West

The western part of the city is often home to the poorer residents. Here there is a grunginess that permeates the town from the graffiti on the once cleaned brick buildings to the broken and unmaintained architecture. Crime runs high within the western half of town, making it the home of supernatural gangs of illicit activities. Such activities are rarely reported, however, and most residents are distrustful of individual's of authorities, and often let the powerful supernatural beings sort things out amongst themselves. Be careful wandering the Western streets after the sun falls.

What You'll Find Here

Black Market
Cull & Pistol
Noah's Ark
Syn

Where you invest your love, you invest your life;


Posted on January 06, 2017 by DAREIOS
West



It's not the long walk home that will change this heart, but the welcome I receive after the restart.



Now that the cash in the envelope was tucked neatly into an inside breast pocket, Dareios wasn't sure what to do next. The vampire rarely had any time to himself these days. He was always up at an early hour, working from his dark study and live streaming commission meetings. He'd have government officials over to his brownstone for breakfast and for lunch. In the afternoons, he'd disappear to the basement for a brief reprieve, where he'd catch up with Aaron and the rest of his antiques staff, before it was time to get ready for whatever evening events he was scheduled to appear at that night. The list, it seems, was growing with his tenure in office.

So he lingered, wandering down the uneven, puddle-ridden streets, listening to his own heels echo loudly against the damp walls of the alleyways. He took in the strong scents that defined the Westside industrial neighborhoods, the sea and the salt mixing with that of stale vessel oils, gasoline and the sour stench of sewage. The sound of the dark, murky waters chopping up against the algae-lined seawall was distant, but a constant reminder just how close he was to the harbor.

Despite the distracting smells and sounds around him, he could tell she was coming. Her scent, it was so familiar, yet so unidentifiable, at first. So much so that Dareios merely halted in his tracks, his hands tucked casually into his grey pinstripe trouser pockets, and waited to hear the sound of her voice. If he wasn't already dead, the hairs on the back of his neck might have stood when the tone of her voice broke through the silence. A wry grin spread quickly across his thin lips as he matched it to Sorcha, a friend he hadn't seen in some time. So fitting that they would run into one another here, of all places.

The vampire turned coolly on his heels to face her, the grin still very much plastered across his features. He leaned forward on his hips and teeter-tottered back on his heels for a second as his grin spread into a toothy smile. " Wow, Sorcha, look at you." He said kindly, then strode up to greet her under the lone street lamp on this particular corner. As he neared her he couldn't help but give her a modest up-down glare. She looked healthy. She looked strong, vibrant. Beautiful. No wonder her scent had changed -- it was stronger, more complex. He assumed her abilities must have grown since he'd seen her last, too. Dareios wasn't sure if they were close enough friends for him to hug her, so he kept his hands dug firmly in his pockets. But the vampire couldn't take his eyes away from her.

He wanted nothing but this pleasant surprise exchange to be anything but awkward. But the long lapse since they'd last seen each other was hovering over them like a dark cloud. Sorcha and Dareios had entered into a budding business arrangement. Unfortunately it was still in its infancy when Sorcha had seemingly left town. Dareios fretted over her whereabouts for some time. The last few times the two had been together, Sorcha seemed on edge. She had been attacked, that much he knew, but the circumstances behind it were still unclear to him. She seemed better now, and perhaps she had put whatever it was she was going through behind her. He would never fault her for the sudden departure, or the brash ending to their business arrangement. But it felt a little strange to just pick up where they left off.

When Sorcha made an insightful and witty comment about why he was here, He merely shrugged his shoulders. "As mayor, it's my duty to represent the entire city, not just the wealthy yuppies in my neighborhood." he said with a smile. He reached a hand out to touch her arm, and rubbed it gently near her elbow in a friendly way. He halfheartedly hoped she wouldn't be startled by his cold, undead touch. "It's good to see you. How are you?"


Dareios Auerbach | Vampire | Vinyl

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