Helen, clad in a dark purple dress, black heels, and her long raven hair draped over her shoulders. Fred and she had decided that it would be nice to get out of the apartment, and enjoy death a little. Helen remembered her little evening with Claude at the White Mice Club, and decided going dancing would be fun. She took Fred's hand, leading him into the Club, having the bouncers acknowledge Fred's age and his company. Within their entrance of the bar, they were greeted by smelly, sweaty, drunk young people either drinking their sorrows away, seducing their next lay, or just simply having a good time with friends.

The seemingly young woman kept close to Fred, not wanting to get lost, or picked up by some hooligan. She squeezed Fred's hand and yelled in his ear, hoping that he'd be able to hear her over the loud noise. "Don't lose me in here!" She was a bit nervous now, just entering, but she was sure that after they began dancing, or drinking, or whatever they had in store, Helen was sure that her anxious feelings would melt away.

To be honest, she didn't know how to dance the way so many people were flailing and tossing their heads about, or rubbing up against each other seductively. She watched them, getting some moves in her head. She really only knew how to formally ballroom dance, the waltz, things of that nature. Her heels clicked on the boarded floor, though it was barely heard from the loud music, yelling people, and density of the room. "Wanna dance?" She asked.

The purple dress certainly had Fredrich googly-eyed. He had stared at her for about ten minutes before they had left the house. She was just- so damn gorgeous. The purple really stood out on her porcelain skin, her dark hair matching perfectly.

And he? He wore a pair of faded black pants and a loose white shirt, open at the neck. It brought out his tan skin tone and amazingly deep brown eyes. His enhanced sense of smell picked up the alcohol right away. He also picked up- the rapid beating of their hearts, so fast, so terse, so rapid, so delicious. Fredrich licked his lips, the beat of the hearts almost as sweet as the deafening music. He had never been the sort to go to these places, but he could admit now that he liked the scene. Booze, dancing, heartbeats.... a vampire's dream. Now all they needed was some sort of metal band- something gothic and edgy....

He smiled and nodded as Helen spoke, her hand squeezing his. He squeezed back and leaned down to kiss her lips briefly. "I won't- just don't run off--" he teased, his voice not so much louder than hers. He had heard her when she yelled- he'd hear her if she simply talked. Vampire wiles-- heightened senses- He supposed it was still a habit- to act as if to hers could not hear in loud places. Fredrich grinned and let his eyes wander over her dress again. Gorgeous.

"Only if it's with you," he replied with a suave smirk as she asked him to dance. Fredrich squeezed her hand and followed her onto the dance floor. He closed the surface between them and spoke directly in her ear, softly- she'd hear well enough. She was dead too.
"Now, how exactly do you want to dance now Helen?" Because Fredrich was all for rubbing up against Helen like a horny teenager. Just kidding! Just kidding! But really, he did like the closeness. ;) Unfortunately, Fredrich had no idea how to 'grind' 'bump' or 'hump.'

Helen giggled at Fred's staring and constantly reminded him where her face was. Though, the dress certainly wasn't shy about showing off every feature Helen had. Despite her small frame, she still had curves, along with a busty appearance as well. She was full woman, and Fred's eyes were sure to soak it all up. She nudged him, and smirked, “stop staring, you’re going to fall over on your face.” She was glad that Fred had like her dress, and the attention from his plastered eyes… was going wonders for her soul; she practically glowed. She spun around on the balls of her feet, facing Fred and lifted his chin to meet her eyes. “You’re looking quite marvelous yourself.” She grinned, ecstatic that her life – well, her death, was taking a new course.

She had a man that was crazy about her, a friend down the hall of the apartment, vampiric powers that would allow her to party all night, and live the high life she’d never known as a mortal. It was like she was trying to compensate the teen years she was robbed of; however, the teen years of this day and age… were eons different from the one which she would have grown up in. Helen had to hand it to these mortals… They knew how to have fun. Gritty, raunchy, dirty, everything that her time period had not been; everything that she had been raised, grounded with… was completely different and Helen didn’t know what to do with herself.

Her introversion soon faded as she too started to pick up on the whole room. Heartbeats fluttering, the pulse of blood radiating through the loud beats of music thumping at her ears. It frightened her, but exhilarated her all at the same time; and knowing Fred was beside her, made it all the more bearable. She was trying to let herself become one… of these people who just didn’t give a flying fuck, flew their arms around, grinded their hips against some stranger, and waved their hair back and forth with their lolling heads. Fred leaned down and kissed her briefly, giving her a world of confidence. She looked up at him with her big blue eyes and smirked. She then pulled him towards the dance floor, eager to let loose.

"Only if it's with you,"

The words burned through her ears, leaving her grinning with seduction. This suave smirk made her let out an airy laugh, her shoulders slumping forward slightly as a little girlish giggle erupted from her lips. “I don’t know how though…” She admitted solemnly. She looked over beside her, seeing two individuals just jumping up and down, slamming their bodies into each other, and Helen looked skeptically over at them. She raised an eyebrow, looking over at Fredrich; maybe he’d know how?

"Why tell me to stop? You know you like it when I stare- I saw your smile...." Fred teased, his voice deep and meaningful, his eyes lighted with mischief.

He grinned as she pulled him along, Helen flashing him a sexy smirk as she admitted she 'didn't know how to' dance, a nervous and highly feminine giggle escaping her lips. His hands snaked around her body and turned her so that her back spooned against his chest.

"I think...." he breathed along her bare neck, his lips briefly rubbing against her skin as he spoke. "....This is how, but I'm not sure...." His voice was kept low, sensual, and quiet- just for her. His words, his thoughts- were just for her. He laughed along her skin, the expression utterly masculine in definition.

"I'm not quite positive that I know how to dance either- tell me if I'm right...." he implored, his hands sliding down to her hips, gently easing Helen into a rhythmic sway of her body. His fingers couldn't help but notice everything about her. He could feel her skin through the dress- and she smelled.... just so- sweet. Her body, her hair- everything.... was just. Did she understand how beautiful she was? Inside and out? There was just- something about Helen that- make Fred crazy, made him feel like a schoolboy all over again. He sighed and fought the urge to turn her around and kiss her senseless. No, not now. This was dancing time. Kissing time would come later. yeah, later....

"Helen, would you like a drink? I think I may have to loosen you up a bit- you are quite stiff my dear," he teased. On the contraire, she moved with the grace of the undead. But Fredrich wasn’t the type to take advantage of a drunken woman- even one as beautiful as Helen. He just thought she'd like a drink- whether it was alcoholic or not.... Well, that was her choice.

"Why tell me to stop? You know you like it when I stare- I saw your smile...."

Helen laughed, standing up on her toes to bring her lips to Fredrich’s, as she placed a hand behind his neck, bringing him down to her level as they kissed. She broke the kiss, then kissed him yet again briefly before moving her lips to his ear, “just looking out for you wellbeing, darling… I wouldn’t want you to fall over some drunk because you were too busy staring at me…” She winked, teasing right back.

The vampiress moved with Fred’s direction, and her hips swayed from side to side, awkwardly, unsure of what she was doing. The dances she knew; the ones from the Victorian Era were very proper, stiff, straight back, poised, and uniformed. Not these divine, sensual swaying back and forth with another… like a kind of foreplay. However, since she was with Fred, she didn’t seem to mind too much. Though, she wondered why people came to a public place to do these things, why didn’t they just do it in their own home, so that they would have the liberty to do whatever the wanted without others staring at their intimacy?

His breath sent sparks of sensations up and down her body, almost making her shiver. She turned her head back slightly, grinning, he skin delighted in his touch. She grabbed his hands, bringing them around her torso, as she and he swayed in tune, the music and sweaty bodies around them almost disappearing, while the only thing that really seemed to matter was the way they moved together; in sync with the other. Fred’s hands roamed over her body, the music swallowing them whole.

He suddenly broke their hypnotic movements:

"Helen, would you like a drink? I think I may have to loosen you up a bit- you are quite stiff my dear,"

Helen jumped slightly, coming out of her trance. She looked up at him and smiled, “yes, that would be great.” She turned, and interlaced her fingers within his hand and squeezed it gently. The music just seemed… to envelope her mind, tuck it away, and allow her to be lost within the movements Fred and she had swayed to…

She jumped at his voice, her body so willingly falling in tune with the music. Fred had known that she was restrained as a mortal, but damn- it must have been some restraint. The music so easily swayed her. He pressed his lips to her bare neck, his lips curving into a smile against her skin as she took his hand and led him away.

He squeezed back as their fingers intertwined. He smirked and arched an eyebrow at her.
"What do you want to drink Helen, I'll buy..." he told her, flashing a casonova smile at her, his dark borwn eyes thoughtful as he looked her over again, quite unable to get over how amazing she looked in that dress. It really just knocked him over honestly. But he played it cool, very manly-like.

He leaned against the bar and pulled her close to him- not really willing to be more than maybe seven inches apart. He wrapped an arm around ehr waist and let his fingers play over her back before smirking. "So- what'll it be Helen?"

OOC: sorry it's short :(

Claude was working that night and making a decent amount of tips. He went from customer to customer, serving their drinks quickly before moving onto the next. But when he saw Fred and Helen, the first time he had seen the two of them together, and pressed together so... provocatively, he paused for a moment. "Hey, you two. How's it going?"

He was happy to see Helen of course, and he called out to his boss to tell her that he was taking a break. He lifted himself over the counter and vaulted himself over to the other side with the two of them.

He hugged Helen to him and kissed her temple. He squeezed her side playfully and then sat down on a bar stool. "You look beautiful, Helen. I told you, get a little variety in that wardrobe of those and you'll have all the boys lookin' atcha." He winked at her with a grin and then turned to Fred.

"How's it goin' there, Freddie-boy?" he offered him his hand to shake. He was almost more sociable at the bar scene. Plus he had had a few drinks already tonight, just a few to loosen himself up. "You guys getting drinks? Lemme buy you your first round, eh?"

He turned back to the bar. "Eh, Dan!" He glanced back to Fred and Helen. "What do you guys what?"

"Is she of age?" Dan asked him, nodding toward Helen.

"Yeah, she's cool. We go way back. Older than me if you'd believe it." It was a completely lie as far as Claude knew, but it got Dan to relax. "Gimme a gin on the rocks."

Each touch sent Helen’s cold, tense, and pained body shooting with sparks of fire. It was like Fred was calming the rigor mortis she’d built up after all these years. Just the environment around her was livening, her soul was waking up, meeting her body after a long slumber. She envied these humans… despite how fragile they were. Despite how delicious they were. She stared at one particular woman, dancing the night away, her pulse thumping in Helen’s ear.

"What do you want to drink Helen, I'll buy..."

Helen’s thoughts snapped back to reality, pulling her away from a growing bloodlust. With a squeeze of Fred’s hand, and the entertainment of alcohol, Helen grinned. She recalled the last time she’d been in the White Mice… sharing a big bottle of vodka with Claude. Claude! He was standing right in front of them! A big smile creased Helen’s face as she held her arms out wide for him, which he greeted with a big hug. Helen laughed and held her arms on his shoulders for a moment, before letting them down. She nudged him with her hip as he complimented her, giving him the ‘not in front of my boyfriend’ look.

The vampiress watched Fred and Claude interact, and smiled, glad that the two were getting along. Claude seemed more than anxious to his friend, which was great! He was awfully sociable and talked a bit louder than she thought was probably necessary. Then, he offered to buy drinks… Helen laughed and patted Fred on the back, thinking he might want a little attention from her. She squeezed the hand that was still intertwined within hers and leaned into him slightly.

She pulled Fred and herself up to the bar, where Claude was standing and leaned into Claude’s ear, so he could hear her over all the other noise, “busy night, huh? Are you sure you can take a break?” She then rubbed her thumb against Fred’s palm, making sure that he didn’t feel ignored around Helen and Claude.

Fredrich smiled and pulled Helen's hand to his lips- kissing the ivory fingers lightly. He turned to see Claude and felt Helen's hand slip from his so that she could hug him.

"Claude! Hey there," Fredrich smiled brightly.
Fred grinned and shook Claude's hand- very happy that Claude had already had a few drinks. He didn't think he could deal with Claude's sober, possessive judgments. But Fred would probably feel the same way if in Claude's position. He just- didn't understand. Didn't know- just how old Helen was- what they were--

Helen's hand found his again and Fredrich ran his thumb over the top of her skin slowly, intentionally. He pulled her close to him for a moment as Claude called Dan over.
"Older than him... I think that comment is highly ironic- don't you Helen?" he said with a smile as he spoke quietly in her ear, chuckling softly.

So, who was the third wheel here? Who was the odd man out? Was it the boyfriend? Or was it the friend? Because it certainly wasn't Helen.
The subtle touches that Helen gave him made Fredrich feel a little more included- but it seemed as if they knew so much about each other. And he was just- on the outside- looking through a pain of glass. Helen leaned into him and he forced a smile, though his mind was elsewhere.

Just a little jealous, but what did he had to be jealous of? Nothing.... He had to stop worrying- stop thinking that every woman he kissed would run away....
His smile turned genuine then- as he collected himself, wrapping an arm around Helen.
"Well if he's buying.... get something real expensive-" Fredrich teased, laughing in good intention as his fingers ran over the fabric of Helen's dress.

Claude shook Fred's hand with a friendly smile. "I'm not gonna be able to make it to poker this week." He winked at Fred, mockingly shooting him with his hand for a pistol. "I've got a date on Thursday, so I asked for that night off instead."

He nodded to Helen as she spoke to him. "Yeah, it is a pretty busy night, but I'm scheduled until closing and I take so few breaks otherwise that half the time I've got Joe begging me to take one. Something about some law compliance." He shrugged, aiming this last comment to Fred so as to include him into the conversation. "I'm working full time, that should account for something, shouldn't it?"

He took the drink that Dan put on the counter for him, and he had a sip of it. "C'mon now, little lady. I haven't got all night for you to make up your mind." He tickled her side a little bit again, then turned to Fred. "How in the world did you ever get her into this dress?" He gave him a thumbs up behind Helen's back. "Nicely done, my friend." At this point, he didn't care much about anything. He was having a great week, was all moved in, and his life was finally starting to run smoothly.

Grinning at Fred's friendly attitude towards Claude, Helen could only beam. She thought it was wonderful that the two was getting along great! Even Fred, despite his jealous nature, was being loquacious and polite. Whenever Claued mentioned having a date, Helen looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well, be sure and drop by the apartment so I can make sure you look nice enough." Helen nudged Claude playfully and laughed. No friend of hers was going to look ridiculous on a date. She'd help him pull that seduction only a vampire could pull off.

"Older than him... I think that comment is highly ironic- don't you Helen?"

Helen nodded, looking up at Fred, and nibbling on his bottom lip and then Claude started tickling her side, making her yank slightly. She cast her eyes onto Claude and sighed. "I'll have whatever your having, Claude. You seem to have a good taste in drinks..." She smiled, looking to Fred apologetically if she hurt his lip. "I guess it comes from working here, huh?" Helen kissed Fred's cheek and looked to Claude brightly. She felt like getting drunk. "Bring it on, babe." She winked at Claude, ready to down herself in alcohol.

"How in the world did you ever get her into this dress?"

The woman rolled her eyes at Claude, and shrugged. "Good persuasion?" She laughed, and hugged Fred, batting at Claude and his playfulness. They were all getting along wonderfully... and it made Helen giddy. What's not to love about your boyfriend and best friend who both are men, getting along nicely?

Claude chuckled, "I dunno if I can legitimize walking down to your room to have to look me over. I'm going out with the girl that lives across the hall from me. Isabelle. Have you met her?"

He winked at her and then turned back to order her a drink, the same as him, and he ordered whatever it was the Fred wanted as well. "Yes, of course I've got natural good taste in drinks." He handed them out as they were placed on the counter, then took another drink of his own.

Claude laughed, "Good persuasion? Oh, I dunno about that. You looked pretty good in my clothes... Remember that?" He nudged Helen gently. "There wasn't anything to do with good persuasion in that. You did all that by yourself."

He laughed and lifted his glass. "Cheers to that."

"Isabelle. Have you met her?"

Helen looked towards Fred, and sucked on her cheek for a moment, in thought. She looked to a couple dancing rather provocatively, and then finally back to Claude. "Uhm... Nope. I think my reclusive habits have isolated me from everyone but you and Fred, actually." She laughed and interlaced her fingers, and looking this way and that, just watching the people, imagining her ripping their throats out.

She was getting a little hungry.

But not too hungry...

Helen felt the small burning sensation reap down her throat as she took a long drink, almost downing the whole thing. She was going to have fun tonight, whatever that meant. She smiled at Claude and shrugged slightly, wishing she had another drink.

"Good persuasion? Oh, I dunno about that. You looked pretty good in my clothes... Remember that?"

The vampiress bursted into laughter, nudging Claude a bit, almost embarrassed that he'd brought it up around Fred. "Claude! You know perfectly well that I needed some new clothes after my shower while you were gone... I wasn't damn near about to put that slimy black sweater on again..." She rolled her eyes, careful to put in all the harmless details in to calm whatever jealous feelings that might have sprouted in Fred.

Claude nodded, "She's nice. Really pretty. We could all go on like a double date sometime. Er... Something... I dunno." He rubbed his eyes and finished off his drink. He placed his glass down on the counter and waved off Dan. He didn't need more to drink yet.

He turned to look at Helen. "Would you like another?" He turned back and got another one for her, handing it to her.

Claude turned to Fred. "It was the funniest thing. I was out running some errands and I get home and she's got my shirt and trousers on and they're just barely on her." He laughed, winking at Helen. "I do admit, I like this better..." He snagged his finger beneath the strap of her dress and tugged on it gently.

He looked out into the crowd, tapping his foot to the music. "I like this song... Do you want to go dance?" He held out his hand to her, taking her drink with the other one. "C'mon, let's go."

He turned back to Fred, "I'll be right back with your girl, mate."

Helen smiled as Claude talked about his new crush. He seemed to genuinely like her, which made Helen happy... It was good he had mortal friends; normal friends that weren't complicated and deceitful towards him. Helen hated having to make up some alibi all the time to defer Claude away from his ignorant questioning...

She reached for the new glass, sucking half of it down... Really, this fast drinking had to be bad for her... But she was dead, it wasn't like she had a kidney to worry about.

"I do admit, I like this better..."

Helen winked at Claude, and laughed, hoping that he would like this dress better than his own clothes. Not only would it piss of Fred to no end, but it would make Helen revaluate her choice in friends... Well, really, Helen and Claude would still be friends if he had a thing for girls who wore his clothes.. but still. Weird much?

Then, Claude whisked her away from Fred, she blew him a kiss and ran off with Claude, ready to dance! She looked up at him and clenched her teeth, looking lost. "Okay. Now what?" She laughed shaking her head to the rhymn of the song... that was a start, right?

ooc: wow... really didn't mean to make you so angry but I take more care on my Fredrich posts because- well, I'm not a forty-year old Indian man. And I'm not a prostitute or a old vampire either but it's easier to pop off female posts randomly and quickly. Anyways- I don't mean to make you mad. I'm just stressed and pissy- but I'll be better now. Da finals are over and my eternal PMS has subsided.

"I've got a date on Thursday, so I asked for that night off instead."

Fredrich shrugged and smiled. "Only means more money available for me- but thanks for letting' me know. I'll buy less beer. Anyways, a date? Well, that sounds a hell of a lot more fun than Texas-hold-em." Helen pulled him towards her as he whispered the remark about how ironic it was that Claude said she was older- Helen's teeth grazing his lips pleasantly as she nibble, but Claude tickled her with a surprise attack and Fred got nicked. Interesting how easily her fangs ripped his skin. He only smiled, licking the blood off his lips with great care, his dark eyes watching Helen as she laughed. She kissed his cheek and he looked back to Claude.

"How in the world did you ever get her into this dress?"

He shrugged. Hell, even he didn't know. Helen wasn't really the dress type but man- she should be. She just- was irresistible. But he was resisting. Couldn’t possibly let himself do what he wanted though. Not here-

Good persuasion. Well, that sounded lewd, but what the hell did he care? She hugged him playfully- a little more giddy than usual. This certainly was a different side of Helen- an unreliable side most assured.

"You looked pretty good in my clothes... Remember that?"

Warning. Warning. Jealousy approaching terminal. Jealousy approaching terminal. Fredrich shook it off. It wasn't important. It wasn't his place. He shouldn't- he shouldn't let it- bother him? But why did it bother him? Because he cared too fucking much. All he ever did was hand out his heart and what did he get back? Pieces. And every time. Every damn time he had to pick up the pieces and sow them, rather shabbily, back together. If not for her semi-positive attitude and horrible wish to continue working at the hospital.... he'd have died a long time ago.

So he ignored, pressed the masculine desire ot be the alpha wolf deep down into his core and ignored the rest of what Claude said- figuring it was best to keep things light, casual. No tension.

But tension was in the air as Helen's pulse raced for a moment- the hunger rising. Fredrich could smell it and it made his own stomach clench in response.
He took her hand and squeezed it tightly before pulling her close and whispering against her ear. "Easy now Helen..." his breath caressed along her skin.

The strange awkwardness that (it seemed) only Fred could feel now ebbed and faded as Claude brought up the girl he was taking on his date. That was nice- someone else- not Helen. That was really nice. But Fredrich couldn't help but suspect that Claude had morethanfriendly feelings for Helen. But maybe he was wrong? Maybe he was paranoid? Maybe he just- wasn't good at relationships? He didn't know. What he did know though- was when Claude asked Helen to dance- Fredrich felt a horrible urge to rip out his throat. Maybe it was a vampire thing? Maybe it was a guy this? Or both. yes, it seemed to be both. But he couldn't possibly kill Helen's "friend" oh no. That'd be bad.

"I'll be right back with your girl, mate."

Fredrich just shook his head, arching an eyebrow at Helen as she blew him a tipsy kiss. Maybe he was too jealous? but he couldn't help it. Helen could say no- Helen could come back, but they never did- and every time- every time he tried to get them back- something horrible happened. Something horrible always happened.
And so- leaving Helen to dance with her 'whateverthehellhewas' friend, Fredrich ordered three tequila shots and had them all gone within one minute. he was a rather sturdy man so it wasn't likely to affect him soon- so he took another, just enough to get fuzzy- to numb the torturous fire in the pit of his stomach- to quell the awful desire to rip Claude to shreds.

Why was he being so pissy? There was no reason- he genuinely liked Claude. And he knew- yes he knew- that Helen wasn't his property.... wasn't something to control or restrict. She was free- and free meant she had a choice. And.... and nothing made sense anymore as his brain fuddled a little bit- stumbling over the thought process as the alcohol took affect. He felt a little giddy, but the envy still remained. He couldn't possibly get rid of it until Claude got his hands off Helen.

But that was Helen's call, wasn't it? Hadn't she been the one to initiate their first kiss? Hadn't she been the one who even bothered to stop and save him that night?
So then, what did he do? Wait. All he could do- was wait.

Fredrich ordered a glass of water and seated himself at the closest bar stool, feeling fuzzy as he sat down.

(Nice post. Yay jealous Fred! Don't worry. Claudie won't be stealing Helen too much, but she and I have been talking and have decided that Claude has gone too long without know immortals exist, so we're thinking that Helen's hunger is gonna have to get the best of her... So bare with us. It has been part of our impatience.)

Claude chuckled. "You've never danced? Never? Christ, Woman, you need to get out more!"

He reached out to her and put his hands on her shoulders and then her head, ceasing the little nods of her head. "Rhythm doesn't come from here, it comes from here." He moved his hands down to her hips, and then tapped his feet, looking down at them. "And these."

"Just watch me, alright?" He took a small step back from her and tapped his foot along with the beat. Then after a measure, he stopped tapping and moved back and forth, shifting his weight from one foot to the other along with the beat. After another measure, he began to add the sway of his hips, then motioned for her to do the same. This was the easy part. "You just gotta feel the beat, change it up a little bit." And with that comment, he doubled his movements, twice per beat, then slowed it back down again to the same pace as her.

He moved around her and stepped up behind her. He placed his hand around her waist and brought her body close to his, her back nearly against his chest, his hips fitted with hers. Then he started to move, just as he had shown her, moving her hips along with his to the beat. "Just like that. It's simple at first, it gets more complicated." He chuckled.

He took her hand and took a step away from her, spinning her around to face him, then pulled her back into him, just the same as they had just been, but facing each other. "And this is no different." He bought her hands to wrap around his neck and put his arms around her waist, one leg between hers, his hips moving with hers. "It's not hard at all," he told her quietly in her ear.

He turned his head to look at the bar, smiling at Fredrich and waving him over to them. "Just because you are dancing with me doesn't mean he can't get out here and dance with somebody else." He grinned and then shouted. "Come on, Fred!"

Fredrich only blinked as Claude waved him over, but didn't budge. He was processing. What the hell did Claude say? He had heard it from across the dance floor- vampire senses and all....

Did he hint that Fred wanted to dance with someone else? He didn't want anyone else. he didn't want to touch anyone else but her. Helen. Helen, who had trapped him for so long in his own affections- her icy stare freezing him to the core- making him so obvious- so clear- his affections spread across the winter sky plainly as she read his emotions like the brightest stars.

Helen.... who was so different she couldn't possibly fit into any category or description. She was a creature all her own- a beautiful, wonderful, maddening, envy-inducing, murderous, violent, perfect creature of the night....

Fredrich stood and arched an eyebrow at Helen, as if to ask if she agreed. Did she want him to join them? Be near them? Claude's leg was between hers. His hands were on her. And that was where Fred's hands belonged. Fredrich shook his head, his thoughts clearing. He didn't want to go over there anyways- not if Claude thought he honestly wanted to dance with anyone but his girlfriend. Well, he supposed Helen would change that if she wished. Why so jealous?

He wasn't sure. What made rational people jealous?

Helen looked towards Fred apologetically as he licked his blood from his lip. Her eyes then drifted back to Claude, laughing away and enjoying himself. It was nice to see him so jovial… whether it was substance induced or not. She was sure both Fred and Claude could say the same thing about her.

She looked to Fred with a bit of concern in her eyes as Claude mentioned her in his clothes, almost sensing the blood pressure in Fred skyrocketing. She grabbed his arm, and leaned against him, laughing at Claude’s antics. It was so amusing to see Fred and Claude interact with one another. They seemed to be getting along fine, but Helen could almost sense the underlying desire for Helen’s attention. It was nice to be sought after… though in a way, it reminded her too much of her suitor days. The vibes from Fred: drool being slurped back into his mouth every time he looked at her; Claude: sheer enjoyment. She loved these two guys, really, they made her days brighter; despite her constant dwelling of the night.

Then it was Fred’s turn to calm Helen – he grabbed her hand, relaxing her mind as he spoke softly to her. She looked to him, her eyes burning for a brief moment. His voice floated around her, suppressing any negative energy that would cause her more bestial instincts to completely eradicate the friendship she’d formed with Claude.

She wouldn’t be able to take the loss of a friend.

Soon enough though, Helen was being whisked away to the dance floor, awkwardly standing there like a stalactite out of its cave. Her eyes did more dancing than her body, trying desperately to hold onto something – trying to find her comfort zone.

"You've never danced? Never? Christ, Woman, you need to get out more!"

Helen rolled her eyes; she knew damn well how to ballroom dance, counting in your head, but simultaneously letting the man lead, making him feel masculine and superior… If there was any ailment for Christ, it was a damn man’s ego. She still had the views of the times of her mortal being where women basically lived to preserve and protect a man’s feeling for usefulness. She ran her tongue over her fangs, mentally pulling herself away from the bitter tension between her past and the present. She then suddenly wondered if other vampires faced the same problem… However, Fred was so young, that it seemed as if he just wouldn’t understand if she wanted to talk to him about it… or even, it would further threaten his little giddy-go man business.

Despite all the different things that constantly ran through her head… Helen watched Claude moved, memorizing every time his hips swayed from side to side coinciding with the beat. She then mimicked him, her hands taking upon a life of their own and raising slightly above her head as her hips seemed to grow loose as the music swarmed around her. And it wasn’t the only thing that swarmed around her.

The two fit together like puzzle pieces, his hips meshing with hers, as she then closed her eyes, forgetting everything else but the simple movements the two shared. They were friends, dance partners, and Helen couldn’t say she’d ever had this much fun in her life! Except, maybe whenever she finally started to let go on the ice rink…

Claude spinned Helen around, causing a jubilant little laughter to escape her tightly pursed lips – letting a smile break loose – breaking her barriers oh so very slowly. They danced close, and Helen’s eyes drifted down from Claude’s bright eyes to his neck… the thumping of his pulse rising starting to drum in her ears. He whispered into her ear, her lust for blood growing stronger.
Stronger.
Stronger.
Stronger with each passing second.
Claude called to Fred, and Helen brought her lips to Claude’s neck, kissing it gently, warming the flesh to her touch. Then, she opened her mouth, plunging her fangs into his skin smoothly, quickly; so fast he wouldn’t even realize what was happening – she was experienced and had her feeding down to a swift technique… Almost as if she were making up her own dance with the survival of her existence.

Claude smiled, holding Helen closer to him as she danced with him, getting the hang of their movements. "Not bad," he whispered into her ear, running a hand up her back, the other curling around, lower across her hips. If it weren't for the fact that he knew better, he would never have thought she wasn't experienced in this. She was a natural, really...

Then again he was well on his way to being pretty tipsy. He would have to sweat it out before he went back to work. He kicked himself mentally for being foolish enough for having another drink. He'd have to stop that. At the moment, though, he just couldn't get enough of the alcohol's warmth and Helen's body so close to his.

He hummed along with the music, his head hung low to her shoulder, his lips brushing a gentle kiss there. He lifted his head to see everything slow, his vision not keeping up with his movements. He giggled softly, amused in his own circumstances. He was having a good time, and so was Helen, he could tell. When he turned to look at Fred, to see whether or not he had decided to join them, he felt the tiniest sensation on his neck. Helen was kissing him and it sent shivers down his spine. He didn't move his head, staring pointedly at Fred, purposefully even, as if to boast, but also to allow Helen to keep her attention at his neck.

Then there was a slight twinge that caught Claude off guard. He turned his head a bit, but not enough to push Helen away. He didn't understand; she was still kissing him as far as he knew, but it hurt... No-- no it didn't. In an instant he forgot about the pain as it was replaced with a tingling, swirling pleasure as he unknowingly lost blood. He groaned and his knees almost gave out, but he held onto Helen tighter, almost as if she could hold him up with her little self, like she was a crutch. The movements of his body slowed, clearly losing the beat, but nevertheless, he could not recall a better, nor a more erotic time dancing than this one. This was almost better than sex.

"Helen," he said quietly in a breathy, gasping voice. "God, that feels..." His head rolled back a bit, the alcohol to blood ratio rising faster with every drop that was drained. "I'm gonna pass out," he said suddenly before losing his balance and nearly falling over.

Fredrich growled as Claude’s hand went up her back, his fingers resting on her hips…. His damned lips on her shoulder. Fredrich downed another tequila in frustration, his blood boiling before he smelled it.

Hunger.

He looked up to see Helen’s lips on Claude and his eyes widened in fear. Claude looked up at Fredrich, eyes proud. But he had nothing to be proud of. Fred didn’t smell lust. He smelled…. Hunger.

And then she bit- her fangs sinking with precision. As soon as her canines broke flesh- Fredrich gave Claude a knowing smile of his own. Stupid humans- messing with what they didn’t know. Even if Fred would have been mortal- he would have known- would have seen the potential danger in Helen’s frosty eyes.

Split-seconds after she had started to drink- Fredrich was at Helen’s side- pulling her away.
“Helen…. Helen- no….” he whispered, his commanding hands pulling Helen’s body away from Claude’s and pulling her close. He had to wrench her body away- she clung to his artery so tightly. Fredrich squeezed her hips before grabbing her arms roughly and turning her to look into his eyes.
“Helen-“ Fredrich said as he finally got her away from Claude- who was swaying. “You took too much- look at him- Oh, why didn’t you tell me you hadn’t had a bite tonight- we could have fed- or at least you could have taken some of mine to curb the thirst….”

He didn’t want to comment on Helen kissing Claude…. Pressing her body against his- No, they’d discuss that some other time. And that other time- he’d ask her…. If she even gave a damn. Because pressing your body against someone else isn’t exactly how dating went. And Fred couldn’t help but hurt- couldn’t help but wish Helen would have killed him. Come to think of it- he could kill Claude right now- kill the man who was pressing up on his girl when he had a date with another. College snobs- thought they knew everything…. Fredrich gritted his teeth and exhaled, letting his anger ebb and fade. It wasn’t healthy to get so worked up.
“We need to get him out of here- the crowd’s too big,” Fredrich stated- his voice void of any emotion- his eyes empty as well.
“Follow us Helen…. And you can explain the whole damn thing to him.” And still his voice was emotionless- without any hint of anger or any sort of adjective at all. Fred grabbed Claude’s arm- quite gently actually- and helped him walk away from the dance floor and towards a darkened corner of the bar- seating Claude in a chair and sitting down likewise across from him at the table.

All other exterior things were blinded by the ecstasy washing through Helen’s sensory nerves, overwhelming her. The music faded away, the crowd disappeared, and it was only the blood, flowing from Claude’s veins, into her mouth, rushing down her throat, rejuvenating her pale body. Her eyes seemed to roll into the back of her head, relishing in every drop that passed between her red lips, stained with his blood.

She felt herself separating from him involuntarily, and growled, her eyes fierce as Fred faced her to him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?! Let go!” She snapped, her stare cold and biting. Blood encircled the rims of her mouth, almost as if it were staining her pale, porcelain flesh, seeping into the pores. She tried to fight against him, continue to feed, and continue to drink the blood… But he was stronger than her, submitting her will to his actions. Claude had become food, a source of revival… She couldn’t even see his face anymore – until Fred held her, forced her to see him, her bloodlust simmering, and eventually dispersing into nothing. She stood there, caught in Fred’s grasp, mouth agape – staring listlessly into his eyes. Her lips moved, but nothing came out, embarrassed at her snap at Fred.

His words, falling from his mouth sorrowfully, as if it were his fault that she had not voiced her hunger, or really paid attention to it. She rolled her eyes, starting to get a grip on her emotions and actions once more. She brought her hand up to her forehead, holding it, and blinking several times. Helen had forgotten the last time she’d fed – she’d almost starved herself… Turning into a hungry beast when given the mere taste of blood. She turned, looking towards Claude, seeing him grow pale, and weak, ashamed of her actions. Turning her attention back to Fred, unable to read his emotions as he almost commanded her to explain to Claude on her own; offering no assistance or support or anything.

Helen followed Fred and Claude to the booth, and wiped her mouth clean of any remnants of blood on her lips. She sat down, wondering what the hell Helen was supposed to explain when Claude was beyond comprehending his surroundings because of the alcohol content in his blood. Her eyes swam to Fred, staring at him. “What the hell do you want me to do? He probably doesn’t even realize that I fucking bit him.” She looked towards Claude and raised an eyebrow. “Can you understand me Claude?” She sighed and rolled her eyes; angry with Fred the way he was handling the situation. She wasn’t some child that acted out and had to think about and explain her actions. Yeah, she owed it to Claude to explain… but now was not the optimal time in the evening to do so.

Claude nearly fell as Helen, his flesh and blood leaning post, was yanked away from him. He felt as if he was floating, falling backwards and floating on the other, but rather, his head had rolled back on his shoulders, and he was staring at the ceiling. He smiled and laughed stupidly, his blood alcohol content near a dangerous high. He was beyond any rational thought process or memory imprint on his brain. He very well asleep on his feet.

When Fred took his arm to help him away, he fell against him, nearly falling over. "Oh, shit." All he could see was the opening of a trash barrel nearing his face, and vomit came soon after. He kept a firm hold on Fred's arm and clawed his way back up to standing, following wherever Fred lead him.

"Oh, fuck," was all he could say as he sat down in the booth and shrank away into the corner. He shut his eyes and his mouth, deciding it was best not to look around or to speak, as doing either made him want to puke more.

Helen was speaking to him... he thought. She was angry. He couldn't really tell, what with his heart pounding in his ears, the throb of the music, which was being drowned out by palpitations and a convulsive shiver than ran through him. He felt cold suddenly, his body was drenched with sweat.

Helen spoke to him again, and this time he made out some of the words. He clenched his eyes tighter and groaned. "I need to go home..." He gagged a little bit, sickened by the feel of the cool air as he breathed in. "I need to go home."

Her glares were so harsh and her words so sharp, and for no reason. Dammit she should know better- being older she should know better than to wait this long. Even her look of shame didn't register in his mind- it wasn't an apology. She still acted out of line- and despite her thoughts that she wasn't a child- she was. If she waited to feed this long she was a child.... probably so caught up playing human that she didn't realize that she needed to feed. She could've died- and then where would Fred have been?

Fredrich shook his head at Helen. "Helen, stop taking your problems out on me- does alcohol frequently make you this angry with other people?" he asked, his voice light and curious. He wasn't in the mood to be mad anymore. Claude was vomiting. That couldn't be a good sign.

Fred sighed as Claude began to murmur that he wanted to go home. He should go home- and that was fine with Fred. He certainly hadn't enjoyed seeing Helen and Claude dancing so damn close together.
"Alright, let's get you home Claude-- I'll call a cab and we'll go back with you to make sure you get in alright." He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a taxi service before speaking.

"White Mice Club.... yeah? Ten minutes--- Okay." He sighed. Maybe after they took Claude home- Helen would decide to stay with him, take care of him, and leave Fredrich alone. After her anger-streak, Fredrich wasn't so sure he meant anything to Helen at all. Alcohol never made you someone you weren't--- only intensified what was buried beneath everything. And maybe- under her smile--- she was just playing with him. And he'd be damned if he let that happen again. He'd be ashamed if that happened again. He didn't want to lonely again.

But even the hollow feeling of lonliness had to be better than the jealous demon chewing through his flesh now.

"Helen, stop taking your problems out on me- does alcohol frequently make you this angry with other people?"

Helen turned her head swiftly to Fred and her eyes grew wide, venomous. “I’m not drunk, Frederick.” She hissed. He didn’t seem to be mad or picking a fight – just curious? What the hell… Helen rolled her eyes and looked over at stomach juices pouring out of Claude’s mouth. She closed her eyes, suddenly wanting to disappear. Who the hell was he to say she was taking out her problems on him? What the hell had she done to him to even suspect that? “Don’t you dare treat me like a child Fred, I’m at least a hundred years older than you – don’t you even dare treat me like this.” Helen was starting to get angry; frustrated with him that she couldn’t even see straight.

There was even bitter distain for Claude as he lolled about, drunk, drained, and vomiting everywhere. Helen watched Fred as he called a cab and she took Claude’s mouth and wiped it with a napkin for him, spit and vomit in the edges of his mouth. She held it arm, pulling him to his feet, and helping him stand, taking his arm around her shoulder, leading him out to the sidewalk while they waited for the cab. She turned, waving Fred over to follow them. Despite her angry boiling inside of her corpse, she wasn’t going to completely ignore the fellow.

She couldn’t make up her mind – Frederick meant a lot to Helen – Claude was just a friend – but he was obviously jealous. Could she be around someone that was constantly claiming her and disallowing her to be with one of her closet friends? And even further this treating her like she’s a stupid child had to go. Helen was independent, a vampiress, who’d lived by herself for a hundred years, simply feeding, staying alive, and without guidance, friendship, or anything else. With Fred jumping into the scene telling her she’d messed up, trying to control her, hold her down – just didn’t fly.

“Claude, how’re you doing?” She lead him to a bench as they waited for the cab, and tried to get him to focus on her – trying to keep him from passing out.

Claude had fallen asleep shortly, curled up as he was in the booth. It was one of those weird sort of sleeps where he was still aware of his surroundings, but it didn't sink very far into his consciousness. When Helen wiped his mouth, he opened his eyes and smiled at her. Now that he was sitting and was away from the pounding and the movement, he felt better. He lifted his head and tried his best to get to his feet, trying to give Helen a little bit of a break. When she sat him back down outside, he rested his head against the wall, slouching in the chair, and shutting his eyes once more. Having them open made him sick. His vision was doubled, blurred. But the cool night air felt great.

"Fine," he told her in one short syllable. "Don't wanna talk. I feel sick when I talk. I'm fine." He cleared his throat and opened his eyes once more, squinting at the light from the street lamp. He smiled weakly and then shut his eyes again. "I... I think I might pass out soon." He had forgotten already about not talking. "I need to go home."

OOC: poor fred :(

"I never said you were drunk Helen," Fredrich protested. Why was she doing this? Was it the alcohol? Or had she felt this way all along-- disdain? Annoyance? With him?
Fredrich sighed sadly before moving on to follow Helen. "I know you're older but dammit Helen why didn't you feed? You can't possibly forget the hunger can you? And- why do you think I'm the only one who's wrong here? At least I wasn't grinding on some other girl- how'd that make you feel Helen- especially if you were friends with that girl, played poker with that girl- Can't you see that he has a thing for you Helen? And he flaunts it in front of me- flaunts your attention-" his voice elevated just a bit towards the end of his rant. Maybe Claude wasn't really into Helen- maybe he was imagining it. And maybe.... maybe hell had frozen over!

Claude's pathetic body slumped against the bench as he curled into a ball. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the weak, drunken, ill-informed human being that sat there.
But much more than pity, Fredrich was jealous.

He paused as Helen asked Claude how he was- caring for him tenderly- a very un-vampirelike thing to do. Silence overcame them for a bit before Fredrich sighed, his words barely audible, too soft for human ears to hear. But Helen could.
"How could I not get jealous of him- the way you were dancing.... was not the dance of friends-"