Afternoon Sushi-Break

[Wrakune]

When Ariel turned fierce, she was shocked. She hadn’t realized she was in his mind until she heard his thoughts.

Quickly, she dropped her voice to an impossible whisper and said, "I apologize, love. I didn’t realize I was doing it. I must be more conscious of my abilities, no?”

She was relieved when he smiled and prompted an answer to Red’s question. She smiled as well and said, “Yes, it is actually quite delicious! I’m glad I decided to get it! What a shame it would have been to miss out on this delectable dish!” She flashed him a shy smile and took another bite of the yellow-tail.

As she ate, her thoughts returned to Ariel’s abrupt notion that she was simply a human. It bothered her. Not only because she knew that she didn’t smell like a human, but because she was very proud to be the supple shifter that she was.

Suddenly, she flipped her hair out her face and decided to ignore the fact. She wanted to show these men that she as not some sex-crazed bimbo and that she really was interesting.

“So,” she said in an all too animated fashion, “what do the two of you do for a living?” The intention of getting to know them both better was inscribed blatantly on her face.

[Fell]

Sorry. Right, Ariel thought, not losing his light smile. It didn\'t show on his face, but trusting Ramsie wasn\'t high on his list of things to do. Oh, he doubted she could play as well as he could, well enough to get a lie like that by, but he wasn\'t going to take his chances. She\'d gotten into his head once, and Ariel didn\'t think he wanted to give her a second chance.

"I\'m glad you like it, then," Ariel said politely, enjoying another piece of his chirashi. "Mine\'s delicious also. This really is such a good place!" The behemoth was acting boyish and light again, his flash of snake-like anger apparently long gone. It wasn\'t, but he wasn\'t going to let either of them know.

What had she thought, anyway? Ramsie seemed to know that he wasn\'t human either, so had she expected him to be simply incompetent? Who knows what she thinks you are. Let her think what she will, Ariel thought, reminding himself that being underestimated by others was a huge boon in actuality. Hopefully Ramsie would continue the trend - it was rather convenient. Besides, if she thought him an idiot, she would treat him like one. Frankly, it just made Ariel\'s life easier.

"Oh, I\'m in business," Ariel responded innocently. It was what he always told people who asked about his work. They didn\'t need to know he ran RKHT Productions, one of the largest record companies on this side of the globe. It often... complicated things if people found out, so Ariel liked to leave it as simple as he could. Not like it was difficult, anyway.

"You?" the silver-haired man asked, returning the question to Ramsie. Ariel figured that Red would respond in his own time, regardless of prompting from either of them - if he responded at all. The attractive redhead seemed... slightly distant. It happened; Ariel wasn\'t worrying about it too much.

[Wrakune]

"Business? Sound interesting. I work at a small pet store in Cypress Shoppingtown. It\'s pretty cool. I love animals. They have very interesting minds." She winked at him. She\'d figured out what kind of supernatural he was by combining the brief knowledge she got form her mind invasion and the fact that his hair and eyes were such interesting hues. He had to be a behemoth.

[Macabre Beauty]

It wasn’t so much distance that caused the feral fae to fall silent. It was more, engrossment. When the conversation became more of a personal exchange between the pair, Nanashi’s attention turned to his food. In fact, if anyone happened to glance his way now they’d find all five dishes picked clean. In a very feline-like manner, the half-blooded incubus had cleared his meal without the appearance of woofing it down. Satiated for the moment, his attention lazily returned to the conversation. When it appeared that it was no longer so personal, his glamoured ears perked and his tail began its lazy tick.

“Business hmm?” He voiced with purring tones rich in contentment, “Sounds a bit boring if you ask me. Then again… I suppose it would depend on the business no?”

With a soft chuckle and body lengthening stretch, the red-head folded in on himself and propped an elbow upon the table then casually rested his chin within his palm. Half-lidded eyes observed the two as he listened politely to the woman’s response to the question returned upon her. He still didn’t think much of the shifter but, that was only because there was very little about her that caught his interest. Well, beyond her flighty temperament of course…

“I choose my work,” He stated simply. It was a small phrase that could have alluded to anything. If one went by appearance, they could easily guess him to be a model or an actor. If an individual –knew- him however… the words took on an entirely different meaning. He rather enjoyed his anonymity. It made his actual ‘work’ easier.

“So, you play with pets do you?” He queried of Ramsie, “What animal, would you say, is the favorite take home pet?”

It was a question posed out of idle curiosity. Though he was almost certain that he all ready knew the answer. With a flick of his tail, his eyes wandered over towards the behemoth. The silvered hair man was larger curiosity to him. He knew the other to be more than just mortal… but what beyond mortal he couldn’t guess. His dabble with other super naturals tended to be a bit limited, despite his popularity among them, and there had been a curious air about the male when his temper flared. Another casual flick of his hidden appendage and half blood decided it might be curiosity worth digging into. Unfortunately, was only one thing that hendered that idea.

Idly wondering if the problem would take care of itself, \'Nashi masked a yawn behind his fingers and absently studied the pair before him. Fish and attractive company, did life get any better? Ok, maybe it did.. but it was certainly nice for the moment.

[Fell]

Inwardly, Ariel gave a snakelike hiss at Ramsie\'s wink. Stupid creature, he thought coldly. Outwardly, though, he grinned widely. "It can be really fun sometimes, actually!" Ariel said in response to Red\'s comment about business. "I mean, sometimes it\'s just busywork, but it\'s pretty rewarding to see something you\'ve done in action."

There. That was vague enough to mean just about anything while sounding like he was giving away a decent amount of information. The behemoth turned his words back onto the other two. "So you work with animals? Lucky you! You\'re lucky too, Red," Ariel continued, turning his head to the other man, "getting to do what you please like that."

There was definitely more going on there. Red was not all that met the eye, oh no. Ariel didn\'t know what exactly was going on under the surface, but finding out could prove to be very interesting. Ariel couldn\'t help but wonder if he would have the chance. The silver haired man thought he and Red might just get along, if given the chance. Perhaps he would give the other his phone number after this meal - provided the other had a phone. So many supernaturals, especially the old ones, just didn\'t keep up.

Ariel would further ponder this later. There were some interesting implications. Perhaps he could begin another company, one directed towards supernaturals...? It might be an interesting pet project. Business later, Ariel, the behemoth thought with an inward grin. "Hmm... I like birds the best," Ariel said, even though the question hadn\'t been directed at him. All a part of the act. I admire their ability to see things from above, and their focus, he thought. Out loud... "Their feathers are so pretty," the silver-haired man added cheerfully.

Ariel rather wondered if Red could see anything beyond this act. In some ways, he couldn\'t help but hope the halfbreed could. Because really... the other fascinated him, and Ariel was currently acting a tad bit ridiculous.

[Wrakune]

Ramsie listened to the behemoth, careful to avoid touching his mind. He seemed put out by her, but she was prepared to play his game. She let her mind wander close enough to feel his conscious, but not so close that he would be offended. It was more like she was testing his auora.

All the while, she concentrated on speaking. "Birds. Intelligent creatures. And, yes, the are quite stunning. We have a green mccaw that live in the store. His name is Aristotle. Extremely intelligent. He makes can conversate almost as wel as a human," her voice dropped so only Ariel could hear, "and his mind is most certainly interesting." This time she winked for spite, knowing how angry he\'d been when she touched his mind on purpose.

[Macabre Beauty]

|| -Grins- So good to see you guys again! ||

Upon the mention of busywork, Nanashi’s nose curled though a smile still found its way onto the lips beneath. He never understood why individuals, supernatural or otherwise, pursued corporate endeavors. Sure the work often proved to be a game of tactics and hierarchal endeavors, not unlike the courts of old even, but there was such little challenge in the field. All it took was a few shrewd insights, a couple of cat and mouse maneuvers around your fellow business men and then you were at the top with really no where else to go. Granted there was always the challenge of staying at the top, but mortals were so easily awed and appeased that such couldn’t even be considered a challenge.

“Corporate busy work always seemed a touch tedious to me.” He mused absently, though it really wasn’t the tedium that him lost on the career it was the lack of competition. Offering a small shrug, he continued this time addressing the vein of luck that Ariel claimed the fae had, “And yes, you could say I was lucky. Though most seem to think I am lazy…” This said with a small smirk.

When Ariel offered his opinion on favorite animals, a crimson brow arched delicately. “Birds?” The query lilted from his lips on a soft laugh and glamoured ears ticked attentively towards Ariel, “Yes, I suppose their plumage can be quite a wonder.” It made them bigger targets, not that he would say this of course.

Amused by the silver creature’s simplicity of interest, or rather the appearance of it for surely the man was more interested in birds beyond feathers, Nanashi’s head tipped in the palm that it rested upon and an ear flicked. Apparently, the half-blood was not the only performer at the table. Though, the fae had guessed that from the start. Ah, but what did the act hide beneath? He still wasn’t certain on the other male’s race, though in observing his false mannerisms something tickled the feline senses... something that whispered snake...

While Nanashi’s focus had centered upon Ariel, after all it was only polite to give the one speaking to you proper attention, an unseen ear had caught Ramsie’s response. Intelligence hm? So the woman was shifting the field of interest upon the animal, no doubt to better catch her quarry’s attention. It appeared that despite the polite disinterest shown to her, she was still quite determined in seeking the Behemoth’s favor. Entertained by the female’s dogged determination, and the apparent futility of it, Nanashi nudged the conversation back to his original question.

“So, you sell more birds then?” He asked as his hooded gaze lazed to the shifter, “Funny, I can’t see such creatures selling very well. In the opinion of most, I would assume that their expense would be a deterrent. Its one thing to pay two-hundred dollars for an animal, but it is another to continue paying that in up keep.”

Granted, his interest in birds didn’t extend too much beyond the type of prey they offered. Yes, there were admirable qualities to them, and such qualities often led to an amusing chase, but what good were those qualities in the jaws of a predator?

[Fell]

((I know it\'s been a very long time, but perhaps you two would be interested in continuing?))

So. She didn\'t know when to stop, did she? Ariel fixed his eyes on her and hammered at her mind with his own, rooting through her memories and tossing them aside as he would do to garments in someone else\'s luggage. He wasn\'t looking for anything in particular, nor did he really care what he found, and nor was he at all gentle. It was an assault, and he meant it to be one. Ariel was making a point. It took him only a few moments to ravage her memories, and then he left her with a distinct mental impression: This is your last warning, girl. Stay out of my mind.

And then he continued the conversation as though he had done nothing.

"Interesting minds? You think so?" Ariel asked Ramsie, responding to her whispered question at full volume. He\'d had enough under-the-table chatter with the woman. "I don\'t know about that... They\'re only birds after all, pretty plumage or no," the behemoth continued with a laugh. He actually did wonder why she would think that, too. They really were still birds, regardless of his admiration of them.

It was probably just a ploy for his attention. Hmph, Ariel thought coldly, though he never lost his mask. He never did, really. It only dropped when he wanted it to.

In any case, Red\'s point was a good one. "It\'s why I don\'t have a bird. Money is no issue, but I wouldn\'t have the time to care for it," Ariel said wistfully, leaning his head on a hand. He sighed, then smiled again. "The wild birds are one of the many reasons I like to go to the park, actually. I can still admire them, but entirely free of charge or commitment!" the behemoth explained cheerfully. What he really wanted was to put an aerie on the company building. It was a project he would be running by the board at their next meeting.

"What\'s your favourite animal, then, Red?" Ariel asked, honestly curious as to what the answer would be, and if it would be genuine or a simplification, as his had been. The white-haired male made sure to listen closely, looking for any hint as to what lay below Red\'s surface.

[Macabre Beauty]

Unseen ears perked curiously at the sudden tension wrought by the silent exchange. Carefully masking that curiosity, his head once again tipped in his hand as though he were considering the empty plates in front of him. When the brief lapse passed, his sapphire gaze casually ticked back to the Behemoth. What had that been about? Knowing it would be futile to search for answers, and being too lazy to do so besides, he simply listened intently as the conversation resumed.

“Favorite animal?” The half-blood parroted the simple syllables and a brow lifted lazily in consideration. Well, he supposed it was only fair that the topic be brought back to him. Though again, it seemed to stray from the one he had attempted to chase… It was funny; the circles a conversation could run. With a soft, private, chuckle the scarlet haired male settled back into his seat; the movement, a fluid fall against the back of his chair. Now, he had to decide how he wanted to answer. Not that his deliberation would be evidenced, of course.With a slow grin, the crimson fae drew his arms behind his head, lacing his fingers.

“Well…” He mused, the word drawling on a purr, “This might sound as generic as my name but…” He paused here and offered a slender roll of the shoulders before dropping his arms from their stretch. “I would have to say cat. At least as a take home… They’re, conveniently, independent.” Heh, and what was an Incubus without independence? A starving fool.

As Nanashi answered their waitress appeared again, all smiles as she collected the empty plates left for her. Apparently, the young woman was pleased to see that the charming males she was serving had yet to take their leave. With the plates balanced precariously in her skilled hold, she looked amidst the trio then chirped, “May I offer any desert?” With the query, Nanashi heard… or my phone number?

With holding a snicker at the woman’s underlying tone, he turned his attention to the pining server. Well, at least this one was more discreet than the one kept in company, he thought absently as he offered her a smile and a cheery reply, “Most certainly! I’d like some tempura fried ice cream please.”

Were he a vampire, the feral fae was almost certain he would’ve heard the mortal’s heart flutter. As it was, he had to settle for the flush that stained her cheeks and her suddenly shy gaze as she turned her seeking attentions to Ariel. After finding her composure again, she looked up just as entranced by sir silver hair as she had been prior “And… For you sir?”

[Wrakune]

Ramsie remained perfectly still though her mind was being attacked. Her face showed no evidence of the silent struggle between herself and the behemoth. She felt Red knowledge of the tension acutely beyond the pain and concentrated on that until the pain subsided as the girl placed an iron-like fortress around her mind. She nodded to him and apologized briefly, almost silently.

"It is decidedly so. The are extemely talented and diversly intelligent creatures. Need I remind you of their ability to learn words? Birds\' minds are fairly similar to that of a human... only with less parts and no emotions."

Ramsie turned her attention to Red and listened to his statement about his own favourite animal: a cat. "Cats, red? Phenomenal creatures and beautiful, too. Very sarcastic minds..." she trailed off. That nervous waitress appeared again and interrupted her thought patern. This girls thoughts were much too loud in the supple shifter\'s mind. She almost cringed, but held her composure. She placed acute pressure on the girl\'s mind. Those who cause a headache deserve to get one, she laughed to herself.

"Maam," she interupted, "I\'ll take the same as my friend." She gestured to red. She hoped desperately for the girl to leave and bring the dessert quickly. This place was getting on her nerves.

[Fell]

Ariel was unconvinced by Ramsie\'s words on the minds of birds. He couldn\'t help but think them too focused in the moment to be thinking of anything outside of it. Their focus didn\'t leave much room for anything else, either, though she was right about some of them being able to learn human words. "That\'s true," Ariel granted thoughtfully, verbally conceding that point, "but they don\'t speak. Just repeat. Besides, intelligence varies with species." The behemoth did decide to pay more attention the next time he went to a birdhouse, though. Perhaps there was more there than he saw.

The silver-haired man was also happy to note that Ramsie was now keeping her mind well and to herself. Finally, she learns, Ariel thought, inwardly smug. That was as far as that line of thought of his went, however, as more interesting things were happening in the real world.

Cat. Ariel could have laughed out loud; Cat suited Red perfectly. Red even seemed rather feline in his grace, charms and, most notably, aloof nature. The choice made perfect sense, at least to the silver-haired man. "Yeah, cat\'s are great for their independence," Ariel agreed with a nod. "Probably the only housepet I\'d have. Other pets need too much maintenance!"

The behemoth did find it funny how Ramsie commented on the minds of the creatures they were speaking of. It seemed especially odd with cats, when all the animals were so different. How could she say that "cat\'s have sarcastic minds" when cats were more individualistic than almost any other animal? Perhaps it is true, as a generalisation, Ariel thought, covering his musings by looking at the dessert menu. He then realised that he actually did want dessert, too.

"I\'ll have... hmm, dear... oh, why not! I\'ll have an order of green tea tempura ice cream too!" the behemoth said, finally settling with a laugh. He handed the girl back his menu, pretending he didn\'t see the slow burn in her eyes. Ariel wasn\'t interested in dealing with yet another frivolous human female today.

When she left, Ariel gave both of his companions a light-hearted grin. "I\'m surprised we all ordered the same thing. Three very different people don\'t usually do that - though I suppose our dessert options are a little bit curtailed here," the CEO said, pushing his glasses back up his nose with one hand while he moved to rest his head in the other. "Japanese restaurants never have much by way of dessert, I fear."

[Macabre Beauty]

With their orders in hand, the waitress offered the table an affable grin before she scurried off to retrieve the ice cream. She hadn’t appeared to notice the way Ariel ignored her as she collected his menu and left with a light hum leaving her lips. In her mind, despite the small headache that was encroaching upon it, she had a chance to service a most charming set of gentlemen and did so without having to force her smile.

Nanashi watched as the mortal woman wandered off, his lips curled in amusement. It was all too apparent that the waitress had entered a world of her own and now the half-breed felt compelled to toy with it. Not that current company wasn’t entertaining enough… he simply saw the woman’s lust as a string that taunted him to bat at it.

Offering a soft chuckle, the fae drew his focus back to the table. Tail-ticking unnoticeably in irritation, his ears flattened some and his nose almost curled upon the reply Ramsie had offered. Sarcastic minds indeed… Honestly, where did the shifter get off on that assumption? How could she generalize something that… Deciding not to think on it, he offered a delicate sniff and an amused smile.

“You must not have much luck with cats then.” He offered with a light laugh while plucking up his milk and drawing a drink from it. Setting it back upon the table with a soft ‘tak’ he continued, “It has been my experience that they only give attitude to those that they dislike or find offensive. Which… I presume is the sarcasm you’re referring to, yes?”

Despite the query, however, the feral fae was almost certain Ramsie was not as aware of what she spoke as she would have professed. Allowing his attention to drift towards the Behemoth, he studied the silver male with a small tip of his crimson head and an absent tick of an ear. So, Ariel would have a cat. Well that, perhaps, was a point in his favor not that he was of the mind to become some house pet… but the male was certainly curious enough to warrant –some- of his time.

“It is something of curious thing,” He voiced, agreeing with the serpentine male’s comment as his sapphire eyes ticked between the pair, “Though I must confess, I was torn between the cheese cake and the ice cream… Do you suppose they actually make the red bean ice cream out of beans?” The last query added with a playful twist of the lips.

[Fell]

Watching the subtle twist of Red\'s nose at Ramsie\'s words, Ariel found himself warming towards the fellow. That, or it was just the pheromones. With someone like Red, you never really knew... Though Ariel was savvy enough to guess that it was his attitude, not his smell, that he was enjoying. That and the sarcastic way he spoke to their companion.

Ariel might be more biting himself if he didn\'t have a disguise to stick to. No, perhaps there was no reason to here, with these strangers, but he was cautious. How was he to know that one of them wasn\'t from another corporation? It was always best to be consistent in how you acted, for then no one could point to a time when you\'d been different - and thus, no one could guess at what you were really doing. And so, instead of haughtily agreeing with Red, he snorted a little into his tea. Less dignified, and thus entirely within his current persona.

"He\'s got you there, Ramsie!" Ariel said, voice thick with amusement. He made the words sound soft, not truly insulting. Again, a concession to disguise. He rather wondered what Red would think of who he really was, and somehow thought that this feline male might be one of the few to understand. Or I may be deluding myself, the behemoth reminded himself sternly. Ariel wasn\'t the sort to count his chickens before they hatched, and he wasn\'t going to begin over some sushi-bar stranger.

Ariel, though he knew the answer to Red\'s question, pretended to ponder it for a moment before offering a reply. Finally, after several seconds of staring vacantly into the ceiling above Red\'s head, Ariel came back down to Earth. "You know, I\'m not sure... but I would guess they do. Come to think of it, I think I found a bean skin in it when I tried it once!" the silver-haired man said, growing more excited as he spoke. His face and eyes lit up as he did, giving him for all the world the appearance of a child remembering something they were proud to have recalled. "Yeah... I\'m sure I did! But how weird, making ice cream out of beans," Ariel continued, his demeanor dropping into pensive again.

In truth, he rather liked the practice. Neither too sweet nor too bland and with an interesting, delicate flavour all its own, red bean ice cream was a  favourite of Ariel\'s, even if it was cold. He usually pushed it around with his spoon until it was mostly melted, then ate it. It wasn\'t nearly such a shock to his system if he did, and then he still got to enjoy the flavour.

"Have you ever tried the really weird flavours of ice cream?" Ariel asked playfully, giving Red as good as he got, though with a bit more chutzpa. Again, it was in his persona. The real Ariel was a sight more laid back, but he wouldn\'t be letting either of these people know for some time, if ever he would. "The ones like... oh, you know, garlic? String bean? Walnut? Some of them are better than you would think!" he added, laughing a little. While he did, he wondered if there was a tactful way to ask Red for his phone number. A way to do so without seeming to be throwing himself at him... He\'d have to think on it more. After all, he didn\'t want to give the wrong impression. Ariel was interested in the other man as a person, that was all. Definitely all.

[Wrakune]

Ramsie was utterly dissapointed. Neither of the teo "men" were paying her any serious mind and she was rather annoyed now. She growled at Red\'s comment about herself and cats. Ariel put in his two cents and she found herself extremely pissed off.

She contemplated her next move carefully and decided to take her leave. "I\'ll be off, then," she almost barked as the waitress returned with the ice cream. She took a quick bite and decided it wasn\'t worth it, threw her money on the table, and turned without another word. She threw one last fleeting thought at Ariel, Maybe next time.

She moved with great haste to the door and stormed through it without so much as a backward glance. She was done with these two, unless they weren\'t done with her.



(OOC: You can follow or leave her be. I don\'t care. I had a lot of fun writing with you two, but I am ready to expand Ramsie as a character. Thanks! You both are great!)

[Macabre Beauty]

As the conversation progressed Nanashi watched as the woman’s expression grew increasingly gruesome. The mix of irritation and disappointment altered what could have been charming features, into a most disenchanting mask of raw emotion. Apparently, Ramsie was not quite as practiced at schooling herself. That… or he and sir silver hair had managed to push her past the limit she believed propriety warranted. Sapphire eyes blinked once at the words spat at them and his brow lifted. Now, while he truly wasn’t surprised, for had he not called her temperament from the beginning, he knew it best to play the part.

So, there he sat, ‘stunned’ as their female companion took her leave. With her brusque exit a sigh followed and the feral male shook his head before his attention turned to Ariel. Lips pursed, his expression could’ve almost been considered forlorn had it not been for a hint mischief reflecting within his eyes.

“It seems,” He drawled at length, appearing moderately contrite as he looked at his ice cream, “That I have ran off our lady friend…”

Not to say that he’d miss her company. While the shifter had certainly been entertaining to poke at, she offered very little that actually interested him. Perhaps though, that had been because she had been too focused on trying to –prove- that she was interesting, instead of letting the interest develop naturally. A common malady really, but one the fae had little patience for.

Tail ticking in a lazy sway, the half blood collected his spoon to sample the ice cream. He’d honestly not had such a treat fried before and was curious as to how it would affect the taste. With a nearly inaudible ‘mmm’ and a subtle, but genuine, curl of the lips the feral incubus decided that he rather liked Tempura Fried Ice Cream and set to consuming the bowl’s contents. As he indulged in the dessert, his attention turned back to Ariel and his mind back to the conversation that Ramsie had walked out on.

“To answer your question though,” He stated, his eyes dancing in appreciation of the volley, “I can not say that I have. Well no.. I did sample walnut once, but certainly not anything much crazier.” Of course, that could’ve been because he wasn’t the biggest fan of sweets. Though, he might find himself hunting for a few of those flavors now, just to satiate the curiosity that came with the revelation.

For a moment, as he picked up where they’d left off, Nanashi found himself wondering if Ariel might give chase to the woman. It would certainly seem to fall into the demeanor he was presenting. Though, the fae guessed that the serpentine male’s distaste might hold him off. Curious about how the dice would fall on that one, the crimson male looked on with an idle amusement flickering in sapphire depths.