Amir let out a sigh when Mara found him and slid down next to him on the bench at Vesper. Without so much as a sound she wriggled in close. His reaction was instant, born of centuries of repetition as he raised his arm and tucked her against his side. He didn't look down at her. Her pale eyes locked on his flashed into his mind. Her slim fingers searing a hole through his jeans pocket made his skin warm. If he looked at her now, he would just...
Amir tipped his head back and looked up at the sky. They both remained silent for a few minutes. When Amir had mastered the disturbing memories; disturbing in both their intensity and his desire to repeat them, he looked down at last, to Mara's striking features. Her silvery eyes were closed as she rested her head on his shoulder, silken hair falling heavily around her face to frame it.
"Would you like a job?"
Best to get down to business. Amir was beginning to not trust himself around her. And in light of recent events the last place Mara should be was where Amir was. It was very important to him that she stay safe.
For Every Action (Invite Only)
Mara always knew how to find Amir. He never told her outright, only dropped little hints on occasion that gave her some direction. Such was the case tonight.
She hadn't seen him in at least a week and their last meeting was still branded across her lips. It felt like it, anyhow. Shades was right, as usual. Mara had been deluding herself for centuries. But the veil was slowly lifting and, if it wasn't the right time to act on it Mara had at least stopped completely denying it.
The right time might never come. But at least if it didn't, she wouldn't have missed out on the knowledge.
She walked slowly and quietly through the Gardens, enjoying the sights under the comfortably dim lights and taking in the fresh scents of fall flowers. She found Amir before too long, sitting cross-legged on a bench near a fall of jasmine.
Mara seated herself next to him. Then, on impulse, she leaned against him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and put her head on his shoulder.
Amir
13 years ago
Mara
13 years ago
Mara felt her lips twitch up a little when Amir didn't immediately meet her eyes. So it wasn't just her - not that she'd thought it was. She breathed in the scent of his shirt, rubbing her cheek gently against his chest like a cat. He always smelled good, like soap and clean cotton.
If she'd been in cat form her ears would have pricked up when he spoke, finally looking down at her.
"A job?" she asked. "What sort of job?"
He hardly had to ask; if he needed Mara's help it was his.
If she'd been in cat form her ears would have pricked up when he spoke, finally looking down at her.
"A job?" she asked. "What sort of job?"
He hardly had to ask; if he needed Mara's help it was his.
Amir
13 years ago
Amir stopped moving when Mara's burrowed against his chest. All the little things that made him blend in; breathing, blinking, every movement - they simply stopped until he snapped his dark eyes down at her where they flashed at her in mild irritation and amusement.
"Stop it," he hissed softly. And yet he held her all the more closely for a moment before gently distancing himself.
He looked at her earnest face and realized he could very well be making a huge mistake. Amir drew in a breath to speak and no sound came out.
He had been about to send her away. If there was someone coming to Nachton with foul play on their mind, Amir didn't want Mara involved even if she wasn't one of those with Command. Mara made Amir an easy target; if anyone wanted to get to him they only had to get hold of her. Perhaps that was a harder task though.
If he sent her away, he couldn't protect her if they went after her.
That thought was what stopped him from sending her away. Maybe even with a murderer loose Nachton was still the safest place for her.
Shit, now he didn't know what to do and that was a very uncomfortable situation for Amir, who generally made decisions quickly and confidently without second-guessing himself. There were wolves all over the place, a potential killer on the loose, and he had to figure a way to get Mara and Bao in the clear.
"I'd like you to work with Bao on something, if you don't mind and if he agrees."
Inspiration struck and Amir went with it.
"Stop it," he hissed softly. And yet he held her all the more closely for a moment before gently distancing himself.
He looked at her earnest face and realized he could very well be making a huge mistake. Amir drew in a breath to speak and no sound came out.
He had been about to send her away. If there was someone coming to Nachton with foul play on their mind, Amir didn't want Mara involved even if she wasn't one of those with Command. Mara made Amir an easy target; if anyone wanted to get to him they only had to get hold of her. Perhaps that was a harder task though.
If he sent her away, he couldn't protect her if they went after her.
That thought was what stopped him from sending her away. Maybe even with a murderer loose Nachton was still the safest place for her.
Shit, now he didn't know what to do and that was a very uncomfortable situation for Amir, who generally made decisions quickly and confidently without second-guessing himself. There were wolves all over the place, a potential killer on the loose, and he had to figure a way to get Mara and Bao in the clear.
"I'd like you to work with Bao on something, if you don't mind and if he agrees."
Inspiration struck and Amir went with it.
Mara
13 years ago
Mara sat up and affected innocence. Amir didn't look fooled. She watched him closely as he began to speak, stopped himself, and then started again.
"Work with Bao? Of course I can. I'm assuming you need some information," she said.
It was her forte, and what he usually asked her to do when he asked for her help. He returned her gaze steadily now after a very uncharacteristic moment of hesitation.
What was going on here? Amir's tiny signals were all but invisible. Mara knew they were there only with the help of her keen senses and ability to read the body language of her creator so well.
"Work with Bao? Of course I can. I'm assuming you need some information," she said.
It was her forte, and what he usually asked her to do when he asked for her help. He returned her gaze steadily now after a very uncharacteristic moment of hesitation.
What was going on here? Amir's tiny signals were all but invisible. Mara knew they were there only with the help of her keen senses and ability to read the body language of her creator so well.
Amir
13 years ago
Amir nodded at Mara.
"Those four newly-turned vampires," he said. "We need to know more about them. I know you gathered plenty of information but there's more to it. If you really think they're heading here to Nachton we need to keep tabs on them."
It hadn't been high on Amir's list of priorities before, but he knew Mara had her teeth sunk into this idea, and it would serve as a reasonable distraction for her while he did things that may or may not seem foolish.
And it would keep her busy, he hoped. Too busy to spend much time with him. That thought hurt a little, but if no one associated them too closely they wouldn't know that Amir would do anything... anything at all... to keep Mara safe, and vice versa.
Bao he was less concerned with. It wasn't that one was any more capable of defending himself than the other, but Bao had a lot of resources. He had turned vampires of his own who were loyal to him; he navigated the law system like a champ. Aware of the potential danger, he would know as much as Amir knew.
"Where there are four, too," he said to Mara, "there may have been more. And they might be here already."
"Those four newly-turned vampires," he said. "We need to know more about them. I know you gathered plenty of information but there's more to it. If you really think they're heading here to Nachton we need to keep tabs on them."
It hadn't been high on Amir's list of priorities before, but he knew Mara had her teeth sunk into this idea, and it would serve as a reasonable distraction for her while he did things that may or may not seem foolish.
And it would keep her busy, he hoped. Too busy to spend much time with him. That thought hurt a little, but if no one associated them too closely they wouldn't know that Amir would do anything... anything at all... to keep Mara safe, and vice versa.
Bao he was less concerned with. It wasn't that one was any more capable of defending himself than the other, but Bao had a lot of resources. He had turned vampires of his own who were loyal to him; he navigated the law system like a champ. Aware of the potential danger, he would know as much as Amir knew.
"Where there are four, too," he said to Mara, "there may have been more. And they might be here already."
Mara
13 years ago
Mara smiled inside, where Amir couldn't see it. So that was it! She was thrilled to hear him relent, even just a little bit. It accounted for his hesitation, his discomfort with the topic at hand. He hated admitting he was mistaken, and it had rankled.
She was glad to take on this task. Amir was right; sorting out Subira's plans was important. He couldn't stay on top of everything all the time. She was so relieved to be able to follow that particular trail with his assent that she twined her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.
"I'll find everything I can," she promised, shifting so she knelt next to him on the bench. Placing her small hands on either side of his face she kissed him again, startled when he suddenly gathered her close, pulled her across his lap, and trapped her in the steel embrace of his arms.
Mara wrapped her legs around Amir, kneeling over his lap as he kissed her thoroughly, tongue dipping and tasting, fangs gently grazing her lips. She returned it eagerly, a soft mew of pleasure escaping her throat as she drank him in.
She was glad to take on this task. Amir was right; sorting out Subira's plans was important. He couldn't stay on top of everything all the time. She was so relieved to be able to follow that particular trail with his assent that she twined her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.
"I'll find everything I can," she promised, shifting so she knelt next to him on the bench. Placing her small hands on either side of his face she kissed him again, startled when he suddenly gathered her close, pulled her across his lap, and trapped her in the steel embrace of his arms.
Mara wrapped her legs around Amir, kneeling over his lap as he kissed her thoroughly, tongue dipping and tasting, fangs gently grazing her lips. She returned it eagerly, a soft mew of pleasure escaping her throat as she drank him in.
Amir
13 years ago
Mara, as he suspected, was more than pleased to believe he was taking the threat of new vampires seriously. And he, in his turn, was happy to have given both her and Bao a diversion when it seemed things could potentially get dicey. She expressed her pleasure exuberantly and unexpectedly and every impulse Amir had been trying to resist that evening exploded to the fore the moment her lips met his.
Part of him wanted to stop; the other part of him knew without a doubt this was the last time he could do this if he wanted to maintain the illusion that she meant little to him, and it drove him to attack her with gentle ferocity as he pulled her over his lap and dug his fingers into her thick silky hair. The little whimper she let out drove a spear made of fire somewhere deep into the pit of his stomach and he pressed against her in a rare moment of desperation.
With a shudder he pulled himself forcibly away. He stood slowly, almost groaning at the impossibility of it all as she slid down his body to place her feet softly back on the ground. This time Amir didn't attempt to hide the effect Mara had on him as he rested his forehead against hers and tried to pry his fingers back out of her hair.
"Be careful, Amaret," he whispered. His voice was pained. "If anything happens, if anything goes wrong, go to Shades. I'll find you there. Don't come to me."
It was the first time in sixteen hundred years he'd ever uttered those words to her, and they bled his soul as they came out. It was his job, his right, to keep her safe and that was what he was doing now, the best way he could. Finally working his way free of her, avoiding her questioning gaze, he dropped one hand to the nape of her neck and pulled her back to him for one last swift kiss.
As he had before, Amir left her standing there as he lowered his eyes, stuffed his hands into his pockets, and walked away without looking back.
((ooc: Mara and Amir out))
Part of him wanted to stop; the other part of him knew without a doubt this was the last time he could do this if he wanted to maintain the illusion that she meant little to him, and it drove him to attack her with gentle ferocity as he pulled her over his lap and dug his fingers into her thick silky hair. The little whimper she let out drove a spear made of fire somewhere deep into the pit of his stomach and he pressed against her in a rare moment of desperation.
With a shudder he pulled himself forcibly away. He stood slowly, almost groaning at the impossibility of it all as she slid down his body to place her feet softly back on the ground. This time Amir didn't attempt to hide the effect Mara had on him as he rested his forehead against hers and tried to pry his fingers back out of her hair.
"Be careful, Amaret," he whispered. His voice was pained. "If anything happens, if anything goes wrong, go to Shades. I'll find you there. Don't come to me."
It was the first time in sixteen hundred years he'd ever uttered those words to her, and they bled his soul as they came out. It was his job, his right, to keep her safe and that was what he was doing now, the best way he could. Finally working his way free of her, avoiding her questioning gaze, he dropped one hand to the nape of her neck and pulled her back to him for one last swift kiss.
As he had before, Amir left her standing there as he lowered his eyes, stuffed his hands into his pockets, and walked away without looking back.
((ooc: Mara and Amir out))