Ryker's Guide (Mild)

Testing

Daryl

Daryl wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep. He had been travelling for a few weeks, first Seattle with his first major pitch on his own, and then spending time at the centre and then Charlie's farm to help with the busy part of the year. And in the middle of it all, he had managed to slip the protective team and done some good.

It had involved him shifting into a form no one had seen before and finding a trafficking ring that lured in young shapeshifters. He had been following the underground market since Meriwa and he had stumbled upon it what seemed like a lifetime ago, and when he could help out, he made a point of doing it.

Most of the time, the kids he managed to get free disappeared into the shadows, not yet trusting him enough to lead them to safety. Darly could only hope that they learned from their experience of being kidnapped, tricked, sold and otherwise enslaved in a market that had youths from about eight to around twenty turned into freak shows, put to work at hard labour or things far more seedy.

But sometimes he could manage to convince the kid to give the Centres a chance. When he'd find kids who were younger, he did his best to force the issue, and though they often didn't like him at the time, most thanked him after a month or two in a healthy, happy environment.

The black market for it in the supernatural world was drying up because of Knight Corp's unrelenting war on the evil that ran it, but it still existed, small enough that it went mostly unnoticed.

Dary dropped off two teens and a young girl at the Center, thankful that the social workers didn't ask the same sorts of questions that he knew the security teams would have for him if they had truly known that Daryl was randomly appearing with kids who had been pulled out of bad places. After returning to his apartment, he was reminded that Ryker was still out of town and Meriwa had been busy doing not-mortal things by the emptiness of the place.

Daryl felt a twinge of loneliness, and despite his exhaustion, felt a thrum of energy from the adrenaline from what he had just accomplished. Sleep would not be coming any time soon, though a distraction might help if he was bold enough to find out if Carbry was still in town.

He had been getting along with Carbry a lot more of late, with the man making a point to take him out to dinners or to a football game. Not just any football games, either. Carbry had somehow discovered Daryl's favourite team was the Colts and got season tickets plus all the away tickets.

So whenever Carbry was free on a game day, the vampire would ensure they attended a game together. A 'proper date' as the older vampire called it. Sure, it was always ostentatious, and they were often in a private booth with access to fine dining. But, Carbry even would wear the jersey Daryl had bought him at the first game.

However, despite the increased time together and Daryl's anger at the man fading, Daryl still felt a little uncomfortable pestering Alesky on his own, and thinking of the older vampire reminded him that he had promised to try to make a point of drinking the meal replacement shakes, though he had not brought any with him.

And, with all the shapeshifting he had been doing, hunger gnawed at him constantly, sending Daryl to the fridge to grab one of the shakes before blending up the pre-made mix then drinking it idly and grabbing his gym bag. He stepped outside his apartment, to find Bryn levelling a glare his way. "Hey."

"You care to tell me where you fucked off to?" She was livid, stepping into the elevator with him, though when he didn't answer she sighed. "Where are you headed now?"

"Was going to go work out." Daryl offered a shrug and a friendly smile before taking another drink of the specially crafted meal supplement shake.