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Leotychides

"You won't be needing those panties, dear."

0 · 1,579 views · located in United States of America

a character in “Blood of the Covenant”, as played by Vix

Description

Image
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Name
Leotychides

Nicknames
| Leo | Ty | Chives | Prince - Only close friends who know his past |

Age
He was turned at twenty-six but he is now 2,442 years old.

Race
Vampire

Occupation
He works as security for the club, tossing out troublemakers and breaking up fights. He is also the Coven's Head Liaison Specialist.

Sexuality
Heterosexual. Reproduction may be off the table for his new life but nothing beats the curves of a beautiful woman.








Fears
| Being Alone | Losing His Progeny for Good | Starvation | Death | Meeting His Maker |

Likes
| All things artistic | Strength mixed with beauty | Getting what he wants | Working out | Hunting | Killing | Gambling | Writing | Old literature | Freerunning | Organic eaters | Music | Singing | Dancing | Alcohol | Women | Old movies | Lilies | Animals - Especially Small Ones | Medieval weapons | Tattoos and piercings | Curvy women | Nature | Primordial times | Sailing | Manicures | Pedicures | Snow | Intelligence | Painting | Paganism | Natural Order |

Dislikes
| Being manipulated | Being used | Being betrayed | Being abandoned | People touching/flirting with his Progeny | Losing | Idiots | Smokers | Weaklings | Drugs/Addicts | Lack of commitment from others | Unhygienic people | Modern rap | People prodding him for information | Humans Feeling Equal to Vampires | People bothering those that he likes | People digging into his past | Those who try to go back on their word | People who can't hold up to their word | Prudes | Abrahamic religion |

Secrets
| His past | His feelings for his Progeny |








Personality
| Loyal | Leery | Reliable | Secretive | Fastidious | Selfish | Brave | Narcissistic | Ambitious | Sanguinary | A Gentleman | Charming | Honorable | Perfectionist | Confident | Eloquent | Aggressive | Cunning | Passionate | Romantic | Possessive | Protective |








Place of Origin
Sparta

History
“I was born unto Adelphe, a slave in the palace of King Pleistoanax – Who happened to be my father. He killed my mother himself to keep her quiet about the affair and had his sister care for me until he could dispose of me at the age of seven. When I was seven, I was sent off to Agoge like all Spartan men are at that age. I hate to brag (not really) but I was the best. I was the fastest, the strongest, and I was twice as fierce as any of the other boys and I instilled fear and respect in them every time I passed by. When I graduated at twenty I was personally given the position of Captain by my father, rewarded for my skills. It was his silent way of saying he was proud of me.

Even if he refused to claim me.

Now – How did I die? I died in the Battle of Piraeus in 403 BC. I sacrificed myself to save my brother Pausonias – He knew that I was his younger brother and I looked out for him even if he didn't know at the time that I was his brother. I never got a proper burial because I was dragged off of the battlefield as I took my last breaths. A woman in a more feminine version of our military uniform was standing over me with a fanged smile before she fed me her blood. I blacked out after that. When I woke up the woman was there with a slave held down, telling me to drink from him. I hated her. I hated her so much, but I wanted to live. And so I drank the man dry. And then I killed her. She underestimated my strength.

I was on my own after that. Only for a while – I joined with two Romans a short time after; Lucius and Atticus Domitianus. We were a trio for some time until the age of the Vikings. That's where we met her. We had been tracking her for about a decade or so and her skills in battle were impressive and she was so amazing at bending people to her will. We had to have her. She would be an excellent asset to the Coven. At first, we intended on killing off her family, framing a King, and turning her to let her get her revenge so that we would look like her saviors. But we didn't have to do that because her family made things easier by turning on her like a pack of rabid wolves.

I fell madly in love with her over the next few decades. She was beautiful, smart, talented, and ruthless. We grew close and I honestly could never bring myself to admit my feelings to her. However, no matter how close we got... She was simply not interested in relationships. She didn't trust anyone with her heart. We were both warriors and we had a common code so we easily trusted one another with our lives. I got used to it and cherished the existing connection, not pushing any further for fear of losing her. But I lost her anyways. It was London and the 1800s were coming to an end. I met a woman who called herself Jezebel. Little did I know, she lived up to her name. The Domitianus brothers and I welcomed her with open arms to our Coven, as did Lyndi. Jezebel had a thirst for death that I hadn't encountered in ages. I paid less attention to Lyndi as Jezebel, sharing my bed with the exotic Middle-Eastern woman.

Little known fact: I'm Jack the Ripper. Jezebel had a thing against prostitutes so I would kill them to make her happy. Death was a kink for her. Lyndi was disgusted with my behavior and she disappeared. I had my head to far up Jezebel's ass to care that much. Things went south when my former lover killed Lucius and Atticus. She became horribly obsessive and thought they were getting in our way. She planned to go after Lyndi too... So I killed the bitch. Unfortunately for me, locating Lyndi wasn't quite so easy. When she left she became a whisper in the wind. I did find her after some time... But after finding out that she heard I was killed by Jezebel, who apparently had a history of killing her lovers, I stayed away. She had moved on and I wouldn't stand in her way. I remained on my own for nearly a century before I was approached by Caius, offered a job, clean blood, and a family.

I took the offer despite his younger age. We were already acquainted, having met several times throughout the years. I had a deep respect for him and was honored to join him. I did my best to keep tabs on my Progeny. When whispers of the one called The Vixen cropped up across Michigan followed by the announcement of a Doyen in a small town, I knew it was her. While not revealing that she was my Progeny, I relayed to Caius that she would be a great asset in a multitude of ways. Whether she took the job or not didn't concern me. I just wanted to see her again so I could apologize.”






So begins...

Leotychides's Story

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Leandra Annibelle Gates Character Portrait: Caius Dubois Character Portrait: Leotychides Character Portrait: Aphrodite Black Character Portrait: Satt Óg Samlyndi Character Portrait: Cheveyo
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#, as written by Vix


Lyndi lifted a brow, noticing the brunette young woman seemingly cowering behind the chaise as she entered. Aww, how... Cute. However, she cared little. Instead, she focused on Caius. Unlike most, she wasn't inclined to bow her head in respect to her elder. Not that she didn't respect him; Lyndi simply wasn't into bowing. She did hold her tongue and give him her undivided attention though, the lightest of smirks across her lips. She could understand his terms, feeling that they were reasonable enough. After all, trust begets trust.

She was rather inclined to divulge a few tidbits of her past that nobody alive or undead knew. She wouldn't do so within the company of others. Aside from the comely blood bag oozing adoration, she could hear someone else approaching. Clearing her throat, though it was superfluous, she gave a bit of a smile. “I'd love to have a chat of credence with you, really. However, let's save that little talk for when your groupies aren't hanging all over you, yes?”

She offered a wink before leaning in to place a lingering kiss against his cheek. “Finna mér seinna”, Find me later, she told him in a seductive Icelandic tongue. Her smile shifted back into smirk as she exited the room with her usual flourish, head held high. She was curious to find out exactly how he found her as well. She would have been happy to speak further but she didn't discuss business in front of people she felt it didn't concern. Seeing as it was Caius who was offering her a job, clean blood, and a home... Well. She couldn't give two fucks about whether or not the others trusted her.

She gave a flip of her hair with a quick movement as she went back the way she came. Rather than return to the rooms of recent decades she went higher up into the warehouse to seek out the ancient rooms. Rock and roll became doo-wop and doo-wop was soon ancient hymns. It certainly was a blast from the past. There were bands such as Enya that channeled the olden days but there was nothing quite like listening to the tunes doled out by those who had actually lived through those times. The gentle melodies cradled her and carried her to a seat in the corner.

As she glanced around she smiled. She saw some Elder vampires with their fangs out freely, some with eyes closed as they too enjoyed the music. The room was designed to emulate an old tavern, doing quite well. She began to wonder who his interior decorator and architect were. The oak was flawless and the carved murals were simply intricate and breathtaking. She lost herself in thought, a haze coming over her as she hummed along with the tune. It was Tibetan...

“Enjoying yourself, agápi̱ mou?”

There was a sudden voice in her ear, a smooth baritone that was sultry and comforting, accompanied by the brushing of stubble and soft lips against her cheek. She recognized the voice in an instant and her body reacted involuntarily, her head moving and allowing the man to place a kiss against her cheek. She could feel as his fangs slid out against her skin. Their bodies greeted one another like old friends. If her heart was still beating, no doubt it would have skipped a few beats. Her body trembled at the touch as she moved into a different haze, almost pouting as she sighed. Her eyes, which had closed as soon as he touched her, snapped open as her mind finally reacted to the situation. A dark look upon her face, she snapped around in her seat to stare directly into the red eyes of her Maker.








There she was. He knew that she had been scouting the place for a month now, stalking her unseen while she stalked everyone else. She had finally come to make a decision and he knew what it was. He knew her better than any other and he played on one of her fears, feeling a bit bad for it. But it was for the better. He knew how much his Progeny was conflicted; that she trusted no one but hated to be so alone. He had been with Caius' Coven for many years now and he knew that she'd like them -- Or at least most of them. He saw how well she was getting along with James earlier that evening. In truth, it did somewhat upset him when they flirted. He felt an immediate pang of jealousy, possessiveness, and protectiveness. Old habits die hard.

James was a threat in those moments.

However, as she responded to him he couldn't help but to feel an overwhelming sense of pride and relief, tempted to slide his lips across hers. But their moment ended too soon -- though forever with her wasn't long enough -- and she quickly turned on him with poison in her eyes. He put his fangs away and knelt down on one knee. But she wouldn't hear him out. She was gone as quickly as she came, leaving him pissed off at himself. Of course she hadn't forgiven him -- He hadn't even forgiven himself. He heaved a sigh and stood, watching where she exited as though he were half expecting her to come rushing back or even to peek around the corner to see if she had been hallucinating. But she wouldn't, she didn't, of course.

He stood there like a jackass before sliding his fangs back into hiding before taking off. He wouldn't go find her because he knew that she would find him. She knew now where he was, that he was alive... She would always find him. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his loose jeans, he moved in a lumbering shuffle that was far from his usual graceful movements. He couldn't help but to be upset though he knew he didn't entirely have the right to be angry with her. Leotychides still had faith that he could mend their friendship over time once she got over the initial shock. His shuffle carried him eventually past Caius' lair to a room he had long since made his own, brushing past Aphrodite with a muttered and solemn hello as opposed to his usual flirting. The door was closed behind him as he took a seat and sat simply in wait.

“Leotychides, sir. You're needed out front... It's... It's a human. Asking for you...”

There simply was no rest for the wicked. Leo's skulking was interrupted by a younger vampire, Lila. She was a little over a century and a half in age, straight from Bulgaria. Her English had improved over the past year as she served as something of a personal assistant. He gave her a nod as she disappeared before hoisting himself up with ease, heading back out. He put on a more charming visage with a gentle smile that pulled a bit more to the left. Working security at Blood Bath didn't just mean that he handled vampires -- He handled humans just as often.

While the vampires at the club could easily rip to shreds every single one of the humans there, it was his job to make sure that everyone had a good time. He oversaw that the vampires who got too handsy, the humans who became a bother, and either one who started too much trouble were tossed out. He assumed that the human in question was Ada again, a human that he seemed to be constantly talking to about attitude. At least for appearances. He enjoyed sharing a laugh with her for the complaints lodged about her. Sometimes the complaints were reasonable enough and he would punish her as needed. More often then not it was some handsy prick who got hit trying to pull a superior card. However, he admired that she defended herself. Not that he'd say so out loud.

He was a bit shocked when he got to the ground floor entrance. There, moving about and questioning everyone he came into contact with, was a massive Native American built like a brick shithouse. Leo recognized him in an instant and raised his arm, using his hands to motion for the dark haired man to come towards him. Almost immediately, he felt quite small. The Spartan was built... Well, he was built like a Spartan. He fit his black silk shirt well and had more than enough muscle to spare. He looked like he belonged standing on a pedestal coated in clay, stark naked for eternity. However, this tan man before him stood at least a head and a half taller than him. He had to crane his neck a tad just to look into his eyes, serious eyes that were filled with curiosity and anxiety.








Strange.

It was all just so strange to him.

Cheveyo had been warned a time or two before that many vampires were not very friendly with humans. That many vampires saw themselves as superior and humans only as food. He hoped that Blood Bath wouldn't be so bad, his hopes having skyrocketed when he passed a seemingly happy couple earlier before he went inside. However, as he lumbered about asking for Leotychides, the man who had contacted him and paid for his trip here, he got only curses and dirty looks. That was probably because he had stepped on more than a few toes -- literally. There were a few of the beings with fangs that looked at him with a hunger. That, he was used to. He thought he'd be dragged off soon as a woman tugged on his arm, beckoning him in a sultry tone to come with her.

Thankfully, she backed off when a larger male beckoned for him to follow. He issued a sigh of relief and quickly made his way to the blond male. With a goofy smile on his face he waited for the man to size him up with calculating red eyes, his own unable to express the smile that he gave. Their stare down took a fee minutes before they headed quickly towards a place unknown to him. He didn't struggle to keep up at first, his long legs taking large strides. He had to slow down eventually to keep from stepping on the backs of his guide's shoes as well as to avoid bumping into anyone. He raised his arms in a look of surrender, drawing more attention than necessary to himself. He was simply doing what he could to avoid bumping into anyone. Many of the vampires and human were very tiny compared to him and he didn't want to hurt anyone. Or piss them off.

He was able to put his arms down as they moved to what seemed to be a more private area consisting of hallways and doors -- many, many doors. He was lead into a room that was rather Samhain chic. He gave a nod of approval and closed the door behind him before taking a seat on a nearby white stool as he was beckoned to. “You said Lyndi was here but I didn't see her. Is she okay?” His voice was deeper than Leo's, filled with worry as his smile faltered. He watched as Leo's own smile faltered and the two shared a serious moment. A nod from the man across from him elicited a sigh, suddenly feeling as though the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.

He smiled a little more before nodding. He had the joy of traveling with Lyndi for six years before she simply up and left. It wasn't exactly spontaneous. Cheveyo's little sister, Chosovi, had also joined him with Lyndi on their travels. However, two years ago she was killed when an enemy caught up to their vampire companion. Cheveyo would have been next had Lyndi not saved him and literally ripped apart the vampire right in front of his eyes. Their relationship was strained from her end from that point on as guilt and anxiety overwhelmed her. He had tried reassuring her but it didn't always work. Not too long after he woke up and found the house abandoned. The deed was put in his name and he was given a bank account with more than enough money to sustain him for years to come. She had left a note that he carried around every day since, stating that she cared for him too much to keep his life in danger by being around him.

He hadn't tried searching for her despite how badly he wanted to. Nobody ever knew where to find her and those who knew her either loved her or hated her and very, very few of them didn't hate humans. For his own safety and out of respect for her wishes he didn't seek her out. However, Cheveyo had gotten a call from Leo a few days ago saying that Lyndi needed him. He now sat, listening as Leo explained just what it was that was needed.

“Lyndi needs to be in a Coven. I don't doubt her strength or ability to take care of herself but clean blood is becoming harder to come by and humans are starting to poke their noses in where it doesn't belong... Besides, she needs to be around other vampires. She needs to learn to trust people. The world is getting more difficult for our kind to flourish as we once did.”

The human listened carefully, nodding as he spoke. He wasn't the brightest star in the sky but he certainly understood what Leo was saying. What he didn't know was why the man cared so much or how he knew Lyndi. “That, uh, might be true. But SoS doesn't really... She doesn't like being told what to do or what she needs to do... And you never told me who you are, anyways...” He canted his head to the side some, offering an apologetic gaze in case he might have offended the vampire before him. Leo seemed to understand and gave a comforting smile, placing a hand against his shoulder. He had a powerful grip. “Trust me, I know. I'm her Maker -- ” Leo paused to give a chuckle at Chev's mystified mien before continuing. “I just want what's best for her. For her to be safe. I think you know, from personal experience, that she's made some enemies. What would happen if they all decided to work together? Vampires can be quite vindictive... And she's killed some important and influential people.”

Cheveyo smiled gently and gave an understanding nod before giving a blank look. “But... Why do I need to be here?... I can't protect her against anyone...” There was a tinge of despondency in his tone as he looked down some. Leo looked upon him with some pity, giving his shoulder a squeeze. “Because you might be the only thing to keep her here. I promise that you'll be well cared for here. I know the arrangement you had with Lyndi and that arrangement may remain. Just... Think about it.” Cheveyo only nodded mutely as Leo rose and exited the room.








Leo left with a weight somewhat lifted off of his chest. He knew that his Progeny would eventually forgive him in the centuries to come and they would be friends once more. He hoped. But he would stop at nothing to make sure she was safe. For now he had to handle some business. He had noticed earlier a young woman, human, wandering about with a somewhat lost expression. She was one of the few humans who happened upon the den of death with no knowledge of the place they had entered. Without knowing what they'd gotten themselves into. He had to make sure that she didn't see something and attempt to leave. Hell, he wasn't going to let her leave at all. The Spartan put on his most winsome smile as he flitted down the levels and through the rooms until the blond was in his sights.

His red eyes gleamed in the strobe lights of the room dedicated to the 2000s, target locked. Dripping with charm, he worked his wah through the crowd until he was able to grab her elbow, gently tugging her away from the throng and to the bar with a light laugh. He lifted his voice with a feigned gaze of curiosity, releasing her. “Leo -- I work security here and I haven't seen you around here before. What brings you?” As he introduced himself, he looked down at the woman who was quite petite compared to him, taking a moment to admire her. She was very beautiful and her blood smelled... Oh, it was simply to die for. It nearly made him drool though he managed to keep his cool, leaning against the bar in a more relaxed position.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Leandra Annibelle Gates Character Portrait: Leotychides Character Portrait: Jayne Adler Character Portrait: Harrison Theodore Todd
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Leandra could feel the music beginning to seep inside of her skin and into her brain. She was getting carried away in the beat and sound, and the fact that she seemed to have lost her bearings in the room wasn't helping her case any. It wasn't just the music that felt like it was carrying her away - it was the crowd as well. She tried to push her way though a group of people, effectively getting glares and some weird looks in the process. She attempted a half-hearted apology that they probably couldn't hear over the music anyway, and kept trying to find her way back to one of the outside walls of the room.

It was in that moment that she felt a strong hand take hold of her elbow, pulling her gently out of the group of people she couldn't seem to find her way out of. Her head whipped in the direction of her apparent savior, hoping it wasn't some total creep that would proceed to hit on her endlessly once he'd saved her from getting even more lost in the rather large group of people. Instead, she was met with the face of one rather handsome man, clad entirely in black. He didn't seem much older than her; a light dusting of 5 o'clock shadow accented his face, and his hair was swept clean to the side. It was apparent that he was strong - Leandra could feel it in his grip, though he held her arm carefully.

A few moments later the male had pulled her up to the bar. She was sure the confusion was written clearly on her face, though a moment of realization hit her when he spoke for the first time.

"Leo -- I work security here and I haven't seen you around her before." His introduction seemed nice enough, albeit curious. Even so, Leandra could feel her heart beat skip one beat, before increasing its speed slightly. Had she really seemed that out of place? She supposed she really did look lost, or maybe he had seen her sneak in. That feeling of worry sat lightly in her stomach, before his thought was finished.

"What brings you?"

A sheepish smile found its way to her face, a bit of color in her cheeks at the realization that this guy was in fact security, and she would in fact have to admit to him that she'd more or less snuck into the building.

"Uh, well, my name is Leandra," she began, feeling the nerves kick in a bit. One of her hands found its way to the end of her hair, which she played with a bit while she spoke. "I was looking for a different club, and I sort of got lost on the way there. I wasn't planning on coming here - I didn't even know there was a club here. But I figured I could get some help, and..." She trailed off, looking between Leo and a couple other people sitting at the bar.

After a moments pause, she let out a sigh, letting go of her hair in the process. "Look, honestly, I didn't mean to sneak in, and if there's a cover charge and I need to pay, I won't mind." She offered him a smile, opening up her clutch to take out her resume sheet. "I was actually looking for management, but this place is so big that I sort of got lost." She felt the blood back in her cheeks again at this admission, though it was for reasons other than nerves. In all honesty, she was feeling better as she spoke with Leo.

She extended her resume to him as she spoke. "Actually, maybe you can help me? I was hoping to give this to the owner... I'm new to the area, and my previous employment sort of... fell through." She knew she was rambling, but at this point she couldn't help herself. "Do you know if your employer is hiring? I can dance and sing, and play piano. I'm willing and able to learn." She paused, gauging his expression. "I'm a recent graduate of Juilliard," she finished. "It's all in there." Her gesture was towards the resume sheet she held extended towards the male in her hand.

She only hoped that this wasn't all for naught.



~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~




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Theo had recently made his way to the bar, after a conversation with his 'employer'. The vampire he was travelling with was meeting with some old friends she hadn't seen in years, apparently having run into them here of all places. She told him to get himself something to drink, though he wasn't sure exactly what he'd be drinking at the bars that they had here. He didn't drink blood, for obvious reasons, and he didn't drink alcohol.

He hoped the bar tender working that night wouldn't get pissed at him if he just kept ordering waters.

Approaching the bar, he had taken a spot off to the side and out of the way of anyone just stopping over to grab something and go. When he realized who was working the bar, he relaxed a little. He had been served by Jayne on numerous occasions as of late, as well as another young male who didn't appear to be working that evening. Jayne hadn't seemed to have minded when he would order waters on those previous occasions; she had just seemed glad that he was quiet, simple to please, and kept to himself.

When he felt that Jayne was in earshot of him, he called out his order - his voice wasn't very strong, so he hoped she had heard him. "Just a water, please."

He thought that maybe one day, when he was feeling adventurous, he might order something sweeter, though non-alcoholic to be certain.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Leandra Annibelle Gates Character Portrait: Leotychides
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Leotychides peered down at Leandra, highly aware of the color of red tinting her cheeks. It made him smile some, canting his head to the side as she explained her plight. How lucky for him that she happened across Blood Bath. He examined her a bit more closely, tapping his fingers against the bar as he pursed his lips. He listened to her explanation, nodding his head gently. Of course she'd be looking for Caius. However, her situation was right up his alley. He took her hand again gently, hardly bothering to glance at her resume. Instead, he focused on getting her out of the crowd. He had a job to do and things didn't always go as planned. He took her to one of the private rooms where any scene she made wouldn't be public. He saw Caius and Aphrodite as he passed by, offering a light nod of the head.

Closing the door behind him, he didn't bother locking it. If she tried to run he could catch her before she had even turned towards the door. It also didn't help to soothe potential blood slaves, taking the unwitting into a room and locking them in there. He held a casual, debonair air about him as he strode over to the red couch within, helping her to a seat. He made sure to curb his strength so that he wasn't gripping her too hard or dragging her. He took a seat across from her, resting on the coffee table right there. Finally, he glanced over her resume and saw that she had very impressive references. It wasn't every day that they had a Julliard graduate waltz on in. He could tell that he'd have her working mostly on the upper floors... Maybe. Looking up from the paper, he thought that he might just keep her for himself. Still, she needed to be put to a test.


He put on an expression of thoughtfulness, pursing his lips before giving a nod. “I must say that this is rather impressive, Leandra. Truly, this exceeds expectations for most applicants. Your dance abilities are really something. Most of the young women we have lining up to be dancers can't even pole dance correctly.” He issued a chuckle before folding up her resume neatly, placing it into one of his front pockets. “We've got enough wannabe strippers though - Not enough class. You see, we're not exactly an average club. We would love to have you dance here for us and we won't force you to shed your clothes and dance on poles and in cages.” He took her hands gently into his own large and battle-calloused hands. “The club is divided into three floors with many different rooms on each. Each room pays homage in music, dance, décor, and fashion to the corresponding era. You'll find that the upper members of staff have a particular love for the years past. You would probably be assigned the second and third floors, depending where we need dancers. Tell me – Could you give us a taste of your abilities tonight?” He motioned to a door behind the couch. It lead to stairs that took them backstage for the various rooms.

He wanted to see her move.

He also wanted to see her reaction to a feeding. There were always public feedings, some more salacious than most. He could show her by simply sating his hunger using her right now and seeing then how she would react. He could simply just tell her. However, telling never did have that same shock value as showing did. If she ran, he'd have to chase her down and wipe her memory. If she stayed, then Leo would go ahead and have a talk with her. He was hoping the scenario played out in his favor because Zeus knows that the Spartan loved a dancer. The charming smile that he gave the young ravisher before him hid the possessive, greedy thoughts that floated about in his mind. Oh, yes. He would have her by one way or another. But, unlike many other vampires, he didn't believe in taking “slaves”. That implied that they were unwilling. He preferred the term “blood companion”. It was bad for his ego and dignity to have to force someone to be at his side and do as he asked.

No. He would have her willingly.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Caius Dubois Character Portrait: Leotychides Character Portrait: Aphrodite Black Character Portrait: Satt Óg Samlyndi Character Portrait: Annelise Nielsen
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Annelise sat uncomfortably through the second intrusion, her hopes of spending some quality time with her Master quickly disappearing as he gave her orders. She gave a curt nod and smiled gently at him before he exited, murmuring a polite “Yes Master.” as he glanced towards her. She sighed softly, chewing her lip nervously as she put more pressure on the wound, praying she wouldn’t be detected although she knew that chances of her getting away without suspicion or being caught were mostly nonexistent.

She sat for three minutes more as she waited for the bleeding to fully subside, wiping away any excess dried blood. Her mind searched blindly as she wondered where she would possibly find this new vampire in the massive club. She could be anywhere and it could take at least an hour to find her, probably more. Annelise cursed herself as she moved to stand and instantly fell backwards onto the chaise as her head spun. She knew she was lightheaded before she came to Caius, why didn’t she just tell him first? Slowly, she made her way to the door on her wobbly legs, gripping the door frame for balance as she held her throbbing head as her vision faded in and out.

Where to start? Most would be crowding in the modern areas, but Annelise didn’t know this woman. She knew she was older, but that didn’t say anything about her personality. Many ancient vampires liked to hang around their own eras, but she had still seen plenty who were happy to stay with the present. Better to go with the norm though, she thought. So she started up, trying to keep her balance as she made her way up and up and up, moving groggily through the years. Though she had been with the coven for three years Annelise still found it confusing trying to find her way around the club. Having a brain that was slowly giving up on her didn’t help.

Finally she made her way closer the top and spotted Lyndi’s pale golden locks. She thanked the darkness of the room as she leaned against the wall and watched her, just close enough to hear what she said. Annelise finally relaxed, her eyes constantly threatening to droop shut as Leotychides approached Lyndi. Her eyes snapped open as the exchange ended within seconds with Lyndi disappearing and leaving Annelise struggling to find her and keep up agian. The brunette gave a weak groan and pushed herself off the wall, picking up the pace and quickly regretting it as she fell back on her ass the second she entered the hallway, her vision going black.

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Character Portrait: Leandra Annibelle Gates Character Portrait: Leotychides
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Leandra felt the nervous air that had been welling up inside her almost rush out with a sigh of relief as Leo took hold of her hand, leading her through the throngs of people and to where she assumed she might be able to talk about her sudden application to the club.

Leo eventually led the both of them to a room, away from the crowds of people. He ushered them both in, lightly closing the door behind himself. The difference that one door seemed to make in the sound around them was almost instantaneous - Leandra felt as if she had been pulled from drowning in the music that had been surrounding her earlier, and this reprieve felt well deserved.

The male made his way over to the red couch that sat on the far wall, her hand still in his. Following behind, she glanced about herself, noting that it seemed to resemble a few backstage dressing rooms she had been in. She took a seat on the plush piece of furniture, while he opted for what she felt was the less comfortable of the two options in the room. The nerves seemed to kick back in once he opened her resume again; this time, really taking a look within. She felt like she was in audition season all over again, waiting to hear her name announced for a callback. But this was more than a callback - this was a potential job, something to pay her bills and help her save for her own studio.

It was then that he spoke: “I must say that this is rather impressive, Leandra. Truly, this exceeds expectations for most applicants. Your dance abilities are really something. Most of the young women we have lining up to be dancers can't even pole dance correctly. We've got enough wannabe strippers though - Not enough class. You see, we're not exactly an average club. We would love to have you dance here for us and we won't force you to shed your clothes and dance on poles and in cages.”

Leandra let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding in quite so long. His words had ever so slowly brought a smile to her face, and had worked to dissipate the fluttering feeling in her stomach. He grasped her hands lightly, before speaking again, explaining the layout of the club. "The club is divided into three floors with many different rooms on each. Each room pays homage in music, dance, décor, and fashion to the corresponding era. You'll find that the upper members of staff have a particular love for the years past. You would probably be assigned the second and third floors, depending where we need dancers."

The blonde girl hadn't realized exactly the size of this club, and it seemed to just be dawning on her exactly how massive it was. How hadn't she heard of it before? She chalked it up to the fact that it was probably relatively exclusive; the idea that rooms were divided into themed eras left her feeling as if this place was more exclusive than she could imagine. Complex. Definitely something an outsider to the area wouldn't know, and probably something even the locals had never heard of, especially if they didn't know the right people.

"Tell me – Could you give us a taste of your abilities tonight?”

Leandra glanced towards the door he had pointed out to her, turning her head to look over her shoulder. She looked back at him after a few moments, and nodded. "Of course!" she began enthusiastically; it wasn't a real interview unless she could prove herself, was it? She hadn't thought about it before she'd dressed herself that evening, and glancing down at her outfit of choice - club wear, not necessarily optimal for ballet or anything else more substantial than grinding - she grimaced slightly.

But her eyes soon came to rest on the stash of clothing in the room she had noticed only briefly upon entrance to the room. Turning back to look at Leo, she finished her original thought. "If you don't mind, I'd like to change into something a bit more conducive to what I was hoping to preform." She excused herself from the seat she was in, giving a light tug on the bottom of her sequined dress for good measure, only solidifying the fact that dancing in this particular dress would reveal more than she had been planning on showing a prospective audience.

She leafed through the racks a bit, before finding a white lace and crinoline gown - it was cut to just below the knee, and had three quarter sleeves. The accents and appliques on the dress were black and gray, and Leandra felt it suited her planned variation. She slipped behind one of the folding screens in the room, and quickly changed into her new outfit, tying her hair up quickly in a bun and pinning it just enough that it wouldn't fall out - she was always someone to keep a spare few hair elastics and bobby pins in her clutch.

She wasn't so sure about the shoes, though. A nearby bin held a multitude of various style dance shoes. A couple boxes of pointe shoes were among them, though the styles and sizes weren't a perfect fit. Leandra was able to find a pair of Bloch shoes that were only too small by 1/4 size, and she figured for an audition it would have to do. Someone had apparently already sewn the ribbons and elastic into the shoes, and she hoped they would be placed close enough for her own feet.

Emerging from behind the folding screen, she made her way back to the couch, bending the shank of the shoe between her hands in the process to break them in a little quicker. She sat back on the couch, and began the short process of putting the gel toe pads and shoes on, as she spoke up. "So, I was thinking of a variation from Giselle? I have the song in my phone if you have an audio system you can hook it up to?" She glanced up at Leo, and offered him a smile, before tying off the ribbon around her ankle and tucking it in. "I hope you don't mind that I chose classical Ballet. If you know some here that would enjoy it, I'm glad to do it. I can also dance a lot of other forms," she laughed at her comment. "But I prefer the classics."

Standing up, she rolled through the box of her shoe a couple times on both feet, before offering Leo a determined smile. "I'm ready whenever you are."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Leandra Annibelle Gates Character Portrait: Caius Dubois Character Portrait: Leotychides Character Portrait: Aphrodite Black Character Portrait: Satt Óg Samlyndi Character Portrait: Annelise Nielsen
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The bartender came to him shortly after Caius gestured toward the blood slave. He had no need to request a drink, for the female vampire working the bar already knew what he would ask for. Most, if not all, of the bartenders were familiar with his preference for wines. After all, it was he who had decided that each bar ought to be equipped with an assortment of the drink. Unlike the majority of his fellow vampires, Caius declined the addition of blood to his drink, for the only reason he drank was to savor the taste. He spoke to the saying that old habits die hard.

As he sipped the dark, burgundy drink from its glass, he watched Aphrodite. It was obvious, however, that he was not paying as much attention as he ought to have, for his fangs descended as he relaxed to the pulse of the music. He looked away from her as Leo walked by and nodded. A strange female walked beside him, and he wondered only briefly who she might be. He trusted Leo, however, and knew that the older vampire had good intentions. His eyes flew back toward Aphrodite to see that she had pinned the woman to a wall. The blood slave gave a slight cry, and Caius merely lifted his glass to his lips. A few within the room turned to watch her, for even those of Caius's age could not help being fascinated by the primal instincts of a fledgling.

The scent of blood hit him, and even if he had wanted to, he probably could not have been able to retract his fangs. Though he was able to keep himself from starving by feeding from Annelise, he was incapable of filling himself, for she would certainly die. Calmly, he sipped the wine before placing the stemware on the bar. The blood slave made a sound similar to a whimper, and her eye turned pleadingly toward Caius as he approached.

In a fluid motion, he gripped her around the waist and pinched at two pressure points on either side of her jaw, effectively causing her to open it. His age gave him far more strength than her, so he easily lifted her and moved back toward the bar. The blood slave, meanwhile, slowly retreated from the room. "Are you sated now?" he asked, setting her on the bar stool he had previously occupied. His eyes lingered on the faint ring of blood around her lips. "Well, I should hope so." Caius took a seat beside her, and he reached across for his wine. "Now, I have an exigent obligation to attend to, cara." He sipped from the glass again before asking the vampire behind the counter to fill it once again. "If you were to wait in an adjoining room, however, I shall be with you shortly after." Caius picked his wine up once more and smiled down at her, fangs poking out again. "I do hope you will be able to control your impulses for now."





Having been unsure of her origins, Caius knew not which room she was in. However, he had narrowed it down to the top floor before he had even begun his hunt for the woman. Eventually, he found her within a room designed much like an old, Germanic tavern. Though he had never spent much time in them when he was younger, Caius knew that a room like this was in demand. The large number of vampires within the room only confirmed his belief.

She sat in a corner, her near-white locks giving her away. Wine still in hand, he made his way toward her and then stopped. "I have rid of my...what did you call them? Ah yes, groupies." A corner of his mouth quirked upward in a sudden motion, exposing a fang, and then both as he pulled his lips back slightly. Caius grabbed a nearby chair and twisted it around with one hand so that he could straddle it and face Lyndi. "Do tell me about yourself, stella. Have you given any thought to my offer?" He sipped from the glass after he spoke, placing his free hand on his knee.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Leandra Annibelle Gates Character Portrait: Caius Dubois Character Portrait: Leotychides Character Portrait: Artemus Marinos Character Portrait: Satt Óg Samlyndi Character Portrait: Annelise Nielsen
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#, as written by Vix


She was being followed.

As Lyndi traversed through the rooms. One smell stayed constant, wafting about her from a distance. It was Caius' cowering little creature, tailing her from afar. One thing that those in the Coven would soon learn about her: She didn't like being followed. The viking sighed heavily as she walked mindlessly, clearly leading the girl around. She didn't bother trying to lose her in the crowds, though she seemed to have done so anyways. For no particular reason, the vampire followed the scent and made her way towards the source. She kept herself hidden, pressed against the wall as she blended with the shadows. She couldn't blame Caius for not trusting her. She wasn't an easy person to trust. Perhaps seeing and leaving his blacked out little human in a hallway would further his distrust. But, the little whelp wasn't her responsibility to care for. She stared at her for a moment and a half before retreating back to the room where she first saw Leo. He wasn't there, of course.

Shaking her head at herself, she moved to a dark corner of the room and sat down in silence with her head down, meditating. A voice familiar rung in her ears but she didn't move until Caius sat. Her head moved upward slowly until her piercing, icy blue eyes were gazing deep into his red ones. She hated talking about herself. But it wasn't as though Caius couldn't find out from Leo. That was assuming that Caius knew Leotychides was her Maker. She crinkled her nose in slight annoyance before rolling her eyes, placing her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand. Splaying her fingers across her cheek, she gave a nod. “My name is Satt Óg Samlyndi. I'd tell you my hometown but I don't have one. I was a Shield Maiden in my human life. I was a mercenary and an assassin. As I'm sure you're aware, I've carried my occupation on over into my undead life as well.”

She paused a moment to wave over a waitress carrying a platter of wine and blood. She grabbed one of the smooth, wooden mugs that smelled heavily of O-negative blood and honey mead. A sip of it hit the spot and she closed her eyes, her chest growing warm as the thickish liquid poured down her throat. Setting down the large mug, she looked around. She was reminded of the Renaissance days. She couldn't help but to smile just a tad, exposing both of her fangs. “I was young when my Maker turned me. Not yet in my twentieth year. I was in a Coven of three others; A Spartan Prince, my Maker, and two brothers. One a former Roman architect and the other a former procurator. I was turned after my seven human brothers turned on me and attempted to murder me. They were my first meal.” She held a somewhat dangerous smirk on her face now, as if proud of killing her brothers. It was obvious that she held no regret for the act even after so many centuries. It was even more obvious that she did not take betrayal lightly.

“I was with my three men for many centuries. We were great friends, them and I. However, our time was cut short. Yet another betrayal by the one I trusted most. My Maker chose a piece of ass over me. And the others. He met some woman – Perhaps you'd heard of her; She had a reputation. She was the original Jezebel. Went about seducing men and getting them to kill prostitutes for her. Leo was pining so bad for some pussy that he slaughtered nearly every prostitute in London to get up her skirt. I told him to stop it. That wasn't who he was. We fought. He put hands on me. I left. The Domitianus brothers had left before me but I found out that they later went back after Leo to try and reason with him. They underestimated Jezebel's age and power. All three were killed. Or... I assumed that.”

Her expression was sharper now, eyes narrowed dangerously as she leaned over the table. “But it seems like my Maker is under your employment. Otherwise, there's no way you would have found me.” If anyone could track her with relative ease, it would be Leo. Her gaze softened as she leaned back some. “He betrayed me. He hurt me. He let me believe for nearly an entire century and a half that he had been dead. Our former Doyen and Regent are dead because of him. He's known where I was. Knowing him, he's been stalking me. I hope you realize that I have every reason in the fucking world to turn you down and laugh in your face.” Her well arched brows perked slightly as she gave a soft chuckle, nonchalant in tone. She truly did have every reason to say no. She knew that her Maker was certainly in a position of power here. It'd be an insult to him if he wasn't. The idea of working for him was both comforting and repulsing.

“But... I will admit that this is a unique opportunity. Your Coven is quite revered, as is yourself. Though your Regent is so highly spoken of as yourself.” She gave a small giggle at this. Caius' progeny didn't much carry a good reputation around with him. She knew already from what she had heard and seen herself that she didn't like him. She'd make no promises of respecting him. Nor would she make any such promise that she wasn't going to, at some point, kick his sniveling little ass. He deserved it and he hadn't even spoken to her yet. “You've certainly got a nice collection of vampires here. Your humans, however, leave something to be desired. I understand a desire to attract customers of many kinds, but don't you think that it's safe to leave the trash outside, where it belongs?” She adopted a more casual stance and tone now, leaning back in her chair and sipping on her drink as she prepared to lay out her terms.

“Whatever you've got prepared for me, I must reiterate that I will not take orders from babies. Considering that your Regent is still a child himself in nearly every sense of the word, I fear what sort of irresponsible fucks you've placed as your Prelates.” She gave a shudder that was half mocking and half serious. “By babies, I do mean anyone who's younger than a thousand and five hundred years in age. Nor will I take orders from your Regent. If I don't like your Prelates, I won't take orders from them. I would instead take orders directly from you. I cannot and will not guarantee that I won't hit people. Hard. I do not tolerate disrespect, especially from humans and fledglings. Any disrespect will be met swiftly with punishment. ... And. The next time you want to know something about me, just ask. Don't send your human puppies to follow me.”





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The Prince watched as Leandra moved towards the clothes, turning his head eventually even though she was hidden behind a partition. He could hear her heart pounding from the nerves, bringing the slightest of smirks to his face. However, her reappearance in the beautiful dress had his expression fall into one of awe. His mouth was left agape and his eyes vitreous as memories of older, better times flooded into his mind. For a few moments, in his eyes, Leandra had transformed into Lyndi and he could not help the wide smile from spreading across his face. His fangs were near to sliding out until her voice broke through his oneirism and brought him back to reality,

“Hmm? Oh, Giselle, eh? That's quite a classic.” A classic it was. Again, he couldn't help but to adopt an expression of reverie. The Moirai were toying with him, those witches. Bringing to him this woman that was almost a doppelganger of his Lyndi; They shared platinum locks and angelic visage, they lived to perform, and they were both met by him as young and wonder-eyed women who had yet to see the true colors of the world. Giselle, he remembered fondly. It was among Lyndi's favorite ballets. She had choreographed the original, his talented little vixen. Carlotta Grisi had been intended for the role but Lyndi wasn't going to have that. After all the work she had put into the original production, staying up even into the hours of daylight to guide the amateurs involved to help create her first masterpiece.

Lyndi broke Carlotta's legs to keep her from performing and need only to glare at the understudy. It was the last time he and his progeny had truly gotten along. Jezebel walked into his life a mere forty and some-odd years later. He hadn't noticed the darkening of his expression at first but eventually felt that his brow had begun to furrow. The charismatic liaison gave a nod of approval as he stood. “No worries – We have an entire room, much larger than all the others, dedicated to ballets. I'm sure that our maestro can play whatever your heart desires. Simply let him know what piece.” He moved towards the door at the back, passing through and maneuvering his way through the narrow passages. There were many doors on either side and eventually a staircase. The doors all had either the letters “A”, “B”, “C”, or “D” on them, marking them as either dressing rooms, feeding rooms, backstage, or entries to the main rooms.

After traversing up a set of stairs to the second floor and another set to the third floor, he lead his ward to a door marked with “D – Atticus”, indicating that it lead to the backstage area for the designated Elegant Room. The Elegant Room was the strictest room of all, almost a club within the club. It had its own dress code and emulated a concert hall. The folks that attended the performances there were of the sophisticated type and could be quite harsh critics. Most of them, like Lyndi and so many other vampires, were responsible for quite a few of the performances given and music played. Some thought it quite vain for the masters to want to witness their work over and over again. Leo could understand it. It was their intangible progeny, their art. He had confidence that Leandra would bring justice to her performance and please the crowd.

However, he soon had to depart. As soon as they were backstage he informed her that she would have to wait for the current dancer to finish her solo before going on. “Give it five minutes before going on. Give the crowd time to warm down from Swan Lake, catch your breath, and let the maestro know what you'll be performing. If you're as good as I hope then you just might make it into next month's productions; We do a new one every three nights. I'll be watching from the crowd.” He placed a kiss on her forehead for luck before disappearing after indicating to her where she should enter from. However, he had other plans that involved more than simply watching. As he made his way towards the patrons he noticed that most of the ones that could be viewed from the stage had already finished feeding and were simply enjoying the performance now. He offered a nod before pulling out his cell phone and texted the other Prelate, his friend and fellow Greecian, Artemus. **D-Atticus. Front row. And bring a snack with you.**





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Character Portrait: Leandra Annibelle Gates Character Portrait: Leotychides Character Portrait: Artemus Marinos
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Artemus reached one of his favorite rooms on the entire club. It was themed to remind its visitors of ancient Greece, adorned with intricate friezes in the walls along with sculptures and majestic columns. He took in a deep breath and sighed. He felt that if he were to relax anywhere besides his place, it would be here, where he felt most like himself. Deciding to take a short break, Artemus sat on the floor and leaned his head back. Slowly, his fangs elongated as he relaxed and closed his eyes. Small memories began to float through his mind, but he removed himself from this frame of mind before he got swept away by the ghosts of his past.

Once again opening his eyes, Artemus scanned the room. He took notice of many familiar faces giving them small nods of acknowledgement as they smiled and greeted him. None suck around for conversation though; most of these vamps knew enough about Artemus to know that he wasn’t a man for conversation.

Before long a human woman came and sat in front of him, gazing at his face. She was a blood slave that had often been his meal for the day, and she’d grown to know him. The human, Naomi, was a tall, dark haired woman that looked as if she’d belonged in Greece in a previous life. This was the main reason Artemus chose her when he needed to feed, and besides, her blood was incredibly delicious. Artemus’s eyes reddened as he thought about biting and finally feeding.

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Noticing his eyes, Naomi moved to his side and ran her, somewhat long, fingernails over his stubble, beckoning him. Artemus stared at her neck, watching her veins jump rhythmically with the beat of her heart. He could smell her blood, feel it going down his throat. Gripping the back of her neck, he pulled her closer to him. Artemus inhaled deeply, taking in her scent. As he exhaled, his fangs brushed over her skin, causing her to shiver. He opened his mouth and prepared to sink his fangs in her when his phone suddenly vibrated.

He sighed as he retracted his fangs. The unexpected interruption forced him to give it his attention,so he let go of Naomi and pulled the phone out his back pocket. The screen illuminated with a “New Message” notification. I hope this is important. Artemus opened the message. Leotychides, a fellow prelate, Greccian, and one of the few people Artemus considered a friend, had sent him a text message. **D-Atticus. Front row. And bring a snack with you.** Artemus smiled slightly. This room was another room Artemus enjoyed. Though he was no performer, he did enjoy a good show. He stood up, offering a hand to the slightly confused Naomi. As he pulled her up he quickly responded to the text, On my way. He looked to Naomi, who still looked at him with questioning eyes. “Accompany me to a show?” Naomi nodded, though Artemus had already begun leading her to the room.

Upon arriving, Artemus found many vamps and blood slaves awaiting the show, admiring the room. The room was, essentially an elegant theatre for dance performances, namely ballet. Gliding past the crowd, Artemus reached the front row. He gestured to a seat for Naomi and sat in the one beside it. He crossed his legs, and offered Naomi his arm. She gently took it, leaning slightly on him while she watched the others in the room. Artemus however watched the stage awaiting what was sure to be a great performance.

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Leandra smiled at Leo's words. "Hmm? Oh, Giselle, eh? That's quite a classic." She knew that her choice was considered classical - a vast majority of the ballets she had danced were. Giselle was the story of a young girl named Giselle who falls in love with a man who is already betrothed to someone else. He finds himself in a point where he realizes he only has a short while to basically have any fun with other women, and meets Giselle. She falls so in love with him. At the end of Act 1, it is revelaed that he is to be married to someone else, and the poor girl dies of a broken heart. Regardless of the morbidity, it was a fun ballet to dance in. A large amount of the ballets she had danced were morbid, but this - in her mind, at least - was the one that was less morbid than most.

Leandra watched as Leo's expression became dark, only briefly. But before she really had a chance to register it in her head, he was standing, speaking as he did so. "No worries – We have an entire room, much larger than all the others, dedicated to ballets. I'm sure that our maestro can play whatever your heart desires. Simply let him know what piece." Leandra followed him through the door behind the couch, as they wound their way through back halls and up various staircases. Her mind was wandering as they made their way to their final destination.

'I wonder if just one variation from Act 1 will do...' she thought. She was a bit nervous that maybe it wouldn't be enough, but she figured she could do more if the need arose. There were plenty of parts available that were not normally danced as variations.

Eventually, they came to a door that lead through to a mid-sized backstage area of a much larger and grand stage. Leandra was immediately met by the sounds of Swan Lake, and her nerves evaporated almost entirely. She immediately felt back in her element, backstage at a show, waiting to go on. She was dying to get a feel for this crowd. But just as quickly as they had arrived backstage, Leo was announcing his departure.

"Give it five minutes before going on. Give the crowd time to warm down from Swan Lake, catch your breath, and let the maestro know what you'll be performing. If you're as good as I hope then you just might make it into next month's productions; We do a new one every three nights. I'll be watching from the crowd."

He kissed her forehead lightly, before disappearing out a side door. Leandra had little time to react to the gesture, but smiled at his words. He seemed to believe in her, and she figured that was half of the battle. The young woman made her way to the stage right legs, where Leo had previously indicated she should enter from. Her fingers absentmindedly made their way to her labaret piercing, twisting the small silver ball around one time. She rolled her shoulders back, and took in some air.

The sound of the roar of applause from the audience broke her from her slight daze. The ballerina on stage had just finished her solo, and was taking her curtsy. The young woman fluttered off the stage, and Leandra offered her a word of congratulations. The other girl only silently smiled, before disappearing to a changing room backstage.

Leandra's attention was turned back toward the stage. She could see some of the front row from where she stood. Her stage director at Juilliard had always told her that if she could see anyone in the audience, than they could see her. She couldn't bring herself to care too much at that moment, though. Her eyes were searching for one person in particular, and when she found him, she smiled. Leo was sitting in the front row, and was soon joined by a man and a woman who appeared to be together.

A tap on her shoulder startled her slightly, and she turned to see who had touched her. The male behind her offered her an apologetic look, before speaking. "Which variation will you be performing?" She answered him, and then hummed the beginning part of the tune for reference.

He spoke into the headset that he wore, asking "Did you get that?" He paused only a moment before offering her a thumbs up. "What name should they introduce you by?"

"Leandra Gates."

And with that, the male disappeared back off to the main wings where he had come from. Leandra turned back to the stage as a baritone voice rang out over the speakers. The murmur from the audience died down as he spoke.

"A special performance, aside from our regularly scheduled repertoire. Leandra Gates, performing a variation from Act 1 of Giselle." The audience was quiet, house lights having been dimmed. They were waiting, and she could feel the electricity that seemed to sit heavy in the air.

Breath in. Breath out. The stage lights came up, and the violins began to play.

Almost as if on their own, her feet began to move. She entered the stage, a rush of adrenaline behind her ever move. She aimed for the center of the stage for her opening curtsy, as the violins began to taper slightly, indicating their approach to the next section. She planted her first arabesque, full of strength masked in grace, before making her way to upstage left.

Her feet had a mind of their own, going through the motions of the dance as if by some outside force. In reality, it was the many times she had performed all making their way out through her. A majority of the dances she had been in were second nature to her. This was no different.

Confidence bled from the young woman, her smile bright and playful. Her expression seemed to hide a bit of mischievous intention, something to almost tease the audience with. Her movement was strong - the suggestion of power lay in every move she made. But the traditional grace of ballet - a watery, airy, light movement - was at the forefront. Always.

'Arabesque. Penché.' She sang the steps out in her head to the tune of the song. 'Piqué. Piroutté in attitude.' The dance progressed, and she made her way back to upstage left, taking hold of the sides of her skirt as the music began to change slightly. She began her balloné en pointe as the tune hopped along with her. She gestured with her hands, indicating the obvious ease to her movement - and yet the movement was anything but easy, something any seasoned ballet audience member would know. The mischievous glint in her eye was back again, hidden behind the smile she so outwardly offered the audience. If she were to lead them on, she was going to do it well. She wanted them around her finger. She needed them to love this.

And just as the movement came to an end, she was already prepping for the finale to this variation. She prepped herself for a moment, and began her turn sequence, around the stage in a circle of whirling skirts - one, two, three, four, five, six, up through twelve - before ending right where she started, linking everything together with a few quick chaînés, before her final deep curtsy.

She stood gracefully a moment or two after her final movement, her skirts finally settling themselves. The audience was applauding, and she offered them an arm movement, a gesture of gratitude, before exiting.

She stood a moment backstage, her back to the place she had just come from, a huge smile on her face. The audience was still clapping, and she turned back to the stage, letting out air she didn't realize she had been holding in, before gliding back on stage for her rèvèrence. She offered a deep curtsy to the maestro, who nodded his head back to her in acceptance. And then she turned to the audience, gesturing to all of them, before offering a long, deep curtsy.

Leandra's eyes turned up to them as she began her curtsy, searching the audience for facial expressions, something she had always liked to cherish after a performance. She found the seat Leo had been seated in, and she glanced between him and his companions quickly. Her eyes met with Leo's, searching almost as if for approval. She wanted to see how he had reacted. She needed to know. Her rèvèrence finished, and she turned to exit the stage, stopping just before the threshold, turning to look back at Leo and his companions.

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Character Portrait: Leandra Annibelle Gates Character Portrait: Leotychides Character Portrait: Artemus Marinos
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Artemus closed his eyes concentrating on setting his hunger aside. He could feel his fangs attempt to elongate, but he quickly held them in place as a voice came over the speakers.

"A special performance, aside from our regularly scheduled repertoire. Leandra Gates, performing a variation from Act 1 of Giselle."

He smiled at the name of the familiar piece. Through the years, Artemus had seen Giselle performed many times and had enjoyed all of them. His eyelids slowly opened as the lighting changed and the light sounds of violins began to play. Leandra, as the announcer had introduced her, fluttered onto the stage. Immediately, he recognized her as the lost young lady he’d seen outside the club. So this is why she came?

Artemus shrugged off the thought; it didn’t matter. She danced gracefully across the stage, taking slow, light steps as she bent and twirled. Her dress seemed to make her look more and more like a beautiful flower, dancing in the wind during springtime. It fluttered along with her as she spun and spun. The show was amazing and he couldn’t take his eyes away. She mesmerized him along with everyone else in the room, seducing them with her graceful movements.

Finally she stopped and curtsied deeply. The entire room erupted in cheers and applause, rewarding her for the majestic spectacle she’d provided. Artemus smiled and cheered, but he slowly became aware of his hunger once again. As she appeared once again he continued clapping, but his eyes darted to her neck. Even from here he could feel her heartbeat. His thirst flared up fiercely, driving him to look away.

Naomi rubbed her hands along his back, which was now turned away from her. She read his actions and was offering him a meal again. Quickly he turned back, facing the stage to see the woman looking at Leo, the friend that initially invited him. When she looked away, Artemus directed his eyes back to Naomi, surprised to see that she’d moved her hair away from her neck again.

He eyed her smooth skin, feeling her heartbeat. His fangs quickly elongated, prepared for the meal to come. Grasping the side of her neck, Artemus pulled her close and sunk his fangs into her. She gasped as her blood rushed out, filling his mouth. He drank from her long and deep, feeling himself calm down and his thirst begin to recede. She placed her arms around his shoulders for support as a bit of wooziness crept upon her. Noting her actions, he placed a hand on the small of her back to keep her in place.

Once he was sated, he retracted his fangs and licked up the blood from the wound. Naomi gazed at him with glassy eyes and leaned on him, weak from the feeding. “Sorry.” Artemus really hated that he needed so much blood to just be sated enough not to be starving. It took a toll on the people he fed from, which is why he rarely fed from only one person. Between two people, it’d be much less of a burden, but Naomi could take it.

Artemus sat back and looked towards Leo, thinking back to the text. Bring a snack. What need was there for him to bring someone here with him? It was strange to say the least.

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Character Portrait: Leandra Annibelle Gates Character Portrait: Leotychides Character Portrait: Artemus Marinos
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Leandra felt her chest move as she deeply exhaled, all the pent up stress finally free, off to some other place to dissolve. She had paused at the threshold to the edge of the stage, the sound of the audience clapping slowly fading into the back of her mind. She had looked over her shoulder, her breath almost bated - for what, she didn't know.

And she felt in a moment as if her eyes had betrayed her. She had looked at Leo, searched his eyes for something. But instead her gaze was drawn instinctively away from his face toward where his companion sat. The male and the female.

Something wasn't right.

It was as if in that instant a hard kick hit her from the inside. Her breath sucked in rapidly, pupils dilated.

Something wasn't right.

The couples position together was uncomfortable, awkward. And yet there was this familiarity about it. But the girl seemed faint. Support was offered to her.

Something wasn't right.

The gesture of the couple together would have seemed obscene at first, if there wasn't something obviously off about it. But what was it? And then the question was answered before it could even have the chance to be voiced. The male pulled away. Blood. Teeth.

Something wasn't right.

And it was as if the answer were already there. Unspoken. Hanging about her like a fly to a lantern. Her movement took her off stage, but not before her eyes could betray her. Not before she gave one last look to Leo.

Her hand raised to her mouth as she half-stumbled into the backstage area, alone - another dancer was making her way across the stage to the other side of the backstage opposite of her via the backstage runner. Her dance would start, and Leandra would be unable to pay it any attention. Her mind was racing.

What exactly was going on? She couldn't seem to come to any sort of sane answer. There were little pieces that didn't seem to fit this situation? She felt like she knew the answer, but couldn't bring herself to admit to anything.

She couldn't say the word, or else it would mean that it was real. That she wasn't imagining things. That her mind, and every bit of reality she assumed existed, had been a lie this whole time. Her whole life... Everything. What else didn't she know?

She tried almost to deny the scene in her head, but it played back with more ferocity each time. A sound she had never heard herself make before seemed to bubble up from inside of the depths of her being. She bit down on one of her knuckles, to deny the sound exit and existence.

What was she going to do?

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Character Portrait: Leotychides
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Leotychides had found himself lost in the dance, his red eyes transfixed upon Leandra's figure as she absolutely nailed it. He turned his head to see that Artemus and his female of choice had joined them, giving a nod to acknowledge them both. He turned his attention back to Leandra, an almost dreamy gaze upon his visage. He clapped along with everyone else, perhaps louder than anyone else, putting two fingers to his mouth to let out a wolf whistle with a grin. Things were going quite smoothly and there was only one last thing he needed of her. Ah... There it was.

He watched a look of shock and almost horror cross her face when she finally spotted Artemus. He chuckled as she dashed off stage while the next dancer took her place. He moved to his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder, gripping it tightly and giving a affable grin. “Thank you, my friend.” Giving a light shake, he then headed to find Leandra, inhaling deeply to catch her lovely scent. It wasn't particularly hard to find her and he wasted no time in taking her by the hand and leading her back into their previous dressing room. “That was absolutely wonderful, Leandra. Really, one of the best dances I've seen in some time.” He gave her a gentle squeeze on her shoulder before motioning for her to sit back on the couch while he resumed his spot on the coffee table.

“Alright, so I know that you're probably – definitely – extremely confused. And that's totally understandable. So, I'll just go ahead and break things down for you.” He crossed one leg over the other and took a deep, superfluous breath. “First of all, my eyes are naturally red. They're not contacts. One's eyes becomes red after becoming a vampire.” Leo didn't plan on letting her get in a word edgewise. He was simply going to dump everything on her and let her just soak it up as he went on. “I'm not talking that Twilight sparkley bullshit. Think more... Ann Rice or Charlaine Harris. Minus Werewolves, Faeries, and that other weird shit.” He let his fangs slide out for emphasis. “This is our... Well, it's our secret club. There are a few like it across the world – Besides our personal homes, it's the one place where we don't have to hide. And besides just being a bouncer, I happen to be in charge of procuring new humans and other coven members.”

He stood up and began pacing, quite enjoying that she was allowing him to go through with his little soliloquy without freaking out. “I know this is a lot to take in. I feel you on that. As far as how you play into this, that's simple. Your dancing is amazing and you could easily soon start choreographing as well. Possibly – Humans aren't given much responsibility around here. The job is yours if you still want it. However, if you choose to decline that's alright. Just say no and I'll wipe your memory of both me and this place and send you on your way. The job does have its perks, Leandra. We pay well, very well. The room that you'll be working if you choose to stay tends to have the more civilized patronage as well and you could learn a lot as well. However, I feel inclined to tell you that because you are human, it is highly likely that the patrons will attempt to feed from you.”

He turned to face her now, a serious look on his face. “Most vampires have a rather dismal outlook towards humans, seeing them as little more than food and sometimes pets. Especially the older ones. It's the younger ones that tend to be more misanthropic and savage. While we tend to frown upon our patrons draining the humans completely, it's hardly a crime. Unless said human belongs to another vampire. Once a vampire has claimed you – and you've agreed – you have that vampire's full protection and none others can touch you without his – or her – permission. That being said, if you choose to stay I would very much like to extend to you my protection in exchange for your blood.”

He finally finished and took a seat again, running his fingers through his hair. His voice had remained cool and collected, his expression gentle and filled with understanding as he explained to this human the world that most thought impossible. It was a rather skimp explanation but it would have to do for the time being. He couldn't remember a time when he had wanted so badly for a human to join their coven. He didn't think much of most of the humans enough to care so much about them. He denied vehemently that it was Leandra's similarities to Lyndi that drew him to her. Either way, he wanted her and he would not give up easily.

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Character Portrait: Leandra Annibelle Gates Character Portrait: Leotychides
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Leandra barely realized what was happening as Leo appeared backstage. When had he gotten there? The girl was a mess of questions, and her senses weren't entirely about her. If things didn't point to something that should have been impossible, she would have laughed at the whole situation.

But he was taking hold of her hand, pulling her off to the dressing room from before. His lips were moving, and Leandra forced herself to hear him. "That was absolutely wonderful, Leandra. Really, one of the best dances I've seen in some time." And somehow they were back in the dressing room. She hadn't noticed them moving - she knew it was happening, yes, but she didn't really feel it. Her eyes were locked onto his own. Things were beginning to click.

Leo was motioning for her to sit on the couch from before, and she did, watching as he took his place once more on the table just before her.

She realized his lips were moving again, and she pulled herself away from her thoughts to listen.

"-- totally understandable. So, I'll just go ahead and break things down for you.” That suggestion sounded like the most amazing thing to her in that very moment. Before she could even think of a response, he was talking again. “First of all, my eyes are naturally red. They're not contacts. One's eyes becomes red after becoming a vampire.”

Leandra began to open her mouth, not sure what was going to come out. What did someone say to that? What the hell did someone say to that? But he continued on quickly, not giving her a chance to really formulate any responses.

“I'm not talking that Twilight sparkley bullshit. Think more... Ann Rice or Charlaine Harris. Minus Werewolves, Faeries, and that other weird shit. This is our... Well, it's our secret club. There are a few like it across the world – Besides our personal homes, it's the one place where we don't have to hide. And besides just being a bouncer, I happen to be in charge of procuring new humans and other coven members.”

Leandra honestly wasn't sure what face she was making in that very moment. It was probably somewhere between confusion, disbelief and probably a tiny sprinkle of horror mixed in. All the conflicting thoughts in her head vanished in one second - his fangs had made their presence known, and she was gaping at them. She had to force herself to shut her mouth. Her throat was dry as she tentatively swallowed, not sure what was coming next. Was she supposed to run? 'Why am I just sitting here...?' she thought, but her body just stayed still.

If her brain was capable of third party viewpoints at this point in time, she would have given herself an award for composure.

“I know this is a lot to take in. I feel you on that. As far as how you play into this, that's simple. Your dancing is amazing and you could easily soon start choreographing as well. Possibly – Humans aren't given much responsibility around here. The job is yours if you still want it. However, if you choose to decline that's alright. Just say no and I'll wipe your memory of both me and this place and send you on your way. The job does have its perks, Leandra. We pay well, very well. The room that you'll be working if you choose to stay tends to have the more civilized patronage as well and you could learn a lot as well. However, I feel inclined to tell you that because you are human, it is highly likely that the patrons will attempt to feed from you.”

She had begun to open her mouth in question, but it snapped shut at the last sentence. Feed from her? Her hand half raised to her throat, but she thought better of it, dropping it to her lap instead.

“Most vampires have a rather dismal outlook towards humans, seeing them as little more than food and sometimes pets. Especially the older ones. It's the younger ones that tend to be more misanthropic and savage. While we tend to frown upon our patrons draining the humans completely, it's hardly a crime." Leandra swallowed, eyes moving from Leo's eyes to his mouth and then back again. He continued. "Unless said human belongs to another vampire. Once a vampire has claimed you – and you've agreed – you have that vampire's full protection and none others can touch you without his – or her – permission."

Leandra's eyes fell to her hands, clasped in her lap. The costume skirt - the crinoline, dyed a lovely gray and white blend - sat under her hands. She was a dancer, and this club offered her the chance to continue that passion. They paid well, so she could save up for the studio she so desperately wanted to open and avoid having to tell her parents that she was let go from her previous employment. She had the option to choreograph in the future. She would be able to star in productions to a full audience more than frequently. And the only catch was that she would be surrounded by vampires, a majority of which probably thought her the scum of the earth, with some attempting to feed off of her regardless if she wanted it or not.

She would have laughed, if it wasn't absolutely terrifying.

But Leo's next words stopped her thoughts dead.

"That being said, if you choose to stay I would very much like to extend to you my protection in exchange for your blood.”

He took the seat across from her again, perching himself atop the coffee table. This whole thing had seemed like a breeze for him, and she was sure he could tell she was a nervous wreck. She hadn't fainted - she gave herself major props for not passing out. She hadn't run. She'd sat there, listened...

It was then she realized he was staring at her. Her eyes met his once more; she didn't dare let them falter. But her mind was running wild, and she hoped he couldn't see it in her eyes.

She mulled the entire speech over in her head, before she found her voice again. "So... so what you're saying is that I wandered into a secret vampire club looking for a job... and..."

She paused, her eyes lowering to look at her hands as she finished the thought. "...And I got the job?"

She was sure it sounded funny, and wry smile attempted to crack through the side of her mouth before she bit it back. But she couldn't keep it back, and she had to bite back a laugh that attempted to escape. She was sure she was going to crack, but the next words to leave her mouth were anything but what someone might have expected her to say. Was she insane for it? Quite possibly. Maybe she was just being naive, or maybe she was being young and inexperienced. But he had this way about him, and she got the overwhelming feeling that she could trust him. So... why not?

Her voice was stronger than she felt, and she attempted to take solace in this fact. "Okay."

Had she just said that? She had, and she wondered briefly what she was getting herself into.

"Okay, I'll do it."

This was definitely now the top ranked item on the list of things she couldn't tell her parents.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Leandra Annibelle Gates Character Portrait: Caius Dubois Character Portrait: Leotychides Character Portrait: Annelise Nielsen
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Rain fell hard in Detroit the next night as Caius stalked through the streets toward Blood Bath. His house certainly was not in reasonable walking distance to and from the club, but he had never enjoyed driving in a car. Annelise, of course, walked beside him. After finding her passed out on the floor, he had refused to drink from her or let her leave his side. Instead, he had reluctantly begun to consume his supply of blood from the local hospital.

There was a noticeable difference, however, between fresh blood and the stuff he had obtained through the blood bank. It left him, to put it generally, in an irritable mood. Then again, when wasn't he at least slightly irritable? This change about him would easily go unnoticed by those who did not speak with him. Those who had known the vampire for years, however, would be able to detect this disturbance, even if it were slight.

He held the door for Annelise, acting subconsciously, for though he might discriminate against humans consciously, his subconscious certainly did not sense the difference. Caius's hair had basically plastered itself to his face, for he had worn nothing but a leather jacket over himself to protect himself from the rain. With his hands back in the pockets of his jacket, he gave his hair a quick flick to attempt to shake the water from it. Only a few drops scattered about.

"Watch yourself tonight," he said, turning toward Annelise. "Lude tutum."
He paused, realizing his Latin would easily go over her head. "Play it safe." Caius set off then, for he had come that night with a goal in mind. There had been rumors, already, of a new member of the staff that he had yet to meet. In each telling of the story, one name continued to reappear.

Leotychides. Caius finally came across him, and the dark-haired vampire approached the Spartan. "Good evening," he said first, always one to observe formality. For a moment, he smirked at the older vampire. However, this smile began to fade as he thought of how to approach the subject. "Rumor has it that there is a new dancer here. She's quite talented, from what I hear." He paused for a moment to see how Leo reacted. "I should like to meet her, of course, to see this talent of hers."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Ada Marshall Character Portrait: Leandra Annibelle Gates Character Portrait: Caius Dubois Character Portrait: Leotychides Character Portrait: James Alexander Fortier Character Portrait: Satt Óg Samlyndi
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Ah, the comforts of home.

Leotychides was one of the relatively few Vampires who called Blood Bath home. However, he wasn't alone. He had allowed Cheveyo to remain with him for the night. He intended to let him loose into the club when night fell so that Lyndi might happen upon his...gift. Despite his hunger, he refrained from feeding on Cheveyo and Leandra the previous night. Cheveyo was Lyndi's and she had always been extremely greedy when it came to her blood. However, Leandra... His beautiful Leandra. He woke and thought of her immediately, sliding his fangs out with a groan. He wasn't going to just bite her like a common blood bag. He knew that feeding could either be a wonderful or traumatizing experience and he wanted her first time being fed from to be amazing. He wanted her to crave the feeling of his fangs against her smooth flesh.

Smirking to himself, he rose from his bed and stretched out with a yawn. He moved around at lightening speed, dressing himself after a shower. He settled for his usual black tank top and loose jeans, though he added a dash of color by sliding on a red plaid shirt over it, not bothering to button it up. He could hear Cheveyo moving around in another part of the room but he didn't bother to check up on him until he had tousled his own hair and pulled out his phone, texting Leandra to meet him in about thirty minutes. Shoving his phone into his pocket, he headed towards the sound of Cheveyo moving around and found the massive Native American doing pushups. Lifting a brow, Leo gave a nod. “We're opening soon; You should probably make yourself presentable. Unless you intend to be shirtless when you reunite with Lyndi.” He was sure that Lyndi wouldn't complain so much about that. Leo was about as heterosexual as men came but he wasn't afraid to give credit where credit was due – Cheveyo was an attractive man.

The Native American gave a wordless nod and Leo sighed, glancing at the clock nearby. “Lila will be here shortly. I need to go help open up. When Lyndi arrives I'll have Lila send her back here.” The two gave quiet nods before Leo left with an awkward silence lingering in the air. He walked through the halls with a cool manner about him, smiling at those that he passed. He moved at a rather human pace as he aided the blood slaves that lived in Blood Bath, usually with picking out outfits. He negotiated some time off for some of them due to injuries suffered the previous night. While he didn't much care for humans any more than they cared for cattle, he still retained some form of humanity. He certainly wasn't going to ruin the club's image by sending out blood slaves who looked broken and beaten down. That was just tacky. He made sure that everyone working that night looked their absolute best, greeting guests with smiles and civility. It didn't take too long for the parties to get underway, lights going dim and music blaring out. Leo was satisfied, taking up perch on the first floor so that he could greet Leandra when she arrived.

He was met first by his friend and Doyen, Caius. He already had a sense of what the man wanted to speak about, a fanged smirk coming to his lips. “Last night, yes. A wonderful young woman - Leandra - who is quite an addition. She came in seeking a job so I had her dance for me.” He gave a light chuckle and leaned his head back. “And she's mine.” There was an edge of possessiveness in his tone but that was hardly – not at all – a disrespectful thing. It was merely common among Vampires to assert their ownership over their personal humans. “She should be reporting in for work soon enough, old friend.” He gave Caius a light pat on the back and leaned his head back some, putting his nose to the air so that he could sniff out his human.








Cheveyo had hardly slept at all that night. He hadn't even gone back to the hotel, deciding that he would stay at the club. He wasn't particularly sure why. Perhaps it had to do with Lyndi being there. The thought of leaving the place while she was there was simply not an option to him. He would stay, praying that when he greeted her she would welcome him. He had tossed and turned on the cot that was far too small for him, imagining a thousand ways that their reunion could go. Of course, in his mind, it always had a happy ending. All he wanted was to just hug her tight and nourish her. He missed the days of being needed by someone. Many thought that it was strange for such a large and strong man to be so dependent on... Anyone, really. But he had absolutely shame in his dependence upon the viking goddess. He literally owed her everything.

The next night couldn't come fast enough and he had spent all day mentally preparing himself for the meeting that was only hours away. He was offered food and drinks when he had wandered out and found the den where the blood slaves who either had no other home or simply didn't want to leave lived at. He was glad that he wouldn't have to starve – He was a big man and he tended to eat a lot. There were women there – and men – who attempted to get him to stay, trying to seduce him. But he left them behind. He wasn't one to say “no” to people but he wouldn't let anyone sully his reunion with Lyndi. He returned to Leo's room after getting his fill of food, proceeding to a workout once night came. He tended to work out when he got anxious. He hadn't been this anxious in a long time – With Lyndi, he had no need to be. When she was gone, he hadn't expected her to come back or contact him. He dreamed it, of course. Tonight... His dream would become a reality.

By the time Leo had woken, Cheveyo was ready to go. But he was being left behind until Lyndi arrived. He understood. Leotychides had a job to do and Chev couldn't pad around behind him like a puppy. He couldn't hang around by himself either. Not unless he wanted to be fed on. So, he waited. It didn't take longer than an hour or so until Lila had come for him, opening the door and wordlessly motioning for him to follow. He offered her a kind smile as she lifted a brow in approval of his physique. “You're going... Shirtless. For the night?” She didn't seem to have a problem with it as she lead him through the halls. Cheveyo gave a deep chuckle and nodded, his shoulder-length locks swaying a bit while he stroked his beard and mustache. “I am. It's hot and I don't want to wear a shirt.” Lila left it at that, not feeling a need to put up a fuss about it. She guided him to the bar on the first floor, nodding to Caius and Leotychides as she passed by them. “James! Please keep an eye on this one until his Vampire arrives. By order of Leotychides.” Cheveyo watched as she gave a light bow before speeding off with her clipboard.








James walked down the sidewalk with his eyes closed, thinking back to the events of the previous night. He thought about Ada, what she'd said...what they'd done. Then his thoughts wandered back to the beautiful vamp he'd met...Lyndi... The name echoed through his thoughts. She'd definitely left a mark on him. He remembered her mentioning working at the club as well.

As his thoughts grew and consumed him, he mentally shook himself. There was no reason to think so hard. He shrugged to himself and concentrated on his steps. Though he lived a few miles from the club, he enjoyed walking anyway. The air and time allowed him to think and psych himself up for work. After all, he did need a clear mind if he were to be tossing bottles everywhere.

Lyndi had left Blood Bath shortly after having made negotiations with Caius and finishing a few more drinks. She had no desire to become a target of Leotychides' conversation. She wasn't ready to exchange words with him just yet. At least not around others. She knew that as soon as she had a moment alone with him she was going to punch him in his dick. He deserved a hell of a lot more for what he had done but she was in a rather good mood. Why? Maybe it was because of James' charms softening her up or that kiss she'd given Caius – Though the latter was merely sealing a deal rather than an act of pleasure or affection.

She was returning tonight to begin work. She was supposed to be working as entertainment in the 90s' area of the club. She had brought a small clutch with her, strutting down the street with swaying hips in a tight dress that was dangerously close to rising up and showing a bit more flesh in the back than was acceptable in society. She didn't mind. She was out to draw attention to herself tonight. Plush lips painted blood red were curled into a coy, fanged smirk as matching ruby eyes glimmered under the moonlight. She could hear the sounds of excited vamps and humans alike as she neared the club, though one person in particular caught her gaze. The voluptuous woman increased her pace as she approached the bartender, her black heels clicking against the asphalt and rocks giving her away.

“Miss me?”

Hearing the scattering of gravel, James turned around to spot Lyndi, and she was stunning. Her outfit accentuated all the right parts of her, and her beauty was beyond eye-catching. At first, his mouth drooped slightly, but it was quickly replaced by a cool smile. He stood, waiting for her with his right arm extended to her.
"How could I not, lovely?"

His eyes ran up and down her body multiple times, attempting to take all of her in. There goes all that concentration I'd hoped to regain. When she approached him, he took her hand in his, giving it a gentle kiss. She must've been hired, considering she'd returned; James didn't think she was the type to do things without reason.

"So you will be gracing my eyes with your beauty tonight as well, ange?"

Ah, his charm remained. She lifted a well groomed brow as he placed a kiss on her hand, letting herself slide closer to him. They were close enough now that if she would – for whatever odd reason – breathe, every inhale would cause her ample chest to rise and brush against him. She was not a tall person, her three inch heels boosting her up so that they were even in height. “You are too kind, James.” As she withdrew her right hand, she placed it upon her hip and pitched her left side up with her right knee bent a bit in an age-old pose. “I've agreed to a one week trial period. If I like it, I'll stay. I get the club badge and everything,” she teased. Her tone was playful, her red eyes glimmering with a unique innocent seduction that she had perfected over the centuries, a look that had won over countless men and women.

She moved closer – as impossible as it seemed – so that they were pressed against one another, now moving her left hand to drag a well-manicured nail down his arm slowly, pausing to give his biceps a gentle squeeze. There was excitement in her eyes – partially feigned though played perfectly as fully sincere – as she admired the man. “How could I turn down an offer to work alongside such a man as yourself, mon amour?”

James softly chuckled, fully noting that her bosom as well as the rest of her body was pressed against him. This woman...she really knows how to use her art of seduction. Though he knew she was attempting to entice him, he refused to admit that it was working. As she trailed her nail down his arm, his thoughts somehow migrated back to Ada. A pang of something like guilt hit him, making him take a half step away from her. He turned back to the club, putting her left arm through his right and grasping her hand.

"Oh, now you're being the one that's far too kind, belle. You flatter me. And a week trial period, huh?"

A trial period was a nice way to put it. So he had a week to convince her to stay here... this could make to be one very interesting week. James leaned in to her ear, speaking barely above a whisper.

"I intend to make you long to stay here with me, and since I have a week to do so, I'll do my best to make it interesting."

The half-step back did not go unnoticed by the older vampire. Lyndi merely allowed him to guide her arm to his as they began to walk towards the club again, others passing them by as they went at a slow pace. A smirk flickered across her lips as he whispered into her ear, letting her head turn so that his lips brushed against her cool flesh. “Are you sure your human won't get too jealous?” There was some teasing in her tone, hiding the irritation she felt. James seemed like a fine young vamp. But, as it is with many young Vampires, he seemed to still have a weird attachment to humans. Honestly, she couldn't say anything about it. She'd slaughtered an entire Coven in Nebraska to protect Cheveyo. She claimed that it was solely to protect her honor and reputation. But she knew that she'd kill everyone and everything she saw if anything ever happened to him, especially if it was because of her.

That was information that she'd never reveal to anyone. Not even Cheveyo himself.

She kept a cool outer appearance, offerings winks and occasionally running her tongue over her fangs for the desire of those catcalling and whistling to her as she passed them by. “I can tell she doesn't like me – I'd hate to come between you and your girlfriend.” When Lyndi wanted something, she got something. She barely knew James so she couldn't say in truth that she gave a shit about him as anything more than good company. However, acquiring allies was a must in her profession. She knew how to play people as well as she knew how to play the violin. Her acting was flawless and few could resist her. She most certainly would not lose out to some bloodsack. She pulled away from James with an expression of what was utter disappointment, giving a shrug. She spoke no more words but her body language and face said it all; Sorry, but I guess we can't be friends. She gave a forlorn half smile and turned to walk away from him slowly, counting in her head to see how long it would take before he'd reach out.

1...2...

Girlfriend. The word struck James, making him stop completely. After the events last night and what happened between him and Ada, he couldn't even fathom when he'd be seeing her again, much less her becoming his. As Lyndi pulled away from him, he watched her face and body. When she started to walk away, James thought to himself; he had to make a choice. Considering the position she'd been given, he knew Lyndi was an actress, just as he was, but even if this was just a performance, the chances of somehow getting her were still there. Would he try again to grasp a hold of Ada? So much came with that besides the weird moments they'd have together. There was also the fact that she is human, unlike him. He'd put up with the slightly odd treatment he'd gotten from other vamps before, but if he made her his, there'd be more than just a few sideways glances.

James sighed and took Lyndi's hand. He couldn't let her slip from him as well. Though he knew she gave a great performance, he knew that there was, once again, a reason behind it. She wouldn't have done so if she didn't want him to bite, and he wanted to oh so badly.

"Oh come now, chere. Don't leave me here in the cold."

He pulled her close to him, like they were earlier and put a hand on her lower back. James wanted her to know that she wouldn't be intruding if she continued with him. In fact, it'd be quite the opposite.

...3...4...5

Lyndi withheld a smirk, keeping her face naive as he took her hand and pulled her close. There was tangible sexual tension between the two now and the look in her eyes suggested that she was going to rip his clothes off at the drop of a hat. As his hand moved to her lower back, her hands moved to cup his face gently. “So, why don't you give me a reason to stay.” Her tone was suggestive, her Icelandic timbre slipping up through the American accent as she bit down on her bottom lip, her fang just barely piercing her flesh. Inside, she was smirking. It wasn't usually this... quickly that she could genuinely steal a man away from a woman. Or a woman from a man. Most would take some time - minutes, hours, days - to trouble themselves with thoughts about the damage they'd do to the other person before they'd succumb to her. She drew the conclusion that James was a lover and that he was the type to fall hard and fast. Just like Leo. She wondered then... How long would it take for her to get him to Leo's level of adoration for her.

James smiled seductively and leaned in close. Then he took Lyndis hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it almost chastely. Though her eyes told him different, there wouldn't be any tearing of clothing soon. He looked into her eyes with a wide grin.

"Ready to unwrap your gift so quickly? Your week barely has gotten started. You wouldn't want to ruin the rest of your trial period would you?

He knew Lyndi had the power to get whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted, but James wasn't going to give in so quickly. He kept a bit of himself reserved, making sure that he was making the correct choice. Besides, it'll be a challenge to make her wait, and he was sure she wouldn't disappoint either. He positioned her as he'd done before, but this time he brushed his lips against her neck as he turned her. "Don't ruin the fun, Lyndi."

He was challenging her. Perhaps there was a bit more to him. This elicited her usual smirk, her head canting to the side as his fangs made contact with her flesh. “Not even a taste just to get me to stay for the night?” She pouted a bit, her bottom lip quivering ever so slightly as the wind whipped her hair about with the night growing colder. “Just a tiny kiss?” Ah, the kiss. An art that Lyndi knew far better than most. She was a woman who didn't care if she had to use her body to get what she wanted and she knew exactly how to give people what they wanted. A kiss from her bound you to her and left you craving more. She couldn't deny that she enjoyed kissing people simply for the feel of it. Cold as she was, she had her own physical desires just as others. And James had some really nice lips.

James smiled shaking his head. There was no such thing as a tiny kiss with a woman like her. He gazed at her full, pouty lips longingly. He could only imagine how many had fell victim to those lips. Oh if he could, he would, but he knew that would seal his fate. He instead turned her head to the side and kissed her neck deeply, holding the opposite side to deepen the kiss even more. He then tugged on the skin slightly and licked it. If it was a kiss she wanted, she got it, though he was almost sure she wouldn't be completely happy with where it was placed.
"Like I said, let's not unwrap your gift too early chere."

Oh.

He was good.

There was no sexual pleasure as he worked her neck. The feeling that swelled through her could be compared to that feeling a cat gets when you scratch in just the right spot behind their ears. Her hands had moved to his waist, gripping a bit tightly before she released. Perhaps reeling him all the way in wouldn't be so easy. Fair enough. Giving a smile, she pulled back and chuckled softly, a genuine chuckle. “I can see why you're a liaison specialist.” Her voice was a purr now as she took his hand and lead him through the crowd that had formed while they engaged in their game. It had been a while since she had found proper adversaries to her charms and games. She might just have to stay after all. She smiled to herself as she pushed past the people blocking the way while bouncers identified them, easily getting inside. Once inside, she turned to James and placed a hand out to stroke his face gently, applying some affection and enchantment into her gaze. “I'll come see you between breaks, yeah?”

James smiled as she lead him inside. He'd shown her why he was one of the best liaison specialists here, he'd earned it, just like she'd have to earn that kiss. He gazed at her as she stroked his face. He then pulled it to his lips once more, this time gently nipping it.

"I'll be waiting, ma belle."

James let go of her hand, smiling once again, and left to find his post for the night. It was time to get that concentration back and to get to work. Besides he'd find plenty of time to figure out how to make this week as fun as possible.

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Character Portrait: Leandra Annibelle Gates Character Portrait: Leotychides
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Leandra had woken up around one in the afternoon that day; at first, she was mad at herself for sleeping in so late, but finally reminded herself that her new position would be during the late hours of the night, and so she ought to get proper amounts of sleep in order to stay awake at work. The young woman had gotten herself out of bed and made her way to her living room to work on some new choreography. Leo had not been able to give her exact details on when she would be able to choreograph or preform original solos outside of variations in Pointe work. She was eager to show off her skills in modern, lyrical, and contemporary, as well as hip hop and tap - though she doubted that she would use the latter two very often.

She had pushed her couch against the far wall and rolled her area rug up to provide some ample hardwood floor space for dancing. She had spent about 30 minutes stretching before she really began to work on any pieces, and the time flew by as she danced. It wasn't odd for that to happen - there were many a day where she had spent what some might deem to be "far too much time" in the studio, simply because she didn't realize just how long she'd been there.

Glancing at the clock, Leandra saw that it was nearing to 6 pm. "Shit..." she muttered to herself, quickly pushing her living room set back into place. She rushed into the bathroom to shower off the hours of sweat she had built up. After washing her hair and letting the hot water soak into her muscles for a few minutes, she got out and dried off, blow drying her hair as quickly as possible. There were times when she questioned why she let her hair grow out so long - this was one of them.

Eventually, she made her way out of the bathroom and into her bedroom, quickly going through the closet and grabbing a flowing black lace dress. Slipping into it, Leandra found a simple pair of black heels to match.

She made her way over to her "second closet", as she liked to call it - in reality, it was just a costume closet, full of all sorts of dance outfits and accessories. Grabbing a dress bag, she began tucking various costumes into the bag - starched tutu's, classical skirts, sequined leotards, body-suits, lyrical dresses, and basic contemporary tops and bottoms. She grabbed her dance bag as well, dumping out the contents on the bed. Once it was empty, she placed in the shoes she thought she might need: two pairs of Pointe shoes, her toe cushions, a pair of half-sole shoes, and a pair of tap shoes in case.

As she gathered everything up, her phone buzzed. Placing it all back down on her bed, she checked her purse and saw the test was from Leo. Smiling, she answered him back. 'Already on the way'.

Gathering her items once again, she made her way out of her apartment and toward the empty side of town. The walk only took her about ten minutes, now that she knew where she was going. As she approached the building, she shifted her items, before slipping in one of the side entrances - Leo had shown her the one that many of the employees used after her acceptance of the job.

Making her way to the dressing room from before, she deposited her things, before letting out a huff of air. She hung much of it up on an empty costume bar, before digging around in her purse for her phone. No new messages had arrived, so she texted Leo to let him know that she had arrived, and where he could find her.

She was antsy to know if she was going to get to perform that night, and she was hoping to potentially talk to someone about choreography, and some potential contemporary and modern performances as well. Humming lightly to herself, she began to leaf through the racks of costumes that had been there the night before, noting specific costumes that she thought might fit some of the variations she already knew, or might work with potential dances she might dance in the future. All the while, her mind was thinking about what she had gotten herself into.

It was definitely a new experience, that was for sure. Leo had been pretty polite about the whole thing before, or at least that was how Leandra felt about it. He hadn't tried taking a chunk out of her that night - she wasn't really sure what it was going to be like, and any nerves she had about the new job stemmed completely from that one fact. She hoped it wouldn't hurt, at least. Her fingers brushed against some sequins on a dress in front of her, while her right hand absentmindedly rubbed her neck. She wondered if movies like Dracula had been based off of something real. Up until a little while ago, she didn't know that things like vampires could ever exist outside of books and movies.

She didn't entirely believe Leo when he had said that werewolves weren't real though...

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Ada Marshall Character Portrait: Leandra Annibelle Gates Character Portrait: Caius Dubois Character Portrait: Leotychides Character Portrait: James Alexander Fortier Character Portrait: Satt Óg Samlyndi
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Cheveyo tilted his head towards James before looking behind him at the drinks. “I will take some water if you have some back there, please.” His tone was polite and his timbre heavy with Hopi accent. Behind him, Leo watched carefully from the shadows with Caius before the old Vampire's head snapped to the left some. A sweet scent wafted under his nostrils and he could not help but to smile. He moved to take a step but stopped short at the sight of Ada storming through the crowd and damn near pushing over everyone who came near her. His red eyes flickered to see Lyndi watching the female and then glancing to Leo with a smirk. “A moment, dear friend.” He put on a stern expression as he moved through the crowd after patting Caius on the back, Vampires and humans alike parting for the Prelate as he made his way towards Ada. He soon lost sight of Cheveyo as he crossed the room but it didn't matter. Neither James or Lila would allow anything to happen to him. Lyndi was here, he could sense it. She wouldn't either. For now, Ada was his concern. He gave no warning as his super speed kicked in, flitting to her as she came into view. He was at her throat in an instant. He made sure to keep his grip light enough that he didn't crush her windpipe but tight enough that he was asserting his dominance and irritation.

“I don't know what your problem is. I don't give two fucks what your problem is. But you do not bring it here. You're an employee. Less than that, you're a human. You keep your fucking personal life at home because nobody here gives a shit. Fighting is one thing. It's entertaining. But this bullshit is unacceptable. Suck that shit up and get over it or go the fuck back home and cry there. Understood?” Heads turned as he pinned her to a wall, baring his fangs to her. His usually nonchalant tone and charming air was gone as he now gave of a dangerous and cutthroat vibe. Leo normally didn't police Ada other than breaking up her fights. He had given her a few unpaid weeks off work for harassing the more prestigious Vampires, caring little who she thought was right and who was wrong. He put up with her attitude because she generally knew when she was crossing a line. However, he could not put up with humans bringing their personal issues to work. They lost customers when they had their humans off crying in corners and running around like angst ridden teens. He had sworn fealty to Caius, but more than that, Caius was his friend. This Coven was his family even though there were a few who irritated him. This club was their business and their home. It was their temple. It would be a cold day in Tartarus before he would let some human with a shit attitude give this place a bad name. Vampires who could not control their humans were seen as weak. Since she was employed by them, she was theirs.

He gave her throat a final squeeze, letting her know that it wasn't a game. He considered a friend – Or about as much of a friend as he'd allow a human to be, more in the sense of a pet – But his ties to his Doyen and his Coven ran deeper. He would not have Caius or any of the other Vampires thinking lower of him because of his inability to control her. He let her get away with fights because they were normally with drifters and other humans. But his foot was coming down. Lyndi was here and if he was going to impress her and win back her respect and loyalty, he wasn't going to do it with his demonstration of unruly humans. “You can and you will be replaced, human. Put on a smile and go back to doing what you do best – Giving blood and fighting fights you know you can't win.” He released her roughly, letting her drop to the floor. He turned around, not caring whether or not she landed on her feet or crumpled to the ground. He was met by Lyndi, stopping as he took in her image. She looked... So lovely tonight. She was observing him as she so often did once before, though she held no affection in her eyes this time. She leaned to the left some, peeking behind him at Ada with a light look of amusement flickering across her face. “You run a tight ship, Captain. You'd probably be better off getting rid of her... But you always did like the chihuahuas... I'm singing a song for you tonight.” Her red eyes gleamed as she turned and headed for the stage, his eyes following her. He quickly and subtly readjusted his jeans before moving back to Caius. “I apologize for the wait. Lyndi says she's got a song for me. I promise I will take you to Leandra the moment it ends.”

He turned to see that she had already taken the stage, a light smile on his face. He had hopes that his worry and fear was for naught, that she had perhaps forgiven him already. He was her Maker, after all.

Lyndi smiled as the crowd cheered now that the show was beginning. The blue spotlight hit her and she lifted her chin. There was a sharp, reflexive intake of breath and a momentary flicker of confusion across her face as she spotted Cheveyo waving to her from the bar. Her gaze then went to Leo standing with Caius. Oh... She was truly going to enjoy this. She closed her eyes and took the mic as the band began to play behind her. She counted herself in before opening her eyes and allowing feigned emotion play across her face and seep into her voice as she sang. ♫“Cryin' on the corner, waitin' in the rain. I swear I'll never, ever wait again. You gave me your word but words for you are liiies.”♫ She let her gaze flicker over to Leo, seeing the embarrassment in his eyes as he realized what song it was, quickly leaving with Caius. She would have sung louder but she didn't much need to. She had made her point and struck his heart. She had no need to turn it into something petty. ♫“Darlin', in my wildest dreams I never thought I'd gooo. But it's time to let you know. I'm gonna harden my heart. I'm gonna swallow my teeaars. I'm gonna turn and leave you heeerrre. All of my life, I've been waitin' in the rain. I've been waitin' for a feeling that never, ever came. It feels so close but always disappears. Darlin', in your wildest dreams, you never had a clue. But it's time you got the news. I'm gonna harden my heart. I'm gonna swallow my tears. I'm gonna turn and leave you here.”♫ The crowd cheered as she swayed them with the pain in her voice, now moving about the stage and using her free hand to play it up, her hand over her heart. Her voice was sweet but powerful and she could not help but to feel... At home. It had been many years since she had been on a stage.

Her number was over and there were four more performances before her next one. She stepped down from the stage and made her way to the bar, graciously accepting the compliments paid to her. But she was in a rush. The moment she set eyes on her shirtless Native American, she could not help but to smile. Cheveyo stood and wrapped her in a tight hug. “Lyndi... It's been forever.” The large lummox of a man was on the verge of sobbing, his bottom lip quivering as he pouted and salty tears sliding down his cheeks. Lyndi's expression was much gentler than it had been in a long time. She reached up and brushed the tears away gently before taking a seat with him at the bar, seeing the glass of untouched water. “Let me guess: Leotychides brought you here to persuade me to stay.” She smirked as Cheveyo nodded to confirm it. Lyndi sighed and looked off nowhere in particular as she thought. This could certainly complicate things. She fully intended to continue playing her game of gathering allies by wrapping as many of the men around her fingers as she could... But Cheveyo. He hadn't seen her in some time and was likely to be overflowing with desire for the affection she once shared with him. If anyone were witness to this, it would ruin that. It would be difficult enough going for men that were all in the same Coven. Adding a human to the mix would just sully her name and destroy her reputation. She wasn't sure if she was a bit excited for the challenge to her skills or frightened. Nah. She wasn't scared. Of all the things a Vampire could and would do, being a bit on the polygamous side while not telling the people involved was hardly a thing to bat one's eye at. It wasn't like she was going to make them fall in love with her. She just needed them to lust for her.

Except James and Leo. Leo, she could do nothing about. But she knew that once Leo had believed she had forgiven him he wouldn't care whether or not she was in love with him. She knew that he just wanted their relationship as Maker and Progeny to be repaired. James... She knew that she might have to put some effort into actually wooing him if she was going to sever his romantic and sexual ties with Ada. She didn't like the human – The blood slave had no place in the world that she was creating. She eventually came back down from her thoughts and turned to Cheveyo. “Things are a bit different than they were those years ago. … Much different.” She conversed to him in his native tongue, putting emphasis on her words so that he understood. He understood her better than most and gave a nod. It broke his heart some but he knew that perhaps he could change her mind or work something out. He had never mind sharing her – He shared Lyndi with his sister when Cho was alive. And they both knew that she had other partners that she used for personal and political gain as well. It wasn't something that bothered him. But... he knew what other Vampires would think of the strange relationship they had. Lyndi gave a nod before bringing him close. Her lips brushed his neck, sending a shiver down his spine. She reveled in his scent before biting down gently. She took a few moments to take some of his blood before releasing him. “You should go dance and make friends... I know you want to.” Their reunion was short lived and not quite as romantic or even sentimental as he had hoped it would be. But it was to be expected when it was so public.

He gave a nod, proudly moving towards the dance floor with his quirky and rather spastic dance moves. She shook her head with a soft laugh before setting her gaze on James. “Je vais prendre un O nég végétarien Four Horsemen.” She gave him a beautiful and fanged smile and a wink, placing her hands on the bar. Leo, meanwhile, had taken Caius and made his way to find Leandra. He was still upset and embarrassed at the song that Lyndi had dedicated to him. He shook the memory from his mind as he followed her scent -- and her text -- to the dressing room that he had interviewed her in the previous night. He pushed the door open and smiled as he greeted her, moving to take the hand she was using to rub at her neck and pressed her palm to his lips. “Lovely Leandra, I would like you to meet Caius. He is the Doyen of our Coven, our Leader, as well as the owner of this establishment. I fear that he has some doubts of your performance despite all the praise. He would like to see you dance tonight. Perhaps you have another beautiful number prepared?” He gave her his most charming smile as he moved a little closer, still keeping his hold on her hand while motioning to his brooding friend. He glanced down at her neck and resisted biting her then and there, though he knew that he needed to bite her soon.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Ada Marshall Character Portrait: Leandra Annibelle Gates Character Portrait: Caius Dubois Character Portrait: Leotychides Character Portrait: Satt Óg Samlyndi
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Caius also noted the sweet scent of Ada's bleeding wound, but he held himself back with very little change in his expression. He also sensed her attitude even before she slammed herself into another being. Caius nodded in response to Leo as the Spartan moved through the crowd. He, in turn, took the seat Leo left vacant. Without even speaking with Leo, Caius knew what the older vampire had in mind. He certainly would have moved in too if Leo hadn't. Caius simply blinked as Leo clutched her throat. It served her right, for an attitude often turned off the vampires who frequented the club, and Caius certainly couldn't have that.

Caius tried to make eye contact with Ada, hoping she would see that this was his doing, deep down. He didn't even need to lift a finger to punish her. He could see the tendons in Leo's arm tighten as his hand also tightened about her throat. How dare she think she was above them in anyway? How dare she think she could bring her problems here? Humans certainly weren't good for much more than feeding from. Finally, she was released, and Leo began to make his way back to Caius -- only to be stopped by Lyndi. They spoke to each other, and Caius certainly wasn't surprised, for it had been Leo who originally requested that Lyndi be invited to join his Coven.

Again, he nodded while looking toward the stage. "Understood." And it was, for if it were Lydia who had approached him, Caius knew he would have been unable to leave either. There was already a confident air about her as she took the stage. The blue spotlight gave her scarlet dress a purplish hue instead. He could have sworn that there was a hint of something across her visage, but it passed almost as quickly as he had noticed it, so he paid no mind to it.

He pinpointed the song within the first few notes. Harden My Heart. Quarterflash. It was a tune he had not heard in years, for it often was not a request in the club. Her eyes flickered open as her voice came in. Oh, it was beautiful. He had not heard a voice like hers in ages perhaps. Rindy Ross had a wonderful voice, but Lyndi quickly put her to shame. Leo had walked off, but Caius remained, his lips parting and his fangs showing as he let her voice shake him to the bone. Her voice flawlessly rose on the last notes of the chorus, sending a shiver down his spine.

He tore himself away as the guitar solo began, but Caius could hear her singing the refrain once more. Was it possible to fall in love with a voice or at least fall for someone because of their voice? If it were, he had. But now, he shook the thought from his head and retracted his fangs once more as Leo opened Leandra's door. He removed his leather jacket then and folded it over his left arm. His outfit below was quite similar to the one he had worn yesterday: tight jeans tucked into dark boots and a band shirt with the sleeves unevenly cut off. This time, however, he wore a shirt with Jim Morrison emblazoned across it. Once, he had tried to copy the hair style of The Doors' singer, but his hair lacked the volume necessary to achieve Jim's boyish waves.

He followed Leo in, but he kept a few steps back as the vampire greeted the human. There was, quite obviously, a similarity between she and Lyndi, and Caius wondered if perhaps she too reminded Leo of the blonde vampire. When Leo gestured towards him, Caius simply nodded and took the same hand Leo had taken. He pressed the back of it gently against his lips. His fangs just barely poked out between them, brushing against the skin as he moved the kiss very slightly up her hand before letting go of her hand. "Good evening," he said, his typical English accent mixing with one that sounded vaguely Southern. It would only seem odd to Leandra, of course, for his Coven was used to the ever-changing accents in which he spoke.

"Leotychides speaks highly of you. Hopefully, by the end of the night, I shall too."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Ada Marshall Character Portrait: Caius Dubois Character Portrait: Leotychides Character Portrait: Satt Óg Samlyndi Character Portrait: Cheveyo
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James smiled and nodded. “Sure thing.” He turned around, tossing a few cubes of ice into a glass and pouring some water into it. He sat it down in front of the large man and continued to attend to the other customers while still keeping an eye on him. If someone managed to take a bite out of him while he was under James’s watch, he’d catch it from Leo. The thought itself was thoroughly unpleasant.

After taking care of another customer, James heard some commotion and looked up to see Ada storming through the crowd. Just from a glance at her, James could tell she was completely pissed. Stuff like this wouldn’t likely go by well with any of the higher ups, especially Leo. His first instinct was to hop over the counter and subdue Ada before someone else had a chance to, but… James looked back at the man at the bar. He couldn’t lose sight of him, and James knew that Ada was too far away for him to get her and watch him at the same time. James could only watch as Leo sped to her, and put his hand around her throat.

James’s fists tightened slightly, wanting to go protect her, but he knew that Leo wouldn’t kill her. He’d just scare her for now. Damn it, cheré… Feeling a bit helpless he watched the scene, hoping it’d end quickly. Once Ada was released, James once again had to urge to go get her, but the vampire the man was waiting for hadn’t arrived yet. Shit! James watched Ada for a bit more, then reluctantly returned to his duties. He filled drinks as vamps and blood slaves readied themselves for a show.

James turned to see Lyndi on the stage smiling at her audience. To James’s surprise, the bulk of a man that he was supposed to be watching waved eagerly at Lyndi, and by the look that crossed her face, she definitely knew him. Was she who he was waiting for? This had begun to get a bit…interesting. So she also had a human in her life that she was familiar with. He also watched as she looked at Leo before she began to sing. Oh so she knows Leo as well?

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James sat back and listened to the song. Her voice was beautiful and the audience loved it…except Leo. He observed as Leo became increasingly uncomfortable and escorted Caius out of the room. Oh so the song’s about Leo. James chuckled lightly to himself, wondering how deep their ties ran.

When the song ended, he clapped and cheered along with the crowd as she made her way over to the bar. James, pretending to be busy with drinks, watched as the man wrapped his arms around Lyndi. The look on her face was so gentle, so genuine. That gave her away. It was obvious that she had feelings for him, and he absolutely loved her. She wiped tears from his face and sat with him. James grinned to himself as he poured drinks and pieced together this puzzle of a woman. First, she had deep ties to Leo, and apparently they aren’t on good terms as of right now. Second, Lyndi had a human that she had serious feelings for, maybe even loved. His thoughts wandered back to Ada. He felt horrible about not being able to do anything to help her when she needed him. He really needed to talk to her as soon as he could.

james waited until they’d finished talking in another language before glancing back at the pair. He witnessed her place a very intimate bite on the man’s neck. That merely confirmed what he thought. He turned away as she instructed for him to go dance.

“Je vais prendre un O nég végétarien Four Horsemen.”

James turned around pulling the liquids from the shelves and mixing them. He smiled at her and served up the drink. As he sat the drink in front of her, James brushed his fingers along her jaw. “Your drink ma ange.” She was quite beautiful, and he knew it’d be hard to resist her. However, what he’d just seen made him want to try to reel her in closer. He wanted to know more about this mysterious woman.

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Character Portrait: Leandra Annibelle Gates Character Portrait: Caius Dubois Character Portrait: Leotychides
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Leandra turned as she heard the door to the dressing room open. Leo entered, greeting her as he did so. He grasped her hand gently, laying a kiss to her palm.

“Lovely Leandra, I would like you to meet Caius. He is the Doyen of our Coven, our Leader, as well as the owner of this establishment." Leandra's focus drifted to the threshold of the doorway, just beyond Leo's right shoulder. There stood Caius - Leandra had seem him out of the corner of her eye in passing the day before, but up close in person his presence was defined. The air around him seemed to bow away in respect.

She knew she had her work cut out for her then.

Leo's voice continued to pour forward, smooth as silk. "Leandra, I fear that he has some doubts of your performance despite all the praise." Leandra's eyes snapped back to Leo's face as the words left his mouth. Caius had doubts? The guy who would be paying her had doubts? She hoped that her face didn't betray her thoughts.

Leo's next words offered some hope, though. "He would like to see you dance tonight. Perhaps you have another beautiful number prepared?” She felt almost instant relief at the words - she was going to get the chance to prove herself again. And this time it would be for the owner.

Leo moved in closer then, his smile infecting her as she offered her own brilliant one. "Of course..." she began, her attention turned towards Caius.

A voice that held an old-world charm spoke, velvet and raw all at the same time. Leandra couldn't place it - something felt off about it, but at the same time, it sounded so pure. "Leotychides speaks highly of you. Hopefully, by the end of the night, I shall too." Caius had stepped in just before he spoke, leaving a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. She continued to smile, the flattery of their gestures and words seeping into her.

It was the first time that Leandra had heard Leo's full name spoken, and her eyes glided once more to his face. "I do have something I can show you."

Turning from the men for a moment, she leafed through a few costumes she had brought on the rack. Pulling out a hand-sequined black, white and blue starched tutu, she disappeared behind a folding screen as she began to speak.

"Well, I suppose I can do something different than what I did last night. Something strong, I suppose - Esmeralda's dance." She slipped out of her dress, and quickly pulled on the leotard and tutu, before emerging from behind the screen. She offered both Leo and Caius a brilliant smile, before doing a slow spin to show off the costume. "I made this one myself. I'm glad it still fits."

Walking over to the makeup table on the far wall, she turned her hair up into a tight bun, securing it with a hair elastic before pushing a few bobby pins into place to hold it secure. The prop shelves were her next destination, and she grabbed a tambourine. She then returned to the couch, put on her pointe shoes, and stood. Facing the males with a confident grin, she spoke again. "I figured we could use the main stage. I assume no one is there yet, right? If not, I don't mind using a smaller stage."

After waiting for a response, she made her departure from the two, promising them her best.

She made her way backstage, already feeling a part of the atmosphere of the theater. She was lucky - a few girls were practicing with the maestro, and upon speaking with him, he said he wouldn't mind a special performance for Caius. He seemed rather pleased to be doing it, actually.

Excusing herself from the other girls - who gave nods of recognition, though mostly blank looks - she made her way around to the back of the curtain, peering out while she waited to see Caius and Leo take their seats. Once she heard the tuning note from the conductor, she prepped herself, before the violins began to play, and she quickly entered the stage.

The dance was a flurry of legs, kicks, and turns. She was confident, strong and deliberate in her placement and movements. Every step had a purpose, and every face she gave the men watching her was full of intent. She held her movements for just as long as choreographically possible, emphasizing the sheer talent and control she needed to make this variation successful.

The thing she loved about Esmeralda's dance was that she could be as sexy as she wanted, while still maintaining the beauty that was so characteristic of ballet. It was one of her favorite variations, and she would do it a million times over if they asked it of her.

As her final run came, she finished with a final leap and lowered pose. Standing gracefully after a moment, she bowed to the men, but instead of exiting the stage, she gave them another deeper bow after a moment. Approaching the front, she thanked the maestro for his time, and he nodded back, taking his leave to work some more with the other girls who were practicing for their shows that evening.

"So... what did you think?" she said, her regular carefree smile returning to her face as she addressed both Leo and Caius. She was almost radiating with confidence, clearly happy with her own performance. "I can do all sorts of styles," she began, directing her words more so toward Caius. "Pointe, contemporary, hip hop, lyrical, tap... You name it, I can dance it. And not just dance it, but dance it well." Her hands found their way to her hips, and she placed them their gently as she awaited an answer from her employer - or, at least, who she hoped would still be her employer when all was said and done. She really wanted the job, and even though it had a catch that was totally unique and totally terrifying at the same time, she couldn't pass up the opportunity.

The gravity of the situation was just beginning to sink into her skin, and she could feel a bead of sweat run down the back of her neck, a mix between exercise and adrenaline, and also the nervous feeling she knew was about to rear its head if she didn't hear something from Caius soon. All she wanted to hear was that she was in - that she was what they were looking for.