Ever since finding an unexplained envelope, inside of which had an invite to a New Year's party, Zac had made sure to walk past the address on the envelope at least twice a day to get the directions lodged in his head after deciding to go, figuring it was a good chance to wear the outfit he had bought ages ago for when he made it big.
On the invitation, it had explained that it was a masquerade, black and white party. Knowing the purpose of masquerades was to be someone else for a night, he had gone as far as getting his hair cut, figuring it would definitely make him unrecognizable with his mask. Now, standing in front of his mirror, he fits the mask on his face and sets the top hat on his head. "Show time," he says. Turning around, he leaves the bathroom.
---8:45 PM, The Party---
With confident strides, Zac walks up to the front door of the large home, his cape billowing behind him, the crimson fabric on the inside rippling with shadows. The doors open and he steps inside with a grin. Once inside, he spreads his arms, his cape flowing behind him as rose petals fly out from underneath, as if by magic. "Let's all have a good time, tonight," he calls out. Then, his cape wrapping around his shoulders and closing around his body, he takes to wandering around.
The party started at 8pm. Kazuma arrived at 8:15. He didn't like being late, but he felt that it was acceptable to be late to a party when he wasn't going to with anyone. Some people had given him weird looks on the way to the party, since hisoutfit was a little on the strange side. They seemed more like festival clothes rather than formal wear, but this was as formal as he could get. He didn't have a suit nor did he have a proper eyemask that most people wear to these parties.
After showing his ticket to the reception, he walked into the large room. There were quite a few people here already. Normally he'd start to feel a little ill and uncomfortable, but there was enough space for everyone to be a little more spread out, so it was fine for him. He looked around the ball room, looking for Amity. The only person he knew in this city. Alas he couldn't see her anywhere, so he decided to go get a drink from one of the waiters that were walking around with glasses of what he identified to be champagne.. or just alcohol. He took a champagne glass from one of the waiter's trays, thanking them with a slight nod. He awkwardly looked at the bubbly liquid, realizing that he couldn't actually drink it without lifting him mask off. They said he couldn't take the mask off until midnight.
After a brief moment of contemplation, he strode off to a slightly more isolated part of the giant room, lifting his mask off slightly to take a gulp of the champagne. He put his mask back on after finishing the glass in one go, looking back at the crowd. There were one or two people that were wearing similar attire to him.. I guess I'm not the only one then. He thought as he strolled uncomfortably through the crowd. He nodded apologetically to those he had to push past. He needed some fresh air already. He found a large window on the other side of the ball room, which was open. He leaned against the wall next to it, thinking about what he was going to do. He wasn't good with parties and it was a little awkward to try introduce himself to people.
Showing the light of a phone at first sight, isn't the greatest thing to do when greeting people.
Yutaro frowned when he heard about his impromptu drinking buddy's problems. He was mildly curious why he would be stood up right before a party like this, but he didn't press him for details; doing so would be would just be rubbing salt in the wound. Instead, he offered his condolences. "I know the feeling friend. Last year I had a girl I was seeing decide to move out of town on Valentine's Day. She wanted to try the whole long-distance thing, but I had to squash it." The bartender filled his glass with another shot of whiskey. "My name's Yutaro by the way, and yea, I definitely want to get the party started sooner rather than later. He swirled the amber liquid around in his glass before continuing. "This is what I like to call 'home for the holidays.' Let's just say the visit was obligatory and leave it at that." But then a smile crossed his face and he raised his glass. "Whatever Fortune has raised on high, she lifts but to bring low. To better luck in the new year." Then he through back his second shot.
As he felt the sweet bourbon course through his blood, the two of them were approached by woman in an ebony dress (@Verdaux). There was an air of mystery about her that went beyond just the mask. She seemed to suppress her own existence as she walked among the dazzling hall, which somehow made her more alluring. Had it not been for his recent fortune with Ryoki, Yutaro would have wasted no time in laying on the charms, but he had a feeling his drinking buddy could use the stimulation. He gave Kyle a little nudge and made a subtle gesture over in the woman's direction.
"Mind if I make a crowd with the two of you tonight?"
"It would be a pleasure Miss. Why don't you have a seat next to my buddy here and we'll have some fun." He gave the woman a friendly grin and tried to gauge Kyle's reaction. Yutaro didn't know if his lady troubles were permanent or not and would understand if he didn't want to make a move, but at least this way he'd have a dancing partner if he wanted one. Besides, Yutaro had his own raven-haired princess to find.
"Hah! That sounds like my last ex. Just what kind of clone are you, because you're very damn convincing." He laughed, and when the man introduced himself, Kyle followed suit, "Parker. Kyle Parker, and agreed, may our rolls be high and the gods of destiny be ever in our favor." The last bit he added an intentional eloquence to as he took another drink of his wine. Kyle was enjoying the interaction, it reminded him of a time when two male students in his high school sat next to each other purely because they were both wearing 'stripes'. It did make him wonder though, was Yutaro here because of a commonality, or was he here out of pity? ...Such pessimism was never good to think on for long.
He was brought away from his thoughts when his twin nudged him in the side and gestured toward the direction of a woman. Immediately his heart sank, confusion and shock flashing across his features.
'Nori?! No...no, not Nori...' Kyle's heart felt simultaneously relieved and achy, the mystery woman certainly looked like her, her hair dyed and fashioned in such a way to give illusion to the appearance, and her frame was fairly close, but the biggest giveaway was the eyes. They weren't the same golden orbs he first saw in the cafe, this woman's was more of a jade color. No, Kyle couldn't forget those amber pools if he wanted to, even if he drank himself to death; that being said, being blackout drunk was a close second...
He snapped himself out of it when the woman asked to join the two and Yutaro eagerly suggested her sitting place. Kyle threw the man a questioning glance before turning his gaze towards the woman, considering his options and the prospect of what his partner's intentions were. Despite the initial shock of thinking her to be another, she did look quite alluring and its not like he had to make commitments, but what did that entail? A one night stand? The use of a warm body to help forget the cold brokenness he felt inside? The night was young, and there was still quite a bit of rum to drink, only time would tell how many bodies would pile into one bed, or who would walk alone.
Humoring his acquaintance he spoke to the mystery woman, "Absolutely, but in order for the real party to start we still need our fourth. Which makes me wonder where they are my friend." Kyle's gaze had shifted over to Yutaro by this point, he was assuming a lot, sure, but considering that the man suggested the woman sit with him, he either was letting Kyle have her because he wasn't interested or he already had a date; considering the event, majority would most likely rule in his favor. If nothing else, ol' reliable never let him down before when it started rumbling in his gut.
The Mochizukki family collab! Feat me, myself and I!
(Note: This post isn't especially long, just sectioned into pieces to help with the flow of things)
"Are you sure this dress isn't too much...?" Asks a red-faced Mokyu Mochizukki. Her face was practically cherry, as she wriggles in the seat of the limo nervously. "It's just so..."
"Fancy?" Chimes in Kimasu, grinning. Mokyu nods. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that's the point of a wedding dress."
"W-wedding dress?!" She exclaims with eyes wider than saw blades, like a deer in headlights. "W-what?! N-no, I-I'm not getting m-married! I-If I'm to be married, th-then who's my husband?"
Kimasu's grin only widens further. "You've never been very good at taking a joke, have you, sis?" The handsome young man leans back and lets out a laugh. "You're special, Mokyu. You should realise I don't toy like this with other girls! Only you..."
"I-idiot!" She hits him on the arm, quite hard, though since she was so much smaller and thinner, it was a very weak blow for Kimasu. "I just wanna wear my mask and hide...! This is so embarrassing...! Daaaaad~! Can I have my mask? Kimasu's bullying me!"
There's a hearty laugh from the seats ahead, and a window connecting the two halves of the limo winds down, revealing the Mochizukki girl's father. He was a very burly man. Hairy, too. Thankfully Ryoki hadn't inherited that specific trait from her father. She had, however, taken to inheriting the family's crystal blue eyes - a trait that had been passed down from an age before her grandmother. "No masks until we arrive, folks. It's been awhile since we last all got together, especially with Ryoki." The man feigns sadness and heartbreak. "To think, my own daughter, not wanting to visit her poor, sick mother and father... I'm hurt!"
"Oh, suck it up, you drama queen." The previously quiet Ryoki finally speaks up, a smile spread across her face. "It's not my fault! It's just between a new job, lack of sleep, Mokyu being a big scardy cat and very little sleep, I've had my hands full trying to recover. Be thankful we're all here together now, father!"
He lets loose another hearty laugh. "Oh, you don't need to tell me twice, dear. That's what your mother is for! How two women can look so alike astounds even me! Though it's pretty easy to tell you both apart. Wanna know how?"
"Because I've got the scarf always on me?"
The man shakes his head, leaning in and whispering: "Less wrinkles. And less violent." Laughing erupted from the back end of the limo as Ryoki's father was immediately hit, by none other than her mother. "Ow! It was a joke, dear! I swear!"
"A joke that's offensive to Ryoki, no doubt." Ryoki's mother speaks with a cheeky smirk of her own. "Saying she has wrinkles; you're going to lower the poor girl's self-esteem! Do you want that, dear? Our little Ryoki no longer as outgoing as she is?"
"Haha! I'd suppose not!"
Ryoki's jaw drops. "Ma! Why'd you turn it against me?" Now it was her turn to feign sadness, as she wept in a realistic-sounding way into her scarf. "You're so cruel, mother."
Her mother chuckles and winks. "I was only joking, dear. I suppose the conversation has taken a roundabout turn. Who shall be the next to cry?"
"Kimasu, obviously!" Mokyu squeaks with an excited gaze. She stares at her older brother and gives him a smile that makes it look almost like she were laughing in his face. "He'll be devastated if he can't charm a single lady at the ball, which we all know is exactly what's going to happen."
"Hey! Don't you underestimate me now, sister dearest! I'll have you know that, with dancing as my forte, I'm almost guaranteed a lady to dance with tonight, at the very least."
"Your own sister doesn't count, hahaha!" Their father jabs, before winding up the window most of the way. "We're almost there, kids! Just try not to get too wasted tonight, m'kay? That means you, Ryoki!" With that the window winds up completely and the three siblings were left in peace. Ryoki had zoned out mostly, though was dragged back into conversation by Mokyu and Kimasu as they continued on their way to where the ball was held: the Shine City Town House. The remainder of the drive was completed in under ten minutes, and soon the family found themselves at the front gate, having left the limo in the capable hands of their escort.
As soon as they enter, the three siblings immediately lose track of their parents, and soon find themselves standing at the entrance, looking for them. "I knew this would happen..." Ryoki mutters quietly, having wrapped her scarf around her dress' waist and made something of a bow out of it. "They run in there straight away and disappear until the last minute. Then they'll complain they couldn't find us. Such great parental models." She says with a sigh, scanning over the many people already at the ball. How on Earth was she going to find Yutaro here? Then again, they'd already agreed he was more likely to find her, since he'd changed outfits for the evening. Not to mention Ryoki had her signature scarf wrapped around her waist - a dead giveaway.
Kimasu smiles, gently ruffling her hair, though not enough so to dislodge the precious strands, knowing how hard it was to keep hair the way you want it well enough himself. "Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be fine." He pauses for a moment, scanning her face as he pets her. "By the way... you look like you're searching for someone... Could it be? No way! My dearest older sister has someone to dance with on this fine evening?!"
Ryoki smiles at Kimasu's overly emotional outbreak - he always knew how to put her worries at ease, even if he didn't know it himself. "Yes, actually. There's a guy who played strip poker with me. I just wondered if he was here, that's all." She giggles at Mokyu and Kimasu's shock and confusion, telling them the little white lie that it was just poker, in order to put their worries at ease. "He's a nice guy, really - captivating, even. And before you even ask, Kimasu, yes, I'm pretty sure he likes me."
"Sweet mother of...!"
"I wish I could be as outgoing as you are, sis..." Mokyu looks really nervous about the whole ordeal. Well, to any other person she would look and sound completely normal, however the Mochizukki family had long since figured out how to identify how the monotonous 21 year old displayed emotions. Generally, one could tell from the way she spoke and for how long, and how loud, though of course there were other, seemingly inexplicable features that could be used to identify how she was feeling, as well. "You both know I'm not as good at the fancy stuff as you two are..."
Kimasu leans in close to engage with Ryoki in a whispered conversation. "Ah, yes... We forgot to whom should be given baby-sitting duty..."
"What? I thought you were going to do it." Ryoki replies, looking across at Mokyu, who was simply observing the party for now. "Dad even said so."
"I have two sisters. When someone tells me to dance with them, I can't choose both." The handsome young man smiles, causing the raven to sigh as she rubs her temples. "How about we settle this the old fashioned way? Paper-scissors-rock style?"
Ryoki seems to contemplate the idea, then nods in agreement. "Alright, I'm willing to give it a shot. Best of three?" She suggests. When it came to paper-scissors-rock, Ryoki could always be confident in her win to lose ratio, being able to guess what her opponent would use at the last moment in order to win. 'It won't be that bad if I lose, so I should be fine either way!'
... Ryoki later came to regret that thought as she lost, two-three, against Kimasu. Now she was stuck watching over Mokyu to make sure the poor girl didn't become too... overwhelmed with the ball. She was never as good at receiving compliments as Ryoki or Kimasu were, and so whenever a man came up to speak to her, Ryoki was the one doing most of the talking. Again, she didn't mind, but she would've preferred being able to look around without also having to look out for the innocent, young DJ. 'I haven't been getting the best of luck lately, huh?'
"Aww, come on! You're telling me she's single and doesn't have a guy?"
"Yes, because she's not interested. Please, she's only just getting a grip with social situations. You're scaring her." Ryoki sighs as she had to lead yet another guy away from her and her sister, with him saying something or another about 'making her his'. It was somewhat exhausting. "Geez, is it me, or are all the guys here like Kimasu...?"
"Y-yeah, it feels like it." Mokyu let's out a small, nervous laugh, face only changing emotions for a brief second or so. "Thanks again for helping me, and sorry I keep pulling you into these situations." The cuteness factor Ryoki felt towards her sister had suddenly skyrocketed, and she embraced her in a soothing, tender hug to help ease her nerves... and feed her creepy obsession.
"It's not a big deal." Ryoki states with a confident smile, moving away from the hug as she gently pets Mokyu's head. "Besides, it's not like I'm not a target, either. It would've happened to both of us." She grins as she makes a ground-breaking, game-changing spot: tables! "Hey, you wanna go sit down? My legs are already feelin' it - I need to sit down." Mokyu nods in agreement, and the two ladies walk over to a lonely table and take a seat, taking a moment to relax. "Need to keep ready for the dance, after all. You prepared for that?"
Mokyu nods. "I'm... not the best dancer, at least formally, but I've been taking lessons and I'll give it my best shot...!" The answer comforted Ryoki, making her smile contentedly. She looks around at the many people attending the ball. Some looked mighty familiar; she wondered if anyone else would make it to the ball tonight, or if anyone she knew would also be here. There was only one way to find out.
((Beginning pre ball and continuing to catch up.))
Nai x Vern~
After getting back to the apartment, she sighed and flopped on to her bed with a smile. She always loved to meet new clients and talk about their children with them and it was great that she owned a home business. Looking around the apartment, her eyes were drawn to the gallant New Years Eve party invitation that she had. Was I even allowed to go? It seemed pretty public and it would be a good place to meet with some new people and potential clients, though. She got off of her bed and made her way to her closet. Nai’s closet was full of glamorous clothes that she had gotten earlier in her life and she scanned all of the clothes, looking at them with disgust. Almost all of them were presents from others around her that decided that they would taunt her with lies and fake smiles. After a while, she pulled out a beautiful black dress with white laces embroidered onto the sides of it with spectacular detail. Maybe. She threw the dress on her and looked in the mirror, hating what she saw and pulling down her mask. That’s better.
Soon, she she decided to take out her violin and looked out of her balcony, one of her favorite places as of now. People may wonder why she played the violin if they knew how she had gotten into it in the first place. Her mother wanted her to, no, forced her to begin taking lessons every day but she simply smiled when she looked at the piece of art. Taking it in her hands and grabbing the bow from its place holder, placing the violin under her chin and sitting in front of the window, which had a seat placed in front and the sliding door happened to be cracked open, she began to play a song as she stared at the sky. The song (Her theme song) was one of the most beautiful songs that she could play and Nai had mastered it almost to perfection. A sad yet happy song that made tears well up in her eyes as she smiled through the mask and closed her eyes.
It had been a couple days since Vern had met his neighbor for the first time and he had become accustomed to occasionally running into her on the landing that their apartments shared. It was a simple landing, wooden and solid. It wasn't covered so it tended to accumulate ice and grow slick when it rained, not great for three stories of stairs. Still, it wasn't bad. The back of the building also had one window for each apartment that overlooked the alley, just past the end of the landing on each side. Across the alley was an apartment building, part of a complex that housed numerous people. All of those apartments had entrances on the front of the building, away from the shadows of the alley. But, a number of the higher floor apartments had balconies on the alley side that people tended to use for flowers or just getting fresh air. He had considered getting curtains for his windows but hadn't found the right ones yet so that one window was still bare, like the two on the front of his building.
That window had a perk though. It got just a little sun that snuck between the buildings, early in the morning, so that was where he had taken to beginning his day. With the morning sun on his back he practiced first his yoga and then his martial arts, finishing again with yoga. As he lived alone, he wore little when practicing. In fact, he usually just had a pair of black workout shorts on.
And so he was dressed on this morning as he moved through the slow, controlled, flowing poses of his practice. Much of his weight balanced on the toes of one foot while the other extended out in a slow and methodical arc, stretching and exercising the muscles, one group at a time. He always worked up a little sweat once he warmed up. The window was a little smudged and it diffused the light that passed through it, softening everything while dulling all sound from outside.
As Nai plays her violin, she spots something through the window and, squinting her eyes to make a picture out of it. In the end, she had to stand up in able to see that it was a man, shirtless with black shorts on appearing to be doing… Stretches? Or maybe yoga. After realizing that she was gawking at him through the mask, she quickly waved, not that she expected him to be able to see her. Nai got up and put her violin away in the corner, her blue hair hanging down and the black dress flowing by the window as she went over to the other side of her room. After a while, she finally decided that she would just wear the black dress. She went to get a glass of water and took a sip before she placed her mask back over her face and sat back on the chair and gazed at the sky once again. Completely forgetting about the fact that there was a random shirtless guy living across from her.
Vern continued his practice through the final pose. He held his breathing steady and took a minute to slow his heart rate, then he turned toward the window to savor the last few minutes of morning sunshine. It never could stay for long since it had to sneak between the buildings to get there anyway. Just as the glare faded from the glass, he caught sight of something that seemed surreal. He actually stood there for a minute or two, just staring, as he tried to figure out if he was actually seeing something real.
That was when he realized that he was staring into the apartment of a girl across a dingy back alley through two windows. Also, he realized that he was sweaty and only wearing shorts. He actually had little memory of how he got there, but he found himself standing in a closet, well out of sight of the window, with a pile of assorted clothing in his arms. To add a final note to his confusion, he seemed to have forgotten every word that wasn’t four letters long. Most of the ones he could recall started with a “d” or an “f” and were remembered with great frequency and vehemence. It took awhile for his heart to slow down.
By then, he was running late for an interview and hadn’t showered yet. He hurried to shower, called to double-check directions to his interview, and headed out. He couldn’t keep himself from checking the window as he left, but the lady in the window was gone.
--
Two mornings passed by without him catching a glimpse of her. And, in spite of his best efforts to avoid being distracted from his job related efforts, he still found his eyes twitching over to glance at her window every time he was in view. It was actually starting to bother him.
On this particular day, Vern had finished his practice away from that window since it had become a persistent distraction. He had purchased some aluminum furniture and other lightweight items the day before but they had only been delivered to the bottom of the stairs. He wasn’t very happy about having to carry this stuff alone. It ran the risk of him being spotted and identified. Showing off his strength was not something he felt comfortable doing. Still, it was an alley and the furniture was light anyway.
He was dressed in his usual attire. A red, button down shirt with only the top button open, made him look like he was far better off financially than he was while it suited the black slacks and shoes perfectly. It was not the kind of outfit that most men wear when carrying a bed frame and a high stool up from the street to the fourth floor, one in each hand. He didn’t show any sign of distress until he was almost at the landing. That was when the wood, slippery after the morning fog and slow to dry in the alley’s shade, finally managed to get him.
His right foot slipped backwards. His right knee fell to the wood with a thunk. The bed frame that had been in his right hand and over his right shoulder swung out over the alley and, for an instant, he lost his grip on it. But, before it could freefall into someone’s window, his hand snapped out and caught it. So, there he was with a bed frame hanging over the railing from one hand and a stool still held firmly in his other hand. He took a moment to breathe. It was a long way down.
Nai awoke from her bed and yawned, getting out of the bed slowly. She started her normal morning routine and then headed over to her closet to pick out her clothes. Soon, she had chosen to spend the day wearing a long and flowy white skirt along with a light pink and loose shirt that hanged off of her. The shirt bothered her a lot. When did this get so stretched out? Who bought me this in the first place… Is it a new style of showing off your bra? Sighing, she grabbed a white laced tank top to go over her bra. After she had finally put on her clothes, she headed over to the window to breath some fresh air. After a while, she heard a noises from below and looked down, quickly pulling down her mask as strands of her hair fell to the side of her face. “Eh?” Shocked, she stared at him for about 40 seconds. Wh-what? Is he going to carry that alone? As she was staring at him, she felt afraid for him when he nearly hurt himself.
She quickly put on her boots and raced down quickly. When she finally spotted him, she went up to the man and looked at him, wondering where she had seen him before. “Ah, you’re the man from the window! Well, do you mind if I maybe help you out a bit? Two people is better than one when bringing all that furniture in.” Her voice was a bit quieter than usual and she even realized it herself. Business was one thing but socializing with strangers caused her to get a little nervous, not that anyone would be able to tell.
Vern froze suddenly at a voice from just a little above him and to his right, her window. He looked up but missed what she said as she vanished back inside quickly. Still, he saw her. There was that mask, and that hair that shimmered softly in the shadows. Then, just when he was about to haul the bed frame up again and hope to decorum that nothing else would happen to make things more awkward, she came up the stairs behind him and started talking to him. She was offering to help. He appreciated that. But her voice was soft and her energy felt shy and nervous from this close. His pulse quickened a little. Then the rest of what she said hit him. The man from the window. His pulse started racing.
His ears turned red, then his cheeks. She saw him practicing. This mysterious girl had seen him in renamed underwear.
With a sudden motion, Vern lifted the bed frame from dangling into the abyss up to the landing and he took the next step while turning to answer.
“Ah, thank you! Help would be goo…d!” He was blushing outrageously and catching a glimpse of her eyes through the mask did nothing to calm his pulse. Was there nothing about this woman that would not make him act foolish? He couldn’t even talk right! He cleared his throat and tried to calm himself. Remembering to center himself helped. Also, the current outfit was cute and attractive but it wasn’t on the same level as the dress from the first time he saw her.
“Thank you, miss. Help would be good.” He climbed the last steps onto the landing and set down the stool while doing his best not to think about being the man from the window. “Up stairs is one thing but through doors, that’s something else.” He finished with a subtle smile. Damn blush, go away already!
She could tell that he was strong but since Nai had been watching him for a while, she had realized two critical things. He may be sick. She couldn’t help but worry when his face suddenly turned red, causing her eyes to widen a bit. The second thing was, he was very clumsy.
She smiled once he seemed to have calmed down a bit, perhaps he was uncomfortable around strangers. Quickly, she grabbed the other end of the bed frame and lifted it some more. He seemed to be a proper man but maybe not the most stable with this bed frame… Nai had already seen him nearly drop the frame twice and didn’t feel like watching a third time. “No problem. I’ll take this side, might make it easier, no?” She smiled, waiting for him to continue walking.
Vern finally managed to calm his confounded blood pressure and the blush receded to his ears. He should have known better. He never could be dignified and talk while doing anything physical. This time he just smiled and picked up his end, leading the way into his apartment.
It was still empty. The suitcases were put away in the closet but that just made the emptiness of the place that much more felt. It didn’t even smell lived in yet, even with him working out every morning. Then again, it was very clean too.
The kitchen had just enough dishes for the space, but some of them were a little different. He had a few less common ones and more measuring tools than many men would be likely to have. There was one cabinet open. It was full of spices, top to bottom. There was a full shelf of salts ranging from the himalayas and the mediterranean to hawaii and the middle east.
He led the way past the kitchen and through the empty living room until they reached the bedroom. It was not a big one but it doesn’t take a big room to feel spacious when nothing is in it. The addition of the bed frame diminished the room’s apparent size considerably.
During all of this, Vern displayed no clumsiness at all and controlled his end of the bed, and his pulse, with finely tuned dexterity. However, he also said nothing at all, preferring to communicate with subtle gestures. He hoped that he didn’t come off as creepy.
She smiled, setting the bed frame down and going back downstairs to get more of the furniture. Nai was pleased that he seemed to have been more composed now than before. After a while, they finally finished and she sighed, happy that she could help the man out. He didn’t look to be too much older than her so she wondered how old he actually was but quickly discarded the thought. “Well, I’m glad I could help! I think it’s about time for me to depart but I do hope that I was of good use.” With that, she headed towards the door, bowing her head a bit before she began to leave.
Vern smiled faintly. He first raised a hand, then broke his silence. “Thank you. I’m sorry if I was a... ” He paused for a moment before letting out a single hopeless breath. “buffoon.”
While they had been moving the furniture, he had become acquainted with her. To him, people weren’t faces and names. A person was a pattern of movement, energy and sound. In fact, he had completely lost track of the fact that she was still wearing a mask. But, he hadn’t lost his manners.
“My name is Vern. I’m looking to make my fortune here.”
She looked at him, flabbergasted “A buffoon? Haha, of course not.” she chuckled a bit through her mask until she heard him introduce himself. “E-eh? H-had I not introduced myself? S-sorry… My name is Mirai Nai. I just moved into Shine city recently! Ah, since we’re neighbors of some sorts, why don’t we go ahead and exchange emails or cell numbers? I hope we can become great friends.” She had completely lost her sense of self and was replaced with rambling and over-friendliness. Nai had thought about removing the mask for a bit but disregarded this quite quickly. I finally made a friend… Maybe. Why would I mess it up by taking my mask off?
Vern relaxed a little when she laughed. It was a pleasantly hearty sound, healthy and honest. And she was honestly distressed by failing to introduce herself when they first met. “I didn’t introduce myself either. I think we were both distracted by me trying and failing to drop furniture.” He said with a short laugh of his own. It opened his features a bit when he laughed and made them seem more gentle. “That sounds good. I know that I could use a good friend. Here.” He pulled out his simple cell and pulled up his number so she could see. People read faster than they talk anyway. “I don’t have a landline yet so this is it. Heh, I only got a job today. At least it pays well.” It felt like he was babbling but it was more likely that he was just too used to not talking to people, especially girls.
She watches him take out his phone and quickly takes out hers as well, punching in the numbers as a new contact. V e r n, and done! She looks up at him and was glad to have met him. She felt like she needed someone to become friends with. “I had to meet up with a cute man today and after that i got to make a new friend!” She smiles brightly. The cute “man” she was referring to was an adorable 8 year old that she recently began babysitting. Kids loved to be treated as adults and she had gotten in a habit of calling them this way. He was the sweetest kid ever! She was then reminded of an event. “Oh! Are you going to the ball?”
Vern added Mirai Nai to his contacts list and added a note that she was a personal contact. He managed to stay composed when she started talking about the cute man she had met earlier. There was something in how she said it that just didn’t feel like it was an adult. Usually, cute is used for boys, not men… unless it’s a child. Babysitting maybe… given what he could tell about her age from her hands she was probably several years younger than him, still likely to be in her twenties though. Her tone was bright and cheerful, and so was her energy, like a sudden burst of sunshine punching through clouds. It made him wonder if she’d been feeling lonely lately.
He paused a moment before walking over to a closet and opening it to reveal the pieces of an outfit. Between the black silk and the well matched subtlety in the mask and the embroidered silver, the overall look should be elegant, formal, and dashing. Well, if everything worked well. There was one last touch. A small box on the high shelf in the closet that he took down and opened to show it to Nai. It was a white rose, mostly closed, made of shining porcelain. It was also fitted with a discrete pin. This would be either on his collar or his lapel, he hadn’t decided yet.
Ball Outfit Porcelain Collar Pin like this but all white.
And black silk pants, loose and straight with similar decoration to the shirt but on the cuffs and in thin lines down the sides.
“If I can decide between lapel and collar for this, then I’ll go.” He said with a look of subtle frustration. “Any preference?”
Hm? She wondered what he was doing when he walked over to the closet with no warning. Nai watched him pull out a small box and gawked at it as he opened it rather carefully. The beautiful rose made her smile once again, full of pure bliss. Flowers always made her happy, like she could go to another world as she stared at them, admiring their unique beauty that each and every one of them had. “A white rose...purity, innocence, spirituality, and new beginnings” she said in a hushed voice, almost a whisper. Remembering the question she replied right off the bat. “Collar” with a gentle smile, she looked back up at him “it's beautiful.”
Vern watched her carefully, every tiny movement and sound. Her knowledge of the details involved in his choice brought a small smile all the way to his eyes. The subtlety of the chosen blossom and the particular degree to which it was opened might have been missed in her initial viewing but still, she knew the general meanings. That drew happiness up from its sleep, deep inside him. She also knew exactly where she would have it put. Well then.
“I’ll go with this at my collar then. I’m glad you like it.” He said with satisfaction. “Will you be wearing that black dress, then? That is, assuming that you’re going too.”
Nai smiled once, blushing a tiny bit. “You saw me in that dress? I didn’t think you actually saw me. But yes, I think I will be wearing that dress.” Thinking about it for a while, she figured that she might as well invite him if he was going to be there as well. “How about meeting up or going together? Haha, I only know one man that may be there but I would love to go with a friend.” With this, she waited for his response. I think it’s almost time for the ball.
He was happy to hear that he would have the chance to see her in that dress again. Though, he was probably going to trip over his own feet. She was lovely and dressed modestly. Those characteristics were not often found together, at least in his past experience. She was strong and healthy too. The only odd bit was the mask. And, that gave him a slight sinking feeling that she wouldn’t accept anything she heard about her appearance. But, after all, he hadn’t actually seen her face yet so such compliments would necessarily have an element of fiction to them anyway. This mask was the face she allowed him to see, so it would be the face he knew until she desired to change that. And, if such a face was attached to the qualities that he had been able to confirm so far, then it was a beautiful face indeed.
Vern’s left leg swung out and back as he dipped into a theatrical, but perfectly performed, bow. “I am already honored to have been so fortunate as to gain the friendship of so elegant and refined a lady with such well formed taste in fashion while I am still so new to this illustrious city as to lack a pillow.” He paused to take a breath. “But, my honor would swell nigh unto the bursting point should I be granted the great pleasure of being the escort of my newest and dearest friend in the city to this masquerade.” His voice was sincere but laced with happy humor. He was well aware that jumping into such a theatrical mode was silly, but, there was only one person watching and that was the person who saw him at close to his most clumsy ever, though there was the cars and cakes incident. Best not to think about that right now. He extended his right hand, palm up, to ask for hers as he said. “Might this clumsy, and excessively theatrical, oaf have that pleasure?”
She giggles at his response, very entertained by his short act. “Yes. Yes you do.” She replied with a smile, handing him her hand.
--
After she had left his place and went back to her apartment, the clock ticked silently as she counted down the hours until the ball. Of course, that didn’t last long before she heard the doorbell ring and opened it to see a package and no one around. Hm? Did I order anything? Looking at the box, it appeared to be from a cutesy store with a large heart on the top of it as well as the words “Yours truly” . As she opened it, her face turned to fear as she realized what it was and who it was from
The things that were inside of the box were small and sentimental things that her mother used to own. A small teddy bear with a heart in the middle and two of her so called “lucky” pens.
She had been just sitting there for a while until she began to feel like crying. However, she quickly smiled and stood back up on her two feet, putting the stuff back inside of the box and neatly putting it over to the side. Hehe, I guess he decided to start doing this again…
He had already done this when she was younger and had just run away, not knowing where to actually run. He quickly tracked her down and started to send letters and packages to her home but by now it was just something that she deserved. Well, it-it’s not his fault I suppose. Nai knew what he was referring to when he said that there was something that she needed to remember. “You should have died instead.”
She began to hum and opened her closet, revealing the black dress that she had worn before. Looking at it, she couldn’t help but feel a bit disgusted by herself. You are going to wear that? It’s like a beautiful dress on the wrong model. Not everyone can pull off something so beautiful but… I suppose you know that, hehe. You’re abhorred by him. The thought quickly disappeared as she hummed a bit louder and got dressed for the ball and applying some light lipstick.
Her hair was something that she didn’t know what to do with. Brushing her hair lightly, getting rid of all the tangles and putting it up in weird positions to maybe find an acceptable hair style. Nai’s hair was lengthy, passing her butt as well as thick and sleek. Shortly after, she styled her hair properly and added some accessories, placing a masquerade mask over her face, which revealed a bit more of her eyes then she would have liked. She had an entire box brought over from her other home that was full of only masks. I think I’m ready. About ten more minutes I suppose.
.Real version
Vern used what time remained before the ball to eat, make a couple calls, and dress himself. He made sure to eat food that he prepared himself because, quality or not, he could not be sure of the ingredients in ballroom cuisine. The calls had to do with getting an asking price for a store that he had scouted earlier that week and getting a cab ordered to pick the two of them up outside Nai’s building when the time came. The suit fit well and the look came together perfectly, largely because of the full length mirror being present.. But that porcelain rose on his collar made all the difference between being merely dashing and being a dashing gentleman. To that final detail he added a subtle surprise. The essential oil of wild roses, a bit pricey, natural, and wonderfully aromatic. It only took a few drops at the root of the petals and he was able to carry his own human scent along with a rose accent.
The time approached and he made his way quietly out of his apartment, carefully down the stairs, quickly around the building, and calmly up the stairs to the fourth floor. Then came the hard part. He hadn’t asked her which apartment she lived in. At least he knew how many balconies were between hers and the end of the building. So, he walked to the end of the hall and worked his way back until he stood in front of, what should be, the correct door. Then he put his mask on and knocked evenly, suppressing his nervousness. But his mind started running sideways in the quiet of the hall. They were going as friends. It wasn’t a date. Nevermind that he’d never gone to a big party with a friend either. It still wasn’t a big deal. Stay centered and stay a gentleman and everything will be fine. And, above all, keep your muscles under wraps. That means all of them, no matter how insistent.
Nai was sipping a cup of tea when she heard a knocking at the door. Happily, she went over to the door, opening it to reveal her prepossessing beauty without even showing her face. “Hello~ I'm ready to go! I cannot hardly wait to get there!” She curtseyed elegantly with a small giggle. As she pushed her hair out of the way of her mask, she held out her arm for him to link with, “Shall we go?”
With that, Vern simply smiled and took her arm in his and led the way to the cab that was waiting downstairs. It wasn’t a limo but it would do. Her appearance was positively perfect and her hair was splendidly adorned with blossoms that framed her glittering mask and enhanced its glow. But, there was something about the way she felt that made him a touch uneasy. It was actually a little annoying being so sensitive to energy. Sometimes he actually wished that he wasn’t. But, ultimately it came out to a net positive since it helped him realize when things were wrong before other people did. This didn’t feel like something he could help with. It felt like she had an old wound that was aching. Well, that wouldn’t change anything. He would still be her escort and friend tonight. That was what he had offered. That was what he’d deliver.
The ride was short and simple. Little was said but the silence was comfortable. Neither of them had anything to prove to the other at the moment. There is something to say for being able to share silence without being disturbed by quiet company.
When they arrived, Vern got out first and went around to get Nai’s door and give her a hand out. Keeping dresses nice was never easy, just like finding quality men’s clothing that wasn’t in either primary colors or earth tones, only harder. He paid the cab driver in cash without taking change and escorted Nai toward the entrance.
Soon after the car ride, Nai was just about to get out of the car herself when Vern beat her to it. Nai gladly took his hand, staring in awe at the grand building that they had arrived at. As they walked into the ballroom, she saw practically everyone dressed gallantly in black and white, they were all beautiful. She smiled to herself, loving the fact that they all seemed to be enjoying themselves greatly.
Her emotions were mixed, between the package and having fun at the ball, she wasn’t quite sure if she deserved to be escorted by such a nice man as well as the pleasure of being here at all. Soon, her phone began to vibrate, causing her to look over at her bag but ignore it, not wanting to get sidetracked by her phone. However, it wasn’t much of a choice when the vibrating continued multiple times, causing her to put a finger up apologetically, whispering the words “Excuse me.” as she checked her phone.
From: UNKNOWN
•Hey sweets, just checking up on you. How are you doing?
Nai couldn’t finish after the words “checking”, turning down her phone and putting it back into her bag swiftly, turning back to him. This just won’t do… This wasn’t the time! Why does he have to get in contact with me, today of all days? I don’t really want my escort to have to deal with these types of personal problems. Her “daddy issues” wouldn’t be a very good thing to start a night off on. Sighing mentally, she turned back over to him, attempting to clear the air with a bit more enthusiastic energy. “Shall we get some drinks?” She said with a smile. If drinking was the so called cure to most of the world’s problems, let’s drink! However, what would she do about her mask?
The view from the entrance was stunning, and a bit bewildering. Everyone was in black and white, with the occasional accent color thrown in tastefully. Though, some of the people were… not dressed tastefully at all. There were at least two women present who were wearing dresses designed with holes at one hip or the side of the chest. They weren’t modestly cut otherwise either. That was sufficient distraction for Vern to not notice Nai’s phone until she apologized and checked a text.
Vern managed to stop most of his body from reacting to what that text did to Nai’s aura. She… tightened, coiling inward with distress and self-conscious fear. She covered it quickly with cheerfulness but Vern was her escort and now he knew something was wrong. Well, he was escorting her as a friend and he had asked her in an aggrandized, though knightly, fashion. So, how to protect both his new friend and her good time without violating everything he valued. She was inviting him to get drinks. She likely wanted something to help her settle her nerves and let her cover the rest of her disquiet.
But, Vern didn’t drink. Ever. In fact, the more he wanted to, the more vehemently he would avoid or oppose it. So, what to do. Well, first things first. He motioned to one of the staff nearby, indicating subtly that the lady shouldn’t have to carry her purse around at a party. The staff member was quick of mind and responded softly, coming around them to offer a hand to take the lady’s bag to the cloak room. Vern’s role was next.
“I have rather exalted tastes when it comes to crafted beverages. But, shall we venture forth together to see what this gathering has to offer?” He said in high fashion as he began to lead her toward where the beverages were being served.
He hadn’t even lied, well, not literally. He preferred highly valuable teas, medicinal and therapeutic, to anything with alcohol. There was just not enough benefit to drinking booze for the cost to be worth it. Still, he was her escort for the evening. As was his gentlemanly duty, his pleasure was to be hers. The more fun she had then the better his night was. Though, he did wonder how she was going to get around the mask.
His eyes widened for a second, then slid closed long enough for him to silently curse himself. She was flustered. Of course she wasn’t going to have a plan already set up. Maybe a straw? Tacky if plastic but elegant if glass, they might just have one.
Nai looked around the ballroom, a bit lightheaded from all that her father was throwing at her. “Sure.” She replies, following him over to the beverages. They sat down and she ordered a simple cocktail, not wanting anything too strong to make her lose her reigns. Soon, the drink came, placing it in front of her. She stared down the glass, as if she was inspecting it and began to chuckle a bit, pushing the drink to the side. “He won't leave me alone either way… Why do I even bother wearing the mask?” She mutters to no one in particular and more aimed towards herself.
It was funny and quite frankly compelling. The fact that all these years she had to deal with wearing a mask that wasn't the most comfortable accessory to have placed over her face while she sweat and yearned to have fresh air blowing at her face. However, she already knew it was too late. It was too late, wasn't it. He had already obtained complete control over her, without even being there with her physically. She just loved him so much, even if all he felt was total repugnance towards her.
She looked towards the man that had bothered taking her to the event and began to speak. “Ah, my apologies.” She said sympathetically. “Honestly, I am just being a horrible guest, aren't I?” Nai added lightly with a smile. She needed to lighten the mood, fast.
Vern tried to look like he was absorbing the atmosphere, sitting beside her and watching the drink come. Then he watched it sit there. Then he watched it get nudged aside like it had failed to meet the dress code. He caught Nai’s rhetorical question but he did have an answer for it. Still, he waited for a few moments to let her handle whatever memory she was wrestling with.
When she apologized he simply put his left hand on top of her right one. Then he raised a hand casually to a server and had the man bend down to hear a whisper. With a single nod, the man left with long strides that carried him out of the main party area and through the door that led to the kitchens. Vern turned his head so that his eyes could meet those of his friend.
“Masks are pretty on the outside because they’re aimed at the person wearing them instead.” His voice was certain and level. This was a thing that he knew personally. “Everyone wears some kind of mask. But, only those who... can’t dare to take them off can understand what a prison they can be.”
A moment later the server returned with a small object wrapped in fine cloth. He approached Nai and carefully unwrapped a glass straw, delicately bent to allow for unusual costumes to remain unmolested during parties. The items weren’t often asked for but they could come in handy when guests took their costumes too far for practical consideration. After placing the straw in the lady’s drink, the server bowed and returned to his rounds.
“And, no. You’re being an absolutely lovely guest. My friend is doing her best to have a good time. And that is what’s most important to me right now.” This he said with a smile, an honest one.
He knew he had just tipped his hand a little. Perhaps, it tipped too far. He hadn’t intended to give away what he had noticed. He also hadn’t intended to sound philosophical at a ball, or preachy. And, he hadn’t intended to reveal any of his own problems. But, he wasn’t used to talking with a mask on. Before, the mask had always meant silence and concentration. Now he was trying to be a good escort to a friend and the crowd was messing with his head at the same time. There were too many energies all crowded together. His less well known senses were getting disoriented. With his hand on hers he could anchor his awareness in her aura and avoid the anxiety and confusion that used to plague him. Hopefully, he’d adapt to this quickly. Nai had enough to worry her and this was supposed to be fun. He managed to pat her hand lightly and throw a quip her way with a grin that was only slightly forced.
“Now don’t let that poor cocktail get warm. They start tasting… well… less vigorous if you let them slack off for too long.”
He was sweet. He was kind hearted. He was trying his best. However, Nai understood that she couldn’t actually take the mask off when she went out. Not in actuality. Running the risk of being seen by him without her mask on wasn’t a chance worth taking. But, this wasn’t outside and Vern was trying to help her as much as he could. She lifts the mask a bit, slipping the straw under the mask and drinking the cocktail. It tasted devine. She forgot that alcohol, even a simple cocktail was strong for her.
" Mari! Are you ready yet? We're already late. Rodger is probably looking for me!"
Erika, the closest thing that Maribelle could consider a "best friend", screeched from her master bathroom. Maribelle, sighing, stared at herself in her friends full length closet door mirror. She had donned a floor length white dress that revealed her slim shoulders, complete with a black ribbon to accentuate her tiny waist. The dress was simple but beautiful, yet Maribelle felt awkward wearing it. Was she even able to pull it off?
" Mari, did you hear me?"
Her blonde haired, blue eyed friend emerged from the bathroom having finished curling her long locks. She looked as beautiful as ever all dolled up for the masquerade ball - though, that was nothing new. Her icy eyes met Maribelle's, then scanned her attire.
" Oh, you're going with that dress?" She inquired, with a hint of attitude.
" Does it look awful?"
" No, just..." Erika's eyes darted around the room, clearly looking for something. " White is just so... simple. Unexciting, don't you think? Who is going to notice you in that? And what's the point if no one notices you?"
Maribelle hadn't agreed to go to find a lover, as Erika liked to believe even though she had said as much - but rather to get out of the house. She had been spending far too much time on her own, getting lost in more than enough novels. It was time to live her own life instead of imagine herself in another life. That, and the secret suspicion that her ex-husband would be attending the ball. How could he not? He knew so many important people - he was bound to have received an invitation. Perhaps he would be there with her. Why she cared after a year of divorce, she couldn't say. The idea filled her with dread and made her heart race, but curiosity, and maybe a tinge of jealousy, dragged her here anyway.
" Ah-HA!" Erika reached for something on the edge of her dresser, creating the sound of jingle bells instantly. " Here. THIS will grab some attention." Before Maribelle could decline Erika was tying a black ribbon around her wrist that was embellished with two jingle bells. It looked like it could have come from some sort of Christmas decoration, and now jingled with every hand movement Maribelle made.
" I don't really think-"
" Come! We don't have time to change now. Lets go! Don't forget your mask!"
With that, Maribelle was whisked out of her friends house and headed off to the ball as more of a pity date than anything. Erika wanted her to find somebody and felt bad, so she offered her second ticket to Maribelle. Erika's current love interest had ways of getting his own ticket, so Maribelle ended up with the pity ticket.
8:30pm, Arriving to the Ball
Once they handed over their tickets, Erika basically gave her a pat on the back, told her to enjoy herself, and then ran off to find her beloved rich man. With a heavy sigh Maribelle walked into the ball room alone, black heels clicking on the marble floors with every step. In the middle of the dance floor were a few people dancing, one couple who seemed to be enjoying themselves perhaps a bit too much in the eye of the public. Then again it was a masquerade ball for a reason, right?
Inside Maribelle's heart was pounding at the thought of her ex-husband being in the vicinity. Perhaps she would stand right next to him tonight and she wouldn't even be aware. Beneath her rabbit mask she felt a sense of security; if he saw her at least he wouldn't recognize her... probably.
Standing on the sidelines like an awkward wallflower, Maribelle pushed her way through the crowds beginning to gather around the dance floor. She hated crowds, but something in the back of her mind still made her come here. Trying to find an out, Maribelle laid her emerald eyes on a near by window. Luckily for her only one man seemed to be hanging out around it; alone, she noted (@Rekaigan). Holding the edge of her dress up as she walked, Maribelle smiled at him when he noticed her approaching and their eyes met.
" Getting some air?" She asked, leaning up against the edge of the window to look out at the sky. She stared out for a moment, green eyes searching the stars. " They get a great view of the stars up here, don't they?" She turned her attention back to the man, continuing to smile. Was it appropriate to introduce yourself at a masquerade party? It was about anonymity after all, but she wasn't sure.. so instead she remained quiet, awaiting some sort of response.
The night was going extremely well, Suzy couldn’t have been more happier with herself. It hadn’t even been an hour and her collection of pictures was more than enough to please Mr.Jonal. Speaking of whom, had yet to show himself. She was beginning to wonder if he even existed. It was quite odd not to make an appearance at a party you were hosting. Oh well, all you have to worry about is doing your job.Sighing, she continued walking throughout the town hall when a high pitched voice broke her train of thought.
Facing toward the voice, Suzy surprisingly found the elegant girl she had just taken pictures of. A moment of excitment passed over her as she further inspected the girl’s choice of clothing. The sweetheart neckline with sleeves sounded like a rather odd choice but the girl pulled it off beautifully. She looked just like a princess. There was no doubt she was among the highest of classes here. The girl quickly praised Suzy on her own clothes, bringing a smile to her face. It was nice to think that at least one person could appreciate the skill of fashion.
Of course the girl had to go destroy any thoughts of happiness by asking for her photographs. It didn’t matter where Suzy ventured to take pictures of, there was always that one person. She wasn’t sure if other photographs just simply handed over their pictures but that wasn’t the way her job worked.
“Dear, I’m flattered and glad you have an eye for fashion but I don’t think you understand my job at all. I’m not here to be a charity and simply hand out every photograph someone’s in. All the pictures I take will go directly to the host of the party, Mr.Jonal, for that is why I was hired. If you wish to make any claims for the photographs, you’ll have to go directly to him,” Suzy sighed in annoyance. She couldn’t remember how many times she had to give this conversation to people. It was a shame though, she was just beginning to like this girl. She hoped the girl wouldn’t push the subject further for it would only delay her job and ruin the party.
“It was a pleasure making acquaintances with you but I must return to my work,” Suzy gave the girl one last smile before returning to the hunt for the right picture. As she left, Suzy couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. It seemed as she grew older, the more making friends became harder. Having at least one person to spend time in Shine City would have been nice but alas, that was where Suzy fell short. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t hold in speaking the truth. It seemed she lived in a society where showing someone’s reality was frowned upon. @lovely complex
The idol's eyes twitched, her eyes shifting to complete and utter darkness. Her breathing was slow... steady... but heavy. Extremely heavy. She hadn't had this feeling in her for awhile... but then again, she hadn't been interested in anyone in awhile.
"I don't think you understand..." A low mutter crept out of her lips, venomous and full of disdain.
Amity's mind was going in circles as she watched the prissy bitch walk away. She didn't ask for fucking "Charity". Foolish, Arrogant, Pretentious...
Dead.
Money was offered but obviously, a stick was so far up her ass that she needed to be reminded of her place in this teeny, tiny world.
Amity's head tilted, as a frightening chuckle escaped from her tiny body - Kyle knew this laugh oh too well. High pitched, yet still low, her lips slightly ajar, and only madness in her expression.
@Takashi@Verdaux Whatever words were spoken by the two individuals with him were suddenly blocked out by a very familiar and terrifying laugh. Kyle's face visibly paling and his gut clenching hard as he knew what was about to come next.
There was little time to spare
"I need to go," as his eyes frantically searched across the room, his feet already hitting the ground as he quickly walked through the main hall. 'Whereisshewhereisshewhereisshe?!!!?!? His thoughts racing wildly, his eyes scanning each individuals face, until he saw it, the smile. Few things sent chills up his spine, but when Amity was in this state of mind, people got hurt, sometimes even maimed. He quickly pushed his way past the crowds, Amity's tunnel vision keeping her too distracted to notice the American making his way to her.
Denying Amity for a simple request was the WORST thing anyone could do, especially when the person took her kindness for granted.
Oh no. This won't do.
"...You're not going anywhere, Miss Photographer."
Creeping closer to her, Amity put on a nice smile and then tapped on her shoulder...
"Do you know how it feels to have a 50,000-volt shock course through your body?"
And with that, Amity pulled out her taser, given to her by her paranoid manager, and went straight for the woman's back.
Oh look at that.
The yandere preferred sharper means of getting what she needed done, but a taser would do just fine.
It was almost too late when she caught up with her 'target', Kyle's pace having quickened as he saw her ready to jab something into the poor girl. On one side, he pushed the potential victim out of the way, hard enough to at least get her moving, but not really caring whether or not she actually fell to floor, as his other hand instinctively reached out for Amity's wrist, tempered from years of practice when she'd try to stab people with pencils. His hand caught her, forcefully yanking her arm up as his other hand reached for..a fucking taser?! He ripped the stunning device from her hand and glared heavily at her, "Really?! Seriously!" His teeth were gritted in frustration and he broke eye contact with her to quickly scan the room, some of the party goers having turned their eyes towards the two; they needed to leave, now.
Oh, whoopie doo. Kyle, the boy wonder.
Wanting to fight him, but knowing very well his strength was far beyond hers, she stood silent. Her eyes never wavered from the pathetic photographer a ways away.
"You're on my shit list, Miss Photographer. I will find you and you will be on edge until you're mine. Happy New Years~"
"Shut up, you're making it worse!" He yelled. Not really giving her a choice in her next action, Kyle squatted and hoisted the tiny idol atop his shoulder, hustling for the front entrance. Those who saw the taser in his hand instinctively moved out of the way, those who didn't, he gave warning to as he growled and activated the taser, the loud voltage pops frightening them as they scattered away, the men at the front entrance didn't even try to stop him as he jogged out the open doors. "A fucking taser?! Are you even serious right now?"
Their escape was successful the two having made their way through back streets and alleys, Kyle had ripped off his mask and messed up his hair back to his usual style to avoid suspicion. He wasn't sure if anyone had called the police, but he wasn't about to risk going to jail and getting deported by matching an identification. He banged his head against a brick wall and breathed in deep before turning to Amity with a very serious expression, his voice stern, but normal volume.
"What did she even do?"
Breaking out of her yandere state, Amity stood silent as her friend's head went straight to the wall.
Going to her hair, she took her time taking out the hair clips, and then pulled off her brown wig. Her pink hair was under a tight cap. With a sense of relief, she took the cap off and her pink curls bounced out for dare life.
"Does it matter at this point?" She brought her finger to her eyes and took out the dreadful, brown contacts, revealing her ice, cold irises.
"Yea it kind of does when you almost taze someone and threaten to hunt them down."
Ignoring what he had just said, she demanded, "Take off your shirt." His shirt would be big enough for her to do some sort of outfit. If she walked around in this ballgown, that would not be good for them at all...
The idol reached behind her dress and unzipped. The dress dropped to the floor and her lavender undergarments were revealed. Picking up the dress, she sighed, "Goodbye memories." and tossed it into the dumpster.
His back turned from Amity, he tossed the suit jacket, the tie, and the vest into the dumpster, clearly not his first escape with the idol. He then unbuttoned his shirt, pulling that off, with his t-shirt following suite. He extended his arm back, waiting for Amity to retrieve it.
Taking the shirt graciously, she put it on. Like the idol expected, it reached a little passed her knees. Kyle then took off his belt and once again, extended his arm to his friend - not turning his head once toward her exposed body... fighting the urge to peek.
Wrapping the belt around her, Amity had now created a cute outfit with the help of Kyle. A black, male blouse, with a belt wrapped around her stomach, and clear high heels.
Approaching her now shirtless friend, Amie giggled and grabbed his arm, "Lets get ice cream."
Yutaro could only watch with his mouth agape as Kyle took off out of nowhere and darted into the crowd, absconding with a woman who seemed to be about to pick a fight with the photographer. "So much for better luck..." he muttered, and then looked over at the ebony woman who was, no doubt, just as dumbfounded as he was. "Well I'm definitely sorry about that, you can have a seat next to me then." He filled his glass up one last time, this shot probably his last, and then continued to explain. "My buddy there was a bit down on his luck, and I figured he could use a little cheering up, but I guess his lady problems run a little deeper than I realized." He raised his glass. "I'm Yutaro, and bizarre circumstances aside, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Yutaro had planned on hooking up Kyle with a dance partner and then going off to find Ryoki once he was feeling warm and fuzzy from the whiskey, but he felt bad about leaving the ebony woman alone after inviting her to have a seat; not exactly chivalrous. However, it would be equally rude to lead her on, so he decided to make things perfectly clear. "I'll be honest, there's a girl in the crowd I'm trying to find, but we promised each other not to get mad if we saw each other dancing with someone else. It's kinda the whole point of the party after all. After our drinks, if you're looking for a partner, I'm sure I could spare a dance or two." Yutaro gave her a friendly smile. Just because he had his heart set on Ryoki, it didn't mean he wasn't allowed to make friends.
Sabine had half the mind to lead Kyle on again since the first party, but could only really follow Yutaro's dumbfounded expression as she watched the American man-handle a tazer-wielding girl in a matter of seconds.
She was confident it (the girl in question) wasn't Nori, since the girl had brown irises in her eyes. They had the intention of coming off as deep but...well, not deep amber like the blonde goddess had. That, and there were no tattoos on her face. And yet...well, she might've seen that face not a week ago. Button nose, jawline...
Perhaps it was just a figment of her imagination.
To be honest, it was...pretty hot. If she had let her mind trail on in the same train of thought, she would've ran a couple of power-play scenarios with two partners wanting to dominate the other in the seclusion of a dark room. Scratching, bruising, hickeys...maybe even a little bit of forced fella-
"So much for better luck."
"...you don't say?" was all she could say as she swirled the last drop of her wine in her glass.
Right...Lady Killer #2...
"I'm Yutaro, and bizarre circumstances aside, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"I'm Sabine. And...likewise, Yutaro-san. So you weren't planning on this either, huh..."
He's probably taken, wasn't he? Wouldn't be so forthcoming already if he wasn't, especially on a night like this...
"I'll be honest, there's a girl in the crowd I'm trying to find, but we promised each other not to get mad if we saw each other dancing with someone else. It's kinda the whole point of the party after all. After our drinks, if you're looking for a partner, I'm sure I could spare a dance or two."
...
For Sabine, there were two ways two ways to approach the news.
#1 : Her luck was the worst of any in this supposed city of lovers, but she had the intuition for relationships, at least.
#2 : Her luck was the best of any in this supposed city of lovers, because she just caught a bombshell guy that hadn't a clue about how women worked.
Either way, she was going to pay dearly. Polyamorous relationships seemed to be all the rage these days, and girls weren't usually keen on sharing. Yutaro's partner would have to make herself known somehow, but in the meantime...
"I wouldn't imagine a better way to knock the rust off of these toes. Ever waltzed before?"
Before he could answer, Sabine was already off of her seat, leaving only the soft warmth in his hand as a bait while she waited on the steps down to the floor. She twirled around before catching herself on the railing, her breath a little faster from her building excitement.
She felt like a kid again. Before the drugs, before the rave lights...waltzes. Waltzes were the old favorites, the glamor and glitz on the tune of a steady pulse. To be held in a prince's arms once again, even if only for a brief moment...
Hell, she was fantasizing before they had even begun to dance. Hopefully, Yutaro would be straightforward enough to cradle her back into reality, however cruel. That would get her in head-over-heels for an honest, deliberate man.
"But of course." the smitten professor replied to his former dance partner, giving her a giddy grin and even sneaking a gentle parting kiss on her tiny forehead. His eyes remained lingering on her soft brown ones, before he bowed his head, "Anything for you, milady."
He hovered a second longer before turning around and away from her, making his way to the bar. "Um, hello..." he bashfully said to the bartender, giving him a knowing look and a sly smirk. Perhaps all the staff were as diligent as to remember each patron by not their face, but their mask end attire, because Shou had a feeling this man was asking him with his eyes behind the crisp black mask, "So? Did you get her?"
Bartenders got to watch all the sappy love stories before their eyes, anyhow. And some not so sappy ones, too.
"I'll have another Pinot Noir, thank you. And...um." the professor found himself faltering. His next question probably made him sound like a rookie. "Whatever the young lady from earlier was having.
"So, a Pinot Grigio?"
Was that what it was? The professor hadn't even noticed the drink, too busy admiring the drinker herself. "Ah, yes." he repeated, more to himself than the bartender.
Wines in hand, the professor scanned the tables for a place to sit. He found an ideal table, not far from the buffet or the dancefloor, and made a beeline right for it.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, there was another face; err, mask, at the table, and another one, as well! A woman in a brilliant black gown with an elegant black mask sat down at the table, and with her, a young blonde who appeared to be...in a bridal gown?
Shou was definitely no-one to judge, especially after...
"Hello, ladies." he purred coolly to the two women, setting the wines down by an empty spot. "You don't mind if I and a friend take a seat here, do you?"
He was smiling in his usual, friendly but ever so slightly smug manner, before on closer inspection noticing a very familiar colour... A very familiar scarf, even.
"Miss...Mochizukki?" he began, tone glowingly more elated. You could tell he was still a little jumpy from the drinks, but he had no intention to stop just yet. "Hello! I...Ryoki, it's very nice to see you here!"
He paused, "Ah, forgive me. It...it's a little odd to be talking to a mask. I hope a busy lady like you hasn't forgotten a face like mine. ...or hair. It's Shou. Shou Matsuoka."
"Excuse me, my good sir, but I do believe you are sorely mistaken. I am just an ordinary young lady - this is not the Mochizukki you are looking for." Despite her impressive difference in accent, making her sound almost like another person entirely, this was quite clearly Ryoki. "Don't worry! I'm just joking! How could I forgot my prince charming who came to my rescue on that rainy day; the man whose lap I find so comfortable to sit." The raven-haired girl giggles. If there was any doubt of whom it might've been behind that mask a moment ago, it was likely crushed through her signature, straightforward flirtatious nature.
Yep, definitely Ryoki.
The eldest Mochizukki crosses one leg over the other - an action barely visible with the dress and the table obscuring the view. Her face seems to soften, and he might just sense that she was a lot more relaxed than their previous encounters, as was made most apparent from her crystal blue eyes maintaining a solid gaze, actually managing to keep eye contact for once. "It's good to see you, Shou. It's been awhile since we last spoke." Yes, ever since she broke down in the park... Ugh, that was a memory Ryoki did not want to relive. She hated how towards the end of every year, Ryoki would begin acting like... that. Though then again, one couldn't blame her after suffering so much loss. It was enough to drive some men numb, and yet Ryoki still clung to losses as though it were the very first time...
'No, no need to think like that, Ryoki...' She thought to herself, showcasing a light and cheery smile when-
"Onee-chan? Is this the boyfriend Kimasu said you were... trying to find...?"
If Ryoki had a drink in her mouth, it would've been spat all over the table by now. Thankfully, that wasn't the case, and Ryoki was spared from making a mess of herself. "N-no! No! Haha! I wish!" There was some level of surprise in her tone, having been startled and taken completely off-guard by Mokyu's question. She was such an innocent girl, though, even if she could be somewhat... worrying. "No, Mokyu, this is a friend of mine, Shou Matsuoka. We met only a short while ago, however he's a nice guy." She couldn't help but smile to herself as she saw her sister's tensions starting to ease. Yes, someone Ryoki knew was someone Mokyu could talk to. After all, she knew just how polite and nice Shou really was. Then again, most men were polite to her. The real test was Mokyu.
"Hi there." The young woman who had been identified as 'Mokyu', the presumed little sister of Ryoki, bows slightly towards Shou. "My name is Mokyu Mochizukki. It's nice to meet you..." With sisters as polar opposite as these two in terms of looks and personality, it was hard to imagine how the two were related. Though of course, it certainly wasn't impossible. Our crystal-eyed mistress was curious, and decides to feed that curiosity through a question:
"So, what brought you here tonight, Mister Matsuoka? Don't tell me you came simply for the sake of seeing me? Hehehe!"
@Verdaux It seemed Sabine was eager to hit the dance floor, as she lifted herself from her seat and twirled about without even waiting for him. The playful and childlike aura of her countenance was undeniably cute, and Yutaro found himself smiling. Fortunately, he retained just enough sobriety to keep himself from being whisked away by her charms. This was just a friendly dance, nothing more. Ryoki was out there waiting for him, and he wasn't going to screw up whatever they had going just because this stranger had a pretty smile... and a sexy body. Yutaro looked at his last shot of whiskey, swirling the amber liquid around in his glass. Yea, I'd better not, or I'll end up in serious trouble tonight. He set the glass down and headed over to join Sabine.
"Hmm, it's been a while since I've done a waltz, but I'm sure I can manage." Sabine was clearly ready to start, and it would be an insult to his integrity as a gentleman to keep her waiting. He took her right hand with his left, put his right hand on her shoulder blade, and took off in a smooth elegant rhythm. There was an air of relaxation about him as he danced; while his movements were not as precise as a professional's they were smooth and clean, as if he executed them without exertion. He swayed as they moved their feet to the rhythm, giving Sabine the occasional twirl, always looking her in her occluded eyes.
"You're an excellent dancer," he said as they moved in a one-two-three pattern. "I'm almost embarrassed. My steps are nowhere near as clean as yours. Where did you learn?" He struck up this idle conversation to keep his thoughts chaste as he set his hands on this beautiful woman. He actually felt bad that he would have to let this one go after their dance, but it was more so the fact that such a fine woman would go unclaimed and unaccompanied. He hoped that she would find some other bachelor to sweep her off of her feet.
"Why the bloody 'ell did yo' agree to do this you daft bastard?" The living mountain that was having such a horrid time was no other than Arty and he was currently towering by the front entrance to the masquerade ball. Normally Arty wouldn't have a problem with standing by a door as a flood people passed him, as a bouncer that was what he did for a living after all, but what he did have a problem with was the fact that he was now in a suit. To be fair it was a rather simple one at that, nothing more than a black dress jacket and trousers along with a white button up shirt and tie, but Arty wasn't happy with it none the less. "Curse the sod who made these damned things." He thought with a groan as he shifted his large frame, he was not enjoying all the restriction that this formalwear offered. The Irish man couldn't help but think with a grimace all this discomfort was because his boss, brick for brains Bickford Beauregard, was able to talk some party planer into giving him some extra money in exchange for providing security, ergo Art, for his party. "I sear one of these days Bick..." Arty grumbled under his breath and refocused on his job of looking out for trouble.
Despite his less than pleasant demeanor at the moment Arty couldn't help but appreciate where he was and what was going on. Compared with wrangling the drunkards as LUSH standing guard at a masquerade ball was a breath of fresh air. The music was lively just like the people, the presence of actual dancing in lieu of grinding was also a nice change of pace, and the bar... ooooh Arty was definitely going to have to sneak off and give that a try eventually. Hell he even liked the mask he was given to wear, it resembled a lion, even though it made it a bit harder for him to see the whole crowd. And with these thoughts Arty was able to convince himself that he would be able to make it through the rest of this evening as well as fight his urge to rip off his clothes, well at least until he got home.
Alban was a bit surprised when he saw Shizuka enter the car with a modest kimono coupled with a replica of the cybernetic ninja's helmet from the critically acclaimed Iron Gear franchise. It was tacky, to be sure, but he couldn't help admire her courage for trying something so unique. "I love it! Silver Fox is my favorite character from Iron Gear actually. I've always wondered she looked like outside of her suit... Guess I know now!" he told her with a chuckle, silently wondering if that last sentence sounded vulgar or not. Before he forgot, he reached into the backseat and grabbed the tickets from the bag his mother had given him. Alban slipped them into his pocket without really looking at them and hit the gas pedal.
8:30 PM
The duo managed to make it to the party, albeit slightly late. Finding a parking spot was rather difficult, which forced them to make a short hike to the front door. Alban didn't mind it though, it was kind of nice just walking with Shizuka and chatting about their holiday experiences. Neither really appeared to be going to a formal masquerade, but they were in this together, even if it looked like they were making a guest appearance at an anime convention.
At the front door, they were asked to present their tickets. Obliging, the Frenchman pulled them out, although, much to his embarrassment, four condoms fell out from his pants' pocket and spilled onto the ground. The door greeter tilted their head at him, definitely judging him. Al's face went red with embarrassment as he quickly bent over and threw them into his pocket. Shizuka probably thought he was a creep now. "I... give these away at parties, so people practice safe... well, you know." he lied, trying to save his hide. He didn't mean to lie, it just slipped out.
Somehow, Alban managed to keep his cool until they were inside, trudging through the crowd. First things were first: the bar. He lead the way over to the busy area, flagging down the bartender. "Can I get some drinks over here?" he asked, trying to decide what he wanted. Before Al could ask for something in particular, his eyes caught the sight of a scuffle on the dance floor. A young man with glasses had just pushed a very familiar looking woman out of reach from a brunette woman, who was obviously irate for one reason or another. Alban wasn't concerned with whatever drama was happening there. Instead, he focused on the young woman that had been pushed away, the lady that he presumed was Lucille's mother. A sudden flurry of anger flushed through him. What the hell was she doing here?
"Uh, sir? What can I get you?" the bartender asked him, dragging Al back to reality. Without reading anything, he randomly chose what seemed to be a bottle of some light blue substance, assuming it was juice. "I'll take a tall glass of that, and whatever she's having." Al told the man, his eyes going back to leering at the Korean woman from far away. The bartender glared at the Frenchman like he was crazy before doing as he was asked. Al had planned on taking Shizuka onto the dance floor, but with that bitch out there, there was no way that was happening. Huffing, he finally detached his leer and gazed around the rest of the room. Another familiar figure stuck out in the corner, near a window. Though she wore a bunny mask, he could recognize her figure and hair anywhere. She was conversing with a dark haired man, trying to make the best of her experience. "Hey, it's Lucille's violin instructor!" he ecstatically told Shizuka before downing his entire glass of "juice." Again, the bartender looked like he was watching an insane man.
With that, he grabbed Shizuka's hand and led her through the chaos. "Her name is Maribelle. She's one of the orchestra professors at the academy, and she's an absolute sweetheart. You'll love her, I promise." Alban reassured Shizuka, trying to get over the fact Lucille's mother was in the building. Waving over to the brunette woman, they closed in. As they got closer, a sudden feeling of euphoria hit him, as if he'd had 5 shots at once. "Hey, Mari! It's so great to see you. You look great. And hello to you too!" Al greeted Mari and the other man, an increasing amount of joy in his voice. Whatever he had drank, it was making him smile exceptionally goofy now. Without letting them respond, he reached into his pocket and gave Mari a condom, giving her a wink and nudging Kazu. "Practice safe sex, you sly succubus, you!"
The drink he had was hitting him hard now, and Alban subconsciously knew it. He hadn't expected that drink to be this strong... Silently, he prayed Shizuka wouldn't be too appalled by the drunk side of him.
An ominous and sinister voice caused Suzy to abruptly turn around. The once preppy and bubbly girl had transformed into a horrid thing. Suzy had no words to describe what she was facing. What was worst of all were the girl’s eyes. Something about them was off yet Suzy didn’t know what. They stayed the same chestnut color but seemed to grow darker as if a barrier were hiding her true eyes. Perhaps contacts? Suzy didn’t have much time to wonder for threats and cackling filled the air as the girl pulled out a… a taser?
Suzy gasped in complete shock. There was nowhere to go and her feet planted into the ground as the wicked creature came closer. For the first time in Suzy’s life, she had no idea what to do.
And that was the scariest part.
Suddenly, a hard force pushed her down to the ground and out of the menacing creature’s way. She watched as an American boy dragged the thing away from her, leaving Suzy alone and absolutely terrified.
What.the.hell.
Suzy returned to her native language and violently cursed. She was a distinguished photographer from one of the most popular magazines in all of Korea. She had not worked her ass off to deal with such an ominous and disgusting freak. How dare this mysterious host even allow such guests to attend? Whoever this ‘Mr.Jonai’ was would have some serious explaining to do. It was beyond embarrassing to be tackled to the ground by an American and almost killed by some wacky lunatic. Suzy didn’t even know why she wasn’t calling the police right now.
Pulling herself up from the ground, she looked to find everyone returning to their silly dances and forgetting the event that just took place completely. The beautiful decorations had suddenly became dull, boring and the guests attire was simply colorless shades of emptiness. Coming to Shine City had been the biggest mistake of her life. She looked down at her camera and zoomed in on the picture with the creature.
She’d been added to some shit list? Well, it wouldn’t be the first time she’d made an enemy. People naturally disliked her, no one had even dared try to tase her though. Whoever this girl was, it wouldn’t be long before Suzy found out. Her hands itched to type both a very furious email to the host and a post to her blog where it wouldn’t be long before the girl’s name came into her possession.
Suzy glanced over at the bar area. She’d never been a fan of alcohol. The idea of becoming drunk was even more scary than being tased. She could however, use a nice glass of water. Part of her wanted to storm out of this horrid town hall and cry within her safe apartment but that would mean losing control. Order was everything to her, and if she lost it, there wouldn't be anything left. Suzy took a deep breath and held her chin up, elegantly walking toward the bartender and asked for water. He raised his eyebrow at her request but Suzy’s harsh stare was enough to keep him silent. Once he handed her a glass, she randomly chose somewhere to sit. Suzy focused on her breathing and tuned the entire ball out, letting herself calm down. She would not lose control.
“Is that not a good thing?” she asks, turning back to see the water was starting to roll over the top of the pot. “I thought the box said it was supposed to boil?”
He seems to be panicking over this so Nori quickly goes over to the stove top and cranks the heat down, picking up the pot and moving in another burner. The blonde digs through one of the drawers beside the stove until she finds a towel and swiftly slides it over the surface, quick enough so it won't burn her but still collecting the spilled water.
“I get it now, that was too much,” Nori replies bashfully, moving the pot of water back onto the appropriate burner. “I’m sorry Oliver, I’m pretty shit at cooking.” The water is now at a pretty good boil but it doesn't seem like it is going to repeat it’s earlier display of coming over the top, so the DJ adds the noodles and sets the timer to the time indicated on the box before moving on to stir the sauce.
“Eh, don’t worry about it. A little shitty cooking won’t be the downfall of me.” He waved his hand dismissively, flexing his arm as he tests out his stitch work. He wasn’t bleeding anymore, so mission accomplished, he guessed.
“Actually smells kinda good.” Holland raised his head as he caught a whiff of the dish, “Plates are in the cupboard above the sink.”
He pauses bandaging his arms for a moment as he continues, “Are you sure you want to stay here? Really, you don’t have to if there are better places you could be right now.”
Nori pulls down the plates and sets them next to the stove, pausing to mull over the last part of his comment. “There is a masquerade ball tonight,” she divulges, starting to pull down two glasses as well.
“But I decided not go. Someone asked me to be their date, but I bailed at the last minute. His best friend didn't like me very much and…,” the blonde trails off, casting her gaze over to where the detective is surveying his handiwork.
“I sort of thought you were dead,” Nori admits, before continuing, “Back when we first met at the shop, you said the weatherman might go after anyone who knew me. I didn't want to be responsible for killing him too. Minimize the damage, you understand,” she tells him, her voice going quiet at the end.
She starts to think about the other American man that she knew and how he had looked so destroyed in the driveway earlier that afternoon, but she squashes it out before she can dwell on it for long.
The timer beeps so Nori goes to drain the noodles and doesn’t make a complete idiot of herself, which is a plus. “I’ll be a pro at this in no time,” she jokes, piling the spaghetti onto the plates before she goes to ladle out the sauce.
“That is quite unfortunate.” Oliver comments, knowing all too well the feel of rejection. “Of course, I wouldn’t do it at the last minute, but I understand your reasoning.” He gave his arm an experimental stretch, letting out a sigh he didn’t realize he had been holding in. “Thank Christ, I half expected something to rip.”
He grabbed a plate that had been prepared, jabbing a fork into the noodles and twirling. Undoing the bandage around his lips, he blew on it, and, saying a silent prayer, took a bite.
“...”
He was speechless. He cut off a piece of noodle dripping with sauce. He tried to make his face right. He tried to smile and didn’t grimace, tried to close his eyes in delight , not panic; tried to swallow, not gag. She watched him like a hawk. “'Delicious,'” He said, still chewing. This spaghetti tasted like salt and shit and gristle.
He got through two plates. He drank a lot of water. He broke them down into fractions of themselves, sixteen noodles more to go, fourteen more, eight, one. In his head he said sorry to Nori, and to the dog or abysmal mixture of creatures he was eating. He put his knife and fork together with four of them still swimming on his plate.
Nori doesn’t start on the spaghetti yet, instead turning her attention to the dirty dishes that had started to accumulate in the kitchen. When she’s finished with them she moves on to sterilizing the needle and tweezers Oliver had used to patch himself up and then packs them away neatly in the med kit.
The blonde grabs her plate and carts it over to the table, plopping down in the chair opposite of the detective. The DJ shovels a mouthful of noodles into her mouth and her delicate features immediately morph into a horrified expression.
“This tastes like garbage and dirty socks!” Nori wails around the noodles in her mouth, pushing back her chair and sprinting over to the trash can to spit it out. “Why the hell did you eat that? You’ve survived too much to let yourself be killed by a plate of spaghetti.”
“I think I should probably stick to making sandwiches and ordering Chinese food, at least until you recover more. I imagine food poisoning on top of third degree burns wouldn’t be a pleasant experience.”
Oliver could only stare at his plate, lost in his own train of thought.
How do you fuck up spaghetti?
He looked up, a single tear falling down his cheek.
“I’m upsetti over this spaghetti.” He murmured to himself, reaching for the phone that he placed next to him on the table. “I know a nice take out place that makes practically everything.” He said as he dialed the number, lifting the phone to his ear as it rang.
“I’m just gonna order an extra large pepperoni or something.” He informed her, his stomach growling. You really start to feel not eating for a couple of days the moment you taste food. Perhaps he could show this Nori girl a nice restaurant, or at least a decent cooking channel.
“You want anything in particular?”
“Pepperoni is good, it's my favorite,” she tells him, binning the plates of questionable spaghetti and finishing washing away the evidence of her failure in the culinary arts.
“My mom always jokes that I’ll have to rely on my other assets if I ever want to find a husband,” she jokes, coming back to sit across from him again. “Sorry I wasted your food, Detective Holland.”
“Ah, don’t worry about it. That sauce expired last year anyway.” He chuckled, crossing his legs and leaning back, sending his order to the pizza place via app.
“So,” He began, attempting to make small talk, “What do you look for in a man, anyway? What’s the girl of today want?”
“Why were we eating it if it was expired? No wonder it tasted awful,” Nori asks, feeling a little better that her poor cooking skills hadn’t been the complete reason for that disaster.
He asks her what her type is when it comes to men and Nori chews at the inside of her cheek for a moment, mulling over the question before she says anything. “I don’t know that I can speak for all the girls my age, but one of the things I like best is when they can make me laugh,” the DJ tells him, hopping up onto the countertop.
“And that they’re honest with me, I guess. I hate it when a guy isn’t upfront about something, it makes me feel used,” she admits, scrunching up her nose at the thought of it. “Looks aren’t as important...I do sort of have a thing for blue eyes though, now that I think about it,” Nori realizes, thinking back on her more recent dating prospects. Nick and Kyle both had lovely, expressive sapphire eyes.
“And not clingy,” she finishes, shooting him a glance and tilting her head a bit as she regarded him. “And what about you? Is there a Mrs. Holland out there somewhere?”
“Ha!” Oliver cried out, slapping his chin as he let loose a mighty chortle. “As if. I don’t have time for all that lovey dovey shit in my line of work.” He wipes away a tear, calming down as he leaned forward on his chair, his hands in his lap. “Girls haven’t changed a bit. Everyone loves an honest heart. Sincerity is the sweetest thing known to man.”
So she likes blue eyes, eh? Not bad. He had them himself, but wished they’d been a lightish brown instead. He hated to stand out. It was incredibly bad to stand out if you were a detective.
“Blue eyes are fine, I suppose.” He acknowledged, rubbing his eyes to make a point. “But it’s really shocking to know that looks aren’t everything for you. That’s actually quite nice for a girl your age.”
She was opening up to him. Good. The more he knew about her the better. If what she had said was true, then he’d already failed to protect her once. He supposed allowing her to stay with him was acceptable in the long run.
Shit, he was doing it for free too. Maybe he should’ve been a bodyguard.
Detective Holland rubs at his eyes and Nori notices that they too are a brilliant shade of azure. They stand out starkly against his now clean face wrappings. She huffs a little at his last remark, quirking a brow at him. “It’s not like I’m a teenager or anything, I’m twenty two,” the blonde replies, lips turning up into a crooked grin. “That’s plenty of time to learn pretty faces aren’t what’s most important.”
Nori stops here, her words making her think about his face and how it was scalded because of her. “So, do you remember what happen at all, back at my apartment? Did you get a chance to see him?”
“I saw him walking away from my flaming corpse.” Oliver muttered, his mood all of sudden changing with the topic. “He watched as the rain put out the fire. He could have killed me then there.”
His fists clench as he shakes his head angrily. “The bastard wanted me to live. Not for any ideal such as mercy or being a male.” He turned his head and glared at her.
“Stay the fuck away from that madman.”
“It’s not like I’m going out looking for him,” The blonde replies, her eyes shying away from his as they go cold.
“I didn’t put an advertisement in the Shine Chronicle for a ‘Serial Killers Wanted’ ad, he picked my apartment.” Nori scratches at her nose and studies her shoes, swinging her feet listlessly as she waits for the tense moment to pass.
“Do you remember what he looks like at all?” She presses on after a moment, her voice soft as she looks back up at him. “Is he as tall as the bogeyman stories say he is?”
“He’s a mountain of a man draped in a green trench coat. Nothin’ much else to say, other than the late night criminal shows actually portray him correctly.” He leans forward, resting an arm on one of his knees, his gaze shifting upward. “I’m starting to wonder if he’s even human. Think about it; for over five years this guy has been at large.”
A sigh.
“I’ve always gone through all my casework as confidently and cautiously as I possibly could. But...I was just not expecting that last case to go down the way it did. Fuck, I’m starting to count my lucky stars every single night.”
He extends a finger, pointing at her. “What about you? Anything life changing outside of a serial killer after you?”
“Life changing?” Nori parrots, trying to think back on anything she had done differently in the past few months. “Well, I met Kyle, the guy I was telling you about earlier. But like I said, I like him enough that I didn't want him to die, so that's not happening right now.”
Again, she tried not to dwell on Kyle too much, she would never forgive herself if she did, but Nori still felt the sting before she could press on.
“Then the apartment got set on fire, but you know that, you were there,” Nori muses aloud, pursing her lips together. “Then I went back home to see my folks. They gave me enough money to rent a small place on the edge of town.” Small was a kind word for it, her bedsit was minuscule. “But that's fine, not like I have a lot of stuff anymore, right?”
Oliver couldn’t help but fall silent, glancing away as he rubbed the back of his head. “I’m uh, really sorry about your apartment. I wish I could have done more.” He felt tentative, to say the least. After all, the girl was a reminder of a mistake he had made in the past, adding to the long list of failures he had in his life.
“Listen,” He began. “You don’t have to go back to that place if you don’t want too.” He advised. “You could, uh, move in here with me if you like. No rent of course, seeing as I’m still agreeing to protect you.”
Nori blinks at him, trying to figure out if he’s serious or not. “Where would I sleep?” She asks, tilting her head to the side curiously. “You don’t have to do that just because you feel bad for me, you weren’t the one that set my apartment on fire.”
“But I was the one that could’ve prevented it, Miss Haywood.” Oliver murmured, burying his face in his hands. “I have a guest room, you know.”
“If I say yes, will you let me help you with your work?”
“Heh, you make it sound as if you're sacrificing something by living with me.” Oliver chuckled. “But I’m open to the possibility. What can you bring to the table?”
“I’ll just be a fresh pair of eyes. And I can fetch whatever supplies you need. I won’t cook for you again though, now that I know you’ll eat whatever I put in front of you despite the very real danger of food poisoning.” She stops here to flash him a cheeky grin.
“I make alright coffee though. And I can help watch the entrances on your next grand plan, so no one lights you on fire again.”
Oliver leans back in his seat, placing a hand under his chin as a whimsical look appeared beneath his bandages. “Well, I reckon that does sound pretty handy. But are you sure about this? You could get seriously hurt. Hell, just look at me.”
He adjusts himself.
“That, and your loved ones might also be in danger. What about your parents? What would they say about their daughter fighting crime and chasing serial killers?”
“I don't think I’d tell my mom and dad,” she admits, sliding off the countertop and coming over to the table so she can sit across from him again.
“...And I know it will be dangerous. But I can't handle the thought of him hurting the people I care about. I can't even have a boyfriend because I’m worried they’re going to get killed just for hanging around me. He has to be caught or I’m never going to be able to have a normal life again.”
“Alright, Miss Haywood.” Oliver finally relented, extending his hand. “You’ve convinced me.”
His brows furrowed together.
“But I hope you know that if it comes down to it, you will have to be willing to take another human life. It ain’t easy, I know, but sometimes it has to be done. After all, I’d say you’d enjoy putting a couple of slugs into this bastard.”
’Could I kill someone?’ she muses and the question makes her hesitate. Nori had always been really squeamish about seeing other people getting hurt physically in any way.
It wasn't so much the blood or the gore that freaked her out so much, it was more that she couldn’t understand what would drive someone to violence on any large scale.
’I’ll make an exception, just this once,’ she tells herself. ’So he can't hurt anyone else.’
“Deal,” she says, taking his bandaged hand in hers and giving it a shake, a little more gently than normal in consideration for the damaged skin that lay underneath. “You’ll have to teach me how to use a gun though.”
Reaching down to his side, Oliver pulls out his Colt 1911 semi automatic handgun.
"Two and a half pounds, nine inches long, with a five inch barrel to boot. Chambered in.45 ACP."
He dumped the magazine and pulled back the charging handle, effortlessly catching the ejected shell in midair. Flipping the gun over with the handle facing her, he shrugged.
"Wanna hold it?"
“None of what you just said makes any sense. It sounds like you're making up words,” Nori teases as she reaches out, gingerly gripping the handle of the firearm and pulling it free from his grasp. The florist is slightly caught off guard by the weight of it, but she doesn't do anything completely humiliating like drop it, which is a blessing.
“How'd you learn how to shoot, anyways?” she asks, genuinely curious as she inspects the gun, careful to keep her finger away from the trigger even though the magazine and the chamber are empty. The blonde stands up and walks a ways before turning so that she's facing away from the detective. Nori holds up the gun like she's seen action heroes do in the movies, but she feels like she looks ridiculous, so she tries to adjust her stance a little, but it’s still off. “Should I use one hand or both of them?”
"Smartass." Oliver smirked, reclining in his chair and watching as the DJ fumbled with the weapon.
"You can either use two hands or one, if you're strong enough, of course. But- here, your stance is a little off."
He rose from his seat, taking a position behind her as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her arms in place. He would slowly guide her grasp outwards, sweeping in with one of his legs in order to push back her own.
"It's really simple," He spoke in a low, hushed tone, almost growling. "You just have to know where to start, really. The police academy teaches you these things."
Oliver stands up and crosses over to her and even though she knows it's coming it still manages to catch her off guard when he presses his front against her back, arms wrapping around her's to adjust her grip on the gun. 'He's just helping, no need to get weird,' she tells herself as she brings her other hand up to help steady her grasp.
Then he slides one of his legs between her's, bumping against her right one to prompt her to move it where he sees fit. Nori can feel the beginnings of a blush start to creep up her neck as she lets him arrange her into a stance that feels much more comfortable.
Damn nerves.
“Right,” Nori answers, the word coming out more hushed than she had intended as she turned her head a little to peer back at him. “So then I just pull the trigger and kill all the bad guys?” she jokes a little lamely, raising her eye eyebrow at the detective.
Oliver couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "You only point a gun at things you're willing to shoot. Remember that."
He takes a hand off hers and points at the reticle sight near the end of the barrel. "You line the target up with those crosshairs, making sure it's all in the center."
His grip grows a little tighter.
"And then you squeeze the trigger."
Resting a bandaged finger on her own, he pushes down on it, adding more and more pressure until the gun emits an audible click.
"That's all there is to it. Only when you do it for real with rounds in the chamber you'll find that the gun weighs more, and that you have to take recoil into account. However, I'm sure a strong girl such as yourself could handle it."
The doorbell sounds and Nori jumps, taken aback by the abrupt ringing. “That’s probably the pizza,” the blonde tells him, lowering the gun and disentangling herself from him. “I’ll go take care of it.” The tattooed girl turns the gun around carefully, handing it to him handle first before she pads over to the front door, grabbing her purse when she passes it on the counter.
Nori checks the peephole before opening the door and accepting the food from the delivery girl. The taller girl looks a little miffed when the DJ pays and only leaves her a three dollar tip, but Nori ignores it. It’s not like she has a lot of money she can spare right now.
Payment taken care of, Nori carries the pizza box over to the table and sets it down before going over to fridge and pilfering a root beer. “What do you want to drink?”
This was certainly more fun than the last waltz she did. Though the song was a bit on the slow side and was meant more for those that needed the sound of footsteps (as opposed to the music) to guide them. Hence, only the lead soloists were playing, so as to slowly build up into what would be another song, one plenty more grand.
But there was something about the simplicity, the focus that was demanded by the quieter music and the long rests, that kept her focus on her partner. As opposed to the playfulness of a cousin, there was an absurdly heavy air between the masked partners. A misstep anywhere during the song could kill someone with the poison of embarassment.
But to die in Yutaro's arms would be an ultimate fantasy, one just missed as the song came to a close. She could feel his arm slide back up from her lower back to her shoulder blade, where it had unconsciously slid down to during the dance.
"You're an excellent dancer...I'm almost embarrassed! My steps are nowhere near as clean as yours. Where did you learn?"
The waltz? When she was young, her uncle used to have this charming young son...a ladies' man groomed to be a lady killer in the future.
"My cousin, and...my first crush, too. He taught me the general stuff, but...oh my god..."
Memories came flooding back. Sabine had to stifle a giggle as she pulled herself closer to him to giggle on his chest.
"...I spent that summer practicing to match him. My dad, he'd put up with me every night after he closed the gym. The yoga room had to be cleaned and polished again and again because my heels were so sharp..."
She looked up, her jade irises piercing past Yutaro's mask, searching for answers beyond even the mask of his face. She told him about her life...and him to her...not yet. Her interlocked fingers held her securely close to him.
"You're not bad at all. How'd you learn how to charm girls like that, Yutaro-san, or am I your first?"
