Beauty and her Beast (p.1)
OOC: A huge thank-you to Erin for the great scene! My oh my will this change their relationship. Definitely new doing such an extended scene via email, but I think the results turned out alright :)
When Johannes arrives Wednesday night, he is escorted to the back of the house, to the porch that looks out over the expanse of land. Evelyn stands with her back to him and the house at the moment, close to the aviary, a large falcon on her left arm eating bits of raw meat from her hands.
To the left is another large building, surrounded by glass, another enclosure this one with a deep pool in it, as well as several big trees that have deep claw marks in them. Lounging on beds of silk are two adult white Siberian tigers. Evelyn does not turn to face Johannes, but continues feeding the bird.
"I do hope your travel here was uneventful."
Johannes walks on soundless shoes, his smile almost palpable as he sees the powerful falcon being fed. "No difficulties at all. My deputies understand that, should I need calling, I will be in a foul mood upon my return. They will either handle and comport themselves as befitting their office or I will have them replaced."
He stands behind and to the right of Evelyn, pausing for long seconds. "I often find myself forgetting the beauty of these estates, this land. Though my youth was filled with cities, my most fond memories are of the countryside. The streets of San Francisco are a poor substitute."
She continues to feed the bird with an ungloved hand. A small leather pouch hangs from a silver chain around her waist. She smiles softly as he talks and nods her head.
"Sussex has always been a small place, and I grew up with the large expanse of land at my beckon call, riding for hours. The hunting was exquisite. I am glad that you appreciate the beauty of my home. If you like I can have horses prepared and show you the lay of the land."
She meets his gaze, her luminescent eyes taking in the confidence of his gaze as she absently strokes the bird’s feathers. He stands relaxed, arms at his sides, hands gloved, alabaster eyes unhidden and taking in the expanse. No longer is he wearing the cobalt blue tie but one of black silk within which threads of red catch the light, weaving through in a complex pattern reminiscent of Norse tribalism. He looks directly at Evelyn, un-cowed by her presence or station.
Johannes nods to Evelyn as she turns, respectfully. It is not the low bows he once gave, but certainly a motion of deep respect, and due her station.
"It has been some time since I've ridden. It could be said I haven't had time for it since I was a young boy. I have little doubt it will come back to me however. I'd greatly enjoy such a venture through your garden," he replies, smiling satisfactorily.
Evelyn nods and raises the bird slightly. As it is lifted, the bird leans forward resting its powerful beak against her lips, which are moving, albeit very minutely. The powerful talons of the bird flex on her leather gloved arm as the bird chirps once, rubs its beak against her face in an almost loving manner and takes wing back into the large aviary. His gaze stays even, steady with Evelyn's, his smile still plainly evident on his usually grim face, being quite obvious he respects the bird, and the woman who treats it with such regard.
Almost as if on cue Maria appears in the doorway, taking the leather pouch from Evelyn. She nods at Evelyn’s instruction and then disappears around the side of the house. Evelyn turns to Johannes and steps close to him, the silk of her dress brushing against him. Her eyes trail over his form.
"I hope that my Eden is as beautiful as it has been dreamt to be."
When she steps back two horses are being led around the side of the house, one a powerful black Belgian stallion, the other a dappled grey stallion. The black horse is outfitted with a true sidesaddle, into which Evelyn swings herself in a fluid and graceful motion despite its inherent awkwardness. She reins the stallion in sharply and looks to him, her gaze uninhibited.
"Shall we then?"
He raises an eyebrow at the sidesaddle but mounts the dappled-gray with the grace and sure-footing befitting his reputation. With a slight gesture, he bids Evelyn to lead the way.
She brings the horse to a canter out into the slightly wooded back stretch of land. The buttes loom dark in the distance, but the land is very well taken care of. It has been left mostly to a natural state, save keeping it green in the dry California weather. Johannes easily guides the horse into a spirited run through the tour of the estate, enjoying the ride. When she slows finally, it’s near the edge of a meadow, with a wild rose bush to their left, blooming with roses almost as dark as the night sky. She turns to regard him a smile on her crimson lips.
"I see you've remembered well. This meadow marks the end of the land that I own. A beautiful and fitting end if I might say so." She skillfully nudges the horse into sidestepping and moving next to Johannes.
Slowing and stopping next to Evelyn, he responds, "perhaps not all youthfulness is wasted on the young," still smiling. "I do like this. Very reminiscent of homeland." Then, turning to Evelyn, "however the land now called Germany is very different from the country wherein which I was raised."
She smiles. “The same as with my home. Though it has been far too long since I have seen her last, she is not the Britannia I left."
"I never thought it would be quite possible to look graceful riding a horse like that," he remarks, "but you manage it with effortless grace."
She chuckles softly at Johannes' comment. "There is but one scene in which it is proper for a Lady to straddle a powerful beast... and it is not when in the saddle." She grins mischievously
Johannes laughs heartily at Evelyn's comment -- something she hasn't heard him do very often. Still mirthful, he replies in short order, "the laws of society -- many cannot fathom them, but for those of us who uphold and abide, we are quite well rewarded."
Evelyn pulls back on the reigns of the horse, causing it to backup; she maneuvers the Belgian in a tight u and stops with her horse facing back towards the mansion. She leans in close to him as if to kiss him but stops a scant few centimeters from him. Her lips brush his as she speaks...
"Perhaps then we should see to your reward..." She smiles seductively before darting off towards the house at a gallop.
Johannes follows suit, spurring his horse into a dead run back to the mansion, not trying to beat, but trying to keep pace with Evelyn, his suit coat flapping wildly in the rush. He leans forward, raised off the saddle slightly as many jockeys are in the middle of a race, face low to the animal's neck, its mane brushing his grin. In his left hand he lightly holds the rein -- not using it anymore, but merely using his legs against the horse and the positioning of his body to guide them around trees, hills, and ensuring that he is neck-and-neck with Evelyn's stallion.
Evelyn leans over her horse, a delighted smile across her crimson lips. She does not urge the horse to outpace Johannes, delighting in the run itself. She pulls the horse up sharp back at the house, laughing softly as she gracefully dismounts handing the reins to the waiting servant.
She waits for him to dismount and then steps close to Johannes, wrapping her arms around his waist. She looks into his eyes, a half smile lifting the left side of her mouth. She leans in slightly and inhales deeply. She lifts her lips to near his ear, brushing his cheek with hers...
"Join me for a bath?"
As Evelyn pulls back, Johannes' teeth are easily visible in his wide grin. His fangs are elongated, but his expression isn't one of a predator toying with prey, but rather evidence of his keen enjoyment of their shared undead state. It is a sign of respect, of strength, and of inaudible promises.
His arms drawing Evelyn close, he leans in closer, running his cool lips over her ear. Evelyn closes her eyes as he nears her. She can hear him breathing, though whether it is merely breath or the catching of her scent is unknowable. A throaty whisper, confident, articulate, and sonorous, brushes past her sensitive lobes. "Let them draw it hot, my aunt, let the room fill with steam."
When he speaks a small shiver runs through her body, the cause of which, anticipation or the chill of his breath against her skin, is unknown. When he finishes she kisses the bend of his jaw grazing the skin lightly with one of her fangs. As her teeth and lips pass his cheek, a sound resonates from deep within Johannes' chest, inaudible save for the (un)natural enhancement the Embrace grants to all with such damned blood. It is a rumbling growl that even in its brevity smacks of sensuality. She turns and steps gingerly out of his embrace, looking over her shoulder. As she dances from his arms, he licks his lips with a hungry fire in his eyes.
"Shall we then?"
She walks into the house without waiting for an answer leading him through the house and into the East wing, through a set of massive dark wood doors into a large bedroom, walking confidently, never once looking back to confirm that he is indeed following. Johannes follows through the house on soundless shoes, his steps confident and precise. At some point in the walk he removes his gloves effortlessly, depositing them into one of the suit's many pockets. Two six month old jaguars slink passed them at a glance from Evelyn as she enters. It’s a lavishly decorated room, with tapestries and paintings of gruesome scenes on the wall; many of them dealing with a fall from grace. A marble table with two chairs sits in front of a floor to ceiling window. A four posted cherry wood bed is draped in rich red silk, with a large ornately carved headboard that displays a fierce battle between an army of angels and the legions of hell, fighting with the forces of hell are a number of domineering lions.
Though he admires the tapestries and paintings, some bringing additional mirth to his gaze, his eyes never leave Evelyn, tracing her curves, watching her walk with the confidence and grace with which she was born and raised for.
She steps to the side of the door as they enter, and closes it after he steps through, and leans against the wood watching him for a moment. As the door closes behind him, he takes a quick scan of the room, from its opulent trimmings to the view out the window, before turning back to Evelyn. Pointing offhandedly to her headboard, he chuckles, "I can only imagine which side you belong in." Leaning close, he almost casually rests his hands against the wall on either side of Evelyn, the space between them growing ever smaller. "I can only imagine what kind of depravity you are capable of," his grin deliberately predatory now.
She smiles at his comments, quietly unbuttoning his suit jacket before her arms slide effortless underneath the jacket just below the bottom of his ribcage. As she wraps her arms around his torso, it is evident that, in an uncommon move, he is completely unarmed. No obfuscate could hide weapons from her grasp, and there are none to find, perhaps a first she has seen from Johannes. Pulling him softly against her, completely removing any distance between them, she sets her head on his shoulder kissing the side of his neck, lightly biting the skin.
"Why imagine?" She whispers in a low voice as the sound of water is heard from a nearby room.
As she kisses his neck, he leans his head to the other side, granting her all the access she could want. His hands slide from the wall and onto her shoulders, as he traces his fingers deftly down her sides and back up again, feeling both the fabric and skin pass beneath his tactile trespasses. Evelyn's shoulders lift slightly to meet his hands as they rest there momentarily. As his fingers run their course, her hands move against his back, her nails playing idly across the shirt, just hard enough to feel them.
"Quite; quite" he murmurs and pauses, continuing with "it would be such a disgrace to your tailer to rip this dress off of you, but something tells me there will be no complaints tonight"
She looks into his pale eyes, a somewhat satisfied smile crosses her face as her eyes dance with defiance.
"The replacement of the dress is a small matter. My seamstress works quickly."
She pauses, tilting her head slightly, the tips of her fangs now just barely visible under her lips. "You sound so assured that you would be able to accomplish such a feat. I am no easy prey." She accents the last word, her voice laden with a primal sound, her nails dig briefly into his skin.
"I am no idle dreamer who reaches for great things with only a hope of success and a wager on fate. I have no hope; either I am sure something is attainable, or I am sure it is not." His eyes match his face -- a resolute expression present in both. "You are not something I could catch as prey, nor would I chase you for that reason even could I. You are one to run with, not to chase down."
Johannes leans in, as close as Evelyn had earlier when speaking of rewards, looking directly into her alabaster eyes. Evelyn half closes her eyes, watching him directly as he speaks. The hands on his back move to his shoulders, the fingers of her left hand absently playing against the back of his neck. "But just because you may not be prey doesn't mean I can run with you without some effort. I have no desire nor intent to disappoint in this nor any other task, Lady Evelyn," his tone disciplined, even, officious.
Breaking from his regimented reverie however, his eyes take on a mischievous glint, continuing, "But all the same, please pass along my condolences to your tailor."
"I've no doubt of your intent.." She pauses a smile growing, "..Lord Savage, and I am certain that you will succeed in your endeavors. As to my seamstress if the situation presents itself I will ensure the delivery of your sentiments."
She sets her head back against the door for a moment, as if debating something, before leaning forward again, this time leaving no space between them. She brings her lips to his, kissing him, biting playfully at his lips. She leans forward off the door and fully against his body. Johannes holds her with tender strength, an embrace that shows though Johannes is a man of great physical prowess; he is not so without control that he can only be forceful. She shifts her weight lightly; not mere random movements, but testing his hold on her for any spot that might be weaker then the others. Johannes used to restraining people chuckles slightly to himself even as he continues his adorations.
His lips playing teasingly with hers, one hand holds the back of her head tightly, fingers wrapped in her hair, the other's nails running down her back, with more than enough force to 'just be felt.' Evelyn's body tenses in his arms as he runs his nails down her back. She arches her back against his nails increasing their pressure.
Johannes becomes more forceful quickly, his strength becoming apparent. While not overpowering Evelyn, he certainly starts to let his physical dominance become apparent -- perhaps just a taste of what is in store for her should she allow him to continue. As he increases his forcefulness she leans into him, finding that spot where their bodies seem to fit together. Purring contentedly she puts a small amount of resistance against him, a playful glint in her eyes. As she reacts to his nails he presses harder, enough that, were it not for the kindred condition, the red and raised lines would be visible for some days. Her playfulness does not go unnoticed as he responds in turn.
His fangs are fully apparent now, and there is no shortage of those ivory teeth caressing her lips, her neck, and her cheek, with a passion that belies his cold heart. She turns her head into him where ever his fangs meet her skin, but when he moves to her neck she turns her head away, exposing her neck to him her eyes all but closing at the sensation. As she opens her neck to his razor fangs, he sensually rakes them against her, leaving pinprick-width tracks on her otherwise alabaster skin. On one such pass he actually breaks the skin, accompanied with a sharp intake of breath. He leaves but the smallest droplet of blood forming, the wound scarcely wide enough to allow the blood to flow; he has survived through his acute senses and focus, and on the several occasions he has shared his attention to detail his gifts did not go unnoticed.
She removes her hands from him briefly, quickly pulling the gloves off her hands and letting them drop to the floor. Her left hand goes to the back of his neck, fingers dancing in his hair. Her right hand returns to his back, pulling the shirt up so that she can get to the skin of his back. She draws her nails across his back hard enough to raise welts and the quickly sets her hand across them, the cool of her skin and the metal of her ring contrasting to the raised marks' warmth. As she digs her nails into the scarred yet muscular expanses of his exposed back, he grits his teeth but smiles with the sensation, looking into her eyes as the contrast between hot and cool plays upon his wounds.
She sets her face again against his whispering... "Tell me what it is that lies in that dark heart... what black desires yearn to be fullfilled...." her voice is thick and lusty
As she leans in, caught in the sensation of his pain and he caught in the experience, his face is upturned, eyes closed. His reply comes with similarly leaded breath, their cheeks meeting though his eyes remain unopened. "There is so much in this world ..." he pauses before continuing, "that you have never seen. Never felt and never been immersed in." With heavy breaths he begins kissing her ear, lips, tongue, and fangs all making an appearance, continuing, "You have done so much, and yet so little that I would show you."
He pulls back slightly, enough to look Evelyn in the eyes. Though his words are ragged with the blood-fuelled emotion and sensation, his gaze remains even, steady. "There are things no Savage before me has known, done, or seen. Tonight you will have the taste of something new." Laughing heartily, he unexpectedly pulls her head back with the hand still nestled in her hair, aiming to plunge his fangs into her neck, as of yet unmolested on this side. As he pulls her head back she sucks in a breath of air, a sinful sound laden with pain and pleasure. Her left hand moves to his chest, the right tenses using his body to keep her balanced. She turns her head into the direction that he has pulled it, tilting her head up to completely expose her neck. She looks in his eyes, hers own a cacophony of dark desires colored with cruelty. A maleficent smile spreading across her deep red lips, she digs her nails into his chest hard enough to draw blood, her eyes moving to the wounds before returning to his gaze.
When she speaks her voice is low, peppered with an obvious predatory desire.. "Such ambition... so confident.." She smirks, defiance undeniable in her despite her being in such a submissive posture. "Then by all means, young Lord Savage, reveal to me the world that I have yet to see."
Johannes' mouth twists into a wry, self-congratulatory smile as he looks down at his elder. Though he would appear to any onlooker as an emperor surveying a conquest, his eyes relayed a surety that he had far from taken Evelyn as a conquest. A moment not of hesitation but of deliberate intent spent staring into Evelyn's eyes before lunging.
Though only a step from the heavy doors, and already pressed tightly together, the force of his body slammed both against the unrelenting wall heavily and with enough force to rattle several paintings. As he lunges she chuckles deeply, a more malicious then amused sound, but it is cut short as they hit the wall and the force of his strength pushes the wind out of her. The jarring impact set the scene for his canines, not once in his un-life used for attack, to impale her neck, deeply into the jugular. As his fangs sink into her skin she groans deep in her throat, her eyes flying closed reveling in the feeling. His hands pinned Evelyn's shoulders against the doorframe, as he let a single drop of blood eke out from his assault, tracing its way down to her collarbone, across its line, and down her chest. Her left hand leaves his chest, her fingers tracing lightly across the skin of his neck her hand moves to the back of his head. Once there she cradles his head, as if to hold him there, and when he moves her hand stays with his head. The hand on his back has moved to his side, gripping his side and pulling his body into hers.
Still holding her tight, he followed in the droplet's wake, kissing, nipping, and biting as he reached down to the upper folds of her dress. Tenderly he traces its path back up, a thin smear of vitae in his wake, without any hint of his teeth at all. Eventually he works a path to her neck, her jaw line, and to her ear, where she can hear, yet not feel, a fang pierce flesh. Whispering with lust in his voice, he comments "I would have you show me what you have learned about pleasure; how else can I know with what you need instruction?"
With a throaty laugh he pulls back, his lips and teeth stained with blood, though there is more than he pulled from her neck. Relaxing his grip on her shoulders, he leans in for a kiss of shared vitae, a kiss merging both of them. There is a sound akin to a whimper as he steps back but her eyes open and immediately fly to his blooded lips. They are rife with hunger, though something else seems coiled within them, a primordial being, desperate for control of the gilded cage in which it’s kept, but skillfully controlled. She takes a step towards him and slightly to the side, circling him until his back is to the wall.
She remains no more then a hands length apart from him, her nails tracing a path across his body. She steps close to him again, pushing closer until he is flat against the wall and she leaning against him. Her nails dance up the sleeves of the jacket, resting either wrist on his shoulders she brings her lips to meet his. Johannes relishes the shared blood between them in their impassioned kiss, the mixed vitae sweeter still than even Evelyn's alone. Her tongue moves lightly across his lips tasting the mix of blood as a shiver runs its course through her body. That same contented purr is heard and strangle seems to reverberate through her entire body. As she kisses him, using her body to pin him against the wall her hands move the undo the buttons on his shirt, pulling it from his waistband. Running her hands beneath the fabric she pushes it back off his shoulders, biting lightly at his lips to get him to lean away from the way she removes the shirt and jacket in a single piece. Caught in the fires of passion, he moves with her, guided by her, their positions easily reversed. He hardly feels his clothing stripped from him, but is altogether acutely aware of the cool air against his now warmed flesh.
Her fingers trace the lines of old scars as she gently pushes him back against the wall. Her lips move from his hesitantly, instinct clearly fighting not to leave the source of blood. She playfully nips and kisses her way down his neck and to his collar bone, moving down to his chest just above his heart. As her lips part from his and begin their descent to his chest, his eyes remain half-closed, though the intensity with which they burn is as fierce as ever. His eyes, those so recently-cursed orbs, now reflect pure desire. Powerful indeed must be the resolve that holds that emotion in check, for without such stringent control it would be all-consuming. Her hands move to his shoulders, and gently hold them to the wall. She looks up at him, her alabaster eyes watching his face as she sinks her fangs into his skin at a dauntingly slow pace. Johannes' body shudders as she teases her fangs into his chest, a slight gasp escaping his lips, face upturned to the ceiling. She holds them in his skin momentarily, moving slightly to further accent their placement. She takes in a mouthful of his blood before pulling her head away, her tongue having traced its path around the twin wounds before moving. His jaw clenched, tendons and muscles taut, bloodstained teeth evident and visible, he shakes again as she withdraws, his entire body tensing. She looks back to him, her lips stained with his blood moves to kiss him again, stopping as their lips contact each other.
"I know much, young Lord." She smiles her voice dripping with desires. "I am fully aware that the gentle touch can be as devastating as the strong." Her eyes move down regarding him before looking back into his. "Especially when it seems a touch quite alien to whoever is receiving it...”
He feels more than hears Evelyn's words, meeting her satisfied gaze. His voice low, undaunted but thick with desire, he responds with a carnal smirk. "My life has been filled with love, meine Frau, and /all/ of it ... 'tender.'" Johannes takes one of Evelyn's hands, so recently tracing over his battle scars, and presses it tightly to one of the starburst-shaped impressions in the series emerging from his left hip and arcing to his right collarbone. "They loved me and I them. And it was with all due tenderness I proved mine more valuable." Before continuing, he kisses Evelyn deeply, now tasting his blood on her lips, inciting the lustful Beast within. "But there is more tenderness in me than I showed them; I have no doubt you may yet see."
Again his hand grips her hair tightly as he presses forward anew, lifting himself from the wall. He sweeps Evelyn back, nearly off of her feet, into a low dip, their passionate embrace continued. Evelyn seems to relax in his hold as he moves her into the dip. Nearly doubled over, Johannes holds his aunt at the nearly unnatural angle, letting the blood flow deep into their kiss, the unexpectedly gentle trespasses of each others' tongues intertwining. She returns the kiss passionately, one hand holding lightly to his shoulder while the other traces the starburst scar with the tips of her nails. When she reluctantly breaks the kiss she stops for a moment, her white eyes moving slightly as she looks up at him. She seems to be taking in every detail of his face, every line. She smiles softly, but somewhat playfully.
"I have known tenderness such as this.." she digs the nails on the scar in slightly accentuation the words. "It is satisfyingly bitter sweet." She kisses the underside of his jaw. "Perhaps then if you seek to be my instructor... you might wish to test my knowledge, in place of having it told to you." She grins mischievously.
Johannes looks down at Evelyn with uninhibited lust, his eyes drinking in the way light plays across her face, his ears catching every subtle whisper of her clothes against her flesh, the floor, and him.
Slowly he straightens, bringing Evelyn with him. He lightly traces a finger, the nail of which is set just enough to accentuate its placement, tantalizingly slowly, from her ear, down her jaw, and across her collarbone. "I think you underestimate me and my abilities," he smiles, "I like that." She smirks at the comment, her demeanor every bit as proud and arrogant as can be.
With only the barest of separations, Johannes begins pacing slowly around Evelyn, his touch, his breath, and his gaze never leaving her as he moves, almost as a cat examining its most recent catch. "And all that aside, I like your motives," said from behind her. As he moves around her she does not follow his movements with anything other then a slight tilt of her head to catch the direction of the sound of his movement. Her shoulders remain high and confident, that ever present air of defiance apparent in her posture.
Johannes leans in then, his lips caressing the back of her neck as his fangs nip unerringly on the most sensitive tissue. Even as he pierces her flesh, ever so slightly, time and time again, she can feel his soundless laughter. As his fangs cut into her flesh again and again she tilts her head down slightly, arching her neck, leaning against him, her eyes falling closed. Her left hand reaches behind her resting on his hip, her fingers tighten and release with his movement. Her right hand comes up and rests on his right shoulder, gently holding him closer to her.
When she speaks her words come between sharp intakes of breath and a purr of delight at the sensation. "So good to know you are pleased, young Lord Savage." She smiles, "I can't help but feel you are holding something back from me. If you feel I underestimate you, then perhaps you should attempt to prove me wrong." She laughs softly, a sound like a silver blade, the challenge in her words shining through
"Oh no, liebe, you don't need to ask," he whispers, an emotion that could be called 'malicious confidence' shading each word. Pulling back from her neck, ever so slightly, he commands "Stay. Very. Still." The punctuated emphasis matching the gravity of his tone. She stands at his command, smiling slightly at the tone he uses, a curious expression on her face.
Slipping backwards from Evelyn's grasp, it is very apparent he doesn't move far; perhaps a step backwards. For nearly a minute he stands, to all apparent sense unmoving, directly behind his grand-aunt. Perhaps this is a test of patience, of resolve, or her trust of him. When he steps away from her, her arms come to rest easily at her sides; again, the only movements from her being a slight turn of her head to attempt to follow his sound, her eyes however remain forward.
Whatever the guesses to his intent, it was cut short by a flurry of motion behind Evelyn who, still standing forward, her shoulders squared, hard scarcely time to react before something slammed into her. As he collides with her she is taken completely off guard. A small sound of protest escapes her crimson lips, as her arms come up instinctively to break their fall against the hardwood floor. Bodily both she and Johannes hit the floor, a terrifying realization coming to Evelyn -- there was something now impaled in her ribcage from behind. The impact of their bodies having concealed the entrance of the stake into her ribs, as they lay now on the floor, she hesitates unmoving for a few moments to take an account of the situation. Whether by design or accident, the stake had not pierced her heart, but it was far too close for any kindred to feel comfortable with.
A satisfactory whisper emerged from Johannes lips, hot on Evelyn's ear, "there are sensations like nothing else in this world, and I will teach you every one."
As he finishes speaking, she shifts under him, her right arm attempting to move between them to the wood impaled in her otherwise perfect skin. She growls softly, turning her head to the side, a look of exquisite pain on her face her eyes almost completely closed for the feel of it. Her lips part slightly in a sensually soft gasp as her movement shifts the wood. Her hand stops in its reaching for the stake as she rakes her nails hard against his chest, leaving lines of blood in their wake. She traces her fingers back across the wounds and digs their tips into the now exposed flesh there.
She speaks barely above a whisper, "Then I am yours to teach."
Lying atop the majestic Prince, so unceremoniously dropped to the floor, Johannes' words, though sarcastic, rang with triumph. "You give up too easily, I think; you are either biding your time, hoping to find me off my guard, or are genuinely impressed." As he talks, one hand is used to support himself slightly, pressed weightily to the floor, the other slowly trailing up her leg, her hip, then up her arm, so twisted behind her back, to and over her shoulder.
With a tenderness normally unassociated with the embattled soldier, he kisses softly the back of her neck, moving down to kiss the blood from her fingers, his blood. Sliding slowly off of her, their bodies pressed tightly together, he tantalizingly removes the stake from Evelyn's back, giving it a slight flick before doing so to ensure she knows how close it had come. Evelyn's body tenses as he removes the stake, and she trembles slightly after it is gone. Throwing the wooden shaft into the pile of his clothing, his shoes and belt are quick to join in the mess. "My apologies to your tailor, dread aunt," Johannes chuckles as he crouches before her prone form, his face mere inches from hers as he squats comfortably on the balls of his feet.
She lays prone for a moment, before rolling onto her side, and angling her body so she now lays perpendicular to him. She idly props her head up on her left hand, and leaves the right to trail slowly down her side, accentuating the lines of her body. She maintains the close distance between them, a smile on her lips.
"My dear, a woman's entire life is made of giving and taking, and the perfection of the timing between them. No one has dared do what you have done." She glances to the stake. "That intrigues me. So I give you leave to continue."
Johannes rolls forward, resting on his knees before the proud women at his feet.
Lowering his face to hers, his voice is even, the seriousness of his tone at odds with the self-satisfied smirk he wore just moments before, he speaks gravely. "If any had sought to do as I played at, their demise would be so great as to cause their kin to shudder in fear, even in the midst of torpored eclipse." His eyes, once steely blue, reflect now only the rigid and unyielding resolve that led to his ascension both into un-life and into true infamy as one of the Savages.
"But all other duty aside," he softens, "there are things I can show you, wondrous things, but I wouldn't be a worthy tutor were all of my lessons able to be mastered in just one evening."
Leaning forward, he places a tender kiss on Evelyn's forehead before pressing his lips passionately to hers. As the kiss deepens, the taste of blood reaches both, setting their tongues and hearts aflame, though neither cared truly from whom the blood flowed. Evelyn returns the kiss passionately, sitting up and wrapping her arms around his chest, pulling him close against her. Her tongue and teeth play alternately against his lips, basking in the taste of the blood shared between them. After what seems like an eternity lost in the kiss she reluctantly pulls back, regarding Johannes. Her hands trail across the scars on his chest again, their touch this time light, almost curious as she traces each one. Her eyes are trained on her fingers as they move. As she pulls away, Johannes hesitates to end the kiss. He watches her eyes hungrily, amused as she ponders the wounds' origins and the stories held therein. When she speaks her voice is distracted.
"No.. It would be an insult to think they could be mastered in one night...." She pauses briefly and looks to him, her hands still exploring... "Whatever shall we do to pass the time...." A playfully glint dances across her eyes.
As she looks at him, a mischievous grin flashes, his response quick in tow. "Well, meine Frauline, I do hear a bath waiting." He laughs richly, sincerely.
She smiles lifting herself up off the floor in a single fluid motion and turns leading the way into the bathroom. He follows her, still half-dressed, the blood from her wound matching his newly-felt gouges in red streaks down his bare chest. The water has already been stopped and just before they reach the door the sound of music can be heard. The soft sounds of Mozart are heard through the bathroom door, and become ever so slightly louder when Evelyn opens the door into the steam filled room.
She pauses for a moment, allowing the steam to escape in a luscious cloud rolling passed her body and into the bedroom. Johannes closes his eyes, feeling the heat and moisture roll over him, as the plume of steam billows from the room. The scent of Jasmine is in the air as she enters the room.
The bathtub is immense. A large white tub with lion claws for feet, it could easily fit four adults. Strangely the wall opposite the tub is almost completely made of mirrors, underneath them a black marble countertop and silver faucet sink.
As Evelyn enters the room the hole in the back of her dress easily shows the skin underneath, made perfect again by the gifts of their supernatural states. She stops just in front of the mirror, her back towards him still, looking over her shoulder at him. She reaches behind her back and motions to a row of smooth black buttons.
"Would you mind helping me with this?"
When Johannes arrives Wednesday night, he is escorted to the back of the house, to the porch that looks out over the expanse of land. Evelyn stands with her back to him and the house at the moment, close to the aviary, a large falcon on her left arm eating bits of raw meat from her hands.
To the left is another large building, surrounded by glass, another enclosure this one with a deep pool in it, as well as several big trees that have deep claw marks in them. Lounging on beds of silk are two adult white Siberian tigers. Evelyn does not turn to face Johannes, but continues feeding the bird.
"I do hope your travel here was uneventful."
Johannes walks on soundless shoes, his smile almost palpable as he sees the powerful falcon being fed. "No difficulties at all. My deputies understand that, should I need calling, I will be in a foul mood upon my return. They will either handle and comport themselves as befitting their office or I will have them replaced."
He stands behind and to the right of Evelyn, pausing for long seconds. "I often find myself forgetting the beauty of these estates, this land. Though my youth was filled with cities, my most fond memories are of the countryside. The streets of San Francisco are a poor substitute."
She continues to feed the bird with an ungloved hand. A small leather pouch hangs from a silver chain around her waist. She smiles softly as he talks and nods her head.
"Sussex has always been a small place, and I grew up with the large expanse of land at my beckon call, riding for hours. The hunting was exquisite. I am glad that you appreciate the beauty of my home. If you like I can have horses prepared and show you the lay of the land."
She meets his gaze, her luminescent eyes taking in the confidence of his gaze as she absently strokes the bird’s feathers. He stands relaxed, arms at his sides, hands gloved, alabaster eyes unhidden and taking in the expanse. No longer is he wearing the cobalt blue tie but one of black silk within which threads of red catch the light, weaving through in a complex pattern reminiscent of Norse tribalism. He looks directly at Evelyn, un-cowed by her presence or station.
Johannes nods to Evelyn as she turns, respectfully. It is not the low bows he once gave, but certainly a motion of deep respect, and due her station.
"It has been some time since I've ridden. It could be said I haven't had time for it since I was a young boy. I have little doubt it will come back to me however. I'd greatly enjoy such a venture through your garden," he replies, smiling satisfactorily.
Evelyn nods and raises the bird slightly. As it is lifted, the bird leans forward resting its powerful beak against her lips, which are moving, albeit very minutely. The powerful talons of the bird flex on her leather gloved arm as the bird chirps once, rubs its beak against her face in an almost loving manner and takes wing back into the large aviary. His gaze stays even, steady with Evelyn's, his smile still plainly evident on his usually grim face, being quite obvious he respects the bird, and the woman who treats it with such regard.
Almost as if on cue Maria appears in the doorway, taking the leather pouch from Evelyn. She nods at Evelyn’s instruction and then disappears around the side of the house. Evelyn turns to Johannes and steps close to him, the silk of her dress brushing against him. Her eyes trail over his form.
"I hope that my Eden is as beautiful as it has been dreamt to be."
When she steps back two horses are being led around the side of the house, one a powerful black Belgian stallion, the other a dappled grey stallion. The black horse is outfitted with a true sidesaddle, into which Evelyn swings herself in a fluid and graceful motion despite its inherent awkwardness. She reins the stallion in sharply and looks to him, her gaze uninhibited.
"Shall we then?"
He raises an eyebrow at the sidesaddle but mounts the dappled-gray with the grace and sure-footing befitting his reputation. With a slight gesture, he bids Evelyn to lead the way.
She brings the horse to a canter out into the slightly wooded back stretch of land. The buttes loom dark in the distance, but the land is very well taken care of. It has been left mostly to a natural state, save keeping it green in the dry California weather. Johannes easily guides the horse into a spirited run through the tour of the estate, enjoying the ride. When she slows finally, it’s near the edge of a meadow, with a wild rose bush to their left, blooming with roses almost as dark as the night sky. She turns to regard him a smile on her crimson lips.
"I see you've remembered well. This meadow marks the end of the land that I own. A beautiful and fitting end if I might say so." She skillfully nudges the horse into sidestepping and moving next to Johannes.
Slowing and stopping next to Evelyn, he responds, "perhaps not all youthfulness is wasted on the young," still smiling. "I do like this. Very reminiscent of homeland." Then, turning to Evelyn, "however the land now called Germany is very different from the country wherein which I was raised."
She smiles. “The same as with my home. Though it has been far too long since I have seen her last, she is not the Britannia I left."
"I never thought it would be quite possible to look graceful riding a horse like that," he remarks, "but you manage it with effortless grace."
She chuckles softly at Johannes' comment. "There is but one scene in which it is proper for a Lady to straddle a powerful beast... and it is not when in the saddle." She grins mischievously
Johannes laughs heartily at Evelyn's comment -- something she hasn't heard him do very often. Still mirthful, he replies in short order, "the laws of society -- many cannot fathom them, but for those of us who uphold and abide, we are quite well rewarded."
Evelyn pulls back on the reigns of the horse, causing it to backup; she maneuvers the Belgian in a tight u and stops with her horse facing back towards the mansion. She leans in close to him as if to kiss him but stops a scant few centimeters from him. Her lips brush his as she speaks...
"Perhaps then we should see to your reward..." She smiles seductively before darting off towards the house at a gallop.
Johannes follows suit, spurring his horse into a dead run back to the mansion, not trying to beat, but trying to keep pace with Evelyn, his suit coat flapping wildly in the rush. He leans forward, raised off the saddle slightly as many jockeys are in the middle of a race, face low to the animal's neck, its mane brushing his grin. In his left hand he lightly holds the rein -- not using it anymore, but merely using his legs against the horse and the positioning of his body to guide them around trees, hills, and ensuring that he is neck-and-neck with Evelyn's stallion.
Evelyn leans over her horse, a delighted smile across her crimson lips. She does not urge the horse to outpace Johannes, delighting in the run itself. She pulls the horse up sharp back at the house, laughing softly as she gracefully dismounts handing the reins to the waiting servant.
She waits for him to dismount and then steps close to Johannes, wrapping her arms around his waist. She looks into his eyes, a half smile lifting the left side of her mouth. She leans in slightly and inhales deeply. She lifts her lips to near his ear, brushing his cheek with hers...
"Join me for a bath?"
As Evelyn pulls back, Johannes' teeth are easily visible in his wide grin. His fangs are elongated, but his expression isn't one of a predator toying with prey, but rather evidence of his keen enjoyment of their shared undead state. It is a sign of respect, of strength, and of inaudible promises.
His arms drawing Evelyn close, he leans in closer, running his cool lips over her ear. Evelyn closes her eyes as he nears her. She can hear him breathing, though whether it is merely breath or the catching of her scent is unknowable. A throaty whisper, confident, articulate, and sonorous, brushes past her sensitive lobes. "Let them draw it hot, my aunt, let the room fill with steam."
When he speaks a small shiver runs through her body, the cause of which, anticipation or the chill of his breath against her skin, is unknown. When he finishes she kisses the bend of his jaw grazing the skin lightly with one of her fangs. As her teeth and lips pass his cheek, a sound resonates from deep within Johannes' chest, inaudible save for the (un)natural enhancement the Embrace grants to all with such damned blood. It is a rumbling growl that even in its brevity smacks of sensuality. She turns and steps gingerly out of his embrace, looking over her shoulder. As she dances from his arms, he licks his lips with a hungry fire in his eyes.
"Shall we then?"
She walks into the house without waiting for an answer leading him through the house and into the East wing, through a set of massive dark wood doors into a large bedroom, walking confidently, never once looking back to confirm that he is indeed following. Johannes follows through the house on soundless shoes, his steps confident and precise. At some point in the walk he removes his gloves effortlessly, depositing them into one of the suit's many pockets. Two six month old jaguars slink passed them at a glance from Evelyn as she enters. It’s a lavishly decorated room, with tapestries and paintings of gruesome scenes on the wall; many of them dealing with a fall from grace. A marble table with two chairs sits in front of a floor to ceiling window. A four posted cherry wood bed is draped in rich red silk, with a large ornately carved headboard that displays a fierce battle between an army of angels and the legions of hell, fighting with the forces of hell are a number of domineering lions.
Though he admires the tapestries and paintings, some bringing additional mirth to his gaze, his eyes never leave Evelyn, tracing her curves, watching her walk with the confidence and grace with which she was born and raised for.
She steps to the side of the door as they enter, and closes it after he steps through, and leans against the wood watching him for a moment. As the door closes behind him, he takes a quick scan of the room, from its opulent trimmings to the view out the window, before turning back to Evelyn. Pointing offhandedly to her headboard, he chuckles, "I can only imagine which side you belong in." Leaning close, he almost casually rests his hands against the wall on either side of Evelyn, the space between them growing ever smaller. "I can only imagine what kind of depravity you are capable of," his grin deliberately predatory now.
She smiles at his comments, quietly unbuttoning his suit jacket before her arms slide effortless underneath the jacket just below the bottom of his ribcage. As she wraps her arms around his torso, it is evident that, in an uncommon move, he is completely unarmed. No obfuscate could hide weapons from her grasp, and there are none to find, perhaps a first she has seen from Johannes. Pulling him softly against her, completely removing any distance between them, she sets her head on his shoulder kissing the side of his neck, lightly biting the skin.
"Why imagine?" She whispers in a low voice as the sound of water is heard from a nearby room.
As she kisses his neck, he leans his head to the other side, granting her all the access she could want. His hands slide from the wall and onto her shoulders, as he traces his fingers deftly down her sides and back up again, feeling both the fabric and skin pass beneath his tactile trespasses. Evelyn's shoulders lift slightly to meet his hands as they rest there momentarily. As his fingers run their course, her hands move against his back, her nails playing idly across the shirt, just hard enough to feel them.
"Quite; quite" he murmurs and pauses, continuing with "it would be such a disgrace to your tailer to rip this dress off of you, but something tells me there will be no complaints tonight"
She looks into his pale eyes, a somewhat satisfied smile crosses her face as her eyes dance with defiance.
"The replacement of the dress is a small matter. My seamstress works quickly."
She pauses, tilting her head slightly, the tips of her fangs now just barely visible under her lips. "You sound so assured that you would be able to accomplish such a feat. I am no easy prey." She accents the last word, her voice laden with a primal sound, her nails dig briefly into his skin.
"I am no idle dreamer who reaches for great things with only a hope of success and a wager on fate. I have no hope; either I am sure something is attainable, or I am sure it is not." His eyes match his face -- a resolute expression present in both. "You are not something I could catch as prey, nor would I chase you for that reason even could I. You are one to run with, not to chase down."
Johannes leans in, as close as Evelyn had earlier when speaking of rewards, looking directly into her alabaster eyes. Evelyn half closes her eyes, watching him directly as he speaks. The hands on his back move to his shoulders, the fingers of her left hand absently playing against the back of his neck. "But just because you may not be prey doesn't mean I can run with you without some effort. I have no desire nor intent to disappoint in this nor any other task, Lady Evelyn," his tone disciplined, even, officious.
Breaking from his regimented reverie however, his eyes take on a mischievous glint, continuing, "But all the same, please pass along my condolences to your tailor."
"I've no doubt of your intent.." She pauses a smile growing, "..Lord Savage, and I am certain that you will succeed in your endeavors. As to my seamstress if the situation presents itself I will ensure the delivery of your sentiments."
She sets her head back against the door for a moment, as if debating something, before leaning forward again, this time leaving no space between them. She brings her lips to his, kissing him, biting playfully at his lips. She leans forward off the door and fully against his body. Johannes holds her with tender strength, an embrace that shows though Johannes is a man of great physical prowess; he is not so without control that he can only be forceful. She shifts her weight lightly; not mere random movements, but testing his hold on her for any spot that might be weaker then the others. Johannes used to restraining people chuckles slightly to himself even as he continues his adorations.
His lips playing teasingly with hers, one hand holds the back of her head tightly, fingers wrapped in her hair, the other's nails running down her back, with more than enough force to 'just be felt.' Evelyn's body tenses in his arms as he runs his nails down her back. She arches her back against his nails increasing their pressure.
Johannes becomes more forceful quickly, his strength becoming apparent. While not overpowering Evelyn, he certainly starts to let his physical dominance become apparent -- perhaps just a taste of what is in store for her should she allow him to continue. As he increases his forcefulness she leans into him, finding that spot where their bodies seem to fit together. Purring contentedly she puts a small amount of resistance against him, a playful glint in her eyes. As she reacts to his nails he presses harder, enough that, were it not for the kindred condition, the red and raised lines would be visible for some days. Her playfulness does not go unnoticed as he responds in turn.
His fangs are fully apparent now, and there is no shortage of those ivory teeth caressing her lips, her neck, and her cheek, with a passion that belies his cold heart. She turns her head into him where ever his fangs meet her skin, but when he moves to her neck she turns her head away, exposing her neck to him her eyes all but closing at the sensation. As she opens her neck to his razor fangs, he sensually rakes them against her, leaving pinprick-width tracks on her otherwise alabaster skin. On one such pass he actually breaks the skin, accompanied with a sharp intake of breath. He leaves but the smallest droplet of blood forming, the wound scarcely wide enough to allow the blood to flow; he has survived through his acute senses and focus, and on the several occasions he has shared his attention to detail his gifts did not go unnoticed.
She removes her hands from him briefly, quickly pulling the gloves off her hands and letting them drop to the floor. Her left hand goes to the back of his neck, fingers dancing in his hair. Her right hand returns to his back, pulling the shirt up so that she can get to the skin of his back. She draws her nails across his back hard enough to raise welts and the quickly sets her hand across them, the cool of her skin and the metal of her ring contrasting to the raised marks' warmth. As she digs her nails into the scarred yet muscular expanses of his exposed back, he grits his teeth but smiles with the sensation, looking into her eyes as the contrast between hot and cool plays upon his wounds.
She sets her face again against his whispering... "Tell me what it is that lies in that dark heart... what black desires yearn to be fullfilled...." her voice is thick and lusty
As she leans in, caught in the sensation of his pain and he caught in the experience, his face is upturned, eyes closed. His reply comes with similarly leaded breath, their cheeks meeting though his eyes remain unopened. "There is so much in this world ..." he pauses before continuing, "that you have never seen. Never felt and never been immersed in." With heavy breaths he begins kissing her ear, lips, tongue, and fangs all making an appearance, continuing, "You have done so much, and yet so little that I would show you."
He pulls back slightly, enough to look Evelyn in the eyes. Though his words are ragged with the blood-fuelled emotion and sensation, his gaze remains even, steady. "There are things no Savage before me has known, done, or seen. Tonight you will have the taste of something new." Laughing heartily, he unexpectedly pulls her head back with the hand still nestled in her hair, aiming to plunge his fangs into her neck, as of yet unmolested on this side. As he pulls her head back she sucks in a breath of air, a sinful sound laden with pain and pleasure. Her left hand moves to his chest, the right tenses using his body to keep her balanced. She turns her head into the direction that he has pulled it, tilting her head up to completely expose her neck. She looks in his eyes, hers own a cacophony of dark desires colored with cruelty. A maleficent smile spreading across her deep red lips, she digs her nails into his chest hard enough to draw blood, her eyes moving to the wounds before returning to his gaze.
When she speaks her voice is low, peppered with an obvious predatory desire.. "Such ambition... so confident.." She smirks, defiance undeniable in her despite her being in such a submissive posture. "Then by all means, young Lord Savage, reveal to me the world that I have yet to see."
Johannes' mouth twists into a wry, self-congratulatory smile as he looks down at his elder. Though he would appear to any onlooker as an emperor surveying a conquest, his eyes relayed a surety that he had far from taken Evelyn as a conquest. A moment not of hesitation but of deliberate intent spent staring into Evelyn's eyes before lunging.
Though only a step from the heavy doors, and already pressed tightly together, the force of his body slammed both against the unrelenting wall heavily and with enough force to rattle several paintings. As he lunges she chuckles deeply, a more malicious then amused sound, but it is cut short as they hit the wall and the force of his strength pushes the wind out of her. The jarring impact set the scene for his canines, not once in his un-life used for attack, to impale her neck, deeply into the jugular. As his fangs sink into her skin she groans deep in her throat, her eyes flying closed reveling in the feeling. His hands pinned Evelyn's shoulders against the doorframe, as he let a single drop of blood eke out from his assault, tracing its way down to her collarbone, across its line, and down her chest. Her left hand leaves his chest, her fingers tracing lightly across the skin of his neck her hand moves to the back of his head. Once there she cradles his head, as if to hold him there, and when he moves her hand stays with his head. The hand on his back has moved to his side, gripping his side and pulling his body into hers.
Still holding her tight, he followed in the droplet's wake, kissing, nipping, and biting as he reached down to the upper folds of her dress. Tenderly he traces its path back up, a thin smear of vitae in his wake, without any hint of his teeth at all. Eventually he works a path to her neck, her jaw line, and to her ear, where she can hear, yet not feel, a fang pierce flesh. Whispering with lust in his voice, he comments "I would have you show me what you have learned about pleasure; how else can I know with what you need instruction?"
With a throaty laugh he pulls back, his lips and teeth stained with blood, though there is more than he pulled from her neck. Relaxing his grip on her shoulders, he leans in for a kiss of shared vitae, a kiss merging both of them. There is a sound akin to a whimper as he steps back but her eyes open and immediately fly to his blooded lips. They are rife with hunger, though something else seems coiled within them, a primordial being, desperate for control of the gilded cage in which it’s kept, but skillfully controlled. She takes a step towards him and slightly to the side, circling him until his back is to the wall.
She remains no more then a hands length apart from him, her nails tracing a path across his body. She steps close to him again, pushing closer until he is flat against the wall and she leaning against him. Her nails dance up the sleeves of the jacket, resting either wrist on his shoulders she brings her lips to meet his. Johannes relishes the shared blood between them in their impassioned kiss, the mixed vitae sweeter still than even Evelyn's alone. Her tongue moves lightly across his lips tasting the mix of blood as a shiver runs its course through her body. That same contented purr is heard and strangle seems to reverberate through her entire body. As she kisses him, using her body to pin him against the wall her hands move the undo the buttons on his shirt, pulling it from his waistband. Running her hands beneath the fabric she pushes it back off his shoulders, biting lightly at his lips to get him to lean away from the way she removes the shirt and jacket in a single piece. Caught in the fires of passion, he moves with her, guided by her, their positions easily reversed. He hardly feels his clothing stripped from him, but is altogether acutely aware of the cool air against his now warmed flesh.
Her fingers trace the lines of old scars as she gently pushes him back against the wall. Her lips move from his hesitantly, instinct clearly fighting not to leave the source of blood. She playfully nips and kisses her way down his neck and to his collar bone, moving down to his chest just above his heart. As her lips part from his and begin their descent to his chest, his eyes remain half-closed, though the intensity with which they burn is as fierce as ever. His eyes, those so recently-cursed orbs, now reflect pure desire. Powerful indeed must be the resolve that holds that emotion in check, for without such stringent control it would be all-consuming. Her hands move to his shoulders, and gently hold them to the wall. She looks up at him, her alabaster eyes watching his face as she sinks her fangs into his skin at a dauntingly slow pace. Johannes' body shudders as she teases her fangs into his chest, a slight gasp escaping his lips, face upturned to the ceiling. She holds them in his skin momentarily, moving slightly to further accent their placement. She takes in a mouthful of his blood before pulling her head away, her tongue having traced its path around the twin wounds before moving. His jaw clenched, tendons and muscles taut, bloodstained teeth evident and visible, he shakes again as she withdraws, his entire body tensing. She looks back to him, her lips stained with his blood moves to kiss him again, stopping as their lips contact each other.
"I know much, young Lord." She smiles her voice dripping with desires. "I am fully aware that the gentle touch can be as devastating as the strong." Her eyes move down regarding him before looking back into his. "Especially when it seems a touch quite alien to whoever is receiving it...”
He feels more than hears Evelyn's words, meeting her satisfied gaze. His voice low, undaunted but thick with desire, he responds with a carnal smirk. "My life has been filled with love, meine Frau, and /all/ of it ... 'tender.'" Johannes takes one of Evelyn's hands, so recently tracing over his battle scars, and presses it tightly to one of the starburst-shaped impressions in the series emerging from his left hip and arcing to his right collarbone. "They loved me and I them. And it was with all due tenderness I proved mine more valuable." Before continuing, he kisses Evelyn deeply, now tasting his blood on her lips, inciting the lustful Beast within. "But there is more tenderness in me than I showed them; I have no doubt you may yet see."
Again his hand grips her hair tightly as he presses forward anew, lifting himself from the wall. He sweeps Evelyn back, nearly off of her feet, into a low dip, their passionate embrace continued. Evelyn seems to relax in his hold as he moves her into the dip. Nearly doubled over, Johannes holds his aunt at the nearly unnatural angle, letting the blood flow deep into their kiss, the unexpectedly gentle trespasses of each others' tongues intertwining. She returns the kiss passionately, one hand holding lightly to his shoulder while the other traces the starburst scar with the tips of her nails. When she reluctantly breaks the kiss she stops for a moment, her white eyes moving slightly as she looks up at him. She seems to be taking in every detail of his face, every line. She smiles softly, but somewhat playfully.
"I have known tenderness such as this.." she digs the nails on the scar in slightly accentuation the words. "It is satisfyingly bitter sweet." She kisses the underside of his jaw. "Perhaps then if you seek to be my instructor... you might wish to test my knowledge, in place of having it told to you." She grins mischievously.
Johannes looks down at Evelyn with uninhibited lust, his eyes drinking in the way light plays across her face, his ears catching every subtle whisper of her clothes against her flesh, the floor, and him.
Slowly he straightens, bringing Evelyn with him. He lightly traces a finger, the nail of which is set just enough to accentuate its placement, tantalizingly slowly, from her ear, down her jaw, and across her collarbone. "I think you underestimate me and my abilities," he smiles, "I like that." She smirks at the comment, her demeanor every bit as proud and arrogant as can be.
With only the barest of separations, Johannes begins pacing slowly around Evelyn, his touch, his breath, and his gaze never leaving her as he moves, almost as a cat examining its most recent catch. "And all that aside, I like your motives," said from behind her. As he moves around her she does not follow his movements with anything other then a slight tilt of her head to catch the direction of the sound of his movement. Her shoulders remain high and confident, that ever present air of defiance apparent in her posture.
Johannes leans in then, his lips caressing the back of her neck as his fangs nip unerringly on the most sensitive tissue. Even as he pierces her flesh, ever so slightly, time and time again, she can feel his soundless laughter. As his fangs cut into her flesh again and again she tilts her head down slightly, arching her neck, leaning against him, her eyes falling closed. Her left hand reaches behind her resting on his hip, her fingers tighten and release with his movement. Her right hand comes up and rests on his right shoulder, gently holding him closer to her.
When she speaks her words come between sharp intakes of breath and a purr of delight at the sensation. "So good to know you are pleased, young Lord Savage." She smiles, "I can't help but feel you are holding something back from me. If you feel I underestimate you, then perhaps you should attempt to prove me wrong." She laughs softly, a sound like a silver blade, the challenge in her words shining through
"Oh no, liebe, you don't need to ask," he whispers, an emotion that could be called 'malicious confidence' shading each word. Pulling back from her neck, ever so slightly, he commands "Stay. Very. Still." The punctuated emphasis matching the gravity of his tone. She stands at his command, smiling slightly at the tone he uses, a curious expression on her face.
Slipping backwards from Evelyn's grasp, it is very apparent he doesn't move far; perhaps a step backwards. For nearly a minute he stands, to all apparent sense unmoving, directly behind his grand-aunt. Perhaps this is a test of patience, of resolve, or her trust of him. When he steps away from her, her arms come to rest easily at her sides; again, the only movements from her being a slight turn of her head to attempt to follow his sound, her eyes however remain forward.
Whatever the guesses to his intent, it was cut short by a flurry of motion behind Evelyn who, still standing forward, her shoulders squared, hard scarcely time to react before something slammed into her. As he collides with her she is taken completely off guard. A small sound of protest escapes her crimson lips, as her arms come up instinctively to break their fall against the hardwood floor. Bodily both she and Johannes hit the floor, a terrifying realization coming to Evelyn -- there was something now impaled in her ribcage from behind. The impact of their bodies having concealed the entrance of the stake into her ribs, as they lay now on the floor, she hesitates unmoving for a few moments to take an account of the situation. Whether by design or accident, the stake had not pierced her heart, but it was far too close for any kindred to feel comfortable with.
A satisfactory whisper emerged from Johannes lips, hot on Evelyn's ear, "there are sensations like nothing else in this world, and I will teach you every one."
As he finishes speaking, she shifts under him, her right arm attempting to move between them to the wood impaled in her otherwise perfect skin. She growls softly, turning her head to the side, a look of exquisite pain on her face her eyes almost completely closed for the feel of it. Her lips part slightly in a sensually soft gasp as her movement shifts the wood. Her hand stops in its reaching for the stake as she rakes her nails hard against his chest, leaving lines of blood in their wake. She traces her fingers back across the wounds and digs their tips into the now exposed flesh there.
She speaks barely above a whisper, "Then I am yours to teach."
Lying atop the majestic Prince, so unceremoniously dropped to the floor, Johannes' words, though sarcastic, rang with triumph. "You give up too easily, I think; you are either biding your time, hoping to find me off my guard, or are genuinely impressed." As he talks, one hand is used to support himself slightly, pressed weightily to the floor, the other slowly trailing up her leg, her hip, then up her arm, so twisted behind her back, to and over her shoulder.
With a tenderness normally unassociated with the embattled soldier, he kisses softly the back of her neck, moving down to kiss the blood from her fingers, his blood. Sliding slowly off of her, their bodies pressed tightly together, he tantalizingly removes the stake from Evelyn's back, giving it a slight flick before doing so to ensure she knows how close it had come. Evelyn's body tenses as he removes the stake, and she trembles slightly after it is gone. Throwing the wooden shaft into the pile of his clothing, his shoes and belt are quick to join in the mess. "My apologies to your tailor, dread aunt," Johannes chuckles as he crouches before her prone form, his face mere inches from hers as he squats comfortably on the balls of his feet.
She lays prone for a moment, before rolling onto her side, and angling her body so she now lays perpendicular to him. She idly props her head up on her left hand, and leaves the right to trail slowly down her side, accentuating the lines of her body. She maintains the close distance between them, a smile on her lips.
"My dear, a woman's entire life is made of giving and taking, and the perfection of the timing between them. No one has dared do what you have done." She glances to the stake. "That intrigues me. So I give you leave to continue."
Johannes rolls forward, resting on his knees before the proud women at his feet.
Lowering his face to hers, his voice is even, the seriousness of his tone at odds with the self-satisfied smirk he wore just moments before, he speaks gravely. "If any had sought to do as I played at, their demise would be so great as to cause their kin to shudder in fear, even in the midst of torpored eclipse." His eyes, once steely blue, reflect now only the rigid and unyielding resolve that led to his ascension both into un-life and into true infamy as one of the Savages.
"But all other duty aside," he softens, "there are things I can show you, wondrous things, but I wouldn't be a worthy tutor were all of my lessons able to be mastered in just one evening."
Leaning forward, he places a tender kiss on Evelyn's forehead before pressing his lips passionately to hers. As the kiss deepens, the taste of blood reaches both, setting their tongues and hearts aflame, though neither cared truly from whom the blood flowed. Evelyn returns the kiss passionately, sitting up and wrapping her arms around his chest, pulling him close against her. Her tongue and teeth play alternately against his lips, basking in the taste of the blood shared between them. After what seems like an eternity lost in the kiss she reluctantly pulls back, regarding Johannes. Her hands trail across the scars on his chest again, their touch this time light, almost curious as she traces each one. Her eyes are trained on her fingers as they move. As she pulls away, Johannes hesitates to end the kiss. He watches her eyes hungrily, amused as she ponders the wounds' origins and the stories held therein. When she speaks her voice is distracted.
"No.. It would be an insult to think they could be mastered in one night...." She pauses briefly and looks to him, her hands still exploring... "Whatever shall we do to pass the time...." A playfully glint dances across her eyes.
As she looks at him, a mischievous grin flashes, his response quick in tow. "Well, meine Frauline, I do hear a bath waiting." He laughs richly, sincerely.
She smiles lifting herself up off the floor in a single fluid motion and turns leading the way into the bathroom. He follows her, still half-dressed, the blood from her wound matching his newly-felt gouges in red streaks down his bare chest. The water has already been stopped and just before they reach the door the sound of music can be heard. The soft sounds of Mozart are heard through the bathroom door, and become ever so slightly louder when Evelyn opens the door into the steam filled room.
She pauses for a moment, allowing the steam to escape in a luscious cloud rolling passed her body and into the bedroom. Johannes closes his eyes, feeling the heat and moisture roll over him, as the plume of steam billows from the room. The scent of Jasmine is in the air as she enters the room.
The bathtub is immense. A large white tub with lion claws for feet, it could easily fit four adults. Strangely the wall opposite the tub is almost completely made of mirrors, underneath them a black marble countertop and silver faucet sink.
As Evelyn enters the room the hole in the back of her dress easily shows the skin underneath, made perfect again by the gifts of their supernatural states. She stops just in front of the mirror, her back towards him still, looking over her shoulder at him. She reaches behind her back and motions to a row of smooth black buttons.
"Would you mind helping me with this?"