taxonomites | seven; [location: somewhere in osten]

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seven; [location: somewhere in osten]

Ethan hasn't quite been himself for the last several weeks. Of course, it all started with a visit from a particular elf. Several disturbed acquaintances later, Christmas happened, and just as all the other cavity-inducing Christmas Joy-spreading victims started losing their holiday highs, the system just had to glitch and set this vampire back about a hundred and forty years.

Well, now this vampire is a vampire again - has been since around noon on New Year's Day, actually - and completely unsettled by the last few weeks' behaviour. Kind of like everyone you know being shown your angsty teenager poetry. Not cool.

It's after dark and Ethan's out for a walk, staying in Osten and carefully avoiding the area surrounding Levi's mansion. He just needs some air, and to at least pretend things are still normal, that he's still got some semblance of control, even if he's been ultimately banned from hunting. Whatever. No one said he can't freak out the occasional Extra and then chase down the adrenaline with some of that hatched crap.

Considering this, Ethan turns a corner and heads down the street.

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The street Ethan turns into is quiet, or it is for a moment at least, before the doors of an old fashioned pub get hurled open, shortly followed by Vala -- backwards and landing 'almost' on her ass but saving herself the complete humiliation at the last minute.

"I was NOT cheating," Vala shouted at the closed doors, dusting herself down. "How would you lot even know, you're all supposed to be brainless drones! Funny how you turn on the IQ just as I was winning!"

The sudden action out ahead of him grabs Ethan's interest, and he only briefly hesitates before approaching. Not a hunter, by the look of her. Not someone likely to start throwing stakes around.

Well, good. Because she's attractive.

"Trouble with the locals?" He saunters over, smirking wolfishly.

"Is that a serious question?" Vala gave him her best 'puhlease' look, but not before straightening out her somewhat disheveled hair.

"No. I asked them to throw me out." Sarcasm when at a disadvantage? Vala? Never?

Edited 2010-01-04 22:29 (UTC)

He laughed a little - a short, amused sound - and glanced at the door she'd just been thrown out of, then shrugged. "Not your fault if a bunch of pod people can't handle losing to a lady."

Hm. "What would you even play for around here, anyway?"

"My point exactly!" Because we all know Vala wouldn't cheat.

"Well they seem to think money here is real, I just hatched some. It's about the win, rather than what you win. At least it is here." She rolled her eyes at that sardonically, she missed gambling for something actually worth it, and Vala had been slowly drifting back to her old ways. Taxon's whims were starting to affect her adversely, not that she'd admit it.

"I guess that's good enough," he said, hands going into the pockets of his jeans. It was a good thing he'd already eaten; it made it easier to resist the pull of what he was now recognising as somewhat exotic blood. Damn.

"Hey - do you know what time it is...? I don't think I got your name."

"Oh you're right. You didn't." Vala smirked, eyeing him up as she did, looking for all intents and purposes as if she were simply just overtly appraising him, but she was also checking to see if he was armed.

"I know I didn't get yours."

He smirked back, careful not to make any sudden movements or look too shifty. See, Vala? Unarmed and not dangerous.

"Ladies first, of course."

She kinda liked that, the way he threw it right back at her, even though she'd already done the same thing.

"Well I can't profess to being a lady, but I'm probably more of one than you, given my gender. It's Vala, and the time iiis," pause to check her tablet, which she's more than aware he probably has aswell, "Twenty two hundred hours."

"Earlier than I thought," he admitted, looking vaguely pleased... and also taking note of the military time usage. Funny, she was dressed more like Catgirl. But anyway.

"Thanks. Name's Ethan."

Vala had learnt Earth time at the SGC, it wasn't even something she was aware she did, if she was - she probably wouldn't have.

"Out enjoying the riveting company of the vacant shells?" She asked, right as an Extra walked straight past her and she even followed his trail with her head, to make it quite clear she was talking about him. Predictably, she didn't get a rise out of him.

Godric is being creepy. Not intentionally so, but as he was out for an evening walk, he became lost in thought. As most vampires of his type tend to do when they space out, he stopped in one spot -- in this case, under a street lamp -- and went perfectly still. Godric could make a lot of money being one of those people who paints himself bronze and pretends to be a statue until unsuspecting tourists walk too close.

As it is, it isn't until Ethan gets fairly close that he realizes he isn't alone and looks up, recognizing the scent of another vampire of Levi's type. Sorry if he freaks you out a bit, Ethan.

Oh, Godric isn't the only one who notices the scent of another, different vampire. Ethan notices about the same time that Godric does, so they both look up, and Ethan stops, at first only eyeing him. Sizing him up.

Instinct says not to piss him off.

"Can I help you?"

Godric is about to say no, he was just ~~loitering~~ walking, but he realizes all at once that Ethan is young. Desperately young. He must have been made in Taxon, and Levi must have been the one to make him. That leaves only one option as to the man's identity.

"Ethan Ford, I take it?"

Ethan stops for a slow, thoughtful inhale - despite not really needing one - , only taking his eyes off of Godric for a moment. Sure, he looks familiar. Slightly. He's trying to remember if they'd met, how they'd met, but nothing comes to mind. Not even from those few weeks of insanity. Oh, well.

"A-plus," he finally says, rubbing his hands together idly in a show of slight impatience - or some kind of nervous tic. "And you are...?"

Edited 2010-01-05 03:27 (UTC)

"Godric," he provides with a polite incline of his head. "Levi told me of you." In case you were looking for an explanation there, Ethan. He comes in peace.

Ethan gives a short nod in return, then lets out a small sniff, something of a 'go figure' as he runs a hand through his hair. He looks back at Godric, tilting his head to the side a fraction.

"He did, did he? Should I bother asking what?" A vague smirk appears on his face, but his tone remains mostly flat. "Levi likes to exaggerate as long as it makes him look good."

"He mentioned something about you being very stubborn," he says with a smile. And really, that was about the extent of the information Levi had given him, apart from the bit about turning him. Everything else he knows of Ethan -- which is little -- he learned from Eric.

Heh. "True enough," he says smoothly. There's a pause as he eyes Godric. "You look familiar. You been around here a while?"

Aw, Ethan. Avoiding Levi is incredibly immature. Fortunately, Levi is stalking around Taxon, and is much more mature than you. That's exactly why when he sees you, he'll be laughing and reminding you how terrified you were when you were human.

Levi's stalking around Osten, looking for stray extras. He doesn't care about feeding from them, he just wants to hunt them. It's something to do, to keep his mind off of things. Shane's back home, and Levi is trying to get rid of the guilty feelings he's getting. Hunting... doesn't quite help that, but it's close enough.

He's lurking up on a roof, watching for extras, when he sees someone turn a corner. He doesn't realize that it's Ethan yet, and so he jumps down, hiding in the shadows. The thump he makes as he lands in intentional, to scare whoever it is.

Defence instinct kicks in when he hears the not-so-distant thump, and Ethan stops, scanning the area for movement... he senses someone nearby; another person, another vampire...

He starts walking, slowly, until he's close enough to catch the scent. The annoyingly familiar scent. Levi. On impulse, he darts forward to where Levi is lurking, faster than any human would be able to register - and with a little more force than necessary, he pins the younger vampire to the wall. As he does this, with a smug grin, he hisses.

"Gotcha."

There's no malice in the movement. Well, not really. ... So maybe he's still bitter about what Levi pulled on Ethan's human self. Wouldn't you be, too?

Edited 2010-01-05 05:19 (UTC)

It happens in a flash. Levi realizes it's Ethan about five seconds before he's in his face, pushing Levi against the wall and pinning him there. The hiss is a little much, but regardless, Levi can't help his natural reaction. Come on, Ethan, one would think you'd know Levi better than that, especially after having gone to some of his parties.

When Ethan slams him into the wall and gives him that smirk, Levi shivers involuntarily. What, it's hot, okay? Also, he decides that he's going to take it a step further, because he's a troll and he can.

"Mmm... hello, big boy," Levi nearly purrs, leaning forward to press his nose to Ethan's.

Honestly, he expected a reaction like that about midway through the split-second action, but at least it allows him to do this: Ethan pulls his head away, thank you very much, and is about to put a safe distance between himself and Levi - but first, he shoves the other vampire's head away in an oddly sibling-like movement.

Next thing you know, he's about five feet away.

"I should probably be flattered that you're always following me around, but I'm not feeling it," he says lazily, fixing his jacket. "Bored, are we?"

"I was hunting, thank you, not following you around. I can say with all honesty that you are not that interesting," Levi teases. He shifts so that he's leaning against the wall, arms folded and one leg pulled up, balancing him. It's a fitting pose, considering the leather jacket and tight jeans that he's wearing.

"Though, you did hit the bored bit right on the head," Levi continues, brushing the shoulders of his jacket off. "Hunting the non-bracelet people is not exactly my best idea of fun, but it relieves stress."

Ethan wonders if he should be irritated by how similarly his and Levi's minds work sometimes, since they both seem to be out here for the same thing. He crosses his arms, eyebrow going up thoughtfully. "True," he says, glancing down the street.

"... Damn," he starts offhandedly, "didn't think you'd be bored with that reunion sex already." ... Yes, he did go back and catch up on the goings-on.

Behold, Ethan, something you may never, ever see again. That comment actually surprises Levi, who isn't expecting Ethan to know about Shane, and he looks flustered for a moment, opening his mouth to retort. Then, he realizes he's reacting like a teenage girl ("he's not my boyfriend!") and gives Ethan a flat look.

"You're adorable." And now, the payback for that comment, because like hell was Levi letting him get away with that: "On the contrary, it's not boring at all. Shane is very enthusiastic. He especially likes it when I--"

Feel free to cut him off. Please.

"-- Yeah, that's all I need to hear, thanks," he interrupts flatly. But that initial reaction? That is going with his more important memories (and achievements), thank you very much. "Congratulations."

On the contrary, he looks like he couldn't really care less about Levi's 'people' showing up.

Mission accomplished. Levi wouldn't have minded actually telling more about it, but to someone less... Ethan-shaped. Instead, he merely grins impishly at Ethan, suddenly full of energy. There's something about doing this, the whole ribbing-back-and-forth thing, that makes Levi feel so much more at ease. Routine, he supposes. It's good to have this Ethan back.

"So, you know that Shane is here. What else have you heard, nosy?" Levi asks, completely ignoring the fact that Ethan looks like he couldn't care less.

"Nothing important," he shrugs, looking down the street again in case any unfortunate Extras decide to come this way. "I don't need to occupy myself with useless gossip that badly."

Hmm. "I'll humour you. Guessing you heard that one obnoxious British dude show up, right?" Expression says, 'what's that about?'. Ethan isn't aware of the face-burning, apparently.

"That badly? But you do occupy yourself with it," Levi replies, all snark. He's not really aiming for a response to that, though, and instead of waiting for one, he moves again, making himself more comfortable. He, too, is watching for Extras, wondering if Ethan would hunt with him.

The mention of an obnoxious British dude, however, causes Levi to flick his gaze back to Ethan's, expression souring. "If by 'obnoxious British dude' you mean that damned Snape man, then yes, I heard," Levi says shortly, self-consciously bringing up a hand to run over his face. The burns are gone, but it's still a sensitive topic.

"Don't go near him." Don't explain why or anything, Levi.

Touchy. Ethan raises a curious eyebrow, turning to Levi with new-found interest, scrutinizing him a little bit.

"Got something you wanna share with the class, Levi?"

"He's dangerous," Levi explains, running the same hand that had been touching his face through his hair distractedly. "I'm not sure how, but he's able summon sunlight. And not the kind we have have here in Taxon, I mean pure, unadulterated sunlight."

There's a look of incredible irritation on Levi's face. Snape is definitely not his best friend.

"... And I'm going to guess that you learned this first-hand." He's still scrutinizing Levi, like he's trying to see burns or some other proof that what he's saying is true. Not that he doesn't believe him... Levi probably wouldn't lie about something like this.

A human who can summon sunlight.

Well, fuck.

"Great news," he says, sarcasm blatant. "Cherry on top of an amazing month."

"Yes. It was only a burst of sunlight, but it left me burns on my face that lasted for days," Levi sulks, folding his arms across his chest. "I haven't seen you since your incredibly creepy show of glee the other day, and they've healed in that amount of time."

Levi is not happy about it either, and he's pretty sure the rest of the vampires aren't either. The next time Levi sees Snape, he's throwing shoes at him. And not even fancy shoes, he's throwing crappy, disgusting rubber boots.

"An amazing month indeed," Levi continues off of Ethan's thought, looking thoughtful. "You've no idea the amount of questions I have for you. All of which I'm sure you'll never answer."

Ethan's entertaining the thought of giving this guy what he deserves when Levi goes and mentions that. He's surprised by how long it's taken him to bring it up, actually. He sighs, staying casual.

"I can just imagine," he says flatly, expression communicating the 'no, I probably won't' response. But he's in a decent mood. You never know.

Aw, Ethan, go defend Levi's honor, he'd reward you with a kiss. Just like a fairy tale. Levi glances at him, and decides he's going to be somewhat charitable. He'll ask, but he won't demand. And he'll only ask one question. How generous is he?

"All I'm going to ask is who Clara is. And why you were searching for her so desperately."

Ethan chews on the inside of his mouth somewhat when Levi asks him that, and it looks like he's thinking - but he's actually just trying to force down the surge of... something he can't quite describe. Hearing someone say her name after all this time hits a little too close to home for his liking.

"Thought I told you that," he says, voice quieter than usual, thick. He pauses, glancing to the side, neither a smirk nor a frown on his face. He's just blank, because that's what happens when you think about someone you've forced yourself to not think about for decades and decades. "She was my sister. I guess my stupid human self thought he'd lost her."

"You did, but I didn't quite get a coherent reply, seeing as I seemed to have put the fear of God in you," Levi replies mildly, glancing at his nails. Aw, they're chipping. A pause, and then Levi looks back up at Ethan. His expression is a lot softer-- while he has no idea how it feels to love a sibling that strongly (his own family never did much for him) he can imagine it can't feel very fantastic.

"You were close, I'm assuming," Levi says, with a sigh. And Ethan looking like that makes Levi depressed, so he makes a face and leans forward to nudge Ethan.

"If I offer to go hunting with you, will you please stop looking like I've murdered your cat?" It's a joke, Ethan.

Ethan continues slowly chewing at the inside of his mouth for another moment before returning the nudge, his usual air slowly but surely returning. Clara is being put firmly back in the back of his mind. And then he smirks, and he's over it.

"Sounds like a deal."

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seven; [location: somewhere in osten]

[location: Just outside a bar in Osten]

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[location: osten streets]

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