Killer Instincts [ONDINA]

[Deleted]

It was done. Aerick had killed his father. Well, indirectly; he had fantasized once about turning into his python form and coiling around the man who had stolen away his identity as a Pureblood, squeezing him tight and watching the light fade from his eyes. But, it would have attracted too many questions, and Aerick did not want to lose his usefulness to the Dark Lady. So he had seeked an alternate way to end this man's’ life, and finally with the help of Trixie Dolohov, he had done it. Ricin had been the culprit; a simple, Muggle poison that ends lives within 36 hours of consumption. So easy to levitate it through the open parlor window and knock it into his father's glass of scotch on the rocks (after all these years, the man still loved his Scotch) when he went to put his new children, his new family to bed. Aerick had felt guilty about taking these children's father away from them; hell, he even felt guilty for his fathers’ new wife - she had no idea what he truly was after all. But he had made a promise, and he would never break a promise. He was glad though that Clodagh did not know the depths of his thirst for revenge before she went to New Orleans, he didn’t know if he could ever face her again if she had.

Afterwards, Aerick had watched from the bushes in his python form, coiled tightly to not be noticed as the police rushed to and from the townhouse where his father had inhabited. He turned away when they led out the crying wife and children, but forced himself to watch the medics carry his fathers body under a white sheet out into the ambulance, which drove away, lights on sirens off. That meant this was not an emergency; there was nothing they could do for him anymore. As Aerick transformed back into a human a few blocks away, he tried to figure out his emotions. He wasn’t sure what he would feel; would he feel guilty? Relieved? Elated? As he searched within himself, he found that he was feeling...nothing. Absolutely nothing.

With that nothingness over taking him, Aerick decided the best thing was to drink. Copiously. He did not want to go to Club Indigo; he never drank in his place of work. But he wanted to start somewhere less conspicuous, so he went to the Fountain of Fair Fortune. There he could start to get a good buzz, and hopefully move somewhere with loud music, flashing lights, and hot sweaty masses pressed up against each other, and he could lose himself to the nothingness he felt. He took a seat at the bar and ordered a double shot of Firewhiskey. He downed it with barely any reaction, and ordered another. He paced himself this time, not wanting to overdo it before moving out. As he sipped, he registered someone sliding into the stool next to him, but did not regard them; if they wanted to talk to him, they could make the first move.

OPEN (have fun ladies )

[Ondina Nell Weasley]

i dare you.

THE FOUNTAIN OF FAIR FORTUNE WAS NOT Ondina's typical haunt, but it did the job after a  little jaunt down Horizon Alley. It drew her out of the murky, damp back alleys. Where her chest was prone to getting tight, and her nose itchy. Inside, it was not at all pretty. And Ondina was quick to note the lack of improvement every time she entered. Filled mostly with grizzled looking criminals. The type that would not look out of place on a wanted poster. Ondina preferred the subtleties of immorality.

She scanned the tops of heads, searching for a spot that was both ostentatious and private at the same time. Difficult in such places as these. Instead, Ondina found something of far more interest. The muscled back caught her eye first. Wide shoulders pressing through the back of a fitted shirt. She sauntered over with the beginnings of a smirk on her face, slipping in to the stool at their side smoothly.

To begin with, Ondina busied herself with the simple task of removing her leather gloves. A finger at a time. Ten fingers later and she was laying the supple material out on the bar before her, leaning slightly over the bar to order a Cherry Bomb, with a straw please. It landed before her in a sticky coke bottle, a florescent red that Ondina knew would hurt her teeth and stain her tongue and lips. It was only with the straw pressed to her bottom lip that she finally gave in and spun on her stool. 

"It's a awful cliché but, do I know you?"  In that saccharine sweet voice. Her head a tumble of perfectly curled red hair, tilted like a curious puppy. But, she wasn't exaggerating. She was quite certain she knew the man. Ondina wouldn't forget somebody who cut such an imposing figure. She was vain like that. 

@aerick

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Sure enough, it didn’t take long for the voice of his barstool neighbor to penetrate the void of Aerick’s mind. He glanced over to see a red haired girl asking if she knew him. His eyes flicked over her figure; she had definitely been at Club Indigo before. He had no idea who she actually was, though she had to obviously be a witch since she was here at the Fountain of Fair Fortune. The only wizards that went to Club Indigo typically had something to do with the Purifiers, and she did look young enough to be just out of school. New recruit? Or perhaps a sympathizer who had been told stories about Club Indigo and the mysterious owners connections to blood purity groups.

“If you’ve frequented Club Indigo, then yes. Typically I am behind the bar though, not drinking at it,” Aerick finally replied dryly, knocking back the rest of his firewhiskey before ordering a third. He cleared his throat and gave her another once over. “Aerick,” he introduced simply, extending his hand to shake hers. “What brings you to a place like this during a weeknight?” he asked, nodding his thanks at the bartender for the drink and took a sip, waiting for her reply.

Ondina Nell Weasley

[Ondina Nell Weasley]

i dare you.

WITH AN IMPRESSED ONCE OVER ONDINA MADE the connection with help from her company. Yes, she definitely recognised the handsome, stoic looking bartender. "That's it," She agreed, nodding her head once. "I'll say, I quite prefer this angle for you." One of her brows inched up and then back down. "Suits you." And it did. More so because she had much better view from here.

Grasping his outstretched hand, she shook it shortly. "Ondina," She greeted, failing to add her last name. She had no patience for drivel about the Weasley's tonight. She shrugged out of her snug winter coat, deftly hanging it on the back of her stool before addressing Aerick's question with a slight smile. "I was doing business nearby," She said vaguely, unwilling to add the specifics of what kind of business she was attending to. It had been low maintenance, a simple pick up and drop off. Nothing to sniff about. "Thirsty work, you know?"

Picking up her sickly drink, Ondina went about drawing a mouthful from her straw. She had always had a sweet tooth. Licking the remnants from her bottom lip like a greedy child before setting it down. "What about you?" She asked eventually, resting her chin on one hand. "Isn't it... some kind of bar blasphemy to drink anywhere else?" 

@aerick

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Aerick smirked at Ondina’s comment. “Maybe, but I won’t tell if you won’t,” he said with a wink. In reality, he didn’t think anyone would care if he drank elsewhere; the other bartenders came to this particular establishment all the time. Since Elaines’ pretty little lackey Anise was a barmaid at Hogs Head, it was also acceptable for someone of his standing to drink there, though he was decidedly against getting drunk so close to Hogwarts. With the transfers of both Ilvermorny students and professors to the famed Scottish castle, Aerick didn’t want to risk being recognized by a former professor, therefore getting into conversations he really didn’t want to. They had been made aware by the Headmistress at the time, damn her, of his fathers’ abandonment, and he was certain at least some of them kept up with Muggle news. His father, though he had changed his name, had had a distinctive look about him; they’d recognize his face immediately in the papers.

Not wanting to continuously dwell on the subject, Aerick turned away and knocked back the rest of his drink. “I think I’ve had enough here,” he said, turning slowly to face her, a small smirk playing at his lips. “You wouldn’t happen to know any good nightclubs around here would you?” Aside from Club Indigo, which he hoped was obvious from his tone. Aerick was not much of a clubber, never had been. Tonight however, he needed to let loose and drink away this nagging feeling of nothingness, and loud music and strong drinks seemed to be the right way to go. Not to mention the red haired girl in front of him was rather attractive, though she did seem a bit younger than him. She had to have graduated from Hogwarts by now though to be in this bar in the middle of the autumn; school would have started back up by now. “What do they say? The night is young?” he added enticingly.

Ondina Nell Weasley

[Ondina Nell Weasley]

i dare you.

ONDINA GAVE A HAPPY LITTLE LAUGH. PLEASED that for the most part, he seemed happy to play along with her little game. That's what it usually was for Ondina, every unnecessary social interaction was a game to be played. There was a winner and a loser, always. "My lips are sealed," She said, smiling angelically. Ondina's silence could always be bought, at the right price.

Her eyes followed the lithe line of his neck as, in one fell swoop, downed the rest of his drink. "In a hurry?" She began to ask, twirling the tip of her straw, but he was already talking. "You came to the right girl." She left the rest of her drink untouched, unworried about getting her money's worth as she hopped down from her stool and grabbed her gloves from the bar top. With a jut of her chin, she slipped back in to her coat and weaved through the crowd without a backwards glance.  

Ondina was not a stranger to the allure of a pulsing night club. More than once she'd used it as a cover to lose her head, and plus she always looked better under a coloured strobe light, she thought. Outside of the bar, Ondina held out her arm. "C'mon," She said, taking control as she prepared to apparate. "We're going to my favourite place now." She turned her head, her brows turning up expectantly. Ondina had a way of daring a person with a simple stare. 

@aerick

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Aerick had had a feeling his intuition was right about Ondina, and he followed her outside of the Fountain of Fair Fortune. He raised a brow towards her as she offered him her arm, indicating they were about to Apparate. He did not however, object; the time for feeling things was long gone for Aerick, so he held on as she took them to an alleyway in a different part of London. Already, Aerick could hear the music, the vibrations humming on the street as the bass pumped loudly from the speakers. “Lead the way,” he told her, inclining his head ever so slightly.

Entering the club, Aerick could understand for a moment why so many people came to Club Indigo to lose themselves entirely. It was dark, with pulses of multicolored lights flashing over the expansive dance floor, and the music was loud enough that he doubted he’d be able to hold any type of conversation with Ondina. Not that he believed conversation was really on her mind. They weaved through the throngs of people to the bar, and Aerick ordered a double whiskey and rye and Ondina’s drink. After a few long sips, he gestured towards the dance floor, a quizzical eyebrow cocked. He doubted if he verbalized his inclination to dance Ondina would hear it, so the gesture would have to do for now.

Ondina Nell Weasley

[Ondina Nell Weasley]

i dare you.

THE CLUB ONDINA WHISKED THEM OFF TO WAS as sleek as it was colourless. A modern, muggle establishment that had quickly become a favourite among few elite wizards and witches. Ondina assumed it was because they liked to play with their food. Muggles were just so easily manipulated in these situations. Their minds loose and stringy like chewed up bubblegum. Plus, the booze were high quality and the music was as numbing as it was rhythmic.

Weaving their way through the throngs of patrons, Ondina allowed Aerick to take lead, sliding her drink over to her so she could sip at the straw without lifting it off the top. They didn't talk much, but Ondina found she didn't mind. People often talked a lot of rubbish anyways. She only felt chatty when there was something worth extracting. Information, an emotional reaction. They weren't quite there yet. For the moment, she was happy to watch the way the strobe lights painted his face in strange and odd shadows.

When he asked her to dance with a quirk of his brow, she was all to willing to follow him down in to the sunken dance floor. The beat pulsing so hard she waited until he was leading the way with his back to her, fishing in to her pockets and chewing the top off a phial of medicine so that she could hastily throw it back. The heat always caught in her chest, it was smart to preemptively prepare before exerting herself. Nobody need know she was weak. The phial was tossed aimlessly in to the crowd by the time he turned back around.

Immediately, Ondina sidled up close enough so that they were touching, red hair tossed back so that she could look up in to his odd, blank face. He was handsome, but there was a flatness to his stare that drew her unwavering attention. She snaked a hand up under his arm to press in to his back, she could feel his heartbeat through the back of his shirt as she began to sway to the incessant beat. Her other hand wound up around his neck, he was much taller than she was. There were no words, and she didn't even bother to force a smile. 

@aerick

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

The place Ondina took him to was loud, crowded, and smelled of booze and sweat - exactly what Aerick had been looking for. They were dancing - no, swaying - to the beat of the music that Aerick listened to every night he was at Club Indigo, the bass so loud he could feel the vibrations drumming incessantly into his brain with every beat. He looked down at Ondina, who was watching him with a flat intensity. She was attractive, with her fiery red hair and piercing gaze, porcelain skin and trim body. It would be easy for him to swoop down and put his lips on hers, letting his inhibitions go wild. He doubted she would refuse his advance; she had been pretty clear she was flirting with him at the bar. As the thoughts passed through his mind however, he paused. He didn’t know how old she was; sure she acted like she was in her twenties, but looks wise she could be as young as eighteen. He may have felt devoid of emotions that night, but he still had SOME morals left to him.

Abruptly, he stepped back, unwinding himself from Ondina’s grasp. “Need some air,” he told her, mouthing the words slowly so she’d understand them, and he strode out of the room and out to the back patio. He doubted he’d get any fresh air here; the amount of cigarettes being lit and smoke clouding the heads of the patrons far outnumbered the non-smokers of the area. Someone offered him a thin white stick and he accepted it, not really processing what he was doing. Aerick wasn’t a smoker by nature, but he’d had enough drinks to be amenable to the idea. He held it to his lips and allowed the woman who had given it to him to light it. Inhaling, Aerick tried not to cough as he let the smoke escape his lips, exhaling softly. He wondered if Ondina would stay inside, or join him out in the jumble of Londoners trying to find some solace from the loud music. He didn’t really care much either way; she could choose to join or choose to leave if she found him uninteresting. It was a testament to how numb he currently felt to all emotions whatsoever - all he felt was a trickling of relief that Clodagh was not here to see him now.

Ondina Nell Weasley

[Ondina Nell Weasley]

i dare you.

THEY SWAYED TO THE BEAT FOR SOME TIME AND Ondina felt sure that she had snared him. He was looking at her just the way she liked and he was there, after all. But, somehow as the tension reached its peak he pulled away from her. Ondina let him go reluctantly, her face falling in to a frown as he declared his desire for fresh air. She felt a mingling sense of rejection and stood very still as her mind ticked over.

The moment another body bumped in to hers, a hand snaking around her waist as if to pull her in to another embrace, she jerked away in disgust. This was not what she wanted, and she wasn't about to be left behind. She pushed away from the faceless bodies and threaded her way through the crowd some minutes after Aerick. She was quite familiar with the club and knew where most headed out for the refreshing bite of cool air.

The hubbub of chatter and cigarette smoke hit her violently and she felt the urge to reach for her medicine, though her chest was as easy as it could be at that moment. Her eyes picked Aerick out, pressed against a wall with a cigarette hanging from his lips, her nose wrinkled but she smoothed it out quickly. Slowly, she made her way towards him, though she leaned against the wall beside him, far enough away that he couldn't reach for her and downwind from his nasty little habit.

"Hey..." She breathed, so quiet she almost mouthed it. Ondina felt like she was approaching a wild animal, like her words mattered if she wanted him to stick around. "Those things'll kill you," She pretended to joke, a lazy smile on her face, but really she wanted to pick it from between his lips and launch it in the crowd. Pressing her hands in to the wall behind her back, she let her head rest on the cold stone and frowned delicately. "What happened back there?" She asked with a simple kind of curiosity, as manufactured as her look. "Thought we were having fun." 

@aerick

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Aerick was so lost in his thoughts that it took him a few moments to register the red haired beauty in front of him, commenting on how cigarettes could kill him. “I know,” he said simply, but he stubbed it out and tossed it into an ashtray with a final exhale of smoke pluming from his mouth. He remained leaning against the wall as Ondina joined him there, questioning him on what had happened back there. Wasn’t he having fun? Well, yes he had been, in the sense of what he considered fun. The black cloud of his fathers’ death was still hovering over him, choking his senses and making it hard to breathe. He had done the right thing, his father deserved to die. After all the lies, the deceptions, to just leave his family and pretend like they didn’t exist anymore? Aerick had been just entering manhood, a seventeen year old who idolized his father, wanting to be exactly like him, joining MACUSA to be an Auror, preventing No-Majs from learning of their existence. In America, there was no such thing as a No Maj witch or wizard like at Hogwarts - Ilvermorny had been more selective than the British wizarding school. But somehow his father had hoodwinked Ilvermorny into letting him go. The day he left, he had taken more than his belongings - he had taken Aerick’s childhood and identity with him as well. He was a liar, and was pretending to be a No Maj with NO powers whatsoever, even though Aerick could sense the magic his father had used to cover up some of the holes in his little story. Elaine had agreed with him - his death was necessary for Aerick to move forward. But now that it was finally done, he found that he had no idea how to begin.

Finally, Aerick looked down at Ondina, a crooked smile on his face. “How old are you Ondina?” he asked hoarsely, looking her up and down. He had a feeling she would lie about her age, and if Aerick was any type of man he would have no qualms taking her back to his place and having his way with her. But, contrary to popular belief, that was not the type of man Aerick was. Clodagh had made him see that, and to her he was forever indebted. But she had left him too, and now Aerick had no one to consider a friend in London. Well, Finn perhaps, but she could never know what he had really been doing in London all this time. Nobody could, except Elaine.

Ondina Nell Weasley

[Ondina Nell Weasley]

i dare you.

IT WAS COLD ENOUGH FOR ONDINA TO SEE THE mist of her own breath, goosebumps raised on every exposed inch of her skin. She ached to rub them away, but stayed very still as Aerick seemed to pull himself from whatever rut he'd fallen in to. She watched the cigarette sail in an arch as he flicked it away, happy to watch it die on the ground. She deserved clean air.

Her attention, however, was drawn back to Aerick as he finally spoke. It was a question Ondina had heard before. She wasn't just young, she looked young. Her pale skin and slight frame meant that in the right lighting with the right kind of make up on, Ondina could pass for 16. But, she hadn't been trying to look younger this time so it irked her mildly to be pinned as such. But, she smiled at him, a slow and lazy thing, as if he'd told a joke.

"How old are you?" She fired back, pinching a frown between her brows as she pretended to stifle her own smirk. She pushed off the wall and closed the space between them, enjoying the warmth that radiated from him. Her hand she placed gently on his chest, pressing her fingertips down just a little. "If you have to ask you've already thought about it." She said evasively, looking up at him through her carefully curled lashes, the tip of her tongue pressed against her top lip. She could smell the smoke clinging to his breath, but she wouldn't allow herself to be put off.

"Don't worry," She smirked at him slightly, though her voice was low and breathy. "You're not taking advantage of me." And then she laughed a little bit, because she knew that if he asked again she'd have to tell him and she'd have to lie. But she was determined enough to do so. She lifted her head as if to kiss him but allowed him the chance to close the space between them. She had not considered a reality where he might have the strength to pull away. 

@aerick

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Aerick chuckled softly as Ondina fired back the same question to him. “Twenty three,” he answered simply. She was right of course; he had thought about it, several times since she’d started flirting with him in the Fountain of Fair Fortune. He’d be lying if he said otherwise. Physical action, such as what Ondina was insinuating, was what Aerick usually turned to when he got into a dark place. He’d never been so dark before though, never so deep. He’d never killed before, on Elaine’s orders or otherwise. The Dark Mistress had been smart; she knew he would have to kill his father before he would be able to have the stomach for murder for hire. He was a python animagus after all - he knew full well she had been itching to use it to her advantage. He had come close of course to strangling someone to death, but he knew when to stop. He also had learned when to keep going, but he had controlled his animalistic urges to keep his victims alive. Now though, it was only a matter of time that Elaine gave him his first direct order to kill. She was never picky about how her followers followed through with her orders, just that they leave behind no evidence. It was pretty easy for a snake to not leave evidence however, and Elaine knew it.

Ondina pulled his attention back to her, staring up at him with those puppy dog eyes and pouty lips. He felt something stir within him, feeble yet definitely there. It was the first time in almost forty-eight hours that he had felt anything, so it brought with it the feeling of relief. He was not a monster - he was going to survive this. Noticing the tiniest of winces from Ondina, Aerick put a hand in his pocket and pulled out a packet of breath mints. Popping two in his mouth, he crunched down and swallowed, allowing the burst of minty freshness to overtake the smell of the cigarette he had just inhaled. She had inched closer, promising he wasn’t taking advantage of her, and he chuckled darkly. “Oh...Ondina. You’re trouble,” he whispered huskily, looping his hands around her waist. He studied her with his blue eyes, head cocked to the side for a moment, then chuckled. “Screw it,” he murmured, and closed the distance between them as he pressed his lips firmly against hers.

Ondina Nell Weasley

[Ondina Nell Weasley]

i dare you.

IT WASN'T A SURPRISE TO ONDINA THAT AERICK was older than her. She'd banked on that the moment she had met him. It hadn't mattered. She'd simply found something that sparked her interest and so all supposed obstacles were minuscule and non-existent. He was handsome, and mysterious. She had a thing for cracking people open to see what made them tick. Though Aerick was as simple as any man when it came right down to it. And she knew how to work simple men.

To her relief, Ondina watched Aerick fish a couple of mints and pop them in his mouth. At least she wouldn't have to stomach the taste of smoke as she reached up, already feeling as if she had won. He caved, of course he did. They always did. "Mm-hm," She hummed behind a smile, agreeing with him. Although she doubted he realised just how troublesome she could be. Letting him catch her mouth before she allowed herself to, like a game of chase.

Ondina wrapped both of her arms around Aerick's neck, reaching on the tip of her toes as she leaned in to him fully. His warmth welcome in the cold of the night. They shared breath until Ondina couldn't bear it any longer, her chest tight as she pulled away with hooded eyes and a gasp of breath. Stepping back, she grabbed his hand and tugged at it expectantly. "Take me somewhere," She told him, allowing herself to be led as she watched his lipstick stained mouth.

[END]

@aerick
 i figure we could end this here. possibly do a 'morning-after' thread if you wanted?

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!