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Post by indeath on Aug 15, 2021 0:09:52 GMT -6
Wren was dressed to kill, possibly literally tonight. They wore grey torn up jeans, mesh shirt and black silk suit jacket. Lips were black as always and they had eyeliner wings to die for. If they didn’t find the mark, they were pretty sure they’d end up with someone’s phone number at least. A few eyes had already flicked their way. However, they were on the prowl for an entirely different sort of prey.
They’d been given information about a hunter in the area and this could be their man. They just had to scope him out, find out if he’d been in the right place, the right area and at the right time of course. See if he had Neesha’s blood on his hands…
The description they’d been given was tall, punky with piercings and black hair. That he hung out occasionally at a rock club called Khaos . So that’s where Wren was, sipping from a vodka and tonic while they scanned the crowd for their guy.
The club was covered in band posters, black paint, metal and the smell of cigarettes and alcohol. The music was loud and heavy. People either sat at tall black tables or danced in the middle of the club, kicking and swaying to the music. Despite the music and energy, there was a certain level of respect and care given. Everyone gave each other the space to be themselves. Wren was definitely enjoying the vibes and wondered if they were interested in a drag night or two.
They continued scanning the crowd, trying not to get too distracted by the interesting people that surrounded them. Or the beat that called them to dance.
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Post by NightshadeVII on Aug 24, 2021 14:02:20 GMT -6
There was always something about making casual visits to a place you had performed before, something good of course, it was enjoyable to experience the energy of a place without needing to perform there. That was what Edge had decided to do this night. Faolan was having a night shift, killer as they were, and the Darai himself had been feeling strangely restless today, having had neither work nor band practice. So to cure this uncharacteristic restlessness, he had decided on a walk, which had landed him at the rock club Khaos. A few had recognized him, resulting in short but pleasant conversations and promises to return and perform some other night, or requests for songs to be played, which he declined with an apologetic laugh, as he didn’t have any of his instruments on him. Some people had been overly friendly or flirty, which was to be expected in a place like this, but still, other conversations had been quite interesting. But all in all, it was nice to be a visitor and not a performer for once. He couldn’t remember the last time he had visited a club without having a performance scheduled.
He wasn’t drinking, which was a strange sight at a club, but lately, he had been craving his home’s pine cider, and he was afraid that other drinks just wouldn’t live up to that unique taste. And besides, he did have work in the morning, so he’d prefer not feeling like shit when he woke up. All in all, he was just trying to lay low, relax and enjoy the atmosphere. Dressed fairly lowkey, by his own standards, with nothing too eye-catching going on. Still, he was recognizably punk-ish, with subtle hints of colour and what seemed, to others, to be strange symbols or perhaps just doodles drawn on his vest. Honestly, it was kind of nice no one could recognize his native language for what it was, and he frequently heard positive remarks about the symbols. Absentmindedly, he picked at his nails, scratching at the last bits of black nail polish that had stubbornly refused to fall off with wear and tear. He probably wouldn’t stay too long, all things considered, and he probably should have brought his ear plugs, but for now, it was still nice to be here.
In the crowd, he noticed someone with surprisingly good taste in hair colour, a sort of dark purple, but even more importantly, their eyeliner was amazing. Edge made a mental note to ask them about brand or general tips, should he get the chance. However, they seemed preoccupied as it were, eyes scanning the crowd. Perhaps they were waiting for someone? A friend or a date maybe. Luckily, his own questions weren’t a matter of life and death, so if he didn’t get the chance to ask, that was quite alright too. Either way, he smiled as they scanned his corner of the club, not expecting to be noticed, but hey, a smile was never a bad thing, was it?
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Post by indeath on Aug 31, 2021 20:09:38 GMT -6
Wren caught the smile and grinned back without thinking. Then did a double take. Tall, punky, piercings and black hair. Plus Wren was pretty sure that wasn’t alcohol in his glass… In a place like this it was very odd and he didn’t have any companions he needed to drive home either. Wren’s heart thudded, was he here for them? It wasn’t out of the question, some hunters went for any supers with impunity. Ghouls didn’t have the best reputation either. Wren tried not to think about their sister but images came unbidden into their minds. They quickly looked away, realizing they’d been staring at the hunter. Shit. Only one course of action seemed logical at this point.
Wren skulled the rest of their drink then headed over to the hunter, trying to seem a lot more confident than they felt. While this form didn’t stir chaos among humans it shared their frailty. At least most hunters wouldn’t be stupid enough to attack with all these witnesses.
They smiled a little too widely at the man, slipping into the chair next to him. The height difference was more obvious up close and it made Wren nervous.
“Hey… uh do you mind if I sit here? Name’s Wren. Great uh club huh…”
Smooth. Still Wren wasn’t scared to get messy if this was THE guy.
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Post by NightshadeVII on Nov 8, 2021 11:35:04 GMT -6
The Darai was sitting quietly, relaxed, tapping a finger against the table to match the rhythm of the song playing over the speakers. It wasn’t the kind of music he normally made himself, but there was inspiration to be found everywhere. There was an interesting beat to this one, a subtle undercurrent that caught his attention, with a few tweaks, he could use it somewhere for sure. Heavy boots tapped softly against the ground, and the sound, that normally would have been quite noticeable, drowned in the music. He really should have brought his notebook, shouldn’t he? No wait, he needed to get his hands on a new one, that was why he hadn’t brought it. And besides, bringing a book to a nightclub would probably have gotten him kicked out, he thought to himself with a quiet laugh.
There was something about going to a club with the intention of just observing and experiencing. Some might find it a bit sad or boring, but it wasn’t all the time that Edge had the energy to engage in the energetic nightlife, but even so, it had its charm. It was a sort of rough-around-the-edges charm, but still, it counted for something, and it was unique. In a way, sitting like this was reminiscent of looking out of the window of a train, seeing the world pass by from a little bubble of calm. Of course, this was more chaotic, there was much more going on around him, but he didn’t feel stressed or overwhelmed by it, as he might have on a bad day.
The raven-haired musician blinked as someone adressed him, snapping out of his thoughts. The recognizable hair was the first that caught his attention, as he remembered having seen it not long ago. What a surprise, the person standing before him now had seemed so preoccupied, he didn’t think that they’d approach a stranger like this. Much less ask to sit at his little table by the wall.
“Huh? Oh no, I don’t mind at all”, Edge offered a smile and gestured at one of the chairs, “I’m Edge. Love your hair by the way.” There was an aura of calm around the Darai as he spoke, relaxed and at ease in the environment, his lavender eyes gentle yet clear, the high tempo music or energetic atmosphere of people dancing did not seem to affect him in the slightest. Honestly, the urge to get up and dance was the farthest thing from his mind right now. The purple-haired club-goer before him seemed somewhat nervous as they spoke, hesitating. Perhaps they were new in town? Or maybe someone they had agreed to meet with was running late? Either way, Edge hoped he wasn’t making them more nervous than they already were.
“Haha yeah, it’s pretty good, been a while since I’ve last been here though”, the Darai chuckled, then continued, curious, “You waiting for anyone? Seemed like you were looking for someone.” His tone wasn’t as inquisitive as one might have expected, and in all honesty, he was just surprised a stranger had asked to sit with him, even though he was sitting against a wall in a nightclub, drinking an overpriced glass of water.
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Post by indeath on Nov 30, 2021 17:15:57 GMT -6
Wren was regretting their decision to be bold. Those lavender eyes were something else. Were they engineered perhaps, some hunters did have special eyes that could see past the veil of humanity. Edge, it sounded like the kinda name a hunter would have. It was all pilling up to a big red sign that said hunter. Wren wondered how many other supes were even in this bar.
Still Wren nodded and smiled at the compliment. They put a lot of effort into it so at least he had taste.
“They match your eyes…”
The line of questioning caught them off guard. Wren had thought themselves a bit more subtle than that but apparently not. Shit. They were meant to fit in, look like part of the furniture. Not stick out like a sore thumb for a hunter to dispose of. Was he clocking them? Was it all just one big set up? Wren tried not to show the panic in their eyes but their heart began beating a little faster. They shuffled slightly in their chair as they considered an acceptable answer.
“Ohhh ha… Yeah… Well I was waiting for ummm a blind date. I was uh stood up I guess? Uh huh… Hmmm so what brings you here? Are you local or visiting?”
Real smooth. Not suspicious at all. Might as well go full ghoul at this point with that level of cool. They’d practiced this kinda thing on corpses but they gave no feedback that was remotely helpful.
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Post by NightshadeVII on Dec 8, 2021 4:55:50 GMT -6
Wren seemed nervous, though the Darai wasn’t entirely sure why. Perhaps that came with being stood up on a blind date as they had said. After all, Edge hadn’t exactly participated in this world’s dating scene as it was, so he had no idea if there were differences, and what they were. And if that was not what was going on, he sure hope that it wasn’t him that was making the other nervous. He had been told he could look intimidating on a bad day, height and punk rock fashion did give that impression after all, but surely it wasn’t that bad?
Either way, he leaned back slightly, relaxed, and chuckled at what he assumed to be a compliment on his eyes? He hoped that Wren would feel less nervous, because even if they didn’t know eachother, the Darai hated the idea that others might feel uncomfortable because of him. But it didn’t seem to be the case, as they shuffled slightly in their seat.
Though, the purple-haired club-goer eventually spoke up, asking what Edge was doing here, if he was local. Perhaps they came to this club often and needed to place an unfamiliar face? After all, Edge had performed at the club before, but it was his first time coming here as just a visitor, and without a face full of intricate stage makeup, so the question was understandable.
“I suppose I’d count as local by now”, Edge smiled, raising a shoulder in half a shrug, “and honestly, I just had time to kill, as the saying goes. There’s always interesting things to find in the city, right?”
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Post by indeath on Feb 9, 2022 18:18:03 GMT -6
Time to kill huh… kill what? Wren’s intuition told them this was their guy. There was something definitely off about him. He didn’t smell quite human but perhaps that was from the last monster he killed. It was definitely going better than it should. Wren was not being smooth. This was also kinda suss, anyone normal would have blown them off for being so awkward. Heck, Wren would have blown themselves off at this point.
Wren eyed the crowd trying to work out if this guy was working alone or not. It was hard to tell, either they were doing a very good job of blending in or he was indeed alone. There were few hunters that worked in groups, most of them were loners. This guy definitely didn’t fit the mould, a lot were Witcher or Supernatural wannabes. Maybe that’s what made this guy an efficient hunter? Different from the pack. Had Wren got themselves way over their head this time…
They smiled awkwardly hoping that their panic hadn’t been caught. They were a scary apex predator in their own right. Yeah…
“Heh funny I haven’t seen you around. Though I can’t say I’ve been to this particular club before. What do you count as interesting? Ever been to a drag show? That’s my thing…”
Too much information Wren! They weren’t trying to befriend the hunter or make their job easier. Wren quickly drank the rest of their drink. Drown the embarrassment in alcohol.
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Post by NightshadeVII on Mar 13, 2022 9:57:34 GMT -6
As they talked, Wren didn’t exactly seem to get less nervous, even appearing downright awkward at times, but in all honesty Edge didn’t mind much. It seemed that in this world, a lot of people had this idea of needing to keep cool and calm at all times, at least when out in public. He wondered where that notion came from? As well as why things such as awkwardness was looked down upon as it were, when honestly it was completely natural for two strangers to be awkward around one another. Social conventions were strange no matter were you were it would seem. Luckily, the Ghoul’s behavior didn’t put Edge off, they seemed interesting, and he himself had time to spend.
“Oh you haven’t? I’ve been here a few times for work and leisure”, Edge chuckled, recalling some of the gigs he had played here. It wasn’t exactly an optimal venue, with a slightly awkward layout that made it hard to gather a crowd around the stage, but still, these more unknown clubs had their charm, and on the right days, the crowd was friendly. “Though, I suppose you could say I’m still new-ish in town, still getting my bearings. So I’m not exactly the best to ask about the best spots in the city.”
Absentmindedly he took a sip of water, his throat still raw from yesterday’s vocal practice. He hoped his voice wasn’t too hoarse still.
“Drag?”, he echoed, taking a moment to remember what that word meant in this world, “oh yeah, I’ve seen some, don’t think I’ve ever attended an actual drag event though. Can be tough finding time for everything, you know? But it is an impressive art form.”
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Post by indeath on Apr 8, 2022 21:03:49 GMT -6
Wren felt conflicted, he seemed so nice. They could almost feel themselves relaxing in his presence. In any other circumstances they would have. This was a very good hunter. The lies sounded so real. Befriending your prey and lulling them into a false sense of security. Very clever. A lot of innocent supernaturals could fall prey to this fellow. Other families could be ripped apart. They could feel their more monstrous side shifting under their skin. Too busy huh? Too busy doing what exactly. It was time to lift the mask on this hunter.
“Yeah… I really like it. Why can’t everyone just dress how they feel without judgement. Society is so restricting like that. Humans are anyway. I used to have to steal my sister’s clothes. .. until she was murdered by a hunter...”
Wren’s tone changed and their eyes went black and irises became ghostly white. They leaned forward fingers becoming long and clawed.
“So is tonight business or pleasure? You going to hunt some poor shmuck on their way home to their family? Or just laugh at previous misdeeds?”
It was dark enough and crowded enough that no one else noticed the change in the purple haired person. They wouldn’t risk changing completely here.
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Post by NightshadeVII on Jul 17, 2022 2:43:23 GMT -6
“Until she was murdered by a hunter…”
What? Edge blinked, trying and failing to process what he was hearing. Why would…? Why would they just bring up something like this? Was this some kind of joke native to this world that he didn’t understand?
Then Wren’s eyes changed as they leaned forward, becoming pools of black, claws growing in place of nails. Instinctively, the Darai leaned back in his chair, trying to put distance between them without causing a scene. A chill ran down his spine as memories of claws and teeth, of sickness and decay and narrow misses flashed through his mind. Was this…? It couldn’t be, it made no sense, this world was different, wasn’t it? If it was the same as back home, he would have picked up on it, at least, he would think so.
“I’m sorry?”, Edge began, trying to sound calm still, “I don’t understand? Is this some kind of joke? Did someone put you up to this?”
Did this person… whatever they were, believe him to be a hunter? The notion was absurd enough to be some kind of practical joke, he would never hurt people like that. But then again, this wasn’t someone he knew, nor was it someone he had heard about through friends. Were they some kind of actor perhaps? But if that was the case then why did the unspoken threats feel so real? The punk’s throat tied itself in a knot. The familiar yet foreign air of death was getting to him.
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Post by indeath on Jul 20, 2022 17:02:28 GMT -6
Wren watched the hunter’s face intently noting the changes in emotions. There it was for just a moment, recognition. Familiarity. It stuck like a dagger in Wren’s heart. If he’d come in contact with Wren’s kind it could surely only mean one thing. They leaned forward and it took every once of will power not to go full ghoul. Their form seemed to shift growing and shrinking back as Wren’s anger and hurt surged.
“Do I look like I am joking? You’re sorry… You should be more than sorry. You killed her… She was all I had. We.. we were clean! We never hurt anyone… it was one mistake..”
The words were harsh as Wren’s teeth became long and sharp then human again. They needed to try to calm down but it was hard. Tears found their way down Wren’s face. A small voice in Wren’s head told them this wasn’t their guy, he looked too confused but it was soft under the roar of emotions. Every time Wren thought they were getting better but it was just a scab over the pain. Easily removed.
“You… you’re the monster..”
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Post by NightshadeVII on Nov 15, 2022 19:21:03 GMT -6
Edge’s throat tied itself in a knot. Thoughts of rot and decay, of relentless disease and pain flashed through his mind as he was faced with Wren and their changing form. He knew. He knew this was different, and yet, it evoked that dread he knew so well. This wasn’t an adria, not by a long shot, there was no way they could be here. This was foreign to him, but they seemed to harbor a similar rage, it was tangible, heavy in the air. The kind of rage that festered and devoured you whole with time. Unconsciously, he shifted in his chair, turning slightly away from Wren, ready to get up and away should he need it. For now he still hoped he could talk them down.
“I don’t understand…”, he began, keeping his tone soft, non-provoking, “I’m truly sorry for your loss, it sounds horrible, but… I’ve never killed anyone.” He doubted the words would actually properly reach them, they were in the deep end of their emotions and it showed. Tears threatened to spill and claws scratched across the tabletop. Beneath the Darai’s worry for how the situation might escalate, he felt sad on the other’s behalf, no matter what they were or who they had lost, and how, it wasn’t deserved. And though he wanted to show that sympathy, right now, he worried it would only make things worse. The other might perceive it as mocking or provoking. If they were alone, things would have been marginally better, but right now they were surrounded by innocent, unaware people that could get caught up in something ugly. Now wasn’t the time to take chances.
“Listen, I know you don’t believe me, but you’re mistaking me for someone else”, Edge did his best to keep a calm tone as he spoke, “I’ve never met you before today and I don’t know who your sister is, but I’m sure she didn’t deserve to die.”
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Post by indeath on Nov 22, 2022 3:42:17 GMT -6
Wren was visibly shaking, world around them lost in the haze of anger. The hunter’s words were just meaningless noise they couldn’t grasp. They had spent so much time squishing those emotions down, it was a mistake to let them out. They flowed out blocking out all sense and thought. They felt so many painful emotions it was like a roaring fire. Wren wasn’t thinking logically. Was this the right hunter?
“Iiiitt’s fine. You’re fine. Jusst go… I’ll ughh….I’ll just… go for a walk… Yeah… Just walk it off.”
Wren stood up still shaking and made their way out of the club. Knocking a few drinks over in their rush. This night had gone horribly horribly wrong. Right or wrong Wren didn’t feel in a state to do anything productive. It was lucky Bubbles had decided to stay home. Wren didn’t know how they were going to shake these intense feelings without hurting themselves or someone else.
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Post by NightshadeVII on Nov 24, 2022 18:32:58 GMT -6
The Darai watched Wren leave, shaking and stumbling. And even though he should be relieved, in a way, considering the bullet he had just dodged, all that was left in the wake of the encounter was sadness. More than anything, the purple-haired person had been vulnerable, like a raw wound exposed to the elements. Getting all those emotions under control quickly and quietly would be almost impossible, it was more likely that things would only go downhill from here. And Edge had been the trigger of it, unknowingly of course, he knew that much, but he was still partly responsible. If nothing else, he could have a say in how this ended for Wren. Well, he he grabbed coffee with people that had actually tried to kill him before, so what the hell?
With his mind made up, Edge got a bottle of water from the bar and made his way out of the club. Luckily, Wren hadn’t gotten far, their shaking form easy to spot in the otherwise empty street. The Darai approached carefully, moving gently and slowly so as not to startle Wren when he came up beside them and offered the waterbottle. With the way he held it, it was clear that the seal on the bottle cap was unbroken.
“It’s just water”, Edge said, his tone soft and almost hushed as he spoke, “I know I’m probably the last person you want anything to do with right now, but it would probably help if you got something that isn’t alcohol in your system.” He tried a careful, but friendly smile, having no idea if it would go over well with the ghoul. After all, they thought he was a hunter, so he couldn’t really blame them for not wanting anything to do with him. Hopefully though, this misunderstanding could be cleared up at least somewhat.
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Post by indeath on Nov 29, 2022 4:09:27 GMT -6
As Wren walked they seemed to grow, their skin becoming dark like the night around them. Their eyes blackened leaving white irises behind. Their lips were abnormally wide and underneath razor teeth. They stared balefully down at Edge like they were considering which limb to eat first. Their body was still shuddering and heavy emotion hung like perfume around them.
A large clawed hand raised above Edge for a moment as if to strike. It really looked like it was going to hit Edge down but it became a fist and Wren lowered it to take the bottle grasping it in their oversized hand. Wren bit the top off before unceremoniously pouring the water into it’s gullet. Water dripped from the sides of their mouth.
“Thhhhanksssssss.” The words were garbled coming from a mouth not designed for words. Their large ominous eyes seemed a little less angry but the grief was raw.
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