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 Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 12:46 am
Going into space seemed to give Flora, or Eve really, since they were one and the same, more questions and insecurities. First, there was her homeworld, and she didn't exactly like reminding herself what she had stumbled upon there, oh gosh. And then, there was the Zodiac Castle, and their attempt to repower the Surrounding that only helped slightly but mainly failed. Thinking about all this made her shoulders slump and Eve sucked on her straw to bring more iced tea into her mouth.
...Brainfreeze, brainfreeze, ow ow ow! The blonde grimaced, stopping in her steps and holding a hand to her head. Sure, it was a warm summer day, Neso's season, but brainfreeze didn't care if the weather was blazing hot and you needed an icy pick me up, pronto.
In her defense, she was troubled and lost track of how much she had been sipping. She had been sick of staring up at the ceiling from her bed ever since they had returned from the Surrounding, giddy and exhausted... and then had decided to, on the spur of the moment, go out and shop a little. With a pair of shorts, a cute top and a pair of sunglasses perched atop her head, Eve seemed ready, except she pretty much now looked like a lost little puppy. She had only flicked past outfits on their hangers in a few shops morosely, unable to get her mind off everything was bothering her.
Straw still in her lips, Eve wandered out yet another shop with no purchase made and while lost in thought, bumped into a guy passing by. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to--"
She had frozen in the middle of her apology when she had realized who it was, and promptly pulled the sunglasses down to hide her face. Maybe he wouldn't recognize her then? "Sorry!" She squeaked out again, awkwardly attempting to shuffle away.
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 12:47 am
Gloved hands automatically reached out to steady the young girl. Senri absentmindedly glanced down at her, ready to politely apologize and go on with his business. But the unfortunate fact about Senri was that the more you avoided him, the curiouser he became. It certainly didn't help that Senri has a keen memory and acuity with faces. So despite her efforts, Senri easily recognized the younger girl.
He caught her arm with an amused smile, "Well, well, Eve. Long time no see." He drawled out. The blue hair man waved to some friends ahead, calling out "Hey, go along first. I'll catch up." They nodded their assent. He turned his attention back towards Eve, cupping her face in both hands. "Now, now. Why don't you just accept fate? We might as well use this time wisely to deepen our relationship." This might be funner then Senri thought. With a chuckle, he continued "Heh, don't you think?"
"After all, it could be fun."
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 12:48 am
Oh bother.
She should have known that he would recognize her right away; it was a bit of a stretch to hope that he wouldn't when they were in quite close proximity. It didn't help when he started teasing her with the knowledge of their past relationship, and an embarrassed blush rose to her cheeks. "H-hey!" Eve protested, though she did reluctantly prop her sunglasses back up on top of her head. "Come on, you can't possibly let me get in the way of some male bonding time, right?" Even to her ears, it sounded lame. Eve was actually quite furious at herself for getting so flustered just by bumping into him, but then again, it wasn't just anyone. This was Senri Cross, alter-ego of Sailor Zephyr, Senshi of Wind, the guy who she had been engaged to in her past life, dear god.
Still, she was usually quite witty and charming in front of the boys! Except that she wasn't sure she wanted to be witty and charming in front of a past lover whom she could barely remember any details about. "Fun? I thought, you said there's no guarantee, y'know, about us..." She trailed off as she gestured to the both of them with her free hand. It was just then that she remembered Serenade's advice to give it a shot, and that it wouldn't hurt to try. "I mean, I... you... we..."
Eve Summers was pretty much at a loss for excuses here. Why didn't she drag someone else out with her? Like Rea, or even Lucy? But Lucy would have probably gladly seized the chance to nudge her into this and flee home to read. Oh bother. She thought once again, shoulders sagging slightly.
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 12:48 am
Male bonding time? "Put that way.." Senri had to look away, now complete with a distant smile that felt like he was no longer looking at his old fiance. What exactly did she think of him..? And exactly what sort of guys needed bonding time? That phrase had directly stabbed his heart or whatever was left of it. "Maybe I should tell you that I'm entirely straight." It wouldn't be an underestimation to say that Senri had lost all drive, whatever drive he had left, to go back with his friends.
He quickly recovered though. "Yes, yes, you and I.." Senri invited her to continue the sentence. But when no answer was forthcoming, the model filled in the words himself- "Yes, you and I make a wonderful couple." He stated it with such confidence that it seemed that there could be no other alternative. Without giving her a chance to refuse, he took her hand in his and began walking in the general direction of more shops while continuing to hold her hand.
"I did say that there was no guarantee." Senri acceded to Eve's earlier statement with a calm smile. "But I see no reason to try."
He wasn't oblivious to her reluctance however. Did their past life make her uneasy? "Tell me.. Eve." He glanced back at her, "What's the worst that could happen? Other than spending time with a handsome model and getting treated on a day you might have otherwise spent by your lonesome self?"
He thought for a bit longer, exploring several other reasons. "Or are you worried that I might force myself on you? Get you to commit to something you don't want to? If it's either of those options, I promise that I'm not interested." Senri had standards after all. He had never forced a woman before and he wasn't planning to start now. Why do so when there were a dozen of willing women available to him? He wasn't interested in what was taken.
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 12:49 am
"Excuse me," Eve retorted; helloooo, she didn't exactly care about sexual orientations or wanted to imply that he might possibly swing that way. "I was thinking more along the lines of guy friendship; I know you guys are very... what's the word? Dedicated to bromance. I never implied anything of the sort; it's all in your mind." She tapped a finger on the side of her head with a thoughtful smirk, eyebrows raised as if to ask him if he was hiding something. Or just being plain paranoid.
You and I make a wonderful couple.
She honestly had no idea what to reply to that, mouth half open as she struggled to formulate a witty comeback. Which didn't happen, because the statement had broke her brain for a minute there, causing her to trail along with no objections, her hand still in his, like a lost little puppy dog.
To try. When Serenade had said that, Eve had made a face. Now, it caused her to lapse into further thought because she had never thought that he would want to try as well. Because he had laughed it off back then and he was so cryptically impossible to decipher...
"How charming." She remarked, regaining the use of her voice. "Senri Cross, you're extremely modest, you know that?" There was a slight hint of sarcasm, accentuated by a grin and a twinkle in her eye which served to tell him that she meant no harm in ribbing him, just a little.
In front of him, the bright confidence she usually wore had wavered slightly already; more than slightly, really. But now, it was past wavering, and had already melted away, with all the thoughts he had provoked within her with his words. Eve was left with a look of hesitation upon her face, the fear and vulnerability she usually kept locked away bubbling to the surface. Unconsciously, she gripped his hand tighter, as if the warmth would give her comfort. "Don't worry, I don't think you're that uncouth. I'm just... " It was then when a stranger; a man bumped into her other shoulder, and wide-eyed in shock, she instinctively scooted closer to Senri. "That word. Commitment. I don't like making silly promises that we could hopelessly believe in and then find out they're empty and full of lies. But I guess you don't really seem like a person to promise me anything, so just maybe... we could try."
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 12:50 am
"Some more than others." Senri replied ignoring Eve's implications that he was anything other than straight. Unlike others who were undecided or simply wanted to explore, Senri had no questions. He had nothing against other preferences. Just as long as they didn't force it upon him.
But when speaking of his so-called modesty, Senri could only look back with a grin, "It comes with the job." There was something about his grin, a relaxed grin that Senri rarely showed to others in his profession, that showed Senri as so much more than his usual unaffected, callous demeanor.
Coming to a booth where their strawberry-vanilla ice cream with real fruits was largely reputed, Senri paid for two cones. He handed one to Eve.
Taking a seat on a nearby bench that overlooked a small park and leaving room for Eve to sit, he leaned back against the wooden structure. Taking a bite of his ice cream, he looked over at the young senshi. He hadn't known Eve for very long by any standard. But time wasn't necessary to know a person. "Tell me.. what promises have they broken to you? " It didn't take a childhood friend to know that Eve had a deep-rooted problem. Perhaps deeper than she knew. Knowing Eve. he doubted it was something as simple as an ex-boyfriend or infatuated crush.
He wasn't Eve's therapist nor did he have any intention of being one. He wasn't here to console her. He wasn't there because of their association in their supposed past lives. He was here for the Eve he knew.
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 12:51 am
"Models." She shot back with a wry smile in return and a flippant toss of her curls. Not that she had anything against them, of course, and it did make sense that modelling required a certain level of a lack of modesty. One couldn't exactly be awkwardly shy in front of a camera, after all.
"Thank you." Eve said, taking the cone from him with an appreciative nod, seating herself next to him.
"Not me, per se." She objected, as a dark silhouette hanging from a noose flashed in her mind. "I mean, like, you know, Romeo and Juliet would kill themselves for love. Isn't that awfully stupid, that your whole life, your existence can hinge on one particular person? It's just so, you know," She gestured over to a couple walking arm in arm in the park, "Life's so much more than that. There's so much more to experience, to explore, and people would throw it away for just one single person." Perhaps she sounded selfish. But Eve knew she was selfish, in the sense that she prioritized her needs. And why not? One could look out for others, but they had to think of themselves as well.
"Anyway," she said, licking the ice-cream, a small smile flickering over her face as the flavor hit her. "This is pretty good! And I thought models were supposed to watch their weight and stuff like that."
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 12:51 am
Listening to the speech, Senri bit down on the last of his dessert, tearing the delicate pastry with a finality so unlike him. Standing up, he walked forth to drop the remnants into a trashcan. He then pushed his hands into his pockets, his back was faced towards Eve. "Seeing somebody like you annoys me." He let his gaze fall backwards on Eve, his next words were disparaging ones. "I can't understand you." He turned around, leaning in, both hands gripping the bench behind her, essentially caging her in. He stared down at her with a cold glance, "So you've never experienced it for yourself?" To hear such cowardly words from Eve's mouth was disappointing at the least.
If Eve had tried and failed, Senri wouldn't mind helping. But she hadn't even tried, had she? "You're just saying pretty words. The truth is that you've already given up right from the start. You're simply afraid of being hurt." His gaze seemed to ask, 'Am I right?'
He stepped back to allow her space. "False promises? Empty? Full of lies? Tell me Eve, do you honestly expect anything to come of it when you won't even take the first step? But if you're this half-hearted, why bother trying? After all, you can just be content with the relationship you can have with me?"
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 12:53 am
The look Senri was giving her was unnerving. Was he judging her? Yes. He was. Judging her. Alright, fine, perhaps she seemed dismissive, too quick to judge when she admitted that it never really happened to her. But, just but, she couldn't, she wouldn't ever end up like... that. For a moment, her throat constricted, and she felt as though there was a noose around her throat, tightening as he loomed over her. "Even so," She spoke, voice wavering as she met his gaze; she would not look away. She would not be embarrassed by the choices she made, not when, not when... "There's a reason why I'm afraid of being hurt." Lucy knew. At least she guessed that he would make that connection, because he knew of that terrible event happening back then and the decisions she had made after it occurred.
"I'll admit it, I'm confused. I don't know exactly how to express what I want but all I know is that I am not going to end up hanging myself over a man who abandons me for someone else and letting my niece stumble upon my dead body!" It all came out with a rush of impulse fueled by the annoyance that he seemed angry at her over something like this, and goddammit, Eve didn't like it. And now she hated herself for spilling this out, when she had never intended in doing so. And to him, of all people!
"I'm done." She said, standing up abruptly. As nice as the ice cream was, suddenly, she didn't feel like she had much of an appetite anymore.
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:43 pm
"I'm sorry." Senri had gone too far. "I shouldn't have said it that way." Senri realized that Eve was a friend, a friend that he wanted to keep. He wasn't used to holding his tongue or phrasing it otherwise. In his annoyance with her words, he had meant for her to see the truth but he hadn't meant to hurt her feelings.
His voice softened, bringing a apologetic smile. "I shouldn't speak when I don't know the full story." He could see it in Eve's demeanor, that there was an underlying reason and cause for her actions. Her story.. the way that she related it to herself .. was beginning to give the male a brief glimpse of the incident. Hanging.. dead.. Had she..? Was Eve the niece that she spoke of? What exactly had happened? But it was too soon to ask. He couldn't pry yet. It wasn't yet time.
But she couldn't leave yet. He stood along with her. Not letting her go, he held her by both arms. He kneeled down slightly to meet Eve's gaze, no matter how reluctant it was. "You confided in me and I should have listened."
"A failing of mines, I assure you."
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 10:04 am
He apologized.
She would have very easily stormed off, but his very words made her halt before she could even take a step forward. Ever since the very first time she had met Senri Cross, she had pegged him as an infuriating a** which managed to get on her nerves and push all her buttons; this was the man she had screamed into a pillow about and grumpily accosted Lucy to put up with it. And yet now, here he was, showing some semblance of understanding, and Eve found herself wondering if this was why Fleur managed put up with Zephyr.
And yet, she also realized that she trusted him enough to have her dreaded past spill from her lips, something not many knew haunted her. It was as he said, she had confided in him. However aggravating she declared him to be, he had grown to be a friend she trusted.
Looking down at him, kneeling on the floor, she couldn't help but laugh, tears brimming in her eyes. "I'm sorry... I'm just... I'm stupid, aren't I?" First, blurting out what she had never told anyone, and then bursting into tears for some strange inconceivable reason. That was probably why she found it all laughable. "Thank you." She managed out, in the midst of the tears and laughter.
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 1:40 am
Senri kneeled down, hugging Flora all the meanwhile. His body remained constantly steady while Eve's body trembled from her emotions. "I normally despise stupid people," Senri spoke with a wry smile over Eve's head, "but I'll make an exception this time for you." Eve should consider herself lucky indeed.
One hand retreated to his coat pocket, taking out a clean and crisply folded white handkerchief faintly scented of his cologne. "And since I caused this, I'm not entirely sure if it's all right for me to say you're welcome." He pushed the cloth into Eve's hand.
"When you're done crying, I'll take you home."
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Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2012 10:44 am
Another shaky laugh escaped from her lips as she laid her head on his shoulder. It was so typical of Senri Cross to be so snarky, but at the same time, she understood exactly what he meant. He wasn't like Rea or Lucy; Rea had always been protective and caring, in her own way. In the latter's case, Eve was the one who could push Lucy's buttons by tactlessly calling him a boring old lady, but they both knew that she had always looked up to him as an older brother figure.
Senri was different. But Eve took comfort in knowing that these three people loved her, and she loved them in return.
She took the handkerchief and dabbed at the wet spots on her cheeks. "I'll be fine." She said, sounding much calmer. She always would be fine. Eve Summers was the quintessential happy blond girl, who hardly broke down.
Hardly.
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