"The Situation" ((Laures))

[aiden]

The sound of a motorcycle engine echoed through the alley as a small figure tuned into it, making a sharp corner and bringing the sleek black Suzuki to a halt. She kicked out the kickstand and slid off the bike, flashing a whole lot of fishnet-covered leg as she straightened to a standing position. Sliding off her helmet, a short crop of blonde hair fell down to the female's chin and she shook her head to straighten it out. She set the helmet on the seat of her motorcycle, looked around the alley to the street across for it, and smirked. A club, how perfect.

Eve was out to 'check out the situation' as her dear brother would have put it. Which she was sure to him meant, 'see if there's anyone worth fucking with in this city and let me know.' She smirked as she entered the club and the heavy pulse of bass entered her senses. There were a lot of people in this particular club, which she supposed was good. She could tell instantly that not all of them were human. There were smells of something like her... but different. As Eve made her way out to dance and see who she could reel in, she kept her bright orange eyes peeled for the source of the strangely familiar, but slightly off, scent. The hair on the back of her neck was standing up, but she pretended to ignore it. Maybe something interesting would happen.

Eve watched for eyes that were off color, that was usually a sign of a were who spent too much time in animal form. Or someone that seemed apart from the crowd, even though they were in it. This was her least favorite part of coming to a new city with her brother. Eve would dress up and go out to get whatever Gabriel wanted. Tonight she was in her favorite clothes for the job, short leather shorts, fishnet stockings, and a leather halter top that left her midriff bare. She was the very definition of seduction as she pulsed her body to the music, but her head was not lost to the sound of the club. She was on the hunt tonight.

[johnnyrayflo]

Dark eyes swept over the crowd and a satisfied smirk spread over Laures´ face. It was far from what you´d call a ´slow night´ at the club, which suited him just fine. After all, customers meant money and money meant keeping the club open. The way things were going so far, he didn´t have to worry about a thing, since the club was full most nights. He knew, since he regularly came to check how things were going when he had no other urgent business to attend to. Tonight was one of the nights he had to himself, no pard business and no other obligations, so it was a perfect night to come to the club, check if everything was as it should be and, most importantly, have some fun.

Coming down the stairs from the raised inner balcony from which he´d been observing the crowd, Laures noted that he should hire a few more waiters since the ones already working at the club had their hands full on busy nights like this one and could probably use some help. He´d first ask if which of the lions needed a job, that way he´d not only have new waiters but would also help out some of the other members of the pard. Otherwise, he´d just look elsewhere. His thoughts of business were cut short when he caught the scent of another were. There were often at least a few hanging around at the club and some of the waiters were were-animals, but the particular scent was unfamiliar. Stopping seemingly in a casual way, Laures scanned the crowd as if he was only taking in the faces and looking for a familiar one. But what he was really doing was searching for the unfamiliar were. Inhaling deeply, he breathed in more of the scent to help him locate the person it belonged to. It smelled like a cat of a kind… not lion but maybe leopard. There were leopards around, but one could usually identify an individual through the other scents mixed with smell of cat. The particular combination he was sensing was unfamiliar so it had to be someone new.

It took some time since there were so many different scents from so many people hanging in the air, but eventually he thought he´d found the unfamiliar leopard. Eyes locking on the figure of the woman, Laures slowly moved towards her, dancing his way through the crown on the dance floor more than actually walking. Since he had no intention of threatening her, he stopped coming closer with some people still between them. Once he caught sight of her eyes there was no more doubt of what she was. Humans might mistake the colour of her eyes for coloured contact lenses, but that certainly wasn´t what they were. Unlike her, Laures´ eyes were a dark brown, unaffected by his transformations since he´d never spend enough time as a lion for them to keep the colour. By just looking at him it was impossible to tell what he was, but another were would catch the slight scent of lion that was always there, no matter how often one showered or what one tried to cower it up with.

When she was looking at him, he let his eyes shift colour to the light amber of his lion form for just a moment, confirming what he was and showing her at the same that he knew what she was; flashing a sexy smirk as he did it. Humans would take it as a trick of light if one happened to catch the brief shift of colour, but they wouldn´t suspect a thing. Hunters… might but he´d done nothing to deserve being hunter so far. There was also a hidden warning to her in the small gesture, the club was his territory and demanded that to be respected, since he wouldn´t allow anyone to make trouble here, no matter if human or not. Besides, it was far less corny than going up to her and saying ´I know what you are´.

[aiden]

Eve caught the scent closer than ever as she turned her body while she danced. Her eyes locked with a man a few feet away and she watched with a focus that was vacant on the other dancer's faces as he showed her what he was. The silent communication was enough for Eve to know that she had found the were-creature she had sensed. She still couldn't place the particular brand of feline that he was, but she knew with his glance that he was powerful.

Eve, being the defiant woman that she was, smirked slightly, still keeping eye contact with the man, her canines slightly pointed. She never stopped dancing, but she was moving her body differently now. Her hips rotated slower, in a more fluid motion than before. She figured it was time to reel this cat in and see what was going on in this part of town. This was her first try, and if it didn't work she would have to get more creative. Not that that would be a problem. Eve had had years of practice in making males want her, forced upon her or not, it had turned out to be a useful skill in the past few years. She kept the smirk on her face as she moved, and raised an eyebrow slightly, waiting for a response from the man. She wanted him to take the bait.

[johnnyrayflo]

The change in the way she danced didn´t go unnoticed by Laures and brought the smirk back to his lips. She might be new here, but she certainly wasn´t shy. All she was doing now radiated sexuality and the clothes she was wearing didn´t help to dim it in any way; quite the contrary. He´d been wondering how long it would take tonight to find someone who´d catch his interest and spark his curiosity and now he had the answer twisting her body erotically just a few feet away. Unable to resist wanting to get a better look, since a few people were still between them, Laures slid past them with a feline grace that most big cat were-animals had.

A low purr that was lost in the loud music sounded from deep in his throat as he now had the full picture. Very nice indeed… He´d seen and had quite a few beauties but this woman´s style made him even more interested than he´d usually be. If he wasn´t as confident as he was, he might have actually backed down and let someone else try their luck since her style was almost aggressive in a way. Instead he moved his body to the music, not trying to mirror her movements or adapt to her style; instead using his own style though the movements corresponded to her like answers to questions. Laures wasn´t the type to just stare and drool, but wanted to make her show more of what she could do, before he´d show his full interest in her. What fun would it be if it wasn´t challenging? He wasn´t dressed as flashy as she was, having opted for dark jeans that clung to his body in all the right places and a form fitting, white sleeveless top [the ever present bracelet on his wrist, of course], but he could show off what he had in anything so it didn´t matter.

[aiden]

Eve felt a small rush of triumph as the man made his way over to her. But she knew she hadn't come close to winning this battle yet. She had his attention now though, and she was going to do whatever it took to get somethng out of him. She smiled more openly at him as she watched him watching her. It gave her satisfaction to see him looking at her and she knew he liked what he saw. She noticed his physical self more now that she could see his entire body. He had nice features, strong and masculine, and she wondered for only a second about what he would look like when he shifted.

There had been other pards of different types of were-cats out in Vegas, but Eve had not been allowed by her father to interact with them. And when her father had given her to members of other pards, he had blinded her senses first, jsut in case. This man's smell was still driving her crazy, Eve knew it was feline but she still couldn't place it. Concentration took over the expression on her face as she stared at him, wondering what he was underneath his skin. She moved closer to the stranger, closing her orange eyes for a moment and breathing in. He smelled like heat and dry air. Her eyes flashed open and she smirked again. She had an idea, but it was only a guess. She would save that for later though, she figured it was time to interact a little more. "I'm Eve." She said in a flirty, low pitched voice.

[johnnyrayflo]

Looking at her, he wasn´t surprised that she was a feline were-animal. It would be hard to imagine as anything else, it just wouldn´t fit. She was too graceful for a wolf and too dangerous for a swan. Maybe another feline would suit her just as well, but leopard seemed just perfect. Larues for a moment wondered how she looked when she shifted. Somehow he couldn´t imagine her having a spotted pattern; instead a black leopard came to mind. He could be wrong, of course, since there was no way of telling without actually seeing her shift, but it was just an association he got. He smirked again, slightly amused, when it was his turn to be checked out by her, since it certainly didn´t go unnoticed by him though he was quite used to it.

The change in her facial expression made Laures curious since she went from smirking to a concentrated expression, like she was thinking hard about something. It made him wonder what was on her mind, but the smirk was already back the next moment. “Laures,” he answered as she introduced herself. ´Eve´ sounded nice and it was simple, which was quite welcome. Some women used nicknames that were ridiculously long or complicated just to be special and unique. Though she didn´t need to do that to get attention; she stood out enough as it was with that body and attitude. Even just her eyes would be enough to make one notice her, but all combined, one would have to be blind not to notice her. “Buy you a drink?” Laures offered. It was somewhat of a cliché but it the music wasn´t as loud at the bar, so they´d be able to talk. Though staying here and getting to see more of her dancing moves wouldn´t be bad either. Not bad at all.

[aiden]

Eve smiled a half smile when he introduced himself by name. "Laures, nice to meet you."She purred. Eve turned away, still dancing, at his offer to buy her a drink and trusted that he would follow her to the bar. Her motion changed from that of dancing, to something slightly more elegant than a walk as she went. The rythm of the music stayed in her body as she moved through the crowd.

Eve let her thoughts wander now to the man named Laures. He was powerfull not only in the way he felt, but the way he moved. It sparked Eve's attention and she wanted to see more of it. She ran her hands through her short blonde hair and imagined the things a man that looked and felt like him might like. She saw him as the easygoing type, someone that liked to mingle with people, but she could be wrong. Only one way to find out. When she got to the bar she slid into a seat and settled in a cat-like lounge. "Yes, you can buy me a drink. Vodka straight." She smiled for real this time, but there was still something mischevious in her eyes.. "And thank you."

[johnnyrayflo]

“The pleasure´s all mine,” Laures said, a slight grin tugging at his lips. As she turned around to leave the dance floor, Laures followed, appreciating the view from behind. After all, if such a nice chance presented itself, it had to be taken advantage of. Again he noted that now that he was paying attention, it was obvious that she was a feline were. None of the others could move quite the same way, neither could humans. Maybe a vampire would manage it, but those had a different scent and feel to them. Though the little fangs she had shown before did remind him slightly of a vampire; but he knew that it was just a side effect of spending too much time in her leopard form. He´d seen it before with other weres.

When Eve sat down, Laures took the stool next to hers and turned to look at her, nodding slightly as she told him what she wanted to drink. “Hey, Gus! Vodka for the lady and a scotch for me,” he called to the bartender as he came into hearing distance. “Here you go, boss,” the man said when he set the glasses in front of them shortly after. “Thanks and don´t call me boss,” Laures said with a sigh and a bit of an annoyed look. Laures was the owner of the place and all, but didn´t like to be called ´boss´; he much preferred just being called by his name. Gus gave an apologetic grin as answer and headed to take the next order, but not before curiously glancing at Eve. “I´ve never seen you around before. Did you just come to town or were you living somewhere on the other side of it?” he asked, now curious to find out bit more about the sexy feline sitting next to him.

[aiden]

Eve took a drink before setting it down and looking at Laures with a smirk. "Boss? So, I never would have guessed you owned the place." It was slightly surprising. When she thought of a club owner, Eve imagined some guy in a suit with a pimp cane and a glass of wine or something. Compared to that, he was a little on the normal side. But she supposed that was to her advantage. Normal people were easier to talk to. Not that she talked to many people at all.

Eve trailed the tips of her fingers around the rim of her glass, twitching her foot back and forth slowly almost like she would twitch her tail if she were in female form. "No, I'm not from around here at all actually." No need to tell him the reasons, at least not yet. "My brother and I just sort of travel around the country together. But I think I like it here." She glanced over at him with her orange eyes glowing from the reflection of the lights on the dance floor. She was being playful now. A little more relaxed. "So what about you Mr. Club Owner. How long have you lived here? Is it worth sticking around?"

[johnnyrayflo]

“Why not? Don´t I look serious enough to be able to run a club?” Laures asked with a slight smirk. People tended to be surprised when they found out that he was the owner of the club, though he wasn´t sure why exactly. Maybe they expected the owner to just sit around in an office at the back and do the paper work or something similar. He did have to do paperwork occasionally, especially around the time when the employees had to be paid, but otherwise, he much preferred to mingle with the customers. In a sense it was better if they didn´t know who he was, since then they honestly said what they thought about the place and he could change a thing or two to improve it.

Although Laures was giving the perfect impression of relaxed, his gaze didn´t stop shifting between her orange eyes and her body. “So formal suddenly?” he teased at the title she gave him “I´m no mister.” Lifting the glass, he took a sip instead of drinking it all at once. He wasn’t planning on getting drunk since there were much more interesting things to do. Besides the little lady looked alluring enough as it was, no alcohol was needed to improve her looks. “I moved here quite some years ago. I don´t know if you´d find anything worth sticking around, but I like it here.” He really did like it, there was always something going on, so it never got really boring. Besides, he had his obligations to the pard. Though if he really wanted to leave, no sense of responsibility would be able to hold him. “I suggest you get to know the city a little over the next few days and see for yourself if it strikes your fancy enough to stay.”

[aiden]

Eve moved her fingers off the rim of her glass and picked it up for another drink. She was very aware of his eyes constantly moving over her body and although it was slightly satisfying, it also reminded her of the past and she had to force herself not to slouch her shoulders and cringe into a smaller position. Eve had to remind herself every now and then that the past was over and she controlled her life now. There was nobody left alive that could come and get her, come and tie her up and force her into terrible things in the dark. Gabriel had made sure of that when they had left Vegas together. After her little mental check, she was back to herself and put her flirty smile back on.

“Hmm well….” Eve looked around at all the people in the club and back to Laures. “I’m sure there’s plenty around here for you to do just running this place. But I might have to explore a little.” Besides, she was sure her brother would have some opinion himself about staying for a while. They usually spent at least a few days in bigger cities. Or at least they had after they had gotten far enough away from Nevada. “Any suggestions about where to start?” She asked, setting her glass down on the bar and running a hand through her short hair to push it out of her eyes.

[johnnyrayflo]

Noticing the subtle change in her demeanour, Laures wondered what had caused the flirty smile to vanish and a slight tenseness to take over. It was like she was forcing herself to do something, or not to do it. Maybe she was just thinking…? It was hard to say. It made him wonder if she was really as sure of herself as she appeared to be or if it was just a mask of a kind. But the smile was back and Eve didn´t seem any different than before, so he dismissed it as maybe his imagination. Or he was simply exaggerating the meaning of the subtle changes he´d witnessed. She seemed all right, so there was probably nothing to worry about.

“Depends on what you like and what interests you,” Laures answered after thinking briefly and taking another sip of the scotch. There were quite a lot of places one could start at and a lot of thing to see, but it depended on each individual and what they actually wanted to see. “If you´d like I can play tour guide and show you around a little. I´m far less busy than you´d think,” he went on to offer, smirking slightly at the last part. There was no scheduled pard business and he didn´t need to be at the club all the time, so he sometimes had quite some time on his hands, occasionally more than he knew what to do with. “Mind me asking where you were before coming here?” It was just a casual question since he was quite curious about her, though his intention wasn´t to pry too deep into her life. While he spoke, his eyes stayed focused on her orange orbs that stood out even in the rather dimmed light.

[aiden]

Eve knew that it would be dangerous to tell Laures where she was from. Anyone that had know the alpha of the pard in Vegas would know that he had been slaughtered by his son and then the son and daughter had dissapeared. Not that they hadn't been chased by members of the Vegas pard and others that had supported him. No, that would be a bad thing to say, Eve decided. So she went with a true answer, but not exactly what he had probably wanted to know. "Well before we came here, we spent a while in Ohio, but that turned out to be really lame, so we moved on."

She brought the smile back into her eyes to make herself more appealing to Laures. "A guided tour of the city from the owner of a local hot spot, huh? Your job description keeps changing." She smirked and looked around the club before resting her eyes on his again. "Well I think I might take you up on that. A big city is always more fun to see if you go with someone that knows what the hell he's talking about." She finished her drink quickly and set the glass on the bar. "Lead the way, Mr. Club Owner."

[johnnyrayflo]

“If you end up finding it lame here… then I don´t really know any city you could go to and like,” Laures said as Eve told him about Ohio. After all, in New York, there was always something going on, whether it was something interesting in a good or bad sense. Excitement was something that the city hadn´t lacked for him since he´d moved into it. Quite the opposite; it could even get a bit much at times, but usually it was all welcome. At least one had no time to get bored.

“And that´s only half of it,” he said with a slight smirk as she remarked on his job description. After all, additionally he was also the second in command of the were-lion pard of the city. Also finishing off his drink, Laures got to his feet and nodded. “What kind of places would you like to see first? Somewhere where humans have fun? Places to live? Or places to hunt when your inner kitty wants to hunt?” he asked her, hushed enough for the humans not to hear, even though they wouldn´t have a clue what he really meant by it, as he lead the way to the back of the bar, since going out through the back door would be faster than making their way through the crowd and to the main entrance.

[aiden]

Eve followed behind Laures with a feminine sway to her hips, moving with the music a little as she walked. "Well I think I tend to get bored by things when other people are entertained or surprised. It's part of the whole traveling thing." In Eve's life she had litterally 'been there' and 'done that' on just about everything that could be done. "But I'm wiling to give this place a chance, at least."

Eve thought about where she wanted to go as she walked towards the back of the building. All she had seen of New York was on tv as she had grown up. That probably wasn't a great place to start so she shrugged. What would be a good place to see the interworkings of the city? Humans were too dull, so that was out, but maybe if they went to some good hunting grounds, they would find something interesting. "I want to see where you go when you feel like releasing your inner kitty." She said with a smirk.