undeadremcycle

[undeadremcycle]

Option B

Bars hadn't been Remmy's scene for a really long time, but sometimes being a vampire meant they couldn't sleep, and there weren't really a lot of other places open late enough to accommodate a person like them. They'd simply ordered a Sprite and found a table in the back corner, popping out their hearing aid and opening their sketchbook to a blank page before they'd started sketching what bits of the bar interior they could see.

They lost track of time and themself pretty quickly, and without their hearing aid in, Remmy didn't hear the last call. It was only when someone slid into the booth across from them that they realized the bar was empty, sitting up with a startle. "Oh, I--" they fumbled a moment, stuck their hearing aid back in-- "sorry, I didn't hear. I-I can go, if you need." They looked towards the bar and the floating beer bottle. "Neat," they said. "Huh? Oh, nah, I don't actually drink. Just soda for me."

@lunarcovestarters

Option A: Dilan

Dilan had been frazzled between Leyla’s mysterious illness and all the weddings that she was planning for the summer. With her assistant out on leave from stress it left everything in her hands. “Out of the way!” She yelled as she pushed through the crowd with a dozen balloons in her hand. Feeling a sharp pain as someone elbowed her in the side and she released the balloons instinctively to grab her side. Realizing a split second later what she’d done and panic set in. “No! No! No!” She screeched as she tried to grab the balloons that were floating up to the sky. Managing to get a few, but the others were quickly out of reach. “Don’t just stand there help me.” Dilan told them as she jumped to try and grab the rest of the balloons.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Option B: Poppy

“Alright it’s closing time.” Poppy said with a sigh as she threw the rag over her shoulder and walked to the door. Ushering out the patrons who were finishing off their drinks, she watched the glasses collect on the bar as people stumbled out. Noting a person still sitting at one of the tables after everyone had left, she walked over to them. Sitting down across from them with a smile, she crossed one leg over the other. “So can you not follow directions or is this just a lame attempt to spend time with me?” She questioned curiously. “If it’s the second then I guess you got your wish cause I’m here and could use a beer.” Using her telekinesis to bring over the beer that she had been nursing most of the evening. “I would offer to refill you, but I’m off the clock now.” She teased playfully. “So help yourself, just nothing from the top shelf.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Option C: Safiye

“Do you want me to get that for you?” Safiye offered pointing to the empty coffee cup that was sitting on the table in front of the patron at Peggy’s Dinner. “I can refill it if you want or just take it away?” Offering both options up since she wasn’t sure which one they’d prefer. “But if you want my suggestion take the refill and get a piece of pie. We just cut the pie and refilled the coffee so it’s all

[undeadremcycle]

"Oh, sorry," Remmy said, shaking their head. "Hopefully it ain't so bad for you. It's uh-- kinda, yeah? Like, you know somethin's heavy, right? And you go to lift it, but instead of it bein' heavy like you expect, it just ain't. Like lifting somethin' underwater but less wet." It was probably the worst way to explain superstrength to someone, but it also wasn't something Remmy thought a lot about. That was probably why they kept breaking their doorknob. "You just gotta learn new, like, limits. Ain't gotta squeeze as hard anymore and stuff."

They nodded along, trying to picture it in their head. "Kinda? I think I can figure it out from there, really. It does sound kinda neat, though. Talkin' to spirits. I always wondered if my mom was still around like that, you know? A spirit?"

They shrugged. "Guess so." Remmy scratched their chin in thought. "I dunno, I was kinda shit at school. Had a hard time readin' and figuring things out. I mostly ditched, anyway. But, uh, I always kinda liked math? I guess? Like number puzzles and shit are fun. Or geometry. I have a hundred sided rubik's cube that I love playin' with." Science was way too far out of the realm for Remmy. Gardening had never felt that way to them, it was more of a feeling. "Surprised Air B&B can run in a town like this."

Rohan sighed. "Oh, don't tell me that. Our house is old, and it's beautiful, mind you. We love it. But I don't want to make even more repairs for us. We've had enough already." Their home had become something of a money pit, with issues like wiring requiring more work than Rohan, perhaps in his naivete, had anticipated. "What does it feel like? Super strength, I mean? Does everything just seem lighter all of a sudden?" He wrinkled his nose. "I guess I'll see for myself, huh? But I'm sorry. I suppose I can't really show you what spirit raising is like. But maybe imagine...I don't know. Like every telemarketer in the world has your number. And you still need to answer the phone sometimes. So you get good at figuring out intentions quickly, but you still don't even answer during dinnertime. Is this long-winded metaphor making any sense?"

"I don't know. I guess I'll find out," Rohan replied, shrugging his shoulders. "What did you like in school? Were you...a science person? Gardening is kind of a science, isn't it?" He gestured around them. "And that's not even mentioning the Air B&Bs. Between you and me, though, I think those are mostly locals looking for somewhere to throw a party."

[undeadremcycle]

"Air force," Remmy says, "most of my life. I went in at 17." Remmy chews on their cake thoughtfully. "I think it's hard to pin down this place, I guess. Like a lot of shit happens, but then there's times where it's just, you know, another place. A town, with homes, and people. Like everywhere else, but sometimes there's magic shit going on." They shook their head. "So, nah, not all the time. Maybe you just caught it in a bad mood."

Remmy tapped their fingers on the table. "Maybe I will check it out sometime. Just, be warned. My singin' voice is shit," they said with a nod. They looked down at Moose, who lifts his head at the mention of his name and wags his tail against the cement. "Yeah, you got me there. He sure does make up for it, just with his face. I mean, how could anyone ever say no to a face like this, huh?" They pet his muzzle, then scratch under his chin, which makes Moose's back leg begin to twitch as if he were trying to scratch at himself. Remmy smiles. "That's his favorite spot."

"Stationed, huh? You part of the military or the navy or somethin'?" She asked curiously. "Yeah, I'm startin' to get that impression about this place too. I don't know if I've made up my mind about it yet? I wanna say yes, but after the dance and the shit people keep sayin', I'm startin' to wonder if I might have accidentally picked up and moved to hell? It ain't always death, murder and kidnappin' around here, is it?"

"Well, the great thing about karaoke, is that nobody is expectin' anybody to be good. It's all about havin' fun," She reasoned. "A lady actually," She rolled her eyes playfully over at them as she told Remmy, "But you're welcome. There ya go and oh please. I reckon this prince makes up for it a hundred ways, now don't ya, Moose?"

[undeadremcycle]

"I'm still trying to get used to the super strength myself," Remmy says, flexing their fingers, "I've broken more than a few doorknobs. My landlord probably hates me." As they listen, they try to imagine what that's like, opening up oneself to a different side or world or plane or whatever. Remmy rubbed the back of their head. "Sure, makes enough sense. Probably easier to uh, understand if it was shown to me." They were a very strictly visual learner, which was why the idea of losing their sight terrified them more than they cared to admit.

"Does that actually work like that?" Remmy asked, then, raising a brow in genuine curiosity. They knew so little about this world, really anything someone said could be true and they'd never know the difference.

"Nah, it sounds cool, that you like know all that obscure artsy stuff. I never did good with that kinda shit in school." They chuckled, nodding. "Life does seem kinda hectic sometimes, don't it?" Their gaze went out to the city beyond the garden, tracing around until it fell back on Rohan. "I think it's possible," they said with a soft finality, "with that many hotels, it's gotta be."

Rohan managed a smile. When he was a young teenager, he had perhaps thought of his abilities like superpowers, something that belonged to him and only to him. Having them, having Bustopher, was not unlike having a secret identity. "Yeah, I'd guess so. Super strength and speed incoming for me too," he murmured. "But...uh, you know, kind of? But in reverse. Holding a séance means opening yourself up to the other side. I sort of lived...closing it off when it was not the time for it. Does that make sense? One finds himself startled by the silence when it arrives." He shrugged, but even now, he was not entirely used to the lack of outside voices constantly vying for his notice.

Rohan laughed. "That's an optimistic attitude of my own heart," he joked. "Part of me hopes that maybe...maybe every full moon I can just...let the wolf do all the hard work, you know?" Rohan was not in bad shape, of course, and he enjoyed being active. Those dance classes at which he failed in college had required it. But he would just have never considered himself particularly athletic, certainly not the way it seemed many of the werewolves were.

"Don't apologize. You're not lame. I'm just a nerd. That musical came out in 1991, won three Tony Awards, and no one ever talked about it again," he replied with a self-deprecating grimace. "Besides, our real life is hectic enough. Who has time for fiction anyway?" A gentle nod followed. "Yeah. I was lucky. I hope we can...find that here too again, you know? Lunar Cove used to be quiet. Touristy even. We have, like, three hotels."

[undeadremcycle]

"Yeah, I remember that. I'm still sorry I couldn't get us a good tent. I hope Moose kept you warm enough during the night," Remmy said, rubbing the back of their head with slight embarrassment. "Man, I broke so many bones as a kid. Guess that's what happens when you leave a bunch of kids alone all the time. I was jumpin' off roofs and into alleys and down cliffs, I'm kinda surprised it took me this long to actually kick the bucket." They nodded at them though. "Good, good, that's good. Glad you had someone."

Remmy laughed, too. "I'd be happy to take you skatin' sometime. Not to brag, but I'm pretty good at it myself. The roller rink was basically, like, the only hangout in town. Or the movie theater." Remmy grew more serious at the explanation, though, trying to keep track of what was going on as much as they could. "Probably for the better, stayin' out of it an' all." It sounded a little like they were all in over their heads with this. Remmy ran a hand through their hair. "Shit, yeah...that sounds fuckin' awful. Did they find out who did it?"

≽·≼

Kaye nodded seriously, despite not relating. "I'm mostly comfortable indoors—but I think you probably guessed that after the camping debacle," they said, ducking their head a little as their cheeks heated, remembering the embarrassment. If it hadn't been for Moose and Remmy, the whole event would've been unspeakably awful. "Thankfully, this isn't so serious, and in the long run, I'm sure I'll appreciate that I know what a broken bone entails? With lifetimes like ours, we shouldn't be afraid of new experiences, even the terrible ones. And I knew I had people I could ask for help, if I needed it," they added, smiling gently.

She let out a small laugh, returning the teasing tone with a playful one of their own. "I do! But not under threat, I think? Maybe I should practice, just in case." But then they shook their head, amusement fading. "I'm not sure. I've been mostly staying out of it, if I'm honest. I trust that the Council's been occupying themselves with finding answers, though. Maybe Nyra or Meena know more?" They hadn't been to visit either of them recently, not wanting to be a bother, but put it on their list of things to check on, when time allowed. "I might be selfcentered, but the thing that has me worried more is that substance in the air they used to subdue the rest of our powers. It was..." They trailed off. "Unsettling. I really hope I don't have to go through that again."

[undeadremcycle]

"Oh, right, sorry, uh-- military. I was stationed over in Afghanistan for a few years." Sometimes Remmy forgot not everyone had the common knowledge to know all the terminology they used. They were just so used to it, being around people who would know. This new life-- or unlife, they supposed-- was all so different. "Yeah."

Remmy didn't really buy that at all. Gia didn't look fine and she certainly wasn't acting fine, but Remmy wasn't going to push it. They just wanted to help. Maybe some company would be nice for her. "Right." They trotted along after her, Moose in stride with them. "Yeah, I remember. It's a cool, old building. Have you always owned it?"

"Base camp." With her own mind a mess, scattered to the wind, it was difficult for Gia to recall the history of others. Especially those with whom she'd gone a decade or more without knowing. As much as she wished, her memory was not all encompassing. Particularly now, in the wake of her wolf bite. An experience that lingered mentally, even in the weeks after she'd physically healed. "I see."

Blankly, the vampire watched the other's fumble to offer consolation to perceived distress. With a sigh, Gia curtly decreed. "I'm fine." A conversation she further dismissed by walking away. Her direction in that of the Caffeine Crypt, because she'd never go anywhere else for coffee. "This way." She directed. "It's still in the same place as last time." While the shop had undergone modern renovation, the building itself was over one hundred years old. The structure original to its opening year in 1914.

[undeadremcycle]

"Honestly, sounds kinda like a super power. Though, guess magic basically is, huh? I ain't really sure how all that works. Was it like, how kids do seances and shit?" Remmy gave a nod back. They could understand losing a part of yourself to become something else. That's what had happened to them, hadn't it? They could barely recall it.

"Nah, don't worry about that. There's always more stuff to suck at," they joked back, shaking their head. "Well, I mean, as long as you ain't hurtin' yourself lifting, don't think there's really a wrong way to do that. It's always a good idea to stay in shape, yeah? Keeps you healthy."

Remmy scrunched their brow, unfamiliar with the reference. "Sorry, I'm kinda lame when it comes to stuff like that. Didn't have much time for theater and movies and stuff." Remmy shook their head again. "Not really, no. Wasn't much there for me to begin with, now there's even less." With the passing of their father, Remmy truly had no ties left to the small town. "Oh, really? That sounds nice, actually. Like a...peaceful life, you know?"

"Well, I did. My mother did. She could pick something up and read its entire story in every little scratch or imperfection. I think she passed it on to me, and when I was...well, when I was a witch, I was able to raise spirits. A lot of pieces of people find themselves tied up in the objects they once cherished." A weak nod came, but layered in these words was a hollow heaviness, one that seemed to radiate to Rohan's very core. But he fought it back in polite company, managing a fuller smile. He laughed.

"I'm running out of them, I think. My husband and I are going to start lifting maybe. Can't wait to be just awful at that." While his lycanthropic strength had not quite arrived yet, he thought that even with it he would not quite get the hang of gym life. Still, looking into Remmy's face, Rohan gave a shrug.

"I haven't turned yet, so we'll see how that goes. But I guess I just...head off to work after it. Shower. Coffee. Paws." He knit his brow. "When a thing is wick, it has a light around it," he murmured before thinking better of it. "That's...that's a song from a musical. I'm sorry. It was funny in my head, but I'm a theatre kid, you know?" He sighed. "Oh! I've, uh, never been. Do you miss it? I'm from Castine, Maine. It's right on the shore. Picturesque. Touristy, I guess. We ran a B&B."

[undeadremcycle]

"Ain't that the kicker," Remmy said back, shaking their head. "Yeah? You like, uh, like antique stuff? There used to be this old shop where I grew up that had a bunch of crazy shit. I loved going there and looking at it all." As far as consuming went, well, Remmy never had much. Not growing up, not when they were a full time soldier, and not now, when they'd just cleaned out their entire childhood home and sold it without a second thought. Remmy didn't need things, though. They never had.

"Well, maybe you just gotta start being bad at more things," Remmy joked back. "Oh, uh, thanks, yeah. I mean, probably one of the only things." Besides hurting people, whether that was with a gun in their hand or tape around their knuckles.

"Shit, yeah," Remmy shook their head. "Guess that was the weirdest part, having to just get up and keep goin'." They remembered how out of it they'd been the few weeks after they'd turned. They remembered stumbling back to their apartment, still covered in blood. Passing out, waking up. Needing more. They didn't have full memories of it, though. Just flashes and feelings. "I wouldn't worry about the garden, I think it'll grow regardless," the reassured with a grin. "Oh yeah? Me, too, actually. I'm from Rock Springs, Wyoming. Real middle o' nowhere shit. What about you?"

"Oh, yeah. Nostalgia's rather marketable right now. Everything has a Chia Pet or a Funko Pop, I guess, but personally, I think maybe we consume too much. I like finding old things to give new life. Or I did anyway. I've downsized a lot lately." And by that remark, Rohan, of course, meant that he had spiraled and trashed or gave away most of his various trinkets. Still, he managed a smile.

"I'm not sure about that. I'm bad at a lot of things, and acceptance is not really how I've been handling it." This came as though it were a joke, but like most quips, there was an element of truth. "Besides, you seem to be quite a good gardener."

He turned to the dog. "Hello, Moose." Rohan offered another smile, but hearing Moose was working, he made no real effort to intrude on his business. "I'm sorry too, but I think I know what you mean. Well, I suppose I remember mine. In excruciating detail, to be honest, but...you kind of just wake up, and everything's different. But you still have to be you, and you still have to get through Wednesday," he offered softly. "We're in similar boats, I think. Not to harsh the community garden's vibes today or anything." Rohan sighed. "In Lunar Cove, I feel like everyone knows everyone. But that's small town living, huh? I grew up in a town like that too. I used to live in New York, though. I don't think I'll ever get back there, but it's nice to imagine. Where are you from originally?"

[undeadremcycle]

"Oh, nah, ain't from there, I was stationed there for a few years. Did my circuit through Boston as well," Remmy explained. Then, they shrugged. "Honestly? Ain't the craziest thing I've heard from this place. You like it here so far, though? Heard some crazy shit happened not so long ago."

Remmy laughed a little. "I do, but I warn you, I ain't good at it." Still, they always had fun at the karaoke bars with their squad, singing as loudly and as badly as they could. It was something like a tradition before they were shipped off each time. "Alright, if you say so." They paid up and looked down at Moose, giving him a pat on the head while they waited. It was a nice day out, and they were more than happy to take a moment to enjoy it. "What a gentlewoman," they said back to Savannah, sitting in the offered chair. Moose started lapping up the water, making more noise than necessary, probably and Remmy nudged him. "Mind your manners, we're in the presence of a lady," they teased. Moose just licked his chops, then went back to drinking.

"I am, yeah. Though wicked? You from Boston or somethin'?" She mused, having never been herself but always wanted to. "Not long. A few months now, give or take. I know it might sound crazy, but I kept havin' dreams of this place as if it was callin' to me or somethin'." Now she knew it was likely just the memories of her past life haunting her dreams, but as the glimpses became more frequent, she knew she had to find answers, if only to make sure she wasn't completely losing her mind for her daughter's sake.

"Yeah, it is. Do you like to sing? Cause if so, then you have to swing by some time. You could keep me company while I'm workin' and make my day all over again," She tempted, as she flashed her sweetest of smiles Remmy's way. Giving them a small nod as she began to cut the cake. "I've got time and please. You're out here doin' me a favor. You're hardly puttin' me out," She waived off the thought as she moved to box up the rest of the cake and ring Remmy up. Once the cake was paid for, she moved to plate the two sliced and placed them down onto one of the cafe's tables that faced out to the street beside the window. She, then, fixed Moose a water bowl as well as his own paper plate with some doggy biscuits on it before she boxed up some more doggy biscuits for Remmy to be able to bring home with them. "There! You're all set with the rest of your cake and those dog biscuits here. I'll leave these in a bag on the top of the counter for ya, so that you can take them with ya when you're ready to leave. But, in the meantime," She moved to pull out Remmy's chair for them as she motioned with a tilt of her head toward the drawn out seat. "I pulled out the chair, if you wanna sit here and we can share some slices and you can tell me what you think. Just be careful of the water bowl to your left. I couldn't leave Moose out from our make shift little party, so I've got a whole set up for him as well."

[undeadremcycle]

"Geez," Remmy gave a low whistle, "seems like I missed a lot. Real sorry about that, a-and your arm." They'd been concerned when they first saw the injury, but they also knew Kaye was smart and that they could take care of themself. "Yeah, I broke many bones as a kid, getting the cast off was always both the best and worst part of it all. You know, besides the, uh, the breaking it part." Being left to their own devices meant Remmy had jumped off more than one roof or tried to race their bike down the side of a hill. "I like it, the flowers. Feels like Spring."

Remmy didn't really know how to feel about humans having powers. They hadn't been there for it so they didn't know what it had looked like, but they imagined it was pretty jarring for both of sides. "What, you don't like rollerskatin'?" They teased a little. "I mean, I get it, yeah. That's scary. Does anyone know how it happened? The, uh, powers?"

closed starter for @undeadremcycle where: the town green

≽·≼

Upon hearing the rumor that Remmy was back, it hadn't taken Kaye much talking-up to themself to get out of the shop and seek them out. Having picked up coffees (and treats for Moose), she felt relaxed under the early spring sunshine, meandering towards the gazebo in the town square and trading idle questions to the vampire along the way. "And that's... pretty much the latest, super powered humans and wolf attacks and organ theft and whatnot," she concluded, having run down a basic list of noteworthy goings-on around town. "I got the cast off earlier this week, which was a pain, but now I just have these for a while until it's fully recovered." They nodded towards the fabric sling keeping their arm mostly immobile. "And honestly, there's a lot of variation to play with, once I looked at the basic design, so it's not so bad. Today felt like a day for florals," they confided, with utmost sincerity.

"But honey, let me tell you, if humans keep running around with powers, we might be looking at a real shift in the winds. I'm not saying it's a bad thing necessarily, but if there's a chance of untrained abilities going off willy-nilly, then we definitely need to reconsider where we hold events. If the next one's at the roller rink, or something?" She pressed her lips together and shook her head. "Uh-uh. I will not be chased around in skates. I have a line and it won't be crossed."

[undeadremcycle]

"No shit? I remember those things. I'd always wanted one," Remmy chuckled. They gave a half shrug and smile. "I mean, just cause you're bad at it, doesn't mean you can't do it, right? I get why people don't feel that way, though. They like bein' good at things but when you're bad at most everything, you just kinda learn to accept it." Remmy never really thought they had any sort of talent or gift for anything, but they'd come to enjoy a great many things that made them feel happy, relaxed. The only thing Remmy had ever been good at was violence, and they didn't want to be that way anymore. They'd left that life behind.

"Oh, thanks. His name is Moose," Remmy said, patting the dog on the head, "he's a workin' dog. Smarter than his face makes him look." Moose woofed softly and wagged his tail.

Remmy watched as Rohan rolled up his sleeve to reveal the still healing bite on his arm. "Oh, damn, I-- sorry. If I'm being honest, I'm pretty new to all of this, too? Apparently I died and now I'm, like, undead and all that. I don't really remember it, how it happened. So it's kinda like, weird, you know?" They shrugged again, as if this were just a normal thing to discuss. Perhaps it was. "Yeah, sure, no rush. Whenever, really. I don't ever mind helpin' someone, especially if it's gardening." They gave a gentle smile, hoping to help relieve some of the stress of the situation. "Yeah, yeah it is. It's nice. And, well, you get to meet all sorts of people, right?"

"I had a Golden Girls Chia Pet kind of do okay?" Rohan suggested with a joking grimace, shrugging his shoulders. "That's a very generous view. I almost envy it." He did not think anyone could do anything; those who could not do, wrote. And those who could not write, Artistic Directed, and he was not even terribly good at that. The sight of Moose stirred something in him, however, and looking away, Rohan rubbed at his eye with the back of his hand, trying to retain some semblance of composure. A tight, but determined smile followed. "What a handsome dog."

Trailing off a bit, Rohan gave a shake of his head. "To tell you the truth, I don't really think I've ever been. My husband is; I like doing outdoorsy things with him. But to be honest, the whole wolf thing is sort of new to me," he admitted softly. Rohan rolled up his sleeve to reveal where his arm was bandaged. "Very new." His brow shot up. "Oh! That's so...so nice of you, actually. We'd love to have you over sometime once it starts getting warmer. Right now, things are a little...all over, I guess." He sighed. "It's nice to have this shared space, though, isn't it? It's one of the reasons I got into the theater, I think. Collaboration and people just...creating together. Everything's adaptations now. And I'm a sellout, so."

[undeadremcycle]

Remmy shrugged. "Guess I'm just kinda used to adapting to stuff like that," they said. "It wasn't much different from how we were allowed to move around at base camp." They all mostly stayed in the shade, considering it was a scorching desert where they were stationed. Remmy was used to being in situations that were uncomfortable or difficult. It was just how life had been for them. Remmy just nodded, hummed. Maybe it was different, maybe it wasn't. Remmy supposed it was hard to know when you were so ingrained in it all, something Remmy wasn't, something Remmy didn't know if they'd ever be. They supposed if they stayed here long enough, maybe it would start to feel that way, too.

"Not anymore?" Remmy asked, suddenly concerned. "What happened? Do you need anything? Can I--" they rubbed their arm-- "can I do anything? I know we're not, like, close or nothin', but I'm here, you know? If you do. Need anythin'." The suggestion that they would get used to it went to the wayside as Remmy was unable to hide their concern for the older vampire. Moose stood and nudged their hand. They looked down at him and sighed. "It's fine, really. Like I said, we weren't close." They shrugged, then grimaced. "Oh, right, I-I mean we could somewhere else, if you don't wanna-- I just meant, like-- sorry. It's been a while."

A low and quiet hum acknowledged what the other said in regards to the clan. It wasn't Georgiana's place or prerogative to police other coven members, but it saved her the effort of informing Meena someone was in town without her knowledge. "I can't imagine how you live so long without it." To be without the sun was most, assuredly, a curse. A clause in fate she'd feared and loathed until coming to Lunar Cove and joining the clan. "Maybe?" Her ask was genuine. Too much in her own mind felt jumbled. "Maybe not." She was as undecided as she sounded uninterested.

The older vampire sighed after a long look in the other's direction, at first because Remmy asked if things were okay, then at the suggestion of coffee. Her head began to shake. "Not anymore." It wasn't an easy explanation, and she wasn't much in the mood for excessive chatter. "That's unfortunate. My condolences." The volume of her voice quieted to a whisper. "You get used to it." A comfort she offered that wasn't true. At least, not for Gia. She never stopped grieving all that she had loved and lost. "Coffee? On you? At the shop I own..?"

[undeadremcycle]

"I stopped by HQ when I first got back in town," Remmy explained, "just to, ya know, let her know and stuff. Get my ring. But, uh, that's about it so far." They knew they should probably catch up with people here, but they were still trying to settle back into life first before throwing socialization back in. Stuff like this was easier, though. It wasn't just about the talking. "Oh, uh. Thought she already was?" What did they know, though? Remmy shrugged. "Maybe not, like, social wise, I guess? But the town feels the same. You know?" But maybe they didn't know. They'd been gone a while.

Curious, and maybe a tad confused, they turned to Gia. "Safe? Is everything okay?" They couldn't help the worry that flashed across their face. Remmy cared for people, sometimes too deeply, according to others, but it was just something about them that they'd always felt. They glanced down at the tilled garden bed. "I'm alright," they answered honestly, poking at the dirt, "my dad died. He was the last of the family left, aside from me. So I had to go deal with the house and stuff. We were never close, but I guess it was just kinda...strange, realizing I was the only one left." They paused, then, looking to Gia once more. "You wanna ditch this and maybe go get some coffee? On me."

A hum of understanding acknowledged Remmy's answer, as the older vampires eyes had fallen to her hands. Her slender fingers fidgeted with her collection of rings, once she finally spoke again. "Have you been to see Meena then?" The last time they were in town Teddy was the clan leader, and Gia didn't know if Remmy had been updated. She went on to explain. Her tone collected, almost cold. "Teddy is dead. Meena is the clan leader now. The advisor is a vampire named Aaliyah." Georgiana shrugged weakly. "She seems okay, I guess." An opinion that was still forming, slow but with definite interest. "I don't know if I could say things are the same." The vampire, herself, certainly felt different, but she wasn't going to say as much. "The crypt is still a success. I am home on leave from my work until," She swallowed the minuscule knot that tried to form in her throat. "is is safe.." Not that it was very safe in Lunar Cove anymore, though. "..to travel again." The vampire listed the aspects of her life like a grocery list and never, directly, spoke of herself. "You?"

[undeadremcycle]

"You're a siren? That's wicked," Remmy said, grinning. They didn't know much about fae, but they knew Kaye was fae, and they liked them a lot. "How long have you been in town? I don't recall seein' you around when I was here before, but then again, I'm not always the most observant, so, uh, sorry if you were and I didn't notice."

Rubbing the back of their head, they shrugged. "I do, too. It's just been busy the last few months so it's kinda nice to not have to worry about having something to do every second of the day." Despite how eager they were to return to some sort of routine, they had to admit it was nice not having to run off such a strict schedule anymore. Moose didn't seem to mind, either, enjoying his our long walks through the woods more than the twenty minute jogs around the neighborhood. "Oh, really? That's the, uh, the karaoke bar, yeah?" They looked over the cake. "Oh, right, uh, yeah, no, sure. We can cut a few pieces for now, if you've got time? I wouldn't wanna put you out." They smiled again, patting Moose on the head. "You really don't have to. He's spoiled enough, I promise."

"I didn't know there were anybody else like me out there either 'till I got here too. I kinda thought this town might be a dead end actually, until low and behold, I stumbled upon another siren off swimmin' in the ocean."

"That's good. I wish I could relate, but I also like stayin' busy," She explained as she moved to fix them their cake. "I work here and then over down at On Pitch as their resident MC," She explained with an eased smile. "Now, the cake. Want me to cut two slices from it for us to have here and then I can wrap the rest up for ya? Or you rather I wrap up the whole thang and you order somethin' else? And I can grab those dog biscuits, on the house."

[undeadremcycle]

Remmy gave a light chuckle. "For real? Alright, maybe not everyone can garden," they joked, shaking their head. "Nah, that's fair. It's not for everyone, I get that. I just think anyone can do anything, ya know? You ain't gotta be good at it." They stacked their tools up, wiping their hands along the sides of their jeans as Moose trotted around next to them, his lead attached to their belt loop. The large dog looked over at the newcomer, tilting his head as he sniffed the air, clearly intrigued by his scent. Remmy turned back to face Rohan, patting the dog on the head as they did so.

"No, yeah, that makes sense," Remmy said, nodding, "I mean, I've always kinda been an outdoorsy person, but I guess it's different when you're, like, a wolf sometimes. I know Moose here just loves runnin' around through the woods and he ain't even a real wolf, even if he thinks he could be." They chuckled as the dog wagged his tail, clearly excited by the mention of his name. "I mean, if you wanna make a garden an' stuff, I could help show you, if you want? I never had a garden of my own, but we liked growing vegetables out where I was stationed, since most of the food was freeze dried." And it always tasted so bland. Remmy would've killed for some hot sauce.

Rohan smiled softly, watching them come and go. "Ah, well...I don't think I have a green thumb. I can't even really keep succulents in order, and I understand those are pretty basic. That said, I do kind of know what you mean." Familiars, after all, were not quite like regular pets. Bustopher had not needed him the way a regular cat would. But Rohan had taken care of him, and Rohan had failed him. His stomach lurched, but despite the sensation, he resolved not to lose his composure out here in the open. To that end, he latched onto the notion of zucchinis.

"Oh, okay! That's good to know. That's very kind of you. I'm a...well, I'm a vegetarian, so, I do a mean zoodle, I guess," he nodded, giving a laugh. "My husband and I just moved into a new house, so we have some garden room. I don't even know where to start, though, but I like the idea of being able to grow my own food. Sustainable and all. I'm also...I'm a werewolf." He seemed to be training himself to use this word. "What I mean is, I'm trying to be more...outdoorsy. In touch with nature. Am I making any sense?"

[undeadremcycle]

WELCOME TO LUNAR COVE, REMMINGTON MCALLISTER

GENDER/PRONOUNS: Agender, They/Them

DATE OF BIRTH: March 7th, 1989

OCCUPATION: Mechanic

RESIDENCY: Downtown

FACECLAIM: Elliot Page

IF I DIE YOUNG

SPECIES: Vampire

CLAN POSITION: Member

AGE AT TRANSFORMATION: 30

LAY ME DOWN IN A BED OF ROSES

Trigger Warnings: Alcoholism, Child Neglect, Military/War Violence, Assault (stabbing, beating), Blood, Death, Parental Death Mention

Remmington’s story started out just like everyone else’s-- a child born to two parents who weren’t exactly ready for a child, reluctantly trying to live out what they perceived as the “American Dream”, forced into roles neither really wanted to play. This became even more so when Remmington’s mother died just a few hours after giving birth, and the husband and father she left behind would blame the child for her death. 

As Remmy grew up, they learned rather quickly how to fend for themself. Their father turned very quickly into an alcoholic, leaving Remmy home alone for days at a time sometimes. Having no supervision meant Remmy was able to do whatever they wanted, even fall into bad crowds in high school. They’d never been that good at school anyway, but with other kids who were left to their own devices, the group of them began getting into trouble. This trouble culminated in Remmy getting caught vandalizing the school property, completely wasted. Expelled from school, Remmy’s life was shaping up to be just like their father’s, and while Remmy had never truly known what they wanted to do with their life, they knew they didn’t want that.

A military recruit was at the school the day Remmy was cleaning out their locker. The woman told Remmy if they signed up, the military would provide them a job, an education, a place to be. A second chance. The military could set Remmy right and give them a good life. How could Remmy deny that? They signed up on the spot, took their physical the next day, and shipped off a few months later, packing all of their belongings and leaving their broken father behind. This was a second chance they weren’t going to mess up. During boot camp, Remmy was signed up for an AA group, passed their GED exam, and realized that they had quite the knack for numbers. Numbers always came easy for Remmy. Numbers and details. They made sense. They had patterns and rules and they never strayed from those. Two plus two always equals four. It wasn’t long before Remmy’s affinity for numbers granted them the opportunity to move up in the military. They signed up for the Airforce once they’d finished their circuit, with hopes of getting into the engineering program-- but their lack of education didn’t allow them to be accepted. Instead, Remmy was put on the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team. Remmy didn’t mind. Because bombs, like numbers, always followed rules. They were easy to figure out, once you knew the basics.

So Remmy stayed there, in the military. Where else would they go? They had nothing left for them anywhere but here. Even if being in the military wasn’t the most open or inclusive place. Even identifying as female didn’t exactly grant Remmy a free ride. Even if they weren’t even sure they were a woman. Actually, they were very sure, but that wasn’t something people talked about in the military, even if DODA had been redacted, it didn’t mean people were suddenly okay with atypical things, like being non-binary or queer. So Remmy kept it to themself and hoped that maybe one day that might all change. 

But life went by unchanging for several years. Until it happened. It was a normal day, just like any other-- blazing hot sun, runs around the camp, security checks before heading out. Remmy’s team was on their way out on intel about possible bombs placed in a nearby city. And they found the bombs alright. But something was wrong with Remmy, something with their eyesight-- something they’d been ignoring for a while now. So when they tried to disable it, they set it off instead. They ran, the bomb exploded, Remmy didn’t remember much after that, ears ringing, head spinning. 

The team waited, holed up in a basement for hours, but all their efforts became meaningless the minute they decided to make a break for the Hum-Vs. They were all shot and killed, except Remmy. They’d been shielded from the onslaught by the medic who had been helping them walk and they woke up hours later still under his limp body. Pushed their way out of the rubble and over to the Hum-V, radioed for help, then passed out at the wheel. 

And even though Remmy woke up again, days later, in a hospital, they still felt like they were in a dream. A terrible dream. It even still felt like a dream when they were discharged from the hospital, when they were told they couldn’t rejoin the military due to their disease-- a hereditary one, apparently. Leber optic neuropathy, apparently. Remmy didn’t know what that was-- they said this resulted in being disabled; or when they were standing up on the podium accepting their medal for bravery, or when they were moved into a veteran’s half-way house in Boston. Even when they realized this was going to be the rest of their life. They had lost their purpose.

The deep depression that Remmy fell into felt inevitable to them. They went back to the drinking and late nights out, trying to find a way to keep the nightmares away, trying to find a way to feel something again. To be something again. Their life was turning back into a cycle of pain, from trying to numb themself at clubs, to starting bar fights, to gambling. It was on one fateful night that Remmy was introduced to the world of underground ring fighting, brought there by an old friend. 

It wasn’t hard for Remmy to fall into the excitement and fervor for it. The cheering, the overwhelming noise, the flickering lights. The smell of metal and sweat. This, this Remmy knew. This was a life Remmy had lived. Their entire life had been violence, it was all they knew. And without realizing it, they wanted a fight again. A struggle. To scrape and claw their way through life because life had only ever given them that. Before they knew it, they were climbing into the ring. The whole world went quiet and seemed to slow down. They felt at home again, at peace. Even as fists flew and people shouted. When the fight was called, people dragging the two of them away from each other, Remmy wiped blood from their nose and sweat from their forehead and remembered the way their body had burned each morning they made the circuit around camp. 

There was something comforting about it all, and so Remmy kept coming back, no matter how much it hurt, inside and out. 

And things went really well for them for quite a while. It didn’t matter if they were coming home with bruises every night, they felt as if they could finally start living again. The extra money meant getting a better apartment, meant getting physical therapy for their old injuries, meant they didn’t have to try and get a job in a world that wasn’t built for people like them. It meant they were even able to get a service dog, a large, friendlier than anything, Leonberger. They even felt safe enough to finally come out as agender. It was a good thing. And better yet, something they were good at it. So good that they were even picked up by a sponsor, a coach. His name was Ray, an older man, who had once been a professional MMA fighter. He was jaded and apathetic, but he saw something special in Remmy. Something he wanted to stoke.

There were official tournaments for these fights, where bigwigs would come and gamble on the winner. Ray thought that Remmy had the potential to win and no one had ever thought Remmy was special before. So of course they did whatever it took to make Ray proud. They grew close over the years after Ray recruited them, and he came to love them unconditionally.

Finally, word came of a large tournament that was being set up. One with some big, important names that would be there. People who could take Remmy out from the underground and up into the real world of MMA. It was a great opportunity for them, and for the whole network. Imagine if someone like Remmy, an ex-vet, a random passerby who happened to find the fight, became a professional boxer? It was an insane thought.

So insane, that, apparently, there were people who were willing to pay anything to make sure that didn’t happen. 

When Ray approached Remmy, pulled them aside, and told them they needed to throw the match, Remmy was confused. This was their chance, their one chance, didn’t he want them to succeed? Didn’t he want them to win? But Ray was Ray, so when he insisted, Remmy agreed.

Except when they stepped out into that ring, when they heard the crowd cheering for them and the world slowed down like it always did in these moments, they weren’t sure they could do it. Ray had told them to make it look believable, so Remmy fought their hardest at first. And then the moment came-- they looked out into the crowd, into the coach’s corner and locked eyes with Ray. Wiped the blood from their nose. There were three tall men behind him, one had his hand on Ray’s shoulder. Remmy didn’t know who they were and they thought Ray almost looked scared. They didn’t know why, though. Their heart pounded and the bell rang. They stepped out for the last round and held up their fists. All they had to do was let their opponent get in one good hit and they could crumple and pretend to be incapacitated. 

But the swing came and it was aimed right for their ribs and in the last moment, Remmy moved. They just couldn’t do it. One quick uppercut knocked the old reigning champ down and the crowd went wild. Remmy had won. Remmy had won. But when they searched the crowd of jumping bodies for Ray, he was nowhere to be found. 

The locker room was empty, too, when Remmy finally made it back there. There wasn’t much time to react before they were jumped by two men. They fought back as best they could, but it didn’t matter-- it was as if these men had a super strength Remmy just couldn’t compete with. And a superspeed that beat them to the door and slammed their head into the tile. The world went black.

When Remmy woke, they were tied to a chair. Beside them was Ray, who was also tied up and unconscious. He was bleeding from a wound on his head badly. Remmy had cried out to him, for him, but he hadn’t answered, only groaned in pain. A shadowy figure with malicious eyes approached them finally, glowering down at Remmy. Through their hazy vision, they thought they saw fangs.

The man in the suit explained to them how they’d lost a lot of money because of Remmy. They had paid Ray a lot of money to have Remmy throw the match and they’d ruined it. So this was their punishment. Remmy watched in horror as one of the men came up behind Ray, lifted his head by his hair, and slit his throat. When the men approached Remmy next, they didn’t even resist as they felt fists slamming against their body, defeated. Or when they felt a knife sliding between their ribs. They only fought back when what felt like sharp teeth bit into their neck, sucking away all the blood that was leaking from their body. The one good thing in their life had been taken away again. They lashed out in one last fit of rage for Ray’s death and bit into the person’s arm who was biting them. They tasted blood, but it tasted different somehow. Strange. They held on as tightly as they could, blood filling their mouth and draining down their throat until the man managed to get them to let go, repeatedly slamming his fist into the side of their head. Their vision went black for a moment and their face pressed against the cold cement floor. The last thing they saw was Ray’s lifeless eyes, staring at them as if to say he was sorry.

Remmy had never expected to open their eyes again. But it happened again. They did. They didn’t know how long it had been, but the stench of blood filled their nose and drowned out any other senses they had. They were so hungry. Without hesitating, they bit into the flesh and drank and drank and drank. And then they passed out once more.

When they woke next, they were still on the floor of that warehouse, but the smell of fresh blood no longer filled their nose. It was, instead, the putrid smell of rotting flesh. They could hear too much as well. The sounds of horns way off in the distance, the water crashing against the barricade that kept it at bay, birds squawking outside. It rang so loudly in their right ear they almost forgot they were deaf in the other. They could even feel the cold cement of the floor through their shirt, the slick wetness of their own blood soaking it. Quickly, they sat up and found that, somehow, they didn’t hurt. So they stood and stumbled out and went home. Showered off, climbed into bed, and curled up. All they wanted to do now was forget.

But forgetting wasn’t going to be possible when the hunger clawed angrily at their stomach still. They wanted more, needed more. Blood. It didn’t feel real. Remmy felt as if they were back in that nightmare, their life ripped from them again. There was something wrong with them, and on top of that, their blood and fingerprints were all over an old storage house with a dead body in it. They couldn’t stay here. They needed answers.

When Remmy snuck back into the fighting ring, they hadn’t known what exactly they were looking for. But one of the women that was always there, a kind-hearted soul named Lucy, noticed Remmy trying to slip into the back and stopped them. She was surprised Remmy was still alive and all it took was Remmy telling her about what happened and how they felt afterward for her to turn serious and drag them into the back. There, she grabbed a piece of paper, wrote something down, and handed it to Remmy. It was the location of a town, Lunar Cove, with directions on how to get there. 

You’ll find your answers here. That was the last time they would hear Lucy’s kind voice, the last time they would see this stadium, the last time they would go home to their apartment. They had no life here anymore, just like when they’d been discharged from the military. But maybe what they truly needed was a fresh start, and Remmy could only hope this Lunar Cove was the right place for that.

While Remmy did find answers in Lunar Cove, though, they were called back to the old world when their father passed and, apparently, his will left it all to Remmy, still. So, after dealing with that, returning to Lunar Cove felt strange, distant. Now, Remmy had to deal with the fact that they had no family left in the world, and the fact that they now had the possibility to live forever. At least they have a while to figure it out.

[undeadremcycle]

Remmy sat back and looked over at Gia. She was different from the last time they'd seen her, they knew that much, but they didn't really have the right to push, they didn't think. "Not long," they said, "little less than a week?" They stuck the trowel back into the dirt and churned up some more dirt. "Go on, you try it," they encouraged. They weren't really good with words, they never seemed to say the right thing, but they knew how to just be, sometimes. And maybe sometimes people didn't need words or some reassurance, maybe sometimes they just needed companionship, or silence. Someone to just be around and something to just do. They'd felt like a lot, when they'd first come back from their station in Iraq. "Things seem kinda the same here, since I had to leave," the went on, sitting back on their feet, "at least, the town seems the same. How's everything else?"

Stiffly, Georgiana followed Remmy through the garden. Her hands clasped in front of her body with her shoulders rolled back. The posture of someone from years ago, with a fragility that showed the anxieties on her mind. Was this even real? The vampire wondered. It'd been a decade or two since she'd seen the other. Maybe they were another figment of her imagination, but when Remmy didn't stab Gia with the trowels she deduced them too kind to be a hallucination. "How?" The corner of her lips turned down. Her hands were no stranger to dirt, but not because she enjoyed digging in the garden. The vampire's estate was expansive in its flowering landscapes and greenhouses. Maintained, however, by a staff, and simply enjoyed by Georgiana herself. "I see."

The wind blew and her shoulder's slacked. A sigh followed before her attempt to act normal. "How long have you been back?"