Axel was slow with his steps, ensuring he was next to June the whole time. Today, he'd taken her to the Haven. A place that was supposed to promote peace and calmness for all species. "Anywhere that interests you, we can go in." He said as he placed his hands in his pockets, his eyes observing everyone that they passed. Even if there was supposed to be peace there, Axel refused to let down his defenses. "There's also a market over there." He nodded towards the left. "Food and craft vendors. You might enjoy that, too."
June couldn’t put into words how much it meant to her to have Axel take time out of his day to help her so much with this mission of hers. Really, if he hadn’t offered to join she might have never left the Refuge in the first place. She stayed close to him, smiling as she took in the sights around them, but her attention visible perked when he mentioned the market. “Craft? Like handmade things? Do all the species sell there?” she wondered, already thinking about what amazing things others could make that was different than the human styles she was used to. “I bet the merfolk use shells I’ve never even seen before,” she added in a quieter voice, more like she was thinking out loud.
After so much practice with Axel, it was almost like June needed to prove something to herself by venturing out alone. She had thought about it a lot ahead of time, somewhere busy where she could observe and the place’s main attractions would get more attention than she would. Even so, she couldn’t help looking both amazed and lost as she walked into the casino, looking around in wonder at everything and everyone she saw. She stood near the edge of every room she wandered into, trying to be a fly on the wall as much as she could, until she him. Something about him captivated her attention, she looked away just to see if she could get closer without being noticed, and then turned again just to run directly into him. Her eyes widened and June looked up, smiling shyly. “I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you like that.” That last thing she wanted was to be the human who upset and otherwise lovely evening.
( bella maclean, 26, cis female, she/her, human). It’s been a while since we’ve seen JUNE BYRNE. I hear they’re a HUMAN and they reside on the EASTSIDE. They’ve been known as THE HELPER, but that’s not all they are. (They’re known to associate with REFUGE CIVILIAN, when they’re not busy with WORKING REFUGE CHILDCARE.) Some may say they act NAIVE & NERVOUS, while others claim they are SELFLESS & CARING. With that being said, they’ve found the State of Calamity.
Bio:
June grew up sheltered in the Hideout, safe around the other humans. Her parents made sure of that, they were extremely protective of her, especially when she grew up to have such a gentle heart. But her parents on the other hand, they ventured out pretty frequently, and June would wait up by the door, worrying, until they came home safe. At least until she was a teenager, when her parents went out on a mission and never came back.
After that, she was deathly afraid to ever venture out, terrified of what could happen. She focused on her true passion, making sure the kids in the hideout had as much of a worry-free childhood as they could have. She started a daycare, caring for all the kids while their parents were busy, or helping with the ones who had no parents at all anymore. She loved it, she really discovered a maternal instinct in herself then.
When the Hideout was gone, and they moved to the Refuge, June finally decided it was time to face her fear. Axel was a huge help, slowly starting to guide her outside the Refuge, making sure she was safe. June has always been a dreamer and a romantic, so exploring the outside world became as thrilling as it was terrifying, but she was determined to do it. Determined to discover everyone had a little good in them if you gave them a chance, at least that’s what she told herself.
Peyton walked into the Roadhouse, the place felt like a second home to her after all. If she was going to try something new, there was no place she was more comfortable doing that than here. She sat down at the bar, wearing a curly blonde wig, and ordered her usual drink before tossing some of the fake hair over her shoulder and smiling at the person next to her. "What do you think? Does this look suit me for a little on-stage character I'm working on?" she winked. "Best part of my job, playing with different looks."
( vanessa morgan, 33, cis female, she/her, werewolf). It’s been a while since we’ve seen PEYTON WILSON. I hear they’re a WEREWOLF and they reside on the SOUTHSIDE. They’ve been known as THE WILD CHILD, but that’s not all they are. (They’re known to associate with NEPENTHE BETA, when they’re not busy being A DANCER AT SINSATION.) Some may say they act IMPULSIVE & CONFRONTATIONAL, while others claim they are CONFIDENT & ENTHUSIASTIC. With that being said, they’ve found the State of Calamity.
Bio:
Peyton was born human, as she got older she was determined to be a hunter. Her parents drilled into her how evil everything was, making her want to make them proud and kill monsters to protect the humans. She was out one night on a full moon when she was 18, determined to pull off a kill that would impress her parents, but instead she ended up getting bit by a werewolf. It was dark, she didn’t see what the wolf looked like, but she knew her life would never be the same.
She wasn’t welcome to see her parents anymore even when they left their refuge, she ran into them once and they were disgusted by what she had become. Alone and afraid, she nervously and slowly began going to werewolf spots and trying to come to terms with what she was now. It wasn’t long before she started to see her parents for who they were, hateful people who were closed-minded. She was lucky to be able to get close to the Nepenthe pack, who eventually took her in, and she has been a loyal and protective member of the pack since.
In the years since she was a new wolf to now, she proved herself and eventually became a Beta in the pack. She became comfortable with herself, getting to know her own personality without the pressure from her parents. She learned to have fun and let loose, and found her real family in the pack, people she would do anything for.
Selene relished being on stage - the lights, the heat, the thrum of the music through her system as she moved, sand with a pitch that could almost make the Merfolk jealous. She revelled in it.
The attention.
It fed her soul, fed a hunger in her she had since she was a child. To be seen, to be admired. And oh did they admire when she performed. She smiled out into the crowd, purple tendrils of magic coiling from her fingers, wrapping around the audience, her body, like teasing strokes that only added to the flare and wonder of her performance.
When the song came to its climax, her tantalising performance at its peak, Selene gave a little wink into the crowd, blew a kiss and stepped off stage smooth as silk, ready to work the floor.
Cecilia always enjoyed any art performance, but seeing other singers was especially rewarding. It always gave her some inspiration or just made her feel part of something. She clapped along to the rest of the applause and waited for Selene to go through the people in the audience, her eyes glancing in the other’s direction, waiting for her to get closer. When she got to where Cecilia sat, the vampire smirked and nodded her head. “You’re quite the performer, have you always been such a natural on stage?”
Cecilia loved her job, if she could even call it that. It was more like getting paid to do her favourite thing in the world. It helped that she adored the owner, of course, which was especially nice since for some time, she was sure she wouldn’t meet vampires she clicked with. She grinned as she leaned against the wall, having just come by to see Nisha. “I’m just saying, Chicago would be a blast to put on. Think of the costumes, the dancing, my voice with those songs,” she said dreamily.
Location: The Roadhouse - Southside Territory
Status: Open to all
When Cain wasn't running his pack, the alpha could always be found within his bar, slinging shots, nursing a whiskey or performing on stage himself when the mood struck him. It always had a rowdy atmosphere of wolves, the scent of blood on the dirt road out front, not an uncommon thing given how many brawls broke out between wolves over the smallest of things.
But one simple rule was always followed - you didn't piss off the boss.
Although it seemed that night - one wolf in particular hadn't gotten the message. When he'd started pestering a couple of Nepenthe she-wolves that liked to enjoy the rum and juke - Cain had clocked him, sharp green eyes watching the outsider as he poured another round of drinks. As soon as the outsider had overstepped, the Alpha had struck. One hand like a steel vice around the wolf's throat, blood red eyes holding his gaze until the outsider looked away with a submissive whimper.
"I ain't gonna tell you twice. Next time I see you pesterin' my pack, thinkin' your some big dick-swingin' dog around my bar - I'll paint the road with your guts. Got it?" Cain growled, voice low, deadly.
Cecilia always had a soft spot for werewolves, considering her past love life, but she didn’t often dare to venture into the bar. She knew not all of them would be happy to see a vampire among them, but sometimes she wanted to let loose and enjoy the singing as much as the next person. Although tonight, it seemed she was getting more than just a vocal show.
She was about to step in herself, never one to let a man pester a woman if she saw it, but she sat back and watched the alpha take control, a small smile on her lips. She waited until the offending man had gone off before slowly approaching Cain, an approving smile on her face.
“It’s nice to see a leader who is so proactive in protecting his own,” she nodded. “If only they were all like you. Although I would have liked to see you throw that guy out like a ragdoll, I won’t lie.”
closed starter for @curseaddendum
location: tempest
Cecilia sat with Mireia as she worked, her eyes watching every expert movement as she worked with the fabrics. To her, it was like watching an artist paint in real time, absolutely mesmerizing. She reached out and touched the soft fabric next to them, a piece she wasn’t currently using, and sighed. “You know, when I was human I would have paid absurd amounts of money to have you making all my dresses. Your attention to detail is unmatched,” she said dreamily.
“What are you working on now, exactly?” She wasn’t one to presume to know an artist’s mind, she just counted herself lucky to be around them and get to wear any art she could for her performances. She started to hum along to the old jazz record Mireia had on, one of her favourites.
closed starter for @oftragxdy
location: the slaughter ring
Stepping into the non-fighting area of this place was something Cecilia hardly ever did if she could help it, the sight of all these souls being used like this made her uneasy in a way that never faded. She knew she was in the minority of vampires who thought that way, but she thought it had been something important for her to hold onto through the centuries. A respect for human life.
She spotted Nolan and walked closer to him, her heels clacking on the floor and her eyes still darting around the area. “I know you’re still pretty new to the vampire life, but don’t you think any of this is distasteful?” she tried to reason. “Do these people ever even go outside?”
( elizabeth gillies, 346, cis female, she/her, vampire). It’s been a while since we’ve seen CECILIA WELLWORTH. I hear they’re a VAMPIRE and they reside on the WESTSIDE. They’ve been known as THE MATERNAL, but that’s not all they are. (They’re known to associate with N/A, when they’re not busy with ART DEALING/PERFORMING AT TEMPEST.) Some may say they act VENGEFUL & LOVESICK, while others claim they are OBSERVANT & CHARMING. With that being said, they’ve found the State of Calamity.
Bio: (tw abuse)
Cecilia was born just before the start of the regency era to two wealthy parents. As an only child, she grew up constantly under a watchful eye, the family’s entire future resting on her shoulders. But Cecilia had never cared about society’s expectations, she just wanted to fall in love and live a quiet, simple life. But that would never be in the cards for the only Wellworth child. She thought she came close when she was 16 and fell in love with the young man who tended to their stables. He was hard-working, kind, and best of all, he didn’t have much to his name. After a few of months of a secret romance, Cecilia realized she had become pregnant. She did her best to hide it from her parents, planning to run away with her lover as soon as she could, but her mother realized what was going on before they could set off.
Cecilia’s parents locked her away in her room, anyone outside the immediate family was told that she had gone away to spend time at a distant relative's. They didn’t want this to get out and shame their family, and to Cecilia’s horror, her lover accepted money from her father in a deal and left, never to be seen again. Her heart broken, she cried in her room until no more tears would come. By the time the baby came, her parents took the child away immediately to be adopted by a couple they trusted to keep the family’s secret. Years went by and Cecilia felt numb, she turned away any suitor who tried to ask for her hand, never wanting to get married. By the time she was 21, her father had enough. He had one of his younger colleagues introduce himself and forced Cecilia to marry him.
At first she thought her new husband was just dull, but it turned out he was much worse. He was controlling and cruel, and every day Cecilia felt more hopeless. He became even angrier when she was 25 and still hadn’t gotten pregnant. Just after she turned 26, her husband invited her parents over for dinner. Cecilia entered the dining room that night, but found it completely empty, which was odd. Her parents soon joined her and were annoyed that nothing was prepared. Just then, her husband walked in with a gun and shot both her parents, then her, intending to take all the Wellworth money for himself. As she lay on the floor bleeding, she was rescued by a vampire who turned her, and then they both fed on and killed her husband. To explain the scene of her husband and parents’ deaths, she said she entered the room after a thief had already attacked.
She took time to learn what she was, now owning all her father and husband’s fortunes, and put her money into art. She had an eye for it. She would buy it cheap, help artists in their career, and be able to sell the pieces when they were worth so much more. Along with this she developed her passion for singing, the only artistic skill she managed to be born with.
