|
|
Post by Secernia on Aug 1, 2012 14:09:01 GMT -8
Secernia readied the table in the tea parlor that Kikime generally used. She had told her besty of their plans so she had left for the evening. Secernia was expected that Rust boy any minute. Tonight was the night to strike. He had to introduce her to the Gabrielle one yet, but she could still make her enemies a little bit closer. She lit the candles.
Secernia always liked fire. It created a lovely atmosphere around it. It was pretty on the outside, it flickered, you wanted to watch it... but whenever you wondered just what it was, just what made it tick... The screams of pain from a burn victim who had barely survived the inferno said it all, didn't it. Like the chorus of a song.
She blinked, realized that she had distracted herself, and went to check on the roast chicken and sweet corn meal that she had prepared, with the pot of tea and tray of biscuits for starters. She didn't have any music playing. She wanted to be able to hear the boy breathe tonight, and reminisce on how those breathes were numbered.
Secernia stepped out of the kitchen, having found everything to be in order, and towards the full length mirror on the far wall of the living space. She had her red hair down, allowing it to curl softly down her back. She wore a low cut backless top that had a somewhat lace-like texture to it, and a black high waisted pleated skirt. Secernia could see shadows play across her face as the only source of light flickered, candles caught in some unknowable wind. She stared at her features as though hypnotized before hearing him come to the door.
|
|
|
|
Post by JDGreat on Aug 1, 2012 14:23:55 GMT -8
Alright, just play this cool. No need to go completely crazy here, right? This is just a first date. Nothing major. Just...Gah, okay, you know what? Stop thinking. You'll get flustered. It's not like she's gonna slit your throat from behind whilst she sucks your neck or anything.
...
...now that's an interesting image. I swear to God, my head gets more screwed up, I'mma head to the counsellor. Or the infirmary.
Focus.
Taking a deep breath, Rust wandered out of Dorm 9 and headed the opposite way for a change. He'd been jumpy all day and oddly enough, hadn't seen any one of his friends. A shame, cause he probably would have asked Gabrielle or Jacob for advice on this stuff.
The thought of asking Ace had made the mechanic bend over laughing, afraid that he would explode from mirth.
Still...
No one else really knew about this. The sun was still up, obviously, so Rust decided to go fairly casual but still smart. Still in blue and white, he had gone with a smart short sleeved shirt with the top button undone, made out of lighter material than the traditional office shirt along with some dark blue chinos and decent shoes. His bandanna hung loose around his neck, like a designer's scarf. He looked damn good if he said so himself.
...Well, the Astral Arm had given him a thumbs up when he was done...
Here we go... Don't let me down, Me.
Finally at Dorm 12, he knocked a couple of times.
"Cerny? It's Rust. Can I come in?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Secernia on Aug 1, 2012 14:36:19 GMT -8
Secernia blinked. Was she just given a nickname by the boy? She felt her shoulders shake a little with laughter at the thought, silently, then she straightened herself and walked towards the dorm room door.
She undid the lock and drew it open slowly, "Hi Rust.." She took a moment to assess the situation at the door. He obviously made a little effort, which was refreshing. "Come in..." She gestured to the rest of the dorm and held the door open for him.
"Did you come hungry?" She wondered with a small smile, a dash of nervousness added to her tone. Her red eyes glanced all around him, taking in every detail. Her smile grew warmer, "I made a dinner... If you are.."
|
|
|
|
Post by JDGreat on Aug 1, 2012 14:48:49 GMT -8
Rust saw the redhead open the door and gave an appreciative whistle.
"Man, you sure know how to clean up..." he muttered in approval with a cheeky grin. "If you'd had told me you were getting so dolled up, I'da rented a tux." Shaking his head at his own bad joke, he stepped inside. "Err, is your roommate okay with me basically coming over like this? There were two names on the dorm sheet after all when I first got here."
...can't remember who her roommate was. Meh, whatever. Not important.
This wasn't Secernia's mind tricks, this was genuinely the mechanic being braindead about this point..
"Aww, Secernia...you didn't have to do that." Rust smiled at her. "Seriously, I woulda paid for stuff if we went out somewhere. But yeah, I kinda am hungry... Thanks."
|
|
|
|
Post by Secernia on Aug 1, 2012 15:24:45 GMT -8
Secernia laughed at his bad joke anyway, because that was what was expected in these social situations, and smile broadly, "Thank you, Rust, you don't look too shabby yourself." She replied, her face reddening slightly at his gesture. Blahblahblahbla-
She nodded and closed the door behind him as he stepped into the dorm. "Yeah, she was going out tonight anyway. She stays at her friends' dorm sometimes so I do get the place alone now and then." She said easily.
"I'll show you to the dining room for tonight..." She said, walking towards the tea parlour. "I know it's quite traditionalist and very oriental, but it wasn't my design." She explained.
She walked up to the small table dropped to her knees with what some might call skill, and raised the kettle towards his cup that was set up on the table already. "Strange to cross cultures like this, isn't it? English tea kettle, on a Japanese table?" She noted with a small laugh. "Maybe that's a silly thing to talk about..." She conceded, softly.
She pushed the plate of biscuits towards him, "Have one, they're quite nice." She said, taking one for herself. "Did you speak to Gabrielle about meeting with me?" She asked.
|
|
|
|
Post by JDGreat on Aug 1, 2012 23:34:14 GMT -8
"Huh, fair enough. Guess I'll meet her soon enough, right?" Rust shrugged. It was just a topic starter really. It was good fortune that her anonymous room mate had gone out, however. He really hated relegating anyone to third wheel status in a conversation and seeing how technically this was a date....yeah, she would have probably felt worse.
Kneeling himself (err...that is what you do, right? Christ.), the mechanic laughed a little at her cross culturing. This...was actually kinda nice and relaxing. Maybe Secernia had the right idea with this "just staying indoors" plan. Not as if they had to live up to any standards like going out would have required. Taking some tea and the biscuit she offered, Rust set them down to cool a little bit before perking up at her question.
"Not yet. I slung her a quick text yesterday, but I didn't get anything back yet. Though the poor girl is swamped with texts from her sister, so it might have just gotten lost in the shuffle. Ah well, the party is tomorrow night and she's turning up to that. I'll ask her then in person, alright?" the Brit told Secernia. "I know, it's gotta be frustrating but, hey, light at the end of the tunnel. And this time it ain't a train."
|
|
|
|
Post by Secernia on Aug 2, 2012 2:36:06 GMT -8
Secernia glanced over to him curiously and took a small bite out of the biscuit, before pouring a cup of tea for herself. She nodded at his answer to her question, "... I really appreciate it." She smiled, putting the kettle down once the tea cup was filled. She grabbed a small porcelain jug from the table that was filled with milk and added it to the tea, before placing it back on the table again.
"It's a little frustrating," She admitted, "But I'm trying to stay patient, you know? I mean, I'm doing all I can."
"So, Rust... What do you want to do after you graduate?" She wondered suddenly, to change the topic. She took another bite of her biscuit after saying so. "Do you have any ideas or are you the kind of person that just takes things as they come?"
She chanced a sip of the tea, and felt the liquid burn her tongue slightly, but she continued to drink regardless. She put the cup down, and leaned back to sit on her feet.
|
|
|
|
Post by JDGreat on Aug 2, 2012 9:16:41 GMT -8
Picking up his tea, Rust blew on it a little to clear the steam, but stopped just before he drank it as Secernia asked her out of the blue question. He put the cup back down and hmmm'd to himself.
"Well, this is going to sound pretty stupid..." he started out, "But when I was younger, I did fancy being a police officer. Not really agreed upon by my mom, which I thought was massively uncalled for, but..."
He shrugged, Secernia's mindplay having screwed his memories even further. His mother had always been less than supportive.
...she had, right? Then why is she on my laptop background? And why does she keep texting me asking if I'm okay?
Shrugging it off, he finally took a bite of the biscui-
"Besides..." She remembered, "... It was tea and biscuits that started everything."
He paused. Where the hell...?
Secernia smiled again and Rust just continued eating the snack without thinking too much. It was probably stress, was all.
|
|
|
|
Post by Secernia on Aug 2, 2012 12:47:19 GMT -8
Secernia smiled at his words. A police officer? Don't make me laugh, a wimp like him... "That's really nice. When I was younger I wanted to be a cat burglar! Just think, you could have been the one to lock me up." She teased with a laugh.
"Nowadays, I'd think becoming a psychologist would be an interesting path. It's so interesting to learn what makes people tick, don't you think?" She grinned.
She noticed his hesitation in eating the biscuit and felt her eyes go slightly narrow for a moment. He had no reason to be suspicious of her things. She had precautions around all of the things she owned in order to ensure that Kikime couldn't get her hands on anything. Nothing of hers would be poisoned.
"Is something on your mind? You seem pretty quiet..." She commented shyly.
|
|
|
|
Post by JDGreat on Aug 2, 2012 14:52:33 GMT -8
Rust just smiled at that image.
"Somehow, I doubt that. I'd never catch a teleporter, would I? You'd be gone before I knew it. Leave notes like: "The Cat has visited you! Muahaha!"...apologies. I make crappy jokes when nervous." The mechanic explained.
Listening to her honest answer, however, he smiled.
"Now there's a decent job." the Brit said. "Decent wage, good stories and you pretty much have to be empathetic to all you meet. Could be really stressful though. Listening to everyone's sob stories all the time... Pressure'll build up."
His hesitation obviously caught her attention.
"Yeah, sorry...another of those concussion dream things... wasn't you this time though, don't worry." Rust tried to reassure before eating the tea and biscuits normally.
|
|
|
|
Post by Secernia on Aug 2, 2012 15:03:27 GMT -8
Secernia laughed once again at the joke, "I know right? It would have been perfect, and I would be good at it! There are so many glamorous cat burglars to follow the footsteps of! Hahah, but sadly, it was the dream of a child." She shook her head.
She nodded, with a small laugh, "I'm sure I'd have no trouble with the pressure. If I did, I'm sure people would figure out about it." She said with more honesty than he knew.
He spoke of his concussion dreams. "What happened in it this time?" She wondered, curiously. She knew that she probably shouldn't ask him to dig into them deeper, because it would probably only speed up the process if anything, but she couldn't help but watch for his reaction.
Secernia seemed to see everything from some outside source, like she wasn't directly involved. As though she herself was just an actor in a play, a puppet on strings, some greater being thinking for her.
For a moment after this thought, she did feel Daidamus strongly present within her, like she did whenever she slept, and she paled a little at the sensation, like his hands were creeping down her back where the large and elaborate tattoo of him rest.
|
|
|
|
Post by JDGreat on Aug 2, 2012 15:27:24 GMT -8
"It was...look, not gonna lie. It was of Alora. Something about biscuits being the reason she was..."
Rust's breath quickened as he clenched his fist. The AA materialised very slightly for a second before, with visible exertion and mental pain, Rust fought it back down with a slight yelp.
"...sorry. But you get the idea." he panted, determined not to let the AA dictate how this went. He was on his first date, god damn it and his power would NOT get in the way of it!
"Cerny?" he started again, seeing her own face pale, thinking it was for another reason. "It's under control. I promise. It's okay..."
Despite the words, he felt very embarassed with himself. Of course Secernia would feel wary and frightened after seeing the AA summon itself again!
"...want me to go?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Secernia on Aug 3, 2012 1:11:47 GMT -8
Secernia watched him carefully as he began to describe how he was reminded by the biscuits. Well these are the same make of biscuits which Kikime had coated with drugs at the tea party. It would make sense that these would remind him of the incident... Memory is a funny thing... She thought to herself.
She watched his arm form and her eyebrows raised in surprise. Well the incident obviously made him very angry. She recalled her story to him and had her muscles tighten in her shoulders and curled her arms around her. She cleared her throat awkwardly as the arm went away.
"... no... No you don't have to go..." She said softly. "Um, do you mind if... I pop out and... check on the food or something?..." She slowly brought herself to a stand once more and tiptoed around him out of the room for a few minutes. Once she was out of the door she gave an audible sigh as though to gather herself.
Her mind racing in thought, she started to fix up the plates of food in the kitchen. She glanced over to the room, wondering if he would follow her out to explain or simply wait in the room and feel sorry for himself. Both were viable options in Secernia's mind for these sorts of situations.
Daidamus' presence in her mind felt almost comforting alone in the kitchen for that moment. Like a guardian. She patted at her skirt to note that her knife was still folded and tucked away against her thigh. You can never be too careful with these things.
|
|
|
|
Post by JDGreat on Aug 4, 2012 0:49:56 GMT -8
God freaking damn it!
Now Secernia thought he was flipping out again. Wasn't that just peachy? With a sigh, he nodded and let her go, giving her a bit of space for the moment. No sense in making her stop, after all.
Okay, no. Your BS stops right here. You left that first apology for nearly two damn weeks. Get your ass in there.
After a few.moments, he himself.rose.and entered the kitchen. Secernia had her back to him, so he coughed to announce his presence.
"Thanks for not kicking me right out." He started. "I promise. It won't make another appearance tonight. I'm sorry."
Then he gave a small grin.
"Unless you want it to, of course. It can be a great massag-"
Realising just what he was about to joke (damn his nervous habit of bad jokes!) He abruptly slapped a hand over his mouth.and went to exit the kitchen.
|
|
|
|
Post by Secernia on Aug 5, 2012 9:28:08 GMT -8
Secernia checked the food like she had said, putting plates full of the meal together. She sliced up the roast chicken into slivers slowly and then put them on their side on the plate, Checking to make sure it was all hot and cooked properly. She spooned piles of sweet corn onto each plate, and pulled out the creamy casserole she had made from the depths of the oven and spooned it onto the plate beside the corn.
She paused as he emerged from the room. She listened to his thank you. "No... It's okay... I... I'm trying to trust you..." She said with a small smile as though what she said was a positive thing.
She shook her head and pulled out the silver ware, chuckling slightly at his little joke, "Maybe later, after you've made me a bit more comfortable." She gave him a look and a small laugh again, placing the cutlery on the plates.
Her eyes glanced over to where he was covering his mouth, "Excuse me," She began before he had fully left, pausing for a moment.
"Would you like to take your plate?" She wondered aloud, warming up slightly once more, lifting his plate towards him. "I have a little desert after dinner so hold on to your appetite..."
|
|
|
|
Post by JDGreat on Aug 5, 2012 9:41:49 GMT -8
Rust tried his damnedest not to respond to the blatant invitation Secernia gave him in response to his awful joke. Luckily, she saved him by offering him his plate.
"Ah, thanks a lot." he muttered, taking the fairly warm plate from his grasp and managing to not screw up by NOT spilling it all over the floor like in a bad romcom. ( Progress, Kekise. Impressive.) He very nearly did at Secernia's next innuendo laden tease however.
She's going to be the bloody death of me here... he thought to himself, before responding.
"Depends on the dessert, hope it's fulfilling or at the very least, sweet." he grinned back, trying to hold back a blush as he exited with his plate.
...Dude...that was freaking bad. Never flirt again, you can't do it.
|
|
|
|
Post by Secernia on Aug 5, 2012 10:29:13 GMT -8
Secernia smiled, "It wasn't a problem... I should be thanking you really," She started, walking into the tea parlor with easy, balancing her plate on the palm of hand.
"After all, it was entirely up to you whether or not you came tonight... And I know that maybe it was guilt that brought you here... I mean... I really hope this isn't... a pity date..."
She made herself grow red in the face again, staring at her plate.
Her persona shifted slightly whenever he responded to her comment. She laughed easily, "Oh trust me." She said, finally lifting her gaze to him after the stunt. "Everybody always asks how I do it, it's so good. But I keep the recipe to myself." She grinned devilishly.
What an idiot, can't even communicate with a woman in this context. What a simple creature. Is he really that ignorant of the wider world?
She started to cut up her chicken, "Try the main course first anyway. What do you think?" She asked, glancing up to watch him eat awaiting his verdict on her food.
|
|
|
|
Post by JDGreat on Aug 5, 2012 12:07:07 GMT -8
"Nah, don't sell yourself short. Pity Date? I wouldn't do that. Disrespectful, isn't it?" Rust grinned at her. "Came here completely by choice and not regretting it at all."
Though, yet again, Secernia switched moods almost instantly.
...okay, she's either REALLY good at hiding her emotions and getting back to her flirty nature...or she's bipolar. Not sure if this is a good thing or not yet.
Play it cool for now. Nothing major, right?
Still, something to note.
Having nothing to really respond to the flirt, Rust just laughed.
"Man, you blow me out the water at this crap. Never was any good at it." the mechanic admitted. Then, he decided to chow down. The chicken was delish. The casserole just enhanced everything too.
"Very nice indeed." he mentioned to the red head. "You get the recipe from somewhere or is this your own thing?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Secernia on Aug 5, 2012 13:08:04 GMT -8
Secernia smiled warmly whenever he said that he had come her by choice, and that he wasn't regretting it. yet. "Good. That's good to hear." She said as though the news was reassuring to her.
Whenever he said that she had blown him out of the water, she laughed aloud. "You're not that bad.." She said, obviously trying to conceal the mask of You're worse..
"Hey, you know, the only way to get better is to practice- I promise not to laugh too much." She joked with a mischievous smile.
"Never have you say? I'm curious, what kind of history with girls are we talking about here?" She wondered with a playful laugh. Normal date conversation, although her eyes lit up awaiting a response.
She gave a humble nod, "I'm glad you like it. I got the recipe from one of my friend's mothers growing up. I stayed with a lot of different people I knew until I came to Solstice."
I made sure that whenever their memories came back, they didn't want to believe that it had been a lie. They wanted to believe me. I'm going to make sure that it ends up the same with you, Rust... She mentally added to her statement.
|
|
|
|
Post by JDGreat on Aug 5, 2012 13:27:03 GMT -8
Rust offered her a sympathetic look at her reassurance he wasn't that bad.
"C'mon, I'm a guy who was...well...raised by his mother, I suppose you could say in the loosest sense of the term. I'm destined to be bad at this flirting thing. And if you think this was cringe-worthy, you should have seen me before I got kicked out of school."
He shrugged slightly at the practice comment.
"I prefer not to, honestly. People should just be open about the whole thing. Makes it a hell of a lot easier in the long run without all the pussyfooting around. Like, how much easier was it for organising this little get together when you just up and asked me, right?"
Hmm... She did it again.
"As for my history...well, one girl dated me just because she thought it'd be a cool little "trophy" to have gone out with the mutant kid. Yeah, that lasted like three weeks. Apart from that and the occasional second glance, not much has happened. First proper date in...ooh...I wanna say 3 years? Think that's about right, yeah." He had the decency to blush at this. "I know, I know, I'm Forever Alone."
Rust nodded at her explanation of the recipe, taking another bite.
"Remind me to send her a thank you letter, this stuff is awesome. Though I do offer compliments to the chef."
|
|
|
|
Post by Secernia on Aug 6, 2012 7:18:57 GMT -8
Secernia gave a smile, "I suppose you're right. Being straight forward is of great benefit. Though, there are times when not saying what you mean outright can be important as well." She informed him. "I mean you don't want to give the whole game away..."
She listened closely to his history. Well I couldn't make him much sadder than he already is, could I? Not much I can alter there, I suppose. Anyway, Remember the purpose of tonight. Tonight isn't to entertain yourself. It's to assure that he will trust you.... But the twat is getting on my nerves...
She shook her head, "I've heard far worse trust me. Don't worry..." She said in a comforting voice, seemingly unphased by his admission to this being his first date in 3 years.
She smiled wider as he ate. Although her expression didn't change too much, she was pleased by his approval of her meal. It was the correct response. "Thanks... I haven't been in touch with that friend for a while though, you know the way being away for so long... Well, I guess you will, after you're here for a while longer... It's as though the rest of the world starts to disappear... I wouldn't think you'd know the feeling yet."
She glanced at him for his reaction to this information and then simply continued her meal, stabbing easily into the casserole and a piece of the meat, chewing small bits at a time to enjoy it. Secernia savored her food.
|
|
|
|
Post by JDGreat on Aug 6, 2012 23:36:06 GMT -8
"Another cryptic remark, huh?" Rust grinned at her "You seem to be pulling an awful lot of those out of the bag today. Almost like there's something you don't want to tell me." Chuckling to show it was a joke, nevertheless, his mind raised a red flag.
Timeout. She's been doing the cryptic thing every single time you've met her. There really is something she doesn't want to tell you.
Continuing to ignore the weird things his mind was telling him, Rust just shrugged at Secernia's 'heard worse' remark.
"Wasn't aware it was a competition. Besides, doesn't change the fact that it's shockingly bad." the mechanic replied, seemingly nonchalant about the whole thing.
He did pause mid bite, however, as Secernia mentioned losing the rest of the world.
"...what exactly do you mean by that?" he asked, cautiously. "The world just disappears? That sounds like you're saying once you're here, you'e here for life. Like it's some kind of prison or something."
|
|
|
|
Post by Secernia on Aug 22, 2012 15:26:59 GMT -8
Secernia gave a light laugh at his comment on her cryptic remarks. Perhaps he's actually catching on? Could be fun... "If I was hiding something, Rust... what do you think it would be, hm? What Skeletons would you imagine in my closet?" She laughed, sounding innocently curious to hear his response to the questions.
She seemed to ignore the comment about it still being bad that he hasn't got a date for 3 years. She didn't want to distract from his next query. It was a lot more fun to elaborate on... though she was overall quickly becoming sick of all this talking.
"The world seems less important, Rust... Some come here to teach themselves to become heroes, you know... How must they feel after years of isolation... Numbers of them actually grow distinctly disinterested in the world outside Solstice. They become... apathetic." She glanced him over, looking through to his expression, turning her eyes then to his shoulders, following the line of his arm with her gaze.
"It's not for life unless you make it... But the choice is yours. Why would you be part of the real world when prisons are so much more comfortable and safe..." She shrugged, explaining through metaphor the logic of those who never leave. Talking is so boring... She pushed her plate forward on the table.
"I was wondering, Rust, if perhaps I might interest you?" She tilted her head to the side, back straight. She teleported behind him and ran a finger down his shoulder and arm, where she had been staring moments before. She insinuated heavily what she meant and leaned towards his neck, remembering their fight and finding herself grinning out of the corners of her mouth.
|
|
|
|
Post by JDGreat on Aug 22, 2012 15:35:08 GMT -8
"I dunno, Cerny...not as if you got a dead body under the bed or anything, right?" Rust joked like an utter dork. "Though I gotta say...wouldn't mind ending up dead if the murderer looked as good as you do tonight.
...holy hell, did you actually say that?
Her next words brought the mood down.
That had been...depressing as hell to hear. Some never left? Couldn't function in the real world any more? Rust just stared at the girl as she continued, mind throwing up more red flags, but this time for the Academy itself rather than Secernia. It did make an awful lot of sense. Why escape a prison if you could live a life of luxury there? Better to be king of the island than citizen of the world.
Any reply to Secernia's claims, however, died in Rust's throat as the mechanic gasped at the redhead's teleport. Feeling her press up behind him, mouth breathing on her neck.
...oh....my....god....
|
|
|
|
Post by Secernia on Aug 22, 2012 16:01:15 GMT -8
Secernia laughed playfully into his ear, "You can check my room yourself if you like, just to make sure. I can show you everything. You never know, I might surprise you. What do you say?" She breathed softly, a husky sort of tone, like something primal that wanted to be fed.
Secernia could only remain her civil mask for so long. She wasn't planning on becoming it. Her hand ran up his shoulder blades and went to scratch at the back of his neck and travel into his hair. She pressed herself into his back and gave another playful laugh. Her other hand reached under his other arm passing his side and began a careful journey down.
|
|
