A Gathering, but With Bullets Instead of Golf

Sarrain

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Shay blushed. She actually blushed. Unfair. Her eyes narrowed dangerously at him. Like a kitten playing a tiger. "No." She'd have fought his calling her doll, but somehow it freaked her out less than when he called her by name. Was she really about to eat out with Klaus Rosales? She didn't have a choice. That's what he had said. It wasn't the worst thing he could have done to her, certainly.

Shay tucked the gun further back until it was well hidden by her jacket and, despite herself, she glanced up at him to see if that would do. If she had done it correctly or there was something further from keeping anyone realizing she was carrying. Not that she thought the police would be checking many children for hidden guns, but anything could happen.

Shay was both impressed and frustrated with how easily he countered everything she said. She wasn't used to sounding or feeling like an idiot, or was that the feeling of being dominated by a larger predator? Frustration, fear, and acceptance?

"You're in the business of gunning people down, don't you know the best way to stay alive is keep your nose in your own business?" That was her response to his stupid questions. Even now, Shay knew he'd make her sound silly again, but she was agitated. He was agitating.

For a second, she assumed he was going to hit or grab her when he rose his hand and she fell backward, away from him. It took her some time to realize that wasn't his intention, but her heart was still hammering in her chest. Her eyes had widened, and she was looking to the side like a rabbit ready to dart.

She calmed down when he turned his back on her and took to walking. She did follow him, what else would she do? She had no choice. Which was a lie, she did. She had the choice to run, but there was no reason to make this harder than it had to be, and Shay was interested enough in Klaus to sit through a meal with him. What was the harm?

At the first alley, Shay slowed, not trusting to enter it with him, but as he had pointed out earlier, he could have already killed her. What a shady bastard. She quickly followed after him until she'd caught up. Walking through the grime, dank alleys was one of the only times Shay pushed into Klaus' side. She wasn't keen on touching people, but this place was creepy, and Klaus' magic was working overtime on her.

"Your trace?" Her tone was a mixture of disdainful and timid. "That's all your going to say? It sounds disturbing when you put it like that. I don't want to be marked by you. I don't even know you. Not really." It was cold water to her senses. Shay's most deep-rooted and intangible fear coming to life. It was enough to make her twist away from him, as far away as she could. His side was warm and safe, but that only scared her more.

Shay was beginning to feel owned. She didn't like it when he held up his hand to command her. She wasn't one of his people. She wasn't his. Not to mark, not to anything. She wasn't. She didn't have to listen to him. Then move, Shay. Don't listen to him. But the girl didn't. She was too afraid of poking the bear. She just gave him the cold shoulder, crossing her arms and turning her body partially from him.

When she saw he had taken his gloves off, she said, "you'll want to keep those on if you plan on touching me at all." She realized how odd that sounded. It made her sicker. "Trying to touch me, I mean." And she, too, would leave her explanation there. If he weren't willing to shovel out the details of his powers, she wouldn't shovel out the details of hers.

Shay wasn't quite as perturbed by Klaus' eyes as someone not from the island would have been, they did give her pause, but she knew who he was and where he came from, so it was unsurprising. More than anything, it interested her. She liked his scarier outfit better. It made her feel safer, somehow. Maybe she was a freak among freaks.

"Oh, I get a choice now?" she asked defiantly, voice acerbic. She tried to determine where he wouldn't want to eat, but she didn't know Klaus Rosales' diet. "Anywhere you hate."
 

Tom Marvolo Riddle

the dark lord
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Klaus snorted and rolled his eyes. "Yes, you have a choice here. You didn't when you were wandering around the underground without adult supervision, but you do now. Like hell I was gonna leave you there. Now I'm simply giving you an alternate way to spend your time, unless you're going home. And you aren't, are you? Nah. Not at all. Take advantage of the free food, kiddo."

He chose, next, to address the touching thing. "I'll put them back on if necessary. I'm not gonna poke you or anythin' if you're that jumpy about it. Makes me look questionable, and we're tryin' to avoid that. Just hanging out together until you get sleepy or whatever, nobody needs to call the cops and overcomplicate it." He scrunched up his nose, then shook his head. "Christ. Not that kind of criminal. I've dealt with 'em, though. When we find the fuckers we-" He stopped. "That might be too graphic for you, nevermind. Just know it ain't pretty."

He shook himself off, moving back to the brighter side of his personality. "It's adorable that you're trying to be rebellious. There isn't much to rebel against. And the only place I'd not be a fan of isn't open at this hour, sadly enough." Fucking new age health food places, what a menace to modern society, threatening the open appreciation of overindulgence. Give him a greasy burger, fries, a milkshake, and leave him alone. Wow, he really wanted a milkshake now. "Let's go to a diner, I'm sure we can both find things we like."

"I'll tell you anything you want to hear, once we settle down. You're spooked and skittish right now." He softened, trying to appeal to her through bribes and temptation, rather than intimidation. "Come on, you'll feel a whole lot better once you sit down and have warm food in front of you. You know you will."

Rather than going ahead and taking the lead, he stayed beside her, more equal than before. And if she continued to accept his offer, he'd continue along that way, only gently guiding her in a certain direction through the downtown city streets.
 

Sarrain

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Now Shay was utterly confused. She looked over her shoulder, eyeing him warily and trying to figure him out. She was reading him no better than before, even without his glasses on. Shay was watching him like he was some strange three-headed creature, but one she was growing fond of.

Then her brows furrowed. Up until this point, she hadn't said anything in return to him, but now her silent act was up. "What's the youngest person you've murdered?" What dictated the terrible levels of crime? Why were children so precious to people who took life from others every day? Logically, Shay couldn't make sense of those things. Emotionally, she was just glad Klaus wasn't a child molester.

"You get a lot of stories told about you, but I've never heard one where you touch children." The girl paused, squinted, then said, "Though, there was this girl in my class who said you gave her a kiss on the cheek, right there," Shay pointed to the corner of her mouth. "I think she was lying. Did you ever meet a squealing little girl and kiss her on the cheek?"

The girl was having trouble disliking this man, or even feeling on edge around him, which surprised her. This was Klaus Rosales, shouldn't he have been twiddling his handlebar mustache and laughing like a cartoon villain as he tied her to some train tracks? That's what the stories would have her believe.

"A diner is fine," Shay said, voice calmer. He was all coaxing and tender; it made her two parts worried and two parts amused. "Anything? Your funeral. Never promise someone you'll tell them anything. Too late now, no backsies!"

Walking with Klaus was both a frightening and exhilarating thing to Shay. She kept glancing at him, then at anyone nearby, then at any possible sight. In the end, her eyes never stopped darting. She didn't look startled anymore. Instead, she was inquisitive.

And when they got to the diner, Shay immediately chose a booth in the back and slid in, putting her back to the wall so she could keep the full room in view. There was barely anyone here, which wasn't surprising. It was way late. Shay wasn't all that hungry, but she wasn't about to pass up this opportunity.

The moment he took a seat, she said, "Melony Kalven's stories won't have anything on this."
 

Tom Marvolo Riddle

the dark lord
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Klaus just blinked for a moment, a little caught off guard by that question being so bluntly asked. Only for a moment, of course, since the topic didn't truly bother him. He didn't even have to think about it for that long. "As far as I know? A fifteen year old," he answered, shrugging lightly. "And it was when I was thirteen, myself. The guy thought he could push me around, just 'cause he was bigger, older. He was wrong."

He deflated a bit. "I have a lot of younger siblings, actually. There's no sport in hurting kids. They aren't fully developed yet, it's way over the line of unfair- don't take that as an insult, it's just the truth."

He went on, talkative. "I don't really have a thing for pointless cruelty in general, either. It's boring. You don't gain anything, aside from a cheap little thrill. It just makes people dislike and distrust you. The game is fun, being a part of something dangerous and interesting makes life bolder, especially when the other players are challenging and willing, it's-" The words died in his throat, he was getting too loud out in the open.

The fire in his eyes mellowed out a bit, watered down, the burning just hidden under the surface now. "I'm rambling." He grinned. "Your classmate's a dirty little liar, by the way. You'll have quite a lot of real stories to tell her now, y'know, and that'll shut her up fast."

"I don't have anythin' to hide, at least, nothin' you could ask the right questions for," Klaus replied, unconcerned, resisting the urge to laugh. He failed, because he never resisted anything. "No backsies? Oh, god, I'm in for it now. Truly, a criminal of my stature couldn't possibly go against no backsies."

They made their little journey, and nobody called them out, noticed anything off, not even a weird glance. Shay was getting used to Klaus fast, which he was smug about. He was good at this, as usual.

He followed her at a leisurely pace to the out of the way booth, sitting then waving over a pretty waitress. He managed to only eye her up a little bit, smiling and ordering that milkshake first- chocolate, lots of whipped cream, a cherry, and an absurd straw. He shooed her away again, giving Shay time to look over the menu for a while before ordering. He'd just wanted to deal with his cravings. Patience wasn't his strong point.

Klaus returned his attention to the small girl across from him again, resting his chin in his palm, shoulder on the table. "Damn right. So? What first, how will you be using me to entertain yourself? Go wild, take advantage, why not? Q and A with the local kingpin."
 

Sarrain

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Sitting across from him, Shay took the chance to inspect Klaus. His eyes, his smile, his facial structure, the manner with which he sat or gestured to things. He was a dominate personality for sure, unsurprising. What Shay couldn't figure out was whether or not the kindness he was showing to her was genuine or not. He didn't seem like a bad man, not really, but weren't the ones who looked friendly always the worst? He had no reason to act nice to her; she had nothing to offer him.

"I was warned not to hang out with you," she said slowly, testing something, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "But you seem nice enough. Fun, even. But I don't think you are, not really. You wouldn't be where you are if you were nice. I think you're just acting because it makes things easier." Her eyes shifted off toward the open bar and kitchen, but she still watched him from the corner of her eye, "would you even care if you had traumatized me? What if I had shot you? Would you have hurt me, then? Would you have cared if you hurt me? I think you would have been lively either way."

She met his stare, hers even. His eyes were the last part of him that would creep Shay out. She had seen so many strange things, living on this island her entire life, that physical oddities rarely bothered her. "There are all these stories about the horrible things you do and how terrifying you are, how people wouldn't want to meet you at night, but you know what? That's looking at it all wrong. You're not scary when you're holding a gun; you're scary when you're sitting across from someone smiling and asking them how their day went."

When the waitress returned, Shay didn't even look at the pretty girl when she ordered a sundae with extra fudge.
 

Tom Marvolo Riddle

the dark lord
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Klaus listened to Shay intently, head slightly tilted, face unreadable. He didn't flinch. His milkshake arrived, and he didn't break their locked gaze. He dipped his finger into the whipped cream, shameless, then licking it off while he thought things over. Or, at least, appeared to be doing so. He could've also just been taking his sweet time, not particularly urgent, despite the heavy subject.

"You're naive," he said, simply, after he popped the cherry into his mouth. "The world isn't black and white. Anything goes. I can be nice, and I'm always fun. I'm a three dimensional, living, breathing person- not a cartoon supervillain. Men who enjoy slaughtering others, using their corpses as toys, can then go home for the weekend to, I don't know, pet puppies with their loving grandmother- and be just as genuine in both of those activities. Morality isn't linear, always settled, or predictable. Even the most pure of goody two shoes are going to have something worth questioning about 'em, because some shit literally comes down to difference of opinion."

He sipped his milkshake. "Does that scare you, Shay? It shouldn't. It just means you gotta think on your feet, live life in the moment, and feel things out properly. Treat individuals like individuals, too. There's a lotta rules and a lot of exceptions to the rules, for those who can get away with it."

"I'm not nice all the time, nah, but this ain't fake, either. Caring for others gets you loyalty and gratitude, and that's priceless. I wouldn't have kept such a huge, useful following for this long if I was just some abusive piece of garbage. Anyway, I love people! I enjoy interacting with them, and I enjoy what I do, else, why would I be doing it at all? A lot of my work is leadership based, too."

His smile widened into a grin. "…You know what? You're right. This part, it is scary. Being likable is fucking terrifying. People will do anything for you when you're likable, not with shaking hands, but with a special kind of passion and lack of remorse. You should see it in action." His eyes lit up like fireworks, too expressive, unsettlingly intense. "It's beautiful."

Shay's sundae arrived. Klaus slipped extra cash in the waitress' apron, along with a contact card, and she flushed before hurrying off again. He turned back to Shay, mild again, any sign of mania gone as quickly as it'd shown up. "I wouldn't have hurt you. I'm the one who turned off the safety, so it would be my own fault if I got used for target practice. Except, I already have a few bullets in me I have to dig out later, just changed my shirt. I'm not worried. Whatever could that mean?" He winked. "Think about it, the hints have all been thrown out. Even without that, though, I wouldn't have hurt you."

"And I'm not going to hurt you." He played with his straw, looking at her from under long lashes.
 

Sarrain

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Shay couldn't hold his stare by the time he had deemed her naive. It was too intense for her; she was too young, and that kind of fire in a person's eyes scared her. She could feel the fervent beating of her heart in the tips of her fingers and heat at her ears. The feeling of bugs crawling right under her skin was back, and every instinct in her told her just to get away, pull back from him, but she stayed still, perhaps too still.

She figured he must have known how weird it made her feel when he said her name. There it was again, that edge -- she wanted to call it a hardness -- behind the way he spoke it. It was sharper than the rest of the words, cutting right through her defenses, right to her core. When he said her name, he was talking to her. Full attention; reading her like a book.

Shay looked up just in time to catch that wild enthusiasm in his eye. It almost made her jerk, because he looked like an animal. She'd never seen someone appear so feral as she saw him