The clouds were backlit against the still moon, like a patient etherized upon a table. The fog licked into the corners of building, prowling around chimneytops and settling against windowpanes, like a malingering feline. Shadows filled the narrow streets below, broken by infrequent lampstands. The widers roads and courtyards in front of prominent buildings were illuminated from the surrounding windows. Those were the streets which, for now, Ed chose to avoid.

It was cold and lonely, which was an intrinsic part of his espionage duty, and not one which he favoured. Nevertheless, it was his job, and while he was on it he couldn't afford not to take it seriously. The meeting here in Arcadia wasn't due to start for another two days. Lycans, Vampies and Shifters were already starting to gather in the city, but as always, they avoided contact until the opening of the meeting itself in Ashdown Hall. The humans of the city knew it as St Cuthberts Cathedral...but then, of course, they 'knew' a lot of things. For example, they 'knew' that the city was a late Dutch collonial settlement, built because of it's convenient river access to the coast. The truth - that it had been founded by the three races in order to establish a neutral territory in which to meet - was entirely omitted from their history books, and many people had lived and died to keep it that way.

Ed could only watch so much from the shadows, however. And his destination was nearing. He pulled his coat tightly up to his chin, and brushed his hair back with his hand. A slight shiver took hold of him as a smokey gust of air blew past; indication that a main street was up ahead. The street which led down to Ashdown Hall. He stopped at the end of the alley, and looked around before stepping out into the light. Very few people were around. His heightened sense of smell told him they were all human; but with the pungent air of the city, that couldn't always be entirely relied upon. There was always an element of risk.

As soon as he stepped out he was forced to abandon caution and reserve, walking casually and confidently along the pavement. The people he passed paid him not attention. They had no reason to. He had gone to great pains to conceal his nature. His full-length coat was pulled tightly around him, he held a sombre expression to give no indication of the elongated canine's concealed within his maw, and his hair was styled in the contemporary human fashion. Only another Lycan could possibly smell him out for what he really was.

The large church was not difficult to spot; it dominated the end of the high street, it's Gothic spire towering high above the surrounding rooftops. The stained glass windows were lit; Ed knew that a vigil Mass was taking place inside. That didn't interest him. He circumvented the front of the building, and made his way down the side, once again allowing the shadows to consume him. A little way down he found a smaller side door. The entrance by which all three races would gain access to the underchambres of the building two days hence. By all rights, there was no reason anybody should be in there now. And yet, for some reason, light filteres out underneath the wooden door.

Ed looked and sniffed. The variety of scent's was too great to make a conlusive assessment, so he adopted a slightly awkward stride and approached the door, knocking on it loudly and slouching to the side like a slightly drunken wanderer. From behind the door came an irritable shuffling, a few mumbles, before eventually it opened a crack and dark eyes peered out.

"Yes?" a shifty voice asked.

"Oh hello," Ed said, rounding his speech off with a fake slur, "is Father O'Donnell hearing confessions in there?"

The eyes looked him over, the suspicion exchanged for pure disdain. "Wrong door, use the main door and find the priest after Mass has finished."

"Eh??" Ed stumbled forward, his hand landing on the wall beside the door to support himself, and his head turning to look at the stranger speaking from within. He suddenly burst into seemingly intoxicated laughter. "Oh I do apologise! My mistake! Wrong door."

He turned and walked back towards the main street. As soon as he heard the small door close, his walking phased back into his usual stride, and a grin crept onto his fair face. That had been a vampire in there....no mistaking. What were vampires doing in there two days before the meeting?

He knew what he had to do next. He had to make contact with Lissa. They'd not been dispatched as a pair this time, but he was sure she would be operating in the area. All he had to do was find her...if she didn't find him first.

Alastair slowley moved in his home. he was rarely let out considering he was one of the young shifters. He was also extremly bored. He walked through the green halls of the outside of the Isles. He wondered if anyone was there at the time. It was dark outside and like usual, woke up very late. He began his treck into the more beautiful insides of his home. He hated the fact that he was the youngest. But loved the fact that he was the laziest. Alastair settled himself on a couch on the inside of the large room and moved into a comfortible position. He pushed his hair back and proceeded to sleep before being awoke just a minute later by thunder outside. Damn. He hated bad weather.

Alastair moved upwards and put his hand under his chin. What To Do? Oh, wow. He almost forgot he can shape shift. He had never been four animals in his whole life. A hyena, a wildebeast, a Vulcher, and a Piranha. Today he would cut it down to three. He walked outside to the gigantic ocean. Well at least he thought it was. He then went through the short but painful transformation from him to a Piranha and roamed the seas.

ooc: Sorry if its short. Not a long post person!

*****- Christelle Rockford: Vampire: – Gamma

Darkness filtered over the halls of cobbled history as the faint sound of striding heels echoed bouncing of the walls, a stray spider crawling quickly into a hole within the stones that sheltered its home. Bright red material flowed across the well worn grey marble floors reminding of blood trailing through thick runny paint.

All through the under chambers of Ashdown Hall roamed the sounds of distance presences, they settled and patrolled as ordered calming their nerves and disgust for the arrival of what was to come. Christelle Rockford was no different as she glided through a lonesome hall her red dress accenting her child like figure the material long and a recent highly fashionable Paris design. Her feet mirrored Italian black heels announcing her presence as she reached two large double oak wooden doors decorated in delicate carving.
With a strong uncaring expression she placed her hands on the doors pushing lightly as they creaked open loudly, it would have taken two human men to open those doors because of the weight they held, yet for a child like Christelle it was nothing for one reason alone.

She was no ordinary child, she was a child of the night, considered an abomination of her kind due to her incredibly slow aging, she would be trapped within the form of a child’s body for decades beyond reason as a creature hated by her own kind to no reasoning of her own mistakes. To be made at such a young age was a crime against her as she was forced to suffer an eternal victim to the change she was forced into. The change that had created her, a vampire’s poison.

Not wasting time she strided forward into the room behind the large oak doors, the floors gleamed in a polished wood and the walls neatly decorated in fine royal purple paint as a deep brown mahogany wood etched around half of the walls. Directly across from the oak doors stood a deep mahogany built stage only a step higher than the flooring as three finely built throne type chairs sat elegantly. The centre of them rose higher than the others laced with the same royal purple of the paint as it signified an importance which needed to be dignified.

Clutching to the edges of the grand room huddled groups of women and men their eyes averting to Christelle upon her entry either with distain to her existence or uncaring to her presence in anyway. Ignoring them with blissful ease Christelle headed forward with confidence towards the stage that was the reason for the gathering of the other vampires within the room. Two of the chairs sat empty, however the centre throne was filled with a feeling of authority and slight intimidation to the eyes of most vampires sometimes even fear, yet within Christelle's eyes she saw only admiration and appreciation.

***** - Aziel Sutton: Vampire: – Clan Leader

Aziel Sutton sighed leaning his head upon his hand as his elbow rested on the arm of the throne; his eyes darted around the room listening intently with his heightened senses to the conversations of his clan members. They were pointlessly gossiping as was usual within the courts of his presence, they knew of his hearing so dared not mention even the slightest bad words towards him.

It made him roll his eyes his fingers of his free hand moving in a slow rhythm as though impatient for time to move forward. By his orders the vampires of the three great races had arrived earlier than schedule to Ashdown hall in Arcadia, a city built by the three races, it was a vast city with many secrets that were lost to the present day. Humans were unaware of its true name and purpose as they measly mocked around their beliefs of the city’s origins even daring to settle home upon its great lands. However they were only allowed to do so for one reason alone, it kept the city hidden from the human’s eyes, what best but to hide things in plain sight.

The sound of the large oak doors creaking open caught Aziel’s attention only to frown at what they brought him, Christelle Rockford glided quickly towards him as though she had withered without him for this short time and he her water to the life that she lived. The coven glared at her as usual as she daintily stepped onto the stage and made her way towards him so effortlessly, no other vampire would dare step on the stage he sat upon without his permission other than her.

He wouldn’t have cared so much if they did, it was but just a mere stage, however the respect and fear his coven held over him was something he could not change whether he liked it or not. The only reason he sat so openly on the throne drawing attention towards him was because of the expectations that were held of him. Being Clan leader was harder in many more ways than one may think, not only did he have to concentrate on protecting his clan members from the dangers of Shifters and Lycans, but he also had to uphold their prejudice views of what a Clan leader should act like.

Christelle stood beside the throne her small height reaching his face as he sat comfortable on the soft purple satin, moving her hands she spoke to him through the use of her sign language. On the night of her second birth her throat had been ripped out by none other than a Lycan rendering her voice box useless and dignified to sign language for the rest of her life.
“Aziel where have you been I’ve missed you. Did anything interesting happen?” she asked forever glued to his side whenever she had the chance to be her attitude towards him like that of an obsessed fan.

“Nothing of importance Christelle, must you always ask me this when I leave your sight?” he sighed a little tired of her but too used to it to complain anymore. She had not left his side since he discovered her and killed her maker around thirty-six years ago, she was now fifty-eight years old, a baby in vampire years.

“Of course” she stated matter of fact always blunt with her words “how would I keep myself from growing bored without you? I grow lonely when you cannot see me” she pouted her eyes showing sadness in a manner that could be considered cute if Aziel was weakened by children. She reached out grabbing the sleeve of his black shirt tightly as though comforting herself of the idea that he was infact real.
“Try playing a game or something, you’re a vampire Christelle not a silly human child” his words came out in an irritated tone but they weren’t cruel or dishonest, for this reason Christelle was not so affected by them as some others would be. She always overlooked his harsh attitudes.

In truth Aziel had left her to do business, he had been deciding where members of his clan should situate themselves on guard on the underground chambers of Ashdown Hall. They had arrived early for one reason alone to this neutral meeting of the three races, he had wanted to learn as much as he could of Arcadia’s secret passageways and layout before the others could, he wanted the upper hand should anything bad happen.

White silk sheets lay in disarray on a massive bed, blemished with deep crimson puddles that seemed to continuously expand into the fabric like a violent sunrise. The naked limp body of an unbelievably handsome man lay sprawled at the center, bite marks glistening all over his tanned skin like vermillion constellations. From his neck flowed the end of his life; shining, warm, delicious.

Isabella stood, stark naked and stunning in her bed chamber, regarding the now useless treat that lay used up on her bed. Her mouth had an unnerving and unnatural deep red shine, the blood clinging to her pillow lips, as she smiled in a satisfied way. His blood had been delicious; youthful, healthy, and rich... just what she liked. The sex had been average, however, but nothing terrible. She had certainly had worse and they had paid dearly for it.

Crossing the room, licking the last drops of warm blood from her lips, she entered the bathroom and began to get ready for going to the royal hall to meet with her cousin and perhaps her brother if he was around. She took her time, not bothering to rush despite the fact that her 'play time' had made her quite late, and bathed before drying and dressing. Isabella tried on numerous dresses, having hundreds of them in her massive closet, before finally choosing a particularly interesting one. The fabric was thin and glossy, black and white stripes cutting across the dramatically cut dress, and was hemmed in a way to show off a jaw dropping amount of her seemingly mile long ivory white legs. She slipped on metallic high heels, making her a goddess at over 6 feet tall, and applied makeup. She had servants that would attend to her, but she enjoyed the vain process of applying her own makeup and doing her own hair. Once her makeup was complete, dark metallic black and silver shadow and mascara to accent her chilling silver-blue eyes, she set about doing her hair. Teasing it into a sexy wild side braid, which hung to her waist in a shining dark brown, she stood and regarded herself.

"Perfect." She purred, turning on the spot to ensure she looked flawless (which she always did, of course), before exiting the room. A pair of servants stood in the halls, looking sheepish and awkward, knowing that they would be cleaning up after the princess' play date. She regarded them with lowered lids before speaking in a husky voice like smoke, "Clean my chambers, please. Things got a little messier than usual." The pair nodded and scrambled to get into the room before she spoke again, "Oh, and you can have what's left if you would like. He was really quite delicious." She added generously with a suggestive smile before carrying on down the hall. She passed a number of vampires on the way, some backing away in respect while others gazed after her in awe and lust as her hips swayed and breasts swelled in her dramatic gown.

She threw the doors open, entering the hall, and was immediately irritated to see the child vampire Christelle bothering her dear cousin but elected to ignored her entirely, "Dear Aziel!" She called, voice dominating over the hushed gossiping in the corners of the hall, and walked towards him. Her ice blue eyes focused on his face, lips quirking in a playful grin, "And how are you this eve? Pardon my lateness, dinner took longer than expected." She said, sliding into the throne next to him, looking over her bare fair shoulder at him.

Arianna was cornered. She pressed herself firmly against the wall. Her set of blue, almost violet eyes surveyed his face with malice. She felt naked under his scrutinizing gaze - his eyes seemed to undress her, and she hated that feeling. This was a normal routine and a hated one. It wasn't unlike him to drop by her chambers. He was a handsome vampire - young and inexperienced with a taste for making her uncomfortable. Today, however, she didn't have the patience to deal with him. The way he had cornered her was a simple, stupid maneuver with hands on either side of her. It left him open for attack. She'd have to teach him to be smarter.

A minute later she was on her way down the hall, quite satisfied as she recalled the expression he'd made when she kneed him in the groin. At that moment she wanted silence. It needed to be quiet. Passing Isabella's room didn't help her cause. She stopped, overwhelmed by the incredible smell radiating from the room. Arianna placed a hand over her mouth as her fangs pricked her lips, hungry. She hadn't had a decent meal in... well actually, she couldn't remember. Maybe she was just too lazy to find a satisfying victim, but the humans lately weren't appealing to her.

Irritated that Isabella would leave such a mess, the redhead glided down the hallway and towards the throne room. She knocked upon the door before poking her head around the corner, entering, and bowing towards Aziel. She'd always been fond of him despite his temperamental personality. Isabella, however, had always been on her naughty list.

"Excuse me," she said, shy side coming over her. She was very aware of Aziel's taste for AB positive blood. Part of her was frightened. Part of her was intrigued. "There is a very distracting mess in the room of Isabella. The servants look as if they are to be cleaning it up but..." She trailed off, irritation soaring. Arianna didn't say any more, but backed off slightly. She didn't want to let her temper get the better of her.

Perched upon the ledge of a small, homey, cottage building crouched a lean figure hidden among the night's shadows. The tips of their long fingers were pressed against the rough surface of the roof for unneeded balance as they absentmindedly stalked a mundane couple walking along the cobblestone path below. Indigo Paisley was suppose to be doing anything but what she was doing at the current moment in time. Perhaps she should be by her Alpha's side, doing his bidding which mostly consisted of boring errands. Listening to his monotone voice drone on and on about issues that did not concern her nor the pack. No thank you.

The fingertips of her right hand swept across her forehead, brushing back a few thick, silky chestnut curls back into place. All her hair laid unkempt and tousled due to the fact she felt not the need to fix it. Even though there would be a meeting in Ashdown Hall at some point, it did not worry Indy the least bit. Her hair, that did not bother her, but the meeting itself? That was a different story. She was weary about the whole situation. What if one of those Lycans tried attacking one of her pack-mates? Or one of the vampires? They thought they were so much better just because of their "flawless" looks. Indigo shuddered and pulled her small, leather jacket closer to her body gently as a large gust of wind burst across the land viciously. The cold bit at her cheeks, making her almost want to bite back, but she restrained herself. Giving a prompt jerk she stood in a fluid movement.

Indy had lost the two she had been stalking for blocks. She gave a bored shrug and twisted to the side, lunging forward in an almost aggressive notion. This landed her to the side of the roofing, without second thought she then pressed the balls of her feet downward and jumped. For a split moment she was free-falling, before she felt her black boots hit another roof of lower height silently. She was always quiet it seemed. In a pace she kept in large strides she walked, strange plum/purple coloured eyes a bit wide as she swept the area. Nowhere, nowhere in sight they were. Had they sensed her presence? No! Preposterous! Humans were weak little things that couldn't hear the loudest sound, even if it was directly by them.

"Jeffery! Stop!" A girl's voice squealed, causing Indigo to pause. If she was in any of her common forms her ears would have perched themselves forward in obvious curiosity. She glided to the edge of the room she was at, watching beneath the shadows. There they were! The girl's bubbly laugh bounced off the small buildings, embedding itself deep within Indy's head. She shuddered, amusement crossing her features. The human male began chasing the girl down the cobblestone path from the way they came. A grin had formed on his thin lips and he was now laughing as well.

"Jeffery!" she girl screeched, trying to outrun him, yet it was useless.

"The predator has caught its prey." Ind whispered with light sarcasm, the comment a gentle sound in the harsh wind, not heard by a soul or so she thought.

"It's not nice to spy on people, Indigo." A familiar, deep voice commented, causing her to stand up and whip around quickly. To her dismay stood her cousin, Archer. He had grown taller since the last time they saw each other, she presumed. "Archer!" Indigo said, her voice soft, lingering with an absentminded purr. Archer was looking straight ahead, over her shoulder, but the corners of his lips tugged upwards, hinting at a smile. "That would be me," he agreed, relaxing his muscled arms at his sides, them previously being crossed. How he found her, how he got up on the roof, how he knew where to turn and speak to her.. Indy did not know. She had known Archer all her life, they were relate after all, and she found out long ago it was best to not even ask those sorts of questions. He was a Lycan, and by some mix of heritage Indigo was a Shape-shifter. He and her got along great, their packs, however, did not agree with it. What were they suppose to do, act like they didn't even know each other? "I am guessing you are here for the meeting later." Indy mused in a smooth voice, grinning when Arch rolled his pale green eyes.

"No, I was just passing through and thought. . .-Of course I'm here for the meeting!" he exclaimed, shaking his head as if disgusted by her "stupid" question. She glowered at him, yet he could not see it, naturally. However, one corner of his mouth twitched upward into a boyish smirk, like he knew. "It's possible," Indy grunted,

"But not likely,"

"Your point?" her voice rose in a bit of annoyance, Archer chuckled.

"My point is we should start on our way to Ashdown Hall, do not want to be late, now do we?"

"Is that a trick question? Because, I really do not want to go. Meetings are seemingly boring, I am actually hoping a fight will break out." Ind explained, strange coloured eyes seeming to spark then catch fire, burning with a deep longing. She hadn't been involved in a good fight in...Forever. Archer sighed heavily, lifting a lightly tanned hand, running it through his short brown hair; It was something he done when annoyed and or stressed. "Only you," he grumbled, voice so airy the mere mortal would not have been able to hear him. At the moment, Indigo realized they were standing on a roof still, what if someone saw? She always thought ahead to have the upper-hand in any scenario.

"Let's just go," she said, swiftly stepping to the edge of the house's roof. Tugging the collar of her leather jacket upward Indy cast a glance over her shoulder to make sure Archer was following. Despite the fact he couldn't see a thing, he followed her silent footsteps precisely, since they were not silent to him. His hearing was absolutely excellent. Smiling half-heartedly Archer nodded, as if telling Indigo to go on. His eyes were fixed on the vast darkness. With that she simply stepped from the roof, dropping to the ground and landing on her feet gracefully, like that of a cat. Once Arch made the plunge she began to walk, heels of her boots making a slight 'clinking' sound as she moved, so she could blend if any mundane was out at the hour; Also to help out her cousin. The weary feeling entered the pit of her stomach once more, but did not display itself among her face. They would soon be at Ashdown Hall, where anything would most likely happen.

"Do you remember when we were younger? That time we went searching for monsters?" Archer had begun behind her, his voice laced with happiness. Ind, surprisingly, let a small smile cross her soft lips.

"How could I forget?"

A dark figure stood motionless on the back alley window sill, head tilted slightly upward before a faint snort could be heard. “I’m never going to get that smell out of my system now. Amazing what humans can think of to toss out and stink like hog heaven.” Mumbling to herself, Kina dropped from her perch and landed gracefully on the ground below; bending her knees to take in the impact out of impulse before straightening once again to look around her.

“We haven’t even been here that long and everyone just disappears into thin air.” Head tilted again, sampling the air for the familiar scent of her pack, she could only let out another cross between a sneeze and a snort to clear her sinuses of everything picked up. Faint shadows playing across the ground from the dim streetlights, the hairs on the back of the Lycans neck rose at the mere solitude of the place. A simple human threat would not even be enough to bat an eyelash at, but with the meeting drawing closer at Ashdown Hall, Arcadia would be crawling with the three races.

Taking off at a sprint, she slowly built her speed to a run. Wind cutting past her ears and through her hair as she weaved through dumpsters and murky water in the back alley. Her limbs gladly flexed their muscles to the familiar movement, wanting to go faster than the girl was allowing them to work. Now was not the time for a tromp through town, and being caught up in a head rush was not the best excuse for missing the meeting.

Pace slowing as she came to the end of the alley, Kina adapted her posture before moving to the corner of the building. It was always so easy to forget oneself among the humans; but the other’s nature always seemed to be drawn to something appearing different, and walking about with the gate of a predator was one cause of unwanted attention. Slipping around the corner she proceeded down the open street toward the direction of the chapel. Shoulder hugging the passing buildings and corners for a better chance to slip out of sight in the shadows cast between the structures.

Pausing to look at her watch and readjust the strap at a deserted corner, she carefully sampled the air one last time keeping her head low and controlling the urge to bite her lower lip in irritation. The last thing she needed was to have some teenager round the corner and play ninety questions on where she got the fangs, and then spend another ninety questions insisting they were suppose to look like werewolf canines. She would know after all, not some kid quoting whatever movies Hollywood dished out.