ᴛʜᴇ ᴅaɴɢeʀ ɪs I'ᴍ ᴅaɴɢeʀoᴜs. aɴᴅ I ᴍiɢʜᴛ ᴊusᴛ ᴛeaʀ ʏou aᴘaʀᴛ.

[vampiracy]

ᴄʟᴏsᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ Nᴀɴᴄʏ.

He promised the girl a night out, and the night out he's going to give. He's arguably a bit late in keeping up with his promise, yet Killian isn't always known for his promptness. There were things that required his attention at the Nest, after his long stay away, and now it's a matter of putting all ducks in a row again. There's unrest about all the territories being siezed around them, but for all the whispers about it, Hook cares little for it. As long as the wolves don't accumulate much more land, he hopes to stay out of it. He likely won't be that lucky.

Perhaps this will be a welcome distraction for him as well as Nancy. He'd picked her up like a proper gentleman, and food had gone first — he may not eat much anymore, but he'd made sure to do it well for her sake — and now they're off to the second part of their adventure. It's not far a walk, so he suggested they do that, though that's perhaps hard on the poor girl's feet.

"If you can guess what's next I might have to give you a prize," he teases her with what is very nearly a grin. She's been a bit odd tonight, he has to say, yet it's been some time he spent time with someone he's genuinely fond of. Probably because he is not genuinely fond of many.

ᴛʜᴇ Jᴏʟʟʏ Rᴏɢᴇʀ. ( ᴏᴘᴇɴ )

Hook is nearly always at his pub by night, though not always in the front. He'll invite certain people to the back room — generally vampires, who are welcome to have a little blood with their alcohol thanks to the fangbangers that are friendly with the nest, but not necessarily just them. The only rule is no fighting on the premises, and if you break the rules you're not likely to stay long.

If Killian isn't found in the bar itself, he's probably in his office. At times working on problems for the nest. And if you're really lucky, you might spot him in the company of a small, precocious grey kitten. She has a bed in the corner but she always sleeps in the most inconvenient place imaginable.

ᴘᴏʀᴛ ᴏғ Lᴏɴᴅᴏɴ. ( ᴏᴘᴇɴ )

It doesn't matter how long it's been since his epic, sea-faring adventures; the pirate will always exist in him, and that means that he spends a lot of time by the water when he's landlocked to London. He is often there close to evening, wishing for the city lights to be a little dimmer so he can catch a glimpse at the stars, but sometimes he's there during the day.

He even takes on odd jobs aboard on occasion, when he misses being out on the water enough. It's not that he doesn't have his own boats, he just misses the sensation of working on a crew. If you spot him, don't expect him to stop until the day's work is done.

will match prose or brackets! if you'd like a specific something, catch me via pm or goplayzelda!

Comments

[stauncherhearted]

Nancy was indeed acting oddly. Any question he asked, she answered truthfully, trying not to wince when things she'd rather not say came out. It was awful, the curse. At least dinner meant she could eat and drink and make it all just a bit easier.

Her feet were, surprisingly not hurting as she walked with him, her arm looped through his. He was so handsome, and she'd already told him that tonight, because it was the truth.

"I have no idea where we're going, but I'll try for a prize. You know, I've had a crush on you since I was little." She blushed fiercely under the wine blush already on her cheeks. He already knew, he had to. But still. It was embarrassing.

[vampiracy]

It perhaps hinted at how superficial the questions he tended to ask, how he hadn't quite caught on to the fact she couldn't help but tell the truth. If he had any idea, well... that was quite a state to be in. To a man that lied as easily as he breathed, he could understand the value in the things left unsaid.

He glanced down at her with perked brows at that rather revealing confession. Yes, he had been aware. It was exactly the sort of reaction he tried to draw out of people, though generally it was from a great deal more manipulation. He saw too much familiar in Nancy, it drew parts of him out he'd like to pretend no longer existed. She'd known him since she was very young, it made a great deal of sense.

He could pretend it was the wine that had her so free, yet it was curious. "A bit too much wine, Nance?" he inquired, though he was gracious enough to not let her dwell on the embarrassment. He flicked a curl over her shoulder, trying to distract her with something else. "Come on then, have a guess. You get it right, I'll have to think of a prize."

[stauncherhearted]

Nancy wrinkled the end of her nose as he teased her across the table. He was always kind to her, and with that roguish twinkle in his eyes, what young girl would be able to resist? Crushes like that, they never fully went away, no matter how hard you tried.

"No-though I wish it was. It's a- a curse. I have to tell the truth." And it was making life really, really hard. It was astounding, how many white lies there were in her every-day vernacular. Or simply how much she avoided speaking the truth at all. It was easier around people like Hook and Kenzi, who knew her, who didn't care. But it put her in awful situations already. She was dreading the day she had to talk to Stiles.

But let's not talk about the curse. Let's drink more wine- which she did- and guess where they were going. "A show? I've always wanted to see Ghost of the Opera."

[vampiracy]

"A curse?" He frowned at that, and his attention was delayed for a bit. He knew Nancy was too smart to go around without a protection against compulsion, especially in her line of work, so how had that happened? All the same, he had to ask: "You weren't compelled, were you?" If it were someone in the nest, they could very easily be convinced to remove it. The pirate could be very, very convincing.

A show was a pretty good guess, but, not quite the right one. He at least moved on from the subject he had to imagine she was unhappy with. He might even manage to avoid questions that might lean too personal... probably.

"Haven't seen that one either, I'm afraid. No, it's closer than that." Just about a block away, though it wasn't exactly a prominent dance club. It might not help her a great deal.

[stauncherhearted]

"A curse." Because she just had to answer the rhetorical question. Because curses can't tell intentions. Jerks. "No. I don't take my charm off." a small opal that hung around her neck. "Cephei said it could be a random curse, imps having fun at my expense. They couldn't have picked a worse person for this." She sighed, irritably stabbing at her plate.

After a moment, she sighed again and dropped her fork, leaning back slightly. "Well it's not a film, nothing in the area. Killian, are you taking me bowling?" She fixed him with an incredulous look.

[vampiracy]

"That's bloody odd, isn't it?" He'd have to ask Tink if those wretched little things were getting a little more uppity than usual. The one thing he had to give her was how frustrating it must be. In fact she likely wouldn't be quite as fond of him if she knew how often and how fluidly he lied. "I'll avoid questions, love." Barring that last one, obviously.

He had to laugh at her inquiry. "Gods, no. I said I'd give you a good night, I don't think bowling qualifies." And one probably could not pay the old man enough to actually bowl. If he'd ever tried (and he had) he wasn't good at it. He waved for the waiter to call for the bill. "I guess it will be a surprise then, sweetheart."

[stauncherhearted]

"Extremely." Of course she had to answer. She rolled her eyes at that, stabbing at her plate again. "Thank you, Killian." That got him a solemn nod. "I just want to forget about this stupid curse and concentrate on something else." And what do you know, he was offering one.

"Not bowling, alright." She set the fork down and looked up once more at Hook. "alright, a surprise it is. It better be a good one, mind you." She pointed a finger at him as threateningly as she could with a smile on her face.

[vampiracy]

If the situation were reversed, Killian probably wouldn't have left his flat. Nancy might have lied to protect herself, he lied because it was easier to get what he wanted that way. He had too many balls in the air to risk dropping one by an errant truth. The problem with a vampire staying in was they really couldn't take ill, now could they? No excuse for disappearing.

"I'll spare both of us those dreadful shoes." It was not the most attractive quality to be so vain, yet the pirate was pretty determined to stay stylish and bowling shoes didn't qualify. He put a few bills down for their meal, before rising and offering an arm. "I never disappoint a lady, Nance, I should think you'd know that."

[stauncherhearted]

"and I thank you for that. I'll stick to my heels thank you." that, at least, made her somewhat taller than she would have been otherwise.

Nancy opened her purse for a moment, looking around for a compact to check her lipstick. "so. not bowling. can I get a hint?" unable to locate the desired item, she snapped her purse shut and accepted his hand.

She came to stand three inches taller than she otherwise was, following Killian's lead out. "Good- you've got a high bar set for you, so I best enjoy myself." She hadn't ever been on a real date date anyway, not that this was what that was. unfortunately.

Port of London

[rules_winter]

Mab had to move into Southwark to meet the captain who carried her cargo. Fortunately it wasn't that far out of the way for her as she'd been spending time in Lewisham of late anyway. Grimalking was still strolling the streets of the territory she was claiming along with several others so it gave her a moment to slip away to pick up the order of rare books she'd been expecting. Sometimes it was very convenient to be the type of thing that lived for ages. It meant she had plenty of time to accumulate wealth enough to indulge in her own pursuit of useful tomes. Not that the fae really needed to worry about money anyway, a little glamor and they could hand over gold bars if they needed to. It was unnecessary now.

She stood on the stone wall of the lock and looked out over the smaller craft waiting for the captain to meet her when he'd promised. She had gone to a lot of trouble for this but it was rare to get access to books from the middle east. The humans there were nearly as exclusionary as the fae and guarded their treasures like dragons. The sun had set an hour ago and it was probably not the safest place for a woman to wait for a shady captain but if she was worried it did not even remotely appear on her face. Other sailors moved around her, only glancing occasionally in curiosity other than an occasional offer from a sailor coming back from a pub. She simply fixed the sailor with her coldest look and then turned away dismissing his importance completely. The most recent time with less than positive results. It took the sailor a moment to understand he'd been rejected, and then a moment longer for his face to turn red with embarrassment and anger.

From the outside it probably looked like she didn't notice the man advancing threateningly toward her back.

[vampiracy]

It was funny how the docks seemed to change with the falling of the sun. It was not quite the unruly state he remembered from centuries ago, back when he was more than just a pencil pusher for the nest, back when he could sail the seas and punish the crown that deserved it, yet it was similar. It makes him feel nostalgic more than anything. It's been a very long time since then... a part of him will always miss it.

The darkness is supposedly his hour, considering what he is now. It doesn't bother him to be out at the docks as things grow a little more grim and dangerous. There's not much that could trouble him, after all. He's not even headed anywhere in particular, since he's got nowhere in particular to go, when he notices an incensed man advancing on a woman that seemed severely out of place.

Whether she doesn't notice or not, he doesn't want to risk it. He zips forward a few steps, far too fast to be appropriately human, before he snags the man with one fist in the back of his jacket. "Take a hike or take a swim, your choice." Even as a pirate, he had no fondness for such things. He still had some faith in good form.

[rules_winter]

Well, it was probably better that the vampire handled it than she did, it would be difficult to explain a human iceblock in the middle of August. She turned as he spoke to the gentleman who was spluttering profanities now and jerking in his jacket trying to get free. Her eyes moved from the indignant and definitely drunk sailor, to Killian.

His movement had been too quick to be human, and his magic was not fae or wolf so it made the conclusion that he was a vampire easier. That his magic felt a little like Baron Coopers helped as well. She'd already been propositioned for her blood once this month but he didn't seem to be high on it at least so perhaps it was just a coincidence that he decided to step in. The sailor settled a little in Hook's grip, drooping like he was giving up and Mab watched the Vampire with some interest to see what he would do.

[vampiracy]

A part of him was almost disappointed by the lack of reaction. A bit of splutter and bluster and then ducking down and muttering apologies and promises he was just trying to head home, honest. Hook missed the bared teeth and sharp personalities he used to run into centuries ago. It was easy to get into a fight then, and there was some kind of thrill in it. For a man that had been dead for so long, he was running out of ways to feel alive.

He begrudgingly released the man, with enough of a shove that he nearly lost his feet. "See that you do," he muttered, wiping off his hands like he'd been touching filth. He didn't pay much mind to the man as he scampered away. If he came back (or laid in wait) he'd certainly hear it. His eyebrows lifted at the picture she painted, but unlike the lady herself, he had no way of knowing he was looking at something supernatural. "A bit of an odd place to find a lady. Especially at this hour." It's not exactly condemnation, just curiosity. "Looking for someone in particular, love? Perhaps I can help you."

[rules_winter]

Considering the man thought he'd be assaulting a lone woman, and instead found himself dealing with a clearly in shape man, took a lot of wind out of the man's sails. He glared at Hook before stomping away, weaving a little on his trek. Mab ignored him in favor of the vampire who moved as though he'd spent some time in a different century. Something closer to her own natural movements.

"Mmm." The sound came out low and considering. "Is it?" She didn't look around though, or take in how much quieter it was now aside from the occasional call from a ship, or group of tourists passing by on the street above. "I have found it makes life more interesting if one is willing to step outside of other's comfort zone." There was a hint of amusement in her eyes and they might look a little bright as the sky darkened through twilight into true night. The charcoal grey suit she wore made her hair and skin almost glow as the streetlights turned on and a whisp of fog curled around her feet before disappearing again.

Her fingers moved to touch where a watch would be if she wore one and she lifted one shoulder. "I am to meet the captain of this vessel in ten minutes to pick up some inventory promised." Her teeth flashed, small and white and possibly a little sharp in a smile. "How fortunate for me that you happened along." Assuming he wasn't just chasing off competition to try to rob her or drain her. Of course if he was she did not look the least bit concerned about the prospect.

[vampiracy]

"Always thought that myself." It'd been a bit of a troublesome habit back when he was human, had ended up with scars and injuries he certainly didn't need, yet he'd possessed a real skill for avoiding death until he'd given it up for revenge. Technically, he still had skill in survival, it just wasn't exactly life he was so determined to protect.

She was a curious creature, and he couldn't exactly pin why. Despite being very close with at least one fae, he knew enough of them to know that they were as widely different as humans were. They generally didn't care to show their nature very easily, especially not around something like him. She seemed abnormal at best, and that honestly didn't give a man too much. There were plenty of abnormal people running about London and they weren't magical in the slightest, just entirely too eccentric for their own good. The lack of consideration to where she was, the eerie confidence, was the strangest of all... but she could just have been naive, stupid, or both, to think she'd have no trouble after dark at the docks.

He glanced at the ship she referenced, frowning a little. He knew the captains and vessels fairly well, and if he wasn't mistaken, the one she was waiting for was quietly known for his willingness to smuggle rare items into port for those willing to pay enough. "You seem a capable lady, but I'd be a horrible gentleman if I just walked by. Care for company until he arrives?"

[rules_winter]

"A rare quality I have found." She replied, "But it makes you more interesting." He assessed things and she didn't rush him while he did so. He was clearly at home down here next to the river, with boats creaking along the shore in the slight waves from the evening breeze and other passing ships. Not generally a place you'd think to find a vampire. But then again, many people along the shores of the Thames did not venture out for long spells in which anemic crews would cause a stir. They moved up and down the river mooring where desired especially the smaller vehicles.

Her head dipped, acknowledging the politeness of him noting she could likely handle herself. Even if it was more flattery than true belief. "You may linger if it suits you." She offered, lifting a hand in invitation that seemed to present the stones of the lock in general. They were, for the most part, alone and she played her hand a bit just to see how he'd handle it. "I hope I have not interrupted your hunt, Gentleman Vampire."

[vampiracy]

Yes, a vampire fond of sailing was quite an odd condition indeed. It'd made his exploits in the past even more dangerous, and his bloodythirsty reputation quite literal. It had unnerved his men to keep live prisoners in the brig, but they'd been happy to tell him whatever useful thing they had in their miserable heads once he'd fed on them. He compelled them to all remember him as terrifying and brutal and set them on their way, miserable and confused. Sometimes it was more important to build infamy than it was to kill.

He had no particularly reason to stay, yet he had no particular reason to go, either. Which was enough reason to linger for him. He didn't suspect she needed defending and honestly he liked to call himself a gentleman, but he really didn't try terribly hard to uphold it. He was more curious than anything, though it seemed a dangerous curiosity when she guessed at something she really shouldn't have known.

There was a tick in his jaw, a slight tensing she'd really have to look for. He didn't think she was a hunter, but this would be a rather annoying night if she was. "Surely not, it'd be foolish to piss in the well." He didn't actually work around here, but he was around enough that he didn't need to cause unnecessary trouble for himself. "Would you stop me if you had?" Hunters aren't much for bargaining, he has found, but they did like to announce themselves. She was either a hunter or magical of some sort, to have sensed what he was.

jolly roger

[trybelieving]

Hook is nearly always at his pub, and lately, Tink has been more likely to poke her head in. She usually tends to let him go about his business, but tonight she opts to wander into his office, since she knows he's there (and not entirely alone). When she opens the door, their little Pixie lifts her head, yawning before tucking herself against the desk to go back to sleep.

"We'll never get her into that bed, will we?"

[vampiracy]

Tucked against the desk was really a gentle understatement. Pixie had made herself a nest after knocking over his rubbish can, scattering shredded paper all about the floor. He'd tried to scold her for it but the kitten was having none of it. Clearly he merited this sort of disrespect for taking her to a bar, anyway.

"Perhaps if you covered it in debris, she might take to it," he noted wryly, eyebrows lifting. Tink flits in and out of the bar as she sees fit, but it is rare to have her slip into his office. "Possibly one of my shirts, or something I'm in dire need of... can I help you, darling?" His tone is attempting businesslike. He doesn't quite get there.

[trybelieving]

It's so odd to see him try it, she barely manages to shut the door before she gives in to a laugh or two, leaning back against it to get a better look at their troublesome little kitten. He may try to treat Pixie like she's Tinker Bell's kitten when she's misbehaving or sleeping on his shirts, but ask Tink and she'll say she learns her bad behavior from the pirate who kicks her out of bed.

"Help me? Killian, when have you ever helped me?" He creates more problems for her than he'll ever know. Still, she can't fight the smile when she locks the door behind her, making her way over to the desk to claim her own seat on top of it. "Do I want to know what you're up to tonight?"

[vampiracy]

It was hard to maintain a businesslike air when he was talking about a wicked kitten, anyway. Pixie curled deeper into her mess, completely uncaring of the conversation going on over her head, seeing as it wasn't disrupting her nap. Hook would never agree that he was the source of Pixie's wickedness... Tink might have fancied herself innocent, but there was a great deal of wickedness hidden behind those green eyes, and she rarely bothered to hide it.

"When have I helped you?" Tink didn't seem to mind that he was supposedly in here working (technically, he was just in his office to avoid the noise of the pub), perching on his desk just barely close enough to be distracting. No, that wasn't true — she'd been distracting all the way across the room. He reached over to draw her in front of him instead, palms sliding up her thighs as he noted, "I've helped you in very satisfying ways for practical lifetimes, sweetheart. Did you need a reminder?" Because he'd be happy to show her here on the desk if she'd really forgotten... oh, right. What was he up to tonight. He was supposed to be doing something. "Just some expense reports. I think someone might be stealing my liquor." The irony was not lost on him.

[trybelieving]

Oh, it wasn't that they didn't know how to satisfy each other. She'd give him that if he needed confirmation, but the way they satisfied each other was a problem in and of itself. No self-respecting fairy should've wanted that particular type of satisfaction from a vampire. That she cared for him and him alone was the type of secret she was happy to hold on to; she cared about her court, and her kind. It was just that, when lines were drawn, Tink viewed every species in existence with equal importance. He was no better or worse than her for being a vampire, even if she missed the days when her head against his chest allowed her the opportunity to hear a heartbeat.

He still had a heart, and she liked to think that it worked just fine when it mattered. Hearing that someone was stealing his liquor, and the inevitable consequences of it, wouldn't inspire it to work, unfortunately. "How dare they," she teased softly, pulling him to her with a gentle tug to wrinkle his shirt and bring him close enough to greet with a kiss. "Any idea who it might be?"

[vampiracy]

She was probably right that he didn't really help her where it mattered. He could please her, but the centuries they'd known each other, he'd never been able to give her much more than that. In fact, her connection to him hindered more than anything — sometimes he wondered why she risked it, considering there was little for her to gain from the time they spent together. Not exactly a delightful thought, but an impossible one to escape all the same when she was off in her own world and he was left in his. Two things that would never and could never intersect.

Pixie wasn't the only devious creature that liked to muss up his pristine black shirts. Still, considering what she was using the damage for, he didn't mind much. He slid closer to kiss her, letting his palms tighten at the soft lines of her upper thighs. He'd have been quite content to abandon conversation for her mouth (he pretty much always was), but her inquiry made him sigh and pull back to watch the electric green of her eyes. "Staff, likely. Someone clever enough to make it subtle." Only a bottle or two unaccounted for, but still more than enough to make him wonder. It wasn't that he didn't have the money to cover the brunt of the cost. It was more the principle of the matter. The pirate didn't think it very honorable for an employee to abscond with his stocks when he paid them well as it was.

[trybelieving]

Someone who wouldn't be on his payroll much longer. She nodded, wrapping her arms around him to pull him into the warmth of an embrace. It wasn't what he wanted at the moment, but Killian knew she never made it easy for him to get what he was after with her. If she wanted to hold him, she'd start there and decide what else she was in the mood for as they went along. "You could speak to all of them. Tell them that you're aware something is going on, give whoever it is a chance to stop." That was the way she would do it, but pirates weren't much for second chances. Tink, on the other hand, couldn't find it in herself to deny others what she'd needed not so long ago.

"Unless you rule with fear, then I suppose you have other plans." Ones she wouldn't like, but it wasn't her business. It had taken her a while to learn how to separate her beliefs from his, yet she couldn't fault him for surviving the best way he knew how. She just thought that, more often than not, he made things more difficult than he had to. "I'll try to stay out of those," she assured him, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

[vampiracy]

He did have a tendency to escalate whenever Tink was concerned. She'd certainly noticed that in all the years they'd spent together, and adopted her own ways to curb him. He was greedy whenever he had her within reach, as if he could take enough to be satisfied enough to not miss her presence when eventually she'd have to leave. He had yet to be satisfied, but he kept on trying. Still, she curved her arms around him and that was hint enough, leading his reach around her instead. As greedy as he tended to be, he could be quite easily content just to hold her. Not that he'd admit it.

"There's a chance I could snuff it out by tighter control of the stocks," he murmured, but frankly, he'd rather find who was responsible and fire them than make it harder on all his other employees. Still, he watched her with idle curiosity. "I doubt that's what you came in here for, Lady. Did you need something?" She rarely asked anything of him, but she was about the only person he'd offer aide to without any strings or conditions. If only she'd take advantage of it.