|
Post by Rex Coelestis on May 16, 2010 18:19:39 GMT -5
Lauren, as she was now called, needed something to calm her nerves. Every step she took she walked with trepidation, half expecting to spot Caitlyn or Jubei and have to endure a slew of awkward conversation with them, something she just in general wanted to avoid for right now.
She took a step towards the Ookami Sector, before spotting a rather un-inviting place. While it may be a dangerous spot for a woman like her to venture into, she was almost certain she'd not meet anyone she knew.
Entering the establishment, she took a seat on a bar stool. "Give me whatever, just make sure it's strong." she said calmly.
|
|
|
Post by Leanna Cross on May 16, 2010 18:27:05 GMT -5
Cross sauntered into Freed's after she got done putting away some of her loot from the night at the grocery store. She was in the mood for something sweet to drink that had a bit of a kick to it.
Hopping up on a stool. She smiled to Freed. "Hey old man! I'll take a good ol' Strawberry Margarita with salt on the rim." she said spinning in the chair to face the people. Not many people were here but here but the time of day atoned to that. She glanced over to see only one other sitting at the bar.
Freed set her drink down and she took a large drink, licking some of the salt. She turned to the girl sitting a few stools down. "Hey!"
|
|
|
Post by Rex Coelestis on May 16, 2010 18:37:15 GMT -5
Before long, a rather... uncouth looking young lady appeared. Lauren attempted to keep to herself, as she planned to piece together whatever had happened since she was gone, but her mind was soon interrupted.
"Uhh..." Lauren looked at the dark clad young lady. "Greetings miss?" Lauren smiled, perhaps the young lady would help her piece together the current situation on the battlefield.
"Name's-" a noticeable pause as she stopped from calling herself Rex. "Lauren Winchester. And you are?"
|
|
|
Post by Leanna Cross on May 16, 2010 18:42:30 GMT -5
Cross grinned as she got the girl to talk. She picked her drink up and moved to sit beside her. She held out her hand. "I'm Cross." She said.
She looked down at her drink. "Whatcha drinkin'?" She asked curious. She took another drink of her sweet drink. "Hey Freed!" he looked up from cleaning some glasses.
"What do you need now Cross?" He asked with a annoyed expression.
Cross chuckled. "Can I get a little bowl of those cherries?" She asked smiling. He rolled his eyes and nodded.
She turned back to the girl. "Sorry, can't resist em'"
|
|
|
Post by Rex Coelestis on May 16, 2010 18:48:41 GMT -5
"Cross?" Lauren immediately thought of the adjective form of the word, meaning 'angry and annoyed'. "Err... sorry to hear you're cr-"
But within moments, the bartender spoke to her. "Ohh... your name is Cross?" Lauren smiled slightly, glad she wasn't dealing with someone who was cross, but rather someone who went by the name Cross.
"It's okay about the cherries. maraschino cherries by the way." She looked down at her drink. "I'm not one hundred percent sure what I was given. I just asked for something strong and... this is what they gave me." Lauren took a sip. "It's alright I guess."
|
|
|
Post by Leanna Cross on May 16, 2010 20:55:46 GMT -5
Cross caught onto what she was saying and she laughed. "You know, I've never heard that one before!" She said laughing. "I'm not that type of Cross." She said with a last chuckle.
Freed set her maraschino cherries down and Cross immediately grabbed one, dunking it in her drink and eating it whole. She fiddled around with the stem in her mouth, concentrating for a few moments then stuck her tongue back out and grabbed the now knotted stem. "It's took years of being taught in order to get that down." she said setting the knotted stem on a napkin.
She looked down at Lauren's drink. "I think that he gave you a brandy..." She crinkled her nose up. "Not my choice in drink, but hey if it gets the nerves loosened up." She shrugged and picked up her glass. "I'll just stick with the a good old strawberry margarita with salt on the rim." She chuckled and took a drink.
"So what brings you here at this time of day?"
|
|
|
Post by Rex Coelestis on May 17, 2010 14:58:21 GMT -5
Lauren watched as Cross popped a cherry into her mouth. "Uhh... you may wanna remove the-" she began but it was too late as she popped the cherry in, stem and all. Moments later, Cross stuck out her tongue producing the stem.
Lauren cringed slightly. It wasn't very gentlemanly or very lady-like to play with your food. Nor was it proper ettiquette to stick something in your mouth and then show it to someone you just met. Her arms clearly seemed to avoid the napkin Cross had set her cherry stem on. She took another drink.
She tried not to think too much about what Cross meant by 'being taught in order to get that down' as she got the feeling the answer would be something icky.
"Brandy? Eh." Lauren shrugged. "Err... yeah. Loosened nerves." she muttered taking another sip.
Cross asked her why she had come here, as Lauren began thinking. "Err well, I'm trying to lay low for a while. You know how it is. I don't wanna bore you with the details." Lauren polished off her glass, finishing the drink.
|
|
|
Post by Leanna Cross on May 17, 2010 18:58:08 GMT -5
Cross, being abnormally courteous, folded up the napkin with the stem, and moved it as far away from Lauren, sensing her discomfort. She took another drink of her own drink as she briefly thought about her older brother. Her eyes darkened and she shook her head, getting rid of the thoughts that she didn't want to plague herself with... last time she did, she went into a breakdown.
She just barely caught what Lauren was saying and she chuckled. "I could say the same for myself." She said with a smile. "Laying low that is." She grinned wickedly as she thought about her latest escapade...
|
|
|
Post by Rex Coelestis on May 17, 2010 19:32:28 GMT -5
"Hmm?" Lauren's interests had been piqued, and perhaps the plight of someone else would help to cheer her up.
"Ahh well, that's a shame dear. Do you wish to speak of it?" Lauren looked back at Cross, eyes opened wider. Perhaps the brandy had begun to kick in and she hadn't noticed yet.
|
|
|
Post by Leanna Cross on May 17, 2010 19:46:10 GMT -5
Cross chuckled remembering the night before. "Mine isn't hurting me or anything... it was very exciting." she debated telling this total stranger about her escapades which she could really get in trouble for. She shrugged deciding.
"Well... I went to the grocery store randomly and then found a few people. Then the 3 of us duck taped all the workers down, spray painted the cameras, bolted the doors, and yanked the wires of the phones out then proceeded to raid the store." She shrugged grinning. "I'm debating paying for it all... No I don't think I will... I think I'll just wait to see if they catch me." She chuckled and glanced at Lauren to see her reaction.
|
|
|
Post by Rex Coelestis on May 17, 2010 21:00:47 GMT -5
Lauren's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. She could tell the girl already had rather deplorable table manners, but she assumed for the benefit of the doubt that act was the extent of it. But, assaulting several workers, vandalizing, and then committing burglary? No, this woman was clearly some kind of deplorable scoundrel to commit such a series of heinous acts, and to speak about it so casually, as though it filled her with a sense of pride.
"I... I think I'd better leave now." Lauren stated calmly, a deadpan look in her eye. It seemed whatever loosening up her drink may have done had been completely reversed with Cross's latest revelation.
|
|
|
Post by Leanna Cross on May 17, 2010 21:09:20 GMT -5
Cross looked at Lauren. "Please don't leave." This was probably the first time she had said 'Please' in 3 years. She blinked surprised by what had just come out of her mouth. "I-I mean... You haven't even tried one of these." she said holding up her glass, trying to come up with something in order to put away her first statement. It wasn't by any means a bad thing that she had said please, it was just that, she hadn't said it since... since then... She smiled sheepishly.
|
|
|
Post by Rex Coelestis on May 17, 2010 21:38:01 GMT -5
Lauren looked about before remember she didn't bring a purse. She got up from the stool and began walking towards the door.
However, Cross seemed rather insistent that Lauren stay, for at least one more drink.
"Just why the devil do you want me to stay anyway? I'm a sophisticated young gentleman-" she blinked, as though struck with an inspirational thought. Her own freudian slip on her former identity seemed to provide a bit of insight.
"Kuma..." she looked at the bracelet on her wrist, and a different one on Cross's. Lauren coolly and calmly ran a hand through her hair, as though she had solved the case 100 percent.
"You saw through my disguise, didn't you? The mighty Rex Coelestis, feared soldier from the Tora Clan." a light chuckle escaped her lips as she began to approach Cross. "Those of the opposing clan would do anything to see me gone, and you've decided... to capitalize on this. Become a hero for the Kuma clan, correct?"
She didn't really let Cross get a word in edgewise as she continued. "And so, you formulated a plan. Try to get to know me, try to butter me up, try to become a friend. After all, it's always a good idea to stand behind someone just before you stab them in the back." A smug smirk on her face as she continued her (probably incorrect) deduction. "So you decided to open up and see if I'd open up too, but you went a little too far and were surprised I got offended."
Lauren took the glass from Cross. "But you had one final ace up your sleeve, a poison laced drink. Tsk tsk tsk." She looked the cup over.
"And if what I'm saying is incorrect... then drink it." She smiled, assuring herself Cross wouldn't do it.
|
|
|
Post by Leanna Cross on May 17, 2010 21:52:06 GMT -5
Cross blinked rapidly, trying to understand what was going on. "I-" she tried to get a word in but was instantly cut off by La-Rex? What was this girl talking about!?
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the hell are you talking about?" She asked loudly. She was totally clueless to what this girl was going on about. "And who the hell is Rex?" She asked.
She looked at her drink in the girl's hand and took it back quickly. Holding it like a child from a crazy person. "Why in the world would I lace my own drink!? Freed effing made it and gave it to me! You saw it!" She downed the drink. "Why on earth would I want to poison a complete stranger, who, I was trying to have a nice conversation with?" Her confusion was now laced with anger at the girl who all but threatened her.
Cross said PLEASE! She just wanted to talk to the girl more, not try to back stab her or whatever the hell she was talking about! She was trying to be nice and get to know more people! She said Please for Ra's sake!
|
|
|
Post by Rex Coelestis on May 18, 2010 14:15:29 GMT -5
She raised a brow, honestly surprised by Cross's response. She however, seemed mostly unconvinced. "Ah, I've seen the thousand year old trick from the Princess Bride." she thought to herself with a smug smirk. "She's clearly been building up an immunity to the poison for the past thousand years." Not realizing Cross probably hadn't even remotely lived that long.
"Well, I've already explained my suspicions. I'm a duelist for the Tora, you're a duelist for the Kuma, correct?" She continued quickly, not letting Cross explain she wasn't a duelist, if she was thinking it. "I recently awoke from a 2 month coma, I barely know the details of my injuries, but the last thing I do know is that just before I blanked out I was in a duel. So, I'm sure you can see why I may be more then a little paranoid at the actions of others outside my clan."
She crossed her hands across her chest.
|
|