“In conclusion Mister Silvers, ownership of your home is legally enforced by the deed you possess, so marking your territory is both unnecessary and unsavory.” Upon finishing his statement, Emmett eased from his forward and direct posture. Leaning back into his chair, Emmett could see the old and timid Mister Silvers was still shivering with anxiety, despite the leniency he had been granted. Mister Silver's attorney, a slickly styled vampire, grinned insincerely while gesturing his leave. As the attorney and Mister Silvers motioned to leave the office, Emmett bid them farewell by playfully insisting they stay out of trouble, yet immediately regretted doing so. His remark did not change the tension in the air, and his visitors departed in silence.
Now alone, Emmett began stowing his books, records, and other accessories away. Morning would come soon, which meant less shenanigans among Diehlstadt's citizens, at least that is his hope. Despite the fact he intended to end his workday, Emmett still lingered in the courthouse for an extended period. Emmett is notorious for intruding on the affairs of the staff, whether he is helpful or not, and today is a particularly egregious example of this. He engaged nearly everyone he encountered on his way to the exit, receiving innumerable polite dismissals before finally stepping outside.
Emmett does not own a vehicle, never feeling fatigue, he prefers to walk everywhere he goes. The sun rose as steadily as Emmett walked, Diehlstadt growing more lively as sunlight washed over the town. Creatures and people of every description began spilling into the streets, yet the creatures of the night quickly retreated into their homes. Thoughts of Mister Silvers swirled in the golem's mind, the poor old werewolf spent a moonlit night stewing in Emmett's office over a matter of decency. The cycle of night and day meant little to a golem, but Emmett knew its importance to other creatures.
He was undisturbed by the cold weather, until his long overcoat began flapping wildly in the wind, revealing a fine navy suit underneath. He quickly clamped a hand atop his homburg hat, hoping to catch it before it flies off. The wind is the only source of trouble Emmett could find as he wanders through town. It is early yet, few problems have shown themselves. When lacking tasks to complete, a golem must find subjects to learn. Having spent an entire evening making difficult and serious decisions, Emmett figured he is long overdue in making a nonsensical one.
Entering a modest looking establishment, Emmett doffs his hat, revealing the magic runes inscribed upon him. Turning his head like the turret of a battle cruiser to meet the receptionist of the facility, Emmett announces “Hello, my name is Emmett Pierce, and I would like to schedule an examination with Doctor Pierce please.”
After he recovered from the initial shock of a human head lying next to a pile of garbage, Werner stopped his cry of horror. Well, until the head shouted back, sending him into a further state of panic. He saw what must have been the rest of the body in the alley, stumbling around with purpose. Strangely enough, in such a gruesome moment, Werner was reminded of a childhood field trip to a local farm. All the kindergartners were rounded up and given a turn to pet the horses, cows, and so on, but Werner managed to escape from the teacher’s watchful eye to to see what he really wanted, the chickens and roosters. He arrived just in time to see the farmer’s son slaughtering chickens. He brought the animal’s head to a tree stump and with one swift chop of the butcher’s knife, separated the head from the body; this was not the end of the chicken’s life, however, as the headless fowl floundered in every direction, spouting blood from its neck for several long minutes before finally giving up its futile efforts. Needless to say, the past situation didn't sit well with the young Werner, nor did the current one.
A woman with a head attached to her shoulders approached from behind, and it took Werner a moment to break his focus from the headless body. She approached the entire situation coolly, as if severed heads were an everyday occurrence, making Werner slightly embarrassed at his squeamishness. She was around his age, just a little thing, and are those fucking wings? The young man was beginning to realize something was amiss, as if the situation before him wasn’t enough of a hint.
“Do you need help?” Werner thought the winged woman was asking him and almost replied before she knelt down to the head. Which replied. No. Had he lost his mind? Was this all a hallucination, created by his oxygen-deprived brain as he suffocated in his coffin? Werner remembered reading about how the body would try and comfort itself as it died, but this wasn’t a very soothing image. No, it was all too real. The body scooped up its head and the two women carried on like she simply scraped her knee or some minor injury, and went off just as Werner heard another voice, this time much deeper, and slowly turned to face them, fearing something even stranger would arrive. He was right.
“Don't you have more important things to do than to be standing here screaming?” The source was a seven foot tall beast covered in thick brown hair, massive horns protruding from its head, and blood red eyes staring down at him. Halloween. Its gotta be Halloween, right? He scoured his memory, hoping to find the date. October 8th give or take, 1985. No way I was out cold two weeks. Hell, it was worth a shot, but knew he was grasping at straws.
“Hah, yeah… Nice costume man, uhm, Chewbacca, right? Where's Han?” Werner replied hopefully. He reached out and grabbed a handful of the creature’s arm hair with broken fingers and gave it a light tug. The town was coming to life now, and Werner caught sight of this. A massive snake with the upper body of a woman slithering between shops. Fairies darting to and fro, their tiny wings beating hard. A minotaur dressed in a suit and tie heading to work. Regular, everyday people were woven into these throngs of mythical creatures, never batting an eye at the skeleton standing in line to use the phone booth or the ghost floating next to them. “That’s… Not a costume, is it?” Werner said weakly as he let go of the creature’s arm.
As Ian bowed in her presence she fought the urge to clap with glee she opted to rock on her heals instead. The young man was whistling quite the tune, leading with yet another compliment only added too her trust in the young man. Her brow raised as he spoke of his origins. Chaos is a strange term, she had heard it but only in descriptions of the fields of battle. The black knight is suppository something similar....A Demon is similar to a fairy? They just enjoy the misfortune of others far more than any fairy.
He can not change shape and yet he....Before she finished the thought his power confused her. It made no sense to her but it was somewhat satisfying to see the Serpent get what was coming to her. His story had enthralled her in a fashion that had her unaware that she had sat down, and was sitting straight up in her chair reminiscent of a eager student.
The COFFEE had finally arrived.
"Eh?" She did however notice him standing up to leave. His offer to take her around the town so that she may become better acquainted with it...He paid for her meal..Did he think her beneath him? She was not his servant! How dare he! He said so many sweet words only to slap her as he departed.
She literally huffed. Grabbing up the coffee she took a sip to shake off the insult.
It smelled bizarre like the wet leaves burning in the cauldron mixed with old wild berries. It looked like a murky pond was in her cup. A bitter drink that was also sweet...Sweet like her sweet bread? The disagreement with Simon went completely unnoticed. Simon grinned at Ian, already counting the money, after his outburst. If the imp scared or intimidated him, the llama hid it well, still giving the air of a man who could not be irritated.
"Passive aggressive intimidation? No, that would be what Oerba does to you. What I'm doing is called being honest. If you weren't welcome here, do you think I'd have asked her to stop insulting you or even let you remain on the premises? You have a reputation, and when said reputation is committing minor theft, I ask for payment up front. If this upsets you, change your reputation. You'll find I'm far more amiable then most would be given your past, because I could have been far ruder than asking you to do something that I ask everyone to do."
The hybrid held the trademark breezy smile on his face as he put the money in his till, the perfect picture of calmness. Truth be told, the idea of pissing off a demon, even a minor one, wasn't particularly thrilling. But Simon was never one to back down from his position.
"Enjoy your dri-"
"Pffttttt"
She spat out the incredibly foul drink. "The coffee taste as it looked, pond water should not be consumed at any time let alone with the sweet bread!" Her eyes glared daggers into Simon's forehead. "You are deceiving me! I want the true sweet coffee you should be wary who you play for a fool. I am onto you Woolly Simon!"
The hybrid stepped back as Mulivon spat out her coffee. He watched the liquid spread across the counter with a soft sigh, but smiled, pulling a towel out to wipe up the mess. With another hand, he swept up her mug and put it on the shelf leading to the kitchen.
"Let's try something else then. How about a White Coffee? It's much sweeter."
White coffee. It sounded like a different type of creature. The thought that the coffee she had just tasted was meant to taste the way it did troubled her. He did hand others the foul looking liquid and they drank it with little hesitation.
"Yes I will have the coffee of white..."
She felt quite unnerved by his unwavering smile. But rather than dwell on it she took a bite of her scone to get the wretched taste of both the coffee and the situation out of her mouth.
Ian rolled his head a little, considering the llamaman's words for a bit before he gave a sigh, seating himself again with a huff. The red in his eyes fading completely back into their normal blue color. "I guess you're right about most of that, but I have to disagree with you about Oerba. Nothing passive about her aggression, not that I really mind that much. I'm sure I deserve more times than not, with this being one of the few nots." Ian continued to munch slightly on his scone. "As for my reputation of petty theft, it's been slow going on that front, kleptomania is a rather hard thing to get rid of. Case and point, just yesterday I found several salt shakers from a restaraunt I went to, which I returned as soon as I realized I had them but still, freakin' salt shakers. Why couldn't I get a more manageble disorder to deal with . . . or at least one that's less likely to get me sent to jail or worse."
Turning back to Mulivon, he couldn't help but smile at her way of speaking. It was so . . . amusing? No, that wasn't the word, maybe rustic . . . nah, that isn't it either. Whatever, bottom line was that he liked to hear her talk, and he liked to play on her ego, if only a little. "So then, Magnificent Mulivon, do you wish to go on a tour after you have your white coffee, or are you bored of my company already? Oh, and Simon, due please give me the coffee if tge lady doesn't want it, be a shame to let it go to waste."
As he spoke, he reached for his own coffee, only to feel first fyr, than a sharp pain as Leroy, who was currently helping himself to Ian's drink, turned around to bite him fir dari g to dusturb him while he was feasting. "Gahhh!!! You furry little shit, what the hell do you think you're doing drinking my coffee!?!?" He's question was met with a hiss, and if it wasn't for the fact that he was currently in the presence of a lady, he would've tackled the lil' bugger right then and there. "Dick" He mutter under his breath, though apparently not low enough, since Leroy lifted his head out of the depths of the coffee cup to spray a stream of the hot. black liquid right into Ian's face. Ut took every ounce of willpower he had to do nothing more then wipe his face, but his eyes were back to their previous crimson fury.
"Why I haven't turned you into a pair of fluffy socks yet, I'll never know."
Simon chuckled at the remark about the reptilian officer's aggression, already mixing the new drink for Mulivon. With one hand, he took the mug back and handed it over to Ian.
"Yeah, I suppose I have to give you that one. Don't let her get to you, she's just passionate about her job. Just do your best each day."
It didn't take him long to mix the new drink. He could have added the milk to her old drink but something told him if he did she'd just glare into the side of his skull. The girl could kill with a look it seemed. He handed the new cup back over to her.
"Magnificent Mulivon? Is that the full title or just a nickname? Try that. Much sweeter, I promi-"
As the ferret spewed hot coffee into Ian's face, Simon gave another sigh.
"Look, you're supposed to drink this, not spray it everywhere."
Mulivon waited for the drink with a skeptical gaze, but if its capable of tasting similar as the sweet bread she would give it a second try. While she was unaware of the reasoning behind it she had a tiny bit of satisfaction as the small rodent spit the drink out as well, it turned out she wasn't the only one.
"I am not actually the magnificent. I have yet to reach the heights that would earn myself such a title, let alone the right to my feathers. Though I am fairly magnificent."
Complete with customary hair flip, Lancelot took it upon himself to force her headdress down over her eyes. She pushed it back up and swatted at him.
"Lancelot can be so unruly. He he..." She forced a laugh to excuse her birds behavior. In order to change the subject she forced herself to take a sip of her newer drink. The white coffee while still bitter lacked the wretched flavor of the normal coffee. She was able to stand it but it was still far more bitter than it was sweet. But taking a bite of her scone made for a complimenting flavor. In short she liked it.
"This is the true coffee, I knew the first was a ruse. Woolly Simon trying to play the innocent little foal." her eyes grinned as her mouth did as well. "You forest folk enjoy the silliest of game. I will let you continue bringing the coffee. Though I shall pay for it myself."
Lancelot, seemingly from nowhere pulled a gold nugget. "Mother said this would go to a bank, and they would give me the way to pay you. I don't know where a bank is. So this will suffice yes?" The nugget was quite large, and from the sounds of it she had many more...but to say it was over kill for a cup of coffee and a scone.
Forest folk? Foal? If Simon had enough pride, he was pretty sure he'd be offended. He smiled.
"I'm not-...never mind. You can drop the Wooly part by the way, just Simon will work."
Simon's eyes widened as the gold made an appearance, lost for words. Albert over on his side of the counter blinked in astonishment, the teen's jaw flat dropping. The hybrid quickly raised his hands, indicating that he wouldn't take it, trying to dissuade her. "Whoa, that's uh...that's a bit much for a pastry and coffee! Like...about a hundred times too much. Don't you have any regular money? Or anything that isn't quite so expensive?"
Ian, after wiping his face clean with a towel, took a gracious sip of the coffee Simon had sent his way, giving Leroy a weary glance to make sure he wasn't planning anything, the ferret seemed completely intent on finishing the coffee at the moment. He then turned his attention to Simon and Mulivon's little exchange, raisin an eye when he saw the newcomer try to pay with a gold nugget. Not that surprising if she's actually descended from a god, though I'm not sure a bank is where you go for that kind of a transaction, that seems more in line with the workings of a pawn shop. Ian chose not to speak on the matter, though he did chuckle a little at her comment about her pet bird.
"I'd take 'unruly' over 'complete dick' anyday, this little bastard is a pain in my ass, everyday, all day, without fail." Ian pointed a finger at Leroy, only to pull itback just in time to avoid getting bit again. "Ungrateful little rat."
Eliza didn't get time for a response. Almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth she noticed that she was at the clinic. "Oh! here we are! Just go in and ask for Doctor Pierce! She'll take good care of you!" She told Dullahan with a smile. "I'm sorry I can't stay to help but I have to deliveries to make and a schedule to try and fix! Take care and I'll see you around!" Eliza told her before crouching down a bit before jumping up and off into the sky. Eliza hated ground take-offs as they put a lot more strain on her wings, but she didn't want to waste time trying to find a high enough vantage point and flying was faster. It only took a few minutes to get to Simon's cafe, her first stop, but when she went to land, she landed in a way that got her off balance, causing her to fall forward. "OOf!" She grunted as she fell onto her hands, her messenger bag hitting the ground as well.
Eliza froze for a second when she heard a thud and rattle come from inside. She quickly got to her knees and looked inside. Only was package was disturbed, Simon's parcel...The string that held the parcel together had come untied and Eliza could see the contents inside. She really didn't mean to pry but...There were pill bottles...and Eliza recognized the name of the medicine. It was a painkiller, and a strong one too, she had been on this for a little while when she was recovering from her fall. But there was so much here...and...and Simon got this weekly? It was always a parcel like this. Eliza had always assumed it was just a special spice or something for the cafe...
Eliza quickly closed her bag and briskly walked inside, past Ian who was there for some reason and another girl who was talking to Simon and Ian about something, to Simon where she gave him a serious and concerned look as she whispered, "Can I talk to you in private...."
Kirei couldn't help but notice the swaying tail while listening to Anna. For the most part, the spider was just glad that her roommate was smiling again. Not a fake smile that looked like it was hiding something, but cheerful and more like something one should have. "I've never really asked anyone out myself." What she didn't couldn't even be considered asking out. More like acting out. "So I wouldn't know. It was a different time I suppose." She couldn't help but release a slightly amused sigh, "Different circumstances as well. 'Kill or be killed' or so they say." She realized her hand was still on Anna's head, but decided to just keep at it. Instead of flirting, it felt more like warming up to a pet. . . Odd.
Anna seemed thoughtful as she listened and bit her lower lip for a moment before lifting her head a bit, as if to nuzzle the hand in comfort. "Well no worries Kirei... those times are gone - you're safe now - and you can ask any girl ... or man, you want. I'm sure your confidence will attract someone.." Anna would've always been too shy, too passive to ever even think of hinting at herself. That wasn't exactly true, but in this moment, it was nothing but the truth. Even if Anna had thought of it, she would quickly push the thought away. Besides the obvious 'am I her type,' there was the fear of just being abandoned - again, like always. "I mean.. what sort of person are you looking for, if at all, in a romance? Have you ever thought about that?" To Anna, it was pretty obvious Kirei didn't often consider these things.
"What am I looking for in a romance?" Kirei had to repeat back to Anna. Nothing really occured to her, for romance. Did people that looked like a meal count? "Not so furry, old looking ones aren't so good either." This was most likely, not what Anna was asking for. "I guess the fairer the skin the better? I'm... Not really sure. Like I said, people usually came to me in the past. Not like I specifically denied anything either. It was all rather decent at the least." Unsure at this point, there was little to add to that. She wasn't even sure of the difference between mealtime and romance as obvious as it would be to a third party. "You? That is, what are you looking for?"
Anna giggles softly at Kirei's answer and smirked. This woman really wasn't used to being in such a causal setting, was she? "Well, not being super old is always good," she replied with amusment. "No silly... like personality qualities. As in.. okay, myself?" She paused for a moment, looking Kirei over very quickly, as if somehow judging her. "Well.. confidence is one.. um, I kind of like dominance.." she began, blushing slightly at the second admittance, "kindness and loyalty. I think those are most important to me.. a sense of humor wouldn't hurt either, haha." She bit her lip again and just shrugged to the spideress for a moment. Anna felt like there might be more to say, but for some reason, she felt a bit too shy to let any more thoughts loose.
Whatever else she had to say, she didn't let them go, so Kirei just looked over Anna while thinking of desireable personalty traits. Loyalty's never been a problem, kindness. . . Confidence was silly when men tried to woo her. They typically ended up making a fool of themselves before losing either their money or lives. "I suppose I'd prefer someone who does what I say. Subservient perhaps? Though, having no willfulness can make things less. . . Interesting." Actually, that sounded a little familiar. Kirei couldn't help but peek a look at Anna and pet her head a little more playfully. "Is that what you're talking about?"
The petting brought a small grin to Anna's face as her ears tilted slightly back, giving off an aura of enjoyment. The question seemed to catch her off guard though, her ears perking back up as she studied Kirei for a moment. "What I'm talking about?" she asked, a bit confused. "Are you referring to the, um, dominant thing?" Her cheeks flushed a little again, biting her lip like a bad habit. "Um.. not.. exactly? I've.. uh.." She started to advert her eyes for a few moments. "I dunno, I did some research and practiced a little - this thing called 'BDSM.' Eh.. it's like.. a relationship built on trust and control.. and stuff.." Anna was obviously getting much more shy as she continued to talk until she finally just trailed off, having realized that Kirei could've been asking a completely different question.
Kirei was slightly taken aback. Anna went to a completely differnt place than was in mind. "I was. . . I was just talking about personalities I found fitting." BDSM sounded, odd. In fact, she wasn't even sure what that was suppose to stand for. "I'm slightly curious about what this 'BDSM' is. I've not heard of it before. Should I take it that it is something only lovers should consider then?" She found that, by now, scratching the cat's ears was a good goading point. "Is it suppose to be an acronym?"
Anna tried her hardest not to, but despite her efforts, she began to purr lightly again at the scratching. 'Shit, I'm getting myself into trouble here,' she thought to herself, huffing very gently at herself. "Um.. oops.. yeah, that was a good start with the personality thing.." she replied with a stubborness to her voice, but the gamble of playing with her ears seemed to pay off as she continued. "Uh.. yes, it would.. be more for lovers.... and yes, it's an acronym ..." She sighed at her own weakness before blushing slightly again. "Stands for.. bondage and discipline, dominance and submission ..." Pursing her lips, the ear scratching made her shiver slightly, especially with the topic at hand. "B-basically.. it's the practice of.. the Dominant.. like, um, tying up the submissive or.. holding them down.. or ordering them to do things. A- ... a lot of people think of it as bedroom stuff only, but.. it can be practiced outside of sex.." Anna rolled her eyes at herself and slowly looked up to catch Kirei's expression. She was sure she had let this secret out way too early, but it was too late now.
Kirei was. . . Slightly confused. It sounded a bit like something being caught in a web, trying to resist and break free however unable they are. People did this for each other and like it? It wasn't something she considered before. "Is that so?" Her facial expression didn't, well, express much as was usual. "As much as I know, things do not like getting caught up in my webs. I'll take it this is different then." She was going to question what exactly Anna meant by 'outside of sex' but decided against it for now. The cat roommate didn't seem entirely comforable on the subject. She continued the scratching for a bit but stopped doing so as she spoke, "Thank you for sharing what you know with me. It didn't seem to make you so comfortable." It still felt like a mystery to Kirei so she couldn't say much on the situation. 'So that's something in your interests?' is what she wanted to say, but decided now was not the time for that. "Hmm, perhaps I should tie you up." A joke, however poor in taste. Somehow obvious with the tone in her voice.
Her eyes widened at the last comment as she felt her cheeks glow red and she shyed away a little, but made sure to quickly speak up. After all, she didn't want Kirei getting the wrong idea. "U-um.. it's.. not so much being uncomfortable ... as it is.. me being shy.." Anna had already given her so many tools and secrets, was she prepare to give her another? 'Eh, fuck it,' she reasoned and pursed her lips for a second. "Usually.. me being shy is a good thing.. and uh, yes, heh, it is a bit different. It's.. um.." She shifted in her chair, looking down at the floor and back to the spider, her tail flicking more shyly now. "About trust. The submissive.. trusts the Dominant enough to give her that control.. the submissive enjoys being controlled and the Dominant enjoys controlling... that's essentially how it works, anyways. It's.. kind of rare, in my experience.. to find someone who is both a Dominant and still very kind about that control - if that makes sense." Anna then thought to herself, 'how did I go this far down the rabbit hole, already?'
"I see." Kirei muttered nodding a few times. It made enough sense. You wouldn't want to hate the person being forceful and they'd probably need to know when to stop. "And this is something that interests you. That's interesting. I would not have taken you for that type, honestly. I see it more like you'd be some sort of prey in a spider's web." She didn't think about the implications that could bring around considering herself, "No offense. You're like a precious small animal no one would want hurt and would be prey to something much large. . ." This wasn't going anywhere. "If you catch what I mean." The spider couldn't help but sigh.
Her tail flicked nervously and yet with some excitement as she watched Kirei try and make sense out of it. When she cut it off, it made Anna smile slightly in amusement. "Looks are tricky... I suppose I would be like a little kitty that no one would want to hurt, hm?" she used the opportunity to tease Kirei, a playful glint in her eyes. She figured she might as well, having already gotten this far. "I guess I wouldn't be able to fight back much either..." she put on a playfully thoughtful expression and shrugged. "That would be a shame.." Despite her sudden boost in confidence with flirting, Anna's cheeks were still flushing brightly with her ears tilted back a little.
It was plenty obvious what was happening now to Kirei. Play along or play the straight man? Playing along might net a new face from the cat. Kirei put a finger down to Anna's chin to tilt her head up while she bent over slightly making the cat look straight into her cold eyes. "It would be a shame, perhaps we should test out just how much of a shame it would be." This much felt right to her. Similar to the old days, just a slight bit different. "Such confidence, and yet these rosey. Red. Cheeks. They normally would say otherwise." At this point, she had no idea what to do or say next, so she went for the next best choice. Silence and staring.
That was not what the cat was expecting and her expression of surprise, even as pleasent as it was, told Kirei that she had been caught off-guard. "K-Kirei.." she muttered softly, looking back into the spideress' eyes. She didn't dare fight against the single finger pressed up against her chin. Anna couldn't even think of anything to say, her head swirling with feelings and thoughts that came out of no where. When in the hell did Kirei become interested in her? At the mention of webs and being prey or something else all together? It was hard to tell and hard to think. "I- ..." was all she could force out of her lips as her cheeks just grew a deeper red, her ears tilting nearly all the way down and her tail swaying far more shyly than before.
"Not able to get anything out?" Kirei has to remark at Anna's practical silence. She obviously was taken off guard by that. Perhaps she could do something for that. For some reason, she was getting into that now. "If you start showing a side like that, I might not be able to stop." Tilting the cat's head up a little more, "This is what you've been wanting isn't it?" Seconds later, lips locked. The cat tensed for just a moment unsure how to take it, but with Kirei's lips being so soft and the spider treating her so gently, it was hard not to melt into the kiss. They had just moved in together and now they were kissing, but Anna couldn't lie to herself - not only was Kirei right about wanting it, but there had been something about the spider-woman that drew Anna to her from the very beginning. Maybe it was that cold confidence that struck a cord in the submissive cat, but whatever it was, her head was now swirling with feelings of just being wanted and care for. It was addictive. Kirei pulled away from the kiss and the cat. "Enjoy?" She had to ask, the answer was obvious enough though. Her hand went back to her roommates ears and began to scratch again, slowly. "Would, 'Good Girl' be appropriate?"
"M-maybe.." she spoke shyly, her purring being more obvious than ever before now as her cheeks stayed a light rosey color. All she could think to do was gently push her head against the fingers scratching her in expression of affection. "I- .." she started and bit her lips again, apparently still a bit overwhelmed to talk properly. ".. didn't think .. guess this is what I get for giving you so many tips, huh?" She finally settled on being a little teasing, her eyes easily finding Kirei's own now as a shy grin was practically glued to her face. "I'm sort of torn between... asking what made you decide to kiss me and... just accepting that you did, hehe. I guess... I'm just a tad scared.. y'know, with previous lovers leaving me and everything." She looked away momentarily before snapping her gaze back to Kirei, "n-not that this is.. um, like official or permanent.. if you don't want it to be.... or whatever..." That's when she just rubbed her face and sighed out loud. "What am I even saying? ..."
Kirei looked down at the cat. "Official?" She had to ask. The spider wasn't all too sure what that entailed, but what she did was mostly passion based. What had started as a joke turned into. . . More. Definitely more than originally intended. What was she to do. A relationship? That wouldn't be the best thing for now. Would it? Perhaps. . . That is the route. "Alright. How about this. We've known each other for not too long. For your sake, take a few days and decide if it would be something you'd want. I may not be all that you make me out to be."
Her smile faded a little, but it didn't seem to hint at any sort of disappointment or sadness, but rather a more serious expression at the proposal. Anna nodded her head a little and took in a small breath. "You're right.." she admitted after a moment and nodded a second time. "I mean, I'm not saying I don't have faith you're someone worth it, but.. it might be best.. to get to know one another.. make sure we fit.. and everything." She seemed actually happy about that, surprisingly and leaned back in her chair, her tail swaying happily. "Guess it's safe to say we're interested now, haha... though I did not expect that... but I'm glad it happened.." She smiled softly, letting it end there - for now.
Simon wasn't sure which to deal with first. The hybrid looked at Eliza, giving one last look at Mulivon before smiling at the angel.
"Sure, we can go in the back. Albert, watch the front for a sec?"
The hybrid gestured for Eliza to follow him into the storeroom, hooves clopping on the tile as he double checked that nothing was burning or on fire. He turned and gave her a smile.
"Now, what's up? Something wrong?"
"Okay first off, I'm really sorry Simon." Eliza started with once he had brought her back into the storage room. "I didn't mean for it to happen but I landed weirdly and my bag hit the ground and the string came unattached and I just..." Eliza took a breath and opened her bag to show him his open parcel and pill bottles. "A....Are you okay Simon..."
The hybrid's smile froze, eyes locked on the pills. Heavy duty pain killers, specifically a concentrated form of Morphine. Simon looked back up to Eliza, then carefully looked around to make sure no one was looking into the kitchen. He reached out and took the parcel from her, and let out a slow breath.
"Upstairs please, I uh...Mmm."
The llama walked out of the kitchen, making sure to keep the package tightly under his arm and hidden from view, his normal breezy smile tight and frozen as he headed upstairs.
"Now please Eliza."
Eliza let him take the parcel out of her bag before following him silently out of the kitchen and upstairs to his living area. "I am really sorry Simon...I won't tell anyone. I just want to know if you are okay or not..." Eliza knew from experience anything having to do with medical history wasn't something people generally wanted to talk about, and Simon's expression when he realized that she knew about the pills only reaffirmed this...
The hybrid walked over to his dresser, placing the package on top before rummaging through a drawer. He placed the pills inside, pulling out a piece of paper.
"It's fine."
His voice suggested it was anything but, though he turned and walked back over to her. He held up the paper to the angel.
"Before you panic, they ARE prescription, I'm not an addict or anything...I just...look..."
Simon fumbled a bit, trying to maintain his composure. This was one thing he never wanted anyone to know about him. The rumor that he was doped up on morphine all day would probably kill his business. And his welcome in the town. Despite it being somewhat true.
"...there was a thing. An accident in the past, I don't...I don't really like to talk about it, but...I...was broken. I need these to just be able to move around during the day..."
His shoulders slumped and he avoided looking at the girl. He walked back to the drawer, putting the prescription slip back into it's hiding spot. He felt pathetic. He felt angry. But that wasn't fair. She was worried about him, and it was an accident. Unless it wasn't...no, it probably was. He knew Eliza well enough to not think so poorly of her. Instead, all his anger was turned inwards, at himself for having such a shameful crutch revealed.
The thought that they weren't prescription hadn't crossed Eliza's mind. She knew, or at least figured, that Simon wasn't that sort. Plus, if it was that easy to do drug trafficking, Eliza was pretty sure she would have either got more packages like that by now or the police would have already questioned her about it.
"I...I see Simon...we're kind of alike..." She told him gently once he was through explaining. "I had an accident too. Both of my wings were broken...it took nearly two years to get me back into flying shape. I guess I'm lucky that I don't need medicine to fly around but some days it feels like I do...You know, the days you see me out on my bike." She noticed he still looked...mad...and sad..."Just because you need help to deal with the pain doesn't make a weaker person. You do what you have to do to live your life and you live it with a smile...that takes a lot to do."
"...."
The hybrid turned around, giving her a measured look. He had always wondered why the girl even had a bike in the first place. With wings, it seemed rather strange why she would choose to stay on the ground.
"I'm...I'm sorry, I didn't know. What hap-erm..."
He caught himself before asking the question. There was no reason to be insensitive about it. Simon rubbed his head for a moment, eyes flitting unconsciously to Eliza's wings. Sure, he had noticed the scars. He saw her every week for the deliveries after all, it was only a matter of time till he noticed them. But he had never thought much of it.
Eliza noticed that after she said that Simon was paying more attention to her wings, and when he stopped himself from asking what had happened to her, she simply smiled. "I don't know if you've ever been to an angel city Simon, but the skyway is mostly a free for all ruled only be what we deem as the laws of courtesy. It's a pretty terrible system to have actually, but it works pretty well usually. Except for a few occasions...I was just getting done shopping for a trip I was about to take and flying home when some other angel that was racing with a few others ran into me. I tumbled down and out of the sky and hit the ground pretty hard...hard enough to break my wings. Thankfully modern medicine was able to help get me back in the air but...its just not the same as before. Not that I'm unhappy the way I am now. The whole thing just sucked but I was able to move on so I'm good." She finished with a unsure shrug, not sure of where she was going with any of that.
Simon was quiet as she spoke, folding his arms as he listened. Such a reckless accident...something so small as a race had altered her so much, and she could keep smiling and being so optimistic? The hybrid rubbed the back of his neck after she finished, giving a small smile that was far different than his usual airy grin.
"Huh...that's...you're pretty casual about it aren't you?" "My t...I was told that if I let it be a big deal, it would always be a big deal. It happened, there's nothing I can do to change it but I can accept and move on. It was part of my life so I can't just ignore it either." She told him then realized how that might sound, "N-Not that I'm trying to tell you that's how you should act and think about what happened to you!" He stepped over to her, laying one hand on her head gently with a slight ruffle, his smile far warmer than it normally was.
"You didn't have to tell me...but...thanks. Sorry if I pryed. And...uh..."
"You didn't pry." Eliza told him with another soft smile as Simon leaned down to her eye level.
"Let's keep my meds just between us. I don't want someone who isn't as sweet hearted as you to misunderstand my situation."
"I will, don't worry." Simon was really nice...she didn't want to do anything to hurt him or his reputation. "Well...um...should I go before people start spreading rumors that you and I are up to something up here?" Eliza asked after a moment of silence with a chuckle.
Simon chuckled, pulling back upright and gave a wink with a wide grin.
"Oh, those kind of rumors I wouldn't mind!"
"Oh you would if Mr. Fisher heard about them. He'd start calling you up to "Do right by me" or something." She laughed a little, but she did blush a little. Was he flirting with her? It was hard to tell, it was a possbility sure but...she just wasn't sure.
Simon's grin widened at that.
"Ohh...well, I guess we should head down then."
The hybrid t headed towards the stairs, giving no indication if he was joking or not, his regular airy grin on his face as he gestured for Eliza to preceed him.
"Angels first."
"Pfft, thanks Simon." Eliza smiled again as she walked past Simon and started down the stairs. Once they were both down stairs she turned to him and said, "Well I would stay for a drink or something but I'm terribly off schedule now." She gave a little emberressed laugh, "I'll try to drop by later though!" She added as she started towards the door.
The llama waved as he headed back towards the counter.
"Sure thing. And thanks for...well...a couple things really..."
The last part was more whispered than anything else, as Simon started to help Albert again.
Eliza stopped at the door when Simon said his farewells...she was sure that he said something after "sure thing" but she didn't quite make it out with how quietly he said it. So she just shrugged and stepped out. It was time to get onto the next delivery. "lets see...Oh! Anna's next on the list!" Eliza said happily as she checked her list. She opted to walk over to Nerd's Paradise since it was just across the street. As she entered the shop, she called inside, "Hello? Anna? I'm here to make a delivery!" That was odd...Anna was usually right in the shop...where was she?
White clouds covered the sun as the weather altered from its previous sunny glare. The heat around the town had lessened further and a cool breeze flooded into the streets. A few minutes later, small snow flakes had begun to fall from the cloudy sky one by one. They were slow and deliberate, having a gentle impact on the town. On the streets, people pulled on their hats and tightened their scarves for the oncoming colder climate.
A woman in a white kimono padded down the street in silence. Her presence was mysterious and slightly ominous, but she made no malicious actions. It was as if she was floating... Her snow-coloured outfit fluttered behind her in the breeze, making her look almost regal. Her skin was paler than ice and her eyes brighter than the blue sky. If one were to inspect her closely, they would recognise her as a Yuki Onna. A Snow Woman.
The woman was cold. In more ways than one. Though it wasn't her fault. Snow Women were known for their icy demeanor and frosty tempers. She was not cruel for the sake of being cruel, it was just her personality. Raised in the ice. Taught by the ice. One eventually became one with the ice. A few civilians watched as she walked down the street, entranced by her enigmatic persona. Some of them even shivered as she passed them, clearly affected by her cold radiation.
The woman paid them no mind she went about her business. A pale hand reached into her kimono to grasp at a pocket watch. Blue eyes flitted to the time-keeping object with scrutiny, before lessening their glare in slight satisfaction. She was never late. Not once. The Snow Woman was impeccable with her timing. She arrived to work at the same time every day. Punctually. The cold woman wasn't one for stumbling about in the morning. She rarely slept anyways.
Approaching a small kiosk in the middle of a quaint looking park, the 'closed' sign was flipped to 'open'. She knew that it wasn't the best time of year for iced treats, yet she had to open shop either way. The Snow Woman had no other trades besides creating ice into something people would want to purchase. She supposed she could always volunteer in the fire brigade if she wanted to. However, being close to a lot of fires is bad for her skin. Pity.
The Snow Woman took a second to breathe in the scents of cold nature. The dew on the grass was cool and fresh. A few autumn flowers had bloomed in the colder climate. The breeze was crisp and relaxing to inhale. White snowflakes had fallen gracefully from the sky, prompting some younger children to play in cold haze. A small, frozen smile spread across the woman's white lips. It brought her a small sense of satisfaction to see humans and mythics alike enjoying her creation. A number of people would not be so thrilled to see the frozen droplets of water fall from the clouds.
A few of the park's creatures such as birds and colourful insects had gone into hiding at the first sight of snow. These creatures were warm blooded and had no place in their hearts for a little snow. Truthfully, the Yuki Onna hated animals, save for a select few. The animals she would've chosen were cold blooded or lived in cold temperatures. Her favourite animal was a beautiful snow bird which only lived in the region she hailed from. A small constriction wormed it's way into her chest, but the cold woman had no knowledge of what it meant.
Her reverie was broken once a few people approached her stand and asked for some of her delicacies. The Snow Woman opened the few tubs that were sitting closed in slots at the kiosk. In them where various different flavours of ice cream she had created the night beforehand. They had been kept frozen by a magical seal she had placed on the slots the ice cream tubs sat in. Any tubs of ice cream of sorbet placed in the slots would stay frozen.
Several of the customers asked for her special which was currently a mango and peach sorbet pop. They sold very quickly and she credited it to her mother's recipe that was famous around her clan. The day moved quite slowly for the Snow Woman, but she gained a steady flow of money throughout each day, so it was normal for her. When her customers left with their treats, she sat back in her kiosk. Her icy eyes took in the small park, not seeing anyone of interest.
Mulivon looked perplexed when Simon was so exasperated at her method of payment.
"I have no other way yet, but is gold not a valid form of payment? I have other precious stones if you would prefer?"
She reached into her sleeve and pulled out some deep blue sapphires. Rather than wait and see if it would she placed them on the table and...Skipped out the door. Clearly ready to see more of this place.
Ian followed after Mulivon, stopping after a few steps to feel around his pockets a little, which suddenly felt a lot heavier, beforr letting out a muttered curse as he pulled out the offending objects. They were three of the sapphires that Mulivon had left to go along with her gross over-payment of her food and drink.
Ian stood still a bit, struggling with the indecision of whether he should put the precious gems back or pocket them. On one hand, just one was more than good enough to pay for the meal, and the gold nugget was still there as well, plus Simon would probably give it back to her anyway. He could definitely use the money he'd get from selling the gems too, but . . . he was trying to break his reputation as a thief, had just been in a discussion for it as well, and to steal such valuable things right after saying that made him feel rather sickened with himself. After a few more seconds, a defeated sigh broke past his lips before he turned back and placed two of the gems back on the table, then the third after a few more moments indecision. He then followed Mulivon out, feeling both happy at his strength of will and stupid that he had just done that. But he hid these feelings behind a mask of confidence and cheerfulness as he walked next to the helmeted newcomer, his trademark smile plastered on his face.
"So then, Mighty Mulivon , were do you want to go first on the tour? The park is always a good place, and judging by the weather, I think we could easily find a place to satisfy that sweet tooth of yours, though we'll have to make a quick stop at the local pawn shop so we can get you some actual money."
Eliza stopped at the door when Simon said his farewells...she was sure that he said something after "sure thing" but she didn't quite make it out with how quietly he said it. So she just shrugged and stepped out. It was time to get onto the next delivery. "lets see...Oh! Anna's next on the list!" Eliza said happily as she checked her list. She opted to walk over to Nerd's Paradise since it was just across the street. As she entered the shop, she called inside, "Hello? Anna? I'm here to make a delivery!" That was odd...Anna was usually right in the shop...where was she?
Kirei had since left the corner store, leaving her to think over what had just happened. Normally, her interested didn't spark that quick, but she did have to admit - the few times she had been honestly interested in dating someone, it hadn't taken but a few days to get a huge crush on them. Apparently Kirei hadn't been any different, well, except that she kissed Anna. That was new. However when Eliza popped in, she had been under her computer desk plugging her monitor back in because someone she managed to kick it free. It wasn't but a second before Anna had jumped up and had her ears all perked up.
Anna gave a friendly smile to the angel and waved. "Over here!" she cried out in a cheerfully cute manner. That was something to consider, she suddenly reminded herself as she looked over the pretty woman. Eliza didn't come over that much since the cat didn't need too many things delivered, but it was enough that they had a few causal chats before hand, and Anna had always thought Eliza was beautiful. Today was a bit different though, Anna felt different - it was probably the kiss, a spark of hope that maybe she was desireable and wanted. More than likely though? The cat was just being silly and daydreaming again.
"Oh! There you are Anna! I was afraid I lost you in here!" Eliza chuckled after Anna spoke up and poked her head up. It was strange how Eliza talked to her as if Anna was smaller then her when in reality, the Cat had a few inches on her. It was probably because she was cute. Cute things always got treated like they are smaller then what they actually are. "Alrighty, today you got..." Eliza started to say as she dug inside of her bag and pulled out some letters, "Just letters today!" She said as she handed them over to Anna. "So..." She started to say with a sly little smile. "A little birdie told me that you have a new roommate now huh?" She didn't know if "little birdie" counted as a pun since she was an angel, not a bird, but she hopped it did count.
The cat seemed awefully cheery compared to normal as her tail flicked back and forth every few seconds, easily swiping the letters from her hand. All of it was junk mail - of course. She didn't really have anyone writing her letters anyways. Credit cards, business loans, whatever came to mind Anna probably got it at one point or another. Her eyes caught the sly smile which looked oddly sexy on the beautiful woman, but hardly gave it a thought before Eliza was mentioning her roommate. The mention made her blush softly with her ears just flinching back for a couple moments. "Um.." she started to say, turning around to slowly put all the junk mail on her desk. After a second, she turned again and gave Eliza a shy smile. "Yeah.. weird for me, huh?" she asked. "She's a .. bit more friendly than I would've thought ... I dunno." She rubbed the back of her neck bashfully. She kind of wanted to tell Eliza, but she wasn't sure how the angel would react, especially since Anna had the tiniest of crushes on the angel before Kirei came around and kissed her.
Eliza smiled at the blush, did she have a crush on her roommate? Well, Anna was the romantic type. "I'm glad you like her! it is a her right? Not that there would be any problem with it being a guy, my new roommate is a guy as well. It's just that, well you told me you prefer women. Anyways, I'm glad whoever it is has been treating you nicely!"
"Yeah.." she started off slowy, a thoughful expression on her face. "I guess I do like her. Though..." For some reason, the way Eliza had said it, it made Anna forget for a second she hadn't mentioned the kiss. It was a bit too late now, because trailing off with the word 'well' would only cause her to be curious - even if she was too nice to pry. It seemed like the cat was all flustered today. "Um.. well, I.. hm. Well, she kissed me, so ..." She let that sink in for a moment, slumping down slightly in her own shyness. "She kind of knows I like her now. Honestly though, I can kind of think of two that I like, but... uh, haha, obviously only one knows it." Anna could feel her cheeks growing more red as time passed.
"I guess I have to choose? I never had choices before... and I doubt they'd both be okay with.. um.. all of- ..." Yep, digging herself a hole again. Anna figured it might be best to change subjects as her ears tilted down, a bashful smile crossing her lips. "So.. a guy rommate, huh?" she asked. Though the change of subject was obviously a way to get away from her statement, she didn't really give off a feeling of being uncomfortable, but rather just plain shyness.
"Oh! she kissed you!" Eliza said surprised. Things must have been moving fast! "Well I hope things go well." Eliza told her, getting the feeling she wanted to move on by the fact she was literally trying to change the subject. But now she was curious who the other person was, and what was she going on about being okay with something? Eh,it was just something Eliza was going to have to deal with not knowing. But now she had to admit something... "Yeah...its um...Ian..." Eliza told her while she rubbed the back of her head and looked away. She really hopped she didn't jump to some of the same conclusions about her and Ian that Mr. Fisher had....
Though still a bit shy about it, she shrugged in response to the angel. "I guess we'll see... I was kind of surprised too, mind you," she admitted, but happily, biting her lip as she watched Eliza for a moment or two. Then came the news of Ian, forcing the cat to perk her ears up, her tail relaxing causally behind her. "Whoa, Ian?" she asked, her eyes gorwing just wide enough to be noticeable. After a few moments, she then grinned at the woman. "You were always so kind - it's really not a surprise. He never seemed to have a place to stay.. though I'm glad to have stayed away from all his womanizing, haha. Still..." She pressed the small of her back against her own desk, palms facing downwards to support herself. "I'm impressed.. frankly, I think I admire you even more now for being so compassionate. I knew you always were though.." she finished with a friendly smile. Anna was telling the truth, but if she could do that and throw Eliza a few compliments, she loved jumping at the chance.
Eliza let out a loud sigh of relif and relaxed when Anna called taking in a compasionate act. "Oh thank god you didn't accuse me of having a reltionship with him." Eliza told her, "I mean, having Mr. Fisher say that was bad enough...not that Ian's bad but I don't want rumors to spread around town, espically after what happened with Simon-anyways!" Eliza said trying to steer back on the topic of Ian before Anna could ask about Simon, "Thank you for the compliments Anna, I appriciate them." Anna was always so polite and nice with her. She made a great friend!
"Simon?..." she whispered and smirked, tilting her head for a bit. For some reason, this was like turning into a game for Anna, her tail flicking softly now as she kept the smirk on her face for a few more moments. "Accuse you? If I had done that then there'd be no hope for all the ladies in town ..." she teased. "In all honesty though, you're probably one of the more popular choices - I mean a beautiful angel? Who doesn't want that, right?" The cat grinned at her own comments, but in truth she was only giving them because in the back of her mind, she would've never actually believed they make any sort of 'real' impact on Eliza. "As long as you're smiling, I'm happy though," she then added suddenly, turning her playful mood into a more sweet one.
"Hey now, I'm bi. Its a competition between the sexes who will take my heart." Eliza laughed, "But I really don't see what you mean. I mean, everyone uses the word 'angel' with some sort of awe that I really don't think I inspire. I mean, I'm basically a human that someone slapped some wings on when you get down to the basics. I'm not heavenly or divine, I don't have a halo, nor do I have any spirtual power. There might be some heavenly angels on earth but I'm a earth breed angel. I'm just a girl that makes delerives and bes nice." Eliza shrugged. "I'm a nice enough person sure but you're giving me to much credit...you and the demons that won't let me deliver to them becuase they afraid if we even get 5 feet close to one another, we'll both spontaniously combust or something." She added that last part in a slightly annoyed tone. She wasn't annoyed they wouldn't let her deliver to them, it was more along the lines that she hated their preconceptions. "Anyways, thats really sweet of you to say Anna." She added when Anna told her that she was happy if Eliza was. "You really are a good friend."
She couldn't help but feel amusement, though it was a tad bit sad that Eliza could be so oblivious at times - probably the exact reason why Kirei and herself got into that situation. Maybe it would've been different if Eliza had figured it out weeks ago. "You were never good at recieving compliments," she replied plainly but with a soft smile. "I think you sell yourself short..." The cat let the comment sink in for a moment as she hopped her little butt onto the computer desk, letting her feet swing a bit along with her tail. "I wouldn't even be a little surprised if you had at least five admirers wanting and hoping to have something meaningful with you ... I'm sure there's at least one. You're a wonderfully sweet person and so caring ... who wouldn't want to try to get closer to you? Take a risk and see if it'd work?"
She paused as she felt her ears tilt back, sure her cheeks were blushing again and took a moment to watch Eliza. "... but anyways... heavenly angel or not, you're beuatiful." She shrugged, trying her best not to let it become too obvious, though she wasn't sure where she stood on that - exactly. Not much else to say at the moment anyways, besides just aruging with her about how amazing she really was. Anna quietly wondered if it had been too much or not, but it was too late to take back spoken words.
"I believe it's the type of compliments I'm given that depends on how well I recieve them." Eliza told her right back. "I know how I am, even if other people may see me in a diffrent, better light. And if I have admires, good! let them come to me. Because I might be a bit oblivious as to who actually likes me..." It was hard to tell when people really liked you in that way when you were being nice to everyone. And it wasn't like she knew everyone super well. She had only been in town for a little over a year now and there were a lot of people that had been here for even less then that. She wasn't really sure if she had anybody she really loved...or even came close to liking in that way yet.
Eliza was pulled out of her thoughts when she noticed that Anna was blushing...and still calling her beautiful. Maybe Eliza wasn't completly as oblivious as she said she was. "Listen Anna...Once upon a time, I planned out how I was going to fall in love. My plans have changed, but I still want to stick to one thing from that orginal plan. And thats taking things slow." Eliza told her. She knew Anna was a bit of a romantic...well, bit might have been too much. "Love isn't a quick take off high into the sky, its a slow descent. One to enjoy with the person who goes down with you. It'll be nice for the person to tell you how much they enjoy you, and how much they enjoy the moment you are currently in. But you can't let yourself get carried or you'll run into something, like a tree..." Eliza realized she was starting to get into flying advice. "What I'm trying to say is, take it easy...I am going to take it easy that is. On the love part." That was incrediably akward for Eliza. While she didn't want Anna to rush off and possibly get hurt, that was Anna's descion and she knew herself better then Eliza did. "I'm not good on talking about this subject...."
"Yeah..." she started off slowly, her ears slumping down onto her head along with her tail just hanging from the desk now. "I get it. Not very easy to reject someone when you're so nice... guess it was just a crush anyways..." She should've known. Just because she was in a new town that accepted myth creatures more didn't mean she could escape her reputation. Everyone always mistaked her easy crushes and clingy nature for almost being like a love slut - there was no better way of explaining it. Maybe she did move fast sometimes, but she was just wanting to enjoy her time with someone who actually cared for her for once. Not that anyone in her past really cared for her in the end anyways. "... just for the record though, I might get crushes on people easily sometimes... or enjoy kisses when they are given... but I'm actually picky with who I care for in that way - and clingy doesn't mean I've fallen in love or anything... I just don't-... don't want to get that reputation again..." She sighed, swinging her feet just a tiny bit as she stared down at them. She just expected to hear Eliza say sorry and leave, so much so, she was just waiting for it to happen.
"No seriously, I was talking about myself there." Eliza told her when she saw how she was getting, "You're you. You'll love in a way that works for you and thats great! You're cuddly, you're romantic, thats great! I'm just nice. Thats it. I don't care for a lot of cuddling most of the time, you're the only person who has hugged me more then a couple of times outside my own family Anna. I'm kind of oblivious to how people feel towards me. I'm not quite sure how reltionships are supposed to work! I want to take it slow cuase I don't think I can get crushes on someone as quickly as you can. And just because you get them quickly dosn't make it wrong. Just because you like affection dosn't mean its a bad thing." Eliza took her shoulders in her hands. "You're amazing and sweet and nice Anna. And if I am rejecting you right now, which I don't think I am? Anyways, its because you said you wanted to work something out with your roommate. Right? I'm happy you can find people to love, I'm just confused as to where I fit here. I mean we've known each other for longer, but we both know I didn't know about how you felt till today. I think someone that could read your emotions better would be a better fit. If she's not right for you...then maybe we could take a chance."
Eliza sighed. "I'm sorry that what I said hurt you, I really didn't mean it at you. And for the record, you're not clingy, at least I don't think so and anyone who does is stupid..." She went silent...waiting to see how her words were going to be taken.
Anna slowly looked up into Eliza's eyes. It was obvious that she had felt a little better, but her ears were still practically flopped onto her head. Instead of happiness or a smile, Anna had something else in her eyes that wasn't usually something there - it was like a fire almost in it's intensity, but something far less dangerous. It seemed just like plain confidence. Who knows if that would surprise Eliza, but not many people knew the cat had it in her. "Work something out with my roommate?" she asked calmly. "All right, let's put aside the fact that I'd be okay with two people-" Anna was sure that would likely surprise the angel more than anything, but quickly pushed on, "-that's another subject. Even if I didn't think that way... you were here first... that kiss?"
Anna continued, not breaking eye contact with Eliza except a few times as to not make the contact too instense. "That just happened this morning. She only knew I was interested because I was being pretty obvious about it... call it getting caught up in the moment, I guess. Yeah, underneath her stoic surface, I think she's amazing... but given a choice? It'd be kind of silly of me not to go with the one I have more feelings for, wouldn't it?" She quickly sighed and looked away for a moment. "I know you didn't mean to hurt me... and it still kind of feels like... well, you're not interested - which I respect. I've just gotten into this situation so many times I can't count. In my mind it plays out very simply. Either you don't reject me, we take it slow and nothing happens with Kirei - then suddenly you find someone more wonderful than me and that's that. Or you say no, I try with Kirei, then she realizes I'm not her type or something and that ends." She bit her lower lip for a moment. "... but I'm sorry and no matter what you choose, it's not fair for me to assume. I'm just being silly like always and letting past experiences paint what I expect from people..."
Eliza was a bit surprised to see the light in Anna's eyes. A light she didn't really have to often when it came to talking to people. Anna being fine being with two people at once didn't really stun her though she hadn't expected that from her. She let Anna go on and finish before saying anything. "Remember earlier how you were telling me I was selling myself short? Well it sounds like you are too. Better? Better how. Sure, theres probably a ton of people out there that are smarter, prettier, and so on better then the two of us. But love isn't about "Better"...As for Kirei," Eliza was assuming this was her roommate, "yes, thats a possibility I suppose. But it dosn't mean it would happen. And you're not being silly about worrying about this because of your past! I know no ones going to harm my wings but I still dont let people near them cause of my past. Your concerns are vaild. I....just....don't know what to do though. I feel like...I like you a lot...but not in that way. At least not yet...I've never asked myself if I loved someone. I just thought that....well...I would just either look at them and know...or it would just hit me one day that I loved someone. That hasn't happened yet...for anyone. Maybe...it never will for me. I don't know. All I'm trying to say is, Kieri seems intrested and I'm not sure yet. I'm not rejecting you outright, I'm just not ready. So...you can either wait and see...or try your hand at Kieri." Eliza wondered if this was what being trapped in a ever growing hole felt like....
The cat reached up and rubbed her own face, regardless of the hands on her shoulders. "... Eliza," she replied, though it almost sounded bemused. "That's not how love works." Slowly pulling her hand down she smiles very gently to the angel. "There might be times where you feel instant connections with someone, but to say you love them by just looking? Not-uh... it starts with a crush - which is just a feeling of wanting to be around someone. It's... seeing them and feeling like you want to be near them as much as you can. That you can see something in them or between you two that forces or makes you want to consider that maybe... just maybe, you could share your life with them one day - all your joys, your fears, your doubts, your loses, and your victories. That's a hard thing to do though." She paused glanced away for a brief second. "That's why most people only find one person - ever - to share their entire life with. That's what love is though, letting them in and feeling like you just don't want them to be happy, you want to be the one that makes them happy."
Anna took in a deep breathe and slumped her shoulders some with a sad sort of smile. "My crush on you is just that... I could see that, potentially... but I guess," she said, looking away, "if you can't see that with me, I don't blame you. A lot of people have complimented how sweet and cute I am, but no one actually sees themselves with me. I wish they did.. wish you did.. but it's not something I have control of." She looked back at Eliza and smiled a sort of fake smile despite actually feeling a little more comfortable with what was happening. At least Eliza was kind enough to be honest and talk it out.
Eliza bit her lip. She knew that was how loved work, she really did...but that wasn't how she was supposed to fall in love. Or...well maybe it was, maybe it was the natural order of things but Eliza had sustained herself for a long time with her imagenation. In a way she was already in love with someone...many someones that she had thought up in her mind as she wished to be someplace else with them a few years ago. Not actual people...her ideas of people, of things happening, of places to be. It dawned on Eliza that maybe she wasn't falling in love with anyone because...she was content in her mind. That...was not a pleasant thought. "It's not your fault here...It's really not..." Eliza told her as she took a step back, her tone...worried, and her expression said it was at herself rather than at Anna. "I need to get back to delivers...but Anna, you'll find someone. I know you will. And I want to be here for you....as your friend. Alright?"
She didn't like that look on Eliza's face, but the angel didn't give her much time to be concerned about it, already trying to say goodbyes. It's not like Anna could've helped anyways since she was being kept at a distance right now. Wasn't it always like that? She offered a defeated smile and shrugged. "Yeah.. that's fine, of course.. you are a good friend. And it's hardly ever my fault, Eliza, but shit happens anyways and I end up alone. I've also heard that so many times - you'll find someone. Good luck proving me wrong." She smirked, her ears finally starting to settle back into their natural position. "Just... take care of yourself, okay?" she then added, more concerned about Eliza's expression than her own hopelessness. After all, she had been dealing with it for most of her life and would continue to do so for many years to come. Eliza on the other hand hardly ever looked so worried.
It hurt to hear Anna say that about herself. Eliza really wished she could help but...if she didn't love Anna right now, getting into a reltionship with her would do a lot more harm then good...And Eliza had her own problems when it came to love to work out. "I will Anna, and things will work out for you I'm sure..." She told her as she quickly stepped out and launched herself into the air. Once she was up there, she let out a sigh and headed to her next delivery spot...
Anna waited several moments after Eliza had left and let out a large, depressed sigh, slumping against the desk for a moment. It was nice Kirei had gained a sudden interest, but the angel was who she really wanted to be with, but that didn't seem in the cards and it left her heart arching - per usual. Still, as she slowly went to the front door, she forced herself to think of the spideress. Had it truly been a moment of interest, or was Kirei simply caught up in the moment, or maybe just felt pity for Anna. There was definitely something there for the cat, but her experience kept telling her that Kirei really was just being nice and didn't mean anything by it.
Shrugging to herself, she lightly tugged the open sign's chain, turning it off. It had been a few hours and Anna justified the break by noting it was a chilly Friday and most of her work came the way of internet orders anyways, that she usually got done at night when she didn't have any company. Regardless of the sign, she left the blinds open, a subtle way of telling people they could still come and visit if they wanted - since anyone who knew her, knew it was also her home.
She slowly dragged herself upstairs, grabbing the laptop from the desk and curling up under her pink blankets, starting up Hulu. She thought now was the best time to just relax and zone out on a few shows and episodes - let her emotions calm down. She would let herself maul over the idea of Kirei at the commercials, slowly trying to decide if the woman had really meant that kiss. In a way Anna hoped she did - it was a rather intense kiss, after all.
"Is that something similar to the pieces of the strange gentleman's game? I do not have any desire for silly games but the park sounds interesting. Mother said if I was ever feeling distressed the park is more like home than anything else I would find here."
The girl smiled earnestly obviously thinking of home brought her glee. The area was such a drastic change from the forest of the north mountains that it was more than just a little jarring. Yet she for the most part allowed her curiosity to out weigh her discomfort. Her eyes looked back to Ian as she finished her small daydream, "Yes let us go to the park. I wish to see its trees." Mulivon started ahead as if she knew where it was already once more a skip in her step.
"No, it's a place where you go to sell stuff in exchange for money, but if you don't want to go now, then we'll come to it later. Just don't go pouting at me when I pay for you, since you can't keep paying in gems and gold okay? Consider it a loan, and when you sell some of your stuff, you can pay me back." Ian hoped that the girl would find this much more preferable and wouldn't put up a fght about it. He was saying this mostly for her benefit, but also because he didn't think he'd be able to have the same force of will as before to resist the temptation of stealing them if the opportunity arose a second time. As the two spoke, he'd begin to walk them in the direction of the park, being sure to make it look like Mulivon was leading him, rather than the other way around. "Though it might be best for you to get a job somewhere around here, as those won't last you in the long term. . . where are you currently staying anyway?"
Considering the current status of her funds, she probably wasn't in any rush to find a place, but then again, she could be getting completely ripped off and not even know it, as there were definitely people in town, both human and otherwise, who would pray on her ignorance of how this world woks in one way or another. After a while, they'd arrive at the park, where they'd soon see the snow woman currently attending her stand and looking over everyone with a cold, yet not unkind, gaze. Ian would give a wave as they approached, his ever present smile shining in the dim, wintery light.
"Why hello there Isis, I thought you'd be around when it went from warm and sunny to cold and dim in mere seconds. While I'm sure everyone here loves it, I can thing of a few cold-blooded individuals who'll be feeling rather dreary by the sudden snowfall." Ian had seen and met Isis on a few occasions, and may have tried to who her on one or two of those occasions. She was definitely one of the more interesting inhabitants, here ability to change the weather with here mere presence never ceasing to amaze him. "But I'm not hear just to chit-chat, I'm giving this pretty little thing a tour of the town and I thought the perfect place would be at the world's best ice cream stand ever."
Kirei sat on a bench somewhere. Greenery was around her and the children outside were amazed by the flash snow flurry. Kirei wasn't a big fan of the snow, or the cold overall really. Still she just needed to cool her head by any means necessary. She tilted her head back to look at the sky. "What exactly did I do. . ." She spoke to the air. It was nothing really new, but she hadn't really planned on doing that to her roommate then. Or, ever really. The idea was to just be friends and roommates. Not anything more. . . Or less.
With a sigh she looked around pulling her head back up. There was the ice cream stand, similar to what Anna wanted earlier, just a bit more fresh as far as Kirei knew. She wasn't a fan of the stuff. Her first time trying it her head felt like it was going to go into a deeply frozen state, making her avoid eating the stuff. Now there was a man, "Ian was his name?" She had heard of him and talked lightly, but there wasn't much beyond that. Some people say he can't keep his hands to himself though Kirei wasn't sure what that exactly meant. Then the girl next to him. . . Mulivin or something of the sort. It wasn't an easy name, nor was it one the spider had heard much. "I wonder if they're on a date." Kirei muttered under her breath. As she thought on it more, she came to a doubtful conclusion. The "M" girl didn't seem so interested in a date after all. Still, she kept watch on them in case something interesting happened. One could be sure that, due to just what the town was suppose to be, something interesting would almost always happen.
A sudden cold chill shot through the air and those in the park area involuntarily shivered at the spike. The breeze picked up to flutter the snow woman's long, white kimono like a beautiful snow coloured gown. Her cold eyes flitted to inspect the scraggly-looking male to approach her. He waved to her and flashed his goofy smile. The cold woman then set her gaze upon the woman whom wore little clothing and bore little shame. Great. The demon boy was back to pester her yet again.
Her icy eyes took in the reactions of the people around them, noticing how they kept their hands on their pockets and handbags. Children were ushered away from the devil and kept a safe distance from the scantily clad woman. This set the Yuki Onna's cool mood to sub zero in seconds.
The snow woman was not fond of the half incubus. She found him aggravating, repulsive and completely disrespectful. The light snowflakes seemed to fall at a faster pace with a thicker amount of snow to yield. Two cold, white hands moved to adjust her kimono so that it completely covered her cleavage and shoulders. She did not want a lecher staring at her as if she were meat to be hunted down.
Blue eyes were unyielding, jaws were tightly shut and facial muscles withheld all. The man was likely coming back to try and ask her out on these human occasions called 'dates'. If he could not take no for an answer, she would have to decline for him. Forcefully.
''How joyous. You have returned to disperse my customers.'' The snow woman spoke, her voice firm and abrupt. She preferred to say only what was needed and not otherwise. And this male deserved very little of her words. A pale hand moved to freeze her lockbox so he could not open it and make off with her earnings. The barrier of the kiosk stood in front of them, but she was not stupid.
''Touch anything of mine and you will lose your hand.'' The Yuki Onna offered him a piercing, icy glare; One that made men shiver from the cold intensity. Perhaps it was from the danger she held in her eyes. Or perhaps it was the snow woman's witchcraft? The pale woman would not tell.
In the rare event that the incubus was here to purchase her delicacies, the woman's pale hand gestured to the ice creams and sorbets that stood on display. It was her silent way of demanding that he buy something or leave the area.
It was offensive to be called a costume; for a moment Masilalt showed it, before regaining his composure. He must have been buried for awhile, he doesn't know any better. "I don't have the slightest clue of what you're talking about." Was it a pop culture reference? He was always awful at paying attention to that. In the past, a lover had convinced him to sit still long enough to make it through a movie or two, but that interest died with them.
The zombie grabbed a hold of his fur, and he was reminiscent of a curious child, except instead of a bright eyed kid eager to learned the world he was faced with a scared corpse looking for answers. And while the man looked to have around 20 years of experience living, Masilaltabhrata would see no difference between the two.
Welcome to the world, you poor bastard.
The hairy humanoid didn’t take Werner’s words too well, though he had a difficult time getting a read on the creature. A face covered in fur acted as an excellent mask, but the body language was still there; a slight recoil, with a stiffer stance. Great job Werner, you just pissed off the biggest thing in town. The creature quickly loosened up though, and for that Werner was grateful. It seemed to look at him with a sort of pity through its red eyes, like looking at a child who couldn’t find his parents. God, those eyes really wig me out. Werner slowly calmed down, realizing the tall hooved beast before him didn’t hold any malicious intent for him. Well, for the moment anyway.
"Either you're very new, or very old. I'm guessing the latter." The demon grinned in amusement, canines flashing, "I'm an Alp." He had never ran into many people who knew just what an alp was, but with all the questions they looked to have small details were the least of his problems. "My name is Masilatabhrata; Masilalt is fine. Would you like to sit down and talk? My house is right there." He had a feeling that if this was all a shock to the boy, he would definitely want to be sitting down for what came next. Maybe he knew already, and was just denying it. Or maybe he truly thought he was a living soul in some kind of fever dream.
Very new? Werner? The young man had spent the first 18 years of his life in Diehlstadt, and returned every summer since. Surely the town couldn’t have turned into a monster bash in the short amount of time he spent in the grave. But then again, the town did feel… Different. He saw a couple cars pass down the street, and his red eyes tracked them until they fell over the horizon, his mouth open wide. He recognized only the circular blue and white BMW badge on the back of the car, and that was it. Gone were the boxy bodies and sharp lines of the 80’s he’d come to know and love, in all their flashy glory. Now the road was dominated by bigger, sleeker metal beasts, their edges buffed out and engines silent. The Pantera sitting on the side of the road looked like a dinosaur among them, and Werner could relate. But still, he didn’t feel old, and he hoped to god he didn’t look it. Maybe the filthy clothes and dirt-caked skin made him look older? If that was the case, teenagers would be rolling in the mud and running to the bars. Frankly, he didn’t know what the hell this thing was talking about. ”Old? I’m only 23 man,” Werner replied, his voice falling short on the last word. How did he know this thing was a guy? It seemed masculine, but that didn’t mean anything. Werner didn’t want to get ripped in half by a female Chewbacca because he used the wrong pronoun, even if it was just a discourse particle. Thankfully, Chewbacca didn’t shed him to ribbons, just introduced himself. Alp? Like the Alps in Europe? Although the Alp specified his species, the name didn’t mean much to Werner, who simply nodded dumbly. ”Mahhsi-selahlt,” Werner fumbled on the name. It felt foreign and strange on his tongue, like a mixture of Arabic and German, the latter of which he spoke some. ”I’ll, uh, have to work on that…” he added shyly. The Alp invited him to his home, just down the street, an odd offer, but one Werner felt he could not turn down. Masilalt seemed like an altruistic creature who just wanted to help someone down on their luck, which Werner was sure he looked like. Besides, it would be a good opportunity to rest for a moment and take everything in, though he didn’t feel tired. He did just wake up from a long dirt nap, but then he dug his way out of six feet of hard-packed soil, no easy task even for the most physically fit. Werner cleared the thoughts from his mind. ”Yeah, sure, if its no trouble, thanks,” Werner said, mustering a weak smile.
"Hah, don't worry. You're not the only one that has trouble with my name." Humans always had trouble matching otherworldly languages, and his name was no different. Many times, children especially would shorten his name to Masi, and he was wondering if that would be easier for them. Maybe later he would tell them, if they couldn't get his name right. As Masilalt glanced back to his house, he just now noticed his bag was on the ground. "Damn." He muttered, and the sound of his steel horseshoes against the pavement was in stark contrast to the rarely ceasing foot traffic, and this was one of the few times he noticed it. His next steps were absolutely soundless but somehow still casual as ever, the alp trying to not scare off the zombie. He picked up the bag and opened the door, looking at them and nodding his head towards the inside.
"What are you called?"
What are you called? The question was normal enough, but the phrasing struck him as a little archaic perhaps, like an old Shakespearean play. Then again, he’d been in Massachusetts for the past 5 years, and was used to,”Hay, whahtsya name?” so perhaps he was just unaccustomed to someone not butchering the English language. ”I’m Werner Kleist, nice to meetcha,” Werner said, walking at the Alp’s side. He noticed the red Pantera slowly rolling behind them, trailing along. He hoped Masilalt didn’t ask about it, because Werner didn’t have any answers. If he was lucky, maybe Masilalt knew more than him. The Alp’s footsteps were heavy at first, accompanied by the clanging of metal, but he quickly corrected them. He looked down at his feet. Jesus, he’s got hooves. Don’t wig out. Don’t say anything. Just be cool. Be cool like the Fonz. Normally, Werner was a sociable and smooth guy, but recent events had him more than a little frazzled. ”Those shoes can’t be too comfortable, eh?” Werner tried making a joke as the two walked into Masilalt’s home. Oh, that was bad.
Masilalt noticed there was a short, red car moving slowly behind the duo, and looked to Werner before back to the car, and to Werner once more. There wasn't a driver in that car. Masilalt hated cars at a fundamental level - they were practically breaking the earth. That hatred had led him to ignore them, but he knew the absolute basics, such as someone needed to be in it for it to work. "How interesting." The zombie still had absolutely no idea what was going on, and he guessed they wouldn't have much to say for that. But Werner did seem in a god awful condition, and that car was just following him...That wasn't a good conversation starter, however, so he left it be at that. "They're fine, for me. Not everyone's a human, ya?" He smiled at the man even with their failed attempt at humor.
Werner saw the Alp’s red eyes track the tailing car, and felt his stomach drop. Oh great, now he probably thinks I’m some kind of freak. The irony of this thought was not lost on Werner, but he couldn’t find any humor in it. He was reminded of the old movie Planet of the Apes, where a group of astronauts return to Earth after many years to find that they were no longer the dominant species. Surely this wasn’t the case here; Diehlstadt looked about the same as it once was, even the street names remained. Still, Werner wasn’t sure just how long he’d been planted in the ground. A few hours? Days? Weeks? He couldn’t have survived that long without severe brain damage at the very least. Oh god, it all makes sense. The way Masilalt looked at him with pity. The unfamiliarity of the town. The nightmarish people walking around. He wasn’t right in the head. Werner quickly did some calculus problems in his head, derriving, and found he had no problem with them. Well, at least, he thought they were right. ”Heh, yeah… Human…” Werner vacantly repeated, barely processing the words.
The kitchen was the first room in the small home, with the staircase off to the side. "Please, sit down." Masilalt ran his fingers across the small table as he passed it to set his bag on the counter, proceeding to move some mason jars aside and taking out the herbs, laying them in a nice order. "Do you want anything to eat or drink, Kleist?" Considering their state, he assumed the answer was no, but he wasn't about to be a bad host. After all, his manners were part of the reason he had good business. He took off some of the vanilla beans and cinnamon hanging from strings on the ceiling and put them down with the others, quickly tying them together and hanging them back up. He would do the same to more plants, later, when he wasn't explaining an entirely new world to a confused corpse.
Werner barely noticed he’d stumbled into the Alp’s house, taking one last look at the Pantera before the door shut. He felt like he’d just left a part of himself behind, like saying goodbye to a loved one. Odd, considering how little love he felt for the car. He took a look around the house as he followed his host to the kitchen table. It was refreshingly rustic, even by 1980’s standards. No TV, microwave oven, or anything of the like. Werner took a seat at the table, noting the various plants hanging by the ceiling to dry. It was a familiar sight, but as to why, he didn’t know. The memory escaped him, as they often seemed to do recently. ”Nice place you have here, Masilalt,” Werner said as his glowing red eyes panned the room. He felt slightly guilty for his inconsiderate behavior lately; he’d always been the polite type, but his recent confusion hasn’t contributed to this admirable trait. As if to exemplify his own impeccable manners, Masilalt graciously asked if his guest needed anything. ”A glass of water’d be nice, thanks.” He didn’t feel thirsty, but Werner figured he needed to hydrate after being locked up for, well, however long it was. As for eating, the graveyard cat took care of that. Werner shuddered at the recent memory before blocking it out. He shifted his focus to the glass of water his host set before him, and reached out for it with his right hand, but noticed how the three longest bloodied fingers bent and twisted in unnatural directions. This wasn’t particularly upsetting, as he had broken several bones in the past during hockey games and wrenching on cars. No, what sickened Werner was the lack of pain. He was sure adrenaline was no longer pumping through his system, numbing any agony like it would have in the coffin. Werner slowly lowered the hand into his lap, and grasped the glass with his bruised but unbroken dominant left hand.
The demon made his way back to the table, moving a few books that looked too archaic to belong in this century onto the floor and taking the seat across from the zombie. He crossed his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair, stretching. Silence took over the room for a moment as Masilalt simply looked over Werner. Where to start? He didn't know them very well, and didn't know how direct he wanted to be. Of course, not a lot of people would react to a practical stranger telling them how dead they are right off the bat. He could start with asking about voodoo, but what if he said he didn't know anyone? That topic seemed more trouble than it was worth.
He leaned forward, hands clasped on the table. "Do you remember anything before today, Kleist? I want to know the last memory you have." His mother had resurrected someone to show him, once. They were overall pretty lethargic and couldn't remember anything, and turned out to be pretty useless. Masilalt was hoping Werner was a different story.
”Well, I pretty much remember everything, if I try hard enough. Feels a little… Hazy though,” Werner began. ”I remember my first hockey game. Graduating from MIT. Working with my dad.” These memories were the most vivid, the important ones he’d carry with him. Werner could practically feel the ice beneath his skates as he clumsily slapped the puck, hearing his parents cheers. A brief smile flickered across his face. ”The last thing I remember… Oh man, my girlfriend, uh, Adrien, she’s sick. I stole that car outside to get to the hospital, and I crashed. That’s all I can remember.” His voice choked up at the mention of Adrien, and he grabbed the water with a trembling hand and brought it to his dried lips. Hardly half a mouthful made it in him before his throat began convulsing and he coughed the water out onto the table. ”Sorry, sorry…” he muttered with apologetic eyes as he wiped the water up with his tattered sleeve, which probably only dirtied the table further. Werner recalled seeing a similar reaction to water when he was in Angola over a summer in undergrad, volunteering to help a town construct a new irrigation system. A neighboring town was suffering from a rabies outbreak, and those in the late stages of the disease had extreme hydrophobia. No matter how thirsty the victims were, they twisted and turned their head away from any water; if it managed its way down their throat, it was immediately spat out. The sound of his own coughing brought a new memory to mind.
”I remember… My mom and dad’s voices. Mom, she was crying, and Dad was trying to calm her down.” Werner realized what he remembered. His own funeral. ”Then, Adrien, I remember her voice,” he continued with a relieved breath. She was okay, at least whenever his funeral took place. ”Sorry, does any of this mean anything to you?” He looked to the stranger across the table with hopeful eyes, though he didn’t know why this… Alp would know anything, but it was worth a shot.
"It's fine, don't worry about it." Masilalt brushed off his guest's accident, shrugging off the mess. The table had seen worse from other clients, and his books weren't damaged. What else did he expect to happen? He knew zombies couldn't drink water, and at least Werner probably learned something.
He gave a slow nod, red eyes never breaking contact with the zombie. "Oh, it means everything to me. You must be aware by now that you're dead, yes?" He went back to leaning in his chair, "I hate to be so blunt about it, but let's call a spade a spade here."
Dead? So this is some dream. Werner almost felt relieved upon hearing the words. Being dead was much easier than living in some strange world filled with monsters. Perhaps if he closed his eyes, it would all be over. He always pictured death being a little less vivid than this, and less frightful, but then again, he supposed his death wasn’t too pleasant. If he died of old age in a small cottage surrounded by friends and family with a spring breeze rolling in, then his conscious probably would have him picking flowers in rolling fields. But he met his fate in a burning wreckage of twisted metal as he hurled down the side of a cliff, he racing to his sick lover. What did he expect? His last thoughts weren’t exactly the cheeriest. Still, he figured the grim reaper would look differently than the furry creature sitting across from him. He listened to his personal Charon for further instructions.
"You must've been resurrected by a houngan or bokor. They're the voudon equivalent of priests, basically. And I would guess by the fact you're not with him, he failed, but the fact that you're here..." The demon trailed off, looking to the car out the window.
”You’ve got to be shitting me.” It all made sense now. Abioya, that old bastard. He knew Abioya was had dabbled in voodoo when he lived in Haiti, as had many of his ancestors. Werner figured it was all nonsense though, just an old man’s way of attempting to frighten his granddaughter’s boyfriend. Guess he wasn’t joking. Whether Abioya’s intentions were malicious or not, he didn’t know. The man never liked him in life, why would he bring him back from the grave? Werner was torn between kissing and killing Abioya when he saw him.
"Maybe he died, so you're just aimless. I'm not completely sure...But I think your car has something to do with it. It's 2015, what year did you die?" He died in the car, so it could be that the car was the one possessed, with the zombie just acting as a puppet. But that didn't make a lot of sense. He drummed his fingers against the table, snapping his attention back to Werner.
If Werner was still capable of vomiting, Masilalt’s already dirtied table would be covered in half-chewed cat. His head was spinning, like he’d just gotten the worst suckerpunch in the rink. ”Nineteen… Uh. Eighty-five,” he stammered. 30 years. His parents are 87 years old. Abiyola is well over 100 years old. And that puts Adrien at 53. If any of them are even alive. Werner ran a hand through his filthy hair before using it to cover his eyes. He wondered if Abiyola did this intentionally, forcing him to come back to life and watch everyone he ever loved forget about him. He could handle being some sort of monster, but facing the future alone sickened him. No, even Abiyola wasn’t that cruel. Something must have gone wrong. Werner wanted to curl into a ball and cry, but he wasn’t going to give up so easily. He had to figure out why he was back, and what had become of Diehlstadt.
"Were you connected to voodoo somehow?" Maybe he was just unlucky, and someone picked him as a fresh target for a zombie bottle. He'd done it himself. There was a possibility that he had connections, and even if they decided it was best not to dig it up, Masilalt could use that to meet them himself.
”Yeah, guy named Abiyola. He’s pushing on 100 now, so he’s probably dead,” Werner replied bitterly. The one man who could make sense of this was surely long gone. Then again, this Alp, Masilalt, seemed to have a pretty good grasp on what he was going through, and hadn’t led him astray so far. “So what happened in 2015 that made skeletons go to work and women’s heads fall off? Diehlstadt wasn’t like this in ‘85.”
"Damn. Well, that explains why you're here, instead of with him," Masilalt shrugged, "I mean, normally with the resurrection of a soul by a bokor, you would be serving him. But if he's dead you can't do that too well." It was all the better if Werner was a free man. That meant the demon could use him, and while he looked very shaken up, he seemed like a pretty determined human. The demon grinned at the thought. Suddenly, this town was pretty exciting. Those details could be discussed later, when the zombie realized the more immediate aspects of his new life. Right now, he had questions, and Masilalt was happy to provide answers. "We didn't all just come into existence within the past 30 years, if that's what you're thinking. The llama...Alpaca? It doesn't really matter. Anyway, the hybrid that runs the cafe bought the place a few years back. Everyone else just heard about monsters living here and followed suit. That's what I've heard, at least; I've only been here a few months myself." It was an interesting town, to say the least. Every time he thought he had something figured out, things like this happened.
Well, it could be worse. Abioya could be alive and I’d be stuck with him. Werner immediately chastised himself after making the internal remark. Surely the old man, a descendant of Haitian slaves, wouldn’t attempt to dominate another. The man always talked about the evils of slavery. Still, at this point, it didn’t really matter what he planned to do with Werner once he crawled out of his grave. What did concern him, though, was the way in which Masilalt looked at him, no longer with pity, but excitement. It didn’t take a particularly keen eye to notice the Alp’s interest in voodoo; from the herbs hanging down over the table to the various ancient occult books lying around, the signs were everywhere. Did Masilalt see him as his next Frankenstein-esque experiment? No, if the Alp wanted to exploit Werner, he already would have. The world wasn’t like the movies, where criminal masterminds told the hero their plan just before carrying it out. The Alp was probably just excited to have an interesting subject to study. Werner shook the thought from his head and focused in on his new furry friend. The next part Werner didn’t find too shocking, though any other day he’d be dumbfounded. His brain was overloaded with all these changes; they hardly seemed real, even with one staring right at him, and the other authenticating itself when he broke free from his grave. Oddly enough, this addition of mythical creatures was the least life-changing for the young man, though disturbing.
Masilalt stood up and stretched, walking back over to his counter. "I know I just gave you a lot of information, and if you need to take time to process it all that's fine. Take a walk, get some fresh air, whatever." He spoke nonchalantly, grounding a stick of cinnamon. "Or not, and just stay here for awhile. Doesn't matter to me." The cinnamon was put in a mason jar, and joined with water and what looked to be some orange peels. "If you do decide to leave, remember you can come back anytime you need." Closing the jar, he spun around, "So, Kleist, what's next?"
What is next? The Alp was kind enough to offer him a place to stay, an offer Werner hoped he wouldn’t have to take. In a perfect world, he would return to his childhood home and be welcomed with open arms and teary eyes by his parents, who, though 30 years older, loved him just the same. If this situation didn’t play out too well, he might have to return to Masilalt’s home; Werner wasn’t sure what the policy was on bank accounts after death, but he doubted there was much money left in his anyways, certainly not enough to survive on his own. ”Thanks, I’ll probably take you up on that offer,” Werner replied. ”You’re right, I just need to take a walk. Work shit out, you know? This… Uh, its a hard pill to swallow.” The zombie stood up on unsure legs, which were still growing used to the strange life flowing through them, and made his way to the door. ”Oh, and thanks.. Masilalt,” he added, getting the name more or less correct. ”I’d still be screaming out on the streets if it weren’t for you.”
Werner stepped out of the house and onto the alien streets, looking at Diehlstadt through a different lens with his new knowledge. So this is the future. What a shithole.
Well, now that Eliza almost ruined one of her friendships and figured out something rather startling about herself, it was time to get back to deliveries. "Okay...Okay...Who's next?" Eliza mumbled as she ruffled around in her bag for the next stop. "Masilatabhrata...hm, well that's a new one." It was true that new people on Eliza's route wasn't a rare thing, but by now they were growing far less common. She wondered what they were and where they came from. She just shrugged after a minute, knowing she was going to get the answer to one of those questions soon enough. She went to where the address was and realized she was pretty close to where she was earlier when she helped that Dullahan girl. "Huh, they must live close by. What an odd coincidence!"
Eliza landed (gracefully this time) in front of this Masilatabhrata's door and knocked gently on it, waiting for an answer.
Masilaltabhrata didn't waste time in thinking of Werner once he was out. Things turned out as well as he could have hoped for, and that was that. If he came back later, it would be a different story. But right now he had orders to fill and illnesses to look into, and a strange car was the least of his concerns.
He took a rag and cleaned off his dirtied table before taking the time to look through his notebook at the list of clients that would be swinging by. For once, there weren't a lot, only three in the twelve hours he would be working. It was a welcome relief from the floods of customers he had been getting earlier in the month. Of course, that meant less income, but he was fine as it was.
A couple mason jars sat on the counter as he prepared some herbs for chamomile and Valerian teas for an anxiety-prone client. He took down a string of spices form his ceiling when he heard a faint knock on the door. Odd. Werner must have closed it when he left; he usually left the door open when he was free. He threw the herbs over his neck, and upon opening the door he froze.
A calm demeanor immediately stiffened and the demon took a step back, suspicious eyes looking over the angel. This was the courier, wasn't it? Hadn't she been here earlier? He quickly thought about any packages he should have picked up from the office before she could get to them, and turned up blank. Damn. I'm already getting careless. "What." His tone of voice was as inviting as the half-open door.
"Oh! Hello! I think I saw you earlier." Eliza said cheerfully, but then noticed the tone in which he spoke, and his demeanor. Oh...this was one of those demons...the one that thought she was actually a divine angel. Really, other than the power of flight, the only other power she had in common with one of those types of angels was being nice to people, which really wasn't a power. But she did not let that get to her. "Well Mr. Masilatabhrata, I'm here because I have a package for you." She told him with a bright and friendly smile as she got it out and handed it to him. "And I'm sorry if this might be rude of me to say, but I think you might have the wrong idea about me..."
The way Masilalt took the package was very methodical, making sure not to touch her as he took it and looked it over. "Yes, yes, we saw each other. We both see many people in the day, I'm sure." He commented, completely uninterested. Looking back at her, he shook his head. Luckily this wasn't an important package, just some gifts from a friend, but he still didn't like the idea of an angel having access to his mail. Upon her comment, he flashed his fangs in disgust."Explain." He could be very florid in his language, but this wasn't one of those times. The sooner she was gone, the better.
Ugh...this was not the type of customer she liked to deal with. She could understand why he didn't like her if he thought she was divine, but well...she had never met an actual angel but she was pretty sure people could tell the difference between her and a divine angel if they had seen both of them. "I am not divine. I hold no holy power. I am no threat to any demon, my presence isn't one that would counteract with what you would do." She wasn't sure what this guy did, but "your holy presence is messing with my work" was what one demon told her one time, before she could explain that she wasn't that kind of angel. "I even live and work with a demon! I am simply a person with wings. I mean, look at me. Do I look like some sort of divine heavenly spirit?"
Eliza hadn't meant to go off on that tangent, but she got really tired of demons doing this to her...
Masilalt sighed, playing his package on his table. To his surprise, he fund himself laughing at what she said. "Oh, I know you descend not from heaven yourself. But, you are still of their blood. You children of god are inherently holy." He looked mildly offended at the fact that she believed she knew what her presence would do. "I don't think you're understanding my business, angel. You alone won't do shit, but we will definitely mess with my setup." Opposing forces like theirs could throw everything off, and he really didn't want to deal with that. "Am I supposed to be impressed? I've seen angels and demons working together. It makes sense, considering we ultimately fulfill a celestial cycle together. Looks can be deceiving, a messenger of all people should know." Overall, he didn't seem very impressed with the impassioned rant, but the door was now fully open.
"Oh my go-...word..." Eliza mumbled as he continued on about how holy she really ways. She trying to refrain from using the word god in here cause it just seemed weird for her to use the name of the one deity she was trying to distance herself from. "So...what do you do then?" She asked as she looked through the open door, trying to steer away from how her presence would mess up his work. She could see a lot of plants and no electronics, but that could just be a preference.
"I am a watch doctor. Herbal remedies, crystal healing, et cetera et cetera." He leaned against the doorway in a half hearted attempt to block her view. "Your name." It didn't strive well with him to know she knew his name, but he was clueless about her.
Eliza didn't say anything when Masilatabhrata tried to block her view. It had been kind of rude of her to look in like that. "I see, that's interesting." She didn't get too many deliveries for any witch doctor. Maybe they also disliked her "angelic presence". "And my name is Eliza Bridde." She answered him politely, even going so far as to add, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Masilalt shook his head. Honestly, what was she trying to do? Impress him? Whatever it was, he wasn't amused. "Look, I don't think you're understanding the situation here." He stood back up straight, "I do not care if you call yourself holy or not. Hell, I wouldn't care if you accepted Satan himself into your heart. I have my problems with those who call themselves angels, and that includes you." He crossed his arms, something resembling a growl coming from him. The last time he had trusted an angel was over a century ago, and it wasn't going to be a mistake he made a second time. "And I don't understand why you're so adamant on refusing this fact."
"Because you're just assuming all angels are like! I don't like to be lumped into a group like that! You don't even know but because I happen to be an angel, you automatically dislike me!" Eliza took a breath, she was not ready to deal with this...not today. "If you would like any future packages delivered to you if you can not pick them up at the office, I'll be sure to send Ian over with them if that would make you feel more comfortable." She had to be professional about this and she would.
Masilalt gave a dry, humorless laugh at her outburst. "Did you know that's what all demons have to go through? Thanks to the words of God Almighty and the Holy Bible we get to experience this, from so many people, on a daily basis? You can deal with a single demon's prejudice, I'm sure. Without a doubt, you have a strong will." He had lost too much potential business in the past upon revealing he was a demon. It was the main reason why he would fake the appearance of a human for so long in the past. Alps were shape shifters, and it was because of that he was able to make a living off of what he did.
Upon the conversation turning to Ian, the demon's attention peaked. He still held his defensive posture, but seemed to relent just a bit."Ian? ... That's the Incubus, isn't it? ... How the hell did you get him to work for you?" He hadn't met many people in the few months he had been in the town, but there were certainly legends about Ian. And while Masilalt would accept him as a fellow demon, he was told to watch for any missing items.
Eliza had to admit, he had a point. Eliza had dealt with some...enthusiastic worshippers of god before, but demons probably had it worse when it came to them. She had certainly heard some horror stories involving people trying to exorcise demons. But Eliza didn't think on that for too long as Masilatabhrata turned the conversation on to Ian. "Yes, he's an Incubus. And I got him to work for me by asking if he wanted a job. He can make deliveries quickly and didn't have any stable work so he said yes, or I assume that's why he said yes. He's also good and honest worker." She added that last part because of the fact it was well known around town he was a bit of a pickpocket.
There was a moment of silence as Masilalt looked at Eliza, thinking over the simplicity of the situation. Were things really that straightforward now, with no qualms about origin? "...I'll have to meet him. But if you have a demon working for you than yes, that would be preferable." He wouldn't even think to admit it, but maybe she wasn't horrible. Maybe she was plying the poor Incubus for a fool, but he was beginning to believe the winged human had a chance to be decent.
Well, business wise things seemed to be going pretty well now. "Alright then. I can either send him over here some time or you can meet him at the shop. Whatever works for you." Eliza looked at him...at least he didn't have the same look of displeasure on his face as he had at the beginning of the conversation. The displeasure was still there mind you, but at least it wasn't as intense as before. "Well then, if that's all I'll leave you alone than." Eliza told him, getting ready to turn and go.
"If he's off of work you can send him over whenever. This isn't that important and I'm sure he has things to do." Masilalt felt it would be rude to keep the incubus from working, even if it was only 5 minutes. He could have felt the same about the angel, but he didn't mind holding up a person he hated. " Yes, yes, auf wiedersehen." He only half-noticed the foreign greeting, and didn't bother to correct it. German was the first human language that he learned, and even centuries later it still stuck with him.
'Well he has the day off today so if I see him I might ask him to drop by. If not, I'll just ask him to when he has the time." Eliza told and when he said goodbye to her (she assumed it was a farewell. She wasn't familiar with...was it german he just spoke?), she added "And a good day to you too." Before turning around and launching herself into the air, off to give out the rest of the deliveries.
Mulivon looked at Ian as if he spoke the most vulgar slur imaginable. The Insolent Ian suggested that she become indebted to him! Of all the things! Trying desperately to refrain from an outburst she clenched her jaw and balled her hands into fist, but she forced an agitated smile all the same. He was taking her where she requested after all, a minor transgression could be overlooked...
"Though it might be best for you to get a job somewhere around here, as those won't last you in the long term. . . where are you currently staying anyway?"
A job?! Her home?! Did she really look like a newborn fawn?! Mulvion gasped as this verbal abuse continued. Her dignity felt all but destroyed as Ian continued to fire daggers, it was by the goddess mercy that he changed the focus of his conversation to the rather chilling woman. A strangely familiar look but at the same time foreign look helped her put the previous conversation behind her....For the moment.
The woman Ian had called Isis had a most curious dress, while it did look far to constricting it was quite beautiful. The chill was enough to make her have the urge to shake it off, and wonder just why it had came on so suddenly. It was when the flakes began to fall around the woman in greater intensity that she noticed it at all that she thought her something of a divine hag!
But when she showed the strangely colored frozen creams that her mouth would forget that she was mid being stripped of her dignity.
"Hag Isis, what is this you sell? Is it for decoration? It looks like a strange clump of snow! Insolent Ian why did you bring me to a colored snow sales hag? It is nice to see another Hag aside from my mother though. I am Mulivon! Of Morrigan! It is a pleasure to meet another of the wise ones!"
As Mulivon fired off both questions and introductions she looked more intently at the strange wares, Lancelot already producing another gem from the strange infinite void of her headdress.
The cold woman inclined her head to gaze upon the young and barely dressed girl before her. She inspected her with disdain as she found her clothing impractical and chill inducing. Her expression remained frosty, but seemed to only increase in temperature as she found herself unamused by the company she was in. The air around them chilled further as the snow had increased in intensity. At this point, families had left to escape the turbulent weather and children had run off to their schools and institutions for the day.
Green grass had become white with ice and snow, making it look like a winter wonderland. Only colder and more harsh. The Snow Woman was not affected by these temperatures and remained quite stoic.
''I may be a 'hag' by means of intelligence and wisdom, but I am a Yuki Onna, or Snow Woman for foreign tongue. These 'coloured snows' are called ice cream and were created as an edible treat. They are flavoured for taste and chilled to keep cool.'' The Yuki Onna spoke, her voice calm and even, yet piercing and frosty. The younger girl's voice was loud and aggravating, not to mention how she spoke strangely. The woman in the white kimono looked around to find the park deserted safe for a few individuals who enjoyed dancing in the hail. She reeled in her powers, causing the hail to dissipate into light snowflakes once more. The Snow Woman would have to control herself if she wished to continue making a profit. She looked towards the small bird that stood on the girl's shoulder, taking note of the strange looking gem in it's beak.
''Cash only, strange girl.'' The Yuki Onna interjected, not stupid enough to accept an unknown gem as payment. It could be worth less than what a single ice cream cone costs for all she knew.
Bright blue eyes flitted to stare at the strange looking spider morph which stood a few feet away at the edge of the park. They appeared to be looking towards her ice cream kiosk. Perhaps they were going to buy? It would be great if anyone in the area would actually buy ice cream instead of loiter around her. The Snow Woman wasn't a fan of what everybody else called 'small talk' and preferred to avoid it whenever possible. Where she came from, one only spoke for a reason, not to pester others with nonsense. The cold woman hoped that the day would yield enough profit so she could close up and leave area. She preferred her own company rather than be around those who liked to speak of topics like the weather or trivial topics.
The Yuki Onna would never understand why humans and other mythics chose to dawdle on unimportant topics to simply 'be polite'. She would never admit it to anyone, but she honestly wished that there were more of her kind in the city. She longed for one who understood why she was this way; Cold and distant from others. The denizens of the myth town simply thought her to be a cruel and callous woman as they merely did not understand her persona. The snow woman was not any of these things deep down, but that is how she came across. Only those who were raised in her conditions would know her truly.
Perhaps she could make her own clan?
The Snow Woman was brought back to reality as a large minotaur and his children called from behind the younger girl and the incubus. He had demanded that they hurry up with purchasing an iced treat as his children were hungry and wished to savour some of the Snow Woman's delicious sorbet. At this, the woman in the white kimono looked expectantly at the pair who stood before her.
If Ian was phased by the Yuuki Onna's cold words or actions, he didn't show it. He did look a little upset by Mulivon's unprovoked rudeness, but he'd ask her about that at a later poiny in the tour, when they didn't have to deal with an annoyed snow woman and an impatient minotaur. "My apologizes Sir, I'm sorry to keep you waiting and will make my decision forthwith. Isis, I'd like a chocolate ice cream, of you'd please." He made sure to put the money on the stand, so he wouldn't have a repeat of the Cafe. "Sorry, but I have to touch the stand to put the money down, so don't freeze me."
Turning to Mulivon, Ian brow raised and a cheeky grin on his face. "Told you we should've hit up the pawn shop first."
Ian won. The treat would be denied if she did not accept his aid. Time was now of the issue, the beast and his ilk clearly desired the treat. It must be something otherworldly to bring so many to eat it. .....
"Why does no one accept tribute? Is it no longer of value?! Grandmother assured me that these would be more than enough for the entire month!"
She jerked the gem from Lancelot's beak and flung it in irritation. (Someone is going to find a nice sapphire later...) Grasping onto her horns in anger she looked at the shop keep. "Snowy Isis I Mulivon of Morrigan will return with the cash you demand and you will allow me a treat!" She turned and glared at the Minotaur despite the massive size difference. "You would do better to not rush me next time you need cures for your ailments! "
She began to stomp off in a direction that was not there.
