Taste of Italy

[XxXZephyr_SkyXxX]

0..3

C..Odename

S..Tryker

Watch the Shadows

╰☆ Chewing her bottom lip with a sharp canine in her worry, Stryker looked at Vance with a slightly perplexed expression, knowing it isn't his fault for misinterpreting her. Smacking a hand over her face and dragging it down, she groaned a bit more aggressively this time at her lack of ability to explain how she feels.
She was designed to hunt, track, kill, destroy. She was essentially a weapon, she didn't really have any business socializing with anyone. Considering how she looked, one would think that much would be obvious. "N-no...It's not exactly a 'no'..." She muttered before chewing on her claw like thumb nail. His next motion actually surprised her quite a bit. She wasn't used to a couple things here from him, the motion itself seemed rather, different for him, almost expressive, not that it was a bad thing! And the other part, there was so much spoken. It took a moment to register the 'letting me down gently' part, making her move forward faster than most normal humans, her expression a mix of embarrassment and stress.
"No no! I'm sorry, that's not what I meant!" Standing closer to him now, she had realized she had rushed forward and managed to stop herself a couple feet away from him not, her long hair still fluttering around her from the sudden movement. Quieting her tongue to listen to him as he had more to say, she was fascinated by his precision in his break time. Did he have himself on a timer or something? Shaking away the thought, she twisted her hands together in thought, "O-okay...As long as it's something helpful, I'll take you up on the offer..." There was no way she could accept something like this for doing nothing in return. If this would be beneficial to him, then she'd gladly accept without much more hesitation. But to accept and invitation when she hadn't really earned it, it just didn't seem right. She knew he had said the trip to the library hadn't been enough, but it really had. His time and blossoming friendship was honestly more than she could ever ask anyone to give her.
Giving him a small, shy, but warm smile, she couldn't help but wonder about him. What made him tick. What went on in his head. There had been something about him since she first met him that seemed like they were kindred spirits, but it had always just been a feeling. Maybe at some point, she'd get him to open up about himself, and her in turn to him. The only other living soul in the area who knew a thing about her was Solomon, and he had just about ghosted her, not that she'd blame him one bit for such a thing. The thoughts twisted in her mind, making her chest tight again as she couched down to make herself a little smaller, hugging her knees to her chest. They only had a few more minutes of Vance's break, so she figured she'd just sit quietly and wait for the time being. ╰☆╮

[☂: Mood][ Frustrated with herself ] [☀: Location][ Taste of Italy ][☁: I'm With][ Vance. ][☄: Thoughts][ .Why can't I talk right?!. ][O.O.C.][ 3nodding His weirdness is part of the charm! ]

Exequtie

 

[Exequtie]

「 COME; WAKE ME UP˟ ▾ BEFORE I DIE :＆ I NEVER◞ GET* TO LIVE ! ⋮██│ tab ██│
━❛i want a house】⋮▀ tab ━❛on the hill】⋮▀ tab ━❛by the ocean】⋮▀

let the tide wash away 。all my CRITICAL MISTAKES ＆ ❛)
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ LET ME REWIND ▀▀ *WE FILL OUR MINDS WITH SMOKE



In the blink of an eye Stryker had stepped forward, bringing her closer to Vance with a flustered expression, "No, no! I'm sorry, that's not what I meant!" Her vocal denial put to rest Vance's assumption, he wasn't one to typically assume anything but his coworkers had given him a few tips on how to be "less unsettling" and one of those tips was to speak aloud or to try and relate to his company. With that figured out, he couldn't help but feel a little silly at the incorrect assumption.

"O-okay... As long as it's something helpful, I'll take you up on the offer..." Her words were followed by another genuine smile, albeit shy, and Vance found himself getting lost in it. 'It may take me some time to get used to such a smile... Or rather, smiles in general I suppose.' Being a semi-recluse for the past decade reset Vance back to zero in terms of social experiences, and while most of him felt it was sad and embarrassing, there shone a little bit of positivity that told him this would give him the opportunity to re-experience all the fun little things. Little things such as getting a warm feeling in his chest over a smile. It was nice. Vance simply just nodded in reply, allowing a comfortable silence to wash over them.

He followed Stryker's lead and crouched on the ground next to her, letting his arms extend and hang over his knees. His blue eyes lazily watched passing groups, hearing their conversation but not truly listening. Even with his internal timer reminding him that time was passing at a normal pace, he couldn't help but feel like the remainder of his break passed far to quickly. The two of them sitting there comfortably in each other's company, it truly did leave him feeling far more refreshed than his usual solitary breaks. He glanced over at Stryker who seemed just as absorbed in the silence as he had been, he hated to bring her back to reality but sadly his break was up.

"My break is over. I will admit that I enjoyed sitting here with you," he stood up as he spoke, extending his gloved right hand out for Stryker to grab if she needed assistance in standing up, "I'm a bit... Excited to serve you." He spoke bluntly, not truly realizing how awkward his phrasing had been. Once Stryker was upright, Vance nodded in the direction of the front door, directing the two of them inside.




【　▾ taste of italy; outside ▀ tab tab 【　▾ stryker ▀
【　▾ refreshed ▀ tab tab 【　▾ 'i'll do my best.' ▀
【　▾ single ▀ tab tab 【　▾ $850 ▀

{ooc: (: we can either do a little time skip to after her meal or just play through the awkward scene that is Vance as a waiter LOL }


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XxXZephyr_SkyXxX

 

[XxXZephyr_SkyXxX]

0..3

C..Odename

S..Tryker

Watch the Shadows

╰☆ This. This right here was part of the reason she figured she got along with Vance so well, so quickly. Even though she wasn't great with words, they could sit in comfortable silence and just enjoy the quiet. Neither of them felt the need to fill the empty space with conversation or noise. It was comforting to know someone else shared her appreciation for companionable silence. She let her mind silence itself as she basically slipped into a quiet state of meditation, crouched down on the ground. An odd place, but it was easy to do with her current company. The energy Vance gave off never really put her on edge, it was a feeling she could get used to.
Stryker's ears perked up straight when his voice touched the air around her. She hadn't even realized her had assumed a similar position to her own and it made her smile. It seemed he was the same type to enjoy the silence. His words also seemed to strike a cord with her, made her heart thud in her chest hard for a moment before quieting again. Watching him as he stood up, she smiled at his outstretched hand and took his offer, gripping onto his gloved hand with her own. She wasn't terribly self conscious about her appearance with him anymore, and with him wearing gloves, it would have been difficult for him to feel the rough skin of her hands and scars through the material anyway. "Thank you." She spoke softly as she stood up. His next words made her smile and blush a little bit. She knew there wasn't anything deeper than the surface meaning of his words, but if others heard, the implications would be rather intimate, but she knew better. Brushing herself off, even though she hadn't touched the ground, she followed in the direction he had nodded in. Gripping the strap of her bag in her hand, she walked to the front door, not having really been ready to face the public in this sort of way, she found it was easier for people to stare when she was sitting still and in a place like this, but she'd try to focus on her food this time around. Walking to the front door, she grimaced up at the building but steeled herself and walked in, trying to avoid any direct eye contact.
The hostess who greeted her was truly a professional, not showing much reaction to Stryker's appearance at all. When she began to direct her to a table, Stryker paused, "Will this be Vance's area? He asked me to sit in his area." She blushed a little, hoping she wasn't totally throwing themselves under the bus here with how much people liked to create rumors and stories. Ever the professional, the hostess just smiled and nodded. A sigh of relief flooded from Stryker's lips as she was sat at a small table for a single person and managed to steady her thudding heart. She really was bad with social interaction wasn't she? She waited for a moment before letting her eyes look around for Vance, daring to glance over any on lookers who happened to be staring her down because of her appearance. While sitting there, she thought back to their interactions thus far. He was a very reserved and closed off person, but so was she. They both enjoyed sitting in silence it seemed and he seemed, and even said, that he enjoyed sitting there with her. Did he enjoy her company in general or just the times she wasn't making an idiot of herself when trying to talk? Chewing her thumb nail, she stared at the wall opposite to her, getting lost in her thoughts, and trying to figure Vance out.╰☆╮

[☂: Mood][ A bit hesitant ] [☀: Location][ Taste of Italy ][☁: I'm With][ Vance. ][☄: Thoughts][ ... ][O.O.C.][ Let's play it out! biggrin Hopefully you don't mind me playing out the seating part like that. If I need to change anything, please let me know! ]

Exequtie

 

[Exequtie]

「 COME; WAKE ME UP˟ ▾ BEFORE I DIE :＆ I NEVER◞ GET* TO LIVE ! ⋮██│ tab ██│
━❛i want a house】⋮▀ tab ━❛on the hill】⋮▀ tab ━❛by the ocean】⋮▀

let the tide wash away 。all my CRITICAL MISTAKES ＆ ❛)
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ LET ME REWIND ▀▀ *WE FILL OUR MINDS WITH SMOKE



The two made their way inside, a comforting blast of warm air welcomed them along with the scent of freshly made Italian food. Vance had stuffed his hands into his pockets, following Stryker at a decent distance to avoid her thinking he was still outside. The hostess immediately began to greet Stryker, recognizing Vance and choosing to just shoot him a smirk over her shoulder as she led Stryker away. He chose to ignore the cheeky behavior, already knowing he'd have to answer all of her questions at the end of their shift. 'Quite the gossip... I may need to make a quick escape after work, I don't want to have to deal with her.' He inwardly groaned and made his way to the back area to prepare himself.

He noticed his coworker from before and give a small nod in his direction, "I'm only 12 seconds late, please don't fire me." His coworker sputtered out a laugh, "Dude, n-no, don't stress it. I won't write you up or anything." Vance nodded in reply, his shoulders relaxing slightly before tightening his apron and fixing his uniform sleeves, making sure they covered both of his arms. He had been upfront with his boss about his right arm, but he wasn't ready to have the conversation with his coworkers, or Stryker, just yet. Doing a final once-over, Vance made his way towards Stryker with a small spring in his step, but his face remained as emotionless as usual.

"Welcome to Taste of Italy, my name is Vance Poole, I'll be your waiter this afternoon, can I get you anything to drink while you look over the menu, miss?"

The words came off as cold and rehearsed, which they absolutely were, one hundred percent. Even though he knew Stryker and was capable of relaxing around her, he was still getting used to interacting with people in a workplace setting. For him, it seemed hard to differentiate between "casual" and "professional" wishing to just be one or the other at all times, in this case with Stryker, he wanted nothing more than to just be casual and get her opinion on every meal on the menu. But, he would do his best to hold off. He may not know Stryker very well, but he felt that he could trust her taste in food.




【　▾ taste of italy ▀ tab tab 【　▾ stryker ▀
【　▾ refreshed ▀ tab tab 【　▾ 'what does she like to drink? water? lemonade? milk?' ▀
【　▾ single ▀ tab tab 【　▾ $850 ▀

{ooc: it was perfect!! feel free to mod Vance getting Stryker's drink/order or whatever you wanna do, i'm cool with him doing whatever (: }


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XxXZephyr_SkyXxX

 

[XxXZephyr_SkyXxX]

0..3

C..Odename

S..Tryker

Watch the Shadows

╰☆ Being pulled from her thoughts by a now familiar voice, Stryker turned her yellow eyes up to her blue haired friend. His face seemed more controlled than normal, and as he spoke, she used her pointer fingers to draw up at each corner of her own mouth, drawing the shape fof a smile. 'Smile.' She mouthed the word to him as she smiled and tried to use her demeanor to help him relax. Oh boy was the man stiff and rigid like a piece of sheet metal. She understood he was trying to be professional, but it sounded stilted and over rehearsed. But again, it was something she'd almost learned to expect from him, but she worried how others would feel about it. It would probably be a little off putting to 'normal' people.
Thinking on what she'd want to drink, Stryker just settled for water, it was the healthiest for her after all. "I'll just have some water please Vance." She flinched a little at the use of his name. She couldn't honestly recall if she had ever said his name since learning it. It felt so intimate. Not in the romantic sense, more in the sense of being close with someone in general. Looking at the menu, she wondered what she would order. "Can you recommend anything to me, preferably with meat in it." She spoke while looking down at the menu, still seeing Vance in her peripheral.
She rested her elbow on the table as she looked over the menu, almost too many options to choose from, and then rest he chin on the back of her hand. Her ears laid back flat in her thoughts, her long lashes on clear display now. She'd never admit it, but she knew that if she wasn't marred by scars and animalistic features, she'd probably be fairly attractive. She must have drawn quite a bit of attention before the experimentation, but she'd never remember now. Blinking and shaking away the thoughts, she knew her cheeks were stained with a light blush. Feeling silly for allowing such thoughts to enter her mind, she imagine Vance probably hadn't noticed it, and if he had, wouldn't mention it. Hopefully.╰☆╮

[☂: Mood][ A bit hesitant ] [☀: Location][ Taste of Italy ][☁: I'm With][ Vance. ][☄: Thoughts][ ... ][O.O.C.][ Sorry! I was a little pressed for time, so I didn't do quite what I was expecting. I just didn't want to leave you waiting. ]

Exequtie

 

[Exequtie]

「 COME; WAKE ME UP˟ ▾ BEFORE I DIE :＆ I NEVER◞ GET* TO LIVE ! ⋮██│ tab ██│
━❛i want a house】⋮▀ tab ━❛on the hill】⋮▀ tab ━❛by the ocean】⋮▀

let the tide wash away 。all my CRITICAL MISTAKES ＆ ❛)
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ LET ME REWIND ▀▀ *WE FILL OUR MINDS WITH SMOKE



Stryker's smile once again lit up the room, and Vance furrowed his brows unsure of what to do. Obviously she was hinting at getting him to smile, but... It felt too unnatural for him to smile, and he genuinely wasn't sure if he could force himself to do it. Sure, every now and then he'd caught himself smirking, but it was rare. No, Stryker had agreed to help him out and this was one of her suggestions, so he needed to try.

However, before he could even get a chance to 'force a smile', Stryker spoke his name for the first time. A bittersweet feeling washed over Vance and his breath hitched in his throat, she had said it with such tenderness, almost in a whisper. It sounded unsure coming from her, tentative, but Vance found himself in awe at the way she spoke it nonetheless. His coworkers had said his names several times over the past two weeks, but coming from someone who felt more like a close acquaintance rather than a coworker made it all the more better. Despite his previous internal discussion about smiling, the corners of Vance's mouth began to slowly rise in a small but sincere smile.

He nodded in reply to her drink order, but stayed put seeing Stryker's attention return to the menu, her golden eyes scanning the pages. "Can you recommend anything to me, preferably with meat in it?" Without breaking her gaze at the menu she spoke, adjusting her posture so that her chin rested on the back of her hand. This new position brought her sharp jawline to Vance's attention, along with her heavy lashes delicately brushing against her cheekbones, which now had a light dusting of pink on them.

Noticing that he still wore his small smirk on his face while blatantly staring at Stryker, Vance turned his attention down to the menu in front of her. Stepping slightly closer to her and bending down so that their shoulders were practically brushing, he brought his right hand up to the menu to point at an item, "Several customers order this one, the osso buco with risotto Milanese. I haven't actually tried any meals from here, but this one never seems to disappoint." His gloved finger hovered over the menu, the cuff of his uniform slightly pushed up revealing the cool glint of his metal prosthetic.

However, he didn't notice, instead focused on Stryker's expression, hoping that he had done well in picking out an item for her. He failed to ask if she had any sort of allergies, and had his coworker been grading him this mistake would likely have cost him a several point deduction. Luckily waiting wasn't anything akin to his studies in the laboratory and he didn't have to worry about getting an 'A' on his paycheck. The position the two were in was fairly intimate, and whispers from the other wait staff could be heard, Vance paid them no mind, though, and he hoped that Stryker wasn't upset with his proximity to her.




【　▾ taste of italy ▀ tab tab 【　▾ stryker ▀
【　▾ refreshed ▀ tab tab 【　▾ 'she smells... nice.' ▀
【　▾ single ▀ tab tab 【　▾ $850 ▀

{ooc: you're totally okay! }


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XxXZephyr_SkyXxX

 

[XxXZephyr_SkyXxX]

0..3

C..Odename

S..Tryker

Watch the Shadows

╰☆ Seeing the corners of Vance's lips turn up into the smallest of smiles, Stryker's heart thudded hard in her chest. How fitting that smile was on his face, she only wished it would appear there more often, but she wouldn't be greedy. He had his own things going on and he'd work through them as he could. She couldn't help though but wonder what he smiled about. It seemed different then a normal 'service smile', this was one that people only gave when they actually meant it. It made her feel bubbly and happy that he was giving that smile to her.
She hadn't much noticed his staring as she had looked over the menu, and even if she had, she wouldn't mind. His attention on her never made her feel self conscious or anything. He was really one of the only people who made her feel that way, and they were still basically strangers to each other. Even though it had been a couple of weeks, it wasn't like they spoke frequently in that time. Though after today, maybe she'd try to reach out to him once or twice. If she never got an answer, well she wouldn't take it personally. He seemed to really like being alone and seemed to thrive that way, so who was she to barge in on that? But at least he has a job and would get out. She struggled to even do that. Blinking at the sudden movement, Stryker turned her head a little and realized that Vance was very close to her, so very very super close to her. Blushing and turning her head back, she felt silly for being embarrassed like that, he was just trying to show her something.
"T-that sounds great. I'll take that." Stuttering out slowly, Stryker's attention was momentarily grabbed by something that wasn't a natural skin tone. Metal. Looking at his arm, she realized that where there should be skin, it was metal instead.
A scar. Well, quite a bit more than a scar, but it was definitely a mental scar for him. She couldn't imagine it wouldn't be. They were definitely more alike she realized as she got to know him better. This man would end up hearing her whole life story at some point, and she didn't even mind. Though she didn't exactly want to burden him with that knowledge. His voice still tickled in her ears though as her thoughts rolled in her mind. Her ears twitched at the sensation, not used to having someone talking so closely to her ears. Her face was still a little flushed from her earlier embarrassment of their faces being so close together and her ears twitched now at the sounds of whispers from his apparent coworkers. Glancing over at him, Stryker gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry..." She started off in a small voice before continuing in a whisper only he could hear, leaning a little closer to him to make sure he heard her, "I think your coworkers are going to have a field day with this..." She used a hand to gesture between the two of them, the blush darkening on her cheeks by the implication of that simple hand movement. ╰☆╮

[☂: Mood][ Happy/Shy ] [☀: Location][ Taste of Italy ][☁: I'm With][ Vance. ][☄: Thoughts][ ... ][O.O.C.][ ... ]

Exequtie

 

[Exequtie]

「 COME; WAKE ME UP˟ ▾ BEFORE I DIE :＆ I NEVER◞ GET* TO LIVE ! ⋮██│ tab ██│
━❛i want a house】⋮▀ tab ━❛on the hill】⋮▀ tab ━❛by the ocean】⋮▀

let the tide wash away 。all my CRITICAL MISTAKES ＆ ❛)
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ LET ME REWIND ▀▀ *WE FILL OUR MINDS WITH SMOKE



The blush that grew on Stryker's face at Vance's proximity to her slightly confused him, why would she be blushing? Perhaps she was too embarrassed to ask him to move away? Before he could readjust his position, Stryker stumbled through an agreement with the order. A small sigh of relief alerted Vance that he had been holding his breath in fear of Stryker voicing her distaste for the item he had shown her.

The twitch of Stryker's ears showed that she had also overheard Vance's coworkers whispering. Her breath brushed against his cheek as she spoke, reminding Vance just how close the two were leaned in towards each other. The blush on her face darkened and she gestured between them and Vance couldn't help but give a nonchalant shrug, "They all seem to enjoy gossiping, so I imagine something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. I don't mind... Do... Do you mind?" It was unnatural for him to worry about what others thought about him, but if, due to his actions, someone else was at the mercy of rumors and gossip he found that it was difficult to brush it off. Especially if it was someone like Stryker, who Vance could see as being a potential friend, should she return the feeling. He wasn't about to force anyone into being his friend, but he did hope that Stryker would allow him to call upon her when he wanted company from time to time. A sinking pit formed in his stomach and he grew guilty and anxious, regretting leaning in close to Stryker, who obviously must have felt uncomfortable based on the blush that reddened her skin.

Before she could answer, Vance shook his head and pulled away, "Ah, no, I'm sorry. I'll put your order in and bring your water... And I'll go speak to my coworkers to set things straight, I do sincerely apologize." Giving a short nod, he walked towards the back. Instantly his coworkers started whistling at him, waggling their eyebrows and pointing at Stryker, "So bold of you to bring your girlfriend in while you're on shift. Don't worry, we won't tell the boss, it's on the house. So long as you tell us everything!" One of the waitresses giggled, a faint blush on her face as she spoke. Vance blinked a few times before giving his coworkers a tired look, "It's not like that. She's a fri-, a neighbor who helped me move in. I'm just treating her to a meal to say thank you. Please, don't get the wrong idea."

Stryker had her own story, and while Vance was curious about her, he wasn't about to butt in and claim to be something he wasn't. Besides, Vance wasn't even sure if he was capable of dating someone, he knew for sure that he didn't deserve to date anyone. He knew that if rumors or gossip went around about him being Stryker's boyfriend, she'd likely just get harassed and made fun of for dating such a weird loser like himself. If leagues did exist, and if Vance were deserving of a partner, Stryker definitely would be out of his league. A feeling of self-pity and disgust overcame him at the intruding thoughts, his friendly demeanor from before completely gone.

His coworkers rolled their eyes and went about their business, still making small remarks here and there. Vance filled a clean glass with ice water, took a deep breath, and made his way back to Stryker. He gently placed the glass in front of her and coolly addressed her, "Here's your water, your meal should be ready soon. Is there anything else I can get you?" His tone was low and stiff, and he refused to make eye contact with Stryker, too scared of how angry or upset she'd be with him for allowing his coworkers to even assume they were dating.




【　▾ taste of italy ▀ tab tab 【　▾ stryker ▀
【　▾ ashamed ▀ tab tab 【　▾ 'she hates me, now... I hate me.' ▀
【　▾ single ▀ tab tab 【　▾ $850 ▀

{ooc: sHEEEESH vance, you're so angsty and melodramatic LMAO}


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[Cho-Cho Twain]

ＪａｘｅｎxxＫｎｏｘ

Baker | Yoga & Meditation Enthusiast | Meta-Human

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

Since today was a little nicer in weather, Jax figured it was about time for date night! He actually had been really good about saving money! That means.... ugh, that means holding off on buying candles!! He definitely had the urge to splurge, but he wanted date night to be a little extravagant this time. His baby deserved to be spoiled! The first part of the day was spent taking Allistair on a morning walk before driving Uptown to buy whatever he wanted. Whatever his love wanted, Jax bought it! He even went out of his way and bought the siren some orchids - his favorite flower. The ending part of the date would, of course, be dinner! On the drive to the restaurant, Jax had one hand on the wheel while the other was intertwined with Allistair's, his thumb gently brushing over the top of his hand. For a split second, amber orbs looked over to the siren's face before going back to the road. "Having fun, sweetness?" The baker asked curiously while pulling into the parking lot and settling into a spot.

Hopping out of the car, Jax went over to get the door opened for his baby - as a gentleman should - and held his hand while the two entered the restaurant. Already his stomach was growling for the smell of fresh basil and garlic that scented the air. He couldn't wait! It seemed pretty busy, too, but he called ahead to make a reservation, so they didn't have to wait!

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
MOOD: MellowxxWITH: Alistair emotion_bigheart xxOOTD: Date NightxxOOC:

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LordJaxTheSadistic

 

[Ashtail Foxclaw]

tab tab ooc: xoxo
tab tab outfit: Workplace uniform, right eye covered by an eye-patch, left sleeve is tucked in nicely to avoid it flapping about. (Missing right eye and left arm, no prosthetics)
tab tab posting colour: #D19FE8

An emotional day moved on to an ordinary work day - the world really didn’t stop spinning to let you catch your breath, huh? Za’saad stood at work, preparing the front of the house as the restaurant was gearing up to open for the afternoon. It felt strange being so calm on top of the day before and he could sense his thoughts spiraling down a negative path - he needed something that could occupy his mind and distract it. Looking at his hand briefly, he then turned his head to look over his shoulder and grin at Vance, a newer hire than himself. Ah, the perfect victim for a bit of harmless pranking.

“Yo, Vance, got a minute?” Za’saad asked, raising his arm in greeting and giving the other a short and polite wave. “The kitchen needs a bit of help, but I’m not really strong enough.” Za’saad continued with an apologetic smile as he approached the table Vance was by, being sure to use his only hand and arm non non-verbal communication to draw attention to the fact he was missing a whole limb. “They need someone to go into the depot and get the bacon-roller and rice-peeler, they’re pretty busy themselves preparing food and all that, and as mentioned I can’t carry the items or pick them off the shelf. They'll probably be on shelf five but if not check seven and eight too. If they’re not there, the restaurant next door might’ve borrowed them.” Giving Vance a glittering and sweet smile, Za’saad held up his hand with a slight nod of his head before tilting a little. “Sorry; I’ll cover your front of house duties… Oh and while you’re at it, could you check for left-handed knives? There weren't any at the counter and we have a big table coming in that needed some, if they’re not in the depot we’ll have to check in with the dishwasher. Thanks in advance, you're a life saver.” Confidence was everything in lying and a proper smile to put up a show, hopefully it was enough for Vance to take the bait for at least a few minutes before he’d notice something was up.


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Exequtie
Vance Pool

 

[Exequtie]

「 COME; WAKE ME UP˟ ▾ BEFORE I DIE :＆ I NEVER◞ GET* TO LIVE ! ⋮██│ tab ██│
━❛i want a house】⋮▀ tab ━❛on the hill】⋮▀ tab ━❛by the ocean】⋮▀

let the tide wash away 。all my CRITICAL MISTAKES ＆ ❛)
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ LET ME REWIND ▀▀ *WE FILL OUR MINDS WITH SMOKE



The previous day had been a very relaxing and much-needed one for Vance, who had spent most of the day in the company of Stryker at the library. The two had spent several hours once again combing through literary articles and novels in hopes of finding more information on Soleil's mystery. He had intended to ask Stryker about her past and whether she had amnesia or not, but having overheard a few of the other library-goers talking, he felt it wasn't the most private place to have such an intimate conversation. However, Stryker had made an excellent suggestion for the two to visit the island in question, and they set a date for the future to explore.

Thus making today a rather annoying and tedious day. Vance had to return to work instead of just jumping straight into his journey with Stryker like he desperately wanted to. The blue-haired waiter had just finished adjusting his apron's strings, one of them getting snagged on the table he had just finished wiping down, behind his back when a voice called out to him. Crystalline eyes darted over to look as the resident "pirate" waved his singular arm at Vance, drawing nearer to make a request from the newbie.

The two had worked together since Vance's first day at Taste of Italy, and while Vance wasn't much for talking, it seemed that Za'saad was more than willing to fill the silence that fell between the two every time they ran into each other. However, despite their chats here and there Vance still knew next to nothing about his coworker, who, with his obvious physical deformities, seemed to hold a very rich and intoxicating background. One that Vance would never dare ask about, again choosing to remain silent on the very obvious question about ones appearance.

Nodding with each request, Vance gave Za'saad a determined stare, much like a dog gives to its owner when being ordered to "sit" or "shake". 'Bacon-roller, rice peeler... Shelf five, seven, or eight. Left...' "-Handed knives, dishwasher...?" Finishing his thoughts aloud, Vance's voice took on a soft questioning tone, which could have been mistaken as him questioning Za'saad's request, but in actuality it was Vance's way of asking "did I get that correct, sir?"

Completely unaware of Za'saad's jest, the downtrodden male beelined it for the back of the restaurant to begin his search for the necessary items, not wanting to disappoint his coworkers nor put more strain on the already busy kitchen staff. Upon arriving to his destination, he made quick work of rummaging through the various utensils and boxes on the shelves, making sure to check shelf five first, followed by seven, and then finally eight. Where he found a julienne slicer and mistook it as a rice peeler. Not wasting any time, he stuffed the tool into his apron pocket and began searching for the bacon roller, which he believed to have found back on self five. Sadly, he mistook an ordinary funnel for a fabled bacon roller, and pocketed that mistaken tool in his apron as well.

All that was left were the left-handed knives, which he found a bit odd since he was fairly certain that knives could be used in either hands. But, who was he to say? He didn't eat and rarely cooked, so Za'saad's word was sound to him. Furrowing his brows, he marched over to the dishwasher, not having found the knives on the shelves, when a line cook stopped him.

"Hey, uh, V-Vance, right? Whatcha lookin' for?" The line cook was eager to help the stoic man, knowing that the sooner the waiter left the back the sooner the line cook could relax. Something about the silence surrounding Vance made others uncomfortable.

"I'm searching for the left-handed knives, Za'saad said there was a large group coming in that requested them."

As soon as the man's name left Vance's lips, the line cook visibly rolled his eyes, having caught on to Z's antics a long time ago. He noticed that Vance had one hundred percent not caught on, and was blindly following Za'saad's ridiculous commands. Putting his hands on his hips, the line cook pointed at a drawer, "They're in there..." While the line cook was unsettled whenever Vance made his rounds to the back, he had noticed that the waiter seemed a bit more peppy and had more spring in his step. Determination. It looked good on Vance. Purpose. Now why go and ruin that by shedding light on Za'saad's harmless ruse?

Vance thanked the line cook, gave him the "bacon roller" and "rice peeler", then grabbed a handful of knives. The line cook let out a soft laugh, holding the julienne slicer and the funnel. Spinning on his heel to return to his younger coworker's side, Vance held out the knives to Za'saad.

"Ah, Za'saad, I've got the left-handed knives you asked for. And the bacon roller was on shelf five, while the rice peeler was on shelf eight. I made a mental note so that when the kitchen is done with them, I can put them back in their proper place." He was willing to take full responsibility for the items, even though he knew that the kitchen staff were more than capable of putting them back in their proper storage location. "Is there anything else I can do to assist? I'm more than willing to take on the large left-handed table when they come in."




【　▾ taste of italy ▀ tab tab 【　▾ za'saad ▀
【　▾ eager ▀ tab tab 【　▾ 'I did good, right?' ▀
【　▾ single ▀ tab tab 【　▾ $850 ▀

{ooc: sorry for the wait, let me know if I need to change anything!}


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Ashtail Foxclaw

 

[Ashtail Foxclaw]

tab tab ooc: xoxo
tab tab outfit: Workplace uniform, right eye covered by an eye-patch, left sleeve is tucked in nicely to avoid it flapping about. (Missing right eye and left arm, no prosthetics)
tab tab posting colour: #D19FE8

Vance was like working with a liquid - you might try to shape it in some way or form, but it’ll never be what you intended for it to become. At least this was Za’saad’s experience, and once the little gullible creature had returned, Za’saad had to decide if he wanted to enjoy the drink he poured or let it go down the drain.

Za’saad was still preparing tables by the time Vance returned, having been effective with the use of his gravitational lift, and now making sure he didn’t forget something like a salt and pepper shaker. “Hmm?” Z hummed in response at Vance’s voice, turning around to face him only to find a handful of knives being passed over - painfully ordinary knives, one might add. Za’saad blinked at the offer in part confusion before Vance spilled the whole ordeal with the roller and peeler as well. Dumbfounded bafflement slowly turned to restrain and then to amusement, Z’s soft chuckling gearing into a full belly-laughter that nearly had the cripple double over as he clutched his side tight.

“You’re one amazing guy, you know that?” Za’saad said aloud once he collected himself enough to even speak, standing tall-ish on shivering legs and using his hand to pat Vance’s shoulder, and only once the puppy had been petted did he reach to take the knives. “That’s quite the skill you have there.” Z praised him while grinning like a fool. For real though, this guy just conjured imaginary items. “Good job, good job.” Za’saad continued, snickering but slowly calming down while he returned the knives to their counter for when needed, bundling them up with all the others. He would have to hear the kitchen later to know the full story on that one.

Returning to Vance then, Za’saad reached out and put a gentle hand on top of his head, just letting it rest there for a bit while he looked the taller man in the eye. While Vance usually seemed as dead as a sea creature at the fish market, there was an unmistakable gleam behind his lifeless eyes and there was no way Za’saad could destroy that innocence - not today. “Alright, you’ve proven yourself, you can help with the table - but don’t say anything about the left-handed knives, alright?” Smiling at the man’s soft nature, Za’saad then pointed towards a cluster of tables, “You can help me setting it up; 34, 36, 38 needs to be put together to make a larger table, and we need an extra chair brought out as well. Have you dealt with a larger party before? It’s pretty much like any other table being served, but getting the food to everyone at once is the tricky part. We don’t want one half of the table to get their food while the other half don’t - so it’ll need a bit of coordination with the kitchen. Do you want to try your hand at being the main waiter at the big table? Don’t worry I’ll be there to back you up!” Giving Vance a gleaming smile, Za’saad walked over to the tables that needed to be put together, grabbing with his hand at the middle of one side, waiting for Vance to lift the other to scoot the table over without having to drag it across the floor. “Also, I heard you brought your girlfriend over and served her - did she have a good time?” Za’saad said, casually but with a slight smirk to the curve of his lips. Vance didn’t strike him as the most intentionally romantic type, so it was rather juicy gossip one might say.


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Exequtie
Vance Pool