Aimee Chevrier's Story

Aimée was running late, per usual. Maybe one day, she would actually get somewhere on time, but that was probably not going to happen unless her roommate took it upon himself to make sure she got up. Of course, she would never ask him to do that, but maybe she would invest in yet another alarm clock. Apparently three just wasn’t enough for the sleepyhead. Snorting, she climbed into the back of a taxi cab, glad that it was someone that was used to taking her to The Den. As he drove, she crossed both legs so that she was sitting Indian style and did a little meditation. Did she care that if he looked in the rearview mirror, he would see her red lacy thong since she was wearing only her roommate’s t-shirt? No, she absolutely did not care. The bag beside her had the rest of her clothing that she would slip into once she got to the Den so that she could go out after and not have to worry about worrying her roommate.

The cabbie pulled up in front of the bar and paused long enough for her to pay him and get out of the vehicle. After thanking him for the ride, she jogged towards the back entrance, knowing that it would be open for the pack only. Her faintly wavy black locks fluttered against the sides of her bronze cheeks as she quickly entered the building. Her Chartreuse eyes peered around the hallway, noting that no one seemed to be around, which made sense since everyone was in the actual bar part of the place. Shrugging a little, she headed towards where everyone else was at, yawning a little despite it being so early.

Bastien and Jacques were already there, of course, and Aimée waved at the two of them before glancing towards the bar. Dropping her bag beside her on the counter, she moved around to grab a beer, deciding that the next time she left the house, she would wear some pants. The shirt was long enough to keep from showing off anything when she was standing, but sitting down was a completely different story. Deciding it best not to sit, she instead walked over to where her father was at and leaned against him as she started to drink the alcohol. She noted others in the bar as well, but decided to just watch for a while before getting changed into her party clothing.

Aimée stood silently for a few more minutes before moving back over to where her bag was at. Unzipping the fabric, she dug through the thing, trying to locate what she was looking for. She had quite a bit of different clothing in the bag, trying to be prepared for any type of situation. Not only that, she often forgot to remove her clothing before shifting, which ended up shredding whatever she was wearing. Yawning a little, she stripped out of the t-shirt and thong she was wearing, leaving her completely naked. Digging around a little more, she finally found something she could wear, though she probably would change another three times before actually heading off to the party.

Pulling out a pair of boxers that belonged to her roommate and a strapless black bra, she slid into the undergarments. Peeking into the bag, she nodded before tugging on a simple black strapless dress that stopped mid-thigh. Slipping on a pair of cute sandals, she shrugged a little and shoved her other clothing into another part of the bag before zipping it up and slipping it behind the bar counter to collect later. Moving back to the pool table, she grabbed a pole cue, twirling it around a little,

“Dad, I know I don’t even live with you anymore, but I feel the necessity to ask permission from you regardless, since you know more about dangers than I do, mostly because I don’t pay attention. So, are you fine with me going out to a party?” Aimée roved her gaze around the bar, before trying to remember what she did with the beer she had snatched earlier.

"I think everything's under control here for now," Jacques answered.

The look he threw Baron's way told a different answer though.

'I think our fearless leader is too preoccupied to do anything about our missing pack member tonight,' he thought to himself.

He never voiced it out loud though as he turned his eyes back to the pool table where he was lining up a shot. Aimee might have caught the light touch of disapproval in the look he had tossed towards Baron though. Bastien did as well, and he threw an equally disapproving look at Jacques.

"You should take one of the pack with you though," he said as the pool cue struck a ball. "We already have one pack member missing."

Spotting the beer on the counter where her bag had been sitting moments before she got dressed, Aimee tilted her head towards her father, reading the underlying look he shot towards Baron. Tisking and shaking her head, she moved over to grab her booze before returning to her previous spot just in time to hear Jacques suggest she take one of the pack with her for safety measures. She knew Jesse was missing and what kind of bad blood was between the two packs, but she was going to be in a car and then with a horde of people. Surely they wouldn't pick her out of a couple of dozen teenagers, right?

“Dad, I get where you're coming from, believe me I do, but I’m heading to a party that’s in a house. It’s not like I’m going out into the woods or anything. Someone will pick me up in a car right outside of the Den and they'll be going right to the party. The refreshments and food will already be there. It's safe, I promise.” She kept her emotions masked, knowing that the party wasn’t in a house and was indeed outside somewhere. The hosts were supposed to send a text to everyone’s phone with an address and directions. It was supposed to be kept a secret until then.

“But, since I did ask, I’ll humor you. Well, depending on who you suggest to send with me.” Aimee finished off the bottle of beer and tossed it over into the trash.

"Have you forgotten how ruthless the Psions are?" Jacques asked. "If you think a house full of witnesses will stop them from gunning one of us down in cold blood, you've forgotten everything you should know. Just take someone with you, I don't care who," he told her.

He seemed agitated, and uncharacteristically short with her.

In Lutetian pack life though, you stuck with your own, or you died young. The 'lone wolf' mentality didn't get one far with the pack skirmishes and violence that often struck. The pack instinct was a compelling force though, and the bonds of pack where often stronger than family.

That he had to remind her of this was somewhat peculiar.

"He's right," Bastien interjected as he leaned over the pool table to take another shot. "Baron wants all of us accounted for, and no one out alone."

Aimee just shook her head at her father. Of course she hadn’t forgotten how ruthless the Psions were. She knew what they were capable, but perhaps spending time with her roommate was making her forget things that she ought not to forget. Keeping that thought locked away in her mind, she noted how agitated he appeared and she decided just to drop it. It wasn’t like she wanted to break away from the pack or go off on her own, but sometimes it was fun just to let go and party with people that had the possibility to take her to a whole new world without actually leaving. However, with everything that had been happening, she realized that right now was not the time to let loose. Pack was home. Pack was comfort and although she wasn’t living with anyone from the pack, she was almost always at The Den because of how she felt around them.

“I’m not going to go to the party. I’ll hang out here and maybe beat you at pool, dad. Then again, I’m still pretty terrible.” She grinned and felt her phone dinging. Pulling it out, she blinked at the flashing icon indicating she had a text.

Glancing down at her phone, she read the message just as Bastien spoke up. Nodding a little, she fired off a message to her friends and shoved her phone into her bra for safe keeping. Instead of going out, mostly because the party had already been crashed, she moved over to grab another beer and silently watched her dad and Bastien play pool before her attention fell upon Snow, Desmond, and Chloe. She stretched herself out, casually chatting with the pack as it got closer to opening. She couldn’t wait to actually score herself some whiskey, though the majority of her attention was on Chloe and Desmond. Laughing at Bastien’s comment, she couldn’t help but add her own,

“Come on, Desmond, you’re not going to let that slide are ya’? She slid off the stool and made her way over to where others had gathered with a sly grin.

Chloe had been right about one thing -- She did loosen up after a few drinks. She had received the text and raised a brow. She wasn't sure how to answer. So she merely typed in 'Sure.', making sure it was vague on when she'd meet up with him. Afterwards, she silenced the phone and put it into her purse and forgot about it.

Even if it had been been ages since she'd tossed darts, she wasn't about to let the challenge go unanswered. Her face was already flushed pink, and a wide grin spread across her lips at the cat-call came her way "Try? I think I'm winnin'." She teased as she picked up a dart. With a rusty dart, she somehow managed to hit the board as well, a sly grin on her face.

When she went to grab for the glass of beer being passed to her, it slipped from her fingers and crashed to the floor. Sharp pains pierced her hand through the numbness of intoxication, and her jaw clenched as she narrowed her eyes at her own hand. She couldn't move her fingers in anyway. This all happened seconds after the glass shattered on the ground, and she pulled her hand away, tucking it under the opposite arm. "Sorry..." She muttered, immediately changing her expression into a sheepish smile. "Guess I am a bit more tipsy than I think I am... I'll clean it up.." She said, moving to start picking up the glass with her other hand.

Noel nodded to Snow, agreeing with his logic.

The sharp tang of the shattered glass rang through his ears. He turned his attention to Chloe, frowning he turned back to Snow, "Well there's one drink that needs replaced. The tab's yours tonight, right?" He teased, before turning to the bar entirely and shouting, "Happy birthday to me, folks! Welcome home, and all that! Cheers!"

Desmond's expression sobered as Chloe dropped the glass. He might have laughed it off, but he saw the way she hid her hand and his brow furrowed as he knelt down as if to help clean up the broken glass.

"'ey, there's no need for that. 'ere, let me see."

His expression didn't improve as he took hold of her hand and rolled it over to get a look at it. His eyes raised to hers, almost questioning, but he didn't ask. She was clearly uncomfortable.

"Come on, why don't I take you back an' we'll call it a night," he offered as he stood and encouraged her to do the same with a hand on her elbow.

"Can you take care of that glass?" he asked Bastien.

"Yeah sure, go on," the man answered.

The mood had shifted, but Noel's exclamation had given something else for the pack to divert their attentions to now that the competition between Desmond and Chloe seemed to be at an end.

Hugo glanced around the bar, listening to the conversations around him with interest. It was strange being among people he didn't know, but he knew he would at least get to know a few down the road. He wasn't used to making new friends, formerly being part of an upper-class family before his transformation into a werewolf. His family were devout members of the Church, so they didn't take it very well when he turned. The very idea that his family sent an assassin after him still tugged at his heart, that they were willing to do something illegal to hide that he wasn't human anymore.

He sighed, standing up from the bar and going to one of the pool tables to start setting up a game, hoping this would at least get someone to approach him to initiate conversation. Most of the people here were already talking to someone else, so he didn't want to feel awkward by interrupting someone's conversation. He had picked up a few names like Snow, Noel, Baron, and a few others while he listened to the other patrons speak. It was difficult not to eavesdrop with his heightened sense of hearing even though he knew it was impolite to do so. He casually hummed to himself as he continued setting up a game at the pool table.

Chloe didn't fight Desmond as he pulled her up and away from the scene, but still threw Bastien an apologizing glance. Her face was red now more because of embarrassment than intoxication. Every eye in the bar was on her now.

She was glad when Noel broke the awkward silence.

She kept her eyes averted from Desmond the entire time he led her from the rest of the pack and out the door, knowing he had more questions now that she couldn't avoid answering as soon as they were alone.

Aimee watched for a couple more minutes before letting her gaze shift to everyone else that had entered the bar. It wasn’t long before she came to the conclusion that she wanted more beer, so after a few minutes, about the time that Noel entered, she headed back to the bar and snagged herself a brewskie, her ears listening in on as many conversations as possible. Being part of the pack meant a lot to her, but sometimes, Aimee couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to just roam around without any times. Lonely, she figured. That would be what life would be like. Well, not necessarily lonely because she truly had a lot of friends, but there was something different between friends and the pack. Finally shrugging off the thought, just as the glass that Chloe was holding onto slipped out of her grasp and broke, she turned to watch the female as Desmond and Chloe left the bar.

“Hmm…” Shrugging it off, she turned her attention upon Noel when he shouted that it was his birthday. Cheering loudly and waving her bottle of beer towards him, Aimee walked over to the pool table towards a face that was not familiar to her. Leaning against the table, she grinned and reached for a pool stick.

“Hey? Up for a game? I’m Aimee by the way. Aimee Chevrier." She held her hand out towards him, well, at least she started to before she realized both hands were full. Setting down the beer on the edge of the table, she once again held her now free hand out towards him.

At first he gave the stranger a quirked eyebrow behind his glasses when she extended a full hand to him, then gave a genuine smile when she set the beer at the edge of the table and extended a hand for a handshake to him. He happily shook her hand, adjusting his glasses afterwards. "A pleasure, Aimee. I'm Hugo Maxwell. You could say I'm pretty new here...recent turn you see." he sighs, scratching the back of his head "I'm not used to this whole...werewolf thing yet. Oh, was I not supposed to say things like that? I apologize." he laughs nervously before changing the subject "Um, yes of course I'm up for a game. I'm actually rather new to the game, I just figured this would be a way to meet people. I'll break." he said. There was a friendly and noble air about Hugo, though one could tell he didn't feel entirely comfortable around here.

Hugo moves to the end of the table and lines up the first shot before breaking. Good for a first attempt as he manages to pocket a couple in the shot. He decides to go for stripes and takes his next shot, though fails to pocket any. "Your turn. This place is certainly lively...though I can't say I care for the smell...though that's probably because I've never been in a bar like this before." he says, keeping a slight smile on his face.

Picking the beer back up, she went back to drinking it after he shook her hand. She tilted her head when he indicated he was a newly turned werewolf, the idea quite thrilling to her. Smiling wide, she inhaled his scent, picking up on his nerves, though it was obvious by just watching him. Allowing him to break the balls, the notion making her giggle internally, Aimee hoped he wasn’t better than her, because despite having the ability to shoot pool daily, she hardly ever did. Sliding her fingers through her hair, she watched him carefully, the way he moved and acted quite different than what she was used to. It reminded her of some of her friends that were just plain humans.

“You’re doing fine, Hugo. It’s expected that you don’t know all the ins and outs since you’re newly turned.” Aimee grinned and finished her beer, too lazy to walk back over to get another one. Instead, she focused in on the game, taking note that she was solids. Walking over to where the white ball was, she chalked up her stick and got into position, saying a silent chant that she could do this before nailing the white ball with a great deal of intensity. It appeared luck was on her side as she managed to pocket three of the solid balls. Grinning even wider, she walked over to where cue ball stopped.

“It is quite lively, yeah. You’ll get used to the smell pretty quickly. If you’re wanting to head outside for a while or go for a walk, I’d gladly go with you.” Aimee smiled and nailed the ball, frowning when she whacked it right into one of the holes.

“Oops, your turn.” She fake pouted before moving out of the way.

As Aimee took her turn, he considered her offer to go for a walk "Hm...no, I think I'll be okay for now. Thank you, though! However...I currently have a bit of a housing problem. I haven't had a place to live since I turned, so I've been loitering around the city, surviving on scraps believe it or not." he chuckles nervously "My...my parents were members of the Church. I think you can imagine how they reacted...they even tried to get an assassin to kill me. Even my dad chased me out with a revolver." he sighs. "I was scared to come here. I didn't know how werewolves treated those who were turned. I feel foolish for not coming here sooner." he admits sadly.

When Aimee pocketed the cue ball, he picks it up and sets it on the table, aiming his shot. He managed to get two, but on the second he accidentally got one of the solids in. He shakes his head, laughing "Whoops." he seemed to be a rather good sport. He was mostly happy to speaking to another person like him. It was the first step in learning to accept his new life, but the fact that he was considering accepting this life started to worry him. For a while he was desperate to research and find a cure but now here he was, communicating with others like him.

Musing a little as he mentioned his housing issue, she tried to think of someone he could stay with, but nothing was coming to mind. She supposed he could come stay with her, but it wasn’t really clear whether or not her roommate would appreciate that. Sighing softly, she chewed on her bottom lip, trying to imagine Jacques attempting to kill her. It was unfathomable and she felt sorry for him. She hoped that he had been treated well by the other pack members, though it he hadn’t been, hopefully she was making up for it. Smiling faintly, she watched him nail one of the solids.

“Well, I’m glad you decided to finally come here. I’m not sure about a place to stay, but if you’re not able to find one, I can ask my roommate to see if he minds if I bring you to our place. He probably won’t, but I better make sure before I just bring you there. He’s a human, but he doesn’t judge or anything.” Aimee paused a moment, moving over to the cue ball and taking aim at one of the solids. Knocking two of the solids into one of the pockets, she grinned before scratching again.

“Damn it!” She stomped her foot before grumbling a little. Glancing at the pool table, she sighed and poked at the fabric a little.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go for a walk? It doesn’t seem stuffy in here to you? I guess what I’m trying to get at is… I really want to get fresh air, but we’ve been told not to go out alone…” She sighed and glanced towards the door before looking back at Hugo again.

Hugo laughed at her reaction "Alright, alright. I suppose getting some fresh air wouldn't hurt. It's supposed to be rather nice out today anyway. We'll call this one a draw." he said before putting everything away. He stretched as he walked outside "Aah, it is nice out." he took in a deep breath, glad that he wasn't assaulted by the smell of booze. "About your offer to stay at your place, thank you, but I don't want to impose. I'll figure something out for myself....get a job...an apartment. I'll get somewhere." he said with a smile.

After taking a moment to relax, he asks "So what's it like living with the pack? I haven't gotten the chance to speak with many of the others." he said, curious about the way packs behave and interact with one another "All I know is that Baron is the one you never question if you value your well-being." he chuckles nervously at that.

“Yay! Fresh air!” Aimee pumped her fist into the air before setting down the pool stick, moving out behind Hugo out of the bar. She knew they still needed to be cautious, but she was starting to get stir crazy, just chilling out in the bar. Plus, she did what her dad said, took someone with her. Grinning as she inhaled the fresh air before releasing it slowly, she glanced over at Hugo, shrugging a little when he indicated that he didn’t want to impose.

“It really wouldn’t be imposing. We’ve got the room and I know a few weeks back he mentioned something about possibly getting someone else to live with us, so it’s not a huge deal. However, I won’t force you into it, but at least until you get a job and your own place, it might be helpful? It’s not safe out right now, so staying with someone you know, might be wise.” Aimee nodded before scanning the area, heading down the sidewalk away from the bar.

When he asked about life with the pack, she smiled at all of the fond memories she had before frowning at the not-so-fond memories. Sliding her fingers through her dark hair, she pondered on what all to tell him, not wanting to overwhelm him since he was just slowly getting into the life. However, his comment about Baron made her snicker and she just shook her head.

“Yeah, Baron doesn’t like to be questioned, that’s for sure. However, I don’t believe he’d ever kill one of his packmates, but there have been a lot of scuffles. Honestly, we have more issues to deal with to fight amongst ourselves, though it still happens. Things are especially tense right now with our missing packmate and with other issues that have popped up. That’s why I stress that you need to live with someone from the pack. It’s for security and it’s for the getting to know factor.” Aimee kept her gaze constantly shifting to ensure for their safety as they walked down the street.

Hugo thought about the offer again "Well, if you insist...I'd like to meet your roommate first and make sure it's alright by him. Having a place to stay would definitely make things simpler." he said. He was slightly concerned about the idea of a missing pack member, suddenly understanding that there's definitely a lot of trouble going on at the moment. "If the reason is security, then I understand completely. If things are as tense as you say, then it would be for the best." he said, noticing her scanning the area to make sure it's okay. It wasn't right. People shouldn't have to worry about their own safety while simply walking the streets. Hoping the brighten the mood a bit, he asks "Aimee, who else in the pack should I meet? If there truly is safety in numbers I would like to get to know more of them."

][OOC: Moving us here since we're not currently in the bar.][

“Meeting my roommate first would uhh… be fine.” She shifted a little and kept her gaze from moving towards his face. She didn’t want him to know or anyone to know that her roommate had been gone for a couple of weeks on some vacation and that she had been on her own this whole time. Well, aside from the long hours she spent with the pack, that is. The only true time she was alone was at night, but the place had great security. So, if she could get Hugo to come there, at least she wouldn’t be alone anymore. The only problem was how he was going to meet the roommate that wasn’t there. Blinking a little, she just nodded that security was the reasoning behind her offer and that it would be best to stick together.

“Mhmm, things are pretty damn tense. Then again, has been for a while. If I uhh… if I tell you something, promise you won’t go running to tell my father, Jacques?” She paused a moment to allow him to respond while pondering on who else he should meet, though it was obvious that he should meet them all. Grinning a little, she stopped walking once they were quite a ways away from the bar, her body shifting in order to look at him.

“As for who you should meet… everyone. Well, everyone that’s around right now. Joel would be a good choice as is Snow and anyone else that’s in the bar right now. In fact, when we head back, you should go talk with him.” Aimee smiled brightly, despite everything.

When she asks him to promise something, he needs to think about it for a moment "It really all depends on what secret you want me to keep. It's up to you if it's something you want to trust me with. I don't know your father, so I can't go running to him at this very moment at least." he says, laughing a bit. Hugo was an honest man. He didn't like making promises he didn't know his morals would allow him to keep, but he tried his best. So far though, he had confidence in his new friend and would listen to what she had to say.

He pondered for a moment when she said he should meet everyone. That seemed a daunting idea, but a good one nonetheless. "Snow, huh? I'll keep that in mind. The more the merrier in these questionable times, that's for sure. I'm still not used to this whole pack business, but I have to start somewhere. Thanks for helping me out, Aimee. I'm essentially a total stranger to you yet you offer so much to help. That's very respectable." he says, smiling.

“Hmmm, well, you’ll get to know my father soon enough. He was in the bar, but busy with things. Maybe you can meet him later on and the others too.” Aimee paused, trying to figure out how to say what she wanted to say without coming off weird. Well, she was weird, but she didn’t want Hugo to have that opinion of her, at least not yet. Shaking her head a little, she yawned and slid a few fingers through her hair.

“Well, you see, my roommate isn’t available to meet. What I mean by that is, he’s been on vacation for about three weeks and I don’t think he’s coming back. I lost contact with him a week ago and I’m not even sure if he’s still alive… I know you said you wanted to meet him before deciding, but… there’s plenty of room and if you come, I won’t be alone at night anymore.” She frowned, glancing down towards the sidewalk, her nose scrunching up a little as she digested the rest of what he said.

“You’re part of the pack, no longer a stranger. Things will get better for you as long as you don’t flee or refuse to get to know everyone.” Aimee smiled and resumed walking down the sidewalk, just wanting to be outside for a while.

Hugo paused for a moment before responding "I'm sorry, Aimee. I can't imagine how difficult that must be to not know what has happened to your friend. I hope....I hope you hear from him." he said, trying to sound comforting. This gave him a little more to consider. People going missing...uncertain fates...he now knew how important the company of others was at this time. "Alright Aimee, I'll stay at your place for the time being. It would be for the best." he says. If things truly were this dangerous, he would feel terrible if he didn't do his part to help. They continued to walk, enjoying the outside air. "Just let me know when you want to head back to the bar."

Aimee just nodded her head a little at his sympathetic response. She had tried her best to push out any negative thoughts concerning her roommate, but the longer time ticked by, the more she was certain that he had perished. Either he pissed off the wrong person, or he was attacked unprovoked. The two of them knew just how dangerous it was to be out and about alone and though he had gone with other friends, none of them had been heard from either. Sighing, she smiled brightly, glad that he was going to be staying with her. It would be nice to have another body in the apartment instead of just listening to the television and music to keep herself busy at night. Stretching her arms above her head, she glanced around cautiously before deciding that they were safe.

“I appreciate that Hugo. I hope I hear from him soon too, but I don’t know anymore. Thanks for coming to stay with me, it’ll be nice to have company. I usually stay at the Den until late hours and then head back home and turn my music up or my television on and I might get a few hours of sleep and then I repeat the process.” Aimee shifted her gaze towards him, studying him for a few minutes before looking away again.

“It’s been a while since I’ve just been outside to inhale the air. Usually, I’m rushing from one place to the other or going on pack runs. I haven’t just stopped and smelled the well… lack of roses, but you get my point. So, you might want to head back before me, so how about we let each other know, okay?” She smiled softly, thankful that things were quiet for once.

Hugo nodded as he listened to Aimee, feeling sorry for her situation. Despite the time she spent at the bar, it must have been frightening and lonely. It was the right thing to do to help her in this time of need. "Being a strictly raised, albeit rebellious church youth, I never had the chance to see much television. It will be interesting to catch up on things I never had the chance to watch." he says with a smile. When she mentioned that he may want to head back before her, he shook his head "From what you've been telling me it seems like something bad can happen at any moment. I'll be patient." he said as he continued to walk with her, enjoying the relative peace of this usually dreary city. This loyal and friendly behavior has always been part of who Hugo was, but recent events definitely gave him more of a reason to be. Betrayed by his own family, he never wanted anyone close to him to feel such a betrayal.