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Post by *Kittlez. on Sept 9, 2012 5:43:19 GMT -5
It was a fairly warm night for Spring, aided by the gentle flickering of candles and torches, littering the courtyard of Hanul lui Manuc with the flowing glow of flames. Tonight, the famous inn played host to an orchestra, the diners sat at small tables surrounding the stage, creating a warm, sociable atmosphere, the air abuzz with chatter.
Sat at a small table, close to the open double doors leading into the restaurant itself, Nicole sipped delicately at a glass of red wine, staring into middle distance. This particular dinner out was almost a personal pat on the back for a particularly long string of shifts at The Blue Moon, finding that after having to deal with some particularly unsavoury characters, a night's rest was certainly in order.
Attempting to relax, she immersed herself in the music that flowed out into the courtyard, waiting for her starter; a small platter of smoked pork, salami, cheeses and seasonal vegetables. Nicole hailed from America, but found herself strangely infatuated with Romanian culture, particularly its food.
Leaning back in her chair, she glanced at her surroundings lazily. The events of this evening had certainly pulled quite a turn out, the spacious courtyard not seeming to have many tables empty...
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Post by Snaggle on Sept 9, 2012 7:07:31 GMT -5
This, William decided, as he stood awkwardly in the courtyard doorway, was possibly one of his worst ideas to date.
One knows that one is much too out of their depth when, even dressed in a suit and tie and generally considered overdressed in many situations, one still feels shabby and dog-like next to the people one is currently surrounded by.
Hastily William tried to straighten his tie and ran a hand nervously through his hair, taking in the wonderful sights and smells of the inn, a look of awe spread across his face.
Usually. No. Constantly, William would never dream of even stepping a foot or paw inside such a fancy looking place; if even the Dragon Chinese restaurant was out of his price range, he shuddered to think how badly out of pocket this place would leave him.
But there was still a small thrill to walking inside of the Hanul Lui Manuc; a small bloom of a hopeful idea taking place in William's mind.
In the small space left in his head that was able to entertain hopeful fantasy's, William imagined taking Peri to a place like this. Sitting her down at the fanciest table and...Maybe showing her the man he used to be before...Wolf...
And...Well...It couldn't hurt to just...Look around? Could it?
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Post by *Kittlez. on Sept 9, 2012 7:49:36 GMT -5
Deep green eyes narrowing a little, Nicole frowned a little as her stomach faintly growled, leaning her chin on her palm and seeking out a waiter, wondering where on earth her food was. All of the suited men and women seemed to be either too far away, or immersed in serving another customer, so when she noticed one to her left, hovering at the double doors leading from the restaurant - suited a little differently to the others, but she assumed he was probably new or something - she wouldn't allow herself to let another one get away.
"Excuse me, sir? I've been waiting for my entrée for over half an hour."
She spoke sharply, fixing her gaze upon him with steely judgement, to ensure he definitely knew she was talking to him. Unsure of exactly how fancy Hanul lui Manuc would be, Nico opted for a safe middle ground, wearing a comfortable black dress, with a fitted sleeveless lace top half, and a flowing skirt, with a high-low hem, as well as a pair of patent black heels, making her tower over the average woman, being fairly tall naturally.
Tapping her nails on the table, Nico awaited a response; expecting a nervous, jittery apology, rolling her eyes at the thought. Ugh. People...
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Post by Snaggle on Sept 9, 2012 8:05:36 GMT -5
William gave a little yelp of surprise as the Woman's voice suddenly cut across the air, sharp and commanding.
So caught up was he in his daydream beforehand, William found himself turning to the woman and starting to stammer out an apology before it had even crossed his mind that what the lady was asking for wasn't something he had any control over.
He paused and blinked, it suddenly occurring to him that he wasn't, in fact, actually a waiter. And so the entrees' were of no concern of his.
Feeling the deep familiar blush spread across his cheeks, he slumped slightly and tried to start again.
"S-sorry...B-but I think y-you have me confused with s-someone else..."
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Post by *Kittlez. on Sept 9, 2012 8:23:56 GMT -5
Staring at him levelly, Nico looked the young man up and down for a moment, before her lips twitched in a slight frown. He wasn't a waiter, and appeared to be a rather skittish, nervous little vole of a man. Useless. Crossing one leg over the other and folding her arms, she surveyed him for a moment more, before shaking her head. She could feel Freya already nagging at her subconscious, biting down on her lip slightly to try and hold her back.
"Why the stutter? Am I intimidating to you?"
Still not removing her gaze, she took another sip of her wine, her attention momentarily diverted, realizing that she'd probably been a little too generous to herself ordering a whole bottle. She was still on her first glass, and had barely gotten it down to halfway... She had never been one for alcohol, even in her teens... The thought made her swallow nervously, placing her glass back down, eyes clouding over.
Relax dearie, let me do the talking...
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Post by Snaggle on Sept 9, 2012 8:52:31 GMT -5
William felt his blush darken at the beautiful woman's words; it was hardly as if he liked the stammer. It certainly wasn't anything he found himself doing before his...Walking accident.
He liked to tell himself that he couldn't help it, but Lance had put pay to that little theory.
Thinking of Peri, how proud she had looked when he'd managed to...almost...not stammer, and not quite noticing the woman's rather distracted expression, William tried to straighten his back and concentrate on what he intended to say.
"No...You...y-you startled me...that's all..."
That was a lie though, and it was rather obvious, probably even to the woman.
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Post by *Kittlez. on Sept 9, 2012 9:19:52 GMT -5
Nicole opened her mouth to reply, before her mind went blank, jaw going slack for a brief moment, eyes glazed, before they widened considerably, blinking rapidly at Will, mouth stretching into a grin. Leaning forward on her chair like an intrigued child, the young woman tilted her head back and forth, as if seeing Will for the first time. Nicole was now only in the back of her mind, Freya had taken hold of the reigns and was now surveying Will with a interest, as if scoping him out like one would a toy, trying to figure out just how much amusement she could get from him.
"What a curious little man!"
She exclaimed, still smiling innocently. Whipping round to quickly check her table, she let out a small noise of triumph at the sight of another chair. Having dinner with this fellow seemed like the right idea, therefore Freya would make sure that it happened. After all, it was what she wanted. And Freya was somewhat of a spoilt young lady.
"You're here to eat, right? Why don't you come sit with me!"
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Post by Snaggle on Sept 9, 2012 9:50:05 GMT -5
William jumped slightly at the woman's sudden apparent complete change in nature;
from a cold, rather haughty commanding figure, to a keen eyed, wide smiling...Something.
It was highly unnerving, and William felt himself take a small step backwards as she leaned towards him.
"erm...I-I don't r-really think..."
He trailed off miserably, realizing from the woman's keen grin that she wouldn't be accepting 'no' for an answer any time soon.
Maybe he would find his chance to run when she wasn't looking.
Edging nervously towards the offered chair, he tried to straighten his jacket again, not looking the stranger in the eye as he sat down on the very edge of the seat.
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Post by *Kittlez. on Sept 10, 2012 11:05:27 GMT -5
Laughing delightedly and clapping her hands as he sat opposite her, she smiled broadly, if not a little too broadly at the young, practically terrified looking man that she had chosen to be her subject of entertainment - at least until Nicole managed to take hold of the reigns again - for the evening.
Glancing at her drink, she pulled a disgusted face at the glistening maroon liquid, and wondered to herself if they served anything a little more to her tastes, such as lemonade... Freya had a strange childlike demeanour when happy and content, which made it all the scarier when she descended into unpredictable mania at the smallest of aggravations.
"What's your name?"
She asked, wide eyes now back on Will, resting her chin in her palms, seeming genuinely interested. Head snapping up as a waiter finally placed a rectangular china plate before her, laden with vegetable, cured meats and cheeses, she stared at the plate for a moment with narrowed eyes, nervously pawing at the food with her fork.
Despite being an unpredictable young woman, Freya didn't exactly share Nicole's love of different cultures, preferring sugary items that were sure to rot her teeth and clog her arteries, as opposed to tasting the different cuisines of the world.
The waiter hovered for a moment, seeming a little taken aback by Freya's reaction, before noticing Will, scrambling to grab a notepad from his apron.
"May I take your order, sir?"
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Post by Snaggle on Sept 10, 2012 11:36:00 GMT -5
"W-William...W-William Hughes"
The woman's smile really was very unnerving now, making William wish that he'd thought of maybe making up a name to tell her; hopefully it wasn't as if they'd be meeting again any time soon.
As she gazed down into her drink with a look of disgust, William took the opportunity to glance around the courtyard; looking for any and all possible exits in case this woman became...Any stranger.
Then he would run home and huddle on Peri's sofa, under a blanket for the night.
That sounded a sensible option; this woman was creepy
"A-and y-your na-"
Cut off suddenly by the appearance and question from a waiter, William managed to stare up at him apologetically, the terrifying image of what the bill might run to for even the smallest entree at the inn dancing before his eyes.
"E-erm...I-I...er...n-not actually..."
He motioned slightly to the lady opposite him and tried to smile
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Post by *Kittlez. on Sept 10, 2012 11:49:16 GMT -5
The waiter looked a little confused by all of this, pen bumping against the pad as he looked from one to the other, not entirely sure what to make of the arrangement. A look of grateful relief crossed his features as the young lady - a very... scary looking lady, at that - chipped in, with surprising kindness.
"I'll be paying, so he may have whatever he'd like~"
Ignoring the eruption of screams from Nicole at this generosity - who was now having a mental breakdown at the thought of rendering herself broke on one of Freya's stupid whims - Freya smiled pleasantly at the both of them, nudging a menu towards her new friend, William.
"My name is Freya Andrews, by the way."
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Post by Snaggle on Sept 10, 2012 12:13:40 GMT -5
William accepted the menu nervously, stunned by the generosity of a woman he had met not half an hour ago, but still feeling an instinctual unease.
His hands shook slightly as he gazed down at the menu choices, trying to pick, for politeness sake, the cheapest thing he could find.
Finally finding something small and quick, he pointed with a shaking finger to the menu and glanced nervously up at the waiter.
"Erm...I-I'll have the soup...P-please..."
He hoped that would be enough to satisfy Freya.
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Post by *Kittlez. on Oct 24, 2012 17:57:04 GMT -5
Trying to ignore the fluttering in her stomach and pounding in her chest, Peri gently smoothed the material of her skirts and pushed open the heavy wooden doors that led into the restaurant section of Hanul lui Manuc, scanning the room slowly for Will, the very reason she was here. Not to mention the reason why she felt oddly nervous - an emotion that was considered a little out of character for her - as well as dressed up in her finest.
The young woman wore a black and dark maroon fitted dress that clung to her curves and came to just above her knees, with a bateau neck and panelling lined with dark chrome studs, as well as black leather court shoes, looking unusually mature and dignified, as opposed to her usual party wear, normally being a little scantier. Sucking in her breath as she couldn't find him, she moved through the collection of tables and chairs until the cool night air hit her full on, met with the sight of candles, torches and a beautiful stage, the air thrumming with the sound of classical music.
Suddenly, she felt herself soften a little, smiling at the thought that this would be what she remembered as her first date with Will. Obviously, discounting their unfortunate run in the forest... Subconsciously, one hand brushed over her stomach, the fabric of the dress hiding two scars across the skin, faintly burning at the memory. Shaking her head slightly to clear her mind of the thought, she continued her search for Will, her eyes quickly falling upon his form, sat at a table holding a menu, already seeming to be ordering...?
Raising an eyebrow slightly, Peri began to walk over, finding it a bit odd that he'd be ordering already, as he was rather the gentleman, and she was sure that it wasn't proper etiquette to order before your date arrived...
But then, the waiter moved away, seeming a little skittish, revealing a tall, dark haired woman sat opposite him.
Peri felt her stomach drop into an abyss of oblivion, the colour draining from her face. What... what was he doing with another woman? Fists clenching, she set her jaw, eyes flaming with fury, feeling her inner wolf bound forward, snarling viciously. Without even realizing it, she found herself marching forward, tempted to even go as far as to flip over the table, reaching the woman's side before she was stopped promptly in her tracks, her own blazing crimson eyes met with a startling emerald gaze.
"N....N...N-Nicole....." The name left Peri's lips as a barely as a whisper, hoarse with shock, feeling as if her throat was closing up, hardly allowing her to breath. Going weak at the knees, she stumbled back a few steps, hardly able to convince herself that the woman before her was anything more than an apparition. What was she doing here?! It had been years... Peri had left all of that behind...
And now she was here, staring her in the face, with such an odd, unsettling smile...
"Nicole isn't here right now." Freya replied flatly, tilting her hea to one side. Freya had never encountered Peri before, but the violent nagging at the back of her subconscious told her that Nicole had, and that she held some sort of significance... Images of fangs and claws suddenly flashed into her mind, causing her to let out a small, strangled cry, her entire demeanour changing.
"Y-you... YOU!" Freya suddenly screamed, scrambling up from her seat, reaching up under the hem of her skirt to pull out a 9mm handgun, pointing it directly at Peri, seeming to be mumbling and muttering a stream of incoherent words, that almost sounded as if they could be... wolf?
Raising her hands in shock, Peri stared at Freya, pale with fear, unable to believe what was happening. This couldn't be Nicole... not the Nicole she remembered, anyway. It was definitely the same Nicole on the outsight, the envy striking poker straight black hair and glimmering forest green eyes, pale skin and antisocial demeanour, but this... this psychopath couldn't possibly be her old friend... could it?
Glancing towards Will, Peri tried to convey 'help' as much as she could through her expression, hoping that - as much as she was sure that he most likely would - he wouldn't just up and run away, now that someone had brought a gun to a party of wolves. |
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Post by Snaggle on Oct 24, 2012 19:13:37 GMT -5
Just as William had thought, hoped, that maybe things had settled down, giving him a possible chance to escape in the newly relaxed atmosphere- out of the door and away from this crazy, unnerving lady- things had gone from bad too...
...Well...Much...Much...Worse...
Peri, in all her beautiful, fiery, dressed up glory, was about the last thing the little man had expected to charge into view, baring down on the seated pair like some avenging Harpy.
For a brief moment his heart soared to see her here, regardless of the terrifying look on her face, and how the situation could well be perceived from her eyes.
But that brief moment was shattered by the sudden escalation of events, each one passing almost too quickly for William- even with his heightened senses- to follow.
The pause. The sudden recognition. The yells. The...The gun.
The sudden arrival of the slim black gun in Freya's hand- followed by the whiff of gunpowder and metal- was enough to propel William from his chair, a startled, terrified yelp escaping his lips as he did so.
His first instinct was to run; leap past the terrified customers and race out of the building, tail between his legs.
But then...he would be leaving Peri to some ghastly unknown fate. And that was something that Will had promised himself he would never, ever do again.
Coward he may be, but that didn't make him proud of it.
"p-please...D-don't...I-I'm sure we could...Workthisoutsomehow"
Suddenly aware that, not only had he just said the most stupid, pointless thing possible in this situation, he had also now drawn the attention (and possibly the gun point) to himself, William to a frightened step back with these words.
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Post by *Kittlez. on Oct 24, 2012 19:39:11 GMT -5
After a few moments, Freya's actions spread out like a ripple in the ocean that was Hanul lui Manuc. A whisper heightened into screams and cries, customers were running from the tables, others were hiding, staff were cowering, looking at eachother, even the security staff a little apprehensive to try and deal with this psychotic female, her manic mutters fluctuating between whispers and shouts.
"I can finally kill you... wretched... wolf..." She began to cackle maniacally, emerald eyes glittering as she eyed Peri with a terrifying bloodlust, taking the safety off of her pistol before moving her index finger to the trigger, much to the horror of spectators, even causing one woman to faint. One brave soul from the restaurant's security stepped forward, trying to take an authoritative stance, coming as close as he dared to Freya.
"Miss, put the gun down." His voice shook audibly, keeping his gaze trained on her, looking as if he wanted to run away at any moment. Sadly, this probably would have been a better idea for him. Turning towards him with an indignant snort, Freya muttered "Poor little lamb. Rest in peace." before shooting the man square between the eyes, splattering the wall behind in crimson.
Blood-curdling screams echoed through the courtyard, and the majority of people who had stayed to wait things out fled as fast as their feet could carry them, Freya now turning her attention back to Peri, seemingly unaffected by her previous act of murder. Peri, however, had gone sickeningly pale, pulse racing, almost feeling like she wanted to vomit, seeing the poor man...
As Will spoke, Freya looked towards him, tipping her head to one side with an odd smile. "So you have fallen for the wolf? That is... unfortunate. You are a sweet young man, after all." She still didn't lower the gun, but her moment's distraction gave Peri all the time she needed. Throwing herself to the side, she hit the ground and rolled behind the nearest table, the thud causing Freya to shoot at the ground where Peri had been, before cursing loudly, regaining her aim to shoot the table Peri had ducked behind.
Banking on the fact that at least someone would have called the police by now, Peri figured that she just needed to try and survive until the police arrived, and keep Freya distracted so that she wouldn't try and hurt Will. After all, she seemed to like him... Grimacing as she heard the bullet ricochet off one of the table legs, she glanced at the buckled metal, before taking a deep breath and diving towards the table behind, hearing another shot fire off to hit the ground a few inches to the left of her. Four shots... Theoretically, her gun should hold eight, meaning that she needed to dodge four more before she had an opening.
"Nicole... please, don't you remember me?" Peri called out from under the table, wondering if she could reason with the girl. "NICOLE DOESN'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU!" Freya shrieked, kicking violently at the first table she'd shot at, knocking it over, sending candles, plates and glasses crashing to the ground in a shower of shattered glass and porcelain. [/blockquote] |
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