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Post by Kelathi on Mar 10, 2017 20:00:36 GMT
((Pahahaha, glad you liked it! ))
Another voice? He paused in his musings, he had been looking about the skip to see if he could rearrange some of the bags of rubbish to help his ascent... when he looked up, and was both surprised and excited to see a woman clad in what he mistakenly thought to be a superhero costume. He quickly schooled his expression, which would have been one of childlike excitement- the sort that belongs to one meeting their idol for a first time... and casually crossed his arms, leaning up against the wall of the skip as he gazed up at her, a good-natured grin on his face. "I'll bear that in mind. Although I assure you, there's more to this package that may initially meet the eye."
A quick study revealed to him that this was perhaps an individual he could do with being on his side. She was very comfortable in her suit and with her vantage point on the building, perhaps he could get a few pointers from her in terms of this superhero gig? "I'm guessing your roof-running nights are slightly less traumatic than mine. Any tips on staying airborne?"
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Mar 11, 2017 3:22:44 GMT
(haha <3)
Her smile grew even before he started speaking, having felt the rush of excitement and lingering interest; it didn’t really matter if it was the sort of interest she was teasing at, she still felt complimented by his response.
Trace liked compliments.
Even as she continued to look down at him, it was quickly growing evident that her grin wasn’t the good-natured one he was offering her. Predatory would be a better word for it.
“Mm, I bet,” she replied, as if musing to herself at a volume that “accidentally” managed to be loud enough to be heard. In truth, she was musing about something else. The masks they wore added that level of mystery, of secrecy, that she so seldom felt with another, given her innate ability. To deal with someone who was mysterious to her… it was an unusual turn on. So as curious as she was, she resisted she urge to read him beyond that initial impulse, instead deciding to test him the old-fashioned way. Costumes, she knew, meant little when it came to determining the heroes from the villains. Either might pick up the mantle of some grand icon, or an intimidating one. The unique image on the stranger’s chest didn’t seem to fully lean to one or the other, being some fascinating combination of both.
Didn’t hurt that the stranger was well defined and in a snug bodysuit, so studying the symbol easily let her study him in turn.
His question, coupled with the almost casual reference to his less than graceful crash, made her laugh genuinely. Cute and funny! Maybe that was why she decided on this course of action. Maybe it was her interpretation of his “compliment.” Maybe it was because she was still giddy about her new grappling hook. Or maybe it was just because she could. But her grin shifted ever so slightly, getting an excited look. Given all of the signals she had been putting out before, it almost looked like he was about to be attacked in some passionate embrace. But her words once more explained her intentions, changing the situation dynamically.
“Staying airborne is easy,” she purred, holding her wrist out as if offering her hand to be kissed, fingers outstretched in almost stereotypical poise. “It’s getting airborne that’s the trick. One of these is always helpful,” she went on to muse rather than explain, gracefully flipping her hand over as if it would reveal what she was talking about. It didn’t.
The offered hand finally rose to seductively slide beneath the blonde locks that had fallen in front of one shoulder. “I’m sure you’ve heard of Marx and Smith, the jeweler’s shop on Park Avenue and Main? There’s a necklace there, a wide, diamond encrusted choker… it’d look good on me, don’t you think?” Her question ended with the flip of her hair back behind her shoulder, head tilted to the side as if modeling said necklace, quite capable of imaging the beautiful thing standing out against the blue of her suit even as she coyly asked for his opinion, as one might ask a significant other if something made them more or less attractive. Then the playfulness turned into a challenge, one he was welcome to interpret however he might wish.
“If you can beat me to the store, it might still be there in the morning.”
Without warning, she threw her originally offered hand up into the air; the soft hiss of the grappling hook sounded not half a second later, revealing that her new gadget had the convenient design of being a pair of lightweight bracelets rather than the gun-like clunker she had been dragging around, easily hidden beneath the cuff of her gloves. Giving the hook a few seconds to catch something, she kept her eyes trained on the other’s face, wanting to watch his expression change rather than simply sense it. She still wanted that aura of mystery around him. Blindly, she flicked her hand down to grab the cord, wrapping her glove about the thin cover built into the hook’s design. This saved her hand as the device began reeling in the cord, effortlessly yanking her straight up into the air only a few scattered seconds after her challenge. When she had gained enough height she made the gesture to make the first hook disengage and retreat to its holder, while her other hand sent its hook flying out to another building, changing her drop down into a curved swing, which she rode until it began to slow at its climax, letting herself fly unaided in the air for several moments before another hook went sailing out. Her heart was running a mile a minute, but not out of fear; it was now a race to a finish line, with quite the valuable bauble as the trophy. It was the first time the theft would be more than just the coy slip in and out again.
Trace was far too busy having fun to really feel concern or guilt about being such a show-off. She could only hope that he’d give her a real chase.
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Post by Kelathi on Sept 21, 2017 21:43:34 GMT
She seemed to respond in kind, keeping up the playful attitude… but instead of helping him up, she began to issue a challenge. He listened eagerly with a smile, one that soon began to fade as he realised what it was that she was implying… Then as she lifted her hand, the grapple hook becoming evident, he just about managed to utter, “Wait!” Before she shot up into the sky. With a curse beneath his breath, he grabbed onto the edge of the skip again, and tried to hoist himself up. But even with all the training to boost his upper body strength… lifting his whole body by the tips of his fingers was just not going to happen. “Jojo!” He complained, almost a wail in his frustration. The spectre appeared immediately… and Nate quickly cleared his throat, a little embarrassed by the tone he had just used. “Can I get a little help, buddy?” He asked sheepishly. The creature almost looked like it was going to refuse, but seemed to reconsider. Nate turned to the side again, and with a jump, he felt Jojo push him a little bit, which was just enough for him to climb up. He vaulted over; landing smartly… and then looked up towards the sky and wondered how the hell he was going to catch up with the woman.
She wasn’t being serious… right? It was just a bit of fun… She just meant race to the place- the rest… it had been a joke… right? He began to run, Jojo following behind, floating along with ease.
Where are you going?
Evidently, the earlier event had been forgotten, or else, pushed away for now. “The woman… I have to beat her… or something.” Nate let out between breaths. He didn’t have to wonder for long if Jojo would ask for more information, as judging by his response, he had indeed seen the exchange.
You’re not ready for this.
The voice was monotone, as always. But as always… Nate could sense the change. “Look…” He puffed. He had great endurance, but running like this and talking was difficult… “I’m just gonna check it out, okay? If she turns out to be the real deal… then, well, I’ll figure that part out when I get to it.” He slowed to a stop… realising he had no idea where the mysterious figure had disappeared. “I don’t even know where this damned jewellers is…” He explained to the momentarily perplexed creature. Getting the hint, Jojo dissipated for a second. A moment later, he motioned for Nate to follow.
This is the quickest way.
Nate paused, and looked at the ladder attached to the side of the building and then back to Jojo… before grinning.
“Glad to see you back on board, buddy!”
***
The rooftops were indeed the fastest way.
Jojo did his best to find a route that was both quick but not too dangerous… Well, as non-dangerous as pitch-black rooftops can be… so he steered clear from leading Nate across those rooves whose dividing gaps were large enough to be a problem, but he was both proud and a little fearful of how confidently Nate leapt from one point to another, seemingly oblivious of the fate that might meet him should he misjudge. He had way too much overconfidence in Jojo, it seemed…
For Nate… he could not remember ever feeling so pumped. It was a strange feeling, this amalgamation of excitement and stomach-dropping fear… it would be a lie to say he did not feel afraid. But the adrenalin spurred him on, and with every successful leap, twist and turn… he felt his confidence grow, and the rewarding feeling of accomplishment only added to the thrill.
And now, he skidded to a stop, and there it was…
He could see the jewellers down in the street below… but as he scanned the surrounding rooftops… no sign of the woman. He paused for a moment, considering… before scaling down drainpipe. At that moment, he truly did feel like a superhero… albeit a poor one, who cannot afford a grapple hook…
As his feet hit the ground, he scanned the street again. The street was not well-lit, good for him, and it was late enough to be empty. Where was the woman? Was this definitely the place?
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Dec 7, 2017 18:44:50 GMT
It was an amateur assumption to go to the front of the jeweler’s, as if meeting for an after-school fight. Trace was many things, but she was the consummate professional: even as she giddily sped over the rooftops, artfully making her way, she still wanted to escape with that necklace. So she went in through the roof, arriving first via experience and not needing help finding the store.
This was a high-end store, it was true, but not one with a live guard. The rarest of their treasures were hidden inside a vault in the back, but they were larger, more cumbersome items. The large windows were inviting to customers and thieves alike, showing off treasures and rich red carpets contrasting the white-gold mix of the marble walls. Instead of breaking the windows like a common street thug, she expertly located the power box to the building, knocking it out with a few delicate tugs on the wires. The only indication she had done so was that the security lights flickered and died, entrenching the building in only a deeper darkness. What was curious was how, when she noticed a toolbox left out, she slipped a wrench into her jacket. It wasn't like she needed it to get inside.
Without the alarm system, it was easy to unlock the doors, but as always she kept her pace up, knowing very well that a backup generator might be attached to a silent alarm. Even so, she found herself looking out the windows, wondering why she hadn’t been met on the roof, or indeed was the other coming. Had he really been that stuck in the skip? A pity if he was; she was geared up for some fun.
Not seeing anyone outside the building, Trace failed at keeping down a sigh of disappointment as she went for her trophy. At least she would have a prize worthy of her efforts; the necklace was a showpiece item for the stuffy store, the most priceless they felt was safe to leave out, encased in glass as a centerpiece to all of the counters and displays. This, if nothing else she had yet encountered, would have its own alarm system, even if only to alert when the box was open.
Now she changed tactics; she could have taken the time to unwind the path to the power line, cut the alarm, pick the delicate lock… but this wasn’t just the usual slip of a wealthy couple’s treasures. Anyone could do those. Something as showy as this choker… Had she been followed, she would have proceeded as herself, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
This was where her guile really shined.
Picking up one of the barrier posts and detaching its velveted cord, she practiced her swing a few times like a batter before stepping back to the necklace, and with one push of effort, shattered the case. Lights began to silently flash around the stand, showing that indeed an alarm had been tripped. But as she reached out to shake the glass shards from the diamond choker, she slipped a black chess piece down in its place. A strange thing to do, to any who hadn’t heard of the mastermind criminal who was frequently a threat to the city, with a special fascination with diamonds and their use in lasers. The grin that spread across her face at the sight of the little wooden castle piece surrounded by incriminating glass was anything but flirty; it was mischievous, devious, and pure criminal glee. How many weeks of buzz would this one theft cause? No point in trying to remember the scene herself - there’d be plenty of photographs of it in the news tomorrow. A moment after the switch was made, and she was off running up the stairs, two at a time in her haste even as her hands worked busily to secure her prize. The lights would be visible even to the outside, their intense red telling of a blue match soon to follow. Within minutes, there would be the familiar call of sirens, less if there had been a backup generator to the alarms for the building. She’d be back up on the roof by then, with a few smashed windows to indicate that entry hadn’t been so slick. More in keeping with the old coot.
Such a flippant attitude towards someone of the Chessmaster’s caliber was caused by only one thing: she hadn’t dealt with him face to face. Trace knew this. But it simply added to her feeling of victory at the moment, and so she let herself get away with it as she was met again with the cool, fresh air of the night, slipping the wrench back into its tool box after a good shake. Her fingers brushed against her neck, feeling her glove catch ever so gently on the white gold brackets that held the diamonds in place, biting her lip with anticipation at actually modeling it before the mirror.
But there was a greater anticipation at hand; even now she could hear the sirens in the distance, echoing and ominous even in their softness… but she lingered, waiting in the shadows… for what? For some strange man in a mask? For a moment her mind reached out, not seeking anything but contact. Had he followed her after all?
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Post by Kelathi on Apr 6, 2018 17:08:48 GMT
“How are we going to get in?” Nate spoke quietly as he approached the jewellers. Peering through the window, he could see nothing untoward… Yet. Jojo dissipated for a few seconds, and when he re-appeared, he motioned with a fluid, smoke-like hand for him to follow. Nate did, and found himself led round to the back of the store. After scaling a metal fence, Jojo giving him a helpful boost to get him over the barbed wire at the top unscathed, the apparition led him to a rather normal-looking backdoor. Evidently, the store-owners had decided that the barbed wire gate was enough protection for the back.
Jojo looked at him expectantly, and after a moment of non-comprehension, Nate suddenly lifted his hands, shaking his head in disagreement. “Oh no, no, no! Picking locks is a criminal thing, and I’m a hero, remember?” he argued, albeit quietly. Jojo tipped his head to the side like a cat trying to read it’s owner, and Nate knew exactly what he was thinking. He crossed his arms, refusing to budge… not even looking at the smoky figure, trying very hard to look anywhere but there… but he knew already that he had lost.
After a few moments of silence, when it became clear that Nate could think of no alternative, he threw his hands up into the air in defeat. “Oh fine! Move aside!” He begrudgingly approached the door, digging into a hidden pocket in his suit for his tools. Looking sideways at Jojo, he merely growled, “Yes, I know. ‘If you are a hero then why do you still carry those around?’ Don’t judge me, okay? I’m only doing this because it’s for the greater good.” And he quickly and easily picked the lock, a skill he had picked up after years in care. It had been quite useful a number of times in the past, including as he got older, as tools to enter stores for petty cash…
But that was his past, and one he firmly intended to keep there. He was one of the good guys now, why else had he done all this training? He was here to catch a thief. If she was a thief… there was still a part of him that was hoping against hope that this was all just an elaborate game. He hadn’t expected to come across one of the cities masked villains so quickly, and hadn’t really thought through how he would approach such a situation.
He realised too late as he opened the door that he probably should have considered an alarm, but as he stepped foot inside it was curiously silent. He allowed himself a breath of relief, shutting the door softly behind himself. Jojo merely apparated through the door and followed silently. He found himself in a hallway, there was a door leading to a bathroom and another to god-knows where. So this was the staff area, out of bounds to visitors. It shouldn’t take too long to find the storefront from here. And it didn’t, but when he reached it, he was sorry he had.
Flashing lights. An alarm, albeit silent, had been tripped. He looked in horror upon the scene he had walked in on, and against his better judgement… stepped towards the broken case, glass crunching beneath his feet as he did so. Inside, a single chess piece. He had no idea why he did it. Morbid curiosity, perhaps? But he picked up the piece, staring at it, dumbfounded… when suddenly he realised that the roaring in his ears was not blood, but the sound of approaching sirens.
He was bathed in light as the police cars screeched round the corner, and he was suddenly ripped from his reverie. “Fuck!” The curse left his lips and his hand closed tightly around the chess-piece as he turned to race away, leaving the scene of the crime like the guilty thief that he wasn’t…
***
It was a miracle that he had managed to escape, and in no short way it was only made possible by the presence of Jojo. He could hardly remember the journey back, just the mounting pressure in his head, the feeling of his heart in his throat and the press of that damned chess-piece in his hand. Why had he taken it? Why was he so stupid?! He should have left it. He shouldn’t even have been there.
He groaned, leaning forward and cradling his head in his hands. As soon as he had gotten home he had stripped and thrown his hero-garb into his bin, resolving to burn it as soon as possible. He tried to work out an alibi, but with no friends nor reliable family to speak off, he was in the shitter there. So he had taken to sitting in a chair, butt-naked apart from his underwear… and sulking.
Eventually he had found the courage to flick on the news. It hadn’t taken long for the paparazzi to be all over it, like flies drawn to a garbage heap. They were calling it the first known sighting of the infamous ‘Chessmaster’. No-one had had chance to take a photo, of course, but there was some blurry, black and white footage from one of the police-officers’ cars dash-camera. An artist had filled in the rest of the blanks, and apart from the colour (the artist had dressed Nate in grey clothes) and the image of the face of a particularly scary-looking clown instead of his Jojo logo (Jojo had been rather fascinated by the artist’s representation) he had to admit that it wasn’t a bad sketch of himself, in fact, the build of the body and facial shape was scarily accurate.
He knew now he couldn’t burn his suit. For better or worse, he still needed it. The only way to clear his name would be to get the villain to admit to the stolen piece, or else bring her in himself. It was obvious the first wouldn’t happen, so that left the latter option… With a heavy sigh, he stood up, and retrieved the suit from the bin. Only then did he realise he was still holding the chess-piece… he had been clutching it since the moment he had fled.
Why had he taken it?! If only he’d left it, then this wouldn’t have been pinned on him at all. He dropped the piece and his suit to the floor, and collapsed back into his chair, this time, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes, willing the migraine that was slowly growing, away.
Jojo hadn’t said a word since the whole incident. He had helped Nate home, and now floated semi-visible in the living room. The human barely seemed to notice his presence, but it had something to say, and if it didn’t say it now, Nate would forget about it tomorrow, and then would be hating himself for it.
You have an appointment tomorrow.
Nate knew what he meant.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Apr 8, 2018 0:42:09 GMT
It was only because she so valued her belongings, and what they represented, that pillows were now scattered about her apartment. Breaking things would be much more satisfying, but only for a moment.
Dani was throwing a fit. It was impossible to describe it otherwise. Her plan had gone perfectly, on her end at least. There was nothing to really complain about. She slipped away scot free, another was blamed for her theft… but not the way she wanted!
That cute little hero she’d been flirting with had been dubbed the Chessmaster by the news. HIM! An utter noob who couldn’t even escape a garbage skip! It was one thing to implicate another criminal - to impersonate one was an entirely different matter. And to make matters worse, the city’s grand hero Ascension was reported to have vowed to track down Chessmaster, since he was finally coming into the open.
On her TV, the news anchors discussed Chessmaster’s many alleged crimes while simultaneously drooling over Ascension. They even had a slideshow of distant to blurry images of the white and gold costumed figure. Those had already had a pillow thrown at them. The idea of the Chessmaster being seen for the first time had overshadowed everything - the news hadn’t even mentioned the necklace that had been stolen, never mind shown any pictures of it.
Dani paced her apartment, growing more and even more anxious than even she thought she was capable of. If Chessmaster truly was responsible for even half of what was attributed to him… she toyed with the idea of leaving town, even if it was far sooner than she had planned and prepared for. A few ideas had already crossed her mind as to what she would do to the idiot that was blamed should she ever meet him again, but it was offset by the idea that she had goaded him into following. For possibly the first time in her life, she wished she had prodded for more, to actually see who he was behind the mask. Was it her fault? Was he actually the Chessmaster?
… no. No way.
So with mixed feelings of rage, frustration and a tiny sprinkling of guilt, she prepared herself for going out. She needed air. Someone to talk to… about anything but the events of the night before. Dani wanted some thrill, some secret to be put on display for no one to see, so while it took her all morning to get the courage to go out to eat instead of ordering in, she decided to go big and actually wear her new necklace. Not in a conspicuous way… by the time she had finished fishtailing her hair and downplaying her learned elegance, the necklace looked like it was encrusted with rhinestones, a prop for any punk who wanted to pretend they were dripping with money. Even her earrings weren’t pure silver, despite being a favorite pair of hoops. Topped off with leather knee-high boots and a jeans jacket, she stepped out into the sunshine and began to walk.
Too many people were buzzing with the idea that the Chessmaster was starting to make more public appearances, whether in a group or silently to themselves. She quickly found herself avoiding them and heading instead for quieter parks, taking in the sound of birds rather than people’s heads. Keeping to her own mind was easier when there were fewer people around anyway. This was a good way to explore the city, she told herself, rather than let her old issues with her abilities rise again like ghosts.
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Post by Kelathi on Jan 9, 2019 22:28:43 GMT
Nate glanced at the watch on his wrist. He was too early, of course. He always made the journey into this part of town way too soon. The appointment was too important to risk being late for, which was why he now found himself in the street, at a loose end with time to spare. The old habit of running a hand through his green hair was performed, something he was predisposed to do when mulling things over. “Yeah, I know. But what?” The words were uttered, for once, normally he didn’t care if other people heard him, but after recent events he did not want to draw attention to himself.
It was all over the news, and seemed to be all that people could find to talk about. Even though he had seen the blurry photos himself, he still feared that at any moment somebody might stop him in the streets to arrest him. Maybe the FBI had some amazing technology that they could use to enhance the photos? He’d watched enough TV shows to be paranoid. He was just thankful that however block-headed he may be, he had at least had enough sense to disguise his green hair when in costume, otherwise it would have been a very short manhunt indeed. As if answering someone, he glanced at his watch again. “An hour and a half.” Before glancing around himself, looking lost. Then his face lit up. “You genius.”
Minutes later, he was in a park, and he had seated himself in the shade of a tree, sat cross-legged on the grass. He whipped a sketchbook and pen out of his satchel, rested it on his legs, and began to sketch. His strokes were quick, expressive and confident, filling in the scene before him. Although predominantly a comic artist, he enjoyed sketching from life, even if his pieces were far from perfect. They did hold a sort of charming movement to them, however, for when he drew he just let loose, and his passion was clear in the drawings. No sooner had he finished one piece, had he flipped the page over to start on another, this time, capturing people’s faces as they passed by, having merely seconds to memorise their features before he attempted to immortalise them on paper. "You flatter me." he announced suddenly, a smile slipping onto his lips.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jan 10, 2019 4:28:46 GMT
“But I haven’t said anything yet.”
Dani had, of course, recognized the green hair from a distance, even if at first she mistook it for a hat. She didn’t know why, but she felt a need to talk to someone. Or maybe she wanted to keep her own swirling thoughts at bay. Or maybe, just maybe, she was just lonely. Her life was not one to keep friends, passing in and out of other peoples’ lives so easily. Finding someone familiar, someone unrelated to work… maybe she needed to get out a little more.
So she had walked across the grass towards the lone figure, sitting in the shadow of a tree, forcing her mind to focus inward rather than outward. As she approached, she noticed that he was drawing rather than writing, and thus took some time to watch over his shoulder, noting the ease in which he made the strokes into something recognizable. And then, to her amusement, began talking to himself. She couldn’t resist the urge to startle him, the mischievous little smile looking clearly rewarded by his response. Of course, she was recalling their last conversation, and his rather grand party crashing. The perfect distraction to her worries over the Chessmaster.
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Post by Kelathi on Jan 11, 2019 0:09:14 GMT
At the sound of a voice, he visibly jumped, looking up to find he was being watched. A lopsided grin overtook his momentary look of surprise, as he recognised who it was instantly, he could never forget such a pretty face! He also realised he could hardly claim he had noticed her watching and had been commenting on that, after jumping like he had, so he decided it was best just to own up to what he had been doing. Pushing the sketch-book to the side, he stood up, his hand finding the back of his neck, and looking a little awkward in her presence. Evidently, he was much more comfortable playing the fool for crowds, and he had been on a high from the adrenalin last time they had met, which had fuelled his confidence. This impromptu meeting had thrown him a little. “Ah… a bad habit.” He explained. Then, in an attempt to smooth past the embarrassment of having been caught talking to himself, by her of all people, he added, with a grin- “If I’d known you’d be here, I would have arranged some music! Maybe not something as lively as the last time we met, but definitely with far fewer bouncers.”
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jan 13, 2019 17:45:14 GMT
The teasing mask of calm broke at his explanation, revealing a genuine smile. It wasn’t crafted or intended to invoke any response, just a silent laugh caused by his endearing awkwardness. Even so, she shook her head at his suggestion, and surprisingly, moved to sit next to where he had just been sitting by the tree.
“I’m glad you didn’t know then. I could use some peace… and quiet,” Dani replied just as easily as ever, almost laughing again at the irony of her use of the usual phrase. Quiet… so much harder to find quiet when everyone’s minds were buzzing around her. Right now? It was peaceful, with just one person to deal with, to keep her own mind from racing in circles, and to keep from wanting to feel the surroundings, to check for danger. There was no danger here.
Sitting as she was, it was easy to use a gentle fingertip to tilt the sketchbook towards her, making its contents easier to view. “You actually are very good,” she teased, looking back up to him with a similarly lopsided grin as she referenced the start of their whole conversation.
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Post by Kelathi on Jan 16, 2019 0:03:31 GMT
She had surprised him by sitting down, so he joined suit by returning to his seat. Suddenly, the informality of the situation seemed to relax him, and he visibly loosened up. At least, he had until she she tilted the sketchbook towards herself. He felt his stomach flip with a strange kind of anxious excitement. Normally, he didn’t care if people saw his sketches, but with her… it felt different. He grinned at her praise, reaching forward to retrieve the pad. “Ah, thanks. I try, anyway.” He shrugged shyly, before flipping through a few of the pages quickly, pointedly not angling the pages towards her as he did so. Finding nothing that he thought worthy to show her, all the pages suddenly turning to squiggly lines without sense or direction under his critical eye, the closed the pad and set it down. “You said you wanted peace and quiet, any particular reason why?” He asked curiously, lifting his arms and interlocking his fingers behind his head, leaning back against the tree.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jan 16, 2019 2:49:48 GMT
Dani merely raised an eyebrow at him as he seemed to lose confidence when she looked at his sketchbook, given how he had tilted it away from her. A stark contrast to the ease in which he had sat down next to her, visibly happy in her company. Her expression ended with a bit of a wry smile, a little disappointed to not see any more drawings but more than a little understanding of being over protective of something. Particularly as he asked her to elaborate her earlier remark, finding herself gaining more of that sense of needing the protection.
Instead of leaving, a knee-jerk reaction that would have completely soured her own mood, she drew her legs up, her fingers idly feeling over the diamond - ah, rhinestone choker, watching people across the park as she considered her answer. “This city can be… overwhelming, don’t you think? I mean, you read the papers, and it’s Ascension this, Chessmaster that… makes me wonder why so many people stay.”
Innocent enough words to express true feelings about her options, although not why she was considering them.
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Post by Kelathi on Mar 2, 2019 22:25:38 GMT
Nathanial was emphatic to her words. He had also felt the tug to leave, many a time in fact,- it was a desire that had plagued him from the time he was little all the way to adulthood. How liberating that would be, to just leave his past behind, all the bad memories, to begin again and reinvent himself as a new person. A fresh start.
“I guess a sense of responsibility keeps a lot of people here.” He mused aloud, thoughtfully, lowering his arms. Then, glancing over at her, he added. “Or family.” Even as he spoke that word, two conflicting emotions filled him, as he thought of both his mother and his father in turn. An ironic smile met his lips as he considered what he had said for a moment, before countering- “But in some cases, they can also be good at driving you away.”
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Mar 2, 2019 23:39:49 GMT
Dani listened carefully to Nate’s words, but she laughed a little too strongly at his own counter. “I wouldn’t know,” she said, then with a little glance at him out of the corner of her eye, looked to the other side, the purse of her lips an indicator she hadn’t meant to be so open about herself. A strange reaction, given how open and honest she had been playing at.
She still hadn’t really answered his question about needing the peace and quiet, and she was clearly not ready to as she quickly changed topics again. “There’s a food cart down that way,” she said as she pointed, shifting a little closer to Nate, her knee brushing against his. “Let’s get something to eat?” she asked, the playful little smile suggesting something else, but not exactly saying what.
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Post by Kelathi on Mar 3, 2019 15:49:52 GMT
Nathanial regarded her curiously at her cryptic comment, but it was clear she didn’t want to dwell on her words, moving on instead to suggest they get something to eat. This was enough for Nate to let it go, not wanting to pry but curious all the same. He visibly brightened at her suggestion, practically leaping at the opportunity to extend their impromptu meeting and perhaps answering a little too quickly. “Yes! I mean, that’s a good idea.” He tried to smooth over his apparent eagerness, perhaps unsuccessfully, before pushing himself up and offering her his hand. “My treat, of course!”
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