#ht&igd

[susurrusilously]

Heartbreak, Trauma, and Inconvenient Gambling Debts

Chapter 17 takes us to Woodway Park!

As Fabien sucked on a piece of candied ginger, eyes locked on the horizon while he desperately willed the rolling waves of nausea to pass, a billboard caught his eye. The large advertisement was plastered to the side of a building on the final block of Seattle proper, almost as if it were bidding him farewell. The ad was for Agatha Christie’s latest novel: The Man in the Brown Suit. It featured the image of two men, crouched over a lifeless body, while a woman looked on in detached interest. It occurred to him that for the first time since he’d arrived in Seattle, nearly twenty years prior, he would be in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by complete strangers. He could be anyone and anything his heart desired and there wasn’t a soul around to say otherwise. He didn’t know why the ad had struck such a chord. Perhaps it was the idea that he could be any one of those men; the cop in his starched blue jacket, the gray man, slumped over and stiff, or even the mysterious man in the brown suit. Heck, if he were brave enough – or perhaps just drunk – he could even be the wide-eyed lady, watching the scene unfold with morbid curiosity.

[susurrusilously]

Heartbreak, Trauma, and Inconvenient Gambling Debts

Chapter 18

The road had spit them out of the dense forest of firs, alder and cedar trees, and onto a muddy beach without notice. The only thing separating the woods from the shore was a narrow band of shrubs that hugged the towering trunks, their bushy leaves creating a barrier between the two worlds. The beach itself was typical of the Pacific Northwest — more silt than the fine sands of his native California, and carpeted with patches of moss and seaweed that smelt of the ocean and did little to ease his churning stomach. All along the shore, large bleached trunks lay like ashen bones. Having been felled by wind or time, they had been taken into the Sound and returned with the tide to rest at their brother’s feet for perpetuity. A decent sized embankment was situated to the side of the beach and a pier had been constructed at its edge, its weathered planks leading out towards the murky waters of the Puget Sound. Miles away, across the placid waves, Fabien could see the shoreline of what he thought was Bainbridge Island. Even further still, the Olympic Mountains towered over the landscape, a pale shadow in the distance.

[susurrusilously]

Heartbreak, Trauma, and Inconvenient Gambling Debts

Chapter 15 is finally here!

From the corner of his eye, Gideon caught a glimpse of Isaac’s misshapen silhouette; the Nosferatu was nearly indistinguishable from the shadows he had taken refuge in. It came as no surprise that the Hive was in attendance – such a significant event would have to be recorded and stored safely in the mental archives that housed all of the Seattle Court's affairs. For this was no ordinary Court session, where Whips and Primogens could have their say, and the facsimile of democracy would be pantomimed, while clans postured over ranks and boons. Instead, the select few that had been summoned to the Special Session were all intricately tied to the delicate web of the Ventrue Sister’s latest scheme. “Gideon Hall, at long last, our Harpy has arrived,” Lou Graham breathed, having finally taken notice of him. Her rouge stained lips held the veneer of civility, although Gideon knew her ire was always bubbling just under the surface of that practiced smile.

[susurrusilously]

Heartbreak, Trauma, and Inconvenient Gambling Debts

Chapter 16, hot off the press! (Buffer? I hardly know her!)

A group of women exited in a swarm, all wearing thick coats and plain-but-fashionable hats. They were already chatting in cheery tones, despite the early hour, and Fabien knew they were on their way towards the streetcar that would ferry them to their jobs as secretaries, phone operators and clerks, within the bustling metropolis of Seattle. “Oh, Essie, I think this one is yours,” one of the young women tittered, giving him a knowing look as she hid her mischievous smile behind her hand. Fabien tipped his hat respectfully in passing, trying not to roll his eyes as he did. Miss Mayfield paused, letting the crowd drift off in a sea of perfume and hushed laughter. “Hey-a, Essie, I was hoping to catch you before you made it to work,” he greeted, smiling at her surprised expression.