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Realistic or Modern Summoning Trouble [Closed]

Lore
Here
"Yes, every time you get on the bus you have to pay otherwise it'll cause problems. Also, I'm only holding your money for you because you need something to carry it in. So once we get you a wallet or money clip, you'll be responsible for your own currency. As far as helping with the cause of me being pissed off, no thanks. Just someone I am in no mood to talk to or discuss about that should have known better than to contact me."

Kyle had no idea who or what Esme was speaking of, and before he could order his thoughts properly her phone emitted yet another chiming. Though she appeared to do so reluctantly, Esme again went through the ritual of looking at the device.

"Today is a shitty day. That was my boss asking me to come in early. So when we get to the store, it needs to be quick so I can get back to the apartment and have enough time to get to work."

Any further discussion was rendered impossible by the arrival of the bus. Rather than hand him money, Esme pointed to him as she stuffed bills into the slot, and the driver waved him by without comment. This time there were no places to sit, so Kyle followed Esme's example of holding onto one of the poles set into the bus, apparently for just this purpose. After a short ride, Esme again pressed the red colored button that seemed to let the driver know someone wished to exit, and they left the bus. Esme had only glanced back to make certain Kyle was following her, and he took this as a sign of her preoccupation with whatever news she had received from her phone. He followed her as she headed towards a large building with a circular sign that appeared to resemble an archery target with only two rings. Odd.

"So, wallet, watch, clothes, probably shoes and socks too. Do you shave or... do you have to shave? Not sure if demons grow facial hair or if you just sort of... magic it away or something. So probably some personal hygiene stuff as well."

"That seems appropriate," Kyle responded. "And in answer to your question, my hair only grows when I allow it to. I am definitely interested in hygiene products however. It has been nigh on two days since my last bath, and while 'hulking out' removes external dirt, it doesn't provide the same satisfaction that a good bath does."

With that, Kyle allowed Esme to conduct him on a whirlwind trip through the store. Mindful of her request for brevity, he did not take the time he so desperately wanted to and examine all the strange and wonderful offerings the store held, instead allowing her to conduct him directly to the departments where his needs could be met. One department yielded pants of a material heavier and coarser than his magic had produced. Jeans, they were called. He chose two of the cheapest, one in a dark grey, and one in a blue color. It took a few tries and visits to the changing room, before he discovered the appropriate sizing. For some reason, Esme seemed to find this part of the process amusing. The same department also gave him two shirts, one very much similar to the one he was wearing, but better fitting and bearing the image of a grinning skeleton, and one with a collar and buttons up the front, much like the one his magic had produced, but again of a coarser material. Small-clothes bundled into clear plastic, so many new words today, bags finished their foray into the Men's Department. As they left Men's, Esme stopped at a rack containing belts, with wallets arranged on shelves built into the sides. A belt of dark leather, and a plain wallet, also of dark leather, joined the clothes in their shopping basket before they moved on.

Esme looked like she wanted to protest in the shoe department as Kyle skipped over the various running shoes and instead chose a pair of boots solidly constructed of a plain, brown leather, but held her peace. He relied heavily on Esme's advice when he made selections involving personal grooming, letting her choose mouthwash, toothpaste, and a toothbrush for him. Shampoo, deodorant and something she called cologne finished that area, and they headed over to jewelry. Here Kyle chose a simple watch that appeared to match the clock faces he was already familiar with, held in place with a simple leather band.

As they headed for the checkout something in a department labelled crafts drew Kyle's eye. A small leather working kit joined the rest of the spoils in their cart, and he allowed Esme to resume their interrupted progress.

"Please handle the payment this time," he requested, very politely. "I would like to see how this works at least once before I attempt to handle it myself. When we return to the apartment I shall take responsibility for the remaining cash and do my best to handle things from here on out."

Fable Fable
(Hope you don't mind making the hygiene decisions for him.)
 
Tarmagon Tarmagon
(I feel bad, I didn't get a notif for your post, that or it got buried in them. T_T)

That seems appropriate. And in answer to your question, my hair only grows when I allow it to. I am definitely interested in hygiene products however. It has been nigh on two days since my last bath, and while 'hulking out' removes external dirt, it doesn't provide the same satisfaction that a good bath does."

Esme didn't comment out loud, but part of her was envious he could just will his hair to not grow. Lucky bastard. She wondered what other people would assume when he used the term 'hulking out' since the few other people within ear shot gave him a strange look as they eavesdropped on their conversation. Honestly, he probably sounded like some drug using jock with an OCD complex when high, but that was just her mind creating a silly and entertaining scenario in her mind, causing a smirk to cross her lips. He was distracting her from her other problems right now.

As wide-eyed and fascinated as he was with the items in the store, he at least was quick about grabbing the things he needed. When they weren't so pressed for time, or perhaps when he felt more comfortable to go out on his own, he could spend as much time as he pleased looking at things. Once the needed items had been gathered, plus some weird crafting thing Kyle had grabbed at the last moment, they were in line at the checkout area waiting their turn.

"Please handle the payment this time. I would like to see how this works at least once before I attempt to handle it myself. When we return to the apartment I shall take responsibility for the remaining cash and do my best to handle things from here on out."

"If you know basic math, which I don't doubt you do, it'll be easy for you to get the idea for at least paying with cash. Just, don't sign up for any credit cards, I'm sure the debt collectors will stalk you to your own home if you don't pay it off." It was a terrible attempt at a joke.

Esme placed the items on the small conveyor belt and the cashier scanned the barcode on every item. She pressed a few buttons on the computer register and a a total displayed of an amount a little over $200. Esme counted out the twenty dollar bills, though she made sure she didn't grab the whole wad of cash, and handed over the proper amount to cover it. The cashier tapped away once more and then counted out the change to finalize the transaction. She then placed all the items into two plastic bags and Esme picked them up before handing them over to Kyle, they were his things after all.

"You'll want to wash the clothes before you wear them," she said as she headed towards the doors with an EXIT sign above them. "We don't have laundry inside the apartment, but the complex does have it's own laundromat in the basement area. I just wouldn't leave while your things are being washed there though, things tend to go missing if you do."

Once they were back at the bus stop, Esme sat down on the single metal bench there since she figured it'd be a while before the next bus arrived. "You sure you don't want your money now? You can use the wallet you just paid for."
 
Kyle watched carefully as Esme paid for his items. Sales tax. Hunh. Instead of the merchants paying a tithe to the king, here the government collected on every transaction automatically, without having to rely on the merchant's honesty about his business. When Esme advised him to wash the clothing before wearing it, he forbore to mention that the 'cleaning' he would be putting the clothing through would be much more intense than a mere washing. Instead he just nodded his understanding. Once the pair had made their way to the bus stop once more, Esme spoke again.

"You sure you don't want your money now? You can use the wallet you just paid for."

"I don't think that I should be seen handling that much cash in such a public place," he replied, pitching his voice so that only Esme would hear. "And, until I can tell the wallet who its new owner is, any cutpurse or pickpocket could divest me of my entire stock of cash. No. Please keep what you still have until we are away from the public eye. If you would allow it, I would place the majority within your hidey-hole and only carry a portion with me at any time."

They sat in silence for a moment, Esme no doubt trying to understand what he meant by 'telling the wallet' he was its owner. She would see once they returned to the apartment.

"You mentioned that I would be accompanying you to work shortly," he said into the silence. "Will I have time to bathe and change before we must depart? I also find myself curious. What exactly do you do for a living?"

Fable Fable
(Sorry this is extremely short, but what he needs to do now can't be done in public. Feel free to timeskip to the apartment if you wish.)
 
Tarmagon Tarmagon
(Awkward timeskip is awkward, lol.)

"Uh, tell your wallet your its owner?" Esme asked after a brief moment of silence as she thought maybe he was trying to make a joke. Seeing that he was serious made her wonder if he was going to turn his wallet into something like a portable pet mimic. Honestly, the concept was an amusing idea to have someone get bitten by a vicious wallet with teeth. However, she was probably letting her imagination run wild again.

"We should have time, as long as you don't spend an unnecessary amount of time taking a shower. Kind of pointless for me to take one myself since I'll have to take one when I finish my shift. I work as a bartender at a nightclub. One of the guys who gets things ready before the club opens called in, so I have to go in earlier. I should probably warn you now that there will be very loud music, drunk people, and later in the evening it tends to get rowdy. You are also at risk of having your personal space invaded and flirts trying to get your attention."

-------

When they got back to the apartment, Esme explained how the shower worked and then left him alone. She changed into her uniform which was basically a pair of tight black skinny jeans, a tight black t-shirt with the club's name 'Gunmetal' and a pair of black sneakers. Bartenders were dressed to sort of blend into the dark background of the club, so they were told to wear all black. It was a better outfit than what the nightclub waitresses had to wear. They had to wear some pretty tight and revealing clothing, so Esme was content sticking to the bartender position, even though she'd probably get more tips as a waitress.

Once Kyle was dressed and ready to go, she grabbed her purse and led them to her place of work which was a couple of blocks from the apartment that was in walking distance. Usually she'd take her bike, but then it'd be a hassle to bring Kyle along.

"My boss probably won't ask you any personal questions. People have their friends tag along frequently, just don't expect any sort of discount if you decide you want a drink. Also, be cautious about accepting drinks from people."

They soon approached the back of the building the nightclub was in. It was nothing like the front which was designed with a metal facade. It was all black painted brick. There was a door with a keypad lock. Esme punched in a few numbers and a buzzer sounded loudly as the door opened. It wasn't until the door was shut that the buzzer finally stopped.

"Phil, this is Kyle. Kyle this is my boss Phil."

Phil was a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair with the physique of a body builder. He looked more like a bouncer than a nightclub manager. Phil gave Kyle a hard look-over, "He want a job or something?"

"Nope. Just a tag along. Liz is in a mood so I didn't want to leave him alone in the apartment with her."

"She break-up again?""

"Yup."

And that was the end of the conversation as Phil just rolled his eyes. Esme ushered Kyle through a set of doors to the main area of the club. It was fully lit as it wasn't yet time to open. There were already a few waitresses on the upper level pulling chairs from the tops of tables and setting them on the ground. Esme motioned for Kyle to sit at one of the bar stool as she went behind the bar and grabbed a notepad and pencil. She looked at the stock of alcohol, syrups, and everything else, jotting down what she would need to grab.

"There is a booth over there," Esme said, pointing with the pencil to a dark booth in a corner, "You can hang out there when the club opens. I'll be able to keep an eye on you over there for the most part. The bathrooms are over there. That area is the front of the club. Over there is DJ stage."

She casually pointed to the various areas. She was a bit worried he'd react negatively and end up changing into that other form. If it did happen, hopefully not to many people would be bothered to noticed, or maybe Kyle could hide out in one of the bathroom stalls.
 
"Uh, tell your wallet your its owner?"

Kyle couldn't tell what was going through Esme's mind, but it seemed to amuse her. Before he could ask, she spoke again.

"We should have time, as long as you don't spend an unnecessary amount of time taking a shower. Kind of pointless for me to take one myself since I'll have to take one when I finish my shift. I work as a bartender at a nightclub. One of the guys who gets things ready before the club opens called in, so I have to go in earlier. I should probably warn you now that there will be very loud music, drunk people, and later in the evening it tends to get rowdy. You are also at risk of having your personal space invaded and flirts trying to get your attention."

Kyle pondered Esme's words for the rest of the trip back to her apartment, which appeared to still be empty of Liz. He hoped things worked out between her and Esme. After a quick introduction to the shower, marvelous device!, Kyle put some of his new purchases to good use. In a short amount of time he emerged, feeling clean and refreshed as he had not since this little adventure began. Before donning any of his new clothes, even the underwear he sent a small burst of Power through them, cleansing them of any contamination left over from their creation. As an added benefit, it had the side effect of softening the fibers, giving them a well worn feeling. Pulling on blue jeans and the grey button-up, he gathered up his belt, wallet, watch, and boots and took out a small punch and scribe from the leather-working kit. A few minutes careful scribing saw runes of concealment, protection, ownership, and return etched into the supple leather. Adding his personal sigil, Kyle drew a small amount of power from the relics he had purchased and sent it into the runes. They flared into golden life, then faded from view, leaving the leather unmarred. Now it would be nearly impossible for the items to be stolen, and even it they were, they would find their way back to him.

"Best to warn Esme," he thought. "I doubt that the runes would interact with her Seal, but best not to take chances."

Placing a couple of hundred into the wallet, he placed the rest of the cash into the box that had recently held said wallet, and inscribed the box with a rune of concealment. Placing the box into Esme's hiding place, he pronounced himself ready. Esme also appeared to be ready, dressed in black pants and a shirt that clung to her body, the stark unrelieved black broken only by the word 'Gunmetal'. In the light of the apartment it was actually quite flattering to her form, but in any dim light, she would all but disappear. Perhaps that was the point?

"I would very much like to meet the Esme who existed before she became so, stressed? yes, stressed." Kyle thought to himself. "Such loyalty she gives to her friends, but so mistrusting of anyone new. So intelligent, but so unwilling to face things outside her understanding. I doubt it will ever happen, but I can hope that once this Pact is complete, we might learn about one another without it hanging over our heads. I think she would make a good friend."

Leaving the apartment, they began to walk to Esme's work, which she had intimated was not far. As they walked, she gave him an odd warning.

"My boss probably won't ask you any personal questions. People have their friends tag along frequently, just don't expect any sort of discount if you decide you want a drink. Also, be cautious about accepting drinks from people."

Before he could formulate a reply, she stopped beside a door and began to press buttons on a keypad. When she finished there was a buzzing sound, and she tugged the door open. Moving quickly inside, they were met by a large man, his hair liberally salted with grey, and the body of a retired warrior.

"Phil, this is Kyle. Kyle this is my boss Phil."

Phil gave Kyle a hard look-over, "He want a job or something?"

"Nope. Just a tag along. Liz is in a mood so I didn't want to leave him alone in the apartment with her."

"She break-up again?""

"Yup."

That seemed to satisfy Phil, and he left Esme to her business, ignoring Kyle. Esme began to putter behind the bar, taking notes on a small pad as she did.

"There is a booth over there," Esme said, pointing with the pencil to a dark booth in a corner, "You can hang out there when the club opens. I'll be able to keep an eye on you over there for the most part. The bathrooms are over there. That area is the front of the club. Over there is DJ stage."

Kyle watched as she pointed to the various areas, also taking in the much more provocatively dressed women setting chair about tables. Serving wenches...no, waitresses, they were called now. Their outfits would most likely get them good tips, but he imagined most of them would get tired of fending off drunken advances before the night was over. Hmm. Drunken.

"You warned me of accepting drinks," he said to Esme. "I assure you, I do not wish to get drunk any more than you want me to get drunk. So, if you could place a single drop of your base drinks into a glass, I can make myself immune to them for the evening. That way I do not have to appear rude or strange, but will remain safely sober."

He wasn't quite sure what to make of Esme's face. Incredulity? Disbelief? Annoyance? He just didn't know.

"On a more pressing note," he said after a moment. "Like you, I've only had a couple of eggs to eat, and this appears to be the start of a long evening. Does this fine establishment offer anything more substantial than that?"

He gestured to a bowl filled with some kind of nuts and things he couldn't identify sitting on the end of the bar.

Fable Fable
(Hungry demon is HUNGRY. And I had to retype the whole post.. Darned site security error.)
 
Tarmagon Tarmagon
(Ha! Managed to get my task done even though my brain is stuck on 'derp' setting right now. Sorry it's short, want to give Kyle a chance to react. Also, there will be an event with Esme within the club and someone she knows.)

"You warned me of accepting drinks. I assure you, I do not wish to get drunk any more than you want me to get drunk. So, if you could place a single drop of your base drinks into a glass, I can make myself immune to them for the evening. That way I do not have to appear rude or strange, but will remain safely sober. On a more pressing note, like you, I've only had a couple of eggs to eat, and this appears to be the start of a long evening. Does this fine establishment offer anything more substantial than that?""

"You getting drunk is only one concern. Sometimes people try to sneak drugs into drinks they offer to someone else. Its rarely happened here, but it's always a risk. I don't think you'd like blacking out and then finding yourself lost somewhere with no idea of what happened. "

Esme gave him a bit of an annoyed glance though with his request to 'sample' the drinks basically. Even though he was only asking for a drop, there were way too many alcoholic choices to do that and she didn't have the time either. She tried to think of what to do to compromise so that she could get back to work.

"I can't give you a drop of everything. We have to large of a variety. If I mix all the drops into a single shot of the most common ones, would that work? I mean... it'll taste like shit mixing them all together like that. As far as food, nothing like an actual meal. You can order something to snack on from a waitress, like chips, nuts, pretzels, and overpriced hot wings. We mostly just serve drinks."

Esme reviewed her notes as she spoke to him, working on multitasking and obviously she'd had to answer questions about the food before while working on other things. Once she was done verifying she had listed everything she needed, she turned around and grabbed a single shot glass. She then grabbed various glass bottles; rum, vodka, tequila, gin brandy, whiskey, cognac, liqueur, and even absinthe. She poured as little of each as she could into the shot glass and then served it to Kyle. She didn't bother mixing in beer, instead she just grabbed a bottle of their cheapest brand in stock and placed it next to the shot glass.

"That shot is going to taste absolutely horrible," she said with an amused smirk as she waited to see his reaction to the terrifying concoction. "The shot is free, but the beer is going on your tab which you're going to pay before we leave for the night."

As soon as Kyle downed the liver poison she laughed and shook her head as she took the shot glass set it upside down on a rack that would eventually be filled with more before it would head to the back area to be sterilized, only to return to the bar for the next round. She went into the back area and began to gather the things she needed. It took a few trips and she ended up doing a few other things, such as noting on the inventory what they had left in the back and handing over the notes to Phil. She was done before the club opened, but they had already dimmed down the lights and the DJ was already playing loud music.
 
"You getting drunk is only one concern. Sometimes people try to sneak drugs into drinks they offer to someone else. Its rarely happened here, but it's always a risk. I don't think you'd like blacking out and then finding yourself lost somewhere with no idea of what happened. I can't give you a drop of everything. We have to large of a variety. If I mix all the drops into a single shot of the most common ones, would that work? I mean... it'll taste like shit mixing them all together like that. As far as food, nothing like an actual meal. You can order something to snack on from a waitress, like chips, nuts, pretzels, and overpriced hot wings. We mostly just serve drinks."

Esme's answer seemed a bit distracted as she continued to work behind the bar, so Kyle didn't bother to clarify that he didn't need a drop of all the possible drinks. No matter how advanced their distillery had become, there were still only a certain amount of base alcohols in existence, so Esme's desire to mix him a shot containing the most common drinks would work fine. Once she had made what seemed a last entry onto her pad, she grabbed a small glass and began to add small amounts of various bottles to it. Kyle lost count somewhere around eight or so, and simply waited. Esme set the glass before him, and placed a bottle of beer, that he recognized no matter how different the bottle was from a proper stein, and waited, anticipation on her face.

"That shot is going to taste absolutely horrible," she said with an amused smirk as she waited to see his reaction to the terrifying concoction. "The shot is free, but the beer is going on your tab which you're going to pay before we leave for the night."

Kyle rather doubted that the shot would have the effect on him that Esme was hoping for. It had become obvious to him that their tastes were wildly divergent when her eyes had widened at the amount of pepper her had consumed with evident gusto on his eggs this morning. However, far be it from him to deny her a bit of amusement this day. Picking up the glass, he made a show of sniffing it, then wrinkling his nose before tossing it down with a grimace. His power immediately broke the drink back into its various parts and let him taste each one, letting his body identify the amount of alcohol in each, and instructing it not to allow any of it into his bloodstream. Externally, his face twisted as though he had tasted something sour, and he grabbed the beer, taking a large swig as though to wash the taste of the shot from his mouth. The beer was also categorized, then discarded. Now he was immune to the offerings of the club for the night, unless he chose otherwise.

Esme laughed at the face he made, then moved off to vanish into another part of the club. As Kyle moved over to take a seat in the booth she had indicated she reappeared, carrying a box of bottles which she quickly put behind the bar then left once more. By the time her trips, all of varying length, were done, the club lights had lowered to a twilight gloom, and loud, music? and by the Lady the noise and caterwauling that these modern humans called music was going to take some getting used to, was permeating the area. Kyle had managed to attract the attention of one of the waitresses, who turned out to be named Raven, and requested a large plate of something called 'loaded nachos'. Raven had pointed out that the large was meant for several people, but had accepted Kyle's assurance that he would have no problem eating the whole thing.

"It'll be a few minutes," Raven said apologetically. "We're not quite open yet, but I'll make sure your orders in right off the bat. You want it added to your tab?" She had gestured at the beer bottle, but Kyle had shaken his head.

"No, let us keep accounts current," he said with a smile. "I prefer it that way, but Esme insisted..."

He let the sentence taper off, and Raven smiled.

"Yep. You know Esme long?"

"No," Kyle replied. "We actually just met as part of a business deal, but, and I quote, 'Liz is in a mood', so we decided that I should just warm a seat here rather than risk Liz's temper without backup."

Raven had chuckled and vanished with a smile. Kyle noticed that Esme seemed to have finished her running about, and was now firmly ensconced behind the bar, apparently waiting to commence the evenings doings. Settling back, Kyle nursed his beer and waited for his nachos to arrive. This should be an interesting evening.

Fable Fable
(Curious demon is curious. And hungry. But he seems to be doing well so far.)
 
Tarmagon Tarmagon
(Dramaaaaa~)

The bouncers at the entrance outside of the club started letting people inside. Most people came in large groups and were chatting together as they entered the club. Esme wasn't the only bartender tonight, there were three others who were at different sections at the long bar. It was a Friday night and so it would be very busy with the weekend partying starting. Esme expertly mixed drinks and served other beverages to those who approached her. Once one order was completed there was always another person ordering their own drinks. Soon enough the club was at capacity and the bouncers at the doors halted the flow of people entering. Esme was fairly certain a line had already formed outside from people waiting for a chance to get in. The temperature in the club increased with the large crowd of bodies packed into one large open building.

Every now and then Esme would glance over where Kyle was at the booth to make sure there were no problems. She saw one of the waitresses bring him out the party-sized nachos and laughed and shook her head to herself, thinking there was no way he would be able to consume that much food in one sitting. Raven would check on Kyle every now and then, though she didn't treat him any different from the other customers.

Esme's shift was normal enough. It was the same as most other weekends, though it seemed like there were more people in the VIP section than the previous weekend. Around 11 in the evening was when things started to get a bit rowdy. People had been drinking for a while, so a bouncer had escorted a few trouble-making drunks out of the club, which allowed a few new people waiting in line outside to come in. Esme had been too distracted with making a cocktail that she hadn't realized who had been next for her to tend to.

However, the moment she recognized the face and voice, her expression went from somewhat friendly to a scowl. She handed the cocktail to the person that was waiting and glared at the man who was leaned against the bar. He was blonde, tall, around Esme's age, and had clearly done something to piss her off. He gave her a casual smile as he leaned forward more so that he could talk to her over the loud music.

"You blocked my number, so how else am I supposed to talk to you?" he asked.

"Maybe you should have taken that as a hint that I didn't want to continue speaking to you."

Esme's attitude and reply didn't seem to have much of an effect on the guy. His smile still remained as Esme turned to the person next to him and asked them what they wanted to drink.

"C'mon Esme. Look, I fucked up, okay? I told you in the text, I really did seriously end things with her. She just always made it hard to breakup with her. Every time I would she'd somehow manage to get me to take her back.
It wasn't something I wanted to do to you, but it was really complicated and I didn't know what else to do. But since she-"

"Jack, fuck off," Esme said with a sickeningly sweet smile as she handed a drink over to a customer and took their money.

"Esme-"

"Fuck. Off."

"You're being very immature. I'm here to try and work things-"

Esme laughed bitterly, interrupting Jack before he could continue speaking.

"You lie to me - for months - during which time you had been in a relationship with someone else. I come to find out I'm the girl you're cheating on your long-term girlfriend with, and now three months after I breakup with you, you're out of the blue suddenly wanting to talk to me about the shit you did? Please don't tell me this is some failed attempt at trying to hook back up or something."

The smile on Jack's face was gone now and was replaced with a stern expression at Esme's response. She handed some change over to the waiting customer, but before she could ask the next person what they wanted, Jack stepped into her line of sight.

"What if it is? You're really going to turn me down?"
 
Kyle sat back in his booth and let the barely controlled chaos that was the club wash over him without truly affecting him. It was dark, noisy, and very warm, but watching the people was interesting. The interactions between the men and women, women and women, and even men and men were things that had once been hidden behind locked doors and masquerades. Things had certainly changed. Despite Raven's misgivings, only crumbs remained on the platter she had brought him, and two more beer bottle had joined the first. He had paid for the food, giving Raven what his new knowledge identified as a good tip. Nothing outrageous, but more than the fifteen percent his mind told him was the standard. The beers had been added to his tab, but he had no doubt that Esme would accost him for payment before they left.

As the club filled it had been a little difficult to keep others from trying to oust him and claim the booth for themselves, and he had fended off a few advances, both female and male. Finally, he had worked a tiny spell in desperation. A low powered 'Keep-away' diverted attention from the fact that he was the booths only occupant and kept all but the most determined from seeing him as an object worthy of attention. Only Esme and Raven were excluded from the effect, since Esme kept glancing his way, and Raven would stop by every so often to see if he needed a new drink. As the evening wore on, people became further and further gone in drink with the predictable results. Before things could get too heated though, a massive wall of a man, a bouncer, stepped in and removed anyone who attempted to escalate from words to blows. All in all, Kyle heartily approved.

It was getting rather late, and Kyle was observing a young woman in a rather intriguing outfit when a stab of tension cut through him. He wasn't sure where it came from, but it wasn't his. Scanning around, his eyes lit on Esme. She was scowling at a man who was leaning over the bar towards her. He was a tall man, with a shock of blonde hair and Esme obviously wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. Equally obvious was the fact that they knew each other. Kyle frowned, but remained in his seat. Esme wouldn't appreciate him interfering in her life any more than he already was, but his fingers twitched out a certain pattern and the noise of the club faded into a background hum as the man's and Esme's words came to him clearly.

"Fuck. Off."

"You're being very immature. I'm here to try and work things-"

Esme laughed bitterly, interrupting the man before he could continue speaking.

"You lie to me - for months - during which time you had been in a relationship with someone else. I come to find out I'm the girl you're cheating on your long-term girlfriend with, and now three months after I breakup with you, you're out of the blue suddenly wanting to talk to me about the shit you did? Please don't tell me this is some failed attempt at trying to hook back up or something."

"What if it is? You're really going to turn me down?"

Kyle snarled to himself, but kept any outward signs of his temper carefully leashed. He had known beings such as this on his world. Arrogant, and unwilling to take rejection in any form. Things could turn ugly at a moments notice, and they cared less for those they used and discarded than the clothes they wore.

"Perhaps you are wrong," he told himself. "And it is not your place to interfere unless invited. Of course, that doesn't prevent you from providing an out."

Rising smoothly, Kyle threaded his way to the bar, taking one of the empty bottles with him. As he did so, he let the effect of his spell to hear fade, and the noises of the club washed over him again. The man was still leaning over the bar slightly aggressively, keeping Esme's attention focused on him by proximity. Kyle used his reach to thump the bottle down on the bar close enough so that the man heard the 'thunk' but far enough away that he couldn't take offense, at least if he was being reasonable.

"I think I'm due for a refill," he said, pitching his voice to carry to Esme. "Could you take care of that please?"

Fable Fable
(Tactful demon is trying to be tactful.)
 

Esme was trying to keep herself from causing more of a scene than was necessary. Eventually one of the bouncers would take notice and probably intervene, but they were all currently busy breaking up an argument elsewhere between two drunk girls who were so loud they could be heard over the music. She openly glared at Jack and was about to go into a long winded spiel, but couldn't even open her mouth to begin when Kyle noisily placed an empty beer bottle on the bar and spoke.

"I think I'm due for a refill," he said, pitching his voice to carry to Esme. "Could you take care of that please?"

Jack was not happy with the interruption and turned to look at Kyle directly, "Sorry bro, we're in the middle of a very important conversation. Go to the next bartender."

Esme ignored Jack and took the empty bottle, tossing it into the glass bin with the others. She then pulled out a new bottle and opened it before setting it down on the bar close to where Kyle was standing.

"Kyle doesn't need to go to another bartender," she said to Jack, staring him down directly angrily.

"Kyle? You know this guy?" Jack asked a bit skeptically as he looked Kyle over. Jack laughed and then turned back to Esme, clearly amused by something. Esme's eyes looked over to where the bouncers were, who were now in the process of dragging the unwilling drunk women towards one of the club exits.

"Oh Esme, don't tell me you this is the guy you tried to replace me with. Seriously, it's a bit insulting, talk lowered standards."

Esme was sick of Jack's arrogance. It didn't help that she wanted to piss him off, so instead of really thinking through what she should say or do to get him to leave her alone, she ended up going with the impulse to try and make him feel the pain of being tossed aside.

"And what if he is? It's not any of your business who I have a relationship with, now is it? And I'd only be lowering my standards if I actually believed your bullshit story. Compared to you, he's an upgrade."

Jack's fist slammed on the bar, clearly triggered by Esme's response. It caused a few of the drinks to shake nearby, but it wasn't enough force to cause any of them to be knocked over. He did get a few questioning glances from the nearby patrons, some whispering to their companion about the scene.

"Clearly he has low standards if he want to put up with a bitch like you. You're going to regret your decision about this Esme. You ruined your one chance to get back with me." With that, Jack stormed off, right into the chest of one of two bouncers who towered over him. They motioned at him to come with them and told him they wanted a private word. That was a rule in clubs. You did not piss off or fuck with the bartender. Esme clenched her fists together for a moment and inhaled deeply as she tried to calm down.

"I, am an idiot," she said out loud. Not really saying she was an idiot for telling Jack off, but for rather implying she and Kyle were in some relationship. "Sorry, he just really, he's a jerk. And you got dragged into that drama because I wanted to wound his ego."

Esme poured herself a shot of tequila and downed it quickly. She was going to become an alcoholic at this rate, but she just wanted the shot to help dumb down her nerves a bit so she could get through this shift.
 
"Sorry bro, we're in the middle of a very important conversation. Go to the next bartender."

"Kyle doesn't need to go to another bartender."

"Kyle? You know this guy? Oh Esme, don't tell me you this is the guy you tried to replace me with. Seriously, it's a bit insulting, talk lowered standards."

Kyle kept a bemused look on his face as he raged internally. He didn't know this... person, he refused to dignify the male with the title of man, and he rather wanted to break the little shit like the piece of crap he was. Oh Lady, he was starting to think in this modern tongue. However, no matter how satisfying bending the guy into a pretzel would be, Esme would definitely not appreciate the attention it would bring, so he merely picked up the beer Esme had set onto the bar and took a swig, waiting to see how Esme wished this encounter to end. Esme's next words rather belied a wish for a peaceful resolution however.

"And what if he is? It's not any of your business who I have a relationship with, now is it? And I'd only be lowering my standards if I actually believed your bullshit story. Compared to you, he's an upgrade."

The male slammed a fist down on the bar, and the only reason he survived the act was that it was nowhere near Esme. If he reached for Esme, he was going to get broken, and consequences be damned. It was lucky for the male, and for Kyle, that the problem resolved itself.

"Clearly he has low standards if he want to put up with a bitch like you. You're going to regret your decision about this Esme. You ruined your one chance to get back with me."

The guy turned to storm off, only to collide with one of the mountainous bouncers while the second loomed over him menacingly. The pair escorted the, person away, much to Kyle's relief, and he returned his attention to Esme. She was obviously exercising remarkable self control, though her fists were clenched tightly as she fought her temper.

"I, am an idiot," she said. "Sorry, he just really, he's a jerk. And you got dragged into that drama because I wanted to wound his ego."

Kyle was a little worried when Esme took a shot of something, but he could understand. Dealing with someone like that could be trying, and he didn't begrudge her something to soothe her nerves. As long as it didn't become a habit.

"Your problems are my problems," Kyle said simply. "I could tell you were upset by that person, but I didn't want to intrude into matters without permission, so I decided it was time for a refill."

Kyle gestured with his new bottle in the direction of the departed male.

"That way you had the choice as to my involvement in the matter. I assume that he is the asshole ex? It would be good to know exactly what I have become involved in, but in a place a bit less noisy, and far, far less public."

Esme appeared to be calming a bit, and patrons were beginning to look a little irked at her inaction, so Kyle dared to reach out and pat her hand ever so gently.

"Back to work I think," he said, barely audible over the music. "I will return to my booth and my observations, and you to your tending to people's drinks. If there is anything you need of me, know I am only a gesture away."

With that, Kyle took his beer and headed back to his booth, his mind full of the vengeance he would wreak upon the asshole if he dared to intrude further into Esme's life.

Fable Fable
(Protective demon has a protective streak.)
 

"Your problems are my problems," Kyle said simply. "I could tell you were upset by that person, but I didn't want to intrude into matters without permission, so I decided it was time for a refill. That way you had the choice as to my involvement in the matter. I assume that he is the asshole ex? It would be good to know exactly what I have become involved in, but in a place a bit less noisy, and far, far less public."

Esme sighed, putting away the tequila bottle and the shot glass. Phil didn't make a fuss when the bartenders drank considering sometimes customers would buys shots for them at times. As long as they didn't get smashed and were able to do their job, he let it slide. She glanced over at Kyle's beer. He hadn't been a subtle as he thought when he came over during her altercation with Jack.

"My problems need to stay my problems," she replied, "But yeah, that is the jerkoff ex-boyfriend who doesn't take rejection very well. As far as what you've become involved in, that's a bit of a story for - as you said - someplace else."

"Back to work I think," he said, barely audible over the music. "I will return to my booth and my observations, and you to your tending to people's drinks. If there is anything you need of me, know I am only a gesture away."

Esme just nodded, though the pat on her hand wasn't something she had expected. She also didn't understand why he would bother trying to intervene when he barely knew her. Usually she'd tell people to mind their own business when they tried to be white knights. However, she'd not told off Kyle because he'd not put himself in the middle of her business, but rather made himself more an available presence, which as different.

"Can't let people stay sober or they won't want to pay for overpriced drinks," she tried to joke. She plastered on a well practiced expression of friendliness as though the exchange between herself and Jack hadn't bothered her in the slightest. She just couldn't look the way she felt without it scaring off customers or making them unwilling to tip her. The night went on. Esme focused on her job and thankfully the only other issues that evening were ones that the bouncers had to handle.

As 1 am approached, Esme stopped serving and instead took back the dirty glasses and empty bottles to the back area. Once she had her shift-end tasks done, she went to Phil's office to let him know she was heading home. She brought him her till and let him count it to make sure the amount matched what the system said there should be. She handed over the tips she'd made for the night to let Phil record how much was earned due to tip taxing laws. He handed her back her tips and she used the computer to 'punch out' for her shift.

She went to the booth where Kyle had stayed for the evening, clearly ready to go home. Esme was tired, emotionally drained, and really wanted a hot shower. She was texting Liz on her phone about Jack showing up as well as asking her if she was alright, if she was home, and just checking in on her friend. She doubted Liz would reply until after the sun was up. She put her phone away as she plopped down to sit at the booth with Kyle, she'd been on her feet all night with only a few breaks.

"I'm off of work now. Once you've paid up your tab we can leave," she informed him. There was still a decent amount of club-goers, but it wasn't nearly as packed as it had been during their peak hours. As Esme waited for Kyle to go pay his tab, Phil approached and leaned down so Esme could hear him over the music.

"Just got a call. Gideon reserved the private lounge upstairs so you'll be working as the private bartender up there tomorrow night. Becky refused, before you even ask why she isn't doing it."

Esme unhappily leaned back into the booth's cushioned backing and groaned. Phil smirked.

"I know, I know. Humor me. Think of the tips."

"One condition," she began, "I can get a weekend off at some point. My mom is demanding to see me and is not accepting any valid reason for me not being able to go."

Phil and Esme stared each other down for a long moment. Phil eventually blinked and smirked before saying he'd figured something out to get her a weekend off. Esme shook his hand for the deal and went to the 'Staff Only' door were Kyle met up with her. They left the club then through the door that they had originally entered through and headed back to the apartment.

----

Esme was relieved to be back home. Liz obviously hadn't come back yet, but that was an issue that would eventually work itself out; she hoped. Esme didn't waste any time and immediately headed to her room, then into the bathroom to take a shower. After a thorough ritual cleansing of removing the sweat and smells of the club from her person, she tossed the dirty laundry into the hamper and slipped into a tank top and sleep pants. She returned to the living area with damp hair and flopped down on the futon, her eyes closing for a moment as she just enjoyed being able to sit down.

"I have to work upstairs in the VIP lounge tomorrow night, so if you decide to brave the club scene again, you'll be on your own."
 
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The rest of the evening was uneventful. People drank, danced to the noise that Kyle was still having a hard time reconciling as music, and the bouncers had to remove the occasional troublemaker. Before he had returned to his booth, Esme had commented that 'my problems need to stay my problems'. He was an unknown quantity in her life, but he hoped that in time, she would accept his aid. Until then, he would make himself available as best he could without crowding her. He doubted that she understood just how much her well-being could effect his own, and until the Sealing was removed, his well-being would have minimal effects on her. Maybe she would understand if...when, they managed to remove the Sealing.

The night had turned to early morning, and Esme was no longer serving drinks, instead appearing to be removing the detritus from her evenings labors. After a prolonged absence, she reappeared to flop bonelessly into his booth. Kyle took that as his cue to track down Raven and pay his tab. Esme was waiting by the door they had entered the club through earlier, and they left for the trek back to the apartment.

The apartment was empty, with Liz apparently still in a mood and not ready to return. Esme vanished into her room, and sounds of running water let Kyle know she was enjoying the long delayed shower. Easing his boots off, Kyle took a seat on the futon and began to go over the evening events in his mind. He would need to identify the asshole ex, but he would not press the matter. He wasn't sure what was going to play out with Liz in the future, but until she returned, he could not effect what she would do. His stock of cash wouldn't last too long, but there were a few things he was going to need now that his immediate needs were taken care of, and...

Esme flopped down on the far end of the futon, her hair still damp from her shower.

"I have to work upstairs in the VIP lounge tomorrow night, so if you decide to brave the club scene again, you'll be on your own."

"I am of mixed mind about that," Kyle said honestly. "I have met individuals like the asshole ex on my world, and they take rejection poorly. I worry that he might seek you out between here and the club."

He could see anger starting behind Esme's eyes, but he held up a hand placatingly.

"You are quite able to take care of yourself," he said. "And you do not need a bodyguard. Nor do I wish to involve myself in things you do not wish me to get involved with, but ones such as he seek out their victims when they are alone, and unaware. Forgive me for my concern over your well-being, but there it is. I do not, however, wish to sit about in the club without a friendly face available. I'm not sure when Liz is going to come back, but would it be a good idea for me to be alone with her? I'm afraid I don't know enough about this world to have an idea about what to do with myself while you are otherwise occupied. Ideas?"

Fable Fable
(Clueless demon needs ideas.)
 
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"While Jack is a jerk, I doubt he'd go full-stalker mode and lurk in an alley waiting for me. He honestly isn't that great with premeditation, so you're giving him a bit too much credit there. As far as you not going to the club, not sure what else you could do. I don't want to leave you alone in the apartment unattended. Liz might wander back home and if you're alone here with her, I don't see that going very well at all. Besides, if it's just a friendly face, you and Raven seem friendly enough. It's not like I'm going to be that far anyway. The VIP lounge is just a roped off area were entitled people like to hang out. So if there is any major problem - which I doubt will happen - I'd literally just be upstairs on the upper loft level. And I highly doubt Jack will set foot in the club for a while after Ted and Joe escorted him out after a little chat."

Esme stretched out her limbs with a soft groan and then ran one of her hands through her damp hair. She let out a small yawn which displayed she was tired. While she could stay up late normally, just not getting the amount of sleep she needed to work a weekend shift wore her out.

"There is an area on the same level as the VIP lounge, though it's across the club, but you could always just lurk there for the evening. My shift tomorrow night also won't be nearly as long as today, thankfully. It also gave me some negotiation power for getting a weekend off from work, to deal with whatever my mom wants to talk to me about. Anyway, as far as keeping yourself occupied, if you're at the club you could always dance with someone. Don't think I didn't notice a few people coming over to speak to you," she said with a bit of a teasing tone.

"Though, I'm not sure what type of dancing they have where you are from, so I worry you'd... well, not really worry, but rather I am amused at the thought of seeing some old ballroom dance being done on the dance floor while dubstep is playing. I'm sure it would be recorded on someone's phone and become a viral video," Esme laughed.

"Maybe you could teach ballroom dance lessons," she struggled to say between her laughter. Another yawn escaped Esme's lips and she figured she needed to crash.

"Well, us humans need sleep, so I am going to bed. I'm too tired to even bother eating a snack."

With that Esme got up and went into the privacy of her bedroom, closing the door behind her. She counted out her tips and shoved the roll of money into the back of one of her desk drawers. She'd deposit it at the bank tomorrow. She plugged in her phone on the charger, but checked to see if Liz had replied. Liz hadn't even read the message yet according to the text verification, it still only showed as 'delivered.' She sighed and flopped down onto her bed, and while she had been dismissive about Kyle's concerns, she wondered if Jack would really go that far after being publicly rejected. She shook her head and was determined to go to sleep. After an hour of tossing and turning she finally fell asleep.

----

Esme didn't wake up till around 9am the next morning. Her phone demanded attention as her alarm on her phone buzzed loudly. She turned it off and rolled out of bed, stumbling in a half-awake state out of her room and into her kitchen, set in her normal morning routine. Her hair was a tangled wavy mess and she shuffled a bit as she walked towards where the coffee maker was located. She went through the process of getting the coffee machine brewing before shuffling into the living room to speak to Kyle.

"I have to run errands today," she started with a yawn, "We forgot to get you a phone yesterday, so might as well do that today if you want."
 
Kyle listened as Esme voiced her opinion of Jack's intelligence, saying nothing. Folks like that tended to have the cunning of a predator, but he had voiced his concerns. When he was with Esme, he would be vigilant. When they were apart, he would trust in her ability to take care of herself. Unfortunately, she had no new ideas for the next evening, though her words made it plain she really didn't want Kyle roaming about on his own. She agreed with him that him being alone with Liz might be problematic, and was quick to point out that Raven would be a friendly face. Esme was also quick to point out that several people had approached Kyle for brief conversations, despite the 'keep away' charm, though the prospect of him attempting modern dance seemed to strike her as funny.

"Though, I'm not sure what type of dancing they have where you are from, so I worry you'd... well, not really worry, but rather I am amused at the thought of seeing some old ballroom dance being done on the dance floor while dubstep is playing. I'm sure it would be recorded on someone's phone and become a viral video," Esme laughed. "Maybe you could teach ballroom dance lessons."

Kyle didn't mention that he absolutely HATED the formal dances he had been required to learn for court functions. Now, some of the shamanistic dances that he had learned during his travels to the Wild Lands, those were exciting. He had learned several, but he was far from a master of them. They were definitely not suited for the crowded environment of the club however, so he would remain a wallflower for now.

A huge yawn escaped from Esme, causing her to declare "Well, us humans need sleep, so I am going to bed. I'm too tired to even bother eating a snack."

With that, she departed to her room, leaving Kyle alone with his thoughts. Kyle retrieved a sheet from the closet Esme had shown him his first night, and quickly stripped down to his small-clothes...underwear dammit, keep the language straight. Folding his clothes carefully, he settled onto the futon and drew the sheet up over himself. Tonight meditation would not suffice. He needed to sleep.

"Hopefully the night will not be as long as this one was," he thought as he began to drift away. "And maybe the music will start to grow on me."

Noises from the kitchen woke Kyle from odd dreams of sigils and strange music with figures writhing about in darkness lit by flashes of light. After a few minutes of noises, Esme shuffled into the room. He couldn't help it. Kyle burst out laughing at the sight she presented. Her hair stood out from her head in a tangled mess, and she shuffled forwards like a revenant whose spells were breaking down.

"I have to run errands today," she stated with a yawn, "We forgot to get you a phone yesterday, so might as well do that today if you want."

"Of course," Kyle managed to choke out around his laughter. "Oh my lady forgive me, but you look like a shambler... umm, what is your word... ah, a zombie. I take it you have not yet had your first cup of coffee?"

Fable Fable
(Esme has bed-head!)
 
Tarmagon Tarmagon
(The return of Liz~ Yay humor~)

Esme's tired eyes shot to Kyle as he laughed while still resting on the futon. Her eyes narrowed at him as he seemed to struggle to contain his laughing fit. What the hell was he so amused by this morning?

"Of course," Kyle managed to choke out around his laughter. "Oh my lady forgive me, but you look like a shambler... umm, what is your word... ah, a zombie. I take it you have not yet had your first cup of coffee?"

Esme blinked once, twice, and then her mind caught on to what he was saying. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment and she crossed her arms over her chest, but she smirked at him devilishly. "Oh? Then what does that make you?"

Kyle wasn't picture perfect this morning either. His own hair currently suffered from bedhead and he looked slightly disheveled seeing as he wasn't wearing... a shirt. Esme's eyes widened as she stared at his bare chest and awkwardly laughed and then averted her gaze... only to land on his clothes from last night neatly folded. She cleared her throat and sheepishly went into the kitchen, trying to act as though she hadn't noticed or thought he was pretty much undressed under the sheet. Maybe she should suggest something for him to sleep in if he was going to stay here.

As Esme poured two cups of coffee, she heard an all too familiar sound of keys jingling and the front door unlocking. Esme halted and put the coffee pot back in the coffee machine and tried to rush to the door. However, Liz had already come inside. She walked into the living space to find Liz who greeted by mostly nude and only covered by a sheet demon, currently being identified as Kyle. As she saw Esme rush in and took in her appearance, her mouth popped over. She looked at Esme, then at Kyle, and back and forth between them for a moment.

"Oh hell, you didn't sleep with him as a rebound after Jack bothered you, did you?!" Liz asked in a flustered tone.

Esme stumbled and nearly fell over at Liz's accusations. "Whoa whoa whooaaaaaaaaa on those assumptions. I had work last night and he tagged along. Nothing, and I mean nothing like that happened, okay? I literally just woke up."

Liz looked skeptical. She raised her hands up in a sign of a surrender and Esme hesitantly went back to the kitchen to finish making coffee, now adding adding a third cup. Liz leaned over to see that Esme's focus was on the coffee and then she rushed over to glare down at Kyle, clearly not nearly as bothered as Esme about his current state of undress.

"As her best friend I am obligated to threaten your person should you try to pursue said friend. So, this is me saying, you try to hook up with her and you'll have me to deal with. As scary as your.. other... whatever that thing was, is... I will hurt you if you turn out to be some sort of Incubus."

Liz was obviously protective of Esme, and wasn't going to let her fear of Kyle keep her from doing so.
 
Kyle let a grin creep across his face as Esme colored, then rallied to reply in kind to his gentle teasing. This was a much more pleasant interaction that anything prior, and he hoped they could somehow maintain this level of comfort in the future. Esme returned to the kitchen, presumably for the aforementioned coffee, when the sound of jingling announced someone at the door. Kyle sat up, just as the door opened and the missing Liz put on an appearance. She stopped to stare at Kyle, who returned her regard wordlessly, then her eyes darted to the kitchen area as Esme rushed in. Liz's mouth dropped open as her eyes flicked from Kyle, to Esme, and back to Kyle before finally returning and remaining on Esme.

"Oh hell, you didn't sleep with him as a rebound after Jack bothered you, did you?!" Liz asked in a flustered tone.

Esme stumbled and nearly fell over at Liz's accusations. "Whoa whoa whooaaaaaaaaa on those assumptions. I had work last night and he tagged along. Nothing, and I mean nothing like that happened, okay? I literally just woke up."

Liz seemed to accept this, but Kyle could tell she was still skeptical, and her actions as Esme returned to the kitchen confirmed this. She moved quickly over to stand over Kyle menacingly... well, as menacingly as a slight young woman could when hovering over a man wearing only underwear and a sheet.

"As her best friend I am obligated to threaten your person should you try to pursue said friend. So, this is me saying, you try to hook up with her and you'll have me to deal with. As scary as your.. other... whatever that thing was, is... I will hurt you if you turn out to be some sort of Incubus."

"Incubus?" Kyle asked, his voice puzzled, at least until his new knowledge supplied him with what humans associated with the word. He couldn't help the hardening of his features into a mask of anger, but he did manage to keep the blinding fury out of his voice.

"I will make allowances for ignorance, and repeat what I have said to Esme to you. I am NOT of Clan Vyseriad. I do not traffic in Power attained through sacrifice of life-energy. I know you have nothing but your tales to go on, and I doubt you mean to give such grave offense, but let me make this plain. When you equate me to one such as that, it is the same as me calling you... hm. a child molesting cannibal. So, even though they are unintentional, I hope, can we leave off with the slurs?"

He paused for a second to let his words sink in, then smoothed his face to neutrality and continued.

"I am not yet familiar with your customs in this day and age," he said quietly. "But on my world, hooking up is a thing that requires both participants to be of age and willing. I have known you both less than two of your days. You fear me, Esme is irritated by me, and while you are both comely, I haven't known either of you nearly long enough to consider hooking up with you. What kind of world do you live in where such a thought could even have crossed your mind?"

Kyle stood up, revealing that he was indeed wearing his underwear, and folded the sheet neatly, oblivious of Liz's reaction. Gathering up his clothes, he moved to the bathroom to dress and do something about the horrid taste in his mouth. A few minutes late, dressed and feeling much better, he emerged to face the two women.

Fable Fable
(Ugh. Liz sure knows how to push his buttons.)
 
Tarmagon Tarmagon
(It's only because they know nothing about his world. Liz meant basically a sex-seeking demon, lol. "No touchy the friend.")

Liz swallowed nervously as she watched Kyle's expression grow to one of anger. She had actually expected him to change forms and her heart was pounding, but her stubbornness managed to keep her in place even as the demon angrily spoke. She didn't know or care about whoever this Clan Vyseriad was or how much Kyle disliked being compared to them. She wasn't going to let him do anything that might bring Esme harm, emotionally or physically. She'd been so upset over the whole not being to use magic thing, that she had left her best friend - alone - with a demon. So even as he told her that calling him an Incubus was comparable to being called a 'child molesting cannibal' she was going to stand her ground against him for Esme's sake.

"I don't know you enough to trust that you aren't going to try and seduce Esme, using whatever means are at your disposal. While you could promise that you'd never use magic to influence Esme, I still don't trust you. As far as what kind of world? Humans are horrible enough as a species. People hook up all the time for whatever reason; loneliness, desperation, revenge. There are people out there who take advantage of that. You could be someone like that for all I know. You could deny being such to me all you want, but until I see that for myself, don't expect me to take your word. Welcome to the mortal realm," she added sarcastically under her already lowered voice.

She went to join Esme in the kitchen as Kyle got up, still not bothered by his currently attire. She took a sip of the coffee Esme had prepared and leaned again the kitchen counter casually, looking Esme over curiously.

"So, what did Jerkoff Jack want?" she asked.

"You could probably guess. Long story short, he claimed to break up with his girlfriend and wanted to try and revive that dead relationship."

"That asshole. He must be delusional to think that you'd be interested in getting back together with him after the shit that happened. Seriously, months after you guys break up and he pulls this stunt? Guy must be seriously a megalomaniac or something. You're okay though?"

"Just a re-opened wound resulting from having to deal with him. I'll live. What about you, are you still pissed at me about the whole magic thing?"

"I'll admit I'm still jealous. Maybe even mildly still upset, but it's a stupid reason for me to be angry with you. It's not like you had gone behind my back and learned magic, it just sort of happened. Also, I felt really horrible leaving you alone to deal with a demon. Who knows what he could have done."

"I think he doesn't' exactly follow the 'demon trope.' Sure, he can be frustrating - irritating even - as well as overly sensitive to certain things," Esme said, indicating she had actually overheard that conversation in the living room. It was a small apartment with wood floors, sound traveled very easily, "But so far he hasn't really done anything besides try to desperately adapt to his circumstances. I kind of... can't fault him for that. Also... I have a bit of a favor... to ask."

Liz pursed her lips, not liking the somewhat joking and pleading tone Esme was using, "What kind of favor?"

"I already dragged him to the club once, and he clearly would rather not be stuck lurking around while I work in the VIP lounge. Since you're home, maybe I can just let him stay in the apartment?"

"You want me... to stay home alone with him? We'll probably try and kill each other."

"Oh c'mon, I doubt it'd get that dangerous," Esme laughed, "Teach him some card games or something. Or introduce him to television shows."

Liz clearly wasn't interested, quirking a brow at Esme as if to ask if she was really serious about these suggestions.

"Just call a truce or something for at least tonight," Esme requested, resulted in Liz sighing, but agreeing to tolerate Kyle for the evening. Esme hugged her friend and then took a few sips of her own coffee. While she'd still not be able to not worry while at work, she at least wouldn't have to worry as much about keeping an eye on Kyle while there. He came into the kitchen then and Esme used her head to indicate that the last cup of coffee on the counter was for him. Liz shook her head and drank her own coffee and wordlessly headed off to her bedroom.

"You won't have to tag along with me to work tonight. Just, if you stay here, you can hide out in my room if Liz tries to pick a fight and no using magic on her, even if she really really annoys you, or you feel insulted. I'll even let you use my laptop if you want."
 
As Kyle entered the kitchen, Esme jerked her head at a cup of coffee sitting ready on the counter, indicating is was for him. As Kyle sipped, savoring the taste, Liz tossed the rest of her cup down and left the room.

"You won't have to tag along with me to work tonight. Just, if you stay here, you can hide out in my room if Liz tries to pick a fight and no using magic on her, even if she really really annoys you, or you feel insulted. I'll even let you use my laptop if you want."

"That makes good hearing," Kyle replied. "Though I cannot agree to the 'no using magic' stipulation. Esme, in matters of magic, the spoken word has Power. Much more so between those in a Pact. If I were to agree, and something were to befall Liz, my word would keep me from using my magic to save her life, so I cannot just agree to blanket statements."

Kyle sipped his coffee and thought for a minute. There had to be something he could do to reassure Esme that Liz now had nothing to fear from him, well unless she threatened his life directly, but that would be difficult.

"By the Pact that bind us," he said formally. "I do swear to work no magic upon Liz, save in defense of her life, or should she request it of me directly. Should she make such a request, I shall ensure that she is aware of all possible outcomes and costs, and should there be any possibility of a negative outcome, I shall refuse such a request. Since she doesn't want to even be in the same room as me, and has all but called me an opportunistic sex fiend, I rather doubt she will want anything of me."

Kyle sighed, draining his cup and moving to the sink to wash it. He also retrieved Liz's discarded cup and washed it as well. When he was done, he turned and leaned back against the sink, shaking his head a little sadly as he spoke.

"This world is so different," he said, his voice low enough that Esme had to listen closely to understand his words. "My world is both more and less violent. Violence there is, personal. You know if you have something someone else wants, they are scheming to take it from you. It's just the way my world works. But this casual assumption that I would take advantage of someone, or force my attentions on someone... it makes me wonder. If I stay here, will the soul-rot of this world infect me? Will that become my new normal? Will I eventually become so desensitized that I DO become the monster that Liz accuses me of being? I take back what I said about being afraid for my life here... I'm afraid for my very soul here."

Giving himself a firm shake, Kyle did his best to throw off the sudden melancholy that had struck him like a hammer between the eyes. After a moment, he raised his eyes to Esme and spoke with forced good cheer.

"You mentioned that you had errands to run, and we should use that time to get me a phone?"

Fable Fable
(Worried demon is worried.)
 
Tarmagon Tarmagon
(And it's fine to be worried, and dark stuff is good too~)

Esme raised a brow at Kyle as he tried to change the subject from his serious concerns to errands. She wasn't going to let him drop it that quickly and brush the matter aside since it obviously bothered him. She held her cup and looked at its contents for a moment, sighing since this had gone from an alright morning to rough.

"As much as I'm sure you want to rush off and avoid hearing what I have to say about what you've just said, I'm still going to say something. What Liz said is true, there is a very dark side of human nature that exists. I'm not going to deny that at all. As a species we seem to thrive off of conflict even. Violence here can be personal as well. Some will do whatever it takes to get what they want, no matter the consequences of their actions. It's so bad that rape tends to happen more between people who know each other rather than complete strangers. The world's fucked up. However, just because there are many horrible things that exist doesn't mean that you'll succumb to them, not unless you find yourself very weak-willed or feel there is no other way. I mean, I was born in this world, do I seem like a monster to you?"

She glanced at him, and then lightly shrugged her shoulders.

"I can't say whether or not what you call 'soul-rot' will take hold of you or what form it would take. Maybe you'll give in, maybe you won't. What I am certain of is fearing something you think is an inevitability is a self-fulfilling prophecy."

She paused for a moment to glance at the small analog clock on one of the kitchen walls to look at the time. "As far as Liz is concerned, she'll have her opinions about you. You didn't make a first great impression, though she didn't either. Demons here are explained to be sinful, evil entities whose only purpose is to do harm, that's if you even believed they existed. I hope you can understand that it's hard to not turn to preconceptions when that's all you know. Having both of you going at each other doesn't help either of you move past your problems."

She finished her coffee and motioned for him to move aside so she could clean her cup. A small stretch and yawn and she pointed to her hair, "I've got to deal with this crow's nest before we do any errands. If you want to eat something, you already know how to make eggs, though perhaps you'd just like to eat the pepper raw."

She headed off to her bedroom to battle her tangled tresses, cursing a couple of times as she struggled with a few stubborn knots. Ten minutes later she was dressed and ready to go. She knocked on Liz's door to let her know she was leaving with Kyle before she returned to the kitchen to see if he was ready to go. She hadn't given him much time to cook or eat, but based on the fact he ate a whole party-sized nacho meal, she didn't want to let him not eat for long periods of time since he seemed to need to eat quite a bit.
 
Kyle listened to what Esme had to say with an attentive expression, knowing she was trying her best to help. As she spoke, something clicked in Kyle's mind, and he mentally kicked himself. He had been so focused on the ghastly insults laid upon him in the last two days, that he had forgotten how unbearably short human lives were. He was just as guilty of not taking the differences between them into account as he was accusing the humans of being.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he berated himself mentally. "You've been here two of their days, and you worry about being infected with their attitudes. You took the language, NOT the culture. Never forget that. Stay true to yourself, as you have for what they consider millennia. The word of the g'lific.. ah, humans have these as well, the mayfly, be not truth, though it lives its entire life in but a day."

Esme drew his attention back to her words as she explained the current view on demons. Well, Kyle supposed that his battle form did look rather demonic, so he could forgive Esme's assumption that he was a demon.

"Well, technically I AM a demon," he thought. "Since I am not native to this world. I wonder how Esme would react to know that on my world, SHE would be the one called demon?"

"I've got to deal with this crow's nest before we do any errands. If you want to eat something, you already know how to make eggs, though perhaps you'd just like to eat the pepper raw."

Kyle chuckled a bit as Esme left the room. Snark was a good sign. Maybe he hadn't completely destroyed her mood after all. Rather than assay cooking, Kyle decided to change into the t-shirt he had acquired and then cleaned up the kitchen. He had just replaced the parts of the coffee maker in their original spots after a few choice curses when parts didn't want to fit in until he turned them just so.

"Sorry I was such a downer earlier," he said. "I am as guilty of ignoring the differences between us as I have accused you of being. There are differences here that I must adapt to, but adapting is not changing one's basic self."

He gave a rueful chuckle.

"I think," he said. "If Liz is as much of a student of your Arcane as you say she is, maybe she can educate me on what you two seem to think I am. That is, if she is willing to actually sit down across a table from me. That is for later however. For now, I am at your service m'lady."

Kyle swept an extravagant bow to Esme, then gestured to the door.

"Shall we?"

Fable Fable
(Enlightened demon has had a revelation. Not to say it's all going to be sunshine and unicorns from here on out though.)
 
Tarmagon Tarmagon
(Notification fail again. Glad I've bookmarked stuff so I can check if I missed a post, lol. Also, figured we could just skip bus transportation scenes this time~ Sorry it's short, wanted to give Kyle a chance to respond.)

"Sorry I was such a downer earlier. I am as guilty of ignoring the differences between us as I have accused you of being. There are differences here that I must adapt to, but adapting is not changing one's basic self. I think If Liz is as much of a student of your Arcane as you say she is, maybe she can educate me on what you two seem to think I am. That is, if she is willing to actually sit down across a table from me. That is for later however. For now, I am at your service m'lady."

Esme double checked she had everything she needed in her purse as Kyle spoke - phone, money, wallet, keys, miscellaneous items that seem to magically accumulate; check - pulled her keys out of the purse and then gave him her full attention.

"I guess everyone has the low points, not going to fault you for it. As far as 'adapting isn't changing one's basic self,' sounds like a stolen quote from the internet," she tried to joke. "As far as Liz 'being a student of the Arcane' that is making her sound like some sort of scholar; which she isn't. She might be interested in teaching you about the mythology regarding demons, though I am slightly worried you're going to be offended by what you find out. Let's just say... there probably isn't anything nice that was said. But if that is what you want to do with your evening, I'm not going to stop you."

With that she opened the door and went about an all too familiar ritual of locking the door, leaving, and going to the bus stop. She needed to head to the bank first since carrying a large amount of money in cash was just asking for trouble. Thankfully the bank was in walking distance of a small cellular shop so they wouldn't have to hop on another bus.

When she got to the bank, she deposited most of the money into her account, putting the reminder inside her wallet. She led them towards a very tiny cellular phone shop - usually the best place to find prepaid phones - and tried to explain how phones worked... though she ended up just deciding he'd figure it out. The only thing she ended up fully explaining was that he was paying for the phone itself and the features that he wanted to use, such as data, texting, and minutes. She was't sure he should get a phone with anything more than the ability for talk and text, but she'd leave that decision ultimately to him.

One of the store employee's patiently answered all of Kyle's questions after Esme joked that Kyle was from am Amish community and therefore had never used a cellphone before. The look on the employee's face was priceless and clearly he hadn't understood she had not been serious at all.
 
Kyle had tagged along dutifully as Esme ran her errands, which seemed mostly to involve visiting the money-changer, no the bank. Ugh. This was going to drive him to drink. Once they left the bank, she had directed their steps towards a small shop while she tried to explain the operations of her phone. She seemed to get a bit frustrated, but she did manage to get across that he would be paying first for the device itself, then for the services that made it function. Once inside, Esme turned him over to a bemused looking gentleman who didn't seem to believe Esme's statement about Kyle never having used a phone. Kyle's questions soon disabused him of that notion, and his eyes went a little wide as the reality of the situation set in. No, he didn't want unlimited data. No, he didn't need the latest model phone. Finally the clerk had pointed to a small rack near the back of the store.

"All of those phones are less than fifty bucks. Some are nine ninety-nine. The carrier offers unlimited talk and text, and 100MB of data for six ninety-five a month. Thing is, they want a year up front, so eighty bucks for the years service plus the cost of whatever phone you pick. Seems the best bet for you based on what you've told me."

Kyle moved over to examine the small rack's contents. There weren't a lot to choose from, and nothing nearly so complicated as Esme's phone. A simple black rectangle with a small screen caught his eye, and he lifted it for closer examination. What was Android OS? No matter. He would learn.

"This one," he said, handing the device to the clerk.

Half an hour later, and one hundred dollars poorer, Kyle found himself in possession of a basic smartphone with his own phone number. As they left the store, Kyle turned to Esme with a mischievous grin.

"Is this the point where we exchange digits?" he asked innocently.

Fable Fable
(There really is a phone carrier with those terms. Figured it would work for our purposes. Sorry it's short, but not a lot to go over when buying a phone these days. Next errand?)
 
Tarmagon Tarmagon
(No one likes errands, even in RPs. X3 These might be shorter since I am trying to get them to actually talk about themselves X3)

"Is this the point where we exchange digits?"

Esme saw his grin and with his tone of innocence she let out a small laugh as she shook her head. She wondered if he was starting to lose some of his 'edge' the longer he was here. She took his phone and quickly put in her own phone's contact information. She used the information on his phone then to see what his phone number was and then put it his new contact information in her own.

"Careful, if Liz was around she'd probably think you were trying to flirt," she teased.

"Well, I don't have anything else to do today, besides eat lunch. Seeing as you like... spicy things, I have an idea of a place that might have food that interests you." There was a Mom & Pop wing joint nearby that actually had a customer challenge. If a customer could eat an order of their spiciest hot wings, they'd get their entire meal for free. And from what she had heard, they had actually used ghost peppers to add that spicy kick. While it wasn't the hottest pepper in the world anymore, it was still really strong.

Since they were no longer in a rush, she figured they could walk to their destination, also give her a chance to try and figure out what exactly his deal is. This back and forth with pissing each other off was probably due to them actually not really talking to each other. And since it really did seem like she was stuck with him for an undetermined time, may as well try and figure out who he was.

"Why is it that you know so damn much? Blacksmith, jewelry, gems," she started listing off, "Anything else I should add to that list of things?"
 
"Careful, if Liz was around she'd probably think you were trying to flirt," Esme teased. "Well, I don't have anything else to do today, besides eat lunch. Seeing as you like... spicy things, I have an idea of a place that might have food that interests you."

Kyle nodded his agreement, smiling to himself as Esme's good mood registered. They began to walk at a much more relaxed pace, heading towards Esme's mysterious destination. They had walked for a minute or two before Esme spoke again.

"Why is it that you know so damn much? Blacksmith, jewelry, gems," she started listing off, "Anything else I should add to that list of things?"

"Well, when you live as long as my people do, you have the time to get good at a lot of things," Kyle replied wryly. "Things I have practiced... it's not as long a list as you'd think, but then I've tried to master each subject before moving on. Smithing, lapidary, alchemy, though I can't really figure out what word to use there. I craft potions, tinctures, and balms to speed healing, prevent infection, and ease pain. I've been studying the crafting of scents, but I've only been at it twenty of your years or so. Oh, and I play silthar. I think you would call it a guitar?"

Kyle couldn't figure out why Esme was looking at him so strangely. Perhaps there wasn't a word for his medical studies.

"May I ask what you are studying?" Kyle asked, giving up on trying to figure out what had caused Esme's odd expression. She would tell him if she chose.

Fable Fable
(Henh. Maybe Esme will start to realize just how long Kyle's been alive.)
 
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