If You Can't Hang [Arkati/Open]

Lonesome and lonely but not alone. Arkati was surrounded by others, people alike in their species and people so different. Surrounded by beating hearts and dead ones, surrounded by voices and friendly gestures and yet, she was alone. She never let it show though, emotions meant vulnerability and the Domina, as she was so freshly called, did not to expose how vulnerable she really was. Arkati was a good liar and a good hider; she sometimes even fooled herself. Arkati spent most days traveling borders, hands deep in her pockets and her head down, eyes watching her shoes with each step. She often had headphones in and listened to a repeated playlist of numerous artists and albums and that's how she spent her days. Arkati made her way back from walking around, she had checked the borders hours ago and decided to walk around for a while, if she was needed she'd get a call. But she was never needed. She never got a call and somehow she was okay with that, that meant nothing was out of hand and nothing bad was happening that she would be needed but it also meant she wasn't needed as company. Demetri had other females he could spend time with when she was away, so she decided to be away more often, give herself and everyone else space.

Arkati walked slowly, her fingers tracing the trunks of trees as she passed them, loud music blaring in her ears and nothing else really mattered. She walked with slow, lingering steps and just took in the surrounding forest, the trees tall and thick, bare from most of their leaves but they were still big and full. Their trunks were scratchy and bark was peeling off and as the Domina ran her fingers over some tree trunks, pieces of bark snapped off with little clicks before falling to the earth. There was word of a few new vampires joining and Arkati, being the Domina and all that, decided it was in her best interest to get to meet some of them. First one on her list was the cutie, Leviticus. She's seen him once, a passing glance when she was looking out the window from her room. He was a cutie and of course she was in love with Demetri, mated and married with him but she could still think others were good looking. She couldn't stop that and couldn't stop what her mind and eyes thought were good looking people. She just couldn't and she wouldn't want to. As long as no advances were made and she stayed loyal and true to Demetri, no problem, right? Her steps were light and quiet as she wandered the forest, the playlist almost over from its two hour long song continuum. She always headed home after the playlist, got a drink or two, eyed the cellar, cleaned things up, checked on things and left again.   Arkati stepped onto a fallen log and leaped over, landing with a little knock as her headphones fell from her ears and she sighed, folding them up and slipping them into her pocket as she took off for the clan mansion. She arrived in a short amount of time and stopped at the door, adjusting her hair as she opened the door and walked right in, not taking her shoes or sweatshirt off as she went in. She needed blood, she wasn't necessarily hungry but she was craving and needing blood and the bitter taste of an alcoholic beverage. She headed toward the kitchen, her eyes looking up from her sweater and the loose thread as she smelled the stranger, who she assumed was Leviticus. She just assumed it was the new male given he was the newest vampire she didn't know that she'd seen. She walked into the kitchen and smiled softly, her hands gripping the back of a chair as she looked across the table at the vampire before her, taking in his appearance quickly. Though she knew the answer, she had to ask, "Leviticus?"

Outfit~

He was just adorable. Arkati laughed softly when the fork moving toward his lips made an abrupt stop and fell back to it's starting point. She tilted her head slightly,  brow faintly arched as she made a sound almost like a giggle but it was a more... mature chuckle. Defiantly not a giggle, she never giggled before.  Majesty? That was new, she was usually just called Arkati or something else that wasn't exactly so nice. "Hello, Leviticus." She smiled at him, her pearly white teeth surrounded by her plush lips and soon her teeth were covered and hidden away again, smiling was a foreign thing. It felt odd... She thought she looked odd doing it because she didn't recognize how it was supposed to feel and she cleared her throat as soon as her teeth were hidden away. She walked around the table and toward him, eyeing the food he was just eating then moving over to open the fridge, listening to his voice. Pretty voice, too. She smiled faintly, lips pressed into a tight and thin line, this was the smile she was used to using, not some open mouthed and teeth baring smile. "Can't I roam my own kitchen without being questioned why my husband isn't here to coddle me? I do not have to be stuck to his hip, I can roam on my own, sweet Leviticus." The Domina laughed, obviously joking and playing around. She straightened up from looking in the fridge and frowned softly, nothing. She didn't even know what exactly she was looking for. Arkati loved her husband, more than anyone and anything and more than she thought she could. It was an amazing feeling, to love and be loved... She loved to touch and be touched by him but she also enjoyed her own time, he was the only one she spent so much time around, instantly changing her distant lifestyle of always being alone to hanging around someone so often... It strained her in the slightest but it was fine. She loved him too much to care. "Your hair looks fine." She laughed again, this time without thought, without hesitation. It felt natural and also so foreign. It slowly faded and she scratched her collarbone, standing in front of the now closed fridge and watching him. "Fate, huh?" Her nose crinkled slightly when she smiled this time. This was so weird; smiling so much... Smiling with teeth that was. "Well, you're new and I figured, even though I introduced you to the lands and what not... We could maybe have a little chat and learn more about each other?" She have him a questioning and soft look before moving to sit at the table, setting her bag on top of  it and smiling at him, crossing her legs.

Leviticus's head twitched slightly forwards as he rubbed the back of his neck, finding himself deep in thought. He wondered as to why she fought the urge to smile, as well as if she knew how beautiful it was of her when she did, and what things could come out of it if she allowed herself to feel such happiness or humour. He could not lie upon this one, he loved her smile, and the laugh which he heard earlier, though it was quite covered with the need to stop, it thought it to be almost.. musical. The knight wished to hear it again. Laughing was good for the soul - not that they had one, really, but it's what made life worth-while, in his opinion. Leaving out his hand in front of him in a small, slow motion, his head nodded in easy understanding, "Not at all, m'lady.. you are a very wise and independent lady, I believe, judging by the short conversation we've come in contact with.. But if you are to ask me, I feel a woman of your beauty deserves all the attention a man can give in the world." He watched as she studied the insides of the fridge, never having looked long inside of it himself, so he could not judge as to whether or not there was something interesting in there. Perhaps something from the cellar would suit them, but he left it at the back of his mind for later. He would never allow her to fetch it for them. As he had already tried to fix his hair, it was useless of him to keep at it, but he was thankfully stopped by a compliment. He sent her a flimsy, grateful grin and then pivoted away from the counter, no longer so that the small of his back rested against it, and walked on over to seat himself at the table. And she was soon to follow, sitting across from him. By the way she sat, slightly leaning her weight to the side, he knew she had crossed her legs. There lay no surprise upon his face, she was elegant and at heaven's finest for a woman, it only made sense for her to play the part.

Leaning away in his seat, he pulled up his arms behind his head and used it as a headrest, crossing them so that his hands met both of his biceps, "Ahh.. so you wish to know the man behind the fangs? I'll bite.. but not too hard, wouldn't want to scare'ya." He chuckled in a low voice, granting her a sneaky glimpse of a toothy smile before his lips melded back over them, "I'm an open book, you may ask what you please, your Majesty. As long as I get the favour of asking you some things in return.." Leviticus's hazel eyes poured over her, averting his own to hers in a delicate fashion. He sat there silently before putting down his arms so that they folded over the table side, leaning forwards so that his chin was almost half-way over the table's surface. With a serious, cold gaze, he held out a curious, large hand, "Sound like a deal?" The devil shown a sinister grin behind his handsome features, his brows raised in suspicion as to how curious she was of him, and he for her. He had to know what lay behind such a forced smile and limited humour, but that would only be allowed of him to hear if she said it without struggling. Otherwise, he would ask of her to stop if she was uncomfortable - and even if she refused, he would be able to tell her emotional state and block it out. It was personal, after all. He took her hand in his and shook it gently, though for a vampire strengths changed, so gently may of not been so to a human. Nor did that matter. Arkati was just as equal as him, more or less, as a vampire. Kissing the back of her hand, he released it and then moved back in his seat, hands crossed to their original place. Let the questions ring.

Arkati liked attention, but only from a certain man but he had others to give the attention too so... She decided to try that too. Not in the same format of intimacy but spend more time out and trying to make friendly conversation than always waiting for her husband to come and entertain her. She felt like she was too clingy and too needy so she figured he needed a break... That's what Arkati did, she found something that she liked or hell, even loved and she held on to it with all her might and never let go. Of course Demetri would never tell her she was being clingy or annoying but she felt like she was and once she thought something about something, there was no changing her mind. Arkati sighed as her thoughts seemed to sail smoothly then suddenly slam down and back up. She was just scared of losing him and figured if she didn't let him leave her sight, he couldn't be taken. But everyone needed their space... So reluctantly she traveled out and left him be. "Thank you, Levi." She enjoyed compliments, who didn't? She smiled at him and her nose scrunched just slightly and then it was gone. A woman of her beauty, huh? The Domina smirked softly and moved her arms so they were crossing in front of her, hands under each bicep as she watched him. "It would take a lot more than a little nip to scare me off, precious Leviticus."

Her eyes were drawn to his and she kept his gaze as much as she could, she let her hand be taken and kissed and let it be gently drawn back to her body. Questions and words were moving in her mind and she was concentrating, how did she say things... When to say them, what was too personal? Not a good enough question? What if she bored him... "Sounds like a deal." She confirmed with the smallest of smirks. Arkati uncrossed her arms from over his chest and moved her hands up, adjusting the beanie on top of her long dark waves. Okay, first question... Think think think. Arkati came to realization with a small  squeak and pointed at him, elbow resting against the table now. "Okay, Levi. Where are you from? What was it like there? Your name can make me assume all kinds of things and other things can as well but, I'd prefer it from a proper source. Assumptions have only gotten me into trouble." She wasn't joking, her tone dry and casual; holding no humor or light.

When the Domina agreed, Leviticus pulled a wide smile of interest and curiosity for the maiden's behalf of knowledge and background. Though his thoughts were swayed to each individual question she had to offer to him, and her own few curiosities in him alone were revealed unanswered, but patiently waiting to be from his own silver tongue. He licked his lips and casted a small sigh as he sat back in his chair, eyes short of a squint as he tried to look back on time and place as to where he was from - oh how could one ever forget? But he was a rather different vampire, he came and went and had been all around the world in many lives other than his own. And everywhere he went, trouble would rise, which he found to be quite the record and interesting memory of his former, younger and foolish self. "The meaning of my name is deprived from Greek origin, very biblical, though I do not believe in such tales of the Creator. I am originally from Athens, Greece, though not long after my birth, we, my family, were forced to move in safety of our kind. Most of my childhood was spent in Florence, Italy, when both countries still had names... long.. long before Lunari shifted to be what it is now, even." Leviticus ran his hand over his jaw, keeping the other warm as it remained crossed over his chest.

The thought of his parents were a pure mystery now, lost somewhere in the cavities of memory he somewhere had, but could not manage to dig up at the given moment, "I'm sure growing up in Greece would've been marvelous.. though Italy was just a splendid. Though, I made a return to my birth city in curiosity was to what it was like and found it to be very beautiful - how I wonder what it would've been like when I was a mere boy." He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders off before he would continue on about himself just a tad further before placing questions about herself, "Florence granted me a lot of knowledge and experiences, as would anywhere. I knew many great painters and sculpters that are even told widely today.. Unfortunately, it wasn't long after my sister and I had grown to the age of departure and headed out separate ways away from the family nest.. There, I went to Rome, and she headed to Paris.." Quirking his eyebrow, he smirked and pursed his lips slowly before he would badger the second to ask. "And what of you, my lady dearest? Where could such a pretty face be held in the hands as a young child and grow so beautifully in to what she is now?" He batted his eyes for a charming effect, dashing on a wide, white smile that no other man could match besides his own.

As his story progressed the Domina shifted so her feet were flat on the ground and her elbows on the table and she was almost leaning forward. This kind of stuff for some reason interested her, this kind of stuff meaning back stories. She liked to know where people came from but was a bit hesitant to return the favor of enlightening them on her own past. She listened quietly and it all registered in her mind and she smiled softly before leaning back, catching herself that she was leaning a bit and her posture was poor. Arkati kept her lips pressed together and curved in a small smile, "You've quite the colorful background. You're old. Smart." She concluded and then her smile faded and her eyes went to the manicured nails in front of her when he asked of her history. Of course he deserved it and it was only fair for her to share it to him since he had shared with her his own background. "Of all the things I could've remembered from my past the most obvious and probably most important one has since been forgotten... I'm not sure where I'm from but it certainly wasn't close to here. So much travel and so many days of fear and loneliness, it's the cliche dark background you would expect from someone so secluded and shut in. I was born and then I was taken and I was raised. I was raised on drugs and sex and lots and lots of dirty men. I worked as a little maid of the sorts until I was old enough to be able to be... sold to the highest bidder." She shrugged and kept examining her nails before her eyes shifted upward and she watched her knight. "I was turned and then got my revenge, all that good stuff; and now I'm here. I didn't go to school or anything and I barely knew how to speak so I didn't learn about the worlds geography and things so I had no idea where I lived. Now that I've educated myself and things I can only assume I'm from the European areas. But who knows... Perhaps I was raised mere miles from here. I'll never know." She flashed him a grin and then leaned back, eyes on him as the smile dropped but she held no attitude. "Where am I from? I'm from the deepest pits the earth can manage without hitting hell. Wish I could give as beautiful and colorful answer as you but sadly I wasn't properly educated so a bit of background story and history is all I could muster up." Her words were so regal and calm and emotionless, casual conversation. "Next question... Why are you here? Take that question whatever way you please, with whatever meaning. I accept all answers." She grinned and crossed her arms over her chest, legs crossing again.