1/21/2003

12:46 AM

Logfile from Sebastian.

Virgin Megastore

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Three huge television screens dominate the opposite wall as you walk into the store. Flashing music videos or movies, the black rimmed screens are silent. The reason being that the speakers are blasting music from the in house radio station. Suspended above the rotunda shaped main floor, the glassed in studio is often occupied by an authentic DJ, spinning the latest CDs to the delight of the shoppers below. The main floor contains the popular CDs and top sellers, circlling about the main escalators.

Going down, you hit the first sub level, where Movie/TV theme music, Classical music, Anime music, and other styles are found. The second sublevel then contains a cafe, a small book store, a video store and a computer game store. And last, but certainly not least, there is an eight show movie theatre, descending deeper still into the bowels of Broadway.

Reese(#282) is here.

Exit: Exit (to Broadway (North) - off Times Square)

Reese just happens to be relaxing in her own little world, sampling what looks to be a very energetic album, the large headphones sealing her from the rest of the crowded store. Around her feet are the spoils of a battle won against shopping.

Isn't it so very quaint how they are always managing to meet up like this? Must be divine intervention, or something along those lines. With nothing whatsoever in his hands so far, Seb draws along the length of the aisle, having long spotted the bebopping Reese. Fairly sure he cannot sneak up on her, he makes his way down the walk with a wry grin upon his lips.

Divine inspiration, convenient plot holes: who's counting, anyways? Reese does, indeed, take off her headphones when the man is about two yards away, shaking her hair out with a smile. "You burn like a bright, hot flame in my head," she greets, turning full around. "How have you been since we last talked?" the girl asks, tilting her head to a side. She leans against a wall of CDs, quirking a brow.

Sebastian chuckles softly at her words, eyes sparkling in amusement. "Always nice to know that I can light a woman up." He leans towards her as if to give her a peck on the cheek before drawing back. "Delightful, but never more so then when I'm in your company, dear."

"You're a flatterer and a liar," Reese says, but beams nevertheless from the combined efforts of the kiss and comment. She pauses, a touch of awkwardness in her tone. There's something very strange about feeling utterly comfortable with someone you don't know; at least the seishi get past lives and old jokes to talk about. Lacking anything else to say, Reese falls back on a classic: "Wow.. this feels so weird."

Sebastian's lips draw upwards just the slightest, amused at something or another. "Oh, please don't tell the others that. You'll ruin me. But for you, it is never more than the truth." He takes a step back from her, smile still rather plain, "I suppose I appreciate the comradery (sp) ."

Reese collects her bags messily into her arms, gesturing at the escalator with a flick of her head. "C'mon. There's a cafe two floors down." She begins to walk, making certain that Sebastian is following along, then begins again. "I mean, it's just kind of strange for two people who only really have one common bond. And divine visitation is hardly a normal one. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'd like to learn more about you." Well, if that isn't a cliched line.

Sebastian follows along behind her, taking a couple of extended steps to move at her side. Obligingly, he reaches over as if to take those bags for her, "There are far stranger things in this world, Reese, and our relationship is the least of them. But I'll be happy to oblige you... but not to much. After all, what is life without a touch of mystery." He flickers her a wink as he lets her lead on.

Reese gratefully passes a couple of the shopping bags to Sebastian, breathing out with a smile. Good, she'll fit onto the escalator now. "I would argue you on that point; I think we are quite strange, no doubt about that." A smile catches her face and drags the corners of her lips upwards, her head shaking slowly. "I think you've made yourself a riddle, and one that's worth cracking. I'd give many things to see inside your head, at any time."

Sebastian's smile is awfully wry. "Oh, not all that much. Clearly the gods spent more on my dashing good looks and irresistible charm then other things." He shoots her a wink, adjusting the bags some. "Riddle me this, dearest Reese... what does a man have to get you to stop smiling so. Your smile should be illegal." As they approach the cafe, he directs her to a table, tugging out a chair at her convenience.

"The effort didn't go wasted, trust me," Reese assures, eyeing the chair and sitting daintily into it - it seems that etiquette could quite possibly be contagious. Sebastian's question is answered with a laugh, and the girl shrugs. "To be honest, I let it slip yesterday. Had to give a walking tour of the university, and the weather and dumb questions simply drove me insane." She runs a hand over her ponytail, adjusting carefully, before grinning. "When I stop smiling for an extended period of time, that's when someone's in trouble. Otherwise, it's my own personal riddle. Smiling people are harder to read."

Sebastian draws into a seat across from her, settling the bags just underneath the table. A hand lifts to garner the attention of a waitress as he looks back to her. Wait for it. Wait for it. Ah, there it is, the smile. "How dreadful. Clearly there must be ways to get out of that sort of thing." But he is continuing on, chuckling softly, "Ah, and the dead... do they smile as well?"

As the waitress sweeps by, Reese quiets, merely saying "Coke, please," until the woman leaves. The grin fades, as her occupation and passion are brought up, and her response is sincere. "The dead are made to smile, so the living don't have to worry. Kind of like me," she offers, the comparision a rather gruesome one. "A deception, so that no one knows what's happening to the soul. I don't know where the good go, but the evil tends to hang around." Fodder, for Reese's cannon.

Sebastian asks for some kind of designer water as the waitress comes, smiling back to Reese next. "Truly? I must say, that disturbs me. I sure hate to think that your smiles are faux. Present to make only me comfortable about you. You don't have to smile for me if doesn't please you."

"You know, the majority of the population would say that that's disturbing because I happen to use their corpses as ammunition. You say it because my smiles are fake. Remind me again about how our relationship isn't strange?" Reese's tone turns comforting, her eyes bright. "Don't worry about that. You always make me smile, and for real. Just like you're inside my head," she explains. "Lexie, too." Cue the blissful sigh. Even the thought of the miko gives her the warm and fuzzies.

Sebastian conducts one of those delicate snorts, leaning back in the seat with one arm casually resting upon the table, "Let's just that that I'll have to learn to be a bit more accepting of my companions, despite how disturbing you all clearly are." A hint of teasing imbues his voice once more. "I find it rather peculiar to cause such a reaction, but I certainly like it."

Reese laughs, nodding her head vigorously. "Certainly, we seem to be a particularly motley crew. I should think that I'm at the extreme of the scale. Everyone must seem ordinary next to me." Again, she shuts her mouth as the waitress brings their respective orders, though her reply to Sebastian is innocent as anything could possibly be. "I mean, I get this way just conversing. I can't begin to imagine what lust would be like in this state."

Sebastian licks his lips as he watches her, nodding his head to the waitress as their drinks arrive. "Ohhhh, now. Seeing as I've only heard and haven't witnessed anything, I suppose I'll just have to live with what you have told me -even though I shall quite the enjoy the day I can finally see you in action, my dear We'll have to find a time to exercise your talents." He takes the top off of the water, drinking some of it. "Oh? You haven't quite examine that yet?"

"Just mine?" Reese asks, smile widening. "I have yet to see you in action either. We'll have to find some time to show off a little. As for me, I've a wide range of talents to explore - it might take a little time." She sips at her drink delicately, then smiles, warmth touching her eyes and then some. "Not yet. The only person who's really been around for a while is Lexie, and I don't think I would try, even if she let me." Ahem.

Sebastian's smile is a sure thing -sure to get ever wider at Reese continues to speak. Ohhhhh, there is so much to read into her statements. But, he just leans back, nodding in vague understanding to her, "Then we simply must play some day." He takes another sip of his water, watching her with burgeoning amusement, "I think that with Lexie... well, I suppose it is best to really not go there at all." My oh my... the places his mind goes.

Sigh. All that well-set innuendo, gone sadly to waste. Reese is far too distracted to be disappointed, though. "My only worry about Lexie is that she smokes like nobody's business. If she happens to keel over some day because of lung cancer, we'll be down a miko. No good, that." Shoulders are rolled back elegantly, and she sighs gently. "Play sounds awfully nice in face of what we need to do."

Who said the innuendo went to waste? Seb grins wryly though, "Lets trust we've a healer in our midst that can show her a thing or two. There are so many more enjoyable habits for someone to take up." And probably more conducive to a longer life. "Well, dearest, we could always experiment, if you will... After all, how better to explore what we are capable of?" As he takes another sip of the water, he flashes her a wink.

Reese looks to Sebastian with a little horror in her eyes. "Somehow, I doubt that Homasubi has a healer in store for our little group. There's hardly anything destructive coming from that." The thought of it makes her giggle, and she returns to her drink, seemingly distracted by the bubbles. Silently, though, her powers flex, and Sebastian's skin responds to a touch unlike any other. Fingers of power push in on the muscles in his back, a smooth, practiced massage. Useful, if you can't really reach.

Sebastian peers across to her, chuckling, "Or possibly another that can steal life and feed it to another... There are so many possibilities out there, my dear. Far more exotic than my meager and rather plain contributions." But, abruptly, he is straightening a bit in his chair, shooting a most amused smile over to Reese, "Convenient that..."

Reese shivers at the thought, brows rising a bit. "If only the gods granted coherant wishes like that. We could have a veritable sentient army of corpses..." See how excited she is? Reese is the kind of girl parents warn theit children about. "And what are those contributions of yours?" she asks, smirking and nodding her head. "Terribly so. When I was a teen, the pranks I could play with that were absolutely incredible." Especially in the locker room. Whew, good times.

Sebastian smiles across to Reese, head slowly shaking from side to side, "And wouldn't the gods be delighted with that... It would be quite the sight to see." Might even give him a shiver of delight. Or horror. Depends. He leans back in the chair one more, watching her with eyes brimming with amusement. "Delightful, and so very many possibilities. If I had your touch, I'd be far more shameless than I already am."

"Well, that's not saying much," Reese says, shifting so slightly in her seat, and altering just a little the rhythm of her touch. "After all, I haven't seen you too shameless so far, save that look that you wear constantly. I don't think you can one-up me in this department." She tilts her head to a side, matching her smile to Sebastian's amusement. "Maybe you're just all talk, and haven't a thing to back it up with."

Sebastian chuckles at her words, truly amused by what she has to say. "You could certainly be right there. But, perhaps I prefer having my own aura of mystery? Ever the best way to attract a woman's attention... keep her guessing.... although, there really shouldn't be anything between comrads. Don't you agree?" Head tilts to the side as he watches her, "And I beg to differ about the oneupsmanship."

"You just contradicted yourself, didn't you?" says Reese, taking a finger and rubbing it along her lower lip. No enticement, just frustration: Sebastian is very correct about the curiosity clause in females. "No. There should always be something between comrades. Secrets just isn't one of them." A brow quirks upwards, and the girl's head tilts to one side, her expression challenging. "Oh? What would you do, given my powers?"

Sebastian smiles softly across to her, his grin nearly feral in quality though. "If I had you -I mean your powers, I would cherish the looks I could receive. But, granted, there is something to say for feeling with your own hands." One such hand is brandished. He watches her for a moment before finally drawing to his feet. He reaches over as if to take her hand, squeezing it softly, "Although this is quite fulfilling." A breath, "Reese, darling, I hate to leave you, but business matters await my attention."

Reese sighs, gently, and the look she gives to Sebastian is at once voracious, yet regretful. "Oh, the things we could do," she murmurs, grasping his hand and lingering, before relinquishing the man to those business matters of his. "Aww... I shall wait with bated breath until we can have another of these heart-to-hearts," the girl says, gracing Seb with a smile for the road.