𝓀𝒾𝓈𝓈 𝓂𝑒

“Ah. I see. Semantics mean a lot to you, don’t they?” Dane’s voice is lightly teasing, deep in the way it wraps around his words, and it’s obvious in his eyes and his expression that he’s enjoying this already. It’s been a long time since he went and did something like this just for the sake of doing it, and it still gives him the same head rush as it always has. When Soren makes it clear he means to accept his help, Dane kneels down, offering his thigh to him for climbing purposes. “Up you go.” With a smile, he tilts his chin up to study Soren’s features in the darkness, and he decides then — like he’s decided before, a time or two — that he’s never seen him look quite as stunning as he does right now. 

       ears perk late, registering the faintness of a whine as it pleads for help but the sound of his name only as it echos a second time. he makes up for it with quick feet, drawing open the door with haste. “ soren ! ah ! i’m sorry, i was lost in something, ” keung’s apology is underlined by the charcoal staining his fingertips as they reach to pluck things from soren’s full arms. his back presses into the heavy door, pushing it backward to offer entryway. his heart pangs with guilt, the knowledge of his building’s broken elevator and the consequential need to climb six flights to get to his flat on the seventh floor. “ if i’d known i would have come down to help you, ” he supplies, too late for it to be of use but true all the same. the evening will be full of quiet attempts to make up for this, whether soren knows or not. thankful, at least, for the foresight to clear off the makeshift coffee table ahead of time, keung sets the snacks down there and turns back to see if there is anything else soren needs. “ it’s glad to see you, ” he says, perhaps a bit unnecessary given the company is not an infrequent occurrence but wrapped up in the words are also i’m glad you are here, and that you are safe. his smile is heady with relief; softens the lines of his face. 

Whether Soren’s deflection is noticed or not isn’t apparent on her features or in the set of her body, but she files it away in her mind nonetheless, thinking that perhaps she was on the mark with her question. Whoever he’s talking about isn’t a lycan, and she does know that much, a small worry line forming subtly between her brows. ‘Overprotective’ would be an understatement if one were to apply it to her feelings about Soren, and while there are other people she feels that way about, each case is as special as the next. She just wants to make sure he’s taken care of and happy. “I’m not being silly.” With a tiny frown, Cherry brings one of her hands up to card lightly through pink hair, all but massaging his scalp like that will make him hear what she’s saying in a way that’s actually applicable to him. “Okay, I’ll bite — what reasons can you come up with? I’ll form a rebuttal for all of them. Let’s go, pup.”

Amusement lights up his features at what is said to him in that low whisper, ears picking up easily on the sound despite how quiet it is. “I thought you were a bad liar, though. Or is this not about that?” He teases him, having a good nature about it, and he gives his hand a small squeeze as they get to the gate. “Boost?” He probably doesn’t need one to hop over it, but Dane offers nonetheless, not even to be polite, but simply because he wants to help him. The place is locked up tight this late, but he figures it isn’t going to be too difficult for them to avoid notice, especially with the natural grace and night vision afforded to both of them as their respective species. 

                     Feigning a disappointed look Blaise just shakes his head as Soren insists that he didn’t need to win him the large stuffed animal. He let out a heavy, just slightly dramatic sigh as he picked up his next dart. His smile was bright, happy as he looked back at the wall of balloons. “I’m thinking of choosing that one if I win.” He muses gesturing to a large pink teddy bear hanging from the booth. He took a quiet breath before flicking his wrist forward, the dart sailing through the air before embedding itself into one of the balloons with a pop! “I don’t think it would be so terrible, its a nice change of pace. Though what will we do when Halloween actually rolls around?”

“Is this person a human?” Cherry asks it out of curiosity as well as out of a protective sort of instinct, like she’s worried that he might have to cut ties simply for the fact that he’s a lycan. That’s always a shame, and she has some not-so-fond memories of doing the same thing herself when it was necessary over the years. There’s no point in getting into a relationship with a human, not when it means knowing that you need to give up on it pretty much before it even begins. “Oh, love.” ‘Big ol’ massive crush’ sounds more serious than it probably should to her, but she also knows that in this context, most things would. “I don’t think you’d make it too heavy, but I also do not know this guy, and you do — so I’ll have to take your word for it. Again, though, I cannot imagine anybody ever not wanting you. You’re perfect in every single way.” She’s not just flattering him, she’s telling him what she truly and honestly believes.

closed starter ft. @sorcnn

The sky is the deepest shade of dark blue right now, city lights dampening the stars enough so that he can’t see them yet, but that’s okay — he doesn’t need to see them to know that they’re there. Just like he doesn’t need to see Soren yet to know that he’s waiting for him, though he does catch sight of delightfully pink hair when he rounds the corner, bathed in the light of the streetlamp above and to the right of him. A hand lifts, and he waves at him to catch his attention, a smile already spreading over his face. Good spirits. He feels like he’s a little bit on a high lately, like his world isn’t as dark as it once was, despite the exclusion of the sun. “Ready to get into some trouble? It’s what I’m best at, after all.” Not that Soren would know that, but hey, maybe Dane will tell him about it someday. Some of it, anyway. He comes to stop next to him, reaching a hand out. 

DANE: good to know. now i'll look out for it. :)

DANE: are you sure she would even be upset? some people have been taking the treaty pretty seriously.

DANE: i agree with you, there shouldn't be, but that unfortunately doesn't erase the fact that there is one, for whatever reason.

DANE: i do want to look.

SOREN: cute but hopefully i won't have to lie to you bout anything.

SOREN: i don't know. i don't really want to find out - it would break my heart to break her heart in any way.

SOREN: you're right but that doesn't mean i have to be happy about it. i shouldn't have to break the rules just to hang out with you.

DANE: how does your face give away secrets? are you just a bad liar?

DANE: i mean, you're keeping the secret of me being a vampire

DANE: why is that phrasing strange? i'd say i'm sorry about your friend but that would be weird considering my own 'vampified' state

DANE: you have instagram?

SOREN: i can lie convincingly over text or phone calls but like once someone is looking me in the eyes, my expression just gives it away i guess. i've never experienced it idk

SOREN: it was a lie by omission. she didn't ask if you WERE a vampire. so i just never provided that info.

SOREN: there shouldn't be a line in my opinion. it's all silly and political. i don't want to maim you, you don't want to maim me - so why do we have to fight? just be sorry about all this drama. it's not your fault but it makes things annoying.

DANE: it's on purpose

DANE: i have a friend on the other side of the line, so i get how it is...

DANE: what did you go shopping for?

SOREN: i'm not very good at that. i have been told i have a face that can't keep secrets

SOREN: the other side of the line omg. but yeah :/ my best friend just got vampified and it's... it really sucks

DANE: not exactly, though i probably could be

DANE: 26

DANE: ah. is she a leecher?

DANE: sorry, WAS she*

DANE: yeah, but keep talking to me until then

SOREN: you're being very cryptic i hope you know

SOREN: nice!!

SOREN: er yeah! i love her but sometimes the whole vivian pack thing is a lot. i have lots of vampire friends :(

SOREN: that was cute, ofc i'll keep talking

DANE: coding stuff, speaking very generally.

DANE: i just realized i didn't know and i was wondering...

DANE: what's complicated about it?

DANE: i'm always feeling frisky, and sneaking into places happens to be more fun than anything else i can think of

SOREN: like... a developer?

SOREN: how old are YOU?

SOREN: i just really didn't want a lecture about how i shouldn't be asking vampires on dates. this friend, she's protective of me. though i'm sure she'd like you if she met you so

DANE: eh, kind of yeah. it showed me what i wanted to do, but not quite in the way it was supposed to

DANE: how old are you?

DANE: yeah, i imagine they do. so your friend doesn't know i'm a vampire then

DANE: i'm free tonight

SOREN: what is it you wanted to do? i'm very curious

SOREN: 19, nearly 20. why?

SOREN: no, not yet. i didn't want to complicate things any

DANE: i took some IT and computer courses when i was living in colorado, but i never got a degree. just certificates

DANE: why did you do that?

DANE: i would want that. it's hard to find things to do with friends at night, honestly

SOREN: sounds very techy and helpful! i'm very proud of you and your certificates

SOREN: mostly because i didn't want anyone intruding on our business. people get weird about vampires.

DANE: what are you in school for?

DANE: oh. i hope you were saying good things? i imagine you were if you had a nice time. i had a nice time too.

SOREN: premed at the moment! i'm hoping to get my phd and then go into obstetrics

SOREN: very good things, actually! though i hope you don't mind that i kept your name a secret.