In Parts [Charlie]

[Verin Truska (DELETED 7956)]

Location: Serpentine; Date: 11/06/2016

‹Verin Truska paused for a brief moment by the door as he adjusted his jacket so then the weapons that were currently holstered in their shoulder holsters, could not be seen by the glancing eye. He would be on a hunt later that night, but before that he had wanted to stop by Serpentine. The man wanted to make sure that Charlie hadn't been touched after he left the last time, he had been worried, but perhaps, Jesse would have made sure that his employee was left alone. At least, Verin hoped that was the case. Pushing through the front door, he made his way over towards the bar, only to casually slide his form onto a bar stool. The night was young, of this he made sure of.

‹Charlie› As far as business was concerned, the night was just starting. Charlie, however, had been in since 3 o’clock, to review inventory and fuss over the damn roster that needed changing — again. It was not her favourite thing to do, but Fridays marked the start of peak profits, and the weekend would be a far smoother ride if she sorted the kinks out now before they became colossal problems she couldn’t fix later. Jaded from hours of tedious logistics, she was glad the clientele was now pouring in; it brought life to the establishment. Dish towel thrown over her shoulder, hair in a french braid, she rounded the bar counter while dangerously balancing two towers of dirty glasses. “Be right with you, mate!” she called out without glancing towards the unattended customer, keeping her attention solely on setting the glasses down into the sink.

‹Verin Truska angled his head slightly as he watched Charlie balance two towers of what appeared to be dirty glasses and couldn't help but admire her... From two fronts. One being that she had some strength for a woman of her size and two, Charlie had quite the *** and he had quite the view. He chuckled softly before a simple smirk caressed his lips. "Oh don't rush on my account darling, I have quite the view from here that I'm enjoying immensely." He simply said in response to her words and his only thought was that Jesse was lucky to have her working at Serpentine. The man just hoped that Jesse looked after his human employees, however it didn't help that Verin was constantly feeling uneasy around the man, with a constant urge to shoot him. Whatever that was, it was new to the paladin and he realized that whatever it was, it was something that he was going to have to be careful about. "Slow start to the evening, Love?"

‹Charlie› The cutting retort died on her tongue as soon as she glanced over her shoulder at the offender. Charlie hadn’t recognised his voice, but she could hardly forget that face. The corner of her lips twisted upwards, dimple creasing her cheek as she pressed one hand to her hip and turned to face him. “You know, objectifying me is a surefire way to my heart,” she offered mockingly, tilting her head to appreciate the sight of him. Two could play this game. “Though you’re interested in something far, far less pure. Your intentions could never be so noble.” She pulled the dish towel off her shoulder to wipe her hands, leaving the glasses in the sink for someone else to deal with.

‹Verin Truska chuckled as his gaze shifted downwards before he glanced back up at the woman before him, the smirk remained firmly in place. "Noble is definitely not something I would consider myself to be, Love." His blue gaze peered into her own, "I'm definitely not what you would consider to be a good guy, Charlie." No, indeed not. His actions reflected as much, even if he only hunted down the vampires that were seen to be too crazed for their own good and left those that towed the line, alone. After all, he owed one of those kinds of vampires for his life, it was why he didn't hunt down every fang that he saw and picked out. "If you came over here and sat right in my lap, I'd show you how far from noble I am, Love. It's a big reason why I chose to arrive early, so I could restrain myself this time."

‹Charlie› She’d always been drawn to fire — the flames, the fuel, the sparks. It was so magnificent that something so dangerous could be as beautiful as fire was. It was destructive — but in that destruction came opportunity to recreate. It could inflict pain but also cauterise wounds. It could keep you warm or burn your shelter to the ground. It was always a matter of circumstance with fire, so changeable, so exciting. Charlie was at heart an arsonist, and there was something about Verin that reminded her of smouldering charcoal, collected and threatening. Boy, did she enjoy playing with fire. “Restraint doesn’t sound like much fun.” With that, she set the dish towel down and leaned on both hands, meeting his gaze dead-on. “Though if you think I’d make it that easy for you, you’re in terrible need of a drink.”

‹Verin Truska› The man chuckled again and found that he very much enjoyed the banter to be had with this woman. She challenged him really, amused him to a point that he very much would enjoy to find her in his bed. Slowly, he leaned forwards and should she allow it, his right hand gently picked one of her hands up from the counter and his lips caressed the skin upon the back of her hand. "M'Love, I would greatly enjoy a drink right now, but you are right, restraint isn't always fun indeed." Especially when you had an urge to shoot a vampire without being provoked. Slowly he angled his head to the side as he smirked at the woman again, "However, I never once thought for a second that you would be easy, not when I first saw you walk in behind that bar. Your willpower reminds me so much of someone, of a fierce lioness.”

‹Charlie› Her hand wasn’t particularly clean, but she didn’t resist when he reached for it. Her gaze followed, brow arching slightly. When he pressed his lips to her skin, she bit down on her lower lip — hard. It was dead apparent to her that this was fun and games as long as she managed to keep control of herself, but the same words she’d voiced replayed like a devil’s taunt at the back of her mind. What fun was there in control? Perhaps not fun, but self-respect. Retrieving her hand, Charlie widened her eyes at him, expression otherwise throughly amused. “Willpower? You’ve clearly never seen me try to do push-ups.” Her features settled into a contented smile, the thought of herself as a lioness not altogether unwelcome. If her reflection in the morning was anything to go by, she’d been blessed with a lion’s mane. Another customer neared the bar two stools down. Duty called. Tucking the dish towel into the front pocket of her jeans, she jutted her chin at Verin. “What are you drinking?”

[Charlie]

‹Verin Truska› Verin paused for a moment as she pulled her hand from his light grip and he perked a brow as she mentioned push ups. After a moment, he seated himself back down upon his stool. "Will-power comes in many different forms darling and as far as push ups go?" He chuckled then as his gaze slid over her form for a moment, "Females generally have to work harder at it due to having less upper body power than men. However, I do a lot of exercise, so that may just be a simple wild guess on my behalf." His gaze shifted to the other customer and listened to Charlie's tone return back to business like. One of these days, he would love to see her come undone underneath his hands. One day. For now he smirked at the woman and perked a brow, "Come now Love, surely you haven't forgotten? I'll just have the usual." Even though drinking was far from his mind right at that point.

‹Charlie› It had been a few nights ago already, after a long shift in the wee hours of the morning. If she put her mind to it however, Charlie might just remember. Glancing over her shoulder, she scanned the shelf and replayed the scene in her mind. Then it came to her, as if it had never left. “One drink hardly makes it the usual,” she teased, plucking that same whiskey off the shelf. Within seconds, she was sliding the tumbler his way, ice clinking against the glass. “But here’s to your future as a regular customer of Serpentine.”

‹Verin Truska› Watched the way her mind ticked as if she was falling back, remembering upon the night that he had dropped in upon. It was interesting to watch the way a mind worked and how it pieced a memory together. Soon a glass was sliding his way and he reached a hand out to lightly catch it. The man lifted it to his lips to take a sip before he simply chuckled. "Love, I visit many bars, to me, it seems like the usual. However..." Verin's lifted his glass as his blue eyes peered at her over the rim, "I can tell that this one here will be my frequented spot." He placed the glass upon the bar then as he angled his head to the right, "I guess, you could say that I will become a regular at Serpentine, mostly because of you, Love." The paladin smirked at the woman then.

‹Charlie› She hummed noncommittally, watching as he savoured his drink. There was another customer to attend to and glasses to be washed. With a tap of her fingers on the bar, she excused herself with a customary, “Give me a shout if you need something else.” Charlie had claimed not to be easy, and it hadn’t been a lie. Work came first, for it was the backbone to her existence and the foundation to her independence. Flirting at work wouldn’t do much harm unless she let it get in the way of her job. As duty manager, it was her job to lead by example, and she couldn’t very well indulge the way she’d chastised Tom about many, many times over. If anything, the moment she turned away, she compartmentalised Verin.

‹Verin Truska› Gave her another smirk as she mentioned about giving her a shout. The man wasn't going to hinder her work, as there was another customer to be served still. "Of course, Love." He said before her lifted his drink to take a sip of the amber liquid, that was until his phone vibrated within his coat pocket. Verin shifted to place his drink down upon the bar and slipped a hand into his jacket, only to pull his phone out. The paladin's finger slid across the screen to silence the phone in its reminder that he would have to begin his hunt soon. He placed the phone down upon the bar and unlocked it, his fingers darting over the screen to bring up the GPS and he silently observed it for a moment. However, his gaze kept being drawn over towards Charlie and watched as she interacted with the other customer. Not to mention that his gaze also kept being lowered to admire her ***.

‹Charlie› Reaching for two highball glasses, Charlie called out to the newest staff member to clean up the dirty glasses piled in the sink. On a night like this it was imperative to keep the ball rolling; it wouldn’t do to run out of glassware long before the peak hours of the night. As she prepared two gin and tonics on the fly. Years of experience allowed her to make quick work of the orders thrown her way, which was more than she could say for Tianna. The girl wasn’t as fast a learner as Charlie had hoped, but there would be plenty of opportunities this weekend to teach her a thing or two. Once she’d prepared the five drinks and charged the man’s card, Charlie returned her attention to Verin. He seemed distracted by his phone, which made it all the easier for her to turn away and walk the length of the bar, looking for unattended customers and tidying up along the way. Should she catch his eye when she stole glances his way, her smile would be something short of coy.

‹Verin Truska› The man caught her gaze occasionally and he resisted the urge to jump over the bar, catch her, throw her up onto the bar and have his way with her. Women with their coy smiles, some of them where really good at it, mostly because it fitted their personality and Verin simply smirked at her. If only she knew that he had a pair of glocks tucked away underneath his jacket. One of these days, if she ever got close enough to him, she probably would feel them underneath his jacket. Maybe, one day. If she ever decided to play ball, that was. Or maybe he just had to keep the distance between them, he liked their banter. The other night... She had pulled away in a way that spoke volumes. Did something happen in her past? He lifted his glass and finished off his drink. "Right, Love. I shall be off. I have the family business to keep going." He nodded his head at her as he placed some money down with extra as he rose.

‹Charlie› It was between plopping more glasses into the sink and returning to an unattended customer that he addressed her. Stopping in her tracks, Charlie watched him rise from his seat. It didn’t occur to her that she might have put him off. If she had, then it’d be his own bloody fault for not listening to her in the first place. Reaching for the empty tumbler and cash, she called out after his retreating form: “Don’t be a stranger, sweetheart.”

[Charlie]

Cafe Broussard ; June 16th, 2016

‹Charlie› In lieu of eating chutney out of the jar in the absence of anything decent in the cupboard and fridge, Charlie decided to treat herself to a full breakfast. If she ate something substantial, perhaps she could push sleep off for a few more hours, making the most of her day off. It had been a long week, made longer by the fact that she hadn’t had a day off in over ten days. After a much-needed shower, she gathered her belongings before heading down to Cafe Broussard for breakfast. She was a regular customer by now, accustomed to her table in the corner, the one closes to the power outlet. It was uncomfortable chitchatting with the barista this early in the morning, but Charlie bit back her irritation and placed her order. At least once she was seated at her table, with her headphones firmly atop her head, she’d be spared any social interaction. There came a point when even the most extroverted of bartenders required some quiet time.

‹Verin Truska› It was morning and most vampires were asleep, most. So, he had decided that it was time for him to drop the trail that he had been chasing, in favour for some food and maybe drop into a bar later to grab a few bottles to refill his flask and drink back at his hotel room. Clean his weapon, even though it hadn't been fired recently and catch some sleep only to pick up the trail the following night. Verin slung the bag that he carried over his shoulder and walked into a building called the Veil Tower. He had heard that there was a cafe within, a place to grab breakfast on his way back. However, as he pushed through the door to the cafe, he spied a familiar form sitting in a chair situated by a corner table. The blond haired man approached the barista and smirked before he order, "Large Coffee, Black. Pancakes too." He said before he paid and made his way over towards the table that Charlie had been sitting at. "Is the seat next to you taken, Love?”

‹Charlie› Out of all the people Charlie didn’t want to see, he was amongst the top ten. It wasn’t just a matter of wanting—needing—time alone. Seeing Verin again was somewhat jarring, especially outside of her workplace, where she’d met him twice already. There was something about him that made her deeply uncomfortable, and while Cafe Broussard was familiar to her, it didn’t offer the safety that Serpentine did. There was also the matter of her appearance, which after a ten-hour shift and shower revealed her in all her tired human glory, last night’s make up thick around her eyes. Had she brushed her teeth? The thought made her roll her tongue against her palate before answering, “No, but until I have coffee, you’d be putting yourself at risk.”

‹Verin Truska› The man chuckled at her words and slipped into the chair, dropping the bag at his feet as he did so. "I'll take the risk," He was sure that he could handle the girl, considering that he was used to dealing with vampires. "Long night at Serpentine I take it," Verin said as he leaned back into his chair and angled his blue gaze to view the woman for a moment. It was at this point, however, that he remembered that he had something to give to her. The man had been busy doing things with wolves a few days back in his mission that had been given to him by an Apprentice Sorcerer, only to be given another. It was never-ending. "Before I forget, I picked it up a couple of days ago, work has just been rather distracting that I haven't had time to drop by Serpentine." He leaned down to open up his bag, only to draw a pelt from within its confines. Verin held the wolf pelt of white colour, out to Charlie. "I had someone cure it for me a few days ago after I went hunting, I just never got around to giving it to you until now.”

‹Charlie› She eyed Verin warily as he sat, not nearly as amused as he seemed to be. It wasn’t just coffee that she needed. No, she needed food and sleep and downtime. If only she’d known she’d run into someone, she would have gotten something at the bakery across the station or forgone breakfast altogether. How was she to expect him—of all people—to show himself here? Never before had she seen him at Cafe Broussard, and though it was close enough to Serpentine to be a coincidence, Charlie was even more uncomfortable at the thought he lived in the area. Her mood soured further at the other thought that crossed her mind. The mention of a gift had her mouth settling into a thin line. She didn’t want presents. She wanted space. When he revealed the pelt and its background, her expression hardened. “Part of a dead animal. Thanks.”

‹Verin Truska› A shrug of his shoulders was given as he placed the pelt upon the table, if only she knew about things such as vampires and pathed humans. It would make sense just as to why he had killed the wolf. To be able to gain access to more power, a pathed human or a human in the know, had to complete tasks. One such task was to successfully flee from a wolf that wanted nothing more than to rip one's throat out. He hadn't been fast enough in this case and he didn't in particularly want to waste such a pelt when it could keep one warm when it got cold. A smirk flitted across his lips then, "Well then, luckily I didn't decide that it would be better to give you a rabbit's foot for good luck." A chuckle rose to his lips then as a waitress brought his coffee and food and he noted the way that the brunette hesitated for a moment. His blue gaze watched the way that her gaze took note of his form and he paused long enough to tug a note from his jacket only to place it within the woman's hand. Verin held onto the woman's hand for a moment as a blush rose to her cheeks, "Be a dear and fetch my friend here her coffee and food that she has probably been waiting longer for than I have." The man smirked as he let go of the waitresses hand then, his attention shifting back to Charlie.

‹Charlie› There were night markets and odd little shops scattered throughout Harper Rock; Charlie had been to a handful, mostly out of sheer curiosity. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard about rabbit feet bringing luck; she remembered her time in Chinatown in San Francisco, where a shop owner had said as much about charms. There had been other bits and pieces, but she’d always walked out empty-handed from such places. Her existence was a simple one, complicated by recent events that she was still trying to get to the bottom of, but otherwise simple and mundane. Her intention was to keep it that way. A wolf pelt was as befitting of her as a diamond tiara was to a blue whale; there was no room for anything so unorthodox in her life. A glance at Verin, what with his pelt, plate of pancakes, and mug of coffee, made her wonder if there was room in her life for someone as peculiar as him. The way he interacted with the waitress was embarrassing, “I’m sure it’ll come out when it’s ready,” she countered, offering a softened glance in the woman’s direction. When she’d left, she looked at Verin, “Don’t do that.”

[Verin Truska (DELETED 7956)]

‹Verin Truska› Shrugged as he leaned forward, only to produce a flask from his coat. He perked a brow at the woman the moment that she said not to do something. "I have done many thing tonight, Love." Verin said as he unscrewed his flask only to tip some of the amber liquid into his black coffee. Silently, he pocketed the flask once more as he picked up his coffee, turned his direction to the woman and said, "You're going to have to be a little more specific as to what I shouldn't do, Love." Indeed, he had done much and although he was some-what tired, he knew that he had to eat first. The man was beginning to think that he was going to have to track the vampire during the day when it likely rested. Keeping to a vampire's schedule, seemed to only put him at a disadvantage. Verin would ask his father, but the man had gone underground. "Don't tip the waitress? Don't give you a wolf pelt? Don't ask them politely to hurry your food along? You seem to have a lot of don'ts, M'Dear." The man said as he placed the coffee down only to begin to start eating the pancakes that had been covered in cream and drizzled in syrup.

‹Charlie› Charlie rolled her eyes, sliding her unopened laptop off the table and settling it onto the empty chair across from Verin. The last thing she needed was for coffee, maple syrup, or grease to spill onto it; there was definitely not enough room at this table for both their breakfasts and her laptop. The pelt lay there in all its fluffy white glory, and she scowled in return. Then, she turned her displeasure onto him, expression unyielding. “You don’t know me,” she countered angrily. Who was he to comment? The sight of her plated poached eggs on toast and oversized mug of macchiato exiting the kitchen made her blood boil. Great timing, assholes. “I can bloody well take care of myself, mate. I don’t need you to hurry anything along. If I have something to say, I bloody will.”

‹Verin Truska› Verin chewed upon his food for a minute as his blue gaze watched her and her whole demeanour spoke of rage. Even her words, but whether she meant them was something else entirely. After he swallowed, he chuckled and lifted a hand to wash his food down with coffee spiked with scotch. "Of course not, Love. If I knew you, then you would already know the reason why I had taken the life of the wolf. Communication works two ways and there is a brick wall that you just love to hide behind. So, you don't say very much of anything besides, don't, no and other words. Rarely do you talk about yourself." He said simply as he placed his fork and knife down upon the table and slid the plate away from him. Perhaps he would get something else to eat upon arrival at his hotel room, or at a different cafe. This woman was quick to rise and he wasn't sure why. However, it seemed to be something that he was able to do. This woman wasn't easily persuaded by a mere touch and glance. She constantly rejected his advances. As soon as the waitress arrived, the man stood and smirked at the arriving woman. If he hadn't of been in the company of Charlie, then he may have been more inclined to pursue her into his bed. Although, it seemed he was off his game, especially ever since he had met Charlier. "I will leave you to your food then, Love.”

‹Charlie› “So you’re going to psychoanalyse me and be on your way, is that it?” she asked, voice flat and eyebrow arched. Whatever game he was playing, she wasn’t having it. If this was him leaving, then so be it, but she wouldn’t let him leave until the lines were drawn. It was rich of him to comment on her boundaries, boundaries that had been there since infancy and which only stiffened when he poked haphazardly at them. Charlie had given him a time (and he knew the place) for this acquaintance to go a particular way—a way they both seemed keen on initially. Instead he had come into the bar at the start of her shift, disappeared, and then reappeared days later in an entirely different setting. Bearing gifts, no less. She’d warned him he was putting himself in danger if he sat at her table. She had had no intention of playing nice, not after ten days of back-to-back work. She simply didn’t have it in her. “Fine then,” she added after a brief pause, waving her hand dismissively in his direction. “Wouldn’t be the first time you made an exit.”

‹Verin Truska› He chuckled as he glanced at his phone. After pocketing it, he sat back down and leaned over towards Charlie, invading the woman's personal space once more. "Indeed, Love. I'm going to go to bed, because that is what those who work during the night do." If she bothered to, she would be able to notice that his jacket wasn't just hiding his body from view, but something else as well. "Work doesn't get done on its own and with family out of town, I'm all there is. Turns out I may have to change from being a night time person, to a day until this job assignment is complete. I don't always have time to go to Serpentine and I don't always have time to argue with a woman that wants nothing more than to argue. I'm a man, Love. You want me to drop by after work, but if this is what you're like after work, then it's not going to get us anywhere. If I drop by early, you're busy and I can't very well stick around to wait. Even I need to eat and you need money to eat." He lifted a hand and should she remain still, he tucked her hair behind her ear. "You're a lioness, this much is true, but if you want to work, whatever this is, out? Then you need to compromise, Love.”

‹Charlie› Sexist twat, she thought spitefully. Charlie leaned to the side so that the waitress—was it Annie, Annabelle, Anette—could place her order on the table what with Verin in the bloody way. A quiet ‘thank you’ passed her lips, manners not lost despite her displeasure. It wouldn’t be the first time a lad as fit as him had turned out to be an absolute tosser. Her gaze skipped about his body as she mourned the loss. The sight of a weapon partially masked at his flank made her mouth go dry and eyes widen. The pelt on the table, the talk of family business, the gun, likening her to a wild animal… “I have no interest in compromising with a hunter,” she replied after a beat, sitting tall. A hunter, straight out of the horses mouth.

‹Verin Truska›[/color] A simple smirk found its way to his lips once more as he moved to stand once more, adjusting his jacket before he shifted to pick up his bag from the floor. "Well then, Love. If that is your wish, then I will stop coming to Serpentine and I will leave you be." Verin slung the bag over his shoulder then as he nodded his head at Charlie. She had made her decision with the facts that she held and it wasn't his position to give her more than what she had already been exposed to. He wouldn't tell her that the thing that he truly hunted, slaughtered innocent people just because they could. Jesse kept a human girl around for a reason, what reason it was? He didn't know and it wasn't his business to pry unless she turned up dead. "Charlie," Was the only word spoken before he simply moved to leave.

‹Charlie› To her surprise, she managed to keep her mouth shut. It was only after he was out of sight that she allowed herself to let out a frustrated growl. With a wave of her hand, Charlie beckoned the waitress to clear the table of Verin’s barely touched meal and drink. Then, she reached for her macchiato and took a much needed sip. The sweetness of it was overwhelming, but at least it lessened the bitterness of unspoken venom nestled on her tongue. When she set her mug down, her gaze settled on the pelt he’d left behind. It was petty, but she took great pride in shoving it off the table and onto the floor.