Chronicles of The Omniverse Archived Lutetia City: The Den

as written by Script

"For now." Snow added softly as Max was turning away. His voice was momentarily unsteady.

He watched as Max walked to the door, then a few moments later stepped after him. He caught the door before it closed and stepped out onto the threshold. He opened his mouth to call after him, but stopped before the words left his mouth. He bit his tongue and watched as Max disappeared into the night.

After he was long gone, only then did he speak.

"Fuck." Snow punched the door frame, violently. At least one of his fingers broke.

One of the other pack members came to the door. "Snow, close the damned door. You're letting a draft in." he said, "Come on, mate. Come have a drink, yeah? No good to be had just standing there."

"Yeah..." Snow muttered, "Sure."

The door swung closed behind him.
Emerging from the haze, he was able to see everything a little too clearly.
 
as written by Tiko

It was some time later when the front door swung open and a man and a woman entered, unclothed and with their exposed flesh peppered with what appeared to be small shards of shrapnel. Only instead of piercing the body and bleeding, it looked as though they had been grafted to the body leaving it blistered and red.

"Jesse, we're going to need you downstairs," Carlisle told one of the younger looking individuals that was currently engaged at one of the pool tables.

"Uh... sure thing," Jesse answered as he passed his pool cue to one of the other players. "Everything alright?" he asked.

"No."

The remainder of the conversation would go unheard as the trio made their way down into the cellar.
 
as written by Tiko

Several days later...

As Chloe arrived from the cellar, she would find the bar filled with a number of the pack. Some familiar, some not.

Desmond was nowhere to be seen.

Most of them sat in chairs, or leaned on tables as if they had been engaged in conversation, while Baron himself was leaning against the bar counter.

Outside the bar more of the pack mingled on the street side, casually talking among themselves and making sure that passing people knew the bar was still closed for business today. The police had long since cleared out, but with Baron fresh out of jail on bail and a pileup of pack chaos waiting for him, he had opted to not re-open until tomorrow.
 
as written by Alara and Knosis

Baron watched Chloe a moment before he finally spoke.

"Until you can display an element of control over yourself, you're to continue working with Desmond once a week. And you'll run with the pack once a month," he told her. "Those are my conditions."

Chloe felt like a cornered rat. Seeing so many of the pack in one room, she was pretty sure she was about to be run out of Lupaix. Her heart began to race, but all she could do was give a steady gaze back at Baron.

If she was shocked it didn't show, but she did seem somewhat concerned. Running with a pack usually meant you were part of it. Never was a stranger to run with a pack, at least back in Westeria City.

Still, she had said she would do anything to mend the broken relationship. She just wished she had Desmond there to make this easier. Swallowing her pride was always difficult for her.

"Fine." She said finally.

With her consent to the conditions given, he fished his phone out of his pocket before tossing it to Chloe, a gesture perhaps to let her make a phone call from it so she could have someone come pick her up, rather than walk through the city bare-foot.
 
as written by Lialore

A few hours later...

She’d tried her best, but Cass still managed to stick out from the everyday people who were wandering the streets. Activity was dwindling in the late afternoon; people were heading in from work, drifting into shops, bars… The day wasn't quite over, the night not yet begun.

Vargeras was by no means a clean cut place but her scrubbed smock and tatty scavenged boots drew her a few judgmental glances. She smelt better, too, her skin and hair clear of muck and smoother than they had been in a while. It had taken effort which she doubted would be appreciated.

To be walking in ordinary public without keeping to the shadows was odd. It had been years and years since she’d fit in or even been remotely comfortable when out and about in the normal world.

She knew where The Den was due to her previous gallivanting when first turned. She’d been trouble.

Cass entered with nothing to soothe her nerves other than the promise that the littles wouldn’t get hurt - and Seri’s presence.
 
as written by Tiko

The gathered pack members outside the bar gave her some appraising looks, and their eyes followed her as she made her way into the bar, but none of them moved to follow her in.

Inside, Baron had taken his usual seat by the window, and several others of the pack still remained. The bar was closed for business tonight, but most of the pack seemed to be lurking on or near the premise.

Desmond and Brendan where nowhere to be seen, but it likely wouldn't be difficult for her to pick Baron out as the one in charge. The way he watched her enter, and the way the others looked to him. It was like being watched by a wolf that was looking through the eyes of a man.

He took a long drag of his cigarette before stubbing it out.

"Talk," he told her.
 
as written by Script

Seri followed Cass into the bar with a suspicious eye to everyone and everything around them. The werecat was dressed just as - if not more - raggedly than she was, though he himself was as ever far cleaner than the majority of the denizens of the Phantom Quarter. Cats were, after all, hygenic creatures.

His golden eyes swept across the room's interior and landed on Baron. He kept silent, for the time being. He was uneasy, surrounded as they were - he liked to always know he had an escape route. But he had no such reassurances here, with the wolves outside. It was disconcerting.
 
as written by Script

Amongst the assembled pack members, Snow had a seat at the bar counter. He was nursing a glass of whiskey and watching Cass and Seri with contemplative but unthreatening eyes. As far as he was concerned, neither of them were an apparent danger, and so he simply watched and waited for them to speak. He'd heard only that they had information on the wolf attacks. Being busy with finding Sophia, he hadn't been keeping fully up to speed with the search there.

At one of the tables adjacent to Baron's, Nieve too was sat leaning casually back in her chair with her legs crossed. Her eyes were as wolfish as Baron's - but perhaps even more predatory. She regarded Cass with a small, almost imperceptible smirk. The woman looked weak, but perhaps that was to be expected for a makeshift pack from the Phantom Quarter.
 
as written by Lialore, and Alara

Into The Den. Into the jungle.

Eyes everywhere; worse than the glances from outside. These stares were more informed.

The Phantom Quarter was far from rosy, but the smoke really got into her. A cough was already trying to escape but she cleared her throat to keep it at bay. Maybe she should’ve been grateful for the haze which was making it quite difficult to make out details with her already reasonably bad sight. There was a range to how she was being regarded; reproach, indifference, amusement. The men and women – the wolves – seemed like they were asserting their dominance in the situation.

There was no mistaking Baron. Leader of the pack.
Even Seri was subdued.

Cass’s head turned, a sweep of knotty hair and an evaluating expression. She didn’t like this. She didn’t trust this. But she was here by choice. So, she drew in a steadying smoky breath.

“What do you need to know?”

"Everything," Baron answered. "From the beginning."

He leaned back in his chair and propped one foot up against the seat of another chair at the table he was seated at. Calm. Relaxed. Un-threatened.

Cass’s lips twisted into a badly hidden scowl. She’d chosen her words carefully; need, not want. But she was in no position to deny him. His nonchalant behaviour did nothing but irritate her. She met Baron’s eyes with poise, anyway.

“My name is Cassandra. I’m the leader of the ‘pack’” she didn’t do so well at hiding her distaste of the term “in the Phantom Quarter. Not the nicest of places, I’m sure you know. We’re not there so much by choice… We’ve been there for a few years. And a couple of years back we gained a new member. Not like the others. We’re mainly young people. Children. Freshly turned. Outsiders.”

Her eyes flittered away some. “I think this is the person that led you to find us. His name is Arman. Good scavenger. He provided, protected. But a bad person. He… has wrong views about things. It all went too far. He wormed his way in by the time I realise- realised that he was turning people. I couldn’t shake him. Not completely.”

Baron studied her silently before he finally spoke again.

"You know his scent. Can you, or yours, track him?" he asked.

Seri wrinkled his nose. "He lurks down in the catacombs. Even he doesn't smell bad enough to be tracked down there."

Cass nodded curtly.

“We could try. But when you’re wallowing in so much nastiness there’s not much left unmasked.”

"We'll have to flush him out of the city," Baron concluded. "How many of yours are able enough for a hunt?"

“Four” Cass said, aware of how weak that made them sound. Her eyes narrowed.

Four ... and he could spare six of his own without risking leaving his territory undefended. It just might be enough Baron thought silently to himself...

"Then we'll join forces, and we'll hunt," he said.

Cass could almost see the golden hue of a wolf's eyes reflected intensely within Baron's own.
 
as written by Tiko

Some time later...

Baron's current living arrangements consisted of little more than the small loft above the bar. The small storage space had been converted into a simple, but functional bedroom that verified Jeanne's previous assumption that he hadn't been to his house for some time now.

The entirety of the loft consisted of a single room with little space for more than a dining table, a work desk, and a small bunk that was little more than a mattress thrown inside a wooden alcove. An old rug added a bit of color to the dullness of the room, and a swinging light bulb with a chain was the only source of light up here.

Though despite its dingy and weather worn appearance, it had an almost homely feel to it.

The bed was scarcely large enough for two, and Jeanne was resting against his side to keep from falling off the bed. He reached over her to stub his cigarette out on the ashtray sitting on the table next to the bed before rubbing her arm lightly to rouse her. The Den would be opening soon, and he wagered she would prefer to be dressed before that happened.

There had been nothing remotely romantic about their afternoon, and neither seemed to hold much expectation for one another except to simply enjoy some physical companionship that neither of them had experienced for some time now.
 
as written by Sentry

The detective's dreams had been filled with sweet memories of days too far out of her reach in the waking world. She opened her eyes with a smile, woken by Baron's gentle shake. She was almost confused to see his face in front of hers, but memories of that afternoon rushed in like a tide.

"Hello," she breathed, pushing herself up from the bed. Her hands ran through her hair in a yawn. She looked back at him over her shoulder as she searched for her clothes. "Probably should get going before any of your packmates see me, mm?" she chuckled. "I can't imagine they'd be happy to see the woman who arrested you sauntering out of the bar."
 
as written by Tiko

Baron slipped an arm around her waist to pull her back onto the bed with him as he sat up, nuzzling the crook of her neck.

"Perks of being Pack Leader, no one questions who I bring around," he told her.

"Do you plan to be back?" he asked.
 
as written by Moonscar

Jeanne ran her hand across Baron's arm, sighing softly. "Tempted," she said with a smile. "But I've got a lot of things to take care of." Her hand clamped around his wrist gently to remove it from her waist. She moved to get up and resume the search for her clothes.

"But I will let you know when, mm?"
 
as written by Tiko

He let her go this time as he watched her rummaging about for her discarded clothes before he finally moved to the edge of the bed himself. He reached down to retrieved his own pants and pulled them on as he stood up. He didn't bother with his shoes or jacket for the time being as he headed downstairs, he had a half hour yet before he needed to open the bar.

"I'll be downstairs," he told her.
 
as written by Tiko

Though the bar hadn't yet opened for customers, several of the pack had already arrived for the evening and where engaged in a game of pool as Baron came downstairs.

Jeanne wasn't far behind him and he made his way to the bar where he fished out a bottle of whiskey and a glass to pour himself a drink.

Those at the pool tables threw questioning looks, and a few exchanged glances among themselves. They all thought it, but not a one said it out loud.

A cop? What the hell are you thinking.

He had no inclination to explain himself though and he took a sip of his drink.

"You want anything before you head out?" he asked Jeanne.
 
as written by Sentry

Jeanne only offered them a friendly smile in greeting. She wasn't afraid of a few pack members, having slept with their leader or no. The only people she was concerned about running into here were colleagues. Colleagues like Richard, who gave her shit for taking the side of the necromancers and werewolves who lived in this town. The few who sought to get her fired.

"Mm? Oh, no, no. I've got a long night ahead of me. But thanks." She smiled at him, too. Genuinely, toothily. "I'll see you around."
 
as written by Tiko

Baron watched Jeanna leave before downing the rest of is drink and heading back upstairs to finish getting dressed. A half hour later, The Den re-opened for business for the first time in a week.

Baron had taken up his usual seat by the window, but business was slow tonight. It would take time for word to spread to his regulars that the place was re-opened again, and he might lose some of his customers who felt the place was still too hot from the scrutiny of the Vargeras police.

There was also still the matter of his trial to address. He was out on bail for now, but the charges where still in place, and both Jesse and Re'Altarm had yet to turn up. It was beginning to look more and more like foul play may be afoot.
 
as written by barney_fife

Some time later...

The doors to the Den were flung open as a somewhat inebriated blonde stepped through the doors. There was the look of defeat on his face, a mix of defeat and anger crossed his face. But he was intent on getting a few drinks and enjoying some good company.

"That damn bitch Inviere... reassing me to the Imperial Core... who the fuck does she think she is..." He growled, coming up to the bartender, sitting right besides Jarett and slamming a wad of local bills onto the table.

"I want whatever your strongest drink is, and make it snappy!" He demanded, still in his Imperial duty uniform, though untucked and unbuttoned.

"Keep the change..." He slurred.
 
as written by Tiko

It had been a few days now since Sophia had been recovered, and tonight Sophia was staying with Bastien. Vanessa had been reluctant to allow it, but she hadn't the heart to tell her no. She wasn't working tonight either, and now that she had no reason to be home until late she had decided to swing by The Den. She hadn't been by the place in over a week now, and the familiarity of it was a nice distraction.

At the moment she was enjoying a game of pool with some of the regulars at the bar.

The pack presence was thin tonight, and not even Baron seemed to be hanging around the place. She spotted Jacques at the bar, and gave Raphael an peculiar look. Jacques returned her look with a shrug as he got the man his drink.

Tourists.

Jacques didn't seem concerned about the strange foreigner in the bar though, and she turned her attention back to the pool tables.
 
as written by barney_fife

The sound of a woman's voice seemed to carry into his ears, and he quickly downed his drink and turned to spot the redhead over at the pool tables.

The man licked his lips before he stood up, and he took the glass with him as he started over towards the redhead in the room.

"Hey there gorgeous.." He said as he sauntered over towards the pool tables, moving to place his arm around her and pull her close.

"Tell me.." He said, pulling her close to him. "Have you ever been to space?"
 
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