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Post by Ray on Nov 29, 2017 19:56:20 GMT -7
The ship docks in a cold and grey harbor upon the Thames -- gulls flocking like locusts in the sky over their heads, hoping to catch a bite of fish. It's morning, as best as he can tell through the haze of the city, and already the shipping district is alive with noise and chaos. Crates are pulled on and off of ships with the accompaniment of shouts and the low echoing bellows of horns, carrying goods as exotic as Indian teas and as simple as metal cogs. The river sloshes against the harbor banks, splashing onto the docks as his feet carrying him away from the Cutty Sark, a single bag thrown over his shoulder.
Jon pauses at the end, looking up to the tall stone buildings that surround him, an eye closing against an absent sun.
London smokes like a dying hearth, grey and murky. A light drizzle falls from the sky, dampening an already wet country. Here, he smells the sea strongest, but the breeze carries the scent of the city across his face -- coal and horse and cigar. His nose curls a little, the distinct different to the ocean overwhelming. And, frankly, unimpressive. He's seen cities. Plenty of them, and even more over the last several years jumping harbor to harbor all over the world, but the only word that fills his mind as he stands upon the doorstep of this apparent pinnacle of modern society, is gloomy.
He glances over his shoulder towards the ship, pulling in a deep breath, before he forces himself on.
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Post by Snowglobe18 on Nov 29, 2017 20:18:46 GMT -7
Katherine looked in the mirror as she pinned back her dark hair and then slid the hat on top. She had to admit that living all of these centuries she has seen so many different styles of clothing but the corset was the worst. Back in Westeros there wasn't a corset that one had to wear to keep whatever size belly a woman had in one shape. It was a good thing that she never needed to breathe but she did wonder just how the humans were getting on with it. She could hear their hearts pounding a mile away, their blood calling to her and the smell of the water.
London was one of the worst places she could live but she had been in for a while. She would have to say at least three years. She wasn't alone in this city, there were two other people here too. Edric who seemed to annoy her everytime they came face to face and Adrian well... that was completely different all the way around.
The weather definitely wasn't improving and while she didn't feel the cold, the humans around here would get suspicious that she wasn't wearing a coat in the rain. The last thing she needed, or any of them really, was for the people to come banging on her door with fire and pitchforks. No, the vampires stayed human because that was the only way they could really survive. But telling the others that she's come across that was like talking to a brick wall. Stupid really.
Today Katherine had an errand to run and she had to admit that she looked amazing. Centuries has gone passed since Westeros but Katherine hasn't aged a day since King's Landing. At that thought she moved away from the mirror and out of her room, making sure she grabbed a jacket on the way out. Everyone knew what this place was but sometimes it does get mistaken for a hotel. It's not until they walk in and hear the moaning and see naked bodies walking around that they realise just what this place is.
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Post by Ray on Nov 29, 2017 20:58:23 GMT -7
London unfolds before him in a tangled web of streets and passageways, cluttered with hundreds of bodies marching quickly through the rain. Carriages pass by on the paved roads, wealthy men and fluffed up ladies purposefully keeping their eyes from straying out of the tiny square windows upon the likes of him. It's funny, he thinks -- as he walks through the unfamiliar maze of a city he once knew -- how quickly a king became a sailor in pauper's clothes. Centuries might have passed, the world might have moved on and forgotten, but his blood still runs through this country like the water collecting in the gutters.
He wonders if it smoked like this when the Targaryens ruled.
It takes him some time to the address written upon a slip of paper mailed to him months ago, perhaps even years ago, he cannot be sure. Keeping in touch had not been particularly easy when he'd decided to board the Cutty Sark out into the ocean. Every once in a while he'd find a letter waiting for him at a distant port, Katherine's handwriting marking the envelope and the paper smelling sweetly of her. Otherwise, he had not seen a familiar face in six years. He knows not if she's still in this city, still even in this country, though a small hope remains.
He glances up through the downpour as he comes to a halt outside of a door, golden metal numbers telling him he is in the right place, but a sign swinging back and forth upon creaking hinges gives him pause. In elegant cursive, the words Madam Kat's Sex Kittens practically glow in the dull grey winds. Jon stares at it for a long moment, looking between the sign and the letter, confusion and a little bit of surprise making him hesitate.
But the door to the building swings open suddenly, and Jon looks up just in time to see a familiar figure stepping out into the rain.
His heart leaps into his throat, the strangeness of the situation filtering away at the sight of her. "Katherine," he calls out, a small smile pulling at his lips.
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Post by Snowglobe18 on Nov 29, 2017 21:15:28 GMT -7
Katherine moved down the stairs in the same way she done everything... painfully human. She wasn't able to do much when she was around the humans. They didn't see the world that was outside their country. There was so many things in the dark that even Katherine didn't know all of what was out there but she guessed that not everything was good. She looked over to see Maria walking to someone and she looked up as she came down the stairs and moved away from the man. Maria knew what Katherine and Adrian was, she was the one person here who did know but in the end she could easily tell someone, not that they would believe her.
"I'm going to have to go out for a little bit I have an errand to run" she said looking over at Maria who had given her her gloves and Katherine was pulling them on as they walked. "Will you be alright?"
"Will it take long?"
"Oh I hope not, Mr Richards is so very dull and the sound of his voice makes me want to rip his throat out" she admitted. "Where is Adrian" and rather than Maria speaking she just pointed to the ceiling meaning that he was upstairs. "Oh bloody hell" she said and sighed "Well make sure he gets out before anyone else comes in because we need business and he's scaring them all away" Katherine nodded and moved towards the door and Maria in the opposite direction.
Katherine checked her appearance and she ran a hand to smooth some hair under her hat before moving to the door and pulling it open. She was about to step out into the dreadful rain, well at least it wasn't snow anymore, when she heard a familiar voice. Looking up and saw a face that she hasn't seen in six years. Six years of absence had definitely been felt without him here.
If her heart was working it would be pounding hard in her chest right now but her words came out in a whisper "Jon" she said and swallowed hard as her eyes went wide.
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Post by Ray on Nov 29, 2017 21:34:35 GMT -7
There's a moment where only surprise marks her face as she looks towards him, looking colorful and radiant in a city that is the exact opposite. Katherine is exactly as he remembers her, exactly as she has been since Winterfell -- young and beautiful. It might have only been six years, a fragment of the six hundred they have already shared together, but seeing her here after all this time makes all his disappointment with London seem fleeting. Though perhaps his appearance doesn't inspire the same feelings.
Even cleaned up and out of the clothes he'd spent years getting soaked through with seawater, he knows he still must look haggard from the journey. The rain has pressed at his hair, making it stick to his cheeks and neck, and spotting the black coat he wears to keep out cold he does not feel. But he smiles at her despite all that.
"It's been a while." He tells her, an understatement but a true one. His eyes flick towards the sign once more, realization and amusement creating a furrow between his brows as he lifts his free hand to point towards it. "Madam Kat's Sex Kittens?" He recites curiously, looking back to her with an arched brow.
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Post by Snowglobe18 on Nov 29, 2017 21:46:59 GMT -7
He speaks about it being a while and then points to the sign and she moves her eyes up to look at it but for some reason it doesn't seem to really register. Katherine closed her eyes up before opening them up and dropping them to where he is standing. No he was really there. This wasn't one of those dreams where she dreamt of him coming to find her. Where he had finally got her letter and came to find her in London. It had been a long time since she had even written a letter with her address in it. Hoping that one day, one day he would be on her doorstep.
That one day was now. She found herself walking down the steps to where he was and then she looked him over. There was the smell of water on him and she wrinkled her nose at the smell of fish but she put her gloved hands on his chest. "You're here" she said and looked over his face. Katherine needed to take a moment to take it all in that Jon was finally here in London with her.
Katherine wasn't sure how long he would be staying but she hoped it was for a little bit at least. Then finally his question came back to her and she dropped her hands from his chest and looked up at the sign. "I uh" she said after a moment and bit on her lip "I run a brothel" she said and looked at him. It was probably better to get it out in the open now before he walked in there. She has never been the one to do anything half so why not go the full way and run a bloody brothel. It got her money and while it probably wasn't the best idea, it kept her busy and life wasn't dull in London.
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Post by Ray on Nov 29, 2017 21:57:51 GMT -7
She steps down towards him, a dazed look still upon her face. As she places her gloved hand upon his chest, he lifts his own to wrap his fingers gently to wrap around hers, holding her there. "I'm here," he says, reassuringly, tilting his head a little towards her as the rain continues to fall upon their heads. It takes her a moment before the initial shock wears off and his question finally breaks through to her. His smile ticks a little further in surprise at the answer he receives.
"A brothel?" He repeats, inclining his head a degree to the side. Glancing passed her, he looks up to the darkened windows of the building, thinking that maybe he should not be entirely surprised. There are not very many options for immortals like them to find work in a world like this. Not if they want to keep living for a while longer. Not if they want to be discreet. And for a vampire, living in the night is the best way to do that. But a part of him had not imagined Katherine opening something like this, though they've all gone their own strange paths.
"I'm guessing a lot has changed in my absence, then." He comments, dropping his dark eyes back to her. Without another word, he lifts her chin with his hand and draws her closer, capturing her mouth in a long overdue kiss, tasting the rain upon her lips.
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Post by Snowglobe18 on Nov 29, 2017 22:11:44 GMT -7
There wasn't much that she could do especially being a woman but being a female vampire she couldn't exactly make them give her a job. So this was the next best thing, honestly why she hasn't thought of this before was beyond her. Many men and even women came through those doors and they were given a good time and it kept Katherine from not exactly living in the shadows but it kept her out of the range of being murdered for what she was. It seemed like a win win situation when it came to staying alive a little bit longer for him to find her.
He says about the fact that maybe a lot has changed in his absence and she had to admit that a lot has changed but her feelings for him definitely hasn't. The feeling that he gave her was still there and she was happy to say that but he lifted her chin and pulls her closer before kissing her. Katherine sinks into the kiss, her errand completely pushed out of her mind as she kept the kiss going. Her gloved fingers moving up to his top and she gripped hold of it as if to say that she wasn't going to let him go for a while.
When she finally pulled back from the kiss, a smile pulled at her lips and she looked over his face. "I have missed you so much" she said. Katherine really did feel the absence of him not being here and that was why she wrote the letters, hoping that one day he would finally come and find her. That he would know she still loved him. Then it hit her that it was still raining.
"Oh god, you must come in, it'll be much warmer in there" she said and dropped her hands from his chest to grab hold of his hand and pulled him with her into the building, letting the door shut behind them.
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Post by Ray on Nov 29, 2017 22:28:34 GMT -7
The kiss continues for a long moment, unabashed and deep, making up for lost time. He feels her hand grip at his dark red shirt, holding him tightly in place as her lips move and press against his. And while they are not warm, they are soft. Softer than anything he has felt in years. Katherine draws back, though Jon feels himself lean towards her, chasing after her mouth for only a fraction of a second. Her words break the quiet that had formed between them, quiet and sweet and so easily returned. "I missed you too."
In a rush, Katherine grabs his hand to pull him with her inside the building and out of the rain, the door closing behind them with a click. He huffs out half a laugh as he finds himself inside this brothel of hers, his dark eyes scanning around the entry hall and the stairs leading upwards, already able to see her particular taste sprinkled throughout what he can see. Jon has not been to very many brothels in his life. The men he sailed with visited them at every port, chasing giggling girls into rooms the size of broom closets, spending their wages on as much time as they could manage finding their way under their skirts. Jon never followed their lead. Never wanted to. The one brothel he remembers no longer exists, forgotten with the rest of Winterfell, but it did not leave him wanting more. And this...this is nothing like that. No cold stones or straw beds.
Lifting a hand, he shoves his wet hair out of his face. "Not what I was expecting," he admits, droplets of water still wandering their way down his throat.
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Post by Snowglobe18 on Nov 29, 2017 22:48:17 GMT -7
Katherine had to admit that it definitely wasn't like the ones that she had heard about in Winterfell or even the ones that were talked about by the men of King's Landing. No this was definitely more modern. To an immortal life can sometimes get boring but this, this definitely wasn't boring. This was fun. This was what she was good at, this had made her long life a bit more easier.
She looked around and saw that they were all watching her or rather they were staring at Jon. They hadn't had a man in here that looked like him. Someone who was just so beautiful and was just as old as Katherine, not that most of the people here knew. Katherine smiled to herself and then looked over to see that Maria was walking towards them. "Maria, this is Jon, Jon this is my lovely friend Maria"
"Hello" she said her English accent more aware on her than anyone else that Katherine has met. Maria was a lovely woman. "I'm guessing that you've not come to join us here" Katherine couldn't hide a smile.
"No, he's here with me we're long term-" she then looked at him.
"Lovers?" Maria filled in.
Katherine nodded. Even though it was more than that, they were long time loves that stemmed back centuries. A love that even managed six years without seeing each other. "And our other guest?"
"Still upstairs" Maria said with a slight smile "But we'll give him another half hour before putting water over him"
"Good"
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Post by Ray on Nov 29, 2017 23:07:04 GMT -7
Jon catches sight of a few women watching him from a lounge off to the side -- dressed, but not in the same high-collared gowns of more conservative women. He gives them a polite half-smile, before Katherine's voice draws his attention back ahead to a woman approaching them. She's brunette and pretty and young, something that would have made him feel uncomfortable if she weren't employed by Katherine. He's seen the lives that prostitutes live in worse places, in harsher places, forced into a life that is difficult to escape and uses them quickly. But she does not look like the ghostly shells he's seen before. He knows Katherine would not do that to any girl.
"It's nice to meet you," he replies after the introduction, pushing back his hair once more when a few damp strands fall loose. A smile twitches at his lips at her words, gaze dropping to the ground for a moment as he and Katherine are aptly called lovers as if six centuries haven't preceded this moment. But he would not know what else to call them. At this point, he does not believe there is a word for it.
He lifts his eyes once more, glancing towards Katherine and scratching lightly at the short stubble upon his jaw as she carries on a conversation with Maria. A bit of curiosity pulls at him, making him look briefly towards the stairs.
"You usually dump water on your clients?" He asks with a hint of humor, keeping his voice low for only Katherine to hear.
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Post by Snowglobe18 on Nov 29, 2017 23:18:24 GMT -7
Katherine laughs softly at Jon's words before looking over at him. Her dark eyes on his face, a face that she hasn't seen in a while but she knew every part of it. She knew what it felt like to kiss, what it felt like to touch with her fingers. She knew every part but sometimes even she had to look over it just to make sure there there wasn't anything she forgotten or maybe she was afraid it would slip from her fingers if she looked away too long. "Well no but It's Adrian so he gets the water"
"I honestly don't know how you've put up with him for the time that you have, if it was me I'm sure I would stop him from coming in" Maria said with a soft tease even though she knew it was hard to keep him away. Plus she knew what it had felt like to be in bed with him, she had to admit that he was one of the best she has had.
"With a lot of patience and you know stopping him from coming in will only make him come back more" she said and then smiled at Maria "Thank you Maria, just make sure that he's out of the room by later" Maria nodded and then looked at Jon once more.
"It's lovely to meet you again, have fun both of you" she said with a grin before walking away leaving the two of them.
"Come on" Katherine said softly and started to walk with him "While you were at sea, did you find what you were looking for?" she asks softly and put her arm around his and walked like that up the stairs to her room at the top. It had definitely been a long time since they had had a proper conversation and she loved having him here even if here had been King's Landing the last time they were here. Now it was called London. Winterfell was gone and it had hurt her deeply as if they were covering up everything that had happened here when it shouldn't be covered up. It should be told and everyone should know of the battles that had happened here but no one other than the four that had known about it before would ever know.
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Post by Ray on Nov 29, 2017 23:35:28 GMT -7
"Adrian?" Jon says as his eyes flick back towards the stairwell, counting another surprise onto the list that have greeted him since he arrived in this city. But of all the names she could have said, that one makes the most sense. Like a thorn in his side, Adrian has been one of the few that has followed them this far. After being turned by Katherine in the throes of certain death, he was worn vampirism with a grin. But even before that, he'd had the very real reputation of being the wilder of the lost princes; flirtatious and reckless and eager to get into trouble. Finding him here in a brothel, no doubt in bed with one of Katherine's charges, is about as surprising as finding a blade of grass in a field.
Thankfully, Sansa decided to marry the other one.
"Wonderful," he mutters.
Katherine loops her arm through his, pulling him with her towards the stairs and away from the ever-watchful eyes. He does not miss Maria's comment or grin, but decides to brush it off, paying attention only to the woman at his side. "I found water and six years of living with men more restless than the Night's Watch, and twice as filthy." He admits, keeping his voice low as they ascend the steps. Nearing the top, he hears a very distinct feminine chortle of pleasure. "However," he continues, talking over the sound, "I did find something." He says, rolling the shoulder that carries the brunt of the weight of his pack. "But perhaps that's best left for another time."
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Post by Snowglobe18 on Nov 29, 2017 23:48:35 GMT -7
"Come now Jon, be nice I did promise Tristan that I would keep an eye on him" although she was wondering why the hell she had decided to even look after him now. Adrian was old enough, about the same age as they were, to be on his own. The only reason she had made sure that he stayed around was cause of the fact that everytime she thought about ditching the man, the promise she made to Tristan played in her head and she knew that she would have to deliver on it and here she was.
She heard the chortle and rolled her eyes before turning her attention back on Jon. "I told you, all those northern men... filthy the lot of them" she said and gave him a grin. Katherine raised an eyebrow when he said that he found something but best left til later. She had to admit that he found the most interesting things. So if he said that he had found something then he found something and she couldn't wait to see what it was but it would have to wait because they had six years to make up for.
They moved up another round of stairs and up here it was definitely quieter and Katherine opened the door to her room. "It's not like the one at Winterfell but it's been home for the last four years" she said softly and pulled him in with her and shut the door behind them. She removed her hat and put it on the dresser by the window and then took her gloves off, putting them on the dresser too. Her eyes wondered over to Jon and for a moment she bit on her lip, it really had been a very long time since they were in a room together. Katherine wrote letters and thankfully he got them because she couldn't bear to think that he hadn't got them but he wouldn't be here if he didn't.
They would talk but for now they had things to catch up on. One minute she was by the window and the next she was standing in front of him and she pulled him in and kissed him. It had been a long time, not including outside, since they had done this.
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Post by Ray on Nov 30, 2017 0:01:56 GMT -7
Jon huffs out a faint laugh at the reminder of her old tease, one that he's never been quite able to disprove, even after all this time. She leads him on to a third floor, where the sounds drifted off into silence and the door to her room stands. He steps in with her, letting her pull her arm loose to remove her hat and gloves as he glances around. It certainly is not Winterfell, but he has grown used to that. Just seeing a real bed makes his sea-beaten body feel more at ease, six years of sleeping on an always-swaying cot leaving him restless and sore.
"I like it," he says with a small smile, coming to a halt just inside the doorway.
He lets the strap of his bag slip from his shoulder, and he sets its bulk carrying the weight of all he owns onto the floor against the wall, out of the way. As he's turning back to face her, Jon finds Katherine already standing before him, her lips finding his with an impatient want. He does not hesitant or falter, his own lips pressing back to hers, lungs pulling in a deep breath as his hands find her waist and pull her against him. All the other thoughts drift free, replaced entirely by her. He slants his mouth against hers and deepens the kiss, having thought of little else but this for the six years he had been gone on his own.
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