I don't care, I love it! (Open)

It was laughably easy to get into the club; just a quick jaunt into the bouncers mind, implanting some false images and memories. Of course this well dressed man with the carelessly tousled hair belonged here. He was a VIP, often seen lounging with a glass of whiskey in his hand, looking bored and mysterious all at once. Landon grinned as he walked past the man who gave him a groveling smile on his way through the door. Simple minds were too easy.

The wave of noise and light hit Landon's senses hard as he entered the main floor of the club, assaulting his mind. It was just what he needed, the buzz of activity and the pounding of the bass reverberating through his skull; it chased out all the dreary unknowns that he been plaguing him lately. Instead of focusing on his own worries he could steal others, take their memories and thoughts and feast on them until he himself was full of their lives and not his own. Clubs like this were the perfect hunting ground; everything was too loud, too bright. People were not protecting themselves, but throwing everything they had out into the dance floor, or into their glasses they held onto tighter than their dignity. While the occasional wizard moved through the crowds, it was a largely muggle establishment, making it a prime target for Landon's little game. Because of course it was a game, and one that Landon was skilled at.

The women in tight dresses, the men dancing too close, and the occasional smell of spilled drink followed Landon as he ordered a shot of whiskey, downed it, and ordered another to carry with him. Just for a moment he let his mind wander and was at once overcome with the thudding of so many people's thoughts that he was forced to shut his eyes and recede back to normality. Maybe there were too many drunken minds in the main room to deal with. That was no problem of Landon's though, for just a repeat of his little scene with the first bouncer later and he was walking confidently into the smaller, less hectic, VIP room upstairs.

Upon his cursory examination of the lounge, a sparkle caught Landon's eye. A slim girl dressed in black and gold, red hair reflecting the dim lights of the room, was turned slightly away from him. She had all the classic signs of a muggle, she fit in so perfectly it was almost like a broadcast. He was instantly drawn to her, the most appealing woman in the room. As usual, Landon trusted his first instinct and kept his eyes on her as he moved, ordering another drink and quietly taking in the other occupants of the area, one of whom seemed oddly familiar. He waited until the red haired woman looked his way, whether by feeling his eyes on her or otherwise he did not know, and flashed a good-natured smile. Tonight's course was  Distraction 101 and Landon had the feeling he had just found his subject.

Instead of letting his mind wander the VIP lounge as he had first intended, Landon kept it firmly in place as he watched the golden clad woman smile at him before turning to the bar. He kept his eyes lightly on her, flitting away every so often so as not to appear too interested. When she had been fumbling around in her purse for long enough he strolled over, ready to intervene and make himself known to her.

“Traveling light, I see.” Landon joked as he slid close to the woman and the bar, inserting himself snugly in her field of view. He gave her his easy smile, the one that usually had the power to render the viewer at ease; this man meant no harm, it said. “Give me one of what she's having, looks good.” He placed some muggle money on the bar, enough to cover both drinks. The weight of it always felt wrong in his hands, used as he was to the more clunky wizard coins, but when in Rome...

As he waited for his drink, whatever it was, he turned his attention to the lovely little red head beside him. Up close she looked foxy, alert, and most pleasing of all, a little devious. Landon had a knack for telling when people were lying or otherwise playing him false; it was no stretch to pick up on her little game of damsel in distress and to be honest, he didn't care too much either way. He would pay for her drink and and maybe another, letting her think she had him in the palm of her hand. Who knew, maybe she would by the end of the night.

“Nice nails,” he motioned towards the gold glittering at the tips of her fingers, which he had spotted when she finally withdrew her hand from her purse. “I've always wished I could pull off that look.” He laughed merrily, doing his best to present a light atmosphere while starting to feel the buzz in his mind from the alcohol he had already downed. “I'm Landon. What's your name, Goldilocks?”

Carl smiled when the man put down money for both their drinks. Only a few minutes in and there was already a handsome gent who knew how to play her little game. Well, that, or he was really desperate, though looking him over, she seriously doubted the latter.

She looked away just as he turned to her, trying unsuccessfully to hide her smile, and then she tapped her nails along the marble counter, "Thanks," she glanced back his way, "I'm sure you'd look great with purple though." She gave a short laugh before resting her chin on the back of her hand, "I'm Carling, and I'm definitely not a blonde little girl."

Shortly after, the bartender brought over two wine glasses filled with a vibrantly orange drink, topped with a tart lemon. Carl took her glass and a small sip of it before returning her attention to Landon, "You come here often?" She couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow and smirk.

When she answered him Landon laughed heartily, causing a few of the closer patrons of the VIP lounge to slide their eyes in his direction. “No, you're not, are you?” He leaned forward on his stool, giving Carling a devious wink before returning to his former position.

Landon liked the way she smirked at him, confident and sure. It only increased the urge to dive into her mind, to see what she was like in there, what sorts of memories that little smirk had lead her to. He held back, though, taking a drink of what ever god awful orange concoction she had ordered.

“I do not 'come here often'. First time, in fact. It's a bit loud isn't it?” He was referring to the slew of minds overwhelming him when he took the time to preform his magic, but she would only think he was speaking of the music. “You sure look like you fit in, though. Regular? First name basis with the guy passed out over there?” Landon swiveled in his seat and nodded towards a man who was sitting in his chair with eyes closed and drink spilling down his shirt. He said it in jest, waiting to see if she would play along as she had done with his quip about the nail polish.

Carl laughed at the sight of the man he pointed out, "Why, did you want his digits love? You make a poor girl jealous." She gave a suggestive smile before taking a sip of her free drink, which had a vibrant burst of flavor that hid any trace of alcohol. Once the taste settled in her mouth, she looked around the lounge, "It's also my first time here, believe it or not." She gave a brief shrug, "I like the noise, drowns out anyone I don't want to talk to." It was her first time here, but not the first time visiting a place like this. She always got lots of attention, and sometimes men didn't know what no meant. She could remember several occasions where she taught those men a lesson, and embarrassed them in front of their posse. She had a knack for that.

To show off of course, Carl pulled out the VIP card which had been safely tucked away in her bra, and waved the thin piece of plastic around as she said, "A good friend of mine is probably missing this right about now." Another smirk played on her lips as she put the card back for safekeeping. "You seem to fit in well too. At least you know how things work around here." She curtly raised her glass to him before taking another drink.

Landon could understand why Carling liked the club, loud music and conversations included. They did do a good job at masking all the comments that might be thrown at such an appealing young woman, and he supposed she was used to having her choice of who she wished to associate with at places such as this.

“Well, aren't I the lucky one then? Though you just exposed your plan, Red. When you start pretending you can't hear me I'll know you're just trying to get away.” His easy laughed seemed louder than the music, more rhythmic and much more inviting. It wasn't unusual for Landon to draw the attention of others in a room when he laughed; it was an infectious sound.

He watched as Carling pulled out the plastic card and tapped her gold fingers on it, sure to make the bold VIP letters hit the dim light. Her remark made him grin, and the sly way her tone indicated misbehavior told him more about her. So she wasn't the innocent little girl she may appear as; it made her all the more interesting. He of course had no card to flaunt in return, as he had manipulated his way into the VIP section through other means. They both were imposters here, breaking rules to play at being something more than they really were.

“Oh I think things work the same about everywhere. Pretty girl stands by the bar, dashingly handsome man comes to her rescue; the night progresses. Only thing that changes is what kind of trouble the girl wants to get into.”

(and in pops Adeon, dragging Carling out by the ear XP)

“And some girls are just so... dainty. Am I right?” She offered a wicked grin, but could not mask the look of mischief written on her face. He was cocky, but there was no denying his looks. He was just the man Carling had hoped to run into in this little club. And even still, the night was young, she had plenty of time to continue her game.

As she downed the last drop of drink, she said, “Be a dear, will you?” Carl pushed the glass towards the bartender's end of the counter. Once Landon ordered her another drink, she slid to the edge of her seat, closer to him. She  also turned to lean her back against the counter, all so she could give him her full attention. The rest of the people in the club were all ants compared to him. "So...” she giggled, “Tell me about yourself.”

Carling matched Landon's grin with ease as she asked him for another drink.

“Oh of course, anything else while I'm at it? A steak dinner, maybe a yacht ride?” Landon was loving the way Carling was confidently ordering him around, so sure of herself and his interest in her that she held nothing back. It made him even more eager to get into her mind and invade her privacy to learn just what made her act the way she did. So he played along and bought her another drink; he'd get her as many as it took. When the new drinks arrived he pushed his chair a bit closer to the redhead and answered her question.

“About myself, huh? Well, let's see. I live and and work here in London in a secret organization you've probably never heard of. I literally do not remember more than half of my life, and I'm actually quite dangerous.” Landon's tone was serious and he was able to stare down at Carling for nearly ten silent seconds before he burst out laughing. “Kidding, of course. I work a desk job and on the weekends like to go camping.” The beauty of being a wizard surrounded by muggles was that they were so oblivious. He had just told Carling the truth, yet it sounded so outlandish no one in their right mind would believe it.

“What about you, Red? You've already made it clear you're no dainty princess. What's that make you, hm? Maybe a little fox, to match your hair?” Landon leaned in across the distance between them and grabbed a piece of her red curls, twirling it around his finger. He had a crooked smile on his face as he watched her reaction, playful and confident.

His sarcasm just got better and better as the conversation dragged on, and she gave a little smirk, “I've never been on a yacht.” She was confident, and rightfully so, considering he was still here. He was wrapped around her glittery little finger, or maybe it was the other way around. She had no doubt she'd be finding out later this evening. She turned when the drinks came around, and at the same moment, tall dark and mysterious scooted his stool closer. She hand twitched anxiously as she reached for her glass, before she once again set her gaze on the handsome man sitting in front of her.

As he told her 'about himself', she couldn't take her eyes off of Landon, as he spoke with such conviction. When he laughed, Carl let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, and she immediately took another drink. For a moment, he had started to remind her of someone else, “Well that's too bad, dangerous is my type.” But he wanted to pass himself off as average, when clearly he was just the opposite. He almost risked losing her interest.

But then he leaned in, closing that last bit of distance between them, and toyed with her hair like it was already his. She didn't believe the man sitting here worked a dead-end job. His charm reminded her more of a shark, not a worm. But with the buzz of alcohol, and the feeling of his warm breath on her, his life's story seemed small and unimportant. She bit her lip in anticipation before replying smoothly, “Whatever sails your ship sweetheart.” She laughed, taking a generous gulp from her glass, “I'm getting a tad bit bored, how about we ditch this joint?” She grazed his chin with her fingernails.

Landon did not miss Carling's avoidance of his personal question, but at the moment he did not care. He was confident he would find out soon enough, in his own way. As for her finger tips grazing the prickly skin of his chin, well, that he did care about. Her proposal to leave the club in search of other ventures was more than gladly agreed to, and Landon stood from his stool after gulping down the last of his drink. He reached into his back pocket for his wallet and slid some muggle money across the bar; he always made it a habit to carry a variety of muggle and wizard money with him, for he never knew where he would be with any certainty.

Not to lose her in the crowd, Landon took Carling's hand firmly in his. He led her out of the relative quiet of the VIP lounge and down the stairs into the club proper, where the sounds of music and chatter effectively drowned out any words they might have said. Landon pushed his way through the mass of people, not particularly caring if he bumped into someone a bit too hard or stepped on any feet. His eyes and mind were set on the exit and what lay beyond, and he was eager to reach it.

When they stepped out into the street the chill of late winter hit them like tiny icicles. The night was dark and the only sound was muffled bass from club behind them. Landon withdrew his hand from Carling's and rubbed his arms in an attempt to warm up.

“Don't want you to get cold, come here.” He slipped an arm around the girl's waist and pulled her close to him, sharing in her warmth and using the excuse to feel her body pressed to his side. The lightness of his head after so many drinks only served to enhance the situation and when he looked down at her he smiled broadly. He already wanted to run his hands through her bright hair, to use maybe a bit too much force in kissing her. He could tell he was in for a lively night with the sly girl standing beside him, and that her sparkling eyes and forwardness was a match to his own. She had wanted to get out of the club, and now he knew just where to take her.

“My place is a short walk from here. Maybe it'll hold your attention a bit better?” His grin was far from chaste, showing perhaps the first hint of the truth behind his usual genial attitude.

As they stepped out onto the street, the air was just as freezing as it had been when Carling entered the club. One of the disadvantages of girling up was the need to dress down in order to get a man's attention. Still, with Landon's arm around her, she didn't feel the need to complain. "Yes, I'm sure you'd just feel awful if froze out here." She smirked, knowing that her well-being was not his priority at the moment. Of course, then again, it wasn't her top priority either, in fact it never was. Carling's life was just one dangerously risky situation to another, and she had no intention on stopping anytime soon.

She expected nothing less when Landon suggested his place, and was in fact pleased that they could skip all the pleasantries that normal muggles went through. Usually she had to spend more time getting them intoxicated, or have long meandering conversations about things she knew nothing about: stuff like goals, and feelings, that was all a load of bull to someone like Carl. Landon understood her intentions, just as he understood hers. After tonight they'd likely never see each other again, but that was how it should be. She didn't meet men at clubs to get to know them, or hope to find a relationship. She meant to have fun, and that was precisely what she was going to do.

"You read my mind," her lips curled into a grin, though instead of looking at Landon, her gaze wandered the streets around them, studying the people who walked by, and keeping track of where she was, should their little rendezvous turn sour.

You read my mind.

The statement made Landon laugh and he pulled the red head closer to his side, hand slipping farther down her waist. If she knew how true her words would be he was certain she wouldn't be saying them so casually. All in good time, though, and for the time being Landon was enjoying the lead up to his ultimate goal just fine. He was happy, if not surprised, that Carl agreed so readily to follow him to his home. It wasn't a new occurrence, that was for sure. With his good looks and easy smile Landon had won the favor of many women he had met; favor that for him lasted a night and nothing more. He had no time for the game of relationships, nor did he have the inclination.

With his arm still entwined around Carling, Landon set off at a brisk pace, eager both to be out of the cold and to move on to better things. The streets were still moderatly populated at this time of night, and they passed others on their way, everyone huddled against the cold. A short walk and a flight of stairs later they reached the door to his flat and with a twist of the key, Landon pushed open the door. If he were alone the lights would flicker on with the words of a spell on his lips but tonight he played the muggle and flicked the switch on the wall. The light sprang to life and illuminated the small apartment.

They were standing in a combination of kitchen and dinning room, a table dominating the open space. The table was cluttered with papers: maps, newspaper, scraps of paper with writing scrawled all over, parchment that looked older than anything else in the room, even bits of napkins with notes filling all edges. There was an over flowing bookcase cramped into a corner, and open books were littered throughout the room. An empty coffee pot and mug was staining a paper on the table. The whole room looked as if Landon were deep in study and he had abruptly decided to leave.

He quickly walked to the table and shuffled a few papers, covering up some of the moving pictures on newspapers he had neglected to get rid of. He was never very careful about keeping the traces of his life as a wizard out of sight; if he didn't work in the Ministry he was certain he would have been punished by now for inadvertently breaking the statute of secrecy. As is was, he had his ways of  fixing any mistake he made.

“Here we are, my lady.” Landon motioned towards the table standing in the middle of the room, offering her a place to lean or sit if she wished. “I'd apologize for the mess but I'm not here much. Want a drink?” Not waiting for a answer he turned to the cabinet and pulled a bottle of clear liquid out, along with two shot glasses. Not caring if he spilled a bit on the counter, he filled the glasses to the brim and handed one to Carling.

“Cheers, Red.” With a flick of his wrist and a throw of his head Landon downed the shot in one swallow. The familiar rush of the alcohol hitting his system caused him to blink rapidly, then settle into comfort with the increasing buzz. He placed the empty glass on the table besides Carling and moved in closer. She was up against the table now, and he put one hand on it next to her, the other slipping behind her to wrap around her waist, effectively trapping her like the animal he guessed she was. His brown eyes gleamed with hunger as he looked at her, though his smile was deceitfully playful.

“Still bored?” He whispered, voice husky as his warm breath washed over her ear where his lips moved.

A smirk twitched on her lips in excitement as his hand slipped further down and she was pulled even closer to him. Perhaps she should have been more worried about how much control he was exhibiting, but she craved the attention he was giving her; his touch was exhilarating. Really it didn't matter who it was that took her home tonight, but at least she got lucky with Landon. She could have met someone boring and far less good looking than him. He was just the kind of one night stand she had been hoping for.

The possibility that Landon could be a wizard was one that did not cross Carling's mind. Given her luck she should have been more cautious about it, but they met in a club in London, so really the chances of him being 'one of them' was slim to none, right? Right. His flat seemed to be in such a state, but really it wasn't as bad as her place; she was horribly disorganized, but then again she didn't have many visitors. Perhaps he didn't either. She glanced around the room as he cleared the table for her, but when he motioned for her to sit, she sort of scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Please, I'm hardly a lady, but I will take that drink."

She did notice all the books lying around, but really she didn't care enough to comment. She wasn't even curious enough to ask what the books were about, or why he kept so many newspapers. Instead she accepted the shot with a smile, "Cheers, love," and downed it at the same time as he did. Carl's head buzzed as Landon moved closer, wrapping his arm around her waist and she chuckled. She was pleased by how quickly things were progressing, it gave her little time to hesitate.

She couldn't resist a small moan as he whispered into her ear, teasing her. Her hand slid up to his chest  to undo the first few buttons on his shirt, and a playful smirk played on her lips. "Stop talking." While one hand toyed with the fabric of his shirt, the other raked through his hair. At the same time, she self-consciously hooked her right foot beneath the table, knowing her wand was stowed in her boot and not wanting to draw attention to it. Course if she had to, she was sure she could play off some reason for keeping a stick in her boot.