HEAD-CANON: Vivian did attend the potluck, but only for a short time. Her and a few of the pack members who had joined her research and medical team set up a medical tent for those in need. This included IV drips and stomach medicine for those who indulged a little too much, and first-aid for any brawls or lawn sports that got out of hand. Vivian had done the first shift at the tent, but was paged back to the hospital before she had been able to enjoy the festivities.

Sylvia Plath, from The Unabridged Journals

# the prettiest girl in the whole damn world

Who: Viv x Elena Where: Garond Hospital When: Approx. 8PM.

Viv could have waited until she got home to shower, but the lingering scent of blood on her scrubs and skin was driving her mad. They’d had a particularly nasty car crash that had come in a few hours prior, which had kept Vivian’s ER in an uproar. They’d managed to save everyone from the accident, but not without being covered in blood in the process. Although she managed to keep herself as well fed as she could while at work, the scent on her person was causing her cravings to linger, and Vivian couldnt have that.

The young vampire hummed sweetly as she scrubbed up, making sure she got every crevice to rid the smell. She knew she’d have to dig into her stash when she got out, but for now her goal was to get clean. Once she felt as though the last traces of blood were washed down the drain, she wrapped herself in a towel and made her way toward the sinks. It was at that moment she heard the door to the bathroom open, looking up curiously to see who’d come in.

Viv was delighted when Judas took the cup she offered, seeing it as he was starting to trust her more. It also scratched her never ending itch to care for others, which was also a plus. “Well, if you’re anything like me, I usually go for something on the practical side. Finding something that someone wants is always a challenge, but I always find that if you get something they need, it’ll be much easier,” she smirked as her eyes went back to the nearby window display. “What’s something you feel like Chris would need?”

As she offered him the coffee, he couldn't help smiling. He could smell the hint of blood within the liquid. They could see why she and Chris got along so well. They took a drink as she looked over her bags. They were a bit behind when it came to gift shopping, but they weren't planning on giving too many gifts, anyway. "Not really. I'm not sure what kinds of things one gets as a Christmas gift, nevermind what to get Chris."

Vivian had been looking forward to this night for weeks, excited to cheer on Judas and see all of their work. The younger vampire hadn’t expected to grow so close to the elder vampire, but here she was, champagne flute in hand gazing at some of their works. It made her happy to see that despite the challenges and prejudice that vampires faced in the supernatural community that Judas was able to still indulge in his passions. As she was placing her now empty flute on a passing tray, Vivian looked up to see Judas and beamed as she head his way. “There’s the person of the hour,” she mused as she quickly enveloped Judas in a hug. “I am so stinkin’ proud of you, hun,” she added as she squeezed him lightly.

location: crocus art gallery date: jan 20th, opening night

Their nerves were starting to make him fidget, but they would only remind themselves that things would be fine. They had invited their friends and they felt confident in all of their works, or at least all the ones lining the walls. Some were of landscapes, ones of Vievecor, and some of home, or memories of home. Others were of animals or people, usually with their faces obscured one way or another. The rest were assorted things, mostly paintings he had made based on photos he had access to in Zamok. All of them were works he was proud of.

Adjusting his jacket one more time, Judas lifted his head to greet someone coming towards them. They had been greeting and welcoming people as they came in, directing them towards the drink table. "Thank you for coming."

“Why thank you, it was a birthday present,” she teased playfully, but her smile was sincere. Viv chose to leave out the part where it was a birthday present from herself the day she changed her identity. Although she missed her true name, Nora, Vivian had grown on her. Vivian was about to ask him about his night at the festivities when she was caught off guard at his question. She hoped the flush of her cheeks from the warm spring water hid her deepeningly red cheeks as she considered how to answer.

“Ahh, yea, yes. That would be me,” she managed with a recovering smile. “I honestly hadn’t realized I was growing such a reputation. I hope the things you’ve heard of me are… good?”

"Pretty name, that is," Adaire replied, a hint of his Scottish accent shining through. Staring off into the sky, he racked his brain for a moment, trying to remember if she was someone he'd heard about before. His eyes widened a little and he turned back to her as he remembered.

"You're that doctor with the Lycaons, aren't ya, lass?"

“Well i’m sorry, Chris, but you are,” she angled back, hating the words coming out of her mouth but feeling just in that they needed to be said. “A year is a millisecond in the timespan of some of these supernatural, and you’re still at such a dangerous, vulnerable, state in your Vampirism. That puts a target on your back… that anyone could take advantage of,” she let out, realizing she was sounding more and more like her mother by the second. She took another careful sip of her blood before adverting her eyes and continuing. “I was only a vampire for five years before I was taken. They want you young and feral so you’re easier to manipulate… more susceptible to influence, and easier to starve into bloodlust” she trailed off. “I know you were an adult when you were turned, I get that,… but so was I. I just- couldn’t live with myself if something like that, anything like that, happened to you too…”

"I'm getting kind of sick of people telling me that I'm too young to understand anything or be responsible for my own actions." He said quietly, voice tight. "I know that I've only been a vampire for about a year, but I was an adult when I was turned. I know about things like addiction and dealing with people who are untrustworthy." There was also the way that people kept saying 'you're acting human' as if that was a bad thing and humans should be looked down on, but Chris had done enough whining for now.

Sally Rooney, from Normal People

"It's actually my first time as well. I've heard stories about this place since i'd moved here, but never had the pleasure. When I saw it on the newsletter I knew I couldn't pass up the chance," she added as she peacefully waded around the water. Vivian's eyebrow rose in thought as she registered what they had said. "Are you a human?" she asked curiously, wondering how they were able to get passed the wards. "Oh my god that was so rude. I'm sorry, it just slipped out," she replied, a childlike embarrassment on her face.

"You are not wrong there. I think with everything that's been going on, it's nice to have a break and just... unwind in a place like this. Kind of refreshing if you ask me," she teased playfully. "Oh, I'm a doctor. I work in the ER over at Garond District. What about yourself, hun?"

"The pleasure is all mine," the spirit replied with a toothy smile. "This is my first time at this Mount Paean. I don't think this place is open to the likes of us very often," Ayumu hummed and looked up at the sky above them that was awash with a mix of light pastel colours.

"The world we live in hardly looks like that, no? It is nice of the deities to whisk us away for this winter holiday," they pointed out before turning their gaze back to Vivian. "What is it that you do back in the real world, Vivian?"

Viv let out a burst of giggles at Atlas' tale, finding it amusing. She pictured Atlas and Artus as your typical modern family, yelling at each other for getting into the other's stuff, similar to how she grew up. A pit of envy formed in her stomach, missing being able to argue and fuss with her siblings, before it was quickly replaced by the serenity that the pool offered. "Now that is a funny picture. How is your brother doing these days?" she asked curiously, having not talked to Artus in a couple weeks. The vampire wasn't sure if Atlas knew about how she used to occasionally feed from her brother, but would keep that stashed away just in case.

"Right?" Vivian beamed warmly after watching Atlas wade around in the pool. "It feels like we're swimming in sunshine inside of a hug," she added with a grin.

Vivian recovered quickly from her startle before giggling at Atlas’ words “Hello to you too, Atlas.” She was delighted to see the elf, growing quite fond of her recently. Vivian’s mind drew back to memories of their close bond in the friendship in the dreamscape, and had hoped that they could have that in this realm as well. She let out another laugh, shaking her head in response to Artlas’ joke. “As tempting as that is, I feel like we’d have more fun being very hot mermaids,” she teased, adjusting her bikini top. “Just be careful. This pool is a… magical,” she mused, wading her hands around to enjoy the warm flow of water. “I haven’t felt this relaxed since I accidentally ate a bunch of my older brother’s pot brownies.”

"Chris..." she replied, a slight disappointment in her voice and his ignoring the warnings of others. "You have no idea how dangerous that stuff can be, especially to someone so young, trust me," she added, quickly looking away as she took a sip. Marius had gone to great lengths to keep his pet powerful and under his thumb. She had been forced to drink many a concoction of various bloods that would keep her bloodlust and power in a frenzy. A part of her still craved the taste and the feeling, but she continued to keep herself well-fed on what she could find to prevent any potential relapse. She thought of those moments now as she turned her eyes back to Chris. "I just want you to be safe," she sighed, partially in defeat. "I trust your judgment, of course, I just... don't trust Matt..." She trailed off.

Love life, huh? She couldn't know how wrong she was turning out to be with everything happening between him and Judas with Matthew seeming to want nothing to do with them. Chris leaned his head against the back of the couch, giving Viv a considering look. "Viv... I knew too. A lot of people warned me about drinking demon blood. They told me it was dangerous, but in the end I ignored it." He'd been talking with a therapist at the sanitarium who had said it had something to do with his decision making and risk assessment skills being compromised because he had ptsd. And that diagnosis was something he was still coming to terms with. "You can't blame everything on Matthew. I mean, he definitely enabled my addiction, but he didn't force me to feed on him."

As Viv began treading the water lightly, she watched Adaire enter the pool, unable to help herself. Her eyes were transfixed on the near-glimmering skin as lamplight bounced off the pool and reflected on his bare skin. A part of her wondered if her hunger wasn't just of the vampire variety, forcing herself to look away as he got settled less she start drooling over a married man. Vivian went back to allowing her drunkenly calm thoughts to take in the scenery, leaning against the pool not far from him to ease the conversation.

She couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her lips, shaking her head a bit as she watched the others having fun in their own pools closer to the lodge. "It's very possible. I only hope it's not both, because then that might be trouble for me," she teased back, glancing his way as he asked for her name. "Ah, it's Vivian, though most just call me Viv," she mused, hoping the heat from the pool hid any sign of a potential blush on her features.

Adaire knew the look of recognition in the vampire's eyes for what it was the moment it came upon her. He wondered if he should recognize her face. If she'd been one of the thousands of those faceless ones he'd seen drift by when the wear of two thousand years fell upon him. A student, an actress, a journalist. Perhaps instead she was one of the vampires his children had been frolicking about with instead. Could've done worse for themselves if she was.

He smiled a little to himself, though he raised an eyebrow at her teasing and the mention of magical water. Adaire preferred to keep natural things as they were, to let them be for their own purpose. He supposed it was in the deities' nature to play, well, gods though.

Relaxing into the water, the elf let himself indulge in the calming magics worked into the water. He draped his arms over the edge of the spring, wet skin glistening in the lamplight. The change had been made. Any reluctance to use it now would be mere stubbornness, and he needed to preserve that to discuss council matters.

"Are you sure it's not just my calming presence?" Adaire quipped, voice teasing and lips curling up. "I've heard it helps other's minds settle."

He let out a breath, watching it condense against the cold air. "Tell me; what's your name?"

"I'm actually in the same boat with you," she added with a laugh, amused that Judas was also at a loss for what to get Chris. "I have a few ideas, so maybe we can brainstorm together," she mused, beginning to head off toward one of the stores. "Well Chris is definitely an academic so I was thinking something along those lines? Maybe some cool tech or research material?" she thought out loud as they neared the bookstore. "Would it be weird for me to ask how things are between the two of you?"

As she offered him the coffee, he couldn't help smiling. He could smell the hint of blood within the liquid. They could see why she and Chris got along so well. They took a drink as she looked over her bags. They were a bit behind when it came to gift shopping, but they weren't planning on giving too many gifts, anyway. "Not really. I'm not sure what kinds of things one gets as a Christmas gift, nevermind what to get Chris."

Vivian recovered quickly from her startle before giggling at Atlas’ words “Hello to you too, Atlas.” She was delighted to see the elf, growing quite fond of her recently. Vivian’s mind drew back to memories of their close bond in the friendship in the dreamscape, and had hoped that they could have that in this realm as well. She let out another laugh, shaking her head in response to Artlas’ joke. “As tempting as that is, I feel like we’d have more fun being very hot mermaids,” she teased, adjusting her bikini top. “Just be careful. This pool is a… magical,” she mused, wading her hands around to enjoy the warm flow of water. “I haven’t felt this relaxed since I accidentally ate a bunch of my older brother’s pot brownies.”

Who: Vivian x Open ( @vievecorcitystarters ) Where: The Lodge Hot Springs, Smallest pool. When: VC Christmas Event.

Vivian was excited for the distraction that was the Christmas Event. Her family used to always make such a big deal of the holiday, and the vampire had continued to keep that tradition going, even if she often spent them alone. Despite her holiday cheer, she couldn't shake the paranoia that followed her to the resort, especially considering what had transpired during Halloween.

After mingling and doing some last-minute Christmas shopping, Vivian felt it was time to indulge her curiosities about the hot springs. She'd heard a few rumors around the lodge that there was a small pool far out of the way that offered a tranquil spell that Vivian desperately craved, wanting to unburden her mind of all of its recent worries. After some searching, she'd found the small spring, slowly dipping herself in and welcoming its relaxing aura. After a while, Vivian dipped her head in, eyes closed to fully consume herself in peace of mind. She'd been under a few minutes, before the vampire appeared above the surface, startled to see that someone else had joined her in the spring. "Oh. Hi," she managed, a slightly embarrassed, almost tipsy smile on her lips.

The vampiress recognized the elven elder as soon as she smoother the excess eater and hair from her face. She could definitely see where Atlas and Artus got there looks from, the patriarch of the family almost glowing from the lanterns around the various spring pools. Considering Vivian was still a very young vampire, a part of her wondered how much she’d be able to control herself, as elven blood had always been such a weakness for her. Memories passed of the times she’d fed on Atrus coming to her mind, pushing them away quickly before her mouth could water. She thanked whatever gods were watching that she’d fed before coming to the springs.

“Oh yea, yes, of course,” she added as nonchalantly as she could muster, adjusting her bikini to ensure everything was in its place. “I guess great minds really do think alike,” she teased as she looked over to the various crowds of people in pother pools far off from the pool she was currently in. “Plus, I heard a rumor that this pool has this, like, calming, relaxing effect. I gotta say, so far they’re not wrong…” Vivian giggled before leaning back to float on her back, blissfully relaxed from the effects of the water.

Who: Vivian x Open ( @vievecorcitystarters ) Where: The Lodge Hot Springs, Smallest pool. When: VC Christmas Event.

Vivian was excited for the distraction that was the Christmas Event. Her family used to always make such a big deal of the holiday, and the vampire had continued to keep that tradition going, even if she often spent them alone. Despite her holiday cheer, she couldn't shake the paranoia that followed her to the resort, especially considering what had transpired during Halloween.

After mingling and doing some last-minute Christmas shopping, Vivian felt it was time to indulge her curiosities about the hot springs. She'd heard a few rumors around the lodge that there was a small pool far out of the way that offered a tranquil spell that Vivian desperately craved, wanting to unburden her mind of all of its recent worries. After some searching, she'd found the small spring, slowly dipping herself in and welcoming its relaxing aura. After a while, Vivian dipped her head in, eyes closed to fully consume herself in peace of mind. She'd been under a few minutes, before the vampire appeared above the surface, startled to see that someone else had joined her in the spring. "Oh. Hi," she managed, a slightly embarrassed, almost tipsy smile on her lips.

Viv get a warm smile on display as she listened to Judas, grateful for the anchor among the chaotic sea of shoppers. “I can about imagine. If you get uncomfortable at any point, just let me know and we can leave,” she added, unable to contain her concern. “Oh, this is for you,” ashe mused as she extended what looked to be a warm to-go coffee. “I wasn’t sure what your preference was, so I just guessed. I hope it’s okay.” Viv knew that she was going to need to feed while they shopped, wanting to contain her hunger among the crowd.

She looked down at he mentioned her shopping, holding up a few bags she’d already gotten. “A few things, but I still have a little bit to go. Is there any store you had in mind first?”

Season of Giving

With: @vivian-ambrose

It was his first winter season out of Zamok, and the first he got to celebrate how they wanted in over 120 years. Even before being incarcerated, Judas didn't celebrate any of the holidays people had in the winter. This year had to be different, though. Even though it was still new, they were in a relationship with Chris and he celebrated Christmas. Judas knew he had to find him a gift but they had no idea what. When they messaged Vivian for suggestions, she suggested they go shopping with her.

So now, he was waiting to meet her in a mall, filled with people in holiday sweaters and Christmas music playing over the speakers. When they spotted her, they visibly relaxed, shooting her a smile. "Hey! I hope it's still okay for me to tag along."