A late night visit to the beach(Open) - Bathtub Beach

As she put her hand on his thigh he smiled and started the car. He already wanted this woman again. One hand went down to cover the hand on his thigh and gave it a squeeze and then moved it just a little to side so it now sat on the inside of his thigh. I am yours.

"Ra'idah. I know you have walked this world a long time. How long?"

Her fingers were like ice, even through the cloth of his pants. She smiled at him as he started the car, giving his thigh a gentle squeeze. Yes, you truly are.

"Many centuries, Esteban. No less than five. Likely more, but I have lost count."

"May I ask, what it is you seek in life? What you want most?"

He concentrated on driving, mostly because he could not help but react to the cold and her hand. He shivered slightly

She gave him another gentle squeeze on his thigh. When she answered, it was with a quiet voice, soft and low as she watched where he was taking her. She gave directions here and there, so that he could get her home without incident.

"The truth," she said, quite simply.

"And I will always give that to you."

Another intact of breath and a smile.

"Why are you here in this domain? I do not mean to pry in your secrets. The question relates to how long you will stay. I imagine where you go, I go."

A toss of her head so that her hair went over her shoulder, and she began to laugh.

"I will be here for as long as this Domain needs me. I am told that two members of great standing within this city have fallen. This bodes unwell for the Camarilla here, and the Domain of Prince Alexander. I am quite skilled in martial training, and I will stay here so long as the Prince will allow me to defend his Domain."

She smiled. "Does that answer your question?"

"Yes. I heard of their deaths tonight myself. Shortly before you found me."

He drove for a second before answering

"It does answer my question. What is the most important thing I should know about you that you have not already told me?"

There was a gentle squeeze of her hand. Just a light pressure.

"That is not something I can discuss with you at this time, sweet one. My apologies."

Then she was silent for a moment, the gentle hand on his thigh turning into more of a caress than a squeeze.

"I am sorry that you only heard of their deaths tonight. You were close?"

He put a hand on her thigh for a brief moment, squeezed and smiled at her.

"I did not know one at all. The other I met once. The Tremere Primogen."

There was a flash in her eyes. Something akin to anger, but it was gone quickly. Her hand tightened very briefly on his thigh, almost painful but just shy of ... and she caressed him again, gently. As though nothing had happened.

"Griselda McKenzie," she said, flatly. "Small slip of a girl, wily as they come. Wolf in sheep's clothing."

Truth...could be dangerous.

"Yes, Griselda. The one with possibilities I mourned tonight."

For just a moment, her hand tightened on his thigh. Her eyes closed as she turned her face toward the window, rolled her shoulders slightly. Her jaw was tight.

But it was only a moment.

Then it was gone. Though she did not look at him when she spoke.

"We all make mistakes."

"Always truth Ra'idah. I will never give you anything else. I will hide nothing."

He wished to kiss her but was driving.

"What Action can I take that will give you the most pleasure?"

She had still not looked at him yet, but it was clear that she was trying to shrug off whatever it was that bothered her.

"No single action will bring me more pleasure than to see you smile, sweet one."

"That will not be a problem, In your presence I find myself smiling more often than not. What is your favorite flower?"

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

She still had not turned her face back to him, but at least she was facing front again. She laughed softly, even if it sounded a bit strained.

"Orchids, sweet one. They do not smell as sweet as others, though their scent is strong. They are exceptionally difficult to grow, but all things that grow and flourish should face a bit of hardship."

"So you like beauty to be a challenge?"

There was a flirtatious tone in his voice. He was playing with her and not being all that subtle.

"Can you still enjoy food, Goddess? Or drink?"

She shook her head as she laughed, giving his thigh another gentle squeeze.

"No. To answer both. The simple answer is that no, I cannot enjoy food or drink any longer, but I see no reason to be able to."

She paused as she slid a look over to him. "And no, I do not like beauty to be a challenge. I think that the more challenge that one faces and overcomes, the more beautiful the creation is. It could be a flower, a person, or a piece of art. Beauty, sweet one, is in the eye of the beholder. Some things are more aesthetically pleasing than others, that is very true. But even a Nosferatu can be beautiful if the Nosferatu shows their strength. I find beauty in strength, not in what is necessarily pleasing to the eye."

He nodded, thinking about two answers that revealed to much.

"Thank you. What question should I ask that I am not...that you can answer?"

He thought about her answers. He ate and drank, both of which she thought of as unnecessary. And despite her choice of a flower that took such care, she found beauty in things that were strong. He wondered if she felt him as strong.

The hand on his thigh lifted, caressed his cheek gently.

"I cannot answer that question, sweet one. It is not for me to say what is important to you. Only you can decide that. In time, your priorities will shift, they will change, and in time, I expect, will blend with my own. Only then, will I be able to decide these things for you." Her hand found its way to his thigh again.

"You must decide for yourself what is important now, and ask that question. Then you will either receive your answer now, or it will come in time. Each time that what is important to you will shift, you will likely ask those questions that seem important to you in the moment."

She smiled, shook her head. "What is important to me is not, very likely, what is important to you. So you must decide for yourself what you believe you should ask, and I will answer if I can."

Esteban nodded, understanding. He put one hand on hers on his thigh and then but it back in the wheel.

"I will likely have many questions for a while, but I..I think I am processing it right now."

He smiled.

"If I didn't need my hands to drive I think I would just pleasure you here and now. How close are we Ra'idah?"

She smiled as she pointed with one hand.

"Two blocks up, make a left. It is the third house on the right."

She brushed his cheek again, looking over at him again. She tilted her head as she regarded him for a moment.

"What was it that I said that makes you wish to pleasure me here and now, sweet one? I said nothing seductive, I do not believe."

He grins.

"It was nothing seductive you said. sometime when you must process, it is good to put you body to other uses. And pleasuring you is sure to do the job of distracting one."

As they pulled into the driveway, he saw her house for the first time. It wasn't a ridiculously extravagant place, but it was large, at the very least. The lights that framed the doorway were on, and lights blazed from the upstairs windows. They bathed the street with a light golden glow.

She did not wait for him to open her door, but slid out of the car with little fanfare as she produced a set of keys from ... where had she kept her keys?

"Come, sweet one." She didn't wait to see if he followed her. She simply seemed to accept that he would.

The door opened into a foyer covered with hardwood, a room to the left that was heavily furnished with all manner of comfortable-looking seating. The short hallway led to another open area, with the kitchen to the left and to the right, another living room sort of setup.

As her shoes clicked on the hardwood to signal her arrival home, a young man nearly as beautiful as Ra'idah herself came into view in the kitchen.

"Ah, you're home," he said, with heavily-accented English.

She smiled as she reached for the hand of the Toreador. "Sweet Esteban. This is Salif. Salif, this is Esteban."

Esteban parked the car and got out following Ra'idah into the house. He knew he was being beckoned like a puppy but that was okay. this was her home.

He walked in and for some reason gathered up his manners, his grace and walked into the house the refined man that he was.

When introduced he smiled at human male and nodded.

"Good to meet you Salif."