[ COMPLETE ] Alexis & Megumi - Failed Control

[roseblooms.livejournal.com]

When; After Alexis sends Megumi her gift and invites her to dinner, at present, and before she turns to Isaak and before Megumi has to pretend all is well, this log is very very backlogged.
Rating; PG - 13 to NC-17
Characters; Alexis Hargreaves [maitre_de_carte] & Megumi Yamamura [pinkenglishrose]
Summary; After Megumi dyes her hair and discovers she's being controlled, Alexis attempts to take the control he lost over his target by inviting her to dinner, but his own underestimation becomes his undoing.
Log;

---

And so the plates had been cleared - Alicia had been most dutiful in seeing to the finer details, and he had made sure that nothing would be overlooked. With a quick bustle about the larger dining area, the maid-of-all-works took the dishes, raising the one that had been before her own lord, who now looked rather content while he sat in the high-backed chair. "I trust it was excellent for you, as well, madam?" he asked across the rectangular dinner table to his guest. And it was easy to tell what sort of answer he'd hear; if a shepherd's pie had been devoured within less than half an hour, then one knew the answer.

"Alicia does make rather fine comestibles," Alexis added with almost a hint of pride in his voice. "She's proven a deft cook in the kitchen." The dinner had been simple - a fine split-pea soup, the shepherd's pie following once it was all consumed. Simple had been, quite literally, on the menu; it had been just as she had requested, though just as he planned. Even though it had seemed as though the beginnings of a stirring of enemies had taken form, here the girl was, sitting not even a few metres away at the other end of the table. Simple it had been, simple it would be... even his expressions had remained such, and he kept to the ease of a relaxed smile that he had used the entire evening.

"You'd not be willing for a dessert by this time, would you?" finally he asked. Keeping her close... even dangerously so - that was the object of the game. "Keep close thine friends, closer thine enemies" had always been a bit of a mantra for him anyway.

It was interesting, she had to admit, when you had to give company to someone you had been told to strongly suspect. For the most part, the evening had gone in a most satisfying manner, though the meal itself had been rather . She had been careful however, if in case there was any magic he was going to use or perhaps even if he'd go so far as to drugging the food. If however, he really was the man behind the theft of her hair and control of it, then she imagined he would be more than careful about trying anything like that now. Though the sudden invitation to dinner (which didn't -seem- so sudden, seeing as they met for tea quite often but either way) wasn't unwelcome, she hated being so conflicted with a man she had believed she could enjoy some time with.

Better the devil you know, she supposed. Perhaps she could forgive him for it, if he was just curious... perhaps. She sighed quietly, as she raised her napkin to pet at her lips in a dainty manner, bringing a charming smile on her face, she looked across at him. It was easier to give it, because a lot of it was genuine appreciation towards the man before her. He'd rescued her, given her company, made her feel very at home. She just prayed she was wrong, and listening to the man talk, she let out a light laugh at the end, giving him a polite nod.

"It would be quite a bother if I didn't save space for that!" she grinned lightly, moving her hands back down into her lap as she glanced at her emptied plate. She had been hungry, but most of the meal had been forced down for appearances. So far so good, the food hadn't been drugged, she was fine. Tilting her head to a side, she gave him a small, playful smile as she looked at him. "Alicia's desserts are always something to look forward to!" She'd had the fortune of them twice before. Third time the charm..? she found herself wondering with a hint of irony, before nodding in thanks to the maid as she came to remove her plate.

And so far, it had seemed to go smoothly, if only it weren't for the slight inhibitions his guest seemed to have standing in the way. Oh, he had known well enough that they would be present this time around - with suspicions floating about and the apparent link between the damage to her scalp and the loss of power from those strands, it was simply inevitable. Such reservations were tough to dispel under normal circumstances.

Then again, the circumstances weren't quite normal this time about.

"I believe, then, that you may yet be in luck." Always, it was a sound call to have the plan and a back-up ready just in case. "Then it shall be rolled out without delay," Alexis continued, taking in the last swill of the pinot noir he had been served. One glass had been all thus far... had it only been one for her, as well? The fixation on even the slightest nuance of expression had clouded any knowledge of it. She had an interesting expressive range, he had to admit.

The glass was downed, and his fingers idly traced over the wide rin while he casually leaned forward. "Which reminds me, madam - you did receive the parcel from me, yes?" he inquired with a placid look. "The post, only on rare occasions, can be most unreliable...."

"Oh!" The mention of the parcel made her eyebrows rise, as though she'd just remembered something and reaching down, away from his vision, as though aiming to grab a bag (even though she hadn't come in with one), she slipped her hand into a cut in reality and space, a little witch-trick she used to store away her items. It was a handy little move, which kept her from carrying her things in places others would find it easy to steal from her, and removed the parcel she had received right before she'd gone in for work from the pocket, moving it into her hands.

She'd opened it and kept it away, but the wrapping remained unopened. Distractions were good, of course. They kept her from being too nervous about the situation at hand and it was easier to speak of something that wasn't related to her personal interests.

"It just arrived today morning. I hadn't had the time to look at it until now." She replied apologetically, and holding the gift in her hand now, she looked up at the Lord with a gracious smile. "I suppose it is fitting I get to open it in front of you now!" her voice held a bit of a pleasant note to it, similar to a younger girl being fascinated with the aspect of receiving a gift at being good. "f you won't mind me doing so now...?" she asked, with an inquiring look to him, just to be on the safe side.

Once he saw the small parcel upon the table, it was highly recognisable to the eye. The box, the size, the very colour of it - exactly as he had remembered upon sending it. Messenger services were easier to come across than one initially had thought. Still with a gentile smilke curving his mouth, he nodded his assent to her. "It is of your possession now - one may do as they like with possessions, correct?" Alexis replied, watching while the parcel was opened with anticipation. Of course, the material gifts were such excellent distractions; those of the fairer sex seemed easily distracted by anything tied by a bow - at least, as far as he had observed.

The expression upon her face merely validated his opinion. "Hopefully, you shan't take offence at the gift," he added quickly at the slight astonishment upon her face. Yes, he had remembered that small, golden pocketwatch - the floral design upon the cover hadn't really enticed him as much as the token's significance. More a relic of older times, perhaps an antiquity, and even still he had kept it close by his person for years. Possession was nine-tenths of the law, after all.

As she opened it slowly, she wasn't sure what to expect from him, but in any case, the fact that he'd sent anything was a nice enough gesture on it's own. However, when it was opened, a hint of confusion shone in her eyes before she lifted the present within with a gentle hold, eyes widening briefly before she glanced up at Alexis with a look of surprise and gratitude.

"Why, Lord Hargreaves!" she exclaimed, handling the watch delicately. The design, everything was familiar to her, why it was the very same pocketwatch she had seen on the man himself! "Your pocketwatch..." she couldn't help but smile a little. "Thank you, but why the gesture, sir?" Unless he was being funny like how Axl decided to give her his guitar as a present after he'd broken it at a sell-out concert so she would use her magic to fix it. "You always have this on you... it must be important to you, isn't it?"

"I had seen your eye upon it frequently, madam," he replied casually. Yes, the reaction had been as he had thought, and perhaps even a little better than anticipated. Truth be told, he had seen Megumi watch quite often as he took to checking the time - hardly any better could be expected to be given, as he thought in his opinion. "You've no need to fret-" he quickly took out the one whose chain draped lazily over the dark green waistcoat he wore - "for, as you see, I've acquired a newer one." One with far less of that history he wasn't entirely keen on. Smiling a bit with pride, he let the half-dimmed lights shine upon the obviously newer silver of the cover - a simpler design, by far, and less antiquated. "If I were to keep that one," he continued, pocketing his own while staring pointedly at the one in her hands, "I'd fear I may lose it upon neglect."

Just about then did he hear the slight creak of wheels, and rather like clockwork, the familiar blonde servant rolled out with a cart laden with a small decanter and a silver-domed serving platter. "Ah, excellent timing," he addressed Alicia with an ironic smile. Before long did they each have a small pastry before them, and the bottle had been set down before his guest. "I trust this shall be fine enough, madam?" The inquiry left him just as the servant had, although hardly as unnoticeably.

In comparison to the one he had, the one she was now the owner of was certainly a better one, which surprised her in itself. So technically he was giving her something with far more value than the one he had, and it caused her to blush just a little in that realization. Touching the cover as though she was scared of breaking it, she curled her fingers around it before turning a charming smile towards him, her eyes lit with warmth.

"Oh, Lord Hargreaves, you shouldn't have-- ah.." She laughed, a hint of shyness to her voice. "I admired it on you, not..." realizing what she would sound like saying that, she took to looking at the pretty chain, and then the face, appearing to admire the make. "It's ever so pretty though... I shall be sure to take good care of it, sir. Normally one would protest a gift bearing such a weight of memory, but in good spirits, I shall accept it." She laughed with a hint of mirth. "Goodness, though now I feel like it's my fault you were forced to part with it!"

As she finished, she looked up to see Alicia arrive and set the present in it's wrapping to the seat next to her, her eyes lighting up when she saw the pastries. "Goodness, that looks absolutely scrumptious!"

The slip was something that hadn't gone unnoticed, and just as with many of her interesting reactions, it too was filed away within the deep recesses of Alexis's mind quickly. All the better to further what deliberate purpose he had intended for her this evening. He had a goal to meet, and he'd be damned if it weren't. Charm was certainly enough of a distraction to any underlying intentions, rather like perfume to a foul odour. And so he merely shrugged it off, this time taking to following her lead within the conversation.

"A fine job, then - I shall notify her myself later on," he chimed, taking to likewise observe it. It only took a minute, and the relief of his stare upon her seemed shorter than temporary when he eyed the decanter sitting next to her left hand. "A bit of the port may do well to enhance it, if I may add." Just as he had requested, the finest tawny port he had in stock, and Alicia had done well to ensure it. After all, dessert hardly was complete without such.

She had to agree, if only because she knew a small drink after a meal like that would certainly help it go down well. He certainly knew how to treat his guests well, and she nodded once to him in acquiesce of the suggestion. "Just a little." She laughed a little, as she set down her fork eating slowly so as to savor it (what a delightful taste, it felt like it was melting in her mouth itself!) she turned to look at him. While she had been suspicious about this visit, she supposed a little bit of leeway was alright... so far, it hadn't been anything short of pleasant.

Even then, his eye seemed never to roam from the decanter sitting by her side, the stopper still in place. Only when he cleared his throat subtly did Alicia pull back to unstop the bottle and pour a bit of that tawny port into the empty glass at Megumi's side. "There perhaps isn't much within the decanter to merit even 'just a little'," he remarked, staring at the bottle even as it was passed back to him. He had told a little lie, of course - the bottle, not even but three-fourths full now, had even then been enough for four people.

He murmured a polite thank you to Alicia as he poured his own within the now-emptied glass at his hand. "One of the finer bottles I had purchased not too long ago - I'm quite anxious about it, honestly," Alexis admitted as he gingerly sipped upon it. Apparently, it had sufficed - a gracious smile curved while he set the glass down once more. "I say, a fine purchase, indeed." Even finer if it served just the purpose he intended.

Having enough on her mind from the things her friend had told her earlier, she missed the opportunity to pour the port, and it wasn't until Alicia began to pour it that she had to control her embarrassment and like any lady, make sure no slip was seen in her behavior.

Lifting the glass that had been filled, she waited for her host to take the first sip, before she followed suit. While she wasn't much of a drinker, she had to admit, something to help the meal wasn't at all frowned upon though she preferred green tea to that effect. She did have to stop, the taste wasn't something she was used to, and then she continued to drink from it, holding the glass carefully before she managed to smile. It had an interesting taste alright, and something she wasn't used to, but didn't quite mind. Perhaps the evening wasn't so bad after all. A nice dinner, treats and a gift... and he wasn't bad company either. Perhaps... there really was nothing off about him?

"I have to agree... you do know how to pick your treats, Lord Hargreaves." She spoke with a hint of mirth to her tone, and continuing to drink until it was downed, before figuring another drink wouldn't hurt. Trying to recall the rule behind it, she then smiled to herself and turned to him. "Do you know the Bishop of Norwich?" She hadn't done it the first time, but she might as well not look uneducated in the matter.

The taste had but settled upon his tongue when he heard the prompt spoken - just as a true Englishwoman. Alexis seemed to chuckle, eyeing the bottle once more... two-thirds empty. A confidence seemed to spark in his eyes when he looked up, one brow perked in amusement before he again laughed softly to himself. "An awfully good fellow, but he forgets to pass the port," he returned wittily, sliding the bottle down the table to her.

Whatever suspicions she may have had fed to her didn't seem to be in play just yet, if they even existed. He had known for a while it had been only a matter of time before that son of his would sense something afoot. Clever boy that he was, really, there still was little that even Cain himself could do that would shatter his plans - such plans that seemed to work flawlessly for the time being. "I take it the purchase hadn't been an entire failure," he called to her from over his own glass.

Megumi couldn't help but laugh lightly, unintentionally airy though when she realized it, she moved a hand to cover her mouth with her fingers, before nodding in thanks and picking up the bottle. Pouring herself a glass just short of being completely full, she set the bottle aside and took a small sip, tasting it again. It really was good, but she had to be careful. If her last instance in a bar from when she was eighteen any indication, she knew she couldn't afford to get drunk in the presence of company.

Even as the second glass was halfway downed, she shook her head. "Ah, I should stop there... goodness, it does feel quite strong after a bit..." Already, there was a growing touch of color forming on her cheeks.

His own glass was nearly downed, but the alcohol really had little effect upon him. It was inevitable that he grew a tolerance for the stuff - so many formal evening balls and the like were keen to jade one of the entire proceedings. But she didn't need to know that, did she? Alexis cleared his throat, taking the final swill of the dark amber liquid. "But, of course, the port cannot be abandoned, madam," he replied, glancing to her quickly with a sharp look in his eye.

Customs dictated a lot of behaviours - the patterns were far too easy not to follow. And even so, while his finger again idly moved along the rim of his glass, he knew the custom was one way in which to snare a person. He nodded at her, almost gesturing to her in an attempt to bring the port back to him. "After all, it does tend to get lonely."

Having never really indulged in alcohol like her better half back home, who merely treated it as something of leisure rather than necessity, she'd never really seen the need to indulge in it. Her tolerance wasn't any better, and she nodded, knowing that terrible custom far too well from adults she'd watch in those boring banquets as a child. As she passed it across the table to him, she moved a hand to her head... it was too soon after her own recovery, and she knew it wasn't wise to overindulge.

Sipping the drink some more, she eyed him over the rim of the glass, before blinking at his words. "Lonely...? Oh. Ah, yes." She didn't realize it, but her tolerance was already beginning to show. She wasn't fully drunk yet, but she could already feel her tongue loosening. "That would be the day, wouldn't it..?" she smiled. "When even inanimate objects feel insulted~?" She had to stop now, she knew she'd start giggling if she'd continue.

The inebriation showed in her face, so close to cracking into giggling, as most women were while drunk. Her tolerance was far lower than his own - that worked only too well to his advantage. Alexis indulged in an amused smile, a brow perked in good humour while listening to her voice sway. Almost as she began to while in her chair. Funny how alcohol seemed to affect those of the fairer sex so similarly.

"Perhaps they do," he retorted jauntily. "And the decanter must feel the need to travel...." Almost as a gambler would tap the table for a card, he too tapped the table before him, shooting Megumi a gently demanding look. Asking for it outright was such bad manners, after all. "It looks restless."

She was slightly embarrassed, still enough in control of her actions to stop where she was, but she knew the ritual. She'd have to keep going until the bottle was finished, and she wondered if there was some polite way to stop it. Fortunately, the charm she'd placed on herself prior to detect any sort of possible poison or drugs in the food had it's own effect, and would probably help her tolerate this a lot better than it would have without it. Maybe she could go for one more.

"Mm.. Bishop's in a bit of a rut, really." She chuckled a little apologetically, moving the bottle over to him, gently still as she then picked her own glass back up and sipped. "Funny you can still find genuine stuff here." She found herself leaning back in her chair almost in need of support. She didn't want to fumble and drop anything.

The bottle felt considerably lighter by the time it came back to him. One-third empty. And he chuckled, more to himself than anything, while he poured a second glass with exercised skill. "It seemed to take far more patience than was due," Alexis muttered, setting the bottle down as he took a generous swill of the port. The more he drank it, the more he seemed to grow accustomed to the headiness, the sweetness of it. It seemed as though it had certainly grown upon his dinner guest.

"Besides, I hardly wanted to get anything less that this for my company. Crusted port is such an insult." He seemed to smirk invitingly while he again slid the bottle to Megumi, and still it remained while he leaned back into his chair and drank so deeply as to nearly empty the glass in two swigs. The pretence was enough to merit it, even though the taste could have been damned for it. The finer the port, the bolder, though more refined, the taste.

She closed her eyes briefly, trying to hold back the urge to giggle or say something foolish, though by now, the older man's words were already sounding something of a joke the way he said it. Just what she was finding funny though, she couldn't really place. Perhaps it was just the way the port tasted... pleasant, sweet in a way, but hot. Or was that cold, through that heat? She paused her thoughts, so quickly racing, and decided to take it slow. No, she wasn't going to get drunk so easily... how embarrassing if just two drinks of it were making her feel so woozy! Moving her hand to the table, she slid her fingers over the edge, before setting her glass on the surface.

"You couldn't have made a finer choice..." Her voice was softer than she wanted it to be, and she looked up at him, not forgetting her own etiquette and waiting for him to pass it over. Thanking the stars for her spell, feeling it work enough to keep her from fully falling to the drunkenness she knew would start creeping up on her, she didn't realize that her cheeks were flushing warmly. "In good company, a good thing can always taste better~ hm?"

Oh goodness, she was talking a lot...

The voice, soft and almost demure - although a touch slurred. And were she to indulge in another sip, Alexis wondered just how much softer that voice could get, how red the cheeks would flush, how much less control of her body she'd relinquish to the drink. And yet, he watched patiently, gauging each sip, the effect upon her, and the amount still left in the glass and decanter. It was working well enough.

"So much better that the lady takes a flush to her cheeks," he replied casually, almost in a jocular tone while he raised a brow at Megumi. Ruddy cheeks already, and it had only been near on two glasses. Curious, indeed - and yet he had adopted only a slight swagger in his speech and remained in control of his bodily movements. The tolerance hadn't been built yet - and he should have supposed so for one her age. "Madam, you're getting a touch hot, aren't you?" he finally asked, chuckling to himself before taking the final gulp of his own drink.

"Oh, do stop..." she replied back in return, laughing softly as she began to sip her own drink, now on her third once it was poured again. Not realizing how informal that may have sounded, she smiled sheepishly, raising a dainty hand to her cheek as though to gauge how warm her cheeks had gotten. Well, that hadn't taken too long at all, had it? The blush grew, more out of the realization of embarrassment than from her own intolerance for the drink, and she lowered her hand to the armrest, before extending her hand to pick up her glass.

Raising it to her lips, already hearing warning bells that she should stop, she sipped it, watching Alexis carefully. Lowering it with a small smile, she spoke, "It is getting slightly hotter..." moving a hand up to brush back her hair off her left shoulder, she smiled to herself.

"Goodness... this really isn't right." She tilted her head to a side, smiling at him. "I might not be good company after this..." The drink was nearly half-finished in the glass in her hand, and she looked down at it, before beginning to sip at it again. Just one more... she knew she'd be completely lost if she had one more.

Subtle, but a tease. Although perhaps it wasn't as subtle as one would think - the cues were what he watched, and watched ravenously. The gesture merely reminded him of the purpose he had in mind - black hair floating on her shoulder. And it merely justified, to himself, the agenda he had in mind that he would simply have to act upon soon. Her cheeks were reddening by the second, and her tongue loosening as the minutes ticked away. If it kept up - there only was a fourth left in the bottle, after all - perhaps progress could be made.

"The port simply can't be abandoned, you know," he urged gently. The smooth tone was enough to hide the subtle manipulation, and he knew the veil of drunken perception would help towards that end, as well. His fingers tapped lazily on the table once more, a signal to the lady across from him that the glass needed a refill. Of course, it had to be passed, anyway. Traditions were stubborn like that - and he was definitely a traditional man, at least to his knowledge.

There was enough left in the bottle for one more drink and relieved that he was going to have it, she gently moved the bottle to him, glad he was taking it off her hands. Continuing to sip at her drink, her cheeks, warm as they were, were much closer to red now and she could feel them burning. Twirling the glass slowly in her hand, watching the shimmer of the lights reflect over the edges and glassy surface, she then braced herself and took a longer drink from it. Grabbing a napkin quickly, she pressed it to her mouth, lowering her head and letting out a relieved sigh.

"That was... rather different. I've never had that much... and I really shouldn't, you know!" she commented lightly, setting her emptied glass down. "Gives me a rather terrible headache otherwise!" she was still sober, or at least she hoped she was. Everything just seemed so strangely glowy right now. She blinked a few times, realizing she'd probably overdone it, and turned to look at Alexis. "I do believe I'm in the direst need of a stroll or I may find this seat far too comfortable to move from!" a light giggle released past her lips and she set the napkin back down on her plate, giving him a smile.

Megumi had an impressive tolerance for a woman. But she still had the tolerance of a woman, which only seemed to hurt them more than it did benefit. Alexis smiled a bit to himself, beginning to shove his own chair back. Shall I help you up, then, lest it ensnare you?" he offered with a lifted brow and a humoured timbre. Such a good opportunity - and it would be a shame to waste it. Time was too valuable, really.

Once a few seconds had passed he took the liberty of simply rising from his chair. The port had been poured - no more was left of it, even though his half a glass remained - and there were no witnesses should the slight transgression be called out. "I'd say you may need a hand, regardless," extending a hand to her once he was by the side of her chair.

She may have not had that tolerance had she gone in unprepared for the event of any sort of drugging, but this was unexpected in itself. This wasn't a drug, but something that had enough of an effect on her conscious thought to have her spell work on her. Unfortunately, it was only meant to challenge intentional drugging or venoms, not alcohol, which acted as a healing medicine in itself. But this wasn't something she was aware of, or even bothering to think of at this time.

So when he approached her, she didn't really think twice as she extended her own hand to slip into his, slowly pushing her chair back and standing up, chuckling lightly. "Such a gentleman, Lord Hargreaves. Whatever would I do without your assistance?" She knew were she in a completely stable state of mind, the words may have never fallen past her tongue so easily. Such familiarity was reserved for close friends, not Lords whose company was a privelige and at the moment, something to be suspicious of.

Stepping away from the table, walking carefully, she gave his hand a light squeeze before slipping her hand free and beginning to move past him. "Goodness... is there a chill now?" she asked, glancing to her side, noticing an open window. Odd, how everything seemed to stand out right now.

The alcohol had taken effect, and it had been just as calculated all along. The decanted port, after all, was prepared with just the intent that had played out - a successful amount, and she'd neither be too sober or too far drunk. It was only careful planning, and careful planning was what had ensured his successes in the past years. And now he was so close - and getting closer with each step approaching her from behind - to the whole reason the scenario had to be acted out.

Soon he was right behind her, looking to the window he had left open - the seasons were changing, it was true, and the room had to be aired out of the smoke. "Then, perhaps I'll have to close the window," he remarked kindly while brushing past to do just that. But once the window shut with a wooden thud, his arm shot out to grab at her wrist while he turned back about. "You don't happen to need a jacket, do you?" A gentle smile remained on his face, even though his eyes betrayed some cunning - was it the alcohol, perhaps, that let that happen?

She stayed in one place, a hand against the side of her head as he moved past her to shut the window. She knew she'd had a touch too much to keep to her senses, and now that she was standing, she could feel the weight of the alcohol on them. Why, oh why, had she accepted dessert at all? Once the window had closed, she was beginning to move, when his touch startled her and she whirled around in reaction, though not pulling away just yet. Maybe he wanted to say something, and... oh, yes. Jacket. No. She didn't. Wasn't she supposed to reply? She began to open her mouth to speak, but found herself momentarily distracted by the look he was giving her.

It was strangely thrilling and frightening at the same time, and she could feel a tingling feeling run down her spine. Turning her hand in his hold, she shook her head quickly. "One doesn't grow up in jolly ol' England and not get used to a bit of a chill, Lord Hargreaves!" had she just giggled through that? Her cheeks coloring further, she glanced away. "M-My... is there something on my face? Your look is so intense!" Shut up, shut up, you're rambling...

he intoxication was evident in Megumi, and the giggle certainly wasn't the only pressing evidence highlighting it. An interesting development, true, and it only seemed to widen the smile - or was it a smirk now? - that lay prominent on Alexis's face. It was sudden, swift - soon her back was to the wall and he keeping her there with a hold upon her shoulders. "The draft is rather worse when you stand there, madam," he crooned, his tone far from informative while stepping in closer.

So close. Just barely half a metre away.

"You seem to have taken a touch of it, as well...." One hand on her shoulder seemed to move down - whether as an attempt to warm her up or something else, who knew. His brow lifted, though, at the bright rosiness on her cheeks. Quite drunk, then. "But you still seem a touch hot, as well."

She wasn't sure what had happened exactly, but the relocation of her body had happened so swiftly that she hadn't had any time to react. The warning bells she had heard earlier seemed to be louder right now, but her head was spinning so much at that point that she couldn't even focus on them. His voice was sending shivers up her spine, partly in pleasure, partly in a fear she knew she should have been feeling for being treated so roughly. When she managed to stop her head from being so woozy, she became aware of their positions and she raised her gaze to his, suddenly noticing the look in his eyes.

She knew she ought to have been protesting, but he felt nice and warm- but something was nagging her. Something that was telling her that she wasn't supposed to be in this situation again, and she moved her hands up to his chest, almost in a sluggish motion, as though to push him back. "You're not helping..." despite her position, she still managed to politely lower her voice in a somewhat shy whisper.

A protest was hard to fall upon his ear, and even harder still was one that barely seemed to be one. Alexis seemed not to hear the small voice, nor did the hands at his chest seem to put him off while he stepped in even closer. The hair was so close... and the situation was nearly perfect for obtaining them. The strange smile upon his face merely grew more intense while he closed in on Megumi - drunk, vulnerable, and easy to take advantage over in such a state. And he simply could not sit idly by and not do exactly that.

"You do seem rather chilly...." The distance kept growing smaller with each second - and it was intended that way. She had weaknesses. He had seen such when he had first learned of the very reason why he was in such a position to begin with. He'd have to pluck them with a distraction.... but just what, though? And soon the distance was too close for comfort. "Shall I help you with that, then?"

Despite her half drunk state (or was she completely drunk? She could barely think it), she found the situation becoming something she could feel a sense of strong deja-vu from. Except the words were almost as though they were in reverse. You do seem a touch warm, madam... Why did those words just spring to mind? And for that matter, why was he standing so close that she could smell that cologne... why did she know that scent deeply enough to...

It was enough to make her eyes widen, and then she found herself staring into sharp green, reminding her of a snake. Perhaps the alcohol worsened it.

Her grip on his coat tightened, grabbing the shirt beneath as well, and she backed off immediately, as though to pull free- only to find herself between the wall and his body. Her face quickly turning to the side, she could feel herself go dizzy slightly and had to close her eyes. "You're drunk, Lord Hargreaves." So was she, but the reprimand was in her tone, perhaps if she feigned it well enough to look otherwise... though what she was doing now, was hardly making sense to her either.

"Drunk...?" True enough, the look in his eye was positively serpentine while he kept her close to the wall. He chuckled to himself, a slight slur hidden in there; perhaps he had imbibed more often than necessary. But drunkenness was relative when one wasn't alone, and the distinction was even clearer just at that moment. His hand seemed to slam into the wall near her head, and yet no sound apparently was made when he slid even closer to her. "Madam, if I am drunk, you're quite far gone." Her red flush gave it away too easily.

The grin on his lips contorted somehow into a smirk, and his other hand pulled her chin upwards to jut out - a gentle touch, but the underlying command was all too clear. Look up. "The port's stained your cheeks well." Just the statement, and before protests could be made, the hand on her chin slithered down to her back. Megumi would not escape. Not until he properly got what was needed.

Too close. Too close, too. Close. Even though she couldn't protest the tug to her face, the look in her own eyes, somewhat questioning, somewhat warning and mostly worried, attempted to relay to him to back off. It wasn't at all helping that he was right about her own condition, and she couldn't understand why it had happened at all. The evening had been fine, so had this been... no, surely... she didn't know. Briefly reminded of a snake circling it's prey into a false sense of security before choking it of all life, she tensed when his hand came down to her back, and her fingers tightened around his jacket.

"Not true. Let go." Writhing a little more strongly, she attempted to push him off once again, though that only caused her to stumble forward when she took a step to the side, needing to grab onto his arm for support. How had she managed to abuse her tolerance without even doing so? Not really capable of thinking too much on it, finding herself pressed against his body now, she shook her head once. "Getting too hot now."

Her intoxication certainly was quite a handicap, albeit an amusing one. The tightened grip upon his arms merely elicited a perk of a brow, but Alexis still chuckled even while raising Megumi's form up. "Those stained cheeks belie your words, you know," he murmured bemusedly as he pushed her back to the wall once more. Now he had her trapped while vulnerable - just as it was supposed to be. But the vulnerability wasn't nearly palpable, not as concrete, as tangible, as the feel of the warmth underneath her dress while his hand settled to the small of her back.

"Terrible liar, madam - such a pity, really." His teasing voice almost sounded mocking, rather like the other hand that mocked the curve of her waist while it coursed down. The prey was always amusing when it sang for its supper in a last-ditch effort. He only smirked, still keeping a watchful gaze fixed on her... or was it the small lock of hair resting on her shoulder? But they never could resist the poisons.

She didn't realize she had done it until the gasp had gone past her parted lips as she felt herself further pressed up against his body out of reaction alone from when he held her and spoke. Her vision was blurring, and her fingers curled into the fabric of his jacket and she shook her head, suddenly wishing she hadn't. The way it made her head spin was the sort of confusion one wouldn't want to wish upon their enemy, though she was hoping so very badly for Alexis to experience it if it would make him let her go.

Turning her eyes towards him, tensing a little when her own darkened blue gaze met his sharp green, she managed to hiss, "I don't lie." At least that was a strong enough thought. More of the deja-vu, and she found herself shivering- though in reaction to the touches, or to the memory, she didn't know.

"I have to go." She said with a bit more strength. "It's getting late."

It was too preordained to let it fall apart just now. No, the mission was far from complete, and Alexis had only begun to complete it. His hands seemed cold to the touch, as though the source of the chill came from those eyes of his, and yet the low, nearly sinister laugh that escaped him seemed filled with the warmth that only alcohol could bestow. "And leave whilst inebriated?" he challenged, the hand about her waist sliding down further to feel the heat upon her thighs. The vulnerability, truly, was coming forth - it had a rich taste, a bit like a fine dark merlot. Dark like that hair. The hair that soon found itself cascading into his touch.

It would proceed just as planned.

"Your common sense seems to be impaired as much as your motor skills, madam," he continued with a haughty sort of teasing. His tolerance had grown with age - merely more of a glimmer to those lit candles, a slight blurriness to the vision, but hardly anything to handicap him so much as the red-cheeked woman whom he had ensnared. His head bowed and soon the very strands that rested in his hand found contact with his lips in a strangely gentle kiss. But the gentility appeared so contradictory to those eyes that looked up afterward, daring for a show of defiance.

She could feel the mockery in his words, and it made her tense even more. He knew... somehow, she didn't know how, but he certainly knew what he'd been doing when the offer of dessert had been so innocently given. Except right now, this was some sort of twisted role reversal and the main treat wasn't something that was to be served on a literal plate, at least not for her.

Perhaps a little indulgence into sin would have been anticipated had he not boldly gone ahead with reaching for the very target of her suspicion, and the way he looked at her right now was nothing short of seductive, while being frightening at the same time. Was knowledge really in his power? Her eyes, having been defiant not a moment ago, were suddenly confused, scared even, and she tensed visibly, as though he hadn't just kissed her hair, but her, in a way that was considerably sinful.

Don't touch them... Even Soubi had backed off when she'd shown her discomfort, and so she did again, moving the back of her hand to his holding her hair, to push him off. "Lord Hargreaves--" her tone had taken a dive into fear now. "Let me go."

The moment he could feel a foreign hand upon his, his other reached for the intruder and slammed it against the wall. Perhaps the liquor had done a number on his restraint, but he could always damn it on the alcohol, anyway. The alcohol wouldn't quite explain away the dangerous look in his eye or the persistence in his hand twirling the lock of hair between his fingers. Very close - palpably so, to be honest, and Alexis pushed in even closer. Warm breath graced her ear momentarily before icy words sought to negate it all.

"You're quite mistaken, madam."

The corner of his eye seemed to narrow, just by the slightest, and yet the look in that piercing green stare had nothing subtle about it. Keen determination was driving him at this point - the hairs would be, had to be, in his possession. Damage control was easy enough afterward - especially if one had the control. As though to bring forth that idea, his hold upon the lock of hair tensed possessively.

She tensed, letting out a small cry of shock when he slammed her hand back. Suddenly, the rose-tinted (or much correctly, port-tinted) vision was decidedly very, very unpleasant and she stared in shock, everything feeling as though filled with animosity. However, it was when he gripped her hair the way he did that she began to feel as though all control of her body had left her. The blood draining from her face at his closeness, she could feel her breath catch in her throat, before she struggled against his hand, trying to wrench her own wrist free.

"H-Hey!! Let me GO!" trying to tug her head out of his hold, she writhed and tried to cut to the side, her head spinning. "Tha-that hurts!!"

The hand that gripped so tightly against Megumi's wrist only seemed to tighten more in response to the mutiny at hand. He wasn't one to stand for open rebellion, and he wasn't going to let it pass so idly by. "Now, now," he replied soothingly, as though to mock her in a gentle way. The gentle peck at her lips with a chaste kiss only served to drive that home. "You didn't ask politely, did you?" If she were going to play that game, then he could do her one better.

His hand uncurled slightly at her hairs, but still Alexis kept a firm grip upon that lock of hair. He wasn't about to give up so easily. "Perhaps a deal might soothe those nerves of yours." And only then did he relinquish hold of her wrist, letting that hand slide down her forearm domineeringly. "Your freedom for three strands," he issued in a smooth hiss. "Hardly a steep price to pay, wouldn't you think?"

Her freedom? It was more of an out of the frying pan into the fire situation- he knew exactly what he was asking for, wasn't he? Though her own thoughts were so fuzzy right now, she knew if she gave him anything he wanted right now, she'd be signing a contract with the devil. Thankfully the fear of the situation itself was helping her gain some composure. If one could call it that, though as tense as she was, she was already thinking of some way she could get out of this.

At his spoken words, she tilted her head to a side, the helplessness she was feeling aiding in intensifying the look she was going for. Pressing back against the wall, moving her free hand to brush over her lips from where he'd kissed her, she shook her head. "I don't... I can't agree to that." She murmured. "Take anything else, please. But do not ask me for that!"

And only then did the hand moving down her arm stop and tense on her flesh. Resistance was counterproductive and futile - surely she understood such by now. Although it seemed now certainly that it would be a lesson to be taught to Megumi. Alexis was perfectly capable of initiating such lessons, especially if they helped the goal to come closer. The look in his eye possibly could have sent shivers down one's spine; the iciness hardly seemed softened by the smile on his lips. The lock of black hair in his hand - black as ebony, close to the shade of her hair - twisted and bent in his hold while idle fingers seemed to tease at it.

His voice sounded nearly flippant when he next spoke. "Then what else shall I take...?" The answer was far too obvious - he had known it from the start. Power was strong when it was unknown. After all, shades and the great beyond were a fear of humanity. But no, he knew a fear greater than that. "A consolation prize, then - for I believe I shall have to share what knowledge I have, and then what will that leave me?" The alcohol on his breath hardly registered to his senses, even when the proximity of his lips to hers intensified the heat. But his senses remained keen - blackmail, then, was the answer.

She let out a short sound of protest when he came into her personal space. So close, so horridly close. It was ever so improper, so -wrong-. This was a situation she knew no true lady should be in, and she moved a hand hesitatingly to the lapel of his jacket, his words sending a chill down her spine. Her cheeks were flushed now, even more so, both from the drink and now the embarrassment of her position. It wasn't too hard to do the next part, perhaps her own inhibitions were freed by the liquor and this didn't seem too hard, or too out of place for him to catch.

"A-Anything... you want. Please, for your silence..." she let her voice drop further, as though she had no other choice, blue eyes raising hesitantly to meet his gaze. "Not my hair. Anything else..." Her body was already near his, but though letting him remain close, she kept her face away so he wouldn't see her eyes. "Within my power... I will give." Lies, all of them, but who could really tell while drunk?

It was only too obvious. And the painfully bare truth to it was something that elicited a chuckle of wry amusement. Anything but the hair - and he knew specifically why. Alexis could have collected on that debt, and he almost had in the beginning. He found now that what little space between the two was effectively eliminated, and interestingly enough, it was slightly appealing. A few moments passed as his stare burned through the hand on his jacket lapel. And then he chuckled once more while reaching for the very same hand.

"And a fine offer, madam," he replied smoothly. At least, the offer seemed as such to her - women had the most interesting ideas, sometimes, about contracts. The hand in his was warm, thin, and flat against his gentile lips. It almost appeared as though the warmth in his odd smile reached the rest of him when his hand interlocked finally with it. The illusion shattered when the hand was roughly pushed to the wall instead, though. "But highly insufficient."

He'd seen through her. In her own state, it was hard enough to think straight, though the panic showed in her eyes. She hadn't quite expected him to fall for it (he'd have to be a horny idiot to be so, and she knew the man she was dealing with right now was hardly that. Not an idiot, at the very least. ) However, she only had one more chance to fight him off, or she knew her secret would be exposed. One thing that certainly shamed her.

One more chance...... Wait. She never let the realization show on her face, controlled enough for that, and letting the drunkenness add to her plea. But she had to tread very, very carefully.

"Then ask..." she turned her face away. "Anything, but the hair. Why don't you just ask?" A soft, breath escaped her lips as she raised her gaze. "A witch has many things she can give, you know. And I am offering alternatives. I have that right, do I not?" she gazed up at him. "Tell me what you want."

Again, she persisted. Not the hair - the very phrase he was hoping to erase from the conversation entirely. Initially, this had proven interesting, perhaps even challenging. Alexis, however, only had enough time for such games, and the belief that he had run out of time for this particular one was growing to be stronger and more dominating each minute. The cheap seduction was beginning to wear off, as was the alcohol's minor effects on his good humour.

The smile he had grown accustomed to in the last few moments had begun to gradually fade. Even though a corner off his mouth remained perked, it grew increasingly obvious that the amusement was wearing off. And again the hold his hand had upon that lock of black hair twisted - gently, but the threat remained all the same. "Feminine mystique doesn't disguise anything, madam," he deadpanned, though with a luxurious growl to his voice. It was the offer, take it or not - only, the second option was unavailable.

Closing her eyes, shaking her head once, she released a soft sigh. Though she was not at all ready to part with her hair, she knew if she didn't fight now, she would yet again be under this man's control the way she had been previously, this time completely knowing and unable to disobey him.

She remained back, slowly re-opening her eyes, maintaining her own drunken appearance as she lowered her gaze, and whispered, "I'm not disguising anything." Her hand that was free from where he was holding her hair slowly went to the back of his, her fingers tracing over the skin she felt. Firm, smooth. Featherlight touches, and she turned her head, her own lips brushing against his fingertips and her own strands of dark hair. "If you want me to give them... then assure me. I will not let them into the hands of someone who will abuse me."

This was the dangerous part. She was banking on him to command something she wouldn't be able to do. But if things went according to how she thought them... she'd have an advantage and be able to delay him from gaining possession of her just yet.

Raising her gaze, looking perfectly innocent, perhaps even enough under the influence to look a touch wanting, she gave him a troubled, concerned look. "If you refuse... I'm afraid we can have no deal."

This time, the smile, although reserved still, reappeared with a touch more of that genuine spark to it. And so it seemed that Alexis had managed to back her into the corner, but then again, there was reason to suspect the drunken compliance and the ultimatum proffered. He had the better solution - guaranteed, and certainly a little lie here or there wouldn't hurt in the general scheme of things. The sleight of hand wasn't anything new. Neither was the fickle deception native to those of the fairer sex - Alexis only knew too well about that.

A strangely smug look in his eye watched the attention lavished onto his hand at her hair - the overall feel of it gave him a look as a king would wear while relishing praise. It was a queer sort of derivation of pleasure, but it sufficed and served well to disguise whatever inner mechanations that would have betrayed his intent. "Then a guarantee is needed, isn't it?" His voice seemed to drawl it out, and the hand free of lavish attention pulled her chin upward to level with his own. Sealed with a kiss, literally - only nothing would be sealed save for their lips together. The distraction had worked once before, and it would - had to - work now.

The breath between them seemed only to last a moment until finally he initiated the kiss. Just gently, quite in a delicate manner, and it was so for a reason. The corner of his eye strayed only momentarily to those fingers still enveloped in that black hair - and now was the chance to do it. At the thought of it, his intensity leaked right into the distraction itself.

Perfect!

The chance was too good to miss, and even though her own drunkenness was influencing her magic, the fear of the situation in itself had made her sober enough to think enough on how to go through with this. And not a moment was wasted. He was a chauvinist, it showed in the way he abused his own physical strength against hers. Her hand that had been on his moved, slowly, to the side of his neck, stroking upwards, then down, then, over his chest. She knew she could twist her head at the last moment and break the hair before he could take it from her root, and that alone was the security she had in this situation.

Thanking her own alcoholic influence for making her as bold as she was right now, her hand pressed against his torso, her mouth pressing against him in a way that showed that she was no stranger to intimacy. And that was when she did it, the brief glow of white that collected from the air around her, gathering at her palm, and while she made it look like she was submitting entirely to him- her powers activated.

Deeper, deeper. Through flesh and bone and functions, there-- And her power charged. The healer's magic, to intensify the influence of the substances that had entered his body- the wine he had so craftily used to bring the both to this stage would be his very own downfall and she gasped with a soft shiver, then gently opened her eyes amidst the kiss. And her hand pressed flat against his chest, now sending the alcohol into an abnormal function, right into where his senses would be affected the most. His mind, every bodily function of his right down to his desire was clear to her like looking through glass, and there lay her attack. He would probably feel the changes in his system and want to protest, but she was freezing his bodily functions to let the influence grow stronger, his tolerance weaker.

As the kiss ended, she parted slowly, enough to whisper against his lips in a soft breath, "A guarantee... that you will not gain what I will not give." The spell was making her dizzy, but with the final amount of strength she had in her, she then whispered, "Sleep." The command to his body, his muscles, to relax, his mind, to shut down and rest, take a rest that it desired, wanted, had wanted. That his body no longer needed a memory. It needed rest.

Similar to the very first night she entered the city again, when he had commanded her to sleep, to forget what had occurred, she returned the favor. Her expression was calmer, secure now, and the last jolt of energy went right to his brain. "Good night." Close your eyes. It was a dream.

Alexis had forgotten a very important thing. She was a witch. Witches were never very honest.

The entire thing had been planned accordingly - and yet, something had gone awry. He could sense it - feel it within his bones while that overpowering stupor forced the surrender of his faculties. He found he couldn't move exactly how he wanted to - a step forward turned into an awkward stumble, and how did he come to look up to stare into those cunning eyes? His tolerance, he knew, was better than this. And yet he seemed to have difficulty in keeping the vision of the room to stop swaying before his eyes.

But as soon as she spoke once more - that command, the sheer irony of it all - the notion clicked. She had done this - with her witchcraft, no less. His expression looked like a complicated mixture of anger, shock, and defiance while he stared up to Megumi. She had deceived him too well. "You-" He was tempted to finish with the word harlot, but the alcoholic stupor only served to shake his balance while on his knees. Paralysed by the alcohol, then suppressed by a command. Alexis never did appreciate the upstarts who used his own methods against him, and this wasn't an exception. Even while gripping at her sleeve for support, his hand curled tightly for a moment.

But then the command took weight - and it slipped entirely off her arm to lie at his side, while he settled into unconsciousness with a thud on the floor.

The word was in his eyes even if he voiced it not. As he fell, her own powers were active, and she shot out a hand, to manipulate the air under him as he fell, and with whatever strength she had left, she helped raise him off the ground before Alicia would wander in and wonder what had happened. Soon enough, he was on the nearby couch, and she slumped, breathing heavily from the effort, before she made sure he was in a position where he would wake to think that he had collapsed. With what she had done, he would have the most terrible hangover of his life.

She needed to get out, and quickly grabbing the pocketwatch from the table, she turned and headed out, making sure to appear enough in control of herself while being drunk to fool Alicia. It wasn't until she'd gone far enough to not be caught, that she broke into a run, feeling her tears finally fall in the cold night air.

So tired... so tired of these lies. Why did you betray me too?