It was easy enough to see that his willingness to play her little game pleased the white-haired woman he now sat besides, glass bottle of his favorite whiskey clutched in those strong hands as dark forest eyes void of that typically narrowed and infuriated stare he had been more than content to fix upon her in their past encounters. As much as he refused to admit it to himself and certainly to her, the dark hunter was actually finding her company... pleasurable. As that haze began to start settling over the man, he could feel himself letting go of that hate that he had previously been so fiercely determined to keep, like learning to see her for more than the pissy witch that beat the shit out of him at the bar would almost certainly bring about some sort of physical pain that most everyone's minds were innately programmed to avoid at all possible costs. It was bad enough that he'd already begun to feel that fury towards her slipping little by little ever since that night when he'd helped her back home, sparred with her the following morning to discover that when those blows were not intended to do any truly malicious damage, there was some sort of connection there, something that he hadn't really had with anyone else â€" not even Ellie. It had only dared to cross his mind for the briefest moment that morning before he'd been quick to smother it, hardly willing to think that of all the beings in this world that she would be able to find that miniscule part of him that had once been able to actually feel something for someone. He'd effectively dislodged that part of himself a long time ago â€" or so he'd thought -, and he'd be damned if he was about to let it come back to life again. Ever since Isabelle left him, there had never been another and he wanted it to stay that way. He didn't want to feel anything for anyone again, even if it killed him.

Yet, as that warmth began to resonate in every part of the man, he found himself caring less and less about how she'd beaten him, about how infuriatingly obvious it was that there would be no living without her in his life purely because of the fact that she'd managed to befriend his little sister. It was almost enough to gag him, seeing his little sister fret so heavily over another being that wasn't blood. They already had Donovan that they'd essentially adopted into the broken remains of the Daray Family, they didn't need to take in anymore troubled souls of which he had a sneaking feeling that the white-haired woman easily fell under, but then again was he himself also not the honey-blonde woman's healing case? He despised that look of concern that would fill her glacier blue eyes on those days where he just say my around drinking bottle after bottle for whiskey until he was nearly to the point of throwing up his guts. She wanted him to stop, practically pleaded with him each and every time that he would get to that point of no return. She worried for the man, and to an extent he felt like shit that he did it to the young woman that was the only person in the entire world that could find it in her heart to love him now matter what he might do or say. The alcohol was just a temporary escape in the end, and he knew he would have to come back to that crappy reality eventually, but today, he was content to drown himself, extinguish that rage that burned so fiercely through his veins. Nothing else mattered, not even who it was that he was drinking himself into oblivion to.

She begins to speak, pausing only to take another depending drink as Lazarus himself also lifts that bottle of whiskey to his own lips and takes several deep drinks of that liquid amnesia, and where perhaps he would have been infuriated or at least agitated by her words, a deep chuckle rumbles through the dark hunter."Hey now, that's not very nice to say. I may not have done my job lately but that doesn't mean I suck", he says with that rising glimmer of amusement, dark green eyes hardly missing the humor that he hadn't really seen before in those brilliant blue eyes, long stark white hair tumbling over her shoulders as laughter and amusement dances through her words that only make that wolfish grin grow upon his chiseled features."So I'm a little out of practice? It's not like I've had anyone to train with, and we both know Ellie wouldn't be a good sparring buddy", he replies back to the witch, his own form of somewhat admitting that she very well could hand his ass to him with little true effort. It was as close to admittance that he did in fact know he only fell continuously short of what his father would have expected of him. That was too sobering of a thought though, and he chases it away as he leans his head back to take another hint from that bottle, reveling in the heat that was beginning to fill him as that buzz nearly has him overwhelmed and feeling good.

No sooner than another quiet note of laughter falls from her plush lips does the white-haired woman lift her legs to settle them in his lap, but he makes no move to kick them off as she does, only arching a brow. For a fleeting moment, he can feel that prick of hunger as the beast registers that familiar sensation of touch and it stirs in that drunken calmness as dark forest eyes drop to travel over that pale skin. His gaze snaps back up to hers when she laughs, slender fingers moving down to tug lightly at the spandex material as she answers him, pausing for a brief moment to extend an invitation for the man that rummage through her lingerie. It is here when that wolfish grin shifts finds his lips once more as a chuckle rumbles through him again."Another time. Although, I wouldn't object if you modeled a few for me, something lacier than those boring things", he drawls, dark forest gaze glittering with wicked suggestiveness in typical male amusement and interest. Oh, he certainly wouldn't mind seeing her some pretty black lace undergarments. Hell, he was already beyond that point of caring that by now she knew he'd acknowledged her for being the beautiful being that she was, even if such a kind words would never touch his lips. That was just how Lazarus was, even when his buzz was beginning to cross over into drunkenness. It had never been something for the man to say, not even to Isabelle, nor even when he was trying to find his way into a woman's sheets. He is about to press it to his lips and take anther wave of parched drinks when she remarks to his previous observation."What if I am?", he growls back, though it is hardly that familiar growl of anger or annoyance and instead a sound of daring as he intentionally allows for his gaze to lower to those feminine curves for a moment before moving back to those brilliant blue depths as calls him out on that undeniable attraction that beast within the dark hunter found towards that womanly figure that was all too easy to study with lust in such a state as he metaphorically stands precariously close to that edge.

Long and slender legs remove themselves from the man's lap as she leans forward, more or less forcing him to take her bottle and surrender his own which he does win a willingness that would never find him sober, wolfish grin etching into his lips once more."Who said I was denying anything?", he replies in yet another display of indirect admittance that he had circumstances been different, had they never met before in the less than friendly way that they had, he might not have let her go as quickly as he had. She leans forward to drink from that bottle, losing her balance as she does and he hands find themselves dangerously close to those masculine parts, Lazarus giving her a devilish look before tipping his head back and finishing the last of her bottle, laying it down on the table and reaches for a dark chocolate colored glass bottle of rum."I'd almost say you liked it just as much or more", he teases her back in those smooth tenor tones as he twists off the bottle and presses that fresh liquid to his lips and draws a few heavy drinks like he hadn't had anything to drink at all. She's suddenly placing her nearly empty bottle on the table, reaching for the sterling silver chain and pulls it from its hidden place. Any other time, Lazarus might have snarled at her and snatched it away from her, but he doesn't. He realizes how close she is now, her scent wrapping around his senses as he watched her with a lazy smile, dark gaze lingering over her face when her blue eyes look back up to him from beneath those thick lashes as she speaks in those silken words as a wicked grin finds her plush lips, Lazarus lifting a brow in faint curiosity. She only hesitates for a moment before she gives her own subtle admittance that somewhere deep down there might just be a part of her that found him equally attractive. Another chuckle falls from thr dark hunter then as he regards her with amusement flashing in his own depths."Ah, so the truth is out now is it?", he questions wickedly as she pulls him closer, something unreadable flashing across her brilliant blue eyes as they seem to flicker down to his lips.

It is gone as quickly as it came though as she releases the fang and chain, though she doesn't move away when she speaks again, her voice taking on a different note and bringing with it a scent he hadn't expected. Again he feels the monster stirring, no anger to be found but rather there was hunger that threatens to swallow Lazarus who is hardly wanting to fight against it. When her demand makes itself known, he can hardly deny the roar or lust that awakens the beast now, that wolfish grin taking on an almost predatory nature now as dark green eyes burn with that ravenous wanting she rouses from him. He is about to reach his hand out for her when that roguish smile finds her lips and she is reaching for his necklace again, this time swiping it from over his head as she rising quickly to a stand, sending that chair flying back and to the ground as she dances away from the table and into the center of the room before she turns to face him with a challenge that he was more than willing to answer. He tilts that bottle up once more as he downs several more deep drinks before setting it on the table, hungry gaze taking her in as that wolfish grin finds his lips, rising to his own feet."Oh, so you wanna be like that then, huh? Challenge accepted", he replies in tenor tones growing deeper as he moves after her, fully expecting her to dart away. He anticipates her movements as he reaches out to snake a strong hand of his for her hips to try pull her against him though the gesture was hardly possessive as the other hand reaches for the chain in an attempt to take it back, a dark chuckle rolling from Lazarus as that lust, that want to devour her lips with his own he'd refused to think he would ever want to taste again pushes him into pursuit of the woman.