#cm.thread

[xavadonis]

Who: Open Where: Burnt Pages When: Post Event - Current Date What: Xavier is a curious little bug and he loves to spend time in the bookstore.

The scent of the store had become more and more familiar to Xavier over the years. It was the second place he'd found after escaping his maker, and therefore, became something of a second home. Here, he found that the world was a little less confusing. There were stories that he could dive into to become someone else. Even if it only lasted a few hours. He'd spent the majority of his free time helping around the shop - rearranging books and repairing what he could for the owner.

He was in the midst of fixing one of the shelves that had seen a bit too much wear over the years. A nail hung from the corner of his mouth as he worked a second into the back of the shelf when he felt the gaze on him. Turning, he cocked a brow and pulled the metal from between his teeth. "I've heard if you take a photo, it'll last longer."

[petra-castle]

Where: Collector's Quarters Who: Open to all

Muttering softly to herself, Petra rearranged the new trinkets with a scrutiny to rival royalty. Certain pieces did not work well together, and for the life of her, she could not figure out where to place the set of earrings she'd happened across while scouting the night before. They were a lovely little ruby and tarnished silver dangle. She'd spent ages cleaning away the years of neglect and sea remnants off them.

With a frustrated sigh, she moved away from the curio cabinet - which had seen better days - half the glass panels were missing but at least that made it easier to reach in for the items - and settled at her rather cluttered counter. The tinkle of her shop bell drew her attention, and she squirreled away the earrings, smiling brightly at her customer. "Good afternoon! Anything you're looking for in particular?"

[macabrerosev]

Aqua Regia || OPEN

"This thing is massive," she spoke to no one in particular as she lifted up a candied apple - the thing was almost the size of her face but when in Rome. As she bit into the sugar-coated fruit the shell cracked and pieces rained down at her feet. Chewing slowly, her face scrunched up in displeasure at the texture that stuck to her teeth. "Nope-" tossing it away, she lifted up a napkin and looked to her left - "what did you say?"

[macabrerosev]

Who: @oftragxdy (Demitri) Where: Demi's house When: 1 week post festival

Valerie stepped over the threshold to the bedroom, hand pressed to her chest, the opposite arm wrapped around her middle as she observed the room. It wasn't unfamiliar, but the memories of what had happened here months before were - terrifying and illicit at the same time. The pile of bodies that had been left after he'd been forced to feed from them in order to survive were echoes across the carpet. The stains from them long gone after she'd sent some of her pets to clean it up. The bed was made - unusual for Demitri to do, but she imagined it was because he anticipated her arrival and knew she liked to tuck tightly between the sheets - or at least, she hoped. He wasn't the romantic type. Didn't often think about the little things. As if it mattered in the grand scheme. She'd outlive him before he ever outlived her. And wasn't that just fucking tragic.

She stripped out of her dress and shoes, draping them over the chair in the corner, and slid into the cold bed. It'd warm up quickly enough - Lucifer knew she was a furnace on a calm day. She hated feeling uncertain. Uncertain if anything she did could be the right choice for them and in the same breath, loathed that he didn't think the same way. Before she knew it, she was drifting into sleep.

[macabrerosev]

Who: @curseaddendum (Naj) Where: Cobalt Eclipse - Val's loft When: Current Date What: Val wants to spend more time with her own kind, so she invites Naj over to have a night in.

After the disastrous exchange with Demitri at the festival, Val found herself wanting time away from vampires and everything to do with them. She was pissed at him. There were always limits to what she would allow from anyone and he had crossed the only line they had. Her hand fluttered to her throat as she looked over the in-house bar, settled on one of the three available stools outside of it. The glass she'd been nursing was near empty, and she was rather frustrated that she'd have to get up and get it herself- since she'd dismissed the slave for the evening. In bare feet, she padded around the bar and grabbed the bottle, uncorking it on her way back. A moment of thought, eyes dancing between the glass and the bottle before she shrugged and lifted the neck to her lips to drink deeply. It burned like acid fire. Waiting on company was not her forte. Truthfully, part of her wanted to call off the whole evening to mope but she was better than that- wasn't she?

At the sound of her door opening, she paused at the step leading to her bedroom. "Naj," she greeted him warmly, crossing the distance to plant a kiss to his cheek. "Don't mind the dog. His sentence isn't quite up yet.... drink?" She offered the bottle, the smile on her face felt more like a mask than the skin she wore.

[macabrerosev]

If there was anything that could get her black blood pumping, it was a party. Amidst the mingling masses she felt terribly exhilarated, but chose to remain neutral in her pursuits. Her souls were well and deep, and she didn't necessarily need to cause a commotion. Thrilling as it was, she'd come for the purpose of showing face and that should be good enough. Though carnival games and prizes were not exactly her idea of good time, she still stopped at booths here and there to see what there was on offer. Played a few games, won two out of the three she'd perused, and made her way down to the one that kept twinkling at the edge of the festival. The lone ticket in the glass bowl gave off a heady, dark and deceptive air that she eyed credulously. Suspicious. Never-the-less, she reached inside and plucked it out of the bowl, examining it with a rather scrupulous stare before she whirled away and tucked it into the pocket of her dress. It was then that she spotted him. Just away from the crowd and she was rather surprised he hadn't yet found her. Sliding up to his side, Val planted her palm on his chest and lent upward to brush a kiss to his jaw.

"Hello, Demi. Are you having fun?"

@oftragxdy

[macabrerosev]

Who: OPEN Where: Neutral Territory What: Val is bored and hunting for something fun to do As autumn gave way to the bitter chill of winter, Valerie found herself rather melancholy. "That's new," she'd reflected as the gloomy emotion settled in her chest and refused to budge. More often than not, she found herself shirking her duties as a club owner in favor of wandering through dense wood and debris from the war. Often alone, often silently, and more-over - lost in the memories of her centuries on the planet. She'd settled onto the heavy bark of a fallen willow, hand brushing the flaking wood with mild disinterest. The sound of an approach did not stir her from her reverie. "You know," she murmured to them, "there used to be humans in these woods that would worship beings like me.." she said this aloud, to herself - to the person who'd happened upon her - to the universe. "Not anymore though.."

[macabrerosev]

Who: @wickedxhell (Lenus) Where: Outerworld When: Post Festival What: Valerie is hunting down a potion - and she does not expect to meet a man she scarred within an inch of his life.

In the desolated ruins of what she assumed had once been an apothecary, Valerie climbed up over some of the rubble, pulling away stone and scarred metal. She'd picked up the scent of an herb she desperately needed to complete the potion that would make it so Demitri could safely drink from her. The ingredients were the rarest of rare- and soon enough she imagined most of them would be extinct. "Ah!" she exclaimed, reaching elbow deep into the hole she'd created, cheek pressed to the rubble as she rifled around for it - and promptly paused the moment she heard footsteps. Fingers clasped around the root of it, yanking upward. She came back with a handful of bright green and blue laced fibers, shoving them quickly into her gathering bag before flipping to sit, examining the man.

Big. Man. "It should be illegal to be that tall," she quipped. Standing, she brushed the dust off her dark pants, straightening the flowing shirt just a little. A squint at him, before her head cocked to the side. He looked familiar but she couldn't quite place him. "What are you doing, wandering around out here alone? Don't you know there are monsters?"