[Isabel]

After Isabel got her dagger, it was decided that they would split up. Bubbles and Kiel would check out the crime scene and gather some information while Isabel would go to the Crypt to get something to sate her hunger as well get some info on the vampire's side.

Taking a vacant seat on the bar, the same bar she and Piper sat at when they first met, Isabel looked around. The atmosphere was significantly different when she first came here. There was tension and there was fear. It would be a bit difficult getting some information here but first, a drink. Isabel waved at the bartender to get his attention. Surprisingly, as the bartender neared, it was the same bartender when she was here last.

“What can I get you?”

“I'll just have a glass of very bloody mary please”

“Alright, coming up.”

As the bartender prepared her drink, Isabel took another look around the bar and tried out her telephatic abilities. She was new to it that all she could hear were jumbled thoughts and words. Nothing useful. She was interrupted when the bartender came back with her glass of bloody mary.

“Thanks. The atmosphere in here is kind of tense isn't it?”

The bartender gave her pointed look.

“Yeah. All because of that Marshal. If things continue on like this, it could get ugly. Us vampires aren't known to be docile creatures for long.”

With that, the bartender continued on to serve other patrons.

[Piper]

"Come on, Piper, you honestly don't have an opinion about what's going on out there?"

For the longest time, Piper would have had to say exactly that. She hadn't a clue what was happening outside her own tiny little world, and she'd begun to discover that ignorance was actually much more blissful than she'd imagined. When she thought now of all the times a customer had come into her shop, all friendly, only to leave without buying anything and even becoming cold once they saw her fangs, she couldn't believe she hadn't seen it sooner. She'd just thought, somehow, that she'd done something wrong. She'd thought Elysia was better than Earth, that the people here were more tolerant of each other. After all, hadn't they suffered their own prejudices? And yet, here they were, willing to put up with armed men entering their homes to check for vampires?

No, it was just all wrong.

So when her new-found friends repeatedly asked her what she thought of what was happening, she could only shrug helplessly and bite her bottom lip, worried but feeling like she wasn't qualified to have an opinion one way or another. Hadn't she been convinced only a couple of months ago that the men and women who frequented the Crypt's bar were all frightening, that they were monsters? That she was now a monster? Okay, so she'd learned that wasn't the whole truth; some of them were really friendly, and others just wanted to live quietly, just like the humans she used to be. But she'd also learned how right she was, that some of these people enjoyed the bloodlust and used it as an excuse hunt and prey on people the way serial killers would. They really did frighten her, and it made it impossible for her to agree with one side or the other.

Maybe vampires did deserve the treatment they were getting. But maybe they didn't. All she knew was that, for her, things had gotten way more exciting than she had ever wanted, and she wasn't enjoying the change.

And then, maybe she was, just a little. She couldn't say she didn't have friends any more, not really.

“I'll just have a glass of very bloody mary please...”

Piper's head turned as her ears picked out a voice she thought she recognised. It had been a couple of months since she'd actually seen Isabel, but they'd texted a couple of times to stay in touch and it was quiet enough - despite the ongoing debate between her mentor and a woman Piper thought of as his girlfriend (even though they hotly denied being involved) - for her to turn and look. Sure enough, from the back, Piper was sure that was Isabel, but there was only one way to find out for sure.

“Excuse me.”

Once upon a month or so ago, Piper wouldn't have dreamed of approaching Isabel directly. If she'd dared to approach the other vampiress at all, it would have been shyly, hesitantly, and most likely from the side as she went up to the bar like she was ordering herself, then just happened to notice her friend. Now, she moved with a little more confidence, reaching out to tap Isabel on the shoulder as she slid up to the bar and smiled at the bartender who just looked back at her like he was vaguely miffed about something.

He always seemed vaguely miffed about something, actually, but from what he'd said at least he was giving away the reason this time. Probably not a great idea to talk about not being docile, though. Piper was sure she'd overheard others in here talking - mostly in their paranoia, she was sure - about spies, and she sure wouldn't want to be caught making even vague social-commentary-style threats.

“Isabel? Hi!” Of course, despite all her progress, that was about the extent of her confidence. “Um, it's Piper, we met here, um, a few months ago? How... How are you?”

((I hope it's alright to say they've texted. I'm sure they exchanged com numbers and Piper wanted to stay in touch, so... Yeah. x D))

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Isabel]

“Piper!”

Isabel turned, surprised when someone approached her. She wasn't really expecting to see anyone she knew here. Not like she had that many friends in this particular place. But it was still good to be able to see a familiar face around here. It could lighten up the mood somewhat.

“I'm good. Well... as good can be. There have been a few problems lately though. How have you been? Have you heard about the current situation with the Marshal? It's getting out of hand and from the look of things in here, it could go bad. What do you think?”

Isabel took a sip of her very bloody mary and thought about what had happened so far. It was a all a mess, that's for sure. However, she couldn't say much to Piper. She wouldn't want to drag her into this. She'd only be another target for them. The only thing she could hope for, is that she, Bubbles, and Kiel would be enough to be able to solve this case.

((No problems with me Emma! Well... they did texted each other >.> before the cat episode? ))

[Piper]

“Oh...” It was a little disappointing to escape one conversation about this only to start another, but Piper was glad to see Isabel despite that. And she couldn't blame the other woman for having something to say, it was just that Piper much preferred to stay out of 'big issues'. No one had bothered her, so she didn't see the point in fretting.

Well, she did fret. What if something did happen? What if someone did come by the store? Comet wouldn't let them treat her the way she'd heard they treated others, manhandling those they wanted to check out, and while he now obeyed every command she gave thanks to Xanth, Piper wasn't sure she'd remember to, or be able to, tell him to back down if she was as frightened as she imagined she would be. Having a grown wolf attack would only make things worse. But she could at least threaten to summon Dazadi; she'd learned, by mistake, that people thought twice before harming or threatening someone who knew an Aide personally. Even the ones who didn't believe her. Just in case.

So Piper sighed, and glanced around the bar, but still answered. Until the Marshal got his act together, this was probably the only thing anyone would be talking about. “I... I had heard, yes. I'm not, not really sure how I feel about it. No one's bothered me so far, thank God.” She forced a chuckle, but it sounded nervous and fake to her own ears. “It's frightening, though. I thought we'd left these kind of witch hunts behind, coming here. I mean, you'd think Elysians would be... m-more tolerant? I'm not even sure how this all started. I mean, so his wife is killed and it might be one of us, but how does that turn into...” She waved a hand vaguely to encompass the entire vampiric population. “...this?”

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Isabel]

Isabel gave a huge sigh. Yeah, that's true. It was what she thought so too in the beginning. Looks like some people are still not comfortable to having her kind around.

Taking another sip of very bloody mary, Isabel took the time to mull things over before voicing out what she thought.
“I've been thinking the same thing actually. It may not be one of our kind but why is the Marshal so hell bent pinning this on us. It could be a conspiracy. Some other guy could have murdered the Marshal's wife but made it to look like a vampire did it. I haven't heard of any strange rumors about the Marshal though. Or anything about his wife”

Isabel thought about this hard. There were many holes in this investigation and things doesn't always look like what they seem. There was also one other possible way they could look at things...

“You know, I heard about some rumors going around. About a vampire on the loose? It's also possible that the Marshal's wife could be one of the victims but not, you know... a victim of premeditated murder. I'm not saying that if it were a vampire attack it was ok! Just that the Marshal could be looking at things the wrong way. What do you think?” Isabel first looked at Piper with a very helpless look then took a long look around the bar. Maybe one of them could know something If that rumor about a vampire on a rampage was true he could be one of these people taking refuge. However, if there was a vampire on the loose, wouldn't the vampire police already have handle it? Could it be a conspiracy after all?

[Piper]

“Hmm. Well, I... I don't know about that. I've heard similar things around here, conspiracy theories, but... i-it seems far-fetched to me. I mean, well...” Piper shook her head and shrugged a little, glancing about the underground bar at the patrons nervously. Ethan looked like he was getting more and more interested n their conversation (he was staring at them and fidgeting in his seat a little. Ignoring his not-girlfriend too, if her increasing irritation was anything to go by). If he came over here, he'd only be interested in sharing his own theories, and while Piper respected him as a mentor and perhaps even a friend, it seemed like Isabel might already be panicking and Ethan would only make things worse.

She couldn't say anything about the rumours, or lack of, though. Up until recently, she'd had her head stuck so far into the clouds... almost literally, actually, since she'd been living with Dazadi. But still, she wasn't sure what Isabel was hoping for. Juicy tidbits, closeted skeletons? It was all just gossip, in the end, and surely the only people who could put any kind of context on it were the officials investigating?

“Um.” Piper had heard something similar, about a rogue vampire on the loose, but since she started coming here regularly she had to wonder how much stock to put in those rumours. Then again, the vampires themselves had mentioned here or there that someone was actually killing - which was derailing Bailey's political efforts, apparently - so maybe there was some truth to it. “I don't think I like the idea of someone doing that, and I mean, why would they? I mean, I know we're not exactly at the top of everyone's Christmas list, but surely they wouldn't go that far...? Besides, um, didn't they find evidence that it was a vampire? I mean, I don't understand the investigation system here, but surely they wouldn't stir up unrest like this if they didn't have solid proof...?”

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Official NPC]

“Hah! Gimme a break.” Glancing up in time to catch the bartender looking at him with an arched brow, as if old penguin-uniform hadn't expected him to speak up, Tony lifted his own eyebrows and shoulders a little in a "what? Free speech!" gesture, then looked back at the two women he'd been listening to. They didn't appear to have noticed him before, but that was no surprise. It wasn't surprising that Mike, behind the bar, hadn't expected to hear him say anything either. Usually, he came in, propped up the bar, and blended into the wallpaper.

“You're not from around here, are you, doll?” he asked the China Doll, pausing to check how much of his bloody rum was left before knocking the remainder back. “I can tell, because you have this incredibly naive view of our justice system. Which is really to say we don't actually have one.”

“Tony...” Mike's tone was a distinct warning, but Tony ignored him.

“Oh, we have all the trappings of one, sure, but you've seen it yourself, right? Marshal says 'boo' and the council jump a mile. He doesn't need evidence to toss that cute little ass in jail if he's got it into his head that you're dangerous. And don't even get me started on that "search for justice" claptrap.”

[Isabel]

“Hah! Gimme a break.”

Isabel thought that she and Piper were having a quiet enough conversation when a man started talking right beside them. She jumped at the sudden intrusion and quickly turned her head to see a man maybe in his late fifties with a very gruff exterior and clothing that was so well-worn you could already see it thinning in some parts. Judging by the way he drank his liquor, he was someone who has had years and years of experience drinking the foul tasting stuff (bloodied or not) - something Isabel couldn't find the appeal for; cocktails are the only thing she could take.

The man looked like he wasn't a happy camper when it came to the justice system. Though the bartender gave him a warning, nothing could stop him from saying what he wanted to say - and they weren't really nice words.

Still, Isabel refuses to believe that what is happening now is just some sort of power play by those who have the authority. Looking at the man who joined them, Isabel took the opportunity to learn more about the marshal.

“You speak as if the justice system is only for show and not acted upon. Surely, the justice system is not always exact but... Have the marshal acted this way before? Was he not a good public leader... at least at some point?”

[Official NPC]

“Oh, aye, I expect he's done his job well enough up to now. Assuming you're not a blood-sucker, of course.” Tony gave the two women a sarcastic wink. “You've read the papers, right? How he's trying to blame this whole thing on the citizens by saying they've been hounding him for justice?” Making a rude noise in the back of his throat, Tony shook his head, holding up a finger to beg another drink from the bartender. Mike looked like he wanted to say something to counter Tony's argument, but clearly felt like his hands were tied. Maybe he agreed and in good conscience couldn't say anything, or maybe he was worried about his job if he upset the regulars. Either way, he reluctantly went off to get the requested drink. “Makes it hard for them to complain when people come barging into their homes, right? But you know, by rights, Oisin shouldn't even be leading this investigation. The second his own family got involved, he should have stepped down, and the town should be demanding that.”

“Would you?” Mike argued, finally. “Would you step down and trust someone else to find your wife's murderer?”

“Sure I would,” Tony countered easily, cupping the glass that thudded down before him

“Oh, sure you would,” Mike scoffed. “Like you did with Mel? Yeah, I thought that would shut you up. Truth is, girls,” Mike continued as Tony glared at him, wishing the bartender didn't know enough about his traumatic love-life to cut him off like that. “Tony's right, the Marshal should be letting someone else deal with this - like his second-in-command - but no one who's ever loved anyone can blame him for not doing that. 'Course, if you ask me, Oisin's not just out for revenge here. He's afraid someone's going to steal his job if he steps out of that office for even a second.”

[Piper]

Piper couldn't remember ever being called 'doll' before, and wasn't sure she liked it. It was too reminiscent of the way she'd been acting all this time, like a fragile little doll in need of rescue, and of how Dazadi saw her. Both were things she'd been trying hard to improve, so she didn't appreciate being called something that undermined all her hard work.

If she'd been more like Dazadi, maybe she would have punched him or started a bar fight, but then she wouldn't have been privy to what was really going on under the newspaper gloss. Of course, she didn't really want to know. But she had to admit, both men had some good points.

“Well, um, back home - on Earth, I mean -” she clarified, since they both looked at her quizzically, “police officers aren't allowed to participate in cases that involve their own family or friends. Um, neither are lawyers, for that matter. But if there's no rule like that here, then maybe it's not really... a problem?” She wasn't sure what to make of Tony's claim that the Marshal was actually in charge of the city, though. She was used to government having multiple departments laid out in such a way that no one department or figure could gain too much power over the rest, but it didn't seem like Alexshire's was built like that. She wasn't sure she believed Tony about the corruption, though. That was too much like a conspiracy theory for her taste.

“W-Well, but why don't they protest the warrant, then? If people are really this concerned about having those men barge in, why aren't they, um, I don't know... marching on city hall or something like that? That's what would happen back home, but... but I don't really know much about this system.” More than that, though, “But why would he even be worried about something like that, though? It's an elected office, isn't it? I mean, that's what I'd heard, but... surely he doesn't even need to step out of it? Only assign the case to his second or someone else? That wouldn't mean losing the job altogether, would it?”

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Isabel]

Isabel looked around the small group they formed, confused. A lot of things still doesn't make sense to her. Piper was right too, of course. The marshal shouldn't be directly involved in this investigation. However, if the marshal's wife wasn't a victim of circumstance... then what could be the motive?

“Why not look at things from another perspective? What if the marshal was involved with something illegal; something under the table... do you think it's possible? The wife could have been killed just to get at the marshal. A means to an end. But why vampires? What's the connection between the marshal and vampires? A conspiracy? But of what?”

Isabel frowned, and tried to digest all the ideas that kept on coming in her head. It was crucial that they solve this fast. A part of her though was telling her that they're already biting off more than they can chew. This wouldn't be easy.

[Piper]

The whole bar fell suddenly, deathly, silent. Piper swallowed audibly as all eyes turned their way. Piper wanted to think she'd misheard what Isabel had just said, but the reaction of the vampires in the Crypt made it clear she'd really just suggested an officer of the law - the officer in charge - was corrupt.

It seemed like there was more to it than that, though. As Ethan zipped across the basement to join them at the bar, only some of the patrons turned away. Most kept right on eavesdropping.

“See,” Ethan murmured in a stage whisper. “I knew I wasn't the only one who thought that! I mean, it's possible, right?”

Piper squeezed her eyes shut. She really wished she hadn't come by today. She had orders coming out of her ears and what, she'd decided learning her vampiric skills was more important? Just her luck she'd been here for this when she'd tried so hard to keep her head down.

“I have no clue,” she sighed, slumping her chin into the palm of her hand as she set her elbow on the bar. It didn't seem like anyone was interested her opinion anyway.

“Well, see, if you ask me, it was that whole thing with Bailey.”

That got Piper's attention. She'd heard so much about this Bailey character, but she'd never seen the elected queen. So far, she thought she'd probably like her. Piper agreed with most of her rulings, like her efforts to stop vampires from hunting "live prey". “Bailey? Um, what...”

“Oh, yeah, you don't know this, Pip, but she was in talks with the marshall about giving our Rose license to mete out punishments and decide our own laws within the cabal. As long as they didn't interfere with city laws. I'm not sure what exactly Bailey was aiming for, but I think it would have given us more leeway and maybe even eased some of the tension between vamps and regulars. If this whole thing hadn't happened,” Ethan amended with a vague wave probably meant to encompass the ongoing crisis. “No chance of it happening now, is there?”

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Txelu]

(( Hope you guys don't mind if I come in here ))


After the situation with the marshal had began, Txelu's visits to the Crypt had increased and become generally longer in duration. It bothered him that he couldn't manuever in the city as well as before, as he constantly had to check for the presence of vampire hunters or suspicious-eyed vampire haters. He returned Adelie's worried calls everyday to update her on recent news, not that there were much. Ella meanwhile portrayed her concern the first day he came to work after the marshal's official announcement by pushing him out of her store lest she gets arrested for "harboring a vampire". That ungrateful Nymph, he was still mildly fuming, exasperated as usual by her fickle attitude.

Txelu normally preferred to allow problems like this to solve themselves as most legal affairs eventually did, but the increasing complexity of the situation showed no possibility of that happening too soon.

He mostly listened quietly to the chatter of the other vampires, occasionally offering his own theories only to be responded to hesitantly. The repetitive questioning of the marshal's motivations, meanwhile, had gotten tiresome.

Yet here was a small group that actually seemed to be having a worthwhile discussion. Txelu approached the little spotlight they had created, and he casually pulled a seat near the nervous-looking Chinese girl as though only to discuss something trivial like the weather. The atmosphere was already intense enough -- no need to add more to everyone's anxiety. He propped up an arm on the table with his chin against his palm and smiled. "Hello, mind if I join you? Your conversation is interesting."

At Ethan's words he continued, "I agree with you and the lady there." He glanced at Isabel. "I don't think the problem is the marshal himself. If he had a natural hatred for vampires, he could have found reasons to target us before his wife was killed -- he has the power, after all. Someone else is behind this and using the marshal to achieve his or her own goals against the vampire race. First by worsening our diplomatic situation, like you suggested."

[Official NPC]

"Interesting" wasn't a word Mike would use to describe this conversation. "Out of hand", "troubling", "troublesome", or even "potentially fatal" were, but the scowl that had been forming on his face as he furiously wiped glasses had gone largely ignored by every single one of the morons. As if it wasn't bad enough that they were disrespecting Bailey in her own house, did they not realise the walls had ears? Who knew who the Marshal had working for him, and these idiots were talking freely about conspiracy theories.

“I still say this is all his doing,” came Tony's sullen contribution, his eyes narrowing on the newcomer. That kid, he couldn't have been more than eighteen when he was infected, but he carried himself like a grown-up. A smart one, at that, keeping his mouth shut the way he did... until now. Tony clearly didn't like him, but then, Tony didn't like anyone who argued with him.

“Nono!” Ethan shook his head vehemently. “The kid's right. I mean, don't you think it's a little convenient, the timing of it all?”

“And I say the kid's wrong, this has Oisin's fingerprints all over it. He's a wannabe tyrant out to take over the city and he knows we're the only ones who are strong enough to stop him.”

“You're all morons.” Mike's pronouncement was emphasised by the bang of the glass he'd been wiping on the bar top, forcefully enough for it to shatter. Instantly, he was facing a pack of bloodhounds as he lifted his bleeding thumb to his mouth and licked.

Oh, that was good.

“Cough up the cash if you want some of your own, this is mine.” In more ways than one. “And enough with this conspiracy crap. It was probably just some irate lover killed her in the heat of the moment and tried to make it look like one of us so he doesn't have to face the executioner.”

[Isabel]

One by one people kept on joining their group. It was starting to attract the attention of the majority of the vampires in the crypt and Isabel feared that this might escalate into something dangerous. As it was, the bartender's temper seem to be flaring up as he banged the glass that he was cleaning which ended up giving him a cut. The scent of blood permeated the air enticing the other patrons, the hunger reflected in their eyes.

Even with all this, Isabel ignored everything and toyed with the information shared earlier. Bailey. The female vampire leading the Black Rose. And she was in talks with the marshal. That is a big piece of news. It could well be a huge piece of the puzzle. I have to know more about this. “If someone else was really behind all this... then we could be dealing with someone from the higher powers. Who else could inflict this much damage in such short a time...” Speaking to no one in particular, Isabel voiced out her thoughts unknowingly without realizing the implications of what she had said.

[OOC: Edited. Sorry 'bout that x_x]

[Piper]

((Vampy eyes don't glow red. ))

The scent of blood made Piper's fangs ache, and made her grateful that it was so dimly lit down here, since she was sure her pupils had dilated. She held her breath, too, wondering if the other vampires were struggling not to leap across the bar and sink their teeth into Mike's finger like her.

She'd come a long way since Wolf had set himself up as her walking dinner table, since she almost killed Elise during the early days, but it didn't seem to matter how much blood she'd already taken. Give her a whiff of more, and her body reacted instantly. She could probably gorge herself and still want more.

“I... I'll take an iced heartlost with some blood and honey.” Except Mike was too busy rolling his eyes and slapping empty glasses onto the bar.

Well. She hadn't been able to beat them yet, so maybe she could join them. “I do think it's a little convenient,” she piped up, agreeing with Ethan even though the extent of their conspiracy theories worried her. “If the... If the Marshal's office is as corruptible as you say it is -” She tilted her head inquisitively at Tony, silently asking him to be honest. “- then... well, I don't know, he could be behind this, I guess. But... I don't think so? I mean, it seems a bit risky to me, you know? You're basically suggesting he killed his own wife, right? And if he had done that, I don't think he'd want to risk all this publicity.” She did have to concede, the more they talked about the possibilities, the less she felt like the papers and Oisin had the right of it. Especially with the way they were treating people who they even suspected of having fangs...

“We could be dealing with someone from the higher powers. Who else could inflict this much damage in such short a time...”

All eyes turned to Isabel, and some snickered. Tony was first to jump in with, “There ain't many above Oisin, that's for sure. Council, maybe, and they've been suspiciously silent through this whole thing.”

“Aye, but it's not been exactly short a time, you know?” Ethan shook his head. “They've been pretty sly about it, if you ask me, if this was the intended way of things. Who would even benefit from ruining our relationship with the locals, though? I mean, we're not exactly on hand-holding terms but we've been doing pretty good until this whole debacle. No, if you ask me, someone's deliberately throwing spanners in the works to turf us out, and that can only mean turf war.”

“Turf... turf war? You mean like... gangs?”

Ethan shook his head with a snort of amusement. “I mean like Alexshire's our territory. Black Rose turf, but that doesn't stop other vampires from wanting it. This place is pretty sweet, you know? 'Course, some of you are too young to know what a turf war means,” Ethan said, eyeing Piper and Isabel thoughtfully, “but it can get pretty nasty. We have the home advantage, and if Bailey's talks with the Marshal had panned out we'd have had the locals on our side. What better way to give "them" an advantage than to force us to lose ours?”

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Txelu]

Txelu tensed as the smell of "food" hit his senses, although the only visible sign of that was a twitch of his hand on the table's surface. Blue eyes unyielding to temptation, he looked away from the sight of Mike's cut and scanned the faces of the other guests instead as a distraction. It was a good thing that he had already drank several glasses of blood, or else the vampire's true nature might have taken over and forced him to act unwisely.

He highly doubted that the marshal had killed his own wife, unless Oisin was a truly heartless man without a single ounce of ruth in him. He didn't know the marshal personally enough to judge that of course, but Oisin did stand in a fairly esteemed office. He had to hold some respectability.

Disregarding that, Txelu felt sure that whatever person or group was really behind the ordeal possessed a substantial amount of skill and knew exactly what they were doing. "The Council has been silent?" He looked inquisitively at Tony. "Could we suspect anyone from the Council, then?"

He drummed his fingers on the table in thought over the potential for what Ethan called turf wars. "Either way, the Marshal has placed the basis for all his actions on that one killing." Ever so slightly, he smiled darkly. "If we could perform a hunt of our own and find the true killer, it would solve much for us."

[Isabel]

“There ain't many above Oisin, that's for sure. Council, maybe, and they've been suspiciously silent through this whole thing.”

True. That much Isabel knew and if the council was truly involved, they'd be in over their heads in solving this one. And the turf war that was suggested, that wouldn't be too farfetched an idea either. It could be a possibility.

“If we could perform a hunt of our own and find the true killer, it would solve much for us.”

Isabel looked towards the new comer. He was bold to even suggest that openly; knowing full well that the council could possibly be involved. She already made a commitment though and she was determined to see it through. With what information she was able to gather, it would be hight time that she leave and inform the others. Though help would definitely be needed, Isabel thought that bringing the others from this group might just pose additional problems. After all, if all of them were to start investigating, it would surely catch the attention of the higher-ups.

Isabel stood and left a few bills on the counter for her drink while giving the others a weak smile. “I think I should be going now. It's getting late and I still have some things to do.” Taking her leave, Isabel gave Piper a last wave and left the bar.

[Official NPC]

“Aye, you could suspect anyone on Council,” Ethan nodded pensively. “They'd stand to lose revenue from tourism, I guess, if people found out vamps were running around freely, but then, this place has always been more accepting of us than most towns, so...”

“Bah, you could suspect anyone who's got the stones and the cash and enough investment in things staying the same to risk the executioner's block,” came Mike's irritated reply. He was clearly beyond frustrated with the conversation, but tied to the bar by his job.

“Bottom line, nobody wants us here, chick.” Tony raised his newly filled glass to the two girls who'd started all this, his wink and salute overflowing with sarcasm and bitterness.

“But if we could find out who really did kill that woman, Bailey'd at least have a leg to stand on when they come knocking at the door. For sure.”

“Aw, leaving us, chick? What, we scaring you?” Tony's laughter was just as bitter as he shot back the glass and swallowed the contents in one gulp, then set the glass down with a thud and waggled his fingers in a goading goodbye. “Wonder how long she'll last out there, 'til she learns to keep her trap shut?”

[Piper]

It seemed like the conversation was winding down, and Piper couldn't hide her relief. It was palpable, enough that Ethan gave her a sly wink as if to say he knew she'd rather be anywhere else, and Piper blushed furiously. Thankfully, even though he and the others continued the debate, Isabel decided to leave. Unfortunately, she was fast enough that Piper, loathe to abandon her drink, couldn't swallow the remnants before the other girl was gone, and so she was forced to give chase.

“Hey, Pip, same time next week?”

Pausing to turn back halfway to the basement stairs, Piper waved and nodded vaguely, her free hand lifting to toss one of her braids back over her shoulder where it belonged. She could hear Ethan's chuckle all the way across the bar as he turned back to the conversation to jump in with something. Piper wasn't listening, though, not any more, and instead rolled her eyes.

The braid flung itself right back where it shouldn't be when she turned to leave.

“Nice out,” Marcus called from behind his desk as Piper burst out through the basement door and glanced around for Isabel.

“Is it?” She gave the old man a shy smile. He'd terrified her that first day she'd come here, but as she visited more and more, she'd realised he was more or less harmless. He was always complaining about his bones aching, too, so if she wanted to catch up to Isabel, she had to skip out fast. “Did you see - ?”

“Yup. Headed out. Night.”

“Night, Marcus!” Waggling her fingers, she skipped down the dimly lit hall and pushed open one of the thick doors without much effort, blinking furiously as the light hit her eyes. “Isabel? Isabel, wait up!”

((I can so edit if you don't like the GM, Amber, but when you said Isabel'd left the bar, I figured that meant she was leaving the hotel too, and thought I'd skip the hotel's innards. Please let me know if that's not okay!))

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality