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 Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 1:57 am
Roleplay between ;; Count Kaosu && n e v e r l a n d - - xx ( Kaosu & Trystan Chevalier + Crux )
Location: Castello Square - Lumerion Bar&Lounge.
Time: Late Evening.
Weather: Rainy - with no signs of letting up.
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Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 3:23 am
ooc ;; sorry its so short. D8 <3 I hope this is alright.
The soft thrum of a melody struck chords throughout the entirety of the empty bar that night.
It was one of those nights again, those nights when he was alone. Trystan didn't mind it, no he actually sort of enjoyed it. He didn't have to put on any sort of mask, didn't have to play the bad guy, didn't have to pretend to be a different person. Here he could just be.... himself. Which in all honestly, was much more twisted and complicated and all around insane then his usual facade. However, contrary to popular belief, alone he was much more.... quiet. The sign outside buzzed softly with light, offering the warmth and comfort of a quiet bar and lounge. Music poured from a stereo system somewhere in back, soft and melodic, quiet and enchanting. However, the last customer had left around an hour ago, and a few minutes after that, so had the rest of the staff. Now the only other man there was the owner himself. And that in itself was usually saying something, since their staff was quite so big. Alright, perhaps that was a lie. Really, their entire crew only consisted of a few other bartenders, the owner and Trystan himself. Being a close friend of the family, the owner hadn't minded when Trystan came to him seeking a part time job. Nowadays, it was normal for him to be left alone with his thoughts on dreary nights like these. Because on nights like these, hardly anyone came around. Hardly anyone at all. The occasional sad mope would show up, and Trystan would give him or her a glass of something strong to make them forget. To the crowd, he was just another bartender. To the people who knew him, he was much more.
"Hello, hello - I bring you letters from the man you used to know."
The half demon gritted his teeth a bit, leaning against the outside of the bar counter. There were stools, but he hardly felt the want nor the need to sit in one of them. They had to choose the most depressing music. He thought bitterly to himself, closing his eyes and tilting his head back, scarred neck exposed. The man was dressed in casual bartending attire - a black skin tight vest that lay buttoned over a white, puffy sleeved undershirt. His pants were black dress pants as well, shoes a polished obsidian. The entirety of the bar was lit in dim, almost candle-like light, leaving room for relaxation, as well as a place to let loose with your thoughts. Trystan enjoyed it, within some part of his sadomasochistic mind. There was even a large, brick fire place over near the stage, where big fat arm chairs were loaded, along with a couch and long sleek glass table. Listening to the ice cubes rustle in the drink he had made for himself, Trystan took a sip, fairly lost in his thoughts as he let the alcohol soak up some of his mind and make sure all of the pain was numb to the touch. Something shifted out of the corner of his eye, and if it had been three weeks prior, he probably would have brought out his gun in a fit of anxiety. Of course, now he was almost used to - if not completely at ease and in sync - with the movement of his counterpart.
Crux lounged in one of the fat armchairs, curled by the warmth of the fireplace, a low thrum of content purring from his lips. Just like a dog. Trystan had to agree with that statement, and watched the combat proto curl even further into itself, the fire light splaying off of its robotic build. Trystan watched him for a bit, interest sparkling in the ice blue depths. For the first time in a while, the black sclera had vanished into white - even though he'd only just completed a job a few hours prior to coming to work. So lost in his thoughts, Trystan barely noticed the opening of the back door, nor the padding of footsteps until a large hand rested on his shoulder. Jumping a bit, he turned his ice blue eyes on the intruder, only to see the ever so cheerful face of the owner. "Thank you for scaring me out of my skin. Now I've actually got to put an effort into getting it back - and you know how lazy I am." He said dryly, the sarcasm dripping from his words as the other chuckled and flapped a hand. "Welcome back to the world of the living, you looked like a drone the way you were staring at that doll of yours." Trystan smiled lazily. The man had never once questioned the robotic thing that Trystan had started bringing to work with him. Usually, he had hidden until everyone else had gone home, and then let the Proto out to roam. However, the owner had seen Crux one day, and without a word, he just gave Trystan a look that really said "I dont care what it is as long as it doesn't ruin my establishment." Because really, the only thing on his mind was protecting his precious baby. Also known as the bar. He was a retired hitman after all, he had a right to live a relatively normal life.
"I'll be heading off - think you can handle the next few hours without any supervision?" The older man teased, brushing back his platinum blond hair with an aged chuckle. He was a man that Trystan - grudgingly - had come to like. As a child, he had constantly seen him around the family manor, and had snuck glances at him whenever he was making drinks or laughing along with his father. A strange pureblood. An aristocrat. Dignified, strong willed, smart, amusing. He had somehow turned out to be the perfect man for social events, for being normal, unlike how Trystan had turned out. Maybe he was envious, but then again, what right did a half breed have to be envious of a pure blood. Trystans eyes flickered down. He always had felt guilty about thinking that way of such a man who'd been so generous to him. The self contempt bubbled in his stomach even now. I'm such an ungrateful brat. He thought hatefully before glancing up at the man and sparing a smile. "What am I? Eleven? I wont burn your damn bar down, Kiger." The smile was worn and tired, but it worked enough. This man, perhaps he was one of the only few who'd ever really seen it after Trystan had taken a turn for the worse. "Dont overwork yourself kid. And get some rest - you look like hell." Laughing, the blond waved his hand and hoisted his bag onto his shoulder, exiting the club before Trystan could get a final say in.
A slight sigh came from his lips, and finally Trystan fell back into the barstool, drink in hand as he watched the man go. With a slight growl of irritation, he sipped at his drink and swung around on the stool, leaning his elbows on the polished counter and looking thoughtfully at the back wall, filled rack by rack with bottles of vodka and other liquors. Crux thrummed a bit lazily from near the fireplace. Their connection seemed to strengthen as the time wore on. An extra flare of support to keep him on his feet. The Proto didn't seem to mind the vulnerability of his partner, almost expecting that it would change into instant defense, should a customer come in. But it was raining, and dark out....
Who would ever come in at this late an hour?
Especially alone?
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Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 3:19 pm
The city was a paradox. The overwhelming crowds… The towering buildings… Despite its pretentious parade of color and life and activity, for Kaosu, the metropolis was nothing more than a graveyard. Every street harbored dangerous memories. Every face called up recollections of the dead. Every towering apartment complex reminded him of the promise society had made to him and the disaster that had ensued when that promise fell through. Yet, as much as Kao loathed the community, he depended on it. The wastelands were perilous, especially for a man who thrived on trouble. More than once he had picked a fight he could not win and had been forced to retreat back here to disappear among the booming population. He could not survive his reckless lifestyle without a refuge to fall back to, and this knowledge was the only thing that made his occasional visits tolerable. He could not live in the place, but he could not live without it. Nature was cruel, and the vagabond was mature enough to know there was nothing he could do about it.
When Kaosu reached the center of town, night had already fallen. The streets were abandoned, and an eerie silence had settled in to replace the normal hustle and bustle. The redhead sighed, for once regretting the fact that he kept odd hours. He was in trouble, and with no people around to hide him, he felt uncomfortably exposed. Those fools, Red and Dave, had tracked him for weeks all the way from Oasis. They seemed to have an unusually intense grudge against him and were determined to avenge Robert Lynd’s wife. Were he not so badly injured, he could handle them easily, but the reality was he was reaching his limit. The bullet in his head was gone, but the destruction it had wrought was not.
His wound was taking his toll. His eyelid remained stitched closed, healing. In his usual haunts, medical supplies were hard to come by, and he feared infection. Even more disconcerting, however, was the pain. The throbbing had been dull at first, numbed by nerve damage. Now, a month later, it had intensified to the point that was almost unbearable. He was perpetually dizzy. He was perpetually disoriented. He needed to amend this situation before he could even dream of escaping civilization. Hopefully his hunters had not followed him here, or he would be in for a rough fight. Frankly, he was not sure how long he could last even if he had thrown them off his trail.
As Kaosu meandered along, absorbed in his own musings, he paid little attention to where he headed. Consequentially, when he turned into a side alley, he almost tripped over an unconscious teen lounging across the path. Surprised to encounter anyone else out and about so late, the redhead curiously examined the boy. He was out like a light. His eyes were red, his veins were swollen, and he was growing cold. A junkie who had overdosed. Any other citizen might have called emergency services or gone for help, but Kao simply scoffed. Stupid kid. Seeing the scene as a golden opportunity, he knelt and looted the soon-to-be corpse for a left over fix, praying that it contained a fluid he did not recognize.
Upon finding a needle, Kaosu examined it carefully. His spirits dropped. Hydrocodone. This brat really was stupid. For a narcotic, the drug was relatively easy to obtain, frequently used for fever reduction and even bad colds, but it was notorious for inducing rapid hepatotoxicity. It was a very risky choice. At any rate, it was useless to Kao. It was fairly common, therefore it was one of the first of a long list of medicines defeated by his immune system. He might as well try to dull his pain by injecting himself with boiling water. At least it would distract him from his disabling head-ache. He had been naive to think that he could find reprieve from his pain so serendipitously -that warm, comfortable chemically induced high was forever out of his reach.
Dejected, he dropped the syringe and abandoned the adolescent to suffer the consequences of his addiction alone. Kao continued to traipse around, considering his options. He could not go to a hospital. Clinics required cash and identification. Still, he could not leave his injury unchecked. Tonight it stung worse than usual. Thoughtfully, Kao delved through his extensive mental archive of medical knowledge for a solution. After much deliberation, he finally concluded that he should at least wash the wound out to kill bacteria. Alcohol would not be too difficult to locate, even at this time of day. Selecting a rather intimidating, empty-looking club at random, he checked the door. It was not locked. Oh well -perhaps he would not have to steal?
Slipping into the polite facade he employed whenever he wanted something from someone, he pushed through the entrance and stepped inside. "Hello...? Is this dump still open?" Okay, so manners were never his strong suit. Kaosu's mind was clouded and he was too weary to care. Not waiting for a response, he casually glanced around the room. It had an... interesting atmosphere. In his opinion, it was too dark and confined (though he could not really complain: no room compared to the open, pristine rural skies). The fireplace made him nervous and it reeked of ethanol and human. That being said, it had a touch of class to it that most bars in the area lacked. The last object of interest Kao turned his attention to was Trystan.
"Something tells me you're not the owner..." Fortunately, he avoided looking over towards the flames, so he did not immediately spot Crux.
ooc| You call 1,400 words short? sweatdrop At any rate, sorry this took so long.
Err, when exactly is this RP supposed to take place? I went ahead and timed it about a month before the ball, 'cos I might do something to Kao during the ball, but if that's a problem just poke me and I can edit in a heartbeat.
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Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 6:30 pm
Tilting his head slightly at the sound of someone coming towards the door - Trystan didn't have many demonic powers to boast about, but enhanced hearing had to count for something, right? - the man closed his eyes, taking the last sip of his drink. Placing the clear glass down, the ice within it shifting with a satisfied clunk, the half demon sat back and waited. Brushing some of the hair away from his face as the stranger finally made an entrance, Trystan cocked an eyebrow but remained casually calm as he called out. A bit of irritation flared up at the mention of a "dump", and pulling his lips back into a slight grimace, the half demon rose to his feet. Crossing one bent arm over his stomach, he dipped a bow as any smart waiter would and then rose to become level with the other. So it seemed, they were both equal in height. Trystans eyes flashed dangerously, their demonic depths just whispering venom. "Monsieur, welcome." He said in a sultry tone, greeting the other as he would any customer. "Yes, we are still open - however, I could hardly refer to this place as a dump." Trystan let a sharp smile flicker onto his lips. So, just how rude was this man who'd just walked in? He'd have to find out.
As the half demon eyed him up and down, he came to the conclusion that this man looked like s**t. However, he would have been more attractive, Trystan thought grudgingly, had he not looked like someone had just tried to stick his head through a wood chipper. Brushing his hands together slightly, Trystan eyed Crux, though the Proto had fallen warily silent, knowing that it usually was not supposed to be seen by customers. But the potential threat that this man brought with him had the Essentic moving fluidly, gracefully. He was on his haunches now, red scanner glittering dangerously in the half light. Who was this man? He had best not try to do anything stupid.
Trystan hardly payed attention to the Proto as he very well should have, and instead simply moved behind the bar where a normal employee would have been found. Ushering the other over a bit, Trystan took his own glass and began to wash it in the sink before drying it and placing it down on the counter and glancing over at the man, still wondering whether he'd gone through hell or not just to get here. "Anything from the bar, monsieur? You seem like you could use something straight up... Honestly, has someone thrown you off a cliff lately?" He said casually in a purr, the ever so taunting undertone of his voice lacing into his lavish display of casual words.
Cocking his head, Trystan thrummed as he turned back to the racks of bottled liquor, placing a shot glass down on the sleek obsidian counter. The owner had always said "if you're drinking out of my bar, just dont get caught" to the man. He was shameless in taking the other up on such an offer - after all, Kiger was the kind of man who didn't give a damn so long as his heart was still beating. Examining a bottle of tequila with slight interest before pouring it into the shot glass and turning back to other man, beverage in hand as he began speaking again. Smiling lazily, he tilted his head, scarred neck glittering in the dim light. "Of course not." He replied, eyes glittering venomously as his honey sweet tone took over. "You've just missed Kiger, really. I am a simple bartender, as is obvious." With a mild gesture towards his surroundings and attire, Trystan leaned against the counter, his eyes flickering up to examine the rag tag person who'd just showed up.
Honestly, he thought with slight bemusement at the sight, I've seen dead people looking more alive then him. The joke was lost in his head, and instead Trystan just cocked an eyebrow, wondering what in gods name had happened to this poor soul. Of course, he hardly was one for caring, as he himself reeked of blood and had no room to talk, really. To each his own sin however, right? Trystan glanced down at the scars tracing over his exposed skin. Sliding a lithe finger over the extension of the obsidian marble, Trystan thrummed a low note, wondering whether or not the man would take a seat and make an order. He'd already served quite a few that night - those asking for mixed drinks, and hard liquor. Others had requested simple things such as beer and whiskey. Trystans eyes grazed over the beat up man once more. As they said, sometimes you could tell what one man acted like just by the kind of drink he took to ordering. Trystans were almost always straight up, or on the rocks. He didn't have a distinct care nor need for sweetened, mixed drinks. Did that say something about him? Who knew.
Crux tilted his head up from near the fireplace as the sweet honey venom in his owners voice returned. Trystan had never been one for being nice, so this wasn't hardly anything unexpected.... But he was still somewhat wary of this newcomer. It was a strange thing, one in itself, for one to show up so late, looking like that. Though it didn't seem like he had any weapons on him.... Crux's scanner glittered dangerously. Still, an unnarmed man was a threat, and he wasn't about to let this one off the hook. Especially with that rude, self centered demeanor.
ooc;; XD is alright, sorry this took so long as well. and that sounds really good as far as time goes I believe. =] <3 that would give Trystan enough time for Crux to have emerged and oooh... something at the ball? > u>
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Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 8:59 pm
Kaosu had not expected for the occupant of the club to be such a... colorful character. That being said, he did not really know what he had expected to find upon entering unannounced into a random establishment in the middle of the night, but Trystan definitely threw him for a loop. Even drowsy and befuddled as he was, he picked up on the venom in the stranger's seemingly innocent words. It woke up the tramp's sense of self preservation. This employee was not completely subdued and polite. This employee was not willing to turn a deaf ear to rudeness. Whereas he generally ignored the people he encountered, he now had a pretty pressing reason to invest some attention in the man. Kao could not afford to pick a fight at the moment. Maybe, for once, he ought to check his tongue?
Reluctant to behave, Kaosu carefully sized Trystan up. The first detail he noticed, naturally, was the man's unusual race. Demon. No... half demon. The vagabond blinked with intrigue -he had only stumbled on a few others of his kind in his lifetime, and he did not know whether to be pleased or uncomfortable. His second observation was more substantial. This "bartender" exuded a subtle but definite confidence. An aura. A certain decisiveness in his movements. He even sported a very impressive array of scars. This guy had seen some of the darker aspects of life, as had Kaosu. This was a quality exceedingly rare in citizens of the dreadful city, and it piqued the redhead's curiosity.
Deciding to shove reason aside in favor of learning more about the odd individual, Kaosu deliberately responded impudently. "Then you must not get out much, love. This place is so dismal I'll bet you can taste it in the drinks. And pretentious, too. Big arm chairs... A fire place... What is it supposed to be, some noble's study? Cut the ‘Monsieur’ crap, too," he scoffed. He was exaggerating now, fishing for a reaction. Would Trystan grow angry? Or was he smart enough to realize that he was merely being tested? For a second time it occurred to Kao that it might be unwise to provoke this particular male, but he buried that shred of a notion easily. Kao long ago had strangled his ability to feel fear, and without fear he could not be intimidated, even for his own good.
Only vaguely remembering the reason he had even entered the business in the first place, Kao pleasantly allowed himself to be ushered over to the bar. There, he took a seat, still lost in his own calculations. Frankly, he had entirely forgotten the fact that he wasn't exactly dressed for company until Trystan mentioned it. His clothes were torn, probably still streaked in rivulets of his own blood. He was soaked. The stitches in his eye were a swollen mess. That the bartender asked him about his sorry state was no surprise. But HOW he asked was different. That tone -what kind of server would deliberately mock a guest, no matter how banged up the guest was? Oh well. Like his fear, the part of Kao that cared about insults was dead and buried. "Off a cliff? No, but I'm surprised they didn't try that," Kao replied with blatant honesty.
When Trystan described Kiger and poured himself a glass of tequila, Kaosu’s interest waned. His gaze wandered around the room, always avoiding the glowing flames. ”As for the drink, I’ll pass. You don’t have anything strong enough, I promise,” he stated, his words painfully true. ”But I do need some alcohol. Pure ethanol would be best, but this is no chem lab and vodka is pretty damn close, so that’ll have to do.” He might have added more in an attempt to explain his strange request, but a peculiar creature finally caught his eye. Crux. At first, the sight of him did not compute. Kao’s experience with Essentics was limited at best, and he had only known service types. With his clouded mind, he had to quickly cycle through the Animal Kingdom before he understood what he was staring at was not normal. And then it clicked.
Kaosu visibly tensed. His heart kicked into overdrive. Suddenly, he became very aware of his neatly concealed gun. It took every ounce of self control he possessed to stop himself from snapping. Disgusting. That creepy little abomination of the earth had been there the entire time, hadn’t it? Why hadn’t he noticed it? ”So you’re just a simple bartender, huh?” He forced himself to calm down. He forced himself to turn back to face Trystan. ”I wonder…” That had to be an Essentic. And that form. Those claws. ”What kind of ‘simple bartender’ owns a Combat Essentic, hm?”
ooc| Sorry again for being slow. -shot- And okay, so the timing is good. <3 As for the ball, don't get too excited. I haven't entirely decided what to do there yet... 8D
LULZ sorry I completely missed the "its raining" part in my first post. <__<; >__>;
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Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 11:40 pm
Examining the torn clothing and bloody wounds with a grave look, Trystan turned away. Kiger wouldn't be happy if he found bloodstains on his counter. Brushing the edge of his empty glass, he felt the alcohol soothe the back of his throat. This man was certainly going to throw him for a loop, and if he had any chance of not blowing up on him, then he'd better calm his nerves with liquor. Sighing inaudibly as the man started to speak again, albeit quite rudely and rather irritably, Trystan breathed to stay calm. Clicking his tongue a bit, the man turned to the other as he started to dry off a glass, and his eyes only whispered danger. Who was this man, and what was he? Something was definitely off about him, but Trystan wasn't in the mood to pin it just yet. The mystery would remain for a while more. Trystan didn't want to spoil it too soon.
"Darling, I get out quite a lot thank you. Perhaps I just stray to the higher districts." He said, closing his eyes for a moment with a soft smile. The venom in his voice was clearly straining against the honey sweet tone. "The drinks are the finest the Upper District has to offer, as well as what other prestigious companies outside of the capital have to offer - perhaps your taste is more towards the rough and unrefined though?" Trystan smiled devilishly. "We import only the top of the line brands and nothing less. If you find this place dismal, then love I must start to wonder why you're here in the first place." Trystan leaned against the counter, tilting his head to the side, neck exposed and glittering with cleaved scars. His smile had disappeared. "You insult it for seeming like a nobles study yet here you lie in the heart of the Upper District where nobles are commonly found." He said lavishly, eyes sharp and ready to cut. "It is not pretentious, merely a place to relax. You cannot sit back and enjoy a quiet drink if there is music blaring and hardly any comfortable places to sit. If you'd rather a club, I'm sure I can direct you to the right place."
The feral look in his eyes dimmed, and he pushed away from the bar with a casual smile at the end of the mans sentence as well. "It is habit, I assure you. Perhaps if I were granted a name, I'd be more inclined to call you something other then such." Trystan turned his back on the other for a moment, placing the now cleaned glass onto the countertop. It was a habit of his - cleaning glassware whenever his nerves were wreaking havoc on his body. Glancing up at the reply towards his mention of cliffs, Trystan smiled a bit in a manner that spoke of experiences similar to such a thing. "Then you'd best be careful, we wouldn't want to find your corpse at the bottom of a cliff in the near future, do we?" He asked in a sultry teasing manner, turning to the other again, eyes flashing in slight amusement.
At the mention of ethanol, he cocked a brow and turned towards the other, looking at him with a bit of amusement. "And what kind of man drinks pure ethanol? Shame, we dont have any, unfortunately." However, Trystan failed to mention that he probably had some stored in the kitchen in his apartment. Turning as the other mentioned vodka, Trystan smiled lavishly. "Vodka, straight? Coming right up, sir..." The purr on the edge of his throat was obvious as he went to work, the clear liquid filling the shot glass in one quick motion. Placing it in front of Kao, he also left the bottle near the glass, knowing the man would most likely head for a refill soon enough.
Feeling the connection in the back of his mind pulse to life as he was about to turn away from the other, Trystan stopped in his tracks. Trystan... The Proto thrummed, tilting its head ever so slightly at the sight of the other noticing him. Instead of sitting on his haunches, Crux realigned to his full height with a wary thrum. This could have been quite bad. With a dangerous glint in his eye, Trystan watched as the elongated fingers once again made a change into sharp, gleaming knives. It wasn't the best solution, but if he had to, he'd resort to violence. Listening to Crux thrum in the back of his mind, Trystan flashed his eyes dangerously. The others scanner seemed to be able to pick up certain things like an actual x-ray scanner, so it was no surprise when in his mind, Crux told him there was a gun hidden on this mans person. s**t. Trystan thought, and it was no wonder the next thing he decided was Kiger will kill me if I make a mess in his bar.
When the other began to talk, Trystan felt his side for his own concealed weapon, the cool metal pressing into him like a reminder of his dangerous lifestyle. Tilting his head, eyes glimmering dangerously, he watched the other. "I am not inclined to allow myself to be so open with strangers, love." He purred, though he watched this man carefully as Crux crouched down against the couch, knives still readied in case of a need to protect his master. "Those words were truth, here I am a simple bartender...." A smile crept up onto Trystans face. "Out there.... Out there is another matter entirely." His eyes were dangerously close to glittering venom now, sharded with amusement and interest. So this man did not like Essentics, eh....? Strange, Banning had asked him for disgression. And here he was, being confronted by a stranger. Trystan smiled. It seems like I'm letting a lot of people down today.
"Combat Essentic? Love, this is Crux." Trystan smiled, and as if having been signaled, Crux left his position on the couch, and was soon enough perched around Trystans shoulders like a robot waiting for a command, its red scanner shimmering dangerously. "Good evening." Crux said softly, though he was hardly in the mood to be nice. When Trystan was tense, he was on the verge of going chaotic. And this man... this demon kin was not helping matters at all. Raising a hand to Crux, Trystan looked at the other, his eyes glazed over with the intention to kill.... or at least fight if it came down to a brawl. "You seem troubled." He smiled like a feral predator, cornering its prey. "Is something the matter?"
ooc;; XD its no problem, I post just as slow! x ox <33 and rofl, I get excited over the smallest things. XD; <3
+ rofl, no problem, no problem! <33 I kind of forgot about it too. XD;
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Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 12:55 pm
Kaosu remained quiet for quite a while, distracted by Crux’s presence. He only slightly listened to Trystan talk, focusing on taming his own thoughts. Sure, the Essentic annoyed him. Made him uncomfortable. That was irrelevant, and he could not afford to lose his cool with such a dangerous man in the room. He killed his emotions. He forced himself not to care. He retreated all the way back to his basic instincts, slipping into his infamous perfect calm. The place that allowed him to tolerate his pain. The place that allowed him to live without regrets, despite his long history of sin and folly. The place that allowed him to pull the trigger on a woman he knew was innocent, taking a life for an ideal as petty as revenge. That slightly sociopathic corner of his mind drowned all anger, fear, or guilt and allowed him to behave rationally, even under intense pressure. And Trystan definitely exerted pressure.
Kao could almost feel antipathy and ill intent rolling off of the bar’s employee in waves. Fortunately, the tramp was too reckless to be concerned. Instead, he continued to wonder about the other male’s nasty temperament. Maybe his fellow demon had not been a murderer for very long? For many, adjusting to the lifestyle was worse than enduring puberty. It fostered all kinds of insecurity and paranoia that could easily explain why Trystan had gotten defensive so rapidly. After all, Kao was not openly seeking conflict and had never said anything exactly threatening himself. Or perhaps the “bartender” was not a newbie, but an expert? Repeated success created arrogance and overconfidence. More than a few ruffians forgot reason and learned to be aggressive and pushy after a couple easy missions. Well, whatever was behind Kao’s current predicament, he needed to deal with his throbbing head before he could worry about a solution.
Wordlessly, Kaosu dug through his pockets, searching for anything clean. Fortunately, he found an unopened package of gauze left over from when that doctor had removed the bullet from his head. Ignoring the bottle of vodka entirely, he gingerly lifted his glass and tipped it carefully, pouring some into the cloth. He took a deep breath then carefully applied it to his eye. The liquid stung sharply, almost enough to make him wince. Finally he spoke, his tone perfectly casual, ”We’re in the Upper District, are we?” He genuinely had not bothered paying attention to where he wandered. ”Tell me, why are you so proud of that? You seem to be confusing good taste with bad prices. What makes your brands so “top of the line”?” He finished cleaning out his wound. Already the fog in his mind began to disperse. ”Take it from a guy who doesn’t drink for alcohol… who doesn’t even remember what it’s like to be buzzed. The only difference between vintage champagne and Two Buck Chuck is a couple of years and the income of the people who manufacture them.”
He toyed with his remaining vodka. ”I don’t have a habit of visiting bars at all, really. They’re kind of useless establishments. But when necessity arises, it doesn’t really matter whether I’m in a club or the lobby of the Palace Hotel. Romanee Conti has the same chemical value as wine coolers.” Deciding that this part of the conversation drew too much information from his experiences as a noble, he changed the subject, ”At any rate, I don’t really bother with names. My mother called me Brat, my brother called me Kaosu. You can call me Karen for all I care as long as you stop monsieuring. And just for the record, it’s rude to ask for a name without first giving your own.” Through all of this, he managed to keep his tone even and strictly conversational, ignoring the heavy tension that had built in the room.
”’Monsieur’ too honorific. We have the same profession, you and I,” Kao hummed almost pleasantly. ”Well, I’m sure the circumstances are different. You probably have clients, make commissions, and get paid for your work. But at the heart of things what we do for a living is identical.” As he talked, his gaze drifted over to Crux. ”That being said, I’d like to give you some advice.” His demeanor was too nonchalant, as though he was discussing a harmless matter like the weather. ”Use a bit more discretion. It may be hard to listen to a fool like me, who got himself shot in the face and is lucky to be alive, but seriously. If you run around trying to intimidate every single armed character you meet with that cute little hostility of yours, you’re going to get yourself into trouble. You might as well be wearing a t-shirt with a target on it. Yeah, you’re tough, but you will come across someone stronger, and when that day comes a scrap of modesty would serve you well.”
Not that Kao was being particularly modest himself. ”Pride doesn’t matter much when you’re bleeding to death all alone on your most important job. Every fight you avoid is one less you have to survive.” Finally he took a sip of his liquor. ”I don’t really have a reason to fight you, but if I must I can come up with one. Instead, why don’t we try to take advantage of this dump and relax a bit.” Throughout his speech, he kept his eye on the Combat Essentic. ”Maybe you can even help me. I trust you’re familiar with the man named Banning DeLonghy?”
ooc| Whoo, that took me a whole ten minutes less than the last one! xD I'm improving. <333
So we both forgot the rain. <__< >__> Who cares about the setting anyways? -shot-
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 1:22 am
Trystan forced himself to tame his underlying venom, a hint of malice still glittering in his eye. Perhaps he was overbearing and overprotective. Perhaps he just couldn't handle people insulting places that ought to be renowned. Feeling Crux in the back of his mind, telling him that he needed to behave, the demon shuddered a bit, turning to the other with a soft yet refined look, taming the venom as best he could, even though he was hardly in the mood for playing the nice one. "Of course." He said softly, pouring himself his own vodka in an attempt to sooth his own nerves. "I'm not proud of that. Perhaps I am just... overprotective." Trystan smiled fluidly, eyes shining with a strange light for a moment before passing into oblivion.
"I am hardly confusing the two. They are top of the line due to high demand, and the time and effort put into such a drink." He paused, cocking his head to the side. "Though perhaps I simply have too much of a refined taste." A smile played on his lips. "A man who doesn't drink alcohol...? Then how would you know the difference? My apologies, I suppose I typically cater more towards the picky side of the Upper District." His eyes flashed but the venom had been toned down. "I have never tasted.... anything apart from what they call top of the line." He forced his tone to hold modesty, not wanting to ruin his chances with the other.
Sliding a hand towards his glass, he took a careful sip of his vodka, watching this man just a bit more carefully then usual. He had been a bit oblivious to think that no one would come in that night, in the sort of weather that made everyone run for cover. Well, what was done was done, and now that Crux lay on his shoulder, he decided he would just wing it. Winging it. It was such a stupid saying, but it almost always worked for him. "I see. Quite a lot of things are useless establishments, if you put it in perspective, though most of them are used extensively by humans and demons alike - or else they wouldn't exist now, would they?" Trystan eyed the other carefully, not wanting to make any more slip ups. He didn't even know how strong the other could be. That was a bit of an excitement to him. Sadomasochist. Crux thought within his head. Trystan grimaced a bit. Perhaps...
Turning to c**k an eyebrow at the other as he gave him a name, Trystan whistled listlessly. "Kaosu it is then." He purred, blinking at the others inquiry into his own name. The hit man usually didn't like giving off information, even as simple as that, and faltered inwardly for a moment, maintaining his nonchalant demeanor towards the other as best he could. Should he lie? The other hadn't. Oh ********, what was a little risque anyway? The obsidian haired man smiled listlessly. "Trystan." He said softly, his voice a low purr. "I'd say a pleasure to meet you, but I'm not quite sure the feelings mutual." Craning his neck a bit, he watched the other, trying to maintain the tense atmosphere as best he could. He was still on edge about the other, and he could feel Crux almost snarling in his mind that this guy might be trouble. He wanted to tell him to calm down, but the Essentic probably wouldn't do very good at that at all.
"Same profession?" Trystan narrowed his eyes, then let a careless smile fall on his face. "I see, that explains a lot about the both of us then, doesn't it? No need for further introductions." He paused at the mans next statment, and cocked an eyebrow. "Clients... I suppose that would be a fitting term for them. Identical? In general... Yes, I suppose." He shrugged, as Crux shifted to get a closer look at the man. I dont need advice, he almost said to the other as he listened. Smiling a bit dangerously at the other when he finished with his word of caution, Trystan sat back, eyeing him a bit. "I hardly should take advice on discretion from you." He said loftily in an almost teasing manner, looking the man up and down. "You seem to have hardly any yourself." Shaking his head, Trystan eyed the other seriously. "I assure you, I do not use this cute little hostility of mine for intimidation purposes. Most of the time, he is not even within view."
Sighing, Trystan rubbed his forehead a bit. "I've played with armed characters much longer then Crux has been with me - if you really think I'll change simply because he hangs off of my shoulders and does what I ask of him then you're sadly mistaken." Eyeing the other lazily, he leaned against the counter, ice blue eyes flickering with casual.... pleasantries? Scary. Smiling a bit, Trystan glanced the other over. "I'm going to get myself into trouble? And yet you're the one looking like you've been through hell, despite the lack of an Essentic." He thrummed a bit, and Crux hummed as well. His eyes hardened a bit at the next thing he adressed. "Trust me, I've come across a s**t load of stronger people, and modesty never was my strong point... though perhaps you can teach my something on it, since you seem to be well off preaching about it to me yourself."
Cocking an eyebrow at Kaosu's next words, Trystan narrowed his eyes. Perhaps that was a true statement... However Trystan was a cocky son of a b***h who always got himself into situations just for the hell of it. At the mention of pride, he soured, his gut twisting a bit. "Thats an interesting statement, considering." Trystan thrummed a bit turning his eyes to his glass of vodka. "I've never had much pride however, so I doubt it would go down much further even if I was bleeding to death like that." Pausing, Trystan watched the other, and then sighed a bit when they finally seemed to find something in common. Dropping the bartender act, he just let the honey sweet tone fall away into his casual dry voice, even though some of the aristocratic bitchiness still stood. "I have no reason to fight you either, nor a want to." He said loftily, refilling his glass as the other continued on. What was this about relaxing? Trystan snorted in a bit of a laugh. "Relaxing?" He repeated afterwards, giving the man an incredulous look. "By all means, be my guest." Shifting a bit, Trystan cocked an eyebrow at the other at the mention of Banning.
"Not as much as I'd like." He stated honestly, leaning to the side a bit. "I am familiar with him... but probably not to the extent that I would hope for." His eyes lifted carefully, glittering with danger and interest as he looked at Kao in slight amusement."But I'm curious... For what reason are you interested in Banning, I wonder."
ooc;; and it took me a hell of a lot longer on this one! XD sorry it took so long! D8 <3
yeah, we both did.... but its inside so.... >> << no one really cares about the weather anyways. XDDD unless they're outside. > w>
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 1:59 pm
Kaosu noted cheerfully that Trystan, if only a little had begun to calm down. He was more amused than relieved. He had too much self confidence to have been truly concerned about starting a fight. If his eye set him at a disadvantage, he would just have to disadvantage his opponent more. Still, the fact that he had managed to actually deter a conflict, a feat he seldom achieved, seriously stroked his ego. He had never attempted to play self-righteous pacifist before, and the results were gratifying. He avoided pain. He avoided unnecessary chaos. He had proved that he was above aggression –that he was above the other. It sure beat being shot in the face. It also set him in an unusually conversational mood. ”Overprotective, huh?” he repeated, mulling the statement over. He scoffed, ”Do you honestly think that the Upper District needs you to protect its reputation? If anything, your presence here harms it.” After all, pay-for-hire killers were not exactly beneficial for property values. They were the lowest of the low. Even Kao had more claim to civility than a common assassin. He rarely murdered for anything outside of self defense. He never deliberately sought bloodshed.
”Again, high demand does not equal taste,” the tramp corrected, fully aware of just how pretentious he was behaving. ”Demand is dictated by supply, which is entirely artificial. Expensive wine manufacturers deliberately limit their production. Like gold, rarity is what gives liquor its value. Also like gold, liquor’s value is only superficial.” Once again toying with his glass, he added, ”I may not drink now, but back in those six glorious months when alcohol actually worked for me I had more than my fair share of it. My parents had similar tastes to you, I’m afraid, so in a matter of weeks I consumed as much money in champagne and imports as many people make in a year. When alcohol’s edge began to fade, however… that’s when brand stopped mattering. That’s when I corrected my priorities. Flavor before pomp,” he mused on. Blegh, he was talking too much tonight. Maybe it was because this snobby, rough noble reminded him of what he himself once was? ”You should try switching one day. You might just find that “refined taste” of yours is nothing more than ignorance and hot air.”
When the topic shifted to bars, he shrugged absently, ”All the existence of dumps such as this proves is that humans are weak and prone to overindulgence.” For the first time, there was a trace of spite in his tone. In all honesty, he did not care much for showiness or opulence. That he had willingly, deliberately abandoned. That did not change the truth that he was secretly jealous of those who could enjoy the finer things of life. Those who were still physically and emotionally capable of being wasteful. Though practical, his ascetic lifestyle was not particularly rewarding. ”At any rate, I guess it’s nice to meet you, Trystan,” he replied casually. He could tell that the bartender was attempting to maintain the tension in the room, but he was not going to take the bait. He, himself, had abandoned all traces of hostility. Frankly, he was surprised that the stranger had given him a real name. People in their particular line of work tended to not be very forthcoming. ”Don’t take it personally. I just dislike the city in general… and being too friendly is usually bad for my health.”
When Trystan mentioned their jobs again, Kao smiled. There went that notorious dramatic irony of his again. Sure, they had countless things in common. They both had to overlook their morals. They both ended lives. They both were cocky bastards. They both carried out a dark existence. That painful, inevitable reality made them more so kin than did their demonic heritage. Yet, there was a crucial, key difference between them they most likely would never overcome. Kaosu could tell that his acquaintance did not like being lectured. This only encouraged him to do it more. ”I suppose I haven’t always practiced discretion myself, no. But I like to pretend that I can learn from my mistakes. So yes, I am a hypocrite. But I do know for certain that I’ll never sneak back into a hostile town for something as silly as a ball invitation, that’s for sure,” He continued, deliberately ignoring the mention of Crux. He did not want to even think about sharing a room with an Essentic, regardless of the situation. ”And I also know that your cute attitude is risky. ‘Being dragged through hell’ has given me a new perspective on this game of ours.” In order to prove his point, he winked his right eye, temporarily blinding himself. “Trust me. As long as you keep acting like that, you’re going to get in over your head, pet or no pet.”
It probably had been a bad move to mention pride, since young men these days were practically oozing with it, but Trystan seemed to be calming down nicely. This made Kao a bit bold. “Don’t have much pride?” he laughed. “Keep telling yourself that. I believe you are the very definition of pride.” Absently, he pushed the vodka glass away and tucked away the gauze. When the other finally inserted that he didn’t intend to attack, Kao took it is as his cue. He completely dropped his careful, controlled façade along with his guard. Considering his circumstances, this was a really reckless thing to do, but it was better than squaring off with some server. “I already knew you had no reason,” he teased offhandedly. Knowing the male was still wary, he reached into his coat and drew Lynd’s old gun. Nonchalantly, he set it on the counter, closer to Trystan’s reach than his. Only a month ago, he would have been terrified of disarming himself, addicted to the comfort a weapon afforded him. Losing his vision had replaced that emotion with the notion of “what do I have left to lose?”.
“And yes, let’s relax. I don’t get to relax very much, so I might as well stop snobbing snobbery and give this place a chance,” Kaosu mused, absolutely comfortable despite his perilous position.. As casual as he behaved, however, the redhead did pay close attention to the other’s reaction to Banning’s name. “Mmmm, I wonder. To what extent would you like to be familiar with him, hm? I heard he was handsome, but that must be an understatement.” Lucky lucky. He had piqued Trystan’s curiosity. “It’s kind of hard to explain what I want to do with him, really. It pretty much depends on the situation and how willing he is to answer my questions. I guess the first thing on my ‘list to do’ is meet him.”
ooc| Hahah, this one took me some four hours. Graft kept distracting me. <__<; Don't worry about it- take your time. <3
xDD Hooray for being inside.
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Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 3:29 am
Trystan chuckled dryly at the comment about him being overprotective. Well, it didn't matter that the other had misunderstood - he had never been good with wordplay, after all. "I'm afraid thats not who I was referring to." He said evenly, though no challenging tone was held in his voice - just a simple correction. Yes, that was true. He was a hinderence to the Upper District. In fact, he was probably a harmful existence to everything that the peaceful world stood for. His eyes glittered a bit as he considered just what he had meant. "I'm not protective of the Upper District. For all I care, it can rot just like the world its been built into." He sighed in the faintest of manners, downcasting his eyes to his cold beverage. Just what was he protective over? This place? The owner? Kiger flashed in his mind - the man who'd been more like a father to him then his own biological one. "It doesn't need me at all - hardly. I dont care that my presence harms it." He smiled devilishly. "I have business I need to tend to here, and whether or not I'm ruining the reputation of this place just by being here doesn't matter to me."
Turning his eyes up towards the other as he retorted a comment about fine taste, Trystan tilted his head to the side, listening to the other for a moments worth. "Is that so." He smiled listlessly. "I suppose you would be the wiser of us two, after all, you've probably tasted more kinds of liquor then I could count." Usually, he would have been angry by this mans retort, but he was too tired to care. Really, talking didn't seem to be that bad now, as long as they weren't trying to kill each other. "Maybe I'll switch one day. I'm sure it would be a lot cheaper, after all." Trystan responded, leaning against the bar counter and taking another sip as he contemplated this man and where he was from. He seemed knowledgable in some areas, and demonic in others. He was a bit irrational, but nothing Trystan couldn't put up with.... He hoped, at least.
Refilling his glass as the buzz of alcohol started to seep into his system and loosen up his emotions, Trystan thrummed a low note, considering all that was being said. "Humans have always been weak." He said lazily, staring into his glass. "Theres nothing that will change that. Overindulgance however.... that is commonly located in every species." Trystan smiled, taking a sip from the glass as he eyed the other. "It just varies on how much we're able to control it. Like you said, humans are weak... The world they've created shows that well enough." He said, as if demons were hardly to blame for the world outside of their own. At the mention of it being nice to meet him, Trystan cocked a brow, loosening to the idea of talking idly with the man. The tension in the room had almost slipped away into nothing by now. The alcohol was surely numbing his mind. "Its nice to meet you too." He responded automatically, surprising himself with his general lack of dryness, especially to a stranger. Shrugging at the mans next words, Trystan just glanced to the side. "Dont worry, I wont." He said loftily, eyes flickering. "You dislike it? Then why are you here?" Trystans tone was nothing short of curious, but nothing more either. "Being too friendly?" Trystan snorted. "Now thats a laugh."
Coming upon the others talk of discretion and such again, Trystan just watched the other, wondering what was so different about them. He'd said that in the end, their line of work was the same... But Trystan couldn't help but wonder what was the difference between the two. Scowling a bit at the rest of the lecture, Trystan waved a hand in mild irritation at being talked down to. Or at least, feeling that way. "Dont we all. Learning from mistakes has become a thing of the past. And we're all hypocrites here, so dont start making yourself out to be the only one." Trystan glanced up at the mention of a ball invitation, and then let a dry chuckle fall from his throat. "You snuck into this place for a ball invitation?" He repeated out of a bit of disbelief. With a snort, he cocked a brow. "That sounds relatively stupid, if you ask me." At the mention of a cute attitude, Trystan couldn't help but c**k a grin and smile at Kaosu dangerously. "Cute attitude? I'm risky? When was this?" He asked in dry sarcasm before listening to the other seriously and taking another sip. "This game of ours you say. I wonder what game it is you're referring to." He said in mild interest, though it was more to himself then anyone. "Getting in over my head has been a habit of mine for a while." Trystan shrugged, glancing back at the ceiling. "Like you said, one day I'll get myself into a situation I cant get out of. I cant change that. Now its just a matter of how long I'll be lucky for."
Pride. ******** pride. Yeah, Trystan might have looked like he reeked of it, but the truth was that is was all just a facade. Underneath it all was nothing but uncertainty. "I will keep telling myself that." He grinned at the other, cocking a brow in a dry manner. "I could say the same for you - I'm not the one lecturing after all, am I?" Trystan tilted his head to the side. "Everyones able to be fooled, it just depends on how good your act is." He shrugged and leaned back, wondering just how deep he'd gotten into his own illusions. Looking down as the gun was placed on the counter, Trystan watched for a second before sighing. "An eye for an eye." He whistled, knowing the saying was out of place but waggling his own gun up in the air for a second before placing it down with Kaosu's own. Similar to the other, he was really just thinking of what he even had to lose anymore. Whistling to Crux, Trystan watched as the Proto sighed inaudibly and hesitantly moved back to the couch. "So long as we're just going to talk, theres no harm." He murmured as an explanation.
"Relaxation is a hard thing to come by, but I guess we can give it a chance." Trystan said dryly, shrugging. He wondered why the other was interested in Banning once more, and at the mention of being familiar, he couldn't help but scowl a bit. "Familiar enough, but not in the way you might be thinking." He said, taking another defiant sip. "Handsome, but sadly not my type." He responded with sarcasm, shrugging one shoulder up. "And perhaps I should direct that question back at you. You seem to be quite interested in him as well. Coming all the way here just to see him, I'd have to say thats a bit more of an interest in him then I have." Trystan cocked a brow at the mans next words, mulling them over in his head for a second with a hum. "Well, you aren't going to meet him by hanging around with me. Best bet is going to his store, or to his manor, if you want to be that risky." Trystan cocked a brow, finishing off another drink and looking back at Kaosu. "Just what questions are you planning on asking him, anyways?"
ooc;; this one almost took two days! XD;
sorry for the wait! > A>;;;;;; <33333
XD <3 thanks for being so patient! D8 <333
and rofl, yeah, hooray!
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Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 7:04 pm
Kaosu remained stoic when Trystan corrected him. So he had misinterpreted the bartender’s words? If not the Upper District –if not his pompous way of life- then what was the man overprotective of? His Essentic? This particular bar? Absently, the redhead dismissed the topic. If the answer really mattered, he would find it in due time just by continuing to converse. And as for being incorrect, he handled it gracefully. This would not be the first time he had misjudged someone. If he had perfect intuition, he would not have underestimated Robert Lynd’s courage. He would still have both eyes. ”Responsible, aren’t we?” he finally replied. ”It’s nice to see youngsters so dedicated to their… work these days.” His voice was heavily sarcastic, making it unclear which of Trystan’s professions he was referring to.
The air started to loosen up. The tension dispersed. Maybe, for once, Kao really could relax. That was a surprise. He had not been expecting Trystan to be so reasonable under his rough tough guy exterior. He quietly listened to the server talk, deciding not to comment until the topic of humanity arose. Interested, he raised a brow. “Mmmm, I’m afraid this is a concept that I’m not entirely familiar with. I can’t exactly say I’m experienced with ‘overindulgence’,” he began. He had no home, no money, and owned nothing more than the clothes of his back. ”But you speak as though you are not one of them. Those “weak humans”.”. He smiled, ”Don’t you also contribute to this world’s imperfection? Aren't you part of the problem?” He chuckled, ”I know I do. And if we are the source, then why can’t we change it?” From liquor to philosophy. They sure did like to discuss pretentious things.
Kao noted with a mixture of jealousy and amusement that Trystan kept downing more and more drinks. People who were buzzed were fun to play with. Talking down to him had gotten him all hot and bothered, that’s for sure, so the tramp opted to shift his strategy a little. Maintaining his superior attitude, he shrugged gruffly, “That fiasco of mine… It sounds stupid because it WAS stupid. But unless I get killed in the near future, it will all be worth it,” he mused. He returned Trystan’s cocky grin. He leaned across the counter, pointedly drawing closer to Trystan. “Don’t play dumb, love. You know well and good what game I’m talking about,” he hummed. For Kao, at least, it was an obvious metaphor. People who killed without a plan did not last very long. “Though it doesn’t really matter. We can play whatever game you’d like…” Back to the lecturing. “But you still ought to be more careful. I wouldn’t always count on luck to get you out of your troubles. She’s a fairly fickle mistress who's always gone by the time morning rolls around. I recommend that you learn to control your own fortune. Cheat it, if you will.”
When Trystan replied about pride, he scoffed. He could preach for days on this pride. “Oh, don’t worry about me. I know I’m prideful. Everything I do is rooted in it. I’ve pretty much given up myself as a lost cause,” he continued nonchalantly. “I only hope that I can make up for that by guiding kids like you away from it.” He was kidding –he knew he was in no position to tell others what to do with their lives. “I don’t know anything about putting on an act, but that way I’ll at least get to put on a show.” Kao was doing a fairly good job of entertaining himself, but upon hearing the phrase an "eye for an eye", his mood soured slightly. "An... interesting choice of words," he laughed weakly. "Talk about a broken idiom. Trust me, if someone goes so far as to shoot your eye, you won't be interested in fair trades anymore." He definitely hadn't. Catching himself getting touchy, he hastily, abruptly changed the subject. Feigning disappointment, he added, "So long as we're just going to talk? How sad. And here I was thinking that tonight might be a little interesting."
Toying around seemed to help him recover, therefore Kao took another easy shot. ”So, if Banning is not your type, what is?” he prodded in a tone that made it hard to determine whether he was joking or serious. ”You’ve misunderstood me. I didn’t drag myself all the way to Vargash just to meet him. The city… it tends to be safer for a guy in my current condition. I don’t have any more friends here than in the wastelands, but at least here no one is trying to kill me. And as long as I'm here, I might as well take in the...” he smirked. "Sights." He was not being entirely honest, but he was not about to spill his guts to a stranger about his true intentions. "What do you think I want to ask the noble who brought back Essentics?"
ooc|Asdfjlk; don't ever apologize for taking too long. xP We're both slow.
This post may or may not be slightly influenced by fireplaces. >__> <__<
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 2:29 am
Trystan watched the other react to his words, curiously setting his glass aside and forcing himself not to pour another drink. He had too much alcohol in his system already, even if he hardly looked like it. Even if he wasn't drunk, he was probably still buzzed enough to be slightly stupid. Still, the demon managed to maintain an air of sensibility around him. When Kaosu brought up the matter of responsibility, Trystan chuckled and shook his head. "An interesting choice of words." He responded, and then stiffened a little at the youngster comment. Coloring a bit despite himself, Trystan covered his mouth and turned his head to the side, ears burning a bit. The worst part about having alcohol in his system was that he was more susceptible to showing emotions. "I'm not that young." He protested behind a clasped hand, slowly removing it with a hint of hesitance, at least until the heat in his face died just a bit.
Feeling his muscles relax bit by bit, Trystan shook off the daze that the liquor was trying to create. If he didn't stay focused on this man, he was almost certain all hell would break loose. Listening to the other respond to him, he shrugged one shoulder up and cocked a brow. "I'm not sure whether thats a good thing or a bad thing." He responded loosely, leaning against the bar and cocking one of his feet up behind the other. "I dont consider myself one of them." Trystan smiled listlessly at Kaosu. "I consider myself something much worse." He shrugged, glancing to the side, watching as the ice at the bottom of the empty glass glittered in the soft light. "I contribute heavily to this worlds imperfection. You and me both, if I may be so daring." He said with a smile. Cocking a brow at the mans next words, he leaned up a bit, glancing at the other in slight curiosity. "Because we are only a small part of the source? Two men cant change an entire world. Why bother trying?" He paused a bit, eyes flashing. "Dont call me pessimistic, thats just what I believe."
Watching the other shrug, Trystan tried not to lunge for another bottle of liquor, and opted for staying rooted to the spot. The other was practically screaming superiority, and Trystan tried to ignore that and push it out of his brain. After all, he was used to being top dog. Being shoved down from that spot didn't make him a happy camper all the time after all. "Is that so. Then why would you do something as idiotic as that? You're sitting here preaching to me about being more careful and not doing anything stupid, but you're just walking proof that you've already been through it all." Trystan snorted a bit. "And you look like you aren't going to stop even though you've had your eye shot out - or am I mistaken?" He cocked his head to the side, straightening up when the other drew closer to him, eyes flashing dangerously. "Love?" He responded faintly, not moving away from the others daring position. In fact, he accepted, and returned the others movement with his own. "Are we that friendly already, Kaosu?" Smiling sharply, Trystans shrugged one shoulder up. "Perhaps I do, perhaps I dont... is that really a problem though?" He considered it in the back of his head, watching the other make another off handed comment. Whatever game he liked? Trystan bit back narrowing his eyes. If Kaosu wanted to play this kind of thing, then so would he. "That sounds like an invitation, and I'm horribly tempted to take it." He said back, before tilting his head as the other returned to lecturing. Dammit. "Alright alright, I'll be more careful, okay?" He said, hoping it would make the man stop lecturing him. Smiling devilishly, Trystan cocked a brow. "Control my own fortune? Thats like saying control your own fate. Of course, if you've got the secret to being able to do such a feat then do share." Now Trystan was just begging for being lectured again. Whether he knew it or not.
On the topic of pride, Trystan fell back into silence a bit. He didn't really care for such a thing much at all, but Kaosu seemed like he knew all about it. "A lost cause? Good luck with that." He discerned carelessly with a shrug. Trading a look of faint interest in the other, he cocked a brow at the mention of kids and felt color flood to his ears and the edge of his cheeks again as he set Kaosu with a nice frown. "I already told you, I'm not a kid." He said, puffing his cheeks a bit before realizing that wasn't helping his cause and quickly trying not to make himself seem anymore childish then he might have already been. Smiling listlessly at the others mention of acts, Trystan shrugged a shoulder up, eyes glittering in amusement. "Well then, finally something I know that you dont." He said in good nature with a small grin before it turned to a bit of something else. "Hopefully I wont be careless enough to get myself shot in the eye anytime soon." Trystan smiled lazily, and then closed and tapped the opposite eye of the one that Kaosu had rendered useless. "But if I do, I'll make sure they shoot this one so we can match up." When the other feigned disappointment, Trystan cocked a brow and leaned in a bit, and if he'd had a tail, it probably would have been wagging slowly in amusement. "Interesting...? Well, what is it that you mean by that? I'm sure I can show you a good time, with more then just talking, if you're going to look so down about it."
At the question of what was his type, Trystan cocked a brow, and tilted his head to the side in a slightly seductive manner. Whether it was intentional or not was hardly clear, but the smooth, exposed skin was enough. "I cant tell you, its a secret." He responded with a curious smile, eyes glittering in good humor and something more. Then Trystan glanced to the side, contemplating his options a bit as the other persisted. "Ah, I see. My sincerest apologies then. Though its... understandable that you would come here, I suppose." He glanced back at the other, cocking a brow. "No more friends here?" He tilted his head to the side, mulling the information over. "Then where are you staying? Pray tell not on the streets." Trystan huffed, shaking his head a bit. At the mention of sights, Trystan couldn't help but c**k a grin and tilt his head, humming ever so softly. "Sights? I could show you something much more interesting then that." He responded, but similar to Kaosu, it was impossible to see whether he was joking or not. At the return to the conversation of Banning, Trystan thrummed a bit, curiously amused. "The man who brought Essentics back?" Trystan smiled a bit. "Surely you'd want to ask him what his type is." He joked a bit, and then fell into a slight serious manner. Or an attempt at one at least. "No, I think I know what questions - or at least some of them - you'd want to ask." He smiled lazily. "After all, I've still got a few of my own, so I guess we're almost on the same page."
ooc; XDD; well, we're just two peas in a pod then, eh? XD <3
> _> < _< ohreally? I like fireplaces... > w>;;; [/shot!]
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 6:27 pm
Kaosu noted with an edge of disappointment that Trystan stopped drinking. What a shame. There went his best chance of squeezing some entertainment out of the evening. Hopefully the boy would remain buzzed enough to work with? "Is it?" he replied evenly, watching the bartender absently. And then he stumbled onto buried treasure. At the mention of his age, the other male... flushed? He covered his face and every thing! Kao almost would go as far to call the little display adorable. Fascinated, he fought the urge to mock his junior. Instead, he eagerly tested to see if he could elicit the same reaction twice, "You're young compared to me. How old are you, anyways? Eighteen?" He knew the guess was fairly off the mark, but he wagered the server would not be particularly offended.
It occurred to Kao for the second time that night that he was being unusually talkative. How odd. Normally upon entering a bar, he would have been as quiet and as rude as possible. Maybe he had been away from civilization too long? Maybe even he could, albeit mildly, miss company? He had to admit that it was a nice alternative to being cold and unfriendly, if only for a brief while. "You think you're something much worse? What a load of hot air," he replied, shaking his head. "You might act tough. You might even live tough. But under that handsome exterior, you're just like everyone else: flawed, imperfect, with a lot of growing up left to do..." Nonchalantly, he shrugged. "You ARE a pessimist. But there's no such thing as a lost cause. Even if we can't change THE world, we have absolute control over our own little ones."
Kao knew his superior act was getting under his acquaintance's skin therefore he was determined to maintain it. "That's exactly my point. I have been through it all," he persisted, somehow managing to keep a straight face even though he knew his words were ridiculous. "I never said I was smart about it. I'm at the point in my life where I don't care what happens to me. But you... you, Kid, still have your whole life ahead of you." When Trystan drew closer, he smirked to himself. He gave the guy credit for boldness, but he doubted he really knew what he was getting himself in to. "I don't know about friendly, but..." he yawned dramatically. "...If you're tempted, why are you hesitating? You talk a big game but I'm willing to bet you don't have the guts to back that game up." Lazily, he leaned back. He had not preached enough yet. "I'll admit, the power to completely control Fortune does not exist. But it's very easy to influence her -to fool her. If you can get a handle on your emotions. If you can submit to logic and reason. And if you can't... you'll only end up as prey. Someone else's toy." Not that Kao minded toying with Trystan.
His playing paid off. After a particularly ostentatious wave of lecturing, he once again nailed the half demon's weak spot. Blood rushed to Trystan's ears. He frowned childishly. He retorted immaturely. He even puffed his cheeks! Kao had somehow stumbled upon the cutest, easiest assassin to tease in all of Vargash. "Oh hush. Most people would kill for the chance to enjoy their youth again. You should enjoy it while you still have it." The comments about his eye irked him slightly, but he admittedly had left himself open. Besides, the bartender deserved to get at least one shot in. He knew that Trystan was not deliberately trying to work his nerve, but the subject of his recent injury was still very sore and did not need prodding. "So we match? That's so thoughtful," he hummed into return, unable to keep the sardonicism out of his tone.
Kao recovered fastest by being shameless, so he seized the next shift in subject with careless enthusiasm. "Oh hoh. Confident, aren't we? What makes you so sure you can handle me?". At this point even he was not entirely sure just how facetious he was being. This half-breed he had just met was practically trying to seduce him, in good humor or not, and he was egging him on. "A secret?" he pouted. "Why, that's no fun at all." Why bother trying to determine who was being serious and who was not? Kao would not particularly complain either way. "I don't know where I'm staying. I was going to figure that out later..." he trailed off, pointedly leaving the topic open for discussion. He really was taking his kidding too far tonight. Playing dumb, he grinned and cocked his head to one side, "You could? And what could you show me that would be so interesting?" The mention of Banning brought him painfully back to reality for a moment. "On the same page? Don't be so sure," he mused wryly, glancing back towards Crux. "I get the feeling we're not even in the same book. But I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that man needs a little investigating."
ooc| D; Ewww! I hate peas. ; o ;
Seriously? Where do these bullets keep coming from? xP Everyone loves a nice, warm fireplace. <3 ;]
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Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 3:04 am
Trystan was trying his hardest not to lunge for the liquor. It took everything in him not to. As he watched the other man, his want to drink became more and more. This was certainly not good at all. Realizing his mistakes as soon as he made them, Trystan gritted his teeth, not believing his rotten luck at accidentally blushing at the other mans comments. How could he of? This was a first in awhile. Then again... there were only a select few other people who knew how to make him blush. And now this complete stranger knew it! Mentally crossing his fingers, Trystan prayed that the other hadn't taken it into consideration and would just move o - the next words out of Kaosus mouth almost knocked Trystan off of his feet. Instead of the normal tint of red at the edge of his cheeks, Trystan turned into something that looked almost like a ripe tomato. If humans were capable of steaming up when embarassed, Trystan certainly would have doing that. "I'm not that young!" He protested hotly to the other through his blush - his face heating up at the others open tease. He didn't look that young did he? He couldn't have! Trystan resisted the urge to rub his cheeks in a mad attempt to get rid of the blush, but instead ended up biting his lip and looking to the side in a show of pure embarassment. He shouldn't have gotten buzzed - he shouldn't have been wanting more. Because that only made him more emotional. He was an emotional drunk. That one in itself was a total failure.
Trying not to say anything that would have made him look even more childish, Trystan leaned heavily against the bar as the blush faded bit by bit. It was going... slowly. All the while, Kaosu brought up even more conversation. Finally turning to the other despite his blush, Trystan continued talking with the other. What had happened to his calm bar tender personality? What had happened to his normal act? It all went down the drain when Kaosu walked in the door. "Hot air?" Trystan snorted. "I wouldn't be talking - you're the one full of pride." He blinked at the others words and shook his head a bit, placing an elbow in the table and putting his chin in the palm of his hand. At the mention of handsome, Trystan reacted by lowering his eyes, glancing to the side a bit and almost groaning out loud. Whether this man knew it or not, he'd hit two of Trystans biggest weak spots. Being called young - and being complimented. The second didn't make him turn as red, but it still had an effect, just at a lower degree. "I never said I wasn't flawed, or imperfect. For all I know, I might be the very definition of it." Trystan shrugged one shoulder up. Turning red a bit at the growing up part, Trystan narrowed his eyes at Kaosu. "So what, are you an optimist? You never hit me as that type. But maybe looks are deceiving." Trystan paused before falling serious. "You're contradicting yourself. Didn't you just say you were a lost cause?" Pausing, Trystan realized he'd run out of things to retort to the other once he'd brought up the ability to control their own lives.
Trying not to snort again when Kaosu acknowledged that he had been through it all, Trystan cocked a brow, glancing the other over for a second. "Theres no point in life when you should stop caring what happens to you." He persisted stubbornly, gritting his teeth at the kid comment again. Somehow he managed to maintain the blush that was quickly spreading. Twitching a bit at the dramatic yawn, Trystan leaned back, and finally gave into temptation. A quick flick of the wrist brought a bottle of vodka towards his drink, and taking a long needed sip, the man bit back quivering at the satisfaction. "I told you I was tempted, not that I was going to take the bait." He said, brushing obsidian hair away from his face. "You shouldn't underestimate me so much. Theres no telling whether I have the guts to back it up or not, since I haven't even done anything yet." Trystan watched the other for a moment, almost blanching under the next words out of Kaosus mouth. Still preaching, eh? "Then perhaps one day I'll learn just how to fool her. She seems like a devious young mistress though, I'd be rather wary of getting in her way." Taking another sip, Trystan tried not to buckle his knees and fall into defeat when the other brought up prey and toys. Why did Kaosu have to make so many witty retorts? Trystan wasn't used to being the one getting preached. "I dont intend to end up as anyones prey. And the idea of being a toy is sickening one in itself." Trystan said stubbornly, turning his head away from the other for a moment. The alcohol was almost certainly taking affect now, since he was probably acting younger then his actual age. Not to mention, Kaosu had hit two of his sore spots in less then an hour.
"I will." He responded instantly to the others mention of youth, and almost crossed his arms. This man was bringing out some of Trystans true colors. Some of his... embarassing true colors. Under all that smooth, tough, I can do anything exterior, he was just a stubborn.... semi-easily embarassed.... guy. Listening to the others sarcasm, Trystan shrugged, returning to his earlier facade as he took another sip of vodka. "I know, I'm just that kind." He returned with equal sardonicism, even though he wasn't really making a full hearted attempt at trying to get under the others skin. Instead, he just watched Kaosu, starting to wonder if anything he said couldn't be argued back by this weird man. At the mention of confidence, Trystan almost wished he hadn't said anything. He was doing that a lot tonight, wasn't he. "Confidence is a matter of perspective." He commented loftily, glancing the other over. "What makes me so sure?" Trystan smiled shamelessly, tilting his head over to the side a bit. "I haven't the faintest idea." When the other commented with a pout, Trystan almost felt like he'd gotten back at him for something. "And whats your definition of fun?" He asked in faint curiosity, and a slight drawl, tilting his head to observe Kaosu a bit.
Listening to the other comment that he didn't know where he was going to stay, Trystan almost smacked his head and wished the answer had been "oh I'm staying with some friends." But this weird guy.... Trystan had to wonder if he even had any. Dont. He thought to himself stifly, knowing that if he wasn't careful, the next words out of his mouth would be something like "well, I have an extra bedroom..." But he couldn't. That would just ruin his reputation even more - "Thats too bad." Trystan said abruptly, catching himself before he could say something stupid. "How exactly are you going to figure it out later? Dont you know anyone in the city? Anyone that wouldn't try shooting you again?" Trystan sighed, leaning on his hand again. "It'd be a shame to see you out on the streets." Oh, now he was the one leaving it open for conversation? His tone was almost subconsciously inviting. It was definitely the liquor. It had to be. Quirking a smile, Trystan vaguely responded to the others question of interesting things with his own grin. "Oh, lots of things. It just depends on what you find entertaining." Cocking an eyebrow at the others mention of pages and books, Trystan shrugged, watching the other carefully. "It doesn't make too much a difference in the long run. We both have questions for that man, and it seems that we both agree on at least one thing."
ooc ;; ; A; it was a metaphor! okay, no peas then!
rofl, idk. <3 maybe from the sky. XD <333 everyone does love a nice, comfy, warm fireplace. > u> <33
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Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 4:40 pm
Kaosu's prodding worked better than he had expected. He had only called the bartender young out of a sick sense of curiosity, but now he was genuinely intrigued. Trystan's face turned a deeper scarlet than the redhead's hair. He was clearly flustered. He bit his lip cutely... He even turned away! The entire display was adorable. Fascinated, Kao could not have stopped teasing the boy even if he wanted to. "Not that young? You certainly look like it. I'm sorry, was my guess off a touch?" he purred, practically digging for a reaction. "How old are you, then? Twenty? Twenty one?" From the way the other male was behaving, those ages could not have been far off. What was causing him to get so emotional? The liquor? Or was it something else? For that matter, why could Kao not convince himself to back off? Torturing people he had just met was not exactly a favorite pass-time of his, yet with Trystan he could simply not resist the temptation. Why did he find playing with this poor server so amusing?
The tough guy act was definitely gone. Kao could tell it was all his acquaintance could do to fight his embarrassment. He seemed to be managing to calm himself down little by little. How disappointing... the vagabond definitely would not let that happen. "Ah, here we are again on the subject of pride. We seem to be talking in circles, you and I," he mused absently. His mind was working diligently for a way to bring that crimson blush back in full force. Why was he so obsessed with getting under this stranger's skin? What was he trying to accomplish? He watched Trystan carefully, mulling the situation over. There was something about the half-demon's charming, timid mannerisms that got through his perfect immune system and messed with his already clouded mind. "Trust me, kid, you're not the definition of imperfect," he grinned, pointedly looking him up and down. "Very far from it." Again with the joking around. Kao shrugged nonchalantly, "I don't know if I could really be considered an optimist. It's more like I'm overconfident," he admitted. "When it comes to staying out of trouble, I may be hopeless. But that doesn't mean I can't keep trying to make the world revolve around me. You're right about my looks, though. I clean up pretty damn well when I want to, if I do say so myself."
His antics were getting somewhere. Trystan began drinking again. Even better, he began drinking straight vodka. "Pffft, that's ridiculous. Life doesn't even begin to become fun until you stop caring about yourself," he scoffed, determined to remember to preach. "When you're busy worrying about surviving, you forget to enjoy things. You can't be reckless. You can't be shameless. I prefer it this way." That might have been just slightly a lie. Speaking of being shameless, Kao was far from done. "Take the bait? Haven't done anything yet?" he pouted once again. "Why Trystan, you make it sound like I'm trying to seduce you." He pretended to take offense, feigning as though the whole idea was ludicrous. It was ludicrous... right? Wrong. The truth hit Kao like a shot of good morphine, numbing him temporarily yet thrilling him at the same time. He understood now. Everything made sense. He wasn't kidding anymore, was he? "I'm not underestimating you. I know for a fact that you don't have the guts," he stated firmly, still recovering from his revelation. He was not sure what he intended to do next. "Fortunately for us, I, on the other hand, do." Ahhh, what the heck? He never planned anything; not where he wandered, not what he ate, not where he slept. He might as well just ride this out and see where he ended up.
"No one intends to end up as prey. But you are practically asking to be toyed with..." he mused absently. He forgave the the mention of his injury. He ignored the sardonic retort. He was too preoccupied with thinking about his next move. "Confidence is perspective, huh? he began, granting a reprieve and choosing not to start another self-important tirade just yet. He winked his right eye, "I must have a very interesting perspective, then." He smirked. If Trystan wanted confidence, why not deliver? "My definition of fun." Abruptly he shifted forward so that he could reach across the counter. Leaning in close to Trystan, he spoke his next words directly into the assassin's ear, "Be honest. Do you really want to know?" He slipped one hand into the bartender's back pocket. With the other, he slowly traced a line down the other's chest. "Because I don't know anyone else in this city, Trystan." He traced lower. "And its raining..." And lower. "It would be a shame if I had to spend the rest of the evening cold, alone, and wet..." And lower.
Okay, so he was getting carried away. He simply wanted to see how Trystan would react. He was not particularly worried about having no place to stay -he could find a hotel or break into an apartment easily. He had taken care of himself for decades and was not about to start struggling because of a few extra years and bad weather. However, if a more favorable option revealed itself, he did not mind being a helpless opportunist. "Wouldn't it, kid?"
ooc| Pfffth, I like MY fireplaces hot! -shot- <3 xD;
Hooray for no peas. ; o ; Can we has carrots instead?
Kao: Ouch, my shame. x__x;
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