Another Day (Open)

[Elijah Cross]

January 10th, 2012. 7:00 AM.

"Good morning and welcome to DC101, the best station for all things rock. It's 7 o'clock on the 10th of this fiiiine January and to those of you still sleeping out there, you all need to get the hell out of bed and start your day! But hey, if my talking to you isn't good enough then how about some music to get your blood pumped? Next up is 'The Kids Aren't Alright' by The Offspring!"

Elijah found himself blinded by the sunlight pouring in through his open window and clamped his eyes shut as tightly as possible, a hiss of pain slipping through clenched teeth. It would take a moment for his eyes to adjust to the new lighting, but the young man didn't have time to just sit around waiting for the situation to amend itself. As the opening guitar riff began to play, Elijah found himself twitching his fingers as if he were playing it. He wasn't so into the song that he would jump around his room playing a pretend instrument, but the urge was there, "When we were young our future was so bright." He sang along with the lead vocalist while making his way to the bathroom for his morning shower, kicking clothes and random objects from his path until he moved his foot a little too hard and straight into the side of his computer desk, "Shit, that hurt..." The young man shook the injured foot briskly to knock away the pain and continued his walk through the apartment.

Elijah's home wasn't a very large place, but it was enough to keep him satisfied. It was a studio apartment, meaning that just about everything he owned could be seen as soon as a person walked through the door. He had the essentials; Bed, sofa, kitchen but no doors separating them. Instead, he just lined the boundaries with black tape. In terms of style and decorations, his home was rather simple. White walls with a hardwood floor. The kitchen and bathroom floors were different; covered with an off-white tile. The bed was large enough for himself and whatever man or woman he convinced to join him in it. Mr. Cross wasn't exclusive to either sex when it came to partners for a bit of carnal activity. As long as they did what he wanted, there was no issue.

Upon reaching the bathroom, he flipped on the light and leaned against the desk for a moment to just look at himself. He inspected his face and upper body for any bumps or blemishes, taking care of anything that seemed unsightly. Elijah was very particular about how he looked and did everything in his power to look his absolute best. He stroked the light stubble on his face and examined the split in his lower lip from the previous night. It turned out the woman he was dancing and flirting with had a muscle-bound boyfriend that didn't take too kindly to anyone encroaching on his territory. He was caught off guard with the first punch, but that hit was the only one landed at Elijah's expense, "Poor guy... Didn't stand a chance."

Once done with that bit of his morning routine, Elijah turned on the shower water. He waited a moment for it to heat up before grabbed the few necessary items and stepped in. Upon feeling the warm water run over his body, Elijah let out a long and peaceful sigh as he began to wash himself, "Chances thrown, nothing's free..." His singing wasn't too loud... More of a light humming, actually. This particular song was out of his vocal range, so trying to match it would be disastrous. After his body was clean and his face shaved, Elijah stepped out of the shower to dry himself off before slipping into his clothes for the day.

"I can't forget my toys..." Elijah chuckled lightly and slipped his two Bali-songs into a pocket; one to the left, and the other to his right, "The finishing touch." He snatched his favorite knife from hanging on the wall and gave it a few twirls and slashed for a bit of show before strapping it to his left leg. Under the clothing, of course.

The young man stopped one last time to look at himself in the mirror before he checked his watch and, with a loud curse, dashed out of the door. He tried his best to avoid slamming into people since getting stopped by the police for violent behavior while armed with knives would prove troublesome. Elijah had never been to jail and didn't plan on going any time soon. Upon turning a corner, he narrowly avoided slamming right into a woman and ran full tilt to the bus stop just to see it pulling away. There was no way he could get himself to where he was supposed to be in time, "Fuck!"

[Xerath]

Nothing.... There was nothing behind her eyes. Jealousy in her veins was what woke her like droplets of dew on her nose. Where she slept was different every night and relatively depended on how kind a woman shelter felt. Some nights were spent on the sidewalk or in the grass, others she had a rickety cot with a make-shift blanket. Moths had bitten holes in every one so the breeze was unbearable a vast majority of the time. Her clothes had been washed and her pajamas consisted often of just a tshirt and pants. Her backpack was filled, but never really around. She stayed where she could, when she could. The bag was too much to just carry around, so a lot of times she just left it at the mission (Not like she had anything worth salvaging).

This morning was warm and perfect if such a word existed. Happy couples plagued her mind: Corrupted her sight and bothered her endlessly. What? How could this world keep turning with her standing in place. Somehow she was regressing more than anything. Her eyes closed and she kept walking. A man came running and nearly ran right into her. She wondered what he was so frantic for, but as she turned she could only guess at the tail end of a bus. "FUCK!" He had cried in desperation. Sweet irony. He wouldn't have apologized and judging by his language he was impatient. Ironic. Not like she cared. Panne never cared. Instead, she simply stood there and waited for the next bus.

(Tired post)

[Elijah Cross]

While Elijah was more than a little pissed off about his situation, it didn't take the young man very long to calm himself down and lean against the bus stop. The driver must have been too early and just left instead of waiting. At least, he told himself that. He could have woken up too late or took too much time in the shower, but those options were impossible. He was always right on time, regardless of the situation. The very thought of his making a mistake was laughable. After living in DC his entire life, he knew the bus schedules inside and out.

The young man checked his watch once again and began to tap his foot impatiently. He needed something, someone to entertain him for just a little while. Hell, if it was good enough he just may abandon his prior obligations. Sure, he wanted to buy those claws before some other moron got a hold of them but he could always wait just a little while longer, "What to do, what to do." He mused, scanning the area. Elijah took notice of a few interesting candidates; a young man sitting on a bench, a couple of chatty women and their gossip but his search stopped as soon as his eyes feel on someone else. She was a rather pretty woman around his age and didn't seem to be with anyone in particular. She stood a bit away from the growing crowd, a look of disinterest in her eyes and an unshakable stoicism on her pale white face. It seemed like she simply didn't care about anyone or anything. And that was quite interesting...

"Well, well... It looks like I've found someone." Elijah muttered under his breath and managed to suppress the devious grin that threatened to spread across his face. He wanted to see how this woman worked, he wanted to open her up and play with the wires. It was like putting a puzzle together, or tinkering with an electronic toy. But people were much more complex, much more fun to play with.

After a moment of contemplation Elijah made his way through the crowd of people and stopped upon reaching the woman, a kind smile on his face, "I've never seen you here before, I think. And I've ridden this bus for a few years." He said, offering a hand for her to shake, "Elijah Cross. It's a pleasure to meet you, miss...?" This was just to test the waters a bit, see how she reacted to a polite greeting. He couldn't wait to see how this little exchange would go.

[Xerath]

"I've never seen you here before, I think. And I've ridden this bus for a few years. Elijah Cross. It's a pleasure to meet you, miss...?"

Panne was silent as he spoke. Ignore him and he will go away. She REALLY didn't want to talk to the man who would have run into her and kept going. NOW he decided she existed? Earlier she had been nothing but a fleeting shadow and now he was going to try and speak with her. Emotions boiled beneath the surface but did nothing more than a slight bubble in her eyes. Irritating. He wished to introduce himself to her and try to spike up conversation? Panne disliked being used. Even if it was something simple as conversation.

"Not interested." She stated rather quickly at him. Her eyes turned and she pulled up her scarf over her mouth. It was the simplest of ways to convey her message. She wouldn't please him while playing like a puppet on strings. She was no one's toy. HELL she was invisible most of the time, since when did it matter what she did or think? She turned away from him. Leave, now. Her body language dismissed him. She was busy.. or so she pretended.

[Elijah Cross]

What an interesting response. It seemed that his earlier predictions were correct. This woman wanted nothing to do with him, nothing to do with anyone. Her brown eyes were fixed directly ahead, staring through Elijah rather than at him. There was a light spark in her eye, a brief moment of emotion and it was enough to let him know that she was annoyed. He was getting on her nerves, bothering the woman as if he were a troublesome fly. He wondered what could have happened in her life that made her so dismissive to something simple as a greeting. The woman looked drained, sick, tired. He prepared to speak in order to break the silence, but was cut off when she spoke, "Not interested"

It didn't matter that she wasn't interested in him, rather that he was interested in her. How she worked. How she felt. The words came rather quickly from her mouth and she made an attempt to turn away from Elijah, snubbing him. She wanted to be left alone, it seemed. Any average person would simply concede and walk away, but not him. Elijah Cross was far from the average person. She could put up this cold, hard front all she wanted. But there was an unshakable truth that linked all human beings. No matter how hard their shell is, no matter how thick their skin... They're all soft underneath. They just needed someone with enough strength and will to dig deeper, "Aww, don't be so cruel!" Elijah laughed lightly and took a step around, making it so she was facing him once again, "If you really wanted me to leave you alone, you would have put distance between us instead of simply turn away."

There was something different about her than before... But he couldn't quite place a finger on it. Ah! She covered her face with a scarf. Elijah wasn't going to have any of that. With his right hand, he reached up to gently pull the cover back down, "You shouldn't cover that pretty face, you know."

[Xerath]

"Aww, don't be so cruel!" He was still there. Panne narrowed her eyes more, almost murderously at him. Didn't he get the point? Didn't he understand she wanted nothing to do with him? "If you really wanted me to leave you alone, you would have put distance between us instead of simply turn away." She was tempted to. Her mouth opened to speak, but he was already talking again. A little ball of chatty, wasn't he? Her eyes watched as he reached up and grabbed at her scarf. Irritating her more, he pulled at her scarf and revealed her mouth once again. Her frown remained and a hand caught his wrist.

"You shouldn't cover that pretty face, you know."

"You have a strange taste of beauty." She spoke softly and quickly, with disapproving frown showing on her face. Obviously, she wasn't buying it. This man from how he was dressed spoke bad to her. "People concerned with surface beauty are often shallow. Are you shallow, Mr. Cross?" She let go of his wrist, but her eyes were still venomous upon him. "You don't even know my name and you're already trying to touch me. That's quite scandalous of you." Again she turned her head. This time, it was as if she were dismissing him. "As I said before. Not interested."

[Elijah Cross]

Well, well... He must have struck a nerve. Unlike her previous response of simply attempting to ignore him, the woman's eyes narrowed with an almost murderous intent when he continued to speak. Not even a second after Elijah pulled the scarf down, she grabbed him by the wrist. It was an amusing spectacle. Just a second ago she was simply deadpan and rather boring to look at. Now she was angry and wasn't afraid to show it. That was what he wanted, right there! He needed her to show more emotion,

"You have a strange taste of beauty." She said, softly and quickly just like before.

"Well I'm a strange person." Elijah responded, not missing a single beat. He noticed her eyeing his clothes, a hint of distaste showing through her anger. Maybe she didn't like his style? Eh, didn't matter. Elijah simply enjoyed dressing in what he thought looked good.

"People concerned with surface beauty are often shallow. Are you shallow, Mr. Cross?

Now that was unexpected. To an extent, every human being was shallow. When a woman looks at a man or vice-versa, do they say, "Oh wow, I bet he has a great personality"? No, they don't. They judge their outward appearance. It's a reflection of how the think, how they feel. How they operate in society. If a man dressed in ghetto style stood next one one who was sharply dressed for an interview and they were both equally qualified, who would get the job? Appearances were everything in the real world and whoever says anything different is a liar.

"You don't even know my name and you're already trying to touch me. That's quite scandalous of you."

"Everyone is shallow." He said, voicing his previous thoughts, "When you eyed my clothes, what did you think? Did it seem tacky? Did it give you a wrong impression?" She released his wrist as he spoke, but kept her eyes on him, "Did you judge me? If so, then you are the shallow one. I simply stated a fact."

He paused a moment and laughed quietly, "As for the name and physical contact, I can give you that. But wasn't it rude of you to snub someone simply making conversation?" She turned away from him once again and gave him that same tired line.

"As I said before-"

Elijah interrupted the sentence by stepping into her line of sight once again and said with a dismissive wave of his hand, "Yeah, yeah... You're 'not interested' " He shook his head as if addressing a troublesome child, "You should really think of something more creative. Make an excuse, say you have a boyfriend... Then again, you can't make once since I just said for you to make one."

[Xerath]

She zoned out half of what he said, because she didn't care what he had to say. He wasn't anyone significant to her. In fact no one was. What did she care what anyone had to say about her? Secretly she wanted someone to know her, to tell her who she was, but not like this. She didn't concern herself that he'd turned the story around on her and called her shallow. When no one really wanted to know someone else, then they had a habit of just judging the hell out of everything. After all, people HAD to think.

"Yeah, yeah... You're 'not interested' " Oh.. had he finally got it?

"You should really think of something more creative. Make an excuse, say you have a boyfriend... Then again, you can't make once since I just said for you to make one." No. He hadn't. He was still persisting. What a nuisance. Didn't he get when he was unwanted? Like the plague. Panne rolled her eyes.

"Except I'm not a liar." Panne spoke blatantly, with a sharp tongue. "Why make an excuse and beat around the bush? There's no satisfaction in me wasting your time with a frivolous and pointless story. To tell a story, I would need to give enough damns to create one. I'd rather just save my breath and tell you I'm not interested." Her eyes narrowed once more as she glared at him with daggers. Obviously she was not pleased. Her body adjusted to cross her arms over beneath her bosoms.

"This thing; fixation if you will, that you have is just an excuse to use me to ease your boredom. It's not my fault you missed the bus, so don't take your pissy annoyances out on me." Her face turned away again. "I'm not here for your entertainment." The pain in her chest sunk further. Why did this man bother her; damned set on being a pest it seemed. "And I'm not here to impress you."

[Elijah Cross]

Once again, Elijah was right on the dot when it came to the girl standing before him. It was an interesting sight, the way she tried so hard at being nonchalant. He found it simply adorable. He watched at the woman rolled her eyes and the wry smirk on his face began to grow into a rather large grin,

"Except I'm not a liar." She said, spitting venom right into his face,

"Bullshit. Everyone's a liar." Once again, Elijah had a seamless retort.

"Why make an excuse and beat around the bush? There's no satisfaction in me wasting your time with a frivolous and pointless story. To tell a story, I would need to give enough damns to create one. I'd rather just save my breath and tell you I'm not interested."

Well wasn't she just spitting fire! Not even ten seconds ago she wouldn't give him more than a phrase or two. Now she was giving full paragraphs about how little she cared about him or what he wanted... Then again, she gave Elijah EXACTLY what he wanted. His goal was to get this woman to show any emotion other an indifference or neutrality. The way she stared knives into him, the subtle shift in body language. Yes, he was getting the desired result. No longer did she take a passive stance and simply take what he said without a fight. Right now, she was being aggressive. Arms folded, body squared, eye contact. Everything was there,

"But wouldn't it have been simpler to just not engage me at all? Stay silent and just wait patiently until I go to bother someone else? I mean, the fact that you're still speaking shows at least some interest."

"This thing; fixation if you will, that you have is just an excuse to use me to ease your boredom. It's not my fault you missed the bus, so don't take your pissy annoyances out on me." She turned away from him like before, "I'm not here for your entertainment."

"Well don't you sound a little self important?" Elijah said, chuckling lightly, "Haven't you considered the possibility that I'm not trying to entertain myself? Maybe, and I know this may seem shocking, I'm actually trying to get to know you." He paused to step his way into her line of sight again,

"And I'm not here to impress you."

Well it was a little too late for that. She already impressed him whether it was her intention or not, "You're right... But before I finally get out of your hair, can I at least get your name?"

[Xerath]

"You're right... But before I finally get out of your hair, can I at least get your name?"

Panne glared at him coldly. No prisoners were taken with the look she gave him. He wanted to be an asshole and ask her name? "Why so you can-" She stopped herself and actually thought. No. There was no point of asking that question. He would likely just tear it apart with getting what he wanted, but she could get what she wanted.

With her head cast downward she managed the slightest of the smirk when her own plan came to mind. No, she could take her own hand in this and bring pleasure to herself. He wanted to be a dick, she could be one back. When she had looked up, the slight tug at her lips was all to hint at the inwards smile she had. "Say please." A finger tapped her chin and her foot tapped gently as if to torment him. "If you want it that bad, you can ask nicely."

[Elijah Cross]

Once again, the woman gave him that same cold glare. If she stared hard enough, maybe his head would explode! But what if that was her intention? Stare coldly into the eyes of the one bothering you and watch them die right before your eyes! Now that would be a sight to see. Too bad Elijah wouldn't live long enough to embrace the spectacle. When she opened her mouth to speak, Elijah's smile widened as he expected another complaint... But it didn't come. She started to say something, but cut herself off. SO SHE CAN THINK! Maybe she caught on to his little charade. He hoped that she did, just playing along with it would have grown oh so very tiring. All of a sudden, the woman with the depth of a puddle decided to breathe new life into their dying conversation. Thank goodness for that.

Elijah waited patiently while she mulled everything over in that mushy brain of hers. Thinking of a game plan, thinking of a way to turn the tables. To turn the tides. There wasn't very much that could bother him, to be honest. At the worst, she'd just dance around the topic until her bus came. Or she'd ignore him. Nah, too late for that.

Just as the young man checked his watch out of boredom, the little shell looked back up with a slight twitch of her lip. A microexpression showing that the girl was hiding a smile. What did she have in store?

"Say please"

Wait, what? Slowly, the smile on Elijah's face began to fade until HE was the one staring the daggers into her. That wasn't how the game was supposed to be played. Elijah was giving the demands this entire time. It seemed that she really had him on this one, "Why in the hell would I-"

"If you want it that bad, you can ask nicely"

The nerve of this BITCH! There were many things he could say, but doing so would play into her hands. Leaving would give her what she wanted and saying please would be admitting defeat. No... No, no, no. She wasn't in control, she wasn't the one asking questions or giving demands. She was GOING to give him what he wanted, not the other way around.

While he was initially surprised and even angered by the sudden twist, Elijah was quick to right himself and put on that same condescending grin just like before. With a hand raised and a finger extended, he simply flicked the air right in front of the girl's nose and said, "But the ways I asked you before were nice enough!" He chuckled lightly, "I was nothing but polite to you this whole time!" Elijah sighed and thought back to their initial reaction, "If I remember correctly, it was you that initiated the hostilities with your cold gaze and robotic expression."

Alright, enough with the drama. He needed to get to his final point, "Anyway, why should I believe that I'll get your name if I ask nicely? Knowing how rude you are, you could simply walk away after I did so!"

[Xerath]

The man was getting annoyed.  She could see his shift in posture and the way his eyes narrowed to slits with irritation dripping.  Now he felt how she did.  Panne may not have much of anything, but she could see through this man's charade as if it were glass.  Her amber hues narrowed back towards him, as he swiftly readjusted to be cool and collected, yet in truth he seemed not much different than her.  At least SHE didn't pretend to like people just to use them.  Panne was straight up in telling them she didn't give a damn.

"I was nothing but polite to you this whole time!" She had hit a nerve obviously.  Prideful men were simplistic.  She tried not to roll her eyes at him.  "If I remember correctly, it was you that initiated the hostilities with your cold gaze and robotic expression." It took all of her restraint not to tell him HE was the one who even brought up conversation with her.  It would take more than just a fleeting moment to get anything from her.

"Anyway, why should I believe that I'll get your name if I ask nicely? Knowing how rude you are, you could simply walk away after I did so!"

Panne simply let out a singular chuckle.  "Here you seemed so determined to have my name and you can't just say something as simple as please without getting your boxers in a knot.  Typical."  A finger rested on her lip for only a moment.  "Trust.  You can't have a relationship of any kind without it." There were those amber eyes, full of a smoldering fire that glared right into his skull.  "And I don't give my name to just any man who runs into me.  Hell, can you truly be mad at me for being cruel to someone who nearly knocked me over then starts giving demands without so much as an apology?  Who the hell do you think you are?"

She, herself was feeling that raising fire in her chest.  Really this man had some audacity to think she'd just submit to whatever he wanted.  It was clear he just wanted to fuck with her, but Panne wasn't having it.  "So, I've made my demands.  Take it or leave it." Again, her smirk crossed her lips. Leave it.

[Elijah Cross]

Once again, the woman chuckled at the way he attempted to dodge saying the dreaded 'p' word. Why in the hell was it so hard to ask for something? Either way, he'd get what he wanted out of the situation. Not once in his entire life had Elijah needed to ask. He'd just say what he wanted, and it would appear just like that. Alright, maybe it wasn't that easy, but still! It was just such a hastle...

While Elijah was in his head, thinking about what to say next, he simply stared at Panne as if listening to what she had to say. She sounded like one of those teachers from the Peanuts show, you know, the ones that went 'wah-wah-wahwah'. He knew she was saying words and trying to lecture him, but everything she said went through one ear and out the other. But just as he snapped back into the conversation, he managed to catch the bit that mattered,

"And I don't give my name to just any man who runs into me.  Hell, can you truly be mad at me for being cruel to someone who nearly knocked me over then starts giving demands without so much as an apology?  Who the hell do you think you are?"

So that's what she was so upset about? His ALMOST running into her? What a silly thing to be hung up on, "Who do I think I am?" He repeated, the usual smile returning to his face, "I already told you, lady. I'm Elijah Cross." Once again, he was being a smartass. It was always going to be a part of him, to be honest. The lack of seriousness, the little quips, his constant need to get under someone's skin. Then again, he enjoyed the little bit of challenge this woman presented, "And I didn't realize that it was you I almost slammed into. Sorry about that."

Was he really sorry? Not even he knew, to be honest. It was just a courtesy since she was so bent out of shape about it. He had a feeling that things would only get harder if he didn't say the damn word, "So, can I please have your name?"

Was that really so hard?

[Xerath]

"And I didn't realize that it was you I almost slammed into. Sorry about that."

Liar.  She could tell there was a definite chance he was lying about it, but still at least he was pretending to be apologetic.  It was better than some people.  Her eyes seemed to show a flicker of amusement.  She hadn't expected an actual apology from the man, so it was in the least, a pleasant surprise.  

"So, can I please have your name?"

What?  She was admittedly surprised by the man actually asking.  Her amber eyes blinked a couple times; trying to assess the situation.  She hadn't at all thought he was going to actually apologize.  Hearing the words come out of his mouth were incredibly shocking.  Would she show her shock?  No.  She wasn't very good at showing such things, but she did blink a bit until her mind was reoriented.  

"Panne."  At least words were finally usable.  Her eyes were focused on the man.  Was she accepting him, by doing this?  "My name is Panne."

[Elijah Cross]

It seemed that she wasn't too impressed with the half-assed apology Elijah managed to spit out through his clenched teeth. Okay, so his teeth weren't clenched and the words fell easily from his mouth, but he certainly wasn't happy about it. There was absolutely nothing to apologize for. If she wasn't all spaced out in her little world, or whatever freaks like her did when not involving themselves in reality, Elijah probably wouldn't have almost ran right through her. And even if he did, it would have been her problem. Not his.

She's one tough nut to crack. Then again, I've always enjoyed a little challenge. There's no fun in just getting something. Eh, depends on what mood I'm in, I guess...

Elijah simply stood there, arms folded while she absorbed what had happened earlier. The woman seemed surprised, shocked, at a loss. She did a pretty good job hiding it, but nobody blinked that much naturally. She must have been thinking about something, mulling over a smartass remark. No matter, Elijah would be able to pull off a retort per the usual. Unless she just planned to turn on her heels and walk away like he assumed.

"Panne"

Just as the young man began to grow bored of her vacant gawk, she finally opened that pretty little mouth of hers and spoke.

"My name is Panne."

So he was wrong. She did plan on giving him her name once she heard an apology and the dreaded 'p' word. Actually, he didn't really mind saying it. Elijah just hated the fact that the conversation had to continue on HER terms. He was never one for listening or others or following orders. It was his way or no way at all. If his way didn't work- no, don't be silly. His way always worked!

"Well, Panne..." He said, placing his hands in his pockets, "It's been a pleasure conversing with you."

Elijah paused to look at his watch, he needed to head off to work... Retail. Where? He was far too embarrassed to talk about it, "But it's time for me to go... I've no doubt that you'll enjoy the sight of me spinning on my heels." He turned so his back was facing her, but looked over his shoulder, "And finally giving you that peace you wanted!" With that, he walked off with the usual lazy stride and raised his right hand into the air. A form of 'farewell' wave,

"I'm sure I'll be able to find my way back into your hair sooner or later. Until then!"

[EXIT]

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