In the Eye of the Beholder

[Demeter]

As Cera ran for the bathroom, Cian sighed and decided that that move was a bit much. But really, he had to get her out of that pink sweater. That color really just got him into too much trouble. The last time he'd been around a woman wearing such a color had been the time when women who had lily white reputations had been desired as wives. He'd been lucky to have survived Lady Green's brother while he tried to avenge her tarnished honor.

Cian waited outside the bathroom door and glared at anyone who even thought about trying to get it. Once Cera opened the door and looked at her with his best 'I'm sorry' look and bowed his head. "Forgive me, I was a bit of a clutz back there but lets get you home for the night."

Cian wrapped an arm around Cera's shoulders and led the way through the crowd, shouldering people aside. Once they stood outside the entrance, Cian glanced from the left to the right. "So, how far away is home?"

[Maira]

Lia followed suit as Talbot slipped out of his shoes and when he took her coat she thanked him with a soft smile. His apartment certainly was warm but it was perfectly comfortable for her as she kept her own home warm too. Once she was relieved of her shoes and her jacket, Lia followed Talbot into the living room, admiring the art on his walls as they went. She couldn't help but wonder if it were all his.

She didn't have long to think on that however because before she knew it they were in the livingroom, Talbot was on the couch and he was patting the spot next to him for her to sit down. More than willing to oblige, Lia sat down and cuddled up next to Talbot. She'd barely had time to curl her knees up to her chest when Talbot's arm was around her shoulders pulling her closer into him.

Talbot had a cordless phone in the hand not draped over her and had mentioned Chinese food. In an instant, Lia's stomach gave a growl and she couldn't help but laugh at herself. "Sorry, I forgot to eat before leaving the house tonight. I guess I'm hungrier than I thought." After that she gave him her order and then waited patiently for him to call the Chinese place.

Once Talbot had hung up the phone, Lia asked softly, "So how long until dinner gets here? And what should we do until it -does- get here?" She was hungry yes, but not just for food. She wanted to know this man, she wanted to hear his story, learn about his life, and hopefully somehow convince him to have her as part of it for the forseeable future. All of that was up to him though.

[Shinigami]

Talbot chuckled lightly when he heard Lia's stomach grumble with hunger. He, in fact, was just as hungry and the only reason his stomach hadn't rebelled against him was because Lia's had beaten him to it. "Don't worry about it." He gave her a sheepish smile as he patted his stomach. "I forgot to eat before we left tonight, too, so I feel your pain."

The number for the chinese place was dialed as soon as he had Lia's order, the call being picked up almost immediately by the manager, who probably knew his order by heart and was already writing it down when he saw Talbot's number on the caller ID. He gave another sheepish smile as the man read out his order before he had the chance to give it, but always asked if he'd like anything else. He added Lia's order to that and sighed as the older man on the phone teased him about having someone else over.

Talbot hung up the phone and set it in the coffee table, shaking his head. "I think I call there way too much." He smirked befor his lips settled into a light smile, listening as Lia asked about how long it would take and what they'd do. He knew the first answer by heart, as the place was only around the corner, but he was unsure of how to answer the second question. "Well, the food will only take about 15 minutes. It's cooked quickly and the restaurant is only around the corner."

He thought for another moment. Tale certainly wanted to know more about Lia, which was one difference he felt with her as opposed to anyone else in the past. He'd dallied with smalled talk before, of course, but that was only to calm whoever he was with and draw them closer, but with Lia he didn't want just simple small talk. He actually wanted to know how she came to be who she is, where she is. There wasn't much time to do anything else other than talk anyway and it seemed like a compelling idea.

Talbot smiled, obvious by his face that he had thought of something. "Well, we don't know much about each other past what we've managed to learn tonight. Why don't we get to know eachother a bit more while we wait?"

[Maira]

Lia had to resist the urge to laugh as Talbot got teased by the manager at the Chinese restaurant but gave in to a smirk when he hung up and commented that he probably orders from there too often. She knew the feeling, there was a nice little deli that Lia always ordered from and she always got the same thing, if she ever ordered anything different she was sure the peole working would die of shock. Or tease her shamelessly. Likely the latter...

When Talbot suggested getting to know each other more while they waited Lia's smirk grew into a smile and she asked the first thing that came to mind. "The art on the wall, is it yours?" she knew it probably wasn't the type of questions that Talbot had in mind but Lia knew her brain well enough, if she didn't ask the obvious question first, she wouldn't be able to think of anything else to talk about later.

[nyoka]

Cera stood in the bathroom doorway holding back her tears, although very obvious she was on the brink of crying. Fiddling with her sweater trying to dry it by flapping it in the air, she looked up from under her brow at Cian.

"Home is roughly 12 blocks that way," pointing in a general direction. "I live a couple streets over from the elementary school, I think I can make it by my...."

She trailed off when realization took hold of her, she was in a scary club, Erika was no where to be seen, and in the dodgy part of town where who knows what lurks where. She was here pretty much by herself, dread grabbed her.

She popped her hazel eyes up into Cian's, since he was the only one she kind of trusted here at the moment. "Will you please come wait with me for a cab?" She grabbed his arm, clamping on not wanting to let for out of fear. "Please I don't trust anything around here."

Cera hoped he would come and wait till the cab came then she would be okay, and away from this place.

[Shinigami]

A smile spread across Talbot's face as he heard Lia's question. He had been expecting something a bit more.. personal, but then again, his art was personal to him, and Lia was his art professor, so it probably held a great importance to her as well. "A great deal of it is, but there are a few pieces I can't take credit for. All most all of the surrealist or abstract work is mine; as I use dreams for inspiration they usually end up as one or the other."

Talbot leaned against the back of his couch, facing Lia and proping his head up in his hand. He curled one of his legs on the couch infront of him, unconciously putting himself in one of the typical positions he could be caught relaxing in, finding it comfortable and leaving one of his arms open to gesture as he talked. Though now his hand was settling over one of Lia's, feeling comfortable with the contact.

"What about you? Do you display some of your art on your walls?" He laughs slightly. "I usually don't have the heart to sell mine, so if they weren't on my walls they'd be piled in the guest room."

[Maira]

Lia blushed at the mention of pieces of art being piled in a guest room. Unable to keep the laughter from her voice, Lia answered, "In fact one of my 'guest rooms' is my studio and the other two house my art. I typically wind up sleeping on my couch...." That last bit was a surprising admission on her part but it was out before Lia could stop it. She honestly wasn't sure when she'd started sleeping on the couch but she also couldn't remember a time when the 3 bedrooms of her home weren't over-run by her art new and old, paintings and sculptures.

Looking at Talbot's tidy bachelor apartment, Lia cringed and said, "Aside from the basic functionality of my home being the place I live, I doubt you'd see any resemblance between mine and yours. I can be a pack-rat at the best of times and when I'm in a creative mood I get even worse. I have to keep everything because it would be "just perfect" for some project or other somewhere down the road." This time she did laugh. She knew how silly it sounded but Lia was quite content in her life even if it didn't make sense to other people.... Hell, half the time it didn't make sense to her that much either.

With a soft smile Lia continued on a little more confidently, "So now that I've got the nagging question answered, I can ask more normal get-to-know-somebody type questions." Clearing her throat, getting an obviously faux serious look on her face she asked, "So Talbot, aside from painting what do you do with your time?" As a Custos, she knew he'd likely already had a nice long life and lots of time to do things other than paint. Lia hoped he'd be willing to share.

[Demeter]

Cian bit back a grin. It just wouldn't do to have Cera see him grinning when the girl was obviosuly scared of the neighborhood. He slipped an arm behind her and rested it against the small of Cera's back. "Of course I'd be happy to wait for you. A pretty girl like you in a neighborhood like this and if I just left you to wait by yourself, I'd be a bastard."

Cian guided Cera towards the curb and watched the passing traffic. The street was relatively busy but the cabs were few and far between at this hour. Cian glanced around him to the groups of people standing outside the bar turned hip club. When he spotted a young man who'd also been inside the bar lingering near him and Cera and eyeing the girl with a hungry look to his eyes, Cian scooted closer to Cera. He'd been around long enough to know that look and a sweet, innocent girl like Cera didn't need that in her life. When a cab turned the corner, Cian flagged it down and, after the couple inside the cab vacated the back seat, he shooed Cera onto the cracked leather seat.

Cian slid in himself and leaned towards the plexiglass partion, telling the cabby Cera's address after getting it from her. He leaned back against the seat and smiled at the girl. "And what type of gentleman would I be if I didn't see a lady to her door?"

[Maira]

ooc: this post has not point other than to call Cian a man-whore.... *snickers* i love him!

[nyoka]

A smile grew on Cera's face when he said he'd come wait with her, at least everything would be normal and safe in the next few minutes. Still just a little tense, she relaxed when Cian put his arm on her back and began leading her to the door. 'It will all be over shortly' she thought although it was obvious what she was thinking.

Standing on the street was almost worse than inside, she thought everyone was watching her in there... Turning her eyes to the ground she closed her eyes and began to mutter her safety mantra to herself. Only when Cian pressed closer into her did she come to.

Cera turned her head to look at Cian again, he was looking around the corner for a cab. She brought her hands to her face and hid out of embarrassment, out of everything that had happened inside he was still with her. Even making a complete fool out herself, he was still here.

The cab stopped in front of them and Cera got in. Doing her belt she turned to the driver to give her address but there was Cian just finishing. Cera stared at Cian for a moment in shock. "S-see me to my door?" Her gaze met his eyes again and that sense of odd safety came over again. There wasn't much she could to anyway, they were already on their way. Letting a little smirk come to her face all she could say was "ok..."

[Shinigami]

Tale smiled a bit as he heard the comment about sleeping on the couch, he could tell from her reaction that she hadn't meant for it to come out, but it was something that he understood. He tried his damnedest to keep his bedroom clear of art now, but he had piled all the rooms of his house, this one and others before it, with artwork before.

Talbot smiled outright when Lia mentioned her pack-rat nature and he leaned a little closer. "I got this place because of one thing: There's a basement. One I fill with all the crap you don't see up here." He couldn't hold his chuckle when he saw the look of mock-seriousness on Lia's face, only answering when he calmed down.

"Well, I like clubbing, as you've seen tonight, I do Dream Walking when asked, but other than that, my spare time is taken up by school and as many odd jobs as I can find." He decided to turn the question around, wondering the same about her. "Now, what is it -you- do with your time other than paint?"

[Demeter]

Cian smiled and rested the ankle of one leg on the knee of the other. "Yes, to your door. What sort of gentleman would I be if I didn't?" He tilted his head at Cera and turned his face towards the window. That young man standing about in the shadows worried him.

Cian glanced at Cera out of the corner of his eye and pondered the situation. She seemed the type to inspire loyalty, devotion and so on but could she also have inspired a stalker? He'd met a few stalkers throughout his life and their form of love replused him. It was nothing but a sick and slimy, twisted form of what he inspired in others. It was unhealthy to be so fixated on one person. People who seemed as innocent as Cera didn't deserve that in their lives.

Once the cab stopped in front of Cera's building, Cian handed the cabby his money and scooted out of the cab. After taking a quite glance around to assure himself that the person who seemed like a stalker wasn't around. After staring at the shadows, Cian turned and offered his hand to Cera. "Now, which apartment is yours?"

***

Ted seethed. Some man had just taken off with his girl. With his hands balled into fists, Ted kicked out and barely felt it when his foot connected with the telephone pole he was standing next to. Why had Cera taken off with that guy? She knew that he could provide all she needed? And why had she even come to a place like this? That bitch sister of hers had probably tricked her into it. Ted stuffed his hands into his pockets and slid away from the bar. He needed to get home and finish the design.

[nyoka]

Cera reached out and took Cian's hand as she came out of the cab, looking in the general direction of where she thought Cian was looking. Shaking off that little bit she hopped on the concrete and shut the door just as the cab sped off to somewhere.

She began to climb the stairs of one house apt. just a few feet away from Cian. "This one is mine right here.." She broke off as she looked at Cian, something was definatly odd in the way he looked right now. Very less ominous and handsom in the moonlight vs. the club light. She grinned and glanced down at her bag, snapping herself back to reality and away from her thoughts.

Cera shivered a little in the cool breeze blowing attempting to find her keys to get inside. Looking up from her hunt she saw Cian now in front of her, "I wanted to thank you for escorting me home, it was interesting..." She left it at that and bit her lower lip staring into his deep eyes...

[Demeter]

Cian grinned at Cera and plucked her keys from her hand once she found them. He looked through the keys, found the one that looked like a doorkey and slid it into the lock. His grinned twitched when the lock tumbled and the door opened a fraction on an inch. "Well, that was lucky. Now, Miss Cera, here's my question. Will I get to see you again? Maybe I could pick you up from work later this week and have dinner with you?"

Cian dropped the keys into Cera's purse and leaned a little closer. "I would like to see you again." He murmured and dipped his head down to press a feather light kiss against Cera's lips. A quick intake of breath later and he held his lips against Cera's. Softness and she smelled of sugar cookie dough.

Cian pulled back and pushed the door open wider. "You might want to get inside. There are all kinds of dark things lurking about, just waiting to get a taste of you."

[nyoka]

Cera became more or less a puddle when Cian had kissed her, it was one of those enchanting ones she had heard of, one that seeps into your soul and reverberates through your body even though the kiss was already done.

When Cian had pulled back, Cera came back to herself, in complete shock, what had she just done and how could she let it get this far. She hardly knew this man and she was already kissing him just roughly after an hour of knowing him. She tensed up again at the question of seeing him again, there was no way that she could. There was something wrong, terribly wrong with this whole picture, and totally out of her character.

Looking up at Cian, he was smiling an evil/sensual smirk. Looking him in the eyes, she found herself replying "I.. well...ok. I do have most of my nights free." It was like someone else had said that and as soon it past her lips, her hand came to them partly to stop anymore silly comments and partly to help remember that kiss.

At the mention of things wanting to taste her, her eyes got huge and a look of worry came to her face. Scanning the area around her door and where they were standing, her eyes turned to the cracked door. He did have a point about that if this night has taught her anything. Nothing would feel more pleasant that getting in that door and locking it behind her. Her breathing became slightly more rapid as she let the idea sink of things waiting to get her.

She quickly swept past Cian into her door frame to her little door side table. Mentally all she kept repeating was 'oh my god....' over and over again. She has set down her bag and poofed up her number for Cian, the quicker she had the door closed the quicker this night was over and she would be safe. She handed Cian the piece of paper and stood in the now partially closed door. "I guess, goodnight is in order" she stated in a fast hurried sort of way.

[Demeter]

Cian took the peice of paper, scanned it, before folding it in half and sliding into a pocket in his pants. "Goodnight. I'll be calling you, sooner or lady." Cian leaned forward, wrapped his fingers around the doorknob and smiled. "See ya later, lady." he said before pulling the door shut for Cera.

After he had the door shut, Cian bounced down the steps and headed for the sidewalk. A walk tonight, he thought, as he strolled along. Such a pretty lady and such a lovely color of pink. I wonder if she has anything else in that exact shade. As he walked, Cian though of his evening and how Talbot was getting along with his lovely art intrustor.

***

Ted used the back of his hand to wipe the sweat away from his eyes. He was almost finished with the room. Everything had to be just perfect for her when she arrived. Everything was exactly like her apartment...minus those odd bits of strange things. He'd asked around about those things resting on tables and shelves and people told them that they were implements of witchcraft.

Well, he thought as he prepared another sheet of wallpaper, he'd just have to break her of that nasty little habit. His angel was no broom-stick riding, hex-casting, snaggle-toothed, warty witch. She probably suffered from some sort of mental aliment if she believed herself to believe.

It would cost him a lot of money but he'd get her the help she needed. After she was safely in his grasp. She hadn't responded to the flowers, the notes, the phone calls. He'd watched her for close to a year now and her...ignorance...of what was between them was starting to get frustrating.

Ted smoothed the piece of pink-and-cream stripped wallpaper onto the wall and smiled as he thought of the day She'd finally be his.

[nyoka]

Cera was still holding onto the other side of the door knob as it closed, but she made sure to lock it right away. All that she thought of was, "what have I done, I can't believe I just did that.... OH MY GOD with a man I don't know from A Place Like That!"

Cera sat down on her bottom step, still in a state of shock, over herself. Only when there was a pounding on the door, she jumped so bad she found herself on her feet again. Going to the door she asked who it was and looked through the peephole, it was Erika.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The night has gone by so fast tonight" Erika said as she pryed herself apart from her partner she found to be named Rick. Looking around the club, she saw that it was now less than half empty, people had now gone home with their catch of the night.

She looked at Rick, it was not a night to take anyone home, besides she didn't see Cera anywhere. Saying her goodbye, she walked around, and checked the bathroom, because well Cera might be in there scared out of her mind. But she wasn't there or anywhere in here. At this point, she remembered seeing Cian with Cera, Oh gods the thought of what Cian might being doing to her, poor Cera.

Running outside she got the first cab and hauled but over to Cera's place, if anything was happening, she was bound to walk in on it, knowing how Cian worked. Erika began tapping the arm rest on the door, it was taking forever to get there. One of the only times she desperatly wanted to see Cera, of course it always worked like that.

Finally they pulled out front, she paid and ran up the couple of steps to her door and pounded a few times. Her heart was racing at all the bad images that kept flooding her mind, with Cian being an incubus and Cera being as naive as she was, she didn't know what was going on.

She heard Cera ask who it was, a wave of relief came over her. At least she was here. "It's Erika"

Her response was "Is it really Erika? How can I trust you?"

Oh gods, Erika thought she must of had a interesting night. "Open the door you monkey-butt." Finally she heard the lock click and the door parted an inch, just to make sure it was Erika.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What the heck happened to you tonight?" Erika said as she flopped on her couch. "I take it you like Cian then?" An evil smirk came to her face.

Cera was more pale than earlier when they entered the club, she sat down on her living chair, close to Erika. "Well first after you abandoned me, you wench, I was intrueded upon by Cian as you know. He's dark and scary. Anyways after you left us, he spilled his drink all down my sweater and you know this is cashmire and how it reacts to things like that. Anyways I ran to the bathroom crying because its ruined and wanted to go home. I was fine but then I remembered where I was then asked him to wait with me cause I couldn't find you, and he brought me back home, and...." Cera trailed off and looked at the coffee table.

Erika began to grin and laughed, "Ha! I knew it, you ended up kissing huh? And you liked it!" Erika was laughing out loud at this point enjoying Cera's mental anguish. After calming down she asked "Anyways, why did you lock the door, you usually just put the chain on?"

Cera fidgeted a bit "I'm always going to lock the door from now on. Especially after tonight, all those dark things wanting to get me and taste me as Cian put it..." She shuddered a bit and looked back at the door making sure it was bolted.

Erika laughed a little bit and looked at Cera, "You really are naive aren't you? But I love you anyway" Erika smiled and stood up, taking a look around Cera's house. It had been forever since she was in here last, actually since Cera moved in. "Damn, you have a girl house."

Cera stood up with Erika, "Naive about what? It's not a girl house, its pretty."

Both of them went to the door and Erika opened it, "Well missy I see your fine so I will leave now" She left Cera with an evil smirk just before she closed the door. Flaging down another cab to head home, mainly cause she was lazy to walk, she thought of Cera and Cian and giggled. "Oh what Cera has in store for her..."

[Maira]

It was her turn to answer questions and suddenly Lia felt her face darkening. Why she didn't know, but it was... "Well, for starters most of my time is taken up with working at the college. Outside of actual classes I mentor some middle school and highschool kids who like art. Of course thats kind of work related too..." Here she bit her lower lip as she thought about how she could actually answer Talbot's question.

When she finally came up with something, Lia smiled and continued, "Riding horses, I absolutely love the creatures. So majestic and graceful and so free of human complications. Horses, so long as you treat them right, love unconditionally and listen without judging somebody." And there she went with sharing too much again... Last thing she needed was for Talbot to think her some needy emotional woman who sought solace from animals... UGH!

Hoping to distract him from what she'd said last she asked flat out, "How old are you? As a Custos I'm sure you've got a few years under your belt, care to share?" After she'd asked, she wiggled her eyebrows playfully in that, 'I'll show you mine if you show me yours,' sort of way. And she would, if he asked her she'd tell him her age, or anything else he wanted to know for that matter. Honesty seemed to come a little unbidden with him but she really wasn't minding at the moment.

[Shinigami]

Talbot was quite amused as Lia seemed embarrassed at only being able to think of work-related activities. When she lapsed into deep thought Tale couldn't help but think about how cute Lia looked when she bit her lip like that. He was brought back around when Lia started speaking again, but he had missed the first couple words, praying that she would repeat it.

He listened carefully now, knowing it was something to do with animals, and was quite pleased when she mentioned horses again. Now he was up to speed, and a bit ashamed of himself for letting himself space like that. He smiled as Lia seemed to 'over share' though he didn't mind much, and would probably be just as truthful.

Tale couldn't help but chuckle when Lia asked his age, and was fairly amused at the playful expression. Then he realized his dilema: He never knew his real date of birth. He began to think hard about it, but talked it out to Lia, so she didn't think he was dodging or unwill to answer. "Well, I was orphaned as a child, so I never knew my real birthday. Hypnos gave me one later, but I was already a toddler when he took me in. Lets see... I think I was around two or three, so that would make me... somewhere around 3,187-88."

[Demeter]

(ooc: Maria, Aub, if you want us to take this portion of this thread somewher else, just let me know. All I'm doing is messing with the timeline.)

Cian tapped the card with Cera's phone number against his kitchen table and stared at his phone. It wasn't that he was nervous about calling the girl, it was that he worried about her reaction to him actually calling. Smirking, Cian recalled the night he'd met Cera. Last saturday at the bar. And now it was monday.

Figuring the girl to be at work, Cian tapped in the numbers and waited for the machine to pick up. When it did and Cera's perky voice asked him to leave a message, Cian grinned. "Hey, lovely. You remember me, the guy who spilled beer on your sweater. I was justing wondering if you would like to get together, say thursday evening at the park next to the university. I have a class that gets out at 5, so maybe I'll see you then. Don't worry about calling me back, just show up. Later."

Cian replaced his phone on the charger and wondered back to the laptop set up in the living room. Now that that was out of his mind, maybe he could actually kill off a character or two in the most gruisome of ways. His stalker was getting a bit out of hand with trying to please his lady lately.

***

Ted growled at the anwering machine but ignored the tempation to erase the message. He knew his girl and knew that she wouldn't think of going to a park to meet a strange man. Ted unfolded the gym bag he'd brought with him and moved into Cera's bedroom and her closet. He need just a few more things to make her new place feel like home.

He stuffed clothing in the bag, passed over the magical stuff and headed for the bathroom. She'd notice the missing things, he knew, but he needed them to make everything perfect. Ted glanced at his watched and swore. He had to be going so he could make it to the daycare center in time to make sure Cera got home safely.