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Post by Trueblade on Jan 20, 2016 23:39:09 GMT
Lucian Wayne
Off duty, well, not quite. I was on stand by. On call. I could go ahead and do whatever I wanted with the rest of my day, but if the IACSB needed me I was obligated and expected to return, ready for duty, as soon as possible.
Which meant I was restricted to lounging around doing nothing. Whatever, no bar visit for me then. It would be pretty bad to return to work smelling of alcohol, even if I wasn't drunk. I had only been transferred to Lakecrest a week ago. There were still a lot of first impressions to make. And, as per usual, I already had a glowing right hand and discoloured flesh up the rest of the arm. First impressions were shitty enough as they were.
I carefully rolled my right shoulder as I made my way through the compound, making sure to keep my right hand in the pocket of my jeans as I did so. I was only just outside the compound, but I really didn't like showing off the hand if I could avoid it. Especially when I was in casual wear. A guy with a strange arm in IASCB uniform was one thing, but a civilian? Ugh, that only brought flashbacks from my first week with the force. As soon as I was off my third shift some terrified mother of four got the great idea to call up the IASC-freaking-B. I tried to reach for my badge to show her I was "on the good side", but she thought I was reaching for a weapon. Told them I was possessed and she feared for her life.
Not a happy memory. A lot of jokes circulated the office for about a month after that. One of the crudest ones was "Anti-MILF". Beats "Demon Child" at least. It's more original.
Irritating trips down memory lane aside: I still had to figure out how I was going to spend the rest of the day. I decided to give the matter some more thought and walked over to a wall surrounding the compound. I leaned against it carefully, so as not to put too much pressure on Crimson, and gazed up at the sky.
At least the weather was nice. A few clouds, but no rain or worse.
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Sept 11, 2016 5:31:39 GMT
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Post by Restkastel on Jan 21, 2016 2:07:25 GMT
Today was once again a nice day, spring was definitely the best season for sure. It was beautiful out, with barely any clouds in the sky and only a nice breeze, with the temperature being ust perfect outside. I was coming back from grocery shopping at the moment, as I had run low on baking supplies and tea, though I still had some at home and of course had my thermos and supply of baked goods on me as usual. I simply just could not afford to run out, after all, it would be terrible to disappoint everyone who was used to me having them, and it would be especially bad if i couldn't give them to the poor IT people who had to come and fix my computer on an almost daily basis. I had asked the brass many times if I could be exempted from the use of computers, but unfortunately everything they had was centered around them. Why couldn't they just use old fashioned pen and paper? It was so much more reliable than those finicky machines. I swear, I had caused so many problems by simply checking my email so many times in the past. And using the thing they call the "internet"? Forget it, I apparently downloaded some sort of virus for computers that made the poor thing so sic that they had to replace most of its internal parts since it ran such a high fever it began to melt. I vividly remember one of the IT guys asking how much of something called "porn" I was downloading, and when I responded that I had no idea what he was talking about, he simply blankly stared at me for some odd reason. And whenever I try to get someone to explain what it is to me, nobody will tell me! Quite frustrating I must say.
As I casually made my way back to the dorms at the IACSB headquarters in Lakecrest, both my hands full of groceries, everything from baking supplies to fresh bread and vegetables to meat for Lili and tea for myself, I came across a new sight around here. A man was standing out in front of the compound, leaning on the wall. Despite his posture, I could tell that if he was standing up, he would be the same height as me, which was rather unusual. Most humans were shorter than me, even males, but there were a few exceptions. What really was strange was the way he was ressed, he was dressed almost like it was the middle of winter when it was quite the pleasant day out. This rather piqued my interest, as his clothing was rather mysterious, and he didn't seem familiar while clearly being at least somewhat associated with the IACSB, after all, one didn't normally hang around here unless you were.
Deciding that I would satiate my curiosity, I decided to talk to him before heading back to my room, and perhaps invite him for tea and lunch, after all, it was getting to be that time of day, and meals were always much more enjoyable with people around. Making up my mind, I began to walk over to him and began to speak, "Ah hello there, I don't think I have seen you around here before, are you new here too?" I asked, giving him a bright smile as I did so."Ah but where are my manners, My name is Arwen Drake, Heir to the Noble Magus House of Drake, and a third class member of the SID. It is a pleasure to meet you," I continued, continuing to give off as positive of an aura as I could. "If it would not be too forward of me to ask, could I possibly inquire as o your name as well? As a new person here, I feel it is very important to make as many connections with people as possible, after all, we might end up working together some day," I finished, giving off a bright smile at the end.
After that, I simply waited to see how the man would respond to me. |
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Post by Trueblade on Jan 21, 2016 2:37:24 GMT
I squinted up at the sky once the sun crept out from beneath a cloud. Damn, I must have spaced out for a moment. I squeezed my eyes shut as I waited for them to recover from the blinding light.
Then I was assaulted by...hrm, bitterness. Tasted like a cheap cough drop. Not overly strong, but not something you really want sitting on your tongue and coating your throat. Either way it had to be pride. Great, that was one of the least fun sins to deal with. At least the taste was weak, odds are this person wasn't some arrogant prick. Who'd it belong to?
I soon found out the answer to that and then some. A chipper, feminine voice practically surrounded me. The voice was...pleasant, if a little bit too perky, and it was accented to boot. English, or something similar to that. This woman went on to tell me, in far too many words; her name, the fact that she was from noble blood, and the fact that she was apparently with the SID. Strange, I'd definitely remember some cheerful noble in my division as a person to stay away from. Must not have met her yet.
I rubbed my eyes with my left hand and-
"Why'd you do that?"
"Didn't you hear? I'm the school freak. Can't have you taking my spot.”
Sarah.
She...she was an elf. No, there was something off about her. Different. It was almost as if she looked too close to a human, as human-like as most elves already are.
...Un-freaking-believable. This woman, Arwen Drake, was an elf hybrid. Just like Sarah. Her face was different, body different, but it was...she was beautiful. Blonde hair, but more golden than hers was. Different eyes and taller and...her ears...different ears. My heart rate must have tripled, but as I focused on her features, her differences, I slowly calmed. Damn it, why did it have to be an elf? How many elf hybrids could there be? And of course she was in my division. I was lucky to have gone this far without seeing her.
Shit, it had taken me like five seconds just to get a hold of myself. Woman probably thought I was some sort of nut job, or slow in the head. I straightened myself before recalling the question she had asked me. Ah, right, my name.
"Uh...hey. Sorry about that. I spaced out and...whatever. Name's Lucian Wayne. SID, third class. Got transferred last week." I kept it short. Would have been shorter but I was still a little shaken. I had no idea just seeing an elf hybrid would have that effect on me. I even had to clear my throat in the middle of my reply.
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Post by Restkastel on Jan 21, 2016 3:20:40 GMT
It seemed as if I had come across the man while he was deep in thought, as it took him several seconds to respond to my questions, rubbing his eyes when he first saw me. Perhaps he was napping and I interrupted him? Either way, it was obvious that I had caused him distress in some manner, and I planned to apologize for that. It seemed that his name was Lucian Wayne, and he was a 3rd Class SID member as well, and he was just recently transferred as well. That explains why I hadn't seen him before as well. What Luck! I could get to know somen only from the SID< but someone of my rank as well! It probably meant that we would be working together in the future as well. Though something about him seemed....sad? I got the feeling that when he saw me he had some sort of bad memory go through his head, though I could not be sure. Many people who ended up joining the IACSB were people with rather unfortunate histories, unlike myself, so I felt the need to try to help heal their wounds as much as I could, after all, it was the duty of those with privilege and power to take care of those who did not. This was one of the lessons drilled into me by my father at a very young age, he would not allow me to be made haughty or pompous by my privileged status.
However, I quickly banished these errant thoughts from my mind, after all, it wouldn't do to ponder this sort of thing while I was talking to someone. This was something best done alone anyway, I couldn't let my own problems weigh on others, they had enough of their own anyway, and I probably had far less than they. "Oh no, it was my fault for approaching you so suddenly, Lucian. It seems I have caused you some unintended distress, if your reaction to me is anything to go by. I truly didn't mean any offense, so I do hope you will accept my sincere apologies," I said, my ears drooping a bit as I apologized to the man. After all, it was obvious that something I did troubled him. "As an apology, how about I make lunch for you? I just am coming back from the store and I bought far too much, there was a sale on a variety of things and by the time I realized it, I had this much. Please, allow me to make you something to eat as a token of my apologies," I said with a fairly serious tone, after all, it simply would not do to allow an offense to go unapologized for, especially with people I would be working with in the future. I wanted to have cordial relations with all my coworkers, after all.
Still, something about the man in front of me seemed....different. I couldn't put my finger on what it exactly was, but I was sure he wasn't an ordinary human. Between his rather odd sense of dress and his odd hair, as well as his being in the IACSB, it was obvious he wasn't exactly human. Perhaps he was a hybrid of some sort like myself? Ah but it would simply not do to ask, at least not yet. A lot of people were far less open about this sort of thing than me, so I simply kept it to myself for now, and decided that I would probably find a way to delicately broah the subject later, perhaps over lunch. With everything said and done, I waited to see if the man would accept my apology, hoping that he would take me up on my offer. |
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Post by Trueblade on Jan 21, 2016 3:46:14 GMT
Lucian
I took a deep breath right as Arwen began to speak and with it my mind cleared up nicely. Apparently she got the gist that she disturbed me somehow, not that it was anything she was in control of, but she seemed apologetic. To the point where her ears actually drooped, like an upset dog's. Seriously? She hadn't done anything other than be stupid enough to say "hi" to me, but that's still my fault for being an ass.
Arwen went on to offer making me a lunch as an apology. Was every Brit like this? I always imagined that they'd be snobby and sarcastic, like they were on those television shows. Either way I wasn't sure that was such a good idea. The whole shock of seeing her was one thing, but spending lunch with her? Now that I wasn't focused on blocking out past memories, I actually started to truly take in the woman that stood before me...
...Strawberries. Damn it. Look just above her eyes Lucian...wait, did her ears just move? Ugh, does it matter? She's just a co-worker.
"I don't know what you're apologizing for. It was my bad." I answered, keeping my tone as cool as possible. "You really don't owe me anything." There. Done. Short, sweet, simple reply. She'd be on her merry way and hopefully I wouldn't see her for a few days, after I've had about twenty beers to help make this whole meeting a thing of the past.
My eyes wandered to the bags of groceries the half-elf was carrying. Act of generosity or not she did have quite the haul. I definitely knew not to underestimate elves, or their hybrids, but physical strength wasn't exactly their forte. Nearest store wasn't all that near either. Woman was probably fatigued from carrying all those bags. Ah well, she was almost at the main building, so she'd-
"But if you have too much, I guess I wouldn't mind helping you carry them in at least."
Did I actually just say that? What the hell is with me today?
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Post by Restkastel on Jan 22, 2016 18:08:01 GMT
It seemed that Lucian had believed it to be his fault for being rude, rather than mine for bringing up some sort of bad memory, or at least that's what I assumed was what happened, when I greeted him, and acquitted me of any wrongdoing. He even went as far to say that I didn't owe him anything for it as it was totally his fault, though it seemed like he was being a bit...curt? He didn't seem to be trying to be rude, rather that something was making him want to end this conversation rather quickly, and for some reason he seemed to avoid eye contact with me, looking a bit above my eyes rather than straight at me. It seemed I was making him uncomfortable somehow, but he insisted it was something on his part, and not something I was doing. Rather strange, I had not heard of someone being uncomfortable just because of somebody's presence when that person was not doing anything wrong. For sure, I never was made uncomfortable by anyone who was not being rude or something like that, so I didn't really understand why he was feeling so uncomfortable.
Perhaps his avoidance was unintentional? Deciding to make eye contact again when he continued to speak, I subtly shifted my position so that we would once again be making eye contact. After all, it was only proper to be making eye contact with the person who you were talking to after all. It seemed, however, that he was not going to make his excuses and leave as I had feared, as instead of that, he seemed to look down to my bags while I was adjusting to make eye contact, and when he looked up he offered to help me carry my groceries back for me. Perhaps this was this male chivalry that my father had taught me about? It was true that it was rather heavy to carry, but it was a fairly good work out of sorts, and pulling back a bow string was not the easiest thing in the world, so I was not really in need of his help. But something my father said to me when I was young stood out, he told me that even if I didn't need the assistance, I should always take a man up on his acts of kindness, or else I would end up seeming rude to him.
Deciding to take him up on his offer and respond to him, I smiled and began to speak. "Of you say so, Lucian. I still feel slightly bad that I seem to be making you uncomfortable, but I shall try not to worry over it if you say it isn't of my own doing," I said, my ears perking up a bit as I said it, before continuing on to his offer of assistance, "And I would be honored if you would help me, Lucian. I am glad to know that there is such a chivalrous and kind person in my division. It makes me feel much less anxious about going on missions if I know that I have such a reliable team member." I intentionally didn't mention the fact that I would insist on rewarding him for his help, since I got the feeling that it would be far more effective to spring it on him afterwards than to tell him now. Something tells me that if I push too hard right now, he will just end up running away. I then offered him a few of the heavier bags, mostly filled with things liked canned goods and other heavier ingredients, smiling at him as I said, "I truly do appreciate your offer to help me, it isn't every day that I meet such a nice person after all."
With that said, I waited for him to take the offered grocery bags, and if he so chose, I would begin to lead him to my room in the dorms.
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Post by Trueblade on Jan 22, 2016 20:27:53 GMT
Lucian
Okay, her ears definitely did move. I couldn't remember Sarah's ever doing that, so I guessed only some elves had that "ability". If you could really call it an ability. It also appeared as though Arwen was intent on keeping eye contact with me, whether she was aware of it or not. I couldn't decide if it was more difficult to keep eye contact with her or look away. So I stopped stressing about and just kept eye contact. Last thing I needed was her constantly shifting her position just to look me in the eye.
Evidently she still felt bad about making me uncomfortable. Ugh. Yeah, she was making me uncomfortable, but it's not like she knew why she was. And even if she did she had no control over it. The whole thing was my problem, and having her feel bad about it just made things worse. So I decided not to comment on it at all. I already told her it was my problem. Hopefully she'd realize that and just leave it alone. On the other hand she was more than happy to take me up on my rather stupid and sudden offer. She even held out the bags that looked the heaviest to me. Damn, there was definitely no turning back now. I'd look like the biggest ass on the planet if I just changed my mind and walked away. Plus we're in the same division. There's no doubt that I'd see her again.
"Yeah, it's nothing." I replied in response to her thanks. I took the bags from her hands and turned away, feeling a bit more relieved now that she wasn't in my immediate line of sight. With each passing moment she disturbed me less and less. Now my mind simply wandered to stupid questions. How was Sarah doing these days? Did she ever recover physically? Probably. Mentally? I could only hope.
Was she with anyone? Yeah, probably. She was beautiful, half-elf and all...Sarah, that is. Not that Arwen wasn't beautiful, far from it, but...ugh. I brought a hand up to my face and massaged it. I took a few steps away from the wall and towards the walkway up to the compound, but once I gathered my thoughts it occurred to me that I had no idea where Arwen wanted to bring these groceries. So I glanced back at her over my shoulder.
"Where did you want to bring these, anyway?"
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Post by Restkastel on Jan 24, 2016 1:53:09 GMT
It seemed that Lucian was a bit too eager to do what he had said for me, since he started to walk off rather quickly after taking the groceries from me, saying it was not a big deal, but before I had a chance to call out to him, he turned around, realizing he had no clue where he was going and asking me where he needed to bring them. He was obviously wrapped up in his own thoughts at first, but something about that was....cute? I guess that would fit it, and it was rather funny, and I let out a bit of a giggle as I walked up to him and past him and turned around. "You're quite eager to help a lady, and while that is quite the laudable trait, I do recommend next time that you wait for her to show you where to go," I said in a bit of a playful tone as I moved to walk next to him, and said, "I live here in the Third-Class Dorms, of course. I could probably afford better housing outside, but I rather like being around my comrades. Here, let me show you the way to my room," I said, starting to walk ahead, indicating he should walk next to me.
It was not a far walk from here to the dorms at all, and it was a very nice day out for sure. Walking beside him, I enjoyed the sights on the grounds. It wasn't nearly as nice as a forest or other natural place for sure, but something about it made me like it here. Perhaps it was because I called this place home? Or perhaps it was because of all the nice people I met here? Or maybe it was because my beloved friend Lili could be found here? It probably was some combination of the three. I was rather enjoying this walk, after all it was nice to have company on such a nice day as this, and I decided to strike up a bit of conversation as we walked along.
"So Lucian, what's your specialty? I'm a mage, specifically a fire mage, and I use a bow as both a channeling device and a backup weapon. How about you? A man of your build surely must be a melee fighter of some kind, especially with the sword on your back," I said, commenting about his rather large build. I wasn't completely sure because he was wearing such thick clothing, but I got the impression that he was a rather muscular man. He also was rather reticent, but I wasn't sure if that was because I was somehow upsetting him or because thats how he normally was. I still couldn't figure out exactly what was bothering him about me, but since he said it wasn't something I could help I simply tried to put it out of my mind. There was no use worrying about things that I could not help, after all.
After a bit of idle chatter and several minutes of walking, we finally made our way back to my room, and I quickly opened the door and held it so he could come in, after all, his hands were far more full than mine. It was a fairly simple home, with an enclosed bedroom and a full bathroom with a bathtub, as well as a living space connected to the kitchen. Nowhere in my room, however, would one find any sort of electronic device besides a microwave, a toaster, and my stove/oven combo, as well as a corded telephone. I preferred to use analog whenever possible, after all. On the coffee table were a few books on magic as well as my family grimoire, as well as some assorted reading material, mostly old mystery novels, one of which was Doyle's The Sign of Four. There was also a small dining table with enough room for three or so people to comfortably eat on it.
After letting him into the room, I began to speak, "If you wouldn't mind putting the groceries in the kitchen, and when you are done, feel free to make yourself at home. I will have lunch done shortly, after all, I can't just leave you unrepaid for your act of kindness, Lucian," I said, moving over to the kitchen and preparing everything I needed for lunch as I waited for him to respond to me.
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Post by Trueblade on Jan 24, 2016 2:51:37 GMT
Lucian
Arwen wasted little time politely teasing me for my hastiness. Well, that's what I got for trying so hard to get this over with. May as well slow down and do this by her pace. Couldn't be so bad, right? She had a cute laugh, too. More of a giggle but...tch. Anyway, it seemed Arwen lived in the Third-Class dorms and was perfectly content with that. Liked being close to her comrades, she said. Lucian couldn't quite stand the idea of actually living at the dorms, so he himself had a small apartment in the residential area. Wasn't anything special, but it was enough and let him save his money for more important things. Arwen herself implied that she had money to spare.
Right, British nobility.
There was a bit of silence once Arwen gestured for me to walk alongside her. It was calming, in a sense. There weren't too many others around, so no tastes assaulted my my tongue. It helped me clear my mind and focus. Much of my shock had passed, though I still wasn't too keen on hanging around Arwen. Not just for my sake, but...just in case. We were co-workers and, considering what our jobs entailed, bonding wouldn't really do us much good. Regular humans in the IASCB had more of a reason to do so, with their spiritual armaments or whatever. But still...
Arwen brought up her abilities or at least a summary of them. Turned out she was mage who focused on fire magic. The mage part didn't surprise him whatsoever, elves had a affinity to magic, particularly nature magic. Fire, though? Hm, just didn't seem like her. Then again I had only known her for a few minutes, so really, who the hell was I to judge? She also utilized a bow to assist with channeling her magic somehow along with the more traditional use that a bow had. She guessed correctly that I was a melee fighter, but obviously there was more to it than that. Did I...?
We were co-workers. She was going to find out one way or another.
"Yeah, primarily a melee fighter. I've gotten pretty good with this sword, but it's not a spiritual armament or anything. I'm...a hybrid. Half-daemon. If I form a contract with someone I can unlock my daemonic side, makes me a lot stronger, but it saps strength from the contractor temporarily." I didn't want to get too much more into it than that. It was rather complicated to try and list out everything that was granted to me by my daemonic blood. Besides, she had summed up her abilities nicely.
We continued to converse idly, and with each sentence I felt myself growing a bit more comfortable. I didn't let my guard down. Knew better than to do that. Still...talking with her was actually pretty nice. In time we made it to what appeared to be her room. Arwen was kind enough to open her door, seeing as my hands were full, and I followed her inside. Simple enough home, more or less what I expected from the dorm.
She instructed me to drop off the groceries in the kitchen, which I was happy to oblige. She mentioned having lunch do-...seriously? She still wanted to make it up to me? No, this was for bringing the groceries in.
The walk had been nice and all, but I just...
"Really, it's not a big deal. You don't have to make a lunch for me or anything like that." I said these words, yet I didn't take a single step towards the door. Would having lunch with her really be so bad? Tch, no, it wouldn't. But getting close to her...that could end badly. Very badly.
Still, I stayed put, and waited to see how Arwen would react.
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Sept 14, 2016 12:27:57 GMT
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Post by Tulf on Jan 24, 2016 15:40:05 GMT
 The pair’s conversation was interrupted by a timid yawn from nearby – the bedroom, to be precise. Gently shrouded in sunlight, a pup was snoozing on her master’s bed… ears and tail on display, Lili had been curled up on Arwen’s bed; serenely sleeping in anticipation of her comrade’s return. Only to be met with this… a visitor, a man, and so pointlessly talkative. Even in her drowsy state, the lupine hybrid was feeling very grumpy all of a sudden… and a little bit sad, too. While not silent, the pair would probably not hear Lili’s groggy movements until she entered the living room, rubbing her eyes with a sleeve. ”Arwen’s back…~”Wearing but a loose white shirt and a tiny pair of pajama shorts (honestly, Lili didn’t quite comprehend pajamas on the whole, but Arwen insisted she was more ‘ladylike’, so alas) with one arm wound around a small elf plush toy (conspicuously dressed akin to Arwen), the tired wolf awkwardly took in the situation before her. At the moment, she seemed almost cute; or at least harmless; but it didn’t feel like it was going to last long… her tired expression soon shifted into her usual emotionless exterior, turning slightly to stare at Arwen’s guest. While she wasn’t being particularly aggressive, she certainly didn’t seem welcoming… she didn’t like guests. ”Oh… is there work to do already? Or…do you two know each other?” grumbled Lili, her grogginess interfering with her usual blunt tone – she’d been up far too late reading her newest firearms magazine, despite Arwen’s repeated warnings not to overdo it. ”…ah, since you were coming back, I…” begun the girl, glancing at some cups she’d put out before her nap – she was going to make some tea for her lovely compatriot, but… it seemed that attention would probably be unwanted now. Ooh… she felt really awful all of a sudden. Turmoil began to broil in her chest… she was feeling sad now, but what would come next… Frowning ever so slightly, Lili would just give up on what she was going to say, simply darting to Arwen’s side to help her with her work in the kitchen; as eager to please as always despite her moodiness. Though, that plushie was still tucked under her arm… ”Arwen, I’m hungry… is that okay?” asked the girl in an odd but familiar tone, begging for permission from her roommate to take part in the lunch – blunt as she might be, the silver-haired soul was incredibly disciplined on occasion. |
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Post by Restkastel on Jan 24, 2016 22:27:47 GMT
As I was starting to cook lunch he seemed to try and say that I didn't need to repay him for his charity, that simply would not do! Good acts had to be rewarded, that simply was something that I had to live by. And as a result, I rather quickly answered him. "No, that simply will not do, Lucian. I would be remiss if I did not reward you for the good deed you just did. I was raised to always repay my debts, no matter how small or insignificant it seemed to the other person," I said, saying with a bit of a serious tone, taking a break from my preparations long enough to look directly his way and say that, before continuing to prepare for cooking. As I was decided what exactly to cook, however, I noticed Lili making her way out of my room. SHe must have come in while I was out, after all she wasn't here when I left. No matter though, she did this all the time. She used to sneak through the window before I gave her a key, but now that she had one she just came in the front door, and practically is my roommate. Greeting her as she came out of my room, I said, "Ah, nice to see you Lili. We don't have work, but this very nice man's name is Lucian Wayne, he works here at the IACB, and hes a Hybrid, just like us," I said, introducing Lucian to Lili, "He helped me carry the groceries back to the room, so I am making him lunch as thanks. Feel free to join us since you are hungry, making portions for three is not that different than cooking for two." With that, I turned to Lucian and began to introduce Lili to him, "Lucian, this is my partner, Lili von Brandt. We've been working together for a few months now and shes a Werewolf Hybrid," I said, giving him a brief introduction to Lili before continuing, "Is there anything you would prefer? I probably will be making something with meat since Lili is a bit of a carnivore, but if you have any requests let me know, and I will do my best to accommodate them," I finished, giving him a bright smile before realizing I should probably ask if they want some tea while they wait. "Since you will be waiting a little bit while I cook, would you like some tea? I would be remiss if I didn't at least offer you some, given I have quite the lack of modern entertainment around," I said referencing the lack of any sort of radio or television in my dorm before continuing, "Help yourself to reading any of the books around, however. Though most of them or magical texts or mysteries, so if neither suits your fancy I do apologize," I said, feeling a bit bad that I didn't have something most people would enjoy around my dorm. Then again, I didn't really know what men liked to do besides what other mages liked to do anyway, so I probably couldn't figure it out anyway. With that all said, I began to move to the kitchen and get out everything I needed to prepare tea since it was likely that at least one of them would like it, and finish preparing the general items I would need for most anything while I waited for their responses. |
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Mar 12, 2016 14:27:40 GMT
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Post by Trueblade on Jan 24, 2016 22:57:50 GMT
Lucian
Arwen gave a rather adamant reply to my insistence on NOT being rewarded or whatever. She...was seriously not going to take no for an answer. And I thought it was we Canadians who were supposed to be friendly and hospitable. Heh. Well normally this didn't bother me, I had no problem giving someone the cold shoulder if it kept them away from me. But before I could even think to do any of that a short, tired looking girl approached us, grumbling something to Arwen. She looked like she had just woken up, PJs and all, but...why the hell was she here? Who was she?
Were those dog ears?
...okay. Yeah, they definitely were. Or maybe wolf ears. Either way she shot me a cold-ish stare. Guess I woke her up, or she just wasn't people friendly. I could respect that. Arwen introduced me to this girl as a "very nice" man. Seriously? I just carried the lady's bags. Was hard not to snort at that, but I managed to actually restrain myself. Arwen then introduced the girl as Lili von Brandt. Must be German, or something. Apparently the girl was a Werewolf hybrid. That was pretty much the only way her ears would make sense, barring some sort of practical joke by a mage. Wasn't too surprised. They had been "partners"...work partners, for several months. A Hybrid duo, huh?
"Nice to meet you." I said, unsure what else to say to the shorter girl. There was a "cold" vibe to her, and the taste that surrounded her...bland, like a paper towel was covering it. There was something there, always was, but it wasn't strong enough for me to taste it. Didn't bother me in the slightest, but it meant I wanted to be careful with her. One wrong word and that paper towel could unravel and I'd get slapped in the face with some strawberry cheesecake. Every time this happened it was always wrath.
Tea was offered to me. Stereotypical but hey, at least there were no mention of scones. Arwen then pointed out that there was, essentially, shit all to do in her place. Not even a television? Ordinarily that'd be fine, but the background noise and potential distraction would definitely be useful for getting this lunch over with. It was too late to leave, right? Oh, but at least I could try and her read her magical texts and frustrate myself to the point of self-harm, tempting as that sounded.
I hadn't felt this conflicted in a while. Realistically nothing was stopping me from leaving, and there was a loud, assertive part of me that wanted to leave. Yet I didn't listen to it like I usually did. It couldn't just be because she resembled Sarah, could it? It's not like Sarah and I were...
There was a pointed silence in the air. I guessed Arwen was waiting for me on whether or not I was up for tea. I figured I might as well have some.
"Uh, sure. Tea sounds fine. And meat's fine with me, too. Preferred if anything but I'm really not picky." I replied as I looked for a place to sit. Standing around was only going to make things feel awkward, or more awkward. I glanced at Lili briefly before finding, firmly deciding that I hadn't seen her before as well. I shifted my seating position several times before finally settling on one that was comfortable and just...waited.
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Sept 14, 2016 12:27:57 GMT
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Post by Tulf on Jan 25, 2016 17:51:18 GMT
Oh. That’s how it was. Arwen’s routine only seemed to make Lili more bitter; finally changing slightly in expression – a tiny frown, almost unnoticeable. No attention, no love… all she cared about was this stranger! It made her burn up inside… but, she had to at least try and be professional. For now. There was lunch, and Arwen was here. But, she wanted her to look at just Lili! ‘Nice man’, ‘good deeds’; she wanted Arwen to say that to her, instead. Always raised to repay her debts… i-if that was the case, how come she never gave Lili a hug or kiss after all the stress she went through for the girl? And then, offering tea after Lili got prepared for it, too… it really did sting. Sometimes, she felt like she should discipline the half-elf first; but Arwen was always right so that would be a bad thing to do. While one hand balled into a tight fist for a moment (and her tail straightened in alarm), the fury that eroded her subsided – partially, anyway. She was a professional. Her job was hurting people, but she was not to hurt people that were on her side. That’s what the suits had said, and that’s what Arwen had said; so she had to be a Good Girl. For now. But, this Lucian… well, he did not seem that interested himself, so maybe that was okay. He seemed like someone she would otherwise tolerate, since he was straight to the point. Not right now, though. For now – he was a threat. Left rejected in her attempt to help Arwen with her shopping nor the lunch, Lili just sat down on the floor of the living room, not bothering giving Lucian’s greeting a reply – not that she’d given such a comment a reply even in a good mood, mind you. Oh, she was bored now. She’d checked her phone earlier in the day for any messages from her pen-pal; she finished her magazine last night; and Arwen would probably complain if she curled up on her bed again with a guest around. Rudeness and such. She didn’t care; and she definitely didn’t care while they weren’t at the office. So, she was bored; just sitting with a blank expression and her goofy doll in her arms. Well, in a way, this was okay, too. |
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Sept 11, 2016 5:31:39 GMT
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Post by Restkastel on Jan 25, 2016 22:48:05 GMT
Lili seemed rather upset, but I wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was because we had a guest? Or maybe she was just letting her hunger get the better of her? I think it might have been a combination of both. Hopefully she would warm up to our guest soon, but given she was more reluctant than usual to talk when she was in her hybrid form, I decided to drop the subject for now. After all, I knew better than to expect too much of the poor girl, baby steps were always far better for learning than pushing someone straight into something that they had no understanding of. And with her instincts far more prominent in her hybrid form, it would likely do me little good to press her on it.
Deciding to leave that issue for now, I replied to Lucian's acceptance of tea, and smiled saying, "Excellent, I will be out with it shortly Lucian, the water is already boiling and I have the leaves prepared." All that was left was to pour the water over the leaves and let it brew for a few minutes before serving it. It was a good blend of afternoon tea, a bit on the naturally sweet side, so it really didn't need much sugar at all. After a few minutes of waiting, the tea was done and I brought the pot over to the table along with two cups and saucers on the tea platter that I had for serving tea, setting the set down on the table and saying, "Drink up you two, it is an excellent blend. I hope you enjoy it, its naturally a bit sweet so you likely don't need to add sugar, but if you want milk just let me know."
With that I returned to the kitchen and began preparing what I needed for lunch. Hmmmm, Lili had a preference for red meat, and lunch wasn't a good time for steak, after all that was more of a dinner item, so I decided on making homemade hamburgers and fries for the two of them. Getting the oil out and filling a large pot with it, I began to cut the fresh potatoes I had gotten, removing any of the poisonous parts, and making them into long skinny cuts, adding a crinkle flourish as I did so. With that done, I got out some of the ground beef and quickly made it into patties with my patty making tool that I had, and as I did so, heated a large frying pan and put a bit of oil on it so that when I was done I could cook the hamburgers on it. When I was done, I put three rather decently sized patties on it and added a bit of cheese to taste, Swiss to be precise. Of course, I had seasoned the meat so it wouldn't be bland.
As those were cooking I put the fries into the makeshift deep-fryer that I had made and began to cut up some lettuce, purple onion, and tomatoes that I had around to put on the hamburgers, grabbing some of the buns I had at the end as I waited for the food to be done. After all, I had gotten used to doing multiple tasks at once when cooking. It was hard to make things quickly if you weren't used to it after all.
After several minutes, everything was done and I proceeded to get the fries, perfectly golden crisp out of the fryer first, then preparing the hamburgers with everything on them and put a serving of fries on each of our plates along with one hamburger each, and got out another serving tray to make carrying them over to the table easier. With that all done, I brought the tray over to the table and said, "Lunch is served, I hope this is to both of your liking. If you guys want other condiments, I can go get them, though I recommend at least tasting it first before deciding whether or not to put more on it."
With that, I sat down at the table and waited to see their reactions before I began eating myself.
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Mar 12, 2016 14:27:40 GMT
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Post by Trueblade on Jan 25, 2016 23:55:02 GMT
Lucian
Chocolate.
Not just any kind either. It was similar to a mint chocolate. A little cool spice to bring some freshness to the sweet taste of chocolate, but too much of that spice and it'd all become bitter. Had to be Wrath with a side of Envy, and unless I had somehow greatly offended Arwen there was no way it came from her. The little one sat with a stone face and said not a word. Guess it was one of those "silence is telling" scenarios. For some reason or another the girl was rather annoyed but to her credit it came in a flash. One strong taste before it dulled almost immediately. But I caught it. Was easy when there was only two other people in the immediate vicinity.
Either way I knew better than to say anything to her in that state. If she was pissed at me or something then I was bound to screw up any attempt at conversation. Especially since she seemed almost envious, or at least bitter. I couldn't tell if that was about me, Arwen, or some shitty dream she'd had before we go there. No point in guessing honestly.
Shortly enough Arwen indeed brought me a cup of tea. The whole situation felt...I don't know, embarrassing? I couldn't remember the last time someone other than my parents had treated me to food or drink. Not counting people who were on the clock and made their living that way. Either way I sipped the tea carefully. Had a sweet taste, like Arwen had stated, and it helped wipe the taste of those negatives from my mouth. Milk would probably be a nice touch but the tea was fine as it was. Didn't feel the need to go meddling with it.
"Should be fine as it is. Thanks." I uttered, still avoiding eye contact like some wounded child. To be fair I was looking at the tea itself, but I was going to have to look Arwen in the eye eventually. She already showed that she was more than willing to simply step into my line of freaking sight just to make it happen.
As I sipped my tea in silence I used to time to thoroughly clear my head and relax. I wasn't going to bother telling myself that nothing was gonna happen. Moment I started believing that was the moment some rabid werewolf tore it's way into the IASCB. But at least I needed to get a grip. It was just lunch with some co-workers. For most humans this was an honest-to-goodness everyday occurrence. It was normal. Sure my co-workers had abnormal ears, and one had a tail, but beyond that this was as normal as it got. That's more or less what I had always wanted, so I may as well make the most of the moment.
So I focused my thoughts to the two young half-women that were my apparent lunch mates. Arwen seemed very outgoing and generous. Lili seemed very quiet. I could throw in "shy", but I didn't know that. Not all quiet people were shy. Not all quiet people even stayed quiet for long. She had just woken up to seeing some random dude with white hair in her house. Er, or Arwen's house. Did she actually live here? Either way I subtly tugged the sleeve over my right arm just a tad more. They both knew I was half-daemon but I didn't think either of them had noticed my "proof" as it were. Fine by me. They'd see it eventually, but, surely LUNCH wasn't the time.
Meat.
The smell of gluttony. Thankfully that wasn't the case here: the meat was real. Arwen ended the silence as she returned with lunch. Hamburgers, fully loaded, with fries on the side? Seriously? I thought she was just going to make some sort of sandwich. The hell did she go all out for?
Well, it did smell damn good.
I made my way to the table and took a seat in front of a plate. I...honestly didn't know what to say. The shit looked amazing. Taking her advice and giving a taste test before deciding if it needed anything I bit into the burger. The taste washed out any remnants of Arwen's minor Pride and Lili's brief "outburst" earlier. All I could taste was a damn good burger.
"It...doesn't need a thing. It's pretty damn good, seriously." Of course I could give a compliment without cursing in the middle of it, but I tended to swear more than usual when I was surprised. Or loosened up. Maybe she was a noble but she could definitely cook for herself. This was way better than anything I could whip up together myself. The fries were good too: crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. I didn't really hesitate to chow down on the meal afterwards.
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