* [ + ] the black cross [ + ]

[un de plus pamplemousse]

"Hmm it's so adorable in here. Nice choice."

He smirked at her, amusement playing in his eyes. "Of course it was a nice choice. All my choices are nice." He took a seat opposite Lily, running his fingers along the carved wood of the chairs, admiring them. "It reminds me of those days," he added as an afterthought, somewhat wistfully. 'Those days' were what he referred to as his mortal life. He didn't dwell on them.

As Lily ordered the red, he smiled deviously across the table at her. "Lily, you know how that affects me," he good-naturedly whined at her. "You're just asking for me to take one of these beautiful lads home." He knew that he shouldn't, but the wine would make it quite tempting. It always did.

"hm, seems to be quite a good-looking crowd tonight, eh, Gabe?"

His gaze panned around the room, sizing up the patrons. He licked his lips a bit. "Yes, quite." His eyes had come to rest on a particularly effemitate boy in the corner, all by himself. "Look at that one, Lily." He nodded his head in the direction of the boy, smirking at her. "For me, or for you, I wonder." A smile played at his lips at the game they always played.  

[ieatwood]

She grinned at Anise's reaction to her pun, pulling the last bite out of the banana and dropping the peel on the table. Elizabeth glanced up at Anise, grinning, "I'm sure you could find someone to go with and help carry all the crap we're going to have to buy." She knew Anise was already mentally tallying up a list. Elizabeth turned and looked out the window, tucking her hair behind her ear, "It looks like its going to be a beautiful day."

Turning back around in her seat, she finnished her coffee in one gulp, getting up to get herself another cup. Any kind of drugs or stimulants never lasted long in a were's body, their metabolism was too fast. She might end up drinking a lot of coffee today if she stayed up. Elizabeth was beginning to wonder if making breakfast would be a good idea, besides, the smell might rouse everyone else. She leaned back against the counter, looking at her friend, "Do you think its too early to cook up some breakfast?"  

[Freak Show Excess]

"It reminds me of those days," Lily's heart ached. Gabriel never talked about 'those days', and when he did, Lily couldn't help but feel as if he was revealing a bit of his soul. She took his hand and squeezed it gently.

"Lily, you know how that affects me. You're just asking for me to take one of these beautiful lads home." She giggled at him, only shrugging her response and raising her eyebrows.

"Look at that one, Lily. For me, or for you, I wonder." Lily followed his gaze and caught site of a beautiful young man, probably not much older than she had been when she was changed. He certainly was beautiful, but she could tell just by looking at him that he was most definitely not 'for her'. "Oh, come on, Gabe. At least make it challenging if you're going to play that game." She rolled her eyes, smirked mischeviously and got up, taking Gabe by the wrist. "Let's go talk to him."  

[un de plus pamplemousse]

"I'm sure you could find someone to go with and help carry all the crap we're going to have to buy."

"Very true," she chuckled. "I could probably wait for nightfall and ask Gabriel. I kind of want to talk to him about the new girl, once I meet her. You know how reserved he can be. I don't want him to feel threatened by her. Remember how he acted towards you guys?" she smirked a little, again remembering the memory that wasn't funny at the time, but now was.

"It looks like its going to be a beautiful day."

She looked out the window. "Mmm. Yeah, it does. Maybe I'll do a little gardening, too, if I have time." Her mind had begun to whirl with all the things she had planned for the day; she enjoyed having a busy-but-calm schedule once in awhile. "I'll see what's coming up and what's not; maybe I can tick a few items off the grocery list that way."

"Do you think its too early to cook up some breakfast?"

She looked at the clock. "I think it'd be safe to start something. What should we make?" She grabbed her mug and the banana peel, setting the mug in the sink and tossing the peel, then began to rummage through the kitchen cupboards.  

[un de plus pamplemousse]

"Oh, come on, Gabe. At least make it challenging if you're going to play that game.Let's go talk to him." He grinned and let himself be lead over to the table. Truthfully, he had to admit that he was willing to wager quite a hefty sum on the boy's interests.

As they neared the table, the boy raised his head and looked at them, noticing their obvious beeline for him. He caught the boy's gaze and held it, and thought he could see a tinge of pink stain the boy's cheeks. He smiled at him encouragingly.

Upon reaching the table, he placed both hands on the back of the empty chair facing the boy. "Good evening," he began in a warm, inviting tone. "My name is Gabriel, and this is Lily," he gestured at Lily. "We were wondering if we could have the pleasure of joining you?" He smiled warmly at the boy again, running his hand along the top of the chair.  

[Freak Show Excess]

Lily smiled as she reached the boy, noticing that Gabriel set straight to work introducing them. Their obvious attraction to each other was palpable, and Lily smirked as she waved her fingers at him as she was introduced. She sat down in a chair behind Gabriel, who was opposite the boy. "It is a lovely night, isn't it?" She commented, wincing inwardly that her comment had to be about the weather. But, no matter, she had the vague sense that she would be leaving these two to their own devices very soon.



Dorian started as he saw two very attractive people walking towards him. He wasn't unused to being stared at, as his people were generally gawked at in public, but he was unused to being looked at with such interest. Once the man caught his eye, he couldn't tear his eyes away from him; he was utterly beautiful. He blushed slightly, feeling his heart beat more rapidly in his chest.

"Good evening. My name is Gabriel, and this is Lily. We were wondering if we could have the pleasure of joining you?"

Dorian finally tore his eyes away from the man as he introduced the woman walking next to him. "Er.. good evening. My name is Dorian. And, well, of course you may join me." He nodded in greeting and blushed faintly again. He wasn't normally awkward around people, but he had been so caught off-guard that he didn't quite know what to do with himself.

"It is a lovely night, isn't it?"

Dorian smiled gratefully at the girl as she offered a topic. "Oh, quite lovely. It'll be summer soon, by the balminess of the air. But, um. What brings you to here? I don't think I've ever seen you in this place before." He winced slightly, realising how rude he sounded, but he was so fascinated with the man sitting opposite him that he couldn't quite form coherent sentences.  

[un de plus pamplemousse]

"Er.. good evening. My name is Dorian. And, well, of course you may join me." Gabriel positively panted at the boy's innocence. He could feel it, smell it. He reveled in the sound of the boy's nervously beating heart.

"It is a lovely night, isn't it?"

He was glad Lily's words had cut across his lust for the boy, bringing him back. His fingers were digging into the back of the chair; that would possibly start to scare the boy soon. He smiled at Lily, then looked back at the boy, unable to keep his eyes off him for more than a moment.

"Oh, quite lovely. It'll be summer soon, by the balminess of the air. But, um. What brings you to here? I don't think I've ever seen you in this place before."

He watched the boy's lips as he spoke, entranced. When the boy winced, he smiled encouragingly at him. "We're natives to the city actually. We just don't... get around much." He almost frowned; it sounded shady. He worked to rectify that statement. "The pub up on Benjamin Franklin Parkway is our usual haunt," he added, smiling again. He pulled out the chair and gestured for Lily to sit down, always the gentleman, moving to arrange his limbs gracefully in the chair adjacent to the boy. "Do you come here often?" He wanted to reach out and touch the boy, to feel his warmness, to caress those delightfully pink-stained cheeks, but he knew that would be too much too soon. He took a sip of the wine he didn't realise he still had in his hand and gestured for the waiter to bring the bottle they had started at their own table over to this, holding out the glass to be filled. "Would you care for some?" he asked, that same smile still pulling at his lips.  

[Freak Show Excess]

Dorian was entranced with everything Gabriel did. The way he moved so gracefully, so fluidly. His lithe frame slouched to sit so artfully on the stool across from him; the long, supple fingers curled so beautifully around his wine glass. He had never felt attraction so forcefully. It was almost as if every fibre of his being wanted to touch him.

"We're natives to the city actually. We just don't... get around much. The pub up on Benjamin Franklin Parkway is our usual haunt. Do you come here often?"

He snapped out of his reverie as Gabriel addressed him. "Oh, I see. Benjamin Franklin Parkway is a beautiful spot. I can see why you would choose it. I... well, I don't really go out too often, to be honest. But it's usually here that I come if I do go out. I like the atmosphere, the people are pretty nice, and the victorian decor appeals to me." He smiled and looked up at Gabriel apologetically, realising that he had gone into a ramble, and ran his fingers nervously through his hair. When Gabriel offered him a glass of wine, Dorian started again, realising how expensive it must be. "Oh, no, I couldn't! That's a really great bottle of wine! I couldn't accept such a generous offer!" He shook his head, but looked at the bottle longingly, never having tasted an actual expensive wine.



Lily watched the exchange between the two, noticing Gabriel's strong desire to be with this Dorian boy. She bit her lip and decided that it was best if she excused herself; Gabriel could handle things on his own, and he probably wanted a bit of privacy anyways. She slid out of her chair and laid a hand on Gabriel's shoulder, bending slightly to whisper in his ear. "I think I'd better take my leave, Gabe. But... Please be careful. This boy seems nice, and I can tell that you are interested in him. Don't do anything that you'll regret." She kissed him lightly on the cheek and walked away, stepping of the pub and into the cool night air.  

[un de plus pamplemousse]

"Oh, I see. Benjamin Franklin Parkway is a beautiful spot. I can see why you would choose it. I... well, I don't really go out too often, to be honest. But it's usually here that I come if I do go out. I like the atmosphere, the people are pretty nice, and the victorian decor appeals to me."

The way the boy--Dorian-- was staring at him meant that the boy was obviously under his "persuasion." He tried to reel it in, as he honestly was interested in Dorian for more than his blood. He watched the boy's adam's apple bob up and down when he swallowed and ran his fingers through that silky, rich brown hair. He licked his lips.

"Oh, no, I couldn't! That's a really great bottle of wine! I couldn't accept such a generous offer!"

He grinned at Dorian, chuckling. "Don't be silly, pet. You shall have some." He took the bottle and a glass from the waiter, waved him away, and poured some wine into the glass for the boy. He then handed the glass to Dorian, who took it. He let his fingers lightly brush the boy's as the boy took the glass away.

He felt Lily touch him on the shoulder and he turned towards her. "I think I'd better take my leave, Gabe. But... Please be careful. This boy seems nice, and I can tell that you are interested in him. Don't do anything that you'll regret." He frowned a bit, disheartened that she was leaving, but appreciative all the same.

"Yes, dear, take care of yourself, as well." He took her hand and squeezed it, then let her leave. He knew she didn't want to stay any longer, for she seemed like she needed to feed.

He took a thoughtful sip of his wine and turned his attention back to the boy, mulling over what Lily had said. "Mmm. Dorian. How do you like it?" He locked his gaze with the boy's, eyes twinkling.  

[ieatwood]

"I could probably wait for nightfall and ask Gabriel. I kind of want to talk to him about the new girl, once I meet her. You know how reserved he can be. I don't want him to feel threatened by her. Remember how he acted towards you guys?"

She smirked at the memory, "I want to call Pyrite also, and let him know theres a new werewolf in town that needs to learn the ropes. He should come over and lend a hand with her, maybe she needs a home."

Elizabeth set her cup down and walked to the refridgerator, opening the door and pulling out three packages of bacon and setting them on the counter. "Eggs or pancakes, you think?"

She turned on the stove and went back to her cup, drinking from it. Putting that down, she grabbed a couple pans and started laying out the bacon. The whole lot of them had a strange schedule, but someone was always hungry. Of course, the fridge and larder were well stocked, but nothing really ever went uneatten. She slid the pans into the oven once it heated up, wanting Anise's opinion for the rest.  

[un de plus pamplemousse]

"I want to call Pyrite also, and let him know theres a new werewolf in town that needs to learn the ropes. He should come over and lend a hand with her, maybe she needs a home."

Anise paused in her ransacking the cupboards to nod her agreement. "Yes, that would definitely be a good idea. I'm sure that Pyrites would be appreciative of learning about the girl before she can do any damage by going unnoticed or something. It's just lucky that we stumbled upon her like we did."

"Eggs or pancakes, you think?"

She thought a moment. "Hmm. I'm in a pancake mood, myself. Let's do pancakes; they're easier to clean up, and that way, we don't have to go around taking egg requests from everyone." She laughed and dug out the ingredients, utensils, and mixing bowls for making the pancakes as Elizabeth started working on the bacon. Turning on the griddle to start warming, she mixed the pancake batter. "D'you think anyone wants blueberries or anything in these?"  

[ieatwood]

"Yes, that would definitely be a good idea. I'm sure that Pyrites would be appreciative of learning about the girl before she can do any damage by going unnoticed or something. It's just lucky that we stumbled upon her like we did."

Elizabeth nodded emphatically to Anise's comment, "Very lucky. She could have done a lot of damage like that."

She watched Anise set up the pancake batter, having put the bacon in the oven. She knew it wouldnt take long before the smell started to wake up the wereleopards. "D'you think anyone wants blueberries or anything in these?"

Elizabeth walked over to the fridge and pulled out a pint of blueberries, "Blueberry pancakes sound fantastic to me, I think anyone who doesn't want it can deal." She handed Anise the container of blueberries, pulling a hairtie off her arm and pulling her thick black hair up into a messy bun.  

[un de plus pamplemousse]

"Blueberry pancakes sound fantastic to me, I think anyone who doesn't want it can deal."

"True enough," she laughed, taking the blueberries from Elizabeth and adding them to the pancake batter. Once the griddle was hot enough, she ladled the pancakes out, taking care to make them all as close to the same size as possible.

Once a few pancakes and several strips of bacon had been made, she began to hear the sounds of a few others coming to join them. She quickly got out some plates and flatware, butter, syrup, and other items for their breakfast.

She greeted the first few early risers, scooping a few fresh pancakes off the griddle and on to the plate already filled with them. "G'morning, all! Help yourself, please! We don't want all this to get cold!"  

[Freak Show Excess]

Dorian blushed slightly and took a sip of the wine Gabriel placed in his hands. It was delicious; better than any wine he'd ever before tasted. His eyelids fluttered shut, and he licked his lips, savouring the rich, woodsy flavour.

"Mmm. Dorian. How do you like it?"

Dorian felt the other man's eyes on him and blushed again, realising that his overreaction to the wine probably displayed how unfamiliar he was with the more expensive brands. "It's... it's amazing. I've never tasted anything like it. I usually don't even like red wine. I'm more of the white wine type." He giggled a little nervously and bit his lip, setting the glass down and searching for a topic. "So what brought you to this area of town? I mean, you said that Ben Parkway is your usual spot, but you never said what you were doing here." He winced again. Could he ever not make his questions seem insulting? "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that to come out that way. I just meant, Ben Parkway is an amazing spot, and this pub is hardly as nice as any of the ones over there...." He trailed off awkwardly. He was pretty sure he'd just killed any impression he'd made previously. Shifting in his seat uncomfortably, he fingered the rim of his glass, ducking his head down a bit to allow his hair to fall over his reddening face.  

[un de plus pamplemousse]

"It's... it's amazing. I've never tasted anything like it. I usually don't even like red wine. I'm more of the white wine type." Gabriel watched Dorian suck his bottom lip into his mouth and bite at it. This boy was truly too much to behold. He was actively fighting his lust for him now. "So what brought you to this area of town? I mean, you said that Ben Parkway is your usual spot, but you never said what you were doing here." He blinked, thinking the boy was trying to brush him off. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that to come out that way. I just meant, Ben Parkway is an amazing spot, and this pub is hardly as nice as any of the ones over there...."

Ahh. He is simply too charming. He chuckled. "Don't worry, pet, you haven't insulted me. Lily, the girl who was with me earlier, simply demanded a change of scenery. And I daresay, I'm glad she did." he took a slow, deliberate sip of his wine, smiling over the glass at Dorian. "I think I've had a bit too much of this wine, though; care to take a stroll with me? Or am I being too forward?" He hoped he wasn't.