aurelia-stjames

[aurelia-stjames]

Julian noted her delayed and unhelpful response, although he assumed he already knew the cause. He’d managed to unintentionally offend her by implying she wasn’t managing the supernatural population properly. Dylan had told him before he was incapable of talking to women, and here he was proving it. Julian cleared his throat and tried again “ I’m sure all you needed was more boots on the ground. We’ll get everything under control in no time. ” Then, maybe it would be back to D.C. for him. “ If you aren’t headed anywhere in particular, then… would you like to get lunch ? I haven’t had the chance to go grocery shopping yet, ” he explained, as though he would never ask her to eat a meal with him unless in dire circumstances.

Aurelia nodded, pursing her lips slightly as she took in his attempt at a polite response. Clearly Julian hadn’t changed much, but maybe, if she played this smart, that fact was one the hunter could use to her advantage to keep Layla and her other secrets safe. “I... um, sure. After all I’m sure we’ve got stuff to catch up on. And I can help get you further up to speed on the New York office.” The blonde suggested. It would require a lot of deep breathing and possibly some alcohol to get through this meal, but she could do it. Hopefully.

[aurelia-stjames]

“Well thank you.” Smiling happily, she rested her head on her hand. “I see. So not going well.” Calling Aurelia out on her words and the lack of sleep she’d been having. “You know I’m here to talk if you need? Really, you can call me whenever.” Informing her that it was always okay to lean on her. “It’s not something that’s just going to fade away.” She sighed. “You need to actually deal with what happened to help heal those wounds.” She continued to explain to the blonde. “Come on talk to me about this. Let me help you.”

Aurelia took a deep breath and nodded. “I do. I promise. It’s just...” She trailed off for a moment trying to find the right words to explain. But in that space, Charlie continued and the hunter was left without anything valid to respond with. After all, of the two of them, the blonde was hardly the expert on treating trauma sitting at this table and deep down the woman knew any explanation she tried to offer would just be lying to herself and by extension her raven haired friend. “Okay. Okay.” Aurelia conceded, offering a tiny smile in appreciation. “I don’t even really know where to start. I guess with almost getting murdered at the party by an under the influence vampire? Or should we back up further?”

[aurelia-stjames]

Imani laughed at the Spider-Man reference, she was rather proud of herself for knowing a pop culture reference. Thanks to Jay and their many movie nights she was introduced to the marvel and DC universes, it was a lot to follow, but very intriguing. Having a comic book illustrator as one of her best friends certainly has its perks. There was something about the way her face changed at the mention of superpowers, but Imani could not pinpoint what could cause that. “I’m pretty sure she will make a great superhero one day.” Imani grinned at the toddler. It’s every kid’s dream at some point to be a superhero with powers to save the world. “Parenting seems hard regardless of what age you’re dealing with,” it was an observation that she had made in general. “I’m just glad that you were nearby, the beach can get a little crazy sometimes.” Adjusting the camera strap on her shoulder, she figured that it was about time to call it a day and head out for a swim. “Well, it was nice meeting both of you. I should get going, the sea calls to me,” she grinned, then extended her hand towards Aurelia in greeting. “I’m Imani by the way.”

“I’m sure she appreciates the vote of confidence.” Aurelia chuckled, squeezing her daughter tight for a moment. “Unfortunately I think you’re right. I’ve got a lot of years left to go.” The blonde agreed with a smile which disappeared into a more neutral experience as Imani mentioned the potential chaos of the beach. Depending on what kind of supernatural the woman was, Aurelia would hazard a guess she might know that fact better than almost anyone else around. The hunter shook her hand with a nod of recognition. “Aurelia. Thanks again for catching this one!” With a wave, mother and daughter walked away.

[aurelia-stjames]

“ I didn’t know it would be me either until a few weeks ago, ” Julian admitted with some reluctance. He’d never dare question the decisions of their higher ups, but there was no particular positive to this job transfer other than being closer to Noa, Dylan, and his cousins. “ I did love it there, actually, but… duty calls. I’ve heard reports about an increasing number of strange supernatural-related incidents lately. Are you vastly under-manned or are the supernaturals just particularly terrible here ? I won’t mind the latter, I’m itching for a new tattoo, ” he told Aurelia, returning her slight smile. 

It was difficult to maintain composure as Julian conveyed his interest in getting his hands dirty quickly and deeply. Obviously Aurelia had her own set of biases and issues with certain experiences related to parts of the supernatural community both here and in DC but her mothering instincts overrode any of those thoughts and feelings. She tried her hardest to not smother Layla or be too protective, but the world her daughter was growing up in was fraught with danger and the idea that an old acquaintances posed a new threat had the blonde on edge. The fact that it would be years before they knew if Layla had inherited Leo’s witch blood was both a blessing and a curse at times. In this case, it felt more like the latter. Perhaps it was safer to avoid making Julian aware of her existence. “Mmm something like that.” Aurelia answered vaguely, glancing out the window in the hopes the ride was nearly over.

[aurelia-stjames]

Leo watched as she gave in to the way that she was feeling. He once had been able to read her like the back of his own hand. Things had long changed between the two of them but that didn’t mean Leo didn’t still care about Aurelia. He would still care about the hunter whether they had Layla or not. Leo watched, following after her as she went to the living room to the couch. He sat down next to her, though not too close, but close enough. “I understand that,” the party had shook the lot of them up. Leo still hated all that he heard about the party. The supernaturals didn’t deserve anymore pain. His hand quickly went to her knee, resting on it as she told him how she was feeling. “Hey, no,” he shook his head, speaking softly, “you can be counted on. What happened at the Potions Party was a freak thing. No one expected that and you can’t blame yourself. Someone took the opportunity to have all of us together and get the jump on all of us.” Leo might have come out with no physical injuries but he couldn’t stop thinking about how he had saw himself tearing apart the people he cared about most. “You can’t let yourself get down about that,” he didn’t want to see Aurelia down about herself. “No one is blaming you for wanting to take some time to heal. We all need it.” 

The feeling of his hand on her knee was a surprise, but not an unwelcome one to the hunter. Certainly things had changed between them greatly over the past several years but there was still something soothing Aurelia felt in his touch. That said, it was still difficult to take his words as complete truth, the doubt that had been growing inside her since the killings had begun now seemed to have a mind of its own that even Leo’s or anyone’s reassurance could assuage. The blonde offered a small smile to signal her appreciation even still. “We do, but I’m not sure we’ll get it.” The hunter sighed softly, glancing down at her hands for a moment. “If this is all connected-the murders, the party, et cetera-then whomever is behind this seems to be escalating. They weren’t satisfied with merely rumbling the structure of power in New York’s supernatural community, they want more. More blood, more terror, more power over everyone. I mean, who knows what they’re after. But if we don’t find out soon I think things stand to get worse.” As terrified as Aurelia felt, her tone was calm, even, and analytical as if she’d switched into work mode all of a sudden. Seeming to remember she was in her own home, the blonde shrugged, waving off her own words. “Just speculation of course, but still. This is a problem. And that means it needs to be handled. If for no other reason than to keep Layla safe.”

[aurelia-stjames]

Charlie could sense Aurelia coming up behind her and didn’t flinch at the blonde touching her. Looking up at her friend with a smile, she just shook her head. “You think this is what looking good looks like? This is fresh off a twenty-four on call shift.” Gesturing to her face with a laugh. “I mean you’re not wrong.” She wasn’t exactly the most normal person in existence. “It’s nice seeing you out since the party.” She admitted, she knew that most of the agents were still skittish after everything that happened. “Have you been sleeping or you joining Hudson in the limited sleep crowd?” 

“Well, clearly lack of sleep agrees with you then.” Aurelia countered as she placed her napkin on her lap with care. “I’ve been....trying.” The blonde finally settled on that description after attempting to find the right phrase. She wanted to sleep, but the complications that came with it still had her on edge and even when the nightmares didn’t come, her rest was fitful at best. If that was how she was coping with a child and a vampire protector, the hunter couldn’t full imagine how difficult a time Hudson must’ve been having, all by himself. “Just have to wait for it to fade, I guess. Time heals all wounds and such.”

[aurelia-stjames]

charliechen​:

LOCATION — THE DAILY DRIP

WHEN — APRIL 4TH AROUND 8AM 

OPEN STARTER @darkesthourstarters​

Nothing exhausted Charlie more than coming off of a twenty-four hour shift. While she did get to sleep some she was always on call, the fear of getting too deep of a sleep and missing a call always scared her; so for the most part she stayed awake even when it became practically torture. Sitting down at an empty table, she practically downed most of her coffee in the first drink. Wanting it to hit her system as quickly as possible to make her alert enough to finish her needed errands before heading home and passing out for a solid eight hours of pure blissful sleep. 

Hearing a voice from behind her and Charlie tilted her head to look at the person. “I’m sorry what?” Asking them to repeat what they’d just said. “My coffee hasn’t kicked in yet and I’ll be honest I’m too exhausted to function right now like a normal person.”

Aurelia had woken up early and stayed awake in the interest of avoiding having any more nightmares. When Charlie had texted asking if she wanted to grab an early morning coffee the blonde had jumped at the chance. Layla was fast asleep and Leo was still at the house so everything was taken care of on the home front. Seeing the brunette from across the room, the hunter headed over and tapped her friend on the shoulder. “Who gave you permission to look this good so early in the day?” Aurelia asked with a smile, chuckling at Charlie’s response. “Well that would imply you ever function like a normal person. Which, in my opinion seems like a bit of a stretch.” The blonde teased gently as she settled into the seat next to her companion’s. It felt nice to feel safe enough to crack a joke after things being so solemn since the party.

[aurelia-stjames]

Ah! This must be the mother, Imani mused as she watched the panicked blonde scoop the toddler up into her arms. “It’s completely alright, there’s no harm done.” Imani gestured to her camera that hung comfortably from the lanyard around her neck. “She’s the most adorable interruption, I’ve had all morning, so all is forgiven,” she shot the toddler a smile. “I was just wrapping up anyway,” she was planning to make a pitstop back at home before heading into the water for the rest of the day. Imani shifted her braids over her right shoulder, as she continued to engage the shaken mother and her kid. “It’s a good thing that you were nearby, how did she manage to slip away?”

Layla was silent but gave her mother a disgruntled look as if Aurelia had interrupted her in the middle of making a new friend. “God only knows.” The blonde sighed, looking back down the beach before returning her gaze to Imani. “I swear it wasn’t even a second and somehow she was gone. I’m not convinced some radioactive spider didn’t bite her a give her super speed.” The hunter tried to joke, face faltering as the humor hit a little too close to home. While it would be years from now, it was possible her little girl did have super powers. More in the vein of Sabrina the Teenage Witch than Spider-man, but still. “Regardless, it’s my fault. You would think by age three I would be better at this parenting thing.”

[aurelia-stjames]

Leo was surprised by Aurelia’s ask to have him stay with her for a few days. He was also impressed by how quickly that he said yes despite the visions that he couldn’t stop seeing at the Potions Party. He knew that it was all fake and just some bad dream but he couldn’t help but wonder if he was truly capable of hurting the people he cared most about. Leo cared about Aurelia and most importantly, their daughter. So when she reached out for him in her time of need, there was no part of him that could say no. Leo mostly watched TV while she slept during the night and Layla. He laid on the couch, forcing himself to sleep some but as a vampire, it truly wasn’t needed. However, Leo couldn’t be wandering around her place. Getting up to, Leo had went to the kitchen for one of his late night snacks. The vampire had been keeping some blood bags in the back of the fridge so Layla would not be able to reach them. As he walked toward the kitchen, he nearly ran into Aurelia. “Hey,” he stepped back, taking a look at her. His first question wanted to ask her why she wasn’t upstairs, but he didn’t. “Are you okay?”

The look of genuine concern splashed across Leo’s face gave rise to a mixture of feelings for the blonde: appreciative, frustrated with him for being so kind, tired, tempted to give into an urge to hug him or even further. Instead of trying to voice any of them Aurelia simply nodded. “Yeah. Yeah.” The hunter attempted to reassure, but holding onto that facade wasn’t lasting. Her shoulders drooped and she gave a small shrug. “I mean, I want to be. But no. I guess I’m not.” Aurelia sighed softly, shaking her head. They fell into silence for a moment as the hunter headed into the living room and sat down on the couch. “The party shook me up. More than I expected it to. I don’t...I don’t feel like myself. And that scares me. Because I need to be a mom, and do my job, and-there’s people counting on me, Leo. But I’m not sure I can be counted on right now. I let a vampire get the jump on me, let myself accidentally take a magical draught I didn’t intend to, and that was just in one night.” The blonde admitted, letting the words come out in waves she’d been holding back for several days. It was strange, given the fact they weren’t together, but Leo was someone she felt safe opening up to, to allow to see her at her worst.

[aurelia-stjames]

Moving to New York had caused more headaches than Julian had expected. There was an over-abundance of paperwork that rivaled the days he’d actually been assigned to do just that. Preoccupied still, Julian noticed a young woman caught in the rain, and notified the cab driver that he didn’t mind the delay in this weather. His thoughts were quickly brought back to the present, however, as he realized this was no random young woman. “ Ms. St. James ? ” he asked, habits of his hunter life immediately pressing into formalities. “ I moved here. No one informed me I’d be working with anyone that from previous locations. “ Is that… why you’re here ? Work ? ”

Aurelia was tempted to correct his formality and ask that he use her first name. The New York office was fairly relaxed when it came to addressing one another as colleagues and in many cases also friends. But, doing so with Julian seemed like a waste of time. He’d never been unable to relax his standards in any way when she’d known him. But, perhaps that wasn’t a bad thing. After all he wasn’t the one who was co-parenting with a witch turned vampire as a hunter. “Yes. Well, I mean work isn’t why I’m here here in this exact moment but it is why I’m in New York.” The hunter clarified with a small smile. “I heard we had someone new joining the team but I didn’t realize it was you. Surprised you left D.C. you always seemed to love it there.”

[aurelia-stjames]

@julianhawthorne​

It was pouring out when Aurelia came back outside from her lunch break to head back to the office. She’d walked over and was not prepared with an umbrella since there had been no rain in the forecast for the day. Quickly she began trying to hail a cab, with one finally stopping after several minutes. Wet and cold, the hunter rushed over and hopped in, only then noticing another passenger who had apparently been kind enough to let the cab driver pick up someone else. Turning to thank the stranger, she paused, blinking a few times to ensure her vision wasn’t playing tricks. “Julian Hawthorne? What are you doing in New York?”

[aurelia-stjames]

@leonardoxhastings​

The few days following the party had been difficult to say the least. Aurelia had made a request she hadn;t ever expected to make in asking Leo to stay at the house with her and Layla for a little while. The hunter didn’t feel safe, and though she knew she was totally capable of protecting her own daughter the idea of having someone else around who would do anything for that little girl in such a chaotic time helped the blonde to feel a bit better. So, her ex had been “sleeping” on the couch. Getting up and walking downstairs to the bathroom there so as not to wake Layla by flushing the toilet upstairs. Her daughter didn’t have to be awake for another two hours and somewhere around here might as well get sleep. Washing her hands, Aurelia caught sight of herself in the mirror and paused. She looked exactly the same, there wasn’t even a scar from when she’d been knifed by Max. And yet, she felt so far away at the moment from the woman the mirror was claiming to reflect. Feeling a wave of emotion threatening to overwhelm her, the hunter took a deep breath and stepped out into the hall, running into Leo almost immediately. “Oh. Sorry.” Aurelia murmured, still a bit off balance.

[aurelia-stjames]

fyimani​:

who: @aurelia-stjames​​

where: a beach

Imani’s newest hobby involved a camera. Dabbling in photography wasn’t something that she had planned, however that didn’t stop her from giving it a shot when she got a camera as a present from a friend over the holidays. Imani had an aesthetic eye, but has not taken any classes yet. For now, she’s simply happy with taking the camera along, and capturing random moments as she went about her day. Today was no different as she headed to the beach for some rest and relaxation. Imani was focused on taking a few pictures when she felt a small someone bumped into her. Glancing down she spots a toddler, and instantly grins then crouches down to the toddler’s level.

“Hello little one! Aren’t you the cutest thing!” But where are your parents? Imani thought to herself. Standing upright again, she adjusted the carrying strap of her camera while scanning nearby for any signs of the toddler’s family. 

After a glowing report from daycare, Aurelia had decided to treat her daughter to some fun at the beach. Although Layla was too little for most of the attractions at the Coney Island Beach/Boardwalk the little girl still adored staring at all the colorful people and things and getting some  age appropriate snacks. They were in the midst of building a sandcastle (which meant Aurelia was building a sandcastle and Layla was trying to smush it), the hunter turned her back for a split second to grab more sunscreen from their beach bag. When she looked up, her toddler was waddling away down the beach. Immediately, Aurelia got up and went running after her daughter but was too late to catch Layla before she collided with a stranger. Her heart went to her throat out of anxiety as she wrapped her arms around the little girl and scooped her back up. “I’m so so sorry!” Aurelia exclaimed, stiffening slightly as she finally noticed the supernatural nature of their new acquaintance. She would’ve noticed sooner but the hunter had been too consumed with worry about Layla.

[aurelia-stjames]

maximillians​:

who: @aurelia-stjames

where: a Dining hall at Empire Hotel 

Aalina first appeared to him after he left Xavier’s side in search of Serena. He thought he spotted her dancing with friends, but he was clearly mistaken. 

“There’s my darling wife,“ When Serena responded to his words with nothing but a twisted smirk, he knew something was off. 

“Guess again, lover boy,” Aalina said before vanishing. 

“No, it can’t be.” Panicked, he searched for any sign of her for a couple of minutes with no luck. Max looked down at his hand where the glass he previously held was now shattered. What the hell is happening? For the next hour or so, Max chased after Aalina, and unbeknownst to him, he was injuring people in the process. 

Led into a dining hall by his latest illusion of her, his jaw was firmly set, ready to fight her again. Instead of giving her a chance to mess with his head again, he attacked first. In a flash, Max grabbed a steak knife from a table setting and sailed it towards her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When all hell had broken loose, Aurelia had been in a hallway. Hearing the sounds of screaming, both banshee and regular the hunter ducked into the closest room to get away for a moment and collect herself before attempting to help the situation. She happened to step into one of the hotel’s dining rooms. Taking a deep breath, Aurelia leaned against the wall, trying to slow the sound of her heart racing wildly. As soon as her breathing began to regulate, the hunter found herself startled by another person entering the room. “Mr. Richardson? Max?” She called out quietly, confused as he couldn’t seem to hear her. Aurelia took a few steps closer to get a better look at him in the darkened room only to see a steak knife sailing through the air towards her. She tried to dodge it but the blade caught her arm. Crying out in pain, the hunter slowly removed the knife, holding it in her hand. She was now alone, with an apparently insane vampire, bleeding. Well this was a problem.

[aurelia-stjames]

Leo laughed with her words, “Alright, that’s fair but also no fun so I’m kind of glad you got the truth potion even if you feel like you are suffering,” he couldn’t help but find it amusing. “I mean you can still drink, there’s no one stopping you,” he lifted his shoulders in a shrug, “but I don’t think it’s really going to help that whole truth spilling thing you’ve got going for you.” Leo knew that she already knew that. “I know,” he gave her a reassuring smile. He knew when to drop the playful act that took over him almost too easily at times. Though the man had learned the hard way with his sister only a week ago. “Hey, no,” he instinctively reached out to place a hand on her arm, “we don’t have to go there.” He told her, “It’s fine,” if Aurelia didn’t want to admit their feelings, whatever they may be, Leo could get behind that. “I can leave, walk away now, or just ask you pointless questions that will get you to tell the truth but not deep truths.”

When he touched her, Aurelia felt her breathing hitch involuntarily for a moment. How was it fair that he got to still have this kind of effect on her all these years later? She let out a deep breath and nodded. “Thank you. I really appreciate that. I just...god I hate not being in control of myself.” She smiled slightly, shaking her head. “No-don’t go. I want you to stay.” The hunter insisted softly, reaching out in return and taking his hand when she’d been afraid he was going to walk away. Realizing he was staying Aurelia dropped it slowly. She had to be more careful about touching him. “How about we take turns. That way I’m not the only one talking. Of course, you aren’t compelled to answer honestly but it’s something.” A little bit of a calmer tone returned to her voice as she spoke. Maybe this was going to be okay.

[aurelia-stjames]

leonardoxhastings​:

Event: Potions Party Starter For: @aurelia-stjames

Leo didn’t know why he was surprised to see Aurelia at the party but when he spotted her from across the room, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He had, of course, managed to snag the potion to keep of the vampire hunger for a few hours. He didn’t know what potion he would find himself taking next but in the meantime, Leo was happy to keep the blood wanting urges away and to feel normal for the first time in his life. Even as a witch, he still felt far away from the human world. This was the closest that he had got in his entire life. “Aurelia,” he approached his ex-girlfriend with a smile on his face. Leo wasn’t quite sure why she still made him so nervous but things were good between them and the last thing he wanted was to ruin that. “I’m glad to see you could make it,” perhaps too formal of a statement, “are you,” he paused, rubbing the back of his neck, alas spreading the amount of glitter Ilana had covered him in, “are you having a good time? You look great.” 

A bit worn out from trying to be on her toes the entire night, Aurelia had finally given herself a moment to relax. Figuring she was relatively safe, especially with Emily offering to run interference and distract Leo if she noticed him coming near Aurelia, the hunter decided to get a drink. This time she watched the bartender pour it and hand it over to ensure there was no funny business. Enjoying the taste of liquor, she let out a deep breath. Although she’d never been the most wild, before having her daughter Aurelia had liked parties. For just a moment it was nice to be present and enjoy herself. Easing into the music, the hunter began to sway slightly in time to the beat and just look around. And then the peace came crashing down. An all too familiar voice called her name and Aurelia could feel the color drain from her face. Leo. Shit. Before she could even contemplate running away he was beside her. The best she could do now was just try and talk as little as possible. “Yes. Thank you.” The hunter managed. Phew. “And you look hot as hell, but you knew that already.” No, no no no no no. Fuck. It was going to be a long night.

[aurelia-stjames]

Event: Potion Party

@kyler--weston​

On a mission to generally avoid people, and particularly Leo, Aurelia hurried away from the dance floor as soon as she saw her ex-boyfriend appear on the other end of the room. It didnt seem like he’d noticed her but just to be safe it was best to more distance between them. The hunter ducked into the photo room and into the photobooth to hide out for a moment, only realizing it was occupied when she sat down. “Shit! I’m so sorry!” She exclaimed, clearly embarrassed.