Upon First Sight [Cassandra] (Read 812 times)

[ALDUIN KOU]

 I'M WAKING UP TO ASH AND DUST   

tag:Lady - words:000

It is 02:00 AM, Magnolia is alive. With all of its burning bright lamp posts, violence and rampant gang wars, drug deals, sirens and desperate men and women just looking for a little company, whether by alcohol or by hooking up. Every night, the city's honest and established restaurants, offices and people go to their beds, and the dark, ugly things crawled from behind the alleyways to manifest themselves.

From the suite that Alduin had paid for, the sound of a bustling night life could only be faintly heard, and the giant, glass panes that formed a massive panoramic view of Magnolia was nothing but thousands of ambient lamp posts lighting up the sky. The people were ants, scurrying along their little lives, trying to matter. And he was just another one of them. Only that he had a nice little viewpoint to look at it all from under the heavy rain that fell upon him. The nightlife was active though Alduin was waiting in the solitude of the dark. He was lost in his deep thoughts. Perhaps he was too naive to think that someone would actually take him by the hand and bring him out of all this madness? He thought that someone'd actually be here for him by now but there was nothing but the rain...

Of course, happiness wasn't the only thing the song brought to man. For some, it was one of optimistic mourning as they remembered lost loves, comrades who perished bravely in battle, and all others who had been taken away from them far too soon. For others, it signaled the budding of a new dark moment, which would soon make them give up all hope for life. The blond haired man now strolling through Magnolia was a member of that last group, even though he had the reputation for being social and hyper active most of the time. It didn't really bother him much at all; he supposed he deserved it since social interaction between him and his guild members was virtually non-existent since the refusal of his first love proposition. He felt all cold and lonely now. He longed for the warmth that woman give her that night. It felt magical to him although it only lasted for a few seconds. He thought that she was ready to follow him and that his adventures weren't going to be so cold anymore but no... Only the feeling of remorse and bitterness could be felt whenever he recalled these events.

Who could blame him, though? The first time Alduin had truly opened up to someone, they had taken him for a complete joke, leaving him confused, depressed, and with almost no desire of ever doing it again. Now that the man really thought about it, it was nothing more than a perfectly understandable yet damaging fear of being hurt. Solitude had only enjoyed his favor for so long because it was less dangerous emotionally than the alternative. Grateful that no one was around to witness this, the cerulean eyed man laughed at himself. His nature of not being an emotional person was just the sort of person he was, though. Fear didn't influence that, or at least the young of heir of Balbadd liked to believe so as he let go of a bottle of liquor before it collided and broke into pieces against the solid floor.

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[Cassandra]

It was unsurprising that a certain orange-haired young woman wasn’t asleep even in the latest of hours. For a long time, she had been plagued with terrible nightmares that were so graphic, so gory and so disturbing that she was put off sleeping for life. Cassandra was able to survive without sleep, or just enough per night so that she didn’t enter the REM state, when a human being would dream and undergo reparation stages. Perhaps that was why she had remained so small when compared to others of her age, or she could blame her apparently short mother, having never met the woman for herself. She had only known her constantly cold father that refused to acknowledge her presence most of the time during her childhood, and even until the day she left home recently to join the furthest mage guild from his ideals possible.

It just so happened that guild was Raven Tail, deemed evil and terrible by most other guilds across Fiore. She was not a particular proud of active member of the guild, and mainly stayed there to annoy her father, to make him sit up and take notice on her.

Thus far, it hadn’t worked.

She had left her apartment at 1am, not having anything else to do there. And the bed was so comfortable that she may sleep for far too long if she stayed there any longer. She had to stay active, even if that meant wandering Magnolia in the early hours, when thugs would thrive and all sorts of underground business went on. She had been in the town for long enough to know where to avoid when she went on her nightly strolls, however, and numerous people knew that they shouldn’t touch her if they valued their money. Her father was quite an influential, wealthy man with power that far outstretched his main base of Akane Town. He held shares in the very popular Akane Resort, and had tried to teach his only child, Cassandra, how to run the family business when he was old and retired.

Although that endeavour had been a favour, her identity helped to protect her against thugs and thieves if they knew any better. Those with higher skill sets and the like had often tried to kidnap her and get a reward from Mr Del-Monaco, but those attempts had also been in vain. Cassandra despised fighting in any shape or form, but she knew how to defend herself should push come to shove. Her status as a mage of the dangerous Raven Tail guild often kept her safe also, and when that didn’t work, she was able to use her odd magic to outsmart the opponent so that she could run away unscathed. Yes, she never really did rely on brute force, because her feeble body was unable to handle such stresses. She was able to use smaller versions of her magic that didn’t have ‘spells’, and she used such things for showmanship alone, to amuse herself when she felt particularly lonely and down in the dumps. Because of her odd nature, what with being so shy and then extremely clingy all in a short space of time, she didn’t make friends, and she had never known what friendship felt like. That often led to her practising hobbies that only needed one person, like sketching, reading, writing and painting.

Occasionally, she would sell her paintings and sketches on market days, but she never got any more than a few jewels here and there because she was too shy to speak up and get herself noticed by possible buyers. That being said, it wasn’t like she relied on the money; she had plenty to go at, after all. Her ‘daddy dearest’ had plenty in the bank for her to use, and because she lived alone with little expenses, there was always plenty of cash left over from mage jobs she completed.

As she wandered through the deserted, dark streets of Magnolia Town, she suddenly heard a strange noise up ahead. It echoed, and thus sounded odd to her ears, but as she drew closer she knew it was a laugh of sorts. Who would be out laughing at this time of night? By this time she had been wandering aimlessly for one hour. On her walks, she rarely met anyone, and as such she found herself very curious. The sound of a smashing bottle came from the same person, a down-trodden young man up ahead. He had dropped a bottle of alcohol, and the laugh he gave earlier was half-hearted and sarcastic at best. She floundered for something to do, feeling nervous as her palms began to sweat heavily. An embarrassed tinge of pink touched her cheeks as well. This was a new person, this was her chance! Swallowing a deep breath of air to find her courage, she approached slowly and quietly, the height of her wedges not making a sound on the cobble stones. Small, exclusive fireworks started exploding into bursts of colour in front of the blonde man, spelling out the words, ‘Good evening, don’t be sad’ in their colourful splendour.

Her gentle, soft melodic voice spoke, surprisingly loud and clear in the empty street. “Ta da…”

[ALDUIN KOU]

 I'M WAKING UP TO ASH AND DUST   

tag:Lady - words:000

It seemed that fate favored the blond haired man today. Just when he was going to die from boredom and feeling very depressed, a source of entertainment opened itself toward him. Although Alduin didn't really believe in any sort of deity, the man silently thanked whatever, if anything, was up there controlling all the events of this world. Continuing his night stroll, the crimson eyed man frowned in response to her rather enthusiastic greeting while trying to prevent himself from laughing again. He was depressed a few moments ago but her sudden way of entrance brought up a little smile upon his face. He did no know who she was nor why she was doing this but he was enjoying it until the dark thoughts he had a few moments ago came back to him.

''Hi...'' His expression gradually became more gloomy as he spoke stoically. It looked like that she wanted to play a game although Alduin enjoyed the beauty of her firework. ''Whatever magic you possess, it's a pretty one.'' He complimented before noticing the fragile and little body the female has. Is she a kid? He thought inside of his head before cleaning his face as he tried to look more waked up. Continuing on what he was previously doing , Alduin quickly walked over to the little female before looking down from his imposing height before grinning as he gave a tap on her shoulder. A friendly sign that he would do whenever he didn't want others to see his true side. A way for him to hide underneath his frozen shell. It was what most royalties like him were best at. Sealing their feelings to create a completely new one in order to satisfy the others. Beside , she is way too young to ever understand him. ''Anyway... What is a little kid like you doing here? Are you lost from your parents? Do you need me to escort you back? Magnolia's streets are quite dangerous at night even for a little mage like you.'' He said with a playful tone while putting a little accent on the word little each time he said it. She looked the innocent and weak quite of type that would most likely be tricked by any kind of people. Especially the evil thugs that roamed around these streets at night.

Alduin was almost on the verge of laughing before he noticed his sudden change of mood. What was he doing? He was supossed to be depressed so why was he feeling so happy right now? It was as if the sudden apparition of this little kid lighted up a sudden flame within him. A flame that provided him heat. A similar sort of heat that he once felt from a distant time not too far away from the one right now.

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[Cassandra]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Cassandra's dress}

Her orange gaze didn’t leave the figure of the down-trodden man, wondering what he thought of her attempt to cheer him up. He greeted her in return, quietly and without much vigour, she noticed, a simple ‘hi’. To acknowledge that she had heard him, she waved a hand, cursing herself for how sweaty her palms were with nerves that coursed through her body. He complimented her magic as being pretty, a compliment that caught her off guard. Her eyes widened and she blushed even more as she averted her gaze, giggling softly as she gently stubbed the toes of her high-heeled wedges on the ground below. “O-Oh, it’s n-nothing r-really…” She said dismissively and with a noticeable stutter, once again thanks to nerves.

She felt happy and warm inside as the stranger approached her. Somebody would actually come up and talk to her, even after she had displayed her strange magic in front of them! He tapped her on the shoulder and grinned at her, but she couldn’t help but feel intimidated by his height. Even while wearing her high shoes that elevated her to 5’7”, she felt small and weak. It was something that made her chew on her lip nervously, not able to meet the stranger’s red eyes.

That was when he did the unspeakable. He asked what ‘a little kid’ like her was doing outside this late. Her body froze up, and her tangerine gaze lifted from the cobbled streets to look directly at the blonde man. So even though she wore a pretty, grown-up dress, short and everything, teamed with high wedges that made her tall, she was still deemed as a kid… it made her feel so unimaginably annoyed, frustrated, and above all, upset. Those emotions were visible in her face as she looked at him, not being able to hide them, much to her dismay. She could feel a lump rising at the back of her throat, just like it always did when she got over-emotional. She felt as if she could cry; in spite of all her efforts, she would always be the same little girl that never truly grew up. “I’m seventeen years old.” She told him, her voice thick with annoyance and a kind of tone that gave away when somebody was close to tears.

“Always the same… always the same… oh the irony…” She muttered dramatically to herself, placing a delicate hand over one side of her face, mouth wobbling a little as she fought back the urge to cry. She let out an angered scream at her own stupidity, her own weakness, and turned on her heel, beginning to storm away. She hoped upon hope that the blonde would rectify his mistake, calm her down and soothe her, so that she could talk like a civilised human being without this stupid habit of hers interfering.

[ALDUIN KOU]

 I'M WAKING UP TO ASH AND DUST   

tag:Lady - words:000

''Seventeen? But I'm sev-...'' He didn't even have the chance to finish his phrase before the female randomly ran away. Of course , Alduin chased after although he wasn't as fast because of the alcohol's effect that has starting to take upon him. He was beginning to feel dizzy but he told himself that he needed to find her. Strange , it was as if her safety almost became his responsibility although they have only meet and talked to each other for a few minutes. ''Hey wait!'' He chased after while remembering himself to never call her kid again. That is , if she really is seventeen years old like she claimed to be...

Alduin tripped during his chase as mud covered his clothes before immediately got back on his feet and continued his task again. ''I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!'' He shouted while running after her. His voice wasn't clear under this heavy rain though he tried to shout as hard as he could. ''I'm really sorry! Will you forgive me!? I didn't mean to...'' He halted his phrase before both of them stopped and tried to catch back their breaths. He needed to figure out something quickly or she might run away from him again which was not good since all kind of evil guys lurked within the dark corners of magnolia right now. ''I didn't mean to say such things to a pretty lady like you.'' He changed his phrase while looking at her into the eyes seriously before blushing as he titled his head to the left in embarrassment. Now why did he even say that to someone he considered as a kid? It felt weird yet a slight feeling of warm was gradually growing inside of him. Perhaps it was to calm or down? Or perhaps it was his real... No , that cannot be. I don't trust people anymore. I shouldn't after all that has happened to me. He thought in his mind before looking back toward the female as he tried to put up the most welcoming and friendly smile he could. He didn't want to look aggressive and needed her to stay if he didn't want to feel so lonely. It was rare for someone to start a sparkle within him though this female have never failed to amaze him so far. He did not know why but something of her attracted him like a magnet. ''Hey don't run away again ok...? I did not meant to make you mad and I ... I feel terribly sorry for what I said back there... I'm an idiot so don't take me seriously ok?'' He tried to slap his mouth while continuing his warning.'' These streets are really dangerous at night so...'' Alduin didn't even finish his phrase before the eyes of multiple beings that lurked within the darkness of the night appeared.

••
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[Cassandra]

The orange-haired girl furiously rubbed at her eyes, trying to force the tears away before they could spill down her cheeks and ruin any chances she had of making a friend. That being said, this stranger had called her a… child. Maybe he was no different to the others that saw her as weak and pathetic. Even if he did catch up to her, what was the chance of him actually being a good friend to her? He might get freaked out by her clingy nature and run away, just like everybody else she had tried to befriend over the years. She continued to run, her wedges clicking loudly on the cobble stones below her. Something about this scene reminded her of a book she had read recently, but she pushed it out of mind. It was things like this that made her such a strange young woman; she holed herself up reading books, painting, sketching and whatever else while other people her age would be out socialising.

As she ran, she was surprised to hear the voice of the stranger from before calling out to her, asking her to wait. Her legs continued to push her forwards, however, pushing herself and running in spite of her near-hysterical state. He kept shouting that he was sorry, until she finally decided to stop. Her chest heaved a little while she stood with her back kept defiantly to the blonde male, her shoulders slouched and her eyes brimming with small tears that threatened to engulf her vision. She looked down at her dress, at her high wedged shoes, and wondered what it was she was doing wrong. Why did she look so childish when everyone else of her age looked to be so much older? She turned slightly, looking at the young man stood in front of her. He apologised and said that he shouldn’t have said such things to such a pretty young woman like her. He then averted his gaze and… blushed? She wasn’t sure in this dimming light. She turned fully to face him, her gaze still averted to the floor as she couldn’t bring herself to look at him directly. She felt embarrassed and unbelievably shy in front of him; more so than usual when it came to other people and interacting with them. He smiled at her warmly, and she chewed on her lip nervously, wondering whether he was genuine. Her inhibitions didn’t last long as she decided that she would at least give him a chance.

He asked her not to run away again, and apologised again for what he said before. Cassandra managed a small, sheepish smile up at him with a small nod of her head, a non-verbal way of saying that it was okay. The stranger then warned that these streets were dangerous at night, and before she could reply that she had walked these streets plenty of times and that she would be fine, many pairs of eyes lit up the dark night around them. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at the strange beings that surrounded them, and she inadvertently found herself inching much closer to the stranger for protection. In spite of her combat spells and status as mage, she wasn’t a fighter, and she became petrified whenever violence ensued. She gulped loudly, giving away her fear as she could feel her knees wobble slightly.

“U-Uh… I-I-I… I c-can’t… f-fight…” She finally managed to get out in a voice that barely exceeded a whisper, standing behind the stranger for protection as she pressed herself against him, grabbing the back of his shirt and looking frantically between the strange creatures that surrounded them.

[ALDUIN KOU]

 I'M WAKING UP TO ASH AND DUST   

tag:Lady - words:000

''It's ok , I'll be your sword and shield!'' He pointed himself confidently before multiple beasts jumped out of the darkness. Some looked looked like ferocious dogs while others were more or less pleasant to describe due to their monstrous physical appearance. Alduin himself felt a little bit of fear but he needed to stand up and face these beasts since the little female who just cheered him up asked for protection. Alduin felt rather uncomfortable since her actions evoked a certain kind of cuteness that made him want to jump and hug her on spot though he could not. They were caught in quite a nasty situation though Alduin had all of this under control. He extended his left hand out before little sparkles of electricity formed. Alduin is actually a super strong mage if not being one of the strongest within his guild. He possesses the ability to control lightning and he could fry these beasts in the matter of a second before he realized that it was raining...''This is not good...'' He thought before pulling his arm back as he began to panic. This would have normally been an easy task for him but it was raining right now... Although Alduin is immune to lightning, the little female that is currently cling on to him isn't.

''Oh snap... We'll have to run!'' The alcohol was taking effect as Alduin picked up the little female within his arms in a rather awkward way upon first reaction. He gave a last glance toward the group of beast before attempting to run away from the chase. It wasn't an easy task but it wasn't a hard one considering the fact that the weight of the little female was as light as a feather. ''The name's Alduin by the way.'' He gave occasional small glances toward the person he was carrying within his arms before they arrived within a night store. Alduin made his way in by force before closing the door behind them. The beasts that pursued them decided to give up on the chase as they saw the light within the store. Deposing the little female upon the ground , Alduin immediately blushed afterward as he noticed about the inproper act he just commited. ''I'm... I'm sorry...'' He apologized before noticing that they were in a small fast food restaurant. The room wasn't particularly big though it was filled with light. Few clients were scattered here and there around the room. They were either night workers taking on a small break or people that could not sleep nor bear the fact of solitude like him. ''Here have this...'' Alduin took his dried vest off that was underneath his soaked cloak as he gave it to the little female. They were drenched in rain and Alduin did not want her to catch a cold. ''You'll catch a cold...'' He said with a calm and stoic tone. The fact of being shirtless didn't really bother him since he used to do it all the time before he ran away. The hot weather of Balbadd was just unbearable... Beside, no one within the room gave a damn about it right now since they were all too tired to even worry about anything. ''That was a hell of a run! Anyway , you tired or hungry?'' He tried to put on a fake smile to assure her as they sat down at a table to rest.

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[Cassandra]

Huh? What was this? The stranger was going to protect her? He didn’t seem agitated at her reluctance to fight in spite of her status as a mage. The rain continued to hammer down, soaking her through to the skin since it wasn’t all that hard to do so; she was only wearing a short dress, after all. Her long orange locks were plastered to the sides of her face and down her back while she hesitantly peaked out from behind the stranger to see what he was going to do. A frightened squeak left her lips as some of the strange beasts leapt forwards, seeming to be odd, angry dogs of sorts. The stranger, whom she dubbed to her saviour with a small blush tinting her cheeks at the thought, created sparks of… lightning from his fingertips before he seemed to realise something and stopped trying to cast an attack. So he was a mage too? He pulled his arm back and stated that this wasn’t good, and it soon dawned on Cassandra that it was raining. Lightning was a conductive element to water, and she was currently in the way. That was something that made her feel rather irritated with herself; if she wasn’t here, the blonde stranger could easily take on these beasts and win.

No sooner than he had claimed that they would have to run, he reached around and picked the young woman up rather hastily. She gasped in shock, and didn’t even have time to resist as he started to run with her in his arms. A crimson blush illuminated her cheeks at the close contact, and she looked up at the stranger shyly with her wide orange eyes blinking rapidly while she tried to comprehend the situation. While they were running, the blonde young man introduced himself as Alduin. She nodded in understanding, chewing her lip nervously for a few seconds before deciding to be as brave as she could. “T-That’s a n-n-nice n-name… I’m C-Cassandra…” She replied, having never heard of such a name before. She liked exotic things, revelling in such unique words, names or other things of that nature. Alduin crashed into a late-night diner that the orange-haired woman knew quite well and placed her on the ground. Her legs felt like jelly as she managed to stand, reaching a hand over a shoulder and wringing out her long soaked locks. She was still blushing rather insanely due to the action that her companion had done, and he apologised for doing such a thing. She looked up slightly and shook her head a little, a sign that he shouldn’t be sorry and that it was honestly fine. That was when the blonde did something rather unexpected and decided to strip. That made Cassandra’s cheeks heat to impossible levels, so much so that she briefly had to hide her face while stuttering out a confused “H-H-Huh?!”. It was then that she realised that the item of clothing Alduin was taking off was dry, and he gave it to her, stating that she would catch a cold otherwise.

They seated themselves at a table and he asked her if she was tired or hungry, to which she shook her head in response. She held the dry vest in her hands, looking at it curiously before raising it to her face, inhaling the strangely comforting smell and drying off her soaked skin, working her way down her arms and bare legs in the same manner. There wasn’t much she could do about her soaking wet dress unless she wanted to strip off, but… there was no way in hell she would do that. She wrapped the article of warm clothing around her inside, able to do so like it was a blanket of sorts. “T-T-Thank y-you…” She murmured, averting her gaze to the table. She felt bad for having to be saved like that, but Alduin didn’t even complain. In fact, he was worried about her greatly, something that touched her. Already, she felt extremely attached to him, beyond friendship, of that she was sure. But how could she hope to explain that? She kept it hidden, but she didn’t want to leave him.

[ALDUIN KOU]

 I'M WAKING UP TO ASH AND DUST   

tag:Lady - words:000

This was unreal. The entire process of meeting her and running to this grocery store happened so fast that he thought it was a dream. Alduin did not know why but seeing Cassandra blush like this made him blush and feel awkward as well. For a second, he saw Cassandra as a woman. A beautiful princess that he carried within his arms before his thought on her came back to being that of a little kid. Alduin could not help but feel that way since she looked and acted so much like one. ''You were really pretty when you blushed back there.'' He murmured while thinking about the scene when he carried her before immediately shutting his mouth by putting his left hand upon it. What was he saying!? How could he let such kind of words slip through his mouth!?

''I'm sorry.. Must be the alcohol that I drank earlier...'' Yes it must be the alcohol. It has to be! He told himself in a worried tone while thinking about what to do with her next. Awkwardness was within the atmosphere and Alduin began to feel nervous. His eyes darted from left to right trying to avoid eye contact with her. It was weird but he felt like that he was almost as embarrassed as Cassandra for a moment there. How could he even think about a kid like her in such way? It was inappropriate for him to develop such feelings. Especially when he had just suffered from a breakdown. What kind of guy would he be if he did not feel any pain at all and immediately proposed to another female after being turned down by someone? Alduin was not a player since he saw deeper in the meaning of love then most of the other people. It actually had a significance for him. He did not want a hooker but a partner that he could count on for life. He wanted to settle down yet he was still so depressed a few moments ago.

''How about ice cream?'' He said nervously before trying to ask her in an indirect way. It was weird of him to propose to eat ice cream in the middle of the night though Alduin felt that he needed one. He was about to melt right now if he didn't had anything cold to cool him down. The fact of being next to Cassandra was unbearable as the images of the scenery of when he carried her kept coming back within his head. He looked back toward her before trying to grab one of her hand. He tried and succeeded but immediately pulled back afterward. He needed to stop. He was losing control over himself. His needs were stronger then his will and he asked himself about what was the cause of all of this before noticing that his heart was beating at an unusual rate. What was going on? Another love on first sight? No it can't be , she's just a kid! He thought before trying to look away as they sat upon their spot quietly and awaited for their ice cream orders to arrive.

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[Cassandra]

She was surprised beyond belief when her companion stated out of the blue that she looked really pretty when she blushed, and hearing as much only made her blush more in response with her orange eyes open wide in shock. Although she was embarrassed about the compliment, she was ultimately extremely happy to hear it. Did that mean he was attracted to her? Or did he just find her ‘cute’ like a kid? He proceeded to apologise, putting it down to the alcohol he was drinking earlier. Her face visibly fell and she forced a smile on her face, lowering her head and nodding in the same movement. “Yeah… must have been…” She murmured softly in response. Who was she kidding? As if anybody would find her attractive. She looked as if she belonged in school, not out in the wide world like she was now. She may look like a ten-year-old, but she had the fully functioning sharp mind of a seventeen-year-old, her actual age. This was mainly down to books as much as it was down to her own thoughts, because she was never taught anything about the world or life as she was growing up. Her father neglected her, and she was left in the care of nannies for the rest of the time. She recalled the times seeing her father as horrible, terrible situations where he basically called her a failure and proceeded to leave her alone.

All alone. Again and again.

Was it any wonder that she was trying to reach out for someone, anyone, to have her happy ending with? She didn’t care who it was, she didn’t need a Prince or anybody rich in that way, all she needed was somebody who returned her feelings and she would be happy; the happiest woman alive. It was, however, easier said than done as men always saw her as a child, a cute little child and no more. When she had confessed to attractions in the past, she always had them laughed off and called ‘crushes’. It was rather true, as each infatuation made her feel more and more crushed. She had been hoping that this spark she felt would be something special, but it didn’t seem as much. She was ready to get up and leave this place, to throw the warm vest back at Alduin and leave him. In spite of it being so late at night, the blonde offered that they could eat ice cream, and she nodded her head in response, not quite knowing what she was doing. They waved a waitress over and ordered their ice creams, with Cassandra choosing to ignore the strange looks by the old fat woman that served them. She leant her elbows forward on the table, knowing that it would be better for her fickle, broken heart to just leave, but it seemed that her heart believed otherwise. She wanted to stay with Alduin, in spite of how offensive he had been to her.

“S-So… Alduin…” She was determined to start conversation, every bone in her body screaming in protest. Her stutter wasn’t as bad as it had been before, and she really had to concentrate and give herself a mental scolding to stop it entering her speech again. “Are you new in town? How long have you been staying here?” Her voice was soft and very defined tones of what would be called a ‘British’ accent rang true while she spoke, and she played absently with the long locks of orange hair brushing her cheek, twirling them around her finger as she tilted her head and awaited a response.

[ALDUIN KOU]

 I'M WAKING UP TO ASH AND DUST   

tag:Lady - words:000

''You could say so. I got here a few months ago.'' He thought about how the town was like when he first arrived. It was all thanks to the master of Fairy Tail that he was able to learn that such a prosperous place existed. Although that strange and dangerous creatures lurked around the corners of the town at night , it is a beautiful and heart warming town during the day. ''A lot of things happened since then...'' He thought before his stoic tone turned back into the depressive one he had a few moments ago. All these dark moments he lived through. All these secrets and emotions that he kept hidden underneath this icy shell. Friends and people he cared about were lost but it did not stop him to advance further in live until... Until he came upon his first emotional breakdown...

''I had quite a tough time during the first few weeks but then everything went well.'' He tried to sound as cheerful as possible before the two of them began eating their ice cream. Alduin ate little and stared at Cassandra. She is quite cute when she eats like this. He thought before trying to chase his thoughts away. It was weird for him to think of her in such way since he saw her as a kid so far. ''You got a little bit of...'' He extended his left hand forward before cleaning the ice cream that was on the corners of her lips. It was soft and delicate , he thought while his eyes stared into those of Cassandra for a few seconds before he couldn't handle it anymore and blushed before pulling away his hand once again. ''S-S-..So why do you ask? Are y..You new around town?'' He was really embarrassed and noticed that he couldn't formulate his phrases well anymore. He was hesitant to open his mouth and did not want to look stupid. He did not know how nor why but he only had thoughts about Cassandra right now. It would be wrong of him to seek out love right after a breakdown though he could not control it anymore. He felt awkward around her but this awkwardness soon turned into the sort of heat he was looking for. Alduin wanted to stay and protect her though he knew that it would be too good to be true to ever happen. He knew that the two of them would probably never meet each other again after they walk through that door...

He is hesitant and didn't know what to do. Should he just state his feelings? He might never come upon such a chance again. No , it would be wrong for him to do so. What if he ever gets refused again like last time? What if she took his feelings as a joke? Alduin do not want to be embarrassed in front of another anymore. No , he have become far too weak and frightful to ever have the courage to do something like that again. Time was ticking and Alduin decided that he was going to enjoy the little time they have left together. This icecream , he did not want her to finish it...

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[Cassandra]

It seemed that her companion had been her for about the same amount of time that she had. If she remembered correctly, she arrived five weeks ago in Magnolia Town, and ever since it had been her home. Alduin stated that a lot of things had happened since he arrived in town, and judging by the change of tone when he spoke they weren’t particularly good things. Cassandra listened intently, eyes focused on him while he talked to show that she was interested. She placed her elbows on the table between them, propping herself up to listen as such. Apparently things had turned out alright in the end, even if they had been tough for a while, as the blonde young man cheered up again. Their ice cream arrived, and the orange-haired young lady beamed with delight. She had ordered raspberry ripple, an all-time favourite of hers. She remembered that if she was a good girl back in Akane Town, she was allowed this wonderful treat.

She ate it delicately, but accidently missed her mouth by a couple of inches on one occasion, as Alduin leaned across and stated that there was a little bit on the side of her face. She froze as he did as much, raising her eyes to meet his and they stayed like that for a while. It was like something straight out of a romance novel that Cassandra enjoyed to read so much, and she found herself blushing at this realisation. The blonde blushed and took his hand away, averting his gaze slightly and stuttering when he next spoke to her. So he was embarrassed too? It was hard to explain, but she found it adorable.

He presented the question of why she he asked him, and then asked if she was new in town herself. She smiled slightly, the corners of her lips tugging upwards and her orange eyes glowing a little as the smile reached them. “Well, I asked because I want to get to know you better…” She admitted, her speech slow and deliberate as well as spoken very softly, mainly because she didn’t wish to stutter anymore. Of course she wanted to get to know Alduin better; he had been kind to her by saving her from those beasts, and in spite of calling her a child, he honestly seemed remorseful for what he had said. She returned her attention to her ice cream before it melted, finishing off the sweet raspberry ripple scoops delicately before continuing. “And no, I’ve been in town for… a week more than you.” She replied, nodding slowly to herself. Since she had finished her ice cream, she didn’t technically have a reason to be here anymore. Well of course she wanted to stay and be with Alduin, but that was more than likely something he would find strange and/ or creepy. She needed a reason to see him again, and she thought of the perfect one, quite proud of herself for it.

“It’s market day tomorrow and I always sell my paintings there… would you… like to stop by and see me again?” Her words near the end were hesitant, and she lowered her head so that her bangs helped hide her face and she was looking up at him while speaking. Her shoulders had automatically hunched, and her body felt tensed to deal with the rejection, should it come.

[ALDUIN KOU]

 I'M WAKING UP TO ASH AND DUST   

tag:Lady - words:000

''That's a good thing to hear , haha... So, you must know your way around this town fairly well by now right?'' Depressed, Alduin looked down as he thought about there goes his chance of ever meeting her again. The young prince expected her to say no since he would then propose her a tour around the town tomorrow morning and do a lot of other stuffs but no... It seems like that his plan was all thrown into the water now. Looks like that they weren't destined to meet each other after all. The two of them were going to part into their separate ways after this meal and Alduin know that he is going to feel regretful about missing on such a chance later on within his life. He was sad until he heard... ''Wh-What!?'' His eyes widened with surprise upon her sudden proposition.

This was all too good to be true! Was he dreaming or did he actually just heard that the female wanted to see him again? She wanted to meet him tomorrow. A date proposition perhaps? Maybe she has already taken a liking to him? ''Wh-What? Oh, sure! I'll be there for sure!'' He smiled before finishing his ice cream. It was weird for him to act in such way though it seemed like that he had forgotten about most of his sadness after hearing her proposition. Alduin was actually expecting her to say it. It would be way too sad for them to not meet each other again after what they just lived through. Especially him... It was a sign of relief for him to know that the female also wanted to see him again. She did not want their relationship to end as mere acquaintances and Alduin felt the same way about her although he was too shy and prideful to admit such embarrassing fact. He was raised up as a prince and the future heir after all. Alduin had always gotten what he wanted ever since he was little. He had only got used to asking and begging other people to do things for him recently. It wasn't a thing that he is fairly habitual with though he was ready to learn more about it for the sake of her.

His mind was all set now, he was intrigued and wanted to know more about her. He felt attracted to her although she looked liked a kid. He felt this way after noticing that Cassandra succeeded on easing and healing the pain of his loneliness and solitude upon multiple occasions. She is special and a heart warmer for him. He did not know why but her actions has always put a smile upon his lips so far. She made him feel the heat that he once felt and he desired it.

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     THIS IS IT, THE APOCALYPSE         

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[Cassandra]

She smiled slightly after hearing her companion’s statement about her knowing this town fairly well by now, which she responded to in a small nod, absently moving the spoon around in the empty bowl that once contained her raspberry ripple ice cream. “I guess so.” Cassandra shrugged her delicate shoulders, leaving the spoon alone and folding her hands together in her lap, leaning back in her seat a little bit keeping a very upright posture the entire time. She had been raised a ‘true little lady’, and always acted like one no matter what the situation.

It seemed that her proposition took Alduin by surprise as he stuttered out a question, and the orange-haired girl felt disheartened. He was obviously so disgusted with her proposition that he couldn’t bring himself to answer. Well, she tried at least… she pushed her chair back a little where she sat, aiming to get up and leave before she was hurt even more. But that was when the blonde spoke up again, saying that he would be there tomorrow at market day. Her eyes widened as she looked at him while she tried to comprehend this fact, but eventually, a wide smile grew on her lips and her orange orbs sparkled delightedly. She tilted her head to the side as heart-felt laughter left her slightly parted lips and her eyes closed, making the sheer bliss known. “I’m glad!” She said happily, opening her eyes as she continued to smile. It was hard to feel anything else except from utter delight after having her proposition accepted, and she actually found herself looking forward to selling her paintings tomorrow, because Alduin would be there with her.

She found herself shooting up to her feet, absolutely gleeful with this development. Maybe she could become friends with the blonde, maybe she could actually do it for once. All she had to do was not mess up her chances, right? Perhaps, just maybe… it could blossom into more than friendship, and Alduin would become her Prince Charming. If only she knew just how accurate that nickname for him was. She glanced at the clock, telling her that it was 3am in the morning. Perhaps they should go and get some sleep now, ready for when she would be heading down to the market to try and sell her wares. She gestured at the clock with one hand, pointing out how late it was to her companion. “We should go… the market starts early.” She claimed, shuffling her feet uneasily as she waited to see what Alduin’s reaction to that much would me.

[ALDUIN KOU]

 I'M WAKING UP TO ASH AND DUST   

tag:Lady - words:000

''You're right...'' He said in an hesitant tone before scratching the back of his head. Was she trying to tell him to leave or something? She could be tired though Alduin was slightly worried of her intentions. What if she did not like him as much as he thought? The thought about parting away with her hurt him a little bit. Although he knew that they were going to meet each-other again tomorrow he could not stop thinking about what she would be doing and where she would be during their time of separation. It was hard for him to think of such things but he actually think that he wants to stay with her. He wants to stay by her side since he knew that the feeling of solitude would soon come back to consume him. He needed her...

''If you want me to leave... Well I suppose we could call it a day? Let's go home and get a good night of sleep then!'' Alduin lied as he smiled and stood up. It was a lie since he rarely sleeps. The male is always awake since he did not feel the need for such things. He was ok as long as he charged himself with electricity. Alduin had gotten used to this rough lifestyle during the time when he was still a traveler. He actually had little money and was begging for his food during these days. He had little and sometimes had to rest outside during the night though he remained awake. The thought about being alone and leaving his guard wide open was unacceptable. Hence why his house is almost empty. There were no furniture but only a table and a bed. It proved the amount of solitude and emptiness he had within his heart. Too much thoughts ran over in Alduin's head. What if an assassin comes at his house over night? What if something happens during the night? He just couldn't bring himself to sleep. ''I just really go now. Haha....'' He looked back a last time to smile before procceding on exiting the store. ''Be careful... Don't take any short roads when you go home. Don't want to encounter these beats again.''

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     THIS IS IT, THE APOCALYPSE         

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