Topic: A little Less Conversation

Laurentia

Date: 2016-05-23 11:48 EST
((Warning - contains material of an adult nature.))

The popular nightclub scene in New York City could change at the flip of a coin. Oh, there were always a few places that were always in vogue, certainly, but popularity rose and fell in others depending on who was enjoying the club openly. This club, however, never seemed to have any trouble drawing crowds, and only a few of those who attended were aware of exactly why. Humans are very susceptible to the persuasion of the perfect predator, and they enjoy being in that predator's company. Provided no one hunted the crowd, New York's predator population was welcome to mingle with the food supply in this club.

And the owner of that nightclub liked nothing more than to watch the crowd night after night, feeding off the nightly frenzy with an insatiable lust for humanity that never grew old. He was old, but not ancient, constantly reinventing himself and moving on before some other predator caught on or caught up with him. He had quickly learned that New York was heaven to one such as him. So long as he was careful, it was easy to get lost here, to blend with the crowd, and he couldn't help but admit he was having one hell of a good time.

He wasn't the only one in the crowd who wasn't quite what he seemed, nor was he alone in having a good time tonight. The beat was perfect, the crowd was humming, and for one club-goer, it was the perfect antidote to the growing stress that was rumbling among the people she considered family. She'd begged for a night off, and they'd given it to her, so Laurentia Emmeline Van Arkle - known to the wider world as simply Lauren - was glorying in the chance to dance her stress off at one of the trendiest spots in town.

The beat of the music, almost in sync with that of a heartbeat - or many heartbeats - was the pulse of the club that kept things moving. It was more than just a rhythm, but a living, breathing thing; the crowd pulsating and writhing to the sound of the music. It reminded him of an orgy, though he found nothing obscene or immoral about it. He was simply giving people what they wanted, and they were rewarding him for it by coming in droves to worship at their master's feet, as though he was a god of some kind. Well, wasn't he very nearly' He was practically immortal, after all, and he held their lives in his own hands. Night after night, he watched the crowd writhe and sway like a living thing from the mezzanine above that overlooked the dance floor, every now and then focusing on a particular face or conversation that interested him. It was far more entertaining than watching television, though even that had its occasional merits.

Laughing her way off the dancefloor, Lauren waved away the hopeful offers from various eager dance partners, finding her way to the bar in search of a drink to cool her throat. Just an ordinary drink - she didn't partake of blood unless she needed to build her strength for any reason. Her ability to survive on human food and drink was just one of many reasons she was able to blend into a crowd so easily. Of course, on a busy night like this, in a crowded club, getting the attention of the bartenders was no easy task, but again, Lauren had her own assets to play with there. Not many women were prepared to flash the bar staff just to get served, but then again, she wasn't many women.

She might have expected that flash of skin to get her noticed by a male bartender, but instead it was a female whose eye she caught. The woman was a looker herself, almost too beautiful to be fully human. She'd noticed something different about this particular patron, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. She offered a charming smile that wasn't entirely amicable. "What's your pleasure?" she asked, dark eyes shining like moonlight in the dim lighting of the club.

"Water, please," Lauren called over the sound of the club, not even mildly fazed by the fact that her flash had garnered her the attention of the female tender. She knew that look, too - that wasn't attraction, that was predatory interest. Fighting not to smirk, she dug into her dress to locate her cash, handing over payment and a tip, leaning across the bar to speak softly to the tender. "Use it in the backroom, I've heard drunks don't taste too good."

One dark brow ticked upwards at the request for water, but who was she to argue" A mortal who wasn't interested in drinking fell into only a few categories, but generally speaking, she immediately knew that the woman hadn't come there to drink. Nevertheless, she took her money and deposited it somewhere behind the bar, well out of reach of customers. "I don't drink on the job," the woman countered with a slightly predatory grin as she poured a glass of water with plenty of ice clinking about in the glass. "You're new here," she said. It wasn't a question. She never forgot a face, and this was one she'd never seen before.

"Very wise." To the humans around them, it must have seemed as though Lauren was talking to herself, but she didn't care about appearances so much. "There have been hunts going on in other clubs, I thought I'd check this one out. Seems a little safer." Her pale eyes sparkled under the dim lights. She did love playing this game - most vampires didn't have a clue what it was about her that put them slightly on edge, and she wasn't one to give away her status without significant reason. "I heard the owner is very hands on."

"What else did you hear?" the bartender asked, neither denying or confirming the woman's claims. She flipped her dark hair over a shoulder and casually leaned against the counter, purposely ignoring the other patrons who were waiting to be served. There were plenty of other bartenders on duty to tend to them, besides her.

Taking a sip of her water, Lauren smiled as the ice cooled her throat. "That he's a good man to talk to," she shrugged, still apparently talking to herself. No human could hear her over the noise of the club, after all. "Has his ear to ground, and might possibly share what he knows for the right offer. Did I hear right, or should I leave and find someone else to sweet talk?"

"That depends on who you are and what kind of information you're looking for," the bartender replied, her voice as whisper quiet as the woman's, as she went about wiping glasses and stacking them neatly behind the counter. She had no doubt the man in question was listening. She could practically feel his presence, his curiosity, hovering nearby. Thus far, he hadn't intervened or even given her so much as a hint as to what to make of the woman, but she knew by now that this was all part of the game.

Lauren's eyes turned to her, meeting the gaze with stark sobriety. "You think I'm dumb enough not to insist on talking to him?" she asked pointedly. "I'm not on the foodchain. So either tell him Tobias Acton sends his regards, or I'll be on my way."

The bartender narrowed her eyes, an almost predatory hiss of breath at the other woman's remark. No one talked down to her, not in her own nightclub. This was her territory and no matter what the other woman was or what she wanted, she needed to show some respect. "I don't care who you are. His safety is my ..." She trailed off, as if some unheard voice had interrupted their conversation, and she furrowed her brows in annoyance. "He says he'll see you." She gave a little nod toward the stairs where a large, imposing man stood blocking the way, arms crossed against his chest. "Up there. Just flutter your lashes, and he'll let you pass."

"I'm not here to threaten him," Lauren said very softly. "I need his help." She glanced toward the stairs, rolling her eyes at the very obvious bouncer of unnatural origins. "Subtle," she smiled, taking her glass with her. "Thank you." Making her way through the crowd was easy enough - with just a little concentration, people got out of her way without realizing exactly why. She made her way up the stairs, looked the imposing barrier right in the eye, and offered him a slow wink and a smile. Not quite fluttering her lashes, but close enough.

"People don't always appreciate subtlety," the bartender replied with a faint smirk, purposely using the word people when it was quite clear she was referring to humans, mortals. As soon as Lauren departed, she went back to serving drinks - or so it seemed. The bouncer stepped aside to let the dhampir pass, not because of her charms but because his boss had said so, in not so many words. Once Lauren had passed, he resumed his position, like a stone golem, never moving or even blinking an eye as he stood guard at the base of the stairs.

Laurentia

Date: 2016-05-23 11:49 EST
The stairs wound upwards to a mezzanine high enough above the dancefloor where a man impeccably dressed in a designer suit stood watching the crowd below. "They're almost like bees in the way they buzz and cluster. All they lack is a queen to give them purpose, don't you think?" he asked, more an idle observation than anything else.

It was rather like entering a spider's lair. Tobias had been absolutely against Lauren doing this at all, which was why she wasn't doing it with anyone's knowledge. She was confident that she could handle anything this particular member of their community could throw at her, but even so, mounting the steps into the surprising intimacy of that mezzanine level felt rather like descending into some subterranean dungeon. Her eyes, still pale even in the darkness, swept the level swiftly before focusing on the tall figure watching the crowd. "I thought you were the queen in this hive."

Welcome to my web, said the spider to the fly. And yet, Lauren had no reason to feel her life might be in danger or that she was being lured into a trap. Whatever it was she wanted, it was the name she'd dropped that had given her access to his lair, though it was yet unclear whether he was friend or foe. He turned his head to look her way, a smile on his face that was more amused than predatory. "Oh, I've been called a lot of things, but never a queen." He stretched out an arm to her to beckon her closer. "Come, see. The view is amazing."

"See and be seen?" she asked, her own smile more amused than concerned. She set her glass down on the nearest table, her slow advance toward the man she'd come here to see necessitated by the need to measure his reaction to her. The little black dress had been the only option, really, but she still wanted to see if this particular predator saw more than food when faced with a pulse.

"Something like that," he replied with that disarming smile. It was a smile that few could resist and that had lured many unwary mortals to their death, but she had no need to worry about that. His arm remained outstretched until she was close enough to lay a hand to the small of her back, while the two of them looked over the dancing mob below. The female bartender who had not yet introduced herself gazed up at them, and he waved amicably back, as if to tell her all was well. "I apologize for Adelia. She is a bit of a worry wart, I'm afraid."

"Understandably," Lauren conceded. She wasn't the type to rub the woman's face in the fact that she was now right next to the man Adelia had been trying to protect. "I was trying not to drop Tobias' name, though. You and yours are not the only ones here, after all."

"My dear, Tobias' name was the password that got you up here." He smiled that charming and almost predatory smile, as he leaned a fraction closer, just enough to breathe her in and take a better look at her. "That and the fishnets. I must say, they look good on you."

Lauren wasn't usually susceptible to charm and persuasion. Usually. Imagine her surprise as her companion leaned that little bit closer, as she felt him breathing her in, and just that slight sign of favor made a small eruption set off in her nerves. Trying not to show her attraction too obviously, she drew in a deep breath herself, raising her eyes to the predatory smile looking down at her. "I take it you missed the good look at my breasts Adelia enjoyed, then."

"I'm sure she did, but don't fool yourself. She's far more dangerous than I am." Bored of the view of the dance floor, or perhaps more interested in the view before him, he turned to face her, that arm of his gesturing her toward the leather couch that occupied one wall of the space. "The night is young. Shall we make ourselves comfortable?"

"I'm sure she is," Lauren agreed, noting the glance from the woman they were discussing. "She seems to think I'm a threat." Turning to face him, she raised a brow, considering the offer for a moment. "Thank you, that's a kind offer. Does it work on your food, too?" She flashed him a smile that was almost as predatory as his, turning to walk toward the leather couch without waiting for his reaction. Despite the palpable sense of danger, she was enjoying this.

"Unlike some of my kind, I don't eat my guests, and I haven't had any reason to use that kind of charm in a very long time. I find people here are more than willing to give you what you want, and I've found a way to circumvent the need to hunt nightly. It's more civilized that way, if a bit less fun." He waited to join her, admiring the view a moment from the tips of her toes to the top of her head and making no attempt to hide it. "As for breasts, they're a bit over-rated, don't you think" Why have it all hanging out for everyone to see when it's far more enticing to just hint at what?s there without putting all the goods in the shop window?" he asked, finally stepping away from the balcony to have a seat on the couch.

"Sometimes the obvious is what you need to get the attention you're looking for," she pointed out, seating herself comfortably, one knee crossed over the other. Despite her little display for Adelia, she was decidedly more modestly dressed than the females in the crowd below, not at home with slowing off everything she had. Even the hemline of her dress was just above her knee. "I don't make a habit of drawing that kind of attention to myself, admittedly." She let him look her over, noting something in the way he observed her that put her ever so slightly on edge. He wasn't as uninformed as others of his kind, she realized. "I need your help."

"Ah, and there we have it. The lady doth explain at last. But is it really you who needs my help or Tobias?" he asked, relaxing as he took a comfortable lean back against the couch, looking very at ease in his own realm. "Do you even know who I am?" he asked, leaning forward just a little out of curiosity. He didn't even know her name yet, and though she had him at a slight disadvantage there, he was certain he'd have it before she left.

"Both," she conceded. "He doesn't know I'm here. He seems to think you're dangerous to me." Resting back against the couch, she twisted toward him, meeting his gaze with no fear. "Are you dangerous to me, Valerian' Or did I make the right decision in coming here alone?"

So, she knew his name. He'd expected as much if Tobias had sent her, though he wasn't sure why he'd told her he was a danger. Valerian had already guessed what she was, or was, at least, fairly certain. "I should think you're far more dangerous to me than I am to you. If you are what I think you are, you are more rare than the most precious gem. Does Tobias think so little of me to think that I would cause you harm' You are one to be protected and cherished. There are those among my kind who might think otherwise, to be sure, but I am not one of them," he said, touching a hand to his chest as if to indicate his trustworthiness.

"You are in the minority with that view," she pointed out to him gently. "I don't think he believes you would harm me. I think he's afraid you might want to possess me, to make use of me. I don't think he's realized I actually have a mind of my own at times." She laughed softly, shaking her head. "Your reputation is of neutrality. I'm not here to ask you to involve yourself in the feuds and wars between the night people. But I am asking for information. Name your price."

"My price," he echoed, leaning back again and folding his hands neatly in his lap, fingers linked, a thoughtful expression on his face. He had a small inkling what this might be about, as rumors and gossip traveled fast among their kind. While it was true he tended toward neutrality, certain things were well worth fighting for. "Very well. My price, if you choose to accept it, is an evening alone with me. Not here. There are too many eyes and ears here. Somewhere else. A place of your choosing, if you so wish. I understand how you might not trust me, given my reputation."

Laurentia

Date: 2016-05-23 11:49 EST
His price certainly was interesting. She had not expected him to ask for money - that was easy to come by in his position. Blood, perhaps; there were very few who had ever tasted a dhampir's blood. But an evening alone in his company ....that was not such a difficult price to pay for a little information. "You've given me no reason not to trust you," she said thoughtfully. "And all I'm really asking is to know if certain faces have made themselves known." She held his gaze for a long moment. "I accept, but the place should be of your choosing. Tobias knows my haunts - he might decide to join in, uninvited."

"I'm curious ....Why did Tobias not contact me directly' Has he grown so suspicious and untrusting of our kind that he feels I'm a threat' I am well aware of what goes on in this city. He has never had to worry about me being a threat before. Have his feelings changed?" he asked, wondering just where he stood with the other vampire and why he had warned her against him. He did not yet comment on her acceptance of his offer, as though even that was contingent on her response.

Lauren frowned thoughtfully. She had wondered that herself, but she could see it a little from Tobias' point of view. "It touches on the past he thought he had conquered," she tried to explain without giving away too much. "But it isn't just his concern. There are ....other parties involved. It may well be that they are the ones who are reluctant to ask for your help."

"Help in the way of information or something else?" he asked. He knew enough about Tobias' past to know what she might be referring to, and though he kept a thumb on the heartbeat of the city, there were those who sometimes even escaped his notice. He raised a hand to stop her from answering. "We shouldn't talk here," he told her, remembering her acceptance of his offer and her suggestion that he pick the place. "Do you have any other plans for the evening?" As secure as the club was, there were still too many eyes and ears to risk the wrong parties overhearing.

"I'm not expected by my friends until tomorrow evening," she offered, following his train of thought with relative ease. Even in the most secure of public places, there were still eyes and ears that could be bought for the right price. "They'll only grow concerned if they don't see me by then."

"Do you trust me?" he asked, knowing he had given her no reason not to trust him, and yet, she had no real reason to trust him either, other than his word.

Lauren's pale eyes met his, offering a hint of the predator in her blood, usually so well concealed. "Until you give me a reason not to, I trust you," she told him, as much a compliment as a warning against losing her trust.

"I could say the same," he replied, tit for tat. He offered her a hand before moving to his feet, dark eyes surveying the dance floor again. "We'll go out the back. Not as many will notice," he explained, pausing to give a nod to the bartender Adelia, some unspoken understanding passing between them. It was clear there was some connection between them, and it wasn't hard to sort that connection out.

"Very true," she agreed, slipping her hand into his as he rose to his feet, glad she'd chosen to wear boots rather than slip on heels. As beautiful as some of her shoes were, she didn't feel comfortable in them the way she did in her boots. "Your ....security are shadowing you?" she asked curiously as they paused for that moment of silent communication.

"In so much as I allow them to, yes," he replied, as he led her behind the couch to a barely seen door that led to another stairway that was hidden from the dancefloor. He could almost feel Adelia's tension, knowing she didn't like him going off on his own, especially with someone whose allegiance wasn't clear. "They do not know what we have been discussing, if that's your concern," he assured her.

"Thank you." Lauren's smile was more relaxed as she moved with him, reassured that no one had truly heard what they had been talking about. "Tobias might well make a spirited attempt to spank me if what I'm asking is overheard by the wrong people."

He snorted at the thought of that. "I rather doubt that," he said as he led her through the inner chambers of the club, the places most people did not get to see or were unable to go. They'd have to pass the ominous backroom to get where they were going, but they wouldn't have to enter. "I've yet to learn your name, or is that a secret, too?" he asked with a hint of a smirk.

"I did say might," she laughed softly, glancing about as he led her through the areas of the club that were not for the common visitor. His smirking question made her smile once again. "Which name would you like?" she asked him in return. "The name I'm known by, or my own name?"

"The name you would like me to call you, of course," he replied simply, as if there was no other proper answer to give. He didn't much care what her real name was, unless she wanted to share it, and he didn't think it would be too difficult to find out, if he really wanted to know. For now, this was about building trust and getting acquainted. Where it went from there, he had no idea, but then, that was all part of the game, too, wasn't it"

"Lauren," she told him, knowing full well that it wouldn't be hard to discover the rest of her name. "I'm just ....Lauren, these days. Although that will have to change in few years." She shrugged; the process of reinventing herself had become as much a game as anything else over the years, and she'd spent too long in New York as it was. She might have to go to Europe this time.

"Lauren," he echoed, testing out the sound of it to see how it rolled of his tongue. He had an accent that was hard to place exactly, but seemed to have a bit of something British in it. Just from the sound of his voice, it was obvious he wasn't a native New Yorker. "A pleasure to meet you, Lauren," he said, not bothering to introduce herself, since she already knew his name or as much of his name as he chose to let her know. As they reached the lower levels of the club, he led her to another door that led even further downward to a parking garage where a car was already waiting.

"It is a pleasure, isn't it?" she mused, eying him as he drew her to the parking garage. "Good grief, do you own all the land right down to the bedrock for this place?" The further they went from the crowds, the more relaxed she became, more able to be herself without the need to be on high alert. That didn't mean she wasn't wary of danger, but she had a feeling about Valerian. He wasn't a fool, and only a fool would try to attack or imprison someone who had already made it quite clear that there were others who would come looking for her if she did not return at a specific time.

He had a feeling about her, too, or he wouldn't have agreed to this meeting. Adelia wasn't happy about it - she'd made that quite clear - but Adelia wasn't making the decisions; he was. He was well aware all of this could be some sort of trap, but he'd always had an almost sixth sense about people and his gut instincts had never let him down before. The car was black and expensive - a Mercedes Benz - sleek and luxurious but not too flashy. It seemed to fit him and his personality. Preferring to drive himself, rather than be chauffeured, he went around to the passenger's side to let her in before taking the driver's seat. "Buckle up. City traffic can be a bit tricky to navigate."

"Oh, are you planning on sticking to the speed limit?" she asked innocently, slipping into the seat and obediently setting the belt securely about herself. It was a beautiful car, but she had a feeling that, like its owner, it was hiding a good many secrets. One hand absently stroked her dress over her knees as he settled into the driver's seat beside her. "Where are we going, tall, dark, and handsome?"

Laurentia

Date: 2016-05-23 11:50 EST
He paused a moment to look over at her, his gaze wandering admiringly as she adjusted her dress. "That depends. How adventurous are you? I wouldn't want to be blamed for putting the life of one as precious as yourself in danger," he countered, dark eyes bright with amusement. "I thought I'd take you to my apartment, where we can seduce each other without interference from prying eyes and ears." From the smile on his face, it was hard to tell if he was teasing or being truthful.

She laughed, flicking her hair back out of her eyes at his blunt smile, choosing to take it as a serious tease rather than a prediction. "I think that's very wise," she agreed, her own smile warm as she finally let herself admire the man. He was devastatingly handsome in a way she'd not encountered before now. New York was full of handsome men, but none of them had quite the edge that Valerian seemed to have. Perhaps it was the gentlemanly good manners, or the suggestion that there was the king of all bad boys under the charming veneer, but he definitely had something that she had not come across before. More than that, it was a something that called to her with an enticing tug on her senses. "I can handle a little speeding. You'd be amazed what I can do on my bike."

"I assume you mean one with a motor," he countered, putting the key in the ignition and starting the engine, which roared to life with a soft purr. Like many of his kind, he moved with an almost feline grace, even as he worked the gears and pedals, as if each movement was a perfectly orchestrated dance. "New York traffic can be such a bitch," he complained, proving he was just as comfortable with the present as she was. "I've been told I should hire a chauffeur, but where's the fun in that?" he said, with a flash of a grin as he pulled onto the road and let the engine soar to life, easily passing other cars like they were standing still.

"Do I look like the kind of person who travels the city on a pushbike?" she asked in amusement, unsure whether she should be insulted that he felt the need to ask. Her uncertainty there was swept aside by her admiration of how expertly he handled his car. She barely even felt the speed that they must have been doing. His grin made her laugh once again. "Something tells me you are something of a thrill seeker."

"Darling, when you've lived as long as I have, there are few things that give you a thrill anymore. Automobiles have always been a favorite, the faster, the better, but the city doesn't lend itself well to sports cars, so I opted for something more practical. Still, she doesn't disappoint, does she?" he asked as he weaved his way through traffic, running a red light in the process.

"No, she certainly doesn't." Lauren bit her lip as she smiled, watching the world rush past her window, red light and all. Evidently he wasn't concerned about being caught by the cops, either. "Out of interest, how long have you lived?" she asked, taking the opening he'd given her with a certain direct charm of her own.

"And here, I thought it was impolite to ask a lady her age," he teased back. Maybe he would answer her question and maybe he wouldn't. A direct answer was not much of a challenge, though, was it' "How do they put it' Old enough to know better, but too young to care."

"Mmm, I see." She considered this cheerfully. "So ....old enough to know better, too young to care; European native, not American; you know Tobias; you know what I am without being told ..." There was a pause as she put all this together thoughtfully. "I would make a guess that you're somewhere between two-fifty and three hundred years old."

"Oh, not so old as that. Do I seem old to you?" he asked, a small frown on his face, wondering what kind of impression he'd made on her. He did not deny the rest of her guesses, though, as they'd been pretty spot on. "I was more fortunate than most. I already made my fortune before I was turned."

"That is a very tricky question," she pointed out in amusement. "If I say yes, then it's an insult. If I say no, you might take offense because I haven't noticed your natural gravitas. So I'm not going to answer it." She turned her eyes back to him, watching him as he drove. "If it helps, I'm over one hundred and fifty myself."

"And you don't look a day over twenty," he remarked with a grin. "Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's Maybelline," he quipped, proving he did watch television on occasion. In fact, she was about to find out just how he preferred to do that once they arrived at his apartment. "Hang on!" he warned, as he swerved around some traffic, moving into the oncoming lane and hitting the gas to get around it. He wasn't always this reckless, but he was having a bit of fun showing off. Maybe this was why Tobias had warned her against him'

As Lauren laughed at his quip, she gripped the handle on the door beside her, squealing in delight at the reckless driving. She did, after all, ride her motorbike "like a crazy person", to quote Willow Gregory. Lauren was a bit of a thrill seeker herself. "Please tell me you're a biker," she said hopefully, already hoping for another meeting after this one.

"I'm a biker," he told her with a cheeky grin, though it was again hard to tell if he was teasing or being honest. Knowing the city like she did, she'd know they were heading for Midtown Manhattan where penthouses were known to sell in the millions. They were views worth paying for, and what good was money if you couldn't spend it on something" He might have his humanitarian side, but that was a side he wasn't showing her just yet.

It was all part of the game, and some habits were hard to set aside. The habit of overwhelming a companion with sheer luxury was one that many of the night people had a problem putting down until they were comfortable in that companion's company, and indeed, why shouldn't they revel in that luxury' Most of them were confined during the hours of daylight; it made sense to enjoy their surroundings. That was why Lauren had decided to become an interior designer most recently - her clients were almost entirely vampiric in nature, and most were amazed by her insight into their unique difficulties. "Can't wait to see your ass in leathers, then."

Valerian wasn't the kind of vampire who reveled in luxury or who needed to impress others with it. He simply had the money to live that way, and so, why shouldn't he" He didn't seem to take life too seriously, except where survival was concerned, and security was part of survival, as far as he was concerned. Maybe she'd find his lifestyle to be a bit excessive, but he hadn't brought her here to impress her or to judge him, though there were plenty of others who might. He laughed at her comment, obviously enjoying himself, even as they arrived at their destination - a tall shiny building that seemed to reach to the heavens.

"I'll have to add that to my to-do list," he quipped, still not quite admitting whether he did or did not own a bike. "We're here," he said, as he drove down another slope that led to another underground parking garage, but in order to get into this one, he had to roll down his window and punch a series of numbers into a keypad before the gate opened.

"Wow." Lauren edged forward in her seat to look up at the towering building. Midtown Manhattan was definitely a playground for the rich, but she didn't get the impression that he was the type to welcome just anyone dropping 'round to ask for a cup of sugar. "Let me guess ....penthouse suite?"

"Am I that predictable?" he asked with a grin before rolling the Mercedes down the ramp into the garage where lots of other shiny, expensive cars lay quietly resting until their owners decided they were needed. "It's got the best view in Manhattan, and penthouse apartments are all about the view," he explained simply. He wasn't justifying his choice, only explaining it why he had made it.

Laurentia

Date: 2016-05-23 11:51 EST
"Oh, I know," she agreed, easing back against her seat once more as he navigated the car down into the garage. Her gaze flickered toward his thoughtfully. "Have you ever enjoyed your view in the daylight?"

"Daylight?" he echoed, looking at her as if she was mad. "Only if I'm feeling suicidal," he said, that smirk still in place that was so hard to read. Was he just teasing or being honest"

She chuckled at his reaction. "So you're not as progressive as you'd like to think, then," she teased him cheerfully. "Or not as informed as you pretend to be. Which is it, I wonder?"

"Why don't you tell me?" he asked, sounding only vaguely irritated with her judgment of him, or was he amused" It was hard to tell. He wasn't giving much up about himself, though he'd somehow decided to trust her enough to bring her to his inner sanctum. He pulled the Mercedes into a spot that was reserved for him and turned off the engine, turning to look at her again, a little more closely this time. "Shall we take down our defenses and be honest, or are you enjoying this little game?"

She raised her brow at the note in his voice. "Are you having second thoughts about being alone with me already?" she asked, daring him to say yes as she twisted to meet his gaze. "You're the one who laid down the rules of this game, I'm just playing along. You have all the power here, Valerian. Can you really blame me for being a little coy?"

"I'm having a hard time reading you, and that doesn't happen very often. Frankly, I find you intriguing and just a little bit dangerous. I have a feeling a woman like you could get me into a lot of trouble. Maybe Adelia was right. Maybe I am getting a little too reckless in my old age," he said, admitting to a lot more than he'd planned on or wanted to. "Well, we've made it this far. It seems a shame not to show you the view," he said, that smile back in place, as he pocketed the keys and climbed out of the car.

His confession that he couldn't quite read her made her smile, but there was little mirth in the expression. That was the point of her being, wasn't it' The perfect predator, able to hide among humans and vampires, and neither race truly knowing what her motivation was. It was depressing to discover that, even after decades of working hard on trying to be as natural as she could be, she was still difficult to get a read on. She didn't answer as he got out of the car, unbuckling her belt to do the same, breathing in the petroleum fug of the parking garage as she ran a hand through her hair. "I'm kind of enjoying the view down here," she murmured, looking him over with a flicker of a smile. "I'll bet it's even better framed by the city lights."

"I'll try not to disappoint," he countered, smiling back at her. He didn't bother to tell her that he hadn't brought anyone here in a very long time, that his better judgment advised against it, and yet, here they were. "Shall we?" he asked, extending an arm toward the elevator with a gracefully fluid motion.

"Thank you." Following his inviting gesture, she moved toward the elevator. "Dare I ask how many floors?" she asked, glancing up at him curiously. "How long we're going to be in a confined space with only each other to relieve the tedium?"

"One hundred and four. I hope you aren't afraid of heights," he remarked, leaning around her to punch another sequence of numbers into the keypad before the elevator started its movement downward to pick them up. He drew another breath, as he leaned close, breathing in her scent, like a predator catching scent of its prey. He dispelled yet another myth by the very act of breathing, though it was hard to tell if it was necessary, feigned, or a matter of habit.

"Why, are you planning on throwing me out of a window, or just pressing me against one?" Another somewhat cheeky question, offered as she leaned comfortably against the wall of the elevator, her hands pressing to the cool metal at her back. She considered him for a long moment in silence. "Am I really that hard to read?"

"Oh, there are quite a number of things I'd like to do with you," he replied with that predatory grin of his which was almost lewd, as he followed her into the elevator, purposely careful to give her space. He paused a moment to push the button for the Penthouse before taking an easy lean against one wall, arms crossed while he scrutinized her again. "Would it surprise you if I said you are?" he answered her question with a question.

His answer to her first question made her laugh once more - not the bright, bubbly laugh her friends were accustomed to, but still a warm exhalation of mirth. His question to counter hers, however, made her smile fade slightly. "No," she admitted reluctantly. "But it would disappoint me. I try really hard not to be what I am, but it seems as though it's impossible to overcome sometimes."

"Perhaps that's why," he said, not quite naming what she was, but knowing just the same. "You're right to be careful. There are those who might think you an abomination, who might wish you harm just for existing. I am not one of them, however. You are not quite human, nor vampire, and that is what makes you so hard for me to read, I think. It's also what makes you dangerous," he explained while the metal box slowly made its way upward.

Pale green eyes met his thoughtfully. "I'm not a threat to you, unless you are a threat to me or the people I love," she told him, laying out plainly. "So I guess you're the only one who knows if I really am a threat. If you're on the side of the rogues that are currently in town, I will see you burn for it. But Tobias trusts you, and if it was his decision to make, he would have contacted you by now. So I trust you. Like I said, you have all the power here."

They hadn't yet reached their destination, and he was wary of speaking of such matters where there was any chance someone else might be listening, but he judged the elevator safe enough as it made its upward journey. "If you mean Josef and his cohorts, they are the true abominations. They live only to wreak chaos and havoc on those of us who only wish to live in peace with humanity. Luxurious peace in my case, but peace nonetheless. I've had my own troubles with Josef, believe me. He has as many enemies in the city as friends, but then, that is why you're here, isn't he" To recruit me to your cause."

She shook her head. "I don't want to put you in direct danger," she told him. "But you have access to information that we can't risk trying to uncover alone. The others don't know I'm here."

"I still have to wonder why Tobias has not contacted me directly," he mused aloud, but before she could answer that question, if she even had an answer, the elevator came to a halt and the doors swooshed open. "Well, here we are," he said, smiling. "Home sweet home." He swept an arm toward the door to indicate she should go first, waiting to step out behind her.

If he was still wondering about that, the he would have to ask Tobias directly. Lauren didn't know her friend's mind and couldn't answer the question repeated by Valerian as he welcomed her into his home. She smiled as she stepped out of the elevator, her gaze sweeping the place with a professional eye but drawn unerringly to the wide windows that lined the walls. "Oh, my goodness ..." Without thinking, she moved toward the glass and the breath-taking view beyond.

He'd had to swipe a card and key in another series of numbers before the doors had opened to allow her into the penthouse, smiling at her reaction to it as he followed her inside. It was the view that caught the eye first and the reason he'd paid an obscene amount of money for the place, but he hadn't lied - it did have the best view in all of Manhattan, and that was saying something. "Indeed," he replied as he closed and secured the door behind them, not to keep her inside, but to keep others out.

Laurentia

Date: 2016-05-23 11:51 EST
Utterly entranced by the view before her, Lauren was momentarily unaware of Valerian as he entered at her back, coming to a halt mere inches from the window. Her fingertips rose to touch the glass delicately as she let herself drink in the gorgeous sight of the city at night, an earth-bound galaxy of stars, each with their own story to tell. "I forget, sometimes, how beautiful the city can be," she murmured softly, aware he could hear every word no matter how quietly she spoke. "Standing on the street, you can't see the stars."

"No, all you see from here is the beauty of it," he agreed, coming to rest beside her, gazing on the city he had come to both love and hate with an inscrutable expression on his face. "Do you remember when the Towers fell" That was a dark day for the city. The darkest in its history. Fifteen years. A mere moment in time, but a moment that changed everything," he said quietly, a little lost in thought for a moment.

"I remember the fear," she nodded. "You could taste it in the air. And so many people didn't know what they were afraid of. But down there, down at ground zero ....that was beautiful. For just a few days, it didn't matter where you came from, what you did for a living, what color your skin was. Every one of them worked together, in the hope that they could save just one life. Wars come and go, they evolve and adapt, but people don't change. I don't think I know what I think of that."

"I slept through the attack. When I awoke, it was already over, but it never really ended, did it' Humans ....People ....When they come together, when they work together, there's so much potential for good ....When they're not trying to kill each other. And they call us evil," he said quietly, still a little lost in thought.

"That's because the only vampires they ever meet and remember are the ones who want them in pain, who want them dead," she said quietly. "The rest live their lives quietly, take what they need and no more. Everyone likes a good story, and an evil vampire is easy to hate. I'm just lucky they consider me to be an impossibility. Who knows what stories would be out there about my kind?"

"They don't trust what they don't understand, Lauren," he said, turning his gaze toward her, dark eyes shining like the bright lights below them. "We're not monsters to be feared, no more than they are. Oh, there are those of us - like Josef - who are the epitome of evil, but Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini ....they were monsters of the human variety." And that was just to name a few.

Slowly her gaze rose to his, pale and sparkling in the reflection of the same lights that made his eyes shine. "I trust you," she said softly, the first time she'd admitted it in so many words. "I wouldn't have come to you if I didn't think your word was good."

"Dracula was human, did you know that' Vlad the Impaler. Stoker is to blame for that lie. The worst monsters in history have always been human," he mused further, his thoughts turning momentarily dark. He smiled a little at her admission, as naive as it might seem, and was suddenly closer, almost as if he'd just appeared there. "I'm dangerous, too, Lauren, but I swear, I would never knowingly cause you harm," he assured her, tracing her cheek with the back of one hand with a surprisingly gentle touch.

The touch was what broke her composure - so unexpectedly gentle, yet startlingly intimate; the kind of touch a lover might give, rather than a near stranger. "I know you're dangerous," she breathed, surprising herself with how shallow her breath had become, how quickly her chest moved with each inhalation. How innocently her hands came to rest against the lapels of his jacket as she looked up at him. "If I'm honest, that's a part of why I'm here, too. Speed isn't the only thing that gives me thrills."

There was something so innocent about the way she looked at him, the way she touched him, and yet, he could sense her longing, her desire. There was no mistaking the spark between them, but whether it was simply primal instinct or physical attraction he couldn't say. She was as rare and unique as the most precious diamond - someone to not only cherish but protect. And yet, she wasn't a child, no. She was a woman, not nearly as old as he, but certainly no innocent. She was human and vampire, the best of both races; certainly not as immortal as he, and yet, he envied that, too.

Adelia was right to worry; this lovely, innocent creature before him could very well be his undoing. "Life is not worth living unless it's lived to the fullest," he told her, gazing into the soft, green eyes of hers, as lovely as emeralds. "Hell, you only live once, he said abruptly, as if suddenly reaching a decision, before capturing her lips in a kiss that was not only passionate but possessive, as though he was striving to make her forget everyone and anyone she might have kissed before him.

Was this part of the game, or had they both forgotten the rules" It didn't seem to matter. All thought of business fled as Lauren breathed him in, her breath lost in a gasp that filled her senses with him as he caught her lips in a kiss that more than delivered on the promise of his mere presence. Possession comes in many forms, and there are some kinds you don't mind surrendering to. But despite the desire to surrender, there was no meekness in the kiss that answered his, a kiss that strove to match his and share that desire to forget all others. There was no hesitation or uncertainty in her as her arms rose to wrap about him, pulling him close without any fear of hurting him - he could more than handle her strength, just as she could handle his.

It had been a very long time since he'd lost himself in a woman's kiss, lost all sense of his self, his individuality, seeking to be possessed as much as to possess. That kind of possession was dangerous to one such as him, or so he believed. He had worked hard to remain aloof, to separate himself from others, even as he was almost constantly surrounded by people - a watcher from afar, a voyeur hovering on the edge of other people's existence, but never getting quite close enough to be part of those lives. And yet, when he kissed her, he felt a strange longing to drop his guard, to let her inside his defenses. Wasn't that why he'd brought her here when they could just as easily have talked at the club' He found his senses reeling like never before, full to the brim of everything that was Lauren - her taste, her scent, her very being. She was intoxicating in her uniqueness, and he was in danger of losing himself to the sweet rapture of her kisses.

Unafraid of hurting him, she let her nails rake through his hair, daring to show just a little of what made her dangerous, daring him to show her just a little of his. Where he had spent decades - centuries, perhaps - learning to live on the sidelines, she had lived her life in the thick of things. But she'd never let her guard down like this, never let a first meeting progress to something so intimate within hours. Yet here they were, and she felt no desire to restrain her eagerness for him. She growled softly, teasingly, offering something playful to temper the intensity of that first connection as her lips curved into a grin against his.

It wasn't about control so much as possession, the longing to give himself over to her, and receive the same in return. He felt his body reacting to her in ways he'd almost forgotten, as his hand found the hem of her dress to sweep a caress against her thigh, fingers enjoying the texture of her stockings against the curve of her flesh. In all his years of living, he had yet to meet his match. Was it any wonder Tobias was so protective of this one, who seemed able to undo him so easily' He felt her smile against his lips and he pulled himself away, just far enough that he could look at her again, study her, scrutinize her in his own careful way. "What is it you want from me, Lauren?" he asked, allowing her to answer in any way she wished.

Laurentia

Date: 2016-05-23 11:52 EST
She gasped, pulled up short by the unexpectedly serious question. "I ..." Her smile faded as she held his gaze, a frown touching her brow as she drew back just a little further. "You can't seriously think that I'm offering myself to you in exchange for something," she said, stern in her need to know what it was he meant by that question. She wanted him, and that was patently obvious. But she would deny herself this if there was even a moment in his mind that turned her into a prostitute for a little information.

"That is not what I asked," he replied, his hand lingering on her thigh, as if to remind her where they had left off in their mutual seduction. "You came to me with questions that I have not yet answered, and yet, here we are. So, I ask you again, what do you want, Lauren" What is it you seek" What is your heart's desire" Do you want only a few hours' distraction or something more?"

Her eyes narrowed as she considered just what he was asking her. "I want what everyone wants," she admitted, almost too shy to make that confession. "I want a connection with someone who gives my life color and meaning, just by being in it. Is it a crime to hope that someone might have surprised me when I wasn't looking?"

"Of course not," he replied with a smile, regaining a little of his self-composure now that her lips weren't touching his in a way that made him forget everything but her. "Have you considered the fact that I brought you here with no thought for my own safety, knowing you could be my salvation or damnation' I have worked hard these many years not to care about anyone, but there is something about you that makes me want to lower my defenses and let what happens happen."

There was something astonishingly honest about the way she softened at his words. Not just her expression, but her whole body, taut against his, seemed to soften in his arms as he laid out to her just what it meant to be here, in his home, with him. "So let it happen," she whispered, easing closer to brush her lips against his. "We'll just have to ..." She kissed him again, sliding her hands slowly beneath the hang of his jacket. "....think of another price for doing business."

He had not expected to be kissing her, much less considering making love to her, nor could he remember how long it had been since he'd let someone past his defenses this way. Oh, he'd had plenty of women, both human and vampire, but there had been very few who'd left a mark on his soul. Despite his own warning, his own fears and misgivings, he longed to say the hell with it all and let fate take its course. What was the worst that could happen, after all" He knew well the answer to that question, but at that moment, he didn't care. If he was going to be damned to this hell forever, he might as well have a few pleasant memories to take with him, consequences be damned. As her lips met his again, his hands moved around to lift her off her feet, supporting her weight as he moved toward his innermost sanctum - a place he had not shared with anyone in a very long time.

Maybe this had been why Tobias seemed to have gone out of his way to keep them apart. Maybe he'd seen in each of them something that they couldn't see in themselves. Or perhaps it had merely been an oversight on his part. Whatever the reason, he was going to have to explain himself at some point. But for now, held up in Valerian's arms as he made his way through his own apartment, Lauren wasn't thinking about Toby. She wasn't thinking at all. For the first time in a long time, she was simply feeling, and that was worth all the trouble in the world.

Though the bedroom was as sparsely furnished as the rest of the apartment, there was a certain sense of luxury to it. The bed faced the windows, almost as if to dare the sunrise to harm him, or perhaps to watch as day faded to night, shattering yet another myth about his kind. There was no coffin anywhere to be seen, no hint of morbidity or death about the place. This was a place to celebrate living. Valerian might have been able to guess at the reasons why Tobias had hoped to keep them apart, but it no longer mattered. Lauren had decided on her own, and Tobias would simply have to live with those choices. He effortlessly laid her back upon the bed, kissing her again, lips trailing down against her throat, lingering at the pulse of blood beneath his lips before moving on.

She stilled as he lingered over the beat of her pulse, understanding the temptation that must be tormenting him in that moment. Raising her head, she caught his lips with her own before letting him move on, helping him ease past that moment of indecision before allowing him to take control once more. A thought occurred to her, making her laugh softly. "I thought breasts were over-rated?" she asked, repeating his comment from the club with a grin as her fingers slipped beneath his jacket, wanting it off him.

He let her kiss him, relieving him somehow of the agony her pulse posed to him, and smiling down at her with a hint of amusement in his eyes when she reminded him of his own words. "Western culture is a bit obsessed with them," he replied, though he didn't want to argue the subject at the moment. There were other areas of a woman's body he preferred more, though he also understood the need to please her in every way imaginable. He shrugged the jacket from his shoulders, and tossed it carelessly aside. "Tell me what you want, Lauren," he whispered, letting his lips trail against her flesh in soft, feathery kisses.

"What I want?" A slow smile curved her lips as she rose up onto her elbows, reaching to tilt his chin until his eyes met hers. "You. Naked. Writhing. Wanting me. Now." Well, he had asked. And she was more than capable of making that wish a reality, pushing up until they were nose to nose once more. Clever fingers undid the buttons of his shirt, pausing to undo cuff-links and set them aside as her breath teased his lips. "Have you ever let a woman go first, Val?"

Val" Dark brows ticked upwards at the intimacy of that nickname. No one had dared call him that in a very long time, not without suffering his wrath. "Go first?" he echoed further, as if trying to sort out what she meant by that. Her meaning was obvious, of course, but he couldn't remember anyone having ever asked him such a question before in all his many years of existence. That sort of thing required a certain amount of surrender and trust - both valuable and rare. "Are you asking for permission?"

Her smile was tender, despite the hint toward an intimate tease flickering in her eyes. "Yeah, I am," she nodded, brushing her lips lightly over his. "And for future reference ....Laurentia Emmeline Van Arkle. Product of my time." She kissed him once more, dexterous hands slithering beneath the open hang of his shirt to touch his skin, barely even noticing the very faint chill that clung. He was what he was, just as she was what she was. He was far more than the sum of his parts.

"I know who you are, Laurentia," he replied softly. "I've known who you were since you walked into my nightclub," he told her, no more games, only honesty between them, though he did not share his own much less extravagant-sounding name. It didn't much matter who'd he once been so much as who he was now. He frowned just a little when he felt her hands against his chest, as if he might be a little worried about her reaction to a man who wasn't warm to the touch.

She laughed softly at his confession, unsurprised to hear that he'd known her from the moment he'd clapped eyes on her. After all, he'd known what she was; there were only three names in the world that could belong to her. Surging up, she tucked her arms about his waist, moving to flip him over onto his back as her lips found his once again, offering no hint that the gentle chill on his skin was anything but desirable to her. "Your Adelia is not going to like this," she warned with impish warmth. It was her turn to trace his skin with her lips, tasting the line of his throat as her hair skimmed over his chest.

He didn't bother to resist or put up a fight, and why should he" She had told him she wanted him, and it had perhaps been too long since he'd surrendered himself in such a way. The truth of the matter was he'd never found anyone he'd wanted to surrender himself to, until now. "She is not my Adelia," he countered, though in some ways she was. He had made her, after all, but not because he loved her or longed for companionship. No, she simply served a purpose in the grander scheme of his own design. He knew how she felt about him, however, how she had made herself his personal protector, but as fond as he was of her, he did not love her, certainly not the way a man should love a woman. He was his own man, answering to no one - not Josef, not Tobias, and certainly not Adelia. He said no more as Lauren had her way with him, reminding him of all the pleasures he had forsaken and nearly forgotten. Wasn't he the one who'd said that life wasn't worth living unless it was lived to its fullest"

Laurentia

Date: 2016-05-23 11:53 EST
One thing Lauren did well was live her life. Despite the promise of a long lifespan, she was mortal enough that those years could be cut short at any moment, wise enough to understand that regret was just another part of life. She would rather regret something than never try it at all. But she had a feeling she wasn't going to regret this, and she was going to make damned sure that Valerian did not regret giving her these few moments of control. A century and a half had taught her a lot, and some of those skills came into play, wanting to make her wish a reality as she played his tingling nerves like an master musician.

He'd almost forgotten what it was like to be with a woman. It was different to the kind of passion and pleasure he felt when he was feeding. Despite what the romance novels might claim, that was more about sustenance and survival than seduction. There was another form of intimacy that two of their kind could share that was even more intimate than a coupling, but he was not nearly ready for that, if he ever would be. He had to admit, there was something to be said for a long life, and he was the one who was currently benefiting from all she'd learned during her lifetime. It was strangely liberating to surrender himself to her in that moment, as she played him like a maestro until his body was ready to sing in ecstasy.

Oh, and she made him sing, too. She wasn't a tease; what she promised, she gave, drawing that beautiful melody from the twanging cords of his body, glorying in the knowledge that this was something he did not readily allow. And even when she was done, she brought him back down slowly, lavishing intimate affection on him until he was languid once more.

Then, with a sweet kiss to the tip of his nose, she drew back, rising up onto her feet to give him the kind of show no one living or dead could say they'd had from this woman. Off came the boots, the stockings, the suspender belt, all with a whimsical air of teasing that flashed only a little skin. With a last sultry smile, she turned her back, and very slowly, the dress joined the rest of her clothing on the floor, revealing soft skin and a very brief piece of red satin.

He could not remember ever having met a woman who quite made him feel like she did, and who was he to argue with that' She was like a flame and he was the candle. Even as he was slowly coming back down, she was kindling that fire again, and he rose up onto his elbows to enjoy the private show she was giving him, a slow smile touching his face, and suddenly he realized how much he wanted to possess her, how he loathed the thought of sharing her with another man. He said nothing of these thoughts, quietly enjoying the view as she revealed herself to him, just as beautiful as he'd imagined.

When she turned back to face him, her hands were modestly covering her breasts, but her smile betrayed that for the tease it was even before she spoke. "I don't want you to feel any pressure to pay attention to my overrated breasts," she laughed, flicking her hair back over her shoulder with a shake of her head.

He smirked at her remark, knowing she was teasing him as much as repaying him for his untimely statement. "I would prefer to see all of you, if I may, including your overrated breasts," he teased back, his eyes laughing, even if the sound didn't echo from his lips. He extended a hand, inviting her to come to him again, only this time he would have her and claim her, just as she'd claimed him.

"Oh, I'm so glad you've changed your mind," she giggled, letting her hands drop as her fingers slid into his, unembarrassed to share every inch of herself. She crawled onto the bed, over him, her nose nudging at his, one hand tucking her hair behind her ear as her lips claimed his all over again.

How ironic was it that the spider had become the prey inside its own lair" Or perhaps they were equals, each equally predator and prey, happy to change places so long as there was trust. Change his mind he had, or perhaps he'd set out with this very goal in mind from the beginning. He wasn't quite sure himself. There was no sense in turning back now, but to keep going, wherever fate led them. He returned the favor with his own kisses and caresses, turning her over onto her back so that he could explore as she had explored, neglecting nothing, not even those overrated breasts. She, too, now benefited from a few centuries' worth of experience. He proved a tender lover - one who was gentle when gentleness was needed and firm when it was not, giving as much as he took, until they two of them were writhing together, locked in a lovers' embrace with only one way to quench the fire that burned between them.

Quite what they were doing was beyond Lauren's grasp at that moment. Were they establishing a connection' Were they sating a need" Was this the beginning of something, or the creation of a cherished memory never to be repeated? As she moved with him, lost in the overwhelming power of his presence, surrounded and embraced by him, she had no time for any thoughts that were not focused solely on the man in her arms. He was different; a cut above the others, a temptation that was too good to resist. So maybe she was hoping for more than one night. All she really knew for certain was that she had never let her guard down like this at a first meeting before, and boy, was her guard down. As she crashed through ecstasy and into breathless delight, her head fell back, offering him her being at its most vulnerable. Her life, quite literally in his hands.

The temptation was very real for one such as him, but he also knew what had been given him in trust. Perhaps this was why Tobias had tried to dissuade her from seeking him out, knowing this would be the outcome. He had to choose, right then and there, whether to succumb to the temptation that made him what he was or to resist. Perhaps it was a test, and she was the reward at the end of it, but the thought of losing her, of anyone taking her life, was suddenly unthinkable, unimaginable. As their bodies crashed together, his brain barely holding onto a small shred of humanity, he mouth found her throat, his teeth just barely grazing her flesh, but not piercing it. He felt the thrum of her pulse beneath his lips, and his body shuddered as he reached the pinnacle of passion, denying himself one type of ecstasy in place of another.

The moment she felt his teeth graze her throat, she knew she'd made the right choice in offering herself so wholly to him. There were very few who could resist the call of living blood, much less the rare blood that flowed through her veins. And she returned that moment of trust earned as her lips brushed his throat, her teeth just barely stroking over his own pulsepoint as her nails dragged tenderly down his back, each of them caught up in that passionate peak scaled together.

He heard himself groan at the feel of her teeth against his throat, remembering the kiss he'd been given so long ago that had made him what he was. He'd asked for it then, wanting it just as he wanted this, losing a little bit of himself to gain what he could only hope was something even more precious than immortality.

But she didn't break the skin, drawing her teeth back to kiss that tempting pulse before letting herself fall back, reveling in the trembling aftershock of what had been a very unexpected joining. Long fingers stroked his jaw, his hair, his shoulder and back, greedy for more even as her body demanded time to recover its strength.

Something inside him broke, like a wave crashing over the sand, all at once violent and gentle. Some barrier inside him that he'd kept in place to safeguard his heart and maybe even his soul. He'd known from the first time he'd seen her that she could be his undoing. Only time would tell now whether she'd become his redemption or damnation. He said nothing as their passion cooled, bodies still echoing with the heat of that coupling, but only gathered her in his arms and lay very still, listening to the sound of her heartbeat as it slowed its rhythm, her breath warm against his cold flesh. What did one say after something like that' There were no words that could express the proper feelings, no words that did it justice.

If he had thought the chill of his flesh would be repellent to her, he was proved wrong by the way she went willingly into his arms as they lay together, more fascinated by him than repelled. She knew she must have left marks on him in their love making, marks that would heal when he next fed and leave no trace behind that she had ever touched him. But something had changed in her. She had begun the evening by breaking a promise to a friend in seeking Valerian out at all, and yet here she was, wrapped up in his arms, coasting on a wave that seemed to reach far deeper than she could have imagined. But what came next was anyone's guess.

Laurentia

Date: 2016-05-23 11:53 EST
What happened now, he wondered, almost afraid to ask. He couldn't claim that he loved her. No, it was far too soon for that. Did he even remember what it felt like to love" It was caring for someone more than one cared for themselves, and that was a feeling he hadn't had in a very long time. Not until now.

"Who is it, Lauren?" he asked at last, his voice quiet, almost as if he was afraid to shatter the serenity that had developed between them. "Who is it that's in danger" Is it you?" It was the only reason she would have sought him out, the only reason Tobias would have dared mention his name.

She sighed softly, regretting the need to talk business but understanding why it was necessary. Raising her head, she propped it up on her hand, looking down at him as her fingertips traced gentle patterns over his chest. "It's not me," she promised him softly. "It's not Tobias, either. But friends of ours, relatively new to the night, and other friends, who are closer to yours and Tobias' age ....they're all in danger. Josef is a threat to the new vamps, purely because he failed to remove them when he tried, and instead lost his mate - Tobias' former wife. I don't know if you'd know of them. Nicholas and Willow Gregory?"

It wasn't business to him, but neither was it pleasure. It was necessary, however, and as he noticed the look of worry on her face, he wondered if he'd claimed neutrality for too long. He had a small army of vampires at his beck and call, should they be needed, but the idea of waging war on the city was not one he relished. "I've heard of them. Very little escapes my notice in the city, but what?s it to do with me?" he asked further. If Tobias wanted his help, all he had to do was ask for it, and he hadn't, further tying his hands and his ability to help. This was Valerian's city; he had claimed it and claimed himself as its protector. He wasn't going to let Josef or anyone else challenge that claim.

"Josef's been in Europe recently," she told him, "and we think he may have joined forces with an older vampire who goes by Serena. His obsession with the Gregorys is nothing compared with her obsession with Julian Stafford, who escaped her to come here. If Josef and Serena have teamed up, we need to know." She held his gaze for a long moment. "I'm not asking you to involve yourself. All I'm asking is ....have they been seen" Are they working together" Is there any way you can find out without putting yourself or your people at risk?"

"Julian is here?" he asked, brows arching upwards. This was obviously something he did not yet know. "That explains it then," he murmured thoughtfully to himself. "Serena was at the club recently, asking questions. She talked to Adelia, tried to intimidate her, but ..." He chuckled a little mirthlessly. "Adelia isn't easily intimidated. She was asking questions about Julian, but the last I heard, he was in England. I told her to ....how do the mortals put it' Go fuck herself?" he said with a slightly feral grin.

Lauren snorted with laughter, rolling her eyes. "I didn't know she was in town," she said quietly. "I don't think the others do, either. Is there any sign of Josef, any hint that he might have joined her in an attempt to get to the Gregorys?"

"I don't think so, but I can find out," he said, without explaining how. He had his thumb on the pulse of the city, and very little missed his notice, though he couldn't be everywhere at once. "Tobias should have asked me himself," he said, that frown back in place again, looking almost wounded not to have been taken into his confidence. There was obviously some connection between the two vampires, though Valerian had not yet said what that connection was.

Her hand flattened gently over his heart. "There is ....another, to be taken into consideration," she told him, her expression solemn, pleading with him not to break the deep trust she was giving him in sharing this. "Nick and Willow have a daughter, conceived after Nick was turned. She's not even two years old yet, Val. Protecting her is the driving force behind what has or has not been said."

He did not need her to explain what that meant or why it was so important. Another dhampir here in his city. A child, no less. An innocent. A life that was more precious than any other, human or vampire. "And Tobias is worried that Josef and Serena have allied and that the child's life is in danger," he said, putting two and two together. "And still, I ask why Tobias has not come to me with this?"

"Because paranoia is safer than spreading such news?" Lauren suggested. "Or perhaps he didn't want to make you as much a target as he is. I can't speak for Toby, or for Jules. Nick and Willow don't know who you are. There is a plan in place, but without better intelligence, we are having to wait and see what their first move will be."

"That's ridiculous. Tobias knows where my loyalties lie," he said, though he didn't want to argue about it, especially not with her. "You realize he might have told you not to find me knowing you would do just that," he told her. Though he couldn't read Tobias' mind, he knew the other vampire better than most. "Very well. I will put out feelers. If Josef is in the city, we'll know soon enough."

"Be careful," she told him firmly. "Josef is insane, but Serena, I'm told, is coldly calculating. If they are working together, actively looking for him might bring her attention to you. That is the last thing I want."

"You're worried for me," he said, clearly amazed by this little revelation. He had not expected that from her, but he supposed it made sense now that they'd bonded in their own way. "I have lived a long life, Lauren," he told her, his fingers splayed against her cheek as he soberly met her gaze. "You and those like you are precious, and I will not stand idly by while the likes of Josef and Serena burn my city."

"Why shouldn't I be worried for you?" she pointed out, raising her brows as though challenging him to tell her that what they had just shared was nothing more than a moment's passing entertainment. "There is no point in protecting me if you're going to be an idiot about it," she informed Valerian sternly. A thought occurred to her. "Oh ....You should probably know that Freya's in town, too."

"I'm not going to be an idiot," he countered, working up to an argument, up to the point where she mentioned Freya. He laughed. "Freya is here in the city?" he asked, wondering how that had escaped his attention, but then she was old enough to hide herself from even the most powerful of their kind. "And is she part of this unholy alliance?" he asked, once again feeling a little wounded that he had been left out of the equation, that his loyalties had been questioned. Either that, or Tobias deemed him either not worthy or not needed. He did not even dare presume that Tobias was worried for his safety.

"She's not taken either side, as far as I know," Lauren told him, rolling onto her back with a thoughtful frown. "But she came when Anabelle asked ....Anabelle is Julian's wife now, he finally caught up with her and got around to fixing that mess. Anyway, Ana dropped Freya a line, and she showed, apparently. I haven't met her, but I think the general hope is that, being Toby's sire, she might be inclined to step in if things get out of hand."

Laurentia

Date: 2016-05-23 11:55 EST
"If Serena and Josef are here, then things are already out of hand," he said, rolling to his feet and grabbing his pants. As much as he wanted to bask in the afterglow, there were more important matters at stake here.

Startled by his sudden movement, Lauren sat up, watching him in surprise. "What are you doing?" she asked, glancing at the wide, dark windows as though they might offer her a clue.

"I am going to see Tobias," he told her, as he tugged his pants on over his hips. "This has gone on long enough." Whatever "this" was, he didn't say, but it could probably be inferred from the context that it was either something between him and Tobias, or the matter of Josef, or both.

Her eyes widened, realizing what was going on here. "Uh, okay," she conceded, sliding to the edge of the bed to pull her own clothing on haphazardly. "I'll go home, then." It wasn't that she wanted to leave Valerian's company so much as not wanting to be caught between her friend and her ....whatever Valerian was now ....when they clashed.

"No," he said quietly as he moved toward her, taking her hands in his and giving them a gentle squeeze, as much to reassure her as to gain her attention. "Wait for me here," he said, knowing she wouldn't want to be there when he confronted Tobias, unsure how the other vampire would react to his unexpected appearance at his home. "You'll be safe here."

Her eyes widened further as he caught her hands, hearing the words but needing a moment to process them. "Are you sure?" she asked in concern. "This is your home, your most private place. I can't guarantee I won't snoop, I'm a nosy person."

He chuckled at her admission, that hint of amusement showing itself again. "I will answer any questions you have of me when I return," he replied, leaning close to touch a protective kiss against her forehead. "I will try to be back before morning. If I'm not, you'll know where to find me." At Tobias', no doubt.

"I'll come find you if you're not back before dawn," she promised, trying hard not to melt as he kissed her forehead. As protective and tactile as her friends were over her, no gesture had ever felt quite that heartfelt before now. "He's in the city, not at home."

He nodded as he drew back once again to pluck his shirt up off the floor to draw it over his shoulders. "I know where to find him," he said, alluding once again to some sort of connection he had to Tobias that was difficult to ignore and impossible to break, no matter how much time passed between them without communicating - months, years, decades.

"All right." Nodding, she slipped her dress back on over her head. It wouldn't feel right to sleep in his bed without him, not on the first night they had met. Snooping around his apartment, however ....she was up for a little of that. As he made himself fit for the outside world, she caught his arm, drawing him close into a slow kiss. "Don't do anything stupid, okay?"

That question surprised him almost as much as his kiss had surprised her. Whatever it was that was going on between them, she obviously cared for his safety, as much as he cared for hers. "I'm only going to talk to him," he promised, knowing that no matter how angry he or Tobias got with each other, theirs was a bond that could not be broken. He was only just starting to feel that way about Lauren, but it was still too soon to tell where it was going.

"That's not what I'm talking about," she pointed out. "Don't go out of your way to find trouble. Toby might forgive you for it, but I wouldn't. And don't forget, I can beat your ass when you're asleep in the middle of the day."

"I will not go looking for Serena or Josef alone, I promise," he told her, looking almost a little amused at her worry for him. It had been a long time since anyone but Adelia had worried about him, and her concern was for a very different reason. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised again, touching a kiss to her lips, before finishing getting dressed.

Far from reassured - and a little wary that his self-appointed bodyguard might come looking for him when her shift was over - nonetheless Lauren nodded once again, letting him go. "All right," she agreed once more. "Sooner you go, the sooner you get back."

"I will be back, Laurentia," he promised again before he headed out the door, going back the way he'd come.

She needn't worry so much about Adelia, who would do whatever it was Valerian asked of her. It was too bad the myths and legends weren't true and that he couldn't turn into a bat and fly through the night. He would simply have to go by car, and the sooner the better. The night wouldn't last forever.

((That ....got away from us, somewhat. :grin: But it was fun! Keep your eyes peeled for what happens when Val catches up with Toby!))