Wandering

[Nico Smith]

Nico relinquished the vampire gladly. She had recovered from the shock of what had just happened, although she still wanted to be sick at the thought of the corpses they had left in the alley.

As she followed Leo and their vampire guide, she swung her bag off her shoulder again and pulled out one of her Brownings and another bullet case and reloaded it, before holstering the gun and putting the bullets away again, swinging the bag back onto her shoulder.

As an afterthought, she reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out her mp3 player. Threading the headphone wire underneath her jacket to stop the wire from swinging about and annoying her, she placed the right 'phone in her ear and switched the music player on. She kept the volume down fairly low so she could still hear Leo over the music.

"So..." She started, unsure of how to phrase her question. "That... that's your wolf form..? Is it... hard, changing like that? Not to be rude, I mean.. you don't have to answer if you don't want to it's just...." she paused and glanced over her shoulder. "That was... incredible, the way you... I mean... I've never... seen anything like that."

She thought for a second.

"Thank you." She said, smiling at the old lycan.

[Leo Silvêr]

"Yes" Leo stated answering the first question. "No it is not. We are one" He said for explanation.

He listened to Nicola ramble, the volume of her voice slightly elevated because of the music.
"Their is no need for thanks" Leo paused. "Stop the sound box. It is loud and brings unnatural noise to the night."

They had been walking for some time when Leo suddenly stopped. "Stop" he said handing Nicola the vampire again. He knelt down and took down his hood. His face was covered in blood. He dipped his hands into a nearby puddle and began to wash his face and mouth. Most of his woulds had healed now. He had a strange look in his eyes as he looked up at Nicola.

"I will have to leave you soon." He paused looking at the hurt shock on her face. "But only for a little while. He has tasted blood and so we must hunt soon. It was unfair of me to use him. But it was necessary." Leo then went back to the puddle and continued washing himself.

[Nico Smith]

"Oh..." Nico looked at pulled her mp3 player back out of her pocket and switched it off. "Sorry. I didn't know..." She wrapped the headphones around it and put it away again.

When Leo stopped, Nico almost walked into him. She hadn't been paying attention, thinking instead about the scene they had just left. She took the vampire silently and watched, interested, as Leo bent to wash his face and hands in a puddle.

"L....leave?" She stuttered. "Oh... I.. I didn't think of that.... Ok...."

As Leo continued washing, her thoughts raced. What am I supposed to do while he's away...and what do I do with the vampire? I could go back to the house I guess, but....After what happened there....

While she was lost in thought, the vampire sensed her wandering attention and took the opportunity to twist himself free of her grip. Nico's thoughts snapped to attention immediatly, and she made a grab for the vampire's arm. He, however, had other ideas. He dodged her lunge and, laughing, ran down the street.

"You ain't never gonna catch me!" He yelled back to them as he ran.

"Shit!" Nico cursed. Her hand flew to the Colt on her hip and she looked at Leo, questioning him silently.

[Leo Silvêr]

Before the vampire was even two steps away Leo was on him. He had grabbed the vampire roughly by the arm and had bent it to almost breaking point.

The vampire tried to bite Leo knowing that if he did Leo would die.
"Will you help us?" Leo asked.
Owen struggled kicking and still trying to bite him.
"Will you help us?" Leo asked a bit more firmly moving Owen’s arm slightly. The vampire cried out.
"Okay, okay, okay!" He said. Leo let go. "Jeez man. You almost tore my fucking arm off! What are you crazy?" Owen said grabbing his arm protectively. "Why the fuck do you wanna go and see Vincent Lémartes anyway? He ain’t exactly on friendly terms with you werewolf kind."

"No" Leo said answering the first question, to whether or not he was crazy. "We are acquainted" Leo said turning to Nico. "Is anything the matter?" Leo asked her.

"Hey... ummm... mac, could you get her to put that away?" Owen said pointing to the gun. "Its just this isn't my best night ever and I don’t want to add getting shot to the list"

Leo looked back at him. "Hey I ain’t gunna run, I already tried that, almost lost my fuckin' arm. Believe me I ain't gunna try that again soon. Not after the way you dealt with Ray!"

Leo just stared blankly at him. "Ray... Sorry yeah you know that prick werewolf that you just iced back in the alley. He thought he was so tough and bossed us about. Now the cunts dead all thanks to you."

"Stop the profanities" Leo ordered.
"What? Oh the swearin' and shit? Yeah sorry about that. My mum used to say I shouldn't swear, back when I was a human that was..." He trailed off.

"Can you take us to Lá Belle Gabrielle?" Leo asked.
"Course. By the way names Owen, Owen Brewer"
"Leonardo Silvêr" Leo said, Owen chuckled and quickly stopped and looked away as Leo's eyes fell on him.

Owen looked at Nico waiting for her name.

[Nico Smith]

Nico removed her hand from her holster, but kept it ready. She didn't fully trust the vampire yet.

"I'm ok..." She replied. And she was, in a way. A little shaken and bemused, but ok.

"Nico." She said, introducing herself. "Nico Smith." She stared at the vampire as if daring him to run again.

"So... this club... it's run by a vampire?" She asked curiously. She was starting to like the idea of going there less and less.

[Leo Silvêr]

Leo ignored her, he was sniffing the air. "Cub." He said turning in the direction the scent was coming from. "This way." Leo growled before sprinting in the direction of the cub.

((Continued in the journey thread))

[Nico Smith]

"Um...." Nico said, confused. She stood, bewildered for a moment, watching Leo, and then realised she was now stood in an unfamiliar place with a vampire she didn't really trust.

She glanced at Owen and then took off after Leo at full speed.

Owen stood and watched her until she'd gone.
"I'll just uhm.... go then, shall I?" He said to nobody in particular. With a shrug, he walked away.

((Continued in the Journey thread))

[Austin]

Please Note
Time Jump Initiated
All following events are at least two months after those above

[Steven Fitzgerald]

((Just felt the need to post something somewhere. Have just read what's going down at the Edgehaven Gazette and am going to use some of what Meg has posted there. Hope that's okay?))

Steven as usual was wandering the streets of Edgehaven looking for the next big story, the next scoop, the next breaking front page news story! And so far little had been forth coming. With every step that Steven took the flash from one of his myriad of cameras followed. Meaning that more than likely if there ever was any story to be had he had already scared it away before he even got there. Steven had already earned himself a reputation in the little over two months he had been in Edgehaven. He was The Page Two Prince, or so everyone back at the office was calling him. All because of one woman Miranda Burke, star of the gazette.

Everyday like clockwork Miranda's stories hit the front page of the gazette that was until recently when he, Steven Fitzgerald, had shocked the world with his news revelation! 'Woman Weds Cerberus Breeder Scandal!'... Yeah they had dropped the scandal bit and had scrutinized some of the apparent 'facts' that Steven had uncovered about the woman but it had made the press in time to be put on page one and knock Miranda off the top spot.

He had heard later through the grape vine at the office that Miranda hadn't been particularly impressed with the story calling it, over dramatized crock.
Steven had viciously bitten back saying that she was just jealous that his story made the front while hers got pushed back to page two. But Steven knew in his heart that the story was indeed crock and that was putting it lightly.

Steven had grown up in London hearing about the legend of Edgehaven or The Town Of The Dead as it was referred to and in his two months of living in one of the most dangerous and most notorious places in England what had he found that could be plastered across the front page of the news and finally allow him to make a name for himself like his mother and father back in London? Nothing.

Perhaps I'm trying to hard. The thought came unbidden to him. I've seen countless movies about this. A young man desperate to make a name for himself, sets out on his own, struggles, is almost put off but then something happens that gives him hope and hands him the scoop he needs that makes his name!

Almost expectantly Steven looked around waiting for something to happen...

Nothing did.

With a sigh Steven found himself automatically taking a photo of an old wooden bench before slumping down on it.

If I can't find the story. Maybe the story will come to me.

[Steven Fitzgerald]

For a little over an hour Steven sat alone on the damp park bench waiting for the perfect story to just fall into his lap. In that time he came to discover two important things.

One: Life, contrary to what they would have you believe, was nothing like the movies. And Two: Sitting alone on a damp park bench wasn't the best of ideas. Unless of course your plan was to either get yourself mugged or you were attempting to give yourself a bad case of piles.

The former while good for a small column but wouldn't make the front page and considering he'd prefer not to experience the latter he soon found himself making a decision. Slowly he got to his feet and with a melancholy chuckle turned and for no other reason other than it was there took another photograph of the park bench. All the while his mind coming up with ideas for a new scoop to submit. None of which were particularly engaging.

With nothing else to do Steven once again began to wander the streets letting his feet set the pace. As he strolled he reached into his bag and pulled out a folder which he began to flick through. On each page was a name, photo and subsequent information on all the big names in Edgehaven. On every page Steven had added information he had found out.

Mr Rino: Ex-Owner of The Devil's Advocates Law firm. Missing.

Mr Austin Darkora: Leader of rebel group The Night Watch. Refuses to speak with me!!!

Mr Vincent Lémartes: Ex-owner of Lá Belle Gabrielle Night club and casino. Missing though rumored to be dead.

Miss Belle Thorne: New-Owner of Lá Belle Gabrielle Night club and Casino. Left messages not replied.

Mr Kana Lémartes: Brother of Vincent Lémartes above. Profession: Unknown. Have been warned to stay clear of him though no one would say why?

Mr Nicholas Wright: Captain of The Edgehaven Police Department. Apparently too busy to chat!

The file held several other names with similar statements beside them. It seemed for some reason that everyone in Edgehaven had a fear of talking to the press.

With a cry of alarm that almost made him drop his unfortunately scant file. His trouser pocket began to play, rather too loudly for his liking, The Ghostbusters Theme Tune.

With a surge of hope that one of the files contents had had a change of heart and was ringing him back. Steven stuffed his dossier haphazardly back into his bag and quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out his mobilephone. His excitement however was short lived as he read the name that flashed on the screen in sickly green writing, Miranda Burke.

For a moment he considered letting it go to voicemail but decided against it as Miranda would probably confront him later if he did. So suppressing a groan Steven hit the answer button cutting the song off just as the lyrics stated 'I ain't afraid...'.

"Hello." He said rather unenthusiastically.

[Miranda Burke]

After a few too many rings for her liking, Miranda heard Steven's voice come through her phone. "Steven!" she greeted him with entusiasm. "How are ye? Got any good stories for us?"

She grinned, knowing she had him beaten no matter what he'd come up with. "Listen, ah think Bill wants everyone back at the office. Deadlines tae keep an' all. An' ye'd better have somethin' really killer, he's in a wee bit of a bad mood."

[Steven Fitzgerald]

Steven's heart sunk as he listened to Miranda. The tone of her voice betraying one thing. She had a story.

Panic slowly began to take its hold over the young London born photographer. He had nothing, and hearing that Mr Hart, or Bill as Miranda was allowed to refer to him (being one of the few in the office with the privilege of being able to do so), was unhappy, having nothing wasn't good.

The first few weeks into the job when Steven turned up nothing or stories that were barely anything. Mr Hart had been almost kind telling him not to worry and that he would soon find his feet. Then Steven surprisingly to everyone (bar himself of course) had, after a fashion, bringing in his page two classics that had become almost expected of him. But not anymore he feared. Because of the success of his Cerberus Breeder story he felt he was now expected everyday without fail to submit something hard hitting worthy of the Gazettes front page.

Realizing that he hadn't actually answered Miranda yet as he had fought down the beginnings of a panic-attack he found he was beginning to speak without engaging his brain.

With dread he heard himself saying. "Miranda! Hi! Sorry about that but I was just interviewing someone so I had to step out for a minute. How am I? Fine! Just fine! I think I've got something that should bring Mr Hart out of his bad mood. Though when isn't he in a bad mood?" He joked feeling his blood going cold as he listened to himself knowing he had just said something he shouldn't have.

"What I've discovered is big Miranda! I mean big! Huge! I think it could shake this town to it's very core! I mean, even I was blown away when I found out about it!" Finally engaging his brain for long enough to stop himself before he could go any further and dig himself a deeper hole. Steven ran over what he had just said and what he actually had, which was still nothing no matter how he looked at it, and decided that he'd probably just begun to dig his own grave.

Taking a breath and wincing at what he had said. "What about you?" He asked meekly hoping she wouldn't ask any questions, though being a journalist like him (though in his opinion much more nosy) she probably would.

[Miranda Burke]

Miranda's smile widened. A long pause followed by an overly-enthusiastic response meant one thing. She had a story and he didn't.

"Ah, smashin'!" She replied, still grinning. "Aye, I've got somethin' meself, but it sounds like it ain't gonnae hold its ground against yours! Ah can't say too much, gottae protect mah witnesses. Y'understand. So, what's yer story? Y'know, if ye can bear tae part wi' any details."

She stopped walking just outside the building that housed the Gazette offices. She'd probably get an earful for taking too long to get back, but it was worth it if it meant she got to spend another few minutes winding Steven up.

[Steven Fitzgerald]

Steven hoped that Miranda was taking his long pauses between replies to be a sign that he was having trouble understanding her accent. Truth was however he had had a Scottish grandmother and so had grown up hearing the bizarre way they could transform the English language.

He couldn't remember if he had told Miranda that before but he hoped that he hadn't.

With a nervous laugh Steven began to scrape together a reply using all his wit, charm and creative thinking and came up with something truly award winning.

"It's a surprise..." He squeaked down the phone.

Cringing even as he said it. Steven took a pause and ran over what he had said in his mind, looking at his statement from all different angles and came up with one resounding truth.

It would defiantly be a surprise if he still had a job tomorrow.

Knowing he had to say something else, anything else. He began floundering for something to say, his heart threatened to burst from his chest and save Miranda the job of ripping it out.

Letting out a cry as he, while in either the beginnings of a new panic attack or the middle of the first, managed to catch his foot on the edge of the curb sending himself tumbling to the ground managing to somehow drop his bag yet keep hold of his phone.

He watched in horror as his bags contents scattered itself across the pavement around him. Camera's, lens, film and most importantly his folder containing all of his useless information on who was who in Edgehaven lay covering the ground around him.

As he knelt over his scattered possessions two pieces of paper from his dossier had somehow haphazardly fallen in front of him. One his information on Austin Darkora, leader of the Night Watch. The other Carla Glenn a woman in Steven's eyes of no real importance other than she had once worked for The Devil's Advocates Law Firm.

"Perhaps I shouldn't be saying this but I've uncovered some information about the Night Watch and some members of the Devil's Advocates."

Even as Steven said it he knew he had nothing at all about either party other than what he had heard since arriving in town but at least it was something.

Steven, unfortunately for him, had just begun working for the Gazette just as the whole Devil's Advocates business had blow over. He knew that if he had been working for the paper at that time he would have defiantly have made a name for himself by now.

From the information that he had on the raid of the Law Firm Steven was sure that he could submit something. After all it need not be one hundred percent true.

It was only the news after all.


((OOC: Just to make it clear Steven has absolutely nothing on either the Night Watch or the Devil's Advocates. I just wrote this post for the humor in it. I have an alternative idea for the story he is going to write. That was another point I was going to make. Meg do you think we should ask Nik if we can make a thread somewhere where we can post actual news articles that the characters write about the town so that everyone can read them? Just an idea))

[Miranda Burke]

Miranda resisted the urge to all-out laugh at the noises coming from her phone. First the squeaked reply and then the obvious sounds of Steven's belongings going all over the place. She'd never understood why he always insisted on carrying huge cameras and piles of paper with him. Miranda was very much a technophile when it came to research. All her records were stored on her PDA and backed up on both her laptop and desktop computers, as well as on her personal web-server, although she kept paper backups as the ultimate fail-safe, and when she did need to take pictures, she did so on a purse-sized digicam and touched up the photos in Photoshop.

She was musing smugly on how much more organized she was than her main rival, when he spoke again. "Oh, the uh.. The Night Watch? And the DA, huh?" How the hell does he know about that? Who did he talk to?

She blinked and regained her composure. "That sounds like it'll be really interestin', but, eh, y'know wha' Bill's like. He's a wee bit touchy about the Night Watch. Y'might want tae have somethin' in reserve, like."

What she said about Bill was true - he was always more cautious about anything involving the Night Watch than any other story. However, Miranda was confident that her story would be the exeption. After all, she was the star reporter.

((Yeah, that would be good I think we discussed something like that ages ago. Can't remember what we decided though.))