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 Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 2:02 am
Potential recruit - Goooooooooose.
In order to demonstrate your skills to the Senior members of the Shinigami clan all you need to do is respond to a roleplay situation. Once we are satisfied with what you have shown us, we shall end the roleplay here and give your our judgement. If you're accepted you'll be invited to the guild and allowed to post in the Main Thread.
This try-out thread is for the applicant and the Seniors only, unless we specifically request the assistance of other members.
Your scenario begins below:
The Shinigami Library, large and grand as it was, was normally a quiet and reflective place. Its elegantly carved wooden shelves, unbeatable stock of books, luxurious marble of the entrance and the magnificent and massive stained glass windows (often replaced, oddly enough) normally commanded a serene sort of peace. But not tonight. Tonight was different. Tonight was a very special night for the library. The elegant shelves were festooned with cheerful decorations, courtesy of the library children, the books had been very gently dusted and their always immaculate organisation was triple checked. And as the warm glow of the slowly setting sun shone through the bright and decorative windows, the marble lobby rang with footsteps, conversation and laughter.
Tonight the library played host to a book release party. This wasn't too strange. Several high profile books had called for a special party to welcome them to general release and the world of the avid reader. But tonight there was one small difference. The Author himself, Kyle Lawson, was attending this party at the request of the head librarian. They had met in the hotel itself and had been suitably impressed with one another. It was quite a coup, even for a library of such reputation.
It could be difficult to spot the author himself in such a crowd, as he was notoriously difficult to get in contact with. Pictures of him were few and far between so many of the people attending had spoken with him and shared a drink with him without even realising it. Though he would be easy for someone with a sensible head on their shoulders to spot even if they did not know his face. He was the one with waist length brown hair who seemed obsessed with making little notes in a very messy notebook he was carrying.
This would be rather confusing for someone who was not informed about the party to wander into. Especially if they were not there on library business, but on clan business. It may be hard to grab one of the Senior clan members as they weave through the crowd and mingle, manage the absent minded author and make sure the many buffet and drinks tables are kept in order, not to mention the guests. On top of things, it is an invitation only event. Would such a visitor manage to somehow get hold of an invitation, or would they be able to bluff their way in? Or perhaps there may even be another route.
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:36 pm
She smelled people.
Okay, so smelling wasn’t exactly what she was doing; it’s a metaphor, see?
She sensed them; and though she sensed people often, these particular morsels were different. First and foremost, they were in a large group, which was very much to her advantage considering she was presently trying to escape a terrible foe - authority. Secondly, there was something about these people that was tastier than most. Sprinkled among some moderately bitter tasting humans was some strange texture that almost made her stomach dance for joy – what a smorgasbord! They would protect her; at least she hoped they would. Rome was more of a hopeful than a faithful person.
Now, the only remaining question: Where on Gaia’s multi-colored earth were they?
Close enough for her to realize they were there, and that was good enough for her. She stuck her fork out and prayed for something delicious and satisfying. The steady jog she had been pacing at turned into a slight sprint when she heard voices behind her and she sniffed furiously for the strange flavor, turning corners, dodging patrons, snif, snif, snif.
“Silly Rome,” she laughed, a little maniacally, “they’re right under your nose.” She halted immediately across the street from the Library and turned. There was a man (?) standing outside the doors, almost guard-like, but why would a library need a guard? Either that, or he was a very intimidating loiterer. She didn’t look either way much less both ways before crossing the street and sidled up to the man. She peeked over his shoulder and saw her feast. And I’ll feast, and I’ll feast, and I’ll feast feast feast feast! She turned her toes ever so slightly inward and bounced ever so precariously, curling a thin blond dread lock around her pinky finger.
She put on her innocent face.
She struck.
“Hey there, doll, I see you’ve got a righteous little shindig going on inside, and I don’t want to intrude, but my bass-ackwards ol’ padiddle broke down on me a few blocks back, and every other place has turned poor helpless me away, and I was just wonderin’, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, if you could let me in to ring up the cute boy I’m going with later tonight to pick me up and take me on home.” It was a pretty quick-paced scheme, she had a soft spot for being cheeky... And the sixties. “Ya dig?”
The stampede of over-weight law enforcement would be shuffling around the corner in only a few minutes and if this guy didn't let her in, she'd have to start running again. It was hard enough to not appear as out of breath as she truly was, and she certainly couldn't spare much more effort towards that for talk.
A flash of the teeth and maybe… Just maybe.
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 3:01 am
The man saw her approach. He looked down at her silently, raising an eyebrow as she wittered on. One thing came to mind as she spoke to him.
what?
He stared down at her as if she was quite mad, his mind trying to make sense of what she had just said. Slowly, and almost as if she could see the gears in his head turning, he cottoned on to the fact she wanted to come inside. He frowned a little and spoke slowly as if to a child.
"You need an invitation I think. The boss said I ain't suppose to let anyone in unless you got a card. Got one?"
"Ah you leave her alone." A redheaded man, much smaller and frailer looking than the brute at the door, approached and looked her up and down. He was dressed as though he was going to a high society ball, yet with a certain amount of personality and flair. His tuxedo was of some material that almost shimmered with gold under the right lights, yet looked black most of the time. Instead of a cummerbund he wore a golden sash around his waist, letting it hand to his thigh on one side. His waistcoat was also gold, hanging slightly open in a casual fashion, exposing the poet shirt beneath. It seemed out of character with the clearly expensive suit. He flashed her a smile, bright green eyes twinkling as he pushed his long red hair over his shoulder. He was handsome in an almost feminine way.
"So, you've gotten stranded out here huh? Well there's no harm in letting you use a phone I suppose." The man raised his eye and spotted the police rounding the corner. His feminine lips pulled into a smirk and with a gentle hand on the large man's chest to move him aside he waved her indoors. He followed close behind her.
"So, what's with the slang, kiddo?" He asked as he accompanied her. It seemed he would not be content with merely letting her in. he was going to escort her as well. He smiled and nodded at a few familiar faces as he passed by, waving a little as though he was some celebrity. This wasn't his night though, he just loved playing the part sometimes. He certainly looked it.
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 1:23 pm
Invitation?
He clearly didn't understand exactly what she had said. One fist clenched out of habit as she began to generate her own brain power and almost turned slightly away from him, I suppose I could hop the train, but that's a good few blocks from here...
"Tell ya what-" but a voice cut her off before she had really even started. In comparison, the new man looked like a flimsy piece of paper beside the tree next to him in terms of size, but apparently he had the upper hand in power. She was grateful for his interjection; and there was that something about him that she had been expecting. His soul and body generated something unlike the large doorman. She realized she was still twirling the dread lock, distracted by his smooth texture, and immediately let her hand fall as he approached. He seemed very put together for an event being held in a library, but she didn't question; though she did feel out of place in her jeans and plain white t-shirt - and a bandana on her head no less! She couldn't imagine how she would stick out inside.
His eyes flickered down the street and she followed them, looking back - not necessarily with fear, but with frustration that this would be the moment when it hit the fan - only to find the man looking quite amused. Any inquiry as to why this was didn't matter to her at the moment; he obviously had some kind of understanding of her situation, and she wasn't going to bring it up if he wasn't. She felt her luck turning, though there was a pain in her hip slowly ebbing into existence.
"I can't thank you enough, sir," the 'sir' was actually quite a bit more difficult than she had imagined. She was polite whenever it was called for, but 'sir' was a bit strange to her tongue.
He let her lead the way. Kiddo? Well, then, if he wants to - no. No, no. Be nice. He's helping you more than anyone has in quite a while, and all he's really doing is letting you use the phone. Now that she thought about it, who did she expect she was going to call? Her rush to simply be in hadn't really led her past the front door. Some faith you have in yourself, she almost grinned.
"And," she continued, answering his question, "I guess you could say it's a weakness of mine. Instead of the whole 'multicultural' business, I try to be 'multi-chronological.'" She frowned. That couldn't be a real word, at least not in the sense in which she had used it. Shaking her head she repeated herself, "Really, thank you a lot, I appreciate it." He greeted people on his way through the room and she tried to make herself as unnoticed as possible, not just because she looked shabby in her street attire, but because she thought she may be beginning to bleed. Wearing white was never a good idea - she would have to make a mental note of that. She glanced down casually only to see a small line around her shirt hem, but her jeans just below were slightly darker. Nothing serious, just hopefully nothing noticeable as well.
As they passed people, she could taste a few of them and there was one she even thought she might take off running after to gobble up. So many people. She would never be able to place a single taste to a single person. Then again, she didn't really try - though she very much wanted to.
"What exactly have you got going on here," she asked, trying to make things casual. Though she was calm, she couldn't help but feel a little trapped. "I really hope I'm no trouble. Not to mention I look like a carpet-bagger." She held up her forefinger and thumb very close together and tried to peer through it with one eye, "Limited budget, but I promise I won't steal anything."
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 2:26 pm
The man waved a hand and made a small noise as she thanked him, leading her through the crowd at a casual pace. Behind them at the door the large guard was arguing with a police officer. He knew his job well enough. If the police were ever looking for someone his boss seemed to like then the bouncer simply hadn't seen them at all. He might not be the smartest man under the redhead's employment but he certainly knew the way things worked.
"Jack, please. I never suited sir." he told her, looking down at her with a smile.
He led her over to a desk where a couple of phones sat. He nodded to them, a silent invitation to help herself. He really suspected she didn't intend on using the phone at all, he just wanted to see if she would bluff or run. He was finding the situation quite amusing, all things considered. What good is a party without a little trouble, after all? And she looked like she could be an excellent little troublemaker as far as he was concerned.
"Oh that's real hip, doll." he replied in response to her idea of being multi-chronological. That was an amusing idea. "I dig that." There was a light giggle in his voice. But he couldn't keep that up for long.
"Oh this is actually a book release party. It's a big one. The latest by Kyle Lawson." He told her as she asked about the little shindig the library was holding. He glanced up and looked around, locating the person he was seeking. He directed her attention to a man as small and slender as Jack himself, but with waist-length brown hair. He was pushing a pair of glasses up his nose and crouching beside a chair, staring uncomfortably at a young woman flirting with a handsome man and occasionally scribbling in a notebook. "That's him. He seems nice. A bit odd though. Ah... he's a kooky cat, ya dig?"
He leaned against the desk and grabbed a couple of glasses of champagne from a passing waiter's tray. He held one and passed the other to the girl. He clearly had no problem with her being there. Guyy may say differently, if he found out. But, fortunately, Guyy was also very tolerant of Jack's quirks. As long as she didn't ruin the party he would probably be allowed to keep her around.
"Well we can fix that, honey. I might have some clothes you could borrow downstairs." Why he would have clothes feminine enough was a little bit of a mystery. But he did. "Besides, you're bleeding on those ones." he remarked casually as he sipped his champagne and gazed into the crowd.
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 5:36 pm
Jack. Nice guy.
She followed him to a desk and there sat the inevitable objects of her immediate displeasure. She cocked her head, studying them, and flicked a dread from her face. For now, she focused on the conversation.
"A book release huh?" Mostly to herself. Kyle Lawson; never heard the name. Perhaps, being in a library and all, she should brush up on anything about books in general. The man he was pointing out to her made her chuckle lightly, 'Kooky cat,' indeed. She liked this fellow. Not only did he see past, well, her, but he accepted it. In fact, seemed a bit more positively affected by her. Which was both rare, and slightly troubling. Perhaps he was mad. Then again, was that such a bad thing?
She took the glass gratefully, not realizing she had been incredibly thirsty until the moment she was subjected to a drink. Though alcohol was not exactly hydrating, it was liquid and she sipped. Her eyes continued to glance back at the phones, and she was smelling out the strange author when he remarked her injury.
"Oh yes," Rome said as casually as possible, as if she hadn't noticed, "that I am." She smiled thankfully again, as if he had just offered not to clothe her but to bake her an exceptionally large birthday cake. She didn't know what kind of clothes he could possibly have for her, but she gave him a "Thank you very much," and added, "I do so deplore being such a sight, Mrs. Rodgers would absolutely have a fit if she saw me so untidy; and then there's that boy, wouldn't he like to swing right to the next tree before goin' with a mauled criminal like me." She giggled despite herself. She was truly in a wonderful mood, and he was helping that along wonderfully. Not only that, his offer seemed more than one just to make her more presentable; why would she need to be presentable unless she was sticking around for a while?
Finally, she picked up a phone and began to dial. She supposed she had to do something, she couldn't ignore it. Though she knew he knew. And though he was quite entertaining and he tasted exceptionally grand, she could not bring herself to fully trust him. She could run. How far was the door? No one would touch her, and if they did, well... Then she stopped. She had been dialing the numbers on her arm. How ironic if she had finished punching the numbers and there had been an answer. She laughed lightly at herself, imagining a pleasant woman's voice stark with phone fuzz: "Dr. So-And-So, Genetic Alterations, how may I direct your call?" After all this time, the answer was right there, burned into her skin. Hilarious.
She turned back toward Jack, "Alright, the crap is cut." She put the phone back on the hook and gave a little rueful shrug and a mischievous grin. He seemed accepting enough, hopefully he would forgive her deception, though she didn't think she had really deceived anyone - anyone but maybe the big man out front, and he had still eventually caught on. Rome let that go for now, some are just easier than others, she told herself. Besides, this one has that /thing/ remember. And have that thing indeed; she could feel him next to her. He felt good, not too dissimilar from how her brother felt. Others scattered somewhere in the room did as well, but Jack was so close, and she could feel him best.
Changing the time period, she inquired, "And how thou art? Does thou hold precedence or merely a large stick with which you ought to be warring away the vermin of which I resemble?" That didn't even really make much sense to her. She hadn't studied up much on Shakespeare, and didn't know the slang, but she thought the "thou"s were good enough.
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Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 8:08 am
"Yeah. That guy is some huge hotshot in the literary world. I've seen a whole stack of his books in here. He seems popular." Jack remarked. He didn't really read much fiction. he could generally be found in the reference sections when he was caught reading at all. He tried not to be. He much preferred his illusion of being nice but dim. The author in question turned his eye on them both for a moment and scribbled something down before vanishing into the crowd. He was a hard one to follow at the best of times.
"I'm sure that boy will like you just as you are." Jack smirked into his glass. Something about his tone suggested he didn't believe there was a date waiting for her at all. "But it is always a good idea to dress appropriately if you ask me." He raised a hand, waving a finger as if he was the authority on fashion. Perhaps he was, by the looks of things.
He chuckled wryly as she picked up the phone and began to dial. Whatever number she had dialled she had gotten through to anyway. He wasn't sure she expected to. She put the phone down sharply anyway and admitted her ruse to him. He grinned warmly at her and for a moment it did seem like the area warmed up a little around them.
"I was wondering how long it would take before you'd crack." He laughed cheerfully, swigging his champagne and setting the empty flute on the tray of another passing waiter with a flourish. He grinned at her and held out a hand to her, chuckling as she shifted times again. This time somewhat less successfully.
"Ah, fair maiden, I know not of the ways of vermin nor their kin. But I can provide fineries with which to enshroud thyself. If it is however precedence you seek, I can deliver thee to the library master instead. This is his ball tonight, in honour of his friend." Jack smiled, bowing a little charmingly. "And one wonders what act it is that would have the officers of the law seek thee out on such a glorious night?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 4:04 pm
Rome was silently glad that he didn't seem to be as much of a reader as she had thought. When the author looked at them and vanished, she laughed despite herself, though trying to hold back. People were all too funny. And that author had certainly felt funny. Not quite like Jack or the others, but still funny. Maybe she would have to pursue that later; she knew everyone felt different, and was ever trying to distinguish their separate traits. To be perfectly honest, being around so many different kinds of tastes almost overwhelmed her.
"Well," she said, looking him up and down with mock criticism. "You obviously know what you're talking about, but as far as appropriation goes," she pointed to her own attire, and then with a duh sort of scrunched up face tugged on the bandana which may have actually been a t-shirt at some point, "I lack substance of the monetary fashion."
Grinning when he began to chuckle, she shrugged again; at least he wasn't mad at her for trying. Perhaps he enjoyed the same kind of play she delved in - if perhaps too often. She felt the warmth, and tasted it from him, as if he were quite literally warming up to her. "I didn't crack," she added, "it might still be part of my malicious plot to destroy everything." She feigned a dangerous look.
Her mind also snapped momentarily into its usual and annoying defensive mode. Toes, girl, stay on 'em. She almost reacted with an out-loud "Oh shut up, you." This was too much fun, he was extremely accommodating and hadn't been the least bit hostile. That doesn't mean he can't be. Oh, how complicated she always made things for herself. Sometimes, it made her want to scream, but for now, she was enjoying every bit of this man.
She allowed herself another smirk as he played along, bowing, and though she understood, she didn't know if she could keep up this charade. Shakespeare was by far the most difficult and she admittedly realized she had started what she wouldn't be able to finish. She took his hand with a small curtsy and tilt of her head. "A glorious night indeed, and I must say, good sir, I haven't the faintest idea why they would so object to my fun-loving nature. And that's all it truly was," she was beginning to slip out of the Shakespearean age, but kept it light, "just fun." She crossed her heart with her free hand and grinned that same innocent smile, "Honor bright."
"And I don't think this master would much appreciate a party crasher," she added a little hesitantly, though she very much wished to know what he would taste like; if Jack was so delicious, she could only imagine how the others felt. Besides, she was in no such shape to meet a 'master,' both herself or her clothes. Not many 'masters' were very fond of her.
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 8:02 am
"Money isn't everything. You believe once I didn't have much money either?" He grinned and gave her a conspiratorial wink. He'd seen people much worse dressed than she was at that moment. He'd been worse dressed on rare occasion. He laughed lightly, most certainly not mad at her, waving a hand idly.
"If it's all part of your master plan to destroy the library, you wouldn't be speaking to me. You'd have homed in on the people who could actually cause damage here. Don't get me wrong, I can do damage to the library. But not much before any serious harm is stopped. I think." He chuckled. She probably didn't even have a clue what he was, all things considered. "You cracked." The way he said it was full of mirth.
"Oh, it was your fun-loving nature, was it?" He laughed, remembering all the times he and Guyy had been involved in 'fun' that had gotten the police chasing them. sometimes he missed those days. But life was much more peaceful now. They'd both grown up a lot. Guyy had his wife and children, his clan, his career. Jack had his business and Raven. It was a far cry from the street urchins they once were. "I dare say that any fun that got them involved was fun worth having at least. If not too healthy for you." he waved a hand at the slight stain on her hip.
"Oh I don't know. He used to be something of a party crasher himself you know. Not that he is likely to admit it in front of suck esteemed company." jack looked around at the party guests, decked out in their finest party outfits. A few turned to give Jack a smile, or the girl he was with a glance of contempt. Jack seemed oblivious. She may as well have been in the finest ball gown as far as he was concerned. She was more entertaining than most of these people.
"Come on then. We can get you cleaned up and then we'll see about details like that anyway." He suggested. The handsome man grinned broadly and led her around the edge of the dancefloor, skirting the buffet tables loaded with delicious looking finger foods.
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 3:47 pm
This was a face she was not well practiced with, but her features contorted into shock, "You?? With all that flair?? How did you ever survive?" Her blue and green eyes danced with laughter and she let her defenses lower intensely. If she regretted it later, she would deal with it then, but for now she didn't think she would have to. This was starting to feel like more than just a hideout; she was enjoying herself. She didn't want to leave. And that had the potential to be a problem.
"Perhaps I am merely using you as my puppet," she curved one eyebrow upwards, "and I'm trying to catch you off-guard so you give up all of your secrets." The warmth around her relaxed her; maybe he was puppeteering her. She didn't know what he was, but knew he was different, and when they were out of the crowd maybe she would ask.
"Sometimes my 'fun' causes less fun for others," she admitted, "but it was completely worth it, you can be sure of that." Almost in a dreamlike state, she remembered the roar of the engine and its steady thrum, slamming gears, and then of course the crash. Fire hydrants shouldn't be placed so precariously right on the edge of sidewalks. Especially when she was in a hurry. Even more disappointing; there was no burst of water and shower of rainbows that she had expected.
She glanced idly down at her hip again, and frowned at it as if it were a petty nuisance instead of an injury, "And I don't suppose you have something I can cover that with so I don't ruin your clothes?" As she casually averted her eyes from the stain, she caught a stare from a woman mingling. It wasn't exactly as welcoming as Jack had been, perhaps it had something to do with Jack. "Aw," she cooed, "people are staring. Now I feel as if all is right with the world again."
As he led her away, she caught an eyeful of the table of food and felt her stomach moan but ignored it. Food was a luxury she had conditioned herself to avoid when in public places. "Well aren't you the gentleman," she quipped in a fake southern accent, "takin' me in in my time of helpelessness; I'm all like one of them damsels in distress and here you are to rescue me. I don't know just what I would have done if you hadn't shown up." She did a little skip-scurry behind him to keep up, "How ever will I repay you for your kindness?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 5:15 pm
"Yep. Me." Jack grinned in response to the girl's utter surprise. "I didn't have all this flair then. This came along later. When I got older and I got a chance to use my business sense to generate a little income. So I fancied myself up." He laughed, waving down at his outfit. "Took a few years, let me tell you. Worth it in the end though. You ever heard of Dragon's Den?" he raised an eyebrow, referring to the popular nightclub in Durem. It was one of those places where even people who didn't normally frequent the clubbing scene had at least heard of it. "That's mine." He smirked.
"Well if you wanted secrets, you only had to ask. I'm terrible at keeping secrets. or so I'm told." the redhead flicked his hair back and laughed. It was a bit of a lie really, he could be counted on to keep any secret told to him. He was so flighty however that most of the time he simply wasn't told too many. "If you want to use me as a puppet though, you're going to need bigger strings."
He raised an eyebrow at her. He suspected that the 'fun' she'd had was nothing like the fun most people had. No doubt it involved something very interesting. "Well, as long as it was worth it sweetie." He chuckled, snagging a cupcake as they passed by the buffet and biting into it as if he was lounging around his own home. He seemed completely at ease, utterly ignoring the staring altogether.
"Actually, yeah. I can cover that up. Used to sew up myself a lot. Me and the old snake. He was always getting hurt. Not as bad as me...." he seemed to drift away in memories for a moment as he chewed at his cupcake, before offering it to her. Not that she would want it with a bite out of it, but it was polite to at least offer. "Could lend you something. You don't look too far from my size." He muttered, mostly to himself.
"Ah, the kindness of strangers." he chuckled, turning to look at her again with a grin, his emerald eyes dancing with amusement. he'd led her to a door marked 'Staff only'. He reached out to touch a glass panel beside it. "As for how you can repay me, I am sure we could work someth-"
"Uncle Jack! Who is she and where are you going with her?" They were interrupted. A little girl, about 10 or 11 years old with a mop of short golden hair and bright blue eyes barred their way. She was dressed prettily, in a child's ballgown of pale blue.
"Hello Ilia. I made a friend today. But she got hurt. I was just taking her down to the medical room."
The little girl gazed at the pair of the suspiciously before spotting the stain on Rome's hip. She heaved a large sigh.
"I'll accompany you. Daddy would be mad if I let you down there with a stranger, and he's busy right now with mama."
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 7:36 pm
"Hmmm Dragon's Den?" She thought for a moment, then suddenly a burst of recognition. "Oh! I ... am sorry for stealing those curtains," she looked at her toes as they walked. She pointed to her bandana, "They made me a shirt, which then became this rag." Flashing him another rueful smile, she said, "I'll pay you back.." She had stopped going after that one time, crowds made her uneasy, especially when there was a lot of alcohol and sexual tension and the scene made everyone feel wrong. It was overwhelming and it had caused her problems in the past, so she had determined it would be best to steer clear.
"Just how big of strings do you require," she asked, changing the subject. Maybe he was more powerful than she thought. Her hip was beginning to throb as it rubbed uncooperatively against her jeans. Of course it was going to be painful to take them off as well, which she could handle but didn't necessarily want to. "You don't taste as threatening as your making yourself out to be," she said, realizing she had slipped, but didn't backtrack in hopes to get something out of him, "but I've been wrong before." Her eyes gleamed with an intense curiosity as she gave him a knowing look. She wanted to know; she had to know.
She wanted to know what that taste was.
Rome caught another critical stare from a bystander and made an I'm-Watching-You gesture and let herself laugh. People here were odd; she liked it. "Sounds like you are my kind of trouble maker," she commented, "whaddaya say? You be Bonnie, I'll be Clyde - just to shake things up. Minus the whole death thing." When she was offered the cupcake, she took a bite without even taking it out of his hand and smiled her thanks. One bite for the dainty, bloodstained girl, thank you.
When they were interrupted by the porcelain doll of the girl, Rome at first smirked at her commanding posture and tone, but was almost instantly caught off guard and visibly gaped. She could taste her... but she couldn't. She didn't even hear the conversation the two were having, only noticed that the girl acted exceptionally mature for a -maybe- ten year old. She bent down closer to the girls level, ignoring the flare that ignited in her hip at the motion, and peered into her face inquisitively.
Then she looked back to Jack, then back to the girl...
Girl-Thing...
...Ilia.
"What are you," she asked, not intensely rude, but still outrightly curious. How to place this one was almost impossible. Was she human? Or at least less human than the others? Her unique texture was almost cold, Rome felt it out as much as she could, but there was so much... missing, and she was too uncommon, so unlike anything Rome had ever felt, that she became completely defenseless. It was extremely distracting, and her muscles tightened when she began to come back to her senses. She bolted back upright. "I'm sorry," she said, still slightly in a daze.
((She's the cyborg thing right? xD))
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Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:13 am
((Bingo. Robot actually. One day to become a gynoid.))
"Don't worry about it. I needed to redecorate anyway. Those curtains were so last season." Jack fluttered his hand in response to her apology. In truth, he hadn't even noticed they were gone. Though he was very observant and not at all as dumb as he acted, sometimes he could be a bit oblivious. And he had redecorated recently. No doubt she had gotten the curtains while they were loose. Unlike her, Jack thrived on the crowds and the alcohol and especially the sexual tension. He did his best to cause plenty of it when he could.
"Aha. Well that's a weighty question isn't it? Mm. I'd say I would need rather large strings." he gave her a wink, being a bit cheeky underneath his innocent act. But he paused and raised an eyebrow as she remarked on his taste. Was she really more than she appeared. At first he'd been merely intrigued by her style of dress and her manner. But now he was wondering if there was something more lurking beneath the surface. Oh, Guyy was going to love this.
"Threatening? Me?" He fluttered his eyelashes and grinned, acting offended. But not doing a good job of it as he grinned and giggled at her. "There is a big difference between dangerous and threatening as I see it. Dogs can be dangerous, but it doesn't make them threatening. You see?" He smiled warmly at her, chuckling at the way she reacted to being stared at.
"Ah Bonnie and Clyde. I appreciate the no death part by the way." he nodded, happily allowing her to take a bite out of his sweet cakey treat. He waved his fingers at Ilia sweetly. The girl just rolled her eyes with deep resignation. She didn't even touch the door for it to slide open behind her, revealing an elevator.
"I am a little girl." Ilia replied indignantly. "What are you?"
"I think she means what sort of person are you. I think my new friend is special, like the rest of us." Jack laughed, breaking in before this turned into a mini catfight. Ilia's eyes went wide and she broke into a grin.
"I like special people. Daddy is always so proud when I show him special people." She giggled, looking like she'd quite forgotten the slightly insulting remark. "I'm artificial, really. But I'm still a little girl. I'm Interactive Library Interface Android. Ilia!" She giggled. She did seem a little awkward, more so than most children her age. All the same she stepped into the lift and beckoned to them to join her. Jack turned to Rome and bowed a little.
"Ladies first." He smiled.
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Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 9:07 pm
((Gynoid... sounds dirty.))
She was grateful he didn't seem to be angry about the curtains and was a little surprised that she so suddenly wanted his approval, but dismissed the thought; she was having fun, simple as that. She created chaos, not tension. Tension was merely seeing when or even if people would break when tempted; chaos, however, was forcing people to react. Destruction had been a good means of drawing attention to themselves ('them' being herself and Memphis), and it had provoked a response on more than one occasion from those who made them what they were, but nothing substantial. They hadn't made quite enough ruckus to get any direct communication from their makers. Essentially, she had become accustomed to acting the way they had been for a few years now.
Jack explained himself as nonthreatening yet also admitted himself to possibly being dangerous. "Remind me to find you a very strong leash," she giggled.
The little girl, though adorable, was indeed cold. That is what she had felt in her; an empty coldness. Which was incredibly puzzling considering the girl appeared to be so vibrant and life-like. It was incredibly difficult to fight the urge to reach out and touch her to see if it was even skin that made her so doll-like, or if it was some strange recreation.
Jack broke in.
Special.
That was, without even the smallest hint of exaggeration, the first time she had ever been called "Special." The best Memphis had ever been able to come up with in even fake forms of reassurance was "Stronger." You could say they never spoke about their predicament, merely simultaneously felt it. Ilia's face suddenly shattered into a grin that reflected exactly what Rome was feeling. The girl was chattering on and Rome felt herself smile in a way that she hadn't allowed herself to do since Memphis left. "Well, I can't wait for you to introduce us," she said truthfully.
An elevator. Her expression didn't so much as twitch, but her stomach flipped. Up or down; either way, she wouldn't be on ground level. Her defenses were immediately back up. This had been an extreme emotionally back-breaking side-trip. What was supposed to be no more than ten minutes had turned into - well had it been ten minutes? It certainly didn't seem very long, but the quality of the time spent could have fit comfortably in an eon. It seemed like a mistake to willingly allow herself to walk into a potential trap. There were a lot of possibilities that could spawn from this; most of them against her. Then again, he could just be taking her to be fixed up and redressed like he said he was. The girl seemed a little off, she could be programmed a certain way..
Stop. You're being ridiculous. And even if you're not. Do you really /not/ want to know what's going on here?
Since he had confirmed that there were the two of them, and more!, Rome had been hooked. There was no changing her mind. And though she would have to be silently planning out her escape, she stepped into the elevator after giving Jack a deep curtsy, drawing out the edges of an invisible dress.
"Just promise you aren't kidnapping me," she half-teased, "I've got that 'date' tonight, remember?" She winked.
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Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 1:20 am
((*Laughs* I suppose it does. And poor Guyy is going to have to build the body too.))
"A leash huh? I can see I'm going to have to keep an eye on you." Jack winked at Rome cheekily, over the head of Ilia. Thankfully the child robot would have no idea what was going through his mind at that moment. A leash certainly would make things fun. He resolved to get a short one to wear next time he decided on a night of leather at the Den. Which, despite his fancy appearance right now, was surprisingly often. Yet funnily enough, even clad in his tight leather that could make any other man appear dangerous and sexy, Jack managed to look... cute.
Ilia eyed them both, a definite intelligence that was not born of mere programming and circuitry seeming to flash behind her bright blue eyes. Eyes that on closest inspection were carefully disguised camera lenses. No one would know the difference without being told usually. Though her eyes were quite large, even for her age. It added to the innocent sweetness she managed to portray. In truth she could be just as dangerous as her redheaded uncle, though she never really meant to be. She was just very protective.
"Daddy is downstairs too. Maybe I can ask him to say hello, if he's not busy. Mama's been a little poorly lately. He stayed downstairs to give her a hug to make her feel better. He told me just to come upstairs and play with my friends for a while." Ilia chattered away merrily as she stood in the lift. Jack raised an eyebrow and cleared his throat. Ilia's mother was incapable of getting truly sick. Nice excuse, Guyy.
"Yes, well... maybe we'll speak to him later then. When he's not busy." he grinned, reaching forward and ruffling the little girl up gently. She batted at his hands in frustration at her hair being messed up, though it was usually a short mop anyway.
Jack tilted his head and smiled as Rome seemed to hesitate a moment before curtseying and stepping in beside Ilia. He followed and the door slid shut behind them.
"Aww. That ruins my cunning plan to hold you for ransom then." Jack joked to her lightly. He crossed his fingers over his heart and saluted like a boy scout. "I promise kidnapping was not on my agenda. Tonight. Though your... ah... date may have to wait a while." he smiled.
Before long the lift doors opened again, having travelled underground a fair way. Instead of the lush charm of the main library floor they were faced with a long corridor. Doors opened off on either side, two on each wall. Another door was at the far end. It was clinical and almost sterile, the only decoration being a noticeboard on one wall with various things pinned and written on it. Ilia skipped out of the lift and headed towards the farthest door, opposite the lift.
"That's the medical room!" She pointed it out cheerfully. "Come on."
"After you, ma'am." Jack grinned. "I still don't know what to call you actually."
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