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 Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 4:26 pm
Rogue smiled as he spoke and her eyes drifted to a human woman down the bar. She tried to keep her fangs from elongating within her mouth. She saw the blood pulse as the woman lifted her glass to drink her wine. "Of course, Lucien. If provoked it is a completely different story altogether." She said the words without looking at him, caught in the thought of the woman's blood, almost unconsciously.
She herself had drank the blood of ancients before she had become an elder. And through blood oaths, and thinks alike, being sworn into becoming an elder, the wealth of secrets ran too deeply in her. Elders were advised to not share their blood if it could be avoided.
As if caught with her hand in the cookie jar, her eyes met Lucien's rather suddenly. Her hunger was that obvious, and she smirked at him, toying with the idea. The Sanguinarian sat beneath her surface, knowing what Kaei would choose.
Rogue gently moved forward as if to whisper something in Lucien's ear, ignoring his offered wrist.
I accept your offer. Her words were so soft, but also spoken into his mind, and she moved slowly to his ear and kissed it, working her way to his neck, letting human patron's think a man and a woman were just having a moment of PDA in her club. Her teeth fell heavy in her mouth and she bit into his neck, letting the velvet fluid course over her tongue. She was careful not to spill a drop, and then bit in deeper trying to ignore the Sanguinarian wanting to rip through his throat.
The memories came and flooded in an instant, almost overpowering. She saw his victims, both human and vampire alike, and felt their pain as if she was there. Some memories flashed like lightning, and others moved slow like molasses, beautiful, and sweet with intoxication.
She felt a coldness begin to run through her, and felt the void trying to root itself through his blood. She pulled back suddenly, and licked her lips.
Thank you...her voice whispered into his mind.
She kept her eyes closed for a moment, and the bartender refilled her glass.
"Secrets better left unsaid, indeed." She smiled coyly and opened her eyes.
"And as for the state of leadership...it is quite existent. I am...a more visible part of it, I suppose you could say. When some of our kind refuse to obey the more...strict rules of our coven, they might disappear for awhile...or disappear altogether."
She lit a cigarette, and examined his eyes.
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Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 8:55 pm
Unsurprisingly, the vampiric elder took Lucien up on his generous offer of some of his own blood. Though she rejected the veins from his hands, instead opting to go for a more direct and abundant source in the arteries in his neck. While this did certainly surprise him, he showed no outward sign of it. Instead, he mostly smirked, as he was ought to do. The words in his mind were like velvet loosely flowing against his flesh. While he normally did not like the idea of someone entering his mind without his permission, he did not protest against the woman's honeyed words. If he wanted the woman to trust him, he would have to give her free reign with his mind and blood memories alike, no matter how possibly incriminating.
Lucien could not deny the kindling sensation that awoke within him when he felt the woman's lips brush against his ear. She was clearly quite skilled at this. He closed his eyes when he felt the woman's fangs penetrate his flesh. He felt a sense of ecstacy as his lifeblood poured out of his arteries and into Rogue's mouth. Memories of his flooded to the forefront of his mind as Rogue absorbed them through his blood. The stories of countless adventures could be told through such memories. Lucien was a violent man, even for one of the damned, and wherever he went he left destruction as if he was a walking whirlwind.
Wherever the cowboy went, he'd leave countless bodies in his wake, whether they were mortal or otherwise. Of course, when he was with Katarina, it was mostly lycans that met their ends. Katarina certainly hated the dogs with an unmatched ferocity. To Lucien they were nothing but sport, but in either case lycans would be slaughtered by dozens when he was with Katarina. But even on his own he was particularly violent. He was not as tolerant to other vampires' sense of unwarranted self-importance, and when they annoyed him too bad, they usually ended up with a bullet in their hearts and heads, or completely devoid of blood, their bodies left out to burn in the morning sun.
And then there was, of course, the obvious prey, humans. The cattle were obviously the easiest kind of prey. It did not take any special trick to drink the blood of a human. All it took was a little bit of his southern charm and a willing woman, and he could have his way with her blood and her body. Sometimes he would share with Katarina. Sometimes they would simply drain the woman dry before they had their own fun with each other. Sex was the easiest weapon to wield for vampires as good-looking as he and Katarina, and wield it they did. Sometimes they ran into hunters. Those were the fun ones. He always made sure to make an example out of hunters. Their screams were always like a perfectly written symphony to his ears.
All that was for certain was that, whether alone or with Katarina, he was an envoy of chaos that almost always left a mess wherever he went, for better or worse. And now she knew at least a fraction of the terrible things he'd done in his short unlife, for better or worse. He could feel the void within him stir as the woman drank his blood, as if trying to lure the Beast within the woman out. He almost wanted to see the beast with his own eyes. He wondered what it would do to him, and the thought at least somewhat excited him.
He kept his eyes closed as well as the woman pulled away, leaving him a little lightheaded. He opened his eyes as he heard a thanks in his mind. ”You're welcome,” he said with a light chuckle. He licked his thumb, then rubbed against where the woman had bitten him, the wounds closing at his touch; a trick Katarina had taught him to use on humans, though it worked just as well on himself. She confirmed that his secrets were indeed perhaps better left unspoken, and he smirked at her mischieviously. ”Unspoken to most, perhaps. But I would more than gladly share with those worthy.” Those worthy, of course, being her at the moment.
”Oh?” he said simply when she confirmed to him that the vampiric leadership of this town was very much existant. ”I would be wary of a population that thinks its leadership nonexistant. Or perhaps that is how you prefer it? Appear weak so the weak links can reveal themselves? I would know a little something about that. Either way way, I still don't have nearly as much faith in the others as I do in you.” He reached for his own drink, taking a long sip before setting the glass down. He reached for another cigarette of his own, lighting it and taking another drag, blowing it away from the woman. ”I could help you, if you wish.” He stopped for another drag before continuing. ”I don't desire any power, never have. But I do not mind enforcing the law, so to speak, or reporting directly to you, for that matter.”
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Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:22 pm
For a moment, Rogue studied his face and took a long drag on her cigarette. He enjoyed the majority, if not everyone, of those he killed. The void stirred in the blood she had just consumed, and the Sanguinarian beast made her roll her shoulders as if they suddenly had become tight.
She looked into his eyes, for a moment, then responded.
"People seem to be a bit louder about wanting and claiming power when they think a threat, in this case the eldership, is easily overcome. At least this way, those willingly open to opposing everything we've worked for do half of our job for us. Better the enemy you know, or something like that."
A wicked grin moved across her facial features.
"Your mind does not desire power. But you seem to have acquired a taste for chaos."
She lifted an eyebrow, then took a drink. In reality, trust was not something that was gleaned from the elder. She trusted very few with things that truly mattered to her. Moreover she was sworn to a job of protecting and aiding her race with leadership. She knew the elders of New York were...quite liberal compared to the old world and the old ways, but as times changed, they had to stay relevant to something, otherwise their enemies would devour them whole.
She wondered if Lucien was as strict as her and Katarina from ages long dead.
"If you wish to use your resources to enforce law, maybe that would not be such a bad idea."
She took a long drag on her cigarette and contemplated.
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Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2014 3:32 pm
Rogue's hand slammed into the brick wall in the alley of the club she supposedly owned. She had disappeared for several months without recollection of what had happened and as her state of consciousness grew, so did her desire to understand the time that had seemingly gone missing in her mind.
Her hand was bloody and left an obvious trail to any that followed. She tried to hide nothing as all she was truly after was answers. She had been told that this would be the place of her awakening to the truth.
She entered, her eyes painful to readjust to the harsh lights of DJ's doing their job...entertaining the masses with audio and visual delights while being influenced by the ever accepted form of disorientation -alcohol. The sawtooth wave bass forms were crippling to human ears, let alone her supernatural ones. Rogue moved quickly to the bar, only to see bartenders who would look and respond with a somewhat horrifying recollection of who she was.
'What would you like??'
"Anything that could keep the demons at bay."
A quizzical glare would follow, and Jackson poured a glass of Tempranillo mixed with type O blood. Rogue took the drink and asked how much, and the response was the same. 'It's on the house'.
Whoever had wiped her memory had done a great job because her recollection was nil as her welcome was received with free drinks and a smile.
She didn't remember that their paychecks were signed with her signature.
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[picture.perfect.failure]
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Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 12:35 am
For the second time in several drawn-out months, Felicia returned to New York's underbelly. After her last metaphorical dance with undead nightlife, she'd needed to get away - again. Upstate is a beautiful area with different sights, sounds, smells, and people - mostly people. She'd learned to meditate Upstate, and in doing so gained control of the raging sliver of humanity still within. She tamed the mortal curse with a plan to banish it all together in time. She made peace with her worldly demise and her family's, the end of her career, and with New York and all its cruel inhabitants - the dead and the living. But such a scene could never quite fill the void left by the horror show that is the City.
There'd also been a man: Xander, who was also Las Noches royalty she came to realize. He was beautiful, a dark temptation. She was lonely and thirsty for life anew.
And murder. She thought the scene she'd witnessed was a misunderstanding, or beyond his doing. Of course she did; she wanted him to be perfect.
And countless secrets still untold. There were always elusive answers to reasonable questions: Where are you always going so late?
'Try not to worry so much. We're creatures of the night.'
Why can't we spend more time together at the club?
'I conduct important business there; date nights aren't for business.'
You don't smell quite right... Why isn't the blood fresh?
'Maybe the prey was already dead inside.'
You always seem so distant. What's on your mind?
'I'm often abducted by things that just won't leave me be.'
She had to escape those things most of all. Why was she always running from her memories, only to return to the scene of all crimes in a sick masochistic loop?
The blind stab at a relationship only grew more complicated after the first time she dialed his number, tipsy and far more bold without having to gaze him in the eye. Alas, what could she expect from a man who dared not exchange monikers when he met someone new? Right, someone he supposedly fancied. That was rich. They bickered minimally, but not like a couple bickers. Felicia was still frailly attached to human nature, and thus would let its emotions and consequential actions control her in the heat of passion. Xander, though never revealing much beyond his name, was much more frostily seasoned in rational, objective argumentation. She couldn't remember who chose to break things off; maybe it was a mutual decision. And a dark part of her wished it undone, but she wasn't about to let a false romance shake her cracked foundation.
Presently, she found herself at the entrance of the club. The streets are dark and music warbles within, strobe lights matching the beat. With a deep breath she doesn't need, Felicia holds her head up and saunters around the bouncers. That's a huge step. What's even bigger is catching the scent of Xander's sister Rogue immediately. She's at the bar. I want to be at the bar. A wave of panicky nausea washes over her; who knows what Rogue knows about her. Xander seemed poised, but honestly, who...the...hell...knows?
Felicia grinds her teeth and sits a few stools down from the gorgeous club owner. Maybe she won't notice me, and if she does, maybe she won't hurt me... She calmly awaits the bartender.
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Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 1:42 pm
The bartender moved down the bar and smiled to Felicia. "What will it be, miss?"
Rogue took a large gulp of the Tempranillo and blood mixture. The taste of the blood made her fangs weigh heavy in her mouth. Something in her mind screamed to open a vein of any one of the humans dancing on the dance floor.
After waking up without a memory of her identity, it had only been a few hours to discover exactly what she was. A small family of three were dead because she couldn't remember her own name.
This place was familiar to say the least. The interior felt like her taste, even though she was unsure of what that meant.
Rogue's eyes drifted up the staircase near the edge of the bar to a large mahogany door, and a large mirror beside it that must have been a one sided looking glass. Flashes sparked in her mind like fireworks as vague memories snaked their way through her brain.
Rogue opened her eyes slowly, rubbing her temple in a human gesture of fatigue. Her eyes glanced down the bar. The bartender was tending to a woman who had just walked in. Rogue's eyes were somewhat transfixed examining Felicia's face. Something seemed familiar but she couldn't place it. Felicia seemed nervous, though Rogue didn't understand why.
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[picture.perfect.failure]
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Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 9:02 pm
Felicia smiled charmingly as she could muster to the sharply dressed man.
"Oh, I'm feeling daring tonight." She noticed Rogue's intent gaze and felt her voice crack. "Surprise me - anything with type O. Strong."
Her fanged grin faded as she passed some plastic across the counter.
She was nearly tempted to strike a conversation with the woman, but what could she say?
Felicia turned to the dance floor and scanned its patrons. This bloody drink would be a much needed treat, but she was going to have to do some real hunting soon. With her mind newly cleared and in the process of a complete overhaul, she was aware of the necessity to kill and it no longer haunted her. She was actually thrilled at being a predator for once in her [after]life.
She fidgeted with her hair, and turning to face the bar again, lit a cigarette. As she inhaled deeply, Felicia cut her eyes neutrally over to Rogue once more. What's going on with this chick?
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Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 3:30 am
The bartender returned with a vodka laden drink and a good portion of type O blood. As he set the drink in front of Felicia, he noted Rogue's stare.
"Looks like the owner has taken an interest in you." He smiled and looked back to Rogue, tipping his head in a nod.
Rogue looked to the bartender as he spoke of her. The owner of this place? A flood of images washed through her brain. The code for the door upstairs, the paintings she had made within her office, the self portraits with paintings of her siblings, Xander and Xandra...
A memory washed over her.
"Kaei, you have to make sure you don't get caught. They want you dead, and now they've found you. There's no telling what they'll do..." Rogue looked to her brother. He was worried she wouldn't come out alive. As head of the Death Dealers and an Elder of the New York Coven, she had to lead. Everyone she had sent in to investigate had disappeared, and it was her responsibility.
She was Kaei Aubrey D'Ancanto Zupancic and she had infiltrated an ancient order out for her blood. She believed she had wiped out an entire clan, but they had found her again.
Rogue looked down to the glass in her hand. It was now broken and the contents dripping off her fingers. She looked up to Jackson, the bartender, and a look of mild worry ran across his face.
Rogue slid off her chair, hand still dripping from the broken glass, and sat next to Felicia. Her curiosity was ignited. She spoke into the bartender's mind. Jackson, what was the name on this woman's card? Felicia.
"Next one's on me." She smiled a predators smile, though was somewhat unaware she was doing it. She wanted answers. "Enjoying your evening so far, Felicia?" She spoke the name as if she remembered who Felicia was, though in truth, she still couldn't recall.
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[picture.perfect.failure]
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Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 11:49 pm
With wide eyes and the uncontrollable sensation of blushing, Felicia winced inwardly at the bartender's words. There were dozens of implications that could be behind them, and she couldn't decide which fit. She ran her fingers over the glass and immediately averted her gaze downward; it's impolite to stare, or tremble at the unknown.
"Er...thanks..." she muttered, taking a small sip from the mixture. This time, she shuddered on the outside. This drink was made to be gulped. She tapped her dwindling cigarette on a nearby glass ashtray and rested it gingerly on her bottom lip.
The sound of glass crumpling and shards scraping together broke Felicia's momentary trance. Next thing she knew, the seat beside her was occupied and she shot up with a start. The cigarette landed with a spark on the bar in front of her and her eyes warily peered peripherally. Her fangs occupied both sides of her mouth now, as well, thanks to the blood in her beverage and the threatening jolt. Her tongue and gums throbbed dully while she swallowed traces of her own blood.
"You're too kind. But should I worry with a tab minimum?" she smirked half-heartedly at the nervous stab at comedic relief. The hair prickled on her nape and arms when she analyzed Rogue's expression. "Just trying to get away from the world, I suppose. Though, I'm afraid I've fallen behind," she motioned to the dance floor and its gyrating mob with a weak grin. A chill ran through her spine, followed by mild nausea which dared the alcohol in her gut. Rogue didn't initially react as though she remembered Felicia, but she spoke her name so knowingly. Was this some kind of ploy? Maybe she was jumping the gun...
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Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 4:05 pm
"I'm afraid I, too, have fallen behind. A recent trip to Slavic lands will most assuredly pull you too far into the past to be desired."
Rogue examined Felicia's face, and then looked back to the bartender, pulling a few shards of glass still in her hand.
"Something strong, Jackson."
He smiled and turned beginning to make another drink.
"Tell me. What occupies you these days?"
Rogue spoke more casually now, and continued to carefully pull out the last leftover bit of glass.
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[picture.perfect.failure]
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Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 9:39 pm
Felicia subtly plucked the dying cigarette from the counter and mashed it into the ashtray until it stopped smoldering.
"I can't say I've ever traveled that far around the globe. But hopefully you found what you were looking for," she said with an awkward smile.
To stifle the delicious smell Rogue was emitting, she hastily slipped another smooth between her lips and sparked a lighter which set her whole face aglow. She inhaled, shuddered, and took a deep drink before exhaling again.
"You mean, aside from wondering why you've got a handful of glass shards?" Felicia grinned shrewdly; the alcohol was creeping into her system.
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 1:29 pm
Rogue lifted an eyebrow and then picked up the drink Jackson had placed in front of her. She took a long gulp. Absinth, blood, and a twist of a Valencian orange. "I can't quite be sure I've found anything at all."
Rogue hesitated mentioning anything at all, but continued.
"Someone has taken to making sure I remember nothing of my time abroad. The interesting bit is, we heal. Even the broken shards of our mind end up leaving our memories crystal clear."
For a moment several dead people came to mind on her way to the club as her Sanguinarian thirst had gotten the best of her.
"I remember the look on my sire's face before he took my life. I remember the color of the sky, the last day I saw it before the night became my day. But this last month...almost everything was wiped out save a few threads." Rogue took another long drink, and closed her eyes trying to remember.
"You wouldn't happen to have any ideas, would you?"
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[picture.perfect.failure]
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 10:41 pm
Felicia's eyes widened. The cryptic reality of the words she heard were enough to sober her up all over again. At least the next round was on Rogue...
"That's...incredible," she slurred with small tufts of smoke seeping between her lips.
She sensed the hunger in the vampire next to her, though she didn't know how to respond with such reading. Felicia shifted absently.
"I remember my D-day, too. In a way, I don't think any of us really forget. But I've been gone lo many months. Thus, for the life of me, I can't imagine who would've sabotaged you."
Felicia gulped down the last of her drink and, for the first time, turned to face Rogue directly.
"You're incredibly powerful. So, whatever this deviant has in store for you is either the work of genius...or madness." Her eyes focused intently as she said this.
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Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2014 3:27 am
Rogue sat confounded.
She took a drink from her glass, and then sat it down. A few more memories washed over her mind in a flash, but none to do with those that wiped her mind. "So what brought you to Las Noches?" Rogue looked to Jackson and he caught her gaze, filling up her not empty glass.
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[picture.perfect.failure]
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Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2014 11:47 pm
"Did I blow your mind, dah-ling?" Felicia giggled and whipped around momentarily to stammer girlishly at the bartender before he passed. "Oo, oo, me next! Hee." She scrunched her face in a farcical manner and turned again to Rogue.
"Hmm...why does anyone come to a seedy nightclub?" She took a deep drag from the half burnt stick in her fingers. "Oh, heavens! Where are my manners?" She retrieved the pack with her free hand and flicked it open toward Rogue. "Would you care for a lung full of bad decisions?" Felicia smirked and exhaled over her shoulder.
"So, I suppose I came to see something seedy. Or be seedy. At this point, I just want to get drunk. How about some honesty, anyhow?" She was yammering on and couldn't grope for the off switch fast enough.
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