Of Flesh, Teeth, and Blood (pm to join)

[Elvenmaideninthewoods]

The night of the harvest festival seemed to bring the village to life, as inebriated men and women reveled in the light of the bonfire in the town square, the typically quiet place now filled with laughter and music. Through the crowd walked a hooded figure, cloaked in red, quiet and paying no attention to the festivities. Scarlet kept her basket by her side, her bright clothing a sharp contrast to the neutral colors around her. A small smile was all that could be seen, the rest of her face hidden by shadow as the rest of the villagers were revealed in the orange glow of the fire.

Keeping her head low, he managed to brush by most of the others with little resistance, until a slight stumble made her fall into a tall pale man, pale with eyes so dark they seemed to be completely black. The petite girl paused for a moment, taking in his angular face, unable to recognize the handsome stranger. "I'm sorry," she murmured before moving past him and making her way to the edge of the village, glancing back only once to find that the man had disappeared into the crowd. For someone who had lived in this village her whole life, that could not be found on any map, the sight of a stranger was unusual. Still, she brushed it aside and stepped onto the dirt path.

Once, she might have joined in the excitement of the festival, but in recent months she had found little reason for joy. With the death of both of her parents haunting her, she'd kept mostly to herself, often spending time in the secluded cottage with her sickly grandmother at the edge of the woods. The further she went, the softer the sounds of the village became, until her footsteps were the only accompaniment down the path, her boots sinking into the recently fallen snow.

The cottage garden, though usually brightly decorated with yellow flowers, seemed ominous in the snow, a cold wind shaking the windowpane, causing Scarlet to frown. The cold weather would only do more harm to her grandmother, who barely ever left the bed anymore. With a sigh, she opened the door, shivering as she listened to the loud creak of the wood before stepping inside. The small sitting room was lit only by a candle, the flame threatened by the wind coming through the cracks. Lowering her hood, Scarlet closed her eyes as she enjoyed the small comfort of the fire's warmth as it shone on her pale skin and bright blue eyes, her auburn hair falling in waves down to her chest.

"Granny? I've brought some dinner and a few sweets," she called out, holding the candle before her as she made her way to the bedroom. The elderly woman must have fallen asleep wrapped in the assortment of blankets and quilts in her bed. "Granny?' Scarlet called out again and sighed as she found the woman lying completely still on the bed. Stepping forward, she reached down to gently shake the woman, only to find her hand coated in something wet and sticky. With a sharp inhale, the young woman stepped closer, moving the candle to reveal a corpse, throat ripped out with blood soaking the blankets and sprayed upon the walls.

The young woman’s heart raced as she ran back into the town, dropping the candle in the snow as tears streamed down her cheeks, the last family she had ripped from her without warning. With blood pounding in her ears, she failed to notice the screams coming from the village until she stepped into the town square. Men and women stood weeping as they held loved ones in their arms, the words “blood suckers” and “attack” coming from those calm enough to speak.

Scarlet shook as she stared down at her bloodstained hand before she hurried towards her own home, brushing past the blacksmith without a word, her hands still shaking as she shut and locked the door behind her, dropping her cloak to the floor before picking up her mother’s silver locket. Her heart ached, and with the fear gone, the loss set in. As her body shook, she gathered together supplies to help the wounded.

A month later the coldest part of winter had finally set in, and the town had somewhat recovered, though there had been a few disappearances in the days since. Barely anyone left their homes except for work, and as Scarlet walked the streets that evening, the quiet was eerie. Even the small tavern she worked in was practically empty. Stepping inside, the young maiden hung her cloak by the door, sighing as she looked around the empty room before moving behind the bar. It would be another long night

 

[Ravenloft]

Derry Dougal was the blacksmith by he hid a secret, he was one of Gaia's chosen, a warrior, a garou. Ever since little Scarlett's parents died, he had wanted to protect her, but he never knew how to get close enough to her to do so effectively, but now that she had also lost her grandmother, the wards the old woman maintained were begining to fail and he had his chance to watch over little Scarlett. It was a debt as well as a promise to her parents. He would spend his nights in the little tavern where she worked, watching out for her, just the lonely old blacksmith, drowning his troubles in a flagon of bitters, just the kind that could go unnoticed in the event anyone cares to accost little Scarlett.

The night, not more than a mere month after the death of her grandmother, a stranger came into the tavern. A tall and stately woman with long Raven black hair, black velvet dress and black silk gloves that she seemed to have been poured into, as her skin was white as milk or the snow that blanketed the side outside. She came to Scarlett, smiling, something about her raised the hard on the back of Derry's neck, but he stayed where he was, she had done nothing to provoke him to action, yet...

"Young lady, are you the proprietor of this tavern?" She asked sweetly, setting her lips and placing her gloves hands on the bar top, fondling it as if she admired the smoothness of the stained and polished wood. "I am looking for a place of... Employment.. and would like to know if there is any work to be had here? I am not above menial labor, despite my appearance, f you would have me, that is?"

 

[Elvenmaideninthewoods]

Scarlett made her way from patron to patron, smiling warmly at each as she handed them their drinks. “Hi Derry,” she said as she set down his usual, her green eyes meeting his for a moment before she moved away. Despite how little they talked, he had always been one of her favorite customers, tipping well and treating her kindly. Before she could say another word, one of the patrons, already drunk, was calling her over for another drink.

“Come on, Sam. You know what happened last time. You’ve already reached your limit, and your wife won’t let me here the end of it if I give you another.” She sighed, looking at his ruddy cheeks. Sam mumbles something incoherently, grabbing her hand and tugging her towards him. “Sam, touch me again, and I’ll go get Robert, and then you won’t won’t be welcome in this place anymore.” She’d had him get a little too comfortable before, and she didn’t want him going any further. Tugging her hand away, she shook her head, going to clean some of her used glasses.

Not long after she was accosted, a low, enchanting voice came from behind her, sending a shiver down her spine. She turned to face a taller woman, who didn’t seem to belong in this town of hunters and farmers, dressed far too luxuriously for anyone from less than a hundred miles away. “Oh, no, I’m just the bartender. You’d want to talk to Roger, the cook in the back. But, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind an extra hand.” She swallowed hard, taking in the woman’s beauty with wide eyes, unsure what to make of this stranger. “My name is Scarlett,” she smiled, holding out her hand.

 

[Ravenloft]

"ah, thank ye kindly, Lassie, you are too sweet to this chubby old fool, ye are!" Derry called out to Scarlett, but she was already off to tend to the other patrons. That girl was good at her job, that was for certain! She knew her patrons very well and took care of them as though they were family.
Even drunk old Samuel, with his wandering hands.

She scolded him and put him in his place. Derry couldn't help but raise his glass to her from across the room. Derry chuckled from his belly at the sight of Sam's ruddy cheeked stammerings and sputterings, feigning innocence! "Aye, go on home to Mrs Molly, Samuel, ye horny toad! I'm sure she will bed he right good! Yer twelve boys be proof of that!"

"What a shame, I was hoping you might be in charge..." The enchanting woman replied with a sigh, looking in the direction Scarlett pointed. "May I go on back? I would not wish to barge in on Roger while he is busy..." The woman turned her eyes back upon Scarlett with a slow and languid grace. "Fiona Leigh Beatrice, it is a pleasure to meet you, Scarlett." She introduced herself with practiced aplomb, folding both her hands over Scarlett in a gentle, yet confident embrace.

"I hope to be working with you soon! If so, would you do me the honor of showing me the ropes? I can see you know how to handle the boys, if they get a bit too... Rambunctious..." She eyed the spot Samuel had sat before stumbling off into the night and licked her lips. He had been a besotted mess but she had left him aware enough to make us way home. It would not do to leave any bodies laying about until she had claimed what she had come for, Scarlett herself.

She only hoped that demeaning herself with such menial labor would endear her to the fool girl. Enough to win her confidence. There were secrets to be uncovered, for the benefit of clan Lasombra.