Drowning thoughts

[Azrae Sevar]

Azrae reached over and touched his wrist tentatively, the brothers were always such a handful and she somewhat regretted what she had said. Though she wouldn't apologize more than she already had. Vaughan had always been a good friend to her, and she wanted to return the favor; she wanted to be there for him and for Romal like they had been there for her. "Talk to me Vaughan... I will help you, no matter what you ask of me, you know that I will do it. For you, and for Romal."

[Vaughan Dimitru]

When Azrae laid a hand on his wrist Vaughan didnt jerk away from her, a familiar sense of comfort from her that hadn't always been from Azrae specifically. He gave her a small appreciative smile and nodded, if he couldnt speak to someone he would drive himself nuts.
"The only way i know how to save my brother in this current state is to weaken him with Angel's blood, i know it will be excrutiating but there is little else that will effect him enough. Caine is developing more and more lately so he will come in handy to break the connection between Nero and Romal, I have sought advice from our comrad Tiny and it seems we are able to give Romal his own free will back by eliminating Nero's brainwashing with memory of his life. Perhaps if you came and shared your own memories with him it will strengthen our chance" he asked. he didnt expect any positive response, though he had to open up to someone, Kenshu had not been around and he wasnt so open with her at times anymore

[Azrae Sevar]

There was a smile in return to his, she could see the burden it caused him to have to carry such a heavy cross, and she was glad that he had decided to open up to her at least a little bit. This way she could be of some use to them instead of a hindrance, or worse; useless in the face of everything. Azrae listened while he explained allowing his hands their space and folding her own back into her lap, a shiver running along her spine from the cold and the wet. "I will come with you however many times you need me to."

Head tilted slightly as she looked over Vaughan once more, watching his movements or lack thereof. She was slightly puzzled by something, why Romal hadn't said anything about the two of them living together. But then again, Azrae thought it might have something to do with being tortured by Angel blood that had kept the demon from speaking. She glanced at Vaughan and then away. "Did Romal tell you he and I are living together? We rented out a place at the Layate Condos, it's only temporary and there's nothing between us but friendship. I just thought it would be better if I kept a close eye on him and he didn't seem keen about going back to the Coven."

[Vaughan Dimitru]

The response was better then expected and with it Vaughan could feel himself calm a little. He noticed the jacket didnt seem to be quite so efficient as he had expected and made himself a mental note to find Azrae somewhere to warm up and change should they find her some clothes. For now however he refilled her glass for her.

Vaughan's brow furrowed for a moment and he wrestled with comments that instantly bit behind his lips as they always seemed to. There was no doubt the brothers were always competing about something but he had always had a pang of jealousy when it came to the seemingly inseprable Azrae and Romal. He made sure he supressed the irritation, he wouldnt allow Azrae of all people to see how immediately pissed off he could feel and his own confliction with his x always brought a feeling of guilt, to feel something like that for another. Vaughan could only conlude that his timing was royally shit.
"He didn't" Vaughan managed to spit out after fighting off the irrational thoughts, taking a drink for a moment before his hand lowered the glass back to the surface of the table
"You really care for him though dont you?" Vaughan asked

[Azrae Sevar]

Out of the corner of her eye she watched him refill her glass and the slightest of expressions cross his face, it made he lips curl into a smile and a mild shake of her head. What it was that bothered Vaughan about her relationship with Romal she knew all too well, had experienced that jealous anger one too many times with Lita and Damien. Turning to look at him now she leaned forward and placed her fisted hands at her jaw, supporting her head while she looked at him. Eyes blazing brightly with amusement as the devil in her came out to play, it could be chalked up to the alcohol flowing in her system and perhaps something more. "Don't tell me you're jealous because you wanted me to move in with you, V. All you have to do is ask, you know."

Laughing softly she nodded and became somewhat somber when he asked the last part of his inner debate aloud. Taking small sips from her glass this time, since she didn't want to push him too far but would rather he relaxed. They could all use a night off from trouble and fate and fucked up parents and just enjoy the little things in life. "Yes, I care about Romal very much. So much so that I would fight with Damien almost every time Romal's name came up. Mine and Romal's relationship isn't what you all think it is, he's my best friend V. You, Lita, and Damien all react with this quiet brewing anger and jealousy, but I'm not trying to take him away from anyone and he's not trying to take me away from anyone either. He's my best friend and I want him to find happiness, I want him to have lots of babies I can spoil rotten and I want him to be okay. Me? I'm destined for a long and solo path, I think that perhaps he sees that too so he decides to keep me company and it may be bothersome to put up with me for so long; but I feel that if I let Romal go now I'll never see him again and I'm selfish... he makes me stable."Now she knocked back the drink, not liking the direction the conversation had taken. Romal was a very big part of her life however, and as she had told her friend, she would prefer Hades take her than let someone take Romal from her.

Raising her eyes from her glass she looked at Vaughan and smiled slightly, twirling the glass absently between her fingers. Something she did when she was troubled. The alcohol had warmed her up and she was no longer bothered by the cold, sighing she pushed hair out of her face, it was beginning to dry and go back into its natural rebellious waves. Abandoning the glass, her fingers found Vaughan's hand and traced along the length of it. "But I also feel that way about you... It's a little different than with Romal though, because you were there for me when I had problems with Damien. I became confused for a while and even though I came and went, you always greeted me with warmth; you set my head straight... and you make me feel like I'm more than just a walking, talking screw-up of a doll." This time her hand remained on his, not withdrawing to convey that though she cared about Romal, she also cared about Vaughan. The guilt she'd felt over it was still present, but as always, so was the attraction she'd felt.

[Vaughan Dimitru]

There was little of Azrae’s amusement that would rub off on Vaughan, instead somewhat fueling the small pang of jealousy he had fought to hide though as usual Azrae could read him better then most. Her comment lashed at him with humor and he met it with a gruff sigh of surrender. “then know your always welcome in the household.” Vaughan replied with a gentle tone

He listened to her explain, intently so and purely because these were answered he had longed wanted to know. It had taken several years but at least now they were having a candid discussion on the topic which once was taboo. He had never really gotten along with Damien though he could understand the comparison, Romal and Azrae had always had a solid friendship and Vaughan had always wondered how it was so strong. She spoke of wanting his brother to be happy and he smiled at the thought. It was nice that someone would think so highly of his family member to want such things for them.

Vaughan let himself down however when Azrae spoke of Romal keeping her stable. He had chuckled but stopped short, unable to fathom the concept that his brother who had enough of a challenge keeping himself sane could assist someone else in the task. He figured that perhaps one day it would make sense and he wouldn’t feel so confused around his own want to make sure his brothers including Romal stayed sane and safe.

The feel of Azrae’s fingers against the back of his hand soothed his restlessness and he looked up to her eyes as she spoke more on their own friendship. Her comparison of herself to a screwed- up doll had him shaking his head.
“Now whos the one who is abandoning themselves for the protection and safe keeping of others” he retorted with a small sense of humor in his voice. He sighed and turned his hand over, drifting his fingers along the inside of her palm as her hand rested atop of his own
“I have to admit Azrae I wish you would stop berating yourself, there is a lot more to you then what you see” he told her with honesty

[Azrae Sevar]

A warm heat flooded her body, starting a what one would call butterflies in the pit of her stomach and then blooming into heat that spread and made her chuckle at his words. The sensation of his fingers moving along her palm brought back memories, making her face color a little. "Tell you what, when you stop abandoning yourself for the sake of others, I'll follow in your excellent footsteps. You'll be my role model. Vaughan Dimitru, martyr, redeemer, slayer of dragons and all out, upstanding citizen."

She mocked teasingly, looking from him to their hands and then back chuckling lightly. The relationship between her and Romal would always be hard to understand and she couldn't quite explain it herself. They would just have to take their word for it that nothing was happening between the two. Azrae knew why she called herself a living doll, and only recently had Romal learned of it but she would never tell him that she was no longer a vampire and quite breakable now. She wouldn't tell Vaughan either, they'd just worry. "My charming personality never got me many points, V. You know I'm a stubborn brat who likes to get her way, so if that's what you mean by saying there's more to me than what I see... Well I'm fucked. Only you Dimitru brothers would see that as a good thing."

The tips of her own fingers moved along his palm until they closed around his digits then spread back out and touched at his wrist. "Lita is bound to show up sooner or later, and I don't want to complicate things between her and Romal... So would it even really be okay if I invade your home just to be close to Mal?" It was an earnest question, a good one and possibly a little biased now that she thought about it since she would be moving in to keep an eye on Romal. The other reason was still too fresh to be given thought to.

[Vaughan Dimitru]

the sarcastic response was typical of Azrae when they spoke together and he laughed knowing he would have said something of similiar should the role reverse. he would have made her shake on the idea though he had spent too much time in the moment enjoying the touch of her fingers over his hand. Azrae's brief chuckle made him realise his movement and he wondered if he should stop a moment. Deciding instead to immerse himself back into the conversation as she continued.
"your charming personality might be a little rough though i believe that is why we all get along so damn well" he replied with a small wink, drinking the last of what he had in the glass with his free hand. Thequestion surrounding when Lita would possible arrive prompted an acknowledging nod. he knew what death family members could be like in particular and he had known Lita for long enough to understand where there may be a few bumps in the road so to speak. No matter however he shook his head
"Listen i think having both Lita and yourself in the house would help at the moment, the place is several stories high and full of rooms to hide in so im sure we can all live there without trampling too many toes" he explained and glanced towards the bar with a thought before looking back to her
"How about i enquire about a room upstairs so you can dry your clothes and hair?" he offered in innocence "theres no point on sitting there shivering all night"

[Azrae Sevar]

Azrae smiled and shook her head finally withdrawing her hand from his as he suggested that they get a room so she could dry off. It wasn’t such a big deal considering she couldn’t die from a cold, but getting out of the wet clothes might prove to be more comfortable. Which was why she nodded in agreement. “That sounds like a good idea to me, I’m not quite ready to go back to the empty apartment.”

Reaching into her back pocket she pulled out a few soggy bills and left them on the table as a tip before sliding out of the booth and stretching a little, feeling better now that her body was in motion. Sitting still was never much of a forte for her. “Say I do come stay with your family, I’m not going to get death glares am I? You know how fast I’ll retaliate.” The thought of a scuffle made her skin tingle, how she missed being in on all of the action and hated being caught up in all of this emotional drama. With the Dimitru it was guaranteed that she would be getting into trouble; which made her laugh as she looked at Vaughan. “Just thinking about getting into trouble with Mal or in trouble in general makes me want to tell you to screw the room and take me to your place.”

[Vaughan Dimitru]

When Azrae agreed Vaughan stood up and moved off briefly without added comment to the bar side, managing to flag a bartender and negotiating rates for a room before handing over a credit card, paying a fee and waiting until the man returned with some keys from a back office room behind the bar.

Once he received them he returned to where Azrae now stood and walked with her towards the upstairs level which held several small inn rooms. They weren’t fancy especially in a small pub like this but they were comfortable and had all the basics one would need for a stay away from home.

Azrae questioned him on glares and initially laughed. He knew exactly how quickly she would indeed respond to such expressions and no doubt most of his brothers in similar fashion. Perhaps that’s why they always ended up in scuffles? He stepped up to the second floor and glanced at the key, looking up and searching for room five as Azrae mentioned getting into trouble with mal. He had meanwhile found the room to door five and reached down, sliding the key in and turning the lock to open it. He looked over to her with an amused expression.
“oh? And why would you be in trouble with Mal?”

[Azrae Sevar]

Azrae followed him up the stairs, keeping the conversation going along the way. At least she had gotten him to laugh instead of continue to brood, no matter how stupid the context of the conversation was. Once they reached one of the doors she leaned against the wall, looking as he slid the key into the lock and raised a brow at the second key but dismissed it and answered his other question instead and with a smile. "Because... have you met me and Romal? We end up in trouble even when we're not trying to get into trouble. It's like we're magnets to its metal filings."

Reaching over she twisted the key and pushed the door open, looking up at Vaughan and then back at the key. "Do you want to come in? I understand it if you don't, but I really don't think two keys are necessary. Though your chivalry never fails to amaze me." Leaving the door and decision up to him, she slid past him into the room and immediately went to crank up the heat, shrugging out of his coat. As per usual, Azrae was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans both which were still wet and soggy all the way down to her socks. She didn't seem to mind that it was a small room, appearing only grateful and in need to hurry and get out of the wet clothes. But first she placed Vaughan's jacket over the back of a chair for it to dry off.

[Vaughan Dimitru]

Vaughan smiled at the answer, he had been in the middle of her trouble once before and paired with Dimitru altercations made for interesting times. Her offer made him shrug, he was comfortable enough around Azrae and followed her in after she had walked into the room, only Vaughan turned once he had entered and shut the door behind him,
"Its not chivalry, its me avoiding an ass kicking from you" He replied, wandering across the room to where a small two seater lounge chair sat in front of a tv unit. He didn't watch what she was doing to save himself the embarrassment should she strip without going into the small ensuit bathroom, instead picking up a small file the inn had kept on the coffee table, one of those housekeeping guides. not that it was interesting in the slightest but it kept the wild thoughts at bay.

[Azrae Sevar]

Shaking her head she went into the bathroom but left the door open so she could continue to hear what he said, she stripped in there, down to a tank-top she wore underneath and her underwear. Letting the rest dry out by hanging it on the shower curtain's rod. A towel was tied around her hips before she walked back out into the living room and took a seat beside him, leaning forward to look at the housekeeping guide he was reading. "Why would I want to kick your ass?" Legs tucked beneath her body and she tilted her head, straightening out some and sitting back against the back of the seat.

[Vaughan Dimitru]

"uhh well, staring i guess? i don't know" Vaughan replied. He'd only recently mentioned a heaviness of feeling he had around her though he hadnt said much, though how would he admit to Azrae that the idea of sticking around made him slightly nervous? he shrugged and flicked through the pages roughly, taking a glance at her and back to the pages
"Some people get funny about privacy" he covered and tossed the guide back onto the coffee table, pushing his boots off one at a time using his toes into the boot heals. They thumped as each fell to the ground and he leaned back with a long sigh, almost as though he had found some sort of relaxation simply between moving rooms

[Azrae Sevar]

"Staring? I'd only kick the ass of someone I didn't know for staring, you're safe from having my foot up your ass for the time being." A warm sensation spread through her and she swallowed, shifting slightly and looking away. Turning very minimally and glancing at him as well, though the situation was going to get frustrating and probably pretty fast if they continued to act like high school kids with hormones raging all over the place. The comment about privacy made her laugh and roll her eyes at the same time, reaching over she cupped his cheek and stroked along his jaw with her thumb. "Look at me Vaughan...." When and if he did turn to look as her she'd lean in a little though wouldn't close the gap between their faces in case he wanted to pull away, her vibrant eyes looking into his. "You've seen me with much less clothing than I'm wearing now, though things were probably different back then. For both of us."