the taste of warm iron in her mouth, like it was blood and it was intensifying rapidly. โ€œIโ€™ll get out of your way now.โ€

โ€œPlease.โ€ Eleanor English strode past the young Angel, a shopping bag in hand, but Aoife couldnโ€™t quite make out any of it.

Making her way to the aisle with some eggs in it she managed to grab a twelve pack, a small carton of milk, some cheese โ€“ all of the fixings for a good breakfast. Happy with herself, she took her small basket to the checkout line, and waited as there was a burly man in front of her already checking out. He had rough skin that looked like it had seen a few years of hard labour, most likely somewhere where it was warm. And coarse short blond hair. She recognized the aura anywhere, Officer Monythebengโ€™s was always something of an oddity. A false yellow.

He was purchasing what could only be described as an industrial bottle of Advil, along with some coffee creamer, a bottle of red wine and a dozen bagels.

โ€ฆ Aoife was always nice, but Officer Monyethebeng was an odd duck.

โ€œAh hey,โ€ he started, turning to see who was waiting behind him. โ€œYer one of them high schoolers right?โ€ He asked.

โ€œOh, no my name is Aoife โ€“ weโ€™ve met a few times actually Iโ€™m studying in pre-me-โ€œ Aoife started to helpfully explain.

โ€œAlright, donโ€™t do drugs Eva.โ€ He said, his voice felt like an uneasy breeze and smelled like alcohol.

That might not have been the Empathy actually.

โ€œYou need a bag for those?โ€ The cashier asked as Aoife heard the door ring, Officer Monyethebeng already on his way out. She zoned out for a second.

โ€œOh, yes two bags please!โ€ She said, quickly grabbing a few bills from her pocket that she had stuffed in before leaving the house.

On her way back to the apartment the sun had come up a bit more, not enough to be significant โ€“ but enough to really consider this the morning now. She took a deep breath of fresh air and exhaled with a huge smile on her face, restarting her song once more.

"Everybody was dancing in the moonlight."

Sure, last night Stef had one of her episodes โ€“ she still needed to find someone to teach her how to control that. But she was fine, Stef didnโ€™t drink too much of her blood and the worst had passed. Besides, it was Friday and Cael had a plan for tonight โ€“ not that he bothered to clue Aoife into it.

Finally making her way back up the stairs, bounding up them she passed by a lady wearing what could only be an entire comforter. She looked at Aoife with a wicked grin.

โ€œDonโ€™t stare too hard, a walk of shame is only a walk of shame if you canโ€™t make it work.โ€ Eve said her voice tasted like red wine and dark chocolate all at once. It was really overpowering and frankly way too much for Aoife to handle this early in the morning. โ€œYou look pleased as punch, you know Fridayโ€™s only good after you get everything done right?โ€ Eve asked with a playful grin, smooshing past Aoife and continuing her quick walk back from whatever bed she crawled out of.

Aoife didnโ€™t pay it much mind โ€“ she mightโ€™ve lived around some weird people. But they just helped make her morning what it was! It was pretty great, all things considered.

There wasnโ€™t much to complain about.

Walking back into the small pseudo-two bedroom apartment (Aoifeโ€™s room was converted from an old walk in closet) she got to making breakfast for her and Stef. She had the feeling that today, among everything else โ€“ would be good.

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