we can make a deal, i know it [open]

[McKinley Lavine]

"Huuu." McKinley puffed, her mouth just inches from the cupped palm of her right hand. A scent of green apple met her, not at all unlike the gum she had been chewing before for this very purpose. The delighted smile that formed signaled her satisfaction as McKinley dropped her hand and entered the cafe, laptop pressed against her side by her left hand. With quick analysis, she assessed that the cafe was a bit slow today, which suited her. Being new to the town, somehow a small group felt safer. Fewer than a third of the tables were occupied, leaving her to slouch into the space where the high backed chair and the wall met. In front of her the Mac she brought flickered to life, illuminating her golden eyes.

McKinley looked totally at home in the cafe, as if she were a regular and not a complete stranger to the town. She was wearing a pink tank top, concealed by a buttoned up denim jacket and a pair of black skinny jeans. Her shoes were of the 'skater' variety-- a brown pair of vans with black laces and white soles. Certainly not the most interesting outfit, and not even the most interesting one in the room.

And then, it happened. The unanticipated, but completely regular event that made McKinley Lavine's face crumple into one of unnecessary disapproval and made her shut the white laptop and settle back, farther in the seat. Having forgone the effort of bringing her charger, predictably the computer battery gave out, forcing her to pay more attention to the occupants of the cafe.

[Xenneth "Marie" Hikari]

“I can be all you need!”

[/font]
_______________________________[/center]

Gravity...agent that gives weight to mass...

He held down the backspace until the field was blank.

Gravitation...the phenomenon in which bodies attract each other...

Within seconds, the field was blank once again.

Gravitation is one of the four fundamental...

That’s right! He just typed that! He was just too distracted at times looking towards his surroundings, only noticing a young woman walk in and nothing more in his relief.

It was quiet around him, but it was only because Xenneth was a regular at this point. He established that the cushioned little booth in the corner with the doodles of stars, hearts, and anything else that you would find in a very Leprechaun endorsed cereal was drawn on the table. He had even pressed his thump against a nice little doodle of the sun; slightly feeling the gentle warmth that blown from the fan of his customized red laptop that was open before him to a popular search engine. That very thumb was quick to pick up a pen and reach across striking a line through the next variety of words drawn on the paper to remind him not to search those aspects he was looking into.

The Café was an escape if Xenneth ever had one. It was the only place where he did not try to attempt to hold down a job, the owner was nice, and the only downside was the occasional nerd who would begin their cheap pick-up lines, and Xenneth would be so quick to say, “I do not have girly parts. Get lost, flirt!” Usually, it was a little less harsh than that, but today, Xenneth was really on edge.

The violet haired boy had already been forced to quit one job, and his powers were become a little stronger every day. It was a constant fear that he would repeat time and create a space anomaly that he wished not to utter the name of. Constantly, he had to actually “consider” practicing, and even more so, attempt to actually do so when he felt something with his gravitational pull was haywire. At times, he had to make sure he bolted everything down in his living room whenever he slept.

*Sniff!*

The aroma of the warm green tea relaxed his nerves; and like an attracted animal to a mysterious allure, he had given in to the scent, lifted a cup and took a sip.

“I hate science.” he vented looking at the open laptop; and so he ‘abilities’ were a living irony. He had unplugged his character from his laptop seeing it was at a full charge, and any moment he may leave. The café corner he adored may have been quiet, but it did not take long for noise to turn up like a radio’s volume: especially in Nova City.

______________________________
“But I will not kiss your feet; I will not smile to please.”

[/font][/center]

---

::OOC Stats::
Now Listening To: “Bleach” by SNoW
IC Attire: Basic
Chatty Ditz: -----[/size]

[McKinley Lavine]

There was a couple at a table several feet away. In spite of being in each others' company, the two were more attentive to the lit screens in front of them. Depressing. McKinley let out a sympathetic sigh- admittedly, partially one motivated by boredom. If her stay was reduced to watching strangers to the point that she identified their relationship and formulated an unpleasant aspect to the pairing. It was incredibly silly and unnecessary.

Displeased by this, McKinley rose, picking up her Mac as her gaze shifted to the window in time to see Erasmus Ibsen strolling down the street in the direction of the cafe. McKinley was quick to relocate to a booth to hide. It happened to be the booth of a less than intimidating, violet haired stranger that McKinley truthfully would have taken as a girl, considering the hue of the hair and length. With a finger to her lips she made a hushed 'shhh' sound from across Xenneth's table, dropping her Mac onto the cushioned seat beside her before she shifted in the booth so her back was to the other occupant. Within seconds of her watching, Era finally reached the cafe window. Promptly the teenager ducked, stealing a glance back at Xenneth with the hope that her warning for quiet was respected. Though it was unlikely that Era would know what was going on solely based on an outburst, McKinley was more than a little fearful of even the minute possibility. Adding to the unlikelihood was the fact that several others were walking by that very window as Era was, further obscuring his view and his attention.

"Sorry- ex boyfriend.

" McKinley lied. An ex boyfriend was easier to explain, "Please -- I'll go away in just a second, I swear.[/color]" Which was true. McKinley was friendly, but not so much so that she would intrude upon someone who's space she'd just invaded by ducking into their cafe booth. With the awkwardness of the moment as she tried to slouch even farther into the back of the seat, she took note of how little space there seemed to be. They needed larger tables. McKinley tried to ease her nervousness by anxiously counting the seconds in her mind, promising that in exactly sixty seconds, she would leave the violet haired stranger in peace.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/color]

[Xenneth "Marie" Hikari]

“I can be all you need!”

[/font]
_______________________________[/center]

“Shhh!”

That’s all he needed to hear.

Of course, Xenneth was taken by surprise to see a young woman enter his booth. However, with her sign to keep quiet, he was not to ask questions, not yet; but it was the worst kind of time to put him in a state of uneasiness. The violet haired boy had to tug at the white Newsboy cap on his head extra tight so his hairs would not start to drift for obvious reasons that he cared not to mention. His fingers at the keys to the laptop slid off and one reached for the top easing it to a near close to make sure he did not have to run...and because it was obscuring his vision. He needed to see if his guest’s waist line to see if she perhaps had any concealed weapon he would need to focus on disarming.

However, even in the brief time that she concealed herself for some reason, it seemed that she was not someone to fear.

Xenneth’s eyes looked about the café to see anyone suspicious; more so than usual. It was common that others like him took to this spot as a refuge. Not even the manager mined the people that came because they were good business. What good business person would turn down walking piles of money that needed to stay in their shop, and pay in the process while doing so? Xenneth’s booth was especially kept there for him seeing he always had worked multiple jobs, had a good monetary upkeep, and he did not cause trouble or attract it since he was good at concealing himself.

It seemed that his girl was new to it, and looking around, Xenneth looked for any eyes that were too focused, something he learned on the run for so long.

Sorry- ex boyfriend.

[/color] Xenneth’s attention shifted to the young woman with a gaze that seemed unending...unless she left. Please -- I'll go away in just a second, I swear.[/color]

An ex-boyfriend? That was what she was hiding from?

Xenneth had a ton of those (mostly for con-artist reasons)! He also had a lot of ex-girlfriends, love struck idiots, whipped stooges, flirtatious flunkies, and not to mention stalkers who knew spy techniques that forced him to change cell phones two weeks more than the usual one week. He would not duck off in some café though, for two reasons: first thing he would do something to have the cops on them in a hot second, while also giving the accusation that they were some kind of “monstrosity” that the City was suffering from. There was nothing like a good witch hunt on your Ex!

Either way, he could sympathize with the idea of hiding, but her reason was just too much.

“Shhh!” Mimicking the young woman, Xenneth had opened his laptop back all the way and begun typing once more acting as if there was nothing wrong, nothing unusual, or the fact there was a young woman hiding in his booth. He stared at the screen, typing in the blank field something non-relevant to his work, but rather very relevant to this particular situation.

[People are stupid! People are stupid! People are stupid!]

With a press of the enter button, he took that the one million search findings agreed with this idea.

“With an ironic exception,” Xenneth’s soft, perky voice spoke up as his eyes remained on the screen as if he was conversing with himself, “Guys are idiots.”

With the subject matter and the fact he could keep his thoughts to himself, he most likely was talking to the young woman. He did not feel that hiding from an ex was something common, especially in Nova City since people hid from something else these days.

Regardless, Xenneth would play the young lass’s game for now.[/blockquote]

______________________________
“But I will not kiss your feet; I will not smile to please.”

[/font][/center]

---

::OOC Stats::
Now Listening To: “Bleach” by SNoW
IC Attire: Basic
Chatty Ditz: -----[/size]

[McKinley Lavine]

Lying was not something McKinley liked, but explaining that she was-- silly as it was-- hiding from the man she publicly identified as her father was tougher. It wasn't that she had any reason to, either. He was kind. albeit strict and reluctant to let her out of his sight... a little trust would be nice. Of course, she might not deserve his trust when she was hiding out in a cafe while he was, most likely, out looking for her. He was a particularly clingy werewolf. Now boyfriends? They seemed universally worthy of avoidance. So... why was the violet haired youth looking around? Couldn't Xenneth just stare at the computer for a couple more seconds? McKinley made a slight, unintentional huff, but her expression held no annoyance, more nervousness than anything.

The seconds seemed to drag on for McKinley until he was hushing her. Slightly startled, she stayed still as if even the slightest sound might annoy him. Then he started typing. McKinley sat up, turning around in the booth again to make sure she couldn't see the familiar werewolf outside of the window. She couldn't. Smiling, she turned and grabbed her laptop, ready to leave the stranger alone. She faltered when he spoke. Guys were idiots? Unfortunately, this made her feel guilty for her lie. McKinley placed her free hand on the table, her gaze on what was visible of Xenneth from behind his computer screen.

"They're not so bad ...

" McKinley murmured with a reassuring smile. Not that she'd truly know. There wasn't much to her social life prior to moving to Nova City, and even then, she'd only been in the town for a couple of days. "I just need some space from him.[/color]" Which wasn't a complete lie, except for who 'he' was in the conversation. At least she was starting to get back on the 'right track' of being honest.

"Anyway, I'm sorry. Thanks for not catching his attention. I definitely owe you for that." McKinley chimed warmly, pressing the white laptop closer to her side as she slid toward the edge of the booth. She didn't want to disappear without telling him goodbye, though. Go figure. Impose on a stranger, and then be held in place by pleasantries. Not that she minded, it was simply a backwards logic she found slightly amusing.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/color]

[Xenneth "Marie" Hikari]

“I can be all you need!”

[/font]
_______________________________[/center]

It could have been worse...she could have said he was wrong.

McKinley was a nice, innocent girl; or at least that was what was said to Xenneth on the outside. His absurd logic however was that he seen enough, knew enough, and could compare to knowledge of an old man when it came to society. The thought of any person was enough to make him weary of even breathing in their space as if they were a living poison. He thought of people as pollutants, and to no end, the violet haired boy simply could not see with the eyes that young woman had or speak the way she spoke.

He simply went back to his Laptop, acting as if he was doing work. Before he knew it, he took his notes at the right of his computer, turned them face down hiding the contents, and then actually started to close the browser and simply sat with the computer revealing his colorful wallpaper of a racing prairie field that reflected in his electric blue eyes. As usual, his mind was always thinking about “freedom” or whatever that was in his forsaken city of weirdness.

“...I definitely owe you for that.” McKinley had said; and that was when Xenneth know the girl was truly insane.

“...No, you do not.” A smile played across Xenneth’s lips as he reached his right hand to the top of his laptop and closed it shut. His blue eyes were hidden and closed as placed his elbows upon the table, bridging his finger, he laid his head down slanting it to the left to catch McKinley in his gaze as he smiled towards her. “...and you should keep it that way. Trust me, Miss. A debt with me comes with...inconvenience.” He had to find the proper word the call his mixture of personal and professional business.

His smile was kindly, his eyes had a gentle stare; however, he had communicated nothing but honesty about him being up to no good.

______________________________
“But I will not kiss your feet; I will not smile to please.”

[/font][/center]

---

::OOC Stats::
Now Listening To: “Bleach” by SNoW
IC Attire: Basic
Chatty Ditz: -----[/size]

[McKinley Lavine]

McKinley thought she knew what the world had in store. Werewolves, experimentation, and now, violet haired teenager who threatened her? Well, if that was a threat, which she thought it was. Her mind ran away with questions of did he mean it to be a threat? Was he dangerous by virtue of not being clear? He certainly looked harmless enough.

Tugging down her jacket nervously, she debated with herself whether she would just tell him goodbye, or challenge his threat. Once her jacket was adjusted, her hand went back to the table and she rose, preparing herself to slip away at any second. Her left palm pressed against the table firmly, the hand against her laptop pressing closer to her side as she ran the words through her mind again.

McKinley couldn't back down. Misleading someone about what she was capable of and being downright cowardly were two different things, so she couldn't allow herself to seriously consider being frightened away by what very well could be an idle, misguided attempt at being polite.

"If it makes you feel better, you don't know my name, so you can't really hold me to it.

" McKinley's tone was sweet, her expression one of cheerfulness. Maybe it could counteract the potential harshness he might cue into, just in case he was just being a nice guy. Hey, she was supposedly a girl wwith an ex boyfriend she was avoiding- that was cause to be a little irritated, right? Of course.

"Anyway, I'm sure my intrusion was inconvenient. You looked a bit busy- no need to stop on my account.[/color]" McKinley added, her tone unchanged from her previous comment. She was secretly hoping that him returning to the computer he'd closed would distract him enough to end this... well whatever this was.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/color]

[Xenneth "Marie" Hikari]

“I can be all you need!”

[/font]
_______________________________[/center]

Body movements were more convincing than words: because often, they did not tell as many lies.

Xenneth pretended he did not see the little gestures she had given off. Heck, most of the time, he tried to covet his own, but as usual, he was unsuccessful. Where did his mind go when he twiddled his fingers, make his eyes shift in a paranoid fashion, or even just tap his foot in a constant rhythm as if any moment he could kick off and flying through the café doors and leave nothing but a chime of the overhead hanging bell? His counts were lost among the number of confrontations; and confrontations were like a living formula. Xenneth would divide by two to tell himself that was how many times he escaped from pursuits and had to deal with aggression first hand.

However, with a glance at the young woman, he would bet chips that she was too frail to even fight or even have to worry about the thought coming to mind. She was as much of a thought to him as prey to a schoolyard bully. Through her smile and words, Xenneth was too detached to care for any meaning she gave him in not knowing her name.

“You’re right,” his smile turning into a saggy frown as if his face was melting, “You actually seem like a good person, and that’s why I rather not hold you to anything.”

A mixture of smugness and actual honesty played in his voice.

Among the things Xenneth could count, his lies were the things he could not keep up with. Each friend he met, he had to mislead them. Every heart wrenching feeling that tugged at him, he would have to snatch away from it; the violet haired boy had no end to how he twisted his life until he lost a grip on his “freedom” to live a normal life. Xenneth sought to have such a thing so much: to come home, sit down with a loved one or loved ones, and simply talk about his day. However, people in Nova City always had an agenda these days; and a small piece of information could make a difference in someone’s routine: such as whether they could live their life pestered or free.

The less he spoke of life, the better.

“This is just homework,” he said closing his notebook, “For kindergarteners. I would not exactly call it busy.” he finished jokingly.

It was almost as if it was an invitation; but would the young woman accept was up to her,

______________________________
“But I will not kiss your feet; I will not smile to please.”

[/font][/center]

---

::OOC Stats::
Now Listening To: “Bleach” by SNoW
IC Attire: Basic
Chatty Ditz: -----[/size]