Time of Your Life ((Evander))

[nightmare]

There’s a time to pray, and there’s a time to fight
Anything can be a weapon if you’re holding it right
Defend what is yours, they will not take our souls

“I tol’ yeh, the shop’s closed now. I en’t paying yeh overtime,” Zan growled good-naturedly at one of her employees. It was a girl, Emma, who had taken to her job with an enthusiasm that was unmatched, except maybe by Zan herself. However, that usually meant that she wanted to stay at the pet store longer than she was needed. Zan needed that time to either unwind, or talk to Evander, and neither could be done with the girl chattering away like a babbling brook.

“Fine,” the girl pouted, taking off her work apron and neatly hanging it up. “I bet you just want me gone so you can see your vampire,” she added as a last taunt, before disappearing out the door with a giggle. Zan considered giving chase, but decided against it. After all, she was right; Evander would be here soon. Ignoring the flip-flop her stomach made at the thought, she made her way to the back room to change. It was a muggy, hot night, and she had impulsively decided to wear a dress. It wasn’t something she did often, but it wouldn’t hurt. Besides, she didn’t want to go out an about in her work clothes: a stained flannel shirt, and old ripped jeans. She quickly changed into the blue summer dress, strapping on her sandals as she hopped back out to the front of the store.

Even though she wasn’t supposed to be working, Zan still found herself bustling around the store. There were cages to clean, tanks to wash, supplies to stack. Most of them were things her employees could do, though some, like tending the Ashwinder eggs, required special care. As usual, El Diablo followed her like a shadow, put out by the soon arrival of the vampire.

TAG ! Evander!
LYRICS ! Save Our City by Ludo
OUTFIT ! Clicky!
NOTES ! **dies from the lame-ness** sorry, please don’t kill me!!!!!!

[EVANDER CHARLES CROSS!]

_{i can't feel my senses i just feel the cold}

[/font][/i][/color][/sub]
( ALL COLORS SEEM TO )[/b][/font][/color]
^{fade away i can't reach my soul}[/font][/size][/sup]
[/center][/color]

<sub>Dressed in a black shirt, matching jean jacket, and black jeans one might say the Vampire looked especially frozen tonight. His skin shone in the moonlight, and though he had in fact drained two cows before coming to the pet store he still had an eerie, milky glow about him. His cheeks were rosy from what most would assume was the crisp night air, if they didn't know of his deathly state, and his hair was slightly ruffled. He was wearing cowboy boots, which suited the outfit quite well. All in all, Evander looked more rugged than anything tonight. It was a nice rugged, though- the kind that made most women swoon. No matter what he wore Evander had that effect, he was after all made built to be perfectly attactive. It was just how Vampires were.

Of course this didn't mean everybody was attracted, it just meant a good part of the population was. There were those odd ones out, including pretty much all Werewolves. He shuddered at the thought, the large salivating beasts causing nothing but havoc and chaos when it was 'that time of the month.' Cracking a smile, his perfect rosy lips curved gently, Evander picked up his pace. Werewolves and Vampires were blood enemies. Some did get along, but it was incredibly rare. He liked to compare them like some compared dogs and cats. Werewolves were like dogs, for obvious reasons, with their transformations and serrated teeth. They were graceless, demanding, and messy in every way. Vampires, however, had class and grace. They didn't fight physically, normally at least. Instead they solved matters by turning situations to their advantege, manipulating others around them, and eventually getting back at others through many methods, most including various forms of backstabbing.

He was silent as he walked briskly across the cobblestones, the bottoms of his boots coated in velvet to ensure this silent approach. It was almost impossible to see the velvet unless you looked directly at the soles of his feet, so the look of the boots weren't marred in any way. Evander normally would dress in a more classy manner, but he thought casual suited the event. After all, Zan was not special to him. At all. He'd had to convince himself of this many times, after spying flowers and thinking how beautiful they would look in her hair, or nearly imagining how her blood would taste in his mouth, how sweet ... Stopping short, Evander grit his teeth and moved his hand to his mouth, sliding a finger down one of his unsheathed fangs.

Vampires had the ability to retract their fangs, so they would be just as long as their other teeth. They would still look sharp as hell and dangerous, even more so because the needle thin points were the only part visible, but they were out of the way. His canine teeth had somehow found their way out of his gums, though, when he thought of Zan. He knew he should have feed off a human source as well as an animal. That was the thing with feeding off of a beast- they tasted disgusting, not enough of the nutrients humans had nor the right balance of chemicals, and they acted like salt water did to mortals. It solved your thirst for a few moments, but in the long run it really just dehydrated you more than you had been in the first place. Ah well, he'd just have to watch himself around her.

Evander did not like having to convince himself of a human's worth to him. He didn't not like feeling as though he'd lost control. Squeezing his eyes to slits, the Vampire stared towards the ground before him, trying to take his mind off of the situation. The moon spun white webs on the ground, cobblestones sparkling and dirt bathing in the rays. It was a beautiful, albeit chilly, night. The transition from summer to fall was becoming more and more evident. Grimacing as he turned the street onto Knockturn, Evander waited for the onslaught of poor impurities. They never came. Oh, that's right ... he mused mentally They know I'm a bloodsucker, and they also seem to know what's good for them.

After a few more turns and twists he found himself hesitating at the door of the pet store. Smiling slyly, he slipped in without making a sound. He stood for a minute, as if letting his eyes adjust. Really it was just a reflex he'd grown used to- his eyes were catlike and adjusted to the change in light as soon as it shifted. He just stood there squinting to make it look more human- after all his time, Evander knew mortals always felt more comfortable when you acted like they did.

"Zan?" He called out, his voice like velvet. Shit. he thought, realizing what he was naturally doing. It was thousands of years of evolution that caused a Vampire to go into a hunting mode whenever a potential blood source was around and they were hunting. His voice was irresistable, deadly, potent, beautiful. All at once. He knew that the tone would draw her in, if she felt any attraction to him. Ensnare her. It was what evolution had done- molded Vampires into the perfect hunting machines, the most deadly predator you could imagine with an increasingly stupid selection of prey.

"Are you here?" He called out in a more gruff manner, trying to hold back the hunting reflex. Perfect. All he had to do, though, was keep his pheromones to hmself and they'd be fine. That's all. He winced mentally, hoping he had the strength to do such a thing.</sub>

( WHAT'S HER FACE ) Zan<3
( COUNTING UP THE COSTS ) not available as of now
( INSPIRATIONAL THEME ) frozen - within temptation | 7 Days to the Wolves - Nightwish
( PASSING NOTES IN CLASS ) D: Stupid irresponsible Evander!

[nightmare]

There’s a time to pray, and there’s a time to fight
Anything can be a weapon if you’re holding it right
Defend what is yours, they will not take our souls

Zan soon allowed her mind to wander as she worked, refusing to let it rest on the fact that Evander would be here soon. He was a friend, one of the best Zan had had in a long time. And he was a vampire, which made him all that more interesting, though that wasn’t why Zan spent so much time with him. Ever since meeting him, Zan had been reading about vampires in her spare time. What she had found didn’t seem to fight Evander, as though it came more from the minds of men than actual fact. They were cunning, yes; he had told her so himself. But they weren’t mindless killing machines, who fed off anybody they came across. And they definitely weren’t the hideous creatures some sources claimed them to be.

Suddenly restless, Zan disappeared into her back room to organize some papers. As she did so, she would occasionally smooth down the hem of her dress, feeling slightly self-conscious even though she was alone. She didn’t know why she had decided to wear it, except that she couldn’t think of a reason not to. She definitely wasn’t dressing up for Evander. Nope, definitely not.

She didn’t even hear him enter, his approach so silent and smooth that it didn’t even cause the bell over the door to ring. She was still in the back, a sheaf of papers in her hand, when she heard him call out her name. All at once she stood up straight, craning her neck and taking a step towards the door. Her heart quickened, and the papers fell to the desk. She mentally slapped herself, trying to regain her control. He just startled you, that’s all, she told herself, taking a moment to neatly stack the papers on the desk.

He called out again, his voice slightly different than before. She turned slightly, before calling. “Back here! Don’t step on Di on your way over,” she added, her tone slightly teasing. El Diablo still wasn’t fond of Evander, and would often try to get in his way. Since he wasn’t with Zan, she assumed that he was lurking out in the store, waiting for a chance to attack.

TAG ! Evander!
LYRICS ! Save Our City by Ludo
OUTFIT ! Clicky!
NOTES ! Oh Zan XD

[EVANDER CHARLES CROSS!]

_{the sun isn't shining, but your eyes}

[/font][/i][/color][/sub]
( LIGHT MY WAY I'VE FOUND )[/b][/font][/color]
^{what i'm looking for my love won't go astray}[/font][/size][/sup]
[/center][/color]

<sub>Tugging at the bottom of his jacket, a gesture that showed just how uncomfortable the Vampire now was, Evander heard her drop the papers; could hear her heart quicken. His mouth grew both dry and filled with saliva at the same time, fangs elongating. Damn it to hell ... I should warn her to keep calm, but I don't want to scare her. He smacked his face to his palm, shaking his head. Well, it was too late to turn back now. He had to get this over with, and hope like hell he didn't royally screw himself, and this friendship, over. A hint of smile rounded his mouth upwards, Evander feeling his canine's just brush the top of his bottom lip. Looking at his reflection he realized just how bad of a mess this could be.

He was slightly flushed, his skin that peach colour that noted him as 'human' in others eyes. With his hair slightly ruffled, casual but rugged attire, and sharp feline looks he was perfection. The fangs just poking out of his mouth kind of ruined the image, however. Pheromones to yourself, Vampire, or you're in trouble. He grumbled to himself, too quiet for any ears but the sharpest in the store. With this, he began making his way to the back, drifting along gracefully. He attempted again to retract his fangs, but found it harder this time. After a moment he managed to force himself to calm down enough to allow them to slide upwards, but knew at any sort of excitement they'd be back out.

Evander slid into the room, wincing when he heard the cat, who certainly lived up to his name, hiss somewhere behind him. "Felines. Hmph." He muttered, closing the door to avoid the cat intruding. He'd had his leg clawed once by the animal, and avoided the devil ever since. Felines had never liked him, though. Evander knew it probably had to do with his Vampyrism, but still. Saphronza owned a cat. Why couldn't he get along with them as well as she did? He looked up at Zan and did a double take. A dress? He mused mentally, outwardly raising an eyebrow and cracking a smile. "Now, now Zan. I know it's always a special occasion when I come around, but there's no need to get dressed up." He purred. Shit. That wasn't supposed to be a purr. Or silky. Or any of those words that described what that was. He shreiked at himself mentally, gritting his teeth.

He walked a few feet forward, keeping adequate distance between them. It was probably a bit further than usual, but right now it was safe. And Evander needed safe. Glancing to the side, the Vampire spotted a chair and slid into it, leaning back and putting either elbow on an arm of the chair. One leg was bent towards him, the other out towards Zan. "How have you been, Zan? It's been a while since we last spoke." And by a while he meant a week and a half. For a Vampire that was nothing, but to a human he imagined it was a bit long. Saphronza had apparently decided he needed to go and take care of some business in another part of England, however, so he'd been sent off to do that and hadn't been able to see Zan.

All the while he coudln't help but look her up and down once more. She certainly did look bea- No. He scolded himself, dropping his head to the side and looking anywhere but at her, knowing that looking into her eyes would be a disaster and not wanting to seem like a right pervert, looking her up and down at every chance he got. He settled on a strange looking creature in a glass tank at the back of the office, his face set much in the way a dog's will when it see's something of interest, but doesn't know what it's looking at exactly. Cute, clueless, and slightly lost.</sub>

( WHAT'S HER FACE ) Zan<3
( COUNTING UP THE COSTS ) not available as of now
( INSPIRATIONAL THEME ) London Calling - the Clash | Abyss of your eyes - Stratovarius
( PASSING NOTES IN CLASS ) none :3

[nightmare]

There’s a time to pray, and there’s a time to fight
Anything can be a weapon if you’re holding it right
Defend what is yours, they will not take our souls

Zan tilted her head, examining the mess of papers on her desk. She really needed to be more organized, but she could rarely be bothered to file anything away. With a sigh, she continued ‘organizing,’ though it mostly consisted of her sweeping paper into various drawers, which were arbitrarily labeled, things like “Pet info” and “Not-sellable.” She would continue to refer to her back room as organized chaos.

The only sound that heralded Evander’s arrival was El Diablo’s hiss, followed by the scrabble of claws on hardwood as he danced around the vampire’s feed, claws unsheathed. Evander seemed smart enough to close the door, though the Kneazle howled for a moment or two afterwards. Zan shook her head slightly, than glanced up at Evander. Instantly she looked down, not wanting to be caught staring, which, if she had kept looking, she most definitely would have been doing. He looked…different. Not that he ever looked bad or anything, but now he seemed even more unearthly beautiful.

At his comment about her dress, Zan laughed, absently brushing a few strands of hair out of her face. “Who says it’s for yeh?” she replied, her tone teasing. She picked up a stack of papers wrapped in tape with “IMPORTANT” printed on the front in bold red letters, and carelessly tossed them in a drawer near her foot. “Don’ flatter yourself, love,” she added, looking up at him only to flash a cheeky grin. She drummed her fingers on the desk, fighting the urge to move closer to him. There was no reason that she wasn’t perfectly fine right here.

Evander gracefully sprawled onto a chair that was set near the door, and asked how she had been. She thought for a moment, trying to think if anything unusual had been happening. No, nothing. “I’ve been fine, same as usual,” she replied, shrugging her shoulders. “One o’ my other employees quit, and I got a new girl, Emma. She’s been driving me bonkers, but everything’s fine.” It had been a while since they had last spoke, and Zan had been keeping herself extra busy to keep from thinking about it. Her desk now held some semblance of cleanliness, which meant it was probably time to go back out to the store.

She was about to move towards the door and Evander to go back out to her store, when she saw him looking confused. She looked behind her shoulder to see what he was looking at. There were a few things in the back of her office, but the most obvious was her newest collection. It was in a tank full of clear blue saltwater, and the bottom was covered in shredded net. The creature itself was about the size of a basketball, and looked like a fish, maybe a bluefin tuna, except covered in large, silvery spines. “Oh, that’s Nasir,” she said casually, reluctantly turning away from Evander to go closer to the tank. As she did, the fish-thing moved closer to the glass of the tank, its eyes shining dark blue. “He’s a Shrake. Bugger got caught in a magic net, and couldn’t get out. I’m sending him off in a few weeks to go back to the ocean.” Almost absently, she reached behind the tank and pulled out a part of a net. She dropped in the tank, and Nasir became a blur, zipping around the netting until it was reduced to rope fragments. Zan laughed, shaking her head slightly. “Downright miserable he was, until I started giving him things to shred,” she said, staring at the Shrake to avoid staring at Evander instead.

TAG ! Evander!
LYRICS ! Save Our City by Ludo
OUTFIT ! Clicky!
NOTES ! Hey, look what I found! MUSE!

[EVANDER CHARLES CROSS!]

_{the sun isn't shining, but your eyes}

[/font][/i][/color][/sub]
( LIGHT MY WAY I'VE FOUND )[/b][/font][/color]
^{what i'm looking for my love won't go astray}[/font][/size][/sup]
[/center][/color]

<sub>He watched her walk over, muscles tightening slightly as if he were about to spring. He stayed where he was however, clamping his mouth shut and willing his fangs to stay put. Evander sat up straighter, however, and blinked as she explained the strange creature's place in the messy office. The Vampire had always been a stickler for neatness, and so when he eyeballed all the papers, to him in such disarray, sprawled across her desk Evander had to admit he was more than a bit irked. In fact it drove him crazy. One of these days he was going to come in while she was away and arrange the entire store, neaten things up. She'd most likely kill him, however, when she realized what had happened and couldn't find anything. He smiled at the thought. Perhaps the correct approach would be to ask her.

Frowning, Evander eyed the fish again. "Poor little thing. Probably lost his way," He grinned "Well, he won't do that, will he?" the Vampire mused at the end of the sentence, an afterthought. At least he hoped the creature had enough sense to stay away from nets of away type after this. "So, they shred things to keep happy?" Evander inquired, gathering himself and moving up wards in one smooth motion. Gently sliding over to her desk, he used a finger to brush one paper back into order, before turning. "You're desk is always such a mess ... " Trailing off, Evander walked over to her, standing by her side, facing the fish tank. He realized after a moment that he was probably standing closer than necessary, but he couldn't muster enough common sense to care. His throat burned with a new intensity.

Evander's fangs had slipped out, something he knew she probably wasn't used to. Looking surprised he raised a finger and touched one. "Oh good god ... " He grumbled, narrowing his eyes, creating a picture of broody perfection, "Sorry about my teeth, it's a sort of .. nervous reaction." He lied, though smoothly. Cringing mentally, though keeping his outward face smooth and calm, Evander realized that was one of the first times he'd lied to her. He was a Vampire, however, and that was what they did. To live, to survive, to get ahead in the world. They manipulated, back stabbed, and bluffed their way through nearly everything. Well, most anyway. The ones who wanted to get ahead did. There were just as many politics in the Vampire world as there were in the Wizarding and Muggle world.

He turned, looking as though he were about to say something, when another yowl sounded. Evander looked startled for a moment, before turning back to Zan. Then he did something he never had before; he reached out and touched her. Now, Evander had touched her before, but not like this. It was a gentle caress, the back of his fingers against her shoulder. "I think we'd better go back out to the front," he whispered, his voice holding that same velvet quality he'd been trying to work out of it, "Before that devil breaks down the door." After saying this, his eyes snapped away from hers, and he cleared his throat. So far, so good. Sure, he'd been using his Vampire quality to manipulate the situation, but it hadn't been so he could bite her. It was so they could go where the idiot cat could intervene should he get too ... friendly? Ugh. What a way to put it ... he grumbled, though he knew El Diablo would probably go off and kill rats once he'd supervised them for a few moments.

If anything, the two had a wary respect for one another, and it seemed Diablo could let them alone as long as he was able to watch them every now and then.</sub>

( WHAT'S HER FACE ) Zan<3
( COUNTING UP THE COSTS ) not available as of now
( INSPIRATIONAL THEME ) Beautiful Liar - Beyonce | So Far Away - Puddle Of Mud
( PASSING NOTES IN CLASS ) : D yay!

[nightmare]

There’s a time to pray, and there’s a time to fight
Anything can be a weapon if you’re holding it right
Defend what is yours, they will not take our souls

Most people seemed to expect that, being a business owner and all, Zan would be super organized. However, she was only ever organized with the animals: the front of the store was neatly labeled and packaged, as well as a pet store could be. However, her back room was absolutely chaotic. Zan had never found a reason to be neat; she was never trying to impress anybody. Things such as keeping up to code had fallen by the wayside in the bloodsnob’s world; they didn’t care if a store was a hold in the ground with a plank of wood over it, as long as the inhabitants were keeping out of the way.

Zan laughed, pleasantly surprised that Evander seemed so concerned about the Shrake. Most people brushed off her animal rescue stories as insignificant, though Zan rarely thought they were. The fact that the Shrake was an extremely magical creature made him even more important. “Indeed he did,” Zan remarked, bumping closed a drawer she had opened to drop a few files in with her hip. “He belongs in the Indian Ocean. Merlin knows what he was doin’ wandering around in the Atlantic.” She tilted her head, examining Nasir as he sniffed around the top of the tank, looking for something else to play with. “Nah, he’ll go right back to nets soon as he hits the water,” Zan replied, giving a rueful grin. “It’s what they were made for. Wizards created ‘em to keep Muggles out of the ocean. This guy just got confused, and tried to shred the wrong net. I s’pose it does keep him happy, though I wouldn’t’ really know.”

Zan was about to retort to the comment about her desk, but then Evander was right next to her, and she had to concentrate on breathing. She didn’t know what was going on; normally she could stand next to him just fine. Maybe it had to do with how different he seemed tonight. She cleared her throat, finally replying. “Not to me. Touch one paper on that desk, and I’m locking you in a room with Di,” she said, giving a teasing grin. She had figured that Evander was a bit more organized than her, but she was too stubborn to let him spread his neat-ness to her. Chances were, she’d be hopelessly confused if everything was where it was supposed to be.

She looked back up at Evander, and had to fight back the urge to step back. She had seen his fangs before, but it had been a while. He looked so dangerous…and yet, just as alluring, maybe even more so. Without thinking, Zan half raised her hand, though she didn’t know what she was going to do. Touch his teeth? Of course not, that was ridiculous. Instead, she asked, “What are yeh nervous about?” As far as she knew, this was just two friends meeting in a back room. Alone.

A yowl broke the conversation, and both parties looked towards the door. Zan stiffened, then relaxed as Evander…well, what did he do exactly? HE touched her shoulder, and spoke, and it felt like something inside Zan had melted. Without the expected question or complaint, Zan followed the vampire to the door, which she opened dreamily. As soon as she met El Diablo’s accusatory glare, she seemed to snap back to herself. “Oh Di, calm down,” she snapped, avoiding Evander’s endless gaze. “Fine, we’ll stay out here to keep yeh quiet.” She entered the main part of the store, taking a moment to turn on the lights with a tap of her wand on the power box on the wall.

TAG ! Evander!
LYRICS ! Save Our City by Ludo
OUTFIT ! Clicky!
NOTES ! Uh…nope! Nothing!

[EVANDER CHARLES CROSS!]

_{i can't feel my senses i just feel the cold}

[/font][/i][/color][/sub]
( ALL COLORS SEEM TO )[/b][/font][/color]
^{fade away i can't reach my soul}[/font][/size][/sup]
[/center][/color]

<sub>Following her, Evander felt relief descend upon his senses as they exited the room. Air circulation helped, as he wasn't being assaulted by her alluring scent, and there were other sounds out here to help take his mind off of her beating heart. Evander let one of his hands glide through the brown, now messy locks that marked the top of his head. That, truly, was a nervous habit he had. Draco tended to run his hands through his hair when he came into a situation he didn't seem to like, or in which couldn't be at peace with himself. Right now was definitely one of those situations.

He was closer behind her than was probably necessary, but Evander was allowing himself these liberties today it seemed. Normally he was able to control himself, and such impulses that made him feel ... human. This night, however, was different. Much different. Hearing her speak to the cat, Evander couldn't help but crack a smile. "Oh, he's just worried about you, and with just cause," His smile widened, "You know what they say about we Vampires ... " Raising an eyebrow, Evander stepped towards the cage with the carnivorous rabbits, hopping around like cute little things.

"Oh, these foolish little things ... " He mumbled, quickly stroking one's fur between the bars and tugging his finger out before it could give him a good nip. "They're doing well, are they?" Evander inquired, gesturing towards the rabbits. He had bought two from her, which were doing quite well in the basement of his home. Or rather the main part of the house, as a basement to a Vampire was considered the family living space as well as where the bedrooms were kept. Apparently they'd decided to keep their pets down in the dank, darkness with them as well.

Turning so that he faced her completely, Evander couldn't help but run his tongue over one of his fangs, in an absent minded manner. "That over-privileged snot bag hasn't been giving you anymore problems, has he?" Evander asked, his voice quiet than usual. The snot bag in question was Draco Malfoy, who had made it onto Evander's "most wanted" list when he decided to attack Zan and wreck the store. Evander had helped clean up afterwords as the place had been an absolute mess. He knew it was strange, but he felt a certain claim over Zan. As if he needed to protect her.</sub>

OOC - no IDEA what happened to my muse it went KABOOM!

[nightmare]

There’s a time to pray, and there’s a time to fight
Anything can be a weapon if you’re holding it right
Defend what is yours, they will not take our souls

Being out in the open space of her shop seemed to clear her head. The presence of El Diablo also calmed her down, much like the presence of a chaperone at a high school dance. The Kneazle entwined himself around Zan’s legs, glaring at Evander with glowing amber eyes. He was like the combination older brother and protective father that Zan was missing right now, and the thought made her smile slightly. “Shoo Di,” she scolded again, carefully stepping around him so she didn’t trip. “Leave Evander alone, love. He has yet to do anythin’ to make yeh so angry.”

Zan was still finding it a bit hard to concentrate, considering Evander was very close behind her. She couldn’t even hear him, but she knew, and it made her heart race again and the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. However, she ignored her reaction, instead continuing into her gloomy, half-lit store. She knew it so well, however, that she could probably navigate it blindfolded. She glanced behind her at Evander’s comment, laughing. “And what do they say about vampires?” she asked, half teasingly and half curiosity.

She saw Evander was heading for the carnivorous rabbits, a seemingly-soft spot for him. She still vividly remembered the first time she had sold them to him; it was, after all, their first meeting. She walked over and stood next to him, running her hands softly along the edges of the bars of the cage. The rabbits hopped over, sniffing her fingers inquisitively and occasionally yawning, showing their sharp teeth. “Very well, actually,” she replied, putting her fingers between the bars and tapping one of them on the nose. He snapped at her crossly, but she moved to quickly for him. She laughed, withdrawing her hand completely. “New litter, as a matter o’ fact. They don’ have names yet,” she added. “How are Slasher and Hel Hag?”

Zan looked back up at Evander, and felt a shiver run down her spine as she saw his fangs again. However, she refused to show any reaction; she didn’t want him to think she was scared. She wasn’t, not at all. He just looked different. She felt a scowl cross her face at the mention of the ‘snot bag,’ knowing he could only be talking about Malfoy. “Aye, he’s kept out o’ my way,” she replied, giving a grin that was more of a grimace. “Though that can’t last long.”

TAG ! Evander!
LYRICS ! Save Our City by Ludo
OUTFIT ! Clicky!
NOTES ! Nada. Oh, just pretending this is before the Malfoy incident, since we still haven’t finished that ^^

[EVANDER CHARLES CROSS!]

_{i can't feel my senses i just feel the cold}

[/font][/i][/color][/sub]
( ALL COLORS SEEM TO )[/b][/font][/color]
^{fade away i can't reach my soul}[/font][/size][/sup]
[/center][/color]

<sub>Evander could feel himself relax as they stepped into the larger area. More distractions, more noises, less ability to concentrate on her blood rushing through her veins, the sound of a healthy heart beating in her chest, the beautiful curve of neck exposed to him at the moment, the shoulder he wished he could reach out and touch . . . Bring her closer to him and put his lips to that stretch of silken skin. He blinked, and if Evander were human surely a blush would have surfaced under his pearly skin. Fortunately enough for the Vampire, he hadn't enough blood in him at the moment nor the ability to make it rise as he was dead. The burn at the back of his throat reminded him of the fact that it had been too long since he'd eaten. He really shouldn't have come tonight, or at least found a willing (or even unwilling, mind you, he'd done it before and it wasn't like the ecstasy during the bite wouldn't change their opinion) host to let him fill his stomach and make safe for Zan.

He didn't' know why he cared so much. He shouldn't have. After all, she was a human. Humans didn't matter- they were livestock, the crop harvested for both pleasure and feeding. That was it. There was no emotions he could mix in with a relationship he had, if there was a mortal on the other end of it. He couldn't allow himself to put his guard down even for a second. That was how even the most successful Vampires were eventually brought down and slayed in the end. It was always their undoing, actions with humans that included any form of emotional attachment. It never came out to any good. You would sit there and watch your friend, or lover, die. A year passes like a blink of the eye to a Vampire, whereas a human feels the years pass in their bone. A young human who would fall in love with a Vampire could find refuge in their arms for only a few years time before the relationship would look queer to others. Vampires are, of course, things of beauty and in fact look for beauty physically in others. That Vampire would most likely end up breaking her heart by leaving her when he could no longer take her for face value.

Startled by this revelation, by this sudden twist in the plot, Evander's mouth opened but a sliver. He was afraid of loving her. He was afraid of opening up to Zan for fear that she would grow old and die and he would live on forever without her, frozen in his youth. His throat had begun throbbing in time with her heart, but Evander took little to no notice of this. It was a shock, that was for sure, and though his eyes were glassy and empty as marbles the emotions he was going through must have registered on his face somehow. Pulling back that veil he kept always available, Evander allowed himself to hide his emotion. In one second he'd shown thoughtfulness, shock, and almost horror, and now nothing. His smile was almost empty, devoid of the emotions and feelings raging inside of him. How could this be? He'd been dead for so long. These emotions . . . These things inside of him should have been dead as anything else. It was unnerving to feel such things come alive after having been laying dormant in him for so long. He thought he'd never be able to feel so deeply when he awoke from death, still in it's grasp but no longer staring it in the eye, instead staring eternity right in it's beautiful face.

Eternity might have had a beautiful face, but it's inner workings were just as damned and ugly as Evander's. Eternity was, in fact, like a Vampire. It sucked the life right from you if you were a mortal, and if you had died only to come back as a shell of who you were it instead sucked all feelings out of you. It left a cold, hard, empty container. The oldest Vampires alive were testimony to this- they were the true bearers of all that Eternity could wreak on you. It was no wonder that Saphronza was such a cold hard Bitch. She had nothing left to feel. Her lover was long lost, gone and dead for he'd made a fatal mistake and been staked through the heart then thrown to the licking rays of the sun, who's tongue had been none too gentle in stripping his body of it's skin. Evander had known that Vampire and seen what had happened when his body was recovered. It was a sight to be seen, and it had scared Evander to the point where he knew one emotion still present was fear and that he'd do well to respect the sun and all it's glory.

But this was all off track, and so Evander pulled his mind back to the present.

He creeped forward, cupping her cheek with his hand. He knew what he had to do, and he was not proud of himself for giving in to his darkest desires in the least. But he couldn't leave without biting her, he knew that much. His mind raced until he couldn't think anymore, and Evander leaned forward. "I'm sorry ... So sorry." He whispered against her lips before joining them to his. It was a quick kiss, chaste and to the point. In and instant he'd pressed his body to hers, in a comfortable, and very nearly sexual manner, before bearing his teeth and sliding them into her neck. His teeth were slid back into his mouth and he allowed the blood to pool on her skin, against his lips. The metallic, sweetness of it gently caressed his throat and he closed his eyes, moaning gently at the relief. It was like giving a man dying of thirst a glass of water. No more pain, no more urge. Just pure pleasure and relief. His right hand was tucked neatly against her face, thumb stroking her cheek. It was all sorts of wrong, that he was sure of, but he couldn't stop. He just couldn't bring himself to pull away from her.</sub>

( WHAT'S HER FACE ) Zan<3
( COUNTING UP THE COSTS ) not available as of now
( INSPIRATIONAL THEME ) Saints of Los Angeles - Motley Crue
( PASSING NOTES IN CLASS ) P: Well that was fun to write XD

[nightmare]

There’s a time to pray, and there’s a time to fight
Anything can be a weapon if you’re holding it right
Defend what is yours, they will not take our souls

Zan had no idea why, but she knew that tonight was different. Call it animal instinct, observation, whatever. Something was going on, different than their usual meetings. Normally, the two of them could (and would) talk for hours about anything, sitting comfortably in her back room with El Diablo staring at them suspiciously. This time…they hadn’t said much, but Zan almost didn’t want to. Talking would ruin whatever this was. She began to realize that this was how she felt at the very beginning, when she had first met Evander. Then, she had been paranoid and angry, too much so to fully appreciate the vampire.

Zan glanced up at Evander for a second, then had to do a double take. For a brief instant, his normally stoic expression was panicked, something she had never seen on the vampire. She frowned, taking a step towards him despite the prickle she felt going up her spine. Even after he covered the expression, it was different. More empty and expressionless, to the point that it was scary. “Evander, what’s wrong?” she asked, taking another step forward. Caution, Zan! her brain screamed at her, but her body ignored reason.

Zan could feel herself becoming less and less responsive to her own mind. All she could think of was the vampire. How interesting and beautiful he was, even when agitated. How intelligent he was, and how different he was than any of the human men Zan had ever met. How she often wished that he could come in during the day, so she could see him more. Normally she was able to stamp out these dangerous thoughts, but her mind felt loose and hazy, like she was in a fog.

Evander closed the gap between them, cupping her face in his hand. She knew there was something wrong; Evander rarely touched her, and especially not so tenderly. However, she couldn’t bring herself to move, or pull away. Instead, she half closed her eyes, leaning into Evander’s hand. No…something’s wrong… her brain told her sluggishly, but she was no longer listening.

She could hear him whispering something, but she wasn’t listening anymore. Then he kissed her, which was almost enough to bring her out of her haze. She could hear El Diablo’s furious howling, rubbing against her leg to get her attention. She ignored him, all her scant attention focused on the vampire. Zan leaned into Evander, not questioning the fact that his lips had moved from her own to her neck. Vampire, she had enough thought left to muse, but couldn’t do anything about it. She couldn’t even feel the bite, only the faint tingle of the blood trickling onto her skin. That feeling, plus the Kneazle’s increasingly frantic meowing, brought the slightest bit of sense to the woman.

“Evander,” she gasped, barely having enough energy to talk. She wanted so badly to relax, let herself fall into a stupor with no pain, only pleasure. “Don’t…” she murmured, before her eyes closed and her head rolled back. She was helpless, a feeling she would have despised if she was conscious enough to realize what exactly was going on.

TAG ! Evander!
LYRICS ! Save Our City by Ludo
OUTFIT ! Clicky!
NOTES ! OH MY GOONEY! He bit mah Zan! Silly Zan, not listening to her kitty cat!