Mosaic City, located along China's coast, is quite large city sometimes called the Crossroads Between Nations due to its diverse population. While it was once a large tourist spot, the city was placed under a blockade as the military appeared claiming there was a radiation leak. The true hazard, however, is much more sinister.
Post by Jaelyn Callahan on Feb 25, 2014 7:15:31 GMT -5
Eh? Just what did she mean by that? Did she have something in mind, or... Jaelyn had seen enough weird things that came from persona-related abilities by now that she wouldn't have been surprised if there was also some kind of telepathic ability someone could learn. Was that what Sakuya meant? Or was she thinking of something more mundane but equally...suspect-sounding? Whatever the case, Jaelyn found herself blushing as she thought of possible interpretations.
"W-what are you implying?" she asked, suddenly stammering. "I just meant that I should probably be able to get a phone eventually. I wasn't trying to suggest anything unorthodox." She took a deep breath, then smiled again. "Although, if you had something like that in mind, I wouldn't mind hearing it."
Post by Sakuya Kyoudou on Feb 25, 2014 7:19:55 GMT -5
Oops. Sakuya had not really intended her statement to have an alternate meaning. But now Sakuya decided to play around with that idea. She reassuringly gave Jaelyn a pat on the back and leaned slightly closer to her. "Don't worry, dear," Sakuya smiled. "I wasn't trying to imply anything bad or naughty. Unless, of course, you liked that stuff," she continued. "I mean, perhaps, you might have had a landline phone in your home, or you might have access to e-mail or instant messaging... or even snail mail..." Sakuya laughed.
"I mean, sure, there's some real unorthodox stuff out there... Like someone always following you around, but I somehow think that would be a pretty bad idea that wouldn't fly very well with you, madam."
Profile || City Home Null: Dark/Fire/Ice/Lightning/Wind/Pierce
Wk: Light, Strike
--> Heaven's Blade, Bufudyne, Mediarama, Allure
--> Unshaken Will, Passionate Inferno
P-> Kiss of Lilith
Post by Jaelyn Callahan on Feb 25, 2014 7:39:09 GMT -5
"Oh...um..." Well, that was embarrassing. As Sakuya answered her, Jaelyn realized that she'd taken 'the method doesn't matter' entirely the wrong way. "Right. Got a little carried away there. Actually, I do have a landline phone and e-mail, but with how much I'm away from home lately that's not really reliable. It would do for now, though, I guess." Sure, it meant that she was likely to miss things for one reason or other, but that was pretty much unavoidable. It was good enough for the other people she had given contact information to. Why was she suddenly thinking that Sakuya needed better? At what point had that happened?
And of course, although she didn't directly state it, she then mentioned stalking. Setting aside for a moment the fact that Jaelyn would absolutely do something like that (although she would fervently deny it), she didn't really want to resort to that. Especially if she would be the one being stalked. "Yeah, let's...not go that far," she said.
Post by Sakuya Kyoudou on Feb 25, 2014 7:48:46 GMT -5
Sakuya nodded, looking at Jaelyn. "Alright. I understand, it's not like I could force you to suddenly be more proactive with your phone and e-mail anyways, if you would rather be away from home," Sakuya continued. "And yes, glad to see we can come to an agreement." Sakuya usually only stalked girls she didn't know versus ones she did know. She inwardly admitted it, that she would do something like that, but of course, if it got on the bad side of her target, then she would definitely avoid such moves. Sometimes, however, stalking was typically the only way to get close to somebody. Fortunately she usually got it right the first time around. She couldn't help it; she had been used to the whole stalking business even as an assassin, and not necessarily in pursuit of someone to be affectionate towards.
"It's really nice just to be out here..." Sakuya said suddenly, showing tell-tale signs of wanting to snuggle. "Though, of course, if you have a need to be going somewhere soon, I'd be glad to accompany you there."
Profile || City Home Null: Dark/Fire/Ice/Lightning/Wind/Pierce
Wk: Light, Strike
--> Heaven's Blade, Bufudyne, Mediarama, Allure
--> Unshaken Will, Passionate Inferno
P-> Kiss of Lilith
Post by Jaelyn Callahan on Feb 25, 2014 8:08:28 GMT -5
"Well, I would definitely answer when I'm around. That just wouldn't happen much," Jaelyn said. Being out and about led to good things. Things like meeting people like Sakuya. Her room offered nothing like that. It was dark, and lonely, and empty, and left her alone with little more than unpleasant thoughts and nightmares. And with that in mind she had to get a more mobile means of communication sooner rather than later. Maybe the next time she went out into the outer circle looking for junk to sell she could look for something really expensive to get her the rest of the way there.
She'd just have to avoid blowing it all on something else.
Sakuya spoke up again, saying that it was nice just to be out in the park. Jaelyn nodded silently, leaning into her again. She didn't say anything else, at least not until Sakuya brought up potentially needing to get back. Jaelyn shook her head. "No, I still don't want to go home," Then, she added "Maybe I could go back with you tonight instead?" She meant it as a joke, but maybe if Sakuya was open to the idea she would actually do it.
Post by Sakuya Kyoudou on Feb 25, 2014 8:13:25 GMT -5
What.
Jaelyn.
She... she wanted to go with Sakuya. To her home. Was she joking? Or was she serious? Sakuya could not tell. Yet... It was an open invitation. Sakuya, fortunately, kept her specialty stuff rather safe. Most of the stuff was in her Shadowlands villa, so anything that was in her apartment would be the rather tame stuff. Hopefully, if Jaelyn somehow managed to find them lying around, she wouldn't mind. So far, she didn't seem to mind Sakuya's behavior, and seemed to warm up to it, so who knows?
Fortunately, Sakuya's place wasn't a complete mess. The Shadow was different, she knew things like 'cleanliness.' She was a more... civilized form, so to speak. So there wouldn't be any problems in that front. "I most certainly wouldn't mind. I do have room for another," Sakuya nodded. "Whether it would be to just hang out at my place or to stay the night? I wouldn't mind either." Sakuya smiled. If Jaelyn was truly joking, she would respond as such. There was no harm in responding affirmatively.
Profile || City Home Null: Dark/Fire/Ice/Lightning/Wind/Pierce
Wk: Light, Strike
--> Heaven's Blade, Bufudyne, Mediarama, Allure
--> Unshaken Will, Passionate Inferno
P-> Kiss of Lilith
Post by Jaelyn Callahan on Feb 25, 2014 8:35:00 GMT -5
Jaelyn's request had come out of nowhere. She hadn't even meant it to be serious, just a joke that could naturally follow from 'I don't want to go home'. But Sakuya had responded, in complete seriousness, that she wouldn't mind. Even if it involved staying the night there. That...once again, Jaelyn found herself momentarily at a loss for how to respond. She could, and certainly wanted to, take her up on it. But with how readily Sakuya consented, there was once again a nagging little notion in the back of Jaelyn's mind that there was something suspect about the whole thing.
But then again, this was Sakuya, who in only a few hours had managed to earn a small amount of Jaelyn's trust. It would mean she would be in a killer's home, but then again she had spent most of her early life in such a situation. This wouldn't be anything new to her. In fact, between having done it before and the fact that Sakuya had been nothing but nice and open with her since they meant, Jaelyn suspected that she would be more at ease at her place than she ever was living with her mother. And, if anything did go wrong, she still had a couple knives on her.
"Well...I had actually meant that as a joke, but if you're so willing...then yes, I'd be happy to stay the night," Jaelyn said.
Post by Sakuya Kyoudou on Feb 25, 2014 8:47:04 GMT -5
I see. So while Jaelyn did mean it as a joke... she wanted to see how Sakuya would respond. Since the response was quite serious... Things must have been a little awkward. But no matter. Sakuya knew that this was an opportunity to set things straight. No mistakes allowed. This was what Sakuya thought. Nodding, Sakuya began to help Jaelyn up and lead her away from the well-lit park, and out to the well-lit streets. "Alright, I'll take you to my place then." she said, smiling. Sakuya's apartment was at Red Sun Heights. To be more specific, it was an edge unit on one of the lower floors. It wasn't too far from the park itself, about fifteen minutes walking distance.
Once the pair had reached Sakuya's apartment, the undercover shadow had procured her flat key and unlocked the door. She ushered Jaelyn gently inside. The flat itself looked quite cozy. The lights were off of course, but once Sakuya turned them on and closed the door (which she had locked because it was getting late), Jaelyn would be able to observe that there was a spacious living room with a computer on a matching desk. There was a love seat behind a table and a reasonably sized television that currently wasn't being used. The door to the bathroom was kept ajar and there didn't seem to be a dining room - the fridge was at the back.
A curious sight is that there was only one bedroom.
"My bedroom has room for two people... but the only apartment I could find here that was available had a Queen sized bed. I do have a sleeping bag around somewhere if you're... uncomfortable with sleeping in the same bed as me," Sakuya warned. "But... Please, do make yourself at home. I think I have some desserts in the fridge if you are so inclined. I have Internet and cable, if you want to watch some late night stuff..."
It's a good thing Sakuya kept her 'toys' locked in her room. Hopefully nothing would be discovered... That might lead to an awkward situation.
Profile || City Home Null: Dark/Fire/Ice/Lightning/Wind/Pierce
Wk: Light, Strike
--> Heaven's Blade, Bufudyne, Mediarama, Allure
--> Unshaken Will, Passionate Inferno
P-> Kiss of Lilith
Post by Jaelyn Callahan on Feb 25, 2014 16:55:15 GMT -5
Red Sun Heights. Jaelyn guessed that she shouldn't have been surprised, but it still came as an interesting coincidence that just about everyone she knew lived there. It meant that they were all just a short walk away, easy to find if she ever needed them. She took a mental note of where Sakuya's apartment was, on the edge of the nearest building (relative to the park) and on a lower floor. As Sakuya opened the door and led her inside, Jaelyn took note of the room number as well, before turning her attention on the interior.
She wasn't sure what she had expected, but the inside still looked much cozier than she had thought. It was simple, but even simple was more than Jaelyn was used to. She gravitated toward the love seat and all but fell back on it with a contented sigh. Once she was sitting down, she started taking in more of the apartment. Easy to find bathroom. No dining room. Only one bedroom. Interesting. No overt signs that a killer lived there. But then, any sensible person would keep those things hidden away. Even Jaelyn, who had never actually killed anyone, kept her knives locked away in a trunk with three locks that each required separate keys.
But then again, she wasn't supposed to have those on campus and could get kicked out if they were discovered.
"Don't worry about a sleeping bag," she said. Given how badly she normally slept, she doubted she'd be able to go to sleep in one anyway, unless it was right out here on the love seat. Besides, sharing a bed with Sakuya didn't sound like a bad prospect. "And..." she laughed softly, "I wouldn't even know what's on at this time."
Post by Sakuya Kyoudou on Feb 25, 2014 17:44:33 GMT -5
Fortunately, Jaelyn didn't suspect anything from the cylindrical case kept in the corner of the room, which was good - it contained her bolo, which she used for... well, fighting. And one would suppose the killing of men. Sakuya smiled as she saw Jaelyn begin to relax on the love seat and look around. She also mentioned that Sakuya didn't need to worry about 'accommodations.' Sakuya nodded, secretly hiding her excitement that this Jaelyn might not actually mind sharing a bed with Sakuya. "That's quite alright," Sakuya said, smiling as she went and sat next to Jaelyn on the seat. It had been a very long time since someone else sat next to her on this very love seat. She turned on the television and what came up was some late night reality TV show Sakuya didn't care about. She started channel surfing, leaning in slightly into Jaelyn. "I've got some drinks in the fridge if you ever get thirsty, by the way. Might have a couple of beers in there, I'm not sure."
Profile || City Home Null: Dark/Fire/Ice/Lightning/Wind/Pierce
Wk: Light, Strike
--> Heaven's Blade, Bufudyne, Mediarama, Allure
--> Unshaken Will, Passionate Inferno
P-> Kiss of Lilith
Post by Jaelyn Callahan on Feb 25, 2014 23:32:34 GMT -5
Jaelyn only barely paid any attention to the TV, watching for any show she recognized before remembering that most of the TV shows she knew were years old and probably long since off the air. Unless Sakuya found something interesting, it would just be background noise. She considered the offer of a beer, as well, but her earlier thought of wanting to be sure she remembered this night still stood. But she would keep the offer in mind anyway. "Not just yet," she said, leaning back into Sakuya. She pushed herself off the back of the love seat just enough so that Sakuya could easily put an arm around her, or whatever else she might have in mind, if she wanted. "I'm fine like this for now."
Post by Sakuya Kyoudou on Feb 26, 2014 0:55:18 GMT -5
Sakuya smiled as she settled on a random channel that seemed to be, at the time, broadcasting what appeared to be an orchestra performance. She was a little tired to try and pinpoint what was being played right now. In the meantime, she realized that Jaelyn had declined the invitation for a drink. Which was fine - Sakuya wasn't exactly an alcoholic or a heavy drinker either. She liked drinking out sometimes, but not so much that it ruled her life. Jaelyn had shifted her position to make it easier for Sakuya to be a little more intimate if she so desired, it seemed. Smiling, Sakuya did wrap an arm around Jaelyn, gently patting her shoulder. "If you say so, dear~" she said. "Come to think of it, I did want to know... What makes you feel... happiness?"
Profile || City Home Null: Dark/Fire/Ice/Lightning/Wind/Pierce
Wk: Light, Strike
--> Heaven's Blade, Bufudyne, Mediarama, Allure
--> Unshaken Will, Passionate Inferno
P-> Kiss of Lilith
Post by Jaelyn Callahan on Feb 26, 2014 3:39:34 GMT -5
Sure enough, Sakuya soon put an arm around Jaelyn. Jaelyn smiled, closing her eyes. Then the question came. What made her feel happiness? That was a good question. A better question was what made her feel happiness that she was willing to say. Although, since Sakuya had been open about being a hitwoman, it was only fair. It wasn't like all of it was damning. "What makes me happy...being able to experience the things I never had back home, mostly. Decent meals, alcohol that isn't cheap, watered-down beer, freedom, power..." When she put it that way, it sounded pretty innocent after all. "And being able to get to know and get close to people without past incidents driving them off. Or who just don't care about them. That's even nicer"
Post by Sakuya Kyoudou on Feb 26, 2014 3:58:35 GMT -5
Sakuya had gently given Jaelyn's hair a stroke as the latter began to give her answer. Being able to experience the pleasures of life - having good food, good alcohol, to be free, to have power. Yes, these were all things Sakuya herself enjoyed. She was free to do as she pleased - she was not shackled by the obligations of school. She was able to afford decent meals and even have an occasional good drink. She had the power to earn her money through cold murder. However, what piqued Sakuya's interest was Jaelyn's finishing remark - to be able to get close to people without past incidents driving them off... or just plain not giving a damn about them.
"Past incidents, huh?" Sakuya was genuinely curious. It really seemed that the two had quite a bit in common. "Did anything bad happen to you in the past? Of course, if you don't feel like divulging into your history, that's perfectly fine by me. I'll respect your privacy. We all have things we do not wish to reveal, even if it may be to those who are close to us, or to those who will become close."
Profile || City Home Null: Dark/Fire/Ice/Lightning/Wind/Pierce
Wk: Light, Strike
--> Heaven's Blade, Bufudyne, Mediarama, Allure
--> Unshaken Will, Passionate Inferno
P-> Kiss of Lilith
Post by Jaelyn Callahan on Feb 26, 2014 4:36:17 GMT -5
Jaelyn shook her head. "No, it's fine," she said. "You don't seem like the type of person who would run off. And besides, you already told me what you did for a living, so it's only fair. One dark secret for another." Sure, she had indirectly revealed her mother's sordid past at the time, but that wasn't her own secret. Why should she care what people thought of Minerva Callahan? She wasn't her mother. No, it was respect that usually kept Jaelyn silent about her mother, not fear of what other people would think.
The 'past incidents' she mentioned, though, were something else entirely. Where to start on them? Well, the bullying was probably a good place. What Jaelyn could be sure of as far as how it started, she had already mentioned. "Well, when I was younger, people bullied me a lot. Or...well, they tried to at least. Every time it happened, I'd fight back in ways that would keep them from coming back. I'd hit pressure points, break fingers, even put a pencil through someone's eye once. After the first incident my mother taught me all of a person's weak points, and I'd use them whenever I could. People stopped messing with me after awhile, but nobody would want to be around me anymore either."