Lune

[Apollo Wilde]

Oshun Leone

The day was too long and her “temp” job was too boring.

Suppressing another yawn, she idly drummed her spoon against the edge of her coffee cup, a white ceramic thing covered with the semi-smiling faces of fat-faced angel babies. But soon enough, the time would come for her to leave the desk and head out to her usual late night haunts, art galleries and jazz bars, perfumed with the scent of narcotics, cigarette smoke, and stale intellect.

Not much, but in order to get anywhere in this town you had to know people.

Easing off her heels under the protection of her desk, she stared idly at the blinking cursor on the nearly finished document, the flickering teasing her. If she squinted, she thought that she was able to make out the forms of her other co-workers moving around behind her, for sure, she could smell the overwhelming sweetness of Victoria’s new cologne. The girl was as sweet as could be, but wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box. At least, for once, she wasn’t on the phone to her boyfriend.

As she leaned back slightly, her earrings swung slowly back and forth, dangling beads of rose quartz across her cheekbones. She’d worn the damn light stone in order to attract some lover her way, but they didn’t seem to be working. Maybe she could get her money back, ha!

Oshun Leone wasn’t the type that you would just find anywhere, though. She had the distantly beautiful and elegant looks of a seasoned model, the intellect of a professor, and the personality of an artist. All together it didn’t make for the best conversation. She was the one that people would talk about over the water cooler, drawing up wild and imaginative stories of what they thought her personal life could be like. And unfortunately for her, for all of her exotic and lovely features, the sheer strangeness of her mind always rendered them moot.

Sure enough, when it would come 5:00, she would slip from her desk with all the stealth of a ninja and disappear in the bathroom. In five minutes flat she’d re-emerge, hair let down, in an iron-on transfer shirt [ usually of some odd band that no one had heard of, and one time, just for the hell of it, one with the scowling visage of Beethoven ], suitably ripped jeans, and cigarette tucked behind an ear. Not to mention that strange tattoo on her lower back, mocking her co-workers by not showing itself completely.

Today’s shirt would be a light purple number, adorned with a silk-screened image of Prince, and the jeans would be washed out and tightly hugging to her form. Gracing her desk one last time, she tossed a carefully typed document in a wire basket, and headed out. She wasn’t in the mood for small talk, and damn sure wasn’t in the mood to be invited to a ‘girl’s night out’, which usually consisted of her few girlfriends ranting about how men were dirty and did Oshun see that guy with the tight ass, oh, and by the way, what ever happened to you and that musician? type of thing.

Walking out into the garage, she yawned. Enough time to go home, catch a nap, get her paintings together and head down to the gallery by 11.

Things could be worse, for sure.

 

[poohlive]

His palms were beginning to sweat. Large clear droplets forming in his red cupped hands, and pooling. Every now and then he'd wipe them on his pants, but his pants were beginning to feel damp.
All he needed was a drink. This would go away if he had just one drink.
His hand shook, making the form of a cup, as if he were holding a bottle of something right now. He could feel his mouth watering with aniticpation, just a beer, or a double scotch on the rocks, or even one of those martini's; dry with two olives.
That's all he needed. This pain surging through his head, this shaking, even the cold chills that ran up and down his spine from time to time.
Outside, now near twilight in the city, the lights were beginning to turn on. Flashes of bright red and yellows hallowed his eyes, making him creen up to their very tip tops.
It was christmas, was all he could think of. The entire town was a christmas tree, dressed in twinkling lights.
He shook his head, trying to get the thoughts out, trying to let some sanity work its way inside.
He went into a coffee shop, where a woman with giant breasts asked him what he wanted. He took a cup of coffee, although for a moment, he wanted to ask her what time she got off work. His mouth, which had been dry, became wet as he looked at the neckline, driving from her all too tight shirt.
There was a hunger, not just lust, but real hunger. He wanted to taste her. A cup of coffee calmed down that impulse, if just for a few moments.
It would pass, they said he'd feel like shit. The first few days were always like this. He just had to cope.
He left the big breasted woman a nice tip, and went out into the back alley to puke out all the coffee, and some weird green liquid he'd never seen before.
After a few minutes of compulsing himself, he started walking up the street once more. His palms were sweating beads.

 

[Steiner]

Leon nudged the car through traffic, heading for the apartment that had seemed so convenient when he'd viewed it outside of rush hour! As he pulled up to traffic lights he jammed the heel of his hand into his right eye as if to relieve the pressue he could feel there - he'd blown off work early due to this headache and it was fixing to be as bad as they always were near this time of the month. Why did deadline stress do this to him?

Despite the looming deadline, though, he knew he'd cleared this months tasks already - which was why his boss was happy with him taking off early. It just sucked that this happened every time - guys were always taking the piss, suggesting he had PMT or something.

The traffic lurched on and Leon went with it, passing the rows of office buildings. As the traffic ground to a halt, Leon found himself watching a girl in a purple t-shirt as she walked to her car. Leon was fairly jumpy, as a rule, and often found his eye dragged to sudden movement, but this girl held his eye all the way across to the entrance to the submerged parking. She was a beautiful woman, he realised distantly, although his attention was focused on something other than her looks - he just wasn't sure what it was.

The light turned green, unnoticed by him, just as she looked up and noticed him noticing her, a spark jumped the gap from her to him and his eyes widened in shock - the headache forgotten. Then the horns honking behind him dragged him from his reverie and the traffic swept him away...

 

[intriguess]

Lorna

Lorna was always sickly at a child, always when the moon was full. Her parents whispered in the background and she had always wondered what they were saying. She had seen a zillion doctors and zillions of specialists. After hushed words about it just being a phase and that increased hair growth was to be expected during her teen years.

It had gotten to the point where her parents home schooled her and she had no social life, then suddenly around 18 things suddenly turned around and she was miraculously cured, except for a few feverish nights during the full moon, which is when her period was.....

Now at 21, she was a bright young woman and an orphan, her parents had gone off on a trip right before the full moon, something about visiting relatives, and had never returned.

She had tracked them down to a sleepy town, and lost track fo them there. She had nothing to hold her down, and she began her new life there.

She had stormy gray eyes, an athletic build, long slender legs, and a full head of silky black hair. She had always been told she had classic looks. She found a job quickly enough a research assistant. Being sickly as a child had led to a love of books.....

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Oshun Leone

Raking her hair from her eyes, she had paused when she felt eyes on the back of her neck. Turning, she met the gaze of the man in traffic. What the hell was he looking at? She raised an eyebrow and resisted the urge to give him the finger. But still…in that moment when her eyes caught his, she’d felt a shiver. Like…

Hm.

She shook her head and took out her keys. Wandering into the darkened parking area, she let her mind wander a bit. What paintings would she bring today? Just her luck that it seemed like everyone was on a Tim Burton kick and thusly all “popular” art had to take on the muted and twisted curves that Burton demanded. Whatever happened to originality? Her mouth twisted bitterly as she approached her deep purple convertible. It was one of those cars that people would stop and point to, talk about, and that they either loved or hated.

If the color wasn’t enough, then perhaps the leopard print seats would do it.

Pulling out of the parking lot, she took off into the street, draping an arm over the door. Soon enough she’d be home, and soon enough it’d be night. A full moon, if she remembered correctly. Hm. Nothing too odd about that, although it usually made her feel like someone had kicked in her head. Shit. Well, no matter. She’d take some meds, but despite her own pain, she was going to sell some art. There was no debating that tonight.

 

[LongshanksSierra]

Sam picked up the folder on the seat next to his, thumbed it open, then sent it flopping back down to the seat. He pulled the flask from the inside of his jacket, intending on taking a quick swig he took a longer one instead before replacing it. This case was beneath him. He had uncovered evidence that had put two known rackateers in jail and had led to the arrest of one city council member and a handful of lower buereaucrats. What the hell did he know about art? Some small time art-theft/fraud ring would barely pay the company's power bill this month. It wasn't even worth his effort.

Okay, so maybe he had dropped the ball on the mayoral election fruad, and his performance on the slave-smuggling ring hadn't been sterling either, but that didn't mean he was losing his edge. He was just in a bit of a rut at the moment.

Maybe he didn't like it, but his case was the art gig, so that was the one he was going to solve. But to do that he had to get to know the game, which was tonight's little juant. There was some little gathering of the trendiest psuedo-tragic and suffering of the neo-art world tonight. That was where he would begin. He took another swig from the flask and replaced it under his jacket, checking the other side to make sure the pistol was hung secure there.

 

[intriguess]

leona

An art opening....tonight of all nights. She popped half a dozen ibuprofen, dressed in a clingy, black dress that bared her shoulders and covered the rest of her. Her boss was interested in a painting and had asked her to check out the value and authenticity of the artist.

She thought it was a test, perhaps even a come on, he leered at her like he had never seen a young woman in his life up close.

She shuddered and vowed to stay an arm's length away.

 

[Steiner]

Back in his appartment Leon spent awhile in the dark, letting the thorbbing headache fade. He discovered that he was somewhat on edge - catching himself pacing the apartment living room.

On the side was an invitation from an ex-girlfriend to an art viewing for tonight - not his usual thing, but at least it promised to get him out of the house without the blaring music that would bring his headache back.

The dresscode was a little formidable, but he supposed that was part of the price of a quiet night out in fairly rareified surroundings. A little quiet conversation, some soothing music, a little wine and some art to appreciate... ...it sounded ideal.

Slipping into his "client impressing suit" he chose a fairly formal tie and made his way down to the carport. The night air ruffled his hair as he made the drive with the top down, heading back for the centre, and for the gallery that was hosting the evening.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Oshun Leone

Formal attire sucked ass.

Who did they think they were? This was such a low end dreg, it was laughable to see how the place had put on airs for this show. No matter, though, as long as her work got some of the limelight. She sighed softly to herself – she actually missed the freaks with the innumerable piercings and tattoos. Good people once you got to know them. Hell, she was one of them, in a sense, although she forewent the eye-catching appearance.

Wow, black seemed to be the “in” color, she thought idly as she took a small sip from her wine glass. She almost wanted to regret her dress choice, but to hell with that. These people were pseudo-intellectuals at best, and were probably there to impress someone that they worked with. As for herself, she was clad in an off the shoulder pale gold dress. Her best friend had been nice enough to let her borrow the thing [ in addition to dealing with her veritable mane – friend or not, no one was making her get rid of her dreadlocks ], so she knew she looked okay, if not stunning. She was a bit slimmer than her friend, so the dress didn’t exactly cling to her curves as she had wished, but it hinted at them quite nicely.

Good enough.

Leaning against one of the walls, she let herself relax and just watch, more concerned with her own work than the people that populated the room. In addition to the pseudo-intellectual paintings she had turned in, she’d also submitted a few black and white photographs, ranging from the male nude to children on the street. She grinned a bit behind the rim of her glass. That work was a bit closer to her heart – and it was always interesting to get people’s reaction to it. Most didn’t even know she was a woman, at least, not until they read the name tag. And then there was the fun task of explaining her “ethnic” name and the meaning behind it.

Lowering her eyelids, she fought back the urge to yawn. If she hadn’t been expected to get up and talk about her art [ like the other artists that they’d invited out ], she would’ve ditched and headed out to one of her other haunts. Oh well. They’d talk about her, point out her pieces, expect her to say something, then stick around and socialize, if not sell anything. As she adjusted one of her earrings, she merely waited.

 

[LongshanksSierra]

Sam tried to weave his way through the crowd without drawing too much attention. He really just wanted to observe the scene, see if he could pick up on any useful information. A few light but probing questions only got him a list of artists that were the "latest" and "most talented" and a few over-inflated opinions.

He pulled once more at the tie to his suit, hating having to wear the blasted thing. At least the jacket was still a loose enough fit to provide enough freedom of movement. He took another wine glass (what was this cheap stuff?) and slid over to a row of photographs. Sam had to concede this night was probably a bust, he wasn't going to learn anything here. Perhaps he was losing his edge.

He looked at the photos, giving them an honest look. These were some nice black and whites, and the photographer actually had some talent. Sam felt a slight twinge in the base of his skull and his eyes lost focus for a second. He blinked it away and shook his head to clear it. He turned away from the photos and noticed a girl in a golden dress against the far wall. The twinge in the base of his skull returned. He blinked again, refocusing his eyes. He needed a real drink...

 

[Steiner]

Arriving at the gallery was an interesting experience - not in a great neighbourhood he noticed, and some of the local kids were hanging out over the road laughing at the overstuffed shirts going inside.

Pulling up in the barely secured parking, Leon put the top back up and slid out. Locking the door he headed for the entrance, surprised that he felt so good - when he should be working up a case of terminal ennui. Nonetheless there was SOMETHING in the air that made him perk his ears up a little - bizzare. Talk about moodswing city - and the further into the exhibition he got, the more wired he found himself becoming.

Once inside something of a black cloud descended on his mood - his ex had found out he was coming and was waiting just inside the main gallery for him. Now that he was inside there was something of a tug-of-war assaulting him. Something was pulling him on through the door but something else was putting him on his guard, he could feel the adrenaline building up in his blood.

With her best society-deb squeal his ex was clinging on to his arm, saying how surprised she was that he'd made it. (The inference being, of course, that he'd come to see her in hopes of reconciliation) But Leon could barely focus on her - so strong were the twin emotions surging through him. He shook his head and forced a polite smile as she dragged him to the first artist that he "just absolutely had to meet".

 

[intriguess]

Leona

The room was quiet at first then sounds slowly focused in. She drifted through the crowd her headache surging in and out of focus. She paused as her eyes seemed drawn to a young woman in gold as well as two men. She closed her eyes and even with them closed she seemed able to sense where those three were as if their bodies gave off some sort of signal.

She gritted her teeth and went to the ladies room, downed a few more painkillers and looked in the mirror. Her teeth seemed odd, and she shook her head and left as an portly old obviously wealthy dowager entered the rest room.

She stayed away from the wine as she didn't care for the interaction between the pills and wine. She felt the presence of the three and found herself walking towards the nearest one. A man with a very clingy obnoxious woman with him.

 

[Steiner]

Leon

The pounding in his head had definitely started to come back now, her very tone of voice was becoming offensive to him. If she wasn't whining she was virtually braying - everything rang hollow and false.

Breaking eye contact was unavoidable, even if that meant risking his eyes settling back on the woman in the gold dress again, and he'd been caught staring at her once already today, he realised. A guy was stood nearby to her, eyeing the photographs appraisingly - Leon ran a critical eye over the mans attire, catching himself with a start. What did he care about the stranger? And yet he found himself weighing the man up, judging his strengths and weaknesses, gauging him as a threat. Why?

Shaking his head to clear it, he wondered at his strange behaviour - had he finally cracked? Obsessing over an attractive woman in a room full of them. Paranoidly weighing up perfectly inoffensive strangers. Perhaps he SHOULD have had a long bath and an early night!

As he made an effort to turn his eyes back to his ex so that he could respond to whatever it was she'd said last he saw a woman approaching over her shoulder. He'd seen the trombone effect in films and on television before - where the world seemed to fall away from the central character whilst simultaneously zooming in on them - but this was the first time he'd experienced it directly.

Sea green eyes locked on storm grey eyes and, as exactly as it had done on his drive home, lightning struck.

 

[intriguess]

Leona

She wasn't sure what to say but she saw the desperation in his eyes and what she termed as recognition.....or something more.

She stepped closer and gently brushed his arm, "I'm surprised to see you at a place like this," the hair on the back of her neck and her arms raised in awareness as she felt the other two were being drawn closer together. "The last time I saw you," she let the sentence trail off as she felt the women eye her and see her as the enemy. She had never lied in her life and here she was implying so very much.

Her pulse was racing and her vision was slipping in and out of color. She wanted to pounce on the clinging women and rip her throat out. She cleared her throat, "I hope we can renew our relationship." Her hand slide down to his caressing it in a familiar way.

 

[Steiner]

It wasn't fair to say that he dismissed the woman he'd been with - that would have required some sort of acknowledgement. To him, she'd simply ceased to exist at this point, and his automatic step closer to the beautiful stranger merely highlighted this fact.

When she touched him has hand seemed to actually burn, each of the hairs shouting it's own message to his fevered brain as she brushed her fingertips over them, until her hand had settled on his.

The room became unbearably hot - his shirt collar felt too tight suddenly as he swallowed. Finally his mouth came to the rescue of very bemused brain, because he heard it asking the woman how long it had been since they last met, whilst implying that the meeting had been memorable indeed.

His eyes, however, weren't playing any social games at all. Their message was loud and clear.

 

[intriguess]

Lorna

Their was a fire burning in his eyes, one she felt intensely and she softly whispered. "You know how I hate this crowd, and my head is pounding," her blood was pounding, her skin tingling, and her entire body was pulled to his like a magnet. "I am in no condition to drive." She paused and licked her lips, the rest of the room had sort of fallen away and she no longer saw the woman flashing her an evil look, just his eyes, feeling the warmth of his skin, his touch scorching. "Could you take me home?" the words were innocent enough but anyone listening closely would know more was going on. She hoped no one would notice she still hadn't called him by name, but her blood was pounding in her veins and she felt as if she was going to explode out of her skin at any moment.

 

[Steiner]

Leon

Later he'd blush when he remembered it, but in handing his glass of wine away he'd handed it to his ex.

Letting the hand he held go, only to take the elbow instead he steered her gently through the crowd, retrieving the keys from his pocket as he walked. Without a thought for his coat, he continued through the lobby to the door and opened it for her, gesturing her through. The cold air helped him pull himself together, but he caught a glint of moonlight in her grey eyes and was lost again.

Finding his car he held the passenger door open for her and then slid into the drivers seat, the leather creaking as he started the car mechanically.

 

[intriguess]

Lorna

She still didn't know his name, and the crisp air seemed to sooth her senses. She sensed him in many ways, she could sense the heat his body was emiting, knew his blood was pounding. She suddenly realized her headache had faded as her blood pulsed through her body and at same time she was hungry.

Lorna wished she had not skipped lunch. Normally self conscious the only thing she was conscious of was how her skin tingled, hairs raised as if on alert. She bit her lip and tasted blood......she sucked on her lower lip only quitting when she realized she had relished the taste.

She had not given her name, but she felt a recognition deep inside, something that would not and could not be ignored. At a stop light her fingers slipped along his leg. "We're going to your place I assume?" the question was husky laced with desire, wishing they would be stopping soon as her stomach growled.

 

[Steiner]

Leon

Suddenly he pulled the car over - enough - he had to know who she was, and what the hell was going on!

She seemed a little surprised at the sudden stop, and somehow his questions were forgotten as he turned to face her. She was worrying on her lower lip, and as he peered closer to see if she'd hurt herself when he braked, he found himself inhaling the scent of her, his lean not stopping until his face was close to hers.

Surrendering to the impulse he pressed his lips to hers, his hand coming up to brush the heavy dark hair from her face.

 

[intriguess]

Lorna

She was startled, but not surprised as his lips landed on hers. Her lips parted instinctively her body temperature seemed to raise higher as their lips met. She was helpless to what was happening, even as she sought out his tongue, as her own slipped along his lower lip. Her long fingernails dug into his shoulders and her body seemed on heightened alert and arousal. She had known what was going to happen but it seemed so.....magnetic and she found herself struggling to catch her breath after the kiss.

She was pleased that he was struggling as well, yet he had not answered her question and she had no talent at flirting. So she opted to be straight forward. "There are a handful of hotels nearby....." her voice was husky and she inhaled a musky aroma that seemed designed to drive her crazy.

 

[Steiner]

The kiss hadn't answered any questions, and it hadn't slaked his appetite for her either. But then, what did he expect?

Leon, supremely controlled, had always been slightly contemptuous of men who claimed "they couldn't help themselves" but after tonight he knew he'd be a lot more understanding.

Sitting back in the chair he considered just putting his foot to the floor and driving the ten minutes to his apartment building - but he found himself pulling into the Marriot hotel simply because it was closer. He realised he'd barely spoken a word to this woman since he'd met her - that she'd done ALL the talking, and that wasn't usual either. He made an attempt to be affable, lightly humorous, as he pulled up to the hotel.

I couldn't wait he tried to explain, tried to make a little self-deprecatory shrug as if it was funny. Instead he realised that he sounded like a man who hadn't eaten for a week talking about rare steak.

Someone was on hand to park the car, so Leon left the keys in the ignition and the engine running as he moved to the passenger door again, reaching out his hand to hold it open.

 

[intriguess]

Leona

She took his hand, shivering slightly from the contact, she stepped up against him, very closely her body seemed destined or doomed to press against him. She had trouble putting together the few sentences she had said but was relieved as the walked into the hotel. Their was recognition as if his eyes and body said 'I know...I want you.....' It was completely unlike her and she was unable to make any sort of protest. She wanted him, he wanted her, and they both knew it. Health safety protection slipped from her mind as the man at the counter gave them a knowing smile asked for a credit card and said something sappy about what kind of bed they wanted.

Her heart was beating a mile a minute and she felt as if every cell in her body was working towards him and being alone.

 

[Steiner]

Leon

Of course he'd simply have driven to his apartment if he'd remembered that it took much longer than ten minutes to register at a hotel like the Marriot - nonetheless the wait almost felt like part of the act itself, and he could feel the anticipation boiling away in him.

He'd never met a woman like this before - she didn't seem brash, she didn't dress particularly provocatively - and yet she'd picked him up as if they'd both been in a singles bar. It was a million to one shot that he'd have found her attractive enough to behave in this way - yet he knew he'd have done the same had he spotted HER first, and marvelled at it.

She seemed to be having trouble speaking, so he carried out the registration process in a daze, aware of her body pressed against his the whole time. It wasn't as if she was rubbing herself all over him, but he could feel the micro-fine shivers of her musculature as she leaned against his body, and the insight it was giving him into the sort of body that lay beneath the black dress was adding to the pounding he felt in his temples.

Assuring the man that they could find room 504 on their own, Leon found that both of them hurried across the deep carpet of the lobby to the elevator, their fingers meeting on the button for floor five. Instead of the slightly embarassed laugh that they would normally have shared though, he used the touch to take her hand and turn her to him. As the elevator doors closed he was already kissing her again. His tongue traced the curve of her full lower lip, and pulled it into his mouth.

 

[intriguess]

Lorna

The more she thought about it the odder it seemed, the hotel was far simpler, no personal crap lying about, and such. The time it took to register was in her mind ten times too long. She leaned against him her body still trembling slightly and the walk to the elevators seemed a vast distance. In mere seconds the elevator doors were closing, his hand was on hers as they reached for the five button and they were kissing.

It seemed a test of endurance a long distance marathon that one prepared for and reveled in and sweated the entire way. She felt like he was already in her system. Her lack of experience fell away as her fingers slid inside his coat taking in the heat of his body as she pulled him to her.

She smiled as the doors parted and the kiss paused, somehow she must have known because she was wearing the skimpiest panties she owned, more lace than substance, and the only strapless bra she owned, black and lacey.

She was suddenly very aware of her skin and the clothing upon it, and how it was so fragile in keeping her skin from his. Her fingers itched to trace every line of muscle of his body.

Luck would have it the room was rather close to the elevator and the room key, one of those annoying card things actually worked the first time. The room was dimly lit yet she could make out every detail including a bucket of ice. She felt so incredible hot that the coldness of the ice bucket jumped in her vision.

She blinked a few times, clearing her vision and wondered if she really had been seeing heat signatures a moment earlier. She pulled his coat off and tossed it over a nearby chair as the kiss resumed. A growl was vibrating in her throat and through her body as her fingers tugged at his shirt yanking it from his pants.

 

[Steiner]

The door hadn't even closed, until he booted it with a backwards swipe of his foot, and she was on him. His coat already discarded and his shirt pulled free of his suit trousers.

She was urgently trying to pull his clothes off, but he wanted nothing more than the taste of her, and he kissed her deeply again, this time his hands straying from her face to trace the line of her back, the curve of her spine and the swell of her hips.

Sucking hard at her tongue, he felt his hands turn rough as they settled to the firmness of her ass, pulling her more tightly into him. Singlemindedly she'd worked the buttons of his shirt open, popping more than one completely off as she bared his chest. The dusting of blonde hair was in little curls where the his elevated body temperature had caused a very fine sweat.

The cool air, conditioned by the hotels system, was fresh against his fevered skin, but it didn't seem to clear his head. His hands began to search the dress for a zip or fastener - he had to see her!