[Derek Anderson] He was out in Chinatown for the second time in two days. Yesterday his shift ended earlier and he had dinner with Sofie and that guy…Remy in a place not too far. It went well despite Remy’s less than classy behavior. So here he was, again, wandering the streets, wondering if he should eat here and find a pub later or head directly ot a pub and eat there.
He was vstanding out amongst the asian people. At almsot 6’4″, wide, muscular with blond hair and caucasian, he was hard to miss. He was dressed in black pants, white shirt and black and green tie. His light jacket was open, his weapon still hidden though
He jsut walked ofr now, hands in his pockets, kind blue eyes scanning the area.
[Rory] Rory stands out in a crowd, even though she’s currently sitting down. There’s a random bench that is a favorite haunt, between two different restaurants. She has obviously been to one in that there’s a container from Cho’s Noodle Hut in her hand, which she’s busy digging into with chopsticks. She’s slender – almost painfully so, and very, very pale. And Freckled. In fact, more than one person, based on that and her redredred curls, has stopped to ask her if she is Irish, if she is wearing green, and wishing her a happy St. Patrick’s Day.
They stop short at the thought of pinching her, however. It could be the fact she looks utterly confused by all of this, or the fact that despite looking like a bewildered shy young woman, she feels like a serial killer looking for her next victim. The force of her rage, especially now under the swollen moon, is enough to keep most cutting a wide path around her.
She doesn’t really notice that, anymore though. Instead, she watches the street, head tipped curiously, trying to make sense of why everyone is so… damn… happy… tonight, occasionally taking a bite of her noodles.
[Derek Anderson] He sensed the rage, she had more than any he encountered except maybe Lukas. And she was hard to miss. He watched her ofr a moment, wondering who she was. He never even heard of someone looking like her, so why not go to her and introduce himself. Chances are, they will meet again after all.
He walked ot her, slowly as not to startle the young woman looking slightly confused. He offer her a warm friendly smile “Good evening, how are you doing?”
He stayed at a decent distance for now, watching her and gaging her reaction to him so he’ll know if he can come closer and how to act around that slim, beautiful rage filled woman
[Rory] She blinks, slowly, when he talks to her. This close, he can see that her eyes are green. Perhaps that’s why she’s not getting pinched. Probably not. She blinks again as she realizes he’s talking to her, and ducks her head, shyly. She hides behind her curls, her smile brief, and hidden.
“Hi.”
A woman of few words, it seems – though she doesn’t seem adverse to his coming closer.
[Derek Anderson] He took a few steps closer, smiling at her “How are you doing? I’m Derek by the way”He say, smilnig some moreat her behavior. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of you be shy before”
He say in a teasing tone. He looked pretty relaxed for someone facing a predator with so much rage inside her
“Is the food good at Cho’s Noodle Hut’s? Im hungry and was wondering if I should grab something here or in a pub”
[Rory] She does something else he’s likely never seen one of them do before… she blushes. Color slides under her skin, dancing warmly over her features, splashing across her cheeks, her jaw, even her neck and it doesn’t take much imagination to figure it continues right on down beneath her clothing. She lifts a hand to rub absently at the side of her nose. Her fingers are delicate, looking as if they could break under the slightest pressure, nails almost non-existent.
Of course, they both know it’s highly unlikely she breaks that easily.
He’s Derek. “Rory.” then, she’s looking at the noodles, and the hut nearby. She peeks at Derek, then drops her gaze again, chewing on her lower lip for a moment, before… “is cheap.” which might be better than good. “..and ok.”
[Derek Anderson] He tilted his head “Hmmm…I might pick another place. Are you still hungry, or maybe you’d liek soemthing to drink? I’d find myself an irish pub ofr St-Patrick’s day, but I could eat asian cuisine”
He offer his hand gently to her “And it’s a pleasure meeting you Rory. I lvoe your name” He was still smiling to her, amused at her blushing and well attracted to .Shy, red head, green eyes, freckles, blushing..how could any men resist.
[Rory] He offers her his hand, and she looks at it a moment, before peeking up at him briefly. She then slides her hand into his – her fingers are warm, heated with the intensity of her blood that is so at odds with her demeanor, her cautiousness, her shyness. He loves her name, and her color deepens, so she concentrates on the first question…
Is she still hungry? She nods, slightly. She’s almost always hungry. As for where, she shrugs a shoulder slightly – but then confusion brushes across her features again… “Saint Datricks pay?”
She doesn’t seem to notices the mistake in her wording – its as if she hears exactly what she intended to say, rather than what she does. “What is it?”
[Derek Anderson] He shook her hand slightly then getly pulled her up if she allow it while holding her hand, then he let it go, unless she keep his in hers “St Patrick’s, with a P. It’s the national holiday for the Irish. Aday to wear green, get drunk and for most, pretending ot be irish.”
He smiled to her “Really it’s just an excuse ofr many to get drunk” He look at her for a second “What would you liek to eat?”
[Rory] She wrinkles her nose as he explains, clearly letting this sink in, trying the idea on for size. In doing so, she forgets that her hand is still in his for a moment, letting him pull her up, letting her hand rest in his…
…then pulling away when she realizes it, blushing brightly, yet hiding it behind her curls as she bends to grab the straps of her backpack, sliding it onto her shoulder easily.
She has a question, then. “…why?” About St. Patrick’s day, that is. as for where to eat, she shakes ehr head with a slight shrug, lips curving into a brief and mostly hidden smile. “Anywhere.”
[Derek Anderson] His thumb had brush her soft skin hwen she had let her hand stayed in his and he was sliming warmly at her when she took it away.
“Why what? Why is it the Irish holiday or why people liek pretending they’re irish?”He ask, walking now with her.
“Do youliek meat? I feel like eating a steak or something” He say watching her “And are you new here? To Chicago?”
[Rory] He asks why to both possibilities of the Why question, and then with a little grin, a more vigorous nod that sets curls to bouncing across her shoulders. She’s garou. of COURSE she likes meat…
As for the rest, a slight shake of her head. “Not new.” some words are easier than others… those, for example, rather than these: “Heen bere about a year.” Like before, she doesn’t seem to notice her mistake.
[Derek Anderson] He smiled to her “All right, let’s get some steaks or ribs for both of us”He say,heading toward the edge of Chinatown where restaurants where more diversified “As for the why it’s the Irish holiday, it’s all about a guy being caguht by Pirates and escaping, then came back and converted the whole of Ureland to Christianity, or something close ot that. And his name what Patrick.”
He smiled to her “As ofr why people liek to pretend. I don’t know. Irish peopel are sociable, good drinkers and often great partyers I guess. So everyone want to share those qualities on this day.”
He tilted her head at her “A year? That’s nice. Do you like it here? I have been around for just over a month now”
[Rory] She wrinkles her nose, and then peeks up at him from under her curls briefly. Even briefly felt, her gaze is intense, heavy, despite the shy demeanor of the women casting it. “fike Lianna then?” A nod slightly. She wonders if Patrick knows that today is named for a Fianna that has his name…
[odd how things connect in her brain]
She shrugs a little when he asks about Chicago. “Is ok. Sad sometimes.” Most of the time. “better hen thome.”
[Derek Anderson] He smiled “Yeah, Like Fianna”
He watched her when she spoke about Chicago and home “Why do you think it’s sad here? I kinda have a good time most of the time since I arrived. And where are you form. I”m form Pittburgh. Another city more or less far form here”He say, thinking she probably has no idea where Pittsburgh was
[Rory] The longer it goes before he asks her about her speech, the more she relaxes. She still very much has the flight or fight adrinilin running through her system – with the likelihood of flight being her primary response, despite the press of rage that suggests she was born on a night like this, under a moon swollen and heavy. But here, in this skin, she is docile, she is calm, she is almost unbearably shy…
Where’s she from? “Arizona.” It takes her longer to answer his other question, though her features are easily read – if he can see behind the curls she hides behind with a duck of her head. Sadness traces over her features, loneliness, pain. “Moo tuch loss…”
[Derek Anderson] He nodded “So i heard. I’m sorry if you have loss anyone here” He said with sincerity. He was still walking with her, at her pace, Nothing seem to bother him much, and no he didn’t say anything about her speech. It wan’t his business and he understood her perfectly
He found a grill on the outskirt of Chinatown “Let’s go there, I’m sure we cna get out fill of meat there” He smiled to her and headed there. He opened the door for her and stepped in after she did
[Rory] It’s clear she’s lost someone here. Perhaps more than one. There’s a heaviness about her shoulders, a sadness in her gaze – and she seems so very alone and vulnerable. Of course, they both know she can likely break him in two without breaking a sweat, but that’s neither here nor there. She simply doesn’t hide her emotions very well at all.
Heaven help them all if she gets angry…
He opens the door for her and it startles her into looking up at him, meeting his gaze briefly, before that blush appears again, and she slides inside. She lets him take the lead in finding a table, and follows him, docile and calm.
[Derek Anderson] He found them a booth by the window so she could look outside if she wanted to. Grills and Steakhouses weren’t that crowded on St Pat’s day. He watches her in silence ofr the moment, noticing her sadness and he gently reached for her hand and gave it a warm, gentle squeeze
“Do you have friends here? People you can hang out with? Cheer you up and all that?”
He offer a smiel ot the waiter when the uncomfotable man bring their menus. Derek place one in front of Rory “And order anythingg you want, I”m buying tonight”
[Rory] She slips her backpack off again when they get to the booth, and sets it on the bench before she slides in next to it. It falls with a metallic clanking sound, suggesting its far heavier than she makes it look. He reaches for her hand and she falls very, very still, hesitating and watching his fingers around hers, as if afraid something bad is coming – as if a simple touch is almost always followed by pain…
Not this time though, and she relaxes a fraction, enough to answer the question, though it’s mostly just a shake of her head. “Know some, but po nack.”
She looks at the menu, running her fingers over the cover, but she doesn’t open it to read, instead murmuring “You can order..?” shyly.
[Derek Anderson] He smiled to her and once he had squeezed her hand, he let it go. She reminded him so much of Tabitha on that occasion, the same look of fear when he touched her
“Rory, I’ll never hurt you”He say simply to her. He definatly seem to know some of her thoughts
“And well, if you want a pack, I can lsiten around and if I hear about something, I’ll let them know you might be interrested. There’s a talk of a new pack maybe forming up, all girl, under BacchusI think. If it would interest you, I cna talk to one of the future member”
He offer his help easilly, without even hesitating
“And what do you feel liek eating? Steak? Ribs? Something else? I can certainly order”
[Rory] He assures that he’ll never hurt her, and she blushes brightly again. She’s delicate, almost, and certainly has been victim to something vicious other than simply being in the Nation. But it doesn’t stop her from responding to soft words, to company, to simple things she has so often been denied.
He’ll spread the word and she shakes her head slightly. “Is ok.” Someone will want her, sooner or later. She is very patient.
And there’s definite relief when he says he’ll order. She offers him the shiest of smiles. “You choose.” a beat, then a slight wrinkle of her nose and question… “…steak?”
[Derek Anderson] He nodded to her “Well, I’ll jsut tell them you exist, then you and them can decide, does that sound fair to you?” He say, kind blue eyes looking at her green one, trying ot find them behind the curls of red hair
“Steak sounds delicious. Which cooking teperature? Rare? Medium? Something in between? We’ll order the biggest steak and some ribs. Then we can share. How’s that sounds?”
He tilted his head “Do you like beer? Wine? Only water?”
[Rory] She nods slightly, allowing him that much. She has no opinion on the temperature of the meat though – she’ll eat it as long as it stands still long enough, truth be told. She blushes at the idea of sharing, but nods again chewing on her lower lip…
Then her eyes light up, briefly. Ray taught her to appreciate wine. Patrick and Howard taught her to like beer, and Imogen gave her her first taste of whiskey. Bad influences, all. But all she says, is a hopeful “…wine?”
[Derek Anderson] He nodded “All right, red wine it’ll be”He order a 10 oz filet mignon with a whole rack of ribs, then some alad and baked potatoes. He wasn’t sure which she’d enjoy so he ordered both
“So tell me a little about yourself and then I’ll tell you about me if you want to know something” He smiled, looking at her, leaning back. He looked liek he had nowhere better to be and she had all of his attention.
[Rory] She listens as he orders, and then at his question, she does what is obviously her default reaction- she blushes.
She isn’t one who talks a lot, for obvious reasons. She’s well used to simple sentence that she is mocked for, and rarely speaks out in more than that. Even when asked… though she does try more when one on one.
She chews her lip for a moment, then shrugs slightly. “Mot nuch to tell. Live, fight, mive lore.”
[Derek Anderson] He nodded “Hmmm the same pattern as many of you. How about inserting fun, friends, sleep, eat, drinking into that? Seem liek a much richer living experience no?”
He grinned at her “My life consist of working, spending time with riends, helping people, drink occasionally, fight when I have to and care about those around me. I also go to movies, eat out in charming company liek tonight and various other things that makes my life pretty interesting”
[Rory] She lifts a shoulder into a slight shrug. “Not allowed.” It seems for a moment she won’t clarify which ones she’s ‘not allowed’ to do or have. Perhaps she means all of them. She may even be serious about that. She even looks around for a moment, as if she might be in trouble – or at least in for yet another lecture, considering what tribe he belongs too – just for sitting here with him.
“Dave huty. Is all I should want.” softly, that.
She listens to him, and wrinkles her nose when he suggests she’s charming company. “No one important. Must je.”
[Derek Anderson] He smiled “Ok, let me clarify that. I think oyu’re charming company and I”m glad to have met you tonight”
He tilted his head “I understand duties, I really do. I have mine. But your life can’t be all about duties, you need things to take oyur mind off your troubles, to help you relax. Doesn’t have to be somethying special or something you do often, but you need some. And who said you can’t do any of what I do? Because I”m gonig to talk to them and explain them a thing or two about living”
He smiled, his tone was slightly playful but he would be severly tempted to get in the face of wohever put those ideas in her head
[Rory] She blushes brighter, and smiles shyly, though it’s hidden behind her curls, like most things. She does peek up at him, to see he is serious, and playful, and then hides her gaze away again.
As for who… and why… she admits softly. “Bin-sorn. Wrong. Duty is all I han cave.”
[Derek Anderson] He tilted his head head, taking some time ot juggle the letters “You are? OS? what if you are? You’re still a person and you certainly didn’t ask to be born that way right? But you are and you have duties. I know how they are about people liek you.
Still it’s not a reason for you not to have fun. I mean look at you. You’re beautiful, you’re sweet, you have a nice smile and you are loyal to your duties. So what if once in a while you have fun. It’s a prerequisite to be alive. Fun once in a while. Seriously, I”m gonig to talk to Lukas if your family’s boss doesn’t allow you a few hours ot enjoy yourself once in a while”
[Rory] When he mentions Lukas, something dark comes over her gaze, and she shakes her head hard enough curls bounce about her shoulders.
“Lukas is an ass.” Well. She does have opinions, after all. Even if she slaps her hand over her mouth immediately, as if she hadn’t meant to say it out loud.
“Please…. ton’t dell…”
[Derek Anderson] He smiled softly “Don’t tell what? I haven’t heard anything”
The food was brought and he let her have the skeak and salad or potato. He start to owrk on the ribs, offering her some of them “But seriously, you can have fun as long as you don’t neglect your duties. ThatI can swear to you. And you deserve some, really”
He smiled and start to eat slowly, watching her with a smile
[Rory] He hasn’t heard anything… there’s a moment’s confusion as she knows she said it out loud, and then understanding dawns, and she graces him with one of her rare smiles, unhidden, just before she’s turning her gaze on the steak and potatoes, and digs in as if she hasn’t eaten in a week, instead of just an hour or so ago.
she shrugs, slightly. “Sometimes. But futy dirst. Always more do to.” She lifts a hand to tuck her curls behind her ear, though they spring forward again almost immediately. She has learned to sneak some things in sometimes… but even here, such things are frowned on for her kind. She deserves nothing more, according to law, to tradition, to those above her – though they are all above her.
That shadow of loneliness passes through her gaze again. She misses her pack more than ever, an ache that never quite heals. She misses Howard, too, and so many others. No stranger to loss, to pain.
[Derek Anderson] He watched for some time then simply say “Well..if you want I can be there for you, be your firend, help you out with anything. So maybe you’ll have more time for yourself”
He smile to her and they eat, enjoying the way she eat with appaetite “And you’re welcome to stop by my place for dinner when you want. You look like you could eat more regularly” He say, watching her
He talked to her until the food was gone from both plates, sharing a bottle of wine with her. If she wanted, she would end up with his phone number and adress…and a friend too. He didn’t try to hug or kiss her. no, he jsut bid her a good night once they were done talking and then headed home, letting her go on her way, confident she could handle anthing she mgiht encounter
[Rory] (yay! fadearoo)