French Twist {Casidhe}

[AELLA SHYANNE MUNROE]

It was a lazy day for Aella. She didn't have work, and she didn't have plans. That was unusual, but not unpleasant. Meant she could just fly by the seat of her pants all day and do something silly. Right now, that meant throwing on some clothes and going to get something to eat. She was starving, and she didn't want to cook. Also... Well, there was a new little restaurant- well, bakery/cafe?- that she wanted to check out. Aella didn't really know yet what it was, but it smelled so awesome every time she wandered by it that she had to visit. Converse achieved as the final step of getting dressed, she grabbed her purse and headed out, locking her apartment door behind her.

Her cute little car sat waiting in the parking lot- it was nothing fancy or special, just a newer Jetta- waiting for her to come do something exciting. Initially, the thing that had grabbed her was the color: a gorgeous powder blue. The rest of it had just been bonus. It ran well, the insurance was pretty cheap, and it had a good amount of storage. She hopped in, rolled down the windows, and turned on the radio, and started to sing along. She was a good little vocalist, though she was very insecure about it. But singing was her dream, and someday she'd get it. Just... after she finished her tiny side mission. Her sigh was quiet, because she knew that she wasn't yet making a huge amount of progress on that front. But hey, at least she'd met one of them! Those were thoughts for another time though, since she was pulling into the parking lot of the boulangerie right then. There were only a few spaces open, and she was grateful that her car was on the smaller side. She closed the door on the Jetta and wandered, the last song still stuck in her head. Aella's light, soft, and warm voice carried surprisingly well as her feet carried her to the door. She waved and smiled at the random person standing by the door before she stopped singing and went inside. The demon was a pretty social creature, and she genuinely liked people. So why not greet them for no apparent reason?

The smells caught her attention then, bread and herbs and sweets and YUM. Oh, wow. Her stomach growled at her rapidly and loud as she stared at the wide variety of goodies displayed in the glass cases and being made right in front of her eyes. There was a line, there was chatter, and there was food. Aella made her way to the end of the line to wait her turn, semi-patiently. What in the world was she supposed to settle on? Everything looked so good... What time was it? Eh, around noon. Lunch. A ham and cheese croissant captured her attention, and a gorgeous raspberry tart. Finally, it was her turn, and a sweet blonde woman took her order. She got the baked goodies and a vanilla cappucino to dine-in, and found a seat by the window to devour her treats. Aella got her food and beverage, thanked the woman, tipped her well, and went to sit down. Absently, she noticed the slim, pretty blonde from the parking lot enter the restaurant and join the line. He looked sweet, now that she took the time to notice, around mouthfuls of bread and cheese and pig. By the time he'd retrieved his own treats, there was nowhere to sit. Poor baby. She couldn't just leave him out there in the cold.

'Hey honey?' She called out gently, trying to get his attention. 'I've an empty over here, if you wanna join me. I promise I won't bite too terribly much,' she said with a teasing wink, beckoning him in her direction and gesturing gently to the seat across from her. He didn't have to take her up on the offer, but she kinda hoped he would. She liked company, after all.

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clicketh for clothes!
little note: sorry it took me so fricking long honey! hope it's okay... :3

[CASIDHE TRYSTEN CATARA]

It was a day off for Casidhe, though such a thing did not mean much other then he did not have to go in for his official, legal job. The side job was pretty much full time in a whenever sense. It had to be juggled between working at the bakery and school, but that wasn't much of a problem. He could make runs between those times and get it all done when it was needed. Not a big deal. It was much better then his last job -- also illegal -- so there was no complaining about it. He was finding different ways to thrive in this world. He had been chained to old things for far too long, and he had gotten the wake up call he needed from Kit's vanishing to do something about what he'd been. At least he had a full life this way. School, swing home to let Evan and Casper out, work after that on some days, let the pets out again, the side job here and there and time to get home and make dinner before Morgan came home. Then after that, get some housework done. Casi was pretty content at this point.

Cas wore something casual and comfortable, nothing too out there and nothing too drab. Jeans and a shirt with some sneakers. Ran a comb through his hair before heading back out for some running around to do. The side job had him on the go, but he had a shopping list for later as well. Might as well make something nice for dinner today if he had enough time for it. He finally did have a car -- a simple dark blue blazer -- so he often took that to work and when on the go. Morgan had to have the fancy sports car though, which Cas poked fun at here and there. It was funny, but the car was sorta ugly looking to him. Not that he really knew what made a car 'pretty' or whatever anyway. He just liked his car because it worked for what he needed it for, and it had space to it. He could help out that way. And he could store a bunch of mp3 players in there to plug in and listen to. And of course sing along with, because this is Casi. He often would sing his little heart out to just about anything.

He's taken Casper along with him today while he ran around -- drove to a bunch of places dealing -- and the tiny fennec fox was curled in one of those little doggie pillow-basket things on the passanger seat. She was a runt, which meant she could easily get lost, so Cas was careful of her. Morgan found it amusing to put her in random places for Cas to find. Like his cereal bowl one day. He's started pouring rice krispies on the poor thing before he turned his head and realized Casper was sitting there and staring up at him. In the cupboard right before Cas went to open it to grab a bag of flour, the fennec set right next to the bag, patiently waiting to be found. It seemed to be a habit of Morgan's, and Casi had found Casper in the most random of places. But it was always harmless things, of course. Like the fox was too small to help doing it. Anyway, after a few runs, Cas pulled into a boulangerie parking spot and poured some water in a short cup for Casper to drink from before cracking the windows a little bit and going into the pastry place.

He had smiled and waved back at the girl who had greeted him, eyes brightened at the fact that she'd been singing. It caused Cas to look at her for a few moments, friendly ideas running through his mind before he went in and found a place in line somewhere behind her. Of course he was in conversation with someone in front of him for a few moments before ordering and seeing how Annette was today -- some chatter there, of course -- and the promise to be on time tomorrow as always. The place was pretty packed, though this was always a good thing in his opinion. But he was left without a seat. He debated going out to the blazer to eat, but this thought was intterupted by the voice of the girl who'd been singing calling out to him. He gave her another smile, and when she offered a seat over that way, Cas started over with a grateful expression. "Oh, thanks. Wasn't sure if I should just go eat in the car, but company is always better." He chirped, settling into the seat she gestured to. "I'm Casi, what's your name?" And right after that without much of a pause. "I heard you singing. You should come to karaoke over at Michael's sometime. It's one of my favorite things ever." He points out, beaming at her.


(( meep. sorry for the wait. my muse can be finicky ]: ))

[AELLA SHYANNE MUNROE]

Aella ate out a lot, since she wasn’t too terribly handy in a kitchen. You’d think, after so many decades on Earth, she’d pick it up, but no. For as long as she’d been around, there’d always been places to go to eat, which satisfied her on a couple different levels. She enjoyed meeting the staff, watching the people- even if she didn’t interact with them- eating whatever cuisine she was in the mood for, and not having to do any of the work herself. The demon wasn’t lazy, per se, but she didn’t like to exert much effort on certain tasks, preferring to invest her time in activities that came easily to her. If they were easy to begin with, she could master them in no time. So it was weird then, that she’d never been to the quaint little French bakery before. If she had, she’d’ve known that the pretty blonde guy worked there. But no, she thought he was just a fellow patron. A fellow nob- well, not nobody, because both of them were certainly somebodies- like her. It was why she offered him the seat, she didn’t want some kindred spirit left out there in the cold, figuratively speaking, of course. She was still more than a little surprised when he accepted though.

Most people in Manuka were wisely wary of strangers. Everybody- no matter who you were- had some kind of agenda. Oh, it could be innocent enough, sure, like wanting to help people, or achieving the high score, but sometimes, it wasn’t so nice. If you weren’t careful, a lot of harm could come to you, just because you’d had lunch with the wrong person. Aella wasn’t the wrong person for the blonde cutie though; today, she was just a stranger trying to do something nice for somebody who seemed really sweet and undeserving of alienation. And when he thanked her, explaining that he might’ve been forced to eat in the car, poor baby, she knew she’d made the correct choice. He even said he preferred having company as he introduced himself as Casi, and that was right up her alley.

’Nice name Casi. Mine’s Aella. Kinda quirky, but true. Glad I seem decent enough to qualify as ‘company’ instead of creeper. You might be surprised how often I fail that test,’ she said with a light giggle as he sat across from her, letting a fresh wave of that magnificent bread smell hit her nose. It was funny that her stomach grumbled, because really, she’d been eating the goodies for a few minutes now. You’d think it’d be at least semi-satisfied. ’It’s my first visit here, and I must say, they have some really great stuff. Now, I know I spotted you out in the parking lot, you come here often?’ She posed the question right before she took a bite out of her sandwich, munching happily. His answer- especially the part about him working there- made her smile. Oh, of course, she would ask the employee if he ‘came here often.’ A slightly self-deprecating eye roll followed before he addressed the other part of her question, in a roundabout way. His comment about her singing caught her off-guard. The demon wanted to sing professionally, yes, but she didn’t actually perform in front of audiences very often. She was… well, shy was the wrong word. Aella was just a bit insecure about her vocal talents. Pretty much everything else, she was confident about. Looks, personality, brains- even though she played the ditz- that, she was more than secure in. But the one thing she really loved- the one thing that made her serious- also made her nervous. It was a major reason why she knew that she loved it with all her heart.

’Oh honey. That’s sweet- I mean, assuming it was because you liked my singing, and don’t just want me to go for laughs.. She teased him lightly, sincerely hoping that wasn’t the case, before continuing. ’I’d love to go watch or something, but I don’t really sing for people just yet. I mean, when I get some more of my classes out of the way, maybe…? Right now though, I’m not… Not ready. The crooner’s not up to snuff.’ She dodged the suggestion like a pro, used to holding herself back from this ‘unachievable’ thing. It was really only a struggle because she had so little faith in herself, musically. And because she made so many other excuses. And then there was the devil, demanding his due from her, which she was worki- ’Hey wait, what’s Michael’s? I’ve never even heard of that place, and I’ve been here for a minute.’ Aella prided herself on knowing most of the fun, social spots in town because she was a fun, social creature. Now, after two seconds, her companion was mentioning a place she’d never even heard of? What tomfoolery was this? He must’ve been living here for a while then, to have such a scoop.

[CASIDHE TRYSTEN CATARA]

Casi was actually pretty good at cooking and such, and he often did that sort of thing when he had time. It was just another creative art to him, and Cas loved the creative things he could do. He would probably take up quite a few more hobbies if he had the time for it, but that wasn't the case. It was hard enough to get a moment in between everything to sit down and draw anything. He hadn't done that in a long while, honestly. But at least with this new lifestyle he still got to do quite a few more things -- and had valid reasons to do them -- then he had before in the life he'd led perhaps a year and a half ago. Or something like that. Time was no longer quite a problem for him, not ever since he'd made that deal with Shamus. A strange , uneasy sort of deal; but now things had worked out somehow. Cas didn't know the details, nor did he want to poke his nose in to see. He could get ahold of the medical records, and that told him all he needed to know.

Being wary of strangers could save one's life. Not only in Manuka, but anywhere. Dangers were everywhere, even for those hard to kill. Cas wasn't very good at defending himself, even if he had the strength to do it. He was simply too submissive in the light of getting a beating, and he'd been through quite a few horrors. Yet it hadn't really changed him, and he got over it quickly enough. He did not really hold much of a grudge; those things were brushed right off. And Casi was always friendly, even if he knew there was possible danger. The best he could do in a really dire situation would be to run. He can't stand the idea of hurting anyone else, even if whoever it was did intend to do him harm or kill him. However, there was the nifty little aura reader he had that helped him see the moods of others. That could help him avoid a bad situation if he did not put himself willingly in it in the first place. Which he had done quite often before. Not so much now, now when he was cleaning up parts of his life.

He had to grin at the words from Aella, she said her name was, and chuckled softly at the idea of the girl being a creeper. "Nice to meet you, Aella." He responded brightly, eyes still dancing with amusement over the creeper comment. "You don't seem very creepy or anything like that to me. I like friendly people. Though... maybe some might consider me a creeper because I can be a bit forward..." He looked as if he was pondering the thought of that -- and he was -- after having spoken. Well, there wasn't anything that Cas did to try and seem creepy or whatever. He'd always been very nice to nearly everyone. Though maybe, just maybe he had crossed a line or two in the darker days he'd had. Not enough to really say so, but enough that his friends or those that knew him might have noticed the difference. Which was why Casi had hidden his activities -- drug dealing -- from Kit when the ghost was still around. It seemed like almost a lifetime ago, but he could still feel the pain from it. He doubted it would ever go away.

Nibbling at another of the treats, he looked quite pleased at the compliment to the shop. And he had to nod when Aella asked if he came here often. "Yeah, I do. I work here part time, actually. I like to make things." He pointed out with a little shrug. Plus, it was a job, and he needed a real sort of one to keep up the look that he wasn't being illegal or whatever. Which he was, but that wasn't here or there, and so long as he didn't get caught... Well, you get the drift. At the eyeroll to the singing thing, Cas had to wonder why. He did understand that people could be insecure about some of their abilities -- even if they did not think they were abilities -- so that made enough sense to grasp, though Casi wasn't very shy or insecure about much of anything anymore. Not in that way, at least. Still, he watches her curiously, listening to what she had to say about it with a soft little smile curled over his lips. He could let her go on about how she didn't think she was good enough or didn't like audiances, but his mind was already whirling through ways to get her to sing anyway. Just who he was.

He does blink at the part about her thinking that he'd want her to go to make fun of her -- because that wasn't how he worked, not at all -- and tilted his head just so at her. "I wouldn't laugh at you. I actually enjoy your voice." He said lightly, then shrugged at the other part. "But yeah, even if you wanna go and watch a few people get up there and sing, that's cool too. Maybe you'll get the courage to go up yourself one of the times." He points out with a firm nod of his head. That worked sometimes. Plus, it was a bar, so that also helped loosen people up to the idea of singing. "Anyway, a bunch of the people there will be half drunk so I doubt they'd notice a slip in the song." He adds with a grin. It was true enough. At the words about Michael's, he was quickly able to explain; "It's a little Irish bar here in Manuka with a karaoke machine and neat drinks. I like it there, and used to be a regular for the singing, but... been focusing on other stuff so I don't go quite as often. But I do still go because I love to sing too much not to." He bobs his head a little, quite happy to have a reason -- hopefully -- to go again soon.

[AELLA SHYANNE MUNROE]

Aella really wished that she could be as carefree and silly as she pretended to be. Okay, it wasn’t a pretense, really, but it certainly wasn’t the whole truth. The demon was wild and reckless, but she had more than a few veins of forced responsibility running through there. There were consequences if she didn’t accomplish her goals. Consequences that she really wouldn’t care for. The devil was occasionally a harsh master. At least to her. But that was because she didn’t fall in line like she should most of the time. She just… She wasn’t one for the marvelous politics of being a demon. She had other goals for her life, other plans, other things she wanted to do. Like singing. She wanted to sing and dance for the rest of her life. Maybe fall in love? But the press of being a demon made those far-off dreams. And those dreams fighting those ropes made her a lot less free than she pretended. They also made her a tad more insecure than she let on. Hence the joking about being a creeper, and the truthing about her vocal talents. She had them, they just weren’t… ready. She liked to make music. So she could appreciate that Casi liked to make things, even though they were tangible instead of lyrical.

’’Make things,’ huh? That’s just a tad vague honey. Do make other things, besides food? Art, maybe? Friends, I’m sure, forward little thing. I like the peeps who aren’t scared to say hi.’ She grinned at him, completely honest. Her only really shy friend was Joey, quirky little thing that she was. She made up for her awkward nature by being a fun sweetheart that was completely complimentary to Aella. Joey was quick with the praise, and pretty much did whatever Aella wanted. The demon liked to get her way, and got rather cranky and cantankerous when or if she didn’t. So Casi actually deigning to join her was good for everybody involved. She didn’t have to feel insulted, he didn’t have to sit outside, and maybe they could both make a new friend. If all went well. And it seemed that it was, actually, since he wanted her to go out to karaoke sometime with him. He even reassured her that he wouldn’t laugh at her. Sweet guy. And maybe he was telling the truth, but honestly, Aella just wouldn’t be comfortable yet with singing in front of people. She’d only recently realized what she really wanted to do with her time on Earth, and therefore hadn’t been singing for very long. Her lessons had only been happening for about a year now, and while she was good and getting better, she wasn’t yet a pro- wasn’t yet as skilled as she wanted to be. So singing in public? Out. However… Going out with a potential new buddy? Totally in. The demon could go for being social all the time.

’Thanks for the compliment sweetie. But I don’t know. I’d totally join you and watch though. Maybe get up the guts watching you and the others.’ His responsive nod and smile was encouraging, as were his next words about the people being too drunk to care. Alcohol in other people’s systems made them brave, and in some ways, it also made her braver, because hey, she didn’t even like booze. ’Ha! It’s not that I’d mess up the song, you big silly, it’s ‘cause my vocals aren’t that great yet. Gee, have a little faith in this stranger, why don’t you?’ She giggled lightly, then winked at him, knowing that the request to have some faith in her was beyond ridiculous. He didn’t even know her. Still, despite that, she was actually thinking about doing what he suggested. A night out was always good for her. The demon was a social butterfly, and an attention-whore, in the best way possible. Sooo… Karaoke could be fun. And Casi seemed like a fun cohort to go with… Especially to a place that she’d never been to.

’You know though, I could use another night out. I usually go someplace every night, and it’s always fun to go somewhere new. Since I’ve never been to- or even heard of- Michael’s. We should go sometime. If you wanna continue hanging out with this particularly adorable stranger?’ She posed the question lightly, because she didn’t want him to feel bad if he said no. But he seemed to be looking for a good reason to go back to the favorite hangout of his. ’You know, I love to sing too. I just don’t really do it in public. What gives you the guts to do something like that? I mean, even the quirky-cute people like you have gotta find some way to get up courage… Isn’t there any sort of activity that gives you stage fright?’ She cocked her head at him, genuinely curious. She’d even temporarily forgotten her food, but now returned to it. Her beverage was delicious, and the food was lovely. She had to give the baker’s and chefs props. ’These are really good, be tee dubs. If you have any sort of hand in making these, I must give you kudos, ‘cause I can’t cook worth a damn. It’s why I always end up eating out. Hee.’ She snickered lightly, amused with herself for some inexplicable reason. Congrats to Casi. She was having quite a good day now, thanks to this random encounter and the delicious nommables.

[CASIDHE TRYSTEN CATARA]

Casi was just as silly and carefree as he acted. There wasn't any reason for him not to be. Sure, he had changed a bit since he'd learned the deeper emotions, but much of who he was had stayed the same even through all of the changes he had dealt with in his life. He still had responsiblities, but they were different from the ones he had in the past. Now it was school, the legal job here at the bakery, the drug dealing, taking care of Casper and Evan and the house, too. Not bad things, these. Much better then what he had to live with before. There was something all too refreshing about not waking up in a pool of his own blood once or more times a week. Cas had never really liked the pain, he'd only endured it because that was the way life went for him. How he made a living and survived. Now life was easier, and he did not have to go through the physical pain. Though the emotional pain he did have to live with now was much worse then any of the physical things anyway. At least all the rest could heal. Sometimes it took a little while, but he still looked just as healthy now as he had those years ago when it all started; when his life had been altered and he'd become immortal.

He feared the devil and feared hell; these things he would admit without hesitation. It was the fear of these things that had kept him alive this long. He did not want to go to hell and burn because of what he was, what he'd been told to do. And he knows there is no turning back, no making this right or changing where it would all end up. Cas knew that when he died, he would be going to hell. There was no way around it, and it made him upset to even think about it. On the other side of that, he had a bit of an issue with fallen angels for that very reason. Not because they fell or why; he wasn't one to judge those things. Not at all. But because of their scars and the visions that could come from the touch of them. Seeing heaven even secondhand affected Cas in a horrible way. Considering the mind reading thing, Casi might have disliked being around angels or anything of the sort stemming from them had he the will to use such a power. But Casi did not like looking into the thoughts of others. He very rarely did, since he respected people's privacy. There was a lot of things he could but would not do.

Falling in love had never been any kind of priority for Cas. For a long time, he didn't think he could feel such things. Not to that degree. And he'd been happy with that. Life had been much more simple. Someone brought up love to him back in the day and he'd be gone within hours. But considering his past job and all that; the complications he'd seen from anything love related, how could anyone blame him? He didn't want love then. But it had found him anyway. Sucker punched him right in the face, as it were. But just as he always knew it would, somewhere in the back of his mind; it had ended up hurting him. It wasn't anyone's fault -- that he knew of -- but that did not make the ache go away. The loss had been sudden and without any given reason. He figures that Kit must have moved on, because that's what happened to ghosts eventually. Usually. And he'd known it could happen. He had known, but it was already too late then. It was what it was, and he'd already felt things he'd never felt before. How could he pass it up? Leave it behind when he'd only just felt such a thing? It hadn't been possible then. Fate had decided.

This time around, Cas had been able to decide for himself. It had been such a strange process for him, but there it was anyway. And he was happy now. Getting his life together and living somewhat normally. It was nice. And for some reason, Casi did not feel insecure about what was going on in his life now. There hadn't been a reason to feel that way. Nothing to indicate that he would lose what he had now. Even through the hardships like Kit's loss, Cas thought that life was looking up. There was a grin at Aella's comment that his liking to 'make things' was vague, but it was suppost to be that way. There were so many things he liked to do! So he to what she continues on with. "Art, yeah. I like to draw on occasion. And decorate. I can sew if I need to..." There's a bit of a shrug to his shoulders as he lists those things. He liked arts and crafts and stuff like that when he could get around to it. He beamed at Aella saying she liked 'peeps' who weren't scared to say hi, because he certainly fell into that catagory. He had never been really shy about much of anything. Not for as long as he could remember. Maybe not for as long as he wanted to remember.

Cas might already think of Aella as mostly a friend by this point. It was how he looked at it, since she was friendly enough and all. It usually went this way with him and gaining new friends. It was all too easy so long as the person was nice back and got along with him. Though there had been the little hangup of many people deciding not to be his friend merely because he'd been considered improper with his last job. Not the kind of person some wanted to associate with, since maybe they'd be looked down upon for it. Cas didn't feel bothered that people looked down on him or insulted him for who he was or had been. What he did with his life. He could brush all that right off as if nothing was said at all. Those things couldn't touch him. Not if he didn't let it, and he wouldn't. There was no reason for it to affect him. He did not feel bad over those who avoided him; it was a perfectly acceptable choice. He understood. But to those who could overlook that stuff, Casi was a loyal and helpful sort of friend. He'd be there if he could for anyone who needed it, honestly. That was the kind of person he was. Didn't much matter what was needed; he'd try to be there. Try to help.

He waits to see what she'll say about going karaoking though, and when she said she'd go; he perked up again with a smile. "Oh you should! It'll be fun!" Chipper words matched his bright eyes at the idea of such an outing. He really did need a night where he could go sing his little heart out. It had been awhile since he had, and just talking about it made him miss it more. He chuckled lightly at Aella's words about not messing up the song and such; amused at the whole thing. "No one would notice if your voice isn't perfect either, you know. No one expects it." He pointed out evenly. "But maybe watch and stuff the first time and see about singing next time once you have an idea what it's like there." He nodded his head thoughtfully at the idea. Cas sure was a social butterfly, though he didn't really need attention. It sort of always found him one way or another. It wasn't a good thing all the time, but Cas had learned to roll with it anyway. Sometimes the past came up and bit him in the ass, but that was getting to be less and less often, which Casi was grateful for. He was trying to shake old habits and the things he used to slip into without a second thought. It did work often enough.

She usually went someplace every night? Casi's eyebrows rose a little at those words. She partied? He grinned at the 'hang out with this particularly adorable stranger' part and nodded. "I sure do!" He piped up. He certainly was looking for a reason to go singing again, yes. He'd use any excuse for such a thing, of course. "We can go whenever you want to, just let me know." A pause before he realized she had no way to reach him to tell him when she wanted to go. "Oh! I should probably give you my number so you can let me know, huh?" He shook his head at nearly forgetting that very obvious and needed thing to put the hang out night plan into motion. "I'll grab a pen from Annette in a minute." He mused aloud, glancing at the line, which was still a bit long to be bothering the bakery owner for a pen. And Cas didn't really want to get in the way of anyone else working right now, which would happen if he were to go searching through the place for a pen and paper. Wait. "Unless you have a cell phone; I can list off the number for you to put it in that." He said after a moment. Well duh. There were times that he forgot about these things.

The next words from Aella made him pick at one of his pastries before popping a piece in his mouth. "Not really, no. That sort of thing goes out the window quick when you've lived the life I have. I retired from whoring not too long ago, so I pretty much have no shame." He explained evenly. It was said as if he were talking about the weather instead of something potentially shocking. Then again, he didn't look much older then seventeen -- right now, as he did have a nice way to look aged thanks to a certain witch -- so pointing out the fact that he'd been a prostitute at one point might give some people pause. And yes, Casi liked the word 'whore' when describing his past job. Sounded better in his opinion, then the other words and labels. And if he was doing it, he got to pick the label he wanted used for himself, right? Sounded fair to him, though he wouldn't be upset or even annoyed to hear the other words thrown at him. Would roll right off of him. It had been true afterall. He'd long ago come to terms with it all. With so much that came from it. More words from Aella, and he shook his head. "Not those ones, no." He said, the quirked an eyebrow at the last words, a odd little half smirk curling at his lips. "Yeah, I remember those days..." He couldn't help himself on that comment, a soft giggle trailing his words.

[AELLA SHYANNE MUNROE]

Something about Casi distinctly reminded her of Micah. Maybe it was the sweetness, maybe it was the way he was willing to talk to pretty much anybody, maybe it was the ability to continually take abuse without retaliation. Micah had been hers since he was a baby. He’d been born a slave, lived a slave, and finally died a hero. Even after she’d fallen to her demonic status, she’d kept an eye on Micah. He’d never known she was his guardian angel. It was better for him that way- safer. If he’d known, bad things could’ve happened to him. As it was, he’d only ever seen her twice in his whole life, and he probably only remembered one of those. The first time, she’d leant over his ‘crib’ when he was a baby, and kissed him on the forehead, promising that she’d help him as best she could. And she had, even going so far as to break the rules of Heaven to save him from a situation that no person deserved to suffer. The second time, had been after she’d massacred his owners. She’d freed him and all of his fellows, helping sneak them up the Railroad to the North, where the army for the Civil War was developing. Micah was a natural leader and a beautiful soldier. She’d taken her tumble after that. Still, she watched Micah.

When she’d first received her punishment, she didn’t know what else to do. And the devil didn’t care- he thought it might be another opportunity for her ‘inner killer to get the better of her.’ It hadn’t, which had frustrated him a bit, ‘til she’d stirred up trouble for the Southerners, getting more of them killed in the process. Aella had constantly traipsed that fine line between outright wicked, and defensibly wicked. That was to say, she didn’t have a fabulous moral compass and was totally selfish, but a lifetime of protecting humans had been a hard habit to break. So she caused chaos where she thought it would do some good. If that made any sense… And in her own head, it did. She didn’t actually enjoy trouble that much, and wished- more often than she’d admit- that she hadn’t bothered to become a demon. If she’d just fallen, like they were originally going to make her do, she could’ve made all her own choice and lived solely for her own whims. Instead, petulant thing that she was, she’d done the irreversible and signed herself into the devil’s arms. Which, come to think of it, occasionally got her out of trouble with him… Being this pretty and adorable had its uses. Which really meant… Oh, she didn’t know. She did a little harmless flirting to get her an extension sometimes. The devil never took her up on anything- he didn’t sleep with people who didn’t really want it. But that didn’t stop that small smirk from curving his lips when she did her thing. Made him more lenient, in her favor, and so she kept doing it. Why not? It got her what she wanted, in the long run. Just like talking to Casi. She wanted another friend, and if going out with him to karaoke- even if she didn’t participate- would get him to like her a bit more, why not do it?

’Well, if you promise that nobody’s gonna laugh at me or whisper about me and make behave like a cranky sad baby, then we can go. No promises on the singing, but it sounds like it could be a fun night. Since, you know, you seem like a fun person. Although, like I said, never been there. So you’ll have to gimme directions or something…’ She trailed off with smirk, wondering how she’d arrange that. Would he pick her up, and make whole night of it? Or would they just exchange phone numbers so he could text her at some point? Or something else that she couldn’t think of at that moment? Who knew? They’d figure it out. Casi seemed competent, for a big sweetheart. He offered her his number, just like that. ’Um, yeah, lemme…’ She dug around in her purse for a moment, locating her cell and pulling it out with a quickness, inputting the security pattern and opening the contacts to add a new one. ’Alright blondie, shoot.’ He rattled off his number pretty quick, and she managed to type it into her phone, hitting the save and scoring a new one. Woot. New friend was on the horizon, she could tell. Even when he told her that he’d been a whore.

Now that, she was not expecting. He seemed like such a meek, loving baby. Like whoring might break him. But then, maybe it was the naturally submissive ones who could survive that environment best… She wasn’t sure. She’d seen a lot in her many years of life, and hookers were, of course, on her list of things that she’d seen. Aella had even had a fabulous girlfriend by the name of Louise who’d been a hooker, who finally moved up to the rank of madame. The demon had never once judged or cared. To each their own. The profession had been around almost as long as humanity had, and would probably never be fully exterminated. Casi had a point though, it probably eliminated every ounce of self-conscious pride a person had. So she shrugged and nibbled again on her sandwich.

’That’s one way to kill any nerves you might have. Whoring usually isn’t a delicate profession. So, out by choice? Or kicked out?’ It wasn’t the nicest way to put it, no. Kicked out hoes usually had something wrong with them, and that description didn’t fit Casi. But being out on purpose could mean a number of things too. So she figured she’d just ask straight up. Why bother being subtle if that wasn’t something the man in front of her felt needed doing? He even admitted that he hadn’t helped make the things she was currently stuffing her face with. ’Aww. That’s too bad. I would’ve liked to eat something you made. I bet you’re a good little baker if they let you work here… And what do you mean, you ‘remember those days?’ You weren’t always a naturally gifted cook?’ She sipped her drink and looked at him with wide eyes, confused. It didn’t occur to her that it was a skill he’d had to develop. Aella was too lazy to pursue such an interest that didn’t have immediate benefits. And why bother, when other people were more than happy to do it for her in exchange for a little plastic or paper? ’Okay Cas, I know I just met you, but I promise I’m not a serial killer.’ She paused as she looked at the adorable expression on his face, then giggled. ’You don’t have to look at me like that, silly! It was a preface to the question I wanna ask. I was trying to… put you at ease. You wanna hang out with me today? I’ve got- shockingly- no other plans, and if you’re not busy, I’d love the company. I don’t do exceptionally well without the encouragement of fellow interaction.’ Her eyes widened a little and she cleared her throat, realizing that she’d lapsed into sounding intelligent, which was something she just didn’t do. ’Er, if you wanna come gal-pal around with me all day, that be fantabulous. I likes me some peeps,’ she said with a light grin, hoping he wouldn’t catch the little slip in her airheaded dummy routine. It wouldn’t do for people to know she wasn’t as stupid as she behaved.

[CASIDHE TRYSTEN CATARA]

He hadn't been born a slave, but he'd been taken into it very soon after his birth. He'd been bought apart from his mother, lumped in with a bunch of others who hadn't been worth enough to be sold singular. Of course there wasn't much use for a very young child like that anyway, not for most people. Most wanted those who could work right off or whatever. Adrienne did not have that need or urgency to his slaves; not when he was going to live forever. So, he'd been raised with a few others by a group of women slaves, kept from underfoot. Everything had changed when he'd been seen, and so much had gotten worse after that. There had been so many times that Casi looked back on where it had really started and wished he would have bled out and died when they cut into him; violated him in more ways then one. If he could go back to that now and die a human death, he would. In an instant. He didn't want to live all these years; he'd never wanted that. This life was wrong, but he was too afraid of hell and all the things awaiting his death to just end it. So he looked on the bright side. It kept him from letting things get to him. He'd adapted.

He'd seen more horrors then might be imagined just to look at him, observe how he acted. It didn't seem like he'd gone through all that much from how he went with life; the outlook he let the world see. But he could say so much of those things with a neutral expression as if none of it mattered, and mostly it didn't. Fleeting things, those. They couldn't bring him down unless he let them. He supposed that more then anything he had learned from it all, and that was good enough to walk away with it with his head up. Cas let people take advantage of him for so long it had become second nature, and it was hard to say no or push away now. He still wasn't good at it, though usually things cooled off with a few words. If not, well... guess they had him, didn't they? And that was that. Being friends with someone was easy for him, usually. He could be friends with the strangest of people, honestly. 'People' used as a loose term, since Casi knew well that the species did not really get covered under what most though of as 'people'. But Cas couldn't care about what someone was. It was more who they were, not what. Though, okay, he could get a little nervous around a few creatures. Death was a worry, after all.

Casi smiled at Aella's words about going to Michael's for karaoke, thinking on it. "I'll see what I can do." He responded with a chuckle, then nodded about the directions part. Yeah, that was something that would have to be done, wouldn't it? Though Cas didn't mind picking her up to bring her to Michael's if that worked better for her. If she wanted to make a night of it, he wouldn't mind doing that any. He watched her look around her purse for her phone, taking a few more bites of his pastries while he waited. Then with the numbers given he looked thoughtful. "Just shoot me a text whenever and I'll send you the address, unless you want me to pick you up; whichever you think is best." He points out lightly. Of course these things did hedge on if Aella still wanted to be friends with him after he told her about the whole whore thing. It was in the past now, but even that could bother a person, so he wouldn't push it. Cas didn't always have a filter from his brain to his mouth on things, but he very rarely said anything that was meant to bother someone on purpose. He did his best not to talk about things that those who he hung out with would rather not know about, though. He did not want his friends uncomfortable.

It hadn't broken him; it probably couldn't even touch him. Yet there had been enough breaks from it; broken bones and flesh and objects. But as an immortal he could heal from so many things, and so he had allowed quite a bit to be done to him. There were some really messed up critters out there, that was for sure. And Casi had met a fair deal of them. And he had survived it all. Gotten this far through all the bad. He had a lot of experience when it came to so many things over the years. Though he was submissive, that part could not be denied. He'd play whatever part was required of him, but Cas was naturally submissive. Just the way he'd been raised to be. Made it all the easier for Adrienne to have kept him the way he had; to have forced this kind of life on Casi. And in some fucked up way, he'd loved Adrienne. Through all the abuse, the horrible things that had been done to him by such a cruel master... in some part of Casidhe's mind, something had been set. Stockholms or some such. These things happened, but Adrienne was long dead now. Five hundred years ago or so... Cas didn't like to think about it, about that day. Bad creatures had died, but many innocents did, too.

Aella took the information he gave pretty well, and so that made him feel much more settled on the issue, on the fact that he figured they could be friends. He'd like that, certainly. Couldn't have too many friends, in his opinion. He to the first words that she speaks with a wry smile, then at the last part he laughed softly. "Oh, gosh no! By choice, for sure. Getting out was actually a bit difficult, since some of my clients had been quite attached." Kicked out, what a thought! He shakes his head, wondering what he'd have had to have done to get that to happen. "I um.. got married, actually." Fingers gave a slow spin of the wedding ring he still wore. He'd just never taken it off; couldn't force himself to do that. "And then widowed. I always said I'd go back to it if.. something happened, but..." He glanced away, frowning. He finally shrugged and gave Aella a faint smile. "I'm trying a more normal thing, I guess." He was struggling with the thoughts that came with telling these things, and he took a breath, exhaled and just let it go, let his mind go to a happy place. At least he was dealing with it much better then he had when Kit vanished; did the ghost moving on thing. But it still stung deeply, and he figured it always would.

Back to the pastries and such. None of what was out today were of his doing, but that was okay. Even when she said she'd like to have eaten something he made, he could only grin. "Maybe next time I'll make something for you." Came the light words and a smile. Though at the next comment he made a funny laugh-like sound in his throat. "That was actually a play on words in a different direction; picking on myself, or whatever." He looked almost sheepish for a moment, then shrugged it off. "But I did have to learn to become a better cook, that part's true. Though I always did have a thing for it, when I got the time." He added evenly. Her 'not a serial killer' bit made him grin a little, not looking worried over it. He'd known a few of those; came with the territory. So long as they didn't look at him as something to kill, he wasn't going to ask. With more words he dipped his head. "Oh! Sure. We can hang out... though I do have a few errands to run.." He glanced over at the clock; still had time, all was well. "And I brought Casper with me, she's in the car, probably napping." He spoke fondly of the fox. "Most people really like her; she's cute, fluffy and cuddly..." His eyes shifted towards the window to look at the vehicle with an adoring gaze. But of course Casper was too small to be seen, since she was sleeping in the pillow thing on the passenger side seat.

[AELLA SHYANNE MUNROE]

She couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d met Casi before somewhere. It would poke her in the back of her brain until she figured it out, but she wasn’t particularly worried about it. She’d either figure it out or she wouldn’t, didn’t matter. Maybe it was just the way he echoed Micah that kept striking so many chords with her. Granted, Micah wasn’t as educated as Cas clearly was, nor as overtly people-oriented, but he was just as sweet and understanding and honest. The blonde across from her was honest, through and through, she could tell. He didn’t have a mean or cruel bone in his body. Aella… well, she did, actually. Only to the people she though deserved it, of course, but it was still there. She could be an angry, vindictive bitch, as long as it served her own interests. That was part of the reason she was a demon in the first place, her penchant for vengeful vindication. A: it was frowned upon in Heaven, B: it had been part of the retaliation that got her to consign herself into the devil’s service. It didn’t generally serve her that well, but she couldn’t help it, ever. The demon was bad at exercising restraint. It was like a foreign swear word, honestly. A foreign concept in a language she didn’t even understand. Sometimes though, it came in handy. Like the moment she’d decided to open her mouth and invite Casi to join her. That kept yielding good results.

He’d given her his phone number- which was totally cool with her- and was charmingly offering to pick her up for their little outing to Michael’s. Thing was… well, Aella didn’t drink. It’s not that she had anything against what it did to her, or the people that drank it, she just couldn’t stand the way it tasted. ’Actually honey, if it’s all the same to you, I’m more than happy to drive. I always end up as the DD ‘cause I hate the way booze tastes, so I never drink it. So… yeah.’ She grinned, silly, because how does one follow up that sentence, honestly? ‘If you wanna get sloshed, feel free, ‘cause I’m never gonna join you?’ Nononono, that wasn’t the appropriate way to handle the situation with a potential new friend. ’What I mean to say is, I am more than happy to drive, so you don’t have to ever worry about that. If you want me to pick you up instead, that is. Do I sound like a redundant dork right now, or what?’ she asked with a giggle that she couldn’t suppress. But Casi was nice about it, and they kept their little karaoke date intact without her looking too much the fool. She had looked a fool more than once in her life, sure, but her being adorable had gotten her out of it, ‘cept for that one time… Um. Right, not necessary to be mentioned right that second. Nope. Not a memory she was fond of, particularly. What were they talking about, again?

Oh right! Casi had been a hired piece of tail. What a horrible way to phrase that, Aella. Shame on you. Except she wasn’t feeling the shame. And Casi was so honest and blunt about it that she really didn’t think he would have minded. Still, she would use the title he seemed most comfortable with, instead of what other cruel and unusual foul words she could have thought of. Also, she really didn’t care that he had been a prostitute. To each their own, and she really had no room to judge other people their preferences in work. Apparently though, that hadn’t been his preference, since he had abandoned the whoring game by choice instead of by force. Poor thing. Gosh, to have been a whore that people were attached to… ’What was that like, exactly? I mean… People know you’re not theirs exclusively, how can they get attached? People are strange sometimes.’ She shook her head as an accompaniment to her own comment before she thought of another question. ’So what prompted that? I mean, if it was decent, why’d you hop out?’ Casi proceeded to tell her that he’d gotten married, which was an incredibly good and sweet reason to get out of the prostitution ring. But also that he’d been widowed. Funny, that she hadn’t noticed the pretty simple ring circling that particular finger before he’d started playing with it. He also mentioned that he had contemplated returning to the whore business if ‘something happened’ but it seemed that he was going to try normal life instead. ’That, my new buddy, is pretty admirable. I mean, the willingness to try something new. Takes guts. Kudos.’ He seemed fairly bashful about it though, like it wasn’t something he would expect a compliment for. It wasn’t that she was applauding his attempt at normalcy, it was that he was willing to do something different from the established pattern that he already had. That, more than anything else, took some courage. She guessed that his job at the boulangerie was just the next step in that pursuit.

It was sweet of him to offer to make her something. ’Tell you what, you shoot me a text the next time you’re working, and I’ll come bug you. We’ll see what you got.’ It had been strange to hear him pick on himself. She found- oddly enough- that she didn’t much like it. He was a nice guy who- from the vibes she got- had been through some rough shit, and didn’t need to add self-deprecation to the list. Still, they weren’t close like that yet, so it wasn’t her business to correct him. Yet. She grinned at the thought that someday she’d be able to tell him ‘Stfu, that’s my friend you’re talking about.’ But for now, she’d hold her tongue and be just the teeniest bit tactful. It paid off, since he agreed to be her company for the day. ’I’m totally fine with errand running. I can make practically any errand an adventure, I promise. Grocery shopping has never been as fun as it is with me,’ she said with a little smile, clearly tooting her own horn. She wasn’t bashful about it, or even the least bit sorry. Aella knew that she was a good buddy to have. Casi said something about ‘Casper’ and the demon’s interest piqued. Who’s wouldn’t be, by the words ‘cute, fluffy, and cuddly?’ Her eyes widened a little bit, curious. ’Casper?? Sounds like somebody I’d like to meet… What kind of critter would she happen to be?’ The ebony-haired vixen practically wiggled in her seat; she liked animals, what could she say? Not all of them, just the nice ones who were nice to her. ’I wanna meet her. Please. There. I add politeness so I don’t sound like an ass.’ She giggled and finished the last few bites of her goodies before getting up from the table and throwing her trash away. ’I’m ready to go if you are honey bunny. Lead on?’

[CASIDHE TRYSTEN CATARA]

Aella was wrong. It wasn't something that Casi like to admit or think upon, but it was true where some things simply were not. Cas wasn't always honest. It was not that he wanted to be mean or cruel or any of that, no. It was that Cas knew the way that the world worked, and when he'd done it -- had been dishonest and hid things -- it was because he wanted to protect the person he loved. He did not want them affected by what he was doing or the bad things that could follow that. He had not told Kit about the drugs when it started, though the ghost had been told finally. Cas hadn't been able to keep it hidden forever. It was too much, too hard. And, well, he'd been testing some of the stuff and it had done some crazy stuff to him. It had changed him in a few ways while he was high on it all, though it was gone when he came down. The thing was, Kit would forgive him nearly anything. Except, perhaps, the other thing Cas had kept hidden. The worst thing. Or things, as it was a split sort of bad. Morgan. Casi hadn't been able to deny Morgan a tumble in bed -- or wherever they might be -- when the mood struck for the once-witch. Kit had been understanding of Cas having bouts of unfaithfulness... but a line was crossed when it was with the ghost's ex-fiance. Casi hadn't stopped. He knew it had been wrong; one of the worst sorts of betrayals, and yet... He'd still done it.

And if that hadn't been enough... Cas had started helping Morgan with the cult thing and the contracts; which in itself wasn't something Cas had been overly fond of. Mostly because some of them were about signing of on hit jobs and other crazy shit. It didn't end there, either. Casi had not only betrayed Kit with what he'd done next, but himself. Everything he'd stood for. He did the one thing he said he would never do. The one thing he hated having done to himself and did not ever want done to anyone else. He had paved the way for Morgan to become immortal. To be there forever. And Cas had watched the color fade from the once-witch's eyes as it happened. Color that Cas had loved from the first moment he'd seen those violet eyes. They'd met before Cas had known Kit, and Casi had commented over those eyes. He'd even made such an impression over his like for the color that even though Morgan had hated them, the once-witch had gotten replicated color contacts to mimic what had been for Casi's sake. But that was much later, because it was soon after the change that Morgan had left Manuka to deal what had happened. With Morgan gone, Cas had proposed to Kit. They were married soon after that; a little thing of a wedding, really. But it didn't last. One day, Kit had just been gone. The weeks dragged on, and Casi had to come to terms with the fact that Kit was gone; moved on.

It hadn't been easy. It didn't happen very soon, either. Yet Morgan had returned; had tried to help him deal with the loss. There was so much messed up with the triangle that had been. For all the issues and guilt Cas had over what he'd done to get Morgan to become immortal, he still considered the once-witch his best creation. Either way, things had gotten better with Morgan back. Cas had settled back into life, had finally been able to cut all ties with his clients -- he'd been working on getting past it all before asking Kit to marry him, of course -- and it was finally all done. He was free of it. He was doing his best to be normal, to stay normal for Morgan's sake now as well as his own. Cas really did love the other immortal, no matter how fucked up things had been, no matter what they'd gone through and why. They had gotten through most of the bad, and although Cas still wore his wedding ring and gotten the fennec -- which had hurt Morgan because getting a kit (baby fox) and naming it Casper was obvious as hell -- they were figuring it out. Cas wasn't sorry for the time he'd had with Kit. Just like he wasn't sorry for moving on with Morgan after Kit was gone. He was sorry for the shit he'd done in between to a degree, though he couldn't find it in himself to be sorry for the fact that Morgan was now immortal. Guilt, yes. But Casi wasn't sorry.

These things are not at the forefront of his mind just now, however. Instead, he was focused on planning the outing for karaoke. At least, he knew he'd be singing. Though with Aella's words on driving and booze, Cas just nodded and accepted what was said. He didn't mind who drove or any of that. He also didn't mind refraining from drinking if Aella felt better about them both being sober. He chuckled as she continued, giving a shake of his head. "If you wanna drive, that's cool. I won't drink either. We can be the two sober dorks hanging at the bar. It'll be fun." He responded with a grin. Yeah, he could roll with that. For sure. Cas had long since needed booze to have any kind of fun. For a time he'd used it mostly to dull sensations for particularly cruel clients if they'd allow it. He had different things for his old job depending on what was allowed or asked for. The things he'd go through or allow... Some stuff that would make a person's hair stand on end. Hired piece of tail. That phrase would probably set Cas to laughing; he'd enjoy the way it sounded. He was amused by such things. He still had the last pair of slave shackles Adrienne had given him tucked away in his closet. A weird thing to keep, maybe, but in a way Cas had viewed it as a gift. Adrienne had gotten the new pair for him, and Casi had actually been pleased. It was something he could never get Kit to understand. Or anyone who knew about it, for that matter.

At Aella's question, Cas settled his elbows on the table and propped his head in his hands before answering. "I was very accomadating. I let them abuse me in ways most would never allow. Having that kind of power over a person can be addicting." He responded evenly, his gazy steady. He'd almost said something along the lines of 'not a lot of us let them slit our throats for fun' before he'd stopped himself. He hadn't told Aella he was immortal and he normally didn't tell people that if he could get away with pretending to be human. And, well, explaining that he couldn't die from a simple cut throat wasn't on his list of things to do. Not that going through it was good times, either. "Good money, though. People will pay a lot to feed their addictions." He added with a shrug. That said enough about the situation and why it had been the way it was. The supernatural world had enjoyed him well too. Vampires could feed, and faeries too. Cas didn't even care if they were in natural form when things got down and dirty. He didn't blink at all. Decent. Aella didn't know the extent of how bad it could get, but since Casi had been able to shrug it off, it worked out for him well enough. Enough, at least, to deal with it all for centuries. Then again, it had been all he'd known for so long. He didn't think he could survive any other way. But now he had some hope that it could be different. That he could be more than that.

He brightened considerably at her comment about trying something new and how it was admirable and took guts. She was someone who understood that he'd found doing this difficult; that breaking away from what he'd known wasn't as easy as some were prone to thinking. His throat felt tight, but in a good way. "Thank you." The words were half choked with his attempt to hide the emotion in his voice that the compliment had caused. He was glad that he'd met her, glad to know someone who actually 'got' it. It mattered more then he could say to him to hear her say what she had. And he chuckled and nodded vigorously at her words of coming to bug him next time he worked for something he made on that day. "Alright, yeah. You can try one of whatever I make that day; no charge." Came the words with a smile. Cas could take care of any cost to the treats for a friend. He wanted to. And then it got down to talking about hanging out for the day and the errands he had to make. Cas figetted a little at her words. "I have no problem with you going with me on the errands but getting groceries is the last thing on my list of things to do... and the only legal thing." He pointed out, biting at his lower lip.

Yet with Casper on his mind, Casi was quick to talk about his beloved pet. Aella could meet the fox at least, if she didn't want to hang out until after errand runs. "She's a white fennec fox. A runt one, cause she's so tiny, but she's so sweet and lovable. But she adores people." He beamed just thinking about the little fluffball. With Aella's interest in meeting the fox, Casi picked up his trash and threw it away as well before smiling at Aella's words and starting out of the shop; holding the door for his new friend before following her out and then leading to his blazer. He unlocked the passenger side door and opened it; being greeted by a wiggling bit of fur that was Casper. With a coo, he lifted the fox from the seat she was practically trying to hop off of to get in his arms; and then turned to hold the snuggly thing out to Aella. "If you hold her and pet her, she'll love you forever." He said with a soft laugh. Casper, upon spotting another person, was full of happy little whines and trying her damnest to get close enough to lick Aella.

[AELLA SHYANNE MUNROE]

Well, at least he didn’t make her feel too incredibly foolish for her word vomit. She was trying o be tactful, but sometimes her position on booze confused people, and she didn’t want to unnecessarily offend a potential new friend. That would be… less than marvelous, to say the least. And Casi did seem to fall into the ‘potential new friend’ category, more and more. He cooked, he was sweet, kind of a people-pleaser (she could tell), and all of those things worked quite well with Aella’s selfish, self-centered personality. It was part of the reason that she and Joey were friends, believe it or not. Joey couldn’t help herself from going with whatever whim had flown through the demon’s head at any given moment. Most people in Aella’s experience were less than willing to give up whatever they really wanted just to humor her. But Joey was. And in exchange for being the ebony-haired vixen’s companion on any given adventure, Joe got to hang out with one of the ‘cool kids,’ and experienced some spices in life that she might otherwise shy away from. She had a feeling though, that there weren’t many spices that Casidhe was unfamiliar with, in what felt like a long and interesting history that she had barely begun to know.

’, a sober buddy. The thought is revolutionary. Being high on life is such a foreign concept to most people. I think high-fiving is in order. Just, ya know, don’t leave me hanging…’ She held up her delicate white palm for him to grace with his own, and turned out to be rewarded. She grinned at him for a few seconds like an idjit before they kept the conversation rolling. They headed into territory that Aella wasn’t unfamiliar with in her many years, but still couldn’t quite get the whole grasp of. There was no denying that she liked people to admire her, pay her compliments, give her presents, and ogle her unabashedly, but she could never see herself doing that for money. She just wasn’t wired correctly for it. But she couldn’t judge those who were. At least whores got more out of it than a compliment… Huh. Besides, prostitution, and using one’s body to get what one wanted, had been around since practically the dawn of time. And if you believed the Creation story, it really had been, thanks to the naughty Eve. Every time Aella heard that tale, she wanted to snicker, having been an angel and knowing the truth, but she didn’t. Some people needed faith to keep themselves on a path, or sticking to a moral compass, or whatever else they needed it for, that the demon didn’t. People had their reasons, and she wasn’t about to dash their hopes and discount their beliefs just because she knew better. That would just be cruel and silly. Like some people had been to Casi, apparently. So, she was definitely right about the people-pleasing.

’I tell you what, that takes some fortitude that I just don’t possess. I am much too much of a wienie. Even for good money.’ She chuckled for just a second, before a- probably unnecessary- thought popped into her head. ’Oooo, while I’ve got you here though, and forgive my nosy nature, do you think it’s harder to be a dom or a sub? You know, having been one, kinda.’ Her wide eyes looked at him with curiosity, but not an ounce of judgment. Aella liked to know things, and didn’t much care where the information came from, so long as it was reliable. And Casi was reliable, because she’d detected not one bit of lying from him since she’d met the blonde. Maybe some avoidance, or hedging, but no outright lies. And the demon had become quite proficient at reading people in her many years. She could read just how… relieved, and maybe happy he was, too, that she could understand where he was coming from, giving up the life he’d had to try something that was completely outside his comfort zone. While that wouldn’t make sense to most people- that a profession most people considered seedy could be his comfort zone- it did to her. She’d gone through things and had to vastly change her own comfort zone many times in the span of her existence. The gratitude, legitimate and sweet, he gave her for a basic understanding actually choked her up a bit, and made her feel a real connection with Cas, and not just some surface ‘playtime playmate’ thing. It made her be just a touch serious, for just a moment. ’You don’t ever have to thank me for that honey. Honest.’ She smiled, appreciating the moment, before her short attention span kicked in again, and they were off on another topic, with her graciously accepting his offer to try something he made there at the pastry shop the next day he was working.

’No charge, seriously? I’m liable to make a complete fat-ass of myself then. No judging.’ Her teasing wink- because she knew that he would probably never harshly judge anything she did- punctuated the statement quite nicely. As did her little head tilt with his next words about her accompanying him on his daily errands. He certainly appeared hesitant to add the last bit, but really, it didn’t bother her at all. Okay, there were some things that were illegal that Aella agreed with, but some were just stupid to have laws against, and so when people had to engage in the alright ones, she really couldn’t have cared less. ’Sounds cool to me. Legality’s not a big issue. And while I hate grocery shopping by myself, but maybe with you it’ll be fun.’ Her smile was sweet, honest, and genuinely looking forward to not spending the day alone, trolling for something to do. Inevitably, she’d have called up one of her buddies and forced them to come do something with her. She liked the company. And she loved cute baby animals! Say whaaaat! Her excited wiggle at the mention of a baby fox could not be contained. She was practically making grabby hands like a toddler.

’OMGOMGOMG, this may have officially been transformed into best. day. ever.’ They were out of their seats shortly after that, Casi leading the way to his car, and pulling out, with the gentlest softest motion, a tiny, adorable white fluffball with the most cutest prettiest giant Yoda ears ever. Her hands were outreached for it before she was consciously aware of doing so, and her blonde companion was nice enough to hand off the tiny creature. Casper’s soft fur and softer whines immediately melted Aella, who would’ve been happy to hold her forever. ’She is so irresistible Casi. Lookit your sweet little face. And this tiny tail. And, of course, these ears. Where in the world did you get her?’ Also, can I ride with you, ‘cause I am now a sucker for the foxie girl? Ugh, if I could fall in love with somebody, it would be Casper.’ She chuckled, realizing that she really did sound like a dork, but she couldn’t help herself. The day was turning out to be better and better.

[CASIDHE TRYSTEN CATARA]

Cas didn't like to make anyone feel foolish. He didn't like anyone feeling uncomfortable in any way, really. He did what he could to cheer someone up when he knew they were feeling down, because it bothered him to know someone wasn't okay. He did what he could to make it better, though that didn't mean he was able to do that. Most people couldn't stand to be around him or couldn't stay upset if they were. Very few were those in between that or had slipped through the cracks. Anyway, forgoing booze and being drunk or whatnot was not a big deal for Casi. If that was what Aella would prefer, then he was all about that. Nothing wrong with being cold sober, and Cas did not need to be any kind of intoxicated in order to start singing karaoke. Or singing at all. Cas could sing his heart out anywhere for any reason. Could sing nearly anything, too. He had fun with it, since it was what he enjoyed more then most things. It reminded him that he really needed to get back out there to bounce around and all that. But only in the playful, friendly kind of way. Nothing more then that, since he was trying not to be.. well, everywhere anymore.

Spices of life. Yep, Cas knew plenty of those. Many more then he probably would have wished to know, honestly. If he could have changed things, then he wouldn't have wanted to know a quarter of those things. But life gave him what he had and he took it without complaint. No use complaining anyhow, because none of it could be changed by that. Best he could do was brush it off and not let it affect him. Usually he could do that with ease. It had become a way to cope a long, long time ago. Yes, even if he was a normal age for a human and having been a whore, there would be stories to tell. But to have lived this way for hundreds of years? It added up. He could write a book; maybe a few of them if he wanted to. But then there was the issue of names, of those who were still alive who would be in those books... and it was terribly seedy to write all those things, right? And oh, there was so much in it that wouldn't make sense. The whole death thing... he'd be pegged for sure if any of those people read it. He could write it as some mythical sort of thing, if he really wanted to. But he did not want to do that, not really. Unless he wrote it for himself rather then for others. That might be something to think about.

He pretty much giggled at her exclaimation about being 'sober buddies' and he nodded along to what she said and high-fived because of course he wouldn't leave her hanging! With her grinning at him, he coudln't help but grin right back at her. She was someone he found he really liked being around, just hanging out and talking. It was fun, and he needed moments like these. His life had been so down in the dumps lately that times like these were hard to find. Or he simply did not have time to seek friends out. Or drag the ones he had out to chill. He really needed to see how some of them were doing. He'd been horrible with keeping up lately, what with taking care of Valentine, doing his jobs and all that. So much time cut because of everything that had happened in his life recently. Or recently enough; the past few months. It still counted. No time to sit there and think about the big life issues, either. Or the divine ones. Like what was and wasn't with religion. It was not his thing, not at all. The thought of heaven and all that really bothered him, because he knew he'd never see anything but a memory of it. A memory that did not even belong to him. He had Jessena's memory of heaven that cut into him, and he did not want any more. He did not want to think about it at all if he could help it. Yet there had always been the fallen, and he had to be careful of their scars. Wary. Like he'd been of Nathaniel's.

There's a bit of silent thought at what Aella says of it at first, and Cas can only shrug. He'd been... less, then. Emotions were harder to grasp of the darker variety back in those days. They had started to sprout up in the past few years to get to this point. Which was funny, since they were suppost to fade with time for immortals. But having them be so faint for centuries in most ways had kept them from burning out. From burning him out as it would some immortals. Else he would be closer to more then half past crazy. Quite a bit closer. After a thousand years, crazy sunk right in and took hold. Usually it started out slow, but Cas hadn't slipped. Not until recently. And he had not gotten far downhill, but he was just starting to show his age a little. Getting there, because so much had been dragging him down. Because finally feeling love and knowing what it was had opened him up to the other deeper emotions. And some of the darker ones, too. It was happening, probably kept right on going, though he still clings firmly to who he was, had been, wanted to be still. He was feeling. And it was filled with pain, that ocean of feeling that had had risen up to engulf him.

The question that comes causes Casi to grin -- almost childishly -- at her. "Well, since I'm submissive by nature, I suppose for me that's easier. But I've gotten pretty good at playing whichever part I'm told to play." He responded, chuckling in his throat. [ color=teal]"There are a few areas to it all that mixed and matched and all that, but overall it's pretty much the same in my case. Fully subservant is the role I fall into best with all of it."

[/color]He added lightly. "It's different for everyone, though. There are lines most draw, and even with how allowing of most things that I am, I still have them as well. Mostly when it comes to something that would kill me. That scares me. Some people have made me nervous over the years, that's for sure." He points this out evenly. It's true, he's terrified of death. At least what happens after. The going to hell part, because there was no way he could escape that fate when he died. It was the way things worked, no way around it when one sold their soul. End game, that. There was no coming back when you were immortal. No second chance like Kit had gotten. But the long life he'd gotten was enough, or should be. That's the way a balance was kept. At least so he would think. He simply doesn't like to think about those things, though. It bothered him.

He had not lied to Aella, that was true. There were things he did not get into, things he did not fully give to his answers and words, but that wasn't the same. It didn't harm or help to have the information he didn't give. Casi did not need to tell his whole story to her. He did not like to let people know he was immortal, so he did his best to avoid anything that told that information. The life that he'd led -- being a whore -- was what he knew. For centuries he had been a sex slave, and once that was torn away he hadn't a clue how else to survive. So he had fallen into the closest thing; doing what he knew by himself. It had been pretty easy after he got his footing in it. He knew what to do, what to expect, how to deal with it. None of it was strange to him by that point. He had been molded to that kind of life, that work. It had been what he was, and to break free of that? It was hard and different and expectations were thrown right out the window. Maybe when it was all said and done it wasn't so bad as he might have thought that they'd be, but it was always starting out that was the worst. And he was getting through it. Still struggling a little here and there, but it wasn't going terrible, if emotions weren't involved.

Casi's gaze shifted downward for a moment when she told him he didn't have to thank her for her understanding. But he appreiciated it so much. He wanted her to know that's how he felt about it; how much it affected him, mattered to him to know someone who could understand what it was like. To share with him that she did. Because it helped him. It strengthened him to know he wasn't alone with that sort of thing, and someone knew what it was like and wouldn't paint it all black and white because of what he had been. Where it was that he needed the understanding that she had given. Yet he lets the conversation about that go, good with switching it up to the thing with letting Aella try all the different kinds of bakery things he could and would make when Aella was able to stop in again. He smiled at her words and shook his head. "I won't judge, no worries there." He replied softly, knowing she was sorta teasing at him about it. It was more then obvious that Cas wasn't the kind of person to be judging anyone about much of anything. Certainly not a like for pastries and such. A lot of people liked them, and Cas figured that it was good to indulge now and then. Why shouldn't they?

Noting her head tilt to what he'd said on errands and how they weren't very legal -- or at all -- he waited for what she might say about it, and if she might re-think hanging out with him. He simply looked at Aella when she spoke, and then he smiled at her. It was nice that she couldn't be easily shaken. Not about the whore thing, nor about the fact that he had some illegal errands to run. However, with that being known, Cas would have to -- well, feel better if -- she knew what he was doing, exactly. So he leaned forward a little. "It's drug dealing runs." He said it very quietly, so hopefully no one but her was able to hear it. Though he had to tell her about Casper, which had gotten quite the response from her. He was quick to lead the way to his chevy where the fennec was, because how could he deny the kind of excitement that Aella was showing? He couldn't. Words of 'may be the best day ever' made it all that more prominate that he had to show her the little fox. Once Aella was holding Casper and speaking over the critter, Cas was grinning, glad to make someone happy. As for where he got her? "Imported. I had to go through some things, get some paperwork and licences... it was this whole thing, but I had to have a fox." There was a firm nod. "And sure, you can ride with me. Casper loves being cuddles for car rides." He pointed out with a smile.
[/blockquote]

[AELLA SHYANNE MUNROE]

The demon had always been pretty good at making friends. People liked her, generally speaking. She was pretty and spunky and fun to hang out with. And because of all that, they forgave her a lot. Like her bratty inclination to be completely self-centered and spoiled. She really was like a spoiled child, always given what she wanted, and told ‘no’ so rarely that when it did happen, such was her shock that she rebelled and threw a tantrum the likes of which you’ve never seen come out of a being a hundred plus years old. Such was Aella’s nature. And honestly, people either learned to live with it, or got out of her life. Quick, fast and in a hurry to escape her wrath, which could be quite fearsome sometimes. The dancer had been trained by some of Heaven’s finest, after all, even if she didn’t usually act like it. She could handle herself with an adept skill that most would envy, should she ever showcase it. Despite that, she’d found it easier to get her way through other means, and those pretty much became her modus operandi, the other things safely tucked away for those moments when she would really need them. She knew, almost without a doubt, that she would never need them with Casi.

He was too nice, too much of a people pleaser to ever tell somebody ‘no.’ Aella, through her many years, had developed something of a habit of selecting those people as friends. Look at Joey, fer cryin’ out loud. The little redhead didn’t have a mean bone in her body, and she was always in such shock that the demon wanted to hang out with her distinctly nerdy, human ass that she gave the sexy vixen whatever she wanted. Also, well… it was possible the human girl had a crush on her, though neither of them acknowledged or acted on it. Aella didn’t care what a person’s sexuality leant them toward, to be perfectly honest, as long as they were willing to admit that she was a stunning example of being whose feet should be bowed at on a regular basis. Would she make Casi bow? Heaven’s no. It was just an expression, don’t be weird. It was the sentiment behind it that counted. She’d had someone do that once, actually, and it was pretty awkward… yeah. Her first stalker. Not fun. Well, half fun? Not sure. To have that much glorious, worshipful attention placed on her was great, until it became creepy and she was like, ‘ew, go away.’ Then he got violent and shit went down. Sigh. But that was over now- had been for a while- and she worried about other things. During those rare moments that she took to worrying, of course. Now was not such a moment. She was making a new friend, who was, quote unquote, ‘submissive by nature.’ And that worked for Aella just fine.

’Huh. So it’s a personal thing. And here I was hoping for a rule of thumb.’ Her wink was charming, and clearly teasing. For her, she was probably a bit more domineering? Dominant, maybe. But she liked to have her men toss her about and make her feel slight and protected and adored. But they always functioned on what she wanted, so… Meh. Who knew. Labels weren’t much her thing anyways. She’d much rather run by her own rules and regulations anyways. Still, it was a cool thought, to try and gain that kind of insider perspective from somebody who had it. Sure, yeah, Aella had had friends who were prostituted before, but never life-long ones. ’How did you figure out your lines, sweetie? Just… like, whatever you didn’t really like got crossed off the list, or what?’ The demon didn’t know what her own personal lines were. Like, there were things she knew she didn’t care for, but she didn’t know what her strict, ‘fuck no’ lines were. She supposed if somebody crossed one, she’d be real quick to point it out though… ’How do you keep someone from crossing your lines, once you’ve established ‘em? I mean, since you seem so open about everything else, how can you be sure they won’t push your limits like that?’

What? She was curious. There were some bad people in the world. And if you let yourself be taken advantage of like that- even on purpose for money- there were bound to be those who would take it too far. Aella knew because people had tried that shit with her on more than one occasion. She flirted and teased and played for days, she let herself be ogled and reveled in the attention, and some felt that that was a full-access pass to doing whatever the hell they wanted whenever the… well, you know. It pissed her off, and she set them straight right quick. But for Casi? Who did it on purpose like that? She just didn’t know how it’d go down. But she was totally cool with being a nosy ass and asking him- likely inappropriate- questions ‘bout his life. The ebony-haired woman had little in the way of verbal boundaries. Her mouth carried her where it wished. But that seemed to be okay with the blonde across from her, as he thanked her for such a basic thing as understanding, which really wasn’t a big deal for the demon. She could see how it might’ve been for some people, but seriously, screw those people. So she could honestly say she was perfectly happy when he let it go, and agreed to be her escort- snort, yeah, okay, so he was just her new buddy, but still, the wordage was fun- for the day, and trundle her around on his various errands. Which, apparently, were illegal. Something he thought she’d have a problem with, maybe, but really didn’t bug her. People had outlawed a bunch of random crap for no reason. So going with him on some ‘drug runs?’ Not an issue.

’’Scool honey, honest. I don’t even care. I’m sure you can make even that mundane little task seem fun, huh?’ Her giggle was infectious as he led her to his car, and the most adorable pet she had ever seen in her life. A fox. Fennec fox, according to Casi, as he introduced her to the beautiful girl known as Casper, even letting her hold the diminutive creature. It seemed the process of legally owning such a beauty had been long and arduous, but that made perfect sense. Technically, she’d guess the little girl was considered a ‘wild’ animal, though she seemed perfectly domesticated and social to Aella, even leaning into the affection the demon was more than happy to give her, and that would require some permits and insurance and… blah. Whatever the case, he’d gotten her. ’’Had to,’ sweetheart? Seems like an awful lot of work for a critter. How come she had to be a fox? Not that I mind, she’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Aren’t you, pretty girl?’ Aella didn’t believe in baby-talking animals or children, and so she addressed Casper in a perfectly normal, soft tone, verbally showing her appreciation before hopping in the car with her and Casi, off to wherever his darling heart desired to take them. ’Awesome! Perfect, thank you!’