Those who can ((Marcus DV))

[CharlotteC]

Charlie thought it was sweet that he would once again repeat his apology for the way he had acted, but in truth, she had been the one to tell him to think about that night. In fact, it had been on her that he had such a reaction to what she had told him. Now that they were inside the pub, Charlie smiled once more to him, especially when he said that he would need at least one drink. She didn't doubt, given his reaction as well as the fact that the information she gave him, would be driving his need for liquor.

With a glance towards the fireplace, there was comfortable couches and chairs near it, she had spent a time or two talking to Elliot there about certain things. It was also where he had asked if she had wanted to be adopted by him. She smirked at it, glad that it was empty in that area. She pointed it out to him and leaned in so she could be heard over the music, "Why don't you go get a seat over there, and I'll get the drinks. There are perks to being the protege of the owner." She said with a smirk, then added in "Is there anything special that you'd like?" She asked as she glanced back to the bar.

Usually Pi or Elliot was behind the bar, but this eve, there was neither. That was something that sort of threw her, but she didn't show it outwardly. Elliot had told the family that he would be spending a lot more time in the pub, but she guessed tonight was not his night. Not that she blamed him, but still, his presence always made the pub seem more homey. Charlie could only guess because she saw him as her mentor and like an older brother. After all, he was her sire.

[Marcus Donald Valentine (DELETED 7799)]

Marcus was very glad to see Charlie smiling at him warmly again. He saw the place she was talking about and saw that it looked nice and cozy as opposed the cold weather they just came in from. Marcus nodded at Charlie's suggestion to head over there and and hold the spot for them. He noticed a few eyes look him over and go back to their previous activities. Some eyes lingered longer than others, a few were women with flirtatious smiles, another few must have been usual patrons who didn't recognize him, and even a guy or two giving him a welcoming smile.

"Huh, oh, whatever is good. I've never been much for drinking and haven't developed too much preference. Thanks, Charlie." Marcus said casually. What he didn't say was how he was a light weight and a few beers could have him on the floor. It was embarrassing but there's nothing he could do about it. If he did drink it was only ever to get drunk too. It was one of his few very bad habits. It's why he avoided alcohol but tonight he felt like he needed it. At least after his talk with Charlie was through. If he drank more often he would probably become an alcoholic.

Marcus headed over to the spot and gave a few smiles here and there. Once he reached the designated spot he sat down on the couch and got comfortable. He leaned back and decided to look over at Charlie and see how the progress on their beers was coming along but his view was suddenly obstructed by an attractive woman.

She was smiling right at Marcus and was walking towards him. While he usually welcomed company Charlie would be back any second and he wanted to continue their conversation. "Hey, you here alone? I don't recognize you, new in town?" The woman asked him as she leaned against the couch he was on. "I actually got in town a few days ago, but this is my first time visiting this bar. And actually I'm waiting for my friend to get over here with our drinks. She should be back any second now." Marcus said, making sure to mention his friend was a female, hoping she would take the hint. "I'm sure she won't mind me talking with you until she gets here." The woman said as she moved to sit down on the other side of the couch "I'm Ashley." Marcus realized she didn't care about his hint that she leave and sighed to himself. He didn't want to be blunt but he guess she wouldn't take the hint. "Hey, we're actually in the middle of a private conversation." Marcus said but he could tell that Ashley simply didn't care. Maybe she will leave once Charlie gets here. At least Marcus hoped so. He looked for Charlie in hopes he could signal her to come aid him.

[CharlotteC]

Charlie nodded and then headed to the bar as she let him go to claim a seat near the fireplace. She was clearly in her element, nothing about this place seemed to have her off her guard and she fell into easy banter with the bartender as they worked on getting her the drinks and she had also put in an order for some chips as well. She didn't know if he would be into bangers and mash given that it was actually a pretty hardy meal, so she would ask him about that later. The tender handed her the beers and then told her that the chips would be out shortly. She started to pay - as she always did - but at the same time the tender was stopping her. 'Daughter' of the boss and all. Charlie smiled to the woman and took hold of the beers, turning to see another woman speaking to Marcus.

She walked over with her usual grace and pretty much seemed to ignore the woman for a bit, handing Marcus his beer and taking a seat on a chair nearest to the couch. "Considered me here now... you can go." She said with a dismissive tone that seemed almost cold and calculating. She was quite tempted to use her powers on the girl, but that could get dangerous in a place like this. She sipped her beer and glanced over to Marcus with a smirk before glancing back towards the woman. Of course, there was one power that she could use, one that wouldn't seem like a power. One that would simply be based on the fact that Charlie was dressed in black, looking very much like one of those criminal gangsters that hung out in the slums. And everyone knew what they were like. If the girl didn't go, that would be Charlie's next play.

[Marcus Donald Valentine (DELETED 7799)]

Marcus felt was beginning to get annoyed and began to grind his teeth slowly. Charlie was taking a bit longer than he had expected and he wasn't in a good enough mood to deal with an over friendly local who wouldn't take a hint. "Excuse me, you seem like a nice enough girl but I really need to talk to my friend in private. It's a personal matter you see." Marcus said trying the diplomatic route again. "And like I said, I'm sure she won't mind me keeping you company until then. Maybe we can discuss some private matters ourselves." Marcus was surprised this girl was so forward and wondered what her game was. He knew he was some what handsome but even he didn't have girls throwing themselves at his feet. He became suspicious of Ashley and wondered if maybe she was trying to take advantage of the "new guy" at the bar. Too bad for her he was flat broke himself.

Thankfully at this point Charlie had arrived and was playing the role of ***** towards Ashley. Marcus noticed how she totally ignored her as she handed him his beer. Marcus began to grin but it soon went away when he saw how infuriated Ashley looked. "Excuse me, we were having a conversation." She said as if she and Marcus had been talking for longer than the few minutes they actually had. Marcus wanted to jump in but he also wanted to see what Charlie would do. He had to admit she was fun to watch in action. Ashley scooted closer to Marcus, taking his silence as him siding with her somehow. Marcus gave Charlie a bit of an exasperated look that was somewhere between "help me" and "your move". Ashley stared daggers at Charlie, trying to turn this into some kind of competition. She obviously had no idea who Charlie was in relation to the bars owner otherwise she would have probably bowed out much sooner.

[CharlotteC]

Charlie continued to sit there, sipping her beer as she watched the woman, clearly some sort of prostitute, or maybe even a blood doll. She couldn't tell. She didn't care. Her eyes shifted towards Marcus, seeing the hidden message in his eyes and then she turned her chocolate gaze onto the girl, setting down her beer on the coffee table before them. "Listen," she began with a soft tone, her voice dropping an octave or two, giving her a more sensual purr as she reached for the woman and gently took hold of the girl's wrist. "I know he is very cute, but you are no longer needed in this conversation. Plus, you don't need to mess with someone who is already taken, there are tons of other men in this pub just looking to hook up with you." She hoped her silver tongue and her power of persuasion would convince the girl to walk away. If not, things were going to get even more dangerous. Not just for the girl, but for Marcus and herself as well.

As she waited for her words to sink into the girl's clearly dim mind, her gaze once more turned towards Marcus and she gave a playful wink to him. Her hand released the grip she had on the girl and she once again was reaching for her beer and moving back so that she could curl up on the chair, one leg tucked under her, the other bent at the knee with the heel of her boot perched on the edge of the leather chair. She was that comfortable in this bar, and it radiated off her that she was safe in this place, despite the amount of humans walking around. "Go on, I see some rather good looking university guys checking you out over by the pool tables." She added to see if that would help sink into her small brain that she wasn't needed or wanted in this area.

[Marcus Donald Valentine (DELETED 7799)]

Marcus watched with interest as Charlie stayed cool, sipping here cold beer before responding to Ashley. Ashley in the other hand was growing frustrated with his this woman was totally getting between her and Marcus, her intended John for the night. Then her eyes narrowed at Charlie's first word, almost as if she was about to reply until she heard how Charlie's tone had changed and how she gripped her wrist. Ashley became less sure of herself and was beginning to find her self agreeing with what Charlie was saying. This guy was giving her more resistance than usual for being at a bar this late. Maybe she should find someone more willing to spend the night with.

Marcus noticed Charlie's wink and began to grin conspiratorially with her. She had settled into her seat and he decided to follow suit by taking his first sip of the beer she had brought them. It wasn't bad, usually he had to drink at least two before he didn't care about the taste. Ashley remained silent and indecisive during this small exchange, at least until Charlie suggested her to wander off toward the pool tables. "I think I will, your /boy/ here doesn't look like he could handle me anyway." She said with a sneer and and emphasis on calling Marcus boy. She then walked away from them without giving either of them the chance to respond.

Marcus remained silent for a minute before cracking a grin, "So, you think I'm cute." Of course he wondered what was up with wrist holding earlier, was that some vampire mind trick, but he couldn't resist the chance to call Charlie out on that comment. He would have made one about the 'being taken' comment too but he figrued that was just to make him less desirable. Though for some people that only makes the desire more intense. Marcus just mentally shrugged quoting that common phrase, 'you want what you can't have'.

[CharlotteC]

Charlie smiled a bit before sipping her beer once more. "You are cute..." She started and then continued "for a ginger." She teased with a wink and then leaned back in her chair a bit. "In all seriousness, you do have some charming qualities to me. Nerd, Thief, Hacker." She said and then took another sip of her beer, savoring the taste of the barley and hops, the way they were mixed together, the sweetness of each ingredient that was in it other than the few grains. Her eyes closed and she could almost see the way each ingredient was grown, where, the amount of sun it got. She had to admit, she missed the sun. Her eyes opened and she rested her gaze on Marcus.

"So what else would you like to know? Clearly, figuring out if what I said to that girl was true wasn't the only thing you have been wondering about since what I have told you so far this night." She asked and then took another sip of the beer before setting it on the table and leaning back in her chair. "Just remember, while I cannot lie, we should still keep our voices low. You can go a lot lower than a whisper and I would still hear you as if I were sitting right next to you. And if need be, you know I can answer you without even opening my mouth." She said in a quiet tone.

Then she got an idea, stood and moved to sit next to him on the couch. "Actually, sitting next to you works better than sitting three feet away. Especially for the more sensitive questions." She said softly and playfully bumped him with her shoulder.

[Marcus Donald Valentine (DELETED 7799)]

Marcus laughed a bit at the ginger crack, it wasn't the first and it won't be the last he hears. It was nice to hear that she did find certain aspects of him interesting though be sort of assumed that by this point. "You forgot to add noob to
the last two qualities there. And I'm not that much of a nerd. Sure I like computers, and games, and used noob non-ironically, and dont drink much, and don't like violence, or anything too physical..." He trailed off realizing he was still in fact a nerd even after high school. "Well... I'm a charming nerd at least..." Marcus relented before he dug himself any deeper.

At this point Marcus focused back on Charlie as he has taken to looking around the bar as he had listed off his horrible defense. She had her eyes closed and seemed to be some where else at the moment. He took this time to look at her more closely, he didn't see anything that made her different from a human. No wonder the general population doesn't know. He wondered how many vampire myths were true and what they were actually capable of, if anything. Hell, for all he knew being a vampire just meant needing to drink blood and being stronger physically.

Charlie's question brought Marcus back to reality and the reason they were there to begin with. "You bet I have questions, though take it easy with the voice in my head. I mean, its awesome hearing a hot chicks voice in my head but its still a bit disorienting." He joked, I'd anyone overhead they would assume it was some inside joke between them. His smile faded a bit when she suddenly stood up. Marcus tensed a bit just in case something happened and he had to help out but then she simply moved toward him and sat beside him on the couch.

Marcus was surprised but smiled as she playfully bumped him. "Now miss, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were flirting with me." Marcus said in a smooth tone, and I hope it's some what genuine he thought to himself. Marcus then took another sip of his beer, trying to nurse it for as long as possible since he didn't want to ask for another mid conversation. "So... Vampires?" Marcus silently muttered under his breath, a hunt of disbelief still in his voice. "How much of the common lore is true? Sun, stakes, reflections, garlic, stuff like that. The works. I'll think of plenty more in the mean time."

[CharlotteC]

As he had listed off things, countering a bit to what she had said, she had to agree, he was a noob to at least the thieving game, but that was something that could be easily changed. All he needed was a good teacher. And while she may not be the number one thief in this city, one thing she knew is that she was still a damn good thief. She could pick pockets and not know they have been picked, from both human and vampire. She could slip into heavily guarded buildings and use her senses to get her to each of the vaults, popping them open like soda cans. Yes, she could teach him how to be a thief, and if she was right in her assessment of him, he would eventually come to enjoy the thrill of almost being caught - the adrenaline that would come from skipping from a building with a bag full of goods. He may even grow to be a better thief than she was. With time.

When he mentioned taking it ease on the telepathy, she could understand that. She remembered the first time that someone had used that power on her. She had thought that she had gone crazy, she had thought that the blood lust had finally driven her to insanity. And yet, she had come to enjoy using the power. It was quiet, allowed her to communicate from within raids without drawing attention to herself. Allowed her to speak with her team as they tried to bring down their prey. It was a talent she had come to depend on from time to time.

It wasn't until he had made the teasing joke about her flirting with him that she had smiled wickedly, almost looking as if she had planned to make him a meal - just to see if she could give him a playful scare, to see if she could make his pulse quicken. Her eyes even shifted towards his throat, watching the vein there for a moment before her chocolate gaze came back to his eyes and she smiled more authentically, clearly amused and no real danger to him. "I have told you that I can't lie, what makes you think that my flirting would be subtle?" She asked with an amused laugh before she fell quiet to take in all the other questions that he had thrown her way in a quick fire sort of questioning.

"A lot of the lore is correct, to a point." She started out but then dropped her voice near a whisper as she leaned in a bit closer to him so that he could hear her over the music. "The sun can and does burn us, can even kill us if we stand out too long in it. However, there are some - like the guy that brought me into this life - that could stand out in the sun and not burn. Yeah, he smoked a little, but didn't burn. Stakes, come on? That would kill anyone. The reflection thing, that is tricky. Some of us cast no reflection... others..." She stopped there, taking a breath because she needed it more than he did currently, however, she had a feeling once she continued he would be the one breathless. "My reflection is something far more horrible. I call it a Dorian Grey reflection." Yes, it was fitting, her reflection looked like a decaying corpse. "I don't think you want the fine details of that, but if you know of the story I'm sure you could guess."

Then she went from disgusted to amused, garlic. She loved garlic, cooked with it often. "Garlic is BS, pure and simple. In fact, I use garlic quite often when I am cooking. And before you ask, I am a particular kind, I and others like myself can eat, but most others, they get sick if they even try. Some have learned to gain the ability, but it takes years of practice." She said, keeping to that low tone, every so often glancing around to make sure that they weren't being listened too. Thankfully though, everyone else, including the tramp from earlier was clearly in their own little world.

[Marcus Donald Valentine (DELETED 7799)]

Marcus noticed how Charlie's smile became different after his little joke about her flirting. It could almost be descriend as dastardly or mischievous and he began to wonder der what she must be planning. That was until he noticed her eyes point of focus slowly go from his face down to his neck. He trusted she wasn't going to attack him or try to suck him dry. Woah, don't say that out loud. But his heart beat quickened and he still felt a rush of adrenaline as his natural fight or flight instinct kicked in. Then a new question popped into his head. He had heard a few bits of lore that stated that allowing a vampire to feed willingly was euphoric and intoxicating. The thought was mostly terrifying but he would stow that away for another night. Maybe if he was feeling adventurous and if Charlie and was okay with it.

Marcus was glad she had stopped toying with him for the moment and began answering his questions. He figures a lot of the lore had to be rooted in some truth since it was so widely known. The sun bit seemed univerals but knowing that it didn't kill them all was interesting. Stakes, guess she had a point. Steaks on the other hand were delicious. Side thought, focus Marcus. Her hesitation on reflection was the most surprising bit of information she had given. Her reflection was comparable to Dorian Gray, Marcus remembered the story and had seen fan renditions. That would be horrifying to see when you look at yourself in the mirror. Marcus wanted to say something to Charlie since it was obviously a sore spot but he figured he would let the topic completely off the table.

The garlic was always a strange one and he was glad to hear it was fake. Garlic was awesome. Who would want to live forever without garlic once in a while. The fact that she can eat because she was a 'particular' kind surprised him quite a bit. "Wait, so your 'kind' cant eat at all? How about water? Does alcohol need to be in someone's blood for you to get affected?" Marcus said gradually lowering his voice as he became less subtle about the subject matter.

As Marcus waited for Charlie's replies he drank some more of his beverage, enjoying the warmth it gave him. Did Charlie feel this same warmth or was it different? Marcus began to wonder how lonely it must be to be surrounded by people who would have her killed on the spot out of hate and fear if they knew the truth. "Hey, how many humans know our secret? And why is it dangerous? How come you risked telling me?" Marcus asked with concern. Charlie had looked deathly serious when she had told him about the supposed danger of sharing her secret.