Eiji Remington

Currently in hiding and under the new name Jacob Flores | Human born to witches of the Remington Coven | 28 | Bartender at The Rubicund | Ex Cybersecurity Engineer for No-Rex [Vievecor City RPG]

[eijiremington]

Original Biography | Headcanon’s | Playlist

CHARACTER NAME: Zachariah ‘Eiji’ Remington. Currently under a new identity Jacob Flores.

OCCUPATION: Bartender at The Rubicund / Ex Cyber Security Engineer for No-Rex.

AGE: 28

GENDER: Male. He/Him

SPECIES: Human

CHARACTER TRAITS:  Sensitive, Clever, Resourceful, Resentful, Deceptive, Sharp-tongued

HEIGHT: 5’8

BIRTHDAY: August 12th

ZODIAC: Leo

SPOKEN LANGUAGES: English, Japanese

QUOTE: My past has tasted bitter for years now. So I wield an iron fist. Grace is just weakness, or so I’ve been told. I’ve been cold, I’ve been merciless. But the blood on my hands scares me to death. Maybe I’m waking up, today.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

BODY TYPE: Slim

DOMINANT HAND: Right

POSTURE: Neutral/Good Posture

SCARS: Various small, faint red scars (fading) from numerous drunken accidents.

TATTOOS: See here & here + the supernatural mark

PIERCINGS: a couple in his left ear lobe

CHILDHOOD

HOME: Remington Tower

SIBLINGS: Jeremiah ‘Rei’ Remington

PARENTS: Elijah Remington & Kyoko Matsuda.

ADULT LIFE

CHILDREN: None

CURRENT RESIDENCE: A tiny apartment in a large block / The Shipyard

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single

FINANCIAL STATUS: Grew up very wealthy. Currently on the other end of the spectrum, but quietly enjoying having to earn everything for himself.

CRIMINAL RECORD: Minor drunk and disorderly offences in his early twenties. Incarcerated by not convicted of various, substantial crimes against the supernatural community. Currently in hiding avoiding these charges.

ROMANCE

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Homosexual

TURN ONS: TBA

TURN OFFS: TBA

LOVE LANGUAGE: Words of affirmation, acts of service

RELATIONSHIP OUTLOOK: Eiji has never had a serious relationship. He has a feared of being abandoned or somebody saying that they care about him, only to change their mind. Because of this he chooses to avoid any attachments or allowing himself to feel anything for anyone. A one night stand and climb out of the window situation in most cases. He usually picks people he knows he won’t form an attachment too / he feels don’t have any genuine interest in him to ensure this.

RELATIONSHIP TENDENCIES: One night stands, friends with benefits

MISCELLANEOUS

HOBBIES: Video games, D&D. Secretly can play piano well.

PHYSICAL ILLNESSES: None currently

FEARS: Fear of never experiencing love. Facing death alone. He wouldn’t admit it, but he is afraid of his identity being revealed and what will happen to him when it does, even if he does believe it’s been worth it for the cause.

SELF-CONFIDENCE LEVEL: 2/10

VULNERABILITIES: Being human is a vulnerability in itself, but being reminded of it in the way that he’s a disappointment and didn’t fulfil his family’s expectations is a larger factor. He doesn’t believe anyone will ever love him for who he is. The list of vulnerabilities could go on forever, but there’s also the idea that Rei is generally always the preference over him and tends to succeed where Eiji doesn’t.

[eijiremington]

Eiji’s gaze narrowed again, it was all he could do not to scoff at the other man for his words on faith. He was quickly distracted, though, but no less irritated. “With the amount of riddles you talk in, I doubt I would have a fucking clue what you were asking for, even if you did.” He responded irritably.

“I think you overestimate how much my father cares about my personal life. Not only that, but if you haven’t noticed, we aren’t in contact.” He pointed out, “And when he and whoever else you tell this story to goes prodding around at tonight’s events, trying to recall who it was you were seen with, it will lead them to me. I’m sorry if I have a few more things left to do before I’m imprisoned, or murdered, whichever comes first.” He muttered the last part. “You’ll have to think of something else to irritate my father with. Say we kissed for all I care, but set it somewhere that isn’t a public event that he can trace. Don’t say I didn’t warn you about the disappointing reaction.”

[james-johnsen]

For someone who held a large secret for Eiji, James assumed that the man would have more reverence for him. It was a pity that youth didn't realize the possibilities of the future. Still he had his word that he wouldn't tell anyone just yet. It was far more fun to play cat and mouse with the elder.

"You underestimate it. Care to see?" James pulled out his phone, pulling up Eli's contact information saved from his time in school. "What to compose to dear old dad to get his blood pressure racing?" He smirked, fingers typing quickly over the keys. "My parting gift to you is his reaction. Enjoy." He would keep his distance before pressing send least he give the game away too soon. Of course there would be questions, but as Eiji pointed out, James was excellent at speaking in riddles. He would make certain that no one but he knew the true identity of the fugitive.

[eijiremington]

Eiji supposed he should have been amused by the sheer lengths people were willing to go to just to irritate his father. “You keep his reaction for yourself. Seems like this is a you thing.” Plus, Eiji was far too rattled by the fact that this guy could now out him to anyone he chose, or use it to get essentially whatever he wanted, and he very much wanted a strong drink and a swift exit from the festival. “Was that everything you wanted from me?” He asked again.

[eijiremington]

There was some hesitation when Matthew first laid his hand on his shoulder, apprehensive of what he might ask of him but deciding that whatever it was, it was probably worth it. “Really?” He responded in a state of disbelief for a moment. “I mean, thanks.” Should he really be thanking a demon for taking away something that made his father who he was? Then again, Eiji had had his identity ripped away from him and no one (aside from his younger brother) had cared enough to even ask if he was alright. He just hoped Rei wouldn’t hate him for tying him to this situation, even if Eiji was trying to do it for his benefit.

[matthew-alexander]

"Of course," the fallen deity assured him with a wave of his hand. "This is a very specific curse you're asking for. You're not up to any other sort of tricks, are you?" Matthew asked as he lifted his hand from Eiji's shoulder. "I have to make sure that this is purely a family affair?"

[eijiremington]

“Tricks? What else would I want it for?” Eiji questioned, then shook his head. As pathetic as he felt for it being true, he was being upfront about his reasoning. “I don’t think I would come to a demon elder with something so embarrassing if there was another reason I could use to explain it.” He added, shifting his feet.

[eijiremington]

For: @caleb-lycaon

Location: Lycaon basement

The days were beginning to grow longer and longer and Eiji found himself wondering if the council were ever going to decide what his fate would be. He’d had the odd visitor here and there, but even his father seemed to have slackened his visits. He was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling of the basement when he heard someone at the door and the head of the Lycaon pack emerged. Eiji moved into a sitting position, wondering if the wolf’s presence meant they’d finally made their choice. He didn’t speak, but his eyes followed Caleb as he neared.

[caleb-lycaon]

"Hello, Eiji," Caleb said as he entered the space, a chair in hand that he set down outside the bars. He did not know how long this conversation was going to last, but it had also been some time since Caleb last visited. Surely Eiji would also appreciate someone to talk to.

"How have you been?" he asked as he drew closer and sat down on his chair. "

[eijiremington]

Eiji watched as the Lycaon leader placed a chair down in front of the bars and took a seat. “Caleb,” He greeted, his gaze flickering for a moment as he half expected the rest of the council to flood in through the doors to announce his fate in dramatic fashion. When no such thing happened, his attention returned to the wolf.

“I’m… fine.” He replied. Eiji had always known there was a good chance of this happening, but the waiting for a verdict made the weight settle a little heavier each day along with the magnitude of what had been done. “Is there a reason for your visit?” Eiji asked him.

[cxrvantes]

Turn Off the Lights // Rahui

Open starter for @vievecorcitystarters

Location: Absynthia

Rahui was thrilled to hear that she would arrive to Vievecor just in time for the festival, she loved live music, and was a big fan of various of the bands playing at the Absynthia.

She put on an all black outfit consisting of a cropped tank, jacket, cargo pants and boots. She arrived early in the day to drink, dance to Røz, and cause problems. The mischievous spirit switched between dancing, and walking around stealing lighters and cigarettes, only to put them back at random people’s pockets, for no good reason other than wanting to fuck with people’s heads in a harmless way. Eventually, she grew tired of that, and tried to switch her activity to lurking at the bar for a while, and snatching drinks out of the table whenever a bartender set one down. However, her activity was cut short when she stole her second drink, as a hand settled firmly on her shoulder before she could bolt. The spirit turned around, grinning at the stranger and taking a step closer to them, with their stolen drink still in hand. “Thank you for buying me this, you know I really appreciate it.” Her speech wasn’t entirely fluent, and her accent was strong, indicating she wasn’t too used to speaking in this language.

[eijiremington]

Eiji had decided to see if he could get some extra work at the festival. It wasn’t like the Rubicund didn’t keep him busy enough, but it was a way of getting into most of the venues for free and snagging some additional free drinks. It hadn’t passed him by that he probably needed to grow up a little and stop attempting to use alcohol and a party to make himself feel better, but he was yet to find a good enough alternative.

As someone who had been a bartender for a while now who had also spent most of their adult life working as a ‘fixer’ in cyber security, he was pretty good at spotting supernaturals doing things they shouldn’t be. A bit of light thievery wasn’t really something Eiji cared about though, not until it concerned his own drink, anyway. “I know I didn’t buy it for you, because I spent too long flirting with someone with the personality of a clipboard to get it for myself.”

[cxrvantes]

Rau couldn’t help but snicker at the stranger’s words. Still, she held the drink in her hand and showed no intention of giving it back, despite already being caught. Part of her felt like she could still get her way. “And why were you wasting time with someone like that?” Rau asked, grinning. “Where is she? Or- he? Maybe they need this more than I do.” Rau mused, although she took a sip from the drink all the same, its not like she was going to get drunk from it anyway. “There’s easier ways to get what you want, no need to suffer the bad conversation.”

[eijiremington]

“Because I was bored and I didn’t want to waste my money on drink when I could waste someone else’s.” Eiji answered and nodded towards a tall man at one of the nearby bars, who was awkwardly attempting to get to the front of the queue again, but kept failing when more insistent festival goers kept pushing in front of him. “Like stealing people’s drinks?” He asked her when his gaze returned to the woman, his voice lacking judgment this time, in fact there was some amusement in his voice. “You offering to teach me how to steal? What makes you think I’m the type?”

[cxrvantes]

Rau watched the man that Eiji had pointed at, and cringed. Poor fucker, she may be a spirit, but that awkward man was even more invisible than she was. “It’s like if a skyscraper was invisible.” She mused. The spirit then giggled and turned her attention back to Eiji, his final question made various ideas pop up in her head. “I don’t know. I can teach you if you want to do something fun, or you can go back to the guy with the personality of sliced bread.” She suggested, staring at the dude who still seemed unable to get the bartender’s attention. “The trick is to grab the drink when a bartender sets it down, ideally in front of a person who is not paying attention. I can distract someone if you want.” On the corner of her eye she immediately caught a man ordering a drink.

[eijiremington]

“No thanks. I tolerated him for one drink, which you stole, I’m not going back for more chit chat about the history of gin.” Eiji grumbled, but couldn’t help the small flutter of excitement at the prospect of doing something he shouldn’t. Being on the run from the entire supernatural law enforcement probably should have been enough, but there was a part of him that missed doing something dumb on a night out. Things had been a lot simpler when hangovers and worrying about his father not loving or respecting him were his only issues. “You know i’m a bartender, right?” He replied, but chuckled, “But a bored one so I guess I’m saying fine.” He finally cracked a smile then.

[eijiremington]

When he put it like that, Eiji felt all the more pathetic. “Yes.” He answered anyway, not surprised when the fallen deity called him desperate, not when he could hear it in his own voice. “I want a chance to put our family back together and a chance for Rei to still have what I can’t.” Eiji paused. It all seemed inferior when stood in front of a being as old as Matthew and asking for him to try and knit his family back together again. But he supposed that was why demon contracts thrived with their human market.

“It’s not exactly a secret that you don’t see eye-to-eye with my father, I figured you would like the chance to see him lose something important to him.” Eiji waited for a moment, before adding, “I guess the rest of the term is up to you. What do you need?”

[matthew-alexander]

"That is an understatement," Matthew laughed as he took a step closer to Eiji and reached a hand out to place on the young man's shoulder. They had been spending more time together lately and Matthew had listened to his rants about Elijah, amongst other things, and it only solidified the type of person the older Remington was in Matthew's eyes -- an irresponsible, selfish man who only cared about himself.

"I'll do it for you, Eiji," the fallen deity said with a smile. "I'll even do it for free because watching your father be brought down to such a state of helplessness will be more than enough entertainment for me."

[eijiremington]

There was some hesitation when Matthew first laid his hand on his shoulder, apprehensive of what he might ask of him but deciding that whatever it was, it was probably worth it. “Really?” He responded in a state of disbelief for a moment. “I mean, thanks.” Should he really be thanking a demon for taking away something that made his father who he was? Then again, Eiji had had his identity ripped away from him and no one (aside from his younger brother) had cared enough to even ask if he was alright. He just hoped Rei wouldn’t hate him for tying him to this situation, even if Eiji was trying to do it for his benefit.

[eijiremington]

It was probably for the best that his father had decided on the more discreet way of entering the building. Eiji didn’t have the energy to think about what that meant, he just knew he probably didn’t have the patience tonight to face anymore unwanted stares.

“I just want to sleep.” He answered, already following the familiar path he’d taken so many times throughout his life. It had somehow never felt like home living in the tower. When he reached the door to his own bedroom he paused, assuming his father had followed him, “I’m fine. You can go back to whatever you were doing before you came to find me. I’m sure it was something important, right?”

[eremington]

He had followed Eiji through the apartment, planning to head to bed as well. It was the wrong time to get into an argument with Eiji about what or who was important so Elijah just shrugged. "I was just getting some sleep. If you need anything you know where I am." He took a step back towards his own room and stopped, tilting his head. "I'll see you in the morning? Breakfast?" The question came out hopeful, though he was half expecting Eiji to turn him down.

------

The next morning he'd gotten up early even though he'd sat up for a bit listening to see if Eiji would stay or leave. He was still there in the morning though, so Elijah dashed off a couple of emails before going into the kitchen to make breakfast, leaving his laptop perched on the edge of the table. He was standing at the stove when he heard footsteps behind him and turned to greet Eiji. "Good morning. How are you feeling?"

[eijiremington]

“Okay.” Eiji answered simply. He just wanted to collapse in bed and give in to sleep for what was hopefully the next twelve hours. The door clicked behind him and he curled up in bed. Thankfully the alcohol was merciful and he fell asleep quickly.

—

When he finally woke, it was to the thumping of his own head and a steady pain in his arm. He groaned to himself and buried his face in the pillow for a moment longer before heaving himself upright and out of bed. He needed pain meds and a shower, but right now he needed food more. He ambled down to the kitchen, where he’d forgotten about the breakfast his father had suggested. “Like I fell off something and got concussion.” He responded, sitting down in one of the chairs. Eiji’s gaze briefly flickered upwards to watch his father, still surprised by the sight of him cooking breakfast. “What are you making?”

[howellmaxen]

For: @vievecorcitystarters Location: Garond District Hospital, Evening of Day 1 of Vibefest

The headache was well set by the last two hours of his shift, not even extra strength Ibuprofen would do anything to fix this. He needed a thick, greasy burger, a glass of scotch and a twenty four hour rest. At this rate he’d be lucky just to get one. The hospital had a policy of zero days off during city wide events so even if he had wanted to he’d be back in twelve hours. He could hear the crowds that still cluttered the ER waiting room as people waited likely impatiently to be seen in order of severity. People didn’t always understand that. They hurt, they ached and like anyone in discomfort they wanted it to go away. Unluckily for the people of Vievecor who directed themselves to the Garond District Hospital they’d find that a slew of emergency vehicles kept their automatic doors busy, bussing in various injured individuals from Vibefest. “Alright let’s get some fluid in Mr. Parker here, check his vitals again and if stable send him on his way.” He nodded to his CEN before heading back to the central desk. The place were chaos was supposedly wrangled, the altar of the ER gods that everyone had to pay tribute to. Quickly he swallowed down the last of his fiber water, having aged out of energy drinks, and grabbed the next clipboard.  Rolling his shoulder, before during back around to the zoo he called home.

“What’s next?”

[eijiremington]

Vibe Fest was an opportunity for some cash to be earned on the side of Eiji’s usual job at the Rubicund. He’d been working behind the bar when he’d spotted one of his human friends in the crowd— one he’d needed to cut off contact with as soon as he had gotten arrested. When the crowds had gotten a little rowdy and she’d ended up in the middle of it all, Eiji hadn’t been able to resist going over to help her. He didn’t have his real face… it wasn’t like she was going to know, he tried to tell himself.

They’d ended up at the closest hospital, waiting in the bustling ER beside his friend, who clearly thought the bartenders at these events were looking for an excuse to get off work early if they were willing to chaperone her to the ER. Eiji had gotten hit in the face in the midst of it all, but it hardly warranted going to the ER, he was mostly just there for moral support.

Eventually, a nurse came to call them in to see the doctor and Eiji followed his friend to the door. “Doctor Maxen will see you.” Maxen, Eiji thought to himself, knowing he recognised that name somewhere. He was surprised when the nurse directed his friend towards another doctors bay, apparently leaving him with Doctor Maxen. “Oh, I don’t need to see anyone. It’s just a black eye. I was just here with my friend.” He insisted.

[eijiremington]

“I—“ Eiji paused, honestly unsure if anything would change the way that his father viewed things, or the state of his family. Rei had already fled the city because of it, so had his mother, but Eiji couldn’t help but to want to somehow knit them all back together again and stand some chance at normality. Naive, most likely. “I don’t know.” He admitted, “Talking to him about things doesn’t work. Neither did my mother leaving him or my brother fleeing from the city. For as long as he has his magic, he won’t see anything else.” He pointed out. Though in the back of his mind, even Eiji could hear the voice telling him that the motivation would only be to have his magic returned to him, rather than their family.

“It does… except I don’t think that Rei will ever want it, not unless our father tries to change.” Maybe not even then, that was Eiji’s fault for letting him see how much the last couple of years had affected him… but if Rei still didn’t want the coven then it was his choice.

“If he could— maybe if they could work together, it would build something back between them. If it was Rei he needed.”

[matthew-alexander]

"So you're asking for a curse to take your father's powers away to entice your brother to come back to fix things?" Matthew asked, once more wanting to be clear about what Eiji wanted out of this. The young man seemed desperate to bring his family back together, something the fallen deity could not quite relate to, but who was he to judge?

"You seem desperate," he spoke his thought breezily. "I'd be happy to take Elijah's powers away. That would be so much fun, but what's in it for me?"

[eijiremington]

When he put it like that, Eiji felt all the more pathetic. “Yes.” He answered anyway, not surprised when the fallen deity called him desperate, not when he could hear it in his own voice. “I want a chance to put our family back together and a chance for Rei to still have what I can’t.” Eiji paused. It all seemed inferior when stood in front of a being as old as Matthew and asking for him to try and knit his family back together again. But he supposed that was why demon contracts thrived with their human market.

“It’s not exactly a secret that you don’t see eye-to-eye with my father, I figured you would like the chance to see him lose something important to him.” Eiji waited for a moment, before adding, “I guess the rest of the term is up to you. What do you need?”

[eijiremington]

“Thank you. It’ll get plenty of use, I’m sure.” Eiji smiled, though a small part of him wondered if he really wanted to know how many people were being dishonest with him on a day-to-day basis.

“I know.” He replied. It was difficult to explain, the want to put himself into a dangerous situation when laying-low was the easier, lower-stakes option. Perhaps he just had a death wish and a desire for something to happen rather than being caught somewhere in the middle. “I will.” He promised. “How is everything with your work going?”

“Hopefully. I think he’s busy right now but we said we’d meet up, at least for ten minutes before anyone starts to wonder who I am.” He smiled, though the humour in his voice didn’t reach his eyes. Limited five minute interactions here and there weren’t much, especially when they didn’t happen very often. Maybe that was the real appeal of the Rubicund, at least there he could find a constant stream of conversation, even if he wasn’t directly involved in it.

[liankoeman]

She gave his hand a squeeze when he thanked him. Lian was certain that the ring would be of use and she would feel better knowing there was some protections around him. There was only so much they could do when they couldn't be seen together often.

"Just be careful," she urged, knowing it wasn't her place. The dark witch was also working in a dangerous place. They knew if they were caught, their boss would likely kill them for the betrayal. The difference between the two was magic, though Lian couldn't bring herself to point that out. She just had to trust that Eiji knew what he was doing and he would stay safe. They had worked so hard to get to this point, she wanted to see it through to the end with him. "It's fine, it's easy work and lets me focus on the important things. Like you," she grinned.

The bond between siblings was always tricky. Lian never understood it as an only child but she knew love. It was good that the brother's had each other, they would need each other in the years to come. "You can still be friends in public. Just make a show of it, meet at a bar, hang out for coffee, go see a movie. All those friendly things." Not that Lian knew much about that, she did not keep many friends. There were too many secrets to keep instead and they had to stay secrets. "Will you tell him I say Merry Christmas? Just in case I don't see him."

[eijiremington]

“I will, I promise.” Eiji reassured them, his expression softening at Lian’s words. He didn’t know if he’d ever find it easy to accept somebody’s care and affection. It was difficult when the idea of accepting it also welcomed the idea of losing it. But he trusted his Aunt and for a moment, at least, he could believe he was important to her. It had taken him off guard for a few seconds before he gave a small smile. “Thank you.”

“I guess you’re right. Maybe I’m thinking too much into it.” Eiji nodded, “Of course.” His steps slowed as they reached the hot cocoa stand and he promptly ordered one while they were queue-free. “Hot cocoa, as promised.” Eiji handed her the steaming cup, topped with cream and marshmallows, a slightly guilty smile on his lips for the poor excuse of a Christmas present and he made a mental note to make it up to them. “Merry Christmas Aunt Lian. I promise if I’m still here for the next one I’ll find you a much, much better present.” Despite the bleak sentiment, he smiled.

[eijiremington]

“That’s naive.” Eiji responded, though he supposed James wasn’t entirely wrong. They had been shown an alternate future where the power shift had swayed towards the humans and they had taken advantage of it instead of holding the peace. Eiji cleared his throat at the thought of it and shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

He was almost thankful for the continuation of riddles and he just about held in an irritated huff. “I’m starting to realise I prefer it when men are blunt with me.” He muttered.

Eiji supposed it wasn’t surprising that people thought all he wanted was revenge, but revenge had never been at the driving force. He’d only ever wanted his father’s love, genuine love that didn’t stem from what part he could play in the coven, and for him along with the rest of the supernatural community to at least recognise that the human race deserved more dignity, respect and rights than what they were being afforded. He didn’t hate them. He’d loved magic. He hated the way humans were treated. Perhaps Eiji was being naive for still offering his father the chance, time and time again, to be the one to make changes, even when he’d proven numerous times that he wouldn’t— not even for him.

But agreeing to revenge here seemed like the sensible idea, the one that could get him more answers, or at the very least attempt to prevent this guy from unveiling him. “What did you have in mind?” He asked.

[james-johnsen]

"It's called Faith for a reason." Let the prodigal son believe what he will. James knew that the real results wouldn't come from bullying the supernaturals into allowing a human a seat at the table. The human representative would never get the votes needed to enact true change. It would only beget more destruction when diplomacy failed. It would forever be a struggle between the species. Humans had the numbers and supernaturals held the power. Peace wouldn't be an option until both acknowledged the true value of the other.

He snorted softly. "Sad I'm not asking if u r up?" He was familiar with the to the point ways that most communicated, but he was far more refined than that. He required a certain intellect that got him.

"Nothing all that much. Just you to play along. Say we kissed, we danced, we had a grand old time. Back up the story when I tell it to your father." He knew that it would work wonders. Of course Elijah wouldn't believe it, but if Eiji backed it up, he would have no choice to. It was all about the power struggle. Elijah could do nothing to stop him from supposedly tarnishing his golden child. "What do you say?"

[eijiremington]

Eiji’s gaze narrowed again, it was all he could do not to scoff at the other man for his words on faith. He was quickly distracted, though, but no less irritated. “With the amount of riddles you talk in, I doubt I would have a fucking clue what you were asking for, even if you did.” He responded irritably.

“I think you overestimate how much my father cares about my personal life. Not only that, but if you haven’t noticed, we aren’t in contact.” He pointed out, “And when he and whoever else you tell this story to goes prodding around at tonight’s events, trying to recall who it was you were seen with, it will lead them to me. I’m sorry if I have a few more things left to do before I’m imprisoned, or murdered, whichever comes first.” He muttered the last part. “You’ll have to think of something else to irritate my father with. Say we kissed for all I care, but set it somewhere that isn’t a public event that he can trace. Don’t say I didn’t warn you about the disappointing reaction.”

[cxrvantes]

Turn Off the Lights // Rahui

Open starter for @vievecorcitystarters

Location: Absynthia

Rahui was thrilled to hear that she would arrive to Vievecor just in time for the festival, she loved live music, and was a big fan of various of the bands playing at the Absynthia.

She put on an all black outfit consisting of a cropped tank, jacket, cargo pants and boots. She arrived early in the day to drink, dance to Røz, and cause problems. The mischievous spirit switched between dancing, and walking around stealing lighters and cigarettes, only to put them back at random people’s pockets, for no good reason other than wanting to fuck with people’s heads in a harmless way. Eventually, she grew tired of that, and tried to switch her activity to lurking at the bar for a while, and snatching drinks out of the table whenever a bartender set one down. However, her activity was cut short when she stole her second drink, as a hand settled firmly on her shoulder before she could bolt. The spirit turned around, grinning at the stranger and taking a step closer to them, with their stolen drink still in hand. “Thank you for buying me this, you know I really appreciate it.” Her speech wasn’t entirely fluent, and her accent was strong, indicating she wasn’t too used to speaking in this language.

[eijiremington]

Eiji had decided to see if he could get some extra work at the festival. It wasn’t like the Rubicund didn’t keep him busy enough, but it was a way of getting into most of the venues for free and snagging some additional free drinks. It hadn’t passed him by that he probably needed to grow up a little and stop attempting to use alcohol and a party to make himself feel better, but he was yet to find a good enough alternative.

As someone who had been a bartender for a while now who had also spent most of their adult life working as a ‘fixer’ in cyber security, he was pretty good at spotting supernaturals doing things they shouldn’t be. A bit of light thievery wasn’t really something Eiji cared about though, not until it concerned his own drink, anyway. “I know I didn’t buy it for you, because I spent too long flirting with someone with the personality of a clipboard to get it for myself.”

[cxrvantes]

Rau couldn’t help but snicker at the stranger’s words. Still, she held the drink in her hand and showed no intention of giving it back, despite already being caught. Part of her felt like she could still get her way. “And why were you wasting time with someone like that?” Rau asked, grinning. “Where is she? Or- he? Maybe they need this more than I do.” Rau mused, although she took a sip from the drink all the same, its not like she was going to get drunk from it anyway. “There’s easier ways to get what you want, no need to suffer the bad conversation.”

[eijiremington]

“Because I was bored and I didn’t want to waste my money on drink when I could waste someone else’s.” Eiji answered and nodded towards a tall man at one of the nearby bars, who was awkwardly attempting to get to the front of the queue again, but kept failing when more insistent festival goers kept pushing in front of him. “Like stealing people’s drinks?” He asked her when his gaze returned to the woman, his voice lacking judgment this time, in fact there was some amusement in his voice. “You offering to teach me how to steal? What makes you think I’m the type?”

[eijiremington]

Eiji would probably regret his choice in the morning, but for now he was tired of feeling hurt all the time and he wanted to believe things could get better for a little while.

“I have a concussion. I don’t think teleporting me anywhere is going to be a good idea.” He grumbled, not enjoying pointing out his own fragility even more. “Let’s just get a cab…” He sighed. Despite his dizzy state, he saw the lights of another cab approaching and lifted his hand. Somehow finding his way into the back seat, his head tipped and rested against the glass of the window.

[eremington]

The ride back was mostly silent, though Elijah kept an eye on his son without flat out staring just to make sure he was alright. He paid the driver and got out of the cab first to help Eiji. As they approached the tower he looked up and tried to see it the way Eiji did, not as somewhere that was safe but as a giant microscope. Trying to imagine that every time he spoke with someone it felt like they were staring at him reproachfully.

Elijah usually went through the main entrance, but this time he turned away towards the more private entrance on the side that was for the family and Elijah's inner circle. It let them take another elevator that went up easily to the floor where the family home was located. He reached out with a bit of magic to open the door so Eiji could go inside ahead of him. "Do you want something to eat or just to lay down?"

[eijiremington]

It was probably for the best that his father had decided on the more discreet way of entering the building. Eiji didn’t have the energy to think about what that meant, he just knew he probably didn’t have the patience tonight to face anymore unwanted stares.

“I just want to sleep.” He answered, already following the familiar path he’d taken so many times throughout his life. It had somehow never felt like home living in the tower. When he reached the door to his own bedroom he paused, assuming his father had followed him, “I’m fine. You can go back to whatever you were doing before you came to find me. I’m sure it was something important, right?”

[eijiremington]

Eiji didn’t know he trusted Isko’s interpretation of ‘good’ but he could begrudgingly admit that he didn’t have anything bad to say about Judas. So far, he’d only ever been nice to him and his remorse for his crimes seemed genuine enough on the surface. Eiji couldn’t say he believed the same of Isko. “He’s a good boss.” Eiji agreed with a small nod, absently shifting the cloth in his hand around the bar.

“Sounds serious if you’re thinking that far into the future, can’t witches live a long time too?” Eiji pointed out, “But I suppose you’re right, as long as you’re both happy.” Though he would much rather see his brother happy with someone else and if he could convince him of as much, he would. “I’m sure you’ll be meeting the family in no time.” He added, before glancing over Isko’s shoulder at the number of people forming in need of a drink. “I should get back to work, but— if you ever change your mind or things don’t work out, let me know.” He offered a smile reminiscent of their prior flirting, though the thought of flirting now made want to throw up in his mouth.

[iskodeguzman]

"I bet he's better than your last boss," he chuckled. He might have to pay that one a visit as well and see what else be could find out about the human. While he wouldn't be pursuing him like originally planned, he was still curious about the young human. There was something he couldn't quite figure out and Isko always loved a puzzle.

"I don't know, actually. I probably should ask," he murmured. He had thought witch's lived the length of human lives, maybe some extension but that didn't compare to living forever. He snorted, shaking his head. Somehow he very much doubted that he'd meet Rei's family and that was okay, he didn't want to be friendly with the leader of the biggest coven in Vievecour or his terrorist brother. "Maybe. I don't know if he'd want to introduce me to them. Would you want to take a vampire home to daddy?" he asked.

Isko knew he was taking up too much of Jacob's time so he didn't try and make the human stay. "That is if you don't find you're own hot vampire boyfriend working here," he joked. "Have a good night, Jacob." He knew they'd see each other again soon enough so he made his way back through the crowd, looking to share a drink with his friend.

[eijiremington]

“Ben wasn’t that bad, but yeah, Judas is much better.” Eiji chuckled. He tried to keep his expression somewhat neutral after that, despite finding it strange that Isko didn’t know that a witches lifespan could be extended, but perhaps he was just being bitter and picking fault in anything he could find to add to the pile he already had.

He laughed quietly. “I think my dad would spend all his time asking you questions and trying to dispel vampire myths.” He lied easily. “But I can imagine it’s probably not the easiest to bring home to your parents.” Though Eiji would have paid money to see their father’s reaction to Isko.

“Hey, if you know of any.” He teased, though the jdea of finding a vampire boyfriend and having to be nice to Isko was making him feel unwell. “See you.”

END.

[cxrvantes]

Turn Off the Lights // Rahui

Open starter for @vievecorcitystarters

Location: Absynthia

Rahui was thrilled to hear that she would arrive to Vievecor just in time for the festival, she loved live music, and was a big fan of various of the bands playing at the Absynthia.

She put on an all black outfit consisting of a cropped tank, jacket, cargo pants and boots. She arrived early in the day to drink, dance to Røz, and cause problems. The mischievous spirit switched between dancing, and walking around stealing lighters and cigarettes, only to put them back at random people’s pockets, for no good reason other than wanting to fuck with people’s heads in a harmless way. Eventually, she grew tired of that, and tried to switch her activity to lurking at the bar for a while, and snatching drinks out of the table whenever a bartender set one down. However, her activity was cut short when she stole her second drink, as a hand settled firmly on her shoulder before she could bolt. The spirit turned around, grinning at the stranger and taking a step closer to them, with their stolen drink still in hand. “Thank you for buying me this, you know I really appreciate it.” Her speech wasn’t entirely fluent, and her accent was strong, indicating she wasn’t too used to speaking in this language.

[eijiremington]

Eiji had decided to see if he could get some extra work at the festival. It wasn’t like the Rubicund didn’t keep him busy enough, but it was a way of getting into most of the venues for free and snagging some additional free drinks. It hadn’t passed him by that he probably needed to grow up a little and stop attempting to use alcohol and a party to make himself feel better, but he was yet to find a good enough alternative.

As someone who had been a bartender for a while now who had also spent most of their adult life working as a ‘fixer’ in cyber security, he was pretty good at spotting supernaturals doing things they shouldn’t be. A bit of light thievery wasn’t really something Eiji cared about though, not until it concerned his own drink, anyway. “I know I didn’t buy it for you, because I spent too long flirting with someone with the personality of a clipboard to get it for myself.”

[eijiremington]

Eiji paused for a moment longer, debating how to phrase his answer even though he must have gone over the scenario in his mind a hundred times in the lead up to approaching Matthew. “Things are the same. My father remains desperate to find someone to take over the coven and is happy that I’m finding some use for myself elsewhere, I think.” A use that didn’t involve getting drunk and disappearing for nights on end.

“I wanted to… see if we could have a chance at fixing things.” He sounded naive, even to him, and yet somehow Eiji still hoped that there was a part of his father that would want to fix things with their family. He wasn’t sure why he continued to give him the benefit of the doubt, even when he’d disappointed him time and time again. “Maybe if something were to make his magic diminish… he’d see that there are other things he’s missing… people.” Eiji didn’t like how young he sounded and he clenched his jaw tightly for a moment.

[matthew-alexander]

"And you believe that a curse will fix it? One that will take his powers away?" Matthew clarified, eyes roving over Eiji's face, noting the discomfort that lined his features.

"Desperate to find someone to take over the coven? I would've thought that position would belong to your brother. Do you not believe he would return to the city when the time comes? How would a curse bring all this together?"

[eijiremington]

“I—“ Eiji paused, honestly unsure if anything would change the way that his father viewed things, or the state of his family. Rei had already fled the city because of it, so had his mother, but Eiji couldn’t help but to want to somehow knit them all back together again and stand some chance at normality. Naive, most likely. “I don’t know.” He admitted, “Talking to him about things doesn’t work. Neither did my mother leaving him or my brother fleeing from the city. For as long as he has his magic, he won’t see anything else.” He pointed out. Though in the back of his mind, even Eiji could hear the voice telling him that the motivation would only be to have his magic returned to him, rather than their family.

“It does… except I don’t think that Rei will ever want it, not unless our father tries to change.” Maybe not even then, that was Eiji’s fault for letting him see how much the last couple of years had affected him… but if Rei still didn’t want the coven then it was his choice.

“If he could— maybe if they could work together, it would build something back between them. If it was Rei he needed.”

[eijiremington]

It was difficult not to want to believe his father when he told him he’d be around more. But should he really have needed to spell it out? Should it have taken so many months worth of spiralling for him to even notice? Shouldn’t it have been obvious that he might have needed his parents?

“Okay.” Eiji found himself replying regardless, his voice smaller than he might have liked. Everything hurt and he didn’t remember the last time he’d slept in his own bed, so maybe it wouldn’t be so bad… maybe things would get better. Eiji would have thought that people would have to listen to their coven leader, but maybe that was expecting too much of people. “Thanks…” Eiji avoided his father’s eyes again, willing any remaining tears in his gaze to dry. “Do you bring the car?”

[eremington]

Elijah couldn't help a relieved sigh when Eiji agreed, letting one of his hands fall while the other lingered on Eiji's shoulder still. Eiji's friend could probably look after him fine, god knows they had probably been doing it for the past while, but it would be good to have him home and safe for a night. "Thank you."

The cab that had come for Eiji had left when someone else snagged it, but there were enough around the area that it wouldn't be too hard to find another. "I teleported here." He admitted like he'd made a mistake. Funny how Eiji was the only person in the world that ever made Elijah feel guilty for using his magic. "I was worried about you and didn't want to take the time to get the car. So I can get us both home that way or we can get another cab."

[eijiremington]

Eiji would probably regret his choice in the morning, but for now he was tired of feeling hurt all the time and he wanted to believe things could get better for a little while.

“I have a concussion. I don’t think teleporting me anywhere is going to be a good idea.” He grumbled, not enjoying pointing out his own fragility even more. “Let’s just get a cab…” He sighed. Despite his dizzy state, he saw the lights of another cab approaching and lifted his hand. Somehow finding his way into the back seat, his head tipped and rested against the glass of the window.