Moonlight crept softly through the branches of large trees and cascaded downward, painting little shapes upon the forest floor.

Gavin Ó Duibh made his way slowly through the forest, stepping over twigs and fallen branches.

Cold night air continued to dance around Gavin--though, he didn't seem to feel it at the slightest; he was a creature of the night--a vampire--after all.

He continued to push on, to a tempo his own mind had crafted at a mere moment's whim.

Many nights Gavin would find himself embarking out into the tranquil nighttime woods to help organize his thoughts that had been rapidly bouncing and racing around the inside of his mind just hours before.

The forest... At night it was so calm--so serene.

The forest at witching hour seemed to put Gavin at ease.

Every single sound--every chitter--of nocturnal animal seemed to put Gavin more and more at ease.

Gavin shifted hands, so they slid into a position, deep within his jacket pockets.

He let cold breezes continue to brush against the back of his neck--still, he didn't mind it.

Dead leaves that had cascaded away--during the earlier fall months--from their branches--where they had resided for months prior--had coated the ground in abundant layers of orange, yellow, red, and various hues and shades of brown.

Gavin continued to make his way through the forest, stopping every now and then to watch bats glide and owls swoop past--as the raccoons scurried by--through the open clearings and to the nearest thick bushes or disappearing behind a growing fern.

Gavin thought to himself, somewhat amused, I wonder if any of them are shifters. He blinked a few times, laughing quietly to himself to not disturb the gentle slumber of any animals that may have resided nearby for the night.

Gavin pushed on, making his way through the trees before coming to a gentle halt upon a rocky cliff face.

Gavin inhaled deeply, letting his eyes close for the briefest minute, just letting the sounds of moving water from the nearby river trickle through his ears and through out his mind.

After a few moments had past, Gavin opened his eyes, showcasing his pink irises to the sleeping forest, before inhaling deeply once again.

Gavin let his eyes dance back and forth over the surrounding scenery--typically, he didn't head this way through the forest.

This part of the forest had housed many kinds of shifters--which had prompted Gavin's earlier thought.

Vampires were thought to be the enemy of shifters--but that wasn't always the case; it just wasn't that simple.

Gavin didn't find the shifters repulsive; he actually found them and their nature quite fascinating. To be able to change your form at whim to the highest part of the food chain? To change your form to something so swift, so incredibly strong and mighty... Gavin began to think to himself.

He swallowed, shifting his weight on to his other leg.

Gavin didn't know many shifters--sure, he had met a few in passing, but he wished he was considered a 'friend' of theirs.

Gavin was never good at making friends--abilities and skills in social interaction was something he severely lacked.

Gavin would enter a conversation after standing alone for quite a few minutes to a half hour, trying to hype himself up to the task.

A few moments into the conversation, Gavin--while sporting trembling hands--would fall into a pattern of 'ums', 'uhhhs', and finally an awkward silence that made one want to dissipate into nothingness.

At this point in the conversation, the other people involved would've just ignored Gavin and walked away--but for those who stayed... they had to endure the silence a little longer as Gavin fidgeted with his hands and used his shoe to kick around the dirt.

Then, Gavin engaged in talking about his own interests--the composing and performance of classical music. He'd ramble on and on for hours nonstop. Gavin would blink his eyes open to see those who he head been conversing with had long since fled the scene--forcing Gavin to stumble off--defeated--in the opposite direction, hanging his head and dragging his feet, all while nursing a new hole in his soul.

Gavin exhaled one last time before turning away, heading off through the forest more.

─┉─¡! • !¡─┉─

Gavin carefully headed back to out of the forest and through the suburbs--he tried his hardest not to wake the farmers who would start an early day in a few short hours.

Gavin continued to make his way down the road before turning down a long gravel driveway--he remained at a steady pace as he went.

At last, Gavin reached the porch, the night still twirling about around him. He inhaled before entering the dwelling--the door swinging shut behind him.

"Máthair..." Gavin called out slipping one of his jackets off and letting it hang upon the coat rack near the door. "I'm back." He pushed on through the corridor into a more open part of the home.

"Máthair?" Gavin called once again when he didn't get a response.

Gavin had spent his time recently with his mother--Moira, who was also a vampire--just like her son.

Moira had complained about feeling lonely.

Gavin took it upon himself to fix that problem. He told his mother he'd be staying with her for a few weeks, which excited Moira quite a bit.

"Gavin?" Moira finally responded.

"Máthair." Gavin continued on, entering the living room. Why do we still call it that? The living room? Really? We're vampires.... He came to stand before his mother. "I was out...taking a walk." Gavin sucked in a breath. "...to clear my mind," he explained. His gaze trailed over to the man who sat with Moira--Marvin Greeley... Gavin's stepfather.

"Gavin-" Moira began before being cut off.

"Gavin... What a pleasure to see you," Marvin started, the beginnings of a grin started to seep in.

Even though Marvin and Moira were married to each other, Marvin didn't live at the house; he only visited when he found it necessary--and by that, he typically said that necessary items of business were when he wanted something... When he wanted to use Moira, Gavin, and the rest of their family for his own personal gain.

Now, Marvin was fully grinning. "How would you like to help me with a job?"