Serenity

Coilean sat on a large rock at the very top of the beach near the tree-line, staring out at the water silently.

Luckily, the beach here was never fully covered by the water. There was a good few metres of soft, white sand before him.

His jacket lay beside him on the rock and his shirt was flung carelessly on the sand.

He rubbed at his aching shoulders softly, eyes sliding shut as a salty breeze brushed over the slowly healing cuts on his back. As thankful as he was that Giacinto has provided power, he was miffed that she'd done so by blood. He didn't heal as fast as vampires and those cuts were damned itchy.

He pulled his hair over one shoulder to stop strands of it irritating the cuts and went back to staring at the serene view.

Avira was alone today. His cats were back at the mansion and he'd gone out, not really for any good reason, just because he could and would. Nothing much better to do.

The more he thought about it, the more he really needed to go out and find a new bounty, but it would just have to wait it seemed. He was in no state of mind to do anything like hunting right now.

He paused as a new scent hit his nose, and he glanced around. In the shadows, he was invisible, and he stayed there, wondering what in the world a lycan was doing here.

Though he was bad in groups, he knew well enough that he WAS in a coven now, and he had no choice but to protect it, as was his place. So, piqued by interest and common honor, he slipped out into the open, walking up to about three yards from the other.

"Are you meant to be here, wolf?" he asked in his usual soft voice.

The Lycan looked up at the owner of the voice, still gently massaging his shoulder.

His eyes trailed over the man. Vampire. Pureblood. Young, though.

Overall: Not much of a threat. And pretty good looking...

He gave a nod and his orange hair shifted, falling back over his shoulder and brushing over the cuts on his back.

He sighed irritably and leaned down to pick up his shirt, tearing a strip from it and holding it between his teeth as he gathered his hair over his shoulder again. He settled with tying it in a tight braid and tying the length of cloth around the bottom securely.

"Try to irritate the cuts now," he challenged his hair in a whisper.

And then he turned back to the vampire. "Yes. Everything has already been arranged with Gia. I pose no threat to the coven."

Avira cocked his head to the side, watching the lycan in silence. Once he had replied, the vampire paused, then nodded his head.

He was familiar enough to call her Gia, Avira somehow doubted he was much of a threat to them. Then again, he'd dealt with his share of werewolves. He could handle one easily enough.

Thoughts to self, he turned his eyes to the sea.

"Very well then." he said evenly. "I only wanted to be sure."

He wished he had Caterva or Ignis with him. Try as he might, he was never good around people, old or young, and his cats made him feel better. Still though, he wouldn't complain. At least this one wasn't trying to touch him.

His lip twitched. "It's shocking how quick Tony can gain loyalty." It felt more natural calling the Elder Tony. Its what she had gone by in the three hundred years he had been with her before she left.

He knocked his jacket off the rock and scooted along until he was perched on the edge farthest from Avira. He patted the rock in an invitation for the young vampire to join him.

"I'm Coilean." And, as usual, his usually neutral accent was overtaken by his thick Irish birth accent. It always did when he introduced himself. He couldn't stand anyone pronouncing his name wrong, even due to accents; it irked him.

Avira glanced at the offered spot. It made him squirm inside to think of being that close to another person but...

Swallowing down his own misgivings, he quietly made his way towards the other male and perched himself on the rock. He held in the urge to scoot as far away as possible.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance." he murmured.

He paused, mentally smacking himself. It was common courtesy to offer his own name in return. Why wasn't he? Nerves. He hated how skittish he was, but it never seemed to change.

"Avira Revenwyte." he offered at last, then fell silent again.

His lip twitched when he noticed how uncomfortable the other man was.

He relaxed immediately. If he was uncomfortable just being near him it meant he wouldn't have to deal with any overbearing flirting.

He seriously hated it when people flirted with him right off the bat. He had even attacked Giacinto when she flirted with him on first meet. She handed him his own ass on a silver platter in a matter of seconds.

Never had he been so embarrassed.

"It's a pleasure, Avira."

Idly he picked up a flat stone that was laying on the rock by his hand and tossed it.

It skipped along the water eight times before finally giving in to gravity and sinking below the surface.

Avira watched the stone skip, and at the last minute, on a whim, used his powers to pick it back up again.

He quietly watched it spin, then blinked and let it drop again. Internally he mused that that was odd. He didn't usually go around showing off his powers, but sometimes the urge just hit him and he couldn't help it. It just happened.

Turning his eyes from the water, he looked to the sky instead, still thoroughly uncomfortable.

He watched the stone curiously as it moved, head cocked to the side slightly.

He hadn't seen water manipulation like that. Lycan, unfortunately, didn't have the gift of elemental manipulation like the Vampires did.

And though Aleksandr had alliances with the Vampires, he didnt care to keep any around.

The only manipulation he had seen to such a degree was Giacinto's fire. She practise that constantly while on-board and he and his brother were always there to watch.

"...You're good at that."

Avira blinked, turning his eyes quietly to the lycan. He hadn't actually caught what he said, but he'd caught the tone. (Avira tended to get lost in his thoughts whenever he was nervous. Like now.)

"....Thank you." he amended at last.

He didn't really didn't think it was much of a big deal, he could do better. Or was it worse because he could attack with it? Who knew. Point was he could do better.

Once again he wished his cats were here, or at least one of them. He was so very terrible around new people.

Okay, this was getting awkward...

Coilean didn't like awkward.

"Y'know what would make this even more awkward?"

He leaned back, bracing himself against the rock with his arms. He didnt want to fall back, legs cycling and crack his head, ultimately making this situation even more awkward.

He almost wished he had his brothers damned mutt with him. He'd at least do something to break the eyes. Possibly scoot across the floor on his ass. The dog was good at that.

Avira blinked at the lycan, currently making a fool of himself. Despite his own deep, internal wish to laugh, all Avira did was quietly watch for a moment.

Not many were so outright silly in awkward situations, just to make it worse. And not many brought out Avira's urge to laugh either. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd done more than crack a smile. And even THAT had been a long time ago.

The vampire reached out, putting a hand on Coilean's back and gently pushing him back up to a sitting position.

"Don't do that." he murmured gently. "You could hurt yourself. I'm sure miss Giacinto would hate that."

He snorted a laugh, shaking his head with a grin when he was sat upright again.

"Tony? You have far too high of an opinion of her. The only reason she'd not want me to hurt myself would be because she wasn't there to laugh at me."

He smiled fondly at the thought. Yes, Giacinto would always be there to laugh at your misfortune and pain. But she was an amazing friend. You'd always want her as a friend rather than an enemy.

"So...did I make things more or less awkward?" he asked with an arched brow. "Or just make a fool of myself? I hear from reliable sources that I'm good at doing that." Reliable being his brother and his master when they were scolding him.

He may be incredibly mature most of the time, but there were times when people were sure a three year old had possessed him. And that happened spontaneously. One moment he could he fine and the next he'd be doing something stupid or outlandish that would have people laughing or yelling at him.

and then in a snap of a finger he'd be back to being mature again. Just like what happened just now.

To his own shock, Avira offered Coilean a small smile. It wasn't a smirk or a condescending smile either, and it was tiny, but sincere.

"I believe the awkwardness is my fault." he said gently. "I apologize. I am highly incapable around people."

Whether it was his smile or Coilean's actions, one or both had lifted a bit of the dank atmosphere.

Avira turned his eyes to the ocean, the soft smile still playing tauntingly over his lips.

"I dislike intruding...but why exactly are you here? Lycan and vampire kind do not necessarily get along..."

He shrugged. "You're doing just fine now." Yeah, the man seemed a little quiet but hey, that wasn't all that bad. "No need to apologise."

He was generally quite quiet around people. It was his brother that was the loud outgoing one. He just hung in Dubhghal's shadow. This was the first time he had been away from his brother since they had become Lycan.

"I'm an old friend of Tony's from her days as a pirate. I came by to give her a message from another old friend." When he thought back to how Jace had reacted to him calling his master Giacinto's mate he had decided that he'd just refer to Aleksandr as an old friend.

The two of them could sort it out when they met up with each other.

Avira nodded.

"I see..." he murmured.

He looked down at the ground, sighing softly. His mind was blank, there was nothing to say and he felt now as though he were wasting the lycan's time.

This had nothing to do with him after all.

"...I suppose I should ask whether any more of your kind are in the area." he said. "I am a bounty hunter by trade....I would dislike greatly turning myself into your enemy by mistake."

"There are a few. Sicily is a nice location. There are a lot of supernatural creatures around." In his short stay in Catania before heading over here to the mansion he had met a few elves, a few fairies, another pack of Lycan and an Imoogi. "I could care less if you attacked anyone. They're big boys; they can handle themselves."

Coilean may be loyal by nature but he had self preservation, too. If one of his friends were attacked he would help out unless they could manage by themselves. And everyone he had close relations to could handle themselves just fine.

His eyes slid shut and he lifted his face as if soaking up imaginary sun.

"This is nice; just sitting around. Peaceful. No dire need to do anything." he hadn't felt this peaceful in a long while. Between Aleksandr demanding attention and favours and his brother trying to set him up for disaster, he didn't get much free time to just sit and chill.

Avira nodded, mentally noticing down what the lycan had said. It was, at least, good to know when there were those dawdling around that might get in his way.

However at Coilean's words, the vampire's eyes became downcast.

"I am not so sure I can agree." he murmured. "I have become...restless, here. It is...highly unpleasant."

But then again, he hadn't gone on a job in what? Weeks? Months? It was hard to tell, time was beginning to blur together. He didn't like it at all.

His lip twitched into a small grin. "It looks like you need a friend that can stand a little beating."

He leaned back again, carefully bracing his arms to keep his weight underneath him. He wasn't going to fall back again.

"You need someone to spar with. Life can get boring if its always peaceful." He wasn't one for a peaceful life. He was an exorcist; there were always dangerous spirits and demons lurking around the corner waiting for him.

"I'll spar."

Avira quirked an eyebrow.

“…Are you quite certain you want to do that?” he murmured.

He said that, but inside his mind, he could already feel the old cogs turning. Strategies and methods, his stomach twisting into knots at the thought of a real battle.

Fighting was in Avira’s blood, he couldn’t help it. He tried to keep it back, but when the suggestion arose, all he really wanted to do was pounce and get the preemptive strike. He needed to go on a job. Soon. Otherwise he’d hurt someone.

"Quite." He gave the white-haired vampire a grin.

"I'm eighteen hundred years old and counting; if you think you're going to hurt me, I would think long and hard on a good strategy." Adding a little challenge may make things interesting.

He had fought the weird and wonderful time and time again; he had trained truly pathetic humans to be deadly fighters and he had incapacitated more than he could care to count.

Coilean had experience under his belt that some men would dream for.

And he would put everything he knew into this spar if the vampire besides him did the same.

He wanted to know what Tony's servants were capable of.

A shiver raced down Avira's spine, he felt the beginning tingles of excitement. He never pretended to take pleasure in fighting, but there was always a kind of thrill to it. He was a vampire, a hunter. He NEEDED to fight.

"You provide an interesting challenge." he murmured.

Avira stood, brushing his glossy white hair over his shoulder. The wind tugged at it, pulling it back and forth as it pleased, twisting it into gossamer strands.

"Do you wish to begin this traditionally as a duel? Or do you have something else in mind, Coilean?"

Avira's accent wasn't flawless, but the name slid off his tongue easily. And, for the first time, he offered the other a small smile.

He grinned and slid off the rock, strolling out onto the beach.

His low-rise jeans hugged his hips and the muscles on his back rolled as he loped across the sand. The cuts on his back were slowly healing, though small rivulets of half-dried blood painted his pale skin.

"Start however you want." He turned swiftly when he was a good thirty feet away, his braid flying from his shoulder and circling after him, settling against his back.

"But, fair warning, don't play fair. I won't." Fair fights weren't fun. Ever.

He answered Avira's smile with his own then motioned to the vampire with his hand. "You can start, if you like."

Avira cocked his head to the side, watching the other. He came from a time and place where beauty was accepted in all forms, and he found his mind quietly admitting that Coilean was quite lovely. He filed this away a moment later however, and then returned to the present.

To the fight.

He said nothing, just stood there quietly and let something else do the work for him.

A whip of water shot up and grabbed Coilean by the braid, yanking him backwards into the water, though Avira was careful to make sure it was deep enough not to hurt him. The vampire raised an eyebrow at the now soggy wolf.

He had said not to play fair.

Coilean laughed as he shook his head frantically, sending water flying and his braid whipping through the air as if in imitation of a wet dog shaking itself. "Wet dog, eh, Avira?"

And then he sprinted forwards, fist pulled back by his ear.

He was glad Avira wasn't going to demand a fair fight. It had been a long time since he had abided by the rules of a fair fight. Following a good number of rules just didn't seem as much fun as doing whatever the hell he pleased.

When he was close enough he pushed against the ground, propelling himself forwards faster and letting his fist loose, aiming for Avira's solar plexus.

Physical now. He'd resort to spells and the like later.