Anne Bonny Barbossa-Swann:
It was so cold and the sun set so early, Anne had been taken by surprise. It had seemed like only a few minutes since she had gone to visit with the Nightroads. But, then, it probably had been less than she normally would have, considering the early twilight. and, on top of that, she had been having tea with Father Abel and his daughter and grandson, and oh was that an experience. Ever since that first meeting, Isaiah had joined her for every one of her lessons with his grandfather (Not too many as of yet, since the weather had cut the amount of times she could visit, but still). In truth, she wasn't sure the young male paid as much attention as she, but he seemed to be somewhat interested at least every so often. She'd have to be blind not to notice that half of his attention was centered on her and she knew that he was observant enough to see that hers was occasionally on him.
Thinking back to the evening she met Isaiah, it was the same evening she'd met Angel. A vampire like so many and so... intriguing. She wanted to talk to Pearl about him, to see if she knew him, but on the other hand, she didn't want her brothers or father finding out. The last thing she wanted was to be stripped of her lessons with Father Abel. It wasn't that she was exactly interested in Angel, merely that he was hiding something. Appropriate, it would seem, that a pirate's daughter would have a nose for secrets, even a prim one. And she would ferret those secrets out, she was determined.
It was foolish walking on her own, at night, when there were so many predators out there. But she had a feeling that she was never truly alone, that someone might be watching out for her.
A chill shivered down Anne's spine and she paused for a moment, adjusting the heavy wool cloak around her. Her mother had given it to her to help against the winter chill.
Angelus:
"I'm torn really between concern for your safety out here all alone, and the pleasure of getting to escort you on a little walk without intrusion." Angelus smiled charmingly and slunk out of the shadows walking over and sitting beside Anne trying to look harmless. She still looked as delicate and sweet as he recalled, but there was more to her and it was hard not to attack and taste the secret song for himself. In so many ways she reminded him of Drusilla, but Dru had been so much more special than he could have dreamed.
He couldn't help but glance around ensuring that this morsel wasn't a trap set up by his traitor children, or worse the slayer. Artemis betrayal hurt almost as much as Spike's almost as much as…he cringed as he felt something inside twinge, a deeper pain, the pain of his soul trying to affect him.
Anne Bonny Barbossa-Swann:
Anne turned at the sound of a voice, the ringlets of her hair bobbing beneath her veil. A sweet smile formed on her face as she turned a bit more to face him better.
"Good evening, Angel," she replied, huffing a bit over his insistence that she was risking her safety. Ah, but she probably was, wasn't she? She wasn't helpless, but training did not equal experience. And all of the advantages she had at her disposal might not work at all against some of the strongest supernatural creatures in the Oasis, for all she knew. Would they even work on a vampire? She'd never tried and Father had never met such a creature before coming here. Ever since Pearl had chosen a vampire as a mate, her father had tried to learn as much about them as possible (In case he had to tack some vampire hide onto his den wall), but that didn't extend very far.
Perhaps Anne should just ask Pearl what some weaknesses were, besides sunlight after all. Surely her sister wouldn't mind, what with there being not-so-pleasant vampires out there.
But, then, that wouldn't help with weres or whatever else were out there. How complicated this world was!
"Staying warm?"
Angelus:
He gave a faint little growl annoyed at the twinges and then cleared his throat. "W-warm? No…no I prefer the cool weather in truth. Warmth is fine, but I haven't felt the need to seek it out." He chuckled a bit and tilted his head. "You don't like me implying you're unsafe? You'll forgive my chivalrous instincts for leaping to the forefront won't you?
Anne Bonny Barbossa-Swann:
Her muzzle wrinkled a bit, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she hunched her shoulders and wiggled in an exaggerated shiver.
"I can't imagine how you can stand it. I think I can almost feel this dreadful weather all the way to my bones," Anne replied, briefly fascinated by how her breath made little clouds in the dim light. She sighed and shook her head, looking amused but just as equally put-upon.
"Father, brothers, you, seems like every male I meet insists that if I don't constantly have someone with male anatomy with me, I'll be... Oh, I don't know, gobbled up by a big, bad wolf, I suppose. I've met some wolves, not all that terrible, but I suppose I wasn't on the menu." She paused to brush the errant curl from her face. "But I think I've learned that there's no arguing the point, I just haven't quite gotten the hang of ignoring it just yet."
For all her words, however, her tone remained good-natured, almost as if her complaints were over-exaggerated in an attempt at humor.
Angelus:
"I have fairly good circulation…" He smirked and then brushed his claws through his hair. Her complaints interested him, so many protective males around her he wondered which of the otter families she belonged to. She looked prim enough to be the priests daughter, but he knew Di's siblings and doubted very much she was one.
"I'm sure they mean well." He chuckled at her mention of big bad wolves, oh yes the oasis had their share, but she didn't seem to realize the danger she was in just sitting here beside him.
"I doubt so much that it's because your a female, rather I'm certain they worry over your lack of practical experience…you know if you wanted I could spar a little with you, show you a few tricks to keep yourself safe? I would feel terrible if I weren't around to escort you and you found yourself in a dangerous situation…" I do so hate to miss out a good bloodbath, he thought to himself while trying to look as gentle and accommodating as he could manage with glowing eyes and sharp fangs.
Anne Bonny Barbossa-Swann:
Anne sighed.
"I wish I did. It seems like I'm only ever comfortable in a span of five or ten degrees. Anything below or above it and I start to feel just a bit miserable." Or agitated in the heat. She wasn't sure which she hated more, the cold or the heat. Then again, she could always go underground or into the water in heat, only a fire and cuddling with her parents seemed to help the cold.
Yes, well, meaning well didn't make her feel any better about it. But, again, nothing she could really do there besides take advice to heart.
Her eyes widened a fraction, eyebrows rising at his offer. He wanted to teach her some tricks, did he? That just would not do at all. A good little lady she might be, but her parents certainly didn't raise a complete fool in her. Yes, it was probably foolish to be walking about at night, to talk to strangers and vampiric ones to boot, but she wasn't about to open the door for him to engage a combat situation, especially one where he might demonstrate ways of pinning an opponent. Did he really think her that stupid?
"Spar? Oh no, I'm not at all dressed for something like that." Which wasn't entirely true, as there was always a catch in her clothing that made all of it easily removed. But it was much to cold to be dancing about in her fur. "Plus, I don't think it would be a good idea for me to come home all mussed up. I wouldn't mind if you explained them to me, though."
Add a hopeful little smile and there, all good.
Angelus:
"How terrible to be so manipulated by the weather, but you seem bundled up enough not to mind." He watched her expression the change in her eyes and her smile, no she didn't want to tango with a real threat. The urge to pounce now, this opportunity was golden, he could have his fangs in her in a split second.
He stepped forward and his eyes flickered, the pain twinged, he remembered Drusilla and Spike, Spike who turned on him for that pirate wench and Drusilla an insane shadow…and he…he stepped back.
"Of course not, I didn't mean this moment, I thought perhaps we could meet again in the future, but I understand your fears."
Anne Bonny Barbossa-Swann:
Anne's smile grew and she blinked a little in disbelief.
"My.... You think I said no because I was afraid? Surely you're teasing me?" There was laughter, genuine and honest, in her voice as she posed her questions. Fear wasn't even a factor in her denial. Caution? Sure. Concern for her dress? Quite. Worry that she would muss up her hair and be politely drilled by her father? Perhaps. But certainly not fear! She didn't even hitch her breath when he stepped towards her. A familiar, weighted chill in several places were enough to keep her adrenaline from spiking without proper provocation.
"Even so, from what I've been told, sparring with strangers just isn't done, Angel, surely you know that. Family, friends, fellow students, perhaps, but I'm afraid you and I are still acquaintances. Still, I am curious on what you might have had in mind to teach me."
Angelus:
"Ah, and therein lays my mistake, I had thought we would be training friends, partners." He shook his head and took a step back trying to look remorseful. "I'm afraid I didn't have anything too grand in mind, I simply thought to help you test out some blocks and flips, let you get a feel for what your muscles can and cannot stop…"
She couldn't stop him of course, not even the Slayer with strength bestowed by the powers that be had been able to stop him…but he could play weakling for a while.
Anne Bonny Barbossa-Swann:
Anne's lips pursed and her brow crinkled a little in a bit of a frown.
"Oh, Angel, please don't look like that," she said, taking a step forward to meet his step back.
"Training... takes a lot of trust, doesn't it? Perhaps when we get to know one another better, s- I mean, that makes sense, yes?" Bad, bad Uncle Jack, marring her vocabulary with baser pirate linguistics. Slip of the tongue and she would be rolling down a slippery slope of Yarrs and Avasts and... and... and who knew what else!
"Oh, I see. Still, though, there are plenty of reasons why tonight just isn't the right night for sparring. Though, I might like to try in the future," she added.
Blocks and flips, how cute. The former she knew, the latter, well... Anne knew as well as her parents that she was at a disadvantage because she was petite, perhaps even the smallest of her siblings. She just didn't have the weight to throw around to try throwing opponents. Like a porcupine. Or a rose. Yes, quite like a rose.
Angelus:
"It does, you are as clever as you are…well I won't bother with flattery, it's obvious to me why your family worries about you. I think perhaps they underestimate your intelligence and fire though, but…danger is sadly very real and all over the oasis." Like right infront of your cute little nose…he half smiled and felt his muscles bunch. Now, now was the moment he ought to strike, this was his chance, his chance at turning an otter and finally having a worthy companion finally redemption!
Redemption, his muscles relaxed and then tensed again as sharp pain radiated over his body. He stepped back again and brought a paw to his chest. No, no, it was weak, too weak to stop HIM, but…but maybe for now he'd best leave this female be, something about her was making old wounds flare up.
"I'd be happy to assist you in the future if you wish then, I won't press the issue again."
Anne Bonny Barbossa-Swann:
Anne watched him tense out of the corner of her eye. Her left paw moved ever so slightly, the heel rising off the ground. She glanced down, looking at her toes as if she was idly stretching out the joints. All it would take would be a short, decisive flick of her paw and there would be a rude surprise should that tense end in a tackle.
But he relaxed and she continued to stretch out her toes for a moment or two before returning it to normal and glancing back up.
"Thank you for saying that, I'm glad someone notices that I have... gumption," she replied and tilted her head. His body language was strange, he was backing away from her again, pressing a paw to his chest. "Angel, is everything all right? You don't look well."
Angelus:
He looked at her at those wide grey eyes, like shadowed mirrors, he could see his own glowing yellow eyes in them, could see his soul trying to take hold and weaken him. Would he be driven away? Would he let himself be weakened and destroyed? Perhaps it was too late already, perhaps the fact he felt these twinges at all were just the warning that Angelus would soon be no more. It was the Slayer, her return had done this to him, made him weak and tired and…afraid.
He shook his head and forced a smile but it was pained. "Simply an ailment, I soon hope to find a cure for…" Perhaps ending this innocent was the cure, but if it wasn't and he killed her would he simply feel more enraged and out of control at his waste?
"No worry…every otter had their time after all." Perhaps even the great Angelus, but he didn't intend to go down without a long bloody fight.
Anne Bonny Barbossa-Swann:
An ailment, everyone having their time, rather interesting admissions. Not ever her own father was ready to admit he was old, and he was a great-grandfather with two grown litters. And he hadn't been a young otter when Anne's older siblings were born, either!
A part of her wanted to reach out and give him a pat in consolation for his issue, but it would require her taking steps to reach him. Besides, she didn't think that he would appreciate it.
"Well, I hope you feel better," she said with an encouraging smile. She should get home, her tail was starting to lose feeling. But she also knew she couldn't risk him following her home, even watching what direction she left in. Or, she could go in a different direction, that would work.
:: The Otter Oasis Guild ::
