PANTHERA TIGRIS

And what shoulder, & what art, Could twist the sinews of thy heart?

[panthcratigris]

super-naturxl‌:

“That sounds much better.” The vampire praised with the smallest of a smirk. Her eyes never leaving his face as she took in the details that might have been different. The immortality leaving every detail the same as when she had last laid eyes on him. There was a comfort that settled inside of her feeling as her body completely pressed flush against his own. Allowing her head to rest against his chest. Letting her eyes close for just the small moment of silence between them. It had been many years since she felt comfortable with someone like this. 

“Last time I viewed you, you were risking bleeding out in my arms.” Gabriella pointed out in a teasing voice with the smallest of a smile. Her hand moved up to set against his chest. Taking in the way his chest moved when he breathed. “I am glad to see you are here.” Tilting her head up, her chin rested against his chest to get the best view of him. “I have missed you as well.” She admitted in a soft almost whisper-like tone. “Would you like to come home with me and catch up?” 

‘... you were risking bleeding out in my arms.’ Dorian couldn’t help but give a good-natured eye-roll, and whether or not Gabriella could see it, it was certainly obvious in his tone. “And I’m sure you’re never gonna let me forget it.”

Frequently, when Ophelia couldn’t be his saving grace -- sometimes simply because Dorian didn’t want to make her life any more difficult than it already was -- he found himself looking to and trusting Gabriella instead. It was a strange bond they’d formed, lingering in the spaces between friends and lovers, never bothering to put a name to it when they could simply exist in each other’s arms and their company.

And so: “I’d love that,” he replied easily, putting only enough space between them to smile down at her in the dim light. “We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.” He meant it genuinely, but so too did Dorian’s tone skirt just this side of scandalous, as did the quirk of his smile.

[panthcratigris]

mattiecline‌:

“What can I say, I like something that tastes good.” She replied with a small smirk appearing on her lips before she took another sip of the blue drink and grimaced. “Oh thank goodness, I don’t think I could finish this, I commend people that do.” 

“Must be an acquired taste,” Dorian said diplomatically, even if it didn’t sound like he entirely believes that as he chuckled. He slid the second whiskey the bartender delivered her way before holding up his own for a toast. “Here’s to drinks that taste good.”

[panthcratigris]

noellexcassel‌:

Noelle chuckled and took another sip of her drink. She laughed loudly and nodded. “Agreed, I don’t think I would even know where to start with my top five.” She shrugged and laughed again. “Oh no no, I’m not. I uh, I’m actually from Seattle.” Noelle said with a small smile. She didn’t like to think about Seattle but it was nice to talk about it with someone. 

“I moved when I was fourteen, though.” She continued, glancing down at her coffee. “Then I kind of lived here and there.” 

“Seattle,” Dorian echoed with an approving nod. “Nice place. Had some oceanfront property there for a couple decades. That might be in my top five,” he mused.

Noelle dipped her head and Dorian eyed her curiously from over his paper cup, taking a long sip. “Family?” he asked carefully, knowing it could be a landmine of a question but also a safe assumption as to why someone might move from place to place.

[panthcratigris]

“I like my drinks stronger.” Aura casually murmured, the tip of her perfectly manicured index finger pressing to the rim of that glass as she slowly pushed it back towards the generous offeror. “Perhaps, you could offer it to one of the ladies up there.” her head nodded in the direction she spoke of “I’m sure it’ll work a charm and, who knows, maybe you’ll get a lap dance and a little something extra for being so.. thoughtful.” there was a teasing note to her tone, though you would’ve had to be particularly perceptive to catch on. 

Dorian inclined his head, not seeming to mind her turning down the drink as he simply slid it to the more than willing patron to his other side. “Not exactly in the market for either of those things...” His tone was distracted as he looked at her properly now; something in her scent stung at his nose, like a hint of ozone or the split-second before a flash of lightning. It was familiar and tough for Dorian to put a finger on in the same moment, prompting both curiosity and a healthy dose of wariness.

Not that self-preservation ever really stopped him.

“And who might you be?”

@showmeuraura​

[panthcratigris]

detectivegoldstein‌:

He flashed a grin to Dorian, egged on by the other’s laughter.  James wouldn’t necessarily describe himself as a comic, but it was a nice feeling when he could get a couple chuckles out of people.  

The wolf gave a shrug, scrunching up his nose as he downed more of the sugary concoction.  He wanted to get it all in one go, but it was just too fucking sweet.  “Eh, don’t judge a book and all that shit.”  He eyes the bright blue liquid.  “Kinda looks like an Adios Motherfucker, and I can have one of those once in a blue moon.  This tastes like just straight syrup.”  He chuckled as two whiskeys appeared on the bar.  “You’re the hero of the hour man.”  

James finished off the cocktail from hell before taking the whiskey like a shot.  Slamming the glass down on the bar, he let out an exhale of relief.  “Fuck, so much better.  I feel like I gotta brush my teeth after that shit.  Thanks again, for that.”  He lifted the empty whiskey glass, giving Dorian a lazy salute.  Placing the glass back down, he offered his hand to the familiar.  “I’m James by the way.”

Dorian couldn’t help but grin as the guy actually chugged the thing, obviously impressed. “Dorian,” he replied easily, grinning and nodding. “Nice to meet you, James.” He’d have to save asking what an ‘adios motherfucker’ was for later in the conversation, even if he very much wanted to know now.

“So, you a local? You’ve got that... local feel,” he decided, gesturing at James indistinctly. Dorian paused, then added, “No offense? Not sure if people would take offense to that or not.”

[panthcratigris]

firewithxn‌:

Ryan kept tossing the bounce ball and catching it. Even when the other spoke to him, it didn’t stop his movements. “All witches did.” He commented. “Though, some were forced, and others were willing.” He finally caught the ball and held it. “I was willing. Only because I was told it was going to be something fun and like a prank. I didn’t know it was going to be permanent or like this. So you can say manipulations were involved.” 

He looked up at the other. “Before you decide to beat me up, or whatever, I’ll have you know I’m pretty strong.” He flashed a smile. 

“Mm.” Dorian didn’t need the clarification since he’d been there, and he’d seen what’d happened to Ophelia. Despite knowing he couldn’t blame this witch in particular -- that was all on Caspian -- he wondered if the original witch could’ve done what he did without at least some support.

“I’m not going to beat you up,” Dorian replied with the sort of look and tone that suggested he wasn’t impressed by the implication. He supposed years ago it might’ve been a fair assessment; part of him certainly wanted to beat someone up over what happened. But not this guy, not necessarily. Not yet, anyway. “But I would like to know why.” He found it difficult to believe it was simply because he thought it’d be fun. “Did he offer you something for your involvement?”

[panthcratigris]

voxmichele‌:

“Maaaaaaybe,” Michele said with a faint smirk, finishing off her drink and definitely feeling the effects of it now. She wrinkled her nose at his question, tilting her head to the side. “I mean, I don’t speak for all Shadowhunters, but for me personally, as long as you’re not an actual demon or doing criminal activity, you’re fine.” She shrugged. “We just want to protect those who can’t protect themselves, you know? So if you’re not out there murdering humans or fucking them and leaving them with suspicious bruises and treating them like shit afterwards, than we’re cool.”

Okay, maybe that last one didn’t really apply to this current conversation, but her encounter with Knox was ever-present in her mind and her hatred for the shapeshifter was bleeding out thanks to the alcohol loosening her tongue.

Dorian raised his eyebrows, letting that sink in for a moment before he could even vaguely come up with a reply. “That’s... wildly specific, but okay.”

Another sip of his drink, and he fixed her with a curious amusement. “I feel like there’s a story there. And I bought you a drink, so basically, you owe me.” Dorian didn’t necessarily care about the social habits of mortals, but he liked Michele’s company well enough to at least ask.

[panthcratigris]

elenaxrusso‌:

“Oh, um, yeah …” Elena looked down at the mess, not entirely sure how they were going to clean all this up. It was already outside, so it seemed less of an issue than if it were all over the floor of the cafe, but it was still rather messy. “Maybe we could … sweep it up into another garbage bag?” She had no idea if that would work, but it was worth a try. “The broom is inside, though. So … I guess you can come in and have that tea first. Oh, and I’ll get you the paper towels too.”

She nodded, gesturing for him to follow her, as she made her way back toward the “Employees Only” entrance to the building.

“Okay.” Dorian smiled faintly and nodded, since it wasn’t like the garbage was going anywhere. And if it did, well. Not exactly his problem.

He slipped out of his jacket as he followed her inside, giving it a shake and taking an absent glance around the staff area. “You seem awfully young to be ‘usually’ tense,” he added absently, curious but leaving room for the statement to remain rhetorical, if she’d (understandably) rather not share with a complete stranger.

[panthcratigris]

super-naturxl‌:

The all familiar eyes that locked onto her own was enough to make the smallest of a smile to grace her lips. He was completely and utterly the same man she had seen for many years. The jawline, lips, eyes, nothing had changed. Even the way clothing appeared it was so causal that she was familiar with. He was truly timeless. A smile grew on her lips as she saw his little ‘ta-da’. 

An entertaining hum left past her lips as she listened to his select words. Almost impossible to keep her thoughts clear having his hands against her face. Leaning into the touch already. “You could just say ‘thank you for the compliment, princess’.” The brunette teased as she brought her hands up to rest on his waist. “No reason to be so serious.” Tilting her head up to look at him her eyes sparkled at the sight of him. “Better now that I get to glance at you. How have you been?” 

“Thank you for the compliment, princess,” Dorian echoed with the same teasing air, glancing over Gabriella’s face for just a moment longer before gathering her closer in his arms, his nose nuzzling into the softness of the hair at her temple. He inhaled softly, taking comfort in the familiarity; her scent was old, but not in a way that was dusty or sour -- she smelled like warm, flowery earth, or the smooth pages of old books.

“I haven’t been getting myself into too much trouble, if that’s what you’re asking,” he murmured against her hair with a soft smile in his tone. She’d seen some of the worst of him over the years, particularly when he was younger and so much more stupid -- and Gabriella was, as she still is, a beautiful distraction. “I missed you,” Dorian added simply, an admission he didn’t often make to others.

[panthcratigris]

mattiecline‌:

The drink wasn’t to her taste but she wasn’t going to let it go to waste, no matter how it tasted. “Well I am more of a whiskey person myself, I think that it would wash this one down nicely” She smirked as she took another sip of the blue drink. 

Dorian couldn’t help but smile, alongside an appreciative nod. “Woman after my own heart.” As soon as he could get the absentee bartender’s attention, he ordered a refill for himself and another for her. “Please don’t feel obligated to finish that,” he added with a chuckle, nodding towards the toxic drink Mattie was still drinking. “I don’t need it on my conscience.”

[panthcratigris]

emxhathaway‌:

“Imagine that on a gravestone. That is, if we’d even deserve to be buried. We’d probably be dumped in a ditch for overdosing on sugar.” Emily joked along. With the town full of just about everything and anything, the stakes were high even when it came to dying. And if she was to think about it, she needed that drink to wash down the sweetness- the company was good enough as it was to keep this up. “And what do you consider to be an exciting way to go?” She questioned him, challenging the other, and ordering herself a whiskey once the bartender approached them.

‘An exciting way to go’ -- what a delightfully morbid question, one that Dorian obviously appreciated, if the thoughtful smile on his face was any indication.

"Well, lord knows I've pissed off a lot of people over the years." And sure, his overall years might be longer than many, but the ratio was still unnervingly high. “It’d almost feel unsporting not to give one of them the satisfaction of putting me six feet under.” He might’ve been kidding; he probably wasn’t. Dorian nodded lightly back to his companion. “And you?”

[panthcratigris]

voxmichele‌:

“Damn, okay, so a tiger. That’s pretty fucking cool,” Michele said with a slow grin, definitely not disappointed by this revelation. “Tigers are awesome. So when you’re in your animal form, do you maintain your human brain functions? Or are you basically just like a big cat? Like, would you still be aware of things like a human? And do you remember things you did as a tiger when you’re back in human form?” She had so many questions. She hoped she remembered this later to write it all down.

The questions didn’t stop there, but Dorian hadn’t necessarily expected them to. He might be squirrlier or more concerned if Michele didn’t seem simply… curious. “Mm, I’m still me, and I still remember everything.” He was happy to answer but he wouldn’t elaborate; not for the moment, at least. She might be curious but she was still a shadowhunter, and he’d grown well enough aware of how discriminatory so many of them could be.

“You planning on writing the chapter on familiars for your shadowhunter encyclopedia?” Or… whatever it is they might have. He sized her up for another moment, thumb swiping across the side of his mostly-empty glass. “Where do we sit on your Downworlder scale?” Dorian knew where warlocks fell, and wondered if witches were much the same; was he in the same category, by association?

[panthcratigris]

elenaxrusso‌:

“I’m just a little tense,” Elena said apologetically, biting her lip as she watched him try to brush off the coffee grounds to no avail. “I mean, I’m usually tense, but that’s no excuse to throw trash at someone just minding their business. I’m really sorry.” She glanced back toward the cafe behind her. “I’m closing up for the night, but I can still make you something? It won’t fix your clothes but … some tea or hot chocolate?” She felt extremely embarrassed and felt the need to make it up to him somehow.

Dorian considered politely declining, but she seemed so apologetic and so quietly mortified that he had trouble doing so. “Some tea would be great,” he ultimately caved. “And maybe a couple of paper towels.”

First, though, Dorian hesitated and gestured vaguely at the mess around them. “You, uh. Want some help cleaning this up?” It wasn’t like he could get any dirtier, at this point.

[panthcratigris]

voxmichele‌:

Okay, so more clues. Michele took another long sip of her drink as she thought, a familiar buzz clouding her thoughts. She should probably stop now, but the drink did taste really good, and she wanted to know what this guy was. Pointy teeth, a tail, four feet, too big for a bar …

“Are you a lion?” she asked curiously, thinking that would be awesome as hell as well. He sort of had a majestic quality to him. Though that may have just been his height and broad shoulders and chest.

Raising an eyebrow and smiling, Dorian considered making her guess until the bitter end, but ultimately decided this was probably close enough. “Almost. Just add some stripes.”

Dorian had started shifting into his animal form when he was still young, still growing up, over several lifetimes ago. His father had been appalled, at first -- ‘some kind of kitten?’ -- until his mother had realized; no. A tiger cub.

“Whether that’s cooler than a crocodile or not is a matter of opinion, I guess,” he continued airily, but the quirk of Dorian’s smile more than displayed how he felt about it.

[panthcratigris]

Elena hated closing. It generally meant she had to stay late by herself, miss dinner with her family, and walk home after dark. She didn’t want to argue with the schedule, though. She needed this job.

Still, it didn’t make her any less apprehensive when she went out back to throw the trash away. She approached the bin, keeping an eye out for rats. She heard a noise behind her, and reacted on instinct. With a soft squeal, she turned and flung the bag of trash in her hand as hard as she could toward the sound. She watched, horrified, as it flew wide and landed on top of a person walking past the alleyway. It burst, sending coffee grounds and paper cups everywhere.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” Elena cried, hurrying forward to see if she could help somehow. “I heard a noise and I just … reacted. Are you okay? I’m so sorry.”

Later on, Dorian would be annoyed with himself for letting his guard down enough to get hit by a bag of trash pitched by a young woman over a foot shorter than he is. Later on, he’d rationalize it away by saying it’s not like he ever bothered to train for getting hit with something so ridiculous as a garbage bag in the first place.

“I’m fine,” he reassured her, sounding more disappointed than anything else as he tried to brush the wet coffee grounds from his jacket, really only managing to spread them around. “There might be a lot of weird creatures in town, but I don’t think any of them have flying garbage as a mortal weakness,” Dorian added with a quirk of a smile, trying to lighten the mood. “It’s okay. Everyone’s on edge.”

@elenaxrusso​

[panthcratigris]

The longer they stayed in the bubble, the more Ryan grew bored. He was tired of doing the same things over and over again. At least without the bubble, he would be able to go over to the other town.

He sat against a tree as he was tossing a small rubber bouncy ball at the wall and touching it once it bounced off. “Oh yeah, help spell the stupid dome. It’ll be fun.” He rolled his eyes as he spoke to himself.

Dorian had fallen into the habit of stalking around the perimeter of the dome whenever he was feeling particularly restless, something he knew he wasn’t alone in doing. Usually others that he passed kept to themselves just as much as he did, but… tonight, this was apparently someone he was going to have difficulty just walking on past.

The words pricked at his ears as Dorian slowed his steps, glancing between the man throwing the ball and the rippling shimmers it left as it collided with the barrier. “You had some hand in this?” He kept his tone carefully neutral and tipped his head towards the invisible field, hands shoving into his pockets with deceptive nonchalance. “Putting up the barrier.”

@firewithxn​ ;; Ryan

[panthcratigris]

super-naturxl‌:

The chill from the night air felt pleasant against her skin as she made her way through the edge of town. Making her best attempt to keep herself quiet her eyes looked forward as she made her way towards her home. With blood becoming scarce in town she needed to make her way home mainly to feed. There were not very many people who could pull her attention away from her thoughts however the sight of the beast was enough. 

“Look at what the cat dragged in.” The weight of his head against her skin made her chuckle just waiting for him to make an appearance. The male was missed even if Gabriella had not verbally told him that. She had attempted to wait patiently for him to make his appearance. Smirking down at him the tiny women bent down to run her fingers in his fur. “Still as beautiful as ever I see.” 

Green-yellow eyes slid contentedly shut at the feel of her hands carding through his fur, and his throat gave another appreciative rumble. Much as he was enjoying this, only Ophelia had the benefit of communicating with Dorian in this form; if he wanted to talk to Gabriella -- and he very much did -- Dorian would have to change back. The shift came gracefully and effortlessly, unspooling back into six-foot-something of human in well-tailored clothes. He smoothed the front of his shirt down before holding out both hands, a nonverbal ‘ta-daa.’

“I could very easily say the same for you, but to be fair…” Dorian stepped in closer and took her face in his hands, smiling down with an obvious fondness and a light dusting of his thumbs over her cheekbones. “We’re both kind of cheating, with the whole immortality gig.” In a world so transient to those who lived for centuries, Dorian always did his best not to get attached. Gabriella was a notable exception. “How’ve you been?”