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After dropping Steve off at his place, Trin found she had no desire to return to the Manor for the evening. She had too much energy to spare and wandering the halls held no fascination for her this evening. The restlessness was back, only worse. Besides, hanging around the Manor just increased the chances she would run into the few people she truly did not wish to speak to just yet. Namely the Elders. Any of them.

She returned just long enough to change and request a limo for the evening. For what she had in mind, image was everything. Her black cocktail dress shimmered with thousands of jet beads, making her already pale skin even whiter. To offset that, she had dusted herself with tinted body powder, which had the added benefit of a rather pleasing spicy scent. Five inch platform stiletto heels brought her height closer to average for a woman. Her hair was coiled up into a slightly messy bun, with a few curls allowed to escape down her neck and back. Over it all, she wore an opera cape of black velvet and satin. In her hair were two long, seemingly innocent sticks. For tonight, they should serve as the only weapons she might need.

The limo drove her directly to Club Eternity, a valet opening the door and extending a hand to her. She slipped gracefully out of the long car, smiling sweetly at the young man. Her driver would return at her call when she was ready to leave, later in the evening.

She approached the door, completely ignoring the crowd that was lined against the wall hoping to get in. Her favorite doorman, James, was on this evening and she couldn't help but smile even wider.

"Miss Jordan! It's been too long since you graced us with your presence."Â?

He winked at her and she felt her cheeks grow warm. James had been flirting with her for over two years, completely oblivious to the fact she was old enough to be his grandmother about a dozen times removed. Trinity simply kissed his cheek and returned the wink, sailing into the Club without a word. Grumbles from the crowd just made her smile a bit wider as the door closed behind her. She rarely felt a need to flaunt anything - but for some reason, she wanted to be noticed this evening.

A moment's hesitation as she tried to decide where to begin. The bar would probably be best for the moment. She could move to a table later if she felt the need. With that in mind, she found a spot that allowed her to be seen without being obvious about it and ordered a top shelf brandy from the cute bartender. Settling into a surprisingly comfortable stool, she started scanning the crowd, looking for a bit of fun.

Amberelle DeEspionne 16 years ago
She had been restless and being around the Manor was only making it worse. Amberelle had decided to go out and have some fun. A little dancing, a few drinks and maybe something to eat. She'd been doing so good for a while there keeping her promise to feed regularly but had started forgetting again. Finding something to wear had proved more of a problem than her overstuffed closet would lead an outsider to believe. Sometimes too many choices was a bad thing.

Finally deciding to be bold and have some fun, the blonde had settled on a flirty red babydoll styled dress that showed off her well toned, long tanned legs and ample bosom. Her shoes tonight were a fun red pair of Dolce & Gabana that should be easy enough to dance in as well as look stunning. As she stepped out of the Aston and smiled at the valet, she slipped her wrist through the strap of her funky handbag, the silver frog making her giggle like always. It was just the right size for keys, a slim credit card wallet, a tube of lipstick and of course a small handgun.

Amberelle tossed her hair back over her shoulders, the long blonde tresses left down and styled in a tumbling cascade of loose curls that surrounded her in a golden nimbus much like a lion's mane. A dazzling smile given to the doorman and a discreetly folded crisp hundred dollar bill slipped into his breastpocket as she leaned in to whisper her thanks against his ear were all it took. The crowd around her may have protested but the Creole didn't even notice as she made her way inside.

Pausing for only a second, she decided to go to the bar first for a drink then choose a spot to watch the crowds for a bit. As she walked up one figure caught her eye and her amber eyes sparkled as she slipped up beside her clanmate.

Bon nuit, Trin. Amby grinned at her, nodding once, approvingly, at her. The outfit she wore tonight quited her quite well.
Trin 16 years ago
Trin had been watching, amused, as the crowd shifted back and forth, trying to guess the intentions of the various patrons. Some were here to be seen - the cream of the Nachton crop as it were - while others had the air of business elite around them. Power brokers and snobs. They could be just as amusing as the wanna-be celebreties in their own way. Trin's understanding of the Nachton political machine was somewhat limited - she knew more or less who was who, but the games they played for power simply baffled her.

A flash of red and gold, followed by a distinctive Creole accent and Trin's smile grew into honest pleasure. Amberelle was probably one of her favorite clan mates and one of Trin's newest friends, relatively speaking. Trin was a few centuries older, but it was hard to remember that sometimes around the self-possessed southern charmer.

"Amby! Hi!" Trin slipped out of her seat to greet her clansister. "How's the baby doing?" Amby shared Trin's abilitity to speak to cats - though Amby's was currently much better behaved. Which reminded her... "I think Rupert is losing patience with Bj - either that or he may just actually laugh in public at one of the fiend's escapades. I can't decide." Her tone had changed to ruefull chagrin, thogh there was an undertone of mischief.

Trin motioned to the barstool next to the one she'd been occupying. "Please, join me! What would you like? My treat!"
Amberelle DeEspionne 16 years ago
Grinning her acceptance of Trin's offer, the blonde slid into the offered seat. Well since you're offering.. a glass of wine would be nice. And don't mind Rupert.. BJ is adorable in the way of all young cats. He's just curious. Amby smiled some. She liked the young cat, and his mistress. And while he may have been a bit more mischevious than some of his feline kind, he was far from as bad as Louis was in his youth.

Leaning against the bar she looked over at her clanmate. So what brings you to E tonight, mon ami?
Trin 16 years ago
Trin waited for Amby to sit then climbed gracefully back onto her own stool. She motioned for the bartender and spent a few moments debating with her about the best offering for wine the club had that night. After placing the order, Trin turned back to Amby.

"I think Rupert just objects to the kinks in his well polished machine. I offered to set Bj to hunting mice in the kitchens to make up for it." She shrugged. "Bj is looking forward to his hunting lessons - I'm not sure I am!"

Trin wondered how much she could tell Amby about the chaos her week had been. As a clansister, she didn't have to worry about secrets per se... but quite a bit of it was more than a little embarrassing for Trin and she wasn't sure how much hell she was going to catch as it was. She choose her words slowly, not meeting Amby's golden eyes. "It's been an interesting week. I just needed to get out for a few hours, have some fun. I fully intend to utilize that dance floor!" And this was not the type of place she thought Steve wuold be hanging out at tonight. She needed a better grip on her own thoughts and feelings before she saw him again. "How about you?"
Amberelle DeEspionne 16 years ago
One eyebrow arched faintly as she watched Trin speak. Amberelle was certainly no expert but body language could speak volumes and Trin wasn't meeting her gaze while she spoke. The Creole mulled that over while listening carefully as she seemed to casually scan the crowd over her clanmate's delicate shoulders. It seemed they all had their worries.

But the young Anantya was sure no one needed to know she was restless and lonely. Amby was still feeling her way through becoming her own person and despite all the time that had passed since coming to Nachton and being out on her own, she was still unsure of how to proceed most of the time. Couple that with such sporadic contact with her beloved for several months now and the young vampire found herself a mass of confused emotions and thoughts most of the time. Staying active was what was best, but it seemed to make the time she had available slim. And while the blonde wished to be around just in case he had a moment free of the Clan's requirements, she wasn't going to let herself sit and wait. Even if she wanted to.

When she replied she spoke softly, keeping her tone relaxed and light, careful not to let any of her own stress and worries show. Ahh I needed some fun. The Manor walls were closing in on me so I figured some good music, a little wine and some dancing were in order!

Her drink appeared just then and she paused. Turning to thank the bartender with a dazzling smile she slid her wine glass over and took a moment to test it, nodding approvingly. With that in hand she turned back to look at Trin, her gold eyes studying the older woman curiously as she asked, So what was so interesting about your week?
Trin 16 years ago
Pleased that Amby approved of the wine, Trin thought hard for a moment, gnawing a little on her lip. Steve did want to talk to another vamp - Amby would be a pretty good choice for that all things considered. She was still pretty young, even for a human, so had a better grasp of the current times then some other members of Anantya. And she did not generally look down on humans as an inferior species, good only for labor and blood. Or at least never had around Trin that she'd noticed. Needing to gain Steve's trust won out over other concerns for the moment. So she lowered her voice and took the verbal plunge, knowing that Amby should have no problem hearing her.

"Well, the short version would be that I saved a human, acquired a familiar, helped to destroy a decent size chunk of the industrial district, taking out a rogue in the process and ruined my favorite leather vest." The last was said with a half-hopeful please-don't-kill-me smile. "Actually, that only covers the last three days. It was fairly quiet before then." That was said with a mournful tone, one that said she wished her week had remained quiet and uneventful.
Amberelle DeEspionne 16 years ago
That was certainly not what she'd been expecting to hear. Amberelle just looked at her, blinking for a few moments with wide eyes. It was rather surprising to hear of one of their clan actually helping a human. The blonde's opinion of Trin rose a few notches. A dry chuckle came out as she shook her head slightly, eying the other vampire. When Amby spoke, it was a soft whisper. So all of that was you, eh? Nodding some, she smiled at her clanmate.

Sounds like you've had quite an interesting week indeed. So first we should drink to your new ahh.. friend. Then we can have one to mourn the loss of a good vest! The Creole raised her wine glass slightly and took a sip. Setting the drink aside, she bit her lip and wondered if she she ask the questions she had. Her eyes flickered back and forth from the dance floor to Trin a few times until she couldn't help it and her curiosity got the best of her.

I have to ask since, well.. I was a familiar before my ahh.. she kept her bitterness out of the word as she spoke it, gift. Amby leaned close and asked quietly, Why would you do that to someone? Was it necessity?

There wasn't judgement in her words or tone, it was simply that she had always been curious about the reasons someone would bring an innocent into their world, especially considering the usual condescending attitude their clan held for mortals. Servant, guardian, slave.. there were many reasons given but so few made sense to the young Anantya.
Trin 16 years ago
Trin wasn't surprised that Amby had heard about the explosions. She was certain it was headline news. Trin hadn't had the guts to see what the mortals were saying about it. "That wasn't the way I had planned on spending my evening." Trin sipped her own drink and shook her head. "Wasn't the way I thought my week would go."

She ran her finger along the top of the crystal glass and had to chuckle that Amby would also mourn the loss of the vest. There weren't many that understood that while Trin might not be a clotheshorse, that when you found the right piece, it became... well, special. It was hard to explain to someone who didn't understand clothing. "His name is Steve - I had to bring him to the Manor last night, so I imagine you'll hear about it. Especially since I'm not in the habit of entertaining. I will miss that vest though. Oh well. Maybe I'll luck out and find somehting I like better!"

She took another sip while she considered how to answer that question. It occured to her that trying to explain it to someone else might help her understand why she had done it. "I'm not sure why I did it. I remember when Sir John wanted to make me his familiar. The War was just getting into full swing and he wanted me to have the protection of the Clan if all hell broke loose. I refused - insisted that being turned would be better under the circumstances, especially since there was no way of telling what form the bond would take. I could have ended up in a slave mindset - and how much good would all his lessons have been if my mind was not my own?" Dark blue eyes met bright topaz, the former showing a bit of puzzlement. "I had gone out hunting, thought my prey was human. Turns out he wasn't and he tried to kill Steve. But Steve was holding his own, might even have had a chance. Against a vamp." She shook her head again, clearly perplexed. "Something about the whole thing just seemed... wrong. I'm not a thinker - you know that. Give me a mission and it's done. I leave the planning to those that do it better. So here I was with a human who had been attacked by a vamp - and was asking way too many questions. Once I reported him, he would be dead. And I just couldn't kill him for just doing his job. So I offered him an alternative." She snorted and smiled a bit ruefully. "Just my luck, the bond is shaping up to be ally - which is good in that the skills that make him valuable to the Clan will be intact. But bad in that dealing with him will be interesting for anyone that crosses his path. I can't wait til the first time he trips over an Elder. Mai will confuse the hell out of him. Morrigan will want to kill him as soon as he opens his mouth. And Sorin? Oy. I don't even want to think what will happen if he says the wrong thing around Sorin."

Trin had delivered all of this in the same quiet voice, careful to make sure that nothing she said could be overheard. She was in enough trouble as it was, without having to worry about eavesdroppers. It didn't matter that the Club was Clan territory, humans were welcome - for alot of reasons. It was best that none of them overheard this. "But the part that really concerns me is that someone allowed this to slip through the cracks of the NPD. The case he was working should never have hit his desk. It should have been killed and turned over to us to deal with. He was after a rogue. We got him - that was the mess last night. But it should never gotten that far!" Trin's confusion was apparant. Never in her life had she truly doubted anything related to the Clan. To have something like this happen was almost more than she could cope with.
Amberelle DeEspionne 16 years ago
Appearances were everything sometimes, so as Trin spoke Amby made sure to keep a pleasant smile on her face and glance around the bar as she nodded at points the other vampire made. To anyone watching it would be two beautiful young women holding your typical conversation about anything from men to shopping to who knew what. Which was the point. But the blonde was listening closely as her mind whirrled behind her shining amber eyes at the idea that something as damaging as a rogue kindred operating within this city of all cities had made it to a police officer's desk. Well, one that the clan hadn't already owned at least.

The Creole mulled over what her clanmate had said. No, she wouldn't blame Trin for taking the man as a familiar. She'd saved his life, brought the clan another asset within the city's law department and found herself an ally to aid her during the day. Ok, all that made excellent sense for having a familiar.

Looking at her with a slight smirk she quietly agreed, I have to say of all of them I would be most concerned with Sorin's reaction. Mai will hardly care, though a mortal may find her impossible to grasp. Hell, I still do most of the time, she thought to herself. Morrigan.. well.. I sincerely doubt he will have to deal with her but as long as you impress the need to be respectful and somewhat subservient I don't think she would find issue with any familair of yours.

Amberelle paused, sipped her wine then looked back at Trin with a slightly more serious expression. I have to agree with you. I used to hunt rogues in New Orleans for my sire. We kept a very strict control over the city. With so many tourists and such a prevalant "vampire" expectation well.. all possibilities had to be firmly controlled, you know? I would only assume Nachton to be the same with such a major presence for all three clans. The blonde paused, blinking and mentally cursed her slip. While she might recognize the Tacharans she knew very few others of her clan acknowledged them as anything other than organized rogues. Plowing on she hoped her slip was maybe, possibly, missed. If nothing else but to keep from drawing too much notice to the city.

If you need any help delving into this matter to clean up any.. ahh.. loose ends.. I am at your disposal you know.
Trin 16 years ago
Trin nodded, smiling pleasantly, as Amby seemed to pretty much agree with her assessment of the Clan Elder’s reactions to her familiar. She really did not want Steve in the same room with any of them until she had him fully understanding what would be expected of him. Subservient, the man was not. That, and her apparently though that his gun was the answer to everything. It occurred to her that at the rate he was going, he’d be dead before the end of the month, if he didn’t calm down. This was not a place to be shooting first and ignoring the questions. There were simply too many running around for whom a gun was just an inconvenience.

“I imagine you’re right. Sorin is my primary concern. Unfortunately, I don’t think subservient is in Steve's vocabulary. I must admit though, there’s a certain amount of pleasure to be had at imagining him conversing with Mai. After five minutes, he’ll either be pissed as hell at having been dismissed or confused as hell if he somehow interests her.” Mai was rarely She sighed and shrugged, noting a particularly handsome gentleman across the bar watching them. She returned his look, a small, flirty smile on her lips. When he glanced away, she mentally rolled her eyes, wondering why she was even bothering.

“As far as I know, the rogue himself is no longer an issue. Between us, we managed to destroy him. Steve was beaten up pretty good. I had to take him back to the Manor to get him put back together, but I took him home before coming out here. As far as I know he’s out chasing skirts tonight.” Trin’s voice took on an edge of bitterness that was in sharp contrast to the cheerful, vacant, girls-out-on-the-town look on her face.

A slightly raised eyebrow was Trin’s only response to Amby referring to Tacharan as a Clan. Officially, they weren’t acknowledged, a stand which most Anantyans voiced, regardless of their personal feelings. But Amby was young and didn’t remember a time when there truly were two clans and only two Clans. Trin barely remembered such a time. Instead, she focused on Amby’s offer. “I just might need that help. He’s understandably not keen to trust us in general or me in particular. I suspect the bond is playing havoc with his natural instincts and training. He wants to talk to another clan member, ask some questions. He knows I’m not telling him everything – even if I wanted to, I can’t. And he knows it.”

The man at the end of the bar was watching again. Absently Trin watched back as he spoke to the bartender. She could pretty much guess what came next and was not surprised when two drinks found their way onto the polished counter. The bartender winked a them both and said the expected “From the gentleman at the end of the bar.” Trin thanked him and raised her new drink in toast to that gentleman.

“You know, one would think that after a few hundred years, men would develop at least a little imagination.” Whether it was the silliness of the clichéd drink, stretched nerves or maybe even both, Trin found herself giggling. She took another sip and grinned at Amby. In a normal tone of voice, she spoke. “Well, neither of us is here to hash out whatever issues are lurking in our lives. I think we both deserve to have a bit of fun and forget them for the next few hours!”
Amberelle DeEspionne 16 years ago
I can speak to your Steve if you like. I may have an interesting perspective for him, who knows. At the very least, I can try to warn him about some of the things he will have to deal with, she added to herself.

The blonde chuckled and smiled charmingly at the man at the bar, fluttering her lashes and nodding her thanks as she took the drink sent over. Flirting was an art, and she was well schooled in it. Her stomach was already churning at the idea of what she would have to do to let someone close enough to feed on. But she'd come here to at least try, so that was what she would do Amby thought stubbornly. No thinking of the last man who sent her a drink, no thoughts beyond right now and having a little fun. After all, Trin was right. They both deserved to forget their troubles for a few hours.

Taking a deep breath she exhaled and forced herself to relax some as she did. Giving her clanmate a lopsided grin, Amberelle nodded. For a few hours we will forget everything outside of these walls, how does that sound? Her golden eyes slid over to the dance floor and she felt her foot tapping along to the music. It would be easier to do that out there in the undulating bodies, to just lose herself in the music for awhile. A few moments, a sips of wine while she watched and then she looked back at Trin, something between a question and a dare on her face. Want to dance?
Trin 16 years ago
"I hope so - after all, you've been in the shoes he's walking in. Though, I have to warn you, he's not exactly schooled in anything even remotely close to diplomacy." In point of fact, he was her complete opposite in that area. Trin was not accustomed to being in charge and that more than anything had her unsure what to do. But following instructions and knowing how to answer to those above her - that she excelled at.

Watching Amby flirt with the gentleman at the end of the bar had Trin grinning while she sipped her own drink. Maybe she should take lessons? Though she doubted Steve would react variably to that style of teasing. Frowning, she wondered why she cared and took another sip.


"I very much like that idea." She had a few ideas about that gentleman at the end of the bar, for example. While she might not be hungry, she had no qualms about helping Amby hunt if that was what she needed. And it never ceased to amaze her how men reacted to seeing two women dancing together. "In fact, it sounds perfect."

Grinning at Amby, she set her drink down, just as her cell phone beeped. Pulling it out of her purse, she held her breath seeing who was calling. Why in the world would Steve be calling her now? As far as she knew, he was out chasing whatever skirt had caught his eye. Drunk, as she recalled he had planned on being. Catching Amby's eye, she opened the little phone. "Hello?"

There was no one there, though she could hear muffled voices. Steve saying something about having no honor - then claiming he was someone's property. Then another voice, female this time, expressing a desire to meet his "other half." Great. Less than 24 hours on his own, and he'd managed to trip over a vamp. And if they were challeneging him to this degree, either he'd seriously pissed them off already (which honestly wouldn't surprise her) or they were neither Anantya or Evenhet, both Clans having hard and firm rules about how to deal with soneone else's familiars.

"Can I just kill him myself?" she muttered under her breath,knowing full well Amby could hear her. "You're going to love this - he's already managed to... attract someone's attention. And I don't have a clue where he is."
Amberelle DeEspionne 16 years ago
Trin's words suprised Amberelle, and she looked at her clanmate with raised eyebrows. Leaning close so she would be able to listen to the phone herself she whispered quietly, I think killing him might just be a good idea. Or, thrashing him soundly...

Her brow furrowed. It sounded like they were outdoors, or at least someplace wide open with little echo and lots of ambient sounds. Her head turned so she could meet the other vampire's gaze and she only half jokingly added Perhaps install one of those tracking devices in him if he's this prone to getting into trouble! The blonde bit her lip then leaned back some. So do you want to go look for him?
Trin 16 years ago
"Thrashing may be too good for him. Though a tracking device might not be a bad idea." And given Amby's penchant for gadgets... No, she wasn't ready to go there yet. "Since I have no clue where he decided to do his bar crawling, I doubt we'd make it in time."

Trin bit her lip, trying to decide what to do and not liking the lack of options. About the time she decided to just say screw it and head for the strip, hoping to luck out she heard "some help you are!" yelled through the phone loud enough to jerk it away from her ear almost dropping it in the process. Recovering quickly, she put it back to her ear, only to find that the connection had been cut.

Meeting Amby's eyes, she closed the phone and shook her head. "Well, I'm guessing the fight is over. And it doesn't sound like he won exactly, though he's still alive to be... pissed off. Why couldn't I have managed to find a nice, quiet, familiar?"

The gentleman at the end of the bar who had sent the drinks had been watching them, obvioulsy trying to make up his mind whether or not to approach them. Taking a sip of her drink, she studied him absently, trying to decide the bes tthing to do. In Steve's present mood, she suspected she was screwed either way. If she did nothing, he'd be pissed that she stayed away. If she went looking for him, and actually managed to find him, he'd be pissed that she hadn't stayed away. Either way, he was going to be pissed that she hadn't been there for the fight itself, which she found somewhat ironic given the way things had been going.

"Let's dance, give him a chance to calm down. I'll check on him before I go home tonight, make sure he's in one piece." That struck her as the lesser of the evils presented.
Amberelle DeEspionne 16 years ago
The plan sounded good to her. After all, who would know her own familiar best but her, Amby asked herself. Nodding to Trin, the blonde slid off her stool and slipped the strap for her purse around her wrist. Oui, some dancing and perhaps some.. her eyes strayed to the man at the bar briefly and she forced a blush to her cheeks as she looked quickly away before whispering just for her clanmate, dinner. A slight grin curled the corners of her mouth up briefly. Yes, she could and would do this. But for now a bit of losing herself in the music was in order. Perhaps she could help get Trinity's mind off of her troublesome new human as well.

Trusting that the other Anantya would follow, Amberelle made her way smoothly out onto the dance floor and found a nice open spot her them. The song playing had a strong rhythm so she just let her eyes slide closed as she began to sway and move to the beat. Long before she'd been turned she was skilled as a dancer but now with her additional agility she moved with all the grace and fluidity of fire in her rich red dress. The skirt fluttered and swayed as she moved, flashes of silky tan thighs titillating those watching as her golden curls tumbled about her.

There was something almost spiritual for her when she danced and let the music flow through her. Lips parted slightly, head thrown back and amber eyes closed she just moved as the music directed and let all the cares and worries melt away.
Amberelle DeEspionne 16 years ago
Not even a complete song had passed since the blonde had stepped onto the dance floor and she caught sight and scent of her prey moving in closer. Butterflies danced in her stomach as her nerves came back but Amberelle's didn't stop dancing. He moved into her field of vision then was suddenly in front of her and the vampire had a brief moment of panic. 'Relax, let yourself think of it as a job. Cajole and lure him, then go from there. Baby steps,' she whispered to herself.

For your average human male he was a passable dancer, moving to the rhythm. But she was so much more, almost in tune with the music. Every toss of her long golden hair, sideways glance, flick of her wrist and shake of her hip was a enticement for him. She let her body sway closer until they just brushed and turned to look up at him. Attractive, just a few inches over six foot tall with sun streaked brown hair and medium brown eyes. The nerves came back full force when he flashed a perfect white grin at her. It didn't take much of her acting skills to make the smile she did in return look shy, almost vulnerable.

His hand caught her around the wrist and he swirled her then pulled her closer. Multiple things ran through her mind. The urge to jerk her hand away and punch him for his familiarity was so strong her muscles tensed but the memories his action brought to mind made her want to run away in tears. Instead she tilted her head up to him and wide golden eyes shimmered in the flickering lights. A suddenly boyish grin broke out and he stared, almost mesmerized by those unusual eyes. The song ended and in the suddenly much less noisy crowd, he spoke.

Hi.. I'm Robert.

The corners of her mouth curved up in a slight smile. I'm Amberelle.. Music began flowing again and she looked at him, curious. Leaning close to her ear, he spoke loud enough to be heard. Wanna go grab a booth.. talk some? I've hit my annual dancing quota... People moved around them, pressing him up close to her and the blonde trembled slightly. She didn't even care, let him think it was because she was interested or liked him that close. That only helped her towards her goal, right?. But in reality it was all she could do to keep from heaving from the twisting knot in her guts. Nodding mutely, she let him hold her hand and force a path off the floor for them. Part of her mind wondered where Trin was and if maybe just maybe she could pawn him off on her clanmate and run for the door.

No, she said to herself, straightening her shoulders. You are a big girl, you can do this. De'Espionne do not run. De'Espionne do not back down from a challenge. Her chin rose slightly and the knot eased.

At an empty booth now, the pair paused and he let her slide in first. Barely paying attention as he flagged down a nearby waitress and ordered them some drinks she focused on determining just how secluded this spot was. Security cameras, vantage points.. each was cataloged and weighed until she felt confident enough that anything that happened within these shadowy recesses would be done in at least moderate seclusion. After all Eternity was frequented by many of her kind and while there were the private rooms in the back, Amby knew she wasn't up to boldy inviting some stranger back and having to deal with the social ramifications of THAT action. Thankfully there were other options.

Oh crap, he's talking.

Smiling, the blonde twisted towards him, adjusting her body language to lean forward and appear to be paying rapt attention. Thankfully in social situations she shined. Within half an hour she'd gotten most of his life story out of him and had lied her way convincingly through several things they "had in common" and was even suprised by a few they genuinely did.

A few more drinks, an hour passed. Sometimes she even scared herself at how she could just detach part of herself to watch even as she held a running conversation. She just had too many years experience and apparently even when you wanted to... a leopard couldn't change its spots after all. Later, alone at home, she'd weep for that but now wasn't the time.

Over the course of sitting here she'd made herself scoot just a little closer, smile just a little softer and lean just a touch more towards him. As she spoke her hand reached out and smoothed the lapel of his jacket, or her fingertips brushed over his hand. Feigning interest in a man wasn't hard when he believed in himself enough to buy into it, she thought with a smirk. That clinical part of her was calculating drinks and his body size, observing the dialted pupils and increase in his voice's volume. Yes, he seemed good and tipsy. Not drunk but certainly in a more receptive and relaxed state.

Part of her wanted to scream 'Finally!' when he leaned in close, his lips brushing just against hers. Letting herself lean up against him Amberelle returned the kiss and somewhere in her mind she pressed her fists to her ears and tried to ignore the whispers. The smell.. the taste.. nothing was right. Jobs like these had been far easier when there was no one lingering in her mind to compare it all to.

Robert wasn't a bad kisser, she admitted that even as she tugged him backwards to her and into the deeper shadows. But it was a diversion, an act. Inside she felt cold and hollow. Neither noticed the tear that ran down her cheek to dissapear into her hair.

His lips moved to her neck, his arms around her. Amby shifted, turning her head to better reach her goal. There, at last. She hesitated, wondering if she really should do this. It could still be "No harm no foul just a nice evening". Make her excuses and head home. His hand on her thigh was like a bucket of icewater catapulting her into action. The Anantya leaned forward quickly, letting her fangs pierce the flesh smooth and fast. Her lips wrapped around the puncture and she began to drink with a shuddering sigh as the crimson liquid flowed out. In her arms she felt him tense, heard him moan against her own neck. But those observations all faded away as the warm, sweet blood ran over her tongue and was swallowed in slow, savoring sips. It had been so very long since she'd tasted anything so willing, so alive and fresh. Her hand on his hip gripped tighter, mouth sucking a little harder.

He shuddered, breathing heavily against her neck and gripping her tight to him when she finally stopped drinking and softly lapped at the wounds to close them. The blonde just stayed there, her forehead pressed to his cheek as the usual feeling of lethargy washed through her. Her breathing was slow and soft and she was overwhelmed with the urge to stretch languidly like a cat.

Turning to whisper into his ear, she took advantage of the lingering after effects of her bite and the liquor in his system. Robert.. we have had far too much to drink. She might not have command at her disposal but the power of suggestion was a close second. And a damn sight less guilt inducing. We should go. I.. give me your number and I'll call you. Of course she never would, but he didn't know that. You need some sleep now.

He mumbled no, shaking his head then pausing when he found himself dizzy and a bit light headed. Amby gently pushed him away, letting him turn and sit upright. Pressing one hand to his temple he grinned sheepishly. I'm not normally such a lightweight. You must have really gone to my head.

Smiling slightly, she took one of the cards he pulled out of his coat pocket. Instead of waiting for him to rise, she slid around the booth and out the opposite side. Laying a hand over his, she forced a warm smile and met his fuzzy gaze. I'm going to call a cab for myself... Talk to you soon.

She waved her fingers a bit as she moved away, only dropping the facade when she was out of sight and her back to him. Hopefully they would bring her car around quickly, the urge to take a hot shower and try to scrub away some of this dirty feeling was almost overwhelming her.

((Amberelle out))