She Owns the Night - Closed - Centara

[Maverick Dresner]

In town for weeks now, or was it months? A month? The traditional sense of keeping time was lost on Maverick Dresner, going years without a 9 to 5 job, or any job at all would do that to you. There was one day and then there was the next one, the sun came up and it went down, the weather got warmer, then colder and then it would get warm again. Everything was a cycle, even the planet they lived on was a cycling orb in the sky, and on the billards table in front of him an all white orb, scuffed with blue powder completed it's own orbits over the thin green turf that lined the billards table. The cue ball grazed the yellow "1" ball and it dropped into the left side pocket.

Maverick cursed under his breath. His opponent was down to the final 8 ball, while Mav still had 3 striped balls all left on the table chuckling at him, mocking his incompetence at this ridiculous game that some even dare call sport. The sport would be allowing the players to smack each others hands with the heavy ends of the sticks they were using. He weighed the weapon in his hand, yes, with a good smack he could easily break bone. Could heal it too if he wanted...though that sort of takes all the 'sport' out of it.

Pay Me The words cut through Maverick's subconscious ripping him away from his violent fantasies. They weren't forgotten though, and Mav began to wonder how much damage a weighted piece of wood could do to his antagonist's thick skull. What are you deaf? Give me my money boy. Maverick's grip tightened, and his body ached with the desire to cause this man pain rather than cough up the galleons he owed. Mav had never taken losing well, and he wasn't much for being given orders either. Still he was new in town...well new again, and a brawl wasn't exactly on the agenda for the night. Plus it wouldn't kill him to make a few friends.

The young wizard reached into his pocket, scrounged out the galleons he owed and tossed them onto the playing table. "Buy yourself a clean shirt with it," Maverick scoffed. So much for making friends. He turned his back on the gruff older wizard who collected his loot. Maverick half hoped he'd be followed to the bar, after all now that this bridge was burned a brawl didn't sound so bad. He hoped there'd be at least three, any less with IQ's that low, and it wasn't even a challenge.

Unfortunately, Maverick was allowed to order his drink (Gin and Tonics were the special of the night) in peace. But he remained hopefully that the night might prove interesting yet. He waved a hand over his glass and made a fist, causing the lime on the rim of his glas to raise up and be juiced completely before the rid fell into the glass. An unnecessary use of a bit of wandless magic? Perhaps, but it was just so much more impressive this way, and after a crushing loss on the billards table, Maverick needed to remind himself of his talents.

[Centara Zealon]

[[Btw, you okay with this being pre-battle? I don’t quite know what she’s going to be like post so I wouldn’t be able to portray her properly if we did it post. Let me know ]]

A perfectly manicured hand ran across a deep purple dress hanging on a hanger in a small boutique in the middle of nowhere. Actually, it wasn’t in the middle of nowhere. The boutique was in a small village on the countryside of Austria, surrounded by nothing but green rolling hills. Centara loved it out in this village because everyone here was so kind, accepting new people into their village so easily. She had been here multiple times in the past, enjoying the company of the natives. Today she was here attempting to pick out a new outfit. She had an appointment with one of her vampire clan leaders today and had decided that she was tired of looking like she had just ran through the forest. She needed to dress up and look like a woman for once; that was what made her the best leader they could ask for. Most of her vampires had realized that a female leader was much easier to handle than a male. She tended to have a level-head most of the time and did not lose her temper over simple things. Well, at least those that were still standing thought that. The ones who would object were already piles of ash.

Grinning as she decided the dress was perfect, Centara picked the smallest size they had off of the rack and turned toward the dressing room. Her hands also snagged a pair of silver 4-inch heels embellished with synthetic diamonds. It was so hard to find real diamonds these days. It had been ages since she had dressed in an outfit this promiscuous and she was dying to get it on. Lately it had been a combination of tank tops and jeans. Sometimes she had chosen a pair of heels but usually it was a pair of flat boots. Sometimes she even found herself in a nice baby doll top instead of a tank top. Those occasions did not happen often though. Before she had graduated from Hogwarts, she was always in a nice pair of jeans and a cute top with heels, or in a mini-skirt with a tank top and boots or some combination of the above. When she worked at the clubs to make a living, her outfits resembled small strips of fabric. She did not miss those days, dressing for a man’s attention, but she did miss the days when she felt like a woman.

Stepping over a body on the floor, she made her way over to the dressing rooms. Two bodies were at awkward angles in the boutique, each with their eyes wide open in fear, their skin pale, and two small pinholes in her neck. They resembled the same look that most humans did when Centara had gone on shopping trips lately. Though she usually left the galleons behind to pay for her products, she tended to go shopping when she was hungry. It had never been a matter of her not being able to pay, but more along the fact that she usually got hungry as she was shopping. This time, however, it had been the women commenting on the type of attire she was wearing. Currently she was in a pair of ripped jeans and a wrinkled, plain, blue t-shirt that also had rips throughout it. She had gone to the hollow once more to train a few of her vampires. Her craving to get out was too extensive, so she had gone home and rummaged through her closet. Not finding anything was what led her here to this boutique. She needed an outfit that she hadn’t worn before and one that would turn any man’s eye when they looked at her. She had found just that and a meal at the same time.

As she walked out of the dressing room, she stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself from all angles, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. The dress was a halter top with a low neckline and ended mid-thigh. It showed enough to allow some eye candy but still allowed for the mind to wander. It was perfect. She pulled the tag off of the dress, being sure not to damage the fibers as she did so. Moving back into the dressing room, she grabbed her small clutch from her pants pocket and put it around her wrist, waving her hand over her clothes as they burst into flames. Last thing she needed was someone pinning these murders on her after all of this time being so careful. When she was sure all traces of her were gone, she apparated on the spot to the first place she could think of. It was funny that Drear Alley had been that place, but considering her life had gone into one of the bars on the strip, it wasn’t that farfetched. But tonight, she didn’t want to go where she worked because she would be forced to do some sort of labor if she did. No matter how many times she told people she was not on shift, they still beckoned her when they needed assistance.

Instead, tonight she headed to one place where she probably would not be so safe, but it was still a great place to be. Proctor’s was owned and operated by Darren himself, but from what she knew in the past, he never came here unless he had business to do that could not be carried out in any of his other business locations. His main place of business, from what she knew, had become Halcyon. Knowing that, she only ventured into Halcyon these days if she was really daring to see if she could be caught. But she did not mind entering into Proctor’s. When she opened the door, she noticed a few of the men in the place turn to look and their eyes seemed to linger for a moment as she brushed past them. Her eyes were caught on a man off to the side who seemed to have just lost his round against an older wizard who seemed far too pleased with himself. Though she was always for the winning team who happened to steal all of the money, she still couldn’t help but smirk at the losers comment. No matter what happened in a battle, how the two acted made her determine who she appreciated more. A winner with a terrible attitude was always her favorite, but a loser with a comeback could usually top her list easily.

When she watched him walk over to his seat, she decided to take a spot next to him and place her clutch on the counter. “Jack and coke, if you please,” she commented, glancing over the bartenders face for a moment just to ensure she didn’t see a reaction. Though she didn’t come in here often, the last thing she needed was the bartender to notice her and call up Darren. She had done such a great job avoiding coming in contact with him lately. When she was sure she didn’t see a reaction, her attention was then diverted to the male next to her. He was cute, and she could definitely suffer to sit in his presence for some time. If she was lucky, he would be a good distraction for her after a long day of working. “Trust me,” she began, motioning to his wandless magic. “You don’t really have to try to impress a woman.”

[Maverick Dresner]

Maverick turned his head preparing to glare at the oaf still plucking his winnings off the table, but his eyes never made it that far. They'd gotten stuck on the figure wrapped up tightly in a purple dress. She was walking his way and Mav maybe even looking at him...in which case he should probably remove his jaw from the floor and stop staring. He managed to look away, ending his gaze at just a short glance. A glance that was still just enough to let his mind start wandering. It wandered just enough that Maverick almost thought he imagined that the girl had settled at his side. He actually cast a glance to his other side, partially in a show on nonchalance at her arrival and partly to ensure she hadn't actually walked past him and his eyes were teaming with his mind to play tricks.

Sure enough though, the girl in the purple dress had settled at his side, and not unintentionally. And she was speaking to him, complimenting him even. This night had improved severely. "I suppose I don't, but there's nothing wrong with showing off for a lady." Maverick smirked, his grip on his glass loosening as he engaged the girl. "Especially one as gorgeous as yourself." Taking a closer look at his new companion Maverick could see just how inferior letting his mind wander from a glance was compared to living, breathing beauty herself. He was trying not to stare, trying to keep his gaze at eye level at least when he did, but the dress she had on wasn't making that easy.

"So, have I impressed you?" Maverick asked cheekily. Despite his playful manner Mav was actually interested in getting more clarification on her earlier comment. It always seemed it was the girls who say you don't have to try, that end up making you work the hardest. Time would tell if this would be any different. Of course Maverick didn't mind the challenge. And he had a feeling that impressed or not, this would be a challenge worthy of the prize. Maverick sipped from his glass, more like gulped really, but he forced the drink to go smoothly down his throat so as not to hint at the desperation with which he tended to intake alcohol. The only think worse than looking like a drunk was looking like a drunk gulping back drink because he needed to steel his resolve.

Maverick Dresner was born with a steel resolve. All the confidence he had was in him, even when the alcohol wasn't. He replaced his glass on the bar, licking over his top lip lightly to clear away any excess liquid. The fingers of his right hand remained hovering around the bottom of the glass prepared and poised for the next sip.

[Centara Zealon]

When the bartender slid the glass over to Centara, she gladly wrapped her fingers around it and brought it to her lips; tipping back some of the contents into her mouth before setting it back down. The liquor was not as strong as she would normally get when she went out, however her day was nowhere near bad enough to need that type of drink tonight. The diluted taste of the liquor was enough for her at this moment. It was even better when the comment came from the male next to her. A smile spread across her lips. Nights like this were always so much easier to join when there was a male to entertain her company and tell her how beautiful she was. “I must admit, that always is one of the best reasons to show off.” On more than one occasion, Centara had caught men trying to show off in order to grab her attention. Many of those occasions ended with her walking right past them without a single thought otherwise. There were few men who could grab her attention, but lucky for this one, it wasn’t that which had grabbed her attention. It had been his witty attitude in relation to losing a bet. She wouldn’t inform him of that bit of information, however.

“You could say that,” she responded, keep back a chuckle. Men always wished they could do such a thing when she was dressed in this manner. But it was always amazing to see how things changed when she was not dressed up. She was positive that if she had come here in the clothes she had just been wearing, the bartender probably would have refused to serve her in fear that she was already drunk and about to tear up the place. When a person had cuts throughout their clothes and blood stains around those openings, most people tended to think they were one’s to start fights and get drunk rather quickly. However, she was not going to deny those facts because if she wasn’t a vampire, she probably would do such things. In this case, she was not able to get drunk, only able to start fights. Tonight was not a night to start a fight, though. She had a decent day of training and now it was just time to relax and enjoy her time for once.

Raising her glass back to her lips, she paused. “So what’s your name, stranger?” she questioned, bringing it all the way to her lips and taking a swig.

[Maverick Dresner]

You could say that

It wasn't a no. Wasn't quite a yes either, but if she was going to let him say it he would. Impressing a girl like her, was no small feat and he'd managed to do it without even opening his mouth. Which, really only meant he had a lot more to lose. Each word he spoke defied the expectation that he was just a pretty face and spectacular body to be filled with the onlookers deepest desires. Of course Mav didn't mind bending to expectations for a pretty girl, so long as he got what he wanted as well. Not to mention Mav liked to think opening his mouth only made him more appealing to the fairer sex. Though his mouth certainly hadn't won him many male friends.

Maverick cast a side long glace to the pool tables, where his former adversary now stood crowded around by minions. Mav's nostrils flared and his nose wrinkled just at the sight of the oaf. He thought back to how the pool cue felt in his hands, how the satisfaction of breaking bones had eluded him. He would need a new reason for violence now, it was bad sport to call a man on a debt you'd already waved. Besides, the man may have his money, but Mav had gotten something better in return. Had he won the billards match he would have stayed on the table and the bar, had he attacked his opponent he would likely have been thrown out. Of those three choices, this was certainly the best outcome he could hope for.

“So what’s your name, stranger?”

Maverick returned to his drink before bringing his eyes back to rest on the vision who had found him so impressive. The question made him realize he didn't introduce himself, and he had no idea what her name was either. "Maverick," he replied the left side of his mouth tugging upward in a half smile. He didn't offer his hand as he was accustom to doing since his return and the many introductions that had followed. He didn't think it fitting to shake hands with a girl you met at a bar. The whole situation was dictated by tention, her sitting next to him, close, but not touching you never wanted the first skin to skin contact with a girl like this to be a simple handshake.

"And what, may I ask, is yours?" Again his lip tugged upward, following the inflection of his voice. He was looking to come off charming, usually not a terribly difficult feat for him. He wondered briefly if he should have ventured a guess at her name, but quickly banished the thought. Nothing was worse than telling a girl she looked like something she wasn't. The only time you'd get anything less than a slap across the face for calling a girl the wrong name, prior knowledge or no, was if she despised her name and liked the one you gave her better. When Maverick looked at this girl though, no name came to mind, nothing short of Angel, even seemed to fit.

[Centara Zealon]

The noise in the pub was seeming to get louder by the minute. Centara wasn’t sure if it was because of her hearing, the increase in alcohol consumption, or an increase in patrons. Glancing around the room, she confirmed that it was not the increase in patrons, however she could see the number of firewhiskey mugs sitting around the room, most nearly empty. Seemed like plenty of people had something to celebrate tonight. "Maverick," For a moment, Centara had to remember what she had asked him, but then she remembered it had been his name. And he most certainly had one that she could endure hearing. It was different and if anyone knew Centara, they would know she loved different. When he asked hers, she didn’t hesitate as much as she probably should have. “Centara,” she commented, raising her glass to him. “To new friends.” Grinning, she took another drink from her glass and set it down.

Keara would be upset at her if she knew she had just given out her name to a complete stranger in a public area, however Centara had never understood the caution. What was the point in watching who you gave your name to if you had no intention on killing anyone in that instance? At this point, she had no intentions on biting anyone because there was no need. She had her fill this morning and if she needed a bite, she could head over to her own club and grab a drink. There was no point in killing someone here when she knew where she could acquire blood without shedding it. Maverick would definitely not be a victim of hers tonight. Now, in the future, she could make no promises, but he was safe for tonight, so why should she keep her name to herself? “So either you’re not much of a pool player, or you got swindled by an old man,” Cen commented, gesturing over to the pool table where he had come from when she walked in. “I caught the tail end of your game when I came in.” Though she herself was pretty good at pool, she never tended to play often. It was just a game of aim and power; her aim had come from being raised as a Zealon and the power had come the moment she was sired. If she wanted to, she could haggle so many people out of their life savings, however she never did tend to take advantage of many people in that way. That instant, she began to wonder why. She took people to their death beds, but yet she wouldn’t swindle some men out of their money? The thought nearly made her chuckle but it was interrupted quickly by a comment from across the bar.

”Hey baby, whatcha doin allthe way o’er there?” It nearly sounded like Damien when he was two bottles of sherry in, however the tone was much raspier, resembling the voice of an older male who had served his time on earth. ”Why dontcha com’ere and join us realmen?” Her eyes rolled as she picked up her glass and turned around to see the old man Maverick had just been beat by moments ago, hanging over his friends shoulder as they each downed the rest of their mugs of alcohol. “Apparently it did not take him long to spend all that money he had just won, nor did it take him long to get tipsy. Pathetic if you ask me,” she commented, shaking her head before turning her chair back around, taking a drink from her glass.

[[Sorry for the shortness, let me know if you need more to work with ]]

[Maverick Dresner]

"To new friends," Maverick agreed, clinking his glass to hers and taking a sip. The ice in his drink had melted a bit taking some of the sting from the alcohol, but that just meant larger, more frequent sips would be required to keep the drink from watering down before he could finish it. "Centara is a very pretty name, so I suppose it suits you," he added, setting his glass back down on the slick bar top. It was a unique name, Centara, he liked that. Maverick wasn't exactly a typical name itself, so there was somehow comfort in meeting others with names that shyed away from the typical...It meant his parents weren't the only ones who liked to get creative.

“So either you’re not much of a pool player, or you got swindled by an old man...I caught the tail end of your game when I came in."

"He wasn't that old," Maverick objected, taking offense to the notion that his opponent earlier had been some decrepit cripple who had beaten Mav despite barely being able to hold the cue properly. Of course the older wizard was easily twice the age of the 23 year old Maverick. He decided to leave the question of his actual ability unanswered. There was no use to making excuses, he played poorly, and yes he was out of practice, but this was a girl who had been impressed enough to talk with him despite his defeat. If she had prized billiard skills she would be talking to the victor, not Maverick. Clearly he had something more valuable the ability to knock balls about a table. Or perhaps his competition was just utterly unbearable...

Maverick's head snapped around, scowl already firmly in place as he heard the oaf's comment. To some it may have been the drunken shout of an old man who had too much to drink, but to Maverick it was just the excuse he needed to regain that bit of pride he lost at the billiards table. Since then there had been an itch inside Maverick, an itch he was finally going to get to scratch. But first, his bloodlust was interrupted by the sweet voice of the girl beside him.

“Apparentlyit did not take him long to spend all that money he had just won, nor did it take him long to get tipsy. Pathetic if you ask me,”

"That's one word for it," Maverick agreed, thinking pathetic was letting the man off easy. Sure, he hadn't directly insulted either of them yet. But Maverick's manhood was being challenged, and he was sure Centara wasn't exactly comfortable with the new attention, and there was no indication the old man would be letting up anytime soon. Maverick threw back the rest of his drink "Excuse me," he said letting his temper fade for a brief moment to flash Centara a smile as he hopped off his barstool. "I'd really like continue this conversation once I'm through." With that he closed the distance between himself and the man who had taken his money.

"Whus this guy doin?" The oaf questioned, looking to the friend he was leaning on. There was four that Maverick counted, these two, plus a second tier behind them, all drunk. Pity really, 4 sober might have been a challenge, drunks would be easy. Maverick drew his wand, there was a brief panic that flicked through the oaf's eyes, but Mav only summoned a pool cue. "Back for more, eh?" the man slurred, drunken confidence renewed despite the weapon Maverick now held. "You know if you weren't going to take my shirt suggestion you could have at least bought some manners," Maverick smirked. The old man started what Mav was sure would have been a terribly witty retort, but was cut short as Maverick twirled the cue quickly smashing it into the hand of the oaf with a sickening crack. The man's friend backed away immediately, but before he could draw his wand Maverick caught him with a leg lock spell, easily toppling the drunk. He fired a stun spell to one of the goons who had been standing just behind the pair, knocking him backwards into a patron with the bad luck of simply being in the way. The fourth was smart enough to run and Maverick had to wonder if he had ever actually been a part of the gang he was fighting or just a new friend they had made before the night turned sour.

The Oaf, enraged and bellowing, was still struggling to draw his wand from his pocket with his swollen fist. Maverick reared back and landed a cross on the old man's jaw knocking him to floor. Not a moment too soon either as Maverick was aprehended by the pool hall's security and quickly escorted from the premises. "You should be thanking me, I just did your job," Maverick explained his voice stern but with playful edges. He tried to catch Centara's eye as he was dragged past the bar, his head nodding towards the door, hoping she would get the hint to follow him outside.

The night was cool, not unbearably so, it was actually rather pleasant. A nice change from the immense body heat from the bar. Mav patted through the pockets of his jeans and pulled out a cigarette sticking it into the left corner of his mouth. He didn't smoke often, it was still a fairly new habit, but he had it sure helped kill time when you were waiting for someone. Hopefully though he wouldn't be waiting very long.

(Hope this is okay/coherent I got tired towards the end)

[Centara Zealon]

“Well thank you.” So many times in her life she had received comments on the uniqueness of her name, how different it was and how pretty it was; how well it suited her. Most people would get bored of hearing it but Centara? She never really got tired of hearing about herself. Grinning as Maverick attempted to make light of the fact he had lost, Centara took another drink from her glass before setting it back down onto the bartop. “I must admit, you are correct. He was not that old. Just older. I do love the way you held yourself afterwards however. Probably the main reason I came over here in the first place. Always love a witty loser.” Her grin didn’t falter, even when the man from behind drew Maverick’s attention. He obviously was not too fond of the comments that were coming from his mouth. Her comment didn’t seem to ease his mind either. Instead, it seemed as if it had almost fueled the fire.

The fact that the drunken fool was still talking didn’t help the situation any, but Centara was perfectly okay with that. In fact, she actually loved it. Confrontation had always been the fuel to her own fire, and chaos was always right behind confrontation. When Maverick excused himself from her presence, she couldn’t help but grin. “We’ll just have to see about that,” Centara muttered to herself at his next comment, knowing full well that whatever came out of his antics would be what would make up her mind. Grabbing her glass once more, she turned around to face the direction in which he was now walking, taking another drink as she did so. He was making his way towards the drunken idiots who were on the other side of the room, obviously willing to start something with them to get their words to stop. It was amazing how little drunken people actually made sense and these guys were no different. Watching as Maverick made his way over, she could see their demeanor changing. No longer was it about getting her over to them, it was about him making his way to them without her tagging along. Looking between all of the people in the floor, Centara chuckled softly. This could be entertaining and if he played his cards right, he could possibly make her list of people who impressed her. The fact that he was willing to start a fight in the middle of a crowded bar was step one.

When Maverick summoned the pool cue, Centara quirked an eyebrow. That was a new one. A man with a wand who chose to brandish another weapon instead. She liked it. When he took a swing at the man and landed the cue on his hand, she could hear the bones cracking; every little sliver of them splintering into his skin and the blood rising just underneath the flesh. Her ears perked up at the sound, her mouth watering as she could smell the fresh blood flowing through his veins. When the other men came up on Maverick, she was depressed to see that he had resorted to using his wand at this point. Wands did not cause nearly enough damage as she wished to see in this fight, however when the fight extended from the drunks and now into the crowd, her smile came back to her lips. This was getting rather entertaining at this point. Cen took a swig from the glass, leaving it about half empty at this point. She was going to need another one if she kept this up but entertainment always made her thirsty. It didn’t help that the next moment Maverick landed a punch in the man’s face. She could smell the small amount of blood that was now running down his busted lip. When he attempted to rise from the floor, Centara bit the inside of her lip and decided to turn from him. If she kept staring at him, there wouldn’t be reason for her not to go over and kill him at that moment.

So instead, she focused her attention on her new acquaintance, watching as he was walked towards the doors. She quirked an eyebrow when he turned around and motioned toward the door. Obviously he had no intentions of trying to break back into the building and was hoping that she would follow him behind. When they disappeared through the door way, Centara tipped the remaining contents of the glass down her throat. The bartender made his way over, apparently slightly stunned at how she could easily take in so much alcohol so quickly, but she paid no notice to it. Sliding the glass across the bartop, she grabbed her clutch and stood from her seat. Her heels clicked across the floor as she made her way over to the fallen man who was still attempting to get up from the floor. Kneeling down with her back to the door and where she was sure no one else would see, she flashed a fanged grin. “You know, you really should consider spending your galleons more wisely. Try body building,” she commented, bringing her finger by his mouth and taking a small amount of blood off of his skin, touching it to her own tongue. “Too bad. You’d taste pretty good.” She snickered softly as any sort of composure left him in a second. His face became as white as a sheet as he lost all ability to speak and passed out on the floor. Chuckling, she stood from where she was kneeling and made her way toward the door, stepping outside just to be greeted with the smell of cigarette smoke.

“Well that was sure entertaining,” she said, tucking her clutch under her arm. “Let me guess, on your spare time you like to start bar brawls? I knew I sat with the right person.” Centara smirked as she leaned up against the wall of the pool hall, resting one of her heels against it as well. The looks she was getting from passerby’s was no different than when she normally dressed like this but it was a refreshing change from the normal. Lately, she had felt so unattractive in her dirty, torn, and baggy clothes. She loved to feel like the world revolved around her every once in a while and tonight was going to be one of those nights. “So tell me, where do we go now that we can’t go back in there?” she questioned, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. “I’m sure wherever we go next we can start another fight there. I’m pretty good at provoking men to say mean things to others around me to get my attention.”

[Maverick Dresner]

Using his wand as a lighter Maverick sparked the tip of his cigarette and inhaled. There was nothing quite like a cigarette following a fight, except maybe one following sex. It added a feeling of extra accomplishment, it was something earned, feeling so alive you just had to knock a few seconds off your life. Mav exhaled a cloud of gray smoke into the dark night air and watched it dance in the dim light outside the pool hall. The light grew stronger and his shadow thicker on the ground as the door behind him got pushed open. Turning over his shoulder Mav was disappointed to see a drunk couple stumble out each using the other for balance.

Maverick shook his head and took another drag from his cigarette. He'd hoped to impress Centara with his display, but perhaps he had over estimated his power to draw a girl out after him. Maybe he was losing a step. Turning his head to face the door as he exhaled a second time his previous thoughts were immediately banished as his bar mate strutted out into the night looking just as good walking out of the place as she had looking in.

“Well that was sure entertaining,”

"Why thank you," Maverick grinned giving a slight bow of appreciation. He was glad she'd enjoyed the show, it was largely for her after all. Of course Mav probably would have found another reason to start a fight after a few more drinks anyway, but he'd tried to make it a good deal more impressive under the eyes of an attractive girl. It was really a pity it ended so soon, not much suspense to it, just a good old fashioned whooping.

“Let me guess, on your spare time you like to start bar brawls? I knew I sat with the right person.”

"A guy's gotta have his hobbies," Maverick offered giving her a crocked smirk. He had spent far too many nights since graduation, (and a fair few before it) getting drunk in a bar, hitting on girls and hitting guys. Sometimes it was the noble cause of defending a girls honor, as tonight had been. More often than not it was the less noble cause of getting handsy with another guys girlfriend, or the equally un-noble stealing a drink off the bar. Other times he just didn't like the look of a guy...after awhile he just stopped looking for reasons. It wasn't always easy as tonight and he'd gotten his ass kicked plenty, but the more he fought the better he got.

“So tell me, where do we go now that we can’t go back in there?”

A very good question. The night was still plenty young, and Maverick could only assume neither of them had the desired amount of alcohol in them. Of course, with a girl like Centara by him Maverick's primary motivation for drinking had faded. But he still wasn't one to say no to drinks. The question remained though, where did they go? A bar? a club? Somewhere a little more private?

“I’m sure wherever we go next we can start another fight there. I’m pretty good at provoking men to say mean things to others around me to get my attention.”

"I don't doubt it looking the way you do," Maverick said wondering if that sounded endearing as it had in his head. Centara had the kind of beauty men used to go to war over...and that was before they'd invented outfits like the one currently clinging to her form. "What do you say we go for a moonlit stroll? I'll just start a fight with every guy who checks out your ass as we walk past." Which, Mav figured, would be roughly all of them. Maverick still hadn't caught up on Austria's new social scene, and he wasn't exactly dying to jump back into a crowd now that he could talk to Cen without shouting. If they came across something more interesting they could take advantage of it. But nothing wrong with learning a little about each other in the meantime.

[Centara Zealon]

Centara grinned as the mention of fighting as a hobby came out of Mav’s mouth. Had he seriously just said that? There were very few people that she knew who actually liked to fight and if Maverick was telling the truth in saying that, they were definitely going to become good friends. She was just going to have to get to know him a little better. “Don’t tease me,” she said, her lip tugging up into a smirk. “I have never heard anyone call brawling a hobby.” Another couple exited the building that she had just come from, looking over at the two in disgust. They obviously did not think the same way about the fighting that had just occurred within the bar. That was their prerogative however. She could still hear the guys inside fussing about how the only thing the security guard had done was throw Maverick out of the place. They were begging them to pull him back in and perform some sort of spell on him or at least allow him to be victim to their fists. Though she was sure Mav couldn’t hear the conversation going on due to the closed door, she sure wished he could.

That was the disappointing thing about being around humans these days after being so used to being surrounded by vampires. Humans just lacked the ability to have as much fun as vampires did. They did not have the abilities she did which meant she had to walk slow, they couldn’t hear what she could, couldn’t smell what she could, and they got drunk. Merlin, did they always get drunk. It had actually become quite frustrating that her tolerance had built up so quickly to the stuff because of her metabolism, but she had decided it wasn’t worth pouting over. She would just have to keep enjoying everyone else’s fun as they walked around in a clouded haze of life and then enjoy in their pain the next morning when they woke up with a hangover. She kind of figured she was actually getting the better end of the deal, all in all. It was nothing like hanging around a clan of vampires, though. To be around people who were nearly invincible and could hold their own in any situation, it was a lot less drama and a lot less stress. The times where she was actually out enjoying herself with some of her acquaintances from Der Keller, she had found that it was actually quite a bit of fun to be around people that were similar to herself. Then, for some reason, she went back to being around human’s only days later. Apparently she also needed her human fix at times as well.

"I don't doubt it looking the way you do." There went that flattery again. He wasn’t stopping and she wasn’t going to stop smiling every time she heard him say something positive about her. Now, rather than it being her name, it was her outfit and Merlin was she happy to hear it. After the trouble she had to go through to pick it out, it had better get some good attention. Granted, killing two store owners was not much of a problem for her and it was actually more of a meal than trouble, but that was beside the point. "What do you say we go for a moonlit stroll? I'll just start a fight with every guy who checks out your ass as we walk past." Centara chuckled as she pushed herself off of the wall of the bar. “You might be quite busy, then,” she said, glancing down the street as she saw a few men were still looking, some even managing to run into others coming from the opposite direction. “Just means more entertainment for me, and more fun you get to have with your hobby,” she joked, closing the gap between the two. Her arm hooked around his as she moved her hair to the other side of her face with her free hand.

As they began walking down the street, the looks began to follow them. Some were actually quite odd looks. They weren’t at her outfit, but rather at the odd sort of couple that was walking through one of the darkest places in Austria. Did people not realize that dangerous packages could come in even the sweetest looking packages? Centara looked over to Maverick and wondered what side he was on. Had he devoted himself to the side of the Ministry? Or was he, somehow against her knowing, a DeathEater at heart? Of course there was also the possibility of him taking the road more travelled by some of Cen’s closest friends: neutrality. She had never understood taking the middle ground but she knew that some people were just far more comfortable doing that then choosing between good or bad. The choice had not been so difficult for Centara given the history of her family in connection with the Dark Arts. She literally had been thrown into dark magic when she was a child.

“So tell me something else about yourself, Maverick. I know that you like to start brawls as a hobby, you have a little bit of wandless magic in your arsenal, and you happen to have a very good taste in women.” She grinned at herself with that last comment. Centara didn’t need anyone else to flatter her; she did that well enough on her own. “What else is there that I should know about you?”

[Maverick Dresner]

"I have never heard anyone call brawling a hobby.”

"Until now," Maverick corrected her, cocky smirk overtaking his lips. Now that Centara mentioned it though, it did seem a bit of an odd interest. After all Maverick wasn't a professional fighter...though he had dueled for money in the past. It wasn't the same though, you didn't get quite the same rush from an organized match as you did with rough and tumble brawling. No rules, mixed magic and physical strikes, varying numbers of opponents; it was all so unpredictable and raw. Maverick couldn't imagine why more people didn't take to concept. Though from the sound of it, a taste for violence may be something he and Cen shared.

Maverick cast a glance to door of the bar wondering how his friends on the other side were doing. He was sure they must be back up on their feet and livid. Part of him was hoping they'd rush out looking for revenge, but that would be a very big mistake. Outside the bar Maverick had the advantage of plenty of open space to keep bystanders from harm and out here there would be no security to escort him away. Mav usually liked to cause a bit more damage to his opponents than he had tonight, but anything more than what he had done and the aforementioned security would likely have been forced to make themselves his next victims. Besides the point was to humiliate his opponents and impress Centara, so far it seemed both goals had been accomplished.

“You might be quite busy, then,”

Maverick smirked following Centara's glance to the gawkers a bit of a way down the street. He turned back, quietly drawing his wand from his pocket holding it casually just below waist level he took aim at the boys, "Incarcerous," he hissed under his breath launching a rope from the tip of his wand. The rope whipped around the boys legs, binding them to together and forcing them to fall over with a harsh thud. "I don't mind," Maverick said, once again letting a smirk play across his lips. It wasn't a physical altercation, but it was certainly funny.

Pocketing his wand once more Maverick embraced Cen's arm around his as the walked making sure to cast death glares at any guy who attempted to so much as smile at her. He hoped this may save him from having to actually break contact from her to once again take on a group of disrespectful losers. Although the way the night had been going so far for him, he could probably take out the next wave with his arm still looped with hers.

“What else is there that I should know about you?”

"I think you hit on the most important parts, especially my impecable taste in women," he smiled, reinforcing Cen's comment while trying to think if there was anything else he could tell her. He'd done such a good job impressing her so far, he'd sort of hate to ruin it with more information. The less she knew the better. "I train dragons. Just incase you hadn't found me quite impressive enough yet." he offered up another sly smile. Inwardly Mav debated the truth of the statement. Technically he no longer worked with dragons, and even when he did he was more of a wrangler than a trainer. Dragons did what they wanted, occasionally that just so happened to coincide with what you wanted, but there was really no 'training' to speak of.

"Now, I think it's time you offered up a bit of information about yourself Centara. All I know about you is your name and the fact that we make a very attractive couple." Mav attempted raising an eyebrow seductively at her, as if to somehow prove his point. Despite his playful manner, he really was curious about the girl. He did know a bit more than just her name though, he knew that she at least liked watching violence if not partaking in it, and also that she had a killer body which she probably didn't get to show off much at her day job, whatever that might be.

((Hopefully no one noticed how much I botched the spell first time round. This is why I need sleep.))

[Centara Zealon]

It was impossible for Centara not to show her pleasure in the attack Maverick released upon the gathering of men that was gawking in her direction. As the ropes wrapped around their ankles, she felt a sense of pleasure in the event she knew was about to happen. It only grew when she noticed them tipping over, almost as if it was in slow motion. They all dropped to the ground, the ropes binding their legs together as if they were now one limb. The thud of their heads hitting the pavement echoed around her, a grin spreading across her lips as she smelled the familiar scent of blood in the air. The looks on their faces was priceless, showing the pure shock about the event that had just occurred. They were unsure what had just happened, only knowing that a moment ago they were just looking at some eye candy and now they were on the ground, possibly with a few aches across their bodies. The men were now grasping at the ropes, attempting to get free. The look of shock disappeared from their faces and was now replaced with anger towards the person who had just ruined part of their night. She knew that look of anger well and loved seeing it on any occasion. Chuckling softly, Cen travelled with Maverick past the group. She threw a wink in their direction and it was almost like they all melted. Even those who had been attempting to get out of their binds to go after Maverick for what he had just done to them stopped fussing for a moment and only continued when they saw Mav’s arm attached to her own. Oh how she adored being the center of attention sometimes.

When Maverick spoke up again, Centara snapped out of her daze of sadism and focused her attention back on the man she was attached to. “Dragons? Well, well. More than meets the eye,” she commented, trying to imagine him working with dragons. He didn’t quite look the type but, then again, no one really ever pegged her for a murderer. Who was she to judge a book by its cover? “Remind me of that next time we see each other. We may have to head to Bulgaria and hunt down some dragons so I can see your skills outright.” She hadn’t come up against dragons in her life, and the only time where she had ever been close to one was when she was headed to her vault down in Gringott’s. Her family vault was one of the one’s dug deep into the center, protecting some of the darkest secrets the family had to offer. Those dragons weren’t much of a fight, however. If they were to hunt down some in the wild, she was sure to have a much more entertaining time, especially if Maverick was a trainer as he said he was. Even if he wasn’t, a little bloodshed wouldn’t be a bad thing. At least not in her opinion.

The conversation turning back on herself shouldn’t have been such a shocking event, however Centara was never one to talk much about herself, especially not to someone she didn’t know. Good thing was, she normally knew exactly what to say in situations like this. Scripts had been molded from prior conversations that allowed her to be talkative in conversations without giving away too much about herself just in case the person happened to be a Ministry worker. Keara had taught her well. “Not much to offer but that, I must say,” she said shrugging softly before looking up at the sky for a moment then back to him with a smile. “Kidding. As you can tell by the outfit, I’m not shy to the limelight. I tend to go clubbing a lot. And my attitude, compliments of being a Slytherin graduate, I guess you could say.” The two hadn’t made it very far, but she knew the direction they were walking in. Chances were a lot more looks were going to come their way but they were going to be from people more concerned than interested.

Der Keller was not far from where the two were and a group of supernaturals usually were hanging around outside at this time of night, either taking their smoke break or just getting some fresh air. Most people from the club knew her considering she was the owner and to see her with a human, she was sure they would either think she had gone mad or was just luring in her prey for the kill. They would be wrong in both instances but she started to wonder what would happen if they actually questioned her. Or even better, if Maverick decided to blast one of them with a spell. The idea made her grin internally as she imagined the pack of wolves or vampires going after a human who had no idea what he was up against. They would just have to see what would happen when they reached that mysterious red door. “Unfortunately, there’s not much about me that could carry on a conversation for long. My life is not exactly the most exciting.” Of course, that was if you took out the fact that she was killed as a child, had a dark tattoo concealed on her left wrist, ran a club across multiple continents, and enjoyed killing people on her spare time. Once you ignored those facts of her life, there was nothing really exciting about this Zealon.

[Maverick Dresner]

Maverick cast a condescending smirk at the group as they passed, wiping the newly formed smiles Cetara’s wink had inspired. He pulled Cen’s arm a little tighter to him, glancing once more at the group his eyes flashed a look seeming to dare them come after him. They didn’t. As the boys finally untangled their binds, but no footsteps approached. A wise move, Centara was clearly occupied for the evening and assuming they even could take Maverick, it wouldn’t get them what those glances suggested they were after.

“Dragons? Well, well. More than meets the eye,”

“Much more,” Maverick smiled, and he was, he’d made sure of that. Mav was constantly being underestimated. He was always a bit thin, which didn’t bode well for high expectations. A pretty boy known for his brains, no one expected much from him physically. Truth be told, it was almost an unfair advantage now that he could add brawn to his brains. You need both when dealing with dragons, because a dragon has both. There was no such thing as a fair fight with a dragon. Other creatures you were outmatched, and that knowledge was your only advantage. In a way, it was perfect for Maverick as he was used to being the underdog, he thrived on it; dared people to come after him. The man at the bar the group of boys all thinking they could make quick work of him…until he proved them wrong.

Maverick raised an eyebrow, keeping it cocked until Cen revealed the truth. Well, if you really wanted to call it truth. None of the information offered was new. Maverick had already taken thorough note of her attitude and attire, so he knew all that she’d said and more. And there she was again, back to claiming her life was boring. Obviously she was lying, and not just because Maverick found her interesting enough that something simple as recounting her daily routine would carry a conversation with him. “I doubt that,” Maverick retorted. “See, it’s always the exciting people who say their lives aren’t exciting. A boring person will recount their life’s story for you if you ask, precisely because it’s not exciting. They’ve got nothing to hide.” Mav continued, explaining his theory.

Maverick didn’t want to call Centara out directly, but he enjoyed flashing his intellect too much to let her slide by with such a mundane answer. He couldn’t really fault her for wanting to keep secrets from a man she just met. In fact opening up so early would have been off-putting. Still, Maverick’s Ravenclaw mind was ever curious about the world, especially the people around him, so if Centara wanted to hide something from him she would need to do a much better job of lying…or at least find Mav enough drinks to make him gullible.

“So, where are we headed?” Maverick asked realizing he was no longer leading, doubting that he ever really had been. He knew roughly where they were, but Centara had a look about her. She seemed more relaxed with each step while Mav seemed to feel more nervous, though he couldn’t quite nail down why. People had started avoiding eye contact; the one eye he managed to catch seemed to warn him of what was ahead. But Maverick had the arm of a beautiful girl and was feeling bullet proof; a coward’s glance wasn’t going to slow him down.

[Centara Zealon]

Maverick’s tone obviously conveyed that he thought she was lying. Why would Centara lie? Well, other than the obvious reasons. “Don’t tell me you’re some sort of philosopher,” Centara countered, glancing over him before looking back ahead. “Because I’m quite sure that would ruin your entire persona if you were. However, I do not deny your comment.” The sound of her clicking heels distracted her for a moment as she debated on what part of her story she could use to lead him off of talking about her. She hated talking about herself. “Honestly, I’m not that exciting. Rich girl, tons of money, got kicked out of Hogwarts for bad behavior in the third year, went on to become prefect then Head Girl just to prove that I wasn’t someone to mess with, and now am just along for the ride of life. You could say I’m a spoiled brat and I wouldn’t deny it for one second,” she added, looking over at him for a reaction just as they passed a group of homeless on the side of the road. All of them seemed to be trying to warn Maverick of the dangers that lie ahead. Did they honestly think he was going to be going inside of the business that they were all afraid of? Or was it that they were trying to warn him of the creatures that would be coming out to greet him when they walked by? They obviously did not know who he was travelling with. She wouldn’t allow a human into her club unless they had a death wish and Maverick did not seem the type to have one, nor would she allow someone to kill a human she was with. If a human in her presence was going to die, it would be by her fangs, not theirs.

Centara merely shrugged as he questioned their direction. She honestly had no idea where their end destination was nor did she really care. As long as she was out of her normal rut of working and plotting, she was perfectly fine. “I figured we’d just see where our walk takes us,” she said, looking over at him with a small smile. “And, if we get bored of walking, I know a pub not too far down the alley from here. I’m sure we could stir up some more trouble there and then just keep walking to the next one,” she added as they came ever closer to the red door on their right. Her pride and joy was just beyond that door. The business she had spent so long building. For five years she had built the reputation behind Der Keller’s name and now that it spanned the globe, it was a sensational hit. Vampires, werewolves, demons, ghosts; they all knew the name of Der Keller and prided themselves on being the only one’s allowed to enter through the doors. However, it was the pride and joy she never flaunted. If people were destined to find out about the club, they would have to figure it out on their own. She did not freely invite people through the doors. They either heard of the club through word of mouth or they never stepped through that door. That was just the way she wanted it.

When they were a few yards away, the door flung open for a moment to allow three teenagers (Centara knew better) to exit. However, it wasn’t by choice. All three were tossed onto the ground like ragdolls by a pair of mysterious arms that closed the door right behind them, no doubt one of her vampire barkeeps. Two of the boys were bleeding from the lip and nose while the other one was bleeding from the head. The stench of their blood was overwhelming but it was the other smell that made it entertaining. The smell of vampire emanated from them, telling Centara that they had started a fight with the wrong crowd, like usual. She knew the boys well enough to know that they started fights at the first opportunity they got. They’d just keep losing until they finally got the hint that it wasn’t the number of fights you were in, but the amount of age and experience under your belt that made the difference. The three werewolves stood up, brushing themselves off before moving on along down the street, each flashing a grin at the couple as they walked past. “Looks like we’re not the only one’s looking for trouble tonight,” Centara said as she looked back at the wolves, who had just turned the corner, obviously looking for another fight. Men.

Out of nowhere, a man ran right into them and attempted to peel Maverick away from her. Centara grimaced at the smell that overwhelmed her senses. It was worse than the smell of werewolf blood. He had to have been living on this road for years at the stench that was emitting from his skin, and the clothing was that much worse, reeking from the mix of body odor, alcohol, and even mold that was stuck to the garments. They made Drear Alley the dark and dirty place that everyone thought of. If she had her way, she’d kill the lot of them but she couldn’t draw that much attention to the alley without drawing attention to her club. That was the last place she wanted to see the Ministry was at her door. ”You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. Turn around while you still have the chance!” the old man said before he tripped over his own feet, falling to the ground. Centara raised an eyebrow at the scene. “I think he’s gone mad…”

[Maverick Dresner]

“There’s nothing wrong with philosophy,” Maverick objected, his Ravenclaw roots coming back to haunt him. “Though I’d never claim to be one, I just know a lie when I hear one. I’ve told enough half truths to know when someone’s hiding something,” Maverick grinned slyly, hoping to regain a bit of the bad boy edge Centara seemed to have accepted as his persona. It was about time. He’d been trying to build that reputation for years, but never quite managed it thanks to an annoying knack for standing up for the little guy…which was exactly what his housemates tended to be, little guys who were picked on or taken advantage of for their intelligence. They were also too clever for their own good, and when they won the battle of wits and were forced into a battle of fists, that’s when Maverick stepped in…if he felt so inclined. As for now all Mav was inclined to do was to extract as much truth from Centara’s personal history as possible.

“ Kicked out for bad behavior only to return as head girl, yes, certainly nothing interesting in that story. Incredibly common in fact, your life truly is a bore,” Maverick teased nudging in to her a bit. Of course this complicated things. An unlikely comeback story, but she wasn’t lying. Still though she insisted on calling it not exiting. Clearly this little tale of triumph paled in comparison to what Centara still hid behind her deep eyes. Her bored feeling toward the accomplishment also revealed a stunning amount of self-confidence, which by all account, she had earned. Maverick maintained his curiosity, but wasn’t sure he wanted to pry just yet. The night was still young and the current setting still had him on guard, everyone they passed looked suspicious and Maverick found himself wanting to throw curses at each new body they passed to erase the threat they may pose and grant him his peace of mind. Mav’s free hand (the one not connected to the arm entwined with Centara’s) began to finger the hilt of his wand cautiously. He hated poor people, especially in the city. The poor in the country, in the woods, they at least found ways to sustain themselves rather than begging like animal for scraps.

As Centara explained her intentions to keep on the walk, a red door caught Maverick’s eye. He turned back to Centara as he finished. “I could go for a drink,” Maverick smirked his tone suggesting he was more than willing to find reason to be thrown out of his second bar of the night. Honestly he would just be glad to get off the street, all the looks he was getting were giving him the creeps and had him so on edge that he could barely hold his eyes on Centara for fear that letting his guard down was just what the onlookers wanted. For now at least it seem he was safe as Cen moved his attention back to the red door where some hooligans were being tossed out. Clearly they hadn’t come out of their fight as cleanly as Mav made it out of his. “What is that place anyway?” Maverick asked quickly losing interest in the boys and having his eye stuck once again on the mysterious red door.

Maverick held his usual scowl as the three miscreants wandered past, his fingers still playing over his wand should they decide they hadn’t gotten their fill of trouble for the night. He was still watching them walk away when the old man accosted him. Maverick drew his wand instinctively, shoving the man off as he did. “Filthy beggars!” Maverick cried pointing his wand, at the chest of the man in front of him. He was preparing to curse the man into oblivion when he recognized the man’s emotion, fear. But it wasn’t just a fear of the wand being brandished in his direction, the dirty old man was afraid of something far worse…and his eyes seemed focused on Centara.

“I think he’s gone mad…”

“Must have,” Maverick agreed, though his voice was distracted, trying to put the pieces together. He stared at the man for a second longer, before he replaced his wand, clearly this man was not going to be a further threat. Maverick drew from his wand a scrap of silver and tossed it at the man. “buy yourself a wash,” Mav instructed. He was sure the man would spend the sickle on whatever booze or drug was his choice, but hopefully it would keep him from further assaulting midnight strollers. “The sooner we get off this street the better,” Maverick said turning his attention back to Centara. He was still curious about the old man’s warning and figured they should be safer in a pub. Anywhere but out here where the number of sketchy onlookers only seemed to grow by the minute.


((let me know if you need more to work with))