The east side of the city is the very heart of Sacrosanct - it's unique skyline is a clash between modern sky rises and small Victorian-inspired storefronts. In the heart of downtown, the sleek colored glass buildings reign supreme though their old-world roots can be seen in the most peculiar places from the lamp post styled electric street light to the stone sidewalks. The old world architecture slowly returns the further from downtown you travel, however. It's here that magic thrives, it hums in every stone and can be felt in every breath. Often, newcomers to the city may become overwhelmed by such sensations but, eventually, it becomes an ever-present feeling that's hardly noticed.
City Creek Center
Dark Hunter Department
Inner Sanctum
Red on the Water
Starlight Tower
The City Creek Center is an upscale open-air shopping center centered in the heart of downtown Sacrosanct. With its numerous fountains, foliage-lined walkways, and bubbling streams, City Creek Center offers three blocks of chic boutiques, delicious dining, and the newest showrooms.
The City of Sacrosanct's Dark Hunter Department's primary concern is the safety of all of Sacrosanct's residences. Their public safety responsibilities include code enforcement and supernatural crime prevention. The Sacrosanct Dark Hunter's Department follows the directions of the International Dark Hunter Council and serves as a local point of contact for any Dark Hunters working within the Council's ranks.
The Inner Sanctum is an independently's owned specialty coffee company and cafe with a singular focus: quality. A hidden gem on the side streets of the busy downtown, the Inner Sanctum source's the world's finest beans and local treats. From it's delectable pastries to the exquisite latte art, the Inner Sanctum is dedicated to both its craft and the customer's experience. With beans roasted in house and every cup prepared by the best baristas, you will never be disappointed at the Inner Sanctum.
Owner Alexander Macedonia
Barista Alexis Wilde
Nestled in a pleasant alcove that is but a stone's throw away from the dazzling labyrinth of downtown, Red on the Water is a spectacle in its own right. Renovated in the style of a classic Irish pub with a dash of modern flair befitting the city that boasts it, this up-and-coming venue is the perfect place to snag an impeccably prepared home-cooked meal and enjoy the city's most impressive collection of brews from Ireland and beyond. You and your guests are sure to be mesmerized and invigorated by the energetic offerings of the live Celtic band to be found here every weekend.
Home of: Elysium
Owner Isolt Marcello
Co-Owner Damon Marcello
Waitress Yumi Chizue
With one hundred floors and a 125-foot spire, the Starlight Tower rises high above the Sacrosanct skyline. More than just a landmark, the Starlight Tower offers a unique mix of restaurants, shops, and offices spaced throughout the building. Organized into nine verticle zones, each of which features a sky lobby and a light-filled garden atrium which merge the upscale interior with a faux landscaped exterior setting.
I hold the wreath in one hand, admiring it for a moment before I scoff in indignation at her words. "But that's where you're wrong. I am actually quite the celebratory man when the occasion's right." I hold my chin up stubbornly before giving her a lazy grin and then I turn to go put the wreath up....somewhere. When I come back, she's already going through the rest of the bags, dutifully decorating my home and making it almost recognizable. I'm not seeing it as a bad thing though. I watch her efforts and admire from a far while grabbing some ribbons and things of my own jsut so it looks like I'm contributing. I would never admit out loud that I actually get some satifaction from putting things on the wall. It's like a mask for my house so that for a little while, it doesn't have to be what it truly is. Instead of just a house, it is turning into a holiday shelter, a place for warmth and laughter and everything else that goes with it. I feel like a different man around Isolt so it's only fitting that she would change my house as well. When she calls my name, I look up dutifully from stoking the fire in the fireplace, having wanted the place to have the true feeling of warmth by burning a fire while we work. I smirk knowingly when I see her messing with the garland on the wall, noting it's already looking quite festive where it is and she seems to just be pulling at it for her own need of distraction. Something's up. I tilt my head curiously, waiting for the rest to come. And then it does. I turn my head away for a moment, staring into the flames as if they hold all the answers. That night is burned in my brain for all eternity and I can never take it back. When she offers the final question, I can see that this one means the most to her. I can feel her eyes burning into the back of my head like hot irons, probably wanting some kind of comfort that she's not prying where she shouldn't. I want to tell her everything but at the same time, I want her to have that look of pity I get so much from my brother when he's around. He still wears the guilt for the events that happened that night and I never let him forget it. I never asked for his pity though and I don't want it from Isolt now. I finally turn back to her, my eyes seeking hers in this moment. "I fell in love with a girl in 1864 who turned out to be a vampire. Her name was Catherine Pierce. I did anything for her, wanting nothing more than for her to love me back as equally as I did her. But my brother Stefan was also in love with her and she with him, behind my back. She used both of us but her secret was safe from him. The night he found out, he went to our father against my wishes and our father started hunting down the vampires that night. He took Catherine and I went after her. Stefan came out of guilt and when our father saw us trying to open the box he had thrown her in, he shot us. We both died that night but I had been drinking Catherine's blood willingly for months. Just in case, she had said, like she actually wanted me for eternity. I didn't know that she'd been spiking Stefan's drinks with her blood too. When I woke up, Stefan was there and he didn't understand what was happening but he ended up feeding and then telling me to feed. At first, I didn't want to. As far as I was concerned, death was more pleasant than a lifetime without Catherine in it. Stefan ended up forcing me and that finalized the turn. We split ways shortly after. Did she want me? Not the same way I wanted her. I was a pawn to her, nothing more than her slave, willing to do whatever she would have asked of me. Stefan was the one she wanted." Figuring I got all the key stuff in there, I look back into the fire, bowing my head a little as I wait to see how she will react. I don't want to look into her eyes and see that pity I despise. It would obliterate me. She asked for the truth and I gave it to her, as I would no other. No one else has the knowledge of my birth, no one but my brother. I keep stuff like that under lock and key. I didn't tell her because I want something from her. I told her to give her the bittersweet truth, that my turning was no less traumatic for me. I'm not downplaying how bad hers must have been for the fear she still carries around her is evidence enough. I just want her to know that it wasn't cakes and roses with me either. I came out of it strong and so will she. Maybe that's what I want her to gain from this. I won't stoop so far as to ask for her story, knowing how fresh and raw it digs at her. She'll either tell me when she feels ready or she won't and that's okay too. I'm not interested in her past, only the present and future. I only care that she heals from her wounds, not that she recreates them for my benefit. |