Friendly Flowers {Nick}

[DEIDRE NATALYA AVERIN]

Clickety-clickety, clickety-clack, clickety-clickety-clickety, clickety-clack. She really really needed to go buy a new keyboard, she realized as worked with a furious quickness on her new documentation for one Destin Nicolas Vitale. He’d sought her out, though she was uncertain how- yet- he’d managed to find her. It wasn’t like she hid or anything, but she was difficult to find for a reason. If the wrong people found her, well, she’d have to eliminate them, and that had a tendency to be irritating. To her, and to them. She giggled brightly at her own truth made clever. She hadn’t met Nick- as he preferred to be called, if his correspondence was any indication- before, and was curious to actually speak to the man. She had his pictures, videos of the man, emails and a few hand-written messages passed to her by courier, but she’d not yet met him. The impression she got though, reminded her just a bit of her father. The graceful charm coupled with a no-nonsense attitude, complimented by that vague air of authority that made you want to listen. Her daddy also made her feel safe, and other feel horribly threatened because he was just so dangerous. Drey had to wonder which feeling she’d have with Nick.

They’d picked a neutral meeting ground, for both of their benefit. They were less likely to cause a scene there, but she was pretty sure that they’d both be willing to go the distance, should the need arise. Oooh, made her want to hear that song. She clicked into her media player and selected ‘Go the Distance’ by Cake, turning the sound on her headphones up some more, and dancing in her seat as she finished up the last of her work, hitting print, and moving over to some very expensive equipment to add the finishing touches. Her soft voice sang along, that Russian lilt making it more exotic somehow. ’’He’s going the distance, he’s going for speed…’’ A sequence of buttons were pushed, then the beautiful piece of art slid out, followed by a quiet beep. Perfection. A quick UV light test, ink test, holograph test, and thickness measurement later, and she was satisfied, paperclipping it into the file with Nick’s name on it. Now, a quick greeting, payment exchange, and a quick little data entry code from her phone, and he would officially exist in modern society. He’d be legal and able to do whatever he wanted- within reason- without question. Her grey eyes flicked to the clock resting on her desk and widened. Was it that late already? Damn. Grabbing the folder and her yellow bag, she headed out the door, rushing to get into her sporty little Audi R8. Even in this town, the beautiful thing stuck out, but Drey didn’t care. She loved her car, in all its shiny silver glory. It was one of the few big-ticket items she’d used her hefty fortune to purchase that wasn’t related to her work. Or the boys… Dom and Dim would have her every penny if she believed they would use it better. Or if they might take more of it. They were sometimes weird about her paying for things. But she did it anyways, buying things for the house or paying for groceries or whatever else. That didn’t matter right now though, as she floored the accelerator pedal and shifted gears, loving the quiet, predatory power of her little car. It meant she hit little coffee place much sooner than the drive was intended to take.

She opened the doors to the scent of coffee and smiled. Yum. A quick glance revealed that her ‘client’ wasn’t there yet, so she went to the line and waited patiently, finally hitting the front of the line and ordering herself a medium vanilla latte. Beverage received, she moved to a table by the window to look out the front and wait for Nick. She still had a few minutes to spare, so she wasn’t worried. She had something he wanted, and he seemed the prompt sort, and bonus, her latte was delicious. Until then, she people-watched, tickled by the frazzled girl in the corner, and the mouth-breather a couple tables over. Stupid-ass people. A little ding from the front door captured her attention, and she smiled. Lovely.

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clicketh for clothes!

[DESTIN NICOLAS VITALE]

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[style=font-family: Open Sans Condensed; font-size: 20px; color: steelblue; letter-spacing: -1px; text-align: center; line-height: 23px; padding-top: 5px;]CAUSE YOU KNOW I LIE

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It had come to his attention that in this particular place, he was going to need some kind of ID. Some sort of thing in his procession that had his ‘name’ on it while still having a couple of tweaked details. Age. Species. Unimportant things that the government people had such a fascination over. It left him no choice but to find someone who could do that for him. While he was able to get most things with the ways of words, it was such a hassle to do each and every time. So Nick started to ask around. Very subtly. Very smoothly. The poor people didn’t really know what hit them, as most people like that didn’t want to be found out in case he was an underground cop or something. That was understandable. Quite frankly, if she would have been easy to find, Nick wouldn’t have done business with her. He found a couple of other people around the area, but because they seemed too easy and name known, he avoided them. It was strategy. Like the good navy officer he used to be.

Once he found her, it was easy to be able to tell her what he wanted. The two would meet so that she was able to give him everything. Plus, there was something about meeting the person face-to-face as opposed to behind closed curtains that reassured him. It made him see how well she really did business. If Nick had been doing that, he would probably have the same lifestyle she would. She being a maybe since all that was exchanged between the two had been emails and videos of himself. He felt like he was being more exposed than she was, but he wasn’t sure what she could possibly do to her. The only thing was only done with an angel’s weapon. Nick had three at his house that he had taken away from hunters (after killing them oops). He was just collecting them and being reassured that no one else was going to dare use it on him. Nick was trying to figure out a way to get rid of them honestly. Having them so close to where he slept was easy access to those that knew where they were. He had enemies already in Manuka. That was too much of a risk.

For all he knew, he could have been dealing with a hunter. But he was prepared and laughed at the thought of someone trying to deceive him. It was hard to do so. Deceiving the deceiver? Please. He knew all the tricks. So he could honestly saw that he had no worries with the place they were about to meet. A small little coffee place in public so both of them wouldn’t make any scenes. They would sit down like old friends, maybe even have a small drink while the small talk conversed. As long as he got what he asked for, he didn’t care less of what she was like. Although he was rather curious, and the man wasn’t going to pass up something if he saw potential for it. But in no way was he looking for an enemy for someone that was a better ally. For a guy that was careful who he went out with, he was also very laid back and casual against potential danger. It was easy to be when he was practically immortal.

He walked into the steaming beans. There was a small idea of who he was looking for, but it wasn’t as if it was one hundred percent positive. He looked at the line and huffed to himself. There was a lovely little brunette that was almost always working when he had gone in the past that he very easily swayed. He could tell the type just by looking at her. People pleaser. Just wants to go around and make everyone happy. He waltzed up to the front counter, by passing the entire line before smiling widely. She recognized him. Nick swore he could see her starting to sweat, but she put on a friendly smile for him. He didn’t really have to say anything anymore. She just said, ”Oh t-t-the usual?” With a small chuckle, he handed her the money and nodded. Without even a hesitation, she got it all for him, getting confusing and glaring looks from the rest of the line. Like he cared.

Nick looked at the woman who had caught his eye at once. That was the table she had described. Wonderful. Confidently, he swirled his drink around before walking over and sat down across from her, smiling still as he did so. ”Nice to finally see you in person. You’re quite prettier than I imagined.” A little flirting came out of his mouth but it was hard not to. Now sitting down and seeing her, he did see that the woman was indeed attractive.

Tag: Smash Word Count: 820 Notes: MAH

[style=padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 10px; background-color: #f8f8f8; text-align: justify; font-size: 8px; font-family: arial; color: #000000; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 2px; text-transform: uppercase;]Coding by [style=color: #000000!important;]April (myfairtardis) from Caution 2.0

[DEIDRE NATALYA AVERIN]

People, as a general rule, rarely interested Deidre. They tended toward the dumber end of the spectrum, falling mentally short in so many ways, never going outside themselves. In turn, she didn’t go out looking for them either. To be sought out, and found, was how she preferred to do business. It showed her a certain level of determination and skill, to have located her in the first place. Nick had found her, and so had become worthy of her time and services. And the polite way he approached her made him worthy of her respect. She had bumped his little project in front of quite a few others because he’d been courteous, and because he had had a bigger investment in her time, monetarily-speaking. He’d not batted one little eyelash at her prices. Not one. Made her curious to know if the suave- or so she assumed- Mr. Vitale had any other little projects she could offer her assistance to, for money. But that was a question that could come later, after he was satisfied with the first examples of her work.

She watched him stride in confidently, looking better in person than he had in the videos and photos she had of him- as most people did, in her experience- walking right to the front of the ever-lengthening line of patrons to order his coffee. The dark looks he received for the action made her chuckle brightly. Confidence rolled off the man in waves, and not one of them had the audacity or courage to actually approach him about the offense he had just committed. Poor dumb sheep, she thought with a smile, as the barista at the front made his drink, hands quavering with nerves. Oh, that poor little brunette liked him in all his dark rudeness, she did. Drey rolled her eyes with a shake of her head as she sipped her latte and continued to watch him. When he finally got his drink- whatever it was- he slowly surveyed the café and then moved in her direction. Graceful and mildly predatory, but somehow still… formal and gentleman-like. A fun mix, obviously.

She remembered a guy, about… fifty years ago, who had given her the same impression. They’d had something of a relationship- mostly it was just sex- during the course of which she’d forcibly neglected to run the guy’s background, because she actually kind of liked him. It had taught her not to do that ever again, because it turned out that, not only was he married, he was also a hunter, and member of a rival organization. Trying to use her, that one. He never succeeded, since her security was too tight and efficient, but the mere fact that he’d attempted it had sparked a fury in Deidre that was rarely seen outside of protecting her cousins. She’d… a light smile graced her lips as she thought about it- she’d devastated him, eliminating his whole family and the group he was associated with, leaving him for last, so that he knew it was his fault. That had been one of her more brutal moments, one that- to this day- she couldn’t bring herself to feel any guilt about. Heck, she felt something more closely akin to pride, actually. She really hoped that Nick wouldn’t inspire any similar sort of actions from her. But he didn’t seem the type, so far, and she really knew a significantly greater amount about him than she had about Pierre. Still, he did have the same type of flirty swagger…

’I suppose you were expecting an acne-riddled troll-person, no? Most don’t expect me to be Russian or a demon either. I just love dashing hopes.’ She chuckled as she looked at him, considering. ’Although, I suppose I didn’t dash your hopes if you had such low expectations. You, though, are prettier than I had anticipated too.’ She sipped her drink and retrieved his folder from her bag, pulling the plain envelope out of the yellow depths easily before setting it on the table, and extending her hand over it cordially. ’Drey. Pleasure to meet you. Wouldn’t it have been a shame if I weren’t the right person? I considered playing it that way for a moment, but it’s just not professional at all.’ She glanced back down at the folder beneath her elbow for a moment before sliding it towards him. ’These are yours to look at for now, to make sure they meet your standards before I hand them over.’ Drey always gave her clients a chance to peruse her work before they paid for it, as a courtesy, and to prove beforehand that she way everything she had claimed to be, and well-worth the minor wait and effort they’d exerted.

[DESTIN NICOLAS VITALE]

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[style=font-family: Open Sans Condensed; font-size: 20px; color: steelblue; letter-spacing: -1px; text-align: center; line-height: 23px; padding-top: 5px;]CAUSE YOU KNOW I LIE

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If the man was anything, it was vain. At one point in his life, he was a humble little blacksmith. Yes, someone with his build was actually at once a blacksmith. If it weren’t for the high training he received, he wouldn’t be sure how to accomplish that. It was hard to be anything but humble when a blacksmith. They weren’t exactly far up the totem pole. Once he moved from that position to officer (which was very unheard of in that time period), that vain attitude had followed him ever since. Nick believed there was hardly anything he couldn’t do. That’s one of the reason why being a guardian angel bothered him so much. He could go out there and make anything he wanted, but he was bound by the chains of service to the little humans who didn’t know any better. Once he had a supernatural to look after, but that didn’t amuse him anymore. Supernaturals that needed guards were just as bad. He had been stuck doing the duty for so long. His mind had started to give. It was when he realized he had to come out of there.

No, Nick really had no idea if this was the right woman or not. He didn’t even consider if it wasn’t. If that were the case, it wouldn’t be as if it was embarrassing anyway. He’d play it off, or better yet, just walk away. It wasn’t as if he felt like he had to spend time being embarrassed. There wasn’t a time in his memory he had ever walked away with red cheeks or anything. The man had done quite a lot in his lifetime. There were very things that could catch him off-guard of make him confused. That might have been a little more arrogant than others were used to, but Nick found it was the reason he was still alive. His cunning and planning. Before in his life, his confidence being hurt had been the death of him. So now he just didn’t let that happen again. That’s why he was so driven to kill this vampire he hated so much. Vladimir. Another he had been searching for very subtly and smoothly. In the desperation of times, perhaps he would ask more. That vampire was going to have a world full of hurt coming towards him when the day came. That day was going to come too. Avoiding this wasn’t going to happen.

Oh lovely. Humor. Nick meant this sincerely. Doing business with someone so up-tight usually didn’t fit well for the up-tight person. Nick could care less about offending anyone, which usually made him the more annoying one between the pair. However, it seemed that her small laugh reassured him that this business woman was as calm as witty as he was. Perfect. In her accent, he could see the Russia, but he had been unable to predict the species. Nick had to assume that because she was in this business she was some type of supernatural, but it very well could have been a human who thought they knew better. Demon, huh? The fallen angel was honestly shocked he hadn’t swooped down to that level after having his wings ripped from him. He had killed for no apparent reason. It seemed he still continued to be a favorite up in heaven even if he had broken a rule or two. ”I had been expecting someone more ordinary. You do not blend in physically very well.” It was a compliment, he swore. ”The Russian was more predictable. The demon makes me very impressed.” Demons were like taboo in the supernatural world because they seemed to have a permanent dark mark on them, but he found them amusing.

Nick smirked at her, keeping his blue cold icy eyes away from what she was sliding at him. His eyes kept at her. Should have known about the Russian features. She was very stunning, no doubt. Almost in the way that Nick liked most of all. The one that most men would leave wives for. A nasty kind. Elegance had never really been fully appreciated, but it was easy to see the other side of that as well. Not that she wasn’t elegant. Nick just had a hard time seeing women as anything else. Unless there were ones like these that played her mind tricks very well. Drey, she said her name was. Something that he was certain was a nickname. It was easier to claim nicknames in this business instead of having to look up the full name. ”Nice to meet you Drey. I go by Nick.” Since his paper work spelled out his full name in all of the sheets. He thought about changing his first name to be Nicolas, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He had been Destin for too long.

Very subtly, as if looking at photos, he opened the folder, sipping his coffee while doing so. The work was excellent. All the details he had seen in all of the licenses and certificates was there. The official government prints and materials. He wondered how she had acquired these. Under different circumstances, maybe he wouldn’t be too bad at this job himself. He’d keep the business running to her though. From her record, he was sure that he didn’t want to compete with her. It would force both of their competition prices lower and that wasn’t fun for anyone. ”I’m not completely familiar with modern designs, but this looks very detailed.” Not saying specifics since they weren’t alone in the joint. Even if no one was really paying attention. All of them were too busy peering at watches to make sure they weren’t late. Too much time running around, he found. No one sat by and relaxed. Although he supposed he might be running around if he didn’t have forever. ”I’m flattered. Twenty-eight.” When he died, he was around 38 years old. He supposed one of her perks of being supernatural.

Tag: Smash Word Count: 1002 Notes: I just discovered Misha is 38 o.o

[style=padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 10px; background-color: #f8f8f8; text-align: justify; font-size: 8px; font-family: arial; color: #000000; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 2px; text-transform: uppercase;]Coding by [style=color: #000000!important;]April (myfairtardis) from Caution 2.0

[DEIDRE NATALYA AVERIN]

Confidence, in Deidre’s experience, was something to be admired, appreciated, valued. People too frequently underestimated themselves, or used their imagined lack as a crappy excuse to under-perform. It was disgraceful. If you were good at something, claim it. If you weren’t, and wanted to be, get better. Simple. Nick was confident. She could practically see it rolling off of him in waves. The nice thing about it though, was that it wasn’t cockiness. It wasn’t a bullshit claim of capability when you really weren’t worth a damn. From her tone- if anyone had been peeking into her head at that moment- they would’ve detected some righteous bitterness. Drey had come across more than a few people who weren’t worthy of the splendor that they’d decorated themselves with. Being bitten in the ass had caused her to be much more thorough in her examinations. That ability to size someone up was what spoke to her about Nick, more than the file she’d composed on the man, more than the information she knew to be true.

It was her own personal assessment of him that caused her to be amused, rather than annoyed, by his brazen disregard for those he deemed less than worthy of his time. Drey had a soft spot for certain people, people she cared about or for, and protected those people with a ferocity not unlike that of a mother bear to her cubs. A flicker of wonder about Nick’s behavior in that regard moved through her mind. Did he have those he watched over still? Since he’d fallen to the dirt of Earth… Nothing in her browsing of his life seemed to indicate such a thing, but there were secrets to be had by someone such as this. Somehow, she had no doubt that he could be sneaky and unnoticed, if he’d ever had the inclination. And that he could keep someone in his care under that same umbrella of anonymity. The only person that had continued to come in his life had been… well, a former pirate. A naughty naughty former pirate who had, um, hassled Nick. Clearly, it was not a pleasant relationship, and there was no love lost there. They seemed to pursue each other with an extreme amount of focus, but never succeed in destroying the other. It was an interesting ‘relationship,’ if one could – or would- dare to call it that. She briefly wondered if the fallen angel would be interested to know that she knew what Vladimir was doing with himself these days… But decided not to mention it. If he wanted to know, he could ask.

And he clearly had no problems ferreting out information, or being bold with words. He made no apologies for his assumptions, or inclinations, and Drey appreciated that, for some reason. His comment about her ‘not blending’ made her smile, thoroughly pleased and amused. ’That was more complimentary than I think you may realize dear. Thank you, sincerely. But methinks the Russian only predictable once I opened my mouth, hmm? And the demon bit… not worthy of impression, really. I was born the way I am. No ‘tough choices’ to be made.’ The air quotes around her words were appropriate, before she thought about her existence and chuckled. ’Although, my life would likely qualify me for my demonic status anyway.’ Deidre was naturally inclined to a more happy set of expressions, and her smiles came frequently when she was amused, as she was now.

She’d been expecting him to have a nice vocabulary, and knew him to be, well, ‘pretty’ was putting it mildly… But the suaveness was a pleasant surprise, as was the way he carried himself, and the way his smile emphasized his gorgeous blue eyes, which had the self-assuredness to dare meet her own grey ones. Somehow, the word ‘saucy’ just kept running through her mind whenever she looked at him. The demon would never say such a thing to him, of course, but it seemed to fit. As did his favored nickname, instead of the full set she’d typed so many times. ’The pleasure’s mine Nick. I am glad to know what I’ve been calling you in my head is accurate, after all.’ Most of his correspondence had been signed with his nickname, but sometimes… well, sometimes aliases were a necessity to continue an unhindered existence. Her own was proof enough. Her technological persona was under a different name to protect some measure of anonymity, and to establish her on her own skills, instead of piggy-backing on what her father had built before her. In both respects, it worked incredibly well. And just for bonus points, she happened to like her alias, and used it to introduce herself to new people. Nick qualified as new acquaintance and business associate, so, until otherwise noted, he would only be privy to her… pseudonym.

It didn’t appear to bother him in the slightest, and he seemed pleased with the quality of her work as he browsed through the various pieces that would establish his new identity in this modern world. Drey just nodded and sipped her latte, used to satisfaction from her clients. In the history of her career, she could only recall… three honest complaints. And it seemed she’d gone above and beyond, without meaning to. ’It seemed more likely than, well, reality. Thirty-eight is just, aesthetically, ridiculous. You look nowhere near that old. So I took liberties. I’m glad you approve though.’ She’d just made it obvious that she knew about Nick’s life before this life. Not a detail she’d planned to make obvious, but it was too late now. Besides, it wasn’t as though it was a big deal now. ’At least, I hope I detected approval. It just wouldn’t do for you to be displeased…’ she said with a light smile, now a touch uncertain.

[DESTIN NICOLAS VITALE]

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[style=font-family: Open Sans Condensed; font-size: 20px; color: steelblue; letter-spacing: -1px; text-align: center; line-height: 23px; padding-top: 5px;]CAUSE YOU KNOW I LIE

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Walking in, it could be said that Nicolas had no expectations. He had the expectation to be somewhat impressed by any work that was placed in front of him, but it wasn’t as if he had a goal in mind. Just something to look at and see if he liked it or not. He didn’t fret about simple things. He hardly fretted. It wasn’t a life was too short thing- as he had the rest of eternity to do whatever he pleased- but more of a ‘I’m Destin Nicolas and this is what I do’ type of thing. No one could really understand it, but then again, he really couldn’t understand everyone else. How they ran around worrying about everything in the world on the plate. Everything they stressed about was silly as well. Something so small like handing something in on time. Stressing about it wasn’t going to make it go any faster. All it was going to do was boggle a mind until there was nothing less to do about it. He had seen it over and over again. Stress wasn’t new. All of his logic just made him a more delightful man, did it not? People were able to see his logic. He should have been a public speaker. If only he was forbidden to attract attention to himself (as the whole not aging thing would get people).

More complimentary than he realized? Oh? Nick titled his head, smirking a little bit as he did so. That intrigued him. It was probably the phrase ‘more than you know’ because he did want to know. He wanted the entire full thanks out on the table. What was even more interesting was what she proposed when it came to her species. Nick did not believe that any species was above the other or below the other (except maybe humans but that was purely on the fact they were simply powerless). There were some with more extrodinary abilities than the others, but it all came down to the actual individual. What was the point of being able to fly if you would never leave the ground, for example? He may be immortal and have super strength, but he hardly ever used it. He used tactics that shapeshifters might have used. What was to say with the right weapons, one species was more significant than the other? Only individuals could have more significance than someone else. Was the shy immortal stronger and better than the tough mermaid? That was social class though, he supposed. It had been around for years and he once had to fit in the social classes. Change a couple or move between them.

With a shake of his head, he stated, ”Oh, no, no, it is truly worthy of many impressions.” He reassured, using the same amused tone with a slight little twist of persuasive speech, slow and almost inviting, ”Demons like most species are greatly misunderstood, I think.” Obviously he couldn’t speak for all the demons as he had not met all the demons in the world, but the ones he had met. Nick went wide eyed and leaned in closer when he discovered this was not a once to be an angel in heaven. She was a born demon. That concept always confused him. If angels and fallen angels were so much more ‘powerful’ than the demons, why was it that demons could be born? Fallen angels could not. Guardians wouldn’t even dream of the baby making process without having the wings ripped off. But fallens, why? He supposed he should count himself lucky for that, but it still didn’t make much sense to him.

”Born?” He asked rhetorically, almost having to repeat it to himself, ”You are the first born I’ve met. Such a fine one to meet for the first, eh?” He asked with another glint in his eye. This woman so far had proven herself to be truly remarkable. A high compliment for a man who found it hard to connect to women with the way he grew up. It happened though. Nothing was ever one hundred percent certain. There were always exceptions to the general rules. Except maybe the ones under the guardian angel rules. Those were pretty much live or die kind of rules. Which was one of the many reasons he got out of there. ”How curious. Do you know if you have the same abilities and habits?” As he heard that demons could have quite the temper on them, but he didn’t see how that was any different from the temper that firetamers had. The hot heads- literally if he remembered correctly.

Nick wasn’t one of those people who try to humble people down. Tried to not boost about someone’s work no matter how good it was. If it was fine work, why should he not compliment it and admire it? Why should he not let them know? Nick also didn’t exaggerate anything. If it was moderate, he wasn’t put sugar on it to think it was better than it was. But he certainly wasn’t going to point fingers to say it was worse than it was. He was honest about this sort. His honesty in general was questionable, but one could be reassured in areas like these. He glanced up at her as she was explaining his age. Another smirk crossed his lips when she mentioned that he didn’t look his age. Yes, it had been easy to blend in the past. His age back then was ancient. Should have been retiring. But he still looked the same age as the rest of his crew. ”Genetics are a beautiful thing.” He mused lightly, knowing very well how good he looked. ”Oh you detect much approval. I must make sure I don’t underpay you.” Money wasn’t the same value to him as it was others. Nick could always steal some. He wasn’t above being a thief. It was better than working for it. Could you imagine? Him? Working? At a job? It made him laugh.

Tag: Smash Word Count: 1007 Notes: I just discovered Misha is 38 o.o

[style=padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 10px; background-color: #f8f8f8; text-align: justify; font-size: 8px; font-family: arial; color: #000000; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 2px; text-transform: uppercase;]Coding by [style=color: #000000!important;]April (myfairtardis) from Caution 2.0

[DEIDRE NATALYA AVERIN]

She had noticed, through much observation, that modern films had a tendency to romanticize the ‘first meeting’ banter between two people. It was all clever retorts and comments, amusing plays on words and daring innuendo. It rarely showed the more frequent reality of the ‘tongue-tied’ phenomena, or the fumbling nerves that left people blushing, unhappy messes with no positive results yielded at all. The slips and stumbles and falls. Who knew the romanticized ideal could become a reality? Talking to Nick was proving to be incredibly easy. He was as intelligent and literate as his correspondence had suggested. Some people were far less impressive in person. Such was not the case, at the moment. Huh. Guess all those movies had to get their ideas from somewhere. His little head tilt in response to her words was rather charming. She had a feeling though, that while charm may have come naturally to him, he had worked and practiced to make it even easier for him to appear that way. Every move was likely calculated to get the reaction he wanted. Clever man.

It seemed that her words had intrigued him, at the very least. Though she wouldn’t know which part of it had been worthy of notice, she was interested in how his mind was working. Ah, for an immortal’s ability to actually read minds… She imagined that it was a handy talent to have. There were quite a few supernatural abilities that she would’ve appreciated having for her own, actually… Not that she had any interest in changing her own species. ‘Demon’ was sort of a part of her very person on a baser, core level. She was proud of who she was, who her parents were, even if she rarely claimed them. That was all for security reasons though, of course. And pride ones. Speaking of pride, Nick seemed in no short supply. Drey was more amused by it than anything else, pretty little strutting peacock. Why not make waves, if you had the innate ability? There were certainly merits to gliding through the murky waters like a slippery eel, but Drey tended to have less respect for them. Be who you were, with no apologies. That’s what she did. And it worked. She chuckled lightly at his insistence that her species made an impression, shaking her own head in response.

’And how, pray tell, is that?’ His answer, explaining that demons were a misunderstood species, like so many others, made her chuckle. ’I think it’s rather silly to assume some commonalities in people just because of species. So perhaps that does make for misunderstandings…’ Her smile was sweet and silly, actually enjoying their conversation. She didn’t usually, with her clients. Drey had found that most people who wanted her particular skill set put to use were shady, boring individuals. And even though she could choose her own jobs, they still managed to pay the bills. Deidre was a fan of her income, what could she say? And Nick was about to contribute to it, if he was satisfied with the ‘product,’ so to speak. First though, he seemed a little more interested in what she was, rather than what she did. She grinned at him and leaned her chin on her fist, meeting his eyes for a moment.

’Yes, daragoj, born. You may thank my parents for that.’ Given his real age, she found the fact that she was his first ‘born demon’ encounter a little hard to believe, but whatever, she could roll with it. And wait… was that flirting? Cutie. Unexpected. Her lids lowered for just a moment, as she contemplated what the hell to say in return. Nothing? Something flirty? ’I would say that ‘fine’ qualifies as an understatement, Nick. Nice sentiment, however.’ Okay, that would work. Not terrible, in terms of come-backs. The look he gave was interesting. Interested. This was not going at all like she expected it to, but she couldn’t say that she minded at all. He was curious, huh? ’My habits run toward dancing, teching, and cooking, among other things… As far as abilities, the inherent demonic ones, yes. Others, I would imagine not.’ She winked quickly across the table, taking a sip of her coffee as she slid him his packet. Was she in a hurry for this to be over, of course not, but they did have some business to take care. It wasn’t as if this was a date, after all.

He seemed pleased with her work, and amused with the fact that she had made him younger than he really was. People would never have believed that he was thirty-eight? What else was she supposed to do? She’d not asked, but it turned out not to matter. Honest flattery was the best kind, she’d found. When you were genuine with compliments, well, they were far easier to believe. He was surprisingly humble about the whole thing, and she couldn’t resist laughing. ’I must agree.’ Then her curiosity got the better of her… ’How old would you say I look, Nick?’ For a moment, she was worried that he wasn’t pleased with her work. But just for one little moment. Which was handily dispelled with his next sentences. She grinned and swallowed before continuing. ’I appreciate that, honestly, but the price we agreed upon is perfectly adequate. Hell, I am likely over-charging you. I tend to do that.’ She wiggled her eyebrows teasingly, taking another sip of her coffee. ’I can do so, because nobody shops around in this business.’ She giggled at his expression. ’Do not look so surprised, hm? I know it is true. Once you find someone to do good works, you tend to stick.’ She shrugged then, pulling out her phone and setting in on the table. ’I must ask now, Mr. Vitale, just how you would like to complete this transaction?’

[DESTIN NICOLAS VITALE]

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The biggest mistake that people made when meeting Nick was mistaking him for a good guy. The way he just lightly put things and charms, smiling in the way that meant no harm to others, but it was all that more dangerous. Meeting as strangers was one of the hardest part in trust. There weren’t many out there that were stupid enough to trust strangers in the first couple of words. So after they had that first little glance at what Nick could be, then he had full power. Stupid people weren’t enjoyable to be around, but they were certainly easy to control. Every person who had been in a large higher power knew that. Education was important. Not that Nicolas was sit in a classroom and take notes. No. It was a different kind of knowledge he carried. The type that got him through the rough times. The one that made him realize where he was in heaven. What deep hole he gotten himself into and wasn’t able to escape. He was not stupid and therefore not easily controlled.

It wasn’t hard for these two to click. They spoke the same way. The same professional elegance, even if Nick’s words were probably more fluttered and charmed because of his general personality. In fact, when he mentioned his blunt views of it, she didn’t seem troubled at all. Actually she appeared curious. These two were not as different as they might have thought. Someone that might of understood Nick’s line of work. When she asked why they were misunderstood, he couldn’t say that he wasn’t surprise. Anyone who had been born instead of under heaven’s tight grips wouldn’t have understood. Heaven was supposed to be good, after all. Not something to want to get out of. The perfect after life. Only for those who stayed instead of served was the little part they forgot to mention. ”I do not mean to bunch the demons together as a whole- I apologize. The ones I have met had fallen from heaven and were not born. No one understands what it means to be under heaven’s rule unless they experienced it themselves. If someone understood, they would realize why the demon fell. Why a demon would take such desperate measures on going insane. Fallens and demons are not all that far alike, yet the fallens are given more credit.” Not exactly a ton, but certainly much more than the demons. In a Nick kind of way, he pitied them, but his pity did not reach very far. It was dog-eat-dog world, excusing the cliché. He had learned this lesson when he was still human. He went after that one pirate, and failed. Died because of it. He deserved that fate for his failure. Now he was just trying to make up for it. He knew where he was now- in the realms of this city. Revenge was sweet, not necessarily a dish served best cold, but rather best served bloody.

Oh, it was no time for all these dark pressing thoughts. Now was the time for delightful conversation with this rather delightful woman. A woman who was too strong to be highly valued in his day, but those times have changed, hadn’t they? She smoothly made a response that made Nick laugh softly under his breath. ”Oh great underestimate, but to the point.” He mused lightly, amused by her fascinating way with words. The way she described herself wasn’t exactly what he imagined, but he accepted it. Probably the other things was what he liked the most. The not-so-shy Nick asked at once, ”Other things? Oh, you must be specific. My imagination likes to wander vastly.” Especially with the beauty this woman held. His eyes trailed once more at her, specifically her collarbone, which was probably Nick’s favorite quality on anyone. Suddenly trailing alone to find it in the darkest of nights. A smirk gathered on his face.

The guessing ages game. Nick examined her, taking in some of the qualities she had. He assumed that she meant how old did she look in ordinary human years, considering it was impossible to tell how old a demon was. Nick looked older, but in no way did he look over three hundred years old. There would be more pressing matter on his hands if that were to happen. Too much attention by those wondering how he was still alive type of thing. Yes, the immortal state did keep a body frozen in place. Lucky for the immortals like himself. ”Thirties. Mid to lower mid.” He nodded finally. She looked mature, but certainly not old. No- more in the prime time of her life. Which was a different time to different people, but Nick remembered those years being some of the best years in his life. It wasn’t like he gained the position of captain overnight. That had to take time, and the time he gained it had been his prime.

When she continued to talk about business, he just kept nodding at her. For a professional woman, she was far too humble on her work. If it were his place, he might have showed her a few tricks. While some didn’t like cocky, it was good to appear as if she was doing him a favor by giving him all this material. ”But I do understand when you charge, it’s more than just for the work done.” meaning it also cost to keep this so undercover. For the time and effort she had to put into to make sure it was as quiet as it was while still gaining a reputation for business to come in order. That was a tricky process. One Nick wasn’t sure if he would be able to master in a few years. ”Pay in full now. I do want you to understand- while I want to get this payment out of the way, I do not disappear.” Nick always remembered who he met- especially someone like her. He never just left completely. He liked to somewhat stay in touch in case he needed a close call. In others, it was a way he could later call on to manipulate, but Nick felt like he wouldn’t have to do that with her.

Tag: Smash Word Count: 1042 Notes: <33333

[style=padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 10px; background-color: #f8f8f8; text-align: justify; font-size: 8px; font-family: arial; color: #000000; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 2px; text-transform: uppercase;]Coding by [style=color: #000000!important;]April (myfairtardis) from Caution 2.0

[DEIDRE NATALYA AVERIN]

Ya know, she was actually quite liking Nick. It was strange, to have a fondness for someone right off the bat, but it was not as though she could help it. Oh, he was a charmer, to be certain, rolling words like carefully practiced marbles, knocking everybody else out of the park. If she had been even a little less intelligent, a little less savvy, she might have been just as bowled over. As it was, well, she was just enjoying the verbal tete-a-tete back and forth. He gave as well as she did, which, if you did not know already, was quite impressive. Sure, English was not her first language, but it mattered very little when you were as smart as Deidre. Granted, she did not use conjunctions, as more Americans were so comfortable doing, but she liked to think that was more endearing, instead of annoying. Besides, her accent made it sound flowy and appealing, rather than clunky, as it could have done were another person to try it. The fallen angel across from her was just as skilled with flowing words, perhaps more so, since it was his first language. ‘Verbose’ would be an understatement, in describing the man.

His little paragraph, something like an apology, but certainly less… apologetic, made her grin. Well, she could not blame him for his interest in a being who did not share similar roots to his own. She did not know if that made her appear as something greater or lesser in his eyes, and found that she did not much care. Drey was who she was, and nobody’s opinion was going to change how pleased with herself she was on a daily basis. And she was too, make no mistake. Sometimes, she was downright smug about her current state of being. But that was only sometimes. Maybe it was the similar traces of smug that made so much sense to her in Nick… huh. It was a thought, though she did not know how much weight it actually held. Still, his attempt to alter the thought, to make it correct, did have her smiling. Somehow, even his apology carried airs of pride. It was kind of endearing. The demon appreciated confident people, and he had it in spades. ’No need for apologies, honestly. I am not one to understand the confines of Heaven… and like to think myself better for it. Cannot fall if you were never on high.’ She gave him a tiny wink and chuckle combination, tilting her head after, watching him, and rolling over the rest of his words. The demon rarely asked her parents about what Heaven had been like. They had both fallen, for different reasons, but ones that made sense to her. They, much like herself, had never been comfortable with being bound. One would think that a clever God would have made some of their angelic children with less rebellion in their blood, if they were a smart being. But alas, so many saw a flaw with the rules.

Oh, you noted the lack of masculine pronoun, hm? Deidre happened not to have a solid opinion on that matter. How could a being of pure light have gender? And from what her parents had told her of the above zone, the voice God spoke to them with was a fantastic, warm blend of multiple timbres, reaching into hidden parts of the soul. A voice of power was not inherently male or female. So Drey did not assign it one. She could easily assign one to Nick though. Male, all the way. Cocky male, just a bit. Funny, smart man. And quick to let her have her compliments, even though she had had to work them out of him, with a little finagling. He conceded her point of underestimation, and she laughed softly, outright. It was a light and musical sound, continued until she mentioned her abilities. Which, oh piqued his interest. Her other interests were actually fairly mundane, but the way his eyes caught hers when he asked to elaborate… oh, it made her long to say something far more wicked. So she would have to settle for vague and insinuating, because she had no wish to lie to him. ’Oh, meelyj, your imagination is welcome to wander as far as it wants. With my encouragement, even, as it is likely stepping in the correct direction.’ Whoa… yep, that was her voice, lowering to that wicked octave, sounding a few notes more seductive than she usually ran toward. Not that her voice was ever anything short of wonderful, it was just more… restrained. Maybe that was why she appeared older, visually, to him, than she actually was. Her body had stopped aging when she hit age twenty. So she could not resist her chuckle at his estimation.

’You know, most women would be offended, but I find that strangely complimentary. My body is actually only a spritely twenty years old, darling. But thank you.’ Another small chuckle followed, along with a little shake of her head. Full of surprises, that one. At least he had been honest with her. Honesty, she deeply appreciated. That, and money. Which was actually one of the reasons they were there… She had gotten a little side-tracked with the charming conversationalist, but it had always sat in the back of her head, waiting for the opportunity to make its way back into the discussion. There, it finally happened. And yes, he was also paying her for her discretion, as well as her excellence. So she nodded, even though her assessment had not been inaccurate. The demon likely overcharged, just because she could. ’Touché, Nick. Discretion is the better part of valor, or some such nonsense.’ She rolled her eyes, because she had never understood that saying… and it really did not apply. But it sounded good, right? Good enough, at least, to get her to his next statement, which made her tilt her head in puzzlement. ’I appreciate that, as I do not take installments. I simply meant method.’ Her smile was sweet, but also predatory. He would be keeping nothing, if she did not get all her money today, but it was the last part of her response that confused her. ’I do not expect you to go anywhere, silly. You have all the tools you need to stay around, now… Unless that was some kind of threat? I…’ Drey shook her head with a little giggle, tickled by the idea that he would want to threaten her. She doubted it, but who knew?

[DESTIN NICOLAS VITALE]

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Perhaps Nicolas needed to learn how to apologize in a better manner. None of his apologizes were really full hearted. He would attempt, but there was too much pride in his voice to humble himself down. Apologizes were admitting he was wrong. Admitting there was something that he said that he wouldn’t say again. The thought was silly. He’d always repeat himself. Still, the words themselves seemed to have some sort of meaning to other people, so he’d throw it around. Not really to keep the peace, but as an acknowledgment he meant no harm by it. All of his words sometimes were just words. It wasn’t as if he was going to start a revolution and act upon it. Nick laughed to himself. Well, no, that wasn’t fully true. There was a plan brewing in his mind about starting something. Leading it into victory and what better of a leader than him, but that would be kept to himself for now. It wasn’t even in his thoughts as if some immortal was around, peeking into his head.

Yes, that part was lucky. Even though it had been all in Nick’s plan, he had never felt a greater pain than falling. The thought was nasty in itself. Ripping wings off of his back and him plummeting to Earth. It was about the same feeling as someone ripping your arms off right out of the sockets. Wings had been a part of their body. A part of them. That’s probably what made it worse. There was some emotional connection between an angel and his or her wings. The connection also ripped away. A sadness and darkness that swept over someone that did that. This was also coming from a man who had planned it all out and didn’t regret it at all. He couldn’t imagine what happened to those who had fallen and not wanted to. Perhaps that’s why Theon was so angry at him. The man would have to get over it. Better for not only Nick, but for himself. ”Ah, that is true.” He grinned, ”But you seem to be on your own high spot. If I’m not mistaken.” The woman was doing well for herself. A trait Nick usually didn’t like in women, but this seemed different. She seemed much more enjoyable that most women of that kind and sort.

Something changed about her voice. Not something that she might have said it in when they first spoke to each other. As Nick suggested his imagination running wild with such a wonderful looking lady, she didn’t deny that was fine with her. In fact, the word encouragement passed through her lips. With a new smug smirk on his face, he leaned back in his chair a little bit, placing his hand to his chin, almost as if he were in thought. His eyes, with no intention to hide it, rolled over her once again. The notion was extremely tempting. Those who didn’t want to mix business with pleasure really didn’t know the best way to live, now did they? Even in his human life, he had done it all the time. Though it was probably easier to have just business, sometimes it was worth the little pleasure. ”A completely right direction for all the wrong decisions,” Not really wrong decisions. Nick just liked to put an edge on it. ”Sounds exciting.” He now leaned forward this time, leaning against the table, his status now a little different than it was. The charmer becoming even more so the charming. Worked just about every time as long as no interruptions were caused.

That was entirely surprising. Nick had meant it in a good way when he guessed age of course. Twenty year olds reminded him of naïve trashers and stupidity all wrapped in someone who thought they could go out and conquer the world. He looked at her once again, knowing that the time she stopped aging, she had probably looked older for her age. ”Wow, I must say, that makes me even more impressed. You didn’t look naïve enough.” Which was usually the point for him on guessing on ages. He had been away from the world for a long time. Apparently, it was better for him if he got back in it rather soon. This woman was all full of delightful surprises. Some that he had hoped for and some that he hadn’t even thought of or expected in any manner. Nick enjoyed this type of excitement in his life. He loved that feel of gasping every time. If there were ever a woman he ever respected.

Yes, of course, she was professional in that sense. Nick had to make it clear for everyone. Even if she did appear like she knew exactly what she was doing and how she was doing it. Sometimes, assuming from previous remarks was dangerous, and something that Nick liked to do often to people whom he could care less about (or whom he felt needed the proper guidance). Yet, he should have known. Instead of answering her verbally, he took out the small box. It was an envelope with a check made especially for this purpose. An account he made under someone else’s name. She just had to go and get the money from that bank and empty the account. ”I would have liked to pay in cash, but I don’t like carrying that much visibility with me.” Hence why it was in an envelope in the first place. Nick wished they still made and carried larger dollar bills. With a small laugh, he went on, ”No, of course not. I am not as stupid as to threaten you.” Unless he had to, but so far, he didn’t see any reason he had to, ”I like to keep in contact. Which can bother others. Make them nervous. I assure you, I am harmless.” A total lie. Nick was anything but harmless, but to this woman, he could very well be harmless as long as things stayed the way they were. So far, so perfect. Hopefully nothing would change.

Tag: Smash Word Count: 1016 Notes: nicenickisnotsonice

[style=padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 10px; background-color: #f8f8f8; text-align: justify; font-size: 8px; font-family: arial; color: #000000; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 2px; text-transform: uppercase;]Coding by [style=color: #000000!important;]April (myfairtardis) from Caution 2.0

[DEIDRE NATALYA AVERIN]

Her own high spot. It was not inaccurate… Deidre liked to think herself above a great many people, financially, intellectually, physically… Nick was clearly of the same mindset, if in its advanced stages. He knew he was better than most people. At least in his own head. Whether or not that was true was yet to be determined by the younger demon. He had quite a few advantages, age, experience, looks. And she liked the confidence he oozed, but better? Perhaps. Nothing concrete yet, and she had built this man his new identity. Words and deeds were two different things. All she had on Nick, as yet, was some brief historical knowledge, gleaned from when he was human, and a little more than a year’s worth of Earth-bound existence. The newest information had not been the easiest to glean, given that he had no real identity for her to track, and she had had to make do with some facial recognition, some personal recon, and intel from some of her contacts, to compile all the data she currently held. But the best impression of a person came from face to face interaction, like they were having now. And, much as she was feeling him out, he was doing the same in turn, she was almost positive. Especially given the little assessment of her demonic status, and mental one. ‘High spot,’ indeed. Astute, Mr. Vitale.

’No mistakes, as yet. My high spot was not determined by some other power, however. Just my own. Something to be said for making one’s own way, no?’ A slim eyebrow arched as she said the words, wondering what kind of reaction they would inspire. Destin appeared to have a joy for making waves, doing his own thing, making his own way. And contacting her was just the next in a series of steps he had to take to continue doing so in this modern age. This was not the first time Drey had assisted a supernatural in the transition from unknown to well-established. Few of them had provided her with as much entertainment for the exchange as Nick was currently doing, but that was neither here nor there, until they devolved into talk of things that were of a more personal nature. Closer to the chest, less abstract. Still, the ideas he was having- whatever they may have been- were still a foggy mystery to her, save for the fact that they were likely highly inappropriate, the idea of which snagged her attention in the most delightful fashion. As did the fact that he leaned closer to her, almost conspiratorially, as though they were sharing some great secret. She chuckled softly, shaking her head. ’I do not believe that intelligent beings such as ourselves are inclined to wrong decisions, do you?’ The demon could honestly say she worked very hard to make certain there were no missteps in her life. They led to disaster. She had done so a few times, and they were not her shining moments. So now? Much more caution and balance was used before she threw herself into a choice. Some choices were easier to make than others, however. Like the one to tell him how old she really had been when she stopped getting any older.

Mostly, because it was so sweet of him to guess such a thing. And it seemed her return volley actually impressed him, in turn, causing a soft, wicked smile to cross her lips. Naiveté, indeed. No, Deidre had not been naïve about most things for a very long time. There were some topics, some issues that had escaped her for a while, but now that she had all of her contacts, and as much information as she could want at her fingertips, she made it her business to stay out of the dark- figuratively, of course- and do her best to not be blindsided again. Though Nick had surprised her a bit with his interest, it had not been a complete shock to her system. And she rather liked it, besides. ’I can feign that wide-eyed innocence, if you would prefer? I find it rather useful in some situations…’ she said with a little laughing and batting of her eyelashes in a truly ridiculous fashion. Truth be told, yes, Drey had used that ‘sweet’ demeanor to achieve one end or another in her lifetime, but she avoided it as much as possible. It felt as though that persona killed some of her multitudinous brain cells whenever she entered it. The demon much preferred her honest self. The brilliant brainiac tech-goddess, born of Hell. In a manner of speaking. The tech part refocused her back upon what they were actually there for, and after handing over his file, they had a brief discussion about payment. Evidently, he would have preferred to pay in cash, and while Deidre could not blame him for such a desire, she actually leaned more toward electronic forms of payment. They were the easiest on her. But the method he chose was also acceptable. She took checks, immediately. A quick perusal, opening the box and envelope and a click with her phone, and the check was summarily deposited in the corresponding account, draining the funds Nick had allocated for this moment. ’Welcome to the world, Mr. Vitale.’ She smiled softly, clicking a few keys to throw the prepared files into the world of systems that the world boasted, making him exist, legitimately. ’I appreciate that. To value one’s life is only common sense. But… as for the ‘harmless’ bit…’ She cocked her dark head gently with a bright smile. ’I do not believe you. Contact, however, you are free to use as you wish. You do not make me nervous. Should you have need of my particular services, or just feel like having a chat, you know how to reach me.’ A quick wink made it obvious she was teasing, though how much, one could not easily determine.