Girls, girls, girls

[Eden Cobriana]

Eden Cobriana

Prompt List

• Lead
• Solace
• Fairy Tale
• Seeing Red
• Last Hope
• Sacrifice
• Dread
• Pain
• Breaking the Rules
• Choose Your Own Adventure! - Fear

Note: As a general rule, Eden's prompts come with a warning for sexual content.

[Eden Cobriana]

Sacrifice
This post takes place in the past.

It was after close, getting on into the early hours of the morning as his staff worked at getting everything in order to go home, and Eden was alongside them.  He had closing paperwork to deal with, finances and such that any manager could have done, but he'd closed tonight.  He didn't find being owner as something that left him exempt, and there had been a time when there hadn't been a manager.  He'd done it all himself, and some habits die hard.  There were reports to handle, money to be counted and registers to be closed out.  While Nikki cleaned up the bar area, Melisande was dealing with the wait staff duties and Marius was handling whatever else there was to do.  He usually ran a broom through the place just to help everyone finish up, and the stage was mopped every night, just for the sake of cleanliness.  Eden ran a good place, regardless of what some people might say about a strip club.  It wasn't a weekend, which explained the small closing crew.  There were a few dancers straightening up in the back and getting themselves set to leave.  All in all, it had been a good, quiet night.

He should have known better, honestly.  Marius hadn't had problems at the door, Melisande had been upset by a pair of vampires that were giving her the heebie jeebies, but Nikki had served them instead, and the dancers had been fine.  It had been an easy night, and that alone should have made Eden worry.  How often did he have easy nights?  His life was always strange and anything but easy, but maybe that was why he was so interested in just accepting it and enjoying it.  Why second-guess it?

The dancers were supposed to head out first, which meant that Eden always stood in the door and his two male vampires walked the ladies to their cars.  Eden cared about his employees, and actually viewed some of them as some sort of unexpected family (considering how estranged he was from his own, that wasn't strange), and he wasn't about to risk any of them out of sheer stupidity and arrogance.  Melisande was the only real concern, since she didn't drive, but she'd always been alright walking home on her own.  He wasn't pleased with it, but she had, and she was still finishing up when the vampires wandered back in to finish their own duties.  When Eden went to let her out, there was only the two of them.

"Melisande, I can drive you home if you'll just wait another 20 minutes or so," he offered, not for the first time.  Eden drove because he had a beautiful car, and because he had a penthouse in a building that had an underground garage built in.  Most of the dancers didn't actually live in the city, so they were fine.  Melisande didn't live far, but he still worried.  Shh, don't tell anyone, or they might start to expect that he was a decent guy. 

"I'm fine, Mr. Cobriana, I walk home every night on my own," she assured him, again, but he still fixed her with a doubtful look, red eyes scanning her features as though searching for a weakness in her resolve.  There wasn't one, so he finally nodded and bid her goodnight, but he remained where he was to watch her head home.  Something just didn't feel right, and it made him think that maybe he really was too paranoid for his own good. 

He was just about to return to his books when a shadow moved the wrong way, and that was all he needed.  He wasn't a hunter like his brother was, but he was shrewd enough to knew what the world around him was capable of.  Knowledge really was power, but only if you knew how to apply it.  Melisande hadn't given any indication that she'd seen it, and he moved with the quiet speed that only snakes and felines seemed capable of, intercepting the shadow before it could reach her.  He was only thankful that it hadn't rushed her, or he'd have never made it.  It also took note of him before he was able to stop it, which essentially accomplished the same task.  The vampire that addressed him was easily recognizable as one of the two that had made the girl uncomfortable earlier in the evening.

"I believe you have your eye on something that belongs to me," Eden informed the vampire smoothly, as though he hadn't just raced to catch up with them before something happened.  It didn't make him feel any better that there was another shadow still stalking her about a block away.

"She's not in your place, cobra."

"True, but I'm here, aren't I?  She's one of mine, and I won't have her touched.  I suggest you find your fun elsewhere."  It was all about dignity and respect, and he was displaying the former while he demanded the latter.  He was a Cobriana no matter how much he didn't prefer his family, and he'd been raised to demand respect.

The vampire made his own demands, to which Eden had little choice but to grit his teeth, manage a convincing smile and agree to, and the second shadow returned, leaving Melisande alone.  The cobra insisted upon calling the girl and staying on the phone with her until she was safely inside, doors locked tight, and then he put his phone away, raised his arms to show that his hands were empty, and was promptly jumped.  He spent the next few moments pinned to a dirty brick wall, not even certain of his surroundings until he found himself sitting in a heap on the ground.  His back was still to the wall and he felt a little dizzy, but he still managed to look up at the two vampires, pushing himself up the bricks and wiping at the crook of his arm, then his throat as though nothing were amiss, and he was sure to put more force into his gaze and voice than he really felt.

"Now that we've satisfied the deal, I will have you both killed if I find you in this area again," he informed them, hitting a speed dial button on his phone with the hand that hadn't been distracting their gaze as he wiped up blood.  "Two of my employees are going to be here in just a moment, so I'd suggest you vacate the area."

He didn't even wait for them to respond before he gestured them out of his way with that one hand, and he actually put his back to them while he returned to his club.  Whether they remained for a few moments or left immediately, he wasn't sure, but they were gone when he glanced back from the safety of the doorway.  Marius was standing there, staring at him with slightly wide eyes, but the vampire hesitated to ask until Eden himself took it upon himself to speak.

"Melisande is to be escorted home each night from this point forward.  I'd like either you or Nikki to spend the night at her place tonight, just to be safe," he informed the vampire, and Marius nodded.  Eden didn't say anything else, instead heading for the bar and the supply of orange juice, then to go finish with his books.  The sooner he finished, the sooner he could go home and get a shower.  He smelled like an alley.

[Eden Cobriana]

Seeing Red
This post takes place in the present.

Warning: Sexual content in this post, though not graphic.  Don't read if it bothers you.

* * *

He'd heard it plenty of times, and it didn't bother him in the least.  He liked being remembered, for as many reasons as possible.  When a woman (or a man) was sleeping with someone else, even with the person they were most in love with, he wanted them thinking of him.  He knew it happened sometimes, had been told so by the wives of very rich men who came into his place for a 'girls night out' that their husbands assumed involved a few drinks and a chick flick.  Obviously, their husbands were only half-right. 

There were drinks involved.

It happened often, when the money was right, that Eden would find himself in one of the larger back rooms with two or more women (all attractive, or close enough with some extra cash) that had been reduced to their underclothes or worse.  Usually, there had been plenty of drinks and one of his bartenders or himself overhearing that they had money to burn and wanted a good night to start the tradition.  Now, these groups of women would tell him when they were coming, and he'd ensure that he was free.  They would spend the evening in one of the 'party rooms' with a few of his male dancers taking their turns on the stage while he took them into a more private area of the room one at a time.  He'd touch them as though they were the only woman he'd ever wanted, watching each and every shudder tear through them from his garnet eyes, and they'd drink in the color and the intensity of his focus when they could open their own eyes again.  He did it on purpose, making eye contact with a woman while he was introducing her to depths of pleasure that her husband was too preoccupied with his own wants and needs to even attempt, and it didn't usually even matter to them if he had actual intercourse with them.  A practiced hand or talented tongue, and they'd completely forget the fact that he hadn't gotten off.  Since that wasn't what he was there for, that was fine with him.

There was always one, though.

He kept condoms on hand because it was his intention to make these women believe that they'd gotten their money's worth.  There were a few groups, each of which made him thankful for shapeshifter endurance and healing, and it was interesting for him to try to determine and remember each woman's specific turn-on.  Most women had different kinks, and it could be something as simple as eye contact or affectionate touches, or she could absolutely love to tear into him with her nails while he rode her body until she screamed.  There was one in specific that preferred the latter, which was why she was always last.  By then her friends had enjoyed their drinks and were caught up with whoever was on stage, and she could get a little crazier because they didn't care what was going on.  They'd already had their fun.  She also made him glad to be done for the night, since he was always sore and quite frankly spent after dealing with her.  He put too much effort into it, which kept them all coming to his place and ensured that he'd continue to receive their money.  He wasn't complaining, but for all that, he knew it wasn't even his effort that got them to return. 

It was the details.  Little touches, paying attention to the things they said and did, and eye contact.  That went so much further than people thought.  For a woman to look up at him and see his eyes fixed on her made her feel wanted, like she was the only thing he cared about.  They liked losing themselves in the red of his eyes, a color they'd never seen before on another person (he had to assure them it was real), and he knew that they wished it was red they were seeing when fixed with the browns and blues of their husbands' eyes. 

He'd heard it plenty of times.  Eden was very good at what he did.

[Eden Cobriana]

Last Hope
This post takes place in the past.

Lucien would never understand, that much was obvious from the time they were young.  The older Cobriana boy was a full six years ahead of his younger brother and then another three years older than their baby sister, Isolda.  Lucien had always played the part of the protective older brother, watching out for both of them, but Eden could never help noticing that Isa got much more attention than he did from everyone.  He was the second son, so he wasn't nearly as important as the golden boy that his brother was, Arami to their Diente father, and Isa was the girl.  She was the princess, the darling little thing that everyone loved from the moment she was born.  Eden wasn't exactly unloved, but he had the classic problem that middle children and second sons have; he just wasn't as good as his brother.  He wasn't as strong, fast good with weapons, definitely not enough to be a hunter, and he certainly wasn't as charming and dignified.  Lucien was taught from the start how to soothe others with his strength and his very presence.  He was the heir, the one that everything settled on, and Eden was just there. 

None of them would ever understand.  He worked so hard at being good enough for their attention.  Lucien taught him things, even though their father didn't bother to after he failed so many times, and somehow that made Lucien even better.  He was a teacher, and he was patient.  He could deal with Eden even when nobody else could, and that was a big deal.  Eden was loud and didn't bother to be nice about the things he said, but Lucien could pull him under control with almost no fuss.  They couldn't understand how.

Eden thought they were all idiots that they didn't understand, when he looked back.  Actually, he thought he was an idiot back then, as well, because all he'd wanted was to be like his older brother.  Lucien was all the things he wished he could be and everything that he was slowly learning he'd never be able to have.  He tried, and why shouldn't he?  Lucien tried to help him, so he could try to do what his brother told him to do.  In fact, that was why he was sitting at home sulking instead of having Lucien around to play video games with, since they hadn't beaten Battletoads yet.  Lucien had just about promised that he'd be around that night, so Eden could only assume that his brother was going to be home in time to play with him.  Having a 22-year old brother wasn't fun, since all they cared about was adult stuff.  Eden didn't really know where his brother had gone, but he'd said he'd be back, so he wasn't going to bother with the Nintendo until he got there and when he called Gina up, he didn't get an answer.  He should have expected her to be busy, really, since she was 19, but she was staying in their guest house and had been bored out of her mind recently.  Eden had taken a liking to her, even if he was only 16, and she'd proved her own interest with a few 'practice kisses' (her words, not his, but he wasn't complaining about kisses).  He couldn't help it, even if she was older than he was.  Her family was one of the wealthy serpiente lines, which was why she was staying with her parents in the guest house at the Cobriana estate, but she was actually interesting.  She could have been boring as all hell, which was what he'd expected.  He was wrong.

He was obviously also wrong about her being bored that night, since she didn't answer his call.  Might as well go bother everyone else, then.

Spending time with his younger sister could have been worse (she wasn't into barbies anymore), but Eden still couldn't tolerate it for much longer.  When he heard a car at the main gate, that was exactly what he wanted.  That had to either be Gina or Lucien coming home, and either of them could entertain him and save his evening.  He didn't care which it was right then, though Lucien was preferable.  Why the car stopped in front of the house, he didn't know, since it was Gina who got out.

Followed by Lucien.  What the hell?

He watched for a grand total of two minutes, taking note of the way she fit right into his brother's arms and how she leaned up on tiptoes to kiss him, and that was bad enough.  Having his brother bring her into the house and listening to his father discuss 'a good future' with his mother after Lucien and Gina had slipped off into the den was even worse.  A good future?  They didn't honestly think that Lucien would marry that girl, did they?  How could they?  Were they all mental?

Obviously.  So much for Lucien keeping his promise and playing Nintendo with him.  Eden passed out in a pissed off ball in his own room after he'd refrained from taking the guy's own bat to his room.  It had been tough, considering how furious he was, but being angry was much better than everything else.  He waited until breakfast the next morning to get his revenge.

"I hope her kisses with you aren't as sloppy as mine were, but if they are, just tell her to keep her mind on her lips and stop with the wandering hands.  Worked for me," he offered casually before getting up, almost satisfied with the horrified look on his brother's face.  Served the bastard right for getting with the girl Eden liked and disappointing him all in one night.  He didn't care if Lucien had known that Eden and Gina had been doing anything, because the let-down was enough.  Lucien had said he'd be home to spend time with Eden, and if he couldn't do something as simple as that with the person who should be more important to him, then why the hell did Eden even like him?  He didn't like his father, and that was exactly who Lucien was turning into.  His priorities were all screwed up, and the guy didn't even care.  Forget that.

Eden would go in his own direction, and see how many people he pissed off on the way.