The Crimson Vigil 

It was October 30th, at the shore of Commencement Bay in the north of Tacoma. The streetlights that would normally illuminate Hyde Park, and its more meaningful neighbor the Chinese Reconciliation Park, were turned off, and any mortals who passed by felt a mental suggestion to stay away from the park, as dozens of figures stood in the dark.

They held crimson candles, unlit in the night, and made their way to line up along the coast furthest from the road, nearest to the water.

Silently, without a word to each other or in general, they all make a cut along the back of their hands, as nearly 50 Kindred rouse a small bit of their blood, letting it fall and mix into the water, and out into the bay.

Some cut with knives, some with ritualistic athames, some with fangs, some with claws, and some with a sharp rock they had found but a second before.

But it was a quick event, and it was a silent event, before the crowd of hidden vampires departed their separate ways, with a few continuing to hang around on the beach as the majority left, and the street lights flickered back on.

As two Kindred sat next to each other, seated on the rocks lining the shore, they lit their candles on small metal dishes, and let them burn with the waves crashing beneath their feet.

"Would you look at us?" Asked one of the Kindred, a rather scrawny man with patchy brown stubble and curled copper hair with eyes to match.

"I mean, if you told me even last year that a bunch of us would be holding some Kindred memorial, I'd think you were crazy." He continued, gesturing loosely to the surrounding area.

"I know what you mean, it's quite an extraordinary turn of events. That is to say, I don't believe I would have expected it either." Said his companion, a pale woman with bright blue eyes, and long white hair that was kept in a shoulder-length braid.

"And yet, here we are."

They both looked out to the water, pitch black in the night, save for what was illuminated by boat lights and the moon itself.

"Hanna, be straight with me. Do you think any of this is going to work?"

"What do you mean?"

"Everything! Fiore and them, they've gotten this place back for us but, all this new shit. I mean, we've got Kindred in nice havens left and right, people are setting up new businesses and groups, new clubs and stores, we're even working together more with this whole overseer nonsense, and a bunch of us just spilled blood for a pack of licks we never even knew! Ain't it all a bit...antithetical?"

"Hmm...I see what you mean." Hanna began, looking at the moon in the reflection of the water.

"We are creatures of greed, destruction, and hunger. Despite some piece of us still being human, therefore still longing for some connection, our very inner natures shall be our greatest enemy, and we can only bide time until it does so." She held her hand out as if moving to crush the reflection of the moon.

"And yet, do we not think? Do we not rationalize? Do we not feel, albeit however limited that might be? That is to say, do we not have a choice in the moments we are in control?" Her hand caressed the reflection and returned to her side.

"I get what you're saying, but for the monsters we are when we aren't in control, all of this support work feels more like setting C4 than building pillars. Honestly, the fact that everyone seems on board makes that feeling even worse."

"Well, first and foremost, there are nearly 600 Kindred between our territories, I'm sure not everyone is on board." Hanna corrected first, with her companion rolling his eyes with a face that read 'Semantics.'

"But also, you have to consider something, Mr. Gardner. Fiore and the other Barons showed us something wonderful, something new, something that if not for the circumstances of two years ago, we probably could've never conceptualized; We can work together and achieve many things, despite being monsters."

"And so, now what? You think everyone's high off of doing something good for a change?"

"Are we good, Sunny?" The question was short and direct.

He must not have answered fast enough, as she continued. "It was a war, Sunny. We still feed on humans, Sunny. We killed, Sunny. So many were killed, human, Kindred, and others alike. We are merely the victors. Is that good, Sunny?" Hanna Winther always kept a half-lidded expression, as if tired by existence, but in that moment in the moonlight her eyes were wide and her pupils were small.

"R-Right. I suppose not." Sunny felt incredibly awkward, as Hanna returned to her usual expression.

"I think what everyone is coming to realize is that we can be better together in a way that doesn't require the iron hand of our opposition or the reckless abandon of our recently defeated foe, just by having faith and understanding with one another, while also being prepared for the beast that everyone is familiar with."

"And our vigil here tonight?"

"Well, not all of us made it out of that fight to see the rewards of our labor, so we might as well give them some respect, wherever they are."

Sunny let out a deep sigh as if he still had breath. "Here's to the ones that put in the work, I suppose."

"Here, here."

As the night pressed on, the two stayed in contemplative silence, until their candles burned out, and Hanna offered to take Sunny back to his haven.

It was a standard ride, with complaints about traffic aplenty, but a casual one.

As Hanna walked him to the door, and Sunny fumbled for his key, he turned to face her.

"Despite everything you told me, Hanna,  I don't think I can trust this new Tacoma."

Hanna looked a bit dejected and went to say something.

"But," he began, "I'm living here anyways, and it's better than having to make it on my own, so I'll do my best too until it all falls and I start again. Prepare for the worst, Hope for the best, and all that, yeah?"

This made Hanna's dejection turn into a soft smile. "Yes, I agree. That is to say, I'm sure many of our contemporaries feel the same."

"Goodnight, Miss Winther."

"And you as well, Mr. Gardner."