An Eagle Without Wings (Pinger)

[guoping]

"I will," Natayla nodded. "But don't worry, I'm good at controlling my cravings and desires. Well it's been fun," she turned to open the door. "I guess I'll see you around."

Natayla was sad that this might be their last meeting. Riku had no reason to visit her and she didn't have a reason to seek him out. Standing in the door frame she drew in a quick breath, turned, pecked him on the cheek, and then darted back into her shop. The door closed with a loud slam and with her back pressed against it she found the lock.

Her heart beat wildly again but she calmed herself.

"What... was... that?" Hades glared, sitting on the counter.

[sora]

Riku was surprised by it but it seemed like it was a pleasant surprise. He gave a smirk and disappeared into the darkness once more. He appeared in his apartment, taking off the red jacket and throwing it onto a chair. He sighed, collapsing onto his couch as Cerberus came and rest all three of his heads on Riku's lap. Meian flew in, landing on a sword, his usual perch.

"So, you have a crush on her?" His familiar asked casually.

Riku's eyes narrowed at him. "Hardly. It was fleeting, if anything," he admitted. "A half-vampire and a half-god? Yeah that would work swimmingly," he scoffed to himself.

Meian gave a caw. "So you admit that you have feelings for her?" He asked, pressing the issue far too much for Riku's liking.

The demi-god glared at him. "Had. Past tense, Meian," he snapped.

[guoping]

"Natayla your dodging the question," Hades said irritatedly, swishing his fuzzy tail back and forth.

"Do we have enough spider silk?" Natayla asked, ignoring Hades as she ran her brush threw her hair. "I have to make that potion for Mrs. Pryde, remember she's the one who wants to spice up her-"

"JUST ANSWER!" Hades had had enough. Ever since they had gotten home she had done nothing but ignore his questions about Riku.

"Alright," Natayla sighed. "... I don't really know how I feel... I think because he's pretty good looking and his blood, oh gods his blood, is so good that it looks like I like him," she shrugged then. "Maybe he's just a drug for me."

"Natayla I know you're not like that," Hades shook his head. Natayla stopped mid-stroke and glared back. "You like him, just admit it."

"I'm going to bed," she said shortly, climbing into her coffin. Hades had pushed the issue too far for Natayla's liking.

As the lid closed she drank another vile of the green potion and fell into a coma like sleep.

[sora]

Riku looked outside as the sun started to peek up. He yawned, grumbling a bit to himself. "I'm even starting to act like a vampire," he remarked more to himself. Well, he did have that coven meeting which lasted most of the night. "C'mon Cerberus," he said, walking to his room. The do followed him obediently. Meian shook his head in amusement and took off for Natayla's place.

The flew to her window, clipping it open. He saw Hades, the cat, there and flew down, landing on Natayla's coffin. "Hey there...so does she have a crush on him?" He asked, knowing the cat knew full well who he was talking about.

[guoping]

Hades, who was licking his paw, nodded his head and grinned like the Che char cat. "Oh yeah, but she won't admit it. What about him?"

Natayla had woken a long time ago and was already working in the basement. The room had no windows and was near pitch black except for the blue glow that came from a cauldron in the middle of the room. Natayla sung a dirge as she worked, mixing different things into the pot. The potion sizzled and fumed, giving off a very pleasant aroma. This was a very potent aphrodisiac, one that was said to be used by Aphrodite herself.

Back in her room Hades continued with a laugh. "She's in the basement right now. When she woke up a few hours ago she muttered something about a dream and her cheeks were completely flushed. I hope she has more of those green vials or else we might be in trouble."

[sora]

Meian ruffled his feathers a bit. "Oh I don't think it would be that much of an issue. Riku may not admit it but he clearly has feelings for her. He also probably won't admit that he really enjoyed that peck on the cheek earlier," he added for both Hades amusement and his own. The raven sighed, relaxing a bit. "Well my fellow familiar, I believe we should do our ignorant masters a service and as Riku would put it...hook them up?" He suggested.

[guoping]

"I don't believe I've ever heard wiser words," Hades agreed. "Good for us there's lots of things here to stoke the embers of young love!"

Hades hopped down from the vanity and onto the coffin. "So my fine feathered friend, do you have any ideas? All my tactics are rather sneaky and involve some very potent potions... just to get things moving."

He really couldn't help it. He was a cat, and sneaky by nature.

[sora]

There was a pause. "That's more elaborate than my plan. I was just gonna shove them in a room and lock the door," he explained, still thinking that it was a good plan. "Well, whatever we do it shouldn't involve potions since Riku is probably immune to quite a few of them and he wouldn't be pleased if he found out we used something on him," he explained. Knowing Riku, he'd probably kill them...and laugh while he barbecued bird and cat.

[guoping]

"Natayla would skin us a live," Hades laughed, a little nervously. "... I have an idea. Riku seems like the jealous type to me so we could inform him of some of Natayla's night customers. Recently she's taken to selling her blood to vampires and Riku know's how pleasurable that experience is. Somehow we need to get Riku to come around as one of her biters leave. I'll get Natayla to take a break by talking a little walk outside and of course they'll see each other. This wont instantly start a romance but it'll get the ball rolling."

[sora]

Meian nodded. "Good plan. I can just tell Riku I found a hunter job for him tracking down a werewolf or something. He hasn't had a fight in a while," he said. "I'll just have him take the route past the store and we'll time it so her customer leaves. That should easily get his attention," he finished. The raven stretched his wings in a little bit before folding them closed again. "I should be getting back to Riku now. He'll probably be waking up soon. See you tonight," he said with amusement as he took off through the window.

[guoping]

"Tata," Hades gave a little wave with his paw.

It was a few hours before Natayla came back upstairs to get her two hours of sleep before her night customers and biters showed up. It had been a long day and she'd been rather distracted. All day she couldn't stop thinking about Riku and more than once she had hit herself in the head so that she could concentrate on work. The two hours of rest went by too quickly for Natayla but she managed to bathe and get into a fitted black dress that showed her clavicles.

"Welcome to Curses and Charms," she smiled to her first customer.

Several vampires came in and out before her first biter of the night. As per usual the vampire signed a contract and Natayla led him into a well furnished room with an expansive bed with red and black sheets. The feeding lasted a total of half and hour and 30 seconds. The vampire had taken a little too much but paid his due. After the third biter left Hades grinned mischievously and put his plan into action.

"You look tired," Hades commented as Natayla counted her money, the bite marks still dripping a little. "A little walk would be good for you."

"I suppose you're right," Natayla sighed. "A bit of air would really do me good."

Natayla stepped out from behind the counter and walked out into the cool night. She shivered a little and her fingers absently traced the two bite marks on her neck, the third was on her inner thigh which was hidden from view.

[sora]

Riku walked out of his apartment, wearing his new red coat. He'd actually grown quite attached to it. He double checked to make sure he had all his weapons as he started to walk out onto the street. He sighed, walking towards the park where Meian said this werewolf was. He made a growling noise, knowing that even though his...new position had come into effect, he was still an Assassin. He trudged down the street, senses on high alert.

Without even thinking, he walked passed Natayla's shop, glancing briefly at it before he kept walking. Until he heard the door open and a male vampire came out. The vampire saw Riku and gave a bow before continuing. He really needed to get used to that. He was going to keep going, until Natayla herself walked out.

He walked towards her. "Hey-" He started but cut off as he saw her rubbing something on her neck. As quick as a flash, he grabbed her wrist, his eyes narrowing at the vampire bites. "Who did this?" He asked, anger underlying his tone but he had trained many years to get it out of his system. "Was it that vampire who just left?" He demanded a hint of jealousy in his voice. His eyes seemed to glow in the dark as he glanced down the street for a moment.

[guoping]

Natayla flinched when Riku grabbed her wrist. There was a jolt of surprise and then she registered his words.

"Ah, no. Riku it's fine!" she said quickly. Her other hand went to cover the bite marks. "That was a customer. I call them Biters, once a week certain vampire clients come to um... feed on me." she looked down at the ground then, not wanting to see the expression on Riku's face. "I make a lot of money, even more if I get a Sucker, a human who pays me to bite them."

Currently Hades laid on the counter smiling at the scene just beyond the door. Phase one complete, he smirked smugly.

Natayla wasn't feeling quite as confident. "I would appriciate it if you didn't tell anyone, this isn't illegal but my parents would have a fit if they knew what I was doing."

[sora]

Riku looked back at her. This was part of her job? He loosened his grip on her wrist a little bit but kept his hand there. "I won't tell anyone but that doesn't mean I like this at all," he said, his tone showing his jealousy a bit more. "You shouldn't use yourself like that. Those vampires see you as livestock," he said, recalling what his father had said to him. "They don't give a shit about what happens to you. Not like I-" He stopped mid-sentence. Damn it...he wanted to hit his head off the wall...repeatedly.

[guoping]

Natayla recoiled a little. "Is that what you think of my kin?" she said barley above a whisper. She frowned and raised her eyes angrily. "I'll have you know that they do not see me as livestock as you put it, m'lord, I'm helping them more that you could think. Half-breed blood can sustain a vampire for- Wait a second you care about me?"

It took her quite a while but then his words hit her.