coy | (no subject)

How about I buy you a drink instead of the other way around?

[ not because he's sexist but because who has time to drink at work? ]

Honestly? Your timing couldn't be better. I could use a drink right about now.

Edited 2016-06-07 05:45 (UTC)

[ that's a first. he's basically existing from one missed chance to another. ]

I don't normally believe in coincidences but I'm right there with you. Would you prefer somewhere loud or somewhere quiet?

Dealer's choice. Although fair warning, I drink bourbon and I'm aiming for distraction.

[ her best friend went home today. :( ]

I appreciate the honesty.

[ but he doesn't need an explanation. ]

I could use the change of pace. Ever been to Pandemonium?

Once. I'm willing to go there now.

See you soon?

I'll be there with the bells and everything.

That's good. I'll be able to hear you coming.

[ because maaaaybe he's already there, or at least close enough to be there quickly. clubs aren't his scene by any means but he's been to more than a few in his day and he can dance even if it isn't one of his typical party tricks. he could go in and wait at the bar but something about that doesn't sit right with him, so when Caroline arrives, she can probably spot him easily as the tall guy standing all by his lonesome. not that he's weird about it. no! he's scrolling pretty disinterestedly through his device, keeping up to date. ]

Maybe.

[ caroline takes a little longer to get there because she wasn't born gorgeous but she manages to make herself that way. however, she is actually surprised to see him waiting outside of the club, she'd expected to have to text and figure out where he'd be. but... here he is. and wow, he's just about got the whole talk, dark and handsome vibe down, although his coloring is closer to her own.]

Dyson, hey.

[ that's fine. he doesn't mind waiting. it's part of the description of dating anyway ( not that he's positive that this is a date ), the guy's always waiting on the girl in some manner or another. although, from his understanding, it's usually in a car or in the living room while she gets ready. when he glances up from his device, he basically pockets it immediately in favor of her company.

Dyson's already seen her profile so he knew Caroline would be pretty but he had no idea just how breathtaking she would be in person. he doesn't look much different than usual as far as wardrobe goes—nice jeans, black boots, a dark blue button-up and a matching vest is about as good as it gets with him. ]

Hey. [ a beat. ] You look stunning, Caroline.

[ no doubts about it, this is a date. sure, it's a bit last minute but that doesn't mean it's not that. and she's happy to call it that especially now that she's seen him in person. after all, caroline's only human (and vampire), it doesn't hurt him one bit to be so good looking. he's not your typical pretty boy, he's striking and long.

she smiles to herself as she approaches him and a little wider when he tells her that she looks stunning. that's not exactly a word she hears a lot, "hot" is more the vernacular college guys have. smiling bashfully, she glances down and then back up at him.]

You're not exactly a slob yourself. [ she reaches out to touch his vest, briefly letting two fingers slide along the buttons.] I like this.

[ don't worry, Caroline, as sophisticated as he is, he knows how to have a good time. ( and how to show a lady such as herself a wonderful evening. ) it's interesting, to say the least, to be tossed into a completely new environment without as many regulations to live by. it's somewhat freeing to know that he can socialize with anyone, become intimate with anyone and not have to worry about affiliations.

( although, Dyson's not thinking so complicated tonight. it's more in the vein of escaping his misery and shrugging his responsibilities off for a night. )

it doesn't hurt that she isn't shy; she looks it, acts it maybe because she doesn't know him well enough but he gets the impression that when she knows what she wants, she isn't afraid of it. ( or maybe that's wishful thinking. ) maybe he wants to think that about her because she's touching him, briefly but still very much there. it's nice to be wanted by someone. ]

What, this old thing? [ he's not deflecting so much as he doesn't think she wants to hear about how many vests he owns. ] The night's still young, there's plenty more to like. [ which she can take any way she pleases; Dyson's going to raise his arm though in an invitation for her to link hers through, if she wishes. ] Shall we?

[ caroline forbes definitely goes for the gold. she doesn't settle for second best. and while she may not always get what she wants, she knows what she wants, she isn't afraid of it one bit.

and honestly, she knows that tonight, she wants a good time, she doesn't want to think about strings or anything beyond some fun. for now. caroline didn't used to be all that great at flings but she's gotten better since getting here.

she grins when he looks at his vest] It suits you. [ and when he goes on, her grin turns a little more impish, taking his arm in the process.] Can we please?

[ in retrospect, the wise thing to do would have been to scope Pandemonium out for himself before entering unaware with Caroline on his arm. as it is, he can only hope he isn't leading the both of them right into trouble. not that trouble spells out to the same thing it does at home but he's pretty skeptical of anything described as magical. but if Caroline said she'd been here before and she didn't feel the need to warn him of any curses, then it's probably okay.

it's habitual more than anything else, the way he navigates them both towards the bar to start the night off with drinks. she's welcome to drag him towards the dance floor or a table if she wants something different. ] Can I get you a drink?

[ caroline isn't on his level of paranoia, after being in the city for a year. not a weird thing has happened to her since. (okay so the ruins were a little weird) so she heads into the bar she's been to once with him, without a real care. and they move to the bar and she grins at his offer.]

Bourbon, neat, please.

[ Dyson's getting there, step by step. he can't wash away centuries of a warrior's instincts in a couple of weeks ( wouldn't want to ) but he's trying to adjust to the idea that it's safe, no matter where he goes or who he's with. ]

Coming right up. [ it takes a few minutes and makes him reminiscent of being able to reach over the bar top and snag any bottle he wishes. he supposes he could do that now but the staff might not be very happy with him. still, it isn't as if pouring whatever's on tap and Caroline's bourbon is all that time-consuming; neither is requesting to leave a tab open for the two of them. he doesn't know what's in store for the pair of them but he remains hopeful and open-minded.

the thoughtful pinch of his eyebrows as he passes her drink to her is only because he's trying to come up with something fitting to toast to. he lightly taps his beer against her glass. why not keep it simple? no expectations, no deeper meaning. ] To a good time between new friends.

[ her eyebrows lift in an equal measure of amusement at his toast, just for the fact that he's toasting at all. it's endearing to say the least. she grins at him, inclining her head in agreement.] And to whatever the night has in store. [ she takes a sip of her drink, shivering a little at the jolt of warmth it sends down her throat, a smirk curving her lips soon after.]

So... let me guess, you were sexy bartender at one of those bars filled with bachelorettes and cougars? [ she'd sensed his impatience about the speed of their own bartender, one that sort of matched her own given she was one now.] Because I think you'd do really well there.

Close. [ mind you, he wouldn't call anyone but the Morrigan a cougar but her guess still makes him smile. ] I used to be a regular at a bar that was a home away from home for me. I got to stay long after they closed up and could come in hours before they opened. The perks of going way back with the owner.

[ his beer is nice and crisp and while he does enjoy the burn of something stronger, he thinks it'll be a round or two before he grabs them any shots. ]

I'm doing really well right where I am. [ he appreciates the compliment and while he could probably run a dozen ways with her implication, one of them being: why, are you offering me a job?, he's better suited to honesty and gazing at her when he says it. the other bachelorettes and cougars can fend for themselves, he wants to be in Caroline's presence. ] But I bet you could convince anyone in the room to do whatever you liked with your smile alone.

Oh, ho-- [ she let out a clipped, amused laugh, her expression equal parts ticked and flattered. lifting her drink to her lips, she can't stop the pleased curved of her lips. the man knew how to stroke a woman's ego and she wasn't about to stop him.

there'd been a time her confidence was so low she wouldn't have been able to handle something like that being said to her. but since turning into a vampire, since being here in this place where people readily accepted her for being that, her confidence had made more than a few strides. ]

I'm glad you think so. [ she lets her glass settle on the bar as she looks at him, leaning in ever-so-slightly.] I have a feeling you can probably do the same. You're naturally charming. It's a little arresting. [ there's something impossibly charming about him that goes beyond his rouge-ish, rugged good looks (not that those hurt him). ]

But okay, so if you weren't a bartender but you were a bar regular with a flexible-ish schedule... what did you do?

[ those years lost in the world and lost in life still exist in him in other ways. he doesn't con wives and daughters away from their families, doesn't drink and fight until dawn or seek to swindle riches from those that don't deserve them any longer. but Dyson still remembers when to smile, how to word things in just the right way and when to say nothing at all.

considering who he is and what he's been through, he doesn't see himself as a man that makes careless and fleeting connections. there could be something meaningful here, if he wanted it to mean something. but he doesn't. that's the punch line. he doesn't think he deserves anything lasting from anyone after the things he's done. Vex isn't to blame and Kenzi is still dead and no matter what he does, what he gives up, he still always manages to hurt the people closest to him ( like Bo ) when all he wants to do is help. he'd feel guilty for wanting something so casual, so carnal and primal at its most basic levels—if Caroline didn't seem so willing to pass the time with him, too. ]

What can I say? I never learned to pull my punches. Never saw the point. Especially not in front of a beautiful woman. [ he looks a little sheepish about the matter but don't buy it for a second. once she brings up work, that has him throwing back a long drink of his beer before he sets it down in front of him to match her. ] I was a homicide detective, among other things. [ a warrior, a lieutenant to the blood king up until recently, not to mention subservient to the Ash. ] Were you always a bartender?

I can appreciate that attitude. [ caroline carries her own burdens, her own fears of hurting someone, of being hurt. she is in a place that she isn't sure she could do something more than casual. klaus has disappeared from her life and while it hurts, a part of her feels relieved because she shouldn't feel anything else.

maybe she wants something more careless like she'd had with will before he left here. a good friendship that included a little bit of sex (or maybe in Dyson's case a lot of bit). ]

No, I was a college student, [ she turns a little, the result being that her arm brushes dangerously close to his chest before she takes a swig of her own drink, her smirk turning more impish.] And as you know, you're having a drink with the former Miss Mystic Falls. [ it's said with something close to bitterness, with a rueful tone. she'd been a silly girl then, the things that mattered her then seem so frivolous now.

when she turns back towards him, she's a little closer, just a little... her smile falters just a little.] My mother was the sheriff of where I grew up.

[ he's game as long as there are no strings attached. he'd only cut them away. he thinks he's doing all of this for Kenzi ( anything it entails ) and maybe he is but he's also selfishly eager to bury himself in any endeavor that takes the edge off. why else would he agree to going out even if it meant being used as a distraction or being passed up for another? there's some part of him that wants to be used. ]

Did you decide to take a break in pursuing your education once you arrived? [ a vacation's supposed to be relaxing, after all. his brows draw inward again when she takes a jab at herself. winning a title's nothing to turn her nose up at, pageant or otherwise. not that he's going to choose to fight that battle when she's so close to him that he can smell her and nearly imagine the heat coming off of her. ] I can see why if you did.

So you're used to cops. [ he's storing that away, thank you. he notices the change in her smile only because he's had years of practice in looking for tiny details, but he doesn't think much of it in and of itself. ] I'll try not to pull any fast ones on you.

[ try being the keyword since he leans in a little when he says it, encouraged by her proximity to be marginally more daring without being over the top. ]

I guess I figured there's no point when I'm not going to remember anything I learn here, might as well treat this as a weird study abroad situation. [ she knew for a fact you didn't remember this place, having gone home and come back. and well, college had never really been her priority, not when she was so naturally good at making good grades.

there's only a few inches between them now as he leans in a little too, a fact that makes her look a little smug. caroline's playing the part of the seductress, of sorts. the title is too calculating for someone as well-meaning as she. she may want to use him as a distraction but that doesn't mean she can't care, that she won't strive for a connection even if it can't be romantic on either side.

no strings attached is nsync's best album.

whatever alteration her smile had taken disappears at his words, her lips return to their previous curvature, wickedly ticked upward, her finger tip tracing the rim of her drink glass.]

Good, because I'm good at sussing out wily types.

I get it. Why put in the effort if it's not going to pay off? School's one of the things in life you hope to cash in on. [ work's another but he's more focused on the idea that if they won't remember anything from their stay, then why should any of it matter? that's a dangerous thought — one that could make him spiral more recklessly than he already is — which is why he doesn't ask her to elaborate and doesn't fish to learn why she's so certain.

some things may be better left vague.

he wants mindless fun, free of responsibility and good intentions. something out of character, the likes of which he would have continued doing had Bo never walked into his life. ( the fact that they're getting to know each other indicates that Caroline will come to mean something to Dyson but whether that gets past the surface level of friends with benefits or develops deeper remains to be seen. )

Caroline is alluring to him; she might as well have him by the collar of his shirt because he's hanging on her every word and watching her trace her glass ( it's only a glance ), and wondering with a hunger in his gaze what it would feel like if he dropped the small talk and kissed her. if she would push him away or drag her hands down his vest and count the buttons with her fingers, maybe twist them into any piece of fabric she could grab. he'd prefer if she ripped it off of him but beggars can't be choosers when fantasizing in a public place. ]

You'd see me coming from miles away. [ an attempt to ease her mind and to distract his, really, not that it's helping. ] What else are you good at?

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APPARENTLY I FORGOT TO POST THE DAMN COMMENT

it's okay, i still heart you.