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Neutral
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Maisey was surprised at how easily he took the awkward compliment, she was half expecting him to leave after that. Some people in the area were quite fickle. She returned her gaze to his when he started speaking, a smile growing at the way he replied. It seemed he was just as awkward as her. It was a relief in some ways, she wasn't always the best with words. The amount of times she had got herself in trouble or upset someone because she just accidentally worded something bad or joked at the wrong time was more than she was able to count on two hands. It was nice to meet someone that so far, seemed to be a little bit similar to her. She couldn't hold back a giggle at his response "No, I know exactly what you mean" she grinned through her words. Her impulsiveness started to kick in, she half considered inviting him on a walk or to sit with her somewhere. But she had to remind herself that this was a complete stranger that she had just met and she currently looked like a civilian. Sure she could hold her own against an average man but then that would be someone who knew her true identity and she wouldn't risk it. It was almost like clockwork when Rosie and Caleb left the club, his arm around her waist pulling her in tight. They kind of had a thing, they dated in their teens and now they were always on and off. Clearly tonight was an 'on' night. Rosie spotted Maisey and waved over "Night girl! Love you" she yelled enthusiastically, laughing as the pair rounded the corner. Maisey laughed and shook her head "Have fun!" she called back, before turning her attention back to the man. "Sorry" she smiled. "I'm honestly surprised that she stayed as long as she did, she's usually left with someone by now" she rolled her eyes in a fake expression of exasperation. She remembered that he was here with friends too, and she wondered if he was just staying with her to be polite. "Oh, If I'm keeping you from your group just let me know and I'll leave you too it" she spoke softly, honestly- she didn't want him to leave but she knew she couldn't just hog him all evening if he was here with friends. |
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Lightbringer
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Afton relaxed a little after the understanding response. Oh good, he thought, he wouldn't get yelled at for accidentally screwing up his phrasing today. It was ridiculous how sensitive people could be to that stuff nowadays. While being polite was a very good thing, and a sense of tact; he thought that some people should just let some things go. Just because someone said something, it didn't mean they truly meant it, they could have been a bit awkward sometimes -like him, or as he was learning, Maisey, to than extent- or been having a bad day.
Just his opinion. It wasn't like he'd say that so someone's face.
Although there was that one time he made a guy cry out in public and he had absolutely no idea what in the world he had said, but he still felt absolutely rotten afterwards. So maybe he was more on the sympathetic side, even if he did have some opinions about stuff. Then again, he would think that most people would feel bad after an incident like that, no matter their personality.
He didn't even notice when two people exited the bar, only being alerted by an excited yell. It made him flinch from surprise, as he had been quite relaxed and not really paying attention to the people coming and going. He immediately looked over his shoulder to try and see if the call had been directed over to Maisey, and after a minute of searching, his eyes caught upon two people who he was pretty sure were part of the group she had arrived at. The assumption was confirmed when the hero who was a civilian replied back to the woman.
He wondered if those two were in a relationship, it sure seemed like they were pretty close to each other, and not just in the friendship way. Though he could be wrong, there have been an instance or two where he mistakenly assumed a pair were in a relationship, and it turned out that they were just the type of friends to flirt and otherwise act like a couple. People are weird, in his eyes, it can be a chore to keep up on social standards when interacting with others.
"Oh it's alright. And, I see. Well, I'd say I understand that, but I don't think it's happened before when my friends went out." He gave a small smile to show that that was not a totally serious comment, he was being honest on that front however. Being villains gave them all vigilance about who they decide to leave an establishment. Meaning that he could not remember if that happened before in a group meet up.
He then realized that he had kind of disappeared from the group a little while back, he just got so focused with his conversation with Maisey. It seemed like she did too, because she told him that she'd leave him if he wanted to get back with his friends. A considered that for a brief moment, then decided to stay, if she wanted him to. His friends would probably only joke about him being at risk of being kidnapped, and not actually decide to act on that. Hopefully.
"Oh no, it's okay. I'm...enjoying talking to you," he said, voice quiet but sincere, feeling a little awkward. He wasn't too good at this stuff, usually, it just felt weird to him. He felt like his face was getting red. "if you'd like me to then, then I will. But if you'd like to keep talking, I'll gladly stay."
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Neutral
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Maisey listened to the pair giggle and chat until they were out of earshot. Rosie had made some cheeky comments about her with Afton- not in a hurtful way just more of a playful 'ooh what's she up to' way. She found it amusing that her best friend would never know of her abilities, never know that she could practically always hear what she said about her. It was partly why she loved Rosie so much, she never spoke badly about other people. Years of living with her level of hearing had taught her to be able to pay attention to both conversations, and she couldn't hide the pleased look on her face when he said he wanted to stay. She felt her heart rate increase slightly at his last sentence. It was anew feeling for her, usually she only got that adrenaline in fights, not talking to men! She ran a hand through her hair, pulling it out of her face thanks to an annoying breeze that kept blowing it into her face. "I would love to keep talking to you!" she spoke excitedly, she wore her emotions on her face after a few drinks. It was hard to hide how she was actually feeling. It was so interesting talking to him, she enjoyed the company of her male friends, and past boyfriends but no one had her reeled in like that from one brief conversation. She wondered if she had just deprived herself from genuine connections for so long or if there was actually something special about him. That's not something she would find an answer to tonight though. She felt goosebumps form on her arms and legs as the temperature continued to drop, She wasn't freezing but it was definitely noticeably cold. Internally she kicked herself for not bringing her jacket out with her, she didn't want to leave their conversation now, especially not after he had said he enjoyed talking to her! "What do you do for work?" she asked curiously "I realise I never asked you!" she smiled, referring back to when she had said she worked in the shelter. She usually had a farily good guess but with him she was drawing blanks. |
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Lightbringer
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He gave a small smile and tilted his head away for a moment after the positive response from Maisey, his heart beating a little faster from happiness or excitement. He hadn't really wanted to stop talking yet, but he would have gone without making a scene if it had turned out that she didn't want to continue the conversation. However he was glad that she was enjoying the talk as much as he was, or somewhere around there, at least.
"Oh, nothing special. I work in a retail store. By the way, those little stories are true about weird things happening in retail." Was his response to the woman's question, giving a small huff at the end of it.
For the longest time when he was younger, and by that, in his early teens when he started watching those Reddit stories about retail workers sharing their experiences, he had mostly thought that a majority of them were exaggerating a bit. Mostly because some of them were so outrageous. He still remembered one of those were an employee recounted that a man came into the Starbucks or whatever coffee place the store had, made his own smoothie -it could have been a milkshake too, it has been a while since he's read that particular thing- and then took it into the bathroom and started to shave after pouring it on his head.
He really hadn't believed that one, although he had to admit, it was a memorable story. He had probably first seen that one a full ten years ago and still can recall it. But some of the things he had read were so strange, and it was like he couldn't believe a person actually did that. And when he first got a job in a retail store, he had felt a little bad for not believing those people. Apparently the retail business attracted some weird characters who came in and did odd stuff; and this was his opinion as a villain, someone who dresses up and goes around and does who knows what, and he has definitely seen some weird stuff in his extracurricular activity.
But it was exciting. And honestly very fun to see what would happen next.
Even if being screamed at or being held at gunpoint is less fun.
After being outside for a while, and not really doing anything other than standing in place and talking, he was starting to feel the chill in the air. For him, it was just on the edge of being cold enough to elict shivering, almost there but not yet. He could tell the temperature was still going down, the air he drew into his lungs was a miniature shock to the system every time he inhaled. It wasn't unwelcome for him though, he was just a person who happened to like the cold. Though he was on the verge of asking Maisey if it was getting too cold out for her, after all, she was the one in the dress. And while he could confidently say he had never worn a dress in his life -not that he really wanted to anyways- he could imagine that the wearer would be more sensitive to a drop in the temperature.
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Neutral
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Maisey offered a lighthearted laugh at his comment. She had heard of the horrors of retail work and she was glad that she hadn't subjected herself to it. "Oh I bet! Some people are hard to please" she grinned. "What store?" she asked curiously as she felt a shiver travel up the back of her neck. She didn't mean to cut him off before answering but she asked "Do you wanna sit inside? It's freezing!" The cold never bothered her too much in her hero suit as it was much warmer. But her current clothing of choice was revealing too much skin to the elements for her comfort! She wondered if he were the time to follow her back to her group, take her to his of find somewhere more private to chat. She found herself wondering a lot of things about him, she felt like she had known him for years by how easy it was to talk freely to him. He felt warm and familiar and she didn't often get that from strangers. Usually she would've invited him to her place by this point, or at least tried to make some kind of move. However, she really didn't want to put her foot in it with him. Despite just having met him she was determined to get to know him more, and hopefully see him again. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions that she was unable to decipher, maybe she was having an off night. Romanticizing things that she shouldn't, or perhaps there was that small chance that he felt the same spark as her. He had seemed happy that she wanted to keep talking! Or maybe he was being polite? It wasn't unusual for her to struggle with these kinds of internal battles, she internalized most aspects of her life and found herself dwelling on the past a lot. Kicking herself over mistakes that any normal person would make, but then she always had to remind herself that she wasn't normal and she was expected to live up tot the expectations of the public when she had her suit on. It was relaxing to be 'disguised' as a civilian, chatting to people who she thought had no idea of her true identity. |
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Lightbringer
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The laugh startled an amused snort in reponse, it was true. Weird, weird stuff could happen. He had worked there for about two years now, and he felt like he wouldn't be surprised by anything else that happened. And then his expectations were always surpassed by a customer doing something that just topped the former outrageous thing that happened in the store. He was surprised that the employees who had been there for longer than he haven't gotten one of those signs that states how recent the latest workplace accident happened, one of those whiteboard things that you could erase and write on.
That was an idea.
It would probably be fun to have, at any rate.
The man was knocked out of the detour that his thoughts went on when red-haired woman asked him a question, he had unfortunately missed the first part of the sentence. But he figured that it was probably a remark about his comment on the retail business; it wasn't a question, he knew that. He had long ago learned to keep a subconscious ear out for the intonantion of a inquiry. His attention tended to be caught the most by a question, although alarming sounds tied with that. The question was swiftly followed by another, and he was glad one of them managed to ask about moving the conversation inside. It was quite cold out at the moment.
"Sure, I was just about to ask the same thing." He replied, adding after a moment, "your group or do you want us to have a separate table? I don't feel like dealing with my friends if we went to mine."
Afton was being completely sincere with that statement. While he loved his friends, every one of them, like he would siblings or family; there were times where he just couldn't deal with them. Those times he just silently prayed to whatever entity was up there to give him strength to not just shut the door in their face or outright refuse to say anything to one of them. They were fellow villains, but more than that, they worked far too well to merely be on the same side; when they fought together, they fought like a well oiled machine, smooth and natural in a way that he would be hard-pressed to find with anyone else.
But he did have his limits, and there were times where he just wasn't willing to play along with some of the wilder schemes that one of them would come up with. Although sometimes he was tempted, with the only reason being because it sounded interesting. Which admittedly, should definitely not be his basis for what to do and what not to, but he couldn't help what piqued his interest. But he did make an effort to control it by giving himself a mental question of whether he wanted to end up in the news headlines the next day.
He took a few steps back, so that there was a little more room for Maisey to walk past. He knew that it was rude to keep kind of blocking the way for someone to move, and maybe saying that he was blocking the entrance was a bit of a stretch, but the concept still applied. If he was being honest, he was nearly at the point where he'd offer his phone number so they could get in contact again; but he didn't want to seem like he was...too eager? Was that a thing? He didn't know. Maybe the word would be too forward. He just didn't want to come off as pushy, which he wasn't, he just had a hard time of judging that sometimes. |
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Neutral
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Maisey released the smallest sigh of relief at his response. "Oh good I'm not a fan of the cold" she laughed as she took his gesture of stepping back as an invitation to walk forward. "I think we should find our own table-" she paused to think up some excuse. Not that she needed one, she could've just said that but her over thinking said otherwise "-you'd just get the third degree from mine" she chuckled anxiously. Truthfully, he just wanted his attention herself. Not to mention her friends were pretty drunk and she didn't want anyone to say or do anything crazy while he was around. She wanted to keep a good first impression! She took a few more steps, glancing back to make sure he was following before she pushed the doors opened. Greeted with the rush of warmth and busy conversations within, she subconsciously took a deep breath before moving inside. She was thankful that the bar wasn't too packed, there were still tables empty. Especially the smaller ones which worked out well for them, her eyes locked onto one as she made her way over. She made sure to avoid eye contact with anyone from her group so that she wouldn't get roped into joining them again, she was just not prepared for them to meet a guy tonight. It wasn't long before she slipped into a seat, she was aware that her jacket was still with her group but she decided to either grab it later or pick it up from one of the girls tomorrow. Her full attention dedicated to Afton for now. She had already decided on the way over that she would ask him for his number or a social media account. Anything to raise the possibility of talking or seeing each other again, she rehearsed in her head the simple sentence a few times. You'd think a well known hero would have the confidence to simply ask a guy for his number, but no. Her love life had in no way been heroic or grand, just one shitty narcissist for a few years before she vowed to not date again until she had 'worked on herself' a vague time frame that had now lasted a year. She was busy with work anyway, she made herself a million excuses as to why she would be far too busy to even entertain the thought of dating. It hadn't stopped her from seeing anyone casually but to meet someone that she genuinely liked as a person and didn't just want to take home and then forget about was unusual for her. A welcomed unfamiliarity this time. |
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Lightbringer
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"Mine too, they can be...interesting." Afton laughed at her comment about her friends, he absolutely knew that if she and him were to sit at his table, then there'd be a not very subtle interrogation session. And their interesting behavior would be tenfold the normal intensity. While he had personally never had someone he was possibly interested in romantically meet with his friends, he had once seen Michael bring a woman around his age to a meet up. And it was like watching a clan of hyenas circling an antelope, although afterwards all of them sans poor Michael admitted to getting a bad feeling off of her. So he wasn't sure if the thinly disguised dislike was because of that or if they were putting on an act to see how the unfamiliar woman would react. Nevertheless those two broke up not too long after. Something about an arguement about them as Mike's friend group.
And then after that, Michael went and absolutely destroyed everybody except himself, because he was the only one other than Michael to tell the others to calm down, in combat by a particularly vengeful Voltage. That had been undeniably terrifying, it was all too easy to forgot just how dangerous in combat that each other were. The sight of Mike in his villain attire, a color scheme of purplish-white with an electric blue lightning pattern, fighting Caleb in his suit was something he wouldn't forget anytime soon. That was quite the sight too. The darkness of Shadowmere swirling and wrapping around his form, to be sharply contrasted by the blinding flashes of electricity that sparked and flashed from Voltage; it caught quite a bit of attention when that unusual battle happened. Afton was pretty sure that such a thing made its way onto the news, for it was rare to see a villain attacking another villain with such a vengeance.
Those flashes of memory swirled in his head as he turned and followed Maisey. The warmth washing over him after being in the cold forcing a few shudders from him as his body adjusted to the quick change in temperature. The indistinguishable murmurs of people filled his ears, and he automatically pulled his attention from the red-haired woman he was following to take a glance around.
When he turned his head in the direction of where his friends were sitting, he already regretted looking at them once his gaze met sharply interested eyes and a few smirks that were a hair away from showing the tips of white teeth. They all looked like a pack of wolves observing a newcomer, multiple sets of eyes flicking from Maisey and then back to himself a step behind her.
Letting himself lag another pace, made it clear that he saw them and their expressions and would not be happy if they decided to pull something, his narrowed eyes and slight scrunch to the skin of the bridge of his nose made an expression that was similiar to a snarl without the baring of teeth. If they were intent on looking like wolves or some other predator pack animal, then he'd reciprocate the vibe right back.
And when they collectively had that particular look in their eyes and something about their expressions, he could see how they could be good villains. In fact, when wearing a sharp smile that was more on the edge of a snarl and a deadly gleam sparkling in the eyes, he was sure that any onlookers could see something about them all that would indicate that not all was what it seemed with them. That were was something more dangerous lurking beneath the surface.
The slightly feral expression on him lasted no more than a second, and then it was gone, only a side eye to them conveying the rest. But he could still feel the stares on his back and knew that there'd be some talking to be done afterward.
It wasn't long until they arrived at the table that Maisey had been heading towards, and he sat down at the same time she did on the chair that was across from hers. He leaned back a little in the wooden chair, stretching his arms above his head before placing them on the wooden surface as he straightened into a more natural posture.
"I'm curious, did you have any reason for naming your cats 'Nemo' and 'Daisy'?" He asked once settled down, tilting his head to the side a little. Perhaps he should have started with something a bit different, yes, but he found that the naming process and the thought put into pets' names revealed quite a bit about the owner.
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Neutral
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Maisey let out a deep breathe as she sat down, finally off her feet and mentally vowing to never wear those shoes again! She had been too busy finding a table to notice any glances from his group. Maybe if she had seen them she would've questioned him. Her attention was solely on him as he spoke again. She chuckled at his question "Well, my grandma always said that a daisy was the 'friendliest flower' I still don't know what she was on about but Daisy is the friendliest cat you'd ever meet so I thought it was fitting. As for Nemo, he's orange and honestly I just had watched the movie the night before" she laughed at the conclusion of her explanation. She failed to add that she got Daisy the week after her grandmother died, her only 'decent' family member in her eyes. She had found the death extremely hard, she hadn't wanted another cat. But between Daisy being on of her favorite cat breeds and Maisey needing a distraction, it just worked out. "Nemo is the oldest, he's 4 and Daisy is coming up a year. They are inseparable" she added on. As she spoke she slid her right arm across the table, meeting her hand with his. She hoped she wasn't being too forward, but she figured most people wouldn't be too offended by holding hands. He still hadn't mentioned any kind of girlfriend, and unless he was just super friendly and willing to sit alone with any girl he met. Her bet was that he was single, and she hoped she was right. Her hands were still warming up, still colder than the inside temperature. She leaned forward slightly to get comfortable. She tried not to acknowledge her move much, wanting to avoid any awkwardness. "What about you? How did you choose your dogs' names?" she asked curiously. She didn't mind that they were back on the subject of pets. She could talk about hers all night and she could tell he was very passionate about his too. |
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Lightbringer
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He leaned forward a little bit as she spoke, head still tilted to the side and his eyes interested. The reason for names was very interesting, and every person varied a bit in their choices; it could be personal, a name taken from a book or TV character they particularly liked, or something else. And the reason for the name 'Daisy' was cute and quite different than what he usually heard, that name was mostly used because it was a classic among names and it just sounded pleasant.
He didn't even notice the movement of her arm until he felt her hand meet his, he surpressed a surprised twitch and after a moment of lightning quick flashes of indecision and thoughts, he moved his so that he was holding her hand. Which he assumed as the intention of doing that, otherwise she could easily pull out of his loose grip. To be honest, he hadn't really dated anyone except for a brief relationship in high school, and those types are infamous for not being long-term or in some cases, even healthy attachments. So he could safely say that he was a bit oblivious in recognizing romantic interest in people. And he was aware that holding hands could just be a friendly thing to do, so other than the lurking attention to the fact that the action could very well express an interest back. He didn't let his thoughts stray farther than 'friendly' for the moment, no use setting himself up for disappointment if he saw the gesture in that way.
"That's really sweet, with Daisy's name. And I can see how the Nemo thing came from." He said once she had posed her question about his dogs' names, wanting to comment about the cats' names before his moved onto his pets. He pushed down the twinge of dread, he always felt something when he thought about his experiences in the foster system; but that life ended a long time ago, and he feels much more at peace with those memories than before. But there was always a part of him that produced a slight negative feeling, and it was likely that it was a part of who he was now.
"I...uh. Well, Dream's been with me for fourteen years now, she was a puppy that my got me. And I named her 'Dream' because the idea of having my own dog was as unreachable as, well, dreams. And when I got her, it was like a dream come true." He explained quietly, eyes darting down to the table as he somehow managed to keep his voice level. "And Nyx, I've had her for about three years. I named her after the Greek goddess of the night; because when I went down to the shelter, you see, I had this gut feeling that I needed to go there. That there was something or someone that needed help. When I found her, she, um, she was sitting in her cage; as calm as you could imagine.
"No jumping, no barking, just sitting there serene as could be. Like she was waiting for someone specific that day. The moment I saw her, I was reminded of the stillness and calm of the night; of the late hours that it seems like everything is still and you're alone in the world. And that's why I named her Nyx." He finished, a ghost of a smile appearing on his face before disappearing. He felt, almost somber, in a way; that the situations that led to the two dogs in his life felt like it demanded a kind of respect to how they respectively happened.
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Winter Month: 1 
Day Weather: 
Sleet
