WAYWARD SOULS

but hold me fast, hold me fast / 'cause i'm a hopeless wanderer

[kenxmatsui]

Ken gave a small hum at that, fingers loosely curled around the coffee cup as he considered her point. "Perhaps," he admitted. "Though I'm sure there are vampires who will say that it's rather inconvenient being human again." He didn't think he would fall into that category, not with how much he had wanted to be human again in the past, but somewhere along the way alongside circumstances, mind had also changed. He looked back at her then, "I take you miss your human life?"

Her smile did not go unnoticed though, and when she offered to take credit for the drink, he shook his head slightly, "Oh, absolutely not. Do not let that inflate your ego," he replied immediately, though there was no real bite to his words. "Your skills remain acceptable."

[waywardesouls]

There was enough of a lull in patrons that Rory could get away with chatting for a minute or too, so she loosely crossed her arms over her chest and nodded. “Yeah, that's fair. I'm sure there's plenty who actively chose this life, just as much as those who didn't. And I'm sure, y'know, randomly being human again after so long would be an inconvenience,” she conceded with a sheepish smile. His bluntness took her a bit surprised, but then again from her previous experiences with Ken, she shouldn't have been too shocked. She shrugged, continuing, “Yeah...Yeah, I guess I still do. I mean, I'm grateful, y'know. To still be alive. But I miss the little things. Like the taste of a good latte, for example,” she smirked, gesturing at his drink. “Hey, ‘acceptable’ is practically a commendation from you, so I'll take it.”

[waywardesouls]

OPEN STARTER: @lunarcovestarters

OPTION A location: Yellow Submarine

On breaks from work, Zuri loved to walk around the aquarium, visiting her favorite exhibits and sea creatures. A cuttlefish, nearly fully blended with the sand and rocks around it, lived in the massive tank before her, and was one of her favorites to visit. To the other person standing beside her, she offered, “Did you know cuttlefish are actually colorblind? It's kinda crazy, because they can exactly color match their surroundings to blend in. Kinda like what people think chameleons do, but cooler.”

OPTION B location: Happy Harvest Farmer's Market

Stevie enjoyed farmer's markets, and needed to stock up on produce and other essentials before heading picking up Rhiannon up from school. The school year was winding down and with summer about to start, Stevie was anxious to find a more permanent living situation for her and her daughter that didn't end in Motel. With those thoughts momentarily on the backburner, she passed a stand specifically for different flavored honeys. “Huh. Eucalyptus honey... Interesting, but not sure how my eleven year old will feel about that one.”

[taliayildiz]

#open𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗍𝖾𝗋 ›› location: on a sidewalk somewhere with bushes of course tagging: @lunarcovestarters

"They were right, the cat distribution center is real!" A disturbance had come from the bushes while on her walk. Instead of making the reasonable decision and keep walking, Talia had decided to investigate the rustling. Worst-case scenario, it was a raccoon, and she had to go get a rabies shot. However, it turned out to be the best case possible because in the bush, it was a small kitten. She held the tiny creature to the person walking with her, eyes wide and filled with awe. "I've been chosen. I'm now a mother. I love them so much." Her voice was going up a few octaves as she talked to the kitten. "Unless you want to be co-parents," she added quickly, though she didn't really want to be. Talia was just being nice. "They need a name and probably a bath. Just to be safe."

[waywardesouls]

“Oh my God, look at them!!” Zuri squealed, making a kissy face to the tiny bundle of fluff. “They're so tiny, I can't believe it!” Reaching out tentatively, careful not to scare the itty bitty creature, she gave it an affectionate pet behind the ears. “Oh no, no. The cat distribution system explicitly chose you. I'll just have to wait for my own kismet kitty,” she sighed wistfully. “I won't say no to godmother though. Or, like, a cool aunt who let's them eat too much kitty treats.” She gave Talia a grin, nose scrunching as she did. “What are you thinking of naming them?”

[gazingatmestarry-eyed]

closed || @waywardesouls (Cass & Sun-Hee)

"What do we think?" Sun-Hee was doing a closest clean out. Her style had evolved over time. She picked out the pieces that no longer felt like her. There was a visible maturing of her aesthetic. A refinement of her sense of self. "Keep or donate?"

[waywardesouls]

Cassandra was more than happy to answer Sun-Hee's spring cleaning call. She had her own love of fashion, and she all but jumped at the chance to assist her friend with her closet purge. Assessing the garment in question, Cass narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips with a hum. “Mmm—donate. The silhouette is nice, but the color washes you out.” Turning her attention to a rack of fancier wear, she ran her fingertip over the hangers before stopping at a beautiful evening gown. “Now, I may be biased, but this one is definitely a keep.”

[kenxmatsui]

Ken paused over the cup, studying it as though it might offer something more than it already had. The taste lingered, almost pleasant in a way he hadn't experienced in a long time. Familiar still, even in a distant sense. Her theory felt more like a confirmation, not one he was too pleased to hear, but there really wasn't much that could be done. "I see," he said simply and took another sip. It was strange that he preferred this a lot more. "Improved is one way of putting it, I suppose," he continued, setting the cup down, "Does losing the taste for blood qualify as an upgrade?" Things that used to appeal no longer did when he had died and turned, and now apparently the inverse held true. A small exhale followed, a little frustrated as thoughts swirled. "So, I guess, it's less about your skills getting better and more about my preference shifting."

[waywardesouls]

“I mean, I guess that depends on how you see it,” She shrugged, shoving her hands in her apron pockets. “I think there's probably a fair amount of vampires who'd prefer to get the taste for lattes back,” She doesn't mention that she'd be one of them, that she would give anything to not crave the sanguine sustenance and that her favorite foods now left a bad taste in her mouth. She only gives a small smile and another one shouldered shrug. Though his frustration is evident, and she feels for his predicament, Rory can't help the amusement that makes her smile grow, an eyebrow raised. “Well, I could definitely take the credit for the taste if that would help. Wouldn't want to be accused of my skills getting rusty.”

[firstxclassxtrippx]

Open starter @lunarcovestarters

Option A Location: Rose Tinted

Dying had, of course, not been part of his planned itinerary in this bizarre little town, but the few days in the hospital, leading up to his release early that morning, had proven somehow even more frustrating. Tripp could recognize this instinctual reaction stemmed from a sort of dull shock, an attempt to latch onto the concrete when everything suddenly felt so abstract. If he could be annoyed at something, anything, he did not have to think too strongly about his current circumstances. He was dead. He was now something else. Big deal. He still had work to do. This place, however, proved a little pink for his liking, and the décor leaned a little on-the-nose for his tastes.

The meeting he had missed in it, however, was supposed to be over tea, which he did know how to take, but sunlit rendezvous seemed to be out-of-the-question for the moment. Still, Saturday evening drinks were not a bad place to talk business, even if the storeowner he was meeting was running late. "Excuse me." He leaned to the person seated beside him among the tables with a pristine smile. "This is a genuine question. Does this taste burned to you, or is it me? I think this champagne's been frozen in the bottle." Most things simply did not taste good anymore, he was quickly realizing.

Option B Location: Drop It Like a Squat

Power. He still could not believe the utter power coursing through him. He could leap higher, lift heavier, run faster, and punch harder. For some time now, he had been jumping rope in front of one of the mirrors, entirely unfatigued. The sensation was downright intoxicating, as though he had finally cast off limitations he did not even know were holding him back from achieving his true potential.

"You know, friend, I thought vampires weren't supposed to have reflections," he hummed, cocking his head to one side but not interrupting his own flow. "But here I am." He smiled. "That said, I didn't know 'vampire' was a thing a person could actually be either. Do you ever get used to it?" Tripp smirked. "This is a cool place, though. Have you been a member long?"

He was on a day pass because while he was still staying at the Emerald Hotel, he did not like hotel gyms. No one ever wiped them down, and a treadmill and a few measly dumbbells were less conducive to anything but looking busy.

[waywardesouls]

option A

Rose-Tinted was not one of Cassandra's frequent haunts, and it was for that reason she chose to have drinks there; Lunar Cove was a small town, and she preferred to switch up her drinking locales when the occasion permitted. Something about drinking at the same bar more than once a week just felt sad to her, and more pathetic than she was willing to allow herself. Therefore, drinks at the blush-hued establishment seemed the right choice.

She hadn't expected to be addressed by another diner, and her expression might have been unimpressed when she looked over before amusement raised her brow. The question caught her off guard, but in a way that stirred her curiosity. She took a sip of the champagne in question, mulling over the flavor profile for a few moments before shrugging. “I mean, it's no Salon Blanc de Blancs, but it tastes fine to me. Wait,” She peered at him, taking stock of his features before recognition finally clicked into place. “Tripp? Tripp Babcock? What are you doing in Lunar Cove, of all places?”

[sunriserecords]

who: @waywardesouls stevie graves & ivy summers where: peggy's diner

beltane had been celebrated with the flower full moon and burning her intentions and what she wanted to let go of in a quiet ceremony down by the beach, very fitting for a girl who had died that year and woke up into a undead existence. she was feeling light, with no failed relationships weighing heavily on her shoulders and burnt out from practicing dark magic in the light of the full moon. she craved french fries and having an appetite for human food seemed like a secret blessing instead of a curse. she sat on one of the candy apple red vinyl seats, when stevie approached, a soft smile brushed her lips. "Hey, I hope you're doing. Sorry my sire bit you the last time I saw you, I hope it didn't hurt so bad and that it wasn't your first introduction into the freaky things our fangs can do."

[waywardesouls]

Stevie was used to throwing herself into work, any work, when things got stressful. She did better on the move, expelling her frenetic energy through action than sitting around and trying to muddle through her emotions. So she picked up some extra shifts at Peggy's, knowing Rhiannon was in trusted care while she was away. When she approached the blonde—she hadn't gotten her name in the chaos and commotion of the masquerade—she was surprised by the acknowledgement. “Oh—hey, yeah. It's all good, no hard feelings. Shit was kinda crazy that night anyway, I don't hold it against her.” She shrugged off the apology with a wave of her hand and an ironic smile. “Are, uh. Are you doing okay? I'm sure that was a lot to handle for you too. I'm Stevie, by the way. I don't think we were properly introduced.”

[waywardesouls]

@gazingatmestarry-eyed

location: Ortiz Estate when: Saturday, just before 12:00PM

Georgiana was not someone Rory knew particularly well. She knew of her—Lunar Cove wasn't exactly the biggest town, and if there was one thing that people loved to do it was talk. As for direct interactions, they've perhaps spoken a handful of times in the years since Aurora had returned to town, primarily in passing at the country club if the situation permitted. She hadn't expected the avian summons from anyone, much less from the older vampire, but she was intrigued nonetheless; the method of invitation itself piqued her interest if nothing else. There was a mote of nervousness buzzing around her ribs at what exactly Georgiana could want, but curiosity won out—besides, Aurora Moss never balked at the chance to make a new friend.

Wanting to be punctual, she arrived a little early, taking in the facade of the great manor with awe as she waited at the door after ringing the bell. When it finally swung open, she smiled at the familiar face.

“Hi! It's Rory- Aurora. I got your– pigeon?”

[cantfightmoonlight]

@waywardesouls

"So let me get this straight, we're siblings, you have a daughter and a not-so-secret baby daddy who's in town who took down that hellhound like it was nothing? Anything else I've missed in the past, well, you know, the majority of our lives?" She asked with a tilt of a brow.

[waywardesouls]

“Yeah...No, that sounds about right. Or, well-” She pressed her lips together before shrugging. “I did think not-so-secret baby daddy was dead for the past decade, so. There's that. And you? Is raising the dead a recent development or is that a typical Tuesday sort of thing? Or only saved for masquerades from hell?” There's no judgement or malice in her words, just dry humor as she raised her own brow.

[daisysquakesss]

Cutie.

[axiosawaitaddie]

with: Rory ( @waywardesouls) where: Eclipse

Addie was, in a wild turn of events, not at the bar tonight to pick up anyone. She just needed a damn drink and to not be near Ronnie, who was once again frequenting the van more so than normal lately, and kept trying to check up on Addie. She didn't want that nor did she need it, she was just fucking fine, actually. All she needed was a drink or two and some loud music, and so that's how she found herself at Eclipse, leaning against a back wall, nursing her third or fourth whiskey and coke-- she'd already lost count. Not that it mattered. Addie rarely felt much until her fifth drink these days.

Right now, she really just felt the ache of her bones and muscles, despite it having been several days since the stupid masquerade when she'd been forced to change. Despite her having tried several different substances to make it go away. She still walked with an uneven gait, a twinge of pain running up her shin every time she stepped.

Really, Addie just needed somewhere to be that was busy enough to keep her mind off everything.

Through the crowd, though, Addie spotted a familiar face. Not necessarily one she'd seen a lot, not a person she'd talked to much, despite her being Sun-Hee's roommate. At first, Addie didn't move. She didn't care, didn't see a point in going over. But after a moment, she pushed away from the wall and limped towards the bar, even if she wasn't entirely sure what compelled her to. She slid into the spot next to Rory smoothly, despite the wobble in her body, and casually said, "You're Sun-Hee's roommate, yeah?" It wasn't really a question, more just a statement. She set her drink on the bar top, keeping a nonchalant gaze. "Realized I never really, uh, properly introduced myself, even though I'm around a lot." Which was weird, wasn't it? That Addie kept coming back. She ignored the thought.

"Sun-Hee gave me the open invitation or whatever," she shrugged, "but was thinking I should probably, you know, make sure it's still there. That you're cool with it, too, or whatever." Addie didn't usually care about shit like that, about making friends with her fuck buddies' friends. This seemed different. She washed the thought down with a long swig of her drink.

[waywardesouls]

If there was one thing Aurora enjoyed, it was having fun. Sure, the masquerade was in some ways a bust—the heated make-out session with a stranger had been fun, but the rampaging hell beast put a damper on things. But keeping the vampire down was a hard-won battle, one she had yet to lose. Eclipse was always a lively time, and even though some friends flaked last minute Rory was determined to make the most of her night, even if it was by herself—or, if she was lucky, with a stranger.

What she hadn't been expecting was to see a vaguely familiar face. She knew about Addie, of course, from Sun-Hee, but had yet to officially introduce herself. It wasn't from lack of desire to, Rory loved making friends after all, but she usually found herself busy or staying at Ren or another friend's place whenever she came around. As she slid into the spot beside her, Rory flashed her a toothy grin.

“Oh, hey! Yeah, Addie. I've seen you around.” And by see you around she meant something to the effect of try to avoid interrupting your and Sun-Hee's me-time. She held out her free hand to shake. “It's no sweat, I'm usually all over the place anyway. I'm Aurora, but everyone calls me Rory. Which, I'm sure you've heard from Sun-Hee or something already.”

Rory tilted her head, amusement tugging at the corner of her mouth as she shrugged. “I mean, yeah. As long as it's cool with Sun-Hee, it's cool with me. Granted, she's technically letting me live rent-free so, really it's up to her anyway, but,” she chuckled, taking a sip of her own drink. “Hey, uh. How are you after the whole masquerade fiasco? Some pretty crazy shit happened.”

[waywardesouls]

What sort of emotions are tied up in Rory's feelings for Lucien? How would she feel if he came to Lunar Cove?

Rory has a lot of conflicting feelings where Lucien is concerned. When things were good, they were great, but being with him made her very rapidly forget who she was until she could scarcely recognize herself. She turned into a person she didn't like the longer she was with him, but she wanted to please him, impress him. Disappointing him was her biggest fear when she was with him because he was able to make her feel so small when she did, and each time she wanted to fix it by doing whatever it took to get in his good graces again. Dying and becoming a vampire was what it took to finally open her eyes to how toxic their relationship had become, and she knew it would be even worse with him as her sire, so it was lucky that he seemed to hightail it out of there before she even woke up. She hasn't seen him since turning and has done a lot of emotional healing since then, but if he came to Lunar Cove it would absolutely upend her life. She's not necessarily afraid of him, but of who she might become again with him around, so she wants to stay far away from him for the rest of her very long life.

[cantfightmoonlight]

@waywardesouls

"Okay, you can't tell me this isn't a masterpiece," Kiraz grinned as she flipped the screen of her camera around to show Rory the shot she had just captured of one of their customers' outside of the Drip soaked in their own cup of coffee they had just spilled down their chest. While Kiraz often was hired to shoot engagement, event and wedding photography, this right here was her favorite kind of shots to capture. Moments of tourists and locals in their element making complete and utter messes of themselves.

[waywardesouls]

“Oh my god,” Rory laughed behind her hand. Part of her felt guilty for laughing at the stranger's misfortunate, but Kiraz did have an eye for catching the ephemeral and turning it into a beautiful snapshot of chaos. “Thank god I just got off work. Poor Ren is probably gonna have to remake that though.” She chuckled, sparing a glance back at the front door of the café swinging shut. “Speaking of coffee, though. Your usual, m'lady,” She grins with a tip of her head as she hands over the coffee she made for the other.

[malcomhowlett]

“Better because they would have figured it out eventually.” It was never a matter of what if when it came to his family. It was always a matter of when. His family were excellent hunters. Malcolm may have been unaware of Stevie’s truth but with time, his father would have caught on. “Being out of the picture meant you were safe from them. Rhiannon safe from them.” He had no doubt that his daughter was a witch just like her mother. If his own father had no hesitations on ending him after he switch, he knew that the title of granddaughter didn’t keep Rhiannon safe either. Family was just an empty word when you weren’t human. 

Malcolm was still at her words for a moment before he nodded. When they had met, the two were from different worlds. Born enemies, yet they fell in love. Even with the knowledge of Stevie being a witch, it didn't change his feelings for her then, and it certainly didn't know. If anything, it caused guilt to rise in his throat like bile every time he thought about it. Stevie had grown up around hunters. He could only imagine the fear she lived with daily and the resilience she had to muster to survive. Now here he was just like her, yet the guilt never vanished. "I am." The tattoo on his back felt like it was burning at the acknowledgment that he had changed. He'd carry the mark of his past forever, whether he wanted to or not.

"Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault I changed," he closed the space between them and took her hands. Malcolm held them for a moment. The words he wanted to say for so long were on the tip of his tongue. "And maybe it's for the better that I did," he dared to lift his head, his eyes meeting hers. "You did what you felt was right for you and our daughter. I will never hold that against you. We're here together now. I won't let you be alone ever again if you'll let me stick around."

[waywardesouls]

“We could have left, together.” But even as she said the words, she knew they sounds hollow; no matter where they went, his family wouldn't have stopped until they found him. Keeping them from their granddaughter was enough of a challenge without rousing suspicions after Malcolm ‘died’, Stevie knew there would be nothing more suspicious to a hunter than his son and family disappearing off the face of the earth without warning.

As he reached for her hands, Stevie almost stopped breathing. Just the barest touch of his skin against hers had her heart somersaulting in her chest, a feeling she thought she would never experience again. Their warmth suffused her, every callous and palm line so familiar to her that she couldn't help her eyes from fluttering closed as she clung to all the memories of her hands in his. For a few moments, she just lived in those memories. To feel him again in any capacity was more than a dream realized—for years, she had wished for just one more minute with him. And here he stands before her, ready to offer her the lot.

Her eyes burn as she blinks them open, staring at their joined hands. “I- I need...time. But...Rhiannon needs you. And- I would never keep you from her. I just...” She swallowed thick around the lump in her throat, as if pulling the words were a physical pain. “I care about you, Malcolm. That's never going to change. I just...need time before we can get back to that place. I spent nearly a decade mourning you. I'm...just not the same person I was then.”

[kenxmatsui]

for: @waywardesouls - rory time & location: post-event, daily drip

The injury should have faded by now. Instead, it lingered, still raw, still stinging, refusing to close even though days have passed. That alone was wrong. Stranger still, was how everything else felt dull. His hearing lacked its usual sharpness, his strength dipped to something regular, all his senses seemed to fade at the edges. All of it was off.

Ken stepped into the Daily Drip drawn by the need of wanting something familiar. The quiet rhythm of the place offered a kind of external reassurance, seeing as his thoughts felt unreliable. It was busy, but not unpleasantly so, but it meant that Leyla and Ren were occupied, leaving Rory to take his order. Which was fine, she had made his coffee often enough. Before he retreated to his usual corner chair however, he asked her to leave out the blood as even the thought of it turned his stomach with visceral disdain.

Drink arrived with a nod of thanks, and that would have been the end of it had the sip he had taken not made him pause. His gaze shifted to Rory, a faint furrow forming between his brows because the taste was... unexpectedly good. "Have your skills improved overnight?" he asked, studying her with a slight narrowing of his eyes, "This is considerably better than what you usually give me."

[waywardesouls]

The masquerade had been eventful, to say the least. Though half of it Aurora found to be a blur thanks to her focus being divided by the lust potion she'd consumed, the ensuing chaos was hard to forget. She was happy to see Ken in better condition than she'd last seen him—bleeding, not healing, and unable to drink the blood that would help him—but she could tell he still seemed...off. Rory couldn't claim to know Ken horribly well, but being around vampires her whole life, she could tell when one was feeling decidedly un-vampirey.

She'd been about to bid him goodbye and return to her previous duties when his question gave her pause. “Um, not to my knowledge? Made it just the same, sans-blood.” A shrug punctuated her words. Her gaze flit between him and the aforementioned drink, hesitating a moment before presenting her theory. “D'you think that maybe your, um...tastebuds have improved? Y'know.” She gave a vague and somewhat awkward gesture. “All things considered.”

[cantfightmoonlight]

“Huh. So they say. But, it gets better, supposedly?" She asked curiously, hoping to gather as much as she could about werewolves before she made the transition herself. "And what is with the purple eyes? Why do some of you have purple eyes when others don't?" She continued to rattle off her questions. "I'm thinking about turning if you haven't gathered that already."

[waywardesouls]

“For the most part,” she shrugged. “You still feel it, but nowhere near as bad as the beginning. The trick I think is not to fight it.” She crossed one leg over the other, smoothly out the nonexistent wrinkles in her clothes. At Kiraz's question, Cassandra's countenance took on a thoughtful air, and she lightly drummed her fingertips against her knee. “From what I understand, it has to do with...taking an innocent life? I only learned that tidbit after moving here, so go figure.” A wry smile curled the corners of her mouth before her eyebrows raised in interest. “Oh, yeah? I was wondering what the twenty questions was for. Is it too gauche to ask who's biting you? I don't know if that's a wolfy faux pas or not.”

[cantfightmoonlight]

@waywardesouls

"Enjoying the blood room?" Meena mused with a tilt of her brow as she watched the young vampire emerge from where she had been having a midday snack at the Country Club. While the Clan Leader had been lounging at the bar, sipping on her own red tinted drink herself.

[waywardesouls]

“Oh!” Even with her newfound vampiric senses, Meena’s presence took Rory by surprise. She hastily and discreetly wiped the back of her hand across the corners of her mouth, hoping no sanguine remnants lingered from her midday snack. “Yeah—yes, thank you. It’s really convenient.” Aurora had always liked Meena, even when she'd been a witch. There was something magnetic about her that Rory couldn't help but be drawn to, even if she was slightly intimidated by her. Now, as a vampire she directly answered to, Rory was always keen to be found on her best behavior around her. “How about you? How's, um, your...drink?”