knuxieh

Not Your Average Butler... [EasilyAmused x Knuxieh]

It was always such a pleasure to see James being himself. Freya couldn't help but smile back towards him when he did, her smile growing as he accepted her offer. She wasn't sure exactly yet what he had said yes to, but it wouldn't be too long before she would find out. Besides, she didn't want to press the request and have him become uncomfortable. Taking the hand he offered, she pulled herself up and straightened her clothes out. Turning to help him gather the sheets, she giggled as he was already on top of it. Even though they were out having a wonderful evening together, old habits were indeed hard to break.

Slipping her hand into his as they made their way back towards the car, she slid inside, thankful for the seat warmers in the car on her legs and back. Leaning back, she waited for James to get inside before they held hands on the drive back towards the university dorms. The ride back felt shorter than the ride to get to their destinations, but it always seemed to be the case with car rides to places you haven't yet been before. She was glad for the music, but it made her a little tired since she was getting warmed up. Giving a small yawn as they parked, she got out of the car with James' assistance and headed up the stairs towards their floor.

Their evening hot chocolate was so good! Spending time with James always feels nice. Sitting down next to James after she took off her shoes, she smiled towards him. Freya sat a little bit away from him, afraid she might be crowding a little. She already knew he would agree to drinking hot chocolate - it was always a great way to wind down in the evening. Holding her mug, she nodded, finding James' sudden shyness adorable. "Of course I had a good time, silly. Would I have asked to spend more time with you if I didn't?" She teased, sticking her tongue out towards him. Though, she herself found her shyness creeping up on her. "Did...you have fun tonight? I know we just...y-you know. But, still!" Her eyes didn't really make contact with him, and as she shivered at the slight breeze running through the apartment, she stood up and turned his thermostat up just a few degrees. Returning to her seat, she wasn't really hearing the movie going on in the background. "James?" She began, lightly drumming her fingers against the cup.

"Have you...done that before? The...kissing thing?"

Moments later, the doorbell rung out through James' apartment, causing Freya to jump slightly. Had he been expecting someone and not told her? He wouldn't...do that. Maybe it was just Annie coming by to check up on them. But it was a late hour...

When James did answer the door, the dark haired woman with blonde bangs from James' culinary class that greeted him in the store a few weeks ago stood there, leaning against the door and looking more than a little unstable. "James~! Baby!" She shrilled, throwing herself forward around the man's neck. "You've been ignoring me~ Let me come in, we can talk for a lil, yeah?" Giggling, her face was a bit pink, and her breath smelled faintly as if she had been drinking, but like she had tried to cover it up with breath mints or something. "Let's talk recipes, I think I've got one that will make you just fall in love~"

Friends in the Void.

At the mention of her picking something more suited to her tastes, she found herself asking if that's something that she would enjoy. The raven might not have been her go-to choice, but it had grown on her a little and Rasteva seemed incredibly comfortable in it, at least as much as she figured they could be in a vessel not their own. They didn't seem to sit on it too long, reminding her of her studies that she needed to attend to. If she didn't her grades were sure to suffer. Nodding in agreement, after she finished her breakfast and gave another stretch, she gathered materials from her classes and sat down in the living room. If she needed help with something, she would take Rasteva's offer from last night and ask them for their assistance. While she didn't, she was sure they could entertain themselves with the news. From what she had seen, they were rather fond of watching the news. If to gain information or simply observe what humans deemed important enough to broadcast over a large scale was another thing she wasn't sure of as far as their reasoning for tuning in.

She pulled out her math work first, wanting to get it out of the way. Staring at the section in her math book that went on about Statistics, and looking at the different formulas she was given to work with. Frowning as she tried working with a pair of fractions that were multiplied with variables, she erased for what would not have been the last time, turning to the raven with a rather frustrated look. "Can you try to explain this to me? Statistics isn't my strong point.."

Friends in the Void.

Did they really think that they were treating her as something other than a partner? Sure, they had a little awkward beginning but so far she thought they had been getting along just fine. At the compliment, the young woman merely shrugged. She didn't see it as a big deal, it was just a favor. Yawning, she nodded at the history lesson. The more she knew on Daemons the better. At the mention of her studies, she couldn't help but shrink back a little. She had been neglecting her studies just a bit since Rasteva had needed her attention. Clearing her throat, she avoided eye contact with the raven. "I-I ah...Yeah! I've been on that. After you give me your lesson I'll probably just go over...some notes or something." She smiled. In reality, she had a few tests coming up and had not the time in-between learning of a world she hadn't needed to be a part of until last week and sewing up protection for Rasteva. With another yawn, she laid down and easily slipped into her dreams.

------

When the morning arrived, Sara sat up, stretching her arms above her head as her alarm chirped at her. Silencing it, she turned her attention to Rasteva and gave a small sleepy wave. "Morning," She breathed, standing as she moved about the apartment to get her morning routine out of the way. Upon returning, she had changed into a black skirt with a pink floral design on it, and a cream colored thick sweater loosely tucked into it with matching thick thermal tights and pink leather ankle boots. She pulled a pink flower crown into her hair, deciding to wear it in two braids since she would want it out of her face to study. Sitting at the table after making a breakfast consisting of toast, eggs and sausage, she pushed a plate of the same towards Rasteva, making sure to have them be of edible sizes for them. "You mentioned different vessels. Would you like to stay in the realm of animals, Rasteva?" The sleepy girl tilted her head towards them as she got up to fix her a glass of milk, returning and taking a sip.

Friends in the Void.

The young woman shook her head at Rasteva's apology. "It's alright, really. It wasn't that great of an idea, anyways." She wasn't trying to make them feel bad for it or anything of that nature. "I don't really even know how to talk to people, either. I get it. It's not as bad as you think, my feelings were only hurt for a moment. I should probably think more before speaking, but I don't really do that often.."

Hearing that Rasteva did not really go out of their way to help others, she couldn't say that it really surprised her. They did go out of their way to get as far away from her as possible once they had gotten situated in her teddy bear when they had met. She could appreciate that the situation they were in was odd for both of them. Besides her toys, she didn't take care to really get acquainted with others. Not because she didn't want to, but simply because other people would just end up ceasing contact, or something would happen and they would fall out. So, she normally just kept is polite and short with everyone.

She couldn't help but wonder about the validity of their response to her question. Daemons didn't regard Humans as loved ones, did they? Daemons had only recently gained momentum in the market. Could bonds that strong really have formed? If the human went along with it, was their bond weak to begin with? Were there always doubts? She herself wasn't immune to it. Rasteva had a confidence about them that she was sure could get them into trouble, but she wasn't sure if she herself was the best fit as far as partners were concerned. It wasn't a secret that she mostly kept to herself with her activities. Agreeing to this 'quest' for Rasteva was against pretty much her normal day-to-day. Their question about her thoughts on the matter surprised her, and she was so caught off guard she raised her eyebrows quite a bit. It had been quite some time since someone had asked how she felt about something, at least in regards to helping someone with a favor. Usually she just went along with helping someone whether it was an inconvenience to her or not. This most certainly was, but she also felt a bit responsible, and guilty for Rasteva's current situation.

It took her a moment to take in what they were asking, and when she had gotten her thoughts together, she simply looked up from her bunny, and smiled towards the raven on the nearby pillow. "Honestly? I gain that peace of mind that you're finally happy Rasteva. I don't help others for personal gain. The satisfaction of helping them achieve what they wanted is enough for me. You can't buy that - the look of pure joy on someone's face once they get what they were looking for." She gave a slight pause, squeezing the stuffed animal closer. "I don't know you, and only know so far that you enjoy fighting, physics, and gaining knowledge. But even still I want to help you. You deserve to be happy."

Friends in the Void.

It was easy for Rasteva to tell her not to be upset, but could they really sit there and blame her? Sighing, she decided to give what they had to say a listen. Ignoring them wouldn't do her any good, and would be rude at that. They did have a point, though...

Did she really understand what was going on? Not really...She was just a part of this in order to help Rasteva. This just happened to be the way to go about getting that. Looking up from her sheets, she shook her head. "No, I haven't really had a reason to actually get involved until you showed up. I heard some reports of them, and classmates were going on about Daemons, but other than the occasional normalcy of them just being a part of daily life I didn't need to know." Her mood only seemed to fall as they dismissed her suggestion about a band of do-gooders. Granted the idea was only made on a whim and was only half-formed but it still hurt her feelings just a bit at how easily they cast the idea out. "Yeah...I guess you're right." She rolled over on her bed, grabbing a nearby stuffed rabbit and snuggling it to her chest. Rasteva brought a suggestion of their own, and the young woman played with the soft ears of her stuffed companion and raised an eyebrow. "How can we educate them if they're already avoiding people as it is? You saw how it was on the walk home today. Nobody is really going to be open to talking to people they don't already know. I don't do well with talking to people that I don't know, anyway.." She bit her lower lip. "Do you mean educating the Daemons? I don't see why they would separate. Do you think it's a cover maybe? It's always hard to tell the intentions of others."

Not Your Average Butler... [EasilyAmused x Knuxieh]

Freya immediately regretted opening her mouth to ask for another kiss from James, seeing the utter surprise that he didn't even tried to hide cross his features. Ah, she should have been content with just the first one that he had given her, but it was her first and something that she had not yet experienced before. Did James know that? Did he know that he had been the one to take that from her? She had willingly given it to him, of course...But, still. Maybe he himself didn't enjoy it, but his reaction proved different from that train of thought. He was smiling wide and it didn't seem to leave his face as he obliged to her request. Had she expected him to decline? She wasn't sure, but he wouldn't go in to kiss her again if he didn't want to, right?

His lips pressing against hers again, she sighed in content, her cheeks burning. Again, it was gentle and careful, something she didn't mind in the slightest. This was all so new to her...She pulled back, smiling up at him. "Thank you, James. For tonight. I'm having a wonderful time so far..." It was the truth, from dinner to stargazing, to even sharing a few kisses with him, tonight was truly something special. Something she was sure she wouldn't have wanted to spend with anyone else. She released his shirt from in-between her fingers, and tucked some hair behind her ear. She really couldn't think of anything that might make the evening better. Well, maybe one thing.

She adjusted herself to have James laying beside her instead of over her, and tugging up the blanket, she shivered slightly. Scooting over, she laid her head against his chest. His body practically radiated the warmth and kindness he provided towards her. She simply laid with him for a while, letting that comfortable silence fall again, although the air felt a bit different to her than it had before they had exchanged a kiss. Was it just her feeling that? A simple kiss shouldn't change their entire dynamic...

"James...?" She finally spoke, breaking the silence. "Would you be against getting inside and maybe ending the evening by cuddling with some hot chocolate? Like before?" She asked, playing gently with the fabric of his shirt. Even if he declined to cuddling, she had a feeling he wouldn't turn down hot chocolate. It was one of the few things she could count on from James.

The wind blew by again, causing her to shrink into James, trying to prevent the wind from taking any further warmth from her. "Maybe we should go to the car?"

Friends in the Void.

The attempt didn't go unnoticed by Sara, although she didn't really know what to make of the feathers against her hair. As they dug deeper into their research, she sighed, leaning back. Rasteva asked an interesting question, though. If she really stopped for a moment to think about it the news never did say anything about them having Daemons of their own...Frowning, she shook her head. "No, not now that you mention it, they actually don't." The clear motive confused her, and her brows furrowed towards the raven on her shoulder. Thankfully they soon enough explained the reasoning for their stance on what they had researched, and she thought a moment, before nodding. "This is true..But it's also so weird. Most people embrace the Daemons. Well, at least those who it targets anyway. I can't imagine why they think violence is the..." The young woman paused, seeming to come to her own conclusion.

Pinching her nose with her fingers, she groaned. "Ahhh! If they..instill a fear of Daemons in people I can't imagine it would be a good thing. Knowing how people have reacted to being scared in the past, they might actually pit Daemons and Humans together. They are still a relatively new thing, it wouldn't be hard to tarnish their image through these attacks." Frowning, she stood up, shutting her laptop, annoyed. "I don't understand how people work sometimes! What is the point in making people afraid?!" She began pacing for a few minutes, really confused.

"So, what are we supposed to do, Rasteva? Sit around and wait for the next attack? Try to catch them in the act? What about the people they end up scaring out of trusting Daemons? This..this could really escalate into something we can't handle. I'm not saying we have to handle it alone, but.." She gave pause, and stuck a hand into her pocket, playing at the thin lining of it. "What, do we make our own group against them? Showing that Daemons aren't harmful on purpose?" It was just a fleeting idea, the more she thought of it, the more it seemed to just be a cheesy movie or television show prompt. Evil group shows up to disturb the peace, Do-Gooder group forms in order to combat their heinous crimes! Sara made her way down the hallway and laid down on the bed, her face in the sheets, groaning. This was happening way too fast. They just finished making a small dent in their ability to defend themselves today..

Friends in the Void.

Sara wasn't fully sure herself if anywhere was safe at this point. Would it really matter where they talked? Giving her cheeks a couple of re-assuring pats, she sighed softly. Rasteva was very much right on how they were better as a unit. A good point being the incident that had just happened. What if that boy's daemon hadn't been there to catch the heavy bookcase? She wasn't sure that it was something she really wanted to think about. Looking a little surprised that they agreed to study the Purgers and their behaviors, she couldn't help giggling softly as they tugged at her sleeve. "I'm getting up, I'm getting up." She shook her head, gathering the books she had, and the one on Physics for Rasteva, just in case they wanted to continue their readings.

The walk home was more tense than she realized. Many of the people walking were still uptight from the library incident, and easily startled by normal noises. The panic was evident, and she did her best not to set off anyone on purpose, making her way into the elevator, leaning against the wall of it as the doors closed. "They certainly make an impact, that's for sure..." Sara huffed, and tense slightly as the elevator stopped a floor short, indicating someone was getting on. A young woman entered, with a small snake wrapped around her arm.

Passing a glance over Sara and pausing to settle on Rasteva, she smiled. "Nice bird vessel."

"Thanks, your snake looks pretty cool."

Awkward. Her floor dinged and she removed herself as politely, but as quickly as she could. Closing the door behind her, she groaned as her fingers turned the locking mechanism on her door. "Alright, Rasteva. The internet has multiple videos on their attacks, and I'm sure we aren't the first ones to try to figure what their motives are." Sitting at her computer, she booted it up and began a quick search of attacks, showing Rasteva what she meant, as many people had made reaction videos, explaining their own theories on how they believed the group worked. Some of it would be the same repetitive nonsense they had seen before, but others offered new insights on the attacks as well. How much research would they need to do? They were a pretty recent problem, but everyone was giving them attention.

Friends in the Void.

Feeling feet on her shoulder, her eyes cast towards Rasteva for a brief moment before returning to the young man in front of her. "Can we even call them that? 'People'? People don't act like that. They don't try pushing a bookshelf on others!" Frowning, he calmed himself for a brief moment before giving his Daemon a quick embrace, thanking them for helping. "They're pretty hard to miss most times, unless they've pressured other students into doing their dirty work..They usually sport a black t-shirt and jeans. They stick out, but not by their clothes. You'd be hard-pressed to find them normally." He sighed. "I don't even know what I even did to catch their attention.." Looking towards his Daemon, he groaned. "It might just be because of the strength my Daemon has. Granted, we haven't done too many fights, they're just naturally inclined that way." The description wouldn't help too much, as far as trying to catch who did it...but they would be in numbers, hopefully.

After making sure a faculty member was taking the boy to the nurse's office, some other students got the books back onto the shelves. Grabbing the ones she was interested in again, she made her way back towards the table from before, sitting down. "Sorry for the disturbance." She rubbed the back of her neck. "This just has me more on edge. Who pushes a bookshelf on someone? Were they even targeting a specific person, or just a group hoping to catch the slowest one, like in the wild?" Sara asked, looking worried at the table, since Rasteva was on her shoulder. "I don't even know what advice to give you if we are attacked, Rasteva. We can't really fight very well...you might do best to try to head off or something."

She wasn't really thinking clearly, her brain still in a slight panic over the events that transpired. Rasteva certainly wasn't naturally strong - but...they did like to gain knowledge. Maybe they could try just learning about this group? Would it matter? Should she ask Rasteva to look over most situations that caused for people to suffer at the hands of the Purgers? Would that help them try to avoid, or even help discourage the attacks if they could even have an idea of what to look for? Running a hand through her hair, she gave a heavy sigh. "Do you think it feasible to gather intel on their attacks? Everything has some sort of pattern, right?"

Not Your Average Butler... [EasilyAmused x Knuxieh]

Freya couldn't help feeling a bit nervous if not foolish for making a request to spend more time with James. While she was almost positive that he would not object to being with her longer, it was still out of nowhere for her to ask him to divert from plans if he had already made some. Seeing that bright smile that James was known for, she relaxed. So, it was a mutual wanting then? She couldn't help giggling towards him as he teased her, and at the mention of blankets, she looked a bit surprised. "Oh? If I didn't know any better I would say you were going to take me stargazing anyway." She was glad that they seemed to be on the same page. The evening was going so well, why end it prematurely? They arrived quicker than she thought they were, but she had not seen any signs that they were in a park like swing-sets, or even benches.

She thought about asking about how he and Annie discovered it, but decided it wasn't a topic to really bring up. They parked and James was already at her door by the time she had gotten her seatbelt undone and smiled towards him, gladly placing her hand into his own, lacing her delicate fingers between his large ones. The night air was cool, and relaxing as they made their way towards James' intended destination. After the brush disappeared, it gave way to the sky, littered with countless amounts of stars that would otherwise be invisible in the city from all the other competing lights. Freya gasped, awe-struck. "James, this is beautiful!" She whispered, moving forward as James laid out the blanket. Taking a few moments to let the evening air blow through her hair and fill her nose, she sighed in content. It really was something else. So much life and so much serenity just within moments of each other. She couldn't simply stand forever, though. Sitting beside James, she laid back, looking up at the stars. "Nothing really beats this view."

The way they could lay in comfortable silence between them was something Freya enjoyed. Not many could be right next to each other and not say anything before going mad. Being next to James was so relaxing, she was sure if they pulled the blanket ovre them she would have no issues going to sleep. Seeing James move over, blocking her view of the sky, she couldn't help returning his smile. "Yes?" She tilted her head slightly, curious. Her cheeks flushed bright pink and her eyes widened at the question. "Y-You...You want to...k-kiss me?" It wasn't like she had never thought about James in that fashion. She had definitely done so, and who could blame her? It was no secret that James was charming..Her eyes moved to gaze at his lips, curled up into a smile. Realizing that he did kind of have her pinned, her cheeks burned deeper. Had she been silent too long? Moving her hand to gently run her thumb across James' lower lip, she felt herself become embarrassed, a bit surprised at how soft they actually were against her skin. "D-Do you...feel as if that might be crossing a line that you might not be able to return back over?"

She knew James had expressed interest in wanting to pursue something with her romantically, but was also aware of his position. Maybe she was getting ahead of herself? A kiss didn't...mean that they were...dating, right? The evening had been wonderful so far, but even as she was asking James to be sure, she moved her hand to cup the side of his cheek, her eyes scanning his face, searching for something. There didn't seem to be an inkling of doubt in his eyes as he asked her permission. Nodding, she leaned up slightly. "Y-Yes, if...if you're alright with it." As he moved in closer to her face, and she could feel his breath on her skin, she closed her eyes, leaning up to press her lips against his. As they made contact, she felt her whole body heat up, and her arm propped herself up, her free hand moving from his cheek to gently grip the fabric of the shoulder of his shirt. His kiss was so soft and gentle, as if he was scared to break her, or step too far. It seemed to be over before she realized. Pulling back, she took a moment, before looking up into his blue eyes. It was so pleasant..She wanted to experience it another time. "C...Can we do that again?" She whispered, feeling shy.