What do you think you're doing? (Lorelai/Silks staff)

[Cinnamon Cherrywhip]

CC continued to approach the girl, letting her talk, but she didn't seem to want to make a move or do anything. In fact, she just sat there and closed her eyes after she'd fiished waffling on about being fine. It was ridiculous how calm this girl was, how composed, how unflappable, how.... infuriating. CC gritted her teeth together and lunged for the seated woman, one hand wrapping around her neck and then picking her up like she was nothing more than a kitten, dangling from her hand. She took the few steps between where she'd sat, over to the wall and then slammed her against it and growled animalistically.

"WHAT DO YOU NOT. *******. GET? We are NOT sweet and innocent creatures you can ******* study and watch from afar. We will rip you to shreds, drain you of everything and toss you aside like a piece of ******* trash!"

The girl was turning a bit of a funny colour, so CC let go of her neck and instead put both hands on her shoulders to shake her roughly, as if trying to shake some sense into her.

"Stop being so ******* naive! JESUS! You're not ready for any of this ****, and you can't ******* leave. You leave - I'm dead. They know I've let a human - a sorcerer - who knows about bastarding vampires go free, they'll ******* kill me! For ****'s SAKE! By our..... whatever the **** they are.... laws? I am supposed to kill you. But..... I can't!"

She frowned, shook the girl again and slammed her against the wall hard before letting go and storming off to pace the room as she thought about her options. How could she get the girl to see, without actually killing her? Then it came to her, and she knew what she could do.

"I have it. I'll ******* turn you. Make you a vampire too. Then you can leave, and you won't be in danger."

She beamed, so proud of herself for thinking of it. Though it totally missed her, that the woman wouldn't be able to be fed from anymore, and that she might lose that scent CC loved so much. Not to mention, her refusal to fight would drive CC insane in a childe of her own. She only wanted hard, strong and tough warriors with her name and blood - creations that would make her and Pru proud. Anything else - she'd kill and be done with. As DD had found out, as wel as her supposed 'siblings'.

[Lorelai]

She didn’t make a peep as she was hoisted out of the chair or as she was thrown to the wall, though she did press her palms to the flat surface as she tried to focus on anything aside from the fact that she couldn’t breathe. When she was nearing the point where human instinct would have kicked in and she would have been hard pushed not to have at least try to push CC away, she felt the grip about her neck loosen. As her shoulders were grabbed a hold of she opened her eyes and looked into CC’s a soft smile on her lips as she realised how pretty the woman’s eyes were; unusual and hypnotising.

Well if this is the last thing you will ever see…It could be worse.

“Please. No. I would never have to speak of this,” she whispered, her voice strained from where she’d been dangled from the neck. “I’m not here to report to anyone. I’m here to learn for myself. I never have to speak of anything. I do not wish to be a vampire CC. Please don’t make me one.”

She kept her eyes locked on CC’s. If she were turned she knew she would likely have to kill herself as she would have failed. She wanted to learn of the other supernatural beings in this world, not become them. As a vampire she would be forced to feed off others and she knew she could never do that.

I’d never be able to return home. I wonder how long it would take them to realise I was dead? Would anyone besides my family mourn me? Would Petal? Christoph? Lyle?

Her eyes took on a light sheen as a thin layer of water coated their surface before a single tear trickled from the corner of her eye as she slowly blinked to try and clear her vision and rid herself of her self-pity and sadness.

[Cinnamon Cherrywhip]

Her smile fell as she was again told no and a thunderous look crossed her face. Her arms lifted and folded over her chest and she just glared at the woman. How could she get her own way, before the woman pushed her too far and she ended up killing her. There was only so much she could take before she just lost it usually - and she was so proud of herself for managing to refrain from doing her too much harm already. However, enough was enough and she needed to get her own way. Now.

She reached deep within herself and accessed her powers, hitting the woman with both the feel good inspire and the persuasive pacifism. She'd used them before in conjunction and the person she'd tried it on had done as she'd asked because the mix of emotions it had caused within them. So again, she hoped that it would work a second time here and now. After giving it a moment to wash over the girl, to take hold of her and for the effect to be there, she turned on the charm and bottled the anger - she'd let that out later on some creature in the catacombs.

A sweet smile. A bat of her eyelashes. A soft sigh. She walked over with her hands hugging her own stomach until she reached the girl. One hand unwrapped and reached out to her, caressing her cheek and looking deep into her eyes. When she spoke, her voice was soft and seemed to drip with caramel, and she made sure that her tongue slipped through her lips every now and again to run over them in a tantalising manner.

"Lorelai.... dear one.... you have to realise. I do this out of concern for you. I know this city, it's inhabitants. You don't want to do any harm and I don't want to see any harm come to you. If you were to be injured - I would feel pain, to know that I'd failed you. And if you don't want to hurt anyone - think how I would hurt. Think how I would die if you were discovered poking where you shouldn't and asking questions where you shouldn't, and it was found out that I knew. You would have me hurt and dead for your own selfish needs and wants. Is that right? Is that fair?"

Her eyes dropped in the perfect act of someone telling the truth and feeling distress. Another deep sigh was drawn in and let out and she too managed to draw up a tear to her eyes as she looked back at Lorelai and wiped the tear she saw on the girl's cheek.

"I only want what's best for you. To see you safe. But if you would have me hurt, killed even - I can't stop you from leaving."

She sure as **** would stop her leaving if she tried it, that was for sure. But this was an act, a role she was playing. So, to seal the deal - she leant her head in to the girl's and then hovered her lips mere mms away from hers as she whispered and pleaded into her eyes.

"Please. Stay with me. Don't leave me!"

And then she closed the distance between their lips and kissed her softly and tenderly - hoping that would be the nail in the coffin of the girl's decision.

[Lorelai]

The sadness she’d held in her heart moments before seemed to be replaced with a deep-seated feeling of peace. Lorelai wasn’t the sort to be off balance so the feeling seemed natural even if it was a little out of place timing wise. The female was pleading with her to stay and once more let her know that her own life would be in jeopardy if Lorelai was discovered by another of her kind. A part of her didn’t believe that but she couldn’t help but consider it to be the truth. CC was so tender, so sweet, she couldn’t be lying to her.

Lorelai soon found herself practically holding her breath in anticipation. CC was so close to her lips and she couldn’t seem to concentrate on anything but the thought of their meeting. It was insane. She didn’t even know this woman. She didn’t feel in control of her feelings and her heart thundered in her chest. It was so loud that she could no longer hear anything that was going on outside of the office; she could barely even hear CC’s whispered pleas before the woman closed the final few millimetres between their lips.

This time Lorelai was completely receptive to CC’s advances and found herself wanting, or rather needing to kiss her back. Her arms wrapped around the woman that she was only now realising was just a little shorter than she was, one hand settling in the small of her back while the other moved to caress her cheek with her thumb.

“If you want me to stay…I’ll stay,” she found herself replying, the words taking her by surprised, her lips only just having left CC’s so that she could form them.

She knew where she was and that she couldn’t stay but in that moment she had no desire to be anywhere else. Lorelai couldn’t understand her own actions but didn’t care enough to delve any deeper in order to figure them out. When the effects of the power wore off she’d likely feel used and betrayed by the woman, but in that moment she was completely under CC’s spell. The hand that caressed her face moved to stroke her hair, the texture unusual to her delicate skin but not unpleasantly so.

[Cinnamon Cherrywhip]

CC grinned and rolled her head against the woman's touch, so pleased that she'd decided to stay. She hadn't known if the powers would work on a sorcerer, or how they would affect her. But from the reaction she'd just gotten, it seemed they'd worked perfectly. She wriggled happily against the woman and felt the stress and anger running out and dissipating. The girl was safe for tonight, and hopefully CC would be able to talk to her and make sure she actually got that it wasn't safe in the city for her to go running around alone. She sighed happily and with relief, and then picked the girl up into her arm and headed out of the office. Being a vampire had its perks as she could lift the girl up in one arm and leave the other free to open doors and such. So it wasn't long, and there was no faffing, until she was in her private room, with the door locked.

Gently, she set the girl down on the sofa and then headed for the drinks fridge to mix something up. She poured herself a champagne, ignoring the blood - because nothing could compare to what she'd tasted earlier - and then poured 'Ell a straight orange juice. She guessed that the reason she'd picked the first glass, was because she thought she'd recognised it as orange juice. So that meant she liked orange juice - right? She dropped a couple of cubes of ice in and then rejoined her, offering her the glass.

"For you."

She wondered what was going through the girl's head, what with the pole, the bed, the toys, the.... apparatus, the outfits. The whole feel of the room, everything there was there for a reason and for her job and business. She sat herself down and curled her legs under herself and simply looked at the girl with a smile. The girl's face was quite unusual, and somehow - it worked. There was a beauty there she'd not appreciated at first in her confusion of emotions and stress that she might lose this.... prize. Now, she was seeing she was so much more of a prize than she'd thought she was in the beginning. She was definitely something special and CC knew it was her job and her right to keep her and protect her. However, something in her knew, that she didn't have the power to keep her in this way indefinitely. There was only one power that would keep her in that way - and that was to enthrall her. That, or turning her, but to turn her or to enthrall her - could ruin who and what she was, and then she wouldn't be such a prize.

She sighed again and took a sip of her drink, before her eyes wandered from the girl and her lips moved with a quiet voice slipping through.

"I'm sorry.... for.... this."

She wasn't used to apologising, but usually humans forgot things that were said and done when they were fed on - or had powers used on them. So she felt comfortable talking to her, knowing none of it would be remembered afterwards.

"I don't want to hurt you, or force you into anything.....****..... I just want you safe. You don't know the city like I do. You're so naive, sweet, innocent, beautiful and tantalising. You're the perfect prey for someone, and some - would ******* destroy you. I know this isn't right, but.... **** it... it was all I could think of to protect you. I just..... JUST found you. I can't lose you already, so soon. I need.... well, ****, I don't know. You're just.... special. I don't know if it's just you - or all sorcerers."

She scratched at her head and looked back to the girl with an apologetic shrug.

"You're special..... and..... mine."

[Lorelai]

It was the oddest calm feeling she'd ever had. The room was completely alien to her and should have left her with questions and an unnerving sense that told her not to touch anything and just stand by the door. She only just begun to process the fact that the woman had picked her up as if she were a child and carried her there.

How did she...? Oh yes. Vampire. Still... That's impressive. I doubt I could ever be as strong as her. Such strength in me would be unnecessary anyway. My focus should be elsewhere. I need to train my mind and my energies... Wait? Did I want to be picked up? Why couldn't I just walk here? Why didn't she let me walk here? Something is...wrong.

Her eyes took in the contents of the room now but still, with no understanding of what they were, (even if she was aware of the environment in which they stood), she had no reason to blush or be embarrassed. CC seemed to be apologising for the accommodation but it wasn't all that bad. The room was far more colourful and interesting to look at than her hotel room. Lorelai was used to making do with the basics and didn't want for much but she'd been a little let down by the lack of substance in the city the last few days. That wasn't to say that the city wasn't a fascinating and vibrant place to be, it just wasn't living up to Lorelai's expectations. Not that she'd actually defined what they were. This room though, well it was certainly different.

She wasn't having a hard time focusing but it seemed the words that were said were not positing the way they should be and so it was taking Lorelai a moment or two longer to form her thoughts and replies; two things that didn't seem as evenly matched as they usually were.

"I know you don't want to hurt me CC. Twice already my life has been in your hands and twice you have given it back to me." These words should have wrought up a different emotion entirely but all that could be heard in Lorelai's voice was the sweet and yielding tone of acceptance. "I am pleased that you think me special but ..." she wanted to object and say that she disagreed but it never happened. "But I do not know if what you see in me is because of me or because of what I am. I could introduce to another sorcerer if you would like to know for certain."

The offer was genuine but it would have involved reaching out to a member of her community and arranging for them to come into the city and then what? Would CC take them under her wing to and try to stop them from leaving? She didn't want that for several reasons, the main one of which being that she didn't want anyone to be in the position she was (even if it was oddly pleasant).

Of all the things CC had said there was one thing that Lorelai was yet to address, mainly as every time she went to say something, nothing came out. Eventually she formed the words in such a way as to be able to utter them, the words being little more than a whisper as she still stood in the place she'd been set down, her hands crossed and held before her as if she were waiting for something.

"I am yours."

She'd wanted the words to be a question and so when no hint of that could be heard, her nose wrinkled and her brows furrowed. Something was definitely wrong.

[Cinnamon Cherrywhip]

Now there was an offer. CC could meet another sorcerer, and then her questions would be answered, and then her plans might be able to be realised. A sorcerer farm! But only if they were like her, tasted like her and she managed to find a way to bottle the taste, preserve it for any length of time. But it was certainly a plan, that was for sure. She smiled and nodded her head

"That would be really interesting, a good experiment to see if what I tasted is because it's you, or because of what you are."

But then she blinked as the woman confirmed she was hers and CC was confused for a moment, wondering why she'd said that. It was all too easy and didn't make sense, and from the look on the girls face, she didn't understand either. Then CC remembered - she'd cast the powers. The girls words must have had something to do with that.

She didn't know about 'ell, but she was knackered and needed to pass out. So, pointing to the bed she smiled to the girl.

"You should get some sleep. It's getting really late. I'll take the sofa. There's a blanket here somewhere."

Getting up, she walked over to a chest and rummaged around, finding the blanket and then retiring to the couch and snuggling under it.

"We.... can talk some more tomorrow. See if you have any questions I can answer, before you leave.... so long as you promise me. Promise to come back to me each day."

[Lorelai]

Lorelai didn’t say a word about the “experiment” as she’d need to wait and see what CC was really like before inviting someone she cared about into the city, while she’d been eager to come here, there were many back home that were content with their lives the way they were.

“Oh yes. I’m tired. I’d like to get some sleep. I was up early this morning and must have been to every store in town looking for work.” Having seemingly forgotten what she was wearing, Lorelai moved a little more confidently towards the bed and sat herself on the edge of it.

Am I supposed to sleep in this? She looked down at the dress. I’m not sure I can sleep in this. I should ask for something else but I don’t want to be a bother. Hmm… I guess I’ll just have to sleep like I normally would. I can wriggle out of this once under the covers maybe?

Lorelai scooted backwards into the bed having used her toes to peel off her shoes, her eyes not moving from her new friend. It seemed weird that the vampire would need to sleep now but she wasn’t going to dwell on it. A more suspicious person would have wondered why a nocturnal creature would need to rest at all while the sun was down but Lorelai just covered herself up with the duvet and began shuffling around. Once she’d slipped out of the dress, she sat up holding the silk sheet to her chest as she lay the borrowed outfit at the foot of the bed.

“We can talk in the morning. If you’re awake that is. I’m sure I have questions for you about what you are. I just don’t seem to be able to focus very well right now.”

While inspiration should have cleared her mind, the pacification was helping to keep her feeling subdued. The powers were creating an imbalance within her and this mixed with the fact that her companion was not only beautiful but mystical as well, left her feeling slightly dazed. Add into this the fact that she was actually quiet tired and it wasn’t all that difficult to see why she was struggling to concentrate.

“CC…?” she asked settling back in the silk bed sheets, trying to get comfortable. “I think there’s enough room in this bed for both of us to sleep…and still maintain our boundaries.”

Boundaries were the only reason that she could think of for CC taking the sofa and she wasn’t keen on the idea of putting the woman out.

She’s been so nice to me. Or has she? She’s tried to kill me twice. Yes. But I’m not dead and she said I can leave tomorrow. She wouldn’t lie about that I’m sure. She’s just asking me to visit her. Daily. It’s an odd request but if it puts her mind at rest. Perhaps once she realises I’m all right in the city she won’t feel the need to see me every day.

She’d scooted over in the bed in case CC wanted to join her and was using one hand to pull her long hair up and over her head before laying it on the pillow, the other hand keeping the sheet tightly in place so as not to expose herself in the company of someone she didn’t know; this was not the action of a prudish woman, rather that of a cautious one. Lorelai wasn’t embarrassed by her body, she just wanted to make sure that CC knew she wasn’t on the menu, at least…not tonight.

[Cinnamon Cherrywhip]

CC watched the girl get into the bed from where she sat on the couch, with the blanket pulled over her. She was a little tired, but it was more drained emotionally than physically tired. She'd been working hard the last few nights, and the whole thing with 'ell was ridiculously confusing to her. She'd felt so many things in such a short space of time, that she really did need to just sit and relax for a bit. She couldn't help but blink and let her mind wander as the dress emerged from under the covers - but the memory of the ugly underwear made her mind create a brick wall around her that was unpassable. Really, the underwear was unforgiveable and she couldn't believe that there were women who wore such things. Men, well, men she could understand. They were simple things at the core, and didn't care so much about how they looked and felt under their clothes. But surely women realised and wanted that feel of a good bra or thong?

"It would be nice to chat some more, answer any questions or concerns you might have about vampires. Or more specifically..... me."

She smiled coyly and shook her head as 'ell offered the other side of the bed to her.

"No. I.... toss and turn at night. And so close to you.... I wouldn't forgive myself if I fucked up in my sleep and lost bloody control. Over here, you're a lot safer."

She got up from the sofa and got herself a glass of water and looked at 'ell in bed.

"Do you want or need anything?"

Taking a sip of her drink, she undressed and dropped her clothes into a hamper before looking to 'ell questioningly. She didn't think it strange she was standing there naked, because she did so on stage - a few times - every week. She'd no idea how many people had seen her naked, but it was definitely in the thousands after all her years in the job. She smiled at 'Ell, waiting for her answer.

[Lorelai]

Relieved wasn't exactly the right word for how Lorelai felt when CC turned down her offer but she did relax a little more, as the extra distance between them was probably a good idea. CC knew herself better than Lorelai, so she couldn't exactly argue if the woman thought she might not be able to control herself in the night. It probably hadn't been the wisest of ideas to offer to share the bed with a vampire, but oddly she trusted CC.

Her eyes followed her new friend as she got up from the sofa. For a moment Lorelai assumed that CC had changed her mind but then she moved to get herself a drink. Lorelai was about to politely refuse the drink, as CC had poured her an orange juice when they first entered the room and that still sat on the side somewhere. Her eyes began to scan the surroundings as she wondered where the glass had been put down and when she looked back to CC was she was a little shocked to see that she was undressing. Colour rose in her cheeks as she realised she'd let her eyes linger a moment or two longer than she would have deemed acceptable on CC's naked form before she turned over to give the woman some privacy.

"I'm quite all right thank you CC. I still have the orange juice you poured for me. I'll be okay till morning with that. If you change your mind about the bed..."

She closed her eyes as she began to speak and so had fallen asleep. Lorelai hadn't realised quite how tired she was but she'd had a long day and was exhausted. The sight of CC wasn't going to keep her up, however it would lead to one or two more interesting dreams and unfortunately for her, her screaming out CC's name in the middle of the night.