coy | (no subject)

[ 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?

[ he's not the only one struggling with keeping his thoughts PG, her own mind wanders whenever she catches him smiling or the way he stands before her, something striking about the way they way he stands, his posture... there's a thin line between cocky and confidence and dyson seems to be quite good at not crossing it. so far.

caroline feels the pull, the want to know him better in every sense. there's a mystery about him, there's something hidden beneath the surface of him that she wants to find, suss out as she'd said. it's in her nature to do so. and yet, there's something ultimately refreshing about the way he looks at her, with a hunger and fascination she recognizes, that has none of the pressure or depth that klaus's gaze does.

she smiles at him, keeping close, hovering on the edge of acting reckless.] I could say that I can do that whole tie a knot with a cheery stem but honestly, cliche.[ her grin widens as she reaches up to fasten one of the buttons of his vest before it slipped out of its hole.] I can sing. I was a the captain of the cheerleading squad in high school so I'm pretty good with pom-poms. I'm also an excellent dancer and throw one hell of a party. What about you, Dyson? What are you good at?

Edited 2016-06-16 06:04 (UTC)

Don't knock the classics, [ he warns her though every bit of it is playful.

let's face it: Dyson doesn't mind giving his mind to leave to wander when it comes to what she might be capable of doing with her tongue. that, coupled with her straying so close to what he'd been imagining only moments ago makes him swallow hard. if they're not careful, they're not going to make it through the remainder of the date because she's in his space as much as he's lingering in hers. Caroline's doing things to his ego by making him think she has that same spark of desire that he feels for her.

in an attempt to tame any impulse to jump the gun, he takes his beer in his far hand and turns to face the other tables ( possibly the dance floor, depending on where they're positioned. ) it would put some distance between them if he didn't set his arm on the counter top in front of her and lean back into the bar somewhat. ] Let's see.. I could give you a run for your money in a game of pool. I'm an exceptional tracker. I can hold my own in a boxing ring and while I'm no professional at dancing, I don't exactly have two left feet either. But that last part's more to match your tastes than my own.

[ the air seems to crackle between them, like the anticipation is building up to form sparks. it's cliche but there's a reason for it, she has to admit now that she feels it as they stand dangerously close together. they haven't even been in the club or each other's presence for more than half an hour, she knows she should probably pump the brakes a little.

it's just hard when your partner is so good at flirting. the way he speaks, even just the timbre of his voice is alluring, draws her in. makes her want to listen to talk about anything. however, she finds she mourns the loss of their direct eye contact as he turns to look outward, towards the club. maybe she should be grateful for the slight reprieve but...

she smiles a little wider with each thing he lists, especially the last bit.] I have no doubt you can cut a rug, [ she teases, taking another sip of her drink to parch her sudden thirst. desire manifests itself differently in a vampire. sure, she wants in all the normal ways, her body reacts, her heart races, her skin feels something like heat. but it also makes her gums each, there's an ache in the veins beneath her eyes as they demand to make themselves known. she fights both of these urges, although she's not quite as good at it as she used to be, before she turned off her emotions.

she hides it well now, her expression is measured and remains the same, her lips quirk at the corners into a teasing smile.] I have no idea if this place has a pool table and I'm pretty sure it doesn't have a boxing ring or else I'd ask you to show off.

[ pushing down his instincts doesn't come so naturally to him when there's not much more than his own reasoning keeping him in line. he doesn't hold out against looking at Caroline for long because despite only knowing each other for a short amount of time, there's nothing else standing between them. there's no real barrier stopping them from seeing where it goes and he's comfortable with that. ]

Is that so? [ his chuckle is like an outburst he can't control, pulled from him because she makes him feel light and joyous in ways he hasn't in awhile. ] If there isn't a boxing ring in the city somewhere, I'd be surprised. I bought a gym back home and more or less re-purposed it into a living space. I kept the ring, though. I could do it again. [ he downs the last of his beer and discards it on the bar but it leaves him feeling more forward than he probably should be. ]

As for your first concern, if we found a pool table, I wouldn't exactly have any intention of using it for pool. [ Dyson isn't backing down when he says that even if it makes him feel flushed. there's a very real risk that Caroline will storm off. it's an offensive implication if he's reading into the what's passing between them all wrong, likely even if he isn't. if he's learned anything in his centuries of life, it's that the chance not taken is the one that's always followed by regret, not the other way around. putting a fraction of space between them hasn't lessened his curiosity or his desire at all, which is why he won't stop gazing at her until she figures out what she wants to do now that the ball's in her court. ]

[ for so many, the draw of caroline is the light she brings, the way she's able to shine the sun on even the darkest of men. it's not coincidence that she's drawn to the dark, there's an allure to it, even the purest hearts are drawn to it. and maybe she innately sensed a darkness within him, however slight.

or maybe it's not that complicated, maybe she's just a girl attracted to a guy.]

I'm pretty sure there's at least one gym here. Not sure how thrilled they'd be if you tried to live there though.

[ however, the discussion of gyms and living in them is immediately tabled for another time when dyson goes and says what he does. her eyes meet with his, her eyebrows perking in a way that might concern him but it's the way her lips curl into something like impish, tickled amusement that should put his worries at ease. and if that isn't enough, the heat that flashes in her gaze should be.

she shifts forward, just an inch or two, her hand moving to rest on his chest, just as he imagined it might, fingers curling ever-so-slightly against the fabric of his vest.] I know you said I should respect the classics but I think if I make a joke about balls, I'm crossing a line of cliche-ness I'll never get back from. [ her teeth drag over her bottom lip for a moment, sort of giving him a quick once over before she looks up at him.]

And if there isn't a pool table? What then?

[ he wants to tell her that he can be persuasive when he wants to be—the man that allegedly took some part in the Poyais scheme that lured many out of their riches and to their deaths—but he's faced with a more pressing crisis. she's beginning to react and the odds don't look like they're playing out in his favor until they shift at the last possible moment and allow him to inhale and exhale again. she has his undivided attention with her hand curled in his vest, pinning him in place just in time to feel her gaze burning into him when she looks him over. ]

One step at a time, [ he informs her understandingly. ] I'll guide you back to the land of respectable jokes, if you find you simply can't resist.

[ Dyson pushes away from the bar, stops leaning against it so that he can step directly in front of her at full height. she has every invitation to keep her hands on him, to touch and take and taste as she likes — if she wants to — and he can't have her thinking now that she's called him out that he can't live up to the hype. all things being equal, his hands should probably be somewhere harmless, like cupping her cheek or tucking her hair behind her ear. but he doesn't want to behave, nor is he interested in playing it safe.

if she doesn't stop him, he's going to slide his arm around the small of her back and place his hand square in the middle of it to drag her closer to him. he wants to kiss her but he's not willing to sacrifice the momentum of their conversation, not yet, even as he's watching her mouth pretty intently. ] Then I'd refer to a time-honored tradition and ask: your place or mine?

Unless you'd rather be dancing.

Edited 2016-06-16 08:34 (UTC)

[ god, he's so tall, she thinks again as he moves to stand before her, boxing her her against the bar top, pinning her like she'd just done to him. it seems the night is going exactly how she thought it might, how she wanted it to. and it also seems that this is what he'd wanted too.

yes, there's a thrill about a good chase but caroline actually likes the catching, she likes what happens after the chase is over. she's been chased and done the chasing one time too many, it was deeply satisfying to just get to the point. and a different sort of thrill runs up her spine as he moves to pull her closer to him, their bodies almost pressed completely flush.

she hasn't even finished her drink and she suddenly feels drunk, her body buzzes at being this close to him, in a way that would probably alarm anyone else but caroline was used to the way her body seemed to go from zero to sixty when it came to just about any emotion, especially desire.

there's no reason to deny either of them this, not when she wants it, not when he clearly does too. so she grins up at him. ] Guess it depends on how close yours is. [ she wasn't afraid to go back to his place, even though they'd only just met. the perk of being what she is, she doesn't exactly need to worry about safety, if he tries anything funky, she has the strength and ability to defend herself, not that she worries. while she doesn't mind going to hers, she knows that if she goes to his, she won't have to have the awkward encounter of trying to kick him after.

you have to earn the overnight.]

[ with great height comes great responsibility, or something like that. if this were the Dal after hours and there was nobody else in sight, he'd be picking Caroline up right then and there, against the bar. but this isn't home and his emotions are in check—he cares about what boundaries he oversteps, who he insults in their establishment and all the other little things. he wants to skip the chase but that doesn't mean he wants to pass up the foreplay. he likes the idea of holding her on the precipice, right on the edge, for as long as they both can take
it. that's the exciting part, more so than the hunt itself.

for as long as he can remember, he's either run from love or run towards it relentlessly with very little room for anything else. he's tired of running, thought he gave it up another lifetime ago. he knows that he can and will wait as many centuries as it takes for Bo to decide to give him a chance again but right now isn't about her. she's not the one here with him—openly proclaiming that she's on board with this, with him. it's uncomplicated. ( and while Dyson knows every bit of suffering is worth it in the long run, he just wants someone that wants him ( and nobody else ) back for a few hours. ) ]

About fifteen minutes away, ten if you walk fast.

[ it isn't overly romantic food for thought but it's the truth like she asked of him. she seems as fine as he is with a lack of sugar coating it. maybe they could have stayed at the bar going back and forth with each other and getting intoxicated all night but Dyson's okay with the alternative and everything it entails. like tracing her cheekbone with his thumb gently to prove he can be subtle, right before he leans in to kiss her. it isn't long-lived because they're literally against the bar and drawing some eyes but it's a taste. it doesn't satisfy him, if anything it only adds fuel to the fire. ]

Still interested?

[ for all that she's thinking lets get naked. now. caroline would be grateful for his discretion, for keeping things in check because she's not entirely sure she'd be all that great at stopping him should he have tried to do anything but steer them out of the bar.

her impulse control has been questionable lately, a symptom of having none and feeling the pleasure that comes with it. but she's in control right now, at least she was right up until he touches her. her eyes flutter and she feels a surge of anticipation as he leans forward, her lips curving slightly before their mouths meet.]

Oh, I can walk very fast. [ which is her way of saying, yes, she's very interested. she leans up to kiss him again, softly with a touch of heat behind it as her hands work between them, pulling out her wallet from her purse.]

However, drinks are on me-- [ she says with a smirk, turning to down the rest of hers and press money on the bar to pay for them both. it's the least she can do for someone new to the neighborhood after all.

turning back to him, she reaches for his arm slipping her own through it.] Lead the way.

Edited 2016-06-16 15:26 (UTC)

[ i'm glad, he's about to answer when she kisses him once more and makes him forget that there needs to be conversation between them at all. he wants to grab her by the hips and taste the column of her throat, wants to feel her thighs around him squeezing his waist or her knees pressing into the sides of his head while he buries his face between her legs; he wants and wants and wants. there's no end to it. it's exactly the train of thought he has to bite down on in order to keep himself from objecting to Caroline buying their drinks when it was his invitation that brought them together tonight.

Dyson guides her along with their linked arms, pushing through the crowd in what he hopes is a route that takes the least amount of time. ]

I'm sure between the two of us, we can come up with some way for me to repay you. [ he's grateful for her kindness but he'd much rather show her his gratitude than tell her about it ( and he plans to. ) first, they have to get back to his place. he'd hold the front entrance's door for her if there wasn't already someone handling that and being paid to do it. ]

[ considering they both possess a supernatural stamina, tonight might prove to be interesting, even if neither one of them is aware of the other's... otherness. yet. for now, she keeps her thoughts from wandering too far, even if she's imagined some of the same things he has.

she pays for the drinks because she can, because she's been here for over a year and has the extra money in her pockets. she doesn't think he's the sort that it would wound his pride overly much. and if it does, she'll make it up to him.

he guides them towards the exit and she keeps step with him, smirking a little at the idea of him "repaying" her.] I'm very flexible. [ now if she meant in her attitudes or actual physicality, she'd let him figure that out soon enough as she moves eagerly towards the door and outside into the cool night air.]

But I'm pretty sure we can think of a few things.

[ lucky for him, he has a thick pelt. he doesn't mind her paying too much, it only means he's getting the next one. it means they'll see each other again as long as he owes her a debt, however minuscule it may be. Dyson tucks it away for another time since they're on the move and out into the cold of night.

actually, is it cold? he can't tell because the light breeze does nothing for the heat building inside of him, fanned hotter by her comment. he's sure the imagery that leaves him with is intentional on her part, whether she'd admit it or not. ]

I hope so, [ he answers with no indication of which part he's replying to. ] Otherwise, I'd be in your debt indefinitely.

You say that like it's a bad thing, [ she grins at him, teasing. okay, so maybe she wouldn't want him to feel obligated to her for any reason but she can tease and flirt as well as he. her fingers move to curl against the crook if his arm a little, eager to be moving forward, to touch him a little more.

she does move a little closer to him, to keep herself warm, to encourage his eagerness.] I have a feeling we have all night to figure out a way to even things out.

I wouldn't expect anything less. [ it's impossible not to smile with her. the energy between them is easy. he doesn't have to second guess it or question it. Caroline's fun and at least from where he's standing ( and what they're planning to go back to his place for ) completely uncomplicated. she can keep touching him all that she wants and in due time, he'll return the favor.

his apartment is only around the corner now and so once he leads her across the street, he makes a vague nod in the direction they're headed. ] It's right up here.

[ he's already patting his pockets down with his free hand, trying to fish out his keys prematurely. ]

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APPARENTLY I FORGOT TO POST THE DAMN COMMENT

it's okay, i still heart you.

<33 youuuuu

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