[Rem]

Eric breathed in deep, looking around the place. So familiar; so much of it so achingly familiar. He hadn't actually been here in a long while, but not much had changed. It was a vampire thing, really; so few of them liked change, especially the older they got. The newest thing was a row of privacy booths that lined the back walls, past the dance floor and around to the back of the club, flimsy curtains hiding whatever happened within from prying eyes. That was new. Used to be they'd leave everything out in the open for all to see and enjoy. Must've been some regulations added from the cops. Oh yes, the authorities knew about this place, but the take was rich to look the other way. Besides, it kept the vampire population mostly sated, so they didn't have to run around killing hookers and folk that wandered down the wrong street. Not that that didn't happen, anyway of course. But the take was good.

Eric snapped out of his thoughts and turned to Mikey, squeezing his shoulder, about to ask if he wanted to get a booth or go get a drink now, but the look on the youth's face made him stop and peer more closely. "Hey -- you okay?" He chewed on his lip, wondering if this had been a bad idea; he really had just been bored, but a part of him thought Mikey might like something as -- out there as this place was. He didn't even think about what it looked like to outsiders; it was just...familiar, to him. "You wanna sit down? Here--c'mon," he started to lead the smaller male over to some empty tables slightly out of the way but with a view of the dance floor. But he suddenly stopped on his way there as if he'd hit an invisible wall, and that protective arm snaked it's way around Mikey again, holding him close. Highbloods coming.

A small group of vampires was walking through the throngs of people, who parted for them like Moses was doing his Red Sea bit. At the head was a woman of impossible beauty and stature, dressed in some high-collared black vinyl creation, that clung to every curve til it reached her hips and fell in oily pools around her feet. She was taller than almost everyone she passed, wearing platform shoes that would make a bondage slave cry. Her hair was white, slicked back and high, and her face perfectly porcalin except for tiny red painted doll lips and long black eyelashes. She looked like some nightmare version of Marie Antoinette.

A deep rich blue armband was encircling her upper arm, matching the bands around the arms of her three male companions, who were dressed in typical goth fancy suits and just as frighteningly beautiful as her. What really made the crowd part, however, was a large wolf that padded along beside the woman. The wolf had a white band fastened around its wolfy leg, and it would have been comical, if anyone had dared to laugh.

They were being trailed by a few girls and boys decked out in silver armbands, who were literally leading a chain of women following behind, dressed much less richly; in fact hardly dressed at all. Red armbands marked them, and the crowed snickered and joked as they passed. The entire entourage was walking towards the doorway marked with a red X. An employee opened it for them and the woman and her companions passed within without barely a glance towards anyone.

The fledglings followed, herding the humans inside, who were clinging to one another and looking particularly fearful. The symbols on their bands did not match the house, and whispered words around Eric and Mikey said they were payment for a debt; a typical transaction there, but not one that was particularly desired amongst the blood dolls. It was considered a spineless and low way to settle ones' dues, and anyone swapped was considered to be worth less, and was treated so.

The wolf had stopped, waiting til all had disappeared into the darkness within and then she seemed to shake herself and with a cracking sound -- like bones splintering, enough to set ones teeth on edge -- she transformed from wolf to woman, in a way that was both unnerving and beautiful, rising gracefully to her feet as she did. She looked around with a wolfish smirk, fully nude except for her armband, accepting a cloak offered to her by an employee. Before she entered, her eye caught Eric and Mikey and she stopped, staring at the youth for a moment. Eric edged the boy behind himself and glared at the woman, who laughed softly and headed into the room, shutting the door behind her.

The crowds had formed again, gossiping fast and furious about these new arrivals and Eric sighed, continuing on to the table he had been steering Mikey towards before they were interrupted. "Freaking show-offs," he muttered, plopping down in a seat and rubbing a hand through his hair.