CJ

“Wait- what?” Preston asked, honestly confused as he shook his head. His hand dropping as he made space between him and the other. “Why is that what you cherry picked? That’s not what I said at all. I-” He stops himself, forcing out a sigh that was backed with frustration. 

The vampire took a calming breath he didn’t need to regain a bit of  his diplomacy. “You seem confused..and oddly defensive. It’s quite adorable.” Preston notes before shaking his head again. “Why not strive for genuine conversations or fleeting interaction instead of assuming you’re a bother. I said all repetitive interaction was annoying after a while, sure- but you also asked why we don’t indulge in this teasing.. This doesn’t make much sense why you’re upset.”  He wasn’t always the best with normal interactions, but he was really lost on this one. “I mean-” The vampire paused. “- you’re welcome to leave if you’re really upset. Pretty sure you don’t want to be eaten anyhow..”

“Well, it sounded like that’s what you were implying,” He said, frowning and crossing his arms over his chest. “You talk so much about being annoyed, so-- you know what, whatever,” He huffed, turning away from the man. “I just thought you were hot, I thought we were having a moment, but then you started getting all tough guy so I didn’t know what you wanted.” He stopped, looking back over at Preston again. “So, what? You think I haven’t been fed off of before...?”

“Oh come on, why?” The blonde gasped, only grinning at him like the Cheshire Cat as she watched him. “Because I am a dang nuisance and I live up to the title of it. Far much more fun than behaving” she winked at him, picking up a glss and raising it to him “What do you wanna toast to?”

“Mm, just not my thing,” He responded vaguely, laughing. “Alright, well--” He paused, lifting his glass as well. “We can toast to you being a dang nuisance,” 

— the vampire was honestly tired of them all. vampires, wolves, humans. they all annoyed her, made her feel almost sick. “a spider?” xena scoffed, glancing over her shoulder and seeing the small creature. she took it, letting it crawl over her palm before she smashed it against the bar. “anything else, slave?”

CJ scrunched his nose at her while she plucked the spider up and watched as she smashed it. “Uh....” He trailed off, looking at her like she was nuts. “No, I guess not... didn’t mean to bother you.”

“Listen- you might be one of the humans a bit…. we’ll say Indifferent to us. Some truly hate us, and vice versa. Some truly love us.. and get annoying all the same. I don’t want someone bothering me or throwing themselves at me for my attention. I’d prefer very genuine interactions or very brief, fleeting ones.” Preston says softly, though there was clearly a knowledgeable passion behind his words. He perked up slightly as CJ said he could be entertaining however. “Oh?” The vampire asks simply, raising a brow.

The slightly smushed face of the smaller man was quite adorable in the moment. “You want to be a meal for me?” The space between them closed a bit, his voice lower and softer as his brow furrowed, an almost laugh leaving his lips with his words. “I don’t… think you realize what you’re asking, mon petit ami.”

“Mhm,” CJ nodded, waving one of his hands through the air. “Woah, who said I was throwing myself at you?” CJ said, genuinely offended. He felt like if Preston was so bothered then he didn’t need to be indulging at all, but then he found the vampire getting closer to him. 

“Yeah, why not?” He asked. It’s not like he hadn’t been used enough already. “--But not if I’m genuinely bothering you, I can just go if you’re so bothered by my presence.” He said, rolling his eyes.

“Oh please say you see the contradiction in that sentence.” Preston responds a bit quick, in a you must be kidding sort of tone. “It’s much less about whether you could stop me, and much more about … well are you even entertaining?” Or just annoying? The vampire thought to himself in the moment. The councilman didn’t really like humans. At all. But if one would like to make themselves the mouse to his cat, he was going to take the offer. So when CJ made the comment about his blush compliment, Preston’s lips fell flatter together, his hand quickly moving to grip CJ’s face gently. His fingertips resting in the hollows of the other mans cheek. “…is it a compliment or an observation on the food before a meal?”

The taller man’s eyes locked on CJ’s as he asked, his hue’s searching the smaller mans before his grip loosened slightly so he could respond without sounding like a guppy

“I’m just wondering why some playful teasing back and forth is so annoying to you,” He shrugged. Other humans were never like this-- he teased them, they joked back. Vampires were so stuck up. “I can be entertaining,” CJ finally said, raising both of his eyebrows. 

Suddenly Preston’s hand was on CJ’s face, and he felt a shiver down his spine. “Why not both?” He asked once his face was released, unable to look away from him. 

“I appreciate your kindness.” Victoria spoke genuinely, taking the napkin and applying it to her arm, though raised an eyebrow at the compliment. “Does your mother know that you’re out?” She asked with amusement; referencing the Abba song, though also giving the other a bit of a once over, herself. “I find even though humans don’t have much, they’re generous. Unlike the sociopaths that have inherited the narrative.”

“I do my best,” CJ replied, watching her apply the napkin to her arm. CJ wasn’t a huge abba fan, but he got the reference well enough and laughed. “Ah, yeah. I-- have my own comments about that situation,” He said vaguely, not wanting to verbally agree with her-- he was afraid of punishment, after all. But, he knew exactly what she meant. “I just do my best and hope it encourages other people to do theirs. One kindness at a time, you know?”

“But arguing about dumb stuff is one of the best things in life!” The blonde gasped as if she was wounded, before she then gestured to a more than unimpressed bartender “I am not well liked round these parts” she grinned, as if completely proud of the fact.

“I would have to respectfully disagree,” He said, taking a drink with her. “Oh, interesting. I’m very well liked, but that’s besides the point. Why don’t they like you?” He asked.

“You consider annoying and playful to be one in the same?” Preston asks back just as curious. CJ was a cute little annoyance, but an annoyance nonetheless. “Besides- what am I supposed to joke about with you.” It was hard seeing humans as something to be friendly with when at most Preston has been keeping the peace with them enslaved.  Blushes however, were a favorite of his. It was something about the pink hues on humans cheeks that made him feel something. “Blushing? Oh good- shows you’ve got great circulation.” His upper lip curled slightly, a smirk lingering around the corners, his sharper teeth bearing out the one side as a -dare he even think it?- playful warning. 

“Hey, it’s not my fault you think me teasing you is annoying,” He shrugged. “You can joke about anything with me, what am I gonna do? Stop you?” He laughed. He was definitely entertained by talking to the man, his accent was fun and of course CJ didn’t mind his stern-ness-- it was kind of cute. CJ waved his hand through the air, shaking his head. “Ooh, I’ve never been complimented on my circulation before. You’re spoiling me, Councilman,” He continued, his tone light and playful. He wanted to say bite me daddy but wondered if that would be too far, so he kept it at his light flirt.

“Hey, people have made a fuss over weirder and smaller things, my guy” Seren snickered, the blonde propping herself up as she spoke “And here I thought you would be a mushroom, you know…A fungi” she grinned, then patting the spot beside her “At least get a little drunk this morning, hm?”

“Fair,” He shrugged. “I can be a fun guy, but I’m not into trying to argue with people about dumb stuff.” He said, grinning back at her. He sat down, giving the woman a nod. “I mean, if you’re offering. Guess I could try it out.”

The only thing that moved on Preston’s features were his brows- the raised slightly. His eyes still shifted to CJ, though a bit more of a surprised look on his face. “This was your idea of fun?” He asks as his features start to relax slightly, his voice genuinely high and curious. That being until he really thought about what he’d just seen. Again he forced a sigh, his voice dropping slightly again as he eeked out a softer, monotone: “It’s a good thing you’re kinda cute or you’d be in trouble, and honestly, still debating if you aren’t.”

CJ nodded, wondering just how pretentious this guy was and if he could loosen him up a little. “Well, yeah, of course. Playful banter is fun. But I get it, not everyone’s cup of tea,” He shrugged, watching Preston mull over his thoughts before speaking again. He couldn’t help but grin-- cute? Amazing, because the vampire himself was pretty cute if CJ had anything to say about it. “Ooh, I’m cute huh? You’re gonna make me blush,”

“Dude, do you always give up so easily?” The blonde gasped, taking the seat and grinding her ass into the stool as she made humming noises “Oh yeah, this spot is jussssstttt right” she teased, only grinning at him. “Oh yeah, mix it with more alcohol and you got yourself fucking God like, nothing like being drunk in the morning”

“Why would I make a fuss over a seat?” He asked, making a face at the woman. “First of all, not only do I not care if you’re sitting there, second of all, as a slave I’m kind of desensitized to things being taken from me. You know, like freedom.” He reminded her. “I’d rather not be drunk in the morning,”

Prue sighed again, shaking her head, “I’m fine. I just….needed a walk. Hence why I’m out here. Once I’m home I’ll see if there’s any blood bags left.” She said the last bit as an afterthought, more to herself than anything before she paused and shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, it’s kind of you, um..” she trailed off, not knowing the man’s name. “I’m Prue.”

You need someone to walk with?” He asked, though he noticed what she said after that. “Or.... maybe someone to feed on?” He asked after, tapping his own neck with his fingers. “My pleasure. I’m CJ, nice to meet you, Prue,” 

Victoria was a mess being inside the city again – she was more anxious about that, than about the fact that she had just aided in killing a noble vampire. That part she lost no sleep over. But there were too many memories inside the walls of the city, that left her scrambled. Perhaps that was why, as she was closing up the little crochet stall she worked at, that she cut open her arm on a lose nail. She hated bleeding in public – or at all, really. She looked around when she felt a presence, and sighed.

“Are you just going to stand there, or offer a tissue?” She asked, exhausted, anxious, and annoyed.

@xadlibitumhqstarters​

CJ wasn’t in the same bubbly mood he usually was in-- in fact, he was a little annoyed. However, he noticed that the woman near him had hurt herself, and while he should be continuing the errands he was running for a vampire, he had to stop. “Sorry, uh--” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a wrinkled but otherwise unused napkin. “This is all I’ve got, hot stuff,” 

“Then you will sign up and find yourself other work” The Sheriff said simply “No slave simply finishes early, you work the designated hours, your so called finishing early is more likely to be slacking and a lack of work ethic, something which I’m sure can be quite literally whipped into you?” He wondered, pocketing the notebook just because he could. 

“Then why aren’t the people who let me go getting in trouble for allowing me to leave?” He questioned genuinely. “You’d think if those were the rules, surely they would be abiding them more closely.” He made a face when the notebook was taken. No big deal, he had others. He made his life off of getting on people’s good sides to get gifts. “And I would have to respectfully disagree, finishing early in my opinion is more like a sign of efficiency. If it took me forever to do a simple job, that would be concerning and a sign of a lack of focus, I would think.”

“Hey, who knows…Things are changing all the time” she murmured, pushing a hand through her hair. “Oh you do? How do you find that?” she wondered, having never found her way to the gym herself. “I am…I pleasure people with my body. Sex worker really if we’re going to apply a label to things” she admitted with a click of her tongue “It keeps me busy”

“It’s actually not too far from here, I walk there,” He shrugged. He was bad at giving directions, though. “Oh, I see. I mean, I’ve done my fair share of that,” He replied, tapping his chin. It’s not like it was technically his assigned job, but he did it anyways, of course. Both by request of vampires and just because he liked sex. “I’m not surprised they gave you that job, you’re stunning,”