DarkViciousVamp: ::Nich had roughly shaken herself out of seclusion for a period of time lengthy enough for her to "wander" her deliberate way to the nearest tavern, in hopes of some successful hunting, as it had been by far too long since she had last eaten anything. The occasional cannibalistic tendencies had only appeased the beastly hunger for so long, at the same instance, arousing, intensifying and refining that ever present thirst for mortal blood, as a double edged sword of sorts. Her appearance had grown dull, and simplistic really, a long sleeved sable button down silk shirt that appeared to have been cut for a man, as it straightened and cleaned up lines, concealed those delicate feminine curves quite well. The top three buttons were left undone, and collar flayed to the sides sporadically, revealing the angled protrusions of collar bones, and the slender and elegant pallid neck. Her hair was tucked back and up in a rather severe looking knot, all for the utility of keeping the silken strands out of her face, no attention having been paid to how unsightly the style might be. She was awash for any splash of color, the whole of her exuding a strictly black and white tone, apart from those depths of vermilion pupil less pools, which she was all but helpless to change, whether or not that was in fact, her wish. Something entirely unheard of, as far as Nichollette went, was next to be revealed. Instead of the usual skirt beneath which her svelte legs were at least moderately hidden, a pair of fitted leather pants existed instead. The look took nothing away from her air of being meticulously refined, as the way she carried herself, and her manner of speaking had not changed along with the clothes. She was immaculate and neat in appearance now, as opposed to luxurious and ornate, but things hadn't changed too terribly much. In tow, as always it seemed lately, was little Damian, now over a year old, and following along quietly behind "Aunt" Nich, as she eased the front door open and shot a fiery gaze around at all the potential dinners.. Damian was clad in attire highly similar to hers, only on a much smaller scale, tiny leather pants fitted about his little legs, and a black dress shirt, except his was buttoned to the collar, set off by a tiny silver tie. The both of them were void of footwear, and seemed to not be touching the ground at all, gliding over the floorboards rather, on bare, and highly pale immortal feet. A thick culmination of undulating shadows churned and danced about the both of them, licking up to the respective set of knees, as if begging their mistress, and little master, to return to the intangible darkness from whence they came. Nichollette haunted the doorway as that acute set of eyes took in detail enough for her to loosely define the species and approximate strength level of the gene filth infesting the tavern on this particular night.. and she sighed quietly, completely disgusted with the prospect of partaking any vitae from any such creatures, more acutely so in the case of Damian; she'd adopted a somewhat motherly role, and refused to allow him to drink anything but the highest quality blood. There was nothing here that would suit those standards, not by a long shot. She hoisted her little nephew up and sat in brooding silence, as far apart from anyone and anything else in the place, perched atop a stool at a moderately vacant section of the bar, employing petty magical skills to summon up a small glass of vitae for him to drink.. but simplistic spells were limited to her only being able to conjure a small amount of pure blood, not nearly enough for a full meal, not even for one so small as Damian, whose little hands, slimming a slight bit, that pleasant baby fat receding.. laced about the small cup and lifted it to his pale lips::

Jacen Silvermoon: ::Seated in the far corner of the bar, Jacen Silvermoon sat enshrouded in shadows. Having frequented the table since early evening, he had been present before the routine din of the late night began, and had been nothing more than a discreet shadow all along. The bustling mass of patrons had perhaps hidden him from her sight, but he had not missed her entrance. Nich, his fiancée, and as was the norm of late, little Damian in her care. A small thin smile spread across his face as he watched the duo move to the bar. How big Damian had gotten. Jacen could already see the resemblance of his father in the young toddler. Had it been so long since the last time he had seen the child? The idea seemed surprising. He shook his head in regret and then looked once more to his beloved. Almost instantly he noticed her change in dress. Was that his shirt she wore? He couldn’t tell from such a distance, but it looked familiar to him. Her hair pulled back behind her ears, she perhaps was lacking of what had been her normal, regal elegance, but she was by no means any less stunning. Her pale, undead skin, seemed even more pallid; her cheekbones seeming slightly more gaunt, but his breath was still taken from his lungs at the very sight of her. Obviously in a weaker state of being, that did nothing to change the feelings he felt for her. The yearning he had felt all this time from being away from her was nothing compared to the pangs of guilt, the desire to make it right once more, and the passion he felt for her now. The absence had been hard enough for him, but to lay eyes on her now, felt almost unbearable. How he had missed her. Since the pair had entered the bar, his focus had been nowhere else.:: Nich... ::He spoke her name softly under his breath, as though just hearing the name aloud helped ease his turmoil. He had to go to her now. He needed to lay eyes upon her up close, to speak to her, to hear her voice, to touch her. He had traveled all this way to find her, and having almost reached her cathedral, he had stopped here to refresh himself. Her unexpected appearance here only slightly changed things. No matter the fact that he still wore his riding gear, a brown, leather, deerskin vest, unbuttoned and hanging open to allow a more comfortable ride. His finely toned torso lay partially revealed, and the days of riding beneath the sun was obvious. His form, which he kept to trained perfection at all times, was now tanned to an almost golden bronze, which served to make his already bright eyes seem to sparkle even more with vitality. His legs were clothed in leather leggings, by far the most comfortable clothes to ride for days in a saddle in. It would have to do. He could wait no longer. To see her once more was all he needed to be pushed into action. Pushing his chair slowly away from the small table he occupied, he rose to his feet with painstaking slowness, his hands resting flat on the tabletop, his jade orbs all the while never deterring from his love. Too long....it had been too long. He would make up for that now. Things could be set right, and he was determined to try and make it happen. Stepping out of the security the shadows had provided him, he slowly pushed his way through the other occupants, his riding boots making hardly a sound that could be heard over the crowd. As if by unconscious reflex, his hand slid to the hilt of Joyeux, hanging faithfully on his right hip, as he pressed through the crowd with his free hand. The cool steel was ever the reassurance for him, something he needed much of as he drew closer and closer to her beauty. The thoughts began to race through his head now. Unsure of how this encounter would go, he could only speculate, something he did not enjoy doing. It was too late now though. He was already almost to her, only a small number of people separated them. He stopped dead in his tracks, unable to continue, as though his determined conviction had faltered and given way to a scared fear. Over the shoulders of the other patrons, he took her in beauty once more. Everything about her made him ache, made him yearn to be beside her, to hold her tightly in his arms and breath in deeply of her perfume. He needed her. His whispered her name under his breath once more, gaining strength from hearing it once more. No longer overcome with his paralyzing fear, he surged past the last few drunkards and stood only a few feet from her now. He was sure she would sense the presence of someone so near to her, and so he stood his ground and waited for her to turn.::

DarkViciousVamp: ::Damian continued to drink happily from his cup, little hands still tightly clasping the glass, though once he did lower it from his lips, pause in his greedy gulping, to turn and flash a bright, miniature, though dazzling smile up at his apparent benefactress, complete with the toddler's set of fangs, now stained red, bloodied from the snack. He postponed going back to his drink long enough to softly voice his content at the temperature of the liquid almost steaming in his glass, still with that innocent smile lighting up his fine features:: It's warm, Nichy.. Just like the cup was a vessel..::And with that he righted himself and began to drink again. Nichollette only paid him a reserved smile back, not being especially fond of any show of emotion in a place such as this, compounded in that sense when she was trying to hunt down someone to eat. Though pleased she certainly was with his retention of her having labored to teach him vampiric terms and customs.. as evidenced by his proper usage of "vessel", meaning a vessel of blood, typically a human.. his comment pointing out in his own childish way that the vitae was exactly at the temperature that it would have been, were he involved in an actual kiss, instead of drinking magically summoned blood from a shot glass in a bar. She'd purposely given it to him at a perfect 98.6 degrees, preferring that he stay accustomed to only having blood that was at least in semblance of a live kiss, which affected the temperature and consistency and flavor and a few other aspects. Nich was perhaps, giving too much attention to the little one, and not keeping herself alert to the other goings on in the tavern, her eyes focused on solely him, and from time to time one pallid spidery white fingered hand would absently smooth the incredibly fine hair about his head, now long, falling down in soft baby curls to well below his ears. He was most definitely his father's son, though they hadn't seen hide nor hair of each other in close to half a year by now. Damain had been safely in Nich's care and was completely oblivious to any troubles that had fallen on the well being of the other Nightshades, which is more likely than not, what all of the adults in his life would have wanted for the child. Engrossed in thoughts of Damian's uncertain future completely, the tall svelte figure of the vampiress was poised for rigid contemplation, and upon approach it would be made readily apparent that she was a good deal thinner than she had been regularly, her cheeks were in fact, more gaunt than ever they had been, lips strained they were so pallid and thin. Her face was starkly bare of any make up, not even the habitual rouge gloss was slathered across her lips, and the ghostly ivory of their nakedness washed out her perfect undead complexion infinitely more. Her eyes were outwardly on Damian but in actuality, turned inwards with her ponderings, and she was so deeply engulfed with the troubling thoughts that she didn't notice Jacen's presence in the bar, nor his slow approach, not the twice uttered soft whisper of her name, she didn't realize anyone was there at all until he'd halted the final time, and turning her head in feverish fury, having been caught off guard by someone she had yet to realize the identity of, a guttural growl accompanied by vicious visage was how Jacen was "greeted".. and all of that melted away just as suddenly when she finally took into consideration who it was who'd surprised her.. a gasp, widened eyes, and mouth dropped open, in a complete and utter lack of tact and manners.. but the shock seemed to steal all semblance of refinement away from the vampiress. She closed her mouth slowly after a few moments that seemed never to pass, and opened it again, trying to force a word, but nothing would come out, so she clamped it shut again, slowly bringing her right hand to cup about her soft naked lips as one tiny bloodied tear leaked from her eye and trickled down to stain her cheek::

Jacen Silvermoon: ::Never before had he seen Nich at such a loss of composure. Rarely did the vampiress let the image of calm, cool refinement drop, especially before so many. Such a display only further convinced him of how unexpected his appearance was to her. Jacen wanted to do nothing but to weep as well. His tears would be those of joy though. He had been away from her for so long, but not a day was spent without her in his thoughts. To see her now was so overwhelming to the mortal. His eyes watered at the mere sight of her, and his heart and soul ached to see her so overwhelmed. A thin smile spread across his features and he tried to sound as casually comfortable as he could, though his voice clearly conveyed the strain from all the emotions he felt.:: Hello my love. I....mis...::he struggled with what he was trying to say, silently cursing his words for getting in the way:: It does my heart well to see you again. It has been so long... ::Unable to keep his own emotions at bay any longer, a single teardrop trickled down his cheek before he took in a shaky breath, fiercely blinking back the rest. He never wanted to take his eyes away from her again, but he knew to continue gazing upon her would reduce him to nothing more than a bubbling mass of tears, something he did not wish to convey in such a place. So, with much effort, he tore his emerald orbs from her frail image and let them fall upon little Damian. The child appeared confused, his innocent mind likely unable to comprehend much of what was going on around him. His tiny eyes simply watched. Jacen smiled a warm hello to the lad.:: And hello again Damian. Do you remember me? It has been a while, I know, but hopefully that will all change now. ::His finger tingled at the mere remembrance of a particular evening with a particularly fussy, and teething, baby Damian. He chuckled at the memory and took a single step forward, to reach out and softly tousle the babe’s hair, and then smoothing it out once more as he looked upon the boy with a fond, almost distant look in his eyes. He turned his attention once more to the consuming factor of all his thoughts. There was so much he wanted to say to her, so much he needed to say, but he doubted he could properly do so at such an emotional reunion. No, now was probably not the time to go into it all. Perhaps when they had some time to themselves, things could be explained, as he was sure they needed to be. As all the thoughts went though his mind, Jacen realized that he had been staring at her all the while. His face taking on a little red as he blushed slightly, he stammered out the first thing to mind, breaking the silence.:: I didn’t expect to see you here. I figured I’d find you within your walls. ::He broke off, wondering where he had been trying to go with that. He was so overtaken by such a variety of emotions, he couldn’t even seem to get anything out right. He hoped she wouldn’t see his nervous awkwardness as he smiled shakily once more and shrugged, his voice lowering:: I am glad you are here though. I’ve missed you so much... ::He shook his head in regret as he thought upon it all.:: God...how long has it been? ::The answer to him was simple: too long, but actual time? He had lost track as all his days away from her blended into nothing more than a senseless daze, where he merely drifted through life. With Nich in his sight once more, the world felt right to him once more and he could do nothing but take in her beauty as the rest of the bar’s occupants, and all it’s sounds became tuned out. Unable to resist touching her any longer, he risked the pain her rejection would bring him and took a step to her, reaching out slowly with one hand to softly brush a strand of her ravenous mane, twirling it lovingly through his fingers as he tucked it behind her ear.::

DarkViciousVamp: ::The loss of composure was relatively limited, as of yet, and truth be told she couldn't give a damn as to what the remainder of the bar's occupants would see or hear. They had all but literally melted away from existence, at the very least, her conscious awareness of them was fully spent. Keeping up public appearances for anyone in a situation such as the present one was utterly forgotten in the vampiress' list of intentions. She closed her eyes deliberately slowly, and with the action, milked a few more crimson tears from the haunted, misery ridden eyes. Upon opening them again she seemed to have somehow gotten a hold of a small amount of self possession, and for the time being, no further soft drippings of saline mingled with immortal vitae were to seep from those bloody pools. She took to scratching apart the underside of the bar counter with previously flawlessly finished sable nails, leaving deep gashes in the wood as well as bits chipped off of the ravaged nails themselves, while listening to his attempt at collected conversation. Her only rational desire throughout the entirety of it was simply to weep but she adamantly refused to for as long as her stubborn will would succeed in keeping the abhorred tears at bay. She had yet to take command of her voice, only managing a grief hindered pitiful whimper mixed with an almost animalistic whine before surrendering in her efforts again. Her heart ached to hear each successive word he spoke, but even as she prolonged the more humanistic sense of self to remain in control, she felt herself slipping away, bit by bit. The woman tensed, the whole of her toned immortal musculature tightening and clenching with such severity that she gave all impressions of having gone completely blind, unseeing and oblivious to all whilst the beast, aroused at her weakened emotional state coupled with the prospect of what was still the most exquisite quality and flavor of any mortal's life that she'd taken of throughout all of her vampiric days, ever since her becoming. The hunger raged, never had her senses been more aware than they were in those torturous moments of exactly the succulence and unbridled sweetness that had chanced to pass over thin lips, trickle down delicate unliving throat and seep throughout the veins of that vampiric system, the very vessel of the delicacy standing so close by. She could recall everything down to the very finest detail of each and every kiss, the unrivaled decadence of those past experiences were her only thoughts, and all she could sense. The riddle was not on her mind but surely loomed over their proverbial heads as she came back to her senses once more, though in this instance the pain she'd exuded while allowing her distraught emotions to reign was replaced with a ravaged, fiery look; certainly there was no clearer nor more horribly fascinating illustration of what all vampiric creatures existed as in their purest, simultaneously, their very darkest moments.. "Monsters we are, lest monsters we become".. the side she usually kept encumbered and locked away deep beneath the surface had taken over, for she had starved herself to the point of no return, and the greater evil, the crueler monster, was evidenced before him. Perhaps now was the first time he would ever realize just how radically different he was from the creature to whom he was affianced. A Nichollette possessed, one might compare it with.. but she was possessed with something that she would never be rid of until that taste of final death would come, and eternal unlife would surrender to eternal sleep. The voice was still smooth and sultry, hypnotic, alluring, compelling, melodious.. though now it held devious undertones and masked evil intentions. It was all she could do not to clasp the golden wrist in between each pair of elongated canine teeth while his hand had strayed so near to her, unknowingly teasing in it's approach for with it came the undeniable scent that each member of the Kindred was quick to pick up with the abominably acute sense which sought out pure perfect blood:: You stare as if you'd forgotten completely the once familiar face, Jacen. Do I seem that different now? ::Such calm words emanating up from a creature who churned and seethed inwardly with a drive utterly impossible to resist. She'd become helpless slave to that curse of her existence, but would he pick up on the subtle differences in time to prepare himself for what was undoubtedly soon to come..? Little Damian had remained silent throughout, though the eyes eerily innocent in spite of all their unusual qualities had widened, the boy himself sombered and in awe, not having ever seen “Nichy” with that look in her eyes, nor heard that frightful tone::

Jacen Silvermoon: ::Damian was not the only one to notice the abnormal behavior in the normally refined vampiress. No matter how long they had been separated, Jacen knew Nich, and of course such a change of character wasn’t beyond his attention. He saw the look in her eyes. He heard the tone, yet he refused to admit as much, even to himself. It was as though he was not allowing himself to see the changes in her. Not yet anyway. He had spent so long obsessing over this moment, acting it out in his head so many times, in truth, he had not fully been prepared to see her seemingly so different. Perhaps it was his defense mechanism, but it was as though he now refused to see any change in her. As though to do so, would confess something deep that would than cast her away from him for all eternity. His mind reeled from the thought she prompted. He hadn’t meant it to be taken that way. He shook his head quickly, his sparkling emerald eyes conveyed a look of apology.:: No, you misunderstand. I’ve seen nothing these past months but your image. I could never forget your face. That doesn’t make it any less sweeter to finally lay eyes upon you again. ::Years of constant battles, long journeys down treacherous roads, hundreds of fights to the death, did not leave one without a sixth sense of pending danger. Jacen knew to be at guard, he could feel it within him, like he always did whenever there was a serious risk. Yet he refused to act on that feeling. He should’ve gone on guard, at least bringing a hand within easy grasping of his blade, but he did nothing. He knew, full well, that the only occupant in this bar that could possibly be a serious risk to him, was Nich herself, and he was not about to allow himself to succumb to the thought that she would harm him. He had used her for his motivation for countless struggles where his very life was almost taken. He had survived wounds that many thought impossible to heal from, solely through his determination to once again see his beloved someday. To then raise arms against her, even in self defense, on that day, on any day, was something he refused to do. If she meant him harm, she would meet no resistance. He had fought too hard to come to this point, and now refused to even take one step away from her. So, he ignored the urgent warning his body conveyed, not an easy feat for a warrior, and continued to stand before her. His hands were clasped together before him, his fingers absently tracing over the contours of the band he wore on his ring finger.:: I’m sorry if I startle you with such intensity. I’ve just missed you so much. Apparently to the point where I’m unable to even say much else. ::He offered a meek shrug as though in apology.:: Nich, I have always loved you more than all else, and it just does me good to see you again. ::His voice lowered to that of a soft whisper, as though he was ashamed to even have to speak these words.:: I just wish you would say the same... ::He would even settle for less.:: Or, at least, something....

DarkViciousVamp: ::Time softened, smooth sable leather licked across it's counterpart as she uncrossed one lengthy leg from it's calm perch atop the other, sumptuously muscled immortal flesh a delicate balance between tensed and at ease.. she was ready to spring at any moment, leaning forward faintly as the leg now free of it's duty of holding the other aloft, moved to set the ball of that bare pale foot up against the non descript wooden surface of the bar. She was prepared to launch herself forward ever so much more now, each hand having come away from the underside of the counter, leaving it looking as if some crazed wild beast had clawed mercilessly at the surface as if it pictured the face of a much despised foe, instead of the simplistic, poor grain of the pine. The torn and utterly ruined nails summoned a few thick spots of dark blood as they eased across the vulnerable flesh of the opposite wrist, after having traced down each arm and left tiny tears in the silk, and then alit softly on each of her knees. Nich, was not without her demons.. though she hid it almost perfectly, even one so strong willed as she was unable of keeping the beast subdued and submissive for a period of time as long as that which had been stretching out.. she hadn't eaten enough to whet the ravenous appetite for blood in a hundred years, easily.. having calmed substantially from her earlier habits of draining her victim completely without remorse or second thought each time she'd fed as a "fledgling". It was a scenario somewhat comparable to a split in one's personalities, though she wasn't under the influence of any mental delusions. Her mind was quite healthy apart from it's current state of slave to the insatiable hunger which had taken over and shoved the gentler vampiress, her humanistic side, out of the way. Gone was any sense of compassion, pity, mercy, indeed every other emotion, motive and drive had been proverbially extinguished, snuffed out by the overwhelming need, yearn, scream tearing into and demanding complete obedience from every capacity and niche of her being that she indulge herself, feast without regard for anything other than the much missed, all consuming ecstasy that held her in rapture while she fed unhindered by conscience. Her abnormally calm eyes flit slowly, ever so slowly over his neck while he spoke, stealthy senses picking up the sounds too faint for any mortal to detect from such a distance, sights too soft to be spotted by ordinary eyes.. the blood softly pulsing in an intoxicating rhythm, tiny bulges that accompanied each rush of blood through the veins nestled beneath the bronzed skin of his neck. A maniacal quiet laughter started in her mind when she registered all he was saying.. this Nich cared nothing for apologies, found no virtue in any particular visage, took no comfort nor discomfort from any such sight. Love was gone, heartache was gone, the loneliness, misery, despair she'd suffered all of those months alone in his absence, all gone, dashed utterly away by the omnipresent desire for blood. It was a sheer lust for it that was evidenced in the morbidly inviting tone, dangerously tantalizing gaze that shone, gracing away from his neck finally to meet and hold his own intently. She spoke softly, whispering an enchantment of an ancient magic of the blood, words so fluid and surreal and commanding they served to hold the listener in a trance. After the incantation the enchantment became one of simpler temptation, she abandoned the Kindred French for comparatively base English, beginning to coax and plead, almost.. a deceivingly sweet smile tugging apart those pale lips even as they formed the words which had double meaning, flashing the fangs, brilliant and gleaming, fully extended, in impatient wait. If that was not a huge warning of the immediate danger, then there could be no hope:: I've missed you, more than you know Jacen... ::Even Damian had not failed to pick up on what was going on, little hands having set the empty cup carefully down on the bar and then settled into his lap, after which point he sat, unmoving, never fidgeting, his eyes affixed, riveted to watching every motion taken, drinking in every word spoken, by the huntress and her prey::

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