eat you raw / .

[eleanorxvalter]

where. lupercalia who. @aurelienpatenaude

The smells, the sounds, the egos of less than mediocre men; these were simply a few things that Eleanor had slipped under the 'cons' of attending Lupercalia. The main event was to select an alpha for the pack, yet it all felt fairly cheap. Even the food and drink offered were a joke, some mockery of what it truly meant to be a lycan. None of which was likely withheld from the edges of her features, as her gaze shifted from one thing to the next. Until it landed on a familiar sight, one which quirked the edges of her lips ever so slightly. With a few annoyances shoved out of the way, she approached the little eladrin, "You appear less out of your element here, darling."

[eleanorxvalter]

where. lupercalia who. @lunanightshadex

The meager events had begun, with the typical creatures believing themselves something special. Eleanor had no interest in them, for these fights were spectator sport at best. Hardly worthy of her attention, not when back home could provide something of much better interest. She could almost taste the blood of the last lycan she had hunted down. A fact that kept the disgust from slipping into her features, until something of a different interest caught her eye. Eleanor had expected other species to turn up for the events, witches and druids and the like. But what had caught her eye was something unlike any of those, "Well, you're certainly a sight in this vile mess." Eleanor may be a lycan herself, but she would in no way belittle herself by associating with those of Lupercal.

[napoleonriot]

"I think it's exciting." Napoleon leaned against the edge of the counter as he spoke, his jaw propped up on his hand as he looked toward his big sister. There was so much nonsense to it all; Napoleon didn't consider himself a violent person; violence suggested something out of the norm. The Valters hunted people every month for sport because it was a fun game - that wasn't violent. That was just entertainment. "I love it here," Napoleon admitted; the Waffle House was like an endless running cinema, and the people here were so amazingly common. Weak, but Napoleon couldn't hold that against them. He leaned in further, "Tell me you're staying a while."

[eleanorxvalter]

Exciting to Eleanor would be if they fought to the death, not simply because their egos warranted a brawl that would end when one was pulled from the other. A fight was nothing more than proving a minimal amount of strength. But one did not understand what they were capable of until their life was placed upon the line. What would happen if the prize was their own life, and not simply a soggy waffle? "Of course you do," she teased, affectionately, of course. "Yes, I'll be staying for a while. I've already begun to set up a new gallery, so I'll have to oversee that for some time, at least." Until she was confident that those she hired were capable of performing their duties when she finally left.

[emissaryalder]

who?: @eleanorxvalter where?: the waffle house

^*^

She was hard not to notice, and it was more than how out of place she looked. It went beyond her clothing being too high class for the dingy diner or the way she drifted passed every patron as if they didn't exist. To Alder, what made her most stand out was her wild presence that went beyond most lycans. He made no effort to hide his staring, though he did attempt to reign in his excitement. "It's none of my business and Lupercal seems to be open to all sorts. I should know, the city has embraced me since I arrived. Which leads me to my question." Alder stands to interrupt her exit, not wanting her to slip away. "Who are you?" he questions, hoping his pushiness didn't read as aggression. It's not so much that he wanted to be a bother, he felt he had to because of all the volatiles he's laid eyes on in Rome, she was the strongest so far. "And I only mean that I feel I'd know if you've been around. I make it a point to try and learn all the faces that walk these streets."

[eleanorxvalter]

The scent of lycan had become more of a nuisance than an intrigue as the days had slipped by. Naturally, she would wonder which of them were the strongest. Which of them could she pluck the heart from and dine out. So many young ones flocked to the unkept streets of this Lupercal, so many with long lives that stretched out before them. Each one ripe for the taking. But she had stilled her hands, if only because Napoleon had sought to make this place his newest home. Even the interesting little waffle restaurant that seemed to draw quite the crowd. The noise of the patrons had been what got to her, grating on her senses until she couldn't fathom to stand it. Not unless she moved to rip the tongue from the nearest one's mouth. And so, she had intended to leave. Until a witch found himself positioned within her escape. Words had started to tumble from his tongue, but Eleanor took a moment to take the sight of him in. Young, as they seemingly all were these days. But there had been something else about him that intrigued her. "Eleanor Valter," spoken with all the privilege that her name had given her since birth. A smile had touched upon the edges of her lips, but it was anything from friendly. No, it denoted to the apex predator that lived within her. "And who are you, darling?"

[carmineverga]

Coffee server in his hand, the volatile quirked a brow at Eleanor. Napoleon was the Malice's family out of whatever trauma bond they'd created, and though he'd come to know Eleanor and the rest of them, he never quite considered them on the same caliber; always aloof towards them, a veil of indifference. "I'm working," despite his words, the Malice set the hot server down upon the table and sat in the empty booth opposite of her; Carmine knew better than to decline what a Valter requested.

[eleanorxvalter]

Words of decline had been spoken, before Carmine had sat all the same; good boy. For a moment, she had simply moved to study him. To see if she could understand what Napoleon saw in this other one. A volatile, of course; which did indeed work in Carmine's favor. But he looked rather malnourished, a little sickly, if she were to be honest. Perhaps that was indeed her brother's type. "You don't like me, do you?" A smile had stretched her lips all the same, though there was hardly any warmth behind it. No, Eleanor hadn't initiated this talk for pleasantries.

[napoleonriot]

Eleanor was here, which could only mean Lucien wasn't far behind. He was okay with his siblings cropping up, but if his mother decided to check out Lupercal for herself, then the party would officially be over. "I swear it smelled like this when I got here." Napoleon smiled as he leaned over the counter towards his sister; clothes and everything could be replaced. "It's just so..." He looked around and tried to find the word for it as he thought about the people who came here. "Common. It's fun; you should see what this place is like at three in the morning." A fucking bloodbath, that was always exciting.

[eleanorxvalter]

Was that tidbit of knowledge supposed to change her mind of it? Though, if any of them were to stake ownership upon a place such as this, Napoleon would indeed be the one. "How pleasant," she noted as she eyed the restaurant further. The smell of lycan seemed to be upon everything, and not simply the usual smell of them. Eleanor imagined there was not enough disinfectant in the world to make this place right. But she would hold her tongue further, refrain from damaging the responsibility that Napoleon had taken upon himself. "Darling, if I am up at three in the morning, it is not to watch some drunken lycans duke it out in a restaurant," she cooed, while a hand reached up to rest against her brother's cheek. "Have you been settling in fine?"

[eleanorxvalter]

where. waffle house who. @carmineverga

There was no sight of her brother, and in that particular moment, was precisely what Eleanor wanted. She hadn't come for him. Instead, she had come for his little toy... turned seemingly something else entirely. So she had waited, shooed away any of the other patrons or workers that gravitated to her table. Until she caught sight of the other, a smile gentle at the edges of her lips, "Carmine, darling. Won't you come join me?"

[eleanorxvalter]

where. waffle house who. @napoleonriot

The place reeked of only God knows what, and the very consideration to leave it far behind nestled itself within her thoughts. But this was the establishment that her baby brother had taken ownership of, and it would only be right that she gave it a modicum of attention. That is until another lycan got too close, or likely spilled something on her rather expensive clothing. Oh, but even the coffee smelled revolting. "Was there a particular reason you chose this establishment, darling?"

[eleanorxvalter]

Luna Nightshade —

softly, ever softly, whisper thou my name o' thy sweet caress, a potent to my pain the velvet scent of nightshade full upon they breath kiss me now with longing, o' sweet mistress of death ( @lunanightshadex )

[haleyatwell]

MEGHANN FAHY Harper’s Bazaar (December 2022)