Cfhiraeth - Hiraeth

—  ELEXIR APOTHECARY / OPEN

"I'll be right there," Amara said from the back. The bell hung above the door had rang more than usual today, or so it felt to the witch. The air in town felt different, she could feel it, almost taste it. Not that one needed to be a witch to see it, everyone waking up to the gruesome news. And of course, Amara knew it was just an animal attack, all witches knew. It was hard to think one of the wolves in town was behind this but one could never be too careful. "That crystal is almost priceless." The words were said with a smile as she walked into the shop. The crystal was one of the most priceless they had, more to help the shop's energy then to be sold. "Such a tragedy," she said with empathy. It was almost all anyone talked about, and with reasons, it wasn't the kind of things that happened in town.

"Your guess is at good as mine," she said quietly. There was no guesses, really, and Charlotte was certain Lis would understand what she meant, that it was the kind they knew too well. "It didn't happen here or last night." It happened during a full moon, which was about a week ago. To everyone else, it was fresh, happened last night, but they knew better. And whoever had done it did too, which had her on edge. "There's no details yet, but it looks like something from out of town." Charlotte hadn't asked Lis if she had done anything because she knew she wouldn't. Maybe it would be easier if it was someone from her pack, that way it could be handled quickly. "I hope Samuel has been able to avoid getting near." Not that he wouldn't know, or at least hear a little about it. Or maybe Lis was better at keeping the bad things at bay than her family always had been. / @ofmoonliights

Elisabeth had been on edge since the news broke, sending Samuel to stay with her parents for a few days so that she could help the pack with whatever was needed. They were retired, somewhat, living their lives a couple of towns over and there was no one she trusted more than her father to keep her son safe. That was what mattered. She'd been on edge all day, working from her office in the studio with the door firmly shut, not welcoming lingering conversations but at the same time, not doing anything productive beyond thinking who could've been behind this. Not the Crescent wolves, the Lunara? A lone wolf? Once the studio was quiet enough for her to bail, she was gone, to Brennans and sat at the bar talking to Charlotte. Needing some reassurance. "Any ideas on the kind of animal?" she asked quietly, fingers gripping the beer she had been nursing for a minute now, and knowing that Charlotte would understand her true meaning. Not a what...a who.

You (2018), dir. Victoria Mahoney Season 1 Episode: The Captain 

[ PHOEBE TONKIN, 34, CIS WOMAN, SHE/HER ] CHARLOTTE BRENNAN just walked down main street. They are a OWNER OF BRENNAN who has been in Silverkeep for ALL THEIR LIVES. They are part of the CRESCENT pack and act as ALPHA. People know them as LOYAL & CUNNING but also as CLOSED-OFF & IMPULSIVE. They are described as BURNING EYES, BOURBON ON HER BREATH AND LEATHER JACKET.

TW MURDER, DEATH

For generations, the Brennan have led the Crescent pack, it was never a secret in the Brennan's household, what they were, or who their father was. The town was small and rather quiet and the Brennan's household often felt too small to Charlotte, with her three siblings and all those from the pack who constantly came around. Little Charlotte's escape was colors and papers, paint, crayons, and anything that could leave a mark on a canvas. With her nose in her sketchbook, everything around her faded.

Charlotte was 14 when their mother left and she chose to feel nothing but anger toward it. Charlotte and her twin were the eldest and their father was busy with the bar and the pack so it too often fell on them to make sure the two younger ones were fed, clean and their homework done. Charlotte often stayed up late, making sure her father ate when he closed the bar down for the night. Then she stayed late because she couldn't take the way the house felt anymore. She would go out and wreak havoc wherever she could, getting herself in trouble as much as possible. It followed her, trouble, attracting it.

Charlotte wanted out. Out of the town, out of her family. Graduation was supposed to be her golden ticket, gone the day after, not telling anyone. But things didn't work out that way, her curse being triggered one week before graduation. The TISH acceptance letter was thrown in the garbage, her acceptance was turned down in an email. No one knew and no one would.

They all knew that her father wasn't immortal, but the sickness came quicker than they could see it and before anyone knew, he was on his deathbed, begging for mercy. And Charlotte was the one giving it to him, that mercy he so much needed. She thought her twin would take his rightful place as Alpha and that maybe, she could leave then, at least for a little while. But once again, things didn't work like she thought they would and she was the one to be made Alpha.

Charlotte always loved the pack, that was not the problem. She just had dreams that did not work with it. And the second she became Alpha, the pack became everything. No one could ever doubt her motivations, not before and not now.

[ ADRIA ARJONA, 33, CIS WOMAN, SHE/HER ] BEATRIZ BURGOS just walked into the French Quarter. They are a HUNTER/BOOKSTORE CLERK who has been in New Orléans for 3 WEEKS. They are AWARE of the supernatural. People know them as INTELLIGENT & ADAPTABLE but also as ESCAPIST & DUPLICITOUS. They are described as SHARP EYES, AN ALWAYS WORKING MIND, FAINT AFTERTASTE OF COFFE.

DEATH & MURDER TW

From the moment she was born, Beatriz had only eyes for her father, something that made her mother laugh. She would take care of the infant all day long and the moments the baby heard the car stop in the driveway, the motherly care was long forgotten.

When her father started to travel for work, mother and daughter would get along well, spend time together, and forge memories that would last a lifetime, but all of that went out the door as soon as her father came back. It became a teasing point between the two parents and when Beatriz got older, something to tease her with too. Despite the favoritism, the Burgos were a tight-knit family.

Ten years ago, news of her father's passing hit Beatriz with the full force of grief. The fact that her mother became withdrawn and kept the details of her father's passing didn't help. Suddenly, Beatriz found herself fighting her mother, pushing against what was told.

Beatriz started to ask questions, too many of them, and it eventually got her in trouble, the kind she wasn't prepared for. Attacked by a vampire, and saved by a hunter, a world she never knew existed opened up in front of her. The hunter knew her father and was the one to tell her the truth; he was killed during a hunt. All the traveling she did for work was him going on hunts and Beatriz felt like her whole was a lie.

After that night, Beatriz started to train hard and became a hunter herself, with only one goal, finding her father's killer and avenging him. It lead her to New Orleans and she's not stopping at anything to get to the bottom of it.

Having Kayden by her side in all of this was almost soothing. It was anchoring, the other having been in her life for so long. Who would have thought that they would end up here, from trying to raise hell in town to protecting it. Not that they have had anything against it, never tried to hurt anyone, at least anyone other then themselves. And now here they were, all grown-up and responsible. The thought almost made Charlotte smile. It was ridiculous how much the simple act of him telling her they would figure it out was enough to renew her faith. The process of leading the pack had not been easy, still wasn't. But Kayden was there and that helped. Charlotte had to lead with confidence if she wanted the pack to respect her, to follow her. Confident was the last thing she felt and with Kayden, she could show the doubts she had in herself. "It's the only reason it was in the town's square. I didn't see any signs of struggles near. No blood around, no signs of attack, just the body." What was left of the body at least. A game of cat and mouse, as if they needed that. Charlotte nodded at Kayden's words, it was exactly what it was. Someone was taunting them. "We can't let that happen, not a second time. It shouldn't even have happened this once," she grunted. "We all need to be watching ourselves and find out who did this. Some people will blame us." /@kaydenbedard

The only positive thing to come from all of this was the act of prioritizing how this information was spread through the pack. At the end of the day, they all had to be united. Personally Kayden didn't think any of them were the culprits, not because they weren't capable of such violence - but they were better then that. The whole premise of who they were within was they didn't act on their urges. Just because they were animals in nature didn't mean they had to have that aspect take control of who they all were besides that one aspect of who they were. "We will figure it out." The man promised. There was no other option. This was their town and it wasn't going to be messed with. "I didn't want to draw unwanted attention. But you're right, whoever did this wanted to flaunt it." In making a scene at least. Kayden had this nagging feeling that whoever was behind this wanted to send a message of sorts but that message was still unclear. "Something tells me they're playing a cat and mouse game. I'll keep my eyes and ears open, someone's gotta know something. If they're so unhinged - it's only a matter of time before something like that happens again." The tone of his voice was laced with concern and dread.

Zoey had barely touched her meal and Charlotte couldn't blame her. She had barely eaten yet, surviving mostly on coffee. She would have to go to the town square later tonight, to see if anything could be tracked and she didn't want to do it at all. "Yeah, dad and the others worked hard for things like that to be keep far from here." They were both very younger the last time such a thing happened. "I hope not but honestly? It's not looking good for them." Maybe she should have reassured her sister, lie and tell her that everything would be fine. But that had never been her style. Charlotte never liked when people kept her in the dark and she made certain her siblings knew what was going on. Even when Zoey was a child, Charlotte did her best to explain things as they were. Maybe she had screwed up her sister for life by not protecting her from the truth, but if there was damage done to any of the Brennan, the Alpha blamed their mother for it. "Have you walked by the town's square?" Not that Charlotte wanted her sister to see such a gruesome thing. There was something strong in her, a need to protect her siblings. "The council had me go early this morning, before the news got out and I have to go back later. See if I can pick up a track or something."

zoey’s mind had been preoccupied since the discovery of the body. she had come to grab a bite, but she hadn’t touched her meal yet. one hand supported her head, elbow on the counter, while the other turned the glass of water next to her plate endlessly. in her mind, she kept going back to the town square.

her sister’s words brought her back to the family bar and the younger brennan hummed in agreement. “it’s been a while.” she shifted ever so slightly in her seat. “do you think the other two students will share the same fate?” she was mindful of the ears in the bar. her question seemed simple, in place, but it contained darker implications. she wondered: will they die if they hadn’t already been killed and will their bodies be displayed as well if they had?

Apparently it does. The words sank deep in Charlotte and she couldn't deny them. It had happened here, the other was right. Still, it angered her, somehow. Charlotte couldn't say if it was because of what happened or because it was being put in her face. She had to turn around not to try and stare him down, a second to control herself. She had been a brawler once, not thinking before rush head first, but she couldn't do that anymore, hadn't been that version of herself in a while. "Wonder if they'll arrest the animal who did that," she said with a tired smile. That was the official cover up, one they hadn't use in a long time. "Guess it happens more often in zip codes near a forest or something." Downplaying it was what she had to do, what was expected of her. "Can I get you anything?" / @tcurniquets

Those that were in the know knew. Now, this level of brutality was something that Cord didn't need — he wasn't really into the whole human aspect of things. They tended to just get in the way, if he was honest. Thought they were powerful. Then, you had people like the Crescent pack who patronized them by pretending to work with them. Most might've called it a noble cause, but Cord saw it for what it was. Fear, in both directions. He needed something to eat, he'd been awake since well before dawn. Unsure that he liked it here, he preferred places he could roam. But he was here, and that was that. "Apparently, it does," Cord drawled. "What's the old saying..." Cord tried to think of the leasing agent that showed him his property and her nervous chuckle of, "Crime doesn't have a zip code, or so I was told."