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The Outsider (Whales or Whatever)
(last edited Mar 12, 2016 12:47PM)
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Mar 12, 2016 12:46PM
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Cressida walked into a store selling jewelry, no doubt stolen or fakes. She eyed the pieces like a kid in a candy store, overjoyed at the selection in the glass case. She was tempted just to smash the case and take what she wanted, but she didn't want to deal with getting blood or bits of broken glass on any of the sparkling jewels."Are you going to buy anything, or what?" The man behind the counter asked in a gruff voice, eyeing her wearily. Cressida made eye contact with him, and the man's expression changed. "Hey, you're the girl who-" He began.
"Offered you a significant amount of money to help your sick child?" Cressida finished, "You see, that's why I'm here. It seems that you've violated the terms of our agreement." Her golden eyes narrowed. "You gambled away the money that I was so kind to lend you after you told me your sob story. Do you even have a child? Or was that a lie, too?"
A bead of sweat formed on the man's forehead. "Y-yes. I have a daughter." Cressida smiled, relaxing her posture, as if she had just been teasing the man. The man laughed, relieved that she backed down. "Oh, what fun this has been!" Cressida said with a laugh. The man laughed along, but not for long. Before he could even comprehend what was going on, Cressida pulled a knife out of her boot and stabbed it into the man's hand which had been resting on the counter. He screamed out in pain, much to Cressida's delight. "Now, I'll take this as payment for now," She said, reaching into the case and pulling out a ruby ring. "And I'll be back next week to collect the money that you owe me." She smiled as she pulled the knife out of the man's hand. She turned around before exiting the store. "Oh, I almost forgot! Tell your daughter to get well soon! It would be a shame if you went through all of this only for her to die!" She said with a laugh, as though she had just told a joke. The door closed behind her and Cressida was back onto the street, with her new ring on her finger.
<< Can I join in?
Now Frey didn't usually go outside. He didn't usually buy things for himself. And he most definitely didn't usually speak to people out of his clan. But today was an exception. It was an exception because Frey had to buy a present for a certain someone. Maybe a certain someone that he liked.. more than a friend. Of course he'd never go and admit that. But hell, it wasn't like he couldn't display his emotions, actions spoke louder than words anyways. Maybe the other would take the hint. It wasn't all that discreet anyways, his advances that was. He had been deep in thought when a rather busty girl turned the corner and ran smack into him. How rude... then again he was rather short. He gazed up at her with wide eyes, having fallen back on his behind.
Cressida was walking down the street, admiring her new possession. She turned the corner, on her way to collect money from someone else when she bumped into someone. She didn't think that she ran into them hard, but when she looked to see who it was, they were on the ground."Oh, my," She said, extending a hand to help him up. A chain hung from the wrist that she extended, a rose pendant dangling from it. It swung in a mesmerizing motion, almost touching the ground. She noticed him look at her figure, but let it slide this time. After all, she did just knock him over.
Frey took her hand, his eyes catching the pendant's movement and making him tense faintly. He quickly looked away, eyes widening. That, he didn't know what had just happened. He brushed himself off, going blank again, "Watch where you're going." he scolded stoically.
Cressida laughed when his eyes followed her pendant. "Don't look at that for too long. Who know's what I'll do to you?" She said teasingly. He seemed unemotional, and she wanted to solicit a reaction from him. His reaction to her pendant was amusing to her, and she didn't want to let him run off just yet. "Where are my manners?" She said, "My name's Cressida."
Frey eyed her. Not out of lust, but rather, out of suspicion. She was very beautiful of course. And being that he had no preference, be it another occasion he might even just gather the gall to flirt with her. But this was no such occasion. This was a stranger with an ominous pendant that had just bumped into him after triumphantly leaving some kind of jewelry store like she'd robbed the place without being seen. And frankly, he didn't like that smile of hers, or that laugh either. "Frey." he said simply, folding his arms in a slightly defensive manner.
Cressida was pleased with his reaction. If he had opened up to her, it wouldn't have been fun. "Well, Frey, it's a pleasure to meet you," She said, looking him over as if he were some sort of prey. He didn't seem like he was rich enough to rob, and she had just satisfied her blood lust in the jewelry store earlier, so she couldn't decide what to do with him.
Frey furrowed his eyebrows very faintly, "What is that pendant?" he questioned suddenly, looking mildly intrigued. Of course it interested him, knowledge was his forte and he hated when he didn't know something.
Cressida smiled, placing her hand about two thirds of the way up the chain and bringing it to about eye level. "You asked the right question," She said, as though she were waiting for him to do so. She held her hand still so that it didn't sway. After all, her goal wasn't to hypnotize him, yet. Him looking into the pendant earlier was a complete accident. "This pendant is a family heirloom packed full of some very powerful magic," She said, admiring her possession, "That is, if the right person uses it."
Frey nodded slowly, "That sounds... absolutely ridiculous. But I'll respect it." he murmured, folding his arms, "And I'm guessing you're the right person correct?" he questioned.
Cressida laughed, the pendant swaying a bit. She caught herself and lowered it so that it was out of Frey's line of sight. "You're full of good questions, aren't you?" She said, complimenting his curiosity, "But I'm afraid that I don't know the answer." She watched his carefully, wondering why he was asking her about this. Most people would have gotten scared and made an excuse to leave by now or at least be interested in her for other reasons than a curious piece of jewelry. "So, what brings you to the market today? Surely you aren't here just to interrogate women on the streets."
Frey visibly tensed, "I'm... getting a present for someone" he murmured. He didn't see the point in lying about that. There was nothing to hide of importance... besides his affections towards that person.
Cressida saw him tense up. "Ah, I see..." she said, a smile forming on her lips. "Well, the jewelry store here doesn't sell anything nice, and I have a feeling that they're going to close early. I hope you weren't planning on getting something from there," She said, "The lilies are especially beautiful today, though. I'm know someone who would be more than willing to lower the price for you if I persuaded them." Her eyes lit up mischievously, wondering if he would be curious enough to take her up on her offer.
Frey thought for a few moments, biting his lip. Well he couldn't tell her he was rich, he couldn't look like he was rich either. He knew that being rich in this town wasn't a good thing, so letting her know he had thousands, if not millions of dollars of equipment at home for his clan, seemed like a very bad idea, considering no one knew he owned Listrik. "Fine." he said after several moments of contemplation.
Cressida watched him expectantly for an answer, trying to figure out what he was thinking. When he finally uttered the word 'fine', Cressida eyes widened slightly in surprise, then lit up in excitement. "Well, then, off we go! If we wait too long, all of the best lilies will be gone!" She said with a more genuine and less amused smile. She led the way down the street, glancing in all of the store windows that they passed by. A lot were secondhand shops selling used clothes or furniture, but every once and awhile there was a higher quality shop selling something that could pass as acceptable for a member of the Top Plate. Her cheery attitude wasn't reflected by the people on the streets. The people were weary of her, and some even ducked into shops in order to avoid her seeing them. She did see them, of course, but she was too caught up in the excitement to go after them. She was well-known in this part of town because she offered loans to anyone who asked, but didn't take kindly to anyone who tried to cheat her of money.
Frey followed her, and was a bit annoyed, but he didn't protest as he followed her. He glanced around at the vendors that had ducked away and took a mental note that there was a distinct possibility, if not a certainty, that this woman was dangerous as hell and he was not safe.
They kept walking for a little longer, then Cressida turned down a less crowded street that looked run down. She approached a shop that looked out of place. The windows were crystal clear and a variety of plants decorated the front. She opened the door and stepped inside. The place was clean and bright, with beautiful and fragrant blooms covering the space. She approached the counter, her heels clicking against the tiled floor. She rang a silver bell that was sitting next to the cash register. "Just a minute!" A woman's voice called from a room that could only be accessed by going behind the counter. Shortly after, a young woman who couldn't be older than thirty emerged, wearing an orange apron and matching bandanna in her hair. "Ah, Cressida!" She said wiping her hands on her apron and greeting Cressida with a smile. "What can I do for you today?"
"I'm just here to help my new friend here get a present," Cressida said. She felt eyes watching her, and sure enough, there was a set of wide eyes peering out at her from the storage room. "Aw, don't tell me that you don't recognize me," Cressida said with a smile. A young girl ran out of the storage room and hugged Cressida who picked her up in her arms. "Auntie Cress!" The girl said, giggling. Cressida wasn't the girl's actual aunt, but she had helped the family out a lot in the past, and helped to keep them in business.
Frey watched stoically, raising an eyebrow faintly at the two. He never really understood how families worked. He grew up without much of one. So compassion and love weren't his strong suits. He glanced around carefully, biting his lip in thought. Flowers were nice. Saka liked flowers right? He didn't know if he liked flowers or anything girly, so Frey was a bit apprehensive to consider something like this. They were pretty though, and if Saka didn't like them, well Frey would just keep them for himself. He reached up, pulling his shirt up a bit at the top, didn't want to reveal any secrets, that would be awkward.
Cressida spun the girl around before setting her back down on the ground and patting her head. "We're on a mission today," Cressida said, faking seriousness. "I want you to find the best bouquet of lilies for me, okay?" The girl nodded and ran off into the storage room. "I should go help her," The woman who owned the shop said, going into the storage room as well. "The best flowers are the ones that have just been cut and haven't been put on display yet," Cressida said, leaning against the counter. She still had a smile on her face, another genuine one. "You never told me who these are for," She said, curious about who would have captured the affections of someone so serious. "Are they for a friend, or are they for someone more? Or perhaps a friend who you wish was something more?"
He blinked at her inquiry and blushed faintly, "He's Uhm... just a friend" he murmured quietly, rubbing his arm nervously. He swallowed, averting his eyes, "I think" he added. He quickly regained his composure, going silent.
"I see," Cressida said, giving him a knowing look and a sympathetic smile. She didn't want to pry any further, but she hoped that it went well for him. She had seen plenty of relationships that had ended badly when the line isn't clearly defined between friend and romantic partner. The woman and her daughter emerged from the storage room with a bouquet of long stemmed lilies. They were wrapped in simple silver paper with a white ribbon tied around the stems to hold them all together. An ensemble appropriate for a variety of occasions, and Cressida figured that it could be taken as a gesture from a friend or as an indicator of romantic interest. It depended on how Frey delivered them. "Wow, those are lovely!" Cressida said, admiring their work.
Frey's eyes widened faintly as he stared over each of the flowers, stifling a smile, "Wow." he murmured quietly, swallowing softly before glancing up at Cressida, then away again, clearing his throat, "That's.. a lot of flowers" he murmured.
"They are to your liking, right? I wouldn't want to make you go through all of the trouble of coming out here only to get something that you didn't like," Cressida said, unsure if his reaction was sincere or not. He was so quiet that she couldn't really tell what he was thinking.
Frey nodded slowly, "They're... amazing" he replied, still as quiet as before as he glanced up at her, "I.. Thank you" he added, biting his lip as he picked one that was for romantic occasions. Saka and he had.. well.. done it. But he didn't really know if Saka wanted to be with him, like, dating.
"I'm glad that you like them," Cressida said with a smile. "How much do I owe you for these?" She asked the woman behind the counter. "Nothing at all! Consider these a gift," The woman replied, "After all, it's thanks to you that we're still in business." Cressida smiled, "If you keep giving me things for free, I'll be the one putting you out of business. Thank you, though," She said. The little girl ran towards her and hugged her around the legs. Cressida bent down and wrapped her arms around her. "Be good, okay?" The little girl nodded and Cressida laughed, patting her on the head again. "Now, shall we go? I wouldn't want you to keep your friend waiting," She said, turning her attention back to Frey.
Frey blinked, "Friend? Oh... right... Yea. That is definitely something we should do.. go that is." he replied, bowing to the woman and her child respectfully, "Thank you for your service" he said calmly, glancing back up at Cressida.
Cressida raised an eyebrow at Frey's wording. "I'll walk with you until we get back to the nicer part of town. It would be a shame if something happened to you," She said. She waved to the owner of the store and her daughter once more before exiting the shop and letting the door close behind Frey.
Frey watched her walk away, following close behind her, "So... are you single?" he questioned curiously. She was very beautiful, it was strange to see her without a companion by her side.
"Yes," Cressida said, "When you run a business like I do, it's hard to find someone willing to stick around." She said. "Besides, I'm part succubus. Romantic relationships are usually me just draining someone of their energy. It can be exhausting for a partner." She sighed, looking a bit sad for a moment. "Why do you ask? Are you rethinking your relationship with your 'friend'?" She teased, only trying to change the subject from the lacking stability of her love life.
Frey gazed at Cressida, blinking and blushing immensely, "I.. We... I.. uhm.." he folded his arms tightly and bit his lip. The thought of Saka made him tremble sometimes. He had noticed that she changed the subject, and realized that what he had asked may have been a bit insensitive. << If you want, I'm making a guy soon and he could be with her. >>
((I'd love for that! She's a little high maintenance, though, so I'm not sure if it would work out, but I'd definitely be willing to try))Cressida laughed. "I'm only teasing," She said. "I feel like you know a lot about me now, and I only know that you have feelings for some mystery boy," She said, looking him over again, "I can't place you at all. For starters, you don't have any identifiable traits as to what species you are." The only thing that really stood out to her were his electric blue eyes. It was quite easy to tell part of what she was because of her horns. She had the fangs of a vampire, too, but they were much less noticeable.
<< He's kinda.. Well okay, so he's got a sorta weird personality. He's very to the book, as in, he believes in the caste system, and he's very difficult to kill. But despite being super uptight he's also an extremely huge pervert, and because he's secretly half incubus, he kinda hates himself. So he's strong on the outside but he's kinda got this problem with a lack of self confidence. He's also got a drinking problem >>Frey glanced up at her, shaking his head, "I.. There isn't much to know about me" he murmured quietly, "I .." Own one of the biggest enemies towards our government today, I wear bright pink panties, I talk in my sleep, mostly about potato salad, I like watching yaoi, I hate cats, dogs, and about any other animal that refuses to shut the hell up.. I- "I guess I'm just kinda average yea" he lied.
((That actually sounds perfect for her!))"That's not true," Cressida said with a pout, "I'm sure there's more to you than that. After all, what average guy decides to follow a woman who is clearly less than reputable around town. I think that you're adventurous and intriguing, whether or not you choose to believe that yourself. I won't pry, though."
Frey gazed at her, furrowing his eyebrows, "I... wont comment on that." he glanced around carefully, "I... Like tea" he said for starters, he wasn't the most talkative of people, especially when it came to himself.
"Really? I had you pegged for an espresso kind of guy, but I could see you drinking a cup of tea. I like tea, too. I'm a big fan of rose hip tea. My mother used to swear by it, saying that it was the key to having flawless skin," Cressida said with a smile.
Frey nodded, "Oh.. I guess.. I like chamomile. It helps me sleep." he murmured quietly, only really just starting to open up. He was a bit slow at doing so, but generally found more comfort in being around her because she was a woman. And women were just generally more in touch with their emotions than men. At least that's what he knew from experience.
"Having trouble sleeping seems to be a common problem around here. Everyone's too worried about money or the government or the Clans waging war on people or each other," Cressida said with a sigh. "There are so many clans out to get the government and so many clans that haven't stated their purpose yet. It used to be only a few groups that the government had under control, but now the people are more afraid than they've ever been. I suppose that I don't help with that, but I also don't have trouble sleeping. After a couple hundred years of bad decisions, things start seeming less like a crime and more like something that's normal."
Frey listened intently, opening his mouth to admit that he was probably a good portion of the problem. But then he closed it quickly, "People will be people." he mumbled, not bothering to state his opinion.
"I suppose that's true," Cressida said. She was a member of the Chaos Clan, so she probably shouldn't be griping about people being afraid of the clans. "So, now I know that you have feelings for a friend and like tea. I'd say that I've made a decent amount of progress since when I first ran into you."
Frey cleared his throat, "I.. Hmm.." he nodded, "Yea okay" he murmured quietly. He folded his arms in a slightly defensive form before biting his lip, "Well.. if you're up for it.. you could come over for tea" he said somewhat awkwardly. He didn't have many friends. And it was obvious. He was completely stoic as he gazed up at her expectantly.
Cressida was surprised by his invitation. "That sounds lovely, but are you sure you want that? What about your friend?" She was somewhat apprehensive about going to his home. It wasn't that she wasn't curious about him. She had grown fond of him, but she didn't want to blow his chances with his friend. After all, what would he think if Frey was caught hanging out with a succubus? Even though she was only part succubus, she hadn't made made many friends because of the stereotypes about her species. A lot of people assumed that she only cared about sex and therefore didn't need friends. Maybe she was just being paranoid, but she had the reasons to be. His invitation was tempting, though. This could be her chance to get to know him.
Frey shook his head, "It's fine" he murmured quietly. "I live with him so I'll have plenty of... chances. I suppose." he stopped, "Only if you want to come. You don't have to.. I don't mean to pressure" he added.
"I'd love to come," Cressida said, glad that he had opened up to her, even if only a little bit. She didn't know him well, but inviting people over didn't seem like something he did often.
<< I'll post in their house topic
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Itami calmly walks threw the supermarket. He wasn't even sure why he was here, but he had to shop anyways. Plain blood and meat never tasted good without the correct seasoning. Maybe he should pay someone to go out shopping for him from now on, he didn't really like being surrounded by all these people. He had shades on to block his red and black eyes. He had an emo look to him, having black emo styled hair, a lip piercing, a bunch of tattoos and wore a loose low cut top, black jacket and loose black pants.
(view spoiler)
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Itami stops outside a store and glances around. He had a feeling he was being watched. He kept a blank face as he glanced across the store at the girl. He thought he was the only unnusual dressed person here, how strange. He heads into the store quietly. He had meat at home, so he luckily didn't need to kill anyone today for it. And usually he killed them while wearing one of his masks. Maybe she was an assassin of some sort? He wasn't quite sure.
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