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 Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 8:56 pm
x x x x x █║ WHO: Alex, Cesc, Shep, Vivi, Zul
x x x x x █║ WHAT: A warm evening gets a little hotter with dancing and introductions -- in that order!
x x x x x █║ WHEN: Evening
x x x x x █║ WHERE: Gambino, Vermillion Bakery
x x x x x █║ WEATHER: Not sweltering, but warm, the taste of summer in the stars...
The two made their way down the sidewalk in amicable silence, the woman with her arm looped around the male's, the Sigel floating a few inches taller than the human. With the setting sun painting the clear sky a delicious gradient of orange to velvet red that bled into the thick indigo and the finality of the night sky, it was almost an ideal backdrop to the end of a nostalgic day. Zul, on one of his days off, had offered to go to work with Alex. It was nothing big, not something that was unusual, but he hadn't returned to the Lab since the incident with Roux. She had missed him; he had demons beyond himself to handle, and in revisiting the place they had first met and fought for their lives twice now, there was a bittersweet air to the day's menial activities of filing and report compiling. It was par for the course, but it was time they had both needed, dispelling anything stale or despairing between them.
She could feel his bone wing behind her, the sharp tips ever so gently ghosting over the back of her olive tank top, in the manner one might briefly touch another's shoulder blades for comfort. Alex knew that the demon had grown to be protective of her, an irony she could still appreciate to that day, but it was still unusual to her for him to be so...self-sufficient. Green eyes slid to the side to regard her ward, taking in the strong structure of his face and that perpetual smile that never seemed to leave him despite the circumstance, and in that moment, her heart swelled with immeasurable pride. "You've come so far," she broke the silence in a soft voice, gently squeezing the arm that almost rivaled her brother's in size.
The Sigel turned his sky-blue eyes to her, their shape curving into crescent moons as he gave her a genuine smile. "I've still so far to go."
She smiled at him then, lifting her hand off his bicep and gently rubbing her thumb over his beard, much like she did with Zeke. "I'm proud of you."
When the demon chuckled, it was the sound of gravel and smoke, lacking the velvet edge he donned in the presence of others. "And I you. Take some credit, Lex." Lifting his hand, Zul gently removed the fingers from his chin and replaced them on his arm before his gloved palm briefly passed over her forearm. The scars were barely visible and mostly by her elbow, but he didn't need to see them to know they were there. To know what he did to her.
Alex knew what he was implying, but as was her nature, she shrugged and gave him a brighter smile. She wasn't up for bantering over who had more pride in them for the other, not when she was feeling grounded for the first time in a long time. The peace she felt was like the taste of a favorite childhood food: a distant memory, brought on by brief moments and happenstance. She could have easily fell into her self-reflection and moved onwards in silence again, wondering if she'd ever really recover from all the Bad Things that had weighed her down, but Zul's eventual stop forced her to return to reality or to zombie on without him. Loosening her hold on his arm, she turned to look at him, furrowing her dark brows. "What?" She inquired, bright eyes following his quizzical stare.
The music was the first indicator that his attention had been grabbed - that was one thing that never left him even though he'd grown - but it wasn't only the sound that had caught his eye. Carefully removing his arm from his Guardian's grasp, he floated closer to the bakery window they'd been passing, cocking his head to the side. Through his reflection, he could see three bodies within, two moving more than the other, but there were two very important things that had his blue eyes fixated and unblinking. The first was the woman he could see within. She was beautiful in a way that was exotic and fetching, all darkness wrapped in vibrancy that demanded a second look. More than that, she was familiar to him, a memory tugging at the edge of his awareness everytime he saw her smile between artful movements. It didn't help that the second point of interest (though no less important) kept snatching his gaze: a Frei. He did not know the bright colored youth whose colors were reminiscent of the setting sun just then, but he did so desire a closer look.
"Ah." Alex was at his side, but his attention was unwavering. "They're owners? How coincidental." He could hear her smile even though he couldn't see it, his fingers lighting upon the glass that separated them from the three within. There was a brief stretch of silence before the woman's voice carried clearly again. "That is a beautiful family. Goodness."
"Yes," the demon breathed, feeling that inkling of memory furrowing his brows. He knew those smiling eyes...
Alex leaned into his peripheral vision, nose scrunched as she looked more pointedly at the Frei. "He must be the Dawn Frei," she remarked, and Zul could literally hear her cogs and wheels turning. "He belongs to--"
"The zombie doll!" the Sigel exclaimed, the memory finally grasped and pouring into view. It was her! That stunning harlequin from Halloween who spoke in words that sounded like touching felt. If he could see Alex's confused stare, he didn't give indication, instead lowering his body temperature and blowing softly over the glass. When he was able to chill the glass sufficiently, he exhaled his warmth over a part of it, fogging the glass so his head and shoulders were obscured. Pressing his index finger to the fog, he carefully drew out an ibis head in hieroglyphic styling, reminiscent of his own costume he'd donned on his last birthday. Suppressing a grin, Zul stretched his wings and relaxed his body, letting his rune illuminate him as he tapped his knuckles against the glass.
Utterly baffled but no less amused at the demon's antics, Alex took a few steps back and crossed her arms, arching a brow and not bothering to hide her grin. This was...different. She liked different!
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 2:00 pm
Rhedefre loved the bakery. He loved everything about it, from the smells of the pastries to the customers always drifting through to the early morning rituals of baking bread. From Rhedefre's earliest time with Vivi and Shepard, they had impressed upon him that all choices about who he was and how he felt were his to make, that the sort of person he was meant to become was to be entirely his own doing. They, Vivi and Shepard told him, were there to help, to accept, to ease, but not to guide. He was free to do as he pleased and become what he wanted. And from just as early on, he knew one thing very quickly -- that they were Home, and they also included the bakery. He loved it all: kneading dough, organizing chocolates, powdering cakes -- even cleaning up after close.
Especially cleaning up after close.
Every day after the bakery closed and the doors locked, whether from selling out goods or from reaching the right hour on the clock, Vivi and Shepard moved aside the few tables in the bakery and cleaned. Cleaning entailed sweeping, vacuuming, polishing, and mopping. It also included singing, joking, unwinding, storytelling, and laughing with abandon. It was, perhaps for all of them, the best part of the long day.
Tonight, after vacuuming, Vivi put her iPod on shuffle while Shepard opened a beer bottle, which meant, Cesc knew, that cleaning was going to take extra-long and be extra fun. Vivi regaled them all with a story about a bridal tasting that occurred earlier in the day, making voices as she used her broom as a prop, to alternately be herself or the bride. Shepard countered the story with one of his own about a man who would not take out his iPod earbuds even to pay, and who danced his way into the bakery and back out again.
"Like this," Shepard demonstrated, bobbing his head to the beat and limply waggling his arms through the store, like a man who had overcooked noodles for arms. "I was like, Mate -- if yer gonna dance 'round everywhere, at least learn how, yeh?"
"Oh hoh?" Vivi laughed, lifting herself from her broom-prop. "And how would the Shepard have done the all-day dance, then, I wonder?" She prodded his side, teasing.
"Oh, I getcha," Shepard nodded, tongue on his teeth. "I see whatcher doin'. You don't think I can do better."
"I know you can!" Vivi countered, winking at Cesc. "He just will not, you see? He leaves it to our imaginations."
Cesc shook his head morosely. "That's too bad," he said, his low voice and sharp accent adding more gravity to his words.
"It is a shame, I agree," Vivi sighed.
"Okay." Shepard set down his beer bottle and slapped both his hands, palms down, onto the table top. "Alright. A man can only take so much. I'm doin' this for Rhede, y'hear? Rhede. I'm doin' this for you."
A grin spread over Cesc's face as Shepard walked to the iPod, scrolling through Vivi's song collection. ("Nothin' French!" Shepard warned. "I'm not doin' anything French in here.")
"Alright, here we go." The Aussie shook out his arms as the music began to play, piano rhythms over an electronic beat. Cesc and Vivi watched in rapt attention, like children being treated, exchanging looks of excitement and amusement that Shepard met with a roll of his eyes. The music continued to flow around them, spurring the scene along.
Tonight is the night, is the night, is the night~ We're losing control~
Still slightly self-conscious, Shepard passed his tongue over his teeth and bobbed his head to the music at first, his eyes sliding from Cesc to Vivi, his chin tilted up. Then, as the chorus played over them, his shoulders began to move, and then his feet. And then it was as if the floor under him became ice, the way his feet glided over it. The beat seemed to become part of him, commanding his movement, inhabiting his limbs.
And everybody go, whoa- whoa-oh-oh~
Shepard slid across the floor in a one-man dance troupe, his limbs all becoming liquid, his smile widening and becoming cocky as he threaded himself between Cesc and Vivi, his own moving body infectious to their still ones. Vivi, laughing uproariously now -- "I told you! I told you he could dance!" -- began to move as well, her shoulders cycling and moving her back against Shepard and forward again.
"Oh, s**t!" Shepard called to Cesc. "She's going to outdo me!"
Vivi, lifting her arms above her head, proceeded to do just that, moving almost in mirror of Shepard, forward when he would go back, her hips rolling her entire body forward and back, never touching him but always just a hair away. Shaking his head, Shepard took one of her hands in his and twirled her, then caught the small of her back and dipped her low. Cesc, clapping his hands, began to sway himself, his cheeks starting to hurt from grinning.
"Come on, come here!" Vivi called, beckoning with her head. "Come learn!"
Tonight is the night, is the night~
"I can't! How to dance without --" Cesc motioned to beyond himself, his grin becoming wry. He floated close, his swaying movements a little awkward beside their shared fluidity.
Shaking his head and still moving, Shepard silently put his hands on Cesc's shoulders and rolled them in time with the beat.
"Feel it," he called over the music. "First step is feelin-- holy <********>!" Shepard's voice went from calm to wildly alarmed as his eyes had lifted to the bakery window, where there was a -- a something trying to get their attention. His body jerked out of time, his arm instinctually throwing forward to protect Vivi. "What the ********?!"
Vivi whipped around and Cesc craned his neck to look at the window -- it made no sense to Cesc, the strange drawing on the window which lead into the body of ... of another... another Raevan? Another like himself? He had not made the acquaintance of another Raevan since meeting Eiry at the swamp, on his First Day, but he had caused that Raevan pain, and since then he had not met another. He smiled a cautious smile as his eyes went to Shepard, whose face was still perplexed.
Vivi, however, wore a different expression. Her dark mouth was opened into a small o, her eyes narrowing slightly as her mind tried to place the familiar image. Then, all at once, her face blossomed into a wide smile, a cry escaping her lips.
"The god!" She squeaked, squeezing Shepard's arm. "It is the god, from Halloween!" She tore across the floor to the bakery door, unbolting it and throwing it open. Music spilled with her out into the street. "Zul!"
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:40 pm
The Sigel's hearing picked out the exclamation, though the words were lost on him, he could determine the alarm. Zul almost felt bad for startling the male that he hadn't given much of a thought to once he realized who the woman was, but it was a necessary play in his game to garner her attention. The demon saw her lithe form dart towards the door, earning a swell of joy that she did understand his encrypted message, and perhaps more than that - she remembered him! Casting the ever-perplexed (and slightly alarmed) Italian a megawatt grin, he wasn't sure that a single tooth wasn't being displayed to the falling night once the woman's voice reached his ears in the sound of his name.
"Vivi!" he cried out in his rolling smoke voice, immediately flying over to the woman that was bathed in the bakery's light and upbeat music. It was a rare moment for him - something that wasn't as poised as he would have liked to present himself, open and as youthful as he really was - excitement in his features as he extended his arms and unabashedly gathered the smaller woman into an embrace. Rolling his shoulders back, he easily lifted the female off her feet and into the air so that she was held securely but above him, even going so far as to stretch his wings and lift them both into a few seconds of flying before settling his ribbon against the ground again. The velvet edge of his voice rolled with the generous laughter that he imparted, bright eyes resting upon the dark femme with the utmost fondness.
They had not met for long or shared any amount of time after that Halloween meeting, but her consideration - her warmth - had gone a very long way with the demon. Where others approached him with judgment or wariness - or not at all - Vivi had shown him interest and respect. If he wasn't already aware of possibly terrifying the two males still within the building, he very well may have kissed her on the spot in his enthusiasm. "My lady Vivi, how delightful to see you again! Or rather, to see you," he set her upon her own two feet gently, freeing one hand to lightly touch a cheek that lacked the makeup he could still see in his mind's eye, "who is even more lovely than even the undead beauty of Hallow's Eve."
Well. Alex was fairly flabbergasted now, one eyebrow hiked over her green eyes, the other lowered to give her a most perplexed stare above her slightly slackened jaw. The familiarity that Zul greeted the woman with wasn't something she knew he was capable of. She was going to have to have a talk with her big brother if he was teaching him such things. "Goodness, Zul, are you going to introduce me to your girlfriend?" she found her voice with a tease, immediately grinning in her lop-sided manner, eyes glowing with interest as her excitement began to take over. Uncrossing her arms, she approached the two, light laughter in her wake.
Zul was all smiles, not bothering to deflect the teasing term, rather proud of the woman he was introducing. "Ah, yes, Vivi, this--" The demon halted his words for a moment as he watched his woman's advances, knowing what she was going to do but helpless to warn Vivi or stop the Italian's forward march.
Without hesitation or askance, Alex wrapped her arms around the other woman's middle, partially catching Zul's arm that was still around her and giving her a friendly hug. They might have been perfect strangers but Alex was not known to half-a** anything, not even to be polite. Offering a soft sound of gleeful amusement at the apex of the hug, she pulled back to give the dark beauty a warm smile. "I'm Alex, I work at the Lab and Zul is my ward."
The Sigel stared at the two women before finishing in a bemused manner, "...this is my woman. Lex, this is Vivi." Pausing, he seemed to be turning his next words over before he added with good humor, "It is polite to say enchantée upon first meeting, n’est pas?" Zul cast his brilliant eyes back to Vivi, his expression lighting into a small touch of pride that he remembered the words -- and a small dose of humility to make sure he had it right.
Alex's eyes were rather large at that point, looking between the two with enough bafflement to silence the chatty female. After a few heartbeats, she began to laugh, a happy sound. "Enchantée, then, and -- you never speak my mothertongue, Zul!" she chided him incredulously before once more fixing her full grin upon Vivi. "Scusi for our interruption, we were walking home and he was most interested in gathering your attention to meet your new ward." Not one to be rude, Alex tilted her head to peer into the shop, lifting a hand and wiggling her fingers in greetings to the males before returning her bright-eyed interest upon Vivi. "If it's a bad time, we can come back!"
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 6:25 pm
Inside the bakery, Shepard and Cesc could only watch with some amazement as the sigel wrapped Vivi into a hug so affectionate it could not even stay earthbound. Shepard, his slack-jawed expression closing into a helpless, half-confused grin, only nodded at Cesc as he made his way to the door, mumbling: "Wish I could say this is a shock, Rhede, but it's not, so get used to it."
Vivi, in the meanwhile, was beside herself with joy -- not only was this the most pleasant of surprises, to see the godling Zul (because she was certain that there was the divine spark in him, or his everything otherwise could not be explained) but he remembered her and sought out her attention! And to be held in such arms was something that could not be described; it was like being held by a star, condensed and wrapped in something smooth.
And, best of all, he was not alone!
"Ma cheri, what a pleasure to be recognized!" Vivi gasped. "And, oh, the pleasure is mine, I must say! What a handsome face -- and a beautiful one here, my goodnes--"
Here Vivi was cut off by Alex's hug, but her words turned immediately into a pleased laugh, her arms hugging the woman back as if welcoming an old friend.
"As Zul says, the clever one, it is enchantée, mon ami, or in the mother tongue of the lovely one here, piacere. And it is never a bad time to make new friends, come in, come!" Vivi waved them into the bakery heartily, the warmth of the light and the energy of the music seemingly beckoning as well. From the threshold, Shepard showed himself with Cesc just behind, and the Aussie, stunned but impressed by the love-fest, decided to throw himself in.
"Hey, Zul, yeh? Surprised the hell outta me," he said with a half-grin at Zul, extending an arm for a handshake. The big Australian, for all his usual scowly aloofness, was undone by the dancing, the sudden sight of the two, and quite possibly his beer. "Shepard Ryan, it's a pleasure. And y'said yer Alex? Nice to finally meet someone from this Lab."
Cesc smiled a soft smile, extending his own hand to Zul in turn. Encouraged to be honest and still unaware of what unabashed honesty might cause, the frei made full eye contact with the sigel, inclined his head in a greeting bow (as taught by his British tutor), and said with earnest, guileless tone:
"I am Cesc. You are both very beautiful."
This caused a half-laugh, half-cough to escape from Shepard as he faced Alex, his arms open in a half-invitation for a hug (was it expected? he wasn't sure) and a bright smile from Vivi, who added: "You see? It is most certainly not a bad time."
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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 4:57 pm
Compliments fell from Vivi's lips like air and Alex was entranced. It was no wonder at all to her that Zul had been so fond of the woman -- and also let her know who he'd been with at the Halloween party. At least her ward had good taste; had she the woman's attention then, she would have kept it to herself as well! "You are -- oh, how to say -- remarkable? Amazing, lovely -- too kind," she finally settled on as she entered the warm bakery, the sounds and the scents making her chest feel light, her skin tingling with distant memories. The sights there too -- a gorgeous man with an accent that earned knee-jerk approval immediately and the Raevan born of all the colors of the sun's ascension -- made Alex feel like she'd found a place she very much did not want to leave.
With an arm resting behind the dark-haired pâtissier, Zul followed both of the female in and gave a quick, albeit measured glance to the Frei. It was natural for his interest to be piqued with the newborns, but it was also so rare for him to meet humans so accepting and fun as Vivi and Shepard that he absolutely had to pay them due respect for their very existence. "Sorry, Shepard," he greeted the larger man with a crooked grin, accepting the handshake and imparting one firm but polite, "she's an amazing woman. If I did not impart some form of theatrics to gain her attention, I would have felt like I let her down somehow." He floated back a short ways to give the other two room to meet one another, casting a smile to Vivi.
"Yes, and no matter what anyone else may tell you, calling me anything else is not acceptable." Alex laughed lightly, dipping her head in an almost abashed manner. "I'm more like the resident doctor in the Lab, Zeke holds down the fort now, but it's always a joy to meet the family of our family, so to speak." It was then that the sweet words met her ears, prompting the woman and the Sigel to turn their heads in tandem to look at the speaker.
The demon's expression was, for better or for worse, rather smitten. His eyes were a touch wide and his expression held a half-formed grin that was somewhere between amusement and open wonder. It was odd, he thought, to see himself for a moment so clearly in someone so...pure. Was he ever like that...? Shaking off the musings with a roll of his broad shoulders, Zul extended his gloved hand and took the offered one over his bare digits, and rather than shake, he lifted the Stag's fingers and pressed a polite kiss to the back of them with a bow of his tri-horned head. "Writers and poets have spent lifetimes trying to capture the beauty of the sun's rays in a cage of words. When they finally manage to find something acceptable, I'll pay you a compliment worthy of your visage, Cesc." Zul smiled then, winking one sky-blue eye. "The pleasure is mine, I assure you."
Oh boy. Alex tried to not get the heeby-jeebies at seeing her Sigel use so many words with ease to flatter another, instead deciding that taking Shepard's invitation was far more favorable. Lifting her arms around his shoulders, she imparted a friendly, affectionate hug and a swift kiss to his cheek before responding to Cesc; she'd impart the same greeting upon the Frei once her suave demon gave her the space for it. "I think Zul covered any sweetness I could have returned, Cesc -- you are stunning!" His manner of speech, his grace, the peaceful look on his face; oh yes, she decided -- the three were officially amongst her most favorite individuals in the world.
"I feel guilty for uttering the word 'bad' in front of you guys at all." Settling on her toes, she looked between the three with a bewildered soft of happiness, bearing the look of one who was overwhelmed in every sense of the word. "Thank you for such a warm welcome! I'm a bit out of touch meeting with the families anymore, but you all make me feel like I've stepped back home." The Italian gently ghosted her fingers over Shepard's shoulder with a happy little sound before turning her smiling eyes upon Vivi again, swallowing down her latent need to pounce the woman and hug her again. "And in a bakery! This is one of those dreams-come-true moments, isn't it?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2012 4:31 am
"Yes, we are like the unknown people with tarts, non? Luring you in with sweets!" Vivi laughed sweetly to Alex's comment, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. She was charmed with the other woman, almost as charmed as she was by Zul. They were matched well, the Raevan and the guardian, both so easily charming. Vivi was conscious of a strange desire to keep them, to run away with them into some sunset, to stay with them and laugh long. She was aware that Alex seemed overwhelmed and sought to comfort her, her smile becoming encouraging, easy.
"That would be 'strangers with candy', Alex," Shepard translated with a faint, boyish grin, pulling out a chair to offer the woman. Her peck on his stubbled cheek tickled him slightly, and the feeling lingered even after a moment. She was pretty, the olive-skinned woman, and she seemed resilient, capable. Shepard liked her without quite knowing why; there was just something that seemed to say good people about her. While Doucette seemed made of a timid sort of joy, and Anita seemed made of laughter, Alex seemed to be something else entirely -- exhausted happiness, maybe. Hard work. Good cheer.
Music was still playing from the bakery speakers, a softer song now, facilitating the conversation. Shepard turned from her to Zul. "Can I get either of yeh a beer?"
"Or a tart, mm? I maintain, it is the tarts that are better than the candy, and it is that we have one remaining." Vivi waved off her linguistic mistake with an airy hand, her face cheerful and unbothered by the error. She was eager to talk with these new friends, to make them feel welcome. She sidled closer to Alex, speaking with her in a quiet, thrilling voice, as though sharing secrets. "And I know Mssr. Zeke quite well! How interesting -- well, I suppose it is not a surprise -- but how lovely that you two should be friends." A look of great fondness passed over her features as she said the vet's name and her hands went lightly to her face, as though she were a teenager fawning over a handsome idol. "Ah! He is very much the wonderful one. I love him quite without end, you know!"
Cesc, meanwhile, watched as Zul kissed his hand and paid him compliments in a thoughtful silence, his gentle expression full of amazement and instantaneous respect. To touch Zul, his lips gentle on the stag's hand, felt similar to touching Dawn -- a living power, seemingly endless. Cesc's own power, that of feeling and understanding loss, went silent in this Sigel's presence. There was something, yes. He could feel something in Zul that let him know that the demon had experienced loss, but there was no rolling disquiet, no horrible ache that called itself to the stag. Whatever the demon had been through, it did not make itself known. It was controlled, beyond his fledgling magic.
Rhedefre's good-natured expression warmed as the demon spoke, a look of boyish, modest embarrassment crossing his face. He could only shake his head, and when Zul righted himself from kissing his hand, Rhedefre covered the demon's gloved hand with his other, silently communicating his gratitude.
"Thank you, truly. I -- I do not have the words," said the stag with a faint laugh before he gently released Zul's hand. His deep voice was warm and without artifice, as humble as the stag felt. He spoke like a foreigner speaks, slowly, with pauses. "It is such a nice surprise to meet another Raevan and guardian by accident, Alex, Zul. Please feel welcome."
The stag's pronunciation of Zul's name was different from the way the others had spoken it. Cesc's voice, accented as it was, could not handle the letter 'z', replacing it with a soft 'th', spoken with the tongue just behind the teeth. It was a lisp that was noticeable but not horribly so, and the stag's easiness as he spoke showed that there was no misunderstanding regarding the name -- just a part of his speech Cesc could do nothing about.
"We were just dancing. Well -- I was trying to learn," Cesc said with a soft smile. "Do you dance?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 2:48 pm
The Italian laughed softly as the two fairly fed off each other's words and intentions, putting her hands on her hips with an upward loft of a dark brow. "Strangers with candy? Never have I been so happy and willing to be the beguiled child." And Alex grinned then, crooked and teasing as was her way; all spitfire and spice, as her brother oft liked to say. She was about to respond to the generous offer of beer when Zul quipped in for her.
"Oh no," the Sigel gave Cesc a quick wink before he shook his head, giving a grave look at his Guardian, "she can't. She's a lightweight. And a drunken master."
Alex looked as though she'd just been caught naked in a crowd. "He didn't!"
"He did." The demon offered his most charming, mega-watt infused grin before dropping it in favor of a more somber expression. Slightly hunkering over, he began in a low voice as though sharing a scary story, elaborating with great glee at the woman's expense. "Once upon a time, Bear -- her brother, Brad, we call him Bear -- got a call to go pick his sister up from an Irish pub --"
"I called him -- "
" -- and when he got there, his dear little sister was man-handling just about every unfortunate fool who was in arm's length." Zul emphasized with a few careful arm jabs to poorly mimic martial arts. "She even broke a stool over his back -- "
"You don't come up behind a drunken woman and grab her around the waist! It was his own damn fault!"
" -- and this was all after two mixed drinks on an empty stomach, or so goes the legend." The Sigel deftly floated out of arm's reach as though to add a little more 'umph' to his story, ending it with a bowing flourish and a mischievous curve of brow and lips. "No beers. I can carry her but she about mauls anyone who tries."
The woman scowled, swallowing down her embarrassment. It was one of the few times that having a sunkissed complexion worked in her favor, though there was still a stain of pink on her cheeks. "I'm going to have to have a talk with Zeke about all Ber's bad habits, clearly." Alex looked as though to say more, but instead, bit her lip; it wasn't her place to say something as delicate as whom Zeke was dating, even if it was her oaf of a big brother. Thankfully, Vivi had offered her a way out before the entire story and doing her best not to drown in her mingled sibling-rage and lesser but still present degree of embarrassment, she replied with a wide grin. "I would, however, love that tart, if you don't mind." And for a moment, her expression was flooded with pride; warmth, both familial and with a touch of fondness, played over her features. "Zeke is my little brother! Well -- he's the little brother I never had, see. We're two peas in a pod and let me tell you, trouble is never far behind when we're in the same room."
Ooh, she was getting good! Zul was impressed that his woman had shouldered the story and kept going rather than hiding her face in shame. He did so like to needle and see what he could get out of her, especially since he was armed to the teeth with ammo thanks to living with Brad for so long. "If you don't mind," he addressed Shepard with a lop-sided smile, "I'll take you up on that beer, Shepard." He'd had one or two alcoholic drinks when he was working with Brad and his crew, and though the stuff didn't touch him in the way it gripped humans, he did like the strange warm sensation it gave him. It was one of the very few times he'd actually felt warmth and he found it fascinating.
Returning to Cesc's side, he offered a soft apology. "Forgive me, I cannot resist the lure of teasing my woman when the opportunity arises." The demon bowed his head before tilting it slightly to the side, listening to the music that still flooded the bakery. "I try to dance," he answered at length, "but I've been told many times I can't dance because I have no legs." Zul turned to face Cesc then, though still, he hesitated to touch the Dawn Frei again, slightly obvious in the way his hands were held at his side. "But who are we to be held by the restrictions of others, hm? I've seen some impressive arm gestures and for me, some hip swaying." The Sigel curved his exposed spine to twist his hips back and forth like a pendulum, the motion slow and likely more come-hither than he intended it to be. "If you've want to dance, then we dance, I say."
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Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 7:53 pm
The trio listened without interruption to Zul's story, each of their expressions different as the narrative continued. For Vivi, who was thrilled at the unexpected glimpse into her new friend's -- for Alex would be a new friend, Vivi was certain of it -- past experiences and personality, it was nothing but pleasure. She beamed and laughed uproariously and squeezed Alex lightly on the shoulder in show of support. For Shepard, who felt her embarrassment at being caught unawares, there was a half-wince of sympathy that turned into a double-eyebrow-lift of shock at imagining the Italian breaking stools over her brother's back. For Cesc, who was still young enough to purely delight in hearing the histories of others, there was a lingering look of keen interest and a slow smile of amusement.
"Cheri," Vivi said as she laughed, leaning toward Alex and Zul, her hair tumbling over her shoulders with her movement. "What a wonderful wicked one you are, Zul, to tell such tales! I must have more. But, oh, Alex -- It is necessary for me to have you when I am at the pub! The Shepard, he is good enough to warn away the undesirable ones, yes, but he is not so formidable as this. We shall leave him behind. Perhaps we shall ask that worthy, Zeke -- he is so pleasant he will apologize away all of the carnage we leave behind, non?"
Shepard shook his head as he rose, his expression more scandalized than he truly felt, his smile ironed flat. He was unable to keep the amusement from his eyes as he pulled away from the group in his show of feigned shock, his hands held up as though in surrender. "So that's how it is, is it? Got outclassed by a drunken master. That's it. I'm out of here."
Vivi turned to him with a look of impish pleasure. "Are you going in the back now to weep? Bring back the tart as well, if you can see it through the tears, yes?"
"I was mostly going for the beers, but I might cry a bit while I'm back there, too, yeh," the Aussie called behind him.
Vivi laughed, craning her neck and tipping back slightly to watch him go. "Ah, the Shepard, then a beverage that will not turn our new lady into an assassin, as well?"
"No way! She can choke on the tart if she's kickin' me out of the pub." The Aussie's voice was muffled from his location now at the back of the bakery, and the words were further muted by the sound of an opening refrigerator and the clink of glass. In another moment, the quiet hiss of an opening bottle could be heard, as well as the glug-glug of water being poured into glasses. Vivi left him to the chore and turned back to her new companion, her dark eyes lit with an amiable warmth.
"It does not surprise me that you and Zeke should be so connected," she said with a smile. "You are very alike, I can see quite quickly! I jest with the Shepard, but perhaps one day we might all go out, yes? It is always a pleasure to see more of Mssr. Zeke -- as you well know!"
Cesc laughed a soft laugh as he listened, and he smiled with quiet warmth as Zul floated in return to his side, waving off the apology. The music made the five of them feel like more than they were, filling up all the empty spaces. Cesc could not help but look at Zul as the other stayed silent for those few moments, listening to the song currently playing on the bakery speakers. Zul laughed with his woman, poked fun at her, 'took liberties,' as Granny Maplethorpe would have said. Cesc enjoyed it immensely, wanted to take part in it all, but knew that similar behaviour was as of yet out of his grasp. He was still learning, was still feeling out the world, and his speech was still slow and careful and precise. It could not yet jab.
When Zul spoke again, Cesc tilted his head to show that he was attending the other's speech, his ears lifting slightly. He laughed his drawling laugh, remembering the awkwardness he had felt trying to dance not so long ago -- but Zul was right. So they had no legs -- so what? They could still move, and dance was just motion, was it not?
Cesc watched as Zul moved, his motions as fluid as any the stag had seen. And Zul's movement felt like a beckoning, so Cesc moved with him.
"I was attempting to learn," he said with a broad, earnest smile. "But I confess I only know this one type of dance -- the old type, like this." Unaware that the other had some reserve about touching him, Rhedefre floated forward and took Zul's hand in his, guiding Zul's other to his shoulder and putting his own other hand on the demon's waist. He glided them both forward and to the side as a ballroom dancer would, in a Raevan's version of a simple waltz's step. He tipped his head forward slightly, looking down in a self-depricating, almost bashful expression, knowing full well it was not the sort of dancing Zul had meant. But his smile was still firm and still full of an honest cheer. "It is not quite right -- but it feels good to glide, I think."
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Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:06 pm
"My brother -- and Zeke, they're both full of stories," Alex reassured the French vixen in a flat tone, "but I've got two for each one they have on me. You should, however, ask Zeke how Anastascia's soul was captured." The Italian's lips twitched upwards briefly, a vaguely rueful expression. "Here's a spoiler: he almost peed himself, he was laughing so hard." She thought she heard Zul swallow down laughter, but it was probably just the music setting her off. She could still remember that day, and all the hell that had followed since. Even so, the woman at her side made her grin wide, the first bubbling of laughter escaping her lips. "But if you do ask, I will absolutely be your pub-buddy, Vivi my dear! I'll need the drink. Or three or five. And Zeke will absolutely have to be on clean-up duty because I have a feeling I would absolutely be stuck on the two of you--"
A short cry of faux dismay fell from her, half scowling and half pouting at Shepard's retreating back. "Hey, sunshine, I'm not the one who kicked you out! I invite you to outclass me!" But the two kept up their playful banter and Shepard's distant insult absolutely tickled her; despite herself, she began to laugh, an earnest sound that she felt she hadn't had since she had lost Aphismet. Between being called a lady assassin and being told to choke on a tart, it was like she had found herself again, after years of wandering. The Italian covered part of her face with one hand, trying to muffle the good humor but it was hard to stop once it started. Her shoulders shook and her eyes glistened with yet unshed tears of mirth, though the threat of them was certainly there. Resting her other arm around Vivi's back in familiar companionship, she finally managed to wheeze out a response full of giggles and hiccups, "We must! I just -- I get very handsy before I get stool-happy." What was being candid when her nasty nature had already been laid bare? "S-so you'll have to forgive me in advance--"
But the mental image of Shepard scowling at the end of the bar like a petulant child had her in stitches again, body trembling helplessly in her overdue laughter.
The Sigel spared the two women a glance, a private smile curving his lips as he watched Alex laugh. It brought back brief, broken memories of his first year with her -- and how she had never really laughed like that after Lorenzo died. It was a relief. As much as he would have liked to have expanded on the soul-capture that his woman was talking about, there was a Frei that currently held his attention, watching the slender, velvet-furred ears follow his voice as he floated and bobbed through the bakery. Zul rather enjoyed the audience, but he was outright delighted when Cesc joined him in the dance. He was, however, rather floored when Cesc not only extended his hands to touch him, but took over the dance.
The fingers were soft and delicate against his exposed skin, striking him with a feeling like running static where they touched, like a gentle reminder that this Frei was far too in the arms of good graces to be dallying with him. Zul was not about to pull away, however, as though he had his own darkness that he had come to accept, he was still a creature of manners. He recognized the waltz immediately; it was one of the dances Brad had taught him as a Frei, when Alex and Aphismet were just starting to date. "What are you talking about? You've beautiful pacing," he chided the pink-haired Frei gently for the words that were as good as an apology in his ears. "There's a sway to the dance, a supportive rhythm and you've quite the knack for it." The demon made no effort to pull away as the dance continued, simply readjusting their joined hands so his thumb could rest comfortably around Cesc's slender digits, ignoring the slight buzz of the Stag's light scattering his dark shadows. If the Frei was unafraid, he would cling to that, and perhaps make a new, unbiased friend out of it all.
"There, cheri," he picked up from Vivi's petname immediately, the hand on Cesc's shoulder giving the dapper clothing a gentle squeeze of encouragement, "just move that lovely ribbon of yours the best you can. And try not to be so polite about it, hm?" Zul grinned then, teasing as he followed Cesc's lead, using his own weight to add just a touch more speed into each slight turn and spin. Ah, but the Dawn Frei was beautiful -- he could easily waltz the night away in such fantastic company, ever the eager recipient to that disarming smile.
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Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 5:12 pm
Vivi tilted her head in amusement and interest as Alex spoke, her eyes bright with the desire to hear some of the woman's hidden stories. What fantastic history she must have with her beloved Zeke! Vivi had never thought to ask Zeke about Anya's origins: for all she had heard, it was a subject that was Not to be Broached, something to do with a serious illness, a virus. Peeing she had not expected.
"Ah, oh no, have you ever told our dear Flu of her provenance?" Vivi mused, suppressing a smile as she thought of the regal Anya. It felt like laughing at a teacher's expense, but she could not help it! Clearly there was some story here she had absolutely no choice but to root out. "Oh! I feel she would be much aggrieved to know her soul caused laughter and the emptying of bladders!"
"Oiii," Shepard cut in, returning to the table with a tray. His presentation of goods was not like Vivi's -- not purposeful or neat or anything the eye would look twice at. He simply put two bottles of beer on a tray, along with three glasses of water, a stack of small plates (the number perhaps more or less than needed; he simply grabbed what was near), and a blueberry tart with a server stabbed through it. The tart itself looked petulant for having its presentation ruined by the silver serving utensil: it was a proud-looking thing, dusted with powdered sugar and boasting the fattest berries of the season. Its crust, golden and thick, looked both buttery and crisp, inviting as though it had just come out of the oven.
"Shepard, what is this?" Vivi cried, plucking the pie server from the poor tart's flank. "Are you serving to the cattle, mon ami, or to guests?"
"No," Shepard said, putting down the tray and sliding into the chair on the other side of Alex. "I'm serving an assassin, by the looks of it, yeh?" He ignored Vivi's disapproval entirely and took his beer, tilting the top of it accusingly at the Italian woman. His face was full of mock-seriousness, a scowl that might fool those with a less-developed sense of humor than what he gauged their new friend to have. "So yer tellin' me that first y'get handsy and then y'turn into an assassin? That's entrapment!"
Cesc, meanwhile, was enjoying his swaying dance with Zul, having now completely forgotten to listen to the humans converse. It was not every day he could monopolize the attention of a Sigel -- of any other Raevan -- and certainly not one that interested him so immediately as Zul. Zul was masterful, but not averse to being led in the dance. There was no artifice to him that Cesc could decipher, no, but there were layers to his new acquaintance that intrigued the Frei. He was knowledgeable, clearly, and kind, and there was something more, like Zul existed on some plane that Rhedefre could not yet see, a royalty of which the frei was not yet cognizant. There was a gentleness to his touch but a clear power behind his skin.
"You are too generous," said the stag with a laugh. He attempted to sway as the demon instructed, comfortable moving with the demon. They circled the table and Cesc lifted his hand as though to twirl Zul, although his expression clearly spoke that the motion was in jest. He could not yet joke like the rest, but he could try to show his humor, at least! "You know the dance, I see. From where did you learn? From Alex?"
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Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:24 am
"F-flu?" Alex was struggling now to keep her mirth from spilling out so freely and it wasn't easy. Wiping one of her vivid green eyes with the heel of her palm, the Italian wore a wide grin, wondering how well the spider queen took to that name. She had no time to offer a teasing response before Shepard made his way back to them and their banter continued, threatening to pull forth her laughter no matter her best efforts to keep herself halfway controlled. Her shoulders shook as she covered her mouth in a vain attempt to stem the tide, eyes curved into crescents for all the joy she was being awash in.
Finally allowing herself to look away from her gracious hosts, she did appraise the tart with the most pleased lift of brows, having never actually seen a proper tart since she'd move to Gambino years ago. It was hard to match up to the bakeries from home, but leave it to the beautiful French woman to do it! "Vivi, love, there's nothing he could have done to this to make it look unappetizing," she assured the dark-haired woman with a sweet smile, almost afraid to touch the succulent looking treat. She felt as though she ought to empty her wallet just to be allowed to look at it!
Grinning and lightly biting her bottom lip, she arched a dark brow at Shepard's accusation, falling into the game of play with him easily. "Only if you grab me when I don't want to be touched, but Shepard, that's not a problem I foresee either of you experiencing in your lives." But there was one small...okay, enormous elephant in the room she had to address before she could feel comfortable sizing them both up -- and despite the short time there, she was already very much wanting to. "Before I make inappropriate jokes about entrapment," she started in a vaguely cautious tone, smiling a little more embarrassed between the two, "you're uh...well. Our stunning Aphrodites here is French and our tart-mangler is from Aussieland, so I'm guessing you're not siblings...?" She trailed off delicately, because goodness knows she didn't want to step square in the middle of a happy relationship. If they were married, she'd have to drown herself in water to make up for her horrible second nature to flirt with the two!
And he, for his part, had forgotten about the offered beer and had let the humans to their own devices. It was a general reaction whenever he was with his woman - they'd segregate by race, it was just how it was - and Zul would entertain whichever Frei he'd been left to size up and teach. This young being, however, had a soul as old as his and rather than finding an inexperienced child, he found a youthful vision of grace that was not in need of him to be the Big Brother. There was no need for him to guide Cesc, and instead of fostering a relationship teaching and caution, there was fast blooming a deeply fond sentiment of friendship.
"No such thing," he countered with a wide grin, that soft glowing buzz of Cesc's touch no less present, but far more welcomed. The tease was taken with gusto, the tri-horned demon floating a bit lower to take to the twirl without taking the Stag's arm off, extending his free arm as though he were a graceful, dainty woman rather than the bulky beast he was. Returning to Cesc, he playfully waggled his dark brows at him, commenting, "All we're missing is a rose stem!" Settling back to continue their dance, he shook his head, briefly aware of the humans once more. "No, her brother, Bear. His name is Brad, but he's as big as a bear." It wasn't the entire truth, but the reality of it had to do with their names, their history and the politics of what had happened to them in their homeland, the likes of which even Zul didn't know the full extent of. As such, the nickname-route was just as well.
"When I was much younger, Lex and I had been invited to a Masquerade." The memories played before his eyes, giving him a few heartbeats of looking as though he could still see the mansion around them. "She didn't know how to dance and I hardly knew what it was. Bear knows all the ballroom dances and he taught us. Have you seen a group dance like this, Cesc?" He tilted his head, indicating their clasped hands. "It's remarkable. They all move in unison, like leaves in the wind -- even the clothes follow in step." Smiling distantly at the memory and wondering how Vyn was doing, he took in a short breath and exhaled in a wistful sigh. "It would be fun to do again, now that I've more to me -- and I don't mean just the body." Experience, understanding, appreciation...he imagined that made all the difference.
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 6:46 pm
For a brief moment, Shepard thought he misheard Alex. For the next moment, he was certain he simply misunderstood. In fact, for that brief beat of silence that followed the woman's question, Shepard merely looked at her with his brows together and his mouth slightly turned down, blinking once. Of course they weren't siblings. They didn't have any resemblance anywhere; Vivi all fluidity and curve and Shepard lantern-jawed and angled. And it wasn't until Vivi's soft laughter curled through his confused mind that Shepard realized he was understanding Alex perfectly; still, he opted to let Vivi speak, taking a long drink of his beer.
"Oh, non, mademoiselle, cheri, mais non," said the Frenchwoman prettily, ghosting a touch over Alex's elbow, her tone encouraging and not at all embarrassed. "It is that the Shepard and myself, we are the very closest of friends! If we have a shared relative anywhere in our lines, I am certain it must be by some accident. Some star-crossed affair!"
Shepard pulled the mouth of his beer bottle away and nodded with his whole body, swaying forward, his dark eyes dropped and one corner of his mouth tipped upward.
"And so, you may make all the inappropriate jokes your heart whispers! We quite welcome them, you know, no matter how respectable we attempt to be," laughed Vivi, standing to slice a piece of the tart for Alex. She took one of the waiting plates and ran the serving knife cleanly through the crust, her movements easy from repeated practice. She slid the wedge of tart onto Alex's plate and held it out for the woman, her smile warm. "You must know that here we are in the practice of enjoying ourselves quite without apology!"
Shepard breathed a faint laugh over the lip of his beer. "Don't let her scare you. We're plenty wholesome." He tipped the bottle toward where the Raevan pair was dancing, a look of amusement growing on his face. "Look, we even waltz. Lemme compliment yeh on the dancer in yer family, Alex. What a beaut."
Cesc did not notice Shepard's drawing attention to him and his partner. He was engaged, listening to Zul, his ears and eyebrows lifting slightly at the mention of a man as large as a bear. He could only blink as he tried to imagine such a stature. He always considered that Shepard was a big man; in the bakery, people always seemed to be smaller than him -- but a bear... "That is..." he tried to think of a word, but none came to him, so he simply made a faint gesture with one hand to imply what he meant: very large, impressive.
As Zul spoke of the masquerade, though, Cesc kept his eyes on the other's distant gaze in quiet curiosity, as though trying to search there for a glimpse into his memories. He shook his head; he did not know a masquerade, or many dancing couples, could scarcely imagine even the setting where such activity would take place. But the wistful tone the sigel used gave some bloom to his imagination, and he said aloud what he thought: "It must be a beautiful thing; I would love to one day take part in something like it."
Seemingly on cue, the music faded, the waltz ending. The pace of the music shifted, from the nostalgia of the waltz to an upbeat, teenage rhythm of strings, a young woman's voice ringing out into the bakery.
"I threw a wish in the well~ Don't ask me, I'll never tell~"
All the seriousness on Cesc's face melted instantly away into a broad smile as he recognized the song. He bobbed his head to the beat, and he gestured upward, as if to the music, as he released Zul and floated slightly apart again.
"Do you know this one? It is ..."
"The word is ridiculous!" Shepard called over to them.
... ripped jeans, skin was showin', hot night wind was blowin'...
"It is a little ridiculous," Cesc allowed with a grin.
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Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 5:35 pm
Alex's bright eyes flicked between the two attentively, watching their body language and hearing the words with a careful consideration outside of just dealing with the surface responses. She smiled as Vivi dispelled the notion with the graceful air she seemed to carry about her, tilting her head to the side to watch her move. The Italian was certain she'd never seen a more stunning woman in her life, which began to make her question how in the devil Shep was maintaining any semblance of sanity. Extending her hands to take the plate, she could have cursed herself for the movie-esque manner her fingers briefly brushed over Vivi's, putting the plate on the table next to her before her embarrassment made her shake and rattle the fork right off the plate. "Thank you love," she replied, casting a borderline shy glance to the woman. It was silly, really - Vivi was like 5'pocket-sized, but she still felt like she was looking up to the woman. "I think that's incredible and am admittedly jealous, so I'll just have to stop by more to admire with more frequency."
Cutting herself a bite of the tart, Alex again paused, curling her lip in a half-grin at the Aussie. "Shepard, darling, the only thing that scares me is the notion you two stunning creatures are wholesome." She snorted softly, as though the idea was as ridiculous as the song that had started. "That would be criminal." Following his indication, she watched the Sigel and the Frei spin across the bakery floor, and for a moment, she forgot the struggle of being a single woman with obligations and a lonely heart, and instead basked in the glow of being a Guardian. Alex smiled in a gentle manner, the fork slowly lowering back to the plate as she played audience to the two as the tempo changed. "Thanks, Shep. He's my pride and joy -- he's the greatest happiness of my life." He was her constant, and she adored her demon for that, watching his inherent gentleness with the stag.
The demon tipped his head in acknowledgement at Cesc's gesture, amused. "Perhaps I can convince him to come in at some point. He doesn't have much a sweet tooth but I know his partner does." The idea of introducing Cesc to his family was more than interesting to him; the stag had such a worldly air about him, he was certain Brad would appreciate his company.
As the song became the bubble gum pop that was both catchy and vaguely repetitive, Zul stretched his arms out and rolled his shoulders, thoughtful of their conversation despite the uplift of mood. "We should host an event some time, if you think your woman and man would be up for it. A masquerade. A bakery masquerade." He chuckled, having no clear idea of how to put something like that together, but the idea sounded fun. He had enjoyed dressing up and he was certain he still had the mask somewhere in Alex's belongings stowed in the attic. It was a nice reminder of a simpler time, before the virus and so many Raevans departed...
Brushing the thoughts away that had no right being in such a pleasant atmosphere, Zul grinned and nodded as familiar words played through the sweet smelling air. "I'm familiar with it--"
"Only because I sing it when it comes on the radio," Alex interjected.
"--while she's sliding across the kitchen in her socks, but yes, all the same. It is ridiculous but there's nothing wrong with a little silly fun!" The demon's grin grew, not the predator expression to display all his teeth, but a subtle thing, one that painted him in a more mischievous light.
Lowering her head, Alex shrugged. "If you can shake your a**--" her eyes flickered to Cesc, "-ets to it, why not?"
Zul laughed, a throaty sound of heat and velvet. "Then what are you waiting for? Don't let us have all the fun, right, Cesc?" He winked one sky blue eye at the Frei, rocking his barely formed hips and bobbing his head. Pointing his finger at Vivi, he mouthed along with the lyrics, complete with over-exaggerated hair toss and lidded eyes.
With a slow raise of her brows, Alex glanced sidelong to Shepard. "What was that about being a beaut?"
You took your time with the call, I took my time with the fall...
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Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 5:24 pm
"Any invitation to dance would be welcome to me," Cesc said with a smile, looking around himself and trying to imagine dancing couples filling the small bakery floor. It would be cramped, depending on how many they invited, but it would be fun, nonetheless -- they could open the doors and let the music and the dancing spill out, invite passers-by, and that would be even more worth it. "And to Vivi, I am certain."
...where you think you're going BABY?
"Ah, you should come often, then, cheri, for now that you have come once, you cannot think we would allow you do disappear from us," said Vivi to Alex, leaning forward and speaking lowly.
But, as Zul pointed at her, and hearing a mention of her name from Cesc's lips, Vivi rose again, locking eyes with the demon and reaching her arms forward to him. She sashayed her way around the table and took his outstretched hand, twirling herself beneath him and then darting forward to press a kiss to his cheek.
"Ah, forgive me, Alex, I cannot sit while these both dance, the loveliest of creatures!" she exclaimed, letting Zul's hand go but staying close to both the Raevans, her whole body rolling with the beat of the music. Her hair bobbed and she seemed energized by the presence of two of her favorite boys, and her dancing quickly went from her normal rhythm to a display of well-known moves. She pretended to touch a non-existent fedora on her head and moonwalked slyly away.
Shepard watched the goings-on, leaning back in his chair and taking a sip of his drink, then turned his gaze to Alex. "They're all beauts," he said. "The lot of them, the dancers."
He grinned, coming forward to take a bite out of his pie. "But looks like you might be in my camp, eh? Sock-slidin' aside -- an' don't get me wrong, it's hard to resist a pair of socks and a good wooden floor -- d'ya do much dancing?"
He paused. Maybe it was the beer(s), but he felt like continuing: "But I will if you will, Assassin."
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Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2013 1:48 pm
"Perhaps, then, when the time is right--" he started to respond in mid-dance, but Vivi was on the approach and the demon was all crooked, toothy grin. He was firm in his hold as she took his hand, aiding in the spin and letting go at the same time she did, finding the rhythm of the French beauty to be natural and easy to follow -- an unusual idea for the demon, who often preferred to lead. And as Vivi addressed his woman, he took Cesc's hand and playfully did the same for him, encouraging a little spin as Vivi had done, laughing in his soft, smokey manner all the while.
Alex had to put the fork down for trying to finish her treat while Vivi was that close and speaking in such tones would surely end in her choking to death. Clearing her throat, she waved her hand in an airy manner, grinning a little. "Forgiveness is yours, then!" she called as the feisty woman moonwalked away, shaking her head slowly in star-struck awe. It was no small wonder to her why Vivi had chosen to run a bakery; she deserved to be on the stage, her name written in stars, for the world to see and adore. Not that she was complaining; she'd take her private showing any day.
A wistful sigh escaped her lips at Shep's words, nodding slowly in agreement, head slightly tilted to the side and eyes upon the three that were in different stages of being. They were all beautiful, as the man said. It filled her with a light sense of joy she hadn't known for a long time. Tearing her eyes away from the display, she again looked to the Aussie, unable to repress a grin. "You? A sock-slider? I'd pay to see that." She laughed softly, shaking her head -- and then correcting herself with a small shrug. "No - well - not really. I know some -- formal stuff, but uh..."
Her words remained unspoken on her parted lips, almost gaping at Shep. She didn't really know what to make of the man: he was gruff, well-meaning yes, even she could see that, but offering to dance? That almost seemed a stretch, even with Vivi enticing out there as she was. She hadn't anything to drink but Alex felt brave just being in the presence of the bakery trio. "Yeah alright, studmuffin. Let's dance." Alex stood then, readjusting her top and playfully extending a hand to Shep as the gentleman ought to, grinning with a flushed sort of pleasure. She felt like she was partaking in something special, and she wasn't going to let it pass her by this time.
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