Torpe

[Rakaan Horne]

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torpe, adjective; mean a man that cannot express his love.​

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
Day Off | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ Under Your Spell ~ "I do nothing but think of you."
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Lithios hadn't been a planet that Kole was entirely accustomed too. It was different to most, despite being rather similar. It had all the crime, it hall the common sights of a metropolis, but it didn't have the aliens, and it didn't have her. There wasn't a thought that the Zeltron was going to appear, mainly because aliens were confined to their certain sectors for bigoted reasons; but maybe Zeltrons were close enough to Humans that they could be mistaken for one with cosmetic details thrust upon them. It wouldn't be a first. Kole had witnessed his fair share of multi-coloured individuals, and whether they were Human or not hardly mattered. They got by unquestioned. That's what did.

Kole was typically travelling certain parts of the Galaxy, but it was always work related. He had to be somewhere for one reason or another? He was there because the credits were good. Not a rich man, but one wealthy enough to get by in comfortability. It was now, however, that he had completed the job. It was done, and he had time to kill. Lithios was commonly becoming a place of return and so it seemed beneficial to get a lay of the land. Downtown was a start.

The HRD stood at the edge of the bustling street. Ahead of him were wheeled vehicles, cars, racing by as a constant flow of foot-traffic existed behind him, beside him, and across the street ahead of him. There was nothing particular about the environment he was in. Simply waiting his turn to cross the street. The clothing he wore was more accustomed to the climate he was in with the sunlight beaming down on the street. A pair of shades concealed his eyes, a white jacket with a golden scorpion -- illuminated -- on his back, and a certain sense of cleanliness with being clean shaven.

Call it sight-seeing.

 

[Lynnori Cruz]

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
Wanderer | Interacting with Kole Harperhttp://starwarsrp.net/user/16143-kole-harper/ ~ Bad Liar ~ "I was walking down the street the other day."
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Lithios.

Lynnori hated this planet. She hated a lot of planets, but Lithios always, reliably, wound up being a hellhole.

The racism, sure, that happened everywhere. But she'd never seen it so prevalent here, where non-Human species were shunted into districts and marked for prejudice. Silently grateful for the fact that she could at least somewhat blend as a Human in a freak dye accident, Lynnori pushed a blue strand of hair from her eyes and kept those gold orbs firmly affixed on the street.

Honestly, she didn't even remember coming here. Alcohol, the Sulit, and a sense of despair had all combined into one wicked bender that had done little to improve her mood as of late. She wasn't a stranger to the way her mind often sent her from highs to lows like a ship in an asteroid field, but this felt different. Bad different. A different she really, really could not drown out fast enough. Of course, it didn't help in the slightest that her empathic abilities were springing through this crowd of potential-racists faster than a spiced-up kid at a holo-pin-ball table. Some felt animosity or disgust, others didn't care, some felt lust at the implication of what she might be. If she had less dignity in that moment, she might have even entertained the notion.

No. Can't. It's not the same.

A breathy sigh, Lyn stopped in the sea of people. She was the rock immobile, making them brush past and give her a berth. Something had caught her attention, something that slammed her heart right into her double livers.

There was a void in the sea. An anomaly. A something that wasn't able to be detected.

Now, this could have been anything. A droid. Maybe a lamp post that grew feet (She hadn't swallowed hallucinogens, though, so unlikely). But it also might have been something to keep her sane. So, with conviction, the Zeltron who was trying desperately to not look like a Zeltron started moving again, letting her telepathy carry her to the one speck in a sea of thousands.

"Kole?"

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
Artificial Heart Throb | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ Under Your Spell ~ "You keep me under your spell."
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Kole had found himself rather comfortable. His hands lazily planted within his jacket, resting there as the sun reflected from the sunglasses that concealed his eyes and cast Lithios in an unnatural tint. Then again, what was natural about a metropolis? Not much in actuality. Then came a familiar voice, one that he had heard his name in with several different tones accompanying it. Even a voice that belonged to someone he feared, to an extent. For what he reason he feared he wasn't conventional, nor was it literal; it was what came with her existence.

"Lyn?" He questioned in response. His head had turned over his shoulder and his torso had done the same. It was easy to discern the squint that was placed upon his typically blank face by the creases in his forehead. Kole was a loss for words, really. It had been a while since the Coruscant endeavour, and whilst his temptation to remain in contact had persisted in the weeks they had spent apart, his pessimistic nature had ultimately kept him at bay.

He was only going to get himself hurt. That's what he told himself, at least.

 

[Lynnori Cruz]

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
Arrhythmia | Interacting with [member="Kole Harper"] ~ Bad Liar ~ "Trying to distract myself."
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Her gaze now liberally fell on him, looking over a set of her own sunglasses. There was a broad mix of emotions there; a dash of betrayal, a touch of delight, but above all a level of relief. At least he wasn't dead somewhere, right? Just perfectly alive. Perfectly able to call sometimes. Perfectly able to--

"H-How have you been?" Something inside Lyn's brain kicked her in the throat and got her talking, mindlessly running through things one normally says when seeing an old acquaintance. Because that's all they really were, right. Seen too much to be friends, didn't know each other well enough to be more than associates. People loosely connected. Yeah. That'll do.

He looked good, at least. Good-good. If she didn't feel like throwing up some miscellaneous organ right on the street, she might have said as much but chose to keep her lips firmly shut for once as she waited for his response. Pink fingers tapped on her thigh impatiently, like they had weeks ago on the dash of his speeder when it raced through the Coruscanti night in the throes of a murder mystery. Wasn't it ironic that death played into life, leading to their meeting at all?

Leading to this madness of what could only be, assumedly, the heart? Maybe the spleen.

As Kole assumedly replied, Lyn absently bobbed her head along to his words, good or bad, and went to remove her sunglasses and hook them into the holster of her trusty blaster.

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
Concealment | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ Under Your Spell ~ "I don't eat. I don't sleep."
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It was always going to be an awkward reunion. Maybe it was never supposed to happen, but then again there were all too many that believed everything happened for a reason. It was a morbid perspective, to believe nothing could be changed for it was always meant to be. It made for a good excuse, though. Fate. That's what they called it.

Kole had found himself silent. It was as if he was suspended in animation, unmoving in his entirety until inevitably turning to face Lynnori. His hands, however, remained in comfortably placed within the jacket. A delighted huff of air escaped his nose as he nervously cast a glance at the ground before him, a slight smile tugging at his lips whilst a smaller stick-like object protruded from his mouth, planted between his teeth and right cheek. A slow nod of his nod accompanied his brief words of, "Good." He allowed the words to stir, even if unintentional, "How about you?" Kole asked, barely shrugging with the question as he thrust it her way.

Perhaps they could thankful that the people of Lithios hardly cared for one another. There weren't many prying eyes placed on their reunion, or so it seemed. Nobody had truly cared, they all had their own agendas for the day.

 

[Lynnori Cruz]

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
Second Skin | Interacting with [member="Kole Harper"] ~ Bad Liar ~ "But then I see your face."
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Right back at it, without missing a beat. Lyn popped her hip out, pressed a fisted hand against it, and shrugged like she had all the time in the world, "Been okay. Travelling. Went home for a bit." Not-so-alright. Sort of been black-out drunk & waking up on weird worlds. Home sucked as much as I thought it would. She wasn't hiding the intentions behind her words, the baggage there, but the wearied yet blissful smile on her face said all she actually wanted to say to him.

She was happy.

Relatively, anyway.

Reality always intruded, like a rude roommate at night, "Mind if we find somewhere to-- Sit or something? I'm gonna get arrested out here, I swear to God." Something of a laugh followed, she rubbed the back of her neck and spent a moment or two looking at his shoes. Oh, how the mighty fall. Still, yeah, the odds of imminent arrest by this world's police force increased every moment she was outside of those damn specific alien zones. She had no intention of dragging Kole to the slums, though, so perhaps some neon shade would provide them with the correct ambient lighting to make them both pink. Even just for a few weird moments, to allow for secure conversation before the cops ruined it all.

"--Spend your credits well?" Ouch, a bit of a callous one. She asked that as she moved, moving towards a large advertisement display alive with red, purple, and pink neon holograms.

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
Memories | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ Under Your Spell ~ "Do you think this feeling will last forever?"
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"Sure." Kole replied with the same slight-smile and nod of the head from before. Fortunately, it was in that moment that the traffic lights flickered and the pedestrians were able to shift themselves across the street. It was into the shadow of the towers that both himself and Lyn made their way, and it was there that the neon lights were far more prominent. They cast their colours over all of those that found themselves within their radius, and that included the two that had come upon their reunion, even if it was strangely awkward right now. His shoulder had leant itself into the wall, his ankle had crossed over the other, and his hand had removed the sunglasses from his face. Held in his hand as it slid its way back into the jacket pocket. There were so many things he wanted to say, felt the need to, but he couldn't. Kole didn't want to be that burden. He had enough troubles as it were.

His artificial eyes had locked with her own, and in that moment he gave his response. "I haven't really spent it yet." It was the truth. Kole hadn't anything to really blow it on, and so he was waiting for the right thing. Maybe it was her. The thought of asking about home crossed his mind, but he had learned that through general attitudes of mentioning it that it was never something she desired to talk about. Possibly later- Oh no, here it was, "How was home?" Kole asked, his head cocking to the right as an inquisitive expression became apparent on his face.

It was good to see her again. Kole had missed her, even if it was something he was always going to struggle to admit. Her hair, her eyes, her smile. It kept him up at night. The HRD had delved deep into the bottle on more than one occasion as a result. Then again, the burning sensation of hard liquor against his throat always managed to take him back to the night they met. Kole internally sighed at the thought.

 

[Lynnori Cruz]

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
The Resurgence | Interacting with [member="Kole Harper"] ~ Bad Liar ~ "Oh wait, that's someone else."
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"Home?"

Ah, yes, the familiarities of conversation. Lyn's expression tilted a little, like the recollection of her time on Zeltros brought a modicum of pain with it, which it did, "Home was... Home." That should be enough to say what she meant. 'Home' was a mess, literally, and emotionally. Too many emotions mixed into one place made for an unhappy Lynnori.

And yet she had wound up not spending much of her reward money for the Maltoya case, either. It sat in a secure chit, waiting for its use; she hadn't even touched it for booze money, believe it or not. Maybe her ship could do with a polish or an upgrade, but it felt wrong. Didn't feel right. Which was stupid, she had little qualms about spending whatever income she got, but this time was different. Maybe she was finally becoming a little more responsible.

"--Just lots of drinking, and, more drinking, and, you get it." Exasperation followed, a lick of her lips, a shrug. It was Zeltros, she didn't know what he expected to hear beyond crazy pre-teen parties. Tossing wayward blue hair over a shoulder, the Zeltron crossed her arms and quirked a brow, "What'd you do, then? Since, uh, Coruscant."

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
Innocent Lies | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ Under Your Spell ~ "God, I hope so."
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There was always an option to lie. It was often less harmful for one reason or another. Maybe it would hurt her, maybe she wouldn't care, maybe it'd save his image, or maybe she hadn't cared for it in the first place. Kole was a pessimist, as mentioned earlier, and so he took precautions where he could. Always cautious, meticulous in his methods. There was never room for an error, no matter how small.

"Since Coruscant?" He questioned, his eyes squinted as if in recollection. "Work." Kole replied, bobbing his head along throughout there response whilst searching for more words. "Another murder, nothing special." The truth, however, was that Kole was still a criminal. He divulged himself in their activities, and despite the fact they were as harmful as they came he couldn't let go. It was integral to himself, a part of his identity, and that life was too difficult to walk away from. It was always a possibility that Lyn wasn't going to care, but he never wanted her to see that side of him. It wasn't pretty.

Kole had turned in his current stance, placing his back against the wall whilst always retaining that lock on her eyes. "Think the real question is why are you here? Didn't think this was your crowd." He questioned with a sly smirk. Although, there was a sense of legitimacy to the question. Why was Lyn on Lithios, and downtown of all places?

 

[Lynnori Cruz]

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
Conflicting Truths | Interacting with [member=[/FONT]"Kole Harper"] ~ Bad Liar ~ "Oh, trying to play it coy."
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Well, she hadn't exactly towed a legal line either. Hands stuffed into the pockets of her surprisingly clean-cut, almost dashing coat, "Want the honest truth?" A smile that seemed tenser than genuine appeared, Lyn looked over her shoulder before shrugging, a simple lift and drop, "I don't remember coming here. But I think I made it in one piece. Now I'm just-- Looking around. They don't stop me often enough to be a problem, I just lie." It made her surprisingly uncomfortable to have to hide the fact she was a Zeltron like that, even though she didn't care much for the culture that came with the species. Maybe the return to Zeltros really had jolted something in her. Or maybe not, and she just disliked liars. Kole was probably lying right now, but then again, for some reason, Lyn didn't mind. Was it faith that she'd learn the truth eventually? Probably.

"Lithios, though, definitely a place I thought you'd like," A pink finger bathed in equally-pink light raised and spun slightly, gesturing around them, "Just seems like a you-planet. 'Least, lots of your kind show up here." How wrong she was in that regard, but, she still assumed he was somewhat-Human. Which was probably true regardless of his status as an HRD, at the very least on a spiritual-and-or-psychological level.

What was there to say next? Say the things she felt too much terror to put into words? Nah, best not. She just shrugged again, moved to the wall beside him, and pressed her shoulder against it to lean sideways, facing him.

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
Honest Questions | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ Under Your Spell ~ "I do nothing but think of you."
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Kole happened to turn away. His synthetic, blue eyes fell on the street right before him. Both his legs were stiff, extended outwards to ensure he remained propped up against the wall. There was a certain familiarity to the blank expression that was all too visible across his face, even if basked in a bright neon light that made him appear the same skin colour as Lyn. Maybe if they were both Zeltrons the issue wouldn't be as easy to dance around, might've even made things simpler. Then again, nothing was ever quite so simple, now was it? There was always something to become complex, to become difficult to talk about. This scenario reminded Kole of such a thing, even if he wasn't entirely accustomed to it.

"I should've called." Kole unapologetically blurted out without so much of a second thought. It was as if his mind had spoken aloud since that was the first thing that came across his mind the instant he saw her; even then, his speech was similar to a mumble, softly spoken as if speaking to himself. His head had rotated, finding his eyes interlocking with her own as they leant against the wall on the street in the middle of the day. "Right?" He further persisted almost immediately afterwards.

Closure was always beneficial.

 

[Lynnori Cruz]

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
Hard Answers | Interacting with [member="Kole Harper"] ~ Bad Liar ~ "Trying to make it disappear."
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Kole's straightforward prompt threw Lyn briefly. It was not, however, entirely inaccurate. And yet still she found herself no longer so mad about all that, head tipping, "Yeah, probably. No big deal though." Well, it was somewhat of a big deal. Maybe from the angle that the absolute lack of communication since Coruscant had led to something more. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, right?

"I probably could have tried a little harder, too," The prideful woman acquiesced, glancing off to the side, "I don't know." She didn't, that was for sure. She didn't know where this could lead, where it would lead. What pathway paved with fire they'd burn themselves on first. It would have been so much worse if they'd both been Zeltrons, though. So much worse. This way, he tempered her worse qualities, didn't feed into them.

She couldn't lie, though. He looked especially tempting in this lighting.

That, she rationalized, might have been why she found herself very slowly inching closer. Intruding on his personal space like she had many, many times before, "Call or no call. We're here now."

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
Difficulties in Reciprocation | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ See You Again ~ "You live in my dream state."
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Suppose that Kole's greatest strength was his ability to consistently seem outwardly collected. There was a certain difficulty with understanding what Kole was feeling or thinking, even for a non-Zeltros, due to ever consistent expressions he wore. They varied, but only in the slightest. There had been a wider array of emotions felt in regards to Lyn than anything else, and the possibility of her reading him as if he were a book became closer and closer to reality with each moment they spent together. No matter the circumstances.

"I thought you didn't want me to." He freely admitted. Exchanging numbers almost seemed to be a formality, it was what happened in all the holo-vids. It wasn't as if anything ever really came from it. His brows had furrowed together, his gaze never removing itself from her. It couldn't, as it were glued to her features as Kole remembered each and every part of her. Even, well... yeah.

 

[Lynnori Cruz]

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
Learning to Love | Interacting with [member="Kole Harper"] ~ Bad Liar ~ "But just like the Battle of Troy."
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"Oh, you're an idiot."

The vexation in her voice, albeit slightly playful, was evident. She couldn't really blame him, though. He seemed terribly new to all this. Well. She was too, but, she had better intuition about this sort of thing apparently. Unsurprising considering the circumstances, what was at play. He was (unknowingly) artificial, whilst she was the peak of passion. Ice and fire. She'd melted him somewhat, no doubt.

"No, I, uh--" She paused, voice hitched, "I did. I do." There wasn't a need to call now that they were here on Lithios, but the point still stood. Her eyes left his a little too quickly to start sweeping the street and the passing crowds with a low sigh, "Anyways. Calling, that's in the past now. We made it here, good enough for me." No lies, just truth. She could overlook their weeks-long blackout if things progressed smoothly from here.

But would they ever go like that?

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
Silent Contemplation | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ See You Again ~ "Relocate my fantasy, I stay in reality."
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Kole had received the confirmation he so desperately sought; words he craved to hear had been uttered, but he needed more. It wasn't enough. There were all too many things he desired to say, but the valve in his throat never let them go. They remained confined to him, bouncing off the walls within his mind whilst incapable of expressing them. His stare was cold, untelling, but maybe that told more than anything else? He was in thought, lost in admiration for everything that was her. The 'pick in his mouth rattled back and forth against his teeth and his check, grinding against those pearly whites with each clench of his cheek performed through anticipation.

"Yeah." Kole finally broke, his head panned down to the left, away from Lyn. He hadn't a word to say, least not yet. A silence fell between the two, and each passing moment thickened the tension within the air between them. There wasn't even anything remotely entertaining about the speck of pavement he turned his attention towards. That might be the most awful thing about it all.

 

[Lynnori Cruz]

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
A New Drowning | Interacting with [member="Kole Harper"] ~ Bad Liar ~ "There's nothing subtle here."
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The silence was better than nothing, so she took it. Swarms of people on the way to work, to play, to probably commit a crime passed on by without so much as a glance to the duo in the midst of emotional reconciliation. The anonymity was perfect, fitting, they didn't need another 1313 on their hands. Nobody needed another 1313.

Agh, keep things going. If they stewed in this boring silence for too long one or both might just decide it's better off to leave, and Lyn wasn't sure that one of those could be her. This was too nice. Too different from the monotony of the weeks behind her. So with a slight smile, slight grimace, she kept onwards probing, "You got a place here? Like, an apartment or something." Surprisingly, she just seemed to be asking, not fishing for an invite back. Things betwixt the two really had changed since that first night on Coruscant.

Lyn shifted against the wall, back pressed flat against it now as her arms crossed. At last, her sight changed from Lithios' roving crowds to Kole again. Clearly, expectant for his reply.

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
Gone Fishing | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ See You Again ~ "You exist behind my eyelids."
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Kole wasn't going to leave; he hadn't the gaul to do so. This was a moment of confusion, of questions, of utter uncertainty. It might be better for them to walk away, to leave each other be, and to live in an existence without the other. It was possible Lyn wouldn't be hurt that way. That was most important, right? She was safe, and with him she wasn't. It's as simple as that, but even then with all the drinking and showing up on planets without any recollection didn't seem entirely safe, either. Kole had well and truly found himself at a crossroads. Too many directions to go, none of which might be his truthful destination.

In the meantime, however, he played his part. The HRD's head bobbed along before nodding left, back the way they came. "Not too far from here." Were the words that accompanied his actions. It wasn't really an invitation either, it was rather passive. "You don't, do you?" Kole had asked with an eyebrow quirked, certain that one that managed to show up on planets without much of a trace hadn't accomodation. "I might be here a while." His words came with a shrug, even resembling a proposition to some degree. He couldn't help himself.

 

[Lynnori Cruz]

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
Baited | Interacting with [member="Kole Harper"] ~ Bad Liar ~ "In my room there's a king size space."
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"Slept in my ship. Er-- Woke up in it anyways." The Sulit was an old friend, the closest thing to a home she had. Always there when she returned from parties and outings, to offer comfort in the form of doing absolutely nothing. Regardless of that, Lynnori wasn't surprised Kole probably had some apartment here. Likely as refined as the home on Coruscant, that place had been nice, "I don't know how long I'll be here 'till I'm forced into the slums."

And there it went. No more topics sprung to her mind; what else was there to say? More meaningless small-talk? They were both dancing around the real topics, here. The real things to be said. Maybe that was why she nervously pressed her thumbs together, fingers interlocked, eyes firmly looking away but not out of a desire to not look at him. Moreso out of misplaced worry of what will be seen there.

Maybe calling out his name had been a mistake.

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
Reeling In | Interacting with [member="Lynnori Cruz"] ~ See You Again ~ "And I don't know if I'ma see you again."
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​A confession, and a question. Did it matter which one came first? To Kole, yes. Yes it did. It bothered him, coursed through his figure as that sensation persisted throughout the entirety of their interaction. His unfamiliarity made him all the more cautious with each word that left his mouth. There was too much careful consideration, nothing that came from the tip of his tongue, fresh off the mind. There wasn't anything that he thought to respond with, and so he allowed a silence to fill as he brainstormed a few choice words, a proposition.

"I, uh." Kole started, his head twitching away, towards the ground, back to Lyn with a faint grin, "You ever been to a Military Ball before?" His brow had furrowed once more with the difficulty that came with a grown man acting as if he was a child. It hurt, almost.

 

[Lynnori Cruz]

Lithios, Downtown, The Street, Midday
Catch Of The Day | Interacting with [member="Kole Harper"] ~ Bad Liar ~ "Bigger than it used to be."
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Oh, yeah. Definitely a mistake.

"What?" She asked incredulously, head swivelling to look at him with a level of obvious surprise and confusion. Had she heard him correctly? Military Ball? "--...No?" Blue brows rose, "Do I want to ask why you're asking?"

This sounded like the start of a really bad sitcom episode. The slice-of-life time-filler episode where the main characters, meant to be caught perpetually in shades of grey romance, are thrust into some unlikely yet hilarious scenario forcing development of the character or, something like that. She hadn't exactly studied media in school; Hell, she didn't even finish school. The curiosity across her face was enough for her to push off from the wall, floating between it, him, and the pink advertisement giving them their shelter and ambience. Where, oh where, could Kole be going with this?