SPAIN; Penthouse Experience (Leon/Open)

[Cherette Dahlia-KaileyLynn-Ida]

Cherette smiled as she reran the moment in her head of Leon speaking in Italian. There was nothing more attractive to her than a man who knew different languages. She grew up being taught by her drunken father the different languages that she knew. She was fluent in three and partially fluent in another one. "No, grazie." she uttered in a quiet voice from her perch on the railing. She smiled, her Italian sounding a bit too southern. She felt Leon take her hand. Her smile widened as she felt the warmth of his hand override the coolness of hers. She pulled a little on his hand. "C'mon, have you not been cliff diving? This is not too bad, it'll be fun. Per favore*?" (*please*) She pulled a little harder, trying to pull him up on the railing with her.

"If you don't go, I'll just have to risk having a battle with a shark alone." Her bottom lip stuck out a little as she pouted giving one last tug on his hand. She was about to give up and climb back down from the railing when a gust of wind blew, pushing against Cherette, nothing blocking it from her. A slightly surprised expressed washed across her face as she felt her hat beginning to slide from her head. In a quick flash, the hat flew from her head, Cherette releasing Leon's hand to grab it. Almost as quickly as she lost her hat, she realized what a bad idea it was for her to let go of the thing that was holding her on to the pier. A flash of worry rushed in as she let out a small scream as she tilted backward. Her hands clawing at the air for something to grip onto, she felt her nails rip straight through part of the outside of the railing.

Her eyes were wide with fear as she fell in what seemed like slow motion. She caught a glimpse of Leon, meeting his eyes as she plummeted. Things were going too fast. She turned her head as the water met her body. The feeling of being smacked with a bag full of bricks. Things faded for a moment, things growing slightly dark as she inhaled quickly. She panicked. Her lungs quickly filling with water with each inhale that she took. Cherette began kicking viciously and pushing her way toward the surface of the water, finally reaching it. She flew out, coughing up a storm, water pouring from her mouth with each back curling thrust of her lungs. She felt herself pushed, hard, against something that stuck into her back, feeling a sharp pain for a moment. She slowed her heart rate, looking around to take in her surroundings. The waves had her pinned against one of the poles underneath the pier. Well, shit, aren't I out of luck. Should've listened, you fool.

She pushed away from the pole with all the power she could, breaking free against the waves. She kicked her legs, rolling over to her back, floating across the water the waves slowing a little. She smiled, pleased. She couldn't remember the last time she went swimming. The water was a tad chilly, but the sun had been burning her skin so it felt refreshing. She felt her back hurting again as she stopped swimming for a moment to tread the water, running her hand down her back toward the pain. She pulled her hand back after hissing as her finger met the point of injury. The water beside her hinted of blood. She quickly looked behind her as she saw the scratch marks. "Leon! Le, I'm hurt." She said quietly, her brow creasing as she placed her hand over the cuts, her skin stinging with pain.

[Leonardo K. Mattias]

Blue eyes stared through binoculars as Angel stood at the window of the suite that had been designated hers and Leonardo's, more correctly simply Leonrado's considering she was not there to be enjoying herself but for work. "Give the young master his space but keep an eye on him, Angel. Do you understand?" The words of Lucia, her master and all but mother figure, rang in her ears even as she stared out the window watching Leon from afar. This was tentatively the first mission she had ever gone on alone considering it was the custom of Mattias servants to work in pairs unless for specific reasons. However, the young master had demanded as few servants as possible come with him. Thus, she had been assigned on her own. Quite frankly, it unnerved her to a certain degree. She did not enjoy being alone and in a different country no less. What would happen if there was trouble of any sort? What if the young master's attacker showed up? She was confident in her abilities to defend, yet at the same time, if there were more of them, she wasn't sure she could handle them all. To say the least of it, this was not going to be a vacation for her until the young master had returned home.

As he had appeared to chat with a woman before walking down the beach with her, Angel had allowed it. From her position, she could not detect the fact that the woman was a vampire, only that Leonardo had stopped strangely before addressing her. It could easily be written off as some sort of interest, and Angel too had been among the group of servants that had happened to hear Leonardo's comments on possibly picking up a date. Thus the interest was boiled down to that in her mind. If for a moment she had believed Leonardo was in danger, Angel would have pulled her sniper's gun and fired without a second thought to the balance of the situation. However, luckily for Leonardo and Cherette, there was nothing in the way of actions that warranted it. At one point, they had headed farther down the beach than she could see from the glass, and after a few maneuvers here and there, she was out on the patio area glancing out and trying to appear as least ambiguous as possible. A few people caught her staring out, but she had quickly diverted attention to a pair of gulls sailing across the ocean line, and she was written off as a strange bird observer as intended.

A color drew to Angel's face as she watched the scenes of the pier take place, and though she would never admit it, she felt the strange desire to look away, to leave the young master to his private business. It did not appear like he was in danger or anything of the like, and he certainly had a cell phone if he really needed her. However, she would not abandon her guard even for a moment least something in the situation change. She would not fail Lucia, the woman she adored more than anyone, who had been kind enough to become the parent she no longer had. She would not fail the Mattias household that had given her the chance to have a purpose in life, and she would not fail the young master Leonardo even if it meant divulging into his private affairs. She would keep him safe. This was what Angel told herself as she looked out trying to reconcile with the fact that the simple actions were not something for her eyes.

Though in the back of his mind, Leonardo was aware that Angel was probably watching, he had assured himself that with enough care, she wouldn't suspect too much. However, possibly dropping off the pier and into the water was not only still dangerous for the both of them depending on the water's current and the like but would also attract Angel's attention no doubt. He was bound and determined to keep that from happening, and even as she tried to convince him and puled a little on his hand, Le remained where he was. "Miss Cherette," he began before she stated that she would go even if he didn't. Leonardo frowned caught between impulses but still desiring to remain where he was. There was too much at stake at the moment for such a thing to be tested. As the wind went by, Leonardo reached up with his free hand and pushed the locks of hair back. With himself grounded, it didn't push as hard. However, Cherette's hand slipped from his as she made to snatch a rogue hat. In an instant Leonardo made to snatch at her hand again, but even as the scream hit his ears, he realized he had missed the chance. SHIT! he mentally roared. "CHERETTE!" he shouted making to lean over the railing even as he watched her fall into the water. The series of mental swears that echoed in Leonardo's mind would never be repeated from his lips even as he leaned over the rail. A scream hit the air as it seemed a human had looked over just in time to see the woman fall, but Leonardo barely heard it as he himself was already climbing over the wood and all too quickly jumping down into the water.

The series of mental swearing that went through Leonardo's mind was all but being mimicked in Angel's mind as she watched the woman fall off the rail and then her own young master jump in after. She had wanted to call Leon the moment the woman had climbed the railing, but she had hoped he would have it under control and be able to get her back down. However, the wind seemed to have other plans. To see the thing she was protecting go over a pier was enough to initiate a silent scream in her mind as she all but threw down the binoculars that she had been using to get the best visual she could of her protectee even with her own enhanced vision and was already climbing over the ledge of the hotel. Dropping down easily to the second ledge and then easily hopping the remaindering ones with the skill and percision of not only a werewolf but of one having been trained by what she considered to be one of the best there was, Lucia, Angel darted down towards the beach easily spring boarding off the fine cloth of a table umbrella at the very bottom and bounding over the small gate that separated the beach from the back of the hotel with ease before dashing to the actual beach and then down it.

There were several screams of surprise certainly considering a woman scaling down a hotel was not something anyone saw on a daily basis, but when someone suggested that she was a stunt woman doing some sort of afternoon feat for viewers by a man who had happened to be right under the umbrella that Angel had jumped on, the screams of surprise quickly became a round of applause. Angel didn't understand the sentiment though and quite frankly didn't care right then and there. Instead, she kept herself moving now bounding down through the sand like a hunter after her pray. Young master you better be alright... Angel mentally swore harshly as the sand whipped by her and her short blond hair rippled with each of her speedy motions. Miss Lucia will have my entrails if you're harmed... That was actually not the worst part, and Angel sadly knew it. If harm did come to Leonardo, it was not Lucia that she was worried about. Mitchel Mattias was the man she would have to answer to, and that frightened her more than the grim reaper himself. There were very few that could actually startle or scare Angel. She had grown up in circumstances that were less than ideal, and thus the thought of pain was almost laughable. However, when she had been taken in by the Mattias group, she found love and found fear. The alpha was not to be toyed with, and his children were to be treated as nothing but the best. Failure to protect them was not an option.

What exactly Leonardo was thinking when he had literally climbed over the thing that was supposed to be protecting him from falling and going diving into the water the werewolf couldn't honestly tell you. In that moment impulse had become action, and the desire to keep someone safe had once more overridden his mind. He supposed it was akin to the time he had thrown himself over Gwendolyn even as bullets went flying, but in that time he had assured himself it was because she was family. He had a duty to protect the youngest Mattias simply by being the oldest of the siblings and with no servant there at the time. However, he could not make this the main reason for his rash actions even as he too went falling towards the ocean. What was it then that had caused him to so quickly throw out the thoughts of danger and the question of Angel now when it had not been a problem before? He supposed it was the instinct to protect. How silly, yet that was all he could link it back to.

He had enough sanity in him to draw his arms up above him as he then dove into the water hands first managing to break some of the impact in the process. All too quickly the current with her cruel and unabiding fingers made to strange him, yet as if his body remembered more than his mind, he began to swim sharply towards the surface easily breaking through it. Though the torrent of water threatened to smash him against the side of the pier, he swam away from it cutting back a ways to avoid the pull. Whether he realized it or not, Leonardo had easily swum hundreds of feet away from the pier before surfacing fully and looking around. Brown eyes scoured for the woman that had landed in the water before him, but just as he caught sight of her, she was slammed against the pier by the water's current. Flinching for but a moment, he swam forwards after her with sharp even strokes, the strength and stamina of which should not have been in his body then and there. Somewhere in the back of his mind, something was growling in Leonardo. What or why, he had no idea as the desire to simply keep her from harm was deafening everything else.

As she pushed away from the pole and rolled away from the water, he started after her swimming slower now as a he realized there was a subtle exhaustion suddenly hitting his bones. However, he would not slow now. As her voice hit his ears, Leonardo didn't even stop to consider how a vampire could be injured and instead took off after her drawing up to her now all too quickly. "Where?" he asked before he realized her motions in the water favored her back. "The salt water's only going to make it worse," he almost barked out. "You need to get back to land." All too quickly thereafter he extended a hand to her. If she took it, he'd turn and power back to the beach.

Angel, meanwhile, was powering down the beach her eyes focused on the pier as she went. As Leonardo's head had jutted out of the water, she felt an immense relief before continuing forwards. Just a little farther and she'd make it there!

[Cherette Dahlia-KaileyLynn-Ida]

Cherette kicked her feet, treading the water to keep her head above it. She pushed herself out from under the pier, the current of the waves settling. She looked down, the depths of water continuing farther than her eyes could reach. She pulled her hand from the deep scratches on her back. He turned to see Leon swimming up to her, extending his hand. She was surprised to see him in the water with her. "I think you're a little wet." she giggled as his clothes stuck to him and his hair seemed to be longer as it dropped with water.

She smiled faintly as she took his hand, kicking the water hard as they paddled back toward land. She could hear a small cheer from people up on the dock above as they reached the shore, safe and sound. Cherette frowned as she realized she had just lost both her hat and sunglasses to the ocean. at least some fish will be fashionable I guess She dragged her legs a little as she waded back up toward the expanse of sand.

She couldn't remember having an incident such as that one before. She wasn't too badly hurt, as far as she could tell. The scratches had stopped bleeding but were still stinging as the saltwater ran from her body. She could see them quickly healing as they began looking more and more like a mere scar before they would disappear altogether. Her mind wandered from her small healing wound to the lady that was running down the beach. Had she seen joggers pacing up and down the stretch of sand before, she would have dismissed this woman. Something was different. No, this woman was sprinting. She had a determination about her and she was headed straight at her and Leon. She could feel her fangs grow a little as she began to feel the urgency of a threat approaching. "Le, who is that?" she asked, her eyes narrowing as she loosened her grip on his hand, seeing if he was going to let go of it.

[Leonardo K. Mattias]

There was no doubt that Leonardo Mattias was drenched. From head to toe he was coated in the salty sea water, and had he been in a different mindset, he would have remembered why he didn't like swimming in the sea. It was not the water that he disliked. It was not even the fact that his clothes and hair were now all but plastered to him or folding around with the current of the water. No, it was the salt that he found distasteful. He could practically feel, taste, and see the salt in it, and he hated it. Though some would say that salt baths were supposed to be relaxing, Leonardo would argue that until he was blue in the face. Having small particles run up against his skin was far from pleasant for him. As she commented that he looked a little wet, Leon shook his head using his unextended hand for a moment to run his fingers through his wet locks this time not for show of habit but to get them out of his eyes. "A bit," he replied.

As she took his hand, Leon pulled Cherette close before starting to swim back towards shore. Thankfully, once they had gotten to a certain point, the water was more willing to cooperate and push them towards shore before sinking back again. As he finally found a place he could stand, Leon did so before walking the rest of the way back up the shore line. As he finally came to the sand, Leonardo had to fight the urge to sit down right then and there. He was tired, indeed now that the instant adrenaline had worn off, but he would keep his stance even as dribbles of water traced down his clothes and hair and off to the sand. Grasping one of his stretched out sleeves and squeezing some of the water out of it, Leonardo eyed Cherette's wounds watching as they started to all but disappear. Vampires.. he reminded himself well aware that his own injuries would normally do the same save for in the case and place of silver. Haphazardly at that thought, Leonardo felt the muscles in the back of his shoulder where the bullet wound had long since closed up twitch. Rolling the shoulder as he squeezed water out of the other sleeve, he sighed. "It seems the damage was not extensive, thankfully," he stated aloud.

However, it seemed that Cherette was not going to reply just yet as she asked her own question. It was only then that Leonardo turned his head and caught sight of Angel running down the beach. Damn it.. he mentally swore knowing good and well it was only a matter of time before Angel realized what Cherette was. How was he going to explain all of this? Gaining as much composure as he actually could, he waited until Angel was finally in ear shot before actually speaking. "Cherette, this is Angel, one of my servants," he explained. "I normally have a few accompany me on different business trips." This was quite truthful, in fact, and Leonardo could get away with this explanation without really lying when it was all said and done. He just wasn't telling the full truth of the matter- not like this was anything new for him, though.

Angel stopped running the moment her keen ears caught her own name being stated realizing that it was better to slow now that there was no immediate danger. Internally, she swore at not having been able to react faster and deal with the situation more effectively. At least it seemed there was no direct harm done just yet. A better inspection was required. Slowing to what would have been considered a human jog, she finally came up to the two. Just as she was taking in some air to calm her body down, Angel tensed at the scent of the vampire now so close. All too quickly her eyes grew. Her hand rushing towards her holster, the lycan ripped one of the Mattias's own hand guns dressed in Michlangelo's own artwork no less. "Freeze," she snapped out eyes directly on Cherette body bristling. "What are you doing, vampire?" she snapped out.

Leonardo tensed at Angel's sharp willingness to fire. "Angel," he ordered sharply causing her to freeze briefly. "It is alright, Cherette is a friend of mine. Lower your weapon, now." The promptness of her words was enough to cause Angel to fidget. What the hell? she mentally snapped out angrily as her own lycan blood demanded a fight of some sort. If this vampire had not gone over the side of the pier, she wouldn't have had to deal with the near heart attack of seeing Leon go over as well. Now that she knew the woman was a vampire, all too many accusations were being made in her mind. However, all together, she could not dismiss a direct order from the young master. Slowly but surely, she lowered her gun simply staring at Cherette challengingly.

"Forgive me for not having reacted sooner to the incident, young master Mattias," Angel replied a tad coldly her eyes never once leaving Cherette's. What was this vampire doing here?

[Cherette Dahlia-KaileyLynn-Ida]

Cherette could feel her fangs pushing against her cheeks as the extended more, watching the threat get closer and closer. She couldn't explain why she felt threatened. She looked at Leon for a moment. Of course you know why you're getting protective, silly. You're around a werewolf. she lied to herself. It seemed like a normal routine to her now, lying; especially to herself. She scowled at her conscience. She looked from Leon back to the woman. She could smell the lycan's blood from where she stood. She knew it was not Leon that she was smelling because this one smelled much more of... dog.

She thought about Leon's response as to who the woman was. Servants? Well, I guess he is a Mattias, they can afford that kind of crap. How dreadfully boring that would be. Not having to do anything yourself, paying someone else to do it all for you.. She frowned a little as she told herself to relax, her fangs taking longer than usual to retract. The woman was now close to where Leon and herself were standing. The lycan drew a gun, a Mattias handgun, and pointed it at Cherette's skull. "Well, hello to you too, darlin'. You should put that thing away before you hurt yourself." She waved her hand toward the woman, dismissing the weapon pointed at her. She was well aware of this being a crude move and yet, she didn't really care at the moment.

Cherette gave the woman a forced but sweet smile before she continued. "The 'vampire' has a name, too. Cherette Lynn-Ida." She introduced herself, giving a small but dramatic curtsy, a serious look washing over her features. She smiled a little as Leon corrected his own servant, instructing a removal of the weapon pointed at Cherette. She shrugged her shoulders briefly as she felt the tide beginning to rise as a wave pushed the water up the beach to her feet. Her skin was beginning to burn hotter now, the sunscreen being completely washed off. She looked up from the water to the lycan's eyes, narrowing her own. Servant or not, she did not like how this one looked at her.

She knew that it was harmless to have a gun pointed at her, seeing as it wouldn't have killed her to begin with. Sure, it would have sucked having to pull one of those out; but in a few hours time she would be good as new. She may have only been a vampire for 23 years now, but she at least knew that. She stared for a moment at the gun that was slowly being replaced in the holster. What was she doing? Here she was, walking down the beach, with a stranger, being threatened with a weapon she handled every day while slowly being scorched by the sun. She felt her wound completely seal up as she turned to look up at Leon. "Well, it appears as if I'm intruding on your servant's job, so it may seem. I shall leave you two alone."

She seemed almost snappy and as soon as she said it, Cherette wished she hadn't. Surely Leon hadn't sent this woman after her. It was just her job to protect. Her real problem at the moment was escaping the sun. She felt a tinge of discomfort as she remembered her sunglasses and hat were somewhere in the bottom of the ocean. The heat was beginning to make her grow irritable as she turned on her heel and began to walk back down the beach in the direction of her hotel. The sand was hot and surprisingly hard as she took heavy, quick steps. She counted the shells as she walked trying to pass time and to not think about what she was doing.

[Leonardo K. Mattias]

The worst part of the situation for Leonardo then and there was that, though Cherette probably didn't know it, Angel could have done some serious damage. Due to the vampire attack that had nearly done Leon in, Mitchel had ordered the servants not only to carry the standard bullets but ones of an explosive nature, a type that combusted the moment they met a target releasing literal fire in the process, enough to cause damage to a vampire, or so it was said. It was a precaution as Mitchel himself had called it since all that was revealed was that the attacker had been a vampire, and it could happen again with the same vampire or maybe another. Whether these bullets were in the gun the blond was holding were these explosive sorts or whether they were the standard bullets, right then and there, Leonardo had no way of knowing. Either way, it wasn't good to have a gun pointed at the damn woman he was trying to get information from! God damn it Angel he mentally snapped out, the words never leaving his mouth.

Angel, meanwhile, was bristled more than an electrocuted cat as she stared at the woman near Leonardo. The greeting and suggestion was enough to elicit a small growl from her throat, and the wave of dismissal nearly caused her to pull the trigger. How dare she speak so lowly as if she didn't know how to fire a gun. She had learned from the best, and that was all there was to it. Even as the woman introduced herself, it only served to adjudicate the sharpshooter. If not for Leonardo's orders, she would not have hesitated to retaliate. Leonardo, meanwhile, was swearing in his own mind trying desperately to find a way to claim the situation back again. He would not let it all come crashing down here, damn it all. He knew good and well that Angel was doing her job as instructed by his father himself, but that certainly wasn't helping what he was trying to achieve in the least. As Angel calmed a little, Leonardo calmed as well. Thank God he mentally sighed hoping to then salvage the situation.

As Cherette turned to him, Leonardo looked back at her offering a weakened smile. "Sorry for that.." he began before she began to speak causing him to mentally deadpan in the process. God damn it he hissed venomously before looking sideways and quite literally leering at Angel, those sharp brown eyes revealing something violent in the man that had kept his cool for so long. Some part of Angel died as she stared into those clearly harsh scrutinizing eyes of the young master's, and for a brief moment, she felt the insatiable urge to bolt away as quickly as she could. Standing there, she squared her shoulders looking up at him and trying to be as calm as possible. Leonardo' meanwhile, was fighting down the ridiculous urge to raise his hand and slap the woman across the face for causing more problems for him. He would not do it, though. He was a Mattias, and he would not stooop so low even if every impulse in him was retaliating at her for messing up what he had so intricately made.

Leon's glance was for but a second before he looked forwards again watching Cherette take down the beach. "Angel take a walk," Leonardo ordered flatly before suddenly taking after Cherette. Angel was left standing there utterly speechless as a hot blush of embarrassment coated her features. Sure she had done her job, and sure she didn't believe she should have been scrutinized so harshly. However, it didn't help the rush of emotions that were now coming to her from his words. Turning, she made to bolt in the opposite direction all too quickly forgetting that it was her responsibility to keep after him even when he didn't want her to. She may have been Lucia's apprentice of sorts, but she was not a full fledged adult, it seemed. Leonardo, meanwhile, was catching up with Cherette. "Miss Cherette," he called rather quickly before closing the distance before coming to walk beside her. "I hope you will forgive my servant's blunder... she was simply too quick to act..." he began.

[Cherette Dahlia-KaileyLynn-Ida]

Cherette had wrapped her arms around her as she walked with determination down the beach. She shrugged off the looks of fellow beach-goers that she was receiving. She kicked a few shells out of her way as she walked, frustration making the impact of her foot to the shells a bit more than it should have been. She wanted to just tilt her head back and scream, or better yet, walk out into the ocean and just not swim. She thought about her lungs filling with water and even still not being able to die. She had no heart, why was she still trying to use it for a man?

She heard her name being called by Leon from behind her which caused her to pick up her pace a little more, her shoulders slumping. She bit her tongue as he took his stride beside her apologizing for the previous situation. "She's just doing her job." She frowned, kicking another shell much harder than she intended, sending it almost into a child's sandcastle. The small boy picked up the shell with a smile and placed it on top of his masterpiece. He smiled up at Cherette as she walked past. She offered a shy, brief smile before she continued. "Leonardo, are you following me?" she asked, her tone again slightly snappy.

Why was she irritated? Maybe it had to do with the fact she had just walked away from a gun in her face or maybe it was the fact she was, indeed actually falling for this man more and more with every moment she spent with him. He had dived off the pier to save her. He also wrote off his own servant on her case AND chased after her to apologize. She tightened her arms around herself as she clenched her jaw, looking straight forward down the beach, finding her chair approaching fairly quickly.

[Leonardo K. Mattias]

As Cherette was quickly to reply, all but defending Angel's actions, Leonardo mentally sighed. She had indeed been doing her job, especially considering the circumstances of Cherette being a vampire, but in the process his protector had caused a scene and a stress on the relationship that he was doing his best to build until it flowered and bared the fruit that he so desperately desired. That in itself was simply intolerable at the moment. A small mental 'tch' sound reverberated in the back of Leonardo's mind, but he managed not to do it aloud. Instead, a mild expression remained on his features as though he wasn't too fazed but concerned.

As she asked if he was going to follow her rather than why he was following her, Leonardo had to stop and correct himself from the answer he was about to give. "I suppose you could say that," he replied looking back up towards the hotel that she seemed to be headed towards- or at least in the direction that they were headed towards. It was his own, indeed, and he couldn't help but wonder which room she resided in. Did it really matter anyways? Not now, but it was something to look into. He could even ask if it happened to come up in the correct way. The last thing he needed was to put some sort of unnecessary tension on this strange predicament. "My intention was to catch up with you and apologize, but now that I have, I am unsure of what I wish to do," he replied back somberly watching as various people moved on the beach. It was falling into the latter half of the day, and many had gone in but still more had come out. Brown eyes glanced at children, women, and the men that happened to be in the vicinity that they were passing through. Thankfully it was all white noise as nothing really stood out to him amongst the people besides the notion that they were probably simply beach goers or vacationers. The last thing he wanted was a surprise or two.

A brown eye glanced sideways at Cherette taking in her form and noticing for the first time since he had jumped into the water just how inflamed her skin appeared to be. All too quickly he was reminded that she was a vampire, and all too quickly he was reminded that she was probably not as protected as she had been before from the sun's rays. He played with the idea of offering her his shirt for some extra protection, but he supposed that it was a question of destination. If she was headed to where he believed, then it wasn't too far. If not, then he would measure from there. "I don't suppose you would enjoy a nice dinner and maybe a split desert, would you?" he mused out after a moment remembering the question he had asked before.

[Cherette Dahlia-KaileyLynn-Ida]

Cherette smirked a little as Leon confirmed that he was following her. She wrapped her arms tighter around her as the sun burnt her skin more and more. She gave a sideways glance to her companion as he explained himself. "It's ok, Leon. You can still walk with me. This heat... the heat is just getting to me, that's all. Sorry for snapping." She let her hands drop to her sides as she let a sigh escape her lips. They were nearing the chair she had left earlier. She could see it sitting, undisturbed. She stopped walking as Leon proposed her fantasy date to her. She turned and looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Really? You actually want to do that?"

She felt herself fighting the urge to throw her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. A small smile played on her lips as she thought of splitting a desert with the man. She turned around and stooped down to her chair to pull out her dress. She pulled her purse out from under the chair, placing it in the seat before pulling the dress out and over her head, blocking the sun from her back, stomach and part of her legs. Her smile was now broad while she rummaged through her bag. She picked it up, placed it on her shoulder and began folding her chair. After she had folded her chair, she stood, lifting it up with her. "I would love to go on a date with you, Le. I will just need a bit to freshen up. I live up there." She pointed straight behind where her beach chair had been sitting.

She nodded for a moment before turning back to face Leon. She stood on her toes and pecked him on the cheek. She could feel herself in an almost giddy state. "Thank you." she whispered before heading toward the hotel. Her shoulders felt like they were blistered and her eyes burned. Cherette was relieved to be inside the hotel the sun rays unable to reach her burning skin. She left her chair by the back door as she didn't want to trek dirt inside the hotel. She reached the elevator, taking a step inside and pressed the button at the very bottom. The PH lit up red as the doors began to close and she took a deep breath, preparing herself for what would behold her later that evening.

[Leonardo K. Mattias]

A small calm smile came to Leonardo's lips as Cherette stated that he could continue to walk with her. Though he probably would have followed her even if she had ordered him not to, he was more than a little thankful that she was willing to cooperate especially after that tense situation. Mentally, Leonardo swore again wishing that he had not been forced to take Angel along. However, as if Irony wished to kick him in the teeth, he was reminded of what had happened when he had allowed Lucia and Gudio to leave his side in the restaurant. He had been shot and by a vampire no less. Surely Angel knew that all too well and was jumping to his defense. Mentally sighing, Leonardo was caught between emotions. She had certainly put pressure on his situation with her actions, but if Cherette had attacked him, he was sure that the young blond would have defended him rather quickly. He supposed he would have to apologize or something later on when alone.

"It is quite warm out," he replied nodding his head a little and drawing a few fingers through his still wet hair. How long it would take for his person to dry completely was debatable. Already, some strands had dried out due to the sheer heat and willingness of the atmosphere to pick it up. As he gave his small proposal, Leonardo waited patiently for an answer, but it seemed he need not hold his breath for her expression as she turned already gave acceptance. The question thereafter drew a nod from Leon. "I would not ask of such a thing unless I would be willing," he chuckled softly. As she pulled her pursue from the beach chair, Leonardo actually realized how close they had come to the spot where he had nearly passed her. Watching her slide on her dress with ease, Leonardo allowed a soft hum to escape from her. "That dress looks beautiful on you but pales in comparison with your simple radiance," he chuckled allowing himself to smile a bit more.

As she lifted the chair and expressed that she would be pleased to go on the date with him, Leonardo smiled simply back at her. The thank you was unexpected but the kiss was accepted easily enough his hand briefly reaching to his cheek.
As she pointed up towards the hotel, Leonardo allowed his eyes to glance up at it. Heh, it was indeed the same hotel he was inhabiting. Looking back down at her, Leonardo gave a brief bow. "I see," he began a brief chuckle coming to him. "That happens to be the hotel I am staying in as well... shall we each depart to our rooms for now and meet up once more say on the bottom lobby in about an hour? I shall have restaurant reservations by then," he mused out melodically once more. Watching her start walking towards the hotel, he followed after with ease.

He allowed her to have an elevator to herself before going up his own easily stepping out and down the hallway back to his room. Upon entering, he found Angel sitting in a chair reading a book rather hard her bright eyes focused. She didn't even look up when he had entered initially but flipped a page. "Welcome back, young master Mattias,"she stated more mechanically than normal. Leonardo felt his muscles stiffen a little. There was a momentary silence between the two of them thereafter before Leonardo closed the door behind himself.

"I am going on a date in an hour," Leonardo stated as he walked towards his private room stepping in and closing the door behind him, the thought of any sort of apology having slipped his mind. Instead, he took a shower, brushed and fixed his hair, and dressed in a more reasonable suit. Upon exiting, he found Angel was no longer in the hair, her bedroom door being closed, though. Sighing, he fished open his phone and made a few calls, reserving one of the higher end restaurants in the area with fluid ease before shutting his phone and deciding to leave. Exiting the suite and starting back to the elevator, he leaned against the railing briefly waiting for it to descend before stepping out into the lobby to wait.

[Cherette Dahlia-KaileyLynn-Ida]

Cherette leaned against the back wall of the elevator as she rode it up to the top of the hotel. She wrapped her arms around her and sighed, smiling a little, as she thought about the date she was about to prepare for. Once she reached the top floor, the doors opened with a ding and she stepped out into the carpeted hallway. She walked into her floor and dropped her items off at the door, careful not to track in any sand. She headed straight for the shower, relieving her skin of the torment she put it through with the sun. Once she was finished in the shower, she stepped out into the bathroom to wrap her hair and body in towels and to run a toothbrush over her teeth. She twirled for a moment in the bathroom, humming to herself.

The tiles on the floor were cold on her feet, but Cherette didn't seem to be bothered too much by it. She opened the door, the steam from the shower flooding out into her bedroom. She walked over to a new set of doors and opened them to a large closet. Her clothing was neatly hung up and organized. Must have been room service. She smiled, shrugging. She ran her fingers, slowly, over each outfit as she contemplated the best one for the evening's festivities. She frowned, shaking her head as she didn't find anything suitable to her taste. With that, she walked out of the closet, closed the doors a little too rough and sat down at the table in her living room with a huff. She opened the laptop she had left there and pulled up the internet browser.

Cherette hadn't been shopping online but once before. She always ordered her items that she needed through someone or went to the store herself. She frowned as all the pages she saw were in Spanish. "Well, at least it's one I'm fluent in." She chuckled, clicking on what appeared to be an expensive clothing label. She scrolled through the photos of the dresses they had. She was just about to give up with that label when she stumbled upon the last selection. It was a beautiful maroon, mermaid-style dress with needlepoint artwork sewn on by hand. She sat back in her chair, crossing her arms. She contemplated the dress, drawn in by the delicacy and the beauty of the skill and art that was put into the dress. She shrugged and clicked Add To Cart. She went on to order a pair of lavish looking earrings and a necklace to match. She nodded. This would do.

It wasn't long after she had purchased the items when she heard a knock on the front door of the penthouse. She smiled, opening the door, revealing a small, maid-looking lady with a large bag draped over her arms before her. "Miss Chareet?" Her pronunciation of her name brought a smile to Cherette's face. "It's Cherette." She corrected, nodding at the lady. The small woman looked slightly puzzled as she handed over the large bulk and took in Cherette's features. She must have been a sight in a robe with her wet hair hanging down in a fiery mess. Once the package was in Cherette's possession, the little lady turned and walked back down the hall, stepping into the elevator.

Cherette smiled as she closed the front door, staring down at the heavy package in her arms. She knew exactly what it was. She quickly walked to her room, laying the long bulk on her bed, fumbling around with it until she found a zipper. She unzipped the package and smiled as the maroon shown through. She pulled the dress out, hugging it close to her. She stripped herself of her robe and easily slid on the silk and lace dress. She hummed in pleasure as she felt the silk slide against her skin. It was perfect to her. It was completely worth the small fortune she spent on the outfit. She put on the earrings and the necklace to complete the outfit as she stepped back into the bathroom to do her hair.

As Cherette stepped out of her penthouse and locked the door behind her, a loose curl escaped from her up-do. She finished with the door and dropped the keys into her small handbag she clutched. She walked down the hallway, taking a few slow steps and then speeding up some as she adjusted to her tall stilettos. She glanced at the elevator and then shook her head. She opened the door to the right of the elevator revealing another hall that opened up to a large staircase, lit by the setting sun. She nodded as she proceeded toward the stairs and down them. The staircase led into the open lobby. She smiled as she stepped off the last step. She quickly licked her teeth to remove any red lipstick that had stained them before proceeding to her date. "Excuse me, sir. But, I can't help but noticing you there. Do you have plans for the evening, or are you free?" she teased, slightly taking another step toward him in a flirty manner. "You look very sharp and handsome." she added smiling as she waited for the agenda for the evening.

[Leonardo K. Mattias]

The sound of heels clapping down the stairs vibrated Leonardo’s ears drawing his brown eyes away from the various patterns and arrangements within the lobby that he had been occupying himself with. He had been waiting a few minutes there after he had stepped out of the elevator. However, of all the things that he was, Leon was patient. The business-like werewolf could wait indefinitely for something that was worth wile for him, and in this case, finding the continuing trail of the gun or possibly the end of it and controlling the source was indeed worth it. He had wrapped a woman around his fingers, but he couldn’t pull too hard just yet. There were other factors that he needed to consider especially how that he had revealed himself. No, he would wait and play along making sure that he had control at every twist and turn. That was the type of man he was. He was a Mattias, after all.

Brown eyes glanced sideways just as the woman came down the stairs, but for a moment Leonardo froze as he caught sight of Cherette. Her dress, he hair, her attention to detail, was unmatched by any human that he had ever met, and that in itself was a reminder that she was not all of what she appeared to be. The unearthly quality was gorgeous yet a reminder all the same. A small curl of Leonardo’s lips registered as a calm smile as the woman came forwards. Turning fully to her as she made her way over to him, Leonardo chuckled a little at her initial words. ”My splendid, wondrous, precious woman,” the eldest child of the Mattias’s newest lineage mused elegantly back taking a rather deep bow his right arm extending out briefly before curling under his waist briefly before he stood up once more meeting her gaze. “It would be nothing short of my honor if you we might share the evening together,” he finished sweetly, the smile upon his lips heightening as he spoke.

As she noted that he looked rather nice in his own right, Leonardo chuckled a tad. It was normal for him to dress as such though he did add a bit of flare here and there, Leonardo supposed. “This meager suit pales in comparison with such an elegant dress- though I believe you wear it better than anyone,” Leon chuckled a small joke of his own design coming to the surface. He couldn’t imagine himself in a dress and would never dream of wearing one, heh. In truth, he was honest in his compliments, though, whether Leonardo wanted to admit it to himself or not. She was borderline fantastic dressed up in such a way, though he assured himself it was because she was indeed supernatural in poise and stature. Even this reminder did not take away from the fact that she was brilliant.

Leonardo mentally scoffed reminding himself once more that he was not there to simply stare. He was a man on a mission, after all, and that required taking this beautiful woman on a date. “While I could honestly spend the next few days at very least observing your utter radiance, the dinner reservations at the restaurant only last for twenty-four hours,” Leon hummed. “Shall we go?” he asked extending a hand to her and allowing his smile to heighten.

[Cherette Dahlia-KaileyLynn-Ida]

Cherette smiled as Leon made his remarks about her choice of clothing and her beauty. She knew that the fact that she was inhuman had to add to her appearance. The fact that she seemed to flow as she walked and her flesh was almost without blemish, that is, except for her endless amount of freckles. But those were there before she was transformed into a beast. She smiled as he bowed low before her. "Don't embarrass me now." She giggled, her stomach knotting up again as he stood up and she saw his face clearly. Her smile broadened and her eyes fell at his comment of remaining in her presence for days. Wouldn't I love you to... She shook off her mental note before sighing, a new smile creeping across her face.

She had never spent so much on an outfit before, let alone wear something so expensive. She could feel the eyes of all the people in the hotel on her as the silk-lace dress fell elegantly around her. The manager looked up over his book that he was reading from behind the desk. Cherette's gaze met his eyes as he stared at her figure. Something in the back of her thoughts clicked as her eyes narrowed slightly as the man looked at her, his eyes filled with lust. Once he noticed her "death" glare, he cleared his throat and quickly glanced back to his book. Her glare eased as she looked back to Leon. She shrugged apologetically as she took his hand, smiling. She was ready for this date and she was going to do what it would take to get this man as wrapped around her finger as she was his. She was determined.

[Leonardo K. Mattias]

If Cherette had not giggled the simple order not to embarrass her, Leonardo would have apologized and simply stated that her beauty was too much not to comment on. However, the small laugh of sorts was enough to assure him that she was not too serious on the matter at the very least. Thus he would keep going just a little. Though he was focused on Cherette, Leonardo too could practically feel the stirs that were being drawn to them, to her who was near him. A strange brief amount of pride worked its way into his veins, but it sobered briefly with the reassurance that this should be common. Of course Leonardo Mattias's date should be nothing but eye catching, making everyone in the room either envious of her or envious of him depending on gender, of course.

As Cherette had glanced sideways, Leonardo had as well following her gaze to the man behind the counter. Some internal part of him briefly growled from the look that was being reflected, but it would never reach the surface of Leonardo's features much less his throat. He was a gentleman for the night- for every night, of course. It seemed the man found his place, though whether it was from Cherette's glare or Leonardo's judgmental gaze was questionable at best. However, when he finally cleared his throat and looked down again, Leonardo slowly drew his eyes back to Cherette again glancing over her dress and such once more before smiling easily. As she took his hand, he briefly stopped his shift in stance and drew her to him slowly leaning forwards and kissing her lips gently. He held it for a few seconds, just enough to make the hotel lobby aware that he wasn't in the mood to share, and slowly broke it again. There, that should make it clear enough, yes?

"Sadly I could not bring a car here, but I did have a limousine called," he mused quietly to her before slowly leading her out the doors thereafter. "I hope it is to your liking," he continued before leading her down the stairs to where a long car was indeed waiting for them. Its driver, a rather sharply dressed old man who didn't seem at all fazed by the man who was walking out with his date, stood alongside the car and easily pulled open the door as the two approached. Leonardo gave a brief nod to the man before helping Cherette just a little into the car before following suit inside. The driver closed the door, walked around the car, climbed in the driver's seat, and started off towards the designated restaurant- one of the most expensive and highly esteemed in the area.

Resting back into the leather of the limo, Leonardo briefly breathed in the crisp smell that came with such cars, a much better smell than some of the things he had been encouraged to whiff as of late, before smiling and gazing at the woman in the car with him. "What shall we talk of, or shall we play another game?" he asked falling back into his formalities as the back of his mind drew back the logic of why he was doing all of this. He had questions to ask, but he would wait. He would keep waiting. Yes that was why he was there, though the perks of having a beautiful date were certainly... becoming nice.

[Cherette Dahlia-KaileyLynn-Ida]

Cherette leaned into Leon's kiss, her breath caught in her throat as she closed her eyes, lingering for a brief moment. He pulled away and broke the moment stating that he ordered a limousine. She finally opened her eyes, smirking a little as she placed a finger on her lower lip where his had previously been as he turned to walk down the front stairs. A limousine!! Behave yourself now, Cher. Don't ruin it. As they stepped outside she was greeted by warm salty air. She smiled, taking in a deep breath of the fresh air. She liked it here, a lot more than she cared for Russia. She had always preferred the warm weather over the cold. She paused, biting her lip as she thought of the constant chilly weather she would have to eventually return to. She shrugged off the thought as she and her date approached the car.

A man dressed immaculately in a sharp suit was standing in front of the limo. She felt a smile creep across her face as she looked to Leon. "I love it." A new sense of energy came over her as she seemed to bound up to the extended cab, the driver opening the door for her and Leon. She felt her date's hand as he helped her into the car, climbing in behind her and the door shutting securely. As soon as she climbed into the car she was hit with the scent of car freshener and leather. She smiled again. It was a recently new vehicle. She appreciated that much. Such vehicles sometimes could not have the stench of bachelor party's after-mess washed out. She climbed deeper into the cab, the leather seats lining both sides of the cab including the front and back. She was careful not to trip over the small glass-looking table in the middle.

Cherette dropped her small clutch to her side on the leather seat as she settled back, watching as Leon climbed in across from her. The light was dim once the door was closed behind them, due to the well tinted windows. She could only imagine what kind of money was put into renting such vehicle. She knew the meaning of having the possession of such money; her fiancee was once well off before. But those were times that were well gone. 23 years had passed since her time with that heartless human. She shook her head for a moment, reflecting on the harsh moment that the man had thrown their 6 year long relationship away in the blink of an eye. The thought was whisked away almost as quickly as it had come upon her. She looked up from her feet that she had caught herself staring at only to meet the gaze of the night's date.

She smiled briefly as he asked her for another game. "Games are always pleasing. How about you choose this one, yes?" She bit her tongue as she caught her slight European side showing for a mere second. The corner of her mouth twitched as she realized what she was doing. She was trying to keep herself so in line for this man that she had almost apologized for a mere tint of an accent. She searched the face of the man across from her for a moment before she settled back into her seat, crossing her legs. "So, where are we going tonight? It's been ages since I've been in such an exquisite car such as this one. Must be nice being a Mattias and all." She felt like sticking her tongue out at the man as she finished her last comment but instead she folded her arms around her as she waited for her date's reply.