This City Never Sleeps at Night IC

The third floor dining hall of Marquez Manor was completely silent except for the steady ticking of the antique grandfather clock standing besides the balcony window. The room was dim, the only light to speak of filtered through dust covered windows, illuminating the faces of those scattered across the room on old overstuffed armchairs and sofas. Teresa stood motionless waiting for her signal, not even turning her head as other shuffled in. Tick-tock.…tick-tock. No sense in being interrupted she thought. Tick-tock….Tick-tock. Finally the chimes struck signaling the turn of the hour. Five…six….seven…eight.

The elderly sect leader released out a long drawn out sigh through her nose. "It's time to begin. Isn't it?" Her voice was hoarse and grouchy, as though this was the last place on earth she wanted to be at this hour, despite being the one to call the meeting.

Charles Tarwell had been one of first to answer the summons. A feint  smile concealed his anxiety. Despite being born into the sect, most of the members were strangers enough that only Celeste, and perhaps the old hag would see through his guise. They all knew that meeting like this were rare, and almost exclusively signals of bad news. Almost all the gatherings like this that Charles's could remember were called to announce the passing of a comrade. A great anxiety was lifted off of his shoulders when all the witches of the coven had been accounted for, plus two faces he did not recognize. He could not help but ponder how disconnected he had become  as of late.
"The purpose of this meeting, as the less dense of you have already figured out-" Teresa paused seemingly on a cue, to glare at Charles as she delivered her line. "Is to introduce two  new recruits. I thought we'd get it out of the way early so you could get to know each other…or ignore each other like you always do. Isaac Tully, and Elliot Freeman."  She looked over at them briefly without even bothering to distinguish which was which in any sort of way. Presumably the first name mentioned belong to the one closest to her, but Charles had forgotten both almost the instant they names left her lips.

The matron of their oragniaztion didn't pause long enough for anyone to exchange cordialities. "We acquired these two just in time. We had a spike of leads come in and I'll be damned if I have to go groveling to the bastards running the other sects for help. Especially after we swiped an oracle out from under them," She chuckled before moving on before anyone else had a chance to interject. Now on to your new pairings and assignments.  Celeste, you and Pretty Boy will infiltrating a local high school to scout out potential recruits. While you'll there you'll also be searching for any ghost related activity linked to a suicide that occurred last week. You're already late so get moving pronto. Next, Apache Chief and Sarge you two will be checking out the old Cathedral on 83rd and Madison. Residents report the sudden addition of several new statues you on the roof. Last, and probably least. I want Jumbo and Pasty to look around Central Park. Several pets of gone missing or turned up dead nearby. Could just be a stray animal, or it could be nothing. But we're not taking any chances. School started an hour ago, but  the rest of you have until sunset to prepare."

Unbelievable, completely unbelievable, even for her. She had wasted no time in developing demeaning nicknames for the newest members, and levied orders as if she was commanding a pack of animals. There was clearly something happening behind the scenes to put her this on edge, but Charles was too distracted to call her out, if that was going to happen today it would be someone else's turn to do it. Instead he looked at his sister. As soon as they made eye contact he knew the new assignment was at least in part by her request. He should had seen it coming. In a strange way he was happy for her, even proud that she was taking such a big step. She'd be fine, he told himself as his gaze drifted across the room to find his new partner.

Judith hadn't been one for the meetings, keeping herself tucked away from the majority of the people, just how she liked it. She loved just watching the other members of the sect walk in, and completely ignore her. The only thing people recognized for her for was her choice in such a flashy weapon, she'd settled herself against a wall as the meeting went on, her eyes constantly looking over the various members of the sect, finding herself wondering just who she'd be partenered up with. Brushing her Black hair back, somewhat hating the small Brown hue that it had to it but she just shrugged as she listened carefully to the leader's words, hoping she'd at least get something that would actually provide her some work to do.

Judith let out a silent growl as she heard that she was being put to work in Central park, but what annoyed her most was the nick-name that she'd been given. 'Pasty', the nickname rang around in her head for a few moments before she finally picked up the twinblade she had by her side and decided to search for her new partner, it shouldn't be that hard with a nickname like 'jumbo', she let her Greenish-blue eyes scan over the various members who'd been in there before she saw a man who fit the description, she decided to move around the outside of the room to meet him, doing her best to keep away from the attention of others, if she'd succeeded in getting to the man without her noticing her first, she'd tap him on the shoulder and have her hand held out as a sign of 'I'm the new partner'.

__

Aya was stood near the front of the gathering, her arms crossed as she just listened to her new 'Commanding officer', She took in the faces of the various members and smiled as she brushed off her uniform. Patiently listening to the various partner-ups and she raised an eyebrow as she heard her nickname being called out 'Sarge', while it took her a few moments to realize it, she shrugged. "Not what I'm used to being called, but I'll take it, and I'm searching for someone who is an Apache Chief... Oh boy... Hopefully he can keep any trouble away from me..." Aya let another playful smile creep onto her lips as she kept her arms crossed, hoping the partner could pick her out from the crowd, not that it was that hard, as she seemed to be the only one who even remotely looked like she could go with the name 'sarge'.

Charles was momentarily stunned by the gentle tap on his back. He had never been known for the power of observation. Others had often joked that an Achtung Panzer could sneak by without him noticing. On top of that he had some reservations about being touched unexpectedly, rooted in the whacks that had frequently accompanied his lessons as a boy.

He turned slowly and looked down, way down, something he should have been accustomed to by now. The girl looked familiar, eerily so. Then again, for as long as she had been around he should have had a name to attach to the face. Surely had must of heard it before, at least once, but it seemed distant, too far for him to grasp through the fog of memory. The thought hit him. You're name stupid, tell her you're name. He reached his arm out, slowly at first as if presenting it to an unfamiliar dog. "Charles Tarwell. Nice to meet you."

Judith had liked her presence being unknown, if she'd wanted to express something, the male's reaction might of made her smile but she kept a somewhat stoic face as she watched the man closely, finding the way that she was craning her neck up very uncomfortable, part of her hoping that she'd be able to take a few steps back, and as the man finally extended his arm, Judith took his hand and shook it a little before stepping back, the name that he'd given rang at the back of her head, but she shook it off after a few moments, then realizing her mistake and having not actually introduced herself as well. She put the twinblade behind her and did a small nod of her head. And as she opened her mouth to speak, her voice seemed extremely strained, almost as if she'd rarely ever used the voice that she'd been given, "Judith Sidos..." Judith cut herself off at the final part of her name, not sure if she wanted to reveal it all just yet, but she shrugged a little, deciding it might be best for her to just keep it at that, if anyone were to make a connection to a previous member and her, they'd have to work for it.

As Judith thought to herself in her mind, she felt her lips tremble a little, before quickly casting the memories aside, not wanting to have a moment right off at the start of meeting her partner, her left hand trailing up to grip the pendant she wore as a way of comforting herself, her right hand then picked up her Twinblade again, her gaze returning to the Charles, her new partner for the time being. At least he didn't seem as loud as her previous one.

"Judith Silos," he repeated the name back slowly to help him remember. He would NOT be the bumbling fool who has to ask his partner to repeat her name five times the first night out, not this time around. The named had a familiar ring to it, but of course it should have. They must had been introduced when she first joined the sect. "Would… you like to get some coffee? he bumbled. Hoping the offer came off as a polite work outing rather than a lame attempt at a date.

Judith just stood, watching the man as she finally decided to put her twinblade on her back in it's usual position, knowing there wasn't any reason to keep it out now, given that she'd kept her distance from everyone but her partner now. When she heard the offer for Coffee, she couldn't help but feel that it was ten times better then what her previous partner had done, dragging her to an open mic Karaoke night, and as she thought over the offer, memories of that night came back and she nodded in response, thinking that coffee would be a nice way, to maybe get comfortable around her new partner, and let him get used to her personality, well, what little of one there was on the outside.

"You don't talk much do you?" Charles bit his tongue once it dawned on him that was quite possibly the worst thing to say to the girl, especially with the way she danced on the narrow line that separated shy from downright paranoid. At least she had put her sword away for the time being. He hoped she had the sense to know that she couldn't walk into the café with it. He didn't want to be the one to break the news to her.

The café was just around the block, but the walk there was a long and silent one. He had made a note of the necklace she had grasped earlier as a possible topic for small talk, but decided to hold onto it for a little longer. Instead he simply said, "Get whatever you want I'm buying," as he pulled out her chair for her and took a seat on the opposite side of the table.

Dense? I don't think Charles is the densest of all of us, considering we have two new people who may be denser. This woman has a major grudge issue. The bright-haired girl thought to herself, trying to keep herself awake throughout the meeting. It wasn't that the subject of the meeting was boring, but rather their leader, Teresa, had a voice that bored her to death. Despite adding hostility and other fiery emotions into it, Celeste couldn't help but feel drowsy. Perhaps, she thought, she was disinterested due to the fact she knew her mission beforehand and knew that she was partnered with a new member. She didn't even hear her name and her partner's nickname as she sat there, patiently awaiting the end of the meeting.

Her eyes stared straight ahead until Teresa concluded her ramble. She slowly shifted her gaze, making eye contact with her brother. He looked as though he knew that she had requested some space from her brother, but it didn't bother Celeste in the slightest. She loved her brother dearly and he knew that very well, but she wanted some space to grow. Besides, she also knew she hardly trusted anyone else, even Teresa herself. She only partnered with Charles and he was reliable, so she knew next to nothing about the rest of the witches or how to work with them. So when her brother gave her a look, she merely smiled sweetly, trying to tell him wordlessly that everything would be okay.

Isaac's thumbs tucked themselves quietly in his belt loops, his hands sliding easily into his pants pockets as he stood in front of the assembled coven. So these faces, some grim, some curious, and some stuck in a maniacal grin, were to be his new family. Already he was taking in the prettier faces, noting odd things about the males, and wondering who was involved with who, who was fair game, and who he would not be able to touch in the least bit. He shifted a little as they, the males in particular, studied him with heavy scrutiny, but he puffed out his chest, and showed no sense of discomfort in his demeanor. To show weakness was to live a short life, and he was determined to see his twentieth birthday at the very least. He listened with only half an ear to the battered old woman's speech, until he caught, what he assumed, was his name, as the man across from him was a very dark, and very wrinkly, native american gentlemen.

He scanned the room in front of him, pushing through the people politely, wondering who this Celeste was. She was, hopefully, pretty, and hopefully, of legal age. He had a weakness for pretty girls, doing as much as he could to make them happy, which, in turn, made him happy as well. He turned slightly to a young man who looked about his age, and asked if he happened to know who Celeste was. The man did, and pointed her out readily enough. Isaac thanked him, slipping a small bill of money in appreciation, and began to approach his new partner. He stopped a few feet away, straightened the collar of his jacket, fixed his hair, and began his approach. As he made it to Celeste, he took off his hat, put on his best winning smile, and extended his hand.

"Good morning, miss," he said, studying her quickly with his eyes, before looking the feline orbs squarely to her's, "My name is Isaac Tully. It appears I will be your new partner. I look forward to working with you."

"It's Celeste Tarwell, not 'miss'. We'll keep it at Celeste though. No Cell though. I don't react to nicknames." She answered back to the young man, sticking her hand out awkwardly for a handshake. In her mind, she congratulated herself for not coming across as someone who didn't know her manners, but kept herself somewhat casual. The last thing she needed was for her new partner to think she was incompetent. "Hopefully this morning's meeting didn't bore you too much."

Isaac's grin grew even friendlier, if that was possible, at the touch of his partner's hand. He shook it gently, not wanting to hurt her, his own hand strong but gentle. Her hand was slightly rough, which meant that not only was she beautiful, she also knew how to take care of herself. He released her hand and stood a comfortable distance off, smiling at her, his eyes sparkling with what could have been seen as a mischievous glint. "She's not very charismatic, is she?" he asked, nodding at the old woman, "it's like she wants to offend us."

Celeste motioned towards the door, keeping in mind that they still had a mission to complete today at the school. They would be late, no doubt, but it would be easy to come up with an excuse. She'd never been to school, but she could figure out the basics. Tardiness was an understandable concept, as she'd learned from being a part of the Coven that she couldn't simply be a minute late to a meeting or else Teresa would rip her head off. "Teresa is just a little on edge, moreso than usual. If you get on her good side, she will actually remember your name."

This was true, of course, as Celeste knew that Teresa had taken quite a liking to her. She didn't necessarily understand why; she simply did her work and was loved unconditionally, even after she had made certain "rebellious" choices. On the other hand, the old woman simply detested her older brother Charles. For what reason she couldn't really understand, but she managed to persuade the woman to keep him, for her own sake. "What sort of ability do you have? Just asking out of curiosity, you know."

Isaac followed her, raising a near perfect eyebrow at her question. She seemed sincere, not at all flirtatious, and he almost thought to use this against her, to pursue her like he would just any other woman. There was an innocence around this one, though, and it was sweet, pure, and refreshing. He scratched his chin thoughtfully, deciding he would leave her be. She is to young at heart, he told himself, but she would be a good friend. He always needed more of those. He set his hat back upon his head as they started out towards the door, following her at a decent distance, one that would leave little doubt that they were merely acquaintances, but short enough to make conversation comfortable.

"My power? Well, I happen to be able acquire certain degrees of information from basic, physical contact. I can tell you the entire history of an object, just from holding it in my hands for a few minutes, though solid, complete objects are much easier than scattered pieces. I can also do such with humans," he said with an impish grin, winking at her, "the more intimate the touch, the more information I get. Why, just from that handshake, I know you didn't lie about your name, you have brother named Charles, and, if I'm not mistaken, you utilize dark energy. Am I right?"

They reached the door, and he pulled it open, holding it for her so that she could proceed through.  “Yea, that's correct. I harness it in order to fight." Impressive! It's a very useful ability. Though I can't say it'll be good in the field, if I'm more combative... She mused, keeping a smile on her face. The problem was, it was beginning to falter. She didn't know what else to say, but she couldn't just leave it at that! She rummaged through her brain for questions or different statements to say, but all those conversations with her brother seemed to have vanished into thin air. Her face went paler than normal and she bit her lip, avoiding eye contact with her new partner. "I, uh, so... u-um, the school... mission? We h-have, uh, to... er, what was it? Uh..." You were doing so well, too! "Late, uh, arrival, yea... so we... uh, the school?"

Isaac smiled warmly at Celeste, following her out the door to stand on a sidewalk in the middle of the city. Cars drove past, bumper to bumper traffic filling the entire street, horns blaring loudly throughout the air. Isaac listened closely as she began to stumble over her words, taking her hand easily and helping her down the stairs. She was having trouble socializing, it seemed, perhaps because of isolation as a child, or a lack of acceptable role models in her life, leading her to never being able to model the correct social behaviors from them. She slapped his hand away when they reached the end of the stairs, realizing that he had taken it in the first place, with a look of frustration.  He motioned to the large amount of traffic and slipped his hat back on his head, saying, "Do you happen to know which way to the school? It would be easier to walk, considering the heavy traffic."

This question she definitely knew the answer to. “The school is the one in the papers, with that tragic death. Just follow me and let’s be quick about it,” Celeste replied, regaining her poise and walking briskly onto the sidewalk towards their destination. The young woman glanced at her watch over and over, trying not to waste more time than they already had. It would take only a few minutes if they hurried, but they would nonetheless be late.

Kuruk growled quite audibly when the old hag called out a very racist, and very insensitive racial nickname for him, making a few witches near him jump, and eye him distrustfully. He gave each one of them an evil eye in return, hating the thought of working for any of them, especially the old witch Marquez. She had recently purchased his indentures from the man who held him by the collar in canada, and he was forced to move south, to a large city. Here, you couldn't even ride your horse through the streets without getting stared at, let alone ride it in any respectable way. They didn't even let you gallop! Kuruk placed a hand on the grip of one of his revolvers as the old woman finished saying her piece, the calm sense of it reassuring in his hands. He walked past her quickly, towering above those around him, and shoving his way roughly through the crowd. He was looking for one called sarge, presumably in some sort of military garb. He quickly spotted someone who matched this description, moving to the oddly dressed woman with considerable distaste, surrounding as he was by the dogs who kept his kind down for so long. He stopped in front of her, looking down at her, dark eyes studying her from their deep perch in his face. A frown on his face, he pointed to himself, and gruffly said, "I am Kuruk. Only, Kuruk."

The old master was about to deliver that last of her orders when she was cut short. "Watch your tongue brat," grumbled. The nerve of these children was audacious. They had net yet earned the right to a first name basis with her, yet the dared to mock her. Back in her day the elder witches were revered as they should be. After all, only a select few lived to be old and gray in their line of work.

Teresa decided to approach the last pair of witches, rather than shout out their orders from across the room. This had nothing to do with the confidentiality of the mission; she simply needed an excuse to put some distance between her and the wretch who had so carelessly invaded her personal space. She had have to teach those teenyboppers some manners.

She crossed the room slowly. She could still outmaneuver a man half her age, but she had to save that speed for short bouts these days, besides she enjoyed testing who among her ranks were squeamish enough to squirm as she crept towards them. She stopped arms length from a tall, slender man with a morose air about him. She kept her hands hidden behind her back and stood with a sense of authority that could make a man feel small even when she was looking up at them. "That thing I had you handle last night is known to hunt in packs. You are to find the rest and exterminate them with extreme prejudice. Understood?" Teresa stood waiting, on the off chance her subordinates had some sort of trivial questions . Good help was so hard to find these days.

Judith felt slightly wrong not carrying her twinblade with her, but given they were only going to get Coffee, she accepted that it'd bring too much attention to them even if she did want to carry it everywhere, she didn't like having attention on her as it was, so it went with her 'desire' of being unnoticed by people. When they arrived at the Cafe, Judith still hoping that she'd not been too forward with her name, but if anyone made the connection, she wouldn't be able to hide it. She looked around, happy that it was a small cafe, and didn't seem to have too many people withinaside from a few regulars it seemed and the staff. After a few moments she took to get used to it, the words that her new partner had spoken 'You don't speak much' played on her mind, she thought it was obvious, given she'd been in the convent for a little while, and she'd been known for that. Even the ever so bubbly Aya couldn't pry much from the girl. Judith quickly shook her thoughts off and returned to the present situation, nodding politely at the gesture that her partner made by pulling out her seat, but she was kind of uncertain about him paying for it, but she just accepted it, having the feeling her partner would insist on it. She took a few moments before just ordering a Tea, mianly by holding up the menu and pointing to it, but she spent a fair bit of time studying her new partner, feeling that they were somehow familier to her, but she just put it to how her sister often spoke about work. Judith settled into her chair a little by shifting about to get slightly comfy in it, and just waited.

___

Aya was slightly surprised by her new partner, and was hoping it wouldn't be a repeat of her last one, whom she just couldn't get to grips with. Too silent for her, but she just smiled politely at the man whom now stood in front of her and stretched out a little. "Well Kuruk. I'm Aya, look forward to working with you." She rubbed the back of her head and held out her hand, smiling still as she did and readjusting her rifle on her shoulder slightly. "I'll try my best to not annoy you... But, I'll say this now... Ignore the old woman. She comes up with those random and somewhat... Bad nicknames for everyone...."

Charles pulled a coffee stirrer from the center of the table and made small circles in his cup with it. There was truly no need for this as he had ordered it black, but it served as a distraction from the awkward silence.

When did he become so bad at this? He stared into his cup as he thought back to the partner need had prior to his sister. This kind of thing was so easy back then, so natural. He remembered the smile she always wore and find his own to unintentionally widen, leaving him sitting their grinning like some sort of lunatic.

Now he needed to spark a conversation. Obviously she wasn't going to say anything on her own, he couldn't just sit there smiling over nothing. Then again, running wasn't completely off the table yet. He reached for ace in the whole. He had made a note of something when they had spoke upstairs. Something about her neck…..a necklace, yes, perfect. "That a beautiful piece of jewelry you have there. Was it a gift?"

As the drinks had been served, Judith had really moved from her position, her eyes having drifted down to the table as she gently stirred the tea, almost absent minded now. Her thoughts having drifted back to her sister and the promises they'd made each other but she didn't go any further then that as she picked up the cup of tea and slowly took a small sip from it before placing it back on the table and her eyes moving back to look at Charles, finding it slightly strange that the man had been sitting grinning, almost like the lunatics you hear about in movies.

She took careful note of this as she watched him carefully, somewhat regretting the decision to come and have a drink with him right now, but as time went by, she felt something hit her a little as he asked her about the pendant she wore. She bit her lip for a few moments as she thought over a response, before letting out a silent sigh, choosing to say, most likely a lot more then she ever would again in a single time. "... I-It was my sisters... She... gave it to me." She quietly said.

For a brief moment, Charles was thrilled. This was a huge success for him. He had actually got a complete sentence out of this girl, the same girl who had insisted upon placing her order without talking just moments ago. This victory was short lived and hollow forever. He felt a sense of sadness in the girl's voice. Although it was hard to tell for sure. The only reference point he had was when she gave him her name earlier, and it seemed strained then as well. He could have stopped there, but he dared to push on. Perhaps he could make a connection with this girl after all. "What is she like?"

Judith felt herself reliving the memories of when she was given the pendant, and when she was being 'looked after' by her sister. As she felt the memories coming back to her, she closed her eyes for a few moments to settle her mind and her feelings, knowing that along the lines that this was going, she was going to have to speak a bit more, which she'd rather not, but she guessed she'd have to if this man was going to be her new partner, but she wasn't completely prepared for when he asked what she was like, or rather 'is' like. This took Judith a little while to respond to, having to keep herself from crying at the memory that had come to her. After she settled herself completely, she spoke with her eyes looking at the table. "Was... What was she like.... Always smiling... Worked hard... Caring..." She cut herself off, her hand moving towards the pendant and holding it gently in her hand.

Charles sipped his coffee being careful not to burn his tongue as he waited for his partner to respond. She took an awfully long time he thought. Of course when you spoke as rarely as her it was probably hard to piece the words together. No, there was more to it to that. She seemed to shrink before him s she looked for a way to express herself. He knew he had messed up big time. When she finally did speak he silently cursed himself for his inconsiderate stupidity. His hand moved across the table on its own, and found a place to rest on her shoulder. He was about to say something, but thought better of it. "Wait and see." he thought to himself.

Judith just kept her thoughts to herself, it was 'known' she was prone to breakdowns, but she didn't want it to happen here, not within the first few moments of meeting her new partner, but she let out another silent sigh as she was calming herself, and felt she should most likely say a few more things to her new partner, and stop anything from suddenly happening and most likely give him the reason, or at least some reasoning as to why she's like she is. As she felt his hand on her shoulder, feeling it rest there, she took a deep breath and decided to speak a little more. "Mio... She looked after me.... TRained me... Was.. A parent to me...." She shook a little, almost taking a break between each word, but soon cut herself off.

Charles felt a sharp pain in his chest. He had heard this story before. It was his story. Both his parents had died, and he had taken the sole responsibility of raising Celeste, even before they were officially orphans. But at least they had each other. The thought of loosing Celeste….the thought was too dark for him to imagine, and he pushed it away before it could properly form, fearing that even the thought would be enough to destroy him. So how could he possibly judge this girl trembling under the weight of her burden when she was clearly so much stronger than him to make it this far. Once again he dared to speak, hoping, praying that he wouldn't regret it this time. "I’m sorry for you loss. " His brain told him to stop there, but he was already too far gone. "Losing someone close to you is never easy. But it is the path we walk. All witches are familiar with the concept of death. My mom died when I was little, giving birth to my sister." He dug deep into his pocket and sat it on the table between them with the Tarwell seal, the great horned ram facing up. "My dad nine years later leaving me and my sister alone. and while I can't imagine what it would be like to lose my sister too, I did lose a partner who I had grown very close to. Come to think of it. Her name was Mio too….."

Judith couldn't stop her body from shaking as she'd been speaking and now taking a break from it, to try and compose herself but was failing. To Judith, her sister's death was all her fault, even thought she couldn't directly link it, she felt it all come together in her head and she'd blamed herself for the years that she'd been gone. She put her hands on the table, running them over each other as she was calming herself down to try and just link it all together, even explaining the reason she joined the convent as she did. She was taking a few deep breathes, listening to her partners own story, even feeling he was stretching it out a little, but she supposed there was some linkage between the two, however, to Judith, it was a step further, because she felt completely alone, she had no-one in her family left. She couldn't hold the anger she had in any longer, her already strained voice breaking a little as she spoke. ".... T-Those damn things... Ambushing her.... when she was alone.... I-it was my damn fault... They got her..." She felt one of her hands forming into a fist, her body still trembling.

Lo and behold Charles immediately regretted his decision. Every word that had came out of his mouth this morning had been the wrong one. He listened sympathetically as he fought a burning desire to stand up and embrace the teary eyed teen who reminded him ever so much of his own sister. If he was gone, and she was crying, he would want someone, anyone to come to her side and comfort her. The debate raging in his head almost caused him to miss what Judith had said.
Suddenly everything clicked. The ambush. Mio. He remembered that day vividly. It was so hard to believe it at first. He had always told himself that she was too strong to be killed, too strong to die. He remembered always pushing himself to catch up to her. He should have known better. Anyone can die, that was an irrevocable rule of this world that has rung true all throughout history.

The years he spent with Mio rushed over him; the laughs, the fights, the stories told, and the promises made….the promises made. With that thought Charles leapt from his seat and wrapped his arms around Judith. He pressed her head tight against his chest as he whispered in a hoarse voice. "I. am so sorry. For all these years. I should have been there."

The walk was done in silence; Celeste dared not to speak, in fear of losing conversation topics again. She had already embarrassed herself enough with the stammering act. Besides, they had a mission that needed to be completed and she had to focus, not make small talk. The school was not too far either. The young witch just needed to pay attention to the ground, avoiding bumps in the pavement that may cause her to trip.

As the school began to loom ahead, Celeste realized that it would be faster to split the task in two parts. It was obvious, as Isaac's powers may be more useful for finding new members and Celeste's would aid her in combat. But did she need to mention it? "Right, before we go in, you should know that you should focus on finding people to recruit. Your power seems more useful that way. We'll keep each other updated in between classes when new information comes up." She turned her head to him and then back to the building after her statement. She climbed up the few steps leading to the entrance and grabbed the handle, gesturing for Isaac to go on ahead.

It wasn't a very colorful or impressive building, Celeste noted, but it was obviously a high school, as the blue lockers stared at them, flyers and posters displayed on the walls with big, bold lettering. "JOIN DRAMA CLUB" or "VANESSA FOR CLASS SECRETARY" were just a few of the words that Celeste could make out from the papers before she veered right, entering the office and adjusting the beanie on her head so that it hovered just above her eyebrows on her forehead.

"Late for the first day? Get lost on the way here?" The woman behind a clean, pristine white desk asked. Judging by the plate that said "Secretary" on her desk, she was the one they needed to see before heading to classes.

"You could say something like that. Sorry about being late... You have our schedules, right? We should hurry to class." This wasn't a hard conversation, but Celeste couldn't help but sweat a little. She was nervous, thinking about the people her age that she'd never met, people who would surely question why she was here. How could she react to them? Tell them she was homeschooled for a long time but then decided to go to school? That her parents were dead, so she worked for an organization that fought to protect their lives from evil creatures? That she was incapable of really interacting with people because she had only been with her older brother for most her life, so talking to others is too unpredictable and not a part of her skill set?

The secretary nodded and handed them both a separate sheet of paper. "On the back, there is a map of the school with the rooms labelled. You guys missed homeroom, but you can still make it to your first class."

She thanked the woman and meandered into the hallway, waving goodbye to her partner as they had different classes. It wasn't hard to find her first class, but she was very reluctant to actually enter. Celeste couldn't help but fiddle with the backpack strap that she was supplied with, afraid of making a bad impression. She reminded herself, over and over, that this was a mission that was only a day long. It would all be over when she found the ghost. Right... This isn't really school. It's a mission. I don't have to worry about being a little off to these people. She felt detached all of a sudden; all focus was on the fact that she had work to do. So she opened the class door and moved to the teacher, handing a pass to him before sliding to a nearby seat.

Echoes could be heard all around Crow, but in the pitch blackness he could see nothing. His sense of sound conveyed the pitter patter of his foe's legs on the concrete. His mind zoned out and he focused on the noise, zeroing in on it's location. The in a split second his prey lunged, but crow heard it first s the monster's body tensed in preparation. Spinning around, Crow delivered a powerful strike into the center of the beast's face. The fuzzy being fell at his feat, paralyzed by his strike and he let out a sigh of relief when he realized that there no more. If the creature had any allies, they had all scattered.

Seizing a leg of the foe, Crow walked back outside to find that he had been fighting a massive spider. It's fang were both at least six inches long and dripping with poison. He was lucky not to have pierced his hand on one. Looking over the body of the paralyzed spider, he decided it would make a worth specimen, and hefted the creature onto his back. It was getting late, and he had to return to the manor.

---

Theresa spoke the very words he dreaded to hear. He had only just opened up his prize for dissection when the meeting was called. He would now have to work incredibly fast to find a serum. "But ma'am I haven't had enough to study the thing. I had hard enough of a time taking only one down by myself. A pack of these things would tear me apart." He said with as much austerity as he could muster. In truth Crow was worried less about dying and more about losing his chance at his prize decaying before he could return.

Kuruk looked down at the woman's hand, eyeing it suspiciously. The woman smelled uneasy, but her stance told him she meant no threat, and she did not seem to openly despise him. No, her uneasiness was caused by the gruff, silent native american staring down at her from a foot higher than herself. He sighed, his frown easing a little, and a look of tired sadness easing into his eyes. He took her small hand into his large, calloused mitt, gently and quickly shaking it. He took off his hat gently, and motioned to the door, rumbling from deep in his throat, "Let's leave. This many white people make me nervous," before he caught himself, adding hastily, "no offense."

He lead her out of the manor, onto the large lawn, the dark brick building shielding the early morning sun behind them and casting a great deal of shade across the green grass. He slipped his hat back onto his head, motioning Aya to follow him as he made his way around to the back of the house, then across the grassy expanse to a large tree. This tree was a weeping willow, and large at that, standing since the civil war, or earlier. It's branches and leaves drooped sorrowfully down, a dense canopy of beautiful greens, and it was under this tree that Kuruk made his home. He pushed the flap of his tent shut with a booted foot as he sat down on one of the blankets around his cold fire from last night, his horse grazing a few feet away. Motioning to one of the folded rugs or large logs he had yet to split, he rumbled, "have a seat. Let's talk a bit before we go off gargoyle hunting."

He quickly lit a small fire, and hung the coffee he had made this morning over it, heating it up and pouring himself a mug. He offered some to Aya as well, saying, "I think our best bet would be to go in daylight, and push them all off the roof to the ground below. I know we can't exactly tell between them and actual statues, but I believe we could get away with simply pushing them all off, if we were quick enough. Besides, it would stand to reason that the non gargoyles would be connected to the building, no?"

Judith had just remained as she was, her mind flooding with the memories of her sister she so fondly remembered, but she couldn't help herself now, despite vowing to both herself and her sisters memory that she'd be strong no matter what, she had a influx of emotions hitting her all at once. She soon started to let out more sobs as the memories refused to leave her, both of her hands relaxing as she did, biting down on her lip as she lowered her head. she hated herself for doing this, breaking down, but she couldn't help it, the death of her sister plagued her mind and refused to go away, and she knew it was her on fault. Her sister was only caught because of Judith being an idiot, but she wouldn't admit that to anyone.

Judith was suddenly rattled from her thoughts as she felt the arms being wrapped around her, a small gasp escaping her, but she just stood there for a few moments, letting her sobs slowly fade away before she calmed herself and managed to stop her body from trembling, and then shook her head, placing her hands on the man and pushing herself away slightly. "Do what you must.... It was all my fault anyway..." She muttered out a few more things, before closing her eyes and using her hands to wipe away the remaining tears that had escaped, slowly returning to her 'normal' self. "I-is that all?" Judith had seemingly become almost non-caring about the current situation, wanting to forget that she'd broken down in such a place, even it was a tame one.

_______

Aya kept her personality, despite feeling somewhat intimidated by the Native american before her, and shrugged her shoulders after he had finally shaken her hand, and before she spoke, she watched him remove his hat and motion towards the exit, she simply nodded in response, feigning hurt at the comment about so many white people, but soon laughed a little. "Don't worry, It's going to take more than that to offend me. Lead the way." She simply followed the man out, observing as she went, hoping that her personality wouldn't get on the nerves of her new partner, and her accent of course.

As she was lead out onto the Lawn that was attached to the Manor, she just silently followed, taking in the path that she was being led on, and taking note of 'landmarks' so she'd remember. Knowing that it would possibly end somewhat badly if she were to forget, or simply not care, but that wasn't in her as a person. She'd sigh a little, smiling as she walked. Nodding and setting herself down on a log. "Thanks and, yeah... Talking would be a good way to get around any.. Misunderstandings." She laughed a little, brushing her hair back a little. Aya just observed as the fire was lit, watching closely and then crossed her legs and listened, before comment. "Well. If we go in the daytime, we'll be in trouble, because that place is pretty crowded during the day, I've been there a few times... night might be a good bet, and if we go at night. I can set up a little distance away and keep an eye out for any that try to get away... And, I don't feel comfortable going to such a place without my Sniper Rifle. The last time I almost got stabbed.... That was not a fun time.." She chuckled.

All of this was so very tiring for Teresa. She yearned deeply to go back to the golden days when she was young and strong, children had some sense and respect, and men knew the line between being caution and being a pansy. These internal conflicts mixed with the growing stress of the current situation added to the bite to her words. "Then you'll just have to work faster." She rubbed her temples in frustration. She knew her remark was not particularly helpful, but sick of listening to excuses. It seemed to be the only thing this lot was good for these days, no matter how they tried to conceal it. "Spiders are primarily nocturnal. If you and your partner can't manage to come up with something to handle the situation by then at least find their nesting ground and I'll send a team who can as soon as one is available."

At that point she scowled and turned her back to him. There was no point in chastising him any further, and she had no interest in whatever he might say. What she was interested in was whatever those two brats saw that they deemed important enough to interrupt her. For their sake it had better been something good. "You may speak now whelp."

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That was enough. It had been more than enough. It had been too much, far far too much. This had meant to be a nice little outing to get her to open up and relax a little Charles had no idea it was even possible to fail that spectacularly.

"Yeah that will be all," he responded awkwardly. He felt bad leaving so soon after her breakdown, but he wanted nothing more than to get away before he could make things any worse. He pulled a twenty out of his wallet and left it on the table to cover their bill and a generous tip. "Meet me at the main gate at nine." He said scrawling his number out on a napkin. "Call me if you need anything. And uh, I hope you like dogs." With that he stuffed the paper into her hand and split. After rounding the corner he paused for a moment, pulled out a handkerchief, and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Well that was a disaster."

Kuruk's hand tightened a little on the handle of his mug, his tired eyes frowning slightly as she disagreed with him. Night time was better...? He silently wondered if Aya had ever hunted gargoyles before, whether she knew the taste of their blood, the bite of their claws, and the death they brought upon tattered, black wings. He had hunted them a few times, though they were rarer to the north, as they tended to avoid the tall trees of his last post, and stick to the few large cities in canada. Of the times he had encountered them, a whole squad had been sent, normally at night time, and even then, not all returned. Gargoyles tended to swarm, and blended into the darkness. Kuruk relaxed slowly, his initial tensing subsiding as his brain began to slowly work into motion. They first needed to see this building, and assess the correct course. He drained his mug quickly, standing back up and pulling his poncho up over his head, leaving him in a dark blue cotton shirt and his pants. He set his hat atop his head, and picked up his gun belt, offering his hand to Aya. He then went to his saddle, pulling it up and setting it on his shoulder.

"I think before we decide anything, we need to see the field," he talked as he approached his horse, patting it's great flank as he set the saddle blanket on it's back, and the saddle on top of it. He began to work the straps as he talked, "I don't know if you've ever hunted gargoyles, but they attack in swarms, and normally blend in with the night. This means that the roof may or may not be feasible for a night-time melee. I think if I'm going to fight them at night, I'll need spotlights set about so I can see. And you would want something to spot them in the air, say thermal or night vision."

He moved to the front of his horse now, setting the bit into the horse's mouth, and slinging the reins around it's neck. He quietly pulled his shotgun from it's saddle holster, and set it inside his tent, under his blankets. He Also pulled his two revolvers from his belt, setting them next to his shotgun, leaving only his tomahawk and knife on his belt. He looked to Aya, his eyes motioning to his horse, before asking, "would you like to ride with me? Or do you want your own horse? I brought a few with me from my last posting."

Hannah Johnson sat at the back of the class on the far side of the room. She had been one of the first students inside, having walked straight from homeroom without stopping to socialize. Once inside she took out her class materials and sat quietly with her tilted down to avoid conversation.

She nearly missed the new girl enter. She was glad, or rather relieved to see an unfamiliar face. New students had a way of garnering attention whether they wanted to or not. If people weren’t talking to her they would at least be talking about her, especially with her hair and that tattoo. Her arrival was the perfect distraction for Hannah to fade back into obscurity.

Hannah had always hated being the center of attention, and until recently that had never been a problem for her. The only thing remotely remarkable about her was how utterly unremarkable she was. She was of average height with an average figure. Her hair and eyes were a plain boring brown. Her skin was not flawless nor hideous enough to merit special mention. She did well in class but was far enough from the top to escape notice, and while she had joined a few teams and clubs after being pressured by her parents she never really excelled in anything. Even her name was common, so she had successfully completed the first two years of her high school career without really attracting any unwanted attention.

That all changed when Rachel hung herself. Hannah was not particularly close to the suicide victim, but the little time they had spent in conversation was apparently enough for her to be identified as Rachel’s closest friend. When word got out of that she found herself constantly bombarded with questions of her death and the events that lead up to it. Questions she just didn’t have the answers too. She had wanted to stay home until the whole incident blew over but her parents wouldn’t stand for it. Adults never understood anything.

Maybe all the stress caused by these recent events had triggered the manifestation of her freaky powers, or maybe it was just puberty. Regardless of their cause, these changes madevher feel more frightened and alone than ever. Her new found abilities had given her a way to escape it all, but it was only a temporary solace that could only buy her a few moments of alone time at best. With that thought she noticed the room had suddenly fell completely silent and she panicked. Had she done it again, just when she finally thought she had control over it. A moment the teacher continued as normal from where he left off. Hannah missed the calling of the new students name as she was lost in thought. “-Hats are not permitted in class.” Perhaps it was just a coincidence. Not that it mattered. No one but her was ever aware when her powers activated. They all seemed to go into a collective coma of sorts, completely unaware of everything including the passage of time. Or at least no one she knew seemed unaffected...

Judith, having regained her composure was silent for the remainder of the time that they spent at the little Cafe, nodding a little in response to Charles and finishing the drink she'd ordered before taking the Napkin and beginning to walk away. She knew where she was going, she was going to go train until the meeting time, even if she was going to be a little distracted now that she'd had the memories brought back to her mind, and they refused to leave her alone. She let out a sigh, as she began the walk back to the training area of the Manor, making sure to grab her Twinblade on the way, Despite her somewhat sickly look, Judith had been known for her Twinblade use, where most of her former partners usually said it looked more like a dance. When she reached the training area, she began her usual training routine, every strike seeming to flow into another and as long as she had room to move, she'd continue this pattern. "I would break, I would Suffer... I would Burn, but I will not die until I find out what really happened..." She muttered out as it came to the end of her training routine, and her time limit. After, she would make her way to the Main Gate, remaining there until it was time to leave, ignoring the looks from anyone that gave her them.

_________

Aya somewhat sense that Kuruk would be thinking she was a mad woman for wanting to fight the Gargoyles at Night, but despite her soldier upbringing, she always hated collateral damage, and she didn't want to get spotted 'vandalizing' the church, it could end up biting everyone in the backside. She knew what the Gargoyles usually did, but she was still convinced that night time would be better, it would also allow her time to set-up positions in which she could move to and from to get better shots. She sighed a little as she realized that Kuruk had offered his hand, she took it and pulled herself up. "Yes, seeing the field would be better, but I'm still pretty sure night would be better.... It's most likely just me being too safe in terms of the people around, but I really don't want others seeing 'vandals' doing such a thing to a church..." She listened and then laughed a little, smiling like she always did. "Well, I have hunted them before, but when I did, I had someone who specialized in CQC and managed to fight them... Strange girl she was.... Always told us to hunt by night, no matter what we were hunting.... But enough about that, The spot-lights I can deal with, and I can set up my Rifle to what's needed... It's what great about it being my rifle. No need to ask about adding custom parts." She chuckled again and then just watched Kuruk seemingly get ready, and then shook her head at the offer to ride a horse. "Don't worry about me. I've got my own method of getting about." She walked over and pointed to a Motorcycle parked. "That's my way of getting there..." She smiled. "I'll go wait for you there." She laughed a little again before making her way out and over to her Motorcycle, tucking her Rifle into a special bag for it attached to the motorcycle as she then sat on it, waiting for Kuruk.

"You`re going to be late. You should have just taken the car. I could've drove it back, or you could`ve parked it or..."

"No, you need it and you need to be there. I`ll stop by after school."

"Why are you even going? You don`t have to."

"Yes, I do. I`ll go mad if I stay there I just need to keep moving and keep myself from freaking out." There was a short pause on the other end of the line.

"Love you!"

"Love you to Sis Sis." Danners felt like a four year old for saying sis sis but he also felt like it needed to be said. He slid the phone back into pocket and pushed open the door to the school getting a slightly confused and pitted look from the sectary. Anyway with just a minor aquntince of the linebacker could tell something was up. Bags under eyes that were red from exhaustion, messy untouched unwashed blond hair,bandages on his hands from where they repeatedly the hard surface of a wall, and a small stain on his treasured and always cleaned varsity jacket which smelled of hospital jello. Danners rubbed his hand along his face struggling just to keep one foot in front of the other.

  Seeing her like that, the strongest person he had ever meant reduced to that just because of some disease. It was just.. terrifying. His life would fall apart without her, he was 18 and technilly a adult but he was just a dumb kid, how was he supposed to...........................he sighed. It was Alex that worried him the most, where would she go, would he ever see her again? Sure shed call but............it wasn`t the same. His world was falling apart, and if one more thing was added to his plate he would snap. School was  structured it was mundane, and orderly. It would allow him to think of other things. Or more likely not think at all. He shoved pass a random kid in the hall. Normally he would have aploged to the kid and a quip about this not being a prep school. Today he just bumped Issac not even nocting.

She could do an introduction. Yes, no sweat, her name was one of the first things she learned to say without getting all tense. "My name is Celeste. Nice to meet you all," she said with a quiet smile, taking note of the bored faces on all of the students. It seemed that school wasn't as exciting for others as it may have been for her. Though some people in the unfamiliar crowd seemed slightly interested in her bright hair and obvious dark ink that sprawled across her arm. But she brushed it off, steadily heading toward her seat towards the back of the room.

As she turned to sit, an odd sensation settled on her chest like a weight. Celeste couldn't quite explain it; it was a regular sensation that was an indicator to magic for her. Her eyes darted around the room and she noticed how everything seemed to lag a bit, as though a pause being taken by time to take a breath before continuing on. And no one else noticed it except her. Who could that be, hmm...? She thought, lowering herself into her chair. The magic wasn't hard to trace in such a small room; it wasn't well concealed and it seemed to roll off a certain girl who was sitting a row away, her normal features and bored look blending her in with the rest of the students. But for Celeste, with her trained eye, she was apart from the background. There was a magical aura around her, one that made her extremely noticeable upon inspection. With a smirk, the woman leaned back in her chair and listened to the lesson, her notebook sitting diligently out before her.

But of course, the teacher decided to make her nervous by asking about her hat. "S-See, I cannot take off my hat... I-I-It's a medical reason... r-really. It's not too much of... a distraction, i-i-is it...?"

Kuruk harrumphed forcefully, rechecking the straps that held his saddle upright once more, before grasping the horn and swinging himself onto his horse. Unwrapping the reins gently, he swung his horse around, keeping a steady hand on the horn, before clicking his tongue twice, sending the horse forward. He angled himself out around the house, before coming to rest next to Aya as she waited on her motorcycle. He patted his mount a few times, calming it while it sat next to the roaring machine, turning in his saddle to calmly address his partner. "I think I'll meet you there," he said, looking out at the streets of the city, filled with cars, "I know the best streets to ride. I should be there before you."

With that, he planted his heels in his horses flank, and broke into a bright trot, switching into a relaxed gallop as he broke into the streets.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Isaac flailed slightly, feeling a bit naked and underdressed, as the very bulky high school boy bumped into him. He had slipped away for a second to change into a t-shirt, jeans, and bright white tennis shoes, and felt very out of place, dressed as commonly as he was for a high school student. His mind snapped itself in as the boys hand touched his bare arm, a crushing sense of uneasiness sweeping over him, as well as a slight loneliness. Two words accompanied these feelings, a deep, pubescent growl, "Sis sis."

Isaac assumed these words came from the boy in front of him, and as he paused to better study his subject, he became aware that this individual was magically gifted. It was an innate ability, and as Isaac bowed slightly, apologizing, he slipped back out of view, before making a mental note to follow this boy. He would tail him, follow him to his classes, try and learn more of him, and catch him at lunch, hopefully explaining in a not crazy way that would get someone hurt. Perhaps he would be cooperative.

Jessie, blew a strand of her long and unhealthy hair out of her face as she agnsit in the wall towards the back. Jessie couldn`t help but zone out here and there as there fearless leader spoke. Jessie did feel that these others were oblivious to her achievement. Jessie didn`t so much respect her as much, as he simply relsaeid that even a good witch can`t live as long as a great witch, which was respect within itself. Not that she`d every say it she didn`t say anything really.

  As the eldest witch weaved her way though the crowd Jessie slipped though the mass of witches that were still loitering about. She slipped up behind her current partner and sifted the weight of her bag. "Spiders." She said the word with a air of thoughtfulness, making little comment to her partner. I can light up there cave`s at the very least, flush them with a few flashes of bright light." Jessie`s mind worked as she twirled a finger around her hair.

..........................................................................................................................................................

    Danners mind didn`t even restiger the boy`s word as he sillenty wandred down the hall. Homeroom had been missed and first peroid had allready began. Danners figured it`d be wraping up soon enough and he`d rather not deal with the extra atoin being late would bring. He walked down the hall and slipped into the curently empty gym. There was a cart of balls sitting by the wall towards the end of the room. Someone would probabbly hear and berate him but, he really didn`t care. He dribbled the basket ball up and down, up and down. He sighed a bit as he countied the calming motoin up and down. He moved over to the bleachers and dribbled with one hand, as he held his face in the other takeing comfot in the cold hand agnist his warm face.

Aleksandr had stayed relatively quiet during the initial meeting, taking the occasional drink from a hip flask. He'd always disliked the more officialized aspects of working in the coven, preferring to be either in his workshop forging weapons, or out in the field fighting dark creatures. Remembering his first encounter with one of the monsters the coven hunted, he shuddered faintly, and took a decent-sized swig from the flask, trying to repress the memories. The vodka in the flask did its work, pushing the memories aside in favor of a numbing feeling of slight anger. Hearing his and his partner's assignment, he nodded to the sect leader, then stood once the meeting ended, needing to gather his gear for the coming mission...

Aleksandr's workshop would appear as a disorganized mess for anyone not Aleksandr himself. Metal scraps, such as bullet casings or arrowheads, lay on nearly every visible surface, along with vodka bottles and tools of all kinds. A reloading bench, and smithy sat in one side of the room, and on the opposite sat a single bed, dresser, and a small bookshelf with a lamp. Aleksandr walked in, looking around and letting out a small sigh of contentment. He stepped over to the side of his room with the bed, and gathered his weapons, shouldering the rifle, holstering the pistol, and sheaving the various knives he owned. He stepped over to where he kept his ammo, and looked at his selection of types. "The leader said hunting werewolves, so best bring many silver bullets..." he mumbled to himself, grabbing a few pouches filled with silver-tipped rounds for his rifle, and clips for his pistol. He stopped by his bookshelf to refill his flask with one of the vodka bottles there, then headed out of his room to meet with his partner.

Eventually, Aleksandr would come across his parter, Cameron Periwinkle, and greet him with a slight smile. "Cameron, is good to see you. You remember mission orders, go hunting werewolf tribe that kill many innocents, da?" he said, his voice echoing slightly through the hall.