let your guard down | adv. pafp

Theo couldn't help but feel the stress of the moment, quickly finishing up his conversation with his friend when Clarissa received yet another message and urged him to hurry. Time was at the essence and as soon as they got out of town, they would have at least a moment to rest. "Alright. Thank you, we're on the way now. See you soon." He hung up the phone, pocketing it, and walking back over towards his charge, of sorts, and cleared his throat. "I'll explain more in the car. I'm going to pack some things up, and then we can go." With that, Theo moved towards his closet and grabbed a medium sized duffle bag, stuffing all sorts of things in such as clothes, toiletries, etc. He made quick work of it, his abnormal speed propelling his throughout the room in a blur of color, until he was zipping the bag up. None of this was new to him. He couldn't even count the amount of times that he had quickly fled a city or town that he had been staying at within just a few moments, so Theo had made very short and efficient work of collecting his essentials. Still, part of him wished that they could stay as he glanced around the room. That was no longer an option, however, especially since he had allowed himself to get close to Nancy and Don. The idea of them in danger outweighed any other selfish reasoning. "Okay, let's go."

Moving quickly, but not too much so that Clarissa could stay in pace with them, he went down the stairs and through the front door without another word to his 'adoptive' grandparents. Now was the time to detach, though he had to say they had been his favorites of the Shelton family he had ever lived with. Now was not the time to dwell on the past. Instead of going to the Ferrari, though, Theo moved towards the garage, revealing a brand new black Jeep Wrangler. Compared to the red convertible, this would get them over any obstacles they encountered along the way. Moving as quickly as before, he deposited both of their bags in the trunk and opened Clarissa's door before practically just appearing at the drivers side. His face was almost set in stone the entire time, starting the car in one fluid movement and speeding out of the driveway as soon as Clarissa was in her seat and situated. This was part of his routine whenever he left a town; he became cold to the fact that he was leaving in the first place. Through effort on his part, Theo tried to push any emotions linked to humans he was leaving behind and he had the sneaking suspicion that he wouldn't be seeing Nancy or Don again, at least for a long time.

He was set on putting as much distance as he could in a short period of time, maneuvering almost reminiscent of some kind of race car driver as he sped around corners with expert skill. As soon as they could no longer see the gothic manor behind them, he decided it was time to fill Clarissa in, at least surface level. "We're going to stay with an old friend of mine. He's like me," Theo started, not saying the actual word 'vampire', but it was plenty implied. "His name is Matthew and owes me a favor from ages ago. You have nothing to fear from him, though. His diet is very... Unconventional." This was the understatement of the century. Though Matthew was a vampire, he hadn't consumed blood in centuries. He had been in contact with a shaman who told him of an herbal remedy that would keep him alive and give him the nutrient he needed that typically would come from blood. It did weaken his strength and speed a little, though he never seemed to need it, anyways. Living off the grid, he led a very peaceful existence.

There was slight hesitation as he urged himself to move forward with more of an explanation, clenching his teeth as he figured out what to say. "The Beaumonts are, like you said, an incredibly old and influential vampiric family. They have been linked to the roots of this affliction." Theo practically spit this out, knitting his eye brows together in a mix of slight discomfort and conflicting emotion. There was that pain again, though sharing the reason for it wouldn't benefit anyone at the moment. The less she knew, the safer she would be. Besides, his past love life was the last thing on his mind and he could only hope that they wouldn't run into his old flame. "If they're involved in this, the werewolves are the least of our concerns. They will stop at nothing if they believe that necklace belongs to them. If there is one thing they hate, it is being disrespected." More pain shot through his body, though he settled for clutching the steering wheel and keeping his face set on the road. Theo didn't have to say that he had crossed paths with them before; the feeling in his voice said that plenty for him and he was sure that Clarissa had figured that out. That was fine. However, he had to be careful not to reveal his brief employment by them. In that time, he had committed monstrous offenses that made his head reel.

Theo snapped out of his glum thoughts after seeing the obscured side road that would take them deeper in the forest towards Matthew's house. They were close now and hopefully they would be able to recuperate for some time. Clarissa needed to rest, he knew. It had been so long since he had been a human that he often forgot their needs and that they needed consistent sleep, not to mention that she was hurt. Perhaps Matthew would have some sort of herbal salve that could help them? He was always messing with that kind of thing. It had been a few years since Theo had visited his old friend. When he had moved to North America and out of Europe, Matthew had followed him and made his residence close to the town Theo felt the most comfortable in just in case assistance was ever needed. Theo had to remember to thank him for that later. As they drew further into the woods, the dirt road they had been traveling on disappeared into just grass and foliage, though they car made quick work of traversing over them, even if it was a bit of a bumpy ride. A small cottage was visible through the trees and Theo sighed in relief, pulling up behind a large bush nearby for cover. They were here. The brunette went over to the passenger side, opening the door. "We should be safe for at least a little while here," he murmured, almost to himself as much as to Clarissa.

Glancing at the cottage, Theo deduced that Matthew must be inside, so he simply grabbed their bags and walked towards the door. Before he could knock, however, the door swung open revealing a brightly smiling face and brilliant pale green eyes. "Theodore!" The man exclaimed, rushing the brunette and practically leaping on him in excitement. "Oh, I've missed you so much! Why haven't you visited?" A dramatic pout covered the mans, obviously Matthew, face and Theo rolled his eyes, though he was evidently much more relaxed. Ignoring his question, Theo gestured towards Clarissa and beckoned her forward. "Matty, this here is Clarissa. As I told you over the phone, we are being hunted by the local pack so I can't thank you enough for letting us stay." Matthew looked just as excited to see Clarissa as he had been to see Theo, though didn't jump on her as that probably wouldn't be socially acceptable (or, more likely, he would crush her with the strength of his arms by accident). "Welcome to my humble abode! Please, come in! You must be exhausted." The inside of the cabin was just as quaint as the outside. It was also surprisingly bigger, everything about it screaming coziness and comfort. There was a sitting area on one side before a simple fireplace where Theo headed straight for, collapsing on the couch and sighing. Even if it was only for a short time, sitting down relaxed was a gift right now.

ooc: oh yeah, time to melt this suckers heart

As Matthew and Clarissa chatted about how they had become friends in the first place, Theo had taken to resting his head on the back of the couch. Vampires didn't sleep, that much was true, though it had been some time since he had last fed, though he would wait to do that when Clarissa was asleep. The last thing anyone wanted to see was a red eyed monster going to town on a blood pack. He always drank in private, even with Nancy and Don who knew all the ins and outs of his life and habits. Theo was simply in the mindset of remaining as normal seeming as possible, even though he did stand out from other men within his 'age' bracket. Even at school, perhaps especially at school, he always seemed to draw glanced and stares wherever he went. That could be chalked up to his natural alluring aura due to what it was, though it was also because he dressed in a clean and cut way with not a hair out of place. Lots of people thought he was some kind of sociopath, whispering behind books in the library not knowing that he could actually hear them. It was actually quite entertaining.

At Clarissa's inquirement, Matthew couldn't help but burst out laughing, the sound rather clear and joyous compared to the other vampire in the room. Still, he glanced at Theo fondly and smiled broadly, happy to reminisce and get a bit under his friends skin. "Ah, what a beautiful story," He started, following her to the couch and sitting down in a well-used armchair near the couch. Matty couldn't help but grin in amusement as Theo's entire body grew stiff at Clarissa's head on his shoulder, deep brown eyes widening as he looked around for some form of help. He got none, as Matthew thought that whole thing was quite adorable and would do him some good. After a few moments, the brunette relaxed a bit more, almost leaning in towards her to make his shoulder a tad more comfortable. What did humans need? Was she cold? No, she controlled ice. That was stupid. Why was he so nervous? He sent Matty a firm look as the other man almost burst out laughing. This was all completely and utterly embarrassing.

Matty cleared his throat, composing himself and how entertained he was, before continuing his short yet sweet tale. "You see, I am not a good vampire. Well, good meaning that I have never been cut out for this kind of lifestyle." Theo couldn't help but chime in, still careful not to move and disturb Clarissa. "Finally, something we agree on." He received a pointed stare for that and shut up, allowing Matthew to go on. "Anyways, I got into a lot of trouble because of this what I was still fresh, for lack of a better word. Never really understood the world and, might I add, it is far too complicated and confusing but that is beside the point. About, what would you say Theo, 140 years ago? Yes, 140 years ago I ended up insulting some high up snob of a bloodsucker and he was fully ready to just murder me on the spot." The curly haired man took a dramatic pause, his tone completely exaggerated as though he were telling some kind of thriller and Theo rolled his eyes. It was always like this, though he would never admit that he enjoyed it (it was dangerous to inflate his friends head up any bigger). "Right as he was about to land the killer blow, out comes our tall, dark, and handsome hero to save the day. Theodore here practically made the snob pee his pants when he grabbed hold of his arm about to grasp my throat and flung him into the wall. Needless to say, my attacker ran away with his tail between his legs and I have owed Theo a life debt ever since. Not to mention that just seeing his face makes my heart melt. Just look at him!"

If vampires could blush, Theo certainly would be now as he glared half-heartedly at Matthew for the last part of his explanation. There always had to be some sort of comment like that; he should have known better. "You're far too sentimental, Matty," he grumbled, shifting a bit closer to Clarissa to adjust his position. At that, Matthew grave him a knowing look and laughed. "At least I'm not an old man!" Theo widened his eyes in surprise, though that hardly stopped the exuberant man that sat before them as he took another opportunity to speak. "Now, Clarissa, you do know that this striking specimen is over 400 years old, right? Talk about aging gracefully." At that, he burst out laughing at his own joke and Theo rubbed his temples with his free hand. Great, do tell all about him. Why not just reveal when he got his first pimple or how old he was when he had his first kiss? A more pressing question was how could Matthew have the capacity to talk so much? Theo turned his face to look down at Clarissa, checking to see if she was awake. "I think it's time to turn in for the evening. You still have that guest room?" Matthew nodded with a bright smile, proud of the home he had made, and the brunette once again brought his attention to his companion. "I fear my shoulder isn't quite as comfortable as a down pillow..." He murmured softly, doing a good job at hiding any hints of genuine concern. Detachment, right? That was the best route in this situation.

Matthew practically beamed at Clarissa's praise, smiling broadly and stretching his hands over his head as his guests showed signs of wanting to end the night there. So, he stood when they did, sending Theo a flirtatious wink as they passed each other. "Goodnight, my loves," he called out, voice sing songy. "If you need anything, just holler. I'll be in the garden!" With that, he skipped out the front door, intent on harvesting some of her homegrown herbs and crafting some new blood supplements for himself and for Theo if he needed any, though the answer was surely going to be no. Theo had tried them once before and had proceeded to be sick for a full two days afterwards. Matty had never seen him in such a pathetic state and insisted that it made them closer as friends. This was something the broodier vampire of the bunch vehemently denied, though his exuberant friend simply ignored these exclamations of denial. Some forced affection and friendship was good for the soul every now and then, he would always say.

Watching Matty leave, Theo resisted the urge to smile in appreciating. How someone like him could exist never ceased to baffle the mind. However, all thoughts of Matthew were banished from his mind as he followed Clarissa towards the guest bedroom, a space mostly reserved for him whenever he came to stay. The bed served more as decoration and comfort considering everything and, despite some influence of Matty's design flair, it suited Theo very well. There was, again, a full bookshelf of worn books that had obviously all been read, including some that almost seemed like manuscripts. When one lived forever, you had to fill the time somehow. Reading just so happened to be one of his prime activities even though Nancy had been trying to get him to take up knitting. That didn't stick very well and the result was just a mildly frustrated vampire who accidentally broke the needles. Since then, Theo had vowed never to go near the likes of arts and crafts ever again. The last thing he wanted was for his fingers to be covered in glue and glitter.

He watched silently as Clarissa shut the door behind them, a certain tension filling the room as soon as she did so. At least, he could feel it beating down on him and making him all too aware of her movements. Theo never moved as she unpacked some of her things, pulling out a specifically interesting journal that he would have been intent on getting his hands on had his body not completely rebelled against his thoughts. So, he stood in a statuesque way, continuing to observe the blond go about her business. As she changed the gauze on her shoulder, he averted his eyes to the side, far too drained to see blood soaked bandages at the moment, though movement made him look back at her. What he saw made him quite literally to a double take and his abnormal heart pounded in his chest. Clarissa had promptly begun to get undressed, not seeming to care that he stood feet away, and he couldn't break his gaze away for the life of him.

Getting over the initial shock was hard enough when she boldly made eye contact, moving towards him with deliberate movements. For once, Theo no longer felt in charge and felt helplessly enraptured as she grew closer and closer until the distance between them was a tantalizing few inches. Though he tried to suppress it, his breath hitched in his throat as he found himself taking her in, snapping his dark gaze back towards Clarissa's face when he realized what he was doing. But god, was it so tempting. He had seen a flash of the scar she had talked about earlier, though it only seemed to make her all the more desirable. Theo wouldn't lie; he had been fascinated, to say the least, by the blonde since the moment he had laid eyes on her. Even before being hired, there had always been something different in her that had drawn him towards her. It was almost as if his body was acting on instinct, pulling him closer until he couldn't take it anymore. Still, the vampire did his best to keep his expression still and calm, staring back at her and meeting her eye line. If the tension hadn't been palpable before, it was setting the very room on fire now.

Clarissa's question only tantalized him further, almost like some sort of dare. He expected nothing less from the fiery girl he had grown closer to in such a short period of time, and it did give his cause to think. While Theo would never openly admit it, he was scared of many things. In this very moment, though, his main thought was not wanting to cause Clarissa pain. Vampires and humans never mixed well, he knew that. Then why was his every instinct telling him to push her against the wall and give into the stifling feeling in the air. As he stared down at her, his eyes glittered dangerously, though not like when he had been in conflict with Cameron or anyone else. Instead, they screamed that going down this road wouldn't end well for either of them. He reached out a steady hand and brushed a strand of blonde hair from Clarissa's face and behind her ear, thumb lingering on her cheek. He could feel an instinctual side of him rising as he removed his hand from her face and lifted his white t-shirt over his head and onto the ground, never once breaking eye contact. For once with with this side of him, blood was the last thing on his mind.

Her question once again rang in his ears and Theo parted his lips to speak, lifting Clarissa's chin up towards his face. "Clever girl... You ask too many questions," he retorted, voice huskier than it had been before. It was evasive, yes, though he still couldn't make himself reveal that part of him. Years of social solitude and independence would not give way that easily as much as he willed it. Pushing that out of his mind, finally brought his lips crashing down towards Clarissa's, feeling an instant spark that he couldn't place. It just made him all the more desperate for it as he moved them towards the bed, realizing that he had sped the movement up a tad, though not caring. All that mattered to him was the blonde he grasped onto as though she would disappear at any second, greedily flooding all of his senses with her. This Theo was very different from the composed version of himself that he usually put on display. He was more unrestricted now, allowing himself some semblance of losing control without putting Clarissa in harms way, though his strength had flown to his fingertips as soon as they had touched.

//would you like to do a time skip???

When Clarissa had fallen asleep, Theo had stayed completely still as to not wake her, processing everything that had just happened. His dark eyes drifted to the mess of blond hair on his chest and he rested his head against the headboard. That certainly hadn't been apart of the the job description. It had been some time since he had felt like this, completely at ease and almost content. The closest that had come to this had been his first couple years with Elizabeth, though he didn't even know what had been real in that relationship, if it could even be called that. This was different, he could tell, though part of his felt somewhat guilty for giving in like he had. Theo knitted his eyebrows together in contemplation, using his free hand to rub his temples. Though he knew that their desire and need for each others bodies had been equal in power, he also couldn't push the thought out of his mind that it was his job to protect her and he had been weak enough to give into more animalistic desires. Sometimes he wished that he could fall asleep and turn off his racing thoughts, but that was just another plight he had to bear.

Theo could hear her breathing shift before she opened her eyes and he couldn't stop a small smile pulling at the edge of his lips. As conflicted as he felt, there was no way that he could deny the way that his body and soul pulled towards her. That was just something he would have to manage on his own. As Clarissa sat up, the brunette concealed his smile, setting his face straight once again and resisting the urge to run his hand down her bare back. "Good morning," he murmured, distracting himself from his roaming thoughts. Theo was also quite void of clothes, though the tangled mess of blankets covering his bottom half offered some modesty. Still, he hardly seemed to notice. Over 400 years of life helped foster a sense of indifference to such indecencies. There was ice almost covering the room and he was glad that neither of them could feel the chill as he was sure the temperature had gone down drastically despite what they had been doing. Thinking back, Theo realized they had gone a bit out of control, looking around at the bed and seeing that sone places on the headboard were cracked and splintered. Matthew would never let him hear the end of that.

Dark brown eyes followed Clarissa's movements as she got up from the bed and began to dress herself, Theo forcing his gaze off of her as that he could sit up as well. He had to get himself under control, chalking his remaining desire to not having fed in a few days. That could always be linked to any sort of more actions spurred by want. It was hard to deny that Clarissa was beautiful, however. She outshined practically everyone he had encountered, including many vampires who had had their appearance and overall seductive abilities enhanced as soon as they were turned. Anyone would feel such an innate feeling of want and necessity, right? At Clarissa's announcement that she was going to get water, Theo let out a low chuckle and swung his legs over the side of the bed, watching her leave the room with a small grin. Ah, human needs. There was something so pure about it, even though it was just getting thirsty. This was an opinion many people wouldn't understand, but when your only need had been drinking human blood for centuries, the little things began to matter.

As soon as she left, Theo rose to his feet and stretched his arms over his head to stretch his stiff muscles. The brunette went to his bag and decided to actually put pants on, making quick work of it with a pair of gray jeans, before digging around in a smaller pocket and pulling out a small vile of purple liquid. Theo threw the concoction back, grimacing at the taste, but thankful that he had a supply of it as it kept him from feeling discomfort in the sunlight. He continued to search around in the duffle bag, cursing under his breath when he remembered all of his bloodpacs were stored safely in the back of the truck. He had hoped to simply finish one without Clarissa's knowing, but that would evidently have to wait. As he took a black long sleeved shirt out and started to put it on, the hair on the back of his neck stood up followed quickly by Clarissa's panicked voice. The pack was here and what terrible timing they had, indeed. Theo was not in his strongest state at the moment, though they didn't need to know that. "Don't worry, I have your back." With that, he fully put on his shirt and quickly followed the blonde out the front door. Matthew was sitting in the living room and immediately stood up, looking alarmed. "Stay here, Matthew. Don't come outside."

The strong scent of wolf hit Theo in the nostrils as they pack emerged from the tree line, purple eyes glowing something fierce with Cameron at the head. He made fists at his side, reminding himself to keep his expression neutral as he stood calmly and tall next to Clarissa. In the corner of his eye, he could see the necklace glowing intensely, having shifted to a blue instead of its usual pink. Almost as if on cue, the other 7 wolves froze in pain on the spot, whimpers echoing throughout the forest clearing as Theo chanced a smirk of his own. This was not a fair fight for them, especially when they were up against a master of ice.

That didn't seem to deter Cameron as he thundered towards them. As if on instinct, Theo's eyes burned bright red and he quickly moved in front of Clarissa, running at the wolf with lightening speed. "I told you to never show your face again!" He thundered, voice full of unwavering emotion. Perhaps he was fueled by rage, or something deeper Clarissa had sparked, though every inch of him felt on fire even in his weakened state. They got closer to each other, and once he could smell the beasts breath, Theo gracefully spun in the air over him, body moving with full moment as he used the speed to aim a kick directly into Cameron's side. There was no way he would lay a hand on Clarissa ever again, not while he still roamed the earth. Seeing the scar on her back had only worked to reinforce this sentiment, eyes pulsing a deeper red color

ooc: so so sorry for my inactivity school has been super busy this weekend and stuff but it should get better in the next couple days!

Everything was a blur of fur, claws, and just violence as the two went at it. As the seconds went on, Theo could feel his strength waning as he struggled to fight back against the werewolf who had quickly caught on to his weakness. Shit. This was not going as he had planned it.; Well, there hadn't really been a plan at all when he had blindly rushed in to the fight when every instinct he had screamed at him to react. And now, this was not looking good, especially since he felt teeth and claws digging into his skin and actually ripping into it. Funny how a regular kitchen knife could simply graze his skin, but as soon as anything supernatural decided to give it a go, it was almost like he was just a simple human. Theo clenched his teeth in pain, practically fighting for his life at that point, and channeling out everything around him as his body screamed in agony.

Soon enough, the brunette found himself being taken to the ground, looking up at the werewolf with a look of hatred before Clarissa's voice almost echoed throughout the clearing. Theo turned his head slightly, vision slightly blurred, as he observed her walking towards them, time seemingly to freeze simply at the commanding tone in her voice. Cameron seemed to heed it as well, as the weight of his wolf form lifted off of Theo, allowing him to breath even though he didn't have the strength to rise to his feet. Still, he ignored the pain and watched amazed as Clarissa took control of the situation, facing the werewolf with a tone and posture that he had not seen from her in their short, but meaningful, time together. It was shocking, and he could practically see the power and silent rage radiating off of her. She had had enough of Cameron walking all over her, and Theo knew that this was the end of the line for the fleabag.

Cameron shifted back into his human form and his fate was set, though Theo could hardly hear their conversation over the sound of his own dwindling adrenaline. Just from their expressions, however, he could understand completely where this was going and he couldn't help but feel a swell of pride (though he didn't understand why) at seeing Clarissa's confident and hardened expression. Everything after that moved at lightening speed; Cameron got down on his knees, the two shared a few words, and then an ice shard moved up and impaled him straight through the chest, the smell of his blood as sickening as one would expect. Even in death, he smelt reminiscent of a wet dog mingled with the metallic taste of rancid blood. There was not a vampire in history who would lower themselves to drink from a werewolf, not to mention that the effects it might have could be astronomical.

Theo moved to try and sit up as Clarissa rushed towards him. He looked a mess. His shirt was tattered and ripped, dirt covered his every inch, and uncanny black holes and slashes void of any blood remained where Cameron had torn into his flesh. Typically, wounds like that would have quickly healed up without a scar. However, being as weakened as he was, that was a luxury his body couldn't afford. His vision was still blurry as the blonde reached his side, mouth open but unable to form any other words. What was he thinking? He wasn't, that was the simple answer. His eyes remained a red color, though it was dimmer than it had been in the past. "I'm fine," he suddenly managed, clenching his teeth and rising to his feet with a great ounce of effort, wincing in pain and discomfort when Matthew suddenly burst from the house, taking care to not look at the bloody mess in his front yard at risk of throwing up everything but his lungs. The smell was bad enough and he knew that he didn't need to see what had happened to picture it.

"What the hell, Theodore?!" Matty practically screamed, racing up to the two and looking over his friend with frantic eyes. One look and he knew, as Clarissa had, that he hadn't fed in some time. "I can't believe that you could still be so stupid." In his hand, he held a blood pick that he had retrieved earlier, shaking with anger and worry as he glanced between Clarissa and Theo. "Just- Everyone just come inside. Everything's going to be okay." Repeating this phrase, he helped to support Theo's weight in order to walk back towards the house, stress written across his usually carefree and relaxed face. Matthew beckoned Clarissa to follow as they walked through the door and towards the couch, gently assisting Theo in sitting down. Seeing his friends state, he made the mental note to save the lecture for later.

Adjusting himself on the couch, Theo glanced at the two figures before him, fighting to remain conscious as Matthew poked a hole in the blood pack. Almost immediately, the brunette's eyes shot open at the smell and Matty approached, looking towards Clarissa with a concerned look. The two vampires had known each other for some time, and Matthew could make a guess as to why Theo had deprived himself of blood. It was never a pretty scene, a vampire feeding, and Theo had most likely wanted to hide that side of himself from the blonde girl. Now, that was not something that could continue. He handed him the blood pack and watched with a sickened face as Theo practically inhaled its contents, beginning to look more refreshed and alive the lower the blood got in the bag. His wounds started to get smaller and his strength began to return, but, as the blood pack was finished, he still felt the toll of his exhaustion.

As soon as he was done, Theo returned back to his senses and wiped his mouth of any redness, quickly averting his gaze away from Clarissa and rising to his feet (there was still some effort on his part, but it was not nearly as bad as it had been moments earlier). "Are you alright, Clarissa?" He murmured, gaze still averted. They would need to get moving. Matthew had given them enough and there was no need to trouble him any more, especially if the rest of the pack was somewhere reeling from the loss of their alpha. "We... We need to get going. Get your stuff together..."