KS: Aiden & Margot get drunk..ish

Aiden
Lunch, well it had come a bit later then they'd intended, and it was actually rather enjoyable. While he didn't do much more than nibble at his sandwich and enjoy a few hasty pulls from a bottle of coke. He enjoyed the company, finding that the indomitable cheerfulness of Jolene was entirely endearing, and the awkwardness between her and Nohr was made all the more enjoyable by the fact that he enjoyed the fact Nohr was worth conversing with. They held some strange familiarity that he could not place a finger upon. But he brushed it off as merely his attempts at being human getting to him. Perhaps he would need to wash his hands of the act for a bit, and enjoy the thrill of a good hunt, or maybe work to seduce someone this evening, even if only for a few nibbles in private. Despite this of course he did find himself somewhat more analytical of Margot, she was an oddity considering that he spent a good majority of his time dealing with primadonna artists and their lackeys finding anything odd these days was worth his interest. But it wasn't her actions, because she acted as normal as she could. She was confident and assured of her motions, moving with ease at times as if she'd been somewhere a hundred times and yet being completely surprised the next. He considered at first she suffered from a mortal addiction, drugs, or alcohol. But the more he watched, the more he questioned. Yet as he normally did with Mortals, he kept his interest to merely watching. At least for now, as the day wore on and the sun found its way to its rest at sunset. He surprised himself by furthering this contact. " You know, I know a great pub nearby where we can have a few drinks " He motioned over his shoulder, and there seemed for the most part to be a collective yes to the idea. Of course Jolene and her companion would join them after they finished cleaning and repairing their fallen feline friend. Who would find himself repaired in a most traditional way, thanks to a bit of rambling from someone in the collective, he hadn't bothered to figure out beyond agreeing with the suggestion and offering to provide them with supplies. After all, he did do his own restorations, it wasn't exactly uncommon to have some sort of metal laced paint among his belongings. This left him in the company of Margot. Who he wasn't sure if she was eager to spend more time amid the group, or if his offer to cover expenses for the evening had been the incentive for her company. Before they left he politely excused himself to freshen up (vomit) and then it was off to the Pub for drinks. Along the way Aiden would light up a much unneeded cigarette and shift his focus too Margot to make an attempt at small talk, only to find that the only question he could come up with squeezed passed his lips in a fashion that sounded less curious and more flirtatious. Which by all rights was not his intent. " You go to the shop often? " As if he intended to stalk her there.

Margot
••• She nibbled like a bird at the edge of a seed pile, careful to feed small bits of the lunch to her agitated stomach. The clairvoyant had expected a tumultuous digestive affair, given past experiences with the living out of previously envisioned scenarios, and so she tread lightly on the lunch. Thankful for the offer of Ginger Ale by the astute ‘Doc’ Nohr, she drank that too, with caution. She knew they were all privately curious if she was as unstable as she looked, but there was little else to do except be herself-- lest the floodgates open and she horrify them with the recounting of things that had yet to come to pass. No, she’d remain quiet and curious as the other three conversed. Relearning things about them, while occasionally surprised to hear the finer facets (which weren’t as heavily showcased in her drunken visions.) Unfortunately, Margot had the worst case of ‘wearing your emotions on your sleeve’, or…face. Despite all of her internalizing, her face read like an open book. So it was that despite her lack of vocal input, the others were happily convinced of her interest. Aiden would excuse himself to vomit, and on his return the four would agree to meeting up after the shop closed and the cat was repaired. (The cat would be repaired, and the shop closed, but Nohr and Jo weren’t going to make it out for drinks. They’d have, ahem, other things to distract them. “That ugly cat had broken into nearly a thousand pieces!”) Without needing to look at Aiden to know he had been stealing glances at her. Once, when they all laughed particularly merrily, he let his eyes linger long enough to suggest his aloof demeanor was nothing but a front. When the pair bundled themselves up to find the nearest pub, a bright flicker momentarily blinded her senses. Margot closed her eyes serenely, having overcome the excessive expressions of her youth whenever a vision struck her. When it passed, her eyes fluttered open, hues pale and irises wide. Her complexion had blanched and she reached the nearest potted plant and vomitted. Er…or…umbrella stand. Margot recovered swiftly, reaching for her coat and scarf after, figure wavering tipsily as she did. “M’fine.” she said, beating Aiden to the question as it breached his tongue. The seer offered a winning grin to seal her word, though it was weak and hardly convincing. Her vulnerability was terribly obvious, but in the end, he’d be endeared to her for it, and so there was no use insisting when he protested. For now, he wouldn’t. Things were still too new. Eventually, he would. Her lithe frame slipped into the camel coat, fingers cupping the hem of the sleeve as she shrugged it over pointy shoulders. While donning the scarf, the warm, woodsy scent of her would flourish. Her hair would shift, sending a siren’s call of the mingled saccharine blood and raw, piney scent she preferred. As the pair stepped out, she reached for the cigarette he produced and slipped it between her lips. Moments later she produced a lighter and drew the first pull off of it, rolling it between slim digits as she grinned at him. “Smoking can kill, you know.” she said in passive response before offering the antique store a glance over one shoulder. The wind caught her scarf and blew it over her lips. She held the cigarette away from herself, shaking her hair in the breeze. “Not before today.” she finally replied, cryptically. Her sunglasses still held her hair back off of her face, and in the waning November light she blew of puff of smoke before nodding down the street. “Shall we talk about the weather next?” she asked, a brow raised as she pushed the filter of the cigarette to her lips. “Or perhaps how you’ve yet to register those high beams with the city, Mr. Aberdene.” she added, gesturing with the hand that held his cigarette toward his face. In the dark, they were more ostentatious. They walked, she following his lead down the flurry-dusted cobblestones toward a warm pub promising spirits and boasting a lit hearth. •••

Aiden
With or without Jolene and her companion, he intended to enjoy a few more hours out and about before returning to his room at the Skye. However had he taken the time to peer at himself in the mirror he might have noticed the brightness in his eyes, but he hadn't and it was a faux pas that would haunt him for days to come. Now he had to explain himself, and he was never put in such a situation before, where he could not kill or embrace the person. The lands surrounding Kindred Skye had always been a sanctuary for the undead, so long as they behaved and followed the rules. Truthfully he assumed his inconstant patronage to the city would have offered him some clemency in such matters. But it seemed not so much. There he stood with a woman he hardly knew who decided to steal his cigarette and then to comment in kind about how they were nails in his coffin. He found it humorous and at this point it didn't seem to matter much to him if he made any snarky comments about his undeadstate. So with a graceful movement he slipped his ring and index finger over her own, capturing the cigarette between them, and as she made to move it away from herself he plucked it right back and placed it between his lips. No doubt the chill of his skin brushing just over her own would go unnoticed. But regardless he simply shrugged and said " Worse things should have killed me before " He then brought his hand toward the inside of his coat and produced a pair of lovely aviator sunglasses too attempt to hide the glow of his eyes. " Seems I won't be making the pub tonight " He said disappointed, and remorseful that he didn't achieve facebook friend status or at least a phone number to ensure he could contact them. " Seems you and I are suddenly at an impasse miss Bixby " He shifted to look at her a bit seriously " I'd rather not have to find myself departed from my present company, but I feel like I may need to make haste toward my home " He raised his hand upward to his neck and turned thoughtful. " So, if you're not too busy tonight, how about I call my driver, and we find somewhere that doesn't turn me into christmas lights to enjoy a drink? " Risky, yes but at this point he couldn't think of anything else that would get her out of the city with him that he might find someway to 'erase' the memory of being 'caught' " I think I have a vintage Brandy in my dresser still "

Margot
••• Margot watched him fumble through the interaction with open amusement. It would be a rare occasion for the crepuscular mensch, and she was soaking up every moment of it. Aiden, accustomed to having the upper hand in social situations, had lost before he even met her. The clairvoyant didn’t hesitate to take advantage of their incipient relationship. Would it have comforted him to know that she already knew what he was? Likely. But it would be far more enjoyable to string him along, at least until he -did- try to erase the night’s memory by plying her with brandy aged older than she was. Familiar with the next sequence of events by way of Oneiromancy, she was confident in a few things: first, that his attempts to obscure her memories would fail. Second, he wouldn’t harm her. And third, by stretching the time between the present moment and the one wherein he discovered her ‘visions’, he would be both relieved and irate. And so, snarled in the conflicting interests between discarding and keeping her. (Though ultimately, it would be the latter.) Having already processed much of this, she withdrew a pack of Nat Sherman ‘Black and Gold’ Cigarettes (Box boasting the title ‘The world’s most elegant cigarette.’) and slipped one of the long, thin twigs between her lips without missing a beat. “You honestly think I’m that dumb.” she said. It wasn’t a question, but a flat statement, offered with a sideways glance as she lit the end of the cigarette. Drawing on it for a moment, she allowed for the pregnant pause between them to ensure the spiraling effect it would have on his thoughts. Speaking as she blew the smoke out in a thin, withy line, she smiled. “You’ll be the end of me,” she said, thumbing the gold-filtered end of the tobacco twig until an ash dropped off it’s opposite end. “So we may as well get started.” she finished, waving a thin hand in the air between them in a small circle with a slim pointed digit while drawing off of the cigarette once again. The gesture read ‘Let’s get on with it.’ In far less words, and in a less conflated context, he might have thought he was going to get lucky that night. (He wasn’t.) Initially taciturn among their new companions (Aralie and Nohr,) the seer had become far more loquacious, while remaining blase. It took terrific effort on her part not to spill the beans and let him embrace her on the spot. Aiden was more illecebrous in the flesh than he was in distant visions. Margot knew that each interaction would be far sweeter, darker, nocuous, and precarious in real life-- in real time, than they had been in her dreams. She felt herself dangling in limbo in the meantime, having to wait between the present and what she knew approached. There was no rushing what needed time to develop as foreseen. Too many times, a slip of the tongue or a miscalculation were just as guilty as her poor attempts at rushing the event along, and left perfect relationships shattered. Her history was full of plenty of those. Practice for the here and now. “Call your driver, Bruce Wayne. I’m excited to taste that vintage Brandy you’re going on about.” she encouraged him, in case her hand gesture had been too obscure. •••

Aiden
There he stood unable to discern if she was egging him on or not. Her indifference to the situation seemed to note that either he was not the first undead she'd met, Or she was literally just apathetic to everything. He couldn't be sure and unfortunately he was not exactly willing to spoil anymore of his precious meal in order to garner anymore information. His hand moved into another pocket and pulled his phone out, with a tap of a few keys a text was sent to his driver indicating the place of pickup and that he required it immediately. Her statements each needed a moment of his time to ponder upon as he tried to analyse her, to understand what it was that made her different then any other mortal. Why, he could just snap her neck and leave her to be found by the local police and this would all be done with! Mortals were fragile and as she stated he'd be the end of her. For a moment he was considering it. But then Aiden had always been for humanity. While he might have fed from the necks of the living. He never killed them, never used them maliciously, and it wouldn't start now. Instead he shifted and looked toward the road. To allow himself a moment to think before he said absently. " If I'd thought you dumb, I wouldn't be offering to take you to my sanctuary. " he shrugged lightly " I'm sure you've seen the movies and read the books. Twilight was shit by the way " He snorted " And really why must you be so Cliche, Batman is boring, always has been. " He brought his hand upward " Or is that a clever two and two. " He shifted raising his coat to cover his face in a moment of mirth. " Bleh, I vant to suck your blud " and it sounded more ridiculous to him then likely to her. However he turned to the road again watching for the Black Sedan to approach " I'm more of a Tony Stark, if we're being honest " He raised his hand upward " Rich playboy, who likes to drink. " Liquor obviously not the beverage of choice. " As to being the end of you. Meh. I've no intention of disposing of a body, and I'm sure you've some useful talent I've yet to surmise " He glanced over his shoulder at the impending arrival of his car. Which was not driven by and old man, nor was it something vintage out of a magazine. But rather modest all things considered. Opening the door he'd stand aside to allow her to climb in before him. " and believe me, It's nothing to scoff at. I've had it near a hundred years. " He motioned for her to enter, and when she did he closed the door behind her. Adjusting his coat and tossing his vomit covered umbrella into a nearby trash canister. Passing by the driver side window he'd take a moment to ensure the driver knew his service for the evening was done. Entering within the vehicle Aiden sat, and crossed his leg over his knee. " Play your cards right, and you might get lucky tonight " He glanced over at her with a smirk. However this would be rather far from the truth. Undead required certain stimulation mostly, a fresh meal and a desire to focus on creating the illusion of erection. Flicking out his cigarette the Driver would take them toward the Skye where he housed himself. Or rather where he used to house himself. No doubt his room was untouched, given Eva had not sent him any emails or letters telling him so. So he expected some dust, and a great many memories to remind him why he no longer suffered the company of mortals as he had before.

Margot
••• For the first time since their meeting, Margot offered a genuine smile of surprise. It was an infectious, wide and bright expression that was as illusive as it was eesome. It was the bigger picture that she had a grasp of, but the intimate details in between were lost in dream or drink (or never explored at all.) Occasionally, things surprised her. If it had been any other person, she might have remained inanimate. But the natural inclination she had in Aiden’s direction benefited him. He humored her with his unpredictable ‘Twilight’ reference, followed by his best (worst) impression of Dracula. She knew what he was, but there were blank spaces around better-known facts. The way he went about revealing his race was one of them. His words coupled with his outright discomfort around her were entertaining enough. Add the blank spaces in her knowledge and that awful impression of Dracula and her nature softened. For a moment. When the car pulled up, she stood in the frigid wind to draw off the end of the cigarette, blowing fuliginous little puffs patiently until the end. The clairvoyant took her time, while he stood holding the door open for her. “Rich drinker, maybe.” she countered with humored tenor and a vulpine grin. Margot enjoyed the upper hand she was dealt while it lasted. She listened as he expostulated on her phrasing, adding nothing to his thoughts to keep the mystery going. Aiden was digging. The first step was admitting she’d caught him. (Or at least knew what he was.) The second was playing at coy, affirming jokes. The third was prying, skimming the edges of her tight-lipped nature. Margot tossed the gold filter aside and exhaled the last of the smoke, standing in front of him with her hands shoved deep into the pockets of her coat to warm them. A pair of verdant hues surveyed his expression speculatively, brows expressive as she considered his words. After a long pause in the biting wind, she lifted her shoulders to either side of her head. “Nope. Just a trust-fund baby with luck in the stocks.” she replied, in response to her ‘useful’ talent. Clamboring into the sedan in her oversized coat, the willowy seer settled herself comfortably without latching her seatbelt. (Live to die another day.) As Aiden situated himself, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and slipped her sunglasses down over the bridge of her nose. Tapping and dismissing notifications briefly while pretending not to give a single fuck about Aiden’s manouvering outside of the vehicle. A thin finger scrolled across the vibrant screen, brow knotted over the rim of her sunglasses. God damn luciferous it was, even on its dimmest setting. “I’d consider my cards played poorly if I ended up in your dusty sheets.” she replied without looking up from her phone. After a moment, the screen locked and the bright light of her screen extinguished. With the glasses pushed back up onto her head, she let her head rest against the seat, cheek turned toward Aiden. “But I’ll stay the night, if you’d like. You do have the ‘Playboy’ stereotype to keep up, after all.”•••

Aiden
For a brief moment Aiden was uncertain what he should be doing. He'd invited a strange woman, to his room, for drinks, and while his joke meant she might walk out of his room alive. She had taken it, twisted it, and now he was moving his hand upward to the collar of his shirt loosening it lightly. " Lovely, I'm sure the couch is still extremely comfortable. " Who would be sleeping on it of course was another matter entirely. Despite this, the car began to move and with an absent motion of his hand to a remote near his seat. He turned the music on to ensure that there was something in the car, other than the intoxicating beat of her heart, or scent of her Sanguine blood beneath a touch of too much liquor. Drawing his hand upward into the length of his hair he'd push it back and lean himself back. Contemplating what to speak about along the way to the Skye. Which was a few miles and it would be an even longer silence then torpor in his mind. Eventually he shifted to glance at her " A Trust fund baby huh? " He was mildly curious about her luck with the game of stocks and bonds. But didn't pry for the moment in fact, that was all he would say about it. Instead he shifted gaze out the window to watch the trees as they moved by. The Winters white glow upon the earth was a comforting sight. It brought him to peaceful times amid the woods in his youth. " I doubt the sheets are dusty " he said after a few long moments of silence. " Evangeline tends to keep things neat and in order when I'm gone. " He crossed his leg over his knee and leaned back. resting his head against the headrest for a few moments. " Do you have any family Margot?" he asked curiously. " Brothers or sisters? A Mother and Father? " He absently " I assume a mother and father since you were birthed. But are you close to them? " His hand moved to collect his pack of cigarettes, which he flicked two upward into his lips lit, and offered one out to her. Before he continued absently spilling  some ash out the window with a flick of his fingertips. " A husband or boyfriend maybe? " He glanced to her for a moment then back out the window. " Or maybe a girlfriend, I forget the times are much more progressive now then they were when I was your age " It was comical to think that he only looked maybe a year or so, if that older than her. " I had a large family " he said casually " Few brothers and sisters, " He looked to the orange ember of his cigarette. Offering information for information so to speak. "Only one still lives now "

Margot
••• For a vampire that hadn’t suffered a moment of social discomfort in decades, he was easy to unravel. Her silence unnerved Aiden, making him grasp at the ends of conversation starters until something tugged. He loosened his collar and held his breath in the claustrophobic space of the car. The augur watched him as he subtly shifted, vacillating between holding his breath, turning on music, and lighting a cigarette to clear the dense fog of her scent in the back seat of the sedan. Was he…nervous? Margot wondered at this strange and unknown version of her companion. Crossing her legs at the ankle, she leaned forward and rested an elbow on her knees, chin nestling in her palm as malachite hues surveyed his posture and the micro-expressions of his mannerisms. “Mhm.” she murmured with an absent nod in response to his inquiry about her earlier assertion on trust-fund. It was true, and it was how she managed to avoid working. Of course, her visions (and coping mechanisms. Re: alcoholic) crippled her work-ethic. Long, lush wayward waves of hair shifted over her shoulders and at the outlines of her features as she watched him thoughtfully, nodding in regard to Evangeline’s tidiness. “I do.” she replied passively, regarding family as he continued to spiral through subjects at a rate that suggested ADHD. Margot lit the offered smoky treat and smoked alongside him. “I prefer to keep my distance.” she added, waving the end of her cigarette suggestively in the air in front of her. The hand that held her elfin face reached out to twirl in the resulting wisp of smoke. “It’s complicated.” she added, tilting her head to one side as she watched tendrils of smoke disappear. “A lot like my mom, outside of what’s like my dad.” she continued in between draws of smoke. Blowing a bit of the cloud out the window and tipping the twig to ash it out the window, Margot gazed out the window thoughtfully. “No siblings. I imagine I was a handful enough for my parents.” she turned back to him with a grin, eyes sparkling.  He inquired about her relationship status and her features remained conspicuous. “Nope.” she replied. Short and sweet, as there was nothing to be cryptic about when it came to her (lack of a) romantic life. Aiden’s interest was piqued, and if she didn’t know how the book ended, she’d still have been able to tell in this first chapter-- fuckboys didn’t inquire about the personal lives of women they only planned to bed. Listening as he briefly described his family, she leaned back pensively, one arm folding under the elbow of the other to prop the hand that held her cigarette. The seer peered ahead, out the windshield of the careening vehicle, tipping the end of the cigarette thoughtfully “That’s Evangeline.” she added without question. Her eyes flickered over to him to watch his expression. Curious to know whether he suspected her augury talents or not, she let a limp hand draw the cigarette back to her lips as she watched him pensively. Interest played at the edges of her features, encouraged by alcohol and the particular intoxication that came along with Aiden’s presence. As the car drew up on the property, the willowy femme leaned forward to take in the manor with undivided interest. No vision could have prepared her for its resplendence or gravity. It was enormous and magnificent. Far from the foggy glimpses she’d had. “Ho-ly shit.” she breathed with unrestricted awe. •••

Aiden
For a Vampire versed in manipulating people to get his way, it was unnerving to have someone who seemingly could read him like a book, or rather seemed unmoved or shaken by anything he could have said. However as the conversation shifted back to him, or rather to his sister he gave an absent nod of his head. " Yeah, my only flesh and blood left in the world. " he shrugged his shoulders. He didn't feel the need to expand on how important that was to him, or how having a home to return too even if it was only once every ten years or so was something that kept his heart softened to the mortal world around him. As the car approached The Skye. He glanced toward the building with a feeling of comfort. It was his ballpark so to speak. " I can see how you might be a hellion of sorts for your poor parents. " He provided with a bit of mirthful tenor in his voice. The car came to a halt and like a Gentleman, he exited and moved around to open the door for his guest. When she was free of automotive confines he moved to the window of the Drive and leaned in just enough to speak a few secret words to him and send him on his way. straightening himself, and adjusting his clothing he turned toward Margot. " Evangeline's home, and no doubt inside there is a symphony or glorious chaos in the form of her children, and lovers. But its comfortable, warm, and it's home. " He slipped his hands into his pockets and moved toward the entrance pausing from time to time to see if she followed. (Or walked with him.) The door would open into the sitting room, where he'd pause to provide a brief tour, or rather provide directions should she need them " This is the seating room, the ballroom is over here " he motioned " And the picture room is that way " he made an absent motion toward the stairs. " I've got a room on the second floor, or rather storage space up here. But it's cozy and Evangeline has been kind enough to let me come and go with not much recourse " He lead her to ascend the stairs and make way to 'his' room. It actually wasn't really his, Evangeline had been a saint for putting up with him for as long as she had. He called it his, because in a sense he returned to it out of habit multiple times. But more or less aside from the artwork that decorated it. It was a guest room. Entering the room, obviously required a key, and once within it was obvious that he was less inclined to be concerned with the surroundings as he was with the context of items on display. A few paintings covered by canvas cloth, tools of his trade packed neatly in black suitcases, his personal items in a much smaller suitcase adjacent the bed. Moving toward it, lowering himself just enough to unzip and open it. He'd pull a of brandy, just as he promised from it. lifting himself he'd turn and hold it out toward her with a nod of his head. " Here, consider it compensation for being forced to spend the evening with me " He offered in a soft jest. Then his form moved toward a chair beside one of his covered easels and his body sank into it. " So where do we go from here?" He asked curiously " Because if we're being honest, I'm trying to decide if I want to enjoy a drink with you, or enjoy it from you. " He lifted his hand and motioned her to the bed " make yourself comfortable. " he said finally.

Margot
••• Without hesitation, Margot followed the eldritch visitant. Her footfalls came with the vim of a gleeful, drunk child. Ushering her in with comfort and finesse, Margot discerned the sudden comfort the manor provided him. Aiden described the layout and confines of the manor with the vague, distantly familiar interest of an absent resident, but it was somewhat of a ruse. Part of the ‘aloof’ front that he carried so well. In truth, he loved the place, as infrequent as his visits were. Margot nodded, paying special mind to the finer details, finally able to touch the little carved filigrees in the wooden accents and inspect the loping, intricate design of the wallpaper in person. “Only one ballroom?” she asked with feigned, posh disgust before smirking and walking along behind him, fingertips trailing along the walls gingerly as she craned her neck to look overhead at the light fixtures. Squinting her eyes, she’d avert her eyes quickly after, settling them on Aiden as he directed her attention up the stairs. “Storage space…” she mused, “ sounds cozy.” Despite his phraseology, the ‘guest room’ was far more elaborate than her entire apartment. As he went to work hunting down the promised Brandy, she meandered about the suite, lifting linen drapes to inspect the canvases beneath with delicate fingertips while playing a private game of guessing which painting was which. She’d seen dozens at the end of his brush, and knew well enough not to disturb them roughly. “Don’t worry,” she quietly assured him, glancing up as he produced the aged bottle of amber liquor, “I won’t molest them.” Without needing to search his expression, she already knew he was about to chide her about handling the paintings delicately. Releasing the drape, the Sybil made her way, with feline grace, toward him. Joking at his own expense, the cimmerian vampire suggested that she need to drink in order to stomach him. Or rather, his company required some sort of incentive. Over bright green hues, her brows emoted, wrinkling her forehead. Lips pursed for a moment as she reached out to retrieve the bottle. Margot inspected it, one thin digit tracing the flourished lettering on its label before she set it down on the buffet beside one of many easels. Letting her coat drop off of her shoulders and onto an ottoman beside Aiden, she tossed her hair to loose it from beneath the scarf and then removed that too, doing so with intentionally slow, languid motions. Her gaze followed the direction of his hand, and she briefly considered it. “We both know what you want.” she replied after a few heartbeats, chin guiding her eyes back to his features. “…A game of chess that will actually challenge you.” she quipped immediately after a suggestive quirk of an eyebrow. Making herself comfortable, the slipped out of a pair of brown leather Chelsea boots by Frye. Retrieving the bottle of Brandy, she held it up beside her cheek with a grin, “I’ll even play drunk to give you a bit of an advantage. And then once I’ve wiped the board with you, we’ll see about your drink.” Margot swirled the contents of the bottle, holding one hand under it in a poor iteration of Vanna White. She knew, of course, that his thirst would go un-quenched…for this night.•••

--

Margot
••• The withy seer groaned when she woke, an outstretched hand blindly reaching out to one side to pat for her phone. Her brow furrowed when she realized her fingertips were grazing carpet, and then she opened her eyes to inspect her surroundings. Sprawled partially between couch and floor, Margot closed her eyes and issued an exasperated sigh. Right. She had slept (halfway) on Aiden’s couch. For the entire length of the day. Because after a vicious three games of chess and an entire bottle of aged brandy, the sun was rising and both needed sleep. With one leg up on the seat of the couch and the rest of her tangled up in a blanket (admittedly, one of the comfiest she’d ever had the pleasure of sleeping under) the clairvoyant rolled over to look at the ceiling. Of course, that was nice too. She rubbed her face and then her breasts, which were sore from her drunken contortionist sleeping. Still in the same clothing she’d arrived in, thank god. It wasn’t too often that she woke up with her clothes still on. Sleep Margot was a beast of a different nature, and waking Margot often couldn’t recall what sleep Margot had gotten up to. With a heavy thud, her foot fell to the floor as she sat up. Her head protested the change in altitude, brain swelling twice its size and hammering the inside of her skull. Cradling her forehead with both hands, she began to dissect the previous night’s (day’s) dreams. Some of them were garbled nonsense, brain trying to purge unnecessary information while cataloging more important things. A few brief, fleeting visions. The reconstructed (un)lucky cat, sitting in the corner of the room where she, Aiden, Nohr, and Aralie would eventually spend most of their free time together. Someone picking a lock, though she hadn’t seen anything but their hands. And a dangling, golden pendant on a length of fine chain, glimmering in the light. All of which seemed fairly tame, a good night’s sleep for the seer. Save for the hang over. And a sore neck. Her phone buzzed from inside of her coat pocket, reminding her to plug it into a charger. She guessed it’s battery at 4%. Feeling like a walking trainwreck, Margot untangled herself from the blanket and stood to stretch. Retrieving her phone, she’d scroll through notifications. The DJIA was up 0.04%, while COMP had fallen 39.87 points, they told her. A text from mom. One from the dry cleaner’s. One from the vet, reminding her of her cat’s shots update. (She no longer had a cat, but kept forgetting to let the vet office know.) A pinned location, where she’d left her car parked. A few other things, mostly mundane human stuff. She dropped her phone onto the seat of the couch, passing a hazy gaze over at the sleeping vampire. Mom probably would have been texting her a bit more if she’d known where she was. Luckily, Margot kept mostly to herself and got on just fine. She had a knack for avoiding danger like that. Stepping around stray chess pieces on the floor, (sore loser, Aiden was) Margot tip toed around the room to find her way to some kind of bathroom. She was hesitant to step outside of the room, secretly hoping for an attached bathroom (did vampires need to pee?) because navigating the manor sounded like a daunting task, and she had a terrible memory. •••

Aiden
The night, was memorable. Aiden who had only drank enough of the bottle to keep the woman from falling victim to a drunken stupor that might have ended much worse then a hangover would remember every moment with the perfection the undead gift provided him. The Vampire had fallen into a slumber shortly after having done what he could to attend to Margot's situation. (I.E ensuring she had a blanket, and that there was a bottle of water and some pain killers not far from where she'd slumped) As to Aiden, he had been a gentleman about the whole ordeal. Ensuring that when he did eventually fall into the deathgrip of vampyric slumber. He was fully clothed save for his shoes. Though that would be moot as the eventual falling of the sun would rouse him from his slumber an hour before the sounds of movement from the couch even begun. He rose, gathering some of his belongings from his suitcase and slipped off to enjoy a few moments of solitude in the bathroom. Liquor expelled from his body with a practiced ritual, and an eventual stripping of clothing to enjoy the warmth of a hot shower. Gods, of all the things in modern times he loved, it was the hot water delivery systems they developed. His phone upon its charger, which doubled as a speaker system in the restroom would fill the sizable bathroom with the harmony of music, and the sound of running water. Surely sign enough that there was a bathroom nearby to the room. Perhaps even the steam exhuming from beneath the door frame would help her locate it in her fog? Though to answer a question not actually asked, Vampires only urinated once out of need. That was upon the day of their unmaking, when their bodies expelled everything that made it human and became undead. Now a vampire could urinate, but it was hardly pretty, and typically reserved for Malkavians to make a crime scene much more gruesome or a Nosferatu in their desire to disgust the masses. Soon he emerged from the confines of the steam filled shower having forgotten his belongings upon his bed. A perfectly folded pair of jeans, and a black t-shirt with an obscure reference to a Panic! Concert he onced attended. Obviously other items were included, but not needed to be listed. (For really, no one needed to know he enjoyed silk boxers) A towel covered his loins, while another one was held over head by a hand used to dry unruly hair. An unfortunate event that perhaps not even the seer would see happen as she tiptoed about searching for relief. She would end up being intentionally pressed up against the cold marble of his form, and in his surprise he'd lose his composure, loosen a light yelp, and lose his balance resulting in his body falling toward the freshly made bed. He would catch himself of course, hands upon plush bedding, arms extended, but what remained to be seen of course would be the Seer. If she escaped through her talent, or would she be part of the accident.

Margot
 ••• Being clairvoyant had its advantages, but for Margot it was not a honed talent that she could use for mundane everyday tasks. She either needed to be sleeping, or drunk, in able to do her thing. And in reality, she only vaguely knew solidified long-term facts. Everything else got lost in between, or changed due to sudden shifts in choice. So, of course, she was surprised in her snooping for a bathroom. Drawn toward the sound of water raining down inside a ceramic cavern, and realizing that her bladder’s liberation was only a few feet away, she moved toward the door with impatient haste, not realizing two things: One, that the door was probably locked. (She’d already ‘seen’ him naked, so that didn’t really deter her.) And two, that the water had stopped running. Neither sleeping, nor drunk, Margot saw nothing of the immediate future, and was thrust into the awkward tumult with Aiden. A gridlock of freshly showered vampire and hungover clairvoyant, paired with the soundtrack of yelping, muffled guffaws, and whispering sheets did little to help the full bladder situation. Margot’s eyes had closed, bracing for the secondary impact of whatever she landed on. Her hands retracted, skimming modestly away from the pale, toothless flesh of her companion, and curling in toward her chest, a gut reaction to the sudden impact. Landing beneath the cage of his frame on the bed, she remained wincing for a dramatic pause before opening one eye to peek up at him hesitantly. “If you did that on purpose, I solemnly swear to kick your pale ass in chess for the rest of your unlife.” she warned from beneath him with a groggy croak. ‘Fucking self-proclaimed playboy and his glorious, smooth skin. Ugh.’ she thought to herself. A puffy halo of bedhead, second day eyeliner, and smelling of warm, slept in wool and pine resin, she put a hand to his chest. It would toasty an imprint before she shoved (uselessly) at him. “Now get off, I need to pee.” she complained, though nothing her twiggy arms did could actually cause him any harm (or move him.) He smelled like cold, wet stone. Crisp, mountain air. It made her crave coffee. Her head hammered in agreement. The proximity of his freshly washed, cold skin under the remaining warmth from the shower was a bit overstimulating. Again, she was surprised by the shallow depth of her visions-- they didn’t quite hold a candle to experiencing certain things in real life. •••

Aiden
 Somethings clairvoyance, and kindred grace could not fix. Aiden was always a clutz. In those rare moments where he was caught unaware it was unavoidable. However in this moment, Aiden wouldn't curse his flaw. Nor would he embrace it exactly, it was one of those rare occasions where surprise lead to something unexpectedly beautiful. He'd always found mortals beautiful. Their warmth, the way they lived their lives unhindered by the lusts and desires of the undead curse. How their hearts beat in a beautiful symphony of decadence within them. A change in the song of her heart called his focus from admiring the angelic ring of hair that cascaded around her features and that look of genuine surprise upon her face. Part of him felt a strong desire to see it happen again, and again as often as he could. It was a beautiful change from her usual stoicism. She spoke and he only half caught what she said before pulling himself to the present moment. " Didn't see it coming? " He asked with genuine curiosity and mirth in his voice. Though not attributed to any knowledge of her ability, save for her uncanny ability to best him at a game he had played since his youth and into his undead adulthood. Drawing in her scent now, he found it luxurious, and in that moment the temptation for the intimate embrace of the undeads kiss to the nape of her neck was stronger then it had been the night before. But temptation was resisted with a slow smirk he brought his hands closer to her hips. Where he could for the moment hold her form pinned to the bed. " Oh yes, mortals do need to pee don't they " He loosened a soft chuckle, then drew himself to the side and let his body fall onto the bed. his head rested upon the palm of his hand. " By all means, don't ruin my sheets. " As she had his umbrella. When she rose, and made way into the Bathroom he would go about the task of collecting his belongings. Casting aside the towel that covered his form he proceeded to dress and prepare himself for the evening. A process that was ritualistic, and practiced. Eventually leading to him styling his hair and pulling a warm blazer over his black t-shirt. Assembling the look of hipster of a sort. Then Eventually his form sank before one his many canvases to begin work on his next project. " Did you fall in? " he called after a few moments of silence.

Margot
••• She’d mostly maintained her composure. (So she thought.) So when he stopped his ogling and remarked on her surprise, her brows piqued straight up. ‘Didn’t -see- it coming?’ she heard him say. The memory of this moment happened much sooner than she’d anticipated. Caught off guard by his unwittingly astute comment (she hoped), and also that this particular event was happening now, she breathed out in surprise. Margot watched his mouth as he spoke, unable to ignore the shape they took while forming his words. She’d seen them speak the same words a hundred times before. If she’d been just a bit tipsy, she might have forgotten herself and asked if she’d already told him about that. ‘Fucking hell!’ her thoughts exclaimed as he held her by the hips, “Yes.” she answered sternly, hoping her voice didn’t betray her. As he rolled to one side, the seer found herself thankful for the opportunity to make some space. (Blessed full bladder.) The withy clairvoyant slipped through the doorway, kicking the door closed with her heel as she went, internally cursing her virginity. Blessed with years of foresight, she’d never quite made it to the point in any relationship that resulted in losing her V card. Not that she cherished it or worse a purity ring (gag.) or anything of the sort. Able to see precisely how people will fail her, betray her, or just plain suck in bed made it an easy sacrifice. Until now-- when a bit of experience might have gone a long way. Her visions had jaded her and stolen much of her innocence in a different way, lending to her general demeanor in a way that convinced folks otherwise, in regard to the matter. Relieving herself with haste, and no sooner having heard Aiden from the other side of the door, she rolled her eyes. “Not everyone does their business at warp speed, you freak of nature.” she replied, running the water to wash her hands. Margot looked ahead into the mirror and tilted her head, inspecting herself. Not bad, for a hungover piece of shit. At least she looked (and smelled) better than she thought. So what if her personal aesthetic was ‘Hot mess’, right? Some of her favorite fictional women had unruly hair. And the dark smudge of second-day (night) eyeliner helped keep pale verdant hues from looking too fresh and innocent. Once finished, she opened the door and leaned on the frame, crossing one ankle over the other as she surveyed the freshly dressed vampire. “Aren’t you a little old for Panic! At the Disco?” she asked, quirking one brow with a grin. Her head demanded caffeine, alcohol, or both. Her stomach growled audibly. Oh, being human was fun. She didn’t presume his time or attentions, despite knowing well that was where things were headed in the not-too-distant future. Instead she breathed in, shrugging her shoulders as she glanced to the blacked-out windows. A light shiver chased the length of her spine. Interested in watching him at work, she eventually meandered over, lingering just behind him as he leaned forward to scrutinize the detail in what he was doing. Folding her arms so that she’d keep her hands from slinking over his shoulders and looping around his neck, the sibyl curled her toes. “If you’ve got work to do, I can call an Uber and scoot.” she offered without any suggestion of remorse.  •••

Aiden
Aiden's business, was not only the restoration of paintings, but learning to read someone. Signs that a business deal was going to go down the drain, or was going well helped in how he acted, and shifted his opinions and words. It didn't escape him that there was a tension that came across her features. A look that said 'shit I'm caught' and yet he only assumed it was the fear that he was about to go for her neck. Which for some reason he still had not found a reason to want to do so. It was not out of the question. invoking a sense of awe so strong that it would paralyze her in a state of perpetual fawning, or invoking intimidation so strong that she collapsed, and with a bit of suggestion she could be granted the pleasure of lapses in memory that would indicate she had a healthy one night stand. But he didn't, should of, but didn't. Humans were beautiful, and to be enjoyed like a tiger in a zoo. Safely from a distance. So once again he was sitting here in this room with  another mortal. As if he could revive the deadness of his heart by their company. " Quite the contrary, I tend to take my time in everything I do " He dipped the tip of his brush gently into some filtered water and leaned back to look at the cloudy blue coloration that expanded from where the brush broke the surface of the water. " I'm too old for a lot of things Margot " he said bluntly " Seven hundred and fifty years maybe more I lost count a long time ago. " He gently pat the brush dry upon a stained and dry cloth beside him and returned to work gathering some grey from his pallet. " But Music is the only thing in this world that can be Immortal, and remain pure. " he glanced over his shoulder at the woman and made an absent motion with his head toward the couch. " I'd be a poor host if I didn't offer you something to eat, and provide you with a ride home. " He said thusly, but added in honestly. " Besides, I could use some company, I presume since you didn't sneak out or murder me in my sleep you've nowhere of any real importance to be. So why not indulge and old soul in some of your youthful company? " He glanced at her " After all, Merida " he said playfully " A Disney Princess is supposed to fall in love with the prince isn't she? " He of course referencing the crown of unruly hair upon her head. " and before you say anything yes I do happen to have a soft spot for Disney. " He leaned back some to inspect his work some. " And I still owe you an ass whooping. I assume you've played battleship? "