It is here, in the Retreats of Gondora, that you will find one of the very few nature-inspired sections of the city. There are a few parks in and around this area, and the main resort and spa: Jade Heart. This is a very quiet and secluded area of the city that is almost exclusively available to baiters. However, there is also a public library located a few blocks from the Jade Heart, and it houses more hard-copy knowledge than any other place on Earth. There is a single train station that leads into this section of the city, and otherwise, there is very little to see or do other than kick back and relax.
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 11:40 am
C O R R I N N E x E S P E R O N
____________________________
Content [Mood] Bistro > Library [Location] Too many to list [Thoughts] John Bishop [With]
__________________________________
The next morning, at an early hour, there came a knock at Corrinne’s new apartment door. One of her eyes creaked open and peeked toward the door before she squeezed both eyes tightly and stuffed her face in her pillow, pulling it close and groaning into it.
“Hello Corrinne? It’s John, I just wanted to check in if you are doing all right?” It was John Bishop again, Corrinne remembered that he said he would check in on her later but why did it have to be so early. Checking the small alarm clock on the nightstand near her bed, it brightly blinked 9:36AM. “Really,” Corrinne groaned and turned over onto her bed, slapping her arm over her eyes, stretching out the rest of her body. She called out, “can’t you get in on your own?” Silence followed her question before he weakly called back, “no?” Corrinne whimpered and whined before shouting back, “Kay, just a minute!”
Rolling off of her bed wearily, she moved the sheets around till they appeared somewhat presentable. The staff held it’s vigilant position near the bed, standing proudly. She smiled and rubbed the back of her neck as she looked at it satisfied with its happy appearance. Making her way to the door, she stumbled once or twice in the dark till she reached the light switch near the front door. Flipping it on, she turned to unlock the door and look out into the quiet hallway. John was standing there smiling awkwardly until he realized she answered the door in her night things. He swiftly turned his head away blushing, “I’m sorry, did you need more time to get dressed?” He asked timidly. But Corrinne smiled and waved him in, “no, no, come in, I’ll get dressed in the bathroom, you can wait in the room, as long as you don’t mind the mess.” She had already turned and waited for him to follow her in. John couldn’t see the mess she mentioned as the room was in order except for her obviously slept in sheets. He watched her as she searched through her dresser drawers till she found an outfit that she liked and withdrew into the bathroom. He found her impetuous nature charming and fondly played over the image of her in her nightgown playfully in his mind. Summoning up reflections of her in provocative positions till she returned fully dressed in a casual outfit; an earthy green cable knit sweater over black leggings and dark brown boots. John sighed and spoke in a small voice, “wow, you look great Corrinne,” as he nervously eyed her up and down. “Thank you!” She smiled back pleasantly, looking herself over in a nearby mirror. “Yes, I think it’ll do, I was planning on visiting the library, would you go with me?” She asked respectfully placing her hands together and slightly bowing. John broadly grinned and answered quickly, “yes! And we can grab some breakfast on the way!” He seemed overly eager by Corrinne’s standards but she figured it was because it had been so long since the two had seen each other, and he probably wanted to catch up.
John offered her his arm and escorted her to the train station that lead to Gondora’s public library. The ride was pleasant and offered a splendid view of the area. John let her enjoy the trip, only offering up little tidbits of information for her to process about the area. Once they reached the retreat area of Gondora, he knew of a small bistro that the two could go and grab some brunch. When their food arrived, Corrinne dived into her eggs and beacon. It had been so long since she had had a real meal, getting by on little energy and snack bars since her trip from Paris headquarters. “Thank you Johnny, you don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve had a decent meal!” She took a moment and swallowed her food to speak to him before continuing. He laughed and ate his food at a regular pace, “I can understand,” he started, “once you start something, things just fall into motion.”
“Don’t you need to be at work today?” Corrinne asked between bites.
“They can get by without me for a day.” He looked down into his coffee, smiling at his wavering reflection.
“Are you sure,” She stopped looking up at him concerned, “I don’t want you to lose your job over taking a friend to the library.”
“It’ll be fine, don’t worry about it, plus, you’re worth losing a job over.” John smiled brightly at Corrinne and suddenly her chest felt tight. Did John like her more than in the friendly sense? It made her feel uncomfortable, so she slowed her eating and instead took to the tea that had been waiting for her. The tea tasted sweet and warm, calming her nerves; she inhaled the flowery fragrance and sighed. Glancing up at John she noticed him watching her again, her eyes quickly darted back to her tea. She had always known that John liked her but it hadn’t bothered her before. Why hadn’t it bothered her before? Then suddenly her heart thumped loudly in her mind as an image of Dal’Mori flashed in her minds-eye. ‘No,’ She thought to herself, ‘don’t even think about him, we’re HALF’s, it wouldn’t work.’ Suddenly she felt a little crestfallen and John took notice, “Corrinne, you all right?”
“I’m fine, I think we should start heading to the library though.” She slowly placed the teacup back down into its saucer and gazed off unfocused. John paid for the brunch and stood up waiting for her to follow but when she didn’t he patted her on the shoulder.
“Corrinne, you ready?” He asked and she looked up at him taken aback.
“Oh! I’m sorry, John. I must have been drifting.” She smiled up at him and took his hand. Going over it in her mind some more, she realized that settling down with John wouldn’t be a bad thing; he was the most well-adjusted, sweet guy she had ever known. He had a safe, stable job that would easily counteract her new job. And he worked in the world of science, so they would easily understand each other’s interests. But her heart still pulled her in another direction now and it began to irritate her.
The library was a massive structure, beautifully designed and appropriately positioned in a jungle oasis. Nature and animal life thrived with the help of Gondora cities tax dollars to make this retreat for baiters. Corrinne had been there before with John, they used to go on study sessions late at night but it was the first time she had been there during the day. It was beautiful and for a moment all she wanted to do was stare at the scenery but John moved her forward. The inside was just as she remembered: a massive cataloging system and thousands of layers of books on several layers of floors. It was enough to intimidate anyone but the two had found the computer system where you would search for your book and a helpful machine would retrieve the book for you. She typed in Bo Staff and Martial Arts, this brought up hundreds of books. After narrowing down her search, she found five books that she was interested in and sent the command into the computers database. The sounds of the machine wiring up made the structure hum and every now and again you could hear the faint sound of the machine creaking from years of use. Waiting patiently the two chatted about old times and laughed about the time when the computer had a flaw and brought them every copy of one of the books they ordered. It felt good to talk to John; he was warm and understanding unlike her uncle, who was cold and distant. That was probably what led Corrinne to John in the first place.
Slowly the books arrived on a conveyer belt and Corrinne picked them up one by one. The books were larger than she figured and John offered to carry a couple of them. She held the books close to her chest and grinned contentedly, she never felt so good as when she had an armful of books.
“Do you want to stay and read awhile?” John pointed in the direction of the lounge area with his eyes. But Corrinne checked the time on the massive clock and realized that it was now early afternoon.
“No I better not, I promised that I would meet the other HALFs in the training room soon.” She checked her books and realized that she had left her staff at home in her room, ‘oh well, the library isn’t the best place to bring a weapon anyway.’ She thought to herself. John had become noticeably dejected and Corrinne nudged him with her shoulder, “Hey don’t give me that look, we can hang again later, I promise.” This perked him up and he nudged her back playfully.
The two flipped through her books on the train ride back and Corrinne was enjoying reading the history of the Bo Staff. A lot of what it talked about made complete sense to her and she realized now that that doctor may have known how well the weapon suited Corrinne, she would have to send the doctor a gift for boxing day later in the year. John flipped through one of the martial arts books and looked very taken with it, his brow scrunched up in concentration. Corrinne smiled and returned her attention to her book. Leaning her chin in her hand, she read comfortably till she fell asleep.
The sound of the train whistle blew and John nudged Corrinne gently on her arm. Her eyes shot open to find him sitting in front of her holding the other books she had had laid next to her. “Oh, did I fall asleep?” She asked flustered and he responded with a chuckle and a smile. “Oh, I’m sorry, I was just so relaxed I guess.”
“Understandable,” He stood and waited for her to follow. She looked around checking that she didn’t forget anything and collected the book in her lap.
T a l i t h a E r i s ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
How can I sleep at night, there's a war inside my head I found the lion hidden right beneath my bed I will not hide myself from the tears that you have shed Cause I am a lion and you are dead
When Talitha stepped off the train and onto the platform, she inhaled a large breath of fresh air. It was different from Africa, in a way that she couldn’t seem to put into words. She took her time walking through Gondora, the subtle and gentle nature of the whole place seemed to have put her in auto-pilot as her mind wondered into nothingness, just wanting to forget what had happened earlier this morning. As thoughts passed through her mind, a soft hum escaped her lips from the back of her throat. To her, it was a very calming sound, one that she would always turn to when she needed to relax her mind. As she came closer to the Jade heart, the smell of the springs invaded her nostrils and pulled her back to reality. She shoved her hands into her pocket, fingers reaching out and brushing against her combat knife before being buried into her cardigan that she had put on, mostly for comfort.
She got settled into her room quite quickly, enjoying how clean and ambient the room was. She could have just spent her entire day laying down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. However, she decided that she would go enjoy the hot springs. She slipped into a bathing suit- not feeling comfortable enough to wear anything less, she grabbed a white towel from the bathroom and set out to find the hot springs. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was all one big hot spring that both men and women shared, or split by gender, woman one side and men on the other.
Line count:16 OOC: ARGH, I’m SO SORRY for this being short. :/ My brain is throbbing and Idk what to write. :c I've never been to a spa and I have no clue how things would work at one.
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2016 5:41 pm
Acel had managed to hobble his way out of the main headquarters, where he had left behind the woman who he just could not understand. The head technician at the Rebirthing Center had it out for him, but at the same time, didn't hate him. She wanted him to learn something--was coaxing it out of him slowly, as if nurturing something that was growing, like a flower. He called for transport at the front of the building--knowing very well that he wasn't in the shape to walk home or to the resort at a time like this, so he had the driver come and get him, on B.A.I.T.R's tab, of course. And when the man pulled up to the front of the HQ, Acel hopped in and let him know where they were headed. As they drove--very few other vehicles even showing up on the roads, as most of the city went vastly unpopulated save for the baiters sprinkled around the city in their own little apartments--the man said very little, just looking ahead and grumbling at anything that interested him or did not interest him...maybe he just liked to grumble. Either way, they pulled into his apartment complex, and Acel asked the man to wait for him, hopping out of the cab and walking up to his home on the second floor. He came into the apartment, and it was exactly as he had left it--hell, it looked like it had never been lived in at all. Mostly because it hadn't. There had been no 'life' in these walls. Just him staying there once for a night before he went back out into his crazy life of fighting and dying. What was it all worth if he never got to LIVE again?
He sighed as he walked into his bedroom and opened up random drawers full of clothing that was not his--but was his. He did not buy it, but there it was. The apartments that the baiters were given were fully furnished and supplied with anything they might need. Eventually, he managed to find a drawer with some colorful shorts that felt strange to the touch. He opted out of that and chose, instead, to grab the cloth black briefs that he was used to wearing. He stuffed the briefs and then a towel into a bag, going to the kitchen and grabbing a couple of snacks as well. Two apples, three granola bars, and a bottle of water. If he got really hungry, he would just find a restaurant to eat at. There was a lively downtown section of the city where most of the actual people who lived here full time resided--far away from where he had decided to hole up. When he returned to the cab, he gave the man a nod and let him know they could move on, and they got back on the barren streets and headed toward the resort section of Gondora. Acel reached into the bag and pulled out a granola bar and offered one to the driver as well, who eyed the treat and quirked a brow, grumbling loudly before reaching over and taking the bar and opening it up as he drove. The man and Acel sat in more prolonged silence, eating their respective cereal bars before they got to the resort and the man grunted and nodded, offering the tiniest hint of a smile as Acel left.
Getting out of the car was a challenge in itself, and he could barely do it until the drive reached over, placed a hand on his back, and pushed while Acel was trying and it offered him the leverage to stand. When he turned around to thank the man, he had already pulled the door shut and was driving away. Acel chuckled under his breath as he thought of the strange cabbie and he shrugged his shoulders, turning to see the entrance to the resort and he took a deep breath as he began to shamble towards it. The leg that had been snapped backwards into an ostrich shape ached worse than the other--it felt almost as if the bone was still broken as he walked--and there was nothing that he could do about it. He limped and dragged his body forward until he managed to find his way to the reception desk, where he learned the direction of the hot springs that he had heard about. Perfect. He was well on his way now to getting in there and soaking up the heat--letting his muscles relax. Finally. When he dragged himself down to the hot springs, there were two separate sections. One sign showed a human being standing naked, the other one showed a human being standing with some sort of robe on--making the base of it triangular, almost woman-like. He imagined this is what meant "clothed" or "nude" hot springs. He decided, since he had brought his briefs to wear, that he had better go for the clothed one. He didn't, after all, want to be naked in front of anyone. He went into the change room, nobody in sight, and walked over to the lockers, taking off his clothing and putting on the fresh underwear before he put his clothes into one of the lockers and closed it. After that, he rinsed his body off in a shower and then entered the room, walking into the hotspring and easing himself into the water, floating to the far end of the pool from the entrance and dunking himself underwater. His mid-length blonde hair fell in front of his face as he leaned down in the water, and from far away it would likely just look like a blonde woman was sitting in the spring. He breathed a heavy sigh of release, and he could feel the giddiness of Midas spiking, though he could not tell why, and the A.I. core lay silent, knowing exactly what Acel had done wrong, and Midas just couldn't wait to see what happened because of it.
Line Count: -76
OOC: Just so you know, my line count is negative because I died for the second time and that cost me 200 lines. T-T Also, just so you know, Acel grew up in a community of farmers, and he learned a lot from book and stuff, but there are little things, like the signs for men and women, that he doesn't quite understand because of his upbringing. Hahaah.
Quote:
B.A.I.T.R Standing: 147 Health: 1500/1500 Control Limit: 1180
T a l i t h a E r i s ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
How can I sleep at night, there's a war inside my head I found the lion hidden right beneath my bed I will not hide myself from the tears that you have shed Cause I am a lion and you are dead
Talitha let out a soft sigh as she sank into the hot springs, letting the warm cradle her body. There was a slight stinging sensation from the change of temperature, but she adjusted almost instantly. She loved the hot springs, they allowed her to clear her mind and just focus on the finer things in life, like where she was going to eat diner. She smiled to herself and leaned forward and submerged her head under, testing herself, counting how many seconds she could hold her breath under the water for. When she came up from the water, she sucked in a breath and brushed her long black hair behind her ear. “Twenty-two.” She grumbled to herself. She skimmed her fingers over the surface of the water for a couple moments before she turned around to go wipe her face off with her towel, the water dripping down her face was quite annoying.
When she turned, she saw a man sitting there, totally oblivious to her even being there. Her eyes widened, and her heart sped up. Dear lord, who was this boy? Why was he in the woman’s section?! Even though panic had sparked in her mind, she kept her exterior calm, clearing her throat to gain his attention. “I’m not sure you read the signs, but this is the woman’s hot spring…” She grunted, sinking chest deep into the water as she slowly made her way to her towel, muscles tense. Something about the man’s demeanor felt familiar, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it with the panic going through her mind. She got to her towel and quickly lifted herself out of the hot springs and wrapped the towel around her body, staying seated as she turned her attention back to him, feet kicking in the water.
He was a handsome man, blonde hair, beautiful colored eyes. Yet, part of her wondered if he was a little on the day dreamer side because he didn’t seem like a pervert of any kind. He seemed like the type that didn’t pay attention to his surroundings, but she could be wrong. “Uh… There are co-ed hot springs, but this is not one of them.” She laughed, scratching the back of her head. She didn’t want to leave the hot springs, but if this man proved to be difficult, she would have to. She was not in the mood to deal with difficult people.
Line count:39 OOC: So, this can end with one of them inviting the other to diner or something, if you wanted to!
Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 8:27 am
Acel had not noticed the woman when he had come into the hotsprings. He had not seen her form floating just beneath the surface as she tested her ability to hold her breath. He long, flowing, ebony hair, whisking about within the water like some sort of living thing--the man was truly oblivious. He leaned back against the edge of the spring and sighed as he sat there. He had made it into the water, and then swam to the opposite side of the spring in the time that she had held her breath. She had to have been under for almost thirty seconds. It was close at the very least. But when she came back to the surface, his eyes snapped to the woman who had appeared out of the water and his heart raced immediately. Not through some sort of physical attraction, but because she scared the ever-living s**t out of him. He let out a quiet shriek, just as she was turning toward him, and he breathed a sigh of relief when she spoke to him. As the woman lifted herself from the springs to cover up, Acel was confused. 'Wait a second...I am in the..woman's side? I thought...it was clothed or not clothed...oh no...oh jesus...wait, MIDAS, you could have said something! YOU KNEW!' Laughter erupted in Acel's head as his A.I. core could no longer hold back its amusement. 'Acel, seriously, you're too much fun. Just because the picture of the human looked like it didn't have clothes doesn't mean clothes or not clothes. The picture on the door you went through had a skirt on to signify a woman, and the man was technically wearing pants and a shirt, I am guessing. It's kind of stupid, but it's how you humans identify male and female in a visual manor. You really ought to know these things.' Acel's face immediately flushed as he sat in the water, wearing nothing but his black boxers, as he had not recognized that the colorful shorts in his drawer had been 'swimsuits'.
"I..I am so sorry. I swear, I didn't know. I didn't mean to intrude on your space at all, Miss. I...I am new to the city...and not very well educated on a lot of the nuances. I am not an idiot...but...well...the little things escape me, I guess." As she got out of the water and wrapped herself in the towel, he noticed the woman's smooth, dark skin, and he was intrigued by it. He had not been around many people with such skin before, and it raised interest in him. He knew that there were many dark skinned people in Africa and many other parts of the world, but in his village in France, where he had grown up, the population had been entirely white, which led him to have little interaction with other cultures like these. He had obviously made the woman uncomfortable, and he was blushing like a child as he sat there. He stood up from the water, putting a hand over his chest and bowing ever so slightly. "I realise now that I am in the wrong place. I thought that all of these springs were co-ed, but clothing was the option. This mistake won't ever happen again. I really do hope that your time here is relaxing. And that this slip-up doesn't cause you too much grief or uncomfortability. You are the one who is supposed to be here, not me, so please, don't leave. Enjoy the springs. I will remove myself." Acel stated with a small smile. His face was contorted by the agony that his body was in. He had finally gotten into the springs to relax his muscles and now he had to move out and find the other spring. His leg that had been broken backwards was screaming in pain and he ground his teeth together as he climbed out of the spring and onto the lip of the pool before he made his way toward the exit--unfortunately also toward the woman whom he had made uncomfortable. He moved rather slowly due to the extreme stress on his body from dying and being pieced back together. The main thing that would be noticeable now that he was out of the water was the steel plate across his heart. The aperture-like opening on his chest contained the fake heart that was keeping him alive and acting as his code core, and scar tissue radiated the metal plate from the savage damage that had been done by the b*****d who killed his family. "Again, Ma'am. I am very sorry for this intrusion." He said again as he was walking by, though he shambled slowly, he was making his way.
Line Count: -33
OOC:
Quote:
B.A.I.T.R Standing: 147 Health: 1500/1500 Control Limit: 1180
T a l i t h a E r i s ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
How can I sleep at night, there's a war inside my head I found the lion hidden right beneath my bed I will not hide myself from the tears that you have shed Cause I am a lion and you are dead
New to the city, huh… She thought to herself as she assessed the man once again. He did seem a little country bumpkin-y. A light laugh left her lips at his mistake and she tied the towel around her chest and sighed. “Of course, we all make those little mistakes. I can point you in the direction of the male hot springs, or the co-ed if you enjoy that.” She offered with a smile on her face. It was about time she got out of the water- she never liked when her skin started to wrinkle. She thought about the situation for a moment and then thought about offering the man some help; it seemed like the right thing to do. So he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice and walk into the woman’s washroom. “Uh, no. I was about to leave anyways… I don’t like being in the water for too long, skin gets wrinkly. Did you want to go to dinner with me, if you were interested? My name is Talitha. I could help you out with some of those nuances you don’t know about.” Another light hearted laugh left her lips. After a moment of silence, she thought about what she had said before, it didn’t seem like she had given him the option to opt out of her invitation, “I mean, if you’re not comfortable with going to diner with a stranger, than you don't have to... I’m sorry.” She added in quickly.
Talitha wasn’t so uncomfortable with the situation because she was smart enough that she wore a bathing suit and not her birthday suit, but at the same time, if anyone else walked in to the springs, or a worker came in he would get into trouble. The thought of another person walking in on them seemed to make her blush, but it would go by unnoticed to most. Her skin was too dark, others usually didn’t notice her cheeks flushing red unless they were paying very hard attention to her and anyone paying that much attention to her made her feel really uncomfortable. She shifted her weight to her left foot, and then she ran her fingers through her hair, pulling at some knots. The whole situation she was in felt awkward, and quite forced (on her part mostly, she was pretty much offering her help to a stranger who probably didn’t want it). As she waited for an answer from him, her mind wandered off to her new work as a BAITR, and the fact that not many people here were just normal civilians, they were all BAITR’s like her. It was likely he was a BAITR from out of town, which would make sense with the looks he was giving her.
Line count:64 OOC: I do double my line count, right? O_O
Raven62
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2016 7:35 am
The woman seemed almost blissfully unaware of his condition as she looked at him. Which almost made him uncomfortable in a way...was it pity or just sheer obliviousness? He couldn't quite tell. But, she was suddenly saying that everyone made such mistakes, and she could point him in the direction of the co-ed, or male springs. 'If you enjoy that.' The words hung in the air, like some sort of awkward ball of gas just lingering, and he couldn't get it out of his mind. Why was he over-analysing everything all of a sudden? "Well, I mean...yes. I suppose you could say that I am...I mean, interested in the opposite sex. But, that's not why I came here...I just needed to relax my muscles, that's all." He stammered, trying to defend himself against something that she likely didn't even mean. "Acel, you're acting like a damn fool. She's not trying to ask you if you're interested in girls, you idiot! She's just asking if you enjoy the co-ed springs VS just being with other men. It has nothing to do with attraction. God, you're dense. How did you ever have a relationship before? You're awkward as hell." Acel could hear Midas' voice in his head, and he frowned as he stood there, telling the A.I. Core to silence itself. The water had been heavenly in the springs, and he had read somewhere that natural springs like these had healing properties that could rid people of ailments. He had hoped that he would ease his muscular pain, but instead he stumbled into this very curious companion.
She told him, after his rushed, stumbled apology, that she had already been planning to get out of the water, as she didn't like her skin to get wrinkly, and he almost laughed. However, the amusement at her distaste for wrinkly skin was immediately overshadowed by the sudden twist in his gut as she asked if he wanted to go to dinner with her. So sudden. They had just met moments ago...and he was a man who was in the wrong hot springs, intruding on her private time. What if she had been naked, he would have seen the woman fully exposed. He could be some sort of pervert--he wasn't, of course, but how could she know that?? He quirked a brow as he looked at her, his cheeks red with blush--he was never good at hiding his emotions. No woman had really paid all that much attention to him since he had arrived, and he was still trying to get used to the idea of his wife being gone. He bit his lower lip, just slightly, and he nodded to her. "I suppose I don't really know anyone around here...a couple other baiters I met in training...but they are still fighting in Chicago, North America...we were on a mission there, but one of the enemies was tougher than we anticipated...and I, obviously, was the lucky winner of the 'let's gang up on that guy' award. As you can tell, I could definitely use a hand with the little things...I've read about a lot of the technology that exists...but being around so much of it all at once gets overwhelming. Makes me miss home, sometimes." The blush on his cheeks flared as he started talking, and he shook his head to purge the thoughts. Why was he blurting out such things, all of a sudden. "Either way, um...yeah, I think I could take you up on your offer." He said with a weak smile. Water was still dripping down his body--the black briefs the only thing covering him as he stood there. She had barely even looked at the scar-lined machinery in his chest, and he was almost grateful for it. He wondered if it would come up in conversation. If she would question him about why he had the metal contraption built over his heart--or if she would dismiss it without delving into things with him.
"It's not that I'm not comfortable going to dinner with a stranger. I actually...well, think that it's kind of nice that someone I don't know would offer such hospitality." He said, smiling through the pain. As he was speaking, he noticed a sudden increase in her heart rate, and a light blush came over her dark cheeks--the color change was almost impossible to pick out, but unfortunately for her, Midas didn't miss anything. Midas' most important ability was the ability to analyse the entire battlefield and report any tiny changes in anything--so such a change as her blush and heart rate were novice things for the A.I. to notice, and of course it would waste no time in informing Acel. Anything the A.I. noticed, since they were in the same body, he noticed as well. Her blush and increased heart-rate immediately made his heart race as well, and he couldn't understand what was happening to him. Stop this madness. He was embarrassed as all hell, and everything that was happening was only furthering his embarrassment or strange thoughts that were swirling through his head. He bit at his lip lightly again and he felt the beads of water trailing down his body. He was not an intensely muscular man by any means, but his tightly knit body was toned, angular but slightly. It was a body that you knew had worked hard, but you could also tell that Acel didn't need or want to LOOK like he had. He had never tried to build muscle or to become some sort of body builder--he had merely gotten strong from farming his whole life, and his whole body showed it. He shifted from foot to foot nervously as he looked at her, finding the woman's form more and more intriguing, and he shook his head again, lightly, before he took a deep breath and he pointed at the exit. "Um, well, I, uh, aught to go and get changed--put some clothes on. But, I can meet you out front?" He hadn't moved much since they started talking, but as he shifted to move toward the exit, his face contorted once more with the pain, his body had taken the brunt of the entire battle for his friends, and he was paying for it ten-fold...he could only hope that the others survived.
Line Count: 24
OOC: I switched your line count. Unfortunately you only double lines when you are in combat. =P Also, WOO! My line count is finally positive. That negative 200 lines is a b***h. xD
Quote:
B.A.I.T.R Standing: 147 Health: 1500/1500 Control Limit: 1180
T a l i t h a E r i s ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
How can I sleep at night, there's a war inside my head I found the lion hidden right beneath my bed I will not hide myself from the tears that you have shed Cause I am a lion and you are dead
Talitha was intrigued by his story he told about being a BAITR. At least she’d been right about that part… She did in fact notice the amount of injuries on his body, but she didn’t like to stare much, knowing that it could be very intimidating for anyone to have someone stare that much at their injuries. It bothered her when people stared at her injuries, yet, she never said much about it. She was a much more relaxed and calculated individual with a small hint of a blunt, straight forward personality. She liked to think it was thanks to her father’s estranged personality that she was this way, but at the same time, she was much more organized and had a much better sense of responsibility then he did in his current state. She pursed her lips together and made her way into the locker room to dry herself off and dress herself in what she had brought with her. Once dressed, she made her way to her room, the awkward encounter with the unnamed BAITR fresh in her mind. When she got into her room, she didn’t really bother with dressing herself up but she did change what she was wearing to a pair of dark jeans and a loose off-white top that hung off her right shoulder.
Quickly, Talitha grabbed her wallet and shoved it in her back pocket- it being small and compact enough that it could fit in the tight pocket of her jeans. She left her room, shoving the key card in the same pocket and made her way to their designated meeting place; the front of the retreat. As she had thought, she was the first to arrive, so she moved off to the side and leaned against the wall, her long dark brown curly hair blowing in the wind as she stood there and waited. It seemed this unnamed man liked to be what her father called fashionably late- probably a product of the life he had before he became a BAITR. Punctuality was much too important for her to even think about being late for anything. She waited a couple more minutes before she spotted his blonde hair wandering out of the building, looking around.
For a moment, she didn’t make any kind of move to go greet him and instead she just watched him look around for her. He turned just enough to make eye contact with her from the corner of his eye and then she pushed off the wall and walked over to him with a smile. She wondered if he even caught it when she had mentioned her name. Oh well. She thought. ”Ah, it’s nice to see you showed up… I’m Talitha, if you didn’t catch it back in the springs.” She said, holding her hand out to shake his. It was polite, and formal. He was a fellow BAITR, after all. She began walking, him following suit, sharing his name with her and a quick reply to her. She led him towards the shuttle and they waited, making small conversation about some things that he seemed pretty confused about in Gondora. It was like he’d never seen the big cities before, and it wasn’t impossible that he hasn’t. She was lucky, because her line of work before she became a BAITR required her to move around, and she even worked with a couple BAITR’s in the past. Creating weapons for them out of the metallic ore from her country.
As they got on the shuttle, she asked him what he would like to eat. He responded, but had told her that he’d like to try something new and that she could pick. There was much to choose from, but she picked a small quaint African restaurant, because it was her favorite food. She just hoped he liked spicy food full of exotic flavor. She grew up on the food, but to a stranger who’s never tried it, it might taste a little off. The two walked into the restaurant, waiting patient for a hostess, and when one came she asked the hostess for a booth, and they were led to one with little to no wait. When they finally sat down, she sighed and stared down at the menu. ”So, Acel… Tell me a little more about your time as a BAITR. I actually just finished my test yesterday, which is why I was at the retreats today. A little me time. My father recommended it.” She stated, going through the menu, pointing out things that could potentially be yummy to him as well.
Line count:109 OOC: My computer made this a challenge to post. D:
Raven62
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2016 5:59 pm
He noticed the woman's intrigue when he had mentioned that he was a baiter, and then they went their separate ways. He went to the male changing rooms, which he could now identify by the strange male and female icons. He retrieved his things, and he changed back into his regular clothes--wearing his semi-tight black t-shirt and the khakis. He had left his overcoat at home, not thinking he would need the extra weight or protection--his body needed a break anyways. After he had managed to get all of his things together, he ruminated on the fact that this event was strange...too strange. It was unnatural to say the least that he had come to the springs--literally spent two to five minutes there, and then was asked to go to dinner with a complete stranger who had just found him essentially committing an act that most people would regard as absolutely disgusting. How did this even work? Why was he agreeing to it? Perhaps this woman was going to make a fool out of him to get back at him for going into the woman's springs. But, then again, if she did, he kind of deserved it. He racked his mind about the whole thing and then just gave up. He did want to kick back in the springs a bit more, just to get the muscles loosened up, but he supposed he would have to be content with taking a very, very hot shower later.
When he made his way out of the building, he looked around the front, noticing that she was not in his field of vision. He scrunched his face up and heaved a sigh as he looked around. "Yup...she was just messing with me." He thought to himself as he shrugged and turned to head back toward the train that had brought him here, but when he turned, that's when he noticed the woman pushing herself off of a wall not too far from him, and he met her half way. When she re-introduced herself his face went bright and he mentally kicked himself in the a**. "God, how could I have been so RUDE? I'm never rude like that...I don't just not introduce myself when people introduce themselves!""Acel, who the hell are you trying to convince? Now stop talking to yourself and PROVE that you're not a rude a*****e to this fine young woman!" Midas snapped, and Acel immediately shook off his horror. He introduced himself to her, apologizing profusely for his mistake of not introducing himself when she had. He had been caught up in the whole strangeness of their encounter and completely gapped on it. They walked together to the shuttle, and Talitha was very accommodating to his injuries, which was nice. His body looked as though it had never been touched -- other than his metallic chest, now hidden beneath the black T-shirt, though the outline of it was still slightly visible through the shirt. When they were on the car, she asked him where he'd like to go for food, and he had no idea how to answer.
He ended up explaining that he hadn't had much experience with different kinds of foods, and that he would love to try something new if she had any suggestions. They ended up settling on an African restaurant, and made their way there, through the busy market streets. So there were people living here after all. It seemed like quite a fast-paced place all of a sudden. When they finally made it there and were seated in a 'booth', which was probably one of the most comfortable things he had ever sat down in for dinner. He scanned over the menu that he was given, seeing so many options and so many things that he had never seen before was overwhelming, but as she continued to point things out he got a general idea for what he might want to try. Then she asked him how his time as a baiter had been, and he looked warily down at the table before he sighed and looked back up to her. His eyes had been defeated moments before, but when he met hers, his grey eyes were like steel. He was determined, and he would not falter. He was strong, though he appeared in every way, soft. Most people would dismiss him as some sort of weaker man who was too nice for his own good, but anyone who knew anythign about people could look into those eyes and see that he was not at all what he seemed. That he was stronger than he could ever let on. Even while he spoke of his failures, the confidence rang in his voice that screamed he would become more--that he would not fail again. "To be honest...I've been getting absolutely trampled on. I have only been a baiter for a little over a week now. I was taken into a tournament that they had settled for all the new arrivals and I was destroyed by my opponent in the first round--beaten nearly to death, though I managed to hold onto life. I might have said something, trying to help the man, and then actually managed to offend him enough to make him shatter my entire face." He stated, chuckling to himself as he scratched the back of his head, thinking about Dal'Mori and wondering how the man was doing. "It's good that you gave yourself some time to rest, trust me. Because after that tournament, I have gone on two separate missions. I have grown exponentially in my time out in the field, but both of my missions have ended in my death. The A.I. Cores out there...well, they are a lot stronger than I thought they would be. The first time, I went out alone. Big mistake. Two of them ganged up on me and took me out without me being able to do much more than scratch them. The second I was with two other allies. We were supposed to repair a shield protecting Chicago from A.I. cores, and we found the problem...but, unfortunately, we were ambushed by 4 A.I. cores. Even more unfortunately, every single one of the four of them targeted me for the entire duration of the battle. We managed to kill all the weaker ones, but the leader...well, he finally landed the killing blow on me before I had time to see the other two take him out. I believe, at least, they will win, and they will come back to report their success. But, I have to wait for that--wait to know that my efforts weren't in vain. I came to B.A.I.T.R against my will...they were the only ones who could save my life...and I had never fought a single day in my life before then. However...I am told that I learn faster than should be humanly possible. So I guess there's always that." He stated, finishing up his little backstory before he finally settled on a couple of items from the menu.
The server came by shortly after to ask if they were ready, and he smiled and nodded to signal he was, and looked to Talitha. When she gave him the go ahead that she was ready too, he ordered 'Kedjenou', some sort of spicy stew with chicken and vegetables. He also ordered a side of 'Kelewele', which was some kind of deep fried and seasoned fruit or vegetable of some sort that he had never heard of. He wanted to taste these people's food. If there was no risk, there would surely be no reward. When they had both been given enough time to make their orders, and the server had left, he took a sip of the water they had placed before him, and he looked Talitha back in the eyes. "So, how about you? Why did you take the H.A.L.F Process to become a baiter? Why do you want to fight? I mean...unless it's too personal, of course. I would not want to pry." He said with a small smile. The woman intrigued him greatly, and he couldn't help but realize how excited he was to spend time with someone like this--not fighting, but sitting together, talking, having dinner. He felt, for the first time since he had come here, like a normal man...and he couldn't explain how happy it made him.
Line Count: 100
OOC:
Quote:
B.A.I.T.R Standing: 147 Health: 1500/1500 Control Limit: 1180
T a l i t h a E r i s ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
How can I sleep at night, there's a war inside my head I found the lion hidden right beneath my bed I will not hide myself from the tears that you have shed Cause I am a lion and you are dead
Talitha listened to his story with interest, her eyes lingering with a sudden curiosity to hear more of his past life. His story had left her leaning back in her seat, a look of deep thought on her face. He seemed like such a strong individual, even though he didn’t know much about the big cities. He seemed so reserved, and quite soft when she had first met him, but now, after he told his story, she could tell he was much more than what she thought. The look of determination in his eyes was a motivator for her, could she ever be as strong as he is? For a moment, she wondered about the technique they used to bring him back to life and if it could have been used on her mother after her birth. It was a soft subject, and Talitha forcefully pushed it to the back of her mind and returned to reality in time to catch that he was ready to order, and had already called the waitress over to take their order. She ordered Akara, a Nigerian dish made out of peeled black pees, made into a ball and deep fried, and some other foods that she enjoyed eating at the restaurant. She sipped her water, and then he posed the question of why she had become a BAITR. She pondered on the question for a moment, and then smiled.
“When I was young, my father used to tell stories about my mother, who died giving birth to me. The stories he told were about her life as a BAITR, and how they met. It was the organization that brought them together. My mother she died when I was born, I never got to really know who she was, and my father was torn and he became sort of estranged. He taught me how to fight and everything he knew about the Metallic ore my country thrives off of. I worked for BAITR for a while, as a weapons tech, and then from there, he was never really around much. I’ve always wanted to become a BAITR, hearing those stories about my mother really made me believe I could do it, and when they threw me into the H.A.L.F process, I really had no clue what I was getting into…” She paused for a moment and took a breath, the memories of her time fighting the AI core rushing back into her memory. She shook her head and resumed the rest of her story. “As you can see, I won. I haven’t been on a mission, or died… So, I’m a little nervous. Moral of the story, is I did it because I want to prove to myself I can be as great as my mother was- still is.” She laughed, running her fingers through her hair.
When things got silent, she leaned back and scratched the back of her neck, scenes from her fight flashing behind her eyes. She knew for a fact that it was going to haunt her for the rest of her time as a BAITR; that death was now always going to be looming over her, like a hawk. She pursed her lips into a tight line and bit the insides of her cheek, taking another quick sip of her water. “Those things, they’re quite scary, huh?” It was more of a statement than a question. It felt good to be able to say these things to someone who has been face to face with one of them like she has. Since she just started out not even two days ago- he was the only BAITR she knew other than her father and his old timer friends, and they never liked talking about the old days. “I don’t meant to be rude, but… How does it feel to be brought back to life? I mean, under your circumstances, it must have been horrible.” The question slipped out before she could even stop herself. To her, it seemed way to rude of a question to ask over diner, but she couldn’t help it. She wanted to know.
Line count:148 OOC:
Raven62
Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 9:39 am
Acel's eyes had stayed on her the entire time he had been speaking. They wandered the curves of her jawline and the flow of her slightly tangled curly hair; the way the shirt hung off of her shoulder, revealing the prominent, but not misplaced collar bone. He swallowed hard, as she kept her eyes on him as well, though he did not allow this nervousness to show. He was ashamed to find himself admiring the woman, and he beat the feeling down, breathing deep while he had been talking to calm himself. It was a wave of thoughts he had not given regard to in the past week, and they had surprised him, but it was manageable at the very least. He didn't need this woman thinking he was some sort of creep. She leaned back in her seat, clearly pondering things from what he had said, or thoughts that his story had triggered from her own life. He wondered what it was that was going through her mind. If she was building an opinion of him...what would it be? How did people really think of him? He was so different now. A week ago he was a farmer, and a gentle, kind, naive person. He saw the good in everything and everyone. And now it was all gone, and this new...different, man stood there instead. He wondered if people still thought of him...the same as the people from Bergerac once did.
They placed their orders together, and then Talitha began to tell him about why she had become a baiter. Her mother...she had died giving birth to her? He supposed that it would be easier, not knowing them before you lost them...but to grow up without a mother...Acel really hated thinking about something like that. He knew it happened--especially these days, but it was always sad to hear. She spoke so happily of her mother though, and the stories that she had been told by her father. It was a really beautiful thing. To think of this organization as something that could bring people together. His eyes were still on hers as he thought of this and there was a strange twitch in the corner of his mouth, pulling into a smile and then returning within a brief moment--as fleeting as the thought itself. When she spoke of her life, he was impressed...she had done so much. Learning to fight, education about the ores of her country, working as a weapons technician, and now a baiter. As she continued about her story, about how she wanted to prove she was as great as her mother, Acel grinned. He couldn't help it. It was such an honest, good reason. He knew she would get more and more fulfillment out of this life. She had a goal, and being a baiter was exactly what would fulfill it. It was meant to be this life for her. In a way, they were exact opposites in that sense.
"Yes, they are quite scary, indeed. But, over the coarse of my last fight, I realized something incredibly important." He stated, his eyes hardening once more as he looked at her. In some spots within the iris, the tiniest flecks of red would seem to push through the grey as he clenched his teeth momentarily. The specks of red lasted for but a tiny moment, and would be missed if she hadn't been looking him in the eyes. "We...we can be so much stronger than them, now. As we are. Sure, our bodies have to learn--and death and combat, as terrifying as it is, is the only way to exponentially do that--I am proof. I've died twice and killed three of them, now, and already, I have gone from a farmer to this." He stated, reaching to the corner of the table and placing it between his index and his thumb, and he pinched as hard as he could, the bottom half of the corner of the table simply breaking away from the table itself between his two fingers. "They are scary--and people should fear them. But...we don't have to. We are the shield that stands in front of those who can not protect themselves. We are stronger." He said, his eyes determined, his body rigid--ready. But he realized that he was getting far too into it, that he looked like he was ready to run out of the place and go on a rampage. He took a deep breath and sat back, relaxing. He melted into his normal, calm self, almost instantly as he got the thoughts of fighting and dying and that...that b*****d A.I. out of his head.
"I am really sorry about your Mother. It is a shame that you never got to meet her, or get to know her. But, you will be great. As great as your mother and more. I promise." He said suddenly, smiling as he looked her dead in the eyes. "How would you like to accompany me on a mission? You could come with me for your first time out there. See what it's like, and maybe I can keep you from having to experience the joy that is death." He said, his serious tone turning into dripping sarcasm by the end of it. "As for coming back to life...honestly, it sucks. When you come back, all of your wounds are healed--you feel yourself dying, and I saw my past the first time it happened. But you feel light all of a sudden, like your whole body is a feather, just floating upwards. Then you wake up in a tube filled with water, and you think you're going to drown, but you're not even breathing. The doctor told me that most baiters are still asleep for that part...that my body is different, more...innately resilient and my survival instincts are what surges me out of the sleep so early." It was a lie...as he had found out the last fight that he had been involved in that his body was different. That he was a human being, but his body was also assembled by code. That he had something inside of him that he didn't understand. He couldn't just say something like that. Hell, the girl would turn and run, or kill him. "Then, after they take you out of the tube, they put you on a table and scan you, making sure your body is perfectly identical to how you were at the last point of pinnacle health before your death. Then, the clothes are also recreated perfectly, that you were last wearing. This is where most people wake up. Then, the fun starts. You feel all the pains of where your wounds were, even though your body is perfectly healthy. So, for me, I had my lung torn out, and my knee shattered backwards. So my ribs and my knee are absolutely killing me right now." He said with a laugh, even though it was a dark matter, he tried to stay awkwardly light about it. "But...the first time I died, that was different. I was scared and cold, and heavy and I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything. My village. Bergerac. We were attacked a week ago by a group of these...A.I...and, my people were all slaughtered. This including my wife, Jasmine, and my four year old daughter, Lidia. The monster that did it...rammed a massive sword through my chest, and destroyed my heart. The last thing I saw was...what he did to my family." He stated, his teeth clenched to fight back the tears. He had cried...many times. But a part of him had closed up, and he knew that his emotions were controlled, and the H.A.L.F Process, or whatever it was seemed to somehow change him mentally in a way that made the pain and grief easier to deal with. He had loved them dearly, and he knew that they would always be a reason he fought. That they loved him too. But he could not be overcome and ruined by the grief, or his family would never forgive themselves, and he couldn't have that.
"My Mother and Father dragged me out of that place, and they took me to B.A.I.T.R, where they fashioned a fake heart and surgically implanted it into my body to be used as my code core. If I do not have an A.I. in it at all times, I will die. I think you saw the metal plates on my chest...that's what that is. It's the opening that leads to my heart." He said, and as he finished the waitress returned with their food, placing it down in front of them. "I'm sorry for all the dark talk about me...I don't mean to bring the mood down or anything. Haven't really talked too much about it, since, and I guess it all kind of spilled." He said, nervous that he had been too open. He took a bite of the stew, gingerly placing it in his mouth after blowing on it, and his eyes opened wide. His face slowly turned red with the spice of the food, and his tongue seemed to burn, though it wasn't in an unpleasant way. He seemed to have a look of contemplation on his face after the bite and nodded to her. "Never eaten something quite so spicy, but it is incredibly flavorful. I like it a lot." He said with a grin as he continued to eat the food. "Also...about that offer. I was quite serious. I know I kept going on and on after, but it still stands. If you're interested."
Line Count: 185
OOC: Sorry about the novel. T-T
Quote:
B.A.I.T.R Standing: 147 Health: 1500/1500 Control Limit: 1180
T a l i t h a E r i s ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
How can I sleep at night, there's a war inside my head I found the lion hidden right beneath my bed I will not hide myself from the tears that you have shed Cause I am a lion and you are dead
As Talitha listened to him speak, she felt nothing but a strong admiration for him. From farmer to BAITR, that was a feat not many could achieve, even in a predicament like his. As he spoke, she listened with intent, taking in what he was saying like a sponge. It really did help her feel better about her encounter with the AI Core, really. She had thought that it was weak of her, as a BAITIR, to be scared of the things that she was required to fight, but he was right. They were there to protect the ones that couldn’t protect themselves. With that thought in the back of her mind, her back straightened and a smile cracked at the corner of her lips. The way he spoke about what she had told him about why she wanted to be a BAITR had hardened her respect for him to solid rock, where as before, she was a little nervous about even sharing with him the reason. The way he spoke about dying, made a shiver shake up her spine, caused her face to cringe, but at the same time, she thought it might have been a unique and cool experience. She was starting to think their encounter at the springs was fate! He even offered to take her out on her first mission. She was glad that she had met someone who wasn’t too weirded out by how forward she was (or maybe he was, and he was just here because he felt he had no choice), and the looks he was giving her were a little nerve wracking, but those thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind at what he had said next.
She hadn’t caught the look in his eyes, but the atmosphere around them had changed suddenly. She tensed up and stared at him, examining the way his face had went from what she thought was happy to cold, hard stone. His words were chilling, even though she could tell he wasn’t really trying to cause any ill feelings at the dinner table. “Oh my god…” She mumbled, scratching the back of her neck, a little uncomfortable at the story he told. She could feel tears building up in her eyes, but she shook them away and nodded. “It’s good to talk about it, I like to think… Because, keeping it bottled up will only cause you more pain. Pain that you can’t control, and that could end up being your downfall. I’m sorry for your loss, Acel.” She sighed softly, running her fingers through her hair once more. She offered him a smile, and then lowered her eyes to the table, where the waitress had placed their dishes in front of them. A good way to lighten up the mood- she thought. Food always made her feel better.
”Wait, so your AI Core is in your chest, right now?” She questioned after he was done speaking. She didn't know that they could place AI Core's within the human body. It was cool. ”And I’ll take you up on your offer, I think you’d be a lovely person to have on a mission.” Talitha had never once had such a decent conversation with someone who happened to be her co-worker, and she didn’t really have any close friends. She was always too focused on her work, on doing her best so she could keep her father proud. It wasn’t often that she went to dinner with someone who wasn’t her father, or a couple workers at her mansion (she enjoyed taking them out a couple times a month. They were like her family). As she dug into her food, she looked up, blinking at his sudden reaction to the flavor of the food and the spice. She swallowed what she had in her mouth and started to laugh. “Sorry, I should of warned you it was really spicy.” She smirked, brow raising.
Line count:185 OOC: No, I love reading your posts. biggrin Novels are gooodd! biggrin Sorry, my posts seem very cluttered to me. Idk, I hope this ones aight.
Raven62
Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 10:27 am
He hadn't met someone who hung so intently off of each of his words as they spoke, and he found himself growing more and more fond of the simple act of speaking to this woman. Talitha was interesting--different from anyone he had met before, and yet remarkably similar to himself in many ways. He could see her confidence growing as he spoke about his deaths and his growing strength. She likely needed some sort of verbal confirmation that she was not alone in being afraid--especially when she had yet to experience a real battle outside the walls. He watched her straighten, and the phantom of a smile grace her full lips. As he continued to speak he couldn't exactly tell if she was uncomfortable or if she was happy with how things were going, and he worried that he was putting the woman off. But by the time that he had finished speaking about his past, she issued a small 'oh my god', and he wondered what she would say next. He hoped he hadn't been too forward with his story--she seemed, during the tale, to be a little bit uncomfortable at the very least. He could see the hint of tears welling up in her eyes, and the woman's empathy touched him.
The others, when he had revealed his past...they hadn't said all too much about it, but the feelings that he had about his family and his people seemed to resonate with this woman. It was surprising to find in her, as he had not expected to find caring and empathy so prominent in her personality. She seemed like a warrior to him--an intellectual and strong fighter of sorts, but she was so much more than that clearly. When she spoke again, talking about bottling your emotions leading to your downfall, the very first thing he thought about was Dal'Mori. He had lost his people, too, though he had lost absolutely everyone--Acel still had his parents at least. But he bottled these feelings and turned them into seething hatred for the A.I., and he recklessly chased after them in some sort of crazed desire to kill them all by his own hand or something. Dal'Mori was, at the end of the day, a broken man that was finding his way back to humanity. But, he would make it there, Acel was sure. He would come to terms with his loss, and he would learn to control his rage, and he would become a good man...Acel hoped. "You know what, Talitha. You and I...we're very similar in the way we look at that. I agree. I feel as though hiding your emotions only serves to weaken and destroy you from the inside. I try to be as open as I can about my own...and I deeply appreciate your condolences. I don't know if I have become a cold man, but I find that I am coming to terms with the loss quite quickly. It feels almost inhuman to be able to accept something so horrible and move forward from it...though I know it's what they would have wanted, and it serves nobody to wallow in it...but I feel like I should be, you know?" He said, almost trying to hash out his own confusion through talking to her. Was he a bad person?
She seemed almost taken aback by the fact that he had a Code Core actually serving as a part of his body and he nodded to her. "Yeah. It's a little strange, to be sure, but they can turn almost anything you can imagine into a Code Core to house the A.I. Mine was a bit of an emergency situation, but they did a good job." He stated with a small smile, looking around them briefly. The restaurant was rather slow, and there weren't many people sitting around him, so he smirked and in a hush tone, like they were teenagers sharing a secret, he asked if she'd like to see it. Midas wasn't one to shy away from being showed off, after all. "Yeah, Acel, why you gotta be so rude? You haven't introduced me to the lady at all, yet. And trust me, I've got a better chance than your awkward a**.""You know what, Midas. I can replace you. Keep on bringing your sass, and we'll see where that gets you.""Cold, man. Cold." He pulled the neck of his t-shirt down, the material stretchy enough to come down over the left peck of his chest and fully revealing the metallic contraption. The center of the place started to rotate outwards, opening like a camera lens by his will alone. When the aperture had completely opened, his heart lay in the center of the cavity that was beneath the opening. The walls of the cavity were all what looked like white porcelain, though he couldn't honestly tell what the hell kind of material they had used to create the container in his chest. The heart itself looked like a plus sign in a way, though it was a little more bulky, and curvy. The ends of the plus connected to the proper arteries that he needed to feed with them, and the actual surface of the heart was a light gold color, blue lights dancing across it, which all converged together, spelling out: 'Hey, there! wink'
Acel, upon seeing the words, shook his head. "That's Midas. You might think he's obnoxious with the winking...but just be thankful you don't have the little pest in your head." He said with a laugh as he looked at her. He had continued to pick at the food that he had ordered, slowly eating it and savouring every last bite of it as they talked. He asked her about her A.I. Core, and the A.I. that she had fought to get through her half process. He explained that his was an Obelion, and that it was used to survey the battlefield and gain almost instant 360 degree awareness at all times. When she agreed to accompany him on a mission he beamed, grinning from ear to ear as he looked at her. Great--someone new to hit he road with, and he was going to be able to help her get her feet under her as a baiter, too, which was great news! He smiled at her comment about the food, however, and he laughed along with her as she laughed at his stunned expression. "It might be something I am unused to, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't love to grow accustomed to it. The spice is difficult at first, but I really like the bit of a burn it gives you. Is it normal to be sweating?" He asked, reaching up and dabbing his forehead with a napkin when he realized he was actually sweating from the heat. "Also, we'll have to swing by the main office and grab our mission before we can go anywhere. We can go by in the morning perhaps, and check it out? If we get an early start, we might be able to get a good starter mission that isn't just walking around and looking for lost cats." He said jokingly. He was getting close to finishing up his food now, but he honestly didn't want this little encounter to end. He just smiled and listened to whatever she had to say, just enjoying the conversation.
Line Count: 250
OOC: Okay, so, from here, you can respond to all of the talking and jazz, and add in anything you like, and take it to them saying their farewells. Acel would be very polite, and he would likely, in a gentlemanly way, not in a forward sort of creepy way, on farewell, grab your hand and place a kiss on the knuckles. This, again, is just something he sees as a formal sort of adieu, as he would feel awkward about hugging you or just shaking your hand. He is old fashioned. hahaha.
Also, your posts don't seem cluttered to me at all. =] I really like reading yours too. ^__^
So, with this one, you can probably take it all the way to goign back to your home, or whatever, too, if you want. Or you can leave it open for a last post between them, and I will carry it on to the actual separation and going opposite ways. But that's up to youuuu! ;P
Quote:
B.A.I.T.R Standing: 147 Health: 1500/1500 Control Limit: 1180
