#Closed rp; after the phantoms of your former self

[journalsinblood]

( @symphonyofmalice ) Nicholas asked to help Claudia bury a body

With every piercing thrust of the shovel into the frigid winter ground, a shock wave reverberated up through Claudia's arms. Her bones shuddered despite the cold barely breaching the surface of her flesh. The flesh of this evenings victims was cold too. A mottled marble of purples and blues, slowly seeping into a brown. A fleeting but beautiful sunset of death. A death that, now her stomach was full and her soul less weary, she was beginning to question the worth of. One would have been enough. One should have been enough. One and she wouldn't have needed to enlist the help of someone who was barely an acquaintance to cover up the whims of her nature. It was a thought she had regularly- that she overindulged too much and that next time would be different but there was a constant gaping hole in her core that couldn't be filled. Lestat had stated as such when she'd first been reborn. She'd thought so little of it then, knowing her new parents would clean up the mess for her. Those parents were gone now and she felt empty. Empty aside from the coppery warmth sloshing in her stomach. Besides, she still did her best to ignore any thoughts of Lestat in general and what came with him. "Thanks." She spoke up now, voice plain and stilted as she punctuated the sentiment with another thrust of the shovel. Having ended up on the wrong foot with many of the vampires she'd come across in her comparatively short un-life, minding her P's and Q's was a learnt strategy even if she sometimes found it difficult. "You know," Claudia continued awkwardly. "for helping with the bodies and that." She glanced up at the other briefly before turning back to her work. "You do this a lot?"

[vievecorcityevents]

As you step through the gates of this year's Spirit Party, it looks and feels like you have been shifted into another reality.

Nestled in a barren desert and surrounded by twisted canyons and eerie, gnarled trees is a rugged once-booming Old West town. While this town is now a shadow of its former self, it is still a town where lawmen and outlaws cross paths, where the local saloon hums with the strumming of guitars and the clinking of glasses, and where every face tells a story of grit and determination.

As the sun is starting to set, you step onto the main street and feel the crunch of dry dirt beneath your boots. You can clearly see that the townsfolk are frantically closing up their businesses to return home before the sun sets and it's about time you did so too. This town has recently been dealing with a series of murders and you do not want to be the next victim...

Welcome to Phantom Creak...

EVENT TASK:

Vievecor City RP proudly presents a new AU event with a mystery twist! We hope you will have fun with it~ Through the use of astral magic, illusion magic and a dash of dream magic, the spirits of Vievecor City have created a temporary space in the Astral Plane for this year's Spirit Party celebrations! The town that all your characters are now a part of is the dusty town of Phantom Creak, an Old West town that is currently dealing with a series of gruesome murders. It looks like a wild creature is behind these attacks, but no one has been able to capture it. It is even rumoured that the creature might be someone in town... With the above information, the task for this event is to write a brief bio of your character’s life in the world of Phantom Creak and players are encouraged to get as creative as they wish. Players are also encouraged to get creative with character relationships and take this opportunity to play out different character dynamics in an Old West setting. How long have they been living in Phantom Creak? What job do they hold? What do they think about the recent series of murders? Do they want to do anything about it? Is it time they leave this town? Please find more information about Phantom Creak, the town locations, NPCs and town jobs HERE. Your character’s bio should either be in point form (with a minimum of 5 bullet points) or paragraph form (at least two paragraphs) detailing this AU version of themself. Note that every character will be HUMAN in this AU! Please tag your bio posts with #vievecorcitytask #vcspiritevent2024 The task that needs to be completed before the event starts on Aug 28th. As this is part of the official Spirit Party celebrations, all characters will be able to remember the events of this AU after the party is over~ Since this is a murder mystery event, NPC characters have been created for story purposes and can be suspects in the mystery. Players who wish to have their character be thrown into the hat to be a murderer can send the admin a DM to be included~ The murderers will be informed of their role by Tuesday, August 27th so that they can plan out how they wish to play their characters. Character deaths will happen across the duration of the event as more murders happen, but the characters will be alive in the real world once the party is over. This is all in the spirit of fun and should your character die, we hope that players will not be disheartened! If you really do not wish to have your character be killed in this AU event, please also DM the admin with the request! Please note that we are trying out a different type of event. Please forgive any mistakes or fumbles that might crop up over the event! 🙏🏻

[sea-and-storm]

LFRP (CRYSTAL)  ||  KJRN FYTHE*

* Exact name & other details may change pending release of naming conventions.

[ BASIC INFORMATION ]

[FULL NAME]   Kjrn Fythe.

[PRONOUNCED]   Kee-ehrn Faiythe (rhymes with lithe).

[ALIASES]   None at present. At least, none to which she’ll answer. 

[GENDER]   Female.

[AGE]  Somewhere in her 80s-90s, but appears approx. early to mid-thirties.

[NAMEDAY]   21st Sun of the Fourth Umbral Moon (8/21).

[RACE]   Rava Viera

[RELIGION]   Questioning, non-practicing.

[LANGUAGES]   Common, Dalmascan.

[ACCENT]   Icelandic, by real world standards.

[HANDEDNESS]   Ambidextrous.

[ APPEARANCE ]

[HAIR]   A long and wildly voluminous mess of deep, rich burgundy, usually swept up into a long ponytail or left to trail down her back. Very soft, very shiny, and clearly tended to with much care and love. Touch at your own risk.

[EYES]   Pale gold.

[COMPLEXION]   Medium tan with coppery undertones.

[HEIGHT]   6′2″ (before ears)  -  7′0″ (with ears)

[BUILD]   A sturdy fighter's build. Whilst not wholly bereft of curvature, she's far from soft or delicate. Instead she bears the distinct musculature and build of someone who has poured many hours over many years into training their body for the rigors of battle.

[POSTURE]   In the public’s eye, upright and confident. Behind closed doors or in the company of those she trusts, her posture is more often than not that of someone tired and with much phantom weight bearing down upon them.

[SCARS]   She bears a number of general scars, mostly bestial in nature, across her body from the nature of the work she does delving into ruins and lairs. However, the most notable are the multitude of burn scars that cover a good portion of her body. They start at her right temple, mercifully skirting around the outer corner of her eye and proceeding downward over her cheek, jaw, neck, shoulder, the entire length of her arm, both hands up to the wrist, and down her side and back until coming to a rough stop around her hip. Save for her face, she usually tries to keep the rest of the scars covered from prying eyes.

[MANNER OF DRESS]   Nothing overly ostentatious, nor overly drab. You’re just as likely to find her in her working gear as opposed to street clothes, though. She seems just as, if not more comfortable in them. 

[JEWELRY]   Her ears are pierced thrice each, with three golden studs in each ear. Under her gloves on her left hand, she wears a simple golden band on her ring finger. There seems to be something inscribed on it, but the lettering is worn from age and she doesn’t often let anyone close enough to read it.

[ COMBAT SKILL ]

[COMBAT CLASS]   Gunblader & Markswoman.

[MELEE PROFICIENCY]   None  |  Low  |  Intermediate  |  High  |  Masterful

[RANGED PROFICIENCY]   None  |  Low  |  Intermediate  |  High  |  Masterful

[MAGICAL PROFICIENCY]   None  |  Low  |  Intermediate  |  High  |  Masterful

[HEALING PROFICIENCY]   None  |  Low  |  Intermediate  |  High  |  Masterful

[ATTRIBUTES] - - -  STRENGTH:   16 (+3) - - -  DEXTERITY:    15 (+2) - - -  CONSTITUTION:   16 (+3) - - -  INTELLIGENCE:   10 (+0) - - -  WISDOM:   9 (-1) - - -  CHARISMA:   10 (+0)

[WEAPONRY]  Salvaged and refitted Garlean-make gunblade & six-shot revolver.

[ARMOR]  Changes depending upon the circumstances. Varies from light leathers to heavier plate and chain, depending on the job.

[COMBAT STRENGTHS]   Fights well against beasts & Garleans, within open spaces. Excellent teamwork, fights well in a group setting. Highly protective of teammates.

[COMBAT WEAKNESSES]  Struggles against spoken races (except Imperials) and within tight spaces. Certain scenarios may trigger PTSD flashbacks mid-combat. Particularly sensitive to magical effects cast upon her;  too much aetheric exposure, even of the positive variety, may trigger a brief berserk state until the excess aether is expended and exhaustion takes over.

[ EARLY YEARS ]

[HOMELAND]   A forest village near the outskirts of Dalmasca.

[PARENTS]   Mjra Fythe (mother)  -  Father Unknown.

[SIBLINGS]   Aela Fythe (older sister)  -  Arla Fythe (younger sister)

[CLAN ROLE]   Huntress, tracker.

[CLAN STATUS]   Self-ostracized.

[REASON(S) FOR LEAVING]   Kjrn decided that she couldn’t see herself living her whole life in the Wood. Joined by her close friend and fellow huntress, Pria Atoel, she left for the city of Dalmasca to start a new life in the larger world.

[ LATER YEARS ]

[PAST RESIDENCE]   Dalmasca.

[PAST OCCUPATION]   Resistance fighter, magitek salvager.

[PAST AFFILIATION]   Dalmascan Resistance.

[PAST FINANCIAL STATUS]   Moderate, comfortable.

[PAST SOCIAL STATUS]   Respected.

[PAST RELATIONSHIPS]   Pria Atoel, wife - deceased.

[PAST FRIENDSHIPS]  A number of friends and allies from the Resistance, as well as other Dalmascan citizens. (Open to background connections!)

[REASON(S) FOR LEAVING]   Left Dalmasca and set herself to wandering aimlessly after a fire that stole both home and family from her.

[ PRESENT DAY ]

[RESIDENCE]   Wherever her weary feet wander. These days, it’s mostly Eorzea or an occasional jaunt to the Far East.

[OCCUPATION]   Treasure Hunter & Merchant of Myriad Miscellanea.

[AFFILIATIONS]   None actively, but still sympathetic to the Dalmascan Resistance and occasionally will send a bit of extra coin their way through some old contacts.

[FINANCIAL STATUS]   Varies. Sometimes well-off, sometimes dirt poor. Depends largely on how successful her treasure-hunting jaunts go.

[SOCIAL STATUS]   Hasn’t really stuck around in one place long enough in recent history to establish any roots nor reputation. Just another adventurer to most.

[RELATIONSHIP STATUS]   Widowed, shows little interest in courting anyone.

[PRESENT FRIENDSHIPS]   Keeps in touch with a few people from her Resistance days, but not many that she could call a close friend. (Open to connections!)

[VICES]   Occasionally numbs her pains with drink, smoke, and sex. She’s tried certain drugs before and while not entirely opposed to them, her sometimes light coinpurse usually keeps her from forming any sort of lasting habit.

[ ROMANCE & SEX ]

[GENDER IDENTITY]   Cisgender Female.

[ROMANTIC ORIENTATION]  Demi-homoromantic.

[EMOTIONAL ROLE]   Submissive  |  Dominant  |  Switch  |  Unsure

[RELATIONSHIP TENDENCIES]   Her biggest tendency is to just not get herself into a relationship. But if she were to do so, it would be a difficult thing to uphold given her tendency to doubt herself and her anxiety over the thought of loss.

[LOVE LANGUAGE]  Kjrn isn’t much of a verbal lover. She’ll drop an ‘I love you’ every now and then, but her love shines through more in her actions. Her love language speaks in things like gentle, careful caresses and thoughtful gifts.

[SEXUAL ORIENTATION]   Homosexual.

[SEXUAL ROLE]   Submissive  |  Dominant  |  Switch  |  Unsure

[LIBIDO]   Surprisingly average, given how often she finds herself in the company of ladies of the evening. Truthfully, she just prefers not to sleep in a cold and lonely bed, and sex without emotional attachments is safer and less painful than otherwise.

[ATTRACTED TO]   Confidence. Kindness. Thoughtfulness. Gentleness. 

[TURN OFFS]   Arrogance. Selfishness. Cruelty. Indecisiveness. Shyness. 

[ PERSONALITY TRAITS ]

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between / Impatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

[ HOOKS ] 

TREASURE HUNTER Kjrn presently makes her living by delving into ruins, tombs, and other such places most folk have no business wandering into in search of anything she might turn a profit on. But such expeditions are dangerous, and usually she’ll either put together a small team herself or seek out a job that’s hiring apt hands. Got a job in need of a sturdy fighter with a big ol’ sword? She’s your viera! (As a note, I would also potentially be interested in finding an RP FC with this sort of theme! If you’re part of one of these FCs or even just know of one that might tick said box, let me know and I’ll gladly check it out!)

MERCHANT OF MYRIAD MISCELLANEA Naturally, after a victorious venture in dungeoneering, Kjrn will usually come out of it with a number of items in need of off-loading. She has a particular eye for anything shiny and beautiful like gems and jewelry, but she’s also been known to come back with anything from weapons to magical items to sell to whomsoever is inclined to pay good coin.

DALMASCAN RESISTANCE AFFILIATE Kjrn and her wife, Pria, were once fairly respected members of the Resistance, fighting the Imperials and salvaging magitek to refit and use against them when all was said and done. However, after the former’s passing, Kjrn stepped down from her active position in the Resistance to take on a more auxiliary role by helping support it financially. She still maintains connections to the Resistance to this day, and some still haven’t given up the hope that she might eventually return to the fight.

HATRED OF EMPTY BEDS Since the loss of her wife, Kjrn has come to absolutely abhor sleeping alone. Yet those wounds are still fresh in her mind despite the decades that have passed, and relationships are always fraught with the peril of loss. And so, Kjrn has become something of a frequent flyer when it comes to the services of ladies of the evening as a coping measure against the loneliness she feels. (That said, I am NOT looking for ERP-heavy / ERP-only connections. In fact, I usually prefer for ERP to come up as little as possible unless it serves a purpose in a narrative or if I just plain feel like stretching those rarely-used literary muscles now and again. So connections of this sort would mostly be of the before and/or after the act variety, and could even possibly be entirely bereft of any actual sexual RP.)

[ OOC ]

[CALL ME]   Jali, Ghoa, Kjrn.. Just don’t call me weird pet names, basically!

[I AM..]   A 27-year-old woman who works a full time job and plays multiple tabletop games as well as playing FFXIV, so my schedule can be kinda all over the place. I also love cats and really bad puns and writing drabbles that make people’s hearts hurt.

[AVAILABILITY]  Most weekday evenings from 5PM - 10PM Central. Weekends, pretty much whenever. Not available most Wednesdays, and some Thursdays/Saturdays due to various D&D games! Also please note that Kjrn is an alt character. Meaning I won’t be available for RP on her 24/7! Please be sure you’re okay with this before reaching out!

[IN-GAME NAME]  TBD. My cheap ass is waiting on naming conventions!

[SERVER]  Balmung (Crystal), but willing to world-visit for RP!

[PREFERRED RP METHODS]   Discord has quickly become my #1 RP platform because I can post even when I’m busy with something else or when I’m having a slow day at work. I can also do in-game RP, usually so long as we work out a day/time in advance! Sometimes I can do impromptu RP requests, but not often!

[HARD NO’S]  

RP of any sort with real-life minors. Sorry, I just don’t feel comfortable writing with anyone under eighteen! 

Characters that are minors ICly are tentatively fine, but I will absolutely not RP any romantic, sexual, mature, dark, or otherwise questionable themes with such a character;  and likewise, I will not RP with anyone whose minor character engages in this sort of RP with others, either.

Fetishistic characters, i.e. “f*ta”, “tr*p”, etc. Actual transgender, agender, genderfluid, etc. characters are 100% fine, but if your character is written not as a fleshed out person but as thinly veiled ERP-bait, I’m not interested.

OOC Romance or possessiveness or clinginess. Just... don’t. I don’t want to date you. I don’t want to sext with you. I don’t want to be up your butt 24/7, and I sure as hell don’t want you up mine. RP partners with reasonable personal space boundaries only need apply, please!

[journalsinblood]

( @lcvbctten ) Aiden said: 'I saw what you did'

Claudia was getting reckless. She knew it and that was part of the thrill. Hearts beating, picking up pace to a rapid acceleration before the sudden drop as she felt her fangs seep deep, deep down into the pillow of her victims flesh. The adrenaline corsed through her own frigid veins, filling her with the simulation of life. Making her feel animated when she usually only felt like she was working through the motions of a simulation. It was addicting- feeling her mind ignite with bright sparks of her victims fear that bled into each corner of her existence. It filled a gaping hole in her reality that nothing else seemed able to. But, like all good things in Claudia's life, the bliss was fleeting. As she felt the warmth of her victims blood sink deep down into her chest and fill her from her heart outwards, it soon began to fade back to cold as the person in her arms turned into a body. A lifeless lump of nothing. A younger Claudia had been addicted to this feeling too. Then, she'd been pulled into the smothering grasps of loneliness and needed something to warm her soul. Now, she was just angry and needed some violent act to dispel the feeling. She was constantly moving these days. She had no home to worry about people becoming suspicious of. There was no use in dragging people out to some bayou or whatever this towns equivalent was. As with this victim, she could pull a stranger into a back alley, gouge open their throat with furious passion and leave them slumped against the wall. The body dropped to the ground and Claudia pulled away with a half satisfied sigh, knowing the feeling wouldn't last. She wiped her mouth on the back of her sleeve and moved away from the corpse. It was a wonder she didn't realise she was being followed sooner. Perhaps she was too busy floating in the post-kill bliss. Perhaps she didn't care anymore. Either way, she stopped when she heard someone speak through the dead of night. "You did?" She asked, an innocent lilt entering her voice. She made no move to turn and face the perpetrator on her peace.

[journalsinblood]

( @ghostlyhcurs) Petal said 'You're pretty!'

The time was slowly progressing into late night as the sky passed from deep blue to a cavernous black. The stars were masked by fog and so the evening felt all encompassing. It was like an isolated world of darkness stretching forwards, ready for Claudia to explore for the fleeting hours that it allowed. She could see people and talk to them- interact with living souls outside the walls of her domestic prison. She could hear about what it was to be alive and, for a brief moment, could grasp at the feeling it invoked. Then, she'd finish the night by taking that feeling into herself. She'd let that life flood over her teeth and gums and down her throat, filling her momentarily with the warmth of life. As the plan for the night unfolded in her mind, Claudia was torn harshly from her thoughts by unexpected words. It wasn't the first time Claudia had heard those words but it was definitely the first time a stranger had said it to her unprompted and with such genuine, bright enthusiasm. It caused her to reel back slightly, faltering in a way that people couldn't usually draw from her. "Thanks..." She managed awkwardly after a few moments of fumbling. The words came out a little more sharply than intended as she looked the offending party over. She looked relatively unassuming and didn't appear to be more than a couple of years older than Claudia appeared. Still, it was odd for a young woman to be out so late by herself, even if Claudia was doing the exact same thing. Odd in a way that caused a prickling at the base of her spine and a sparking in her mind. Something was wrong here. But curiosity ate at her just as much as caution and forced her to stand her ground.

[journalsinblood]

( @thedevilsjournalist ) Daniel & Claudia continued from X

It wasn't that Claudia disliked everyone. It was merely that she was wary. She'd gone through too much to immediately trust somebody just because they were a vampire. That was something Armand had been the last to teach her. Her facade was usually quite antagonistic and defensive as a consequence. However, just because she didn't immediately like him didn't mean she couldn't eventually warm to him and he was certainly putting his best foot forward with all of the compliments. They made her laugh, even as she felt the strings around her heart tugging for caution. "What? You been told to be nice to me or something?" She asked, tone still full of humour even as her laugh tapered to an end. "Armand got some other crazy plan he's using you for?"

[journalsinblood]

Lestat { @lifeless-stars } said: 'I think it's time you and I had a talk.'

Ah, jeez. That didn't sound good. Was this about the crumbs in the carpet, perhaps? Or maybe the blood that she'd managed to spill all down the front of a white dress? Even three years in it was difficult not to get messy when confronted with a particularly wriggly one... Besides, Claudia liked the wriggly ones. They put up a challenge and gave her something a little extra to do. Being awake when the whole world was asleep was dreadfully boring and it wasn't like she had any friends to occupy herself with. There was Daddy-Lou, Uncle Lestat and whatever evening straggler she could pick up off the street.

She turned to Lestat after placing her pen carefully down on the desk. She thought that he would appreciate that. It was probably quite expensive- It looked it, at least. Then again, everything in this house looked expensive.

Claudia gave him her best, most innocent smile to stave off whatever (probably angry) conversation was about to come between the two of them.

"A talk? What kinda talk? You know, I'm very busy talkin' to my book an' all." She propped her head up on her hand to emphasise her nonchalant-ness. Whatever it is that she'd allegedly done wrong she was innocent... Well, maybe not innocent... but she wasn't going to give in that easily.

[journalsinblood]

Lestat ( @thevamplelio ) sent: [tuck] sender tucks receiver into bed

Claudia felt like she'd adjusted reasonably well to being a vampire, all things considered. The idea of eating people had been jarring at first but after her first bite, she couldn't seem to get enough of it. Then there was her new family. They were eccentric and strange but they seemed to care about her more than her human family had so she was willing to give them a go. The mind reading was also a little difficult to adjust too but it was like having a secret language; a way that only her and the person that she trusted must in the world could communicate. The one thing that hadn't been easy to adjust to was going to sleep when the sun rose and settling into a coffin rather than snuggling down into a bed. No doubt both of her new parents had noticed that. She'd be tossing and turning all day, leaving Louis to complain about it when evening came. That was probably why they'd finally caved and given her her own coffin, even if she did still have to share a room with them.

She rolled over to face Lestat as he tucked in some of the plush fittings of her coffin that were likely to get caught in the lid.

"I ain't even tired." She pointed out "I could stay up just a little longer, please! Promise I won't look out the window or nothing" She shook her head to emphasise the point.

[journalsinblood]

Closed starter for @ofmercy​​ {Claudia&Louis} ~ Ep.4

No doubt the constant scratch of pen on paper was scratching just as harshly on her new parents nerves. Perhaps that was a subtle motivation behind why she was constantly ‘talking to the book’ as Uncle Les had said. There were few things which sparked interest when you could only be awake when every other kid your age was asleep. If irritating Lestat and Louis gave her a little excitement in her night then it would be worth it. Lestat was far easier to visibly irritate with it but she could see the impact on Louis as well, despite how much he tried to put on good graces.

The main reason for her constant scrawling, however, was a loneliness that sat so painfully and deeply in the pit of her stomach that it rivalled her constant hunger. The book was someone to talk to. It was her friend. She could project any personality or trait that she wanted onto it. It could be something the same age as her who liked to play games and enjoyed the mischievous intrigue of her stories.

With little to do but write, it didn't take her long to fill an entire book. She’d done so the morning before and the only thing to stop her tossing and turning all day had been a promise from Lestat that the booksellers would still be open when they woke up. That didn’t stop Claudia from peaking out of the coffin every hour or so to pinpoint the exact moment that the sun began to sink below the horizon. As soon as she noticed the small amount of light that came through the curtain begin to dim, she through open the coffin lid and shook Louis by the shoulders.

“Come on, Daddy-Lou, come on! It’s night now. We best get goin’ before it gets too late. Don’t wanna be rude for the shop keeper an’ all.” She’s not actually all that worried about how the shop keepers feeling but she’d thought all night about what would be the fastest way to get Louis to take her there.

[journalsinblood]

Louis ( @vampyrebond ) sent: [ wrap] - Sender wraps receiver in a blanket

It happened nearly every night. Claudia would refuse to go to bed, ignoring the warnings about day time from her new parents. Sure, being only able to go out at night had been fun to start with but she missed going outside in the day. She used to have friends. Now, the closest that she could get to playing with them was listening to other children yelling in the street and maybe strategically moving a curtain so that she could watch. It wasn't much and it certainly wasn't enough to keep her satiated... but it was all she could get.

This morning was one of those mornings. It was way past the time when her family were supposed to go to sleep and, here she was, still awake on the sofa. She had been pretending to read a book but was really only paying attention to the noise of life outside. Claudia also heard a few anguished comments from Lestat about how 'coddled' she was before listening to him disappear off for the day.

Once he was gone, she let a yawn escape her. Slowly, her head begin to dip into sleep and the book closed against her lap. She was jolted a little by the feeling of Louis wrapping her in a blanket.

"I don't need it..." She grumbled, voice half doused by sleep. Claudia wiped her eyes on the back of her hand and tried to make like she was still wide awake. "You don't got to stay up with me."

[journalsinblood]

Louis { @laiddownwiththedevil } said: "I brought you a gift." Louis held out a wrapped package, containing a fine leather bound journal with Claudia's name inscribed in the leather. "I'm sure you'll be needing a new one soon enough."

Claudia had spent the evening so far sat in the window sill of the front room watching people go by while eating an entire pyramid of macarons. They tasted how she would image licking wallpaper might taste but the extravagancy of it wasn't lost on her. She would never have been able to do something like that before becoming a vampire and she wanted the experience, even if it was slightly diminished. She was getting a little distracted by thinking about how much better the people outside would taste than these macarons when Louis approached with a package. Wiping her mouth on the back of one of her sleeves, she reached out to take it.

"It's not my birthday or nothing. Why do you keep buying me stuff? Not that I'm complainin'. Just curious." She liked that Louis and Lestat were constantly showering her with gifts and buying her whatever she wanted. Perhaps it was starting to make her a little bit spoilt but it was another of those things that she would never have experienced before becoming a vampire. She knew it was their way of showing that they loved her and just the idea that someone did love her was nice enough.

"Oh! It's so pretty!" She exclaimed with a gasp, having opened the package "Thank you!" She clasped the book close, standing up quickly to kiss him on the cheek.

[journalsinblood]

Nadja { @untilthcyrot } said: 'People who cease to believe in God or goodness altogether still believe in the devil... Evil is always possible. And goodness is eternally difficult.'

Claudia had imagined that her first time meeting a vampire would have gone a little bit differently to this. Sure, Uncle Les could be a little eccentric but this was somehow so much worse.

"Are all other vampires like this or is it just a you thing?" She questioned, crossing her arms and looking the other up and down. "I ain't never believed in the devil or God and I sure as hell ain't starting now."

That was a lie, of course. Even before she'd been turned, christianity had been something that a kid in New Orleans couldn't really escape from. When she'd been listening to the screams of her aunt and closed her eyes tight against the light of the flames, she'd been waiting for some silvery gates to appear. Instead had come what she thought was an angel. She knew now that that wasn't true... but being ushered into this immortal life had all but solidified her view that something greater than her existed.

It might not be the Devil and it probably wasn't God but somebody had to have come first and there had to have been a reason.

"Why are you in New Orleans, anyway. Is that another vampire thing?"

[journalsinblood]

( @prairieghcsts ) Maria said: 'i missed the part where that was my problem.’

Maria was right. They had both been reckless. It had been both of their faults. It was Claudia's problem just as much as it was Maria's, if not more because Claudia had been unprepared. But Claudia had been so caught up in the whirling excitement of having somebody like her that caution had been thrown to the wind along with the thick metallic smell of blood. Perhaps she had been a little more over indulgent than her new friend in an ill fated attempt to show off her similarities. The indulgent but clean cut and safely hidden feasts she was used to had fallen away in favour of messy, gouging bites of several victims in one go. Trying to keep up with the small group the two had happened across had been a task that had left them both tired, trudging through the cold evening air and the stodgy earth it left behind. Even though Claudia knew all of this as fact, she wasn't one to take the blame. Her fatal flaw would always be her stubborn defensiveness. That wouldn't be brushed away by the promise of new companionship. "There's a couple a bites round the corner, you said." She complained thickly, using the back of her already blood drenched sleeve in an attempt to wipe the crimson stain from her mouth. "It'll be easy, you said." She'd have to get rid of her clothes before they remerged into visible human society. A bath wouldn't go amiss either but the concept was unlikely. She'd just have to hope the darkness of night would hide the flesh thickening to cement under her fingernails and the clumps of it that likely hung from her hair.

[journalsinblood]

( @blcdlust ) Draco said 'That's a lot of blood.'

Claudia was upset. God. How could she not be? Locked up in that gilded cage like some strangled bird. Unable to have a thought without it being twisted by the one person she'd thought cared about her. Of course, she'd never been able to stretch her wings. Not really. Before this suffocating, oppressive air that filled her new home, there had been the belt buckle of her old one. An aunt who hadn't wanted her nearly as much as this uncle didn't. She was forever and always a byproduct of some passionate mistake- some fluke committed under the guise of love. If the people who kept her shackled to this life wouldn't let a song rise up then she'd let something else bubble to the surface instead. She felt it prickling and pushing through her skin like the raging heat of sunlight. Anger like she'd never felt. Anger that had to go somewhere. It had been a fleeting misstep to begin with. Fangs sinking into the soft pillow of warm, living flesh- feeling the life slip between her teeth. That feeling grounded her. Then she'd discovered more feeling could be gained through tearing and biting and shredding and gouging. The emotion that she felt wrapping bars around her soul could reach its tendrils out in a spray of gore and it helped. The respite was fleeting but in those moments as the warm metallic liquid flooded over her own cold skin, she felt grounded. She felt for a moment that the warmth was hers and she was alive. It was a waste of food and there was always a mess but Claudia had gotten good at taking her victims out into the swamps where passersby were a rare, thrilling occurrence. She would change clothes before returning to her cage. She would wash the blood from beneath her nails and the clots from her curls. Nobody was ever any the wiser. At least, that was always the plan and it had been a good one up until now. Claudia pulled back, hearing the voice behind her. She was, admittedly, covered in crimson. It seeped through her clothes and stuck fast to her skin. It was a second layer of life that she cling to desperately... but it meant that any passers by would have to join that facade. Dropping the soon to be dead body to the floor in front of her, she rose to her feet, teeth bared. "Is it?" Claudia mused, more than ready to add to the 'a lot of blood' he'd mentioned.

[journalsinblood]

Louis ( @vampyrebond ) said: "Don't walk away from me."

Claudia couldn't help a laugh, throwing her head back to the night as she headed out onto the slowly busying evening street.

"Why? You gonna stop me?" He probably could, of course. Louis had been a vampire longer than she had. Although, she wasn't precisely sure of how long. He had better experience of his vampire abilities than her... but he was the kind one. The soft one (at least to her). He didn't keep her around because he could treat her like some doll or play thing. Louis seemed to genuinely care. Of course, she was hedging her bets by causing such a disruption but she didn't reasonably think that he'd jump to physical means to stop her. "Oh, come on, daddy-lou! I'm hungry!" She complained, looking at him over her shoulder as she slowed her pace a little. "I know the rules. Don't leave a mess and don't eat police officers."