Xander's Cross, Oregon: a small town ringed with forbidding mountains and misty forest. The sky may be gray, but the townspeople are welcoming to people of all kinds...and things that are not quite human as well. Here the native shifters, aliens, werewolves, and witches live in peace. They have yet to find out the new business owners encroaching on the land are also vampires.
The peace has been broken by murder, however, and things in Xander's Cross are about to become quite a bit darker.
Welcome to your new home.
is it better to out-monster the monster or to be quietly devoured?
August 20, 2020
The mayor, Rowan Starkwood, was found dead less than a mile from his home. Rumors say his body was mutilated, but the state of the body has not yet been released to the public.
Post by Grant Finnegan on Oct 6, 2020 20:13:29 GMT -5
It was common for the Mayor's assistant to go on a late-night jog considering he had long work hours, and his little brother was nearly an adult that didn't need him to constantly babysit him. (Or so he hoped) He liked the exercise, it kept him nice and fit and he had a way to release pent-up work stress through the exercise. Normally his routine was run from one side of Xander's Cross and then back home. With how small the town was it was easily achievable. As of the last few months however, he tended to take a detour on his runs for a quick "water" break.
He was jogging by the Bed and Breakfast. The Lavender Moon was a cute little place that the tourist just ate up, but in Grant's opinion...It wasn't as cute as the blonde owner. Was on the street and then he wasn't, once he made sure there was no cars and no one was watching. It was late, and most people weren't out at this hour. He ducked down, creeping along the side of the B & B, probably looking like some creeper or burglar. He moved quickly yet silently to the back porch, his tennis shoes avoided that one squeaky board he'd discovered the first time he'd snuck over. He found the spare key in it's usual spot, and unlocked the back, putting the key back where it belonged before he slinked inside. He closed the door behind him quietly, finding himself in the kitchen, he moved to the sink and got washed his hand before cupping some water and dampening his face, washing away some of the sweat from his run. He dampened a paper towel and then ran it over the back of his neck before drying his face with another, and then throwing them away. He moved around the kitchen with familiarity, as he'd also helped fix the place up.
He spotted a bouquet of flowers on the kitchen island that needed more water, so he quietly took the vase and refilled it, fluffing a few of the flowers before he sat them back. He heard movement then and stilled. He didn't know if Selene had anyone staying that night, as a panicked reflex (since they were secretly dating and it would be weird to find a strange man in her home and business by anyone else) He suddenly ducked down to hide behind the island. Hugging his knees to his chest as he further listened.
Post by Selene Varlett on Oct 9, 2020 23:23:39 GMT -5
It had been a quiet and uneventful evening for the most part, which, to Selene, was both good and bad. It made for a long night, but it also meant that there had been no issues with anything- no fires to put out. There were only a few guests staying the night. It used to discourage Selene when she didn’t have a full house, but she had come to realize that there were slow times of the year and the busier times made up for that.
After dinnertime, a lot of the guests seemed to gather on the back porch, overlooking the small lavender field. Occasionally, she would join them and they would talk with her and she would learn about people and hear stories- it was definitely her favorite part about her job. She got to know people, hear gossip, and anything that people were willing to talk about. Today, one of the guests had told her she had needed to get away from her boyfriend because he often made her feel bad about herself and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to stay with him. She needed the getaway and the time to think it over. The woman’s story hit home for Selene and it reminded her of the time when she was with Christopher and how Grant had come along and quite literally saved her. She never told the guests anything personal about herself, but she’d offer up advice when she could. Selene had given the woman a glass of lavender laced wine and they spoke for a good hour, eventually, the woman was convinced it was worth leaving the man and she would be happier for it. She’d pat herself on the back later for counseling a fellow woman in bettering herself, later.
It was strange how one moment, there was life and sound within the large manor, and then the next, it was eerily quiet with a few creaks and squeaks here and there. She had always been a night owl, though, and she enjoyed the silence as a time to reflect and ground herself- it had nearly become a personal ritual for her each night. So, with a stack of papers under her arm, she walked into the kitchen humming a song, beautifully, mind you. The papers were set down on the counter and then picked up a few dirty dishes that had been left out, setting them into the sink. Her eyes caught sight of the flowers that Grant had fluffed up and she tilted her head curiously. Something seemed off. Bright blue eyes glanced around the room for a moment and she ruffled the flowers herself, as if trying to fix whatever seemed off about them.
She shrugged to herself before she made her way around to the other side of the island and found the figure huddled into a ball as if hiding. A shriek escaped her and she quickly grabbed a knife from the counter and held it out. “Get out of my kitchen!” But at second glance, the man looked familiar to her and she let out an exasperated sigh and set the knife down sighing in relief. “Don’t do that to me!” Grant knew she was still jumpy over her past. Christopher could show up anytime he wanted to and she truly hoped that day would never come. Her brows furrowed in confusion and she laughed, “the hell are you doing?”
Post by Grant Finnegan on Oct 9, 2020 23:56:41 GMT -5
Okay...maybe not his best moment... Grant had huddled there at the island, listening as the woman came in. Recognizing Selene's voice as she hummed, he planned on coming out and making his presence known. He really did, but he was content to just listen. Maybe if he staid their long enough she'd wander back down the hallway, and he could follow after. That wasn't the case though and he didn't move fast enough around the island for Selene to avoid spotting him. Her shriek caused him to jump. So much so, he got caught off balance, and flailed for a second at seeing her wielding that kitchen knife, like a serial killer from a thriller movie. He toppled backwards, falling firmly on his butt, and rocking back a bit. He held up his hands instinctively in a surrender like manner, his blue eye were large the look on his face looked as if he'd been caught in the cookie jar.
His heart was hammering loudly in his chest, and for a second he just stared wide eyed up at Selene, before seeing her laugh. A sheepish grin appeared on his face as his own small huff of laughter came out. "Hiding, I thought you were one of your guest." He admitted. He began to chuckle as he rolled to the side to stand up, brushing off his sweat pants. "I suck at hiding, clearly." His expression softened as he looked at her, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. He really did feel bad for scaring her, and anyone else he'd have wanted her to stab with that knife. He as lucky she hadn't stabbed him with it. He kept his distance for the moment, unsure of how to approach her. He knew Chris had been an abusing piece of shit that honestly deserved four cement walls and a barred window but he couldn't do much about that. What he could do was try and help Selene come over her fears of her ex. However he'd done such a swell job of that just now.
"I didn't mean to scare you, I'm sorry I did." He apologized. His tone genuine, as was the look he gave her. He slowly inched closer then. Placing a hand on the island and the other counter easily with his long arms, as he slowly began to lean closer. "Can I be forgiven?" A slow smile began to curl up on his lips. "Pwetty pwease?" He asked, batting those long dark eyelashes at her.
last edited Oct 10, 2020 0:03:05 GMT -5 by Grant Finnegan
Post by Selene Varlett on Oct 10, 2020 0:54:49 GMT -5
If she hadn’t been scared shitless by a man hiding behind her kitchen island, she may have laughed her ass off at the way Grant fell over and flailed on the floor out of fear. Her heart thundered in her chest as that fear slowly subsided after realizing it was only Grant and there was no harm to her. She placed her hand on her chest as if trying to steady her racing heart, and she tried catching her breath.
The whole display had quickly registered and replayed in her mind, which is what finally got her to laugh even more. The look on his face- Oh, she wished she had a camera. Bright blue eyes followed him as he stood up and brushed himself off. He was hiding because he thought one of her guests was coming. This was getting old- the sneaking around. But still-- Selene didn’t really know how to overcome that hurdle quite yet.
Her eyes followed him, softening as he looked and spoke to her in that genuine tone and apologized for scaring her. She was easily scared with certain things like that, so she couldn’t blame him too much, knowing that he hadn’t meant to. She could tell that he was cautiously approaching her- something that she appreciated about Grant- he always seemed to keep her feelings and reservations in mind, knowing well enough the things she had dealt with in her relationship before him. Her eyes trailed over him as he leaned on both counters and moved closer to her. Those eyes got her every time when he looked at her like that- and the muscles that flexed as he held himself up. Dear lord. She smirked and tilted her head as if she needed to consider his apology. His smile, though, was what did her over. She smiled a bit more and took a few steps closer towards him until she stood directly in front of him. Slender fingers reached out to touch his chest before curling into his shirt to grasp hold of the fabric and she carefully pulled him in as she leaned in closer, placing her face just inches from his. She feigned a look of damsel in distress as she batted her own eyelashes at him, pouting her lips. “I don’t know… Maybe.” She smirked and with her free hand, brushed her index finger down his lips before whispering very close to his lips, “maybe, with sugar on top?”
She breathed a small laugh out her nose and then placed both her hands on his chest, letting her eyes linger on his. “Kiss me and I suppose I shall forgive you.”
Post by Grant Finnegan on Oct 10, 2020 15:59:06 GMT -5
Grant's approach halted as Selene filled that distance between them. He kept his hands on the counters and kept his head tilted down. Not moving at inch as she came to stand in front of him. He watched her fingers wrap around his shirt, and caused an eyebrow to arch as he tried desperately to keep himself from grinning like a fool. He was pulled closer and chuckled at seeing her give him that damsel in distress look while his eyes flickered from her pretty blues down to that very kissable mouth that was getting dangerously close to his.
"Hmmm." Rumbled deep from his chest as that finger brushed his lips. He kept himself from nipping at it. Reminding himself to behave despite how easy it would be to close that gap she felt like teasing him with. "Oooh with sugar on top?" He asked, unable to keep the grin from spreading across his face. Her hands were warm against his chest, seeping through the cottoned fabric.
His eyes went from her mouth back to her eyes as she told him what he could do to be forgiven. "Suppose huh?" He asked, his eyebrow arching, as he bent his head down just a bit further, running the tip of his nose down the length of hers. "I better make it one hell of a kiss then." He smirked before he'd lightly brush his lips against hers. He pressed them more firmly against her own in a tender kiss before he was lifting his head, and then looking thoughtfully down at her. His brows furrowing. "Hmmm. That one won't do, I think need to beg for forgiveness more." He said with a small nod in agreement to himself before he dipped his head to kiss her again. This time, as his lips slanted against hers he gave her a proper greeting, but also something worthy of being forgiven for.
He kept his hands firmly on the counters, forcing himself to stay put and to play along with the little game they were currently playing but damn if it wasn't hard. Especially when there was a perfectly good flat surface that he could very easily plant someone's toosh on. After a few moments he managed to somehow pry himself away. He had second thoughts however and placed a few quick pecks back to to Selene's lips before smiled down at her. "Am I forgiven now?" He asked.
Post by Selene Varlett on Oct 11, 2020 22:00:50 GMT -5
Selene didn’t hide her grin as she watched Grant holding himself back despite her closeness and her teasing. “Mmm... Maybe a little extra sugar?” She nodded in response. “You know I have a sweet tooth.” She smirked and tilted her head as she regarded him. “And I haven’t had any dessert yet.” She just loved to tease him. If only to see that grin of his. She also liked the way he looked at her. It made her feel wanted, desired, and special-- something she hadn’t gotten much from Chris.
Her bright blue eyes stayed on him as he leaned in closer to her and ran his nose down hers. “Mmmhhmmm. It better be.” She playfully confirmed his suggestion, smirking until she felt his lips against hers. Her eyes slipped shut and she kissed him back, her fingers gently pressing into his chest. Her eyelids fluttered open when he pulled away and she tilted her head as if telling him he could do better than that. But before she could say anything, he already knew he needed to do better. “I think so, too…”
When he pressed his lips back against hers, she lifted her hands from his chest to take hold of his face, weaving her fingers into his hair at the nape of his neck. She held him there in the kiss until he pried himself from her. Her eyes remained shut a while longer as he placed a few more pecks to her lips. Once he stopped and she heard his voice, her eyelids fluttered back open and she looked into his eyes with a soft smile. “Hmmm. I guess I can forgive you now.”
She brushed her thumb against his cheek before leaning in and placing another quick kiss to his lips before dropping her hands. “How are you? I’m sorry I almost stabbed you.” She smirked, letting out a small huff of a laugh. “Did you have a nice run?”