Melaised Meetings

Nightstripe

A Tiny Lonely
Jun 23, 2015
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Sunlight barely showed through the clouds, the buildings along the street being painted a dull grey by it's filtered light. Small stains of dew still stretched along nearby the cracks in the sidewalk. The mild overcast unfortunately didn't stop the sunbeams from trying to drill a hole into Jessabelle's skull.

A groan escaped the half-elf as she laid a hand over her eyes, trying to find some relief from the morning. She had drunk way too much last night, and had made the mistake of allowing it to ware off. She had dressed herself up in fancy purple tank top, accented by a matching miniskirt and boots, as well as a few too many belts to truly get into the spirit of the party she was now slouching away from. An unlit cigarette dangled from her mouth, she couldn't remember how long ago she had put it there.

Jess let her hand fall away from her eyes just in time to narrowly avoid walking into a streetlamp. A quiet growl left her mouth as she regained her balance after the sudden action. Blood began rushing to her face, and despite herself she glance around, wondering if anybody had seen her almost concuss herself.
 

SirCatfish

Chaotic Tired
Inactive
Jun 13, 2017
380
Hong Kong, which is not the UK or Canada.
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Bastian knew all the dangers associated with smoking, from lung damage to narrowing the arteries to cancer. But he had gotten into the habit of dipping tobacco while he was attached to a marine squad in Iraq. Despite trying to get himself to quit time after time, sometimes a cigarette was the only thing that he thought might be able to calm his nerves.

Today were one of those days. He had been conditioned into a light sleeper, able to sleep anywhere and get awakened by anything. It didn't help that his curtains at his flat let in most of the light, and as a result he was now walking the block (pacing the block, walking had a purpose) at some ungodly hour in the morning, a good 2 hours before he had to head to work.

A noise from somewhere behind him tugged at his instincts, and he wheeled around to look. Some girl, dressed appropriately for a party but not for really anywhere else. The way she swayed on her feet suggested too much alcohol. Or maybe somebody popped something into her drink while she wasn't looking. Either way, it wasn't something he's going to ignore.

"Hey!" he called out, taking his cigarette between his fingers as he moved towards the girl. "Hey. You doing alright? Hurt yourself somewhere?"

@Nightstripe
 

Nightstripe

A Tiny Lonely
Jun 23, 2015
1,115
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Jess' muscles tensed, her eyes darting to the man as he head spun towards the sound. Suspicion flashed behind her irises before fading to a dull pain as her hangover punished her for so foolishly moving her body. "... No. No I'm fine..." She waved a hand in the air in a dismissive gesture.

Hobbling back from Bastian a few steps, she glanced over the man briefly before her eyes fell on his cigarette. Digging out a lighter from her pocket, Jess lit her own death stick as she continued to eye the stranger. It's nothing. He was just trying to check on you. Anyone might do that.

Jess turned towards the street, forcing herself to stop watching Bastian if only for a couple moments. "... You're up early..." She said without thinking. Crap. Now she had initiated conversation. It wasn't like she wasn't willing to talk to the guy, but now she'd come off pretty badly if she just walked away.

She pressed her fingers into her eyes. Why did daytime have to be so bright?
 

SirCatfish

Chaotic Tired
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Jun 13, 2017
380
Hong Kong, which is not the UK or Canada.
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"You sure?" Bastian asked. His nose twitched. He could smell the alcohol off her even from this distance. A part of his mind told him to leave her alone. The island was a pretty safe place, and if he insisted, she could believe that he had ill intentions. But the rest of his mind wouldn't let him leave. "Are you still drunk? You smell like alcohol."

He brought the cigarette back to his mouth and took a drag. If she hadn't been smoking he would've put it out, but she seemed fine enough with smoking on her own and Bastian doubted that it would bother her.

"Yeah. I'm always up early," he said in response, a little surprised at the initiated conversation. While he wasn't big on small talk, he could hold a conversation fine if she wanted to talk. "And you're up pretty late,"

Turning to fully face her, he gave a lopsided smile.
 

Nightstripe

A Tiny Lonely
Jun 23, 2015
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"Yes I'm sure." A small voice in the back of Jess' head told her that question was a threat, and at least a little of that showed on her face before she forced the thought away. "If I'm still drunk, then someone really needs to turn down the sun." She turned her head away from him, though keeping him in her peripheral vision. "... Am I really that bad?"

Jess took a deep breath through her cigarette, finally letting her eyes drift away from Bastian as they scanned the street. "Best time to be. Night owls never miss out." She suddenly closed her eyes, a wave of nausea washing over her. She leaned against the light post as addressed the stranger again. "Well, I guess you've pieced together why I'm here. What about you? What's your story?"
 

SirCatfish

Chaotic Tired
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Jun 13, 2017
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Hong Kong, which is not the UK or Canada.
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"Pretty bad. Get yourself some water. Not soda, nothing caffeinated," Bastian said, the instinctive making its way back to his face. For what it was worth, his time in SOMC did teach him a thing or two about managing hangovers, though mostly from fellow students rather than the instructing officers. "And try to eat something."

He ran a hand through his hair, pushing the long bits out of his eyes. More than once he had been tempted to shave it, but letting his hair grow out gave a sense of normalcy. Something that he needed.

"You probably got drunk at a party that lasted too long and you're now walking home, or maybe to a fast-food chain to attempt and rid yourself of the hangover," Bastian answered. It wasn't strictly a question, but it meant that he had to talk about himself a little less. "And I like to wake up early."
 

Nightstripe

A Tiny Lonely
Jun 23, 2015
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"But... But coffee....." Jess mumbled as she folded her arms and pouted a bit. She was joking of course.

Okey half joking.

She slipped her cigarette in between her fingers as she ran her other hand down her face. "God a burger just... sounds SO good right now. Why haven't I thought of that before now? Where's the nearest grill?" She glanced around a bit as if trying to pinpoint her location by the landmarks.

"Alright so you're a quick study with vague answers." This wasn't all that strange of someone. Was it? Her eyes shifted back to him, taking a quick stock of his stance and if he might have any weapons on him. Just calm down. it's nothing. He's just out for a smoke.

"I bet you're girlfriend likes getting the bed to herself for a few hours. Maybe that's why, hm? Trouble in paradise?" The jab was more meant to give her a bit of ground back then actually get under Bastian's skin. It wasn't really all that rude, right?
 

SirCatfish

Chaotic Tired
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Jun 13, 2017
380
Hong Kong, which is not the UK or Canada.
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"Nearest grill is about half a click - er, 4 to 5 blocks west. Down that avenue. If you want to get something to eat," Bastian offered. Working out of the back of an ambulance most of the time meant that he had plenty of time to get acquainted to the city.

The heat near his fingers revealed that his cigarette was almost down to the filter. He licked his thumb and pinched out the lit tip, shoving the end into his pocket. It was never a good idea to leave your trash lying around.

He hadn't seen the insult coming. But he reacted on instinct anyways.

"I haven't got a fucking girlfriend, you-" he snapped, then realised immediately who he was talking to and bit off the end of the sentence. The frown still lingered on his face. "No boyfriend either, if that's the next insult you were gonna resort to. I'm just used to waking up early. Not something you'd understand, huh?"
 

Nightstripe

A Tiny Lonely
Jun 23, 2015
1,115
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"Half a click huh? I can make that... I can definitely make that." Jess bounced lightly on her toes. Nothing too rapid, but a brief show of excitement bleeding through the pain in her head. His fiddling with his cigarette reminded her of her own, and she popped it back into her mouth before it also burned itself to cinders.

The sharp change in Bastian's voice caught her off guard. For one moment, all her suspicions were true. She set a foot in the ground behind her and her shoulders rose tensely as her body fell into combat mode. There was a soft crunch as her teeth crushed the filter in her mouth.

Her eyes failed to match the rest of her body. For the moment they focused on him, watching his movements and only darting away once or twice to gather information from the surroundings. Her pupils flared open as her fear flashed behind them.

Then the moment was gone.

When Bastian stopped himself, so did she. She took a step back and clasped her hands in front of her, bringing herself back to a neutral stance. Her face fell to examine the ground near her feet. "... That one... Doesn't usually get at people... I just wanted to know why you were here..."

What do you even say in this situation? I thought you might hurt me? I thought you had ulterior motives? For the first time in a while Jess was self-conscious of her overthinking.

"..... My name's Jessabelle... I don't think we said our names..." She turned to the side, looking away from him as she floundered around the awkward situation. "... S... Sorry..."
 

SirCatfish

Chaotic Tired
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Jun 13, 2017
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Hong Kong, which is not the UK or Canada.
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Bastian could tell if somebody was afraid of not. The body language was easy to watch for, after you've spent 7 years working with people who were almost constantly afraid, even if they didn't show it. He didn't meant to make the girl afraid, of course. He didn't like to make people afraid. But it was an unwelcome side effect from his personality, and better to be feared than picked on.

His fingers twitched, looking for another cigarette, but he didn't allow himself to take one from his pocket. Bad habits were easy to develop, and his self restraint was really the only thing he had left.

"Christ. Sorry. I'm just... I guess I get angrier than I should a lot. I don't mean to hurt anyway," he said, giving an awkward smile as compensation. "If you really wanted to know why I'm here, it's because my brain won't let me sleep in. I'm conditioned to sleep pretty lightly."

"I'm Bastian. Like the end of Sebastian," he replied, the frown on his face deepening as the girl - Jessabelle apologised. "Have you got a nickname?"
 
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