Cruor Luna

[FoxWriter]

It was a calm night in the club, the air was filled with with the smog of cigarettes, and was filled with the sweet smell of fresh cooked burgers and alcohol. It was a Sunday night, the club was mostly empty save for singles and couples who eagerly awaited the opening act of the nights show. The Cat's Claw Club was one of the more popular for late night music shows and the occasional dance number, as well as for a meal. It wasn't much for the party scene though, so most of the Patrons where older people looking for a quiet place to drink and listen to good music. It was dim in the club as Stagehands prepared the stage for the band that would soon be playing, and a single woman sat in the back, watching them work with a drink in one hand and a smoldering cigarette in the other.

Her name was Evangeline, or it was for the time being, she'd changed her name often in the many centuries... Eons, that she'd lived. She was Evangeline for now, and this was her Bar, not that anyone would know it. She paid the bills on the place and got a portion of the profit, but it was run by the people who claimed to be the owners. For the most part she just sat in the gloom, and drank and smoked and listened to the music that played. She had no real interest in humans, none whatsoever... she had once, a long time ago she had been a guardian of their mortal lives, protecting them from the dangers that the night, and the darkness brought upon them... but she had long ago given up on humanity, they where little more than parasites now... viruses. They deserved to be fed upon like they prey they where. The only people she protected now, where those that deserved it, young children, innocent people, but they where few now, and most of the immortals didn't much care to attack children anyway. So she spent her nights in a club, and drank, and smoked, and enjoyed her rather bland and drab life...

and then she paused, her cigarette half raised to her mouth as she froze as she caught a scent... a wonderful scent, like all of her favorite things rolled into one small but powerful package... but that couldn't be, she was the longest lived of her kind, she had seen hundreds of her people find their life mates and perish into the sweet tombs of death that only a mortal love could grant them. She had longed for death for many years, but gave it up. There was no way to actually kill her without a mortal mate to make her immortality faulty. A human mate, every one of her kind had one, that was the rumor anyway, for some, they found their mates quickly, for others, like Evangeline it took far, far too long. She shifted, her long white hair covering the side of her face as she pondered what this might mean for her, and try and figure out who had the sweet, perfect scent of the only person she would ever truly love...

 

[X-Vash00]

Cal O'Brien was a bit nervous waiting in the back corner of the bar. He was sitting on a bar stool with a guitar in his hand. His amber eyes scanned the crowd, or lack of it, in the bar. The people that were in the bar were scarce and those that were there were of an older age, something that the band wasn't used to. When they accepted the offer to play here the show here he assumed that there would be a larger crowd and the highest age would be about 28. The people that were here seemed to be in their forties or fifties. That would mean that they would have to change their standard set list of newer age rock to something they would recognize. They knew songs that could accomplish that but they were so different from each other that there would be no theme or tone for the set. It would have to do or else they wouldn't get paid.

His eyes roamed again and this time they settled on a plume of smoke that was gathering near another end of the bar. He could see that it was a woman, a very attractive woman, and she herself was looking at the stage. He couldn't place it but he had a strange feeling about her. Cal looked to the other members of "The Floorbaords" (the name was not his idea) and they gave each other nods that it was time to start.

Cal stepped up on to the stage and found the spot where his amp was set up and his chord was already plugged in. He walked briskly to it and plugged the chord in. He looked down and saw the dials turned to the right numbers. He looked down at his Gretsch White Falcon and saw that it was looking as good as ever. He took a deep inhale, the smell of fresh burgers and fires filling his nostrils, and gathered the tensions he was feeling. He then exhaled releasing that tension and stepped up to the mic, "Evening everybody. My name is Cal O'Brien and I am the frontman for 'The Floorboards' and we are tonight's entertainment. We're gonna play a classic to start us off for the night, a good ol' tune by Eri Clapton. This is Tore Down!" He counted it off for the band and the music began.

 

[FoxWriter]

Evangeline watched the band set up, lifting an eyebrow at the name. the floorboards? really? what did that even mean? that they got walked on a lot? she wouldn't doubt it if they where playing in a place like this, still they chose a good song, and the few patrons int he club brightened happily at the music. she brought her cigarette to her lips again, her large clear eyes staring at Cal O'Brian... Irish? it was a good strong name, and she liked it immensely. he himself had a very handsome face, for a mortal. she herself was gorgeous, ethereally beautiful as she studied him, her fingers tapping in time to the music as some of the other couples moved over to the dance floor to dance, laughing as they stumbled or even fell in their drunken stupors. as the night wore on, more and more people entered the Bar, drawn in by Cal's sweet tones and the bands clear music. finally the band was allowed to stop for a break and Evangeline stood, winding her way through the crowd and settled next to Cal.

"hello there." she murmured, smiling at him before looking at the bartender. "get them anything they want." she ordered calmly. "i'll cover their tab." she promised, smirking as she watched the Band eagerly jump on that bandwagon, ordering food and beer for themselves as Evangeline looked Cal over. "i'm Evangeline." she admitted, smiling at him. "and your Cal, right?" she asked smiling at him as her nostrils flared, catching his wonderfully sweet scent. it made her mouth water with the desire to do naughty things to him. he looked so sweet, innocent even, she couldn't beleive that the one person she would ever love, was that young. "you and your band have a very good sound." she admitted smiling a little as she pulled her business card out of her back pocket, sliding it over to him. it was only her name, Evangeline Delruth, and a number down at the bottom. but it was all in fancy, expensive lettering. one did not live for Eons without amassing millions upon billions of dollars. she wasn't sure what this person was looking for in life, but she knew that as soon as she became involved in it, his life would become so much better.

she was a Cruor Luna, a Blood Moon. one of the first beings to ever exist on the planet, even before the cavemen. she was one of the oldest, and she was very good at what she did. a Cruor Luna, was a being of great luck, they could bring good luck to those they cared about, or give immense bad luck to people they hated. they could also give good and bad dreams.. they where creatures of balance, of order, and of vengeance. back when man was new, they would give good dreams to the innocent, and punish the wicked with violent nightmares and horrid bad luck. there where too many humans to do that now, but they where still terrible in their wrath if they caught someone doing something particularly wicked. as long as he didn't piss her off, he could expect good dreams, good luck... and a lot of money. it wasn't like she needed it all.

"give me a call sometime." she ordered, smiling at him as she leaned forward, her lips, as soft as silk brushing against his ear. "i can make all your dreams come true." she whispered softly before leaving the bar and heading back to her little corner as the 'owner' of the bar moved forward, telling the band not to get too drunk because they where still scheduled for four more hours, until closing. Evangeline was gone by the time they finished, but the card was still there, almost as if taunting him with the little gold lettering, and the places where her lips had touched seamed to tingle for hours afterwords. even more the manager informed them that 'Lady Evangeline' had paid for their Hotel. yes, she was strange creature, but would that keep him away, or entice him closer? should he have the courage to call her, she would tell him to meet her in a little Cafe, and she would be sitting there, close to the fire and half hidden by a wall, drinking a foaming cup of some sort of coffee, waiting for him.

 

[X-Vash00]

Cal couldn't help but smile and laugh while the band played the song. Some people in the bat had recognized the song and decided, in their drunken stupor, to come out on the dance floor and try and show off their moves. The only thing that they did show off was their backs as some fell to the floor thanks to the effects of the alcohol. He was glad to see that people were having a good time and the music was becoming the catalyst for it. After that song the band was treated to a loud applause and a few whistles from the crowd. With the applause and approval of the crowd Cal was able to relax a bit and he started to enjoy himself. The band picked up into their next song on the set list and the band played on until they took a break at the halfway point in their list.

Cal sat with his bandmates and discussed anything but the show, it was their own little superstition. Just like in baseball, when the team (or in this case the band) was gathered together in a tight spot during the game not one of them talks about the game. It just put pressure on everybody and made them nervous, a potent mix to crash and burn. They sat at the bar and talked about various subjects ranging from current events to pop culture. Cal himself was enjoying a bottle of alcoholic cider that he saw on their drink list and found interesting.

His back was to the bar as he looked around the club to view the patrons and their drunken dealings. They were quite entertaining. Soon his eyes caught sight of a dark skinned beauty heading towards the bar. He couldn't understand why but his hear began to beat faster and he felt his palms begin to sweat a little. She was stunning of course, probably the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but how did he know that she was coming over to talk to him, there's no way he could. When she sat down next to him he straightened up a little. He was ready to respond with a greeting but was stopped when she ordered that all of their charges go to her. It was met with an immediate roar of excitement and they all began to order drinks and food for themselves. From that act alone and the bartenders compliance he knew that she was the owner. He smiled and deals fly said, "That was very generous of you mam, I know I speak for the band when I say that we appreciate it." He lit up a bit when she got his name correct, "Yes mam, Cal O'Brien. A pleasure to meet you Evangeline." He couldn't help but continue to smile as she praised the band for their sound. He was feeling vey lucky tonight, very lucky indeed.

He looked down at the card she slid toward him and saw the golden calligraphy scrawled across it. The card was no big deal, but what was on the card made Cal feel that she was very important. As he was looking down she leaned forward and whispered in his ear to call her sometime. Her voice was like honey to Cals ears. Before he could even think of a response she left to return to the corner she was in before. He wanted to go talk to her more but the bands break was over and they had to return to playing.

After the show he saw that she was gone, dissapointing. That was quickly exchanged for joy when he heard their hotel rooms were laid for by Evangeline. Now he deffinetly had to call her. When he worked up enough courage to do so they arranged to meet at a small cafe she deignated and Cal agreed.

He showed up their and found her in a corner lot by a fire and sipping on a coffee beverage. He took a seat next to her and playfully asked, "What is it with you and corners?"

 

[FoxWriter]

Evangeline smiled as she watched the one, Cal... oh how handsome he was, and that wonderful smell that issued from him, it was delightful. utterly delightful. she could feel her heart racing, her instincts almost demanded her to go to him, wrap him up in her wings and protect him from everything that the cruel, cruel world had to offer... but she doubted that would go well... no, she had to play this carefully, lest she chase him away... she had not waited thousands of years for his arrival... only to have him flee from her. so, she stalked towards him, aware he would be attracted to her, all humans where attracted to her kind. she seduced him with whispers, and then left him wanting more. that, would ensure he would come to her. she left once she was certain he was distracted, slipping away unseen would make the bitter want even stronger.

she smiled when he entered the small Cafe, and watched him as he sat down. "i enjoy corners... no one can sneak up on you when you are in a corner." that one phrase spoke volumes... she had not been born rich, or grown up with power or money. no spoiled rich kid, no matter how old they where, ever worried about being attacked... she was either attacked often for a job, guarding, spying, something for the military? or, she had spent time on the streets, and knew the dangers of having ones back exposed... but she doubted he would understand the relevance, she doubted he had to worry about being attacked. she smiled at him and picked up her tea, sipping at it. "you and your band mates have quite the appetites." she teased suddenly, looking amused. "you spent eight hundred dollars at the pub alone." she teased smirking. "though i had expected more money to be spent there." she admitted simply, looking even more amused. "i am glad you had the common sense to use the Hotel i provided for you, you all might have been shot otherwise." she teased sliding the menu over to him. "please, order anything you like, i have enough money." she assured him as she studied him.

"you have great potential." she admitted suddenly. "but your music lacks a flair, and lacks experience." she admitted. "playing in a place such as that, i would also suspect that you lack funds as well. i had been expecting something a little more modern from you... did you alter your playlist for the age group?" she asked curiously. "i would like to hear the music you normally play, that would give me a better understanding of how much Talent you truly have..." she tapped her fingers to her lip, pondering. "i won't deny Cal O'Brien... my interest in your band... is more an interest in you..." she admitted smiling at him. "you are a... puzzle, of sorts." she admitted her eyes trailing over him. "and i do so adore puzzles..."

 

[X-Vash00]

So she was a corner person. He knew a few people who did the same, his uncle was like that, but he was military and Cal expected him to do that thanks to his training. He was surprised, to say the least, that Evangeline said that. Was she dangerous? A record that he didn't know? She didn't look the least bit like the type to have enemies that would want to get her in the back. He decided to speak nothing of it and nod at the statement.

He turned slightly red when she mentioned the bands food and drink tab from last night. He was the only one who wanted to quit at $500, but he was overpowered by the others drunken state and they kept on drinking and eating until closing time. They all stumbled over to the hotel which Evangeline paid for, they were extremely lucky that she would do such a thing, it was either that or another night in the van which wasnt the most spacious of vehicles. "I do apologize if our rooms and tab set you back some. To see if we could help out with that the band is willing to play a few more shows at your pub to reimburse you." Cal didn't know what else to say. Words escaped him further when she slid the menu over to him telling him to order whatever he liked. Not wanting to be rude he opened the flaps and ordered a soda and a grilled chicken sandwich.

He cautiously sipped at his soda to try and conserve it for the length of their meeting. He had alread taken over $1500 dollars from her pocket, he didn't want to make it worse by sucking down soda after soda. He made sure to pay attention while she talked about that band, it was good to hear feedback from one of the members from the crowd. It allowed the band to analyze what their fans were saying and try to make adjustments. She started to question last nights performance and Cal was halo to answer. "Yes we changed the set list when we saw the crowd at the bar and we were down our singer since he was sick. If you take me up on my offer about doing more shows at your pub then you could deffinetly hear our usual set of songs."

Cals face turned a deeper shade of red when she complimented him. "You flatter me Evangeline. I'm just your average guy who can play a guitar better than most people."

 

[FoxWriter]

Halo to answer? XDD playing video games are we? )

she smiled a little at his blush. "oh, don't worry about it, i can imagine that it isn't often you get much pleasure with a limited salary." she admitted shaking her head. "i don't need to worry about money." he stated with a small smile. "i don't need reimbursement." she promised chuckling a little. "besides, i own the bar anyway so it's not like i'm loosing money." she admitted smiling a little. "i was trying to tease you." she admitted chuckling a little. "i'm not good at interacting with people...." he admitted shaking her head a little as she ordered herself a green salad with grilled chicken on top and another cup of hot tea. "hmm... no i think your music might give the Cats Claws residents a heart attack." she admitted smiling. "they like to act young, as you saw when they all tried to dance... but their not very good with new age music... i have a better place for you to play, another Bar across town with a younger audience." she admitted wrinkling her nose. "i don't attend it often because it's noisy and no one understands the concept of personal space, but it would be a good place to showcase your normal talent." she decided taking out a pen and paper while the food arrived. "it would be nice to see all of your band-mates there, so when your Singer gets well make sure to call me and i'll set up another show for you."

she speared a lettuce leaf with her fork and nibbled on it as he blushed deeper, smiling at him as she pointed at him with her fork. "i think you are unaware of how interesting you can be Cal." she admitted simply. "it takes a lot to gain my attention you know." she admitted simply. "but the few who do, are ALWAYS worth it in the end." she admitted. "something about you, is destined for greatness... whether it be with this band, or some other course of fate, i intend to be there to see it happen." she admitted simply before pausing. "... what's a hurst?" she asked, blinking at him, her head tilted. "i don't know music nearly as well as i know business..." she admitted frowning a little. "actually, i don't really know music at all... hmm, do you have voice coaches and things like that? i'm certain i read somewhere that bands need that..." she admitted tapping her lips a little before shrugging. "i'll make you a deal Cal." she admitted smiling at him. "i will pay for everything you and your band needs." she stated. "food, shelter, transportation, even instruments... an when your famous, you can pay me back then." she decided smiling at him. "i intend to be attached to you for some time, and i know Talent and greatness when i see it. i'm willing to put a few billion dollars into you if that's what it takes. but i will do it." she admitted simply.

"of course, i do realize you will have to talk about this with your band." she admitted as she speared another lettuce leaf. "a decision like this..." she shrugged a shoulder, smiling at him. "in the meantime, i would certainly like to get to know you a little better." she admitted, smiling at him a little. "perhaps we could go out once and a while? have dinner, walk in the park, just get to know one another?" she offered, smiling at him a little.

 

[X-Vash00]

((sorry, I guess a put a wrong letter somewhere in the word and my phone autocorrected it.))

Cal didn't know what to think after the words dropped from her mouth. She was talking about literally handing the band millions of dollars so they could go for a record deal. The band never had even dreamed of even trying to do what she was saying. They all just wanted to get together and play music that they all liked. He knew they were good, but were they good enough to catch the eye of a record company? He sure money would be a deciding factor in who looked at them and with the numbers she was putting up they could deffinetly get some big names to look at them.

"Un let's just start with the new place to play. That sounds great and we will deffinetly book a gig there when we're back up to all of our members." He turned red when she asked for them to get to know each other more. Some reason he wanted to jump up and down shouting yes but he had to keep it cool. "I would deffinetly be interested in seeing you some more. Infact... I'm sure there's a movie playing around here somewhere. You wanna go?"

 

[FoxWriter]

lol no matter what it was i doubt i'd know what it is anyway XDD all i know about music is that there's a guitar, usually a piano and drums and some guy screaming obnoxiously into a microphone XDD)

she smiled at him, looking amused as she watched him react to her offer. she couldn't blame him for gaping at him like a dying fish. but in all honesty, he wasn't the first person that she had helped this way. she had a long history of helping people to greatness... in fact Cal had come at a good time because she had only just finished her last project. an exceptionally talented painter who had been living on the streets. Cal could look her up and find out that since she had turned nineteen she had found exceptional talent, built it up, and thrust it out into the world of greatness. she'd done it five times already, though she was only twenty four, her entire family had done it. her, her mother before her, her grandmother and so on. a very extensive... and secretive family... once they where pregnant or old, they vanished and where never seen again, and their children where not seen until the age of nineteen... people had their theories, but they where never close to the truth... ever. after all, who could guess that they where all her?

she smiled at his excitement of a new place to play and she nodded a little. "it really is a very good club for people who like... loud crowds." she admitted wrinkling her nose and looking amused before grinning at him. "a movie? that sounds wonderful!" she admitted. "it's been a while since i've been to a movie, i don't like to go alone because i feel lame, and the few freinds i have prefer..." she shuddered. "opera of all things!" she admitted, looking vaguely horrified. "can you imagine?" she asked smiling at him as she hailed the waiter and payed for their meal before glancing at him, smirking. "you have to buy the tickets, i'll get the candy." hey, she had to let him have SOME man pride after all. besides, it was the candy that was the expensive part, especially in the quantity that SHE ate it... so long as she stayed away from the chocolate, she would be alright. "what movie would you like to see? i like just about anything so we'll cater to your desires tonight." somehow... she made that sound very sexual, and she new it from the way she winked at him.