wicked games [vlad]

[CLAUDIA LUNA ELIADE]

It was strange to Claude that she had ended up living a normal, day-to-day life that would be considered, on most people's standards, sort of average. She worked five days a week, a full forty hours in a week for Chloe, who was was actually starting to become fond of, made decent money, had purchased furniture for her apartment and a new wardrobe. Her apartment was actually starting to become less of a dump and more of an actual home. Manuka was even starting to become sort of like home, which was something she thought she'd never really have. Claude had convinced herself that living in the Gypsy camps, out in the woods, making potions and taking beatings on a daily basis - that would just be her life until she died. But now, she was someone's respected employee, she was developing a daily routine, she had a home and paid all her bills, and was actually starting to feel... settled.

Even her after-work life was starting to become sort of normal. She went out to dinner sometimes, usually at the same places. The Dive Tank was even becoming sort of a home away from home. She loved playing pool with the biker guys and kicking their asses (and separating them from their money in the process), and the drinks were cheap, and strong. Strong drinks, Claude decided, were definitely a huge draw.

She still kept some of her old habits, though; they didn't always die off just when someone started to live a "normal" lifestyle. Claude still pocketed things from other stores and occasionally from other people, usually on a crowded street, in the mall, or on the bus. The other day, she had lifted a twenty of a guy outside of a pretzel shop and bought her entire night's worth of drinks essentially for free. I knew freedom was quite the commodity, I guess I just never knew it would be so... sweet.

[/color] Claude was solemn for a moment. She would never, ever allow herself to be bested again. From then on, she'd be living life by her own rules. She took the shot of tequila smoothly, not even wincing as it rolled down her throat and into her stomach. Then, she walked over to a pool table that was empty, knowing that when she started to play, somebody would challenge her because she was a girl, and apparently, from some of the compliments she had gotten (she thought nothing of them, of course), an attractive one.

Claude set-up for a round, removed the triangle that held the balls in place before a break, then leaned down toward the center of the table, her hands perfectly steady and the cue chalked to what she felt was perfection. With a sharp crack and forward strike of her arm, the balls broke cleanly, three of the striped balls going into the pockets. Claude smiled. Not bad.[/color]

There were already a couple guys at the bar looking at her. She wasn't sure why, but supposed that they were either checking her out, which wouldn't end up working for them at all, or considering walking over to play. The game was open, somebody could easily be solids after her first break, but they'd lose. Even if they had been stripes, unless they possessed a keener hand than hers, they'd probably still lose. Claude was a quick learner, and had discovered that she could best even people who considered themselves to be "old pros" at the bar sport. It made sense to her, the angles, the way to strike; it required patience, lining up the perfect shot, and the ability to be still and strike quickly, two things she also had inherently in her blood from her years of survival. She was also quick-witted, which meant that if the game started to go a different way, she could choose the best strategy to get back on top.

Claude looked down at the pool table, and listened in on the minds of the two guys that had been eyeing her before, then grimaced at the thoughts that flooded into her own mind. Dirty, awful things that made her want to drive the pool cue into an eye socket. Men were awful. So it looks like I'm playing alone; no matter, I could always use the practice.[/color] Claude lined up another shot, then aimed, and forced the cue ball into another striped ball, sending two more into the corner pocket. She grinned, then went back to the chalk. Aptitude was a funny thing.

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OUTFIT:[/color] Here![/blockquote][/justify]

[VLADIMIR RADE TIMURE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 500px] I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE DRIVING we gotta make a decision: leave tonight or live and die this way? [/style][style=background-color: 1b1b1b; width: 200px; height: 300px; float: right; border: 0px solid #0e0e0e; padding: 8px; color: 454545; overflow: auto; text-align: justify; font-family: arial] vladimir, so far, wasn't exactly enjoying his time in manuka. he was relatively new and, well, hadn't exactly hit it off making friends. then again, when did he ever have luck making friends? he had been a loner since his captain had died, and that was . . . geez, that was so long ago he didn't even know how many years it had been. vladimir had been a young vampire back in those days. ahh, those were the days. always at sea, taking what i want when i want, all the men and women i could ever need . . . the vampire licked his lips as he walked through the old town. he had already gotten his fill of blood for the day, but his mind was starting to drift towards alec and that . . . that mutt. he needed a distraction - preferably a warm, blood - filled distraction - to get his mind off his son. brat. running off after all we had, then going off and falling for some half - breed. he'd pay for leaving vlad; he'd pay for running off on his father creator. we were more than that, even. little fucking traitor. the dive tank looked like as good a place as anywhere to find someone to keep him preoccupied. surely enough, the place was filled with people. of course, most of the people looked like they had already coupled up, and those that weren't looked like creepy old men on the prowl for a young woman. it was quite disgusting, actually, what some men thought about doing to women. at least when vladimir did those kinds of despicable things it was socially acceptable. that didn't mean he should have done it, but it wasn't as bad as it would be today. vladimir sat at the bar and ordered a shot of vodka. he downed it in one go, feeling it burn the back of his throat as it went. he smiled and set the empty glass back on the bar, looking around the place. there was only one person that caught his eye. it was a girl, playing pool by herself. he wondered why no one was playing with her; was she that much of a bitch? did she turn everyone away that tried to play with her? or is she really just that good at the game? shrugging, he got up. what did he have to lose? the vampire walked over to the pool table where she was and leaned against the table. " you look lonely over here, playing all by yourself. no one man enough to challenge you? " he asked, chuckling lightly. vladimir toyed with the ring on his middle finger slightly, watching her play. " or maybe they know they aren't attractive enough to approach someone like you, " he added, not in the least hiding the fact that he was sexy and, frankly, he knew it. [style=letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 2px solid; padding: 2px] 488 | CJBBY<3 | OUTFIT yeah, i had to. :3 also i keep on imaging all this in his beautiful accent and just owqjrioqri [/style]

table made by MADAME MARIANNA of CAUTION 2.0

[CLAUDIA LUNA ELIADE]

The witch's first instinct when the man approached her and tried talking to her was to roll her eyes, but she didn't. This wasn't the first time some man had walked up to her, all cool confidence and swagger thinking that he owned the place, and by proxy, her. Claude gave a sharp jab with the pool cue and sent another group of stripes into a pocket. She had nearly racked all the balls on the table in five strokes. She grinned at her last shot, barely paying attention to her new "company," and felt proud.

Claude really was getting better at this game. Every since she was a very young girl, when he mother was still alive, she used to tell her that she was smart, and special, and could accomplish anything she put her mind to. That was what kept her fighting in the camps: the thought that if she wished for freedom hard enough, one day, she'd have it. And now she did, and found her mother's old adage to still be accurate. She was a quick study, and sharp as a tack, despite her not being raised in any sort of modern society.

Finally, she decided to answer the man's question, looking at him with a face devoid of expression, so he wouldn't get any ideas, and placed the end of her cue that wasn't chalked on the floor, leaning against it slightly. "Costs money to play with me, and people don't want to part ways with their hard earned cash. So, why don't you just go back to the bar and spend what you've got on booze and other women?" Claude was feisty, and she knew that much. When she first moved to Manuka, and was starting to get a taste for freedom, she had been more meek, but now that she'd had a few life experiences, she tried not to be meek and quiet; she had a voice now, and wanted to use it.

Her accent dripped heavily over her words, but she still made sure to enunciate each one properly, giving it the attention it deserved in her overall message. "Attraction has nothing to do with it, Sir," she said, using what would normally be considered a proper, respectful title for a man as almost a venomous barb, then racked up her next shot, leaving only the eight ball.

Claude looked up at him, and chose the pocket that was furthest from the ball, and the hardest shot. "Eight ball, bottom right pocket." With a small exhale and a quick flick of her wrist, the eight ball sailed so smoothly into the pocket it was almost beautiful. "People don't approach people like me because they fear the consequences."

It was a double entendre, because she'd steal people of their money, their drinks, their time, and a lot else if they tried to really mess with her. Claude was always armed whenever she went out in public, just in case things went awry. But, she was also calm, and that quiet storm that seemed to surround her threw a lot of people off, and made them curious as to what skill she truly possessed. Claude was difficult to figure out, because she didn't use emotions to give anything away; she didn't feel like others did, and that was very hard for most people to grasp. Humans were so ruled by their emotions, and by their experiences that when someone relied on pure skill and aptitude, without anything interfering or shaking them from their focus, it seemed strange. She didn't know what this man wanted with her, but suspected that he was more than interested in her by now. And while she hadn't quite put her finger on what this guy was yet, she figured he was more than human.

[/justify]

[VLADIMIR RADE TIMURE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 500px] I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE DRIVING we gotta make a decision: leave tonight or live and die this way? [/style][style=background-color: 1b1b1b; width: 200px; height: 300px; float: right; border: 0px solid #0e0e0e; padding: 8px; color: 454545; overflow: auto; text-align: justify; font-family: arial] vladimir smiled as he bit his bottom lip when the girl just continued to play pool. so, that was how it was going to be, huh? the vampire was extremely tempted to just mess up the game, wondering how mad she would be if he took the balls out and started rolling them around the table at random. he figured she would either get extremely mad - therefore give the male some much needed entertainment - or just ignore it and continue playing as if nothing happened. he watched her with an odd curiosity, cocking his head to the side slightly as she leaned against the pool stick. " costs money, does it? love, i've never been afraid to spend a little cash, especially if it helps out a woman as lovely as yourself, " he laughed lightly. " if i spent all my money on booze i'd probably need to get quite a few new livers. also, for future reference, love, i don't need to spend money on women . . . or men, for that matter, " he chuckled and stood up straight, stepping closer to the girl. vlad had used money for certain services before, yes, but those always involved him having a little snack . . . the sex part he could get from anyone. the blood he'd rather get from someone whose self worth is already pathetic. the vampire crossed his arms and rolled his eyes at the girl's next comment. " now, love, there's no need to start using that tone with me. you should respect your elders, you know, " he teased, not caring about her tone. in fact, that just made it all the more interesting. vladimir watched as she got the eight ball into the pocket she named. it would have been more impressive had he not seen that familiar color of her eyes. he suspected that her ' talent ' wasn't exactly all she made it out to be. " that was a lovely shot, miss. it's almost as if you used magic to help you along or something . . . " he hoped she could see what he was hinting at. he pretended to shake as if he were scared. " oh, i'm so terrified of these so called consequences. what are they? you'll pitch a fit? lash out more with that lovely tongue of yours? do i look like i can't handle what you can give, love? i'm used to . . . challenges. that, and i like when things are difficult and, well . . . rough, " he chuckled, running a hand through his own hair. the vampire figured that, if he had gone through almost one thousand years of this hellish life, he could handle a little threat from a witchy. " so, how much does it cost to pay, love? name your price. " he took one of the balls out and tossed it from one hand to another, eventually throwing it in the air to catch like a baseball, content. this woman would be entertaining him in one form or another for the time being. [style=letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 2px solid; padding: 2px] not enough D8 | CJBBY<3 | OUTFIT yeah, i had to. :3 also i keep on imaging all this in his beautiful accent and just owqjrioqri [/style]

table made by MADAME MARIANNA of CAUTION 2.0

[CLAUDIA LUNA ELIADE]

What had started out as something Claude would have considered to be an easy game of pool turned to something very different, very quickly. This man was starting to wear on her nerves. Which was sort of saying something, because Claude didn't feel emotions as most people did. The witch was fairly certain that she didn't feel them at all, so where he was concerned, what she did feel was a strong desire to get away and be left alone. Her instincts were sharp, and even among predatory creatures, she always carried precautions, potions that were mixed by her own skilled hands, to defend herself. It was really her only defense, other than the fact that she did her best to keep her body strong, had an incredibly high pain tolerance, and had picked up some serious fighting skill in her relatively short lifespan.

Yet, he just wouldn't quit, and started by saying things that she understood completely, even if she had no interest in sexual encounters of any kind, or physical contact for that matter. Claude was very smart, and just because she didn't talk very much, or talk to people outside of when she had to, it didn't mean her intelligence lacked at all. Quite the contrary, the little witch was probably smarter than most, because she had a natural aptitude that most people couldn't grasp. Too many... outside influences standing in their way. The man messed with the balls on the table before actually allowed Claude to rack them and make her first strike, which was a very good one. He spoke instead about being able to spend his money on men, women, booze... whatever he liked, really, and it didn't mean a thing to her. Money was just a material possession after all; she'd never had a lot of it, and didn't have any reason to want more than she had. Because she had more now than she'd had for the majority of her life. ”It's not my business what or whom you spend your money on,” Claude said simply, taking another shot since it was still technically her turn. The second shot had done just fine, and she landed another ball in the pocket. Then, it was his turn once she missed.

Apparently, he was the talkative sort, because he just kept going, and Claude's eyes only landed on him for brief seconds, mostly to see what he was trying to do with the table. She could tell he'd played before, and probably was fairly good, but not a challenge to her. Not at all, since he'd only taken one turn and landed only two balls into the pocket before it was her turn again. ”I believe respect is earned; I don't have any reason to respect someone just because they're old.” That had been something that had been beaten into her time and again in the camps: respect for one's elders. She'd never felt it made any logical sense then, and certainly didn't now that she had her freedom and didn't have to pretend to be polite just to spare herself a beating. As she predicted, she got the eight ball on her next turn, and the game was over. The man was standing closer to her now, and she frowned. It was a little disorienting when he insinuated that she'd used magic to win, and let her know that he wasn't a human, and knew what she was. But, she was surrounded by others, and doubted that he'd make a predatory move in mixed company. Still, the little vial in her pocket would be more than handy for this... she read his thoughts... old, she already knew that, something about blood... Claude's eyes snapped back to his, fearlessly. Vampire.

”I didn't use any magic because I don't know any,” Claude said truthfully. He was old enough that he'd most likely be able to read a lie, and Claude didn't lie. She saw them as useless. Most of the time, instead of lying, she just wouldn't divulge any information. There was no real reason for her to communicate with people when she wasn't being paid to do it, and this man was no different.

Next, he tried mocking her. Obviously, he was trying to get a rise out of her. Claude frowned again, utterly confused, as she had no earthly idea what he wanted from her. To play pool, but not well. To accuse her of using magic without proof. To intimidate her, maybe? She wasn't intimidated, though, and while she didn't doubt he was dangerous, she had lived her entire life with a toe on the line of what she thought was her inevitable death every single day and survived. Death meant nothing to her anymore; it was an inevitability that she hadn't reached yet. When her clock was punched, she'd be done, but until then, she had nothing to fear. Not even this strange man who was trying to intimidate her. ”I have nothing to give you, no interest in you, and unless you'd like to play another round of pool, I'm bored with you.” Claude said in response. He spoke then of a price, and she smirked. ”You can't buy me, either, if that's what you're asking. I'm not a slave,” Claude spoke proudly, but without giving him any of the satisfaction in thinking he'd bothered her, because he hadn't. Calmly, Claude went back to the table and re-set the balls, determined to play another round, whether it was by herself or a continuation of the first game. Either way, the outcome didn't matter.

[/justify]

[SEAJAY]

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