1. Amber Hart
Amber sits in her customary location. There are chairs here and there around the edges of the open area, even the occasional small table, and two different love seats. But only one couch, and it's hers. Everyone knows it. She's not here every night, but when she is, the couch is cleared for her, or she joins whoever's already occupying it, and suddenly they're the guests, regardless of prior claim. Tucked in a corner where she can see the entrance, she keeps an eye on the comings and goings while the court attends its queen.
No one calls it a court, of course. She's just a young woman, a guest here like any other. Officially, at least. But people can feel the difference. When she's here, the room revolves around her little corner. And that's where she finds herself this evening, lounging in the corner and keeping an eye on someone in particular. She doesn't know his name yet, but it's not important. She'll learn it when he comes over. Black hair, glasses. Twink. Cute. He's new, and therefore interesting. And he will come over eventually. People usually do, when they notice her smiling at them. It just takes time. Eventually the crowd will part in just the right way. He'll catch her eye. He'll see her smile. And then he'll come over to meet her. Everyone wants to meet her, here. Everyone wants to pay their respects to the queen.
Sure enough, Amber's intended summons is conveyed through the silent medium of the vibe of the place. The subtle music carries her intention like it was a radio wave, and the cute guy with the glasses adjusts them a bit nervously and starts to approach. He’s interrupted by a shrill voice, obviously trying to be overhead.
"Oh my god, is that the loser from your Bio class, Jen? What is he doing here?" A girl Amber vaguely recognizes as a more regular patron accompanies the words with a toss of her hair. Marie, perhaps her name is? The newcomer's cheek flush red at a particularly cruel laugh and he's thoroughly dissuaded from his course of action, not meeting Amber's eyes as he tries to pretend he didn't hear, and that he wasn't actually daring to come talk to her.
"Maybe he wants to congratulate you on actually passing the latest test?" Amber offers her opinion on the matter. "You did pass, didn't you?" A sharp barb behind the casual words, and a laughing invitation that people who pass tests are worth her attention far more than those who mock them for it. The newcomer brightens like he'd just been thrown a life preserver in a stormy sea. Marie sputters angry denials and she and Jen both give Amber angry looks, but not much more. They'll either realize they know better and not be a problem, or have to take a few minutes to marshal their wits for an assault. Either way, it gives Amber plenty of time with her newly approaching confidant.
"Uh... hi. I'm Kevin." He says, clearly nervous just talking to her.
"Kevin, Kevin. I dated a Kevin once. Bad memories, so I'm just going to call you Kev," she pats the seat next to her, a clear invitation. As he sits down, she pulls up her legs and turns sideways on the couch to look at him. "I'm Amber. Haven't seen you around here before?" She offers an invitation to get him started talking about himself.
"Oh. No, I'm uh... a friend invited me here. She said it wouldn't damage my hearing for the rest of my life, so... I thought I'd at least give the place a chance." Some of his nerves fade as Amber doesn't reveal some callous trick, and when he mentions a friend, he points towards the bar, where a regular that Amber vaguely knows- L-something, Lauren? Lana?- waves at him with an encouraging smile.
"It's one of this place's many charms," she agrees. "Different music on different nights, and your friend picked a good one. I'm afraid I'm not much of a dancer," she dashes that idea before he can get himself twisted up trying to work up the nerve to ask. "What's your major?" Amber leads the conversation, turning it back towards him each time it begins to stray in her direction.
It's easy. It's so easy. She's never been a wilting flower, but since... a certain night, she's been able to read people like a book. It's fun. Power over people - the way he melts into her will.
Kev explains eagerly that he's a pre-med student. Which definitely explains why his friend wanted to get him out and about- he must be wound up like a spring constantly. Still, Amber gets him to loosen up a little over the next half hour or so, and he's happily talking with a group of regulars she invited over for just that purpose when she suggests they get a breath of fresh air. And sure enough, he falls right into line eagerly, the adoring look in his eyes all too familiar.
Kev is easy prey.
Aventure
A club catering to students from NYU who feel a touch out of place in the pounding music and sweaty haze of drug-fueled grinding of other establishments, Aventure holds itself as a place with a touch of class, a bit of refinement to couple with your urge to party. On the weekends, the club hosts Swing and Ballroom dancing nights, and during the day holds proper dance classes. Amber frequents the club, and it's been more-or-less respected as Her Place by both Siveri and her now-deceased sire.
The alley used to be as nasty as any other alley, until she started using it regularly and asked some of the Aventure girls to clean it up a bit, keep the smell down. There are still dumpsters, but nothing more noxious than that. It's an almost pleasant place, with a slice of the sky visible between buildings. Amber leans against the brick wall, looking up, trying to make out stars around the light pollution. Impossible, even for her, deep as they are in the city. "Do you want to kiss me," she asks conversationally, gesturing with one hand to where her neck meets her shoulder, tilting it a bit to the side in invitation.
"Ah-" He stammers for a second, clearly not quite quick on the uptake. "I- yeah!" He says it a bit too loudly, winces, and lowers his voice. "Yeah. I would."
Amber laughs good naturedly at that. putting a hand on each of his shoulders and turning to face him. "I couldn't possibly be your first kiss, could I?" She asks, words promising that she considers it an extremely special occasion if that's the case, and no fit subject for disdain of any sort.
"No, not- just... I didn't... expect that." He mutters, embarrassed despite her comforting manner. She can tell he's not lying.
She laughs again. "Well good, I'd feel bad if I were to steal your first on something trivial. I'm not going to invite you back to my place, if that's what you're wondering. You just smell nice," she offers, moving a little closer. "And I was wondering what you taste like." She tilts her head and raises her chin a touch, invitation clear again.
"A-alright." He leans in and gently kisses Amber's neck, lips brushing against her as his hands sort of drift to her hips. Kev trails up her neck slowly, hesitantly.
Amber puts a hand on the back of his head, wrapping fingers up through his hair and holding on firmly, but not painfully, encouraging him and letting him know that he's welcome. She lets out a pleasant sigh at the sensation, blood flowing through her veins as if she were still alive, as if she were a flesh and blood woman he could actually possess.
She's not, though. She's a predator, and she has him in her grasp. Willingly. She bends her own head forward, returning the kiss on his neck. A normal kiss at first, a nibble, breathing in his scent and blowing warm breath into his hair, and then a bite...
Something... herbal. Tea, perhaps. That's the first thing Amber smells on Kev this close. Then... Paper. A few bits of ink that must have gotten on an elbow or some other easy-to-miss spot on the arm. But the rush of blood is not far behind, just under the skin.
Even this full, even playing at being alive and warm with the memory of life tingling down her rapidly-heating skin, it sends a little electric thrill through her body. The moments where her lips touch his skin are anticipation, an unbearable closeness that demands she take the plunge. Every delayed moment aches. The fangs in her mouth are impossible to hide, like an adolescent's embarrassingly overpowering arousal sending a burning flush through their cheeks. But every moment of denied and delayed pleasure pays for itself and more when fangs pierce skin and blood, sweet and thick and glorious, flows into her mouth.
Kev moans and slumps, just a little, against Amber. She can feel his hardness grow and press against her. His kisses on her neck have become lackadaisical, unfocused, as the sensation of her Kiss pulses through them in synchronous waves. Amber can tell, she can feel the rhythm of it in their heartbeats, even if hers is illusory. And Kev isn't the only one basking in the absolute rush of the Kiss. Her own body is afire with it, like being fondled and kissed and licked over every centimeter of skin. Her nipples harden and the false life in her dutifully rubs her thighs together on instinct as she grows rapidly more aroused. Blood flows into her mouth and she wants it- she needs it.
It is love and life and lust and power Sometimes Amber misses her old life, but at moments like these... at moments like these she loves what was done to her, loves what she does to people. Her grip on his hair tightens, her other arm resting on the small of his back, pulling his body close to her, pressing them together... and then it's enough. It's enough. It can never be enough, but she forces herself away, forces her fangs to withdraw. She turns them and pushes Kev against the wall, forcing her knee between his legs and pressing against him. The Kiss turns back to a kiss as she licks away the last drops of blood from his neck and trembles at the nearly overpowering urge to carry on. No. It's enough.
Kev shudders at the sudden withdrawal of pleasure, a whole-body shake that somehow rubs against her even more. "That... was..." He pants, hands gripping her hips tighter by reflex. "Wow..."
Amber gives his nose a little lick with her tongue and pecks his cheekbone with a laugh, knee still between his legs and holding him up against the wall. Her hand behind his head massages a little. "Welcome to Aventure, Kev. Come back any time."