the speed of light [alois!]

[PAIGE ANTHONY]

I don't know why, it's so hard to swallow our pride And I don't know how many wrongs make a right.

And I don't know which way the wind will blow But you're here with me And that's all I need to know

Paige tried very hard to mind her own business. She really did, but some people were just begging to be knocked down a few pegs, and who was she to deny them something they asked so nicely for?

She was leaning against a low wall on the side of a street in Rhoda, watching the crowd go by and licking peach juice (the remains of her lunch) off her fingers when she saw him. Pompous to a ridiculous measure, his head thrown back and nose in the air, pushing through the crowd with no regard for the people he shoved out of the way or bowled over. Anyone who didn’t move fast enough got a shoulder jabbing into their chest or their arm as he went by. Paige watched him walk past her, torn. It was dangerous to let him walk around with such a swollen ego, right? Someone might get hurt when it finally popped.

The final straw for Paige came when the man very deliberately paused in front of a beggar (who wasn’t even being that pushy) and kicked the cup out of his hand, scattering coins everywhere. Paige made a face at the man’s back as she wove through the crowd to the beggar and knelt, helping him gather up what coins she could see. As she did, she grinned conspiratorially at him. ”I’ll give you all the money in my pocket to help me knock that guy down a few pegs.” The beggar blinked, then grinned and nodded.

Paige quickly explained her plan to him, slapped the money into his palm, then stood and made her way after the asshole, who (slowed by his apparent need to shove everyone in his path) was still in easy sight for the tall woman. She caught up to him easily and continued past, glancing at him as she did. She did a double-take, as though she’d recognized him, and a slow smile spread across her face as she turned to block his path. ”Oh, it’s you! Hi!”

The man frowned, confused, but apparently being confronted by a pretty woman interrupted his jerkass flow, because he faltered and stopped. Paige kept up a light, cheerful patter, words spilling from her mouth even though she wasn’t really saying anything of substance, right up until the beggar came up behind and shoulder-checked the asshole as hard as he could, sending him stumbling into Paige.

Now, Paige was not a terribly good pickpocket, but she’d had plenty of time to figure out where the man’s coin purse was, and as she gasped something along the lines of ”Gods, are you okay?" she slid a hand into his pocket and grabbed the purse. As the man steadied himself, she shoved it deep into her own pocket. As they’d planned, the beggar hadn’t stopped to view the results of his handiwork, and had already disappeared into the crowd. Paige gave the man a vapid smile. ”That was weird. Well, nice seeing you!” She turned on her heel and walked away, slipping a hand into her pocket again to run her fingers over her prize.

She’d almost rounded the corner by the time the man began to shout. ”Thief! Someone’s stolen my purse!” Paige didn’t turn around. Smiling to herself, she strolled on, jingling her newly stolen coins and considering what she might do with them.

(C) ELLIE @ GANGNAM STYLE

[Alois Altair]

Alois Altair

Age: 29

Male

Image

Noisy, pushy people were Alois' least favorite kind. As the Vice Admiral wandered through the crowd of people, he was always careful to avoid bumping into anyone. For the most part, people avoided HIM, as he was the one in uniform and carrying a plethora of weapons, but there were occasionally oblivious or rude people that wouldn't pay him any heed.

One such man happened to decide today was the day he'd be as large of a pain in the general public's behind as possible. As Alois continued to wander through the heavy traffic of town, this loud noble eventually passed by Alois, shoving him aside forcefully as he did so many others around him. Alois glared toward the man as his shoulder was rammed aside for the rude man, "Pardon me," Alois began to speak, only to be interrupted when the man spun his head around and shot back sharply, "Piss off!" He spit toward Alois, splattering some of his bodily fluids on Alois' left cheek.

Alois stopped, as the man continued to walk off. While inwardly, Alois was quite furious, he kept his temper under control and simply wiped the spittle from his cheek using a handkerchief from his coat pocket. After feeling satisfied and clean again, Alois had begun to continue on his way, until he heard that same man call out. "Thief! Someone's stolen my purse!" He called out, prompting Alois to sigh.

Even knowing he likely deserved it, the Vice Admiral couldn't quite bring himself to let it slide. He approached the man again, snapping his fingers to get his attention. "Do you have any idea who might have done it?" Alois questioned sternly. The man quickly pointed out to a woman rounding a corner, with long blonde hair, and her hands buried in her pockets. Alois nodded, then quickly marched off.

He trailed after the woman around the corner and for a short distance, until they were in a bit less populated an area, to call out to her. "Excuse me," he called, quickly adjusting his movement speed to catch up to her. He was careful not to seem as if he were running after her.

"I don't suppose you happen to have a purse on you, hm?" Alois questioned starkly, his expression seeming quite blank. He felt neither positive nor negative in this particular moment in time.

The Vice Admiral kept his hands at his sides casually, neither too close nor too far from the hilts of both of the cutlass he wore on either side of his hips, as the wind brushed along his body lightly and jingled the sterling silver chain that extended from his shoulder pad to the inner pocket of his coat.

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[PAIGE ANTHONY]

I don't know why, it's so hard to swallow our pride And I don't know how many wrongs make a right.

And I don't know which way the wind will blow But you're here with me And that's all I need to know

Looked like Paige hadn’t gotten away quite as cleanly as she’d thought. Ah well. Subtlety had never been a particular strong suit of hers, and chances were she could charm her way out of whatever trouble she was about to be in. She glanced around, making sure there wasn’t anyone else the man could have been calling out to, then turned with smile, obligingly stopping so that the man could catch up with her. ”Can I help you?” The number one mistake she’d seen from the other pirates on her crew in the past was to be too aggressive too fast. Besides, it wasn’t in her nature to be standoffish; she’d long since found that being friendly was both more fun and less likely to get one thrown in jail.

As the man caught up to her, Paige took a moment to look him over. She doubted anyone who meant her harm would open with the words ‘excuse me’, but she was still curious. She recognized his uniform immediately, and though her smile never faltered, her heart did stutter a bit with nerves. If she knew anything about naval uniforms, it was that the decorations on this man’s meant he was pretty high ranked; which, in turn, meant that he’d probably brought in a lot of people just like her over the years. And Paige emphatically did not want to be locked up, or worse, executed.

But what she lacked in subtlety Paige mostly made up for by being a skilled liar. To deny having a purse would be a mistake; of that, she was sure. It would be only too easy for him to get her to empty her pockets and prove her a liar. So Paige took a different tack. She let a moment of confusion crease her brow. ”A purse? Sure, but it’s mine.” Now, she added silently. The best lies were those that had a bit of truth to them after all, and the purse was, as far as she was concerned, hers as soon as it went into her pocket. She would do better things with that money than the asshole she’d taken it from, that much she knew. She had already thought of a couple of street kids she knew who could use a little of it to squirrel away.

She let the confusion clear from her face, replacing it with realization. ”Was that what that guy was yelling about? Did his purse get stolen?” Maybe she was laying it on a little too thick, with her nerves jangling, but the man’s blank face wasn’t giving her a whole lot of feedback to work with.

(C) ELLIE @ GANGNAM STYLE

[Alois Altair]

Alois Altair

Age: 29

Male

Image

The moment this woman turned herself around to face Alois, the naval officer's eyes flashed a curious glow within their bright blue depths. Her eyes were piercing and strong, and colored a beautiful mixture of green and blue. Her hair was as golden as the sun, and while it was short, it seemed far more vibrant than any other woman's hair he'd seen before. Her face was feminine, but seemed possessed of such strong features as it radiated a strong, beautiful appeal. Her eyelashes displayed the rare feature of being the same color as her hair, a bright, beautiful blonde. It only served to draw out her eyes more, making them even more stunning. It was like looking upon the image of a goddess unlike any Alois had seen before...

However, the Vice Admiral had a duty to complete. He curbed the flash of curiosity in his eyes and returned to a blank stare, no muscle so much as twitching to express anything upon his face. Once the woman had answered Alois, she questioned back about the yelling man from earlier. Alois nodded plainly. "That's correct," he retorted simply. His form relaxed as he spoke. The woman appeared to believe her own lie, at the very least... Though Alois was always difficult to fool. Thanks to a little detail he consciously forgot to cover earlier, however, this investigation was moot regardless.

"Would you mind if I looked at that purse?" Alois questioned, but before giving her a chance to respond, he gently moved his hand to his forehead, giving it a false pining palm. "Oh, how silly of me. It seems I forgot to ask that man what his purse looked like before I came after you," Alois spoke in a mock embarrassment, "It appears I cannot prove your innocence or guilt." After taking a moment to relax himself, Alois returned to his more casual stance, his body language actually a bit playful. As far as he could figure, him relaxing might help the woman slip up... With any luck.

Alois shook his head in mock shame. "How embarrassing," he began, before hearing some footsteps from behind. He glanced back over his shoulder to spot a familiar shadow approaching. "Oh, that's unfortunate," Alois stated, quickly gesturing the woman to begin moving along with forward waving gestures. "That shadow appears to be holding a weapon," Alois lied with a straight face. It wasn't overly hard after all. He knew the shadow belonged to the man from before from the size and motion, so getting the woman away cleanly was Alois' primary goal. While thievery was wrong, in this case, the Vice Admiral would let it slide. He began to move forward himself, and beneath the surface of his stone-like, inexpressive face, Alois was grinning at this unusual game of cat and mouse. Though, with the silky lie Alois was sure this woman had told earlier, he couldn't help but wonder which of them was the cat after all.

How interesting... This little leave might very well have been worth it after all.

If there was one thing Alois hated, it was a boring leave. He'd rather be out at sea, hunting the beast he hated so, than simply sitting down at some cafe, waiting for a few hours to pass on so he could deploy again. Unlike most of his fellow sailors, Alois lived too far inland to return home and visit loved ones... No, he was always stuck at port, waiting and waiting. "Apologies," Alois began indescriptively, glancing to the woman again, his bright blue eyes reflecting their earlier curiosity, "I should have introduced myself before. My name is Alois Altair, and as you can likely guess, I'm an officer of the Rhoda Navy. Might I ask your name?"

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[PAIGE ANTHONY]

I don't know why, it's so hard to swallow our pride And I don't know how many wrongs make a right.

And I don't know which way the wind will blow But you're here with me And that's all I need to know

The Navy man didn’t seem to be going for it, which wasn’t all that surprising. Presumably if he’d reached as high a rank as he obviously had he wouldn’t be fooled by a spur of the moment lie, even from someone as practiced as Paige. Her smile didn’t falter as he asked to see the purse, though her stomach gave a nervous twinge, and she decided that the best option was to play her innocence harder. She began to reach towards her pocket, but before her hand had done more than twitch vaguely towards the purse, the man continued to speak. Paige’s eyebrows crept upwards at the clearly insincere embarrassment in his tone, her own smile becoming a little less innocent and a little more genuine as he spoke, a bit of a sparkle coming into her eyes.

”That is embarrassing,” she agreed teasingly, her own stance relaxing slightly. She wasn’t quite sure if he was trying to trick her somehow or if he was implying that he wasn’t going to push the issue, but either way, it was far more fun than the stone-face cold rhetoric he’d been giving her a moment ago. His glance over his shoulder drew Paige’s attention that way as well, and she spotted the shadow coming up behind him and recognized him almost as quickly. So, when the Navy man suggested they begin to move, Paige was 100% on board. She didn’t want a confrontation, though she was quite sure she could still talk her way out. After all, she was far more pleasant than the man she’d stolen from, and in her experience people were far more likely to side with the person who wasn’t a total asshole.

Still, best to play along. Flashing a look of feigned fear, she nodded and moved along with the Navy man down the street away from the shadow. The implications weren’t lost on her; if he was ushering her away from the man she’d stolen from, and if he had seen through her lie, he was definitely deciding not to take her in. Cool.

She fell into step beside him as they continued walking, looking him over again out of the corner of her eye. Now that the immediate danger (such as it was) had passed, she could see past the uniform a little more. He was handsome, if a little stiff and reserved for her tastes. She liked his eyes the best, now that he looked at her with a bit less detachment and a bit more curiosity; a bright blue far more pure than her own and reflecting the man’s obvious intelligence. Paige tugged lightly at the collar of her jacket, currently pooled around her neck, as she answered, ”I’m Paige.” She left out her last name; she wasn’t exactly the most notorious pirate around, but she’d been in it long enough that her full name might ring a bell. ”It’s nice to meet you, Officer Altair.” She said the title lightly, but part of her was very interested in how he reacted, as it would tell her a lot about what ground she currently stood on. If he let the title stand, she would have to be careful. If he corrected her… well, this might just get interesting.

(C) ELLIE @ GANGNAM STYLE

[Alois Altair]

Alois Altair

Age: 29

Male

Image

The red-coated Alois walked with his back straight, and his broad shoulders were only exacerbated by his regal uniform. He was tall for the average male, measuring in at roughly 6 feet, 2 inches, but a perfect blend of power and speed. His stern, sharply defined eyes glanced into Paige's eyes as she introduced herself, but for only a moment, before he turned his attention ahead. As the two walked, Paige seemed to be baiting Alois out... He did notice that much. Or at least, he thought she was.

She's quite difficult to get a handle on. She searches for my reactions as fervently as I search for hers.

"Please, Miss- Or Missus...?" Alois began, trying to get a grasp on her in return, "I may be in uniform, but I'm off duty for a few more hours. Call me Alois." Alois flashed part of what was perhaps a flirtatious smile toward the woman as he lead her around yet another corner, and back toward a few shops in a somewhat crowded area. Alois produced his silver pocket watch from the inner coat pocket it was kept in, the chain jingling about faintly as he did. It popped open easily as Alois flipped the lock on it, revealing the immaculately detailed clock within. "Indeed, I have a bit over two hours remaining," Alois remarked quietly, more to himself than to Paige.


As Alois closed his watch and slipped it back into his coat pocket, he turned his gaze to the area ahead of them. The people here were nice enough to give one another space, at least. Alois quickly scanned the area out with his keen eyes, spotting out his favorite little outdoor cafe in the entire town. Turning to face her properly, and looking her eye to eye, he gestured toward the cafe with a welcoming wave of his hand. "I did have a few questions for you, to follow up on that man from before. So if you wouldn't mind, perhaps we could do so over tea?" He inquired politely, eyes quickly studying her to see how she reacted to such an offer. As he finished speaking, he offered yet another flirtatious smile, though it bore enough innocence to seem as if it might be friendly as well, to keep her on her toes.

Meanwhile, he kept a bit of attention behind her, to ensure the man from before hadn't caught up with them. Although Alois was confident that they had lost him a ways back, one could never be too careful. As he watched, a chilling wind picked up, brushing Alois' hair down from the pushed up position it usually held. Taking one of his gloved hands, Alois swept his fingers over his forehead, gently brushing the hair back as he smiled toward Paige. While normally he wouldn't have cared where his hair blew, Alois was looking for a reaction in every place he could in Paige. Something about her jumped out at the Vice Admiral... She was TOO good to be a common thief. Did she have experience as a saboteur, or was she from the Navy as well? No, she would have identified my uniform if she was either of those... Mentally, Alois tried to come up with a plausible answer.

The only thing he could think of wasn't something he really wanted to; She's...a pirate? Alois pondered internally regarding the possibilities. He was smart, sure, but that wasn't always be a good thing. One thing about being an intelligent man in the Navy, with a grudge against pirates, was that most questionable people were guilty of piracy until proven innocent. Alois found himself hoping that it was only a bit of paranoia taking him over.

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[PAIGE ANTHONY]

I don't know why, it's so hard to swallow our pride And I don't know how many wrongs make a right.

And I don't know which way the wind will blow But you're here with me And that's all I need to know

Aha, he’d turned her own test around on her. Clever. And fair enough. Paige smiled slightly and waved a hand. ”Just Paige, please.” She’d never liked being called ‘Miss’ – polite as it might be, it always somehow struck her as a little condescending, at least from most people. And ‘Missus’ just sounded old, never mind the implication that she was spoken for that went along with it. She tried out the name carefully, sure to pronounce it the same way he had. ”Alois. Okay.” It was an unusual name, but Paige liked it. It fit him, somehow, a little bit fancy to match his obvious poise. She eyed his pocketwatch appreciatively; part of her wondered how much it was worth, but the part of her with morals quickly stamped out that particular line of thought. Alois had been nothing but a gentleman to her, and she had standards. So instead, she simply admired the intricate design of the watch while he checked it, keeping her hands to herself.

She glanced in the direction of his gesture and saw a little café she’d often passed when she came to Rhoda, but had never actually eaten at. Paige raised an eyebrow at his inquiry, a slightly teasing grin quirking at the corner of her mouth. ”I thought we’d covered that pretty well already?” He’d ushered her away from the one guy who might be able to prove that she’d stolen something, after all. That seemed pretty unambiguous to her. Besides, there were so many more interesting things to talk about than one more asshole she’d run into on the streets of Rhoda.

Still, she was intrigued, especially because he was definitely flirting with her. And if that was what it took to sit down with this guy for a little while, then she could spin a few more little white lies. She’d done it often enough in the past. So she gave a little shrug. ”But, alright. If you promise we’ll talk about something else after, it’s a deal.” If nothing else, she’d get an interesting conversation out of it.

The wind that blew Alois’ hair out of place did the same to Paige’s, her bangs falling across her eyes and the ends of her two long braids flapping gently. She tucked both back out of the way and returned Alois’ smile. Her heart was thudding a little, but she thought that might be adrenaline. It wasn’t every day a pirate like her ended up flirting with a high-ranking Navy officer, and she was still aware that things could very well go wrong for her in a single slip of the tongue. But, hell, wasn’t that half the fun?

(C) ELLIE @ GANGNAM STYLE

[Alois Altair]

Alois Altair

Age: 29

Male

Image

Upon seeing Paige smile, Alois could feel something in his chest that he hadn't experienced in years... It felt like... It felt like his heart had come to life. It felt like it was beating with life, as opposed to the usual uninspired and bleak beating it had done for years. The young Vice Admiral felt alive, at least for now. That fact was something he was grateful for. "Very well," Alois replied with a nod, "Just Paige it is."

When Paige agreed to follow Alois and discuss the incident a bit further, Alois grew a bit curious regarding her reaction. She didn't seem to mind... And her nonchalant behavior seemed genuine. Even after all the prodding they'd done toward one another thus far, he was still no closer to understanding this woman. What was she after? That was the question most forefront on Alois' mind. But rather than stand around and think, the red-coated man set his hair back in place just in time to see Paige smile back at him, seemingly taking his flirtatious bait. Although it did have an unexpected effect on him; while not a physical change, his smile grew genuine for an instant.

"Well then," Alois began, forcing his dangerously legitimate attention away from Paige and toward the cafe, "Shall we?" He began to step off toward the cafe slowly, making sure to keep in step with her. As they neared the cafe, a young maiden clearly dressed to wait on people approached them. She recognized Alois immediately, and smiled. "Excuse me, Sir Alois. Come right this way." She stated kindly, gesturing Alois to his usual seat. The Vice Admiral smiled to her in turn and nodded, "Thank you." He replied.

Upon arriving at his usual table, Alois pulled out a seat, turning to Paige, and gave a gentlemanly bow of his head. "Here you are," he stated simply, gesturing his hand for her to sit, before he moved to the seat opposite the one he pulled out for Paige. Before sitting, Alois straightened out his coat, and pointed the holsters of each of his weapons down and away, before removing the sheathed cutlasses from their ties and gently placing them down on the table. It was times like this that most people would consider carrying a few less weapons, but Alois never cared and never minded them. After his weapons were all settled, Alois pulled his chair out gently and took his seat within it.

The young brunette who had greeted him before stood at the side of the table, smiling as she looked between Alois and Paige. "What might I get for each of you today?" She questioned with a sweetened tone. Alois looked to her with his bright blue eyes and flashed her a somewhat humorous smile. "I'll have my usual." The woman nodded with his words before looking at Paige. Alois looked at her as well, making a reassuring gesture with his hand. "It's on me, so order whatever you feel like having."

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[PAIGE ANTHONY]

I don't know why, it's so hard to swallow our pride And I don't know how many wrongs make a right.

And I don't know which way the wind will blow But you're here with me And that's all I need to know

As she followed Alois towards the café, Paige found her smile fading for a moment. Charming (and handsome, if she was honest with herself) though he was, and as willing as he seemed to be to overlook the fairly obvious crime she’d just committed, the spectre of danger still hung over her head. She couldn’t get too comfortable. A slip of the tongue might get her in pretty serious trouble. Was a little pleasant conversation and the admiring look he’d gotten in his eye a couple of times worth the risk? Uptight by-the-book types weren’t her usual style.

The doubt passed as quickly as it had come. What was life without a few risks, after all? And after a moment of thought, Paige was pretty sure she would be able to talk herself back out of any slip up, especially since he seemed to like her. So she continued to follow him into the charming little café, letting him talk to the waitress as she took a look around. It was nice, open to the air, busy without being overly crowded, with the familiar, soothing sound of the sea faintly audible underneath the muter chatter. Alois seemed comfortable with the place, as well; the waitress had greeted him by name. He had good taste, Paige decided as she trailed behind him to the table.

She’d realized that he was something of a proper gentleman, but it still surprised her a little (in a pleasant way) as he pulled a chair out for her. ”Thanks.” She sat, scooting the chair a little closer to the table, and smiled at Alois as he moved across the table from her. Her gaze sharpened a bit as he straightened his coat, revealing a couple of holsters under his jacket. Never hurt to know how well-armed a person was, right? Even if you had no intention of getting into a fight with them. He placed a pair of cutlasses on the table as well. Paige raised an eyebrow teasingly as she removed her own much smaller dagger from her belt and placed it on the table next to his cutlasses. She left her other two in their sheaths specifically built to fit inside the loose long sleeves she favored. Those she preferred to keep as an ace in the hole.

For a moment, Paige considered insisting on paying herself, but that moment passed very quickly. No doubt a high-ranking Navy officer had plenty of money, especially compared to a petty criminal like herself. So, she just smiled at him. ”That’s very sweet. Thank you.” She looked up at the waitress. ”Just make it two of whatever he’s having.” The girl nodded and bustled off. Paige turned her attention back to Alois. ”So. Ask away.”

(C) ELLIE @ GANGNAM STYLE

[Alois Altair]

Alois Altair

Age: 29

Male

Image

Alois eyed Paige's dagger as she set it down. His look seemed plain, but a tint of curiosity sparkled within it. However, there would be time for that later. He drew his eyes from the dagger and upward to the owner's face. He couldn't help but appreciate such a beauty, though he'd keep that little fact hidden away for now. This little game was all well and good, but he could get in serious trouble if he allowed anything to happen with a thief like her-Or possible pirate.

As the waitress took Paige's order as well and rushed off, Alois relaxed a bit more. He folded his hands together and rested them gently on the surface of the table before him. Even in this, his most relaxed position, Alois kept his back straight as an arrow, his head was held high, and his legs remained proper and straight. In fact, he took pleasure in maintaining his proper appearance and air.

Seeing how Paige had ordered the same thing specifically, Alois chuckled faintly. He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking. Remembering. The taste of his usual and favorite drink here was always fresh on his tongue and he could always feel it on his lips. "Sweetened wintergreen tea with a light tint of honey and lemon." Alois exhaled a soft breath, in a minor state of ecstasy for a moment. He opened his eyes and chuckled again, looking at Paige to observe her reaction.

"I admit, I'm a bit of a madman for tea," he began, his great pride hidden away in his soft spoken words, "And this place has the best on the entire island." Alois separated his hands for a moment, pulling one to stroke his chin thoughtfully a moment. "Although..." he began to mumble, though quickly grew to a more appropriate volume as he went on, "I've had much better tea once. Across the sea, to the east. There's a peculiar island with an entire ceremony for it, where they grind the leaves directly in front of you, and mix every part of it themselves. It's quite interesting to watch, I must say. And certainly the best tea I've had yet."

While Alois' love of tea was indeed genuine, this was also, in a way, another test for Paige. To see how she would react to such a massive derailment, as well as figure out whether she had a read on him yet. Alois kept his bodily posture tight, which effectively made him quite hard to read as well. It was all about figuring her out...

Just as he was about to begin speaking again, the waitress had returned, carrying two small plates in each hand. Resting atop each plate was a small tea cup, housing each of their drinks within. She set them down gently, smiling between Alois and Paige. "Will that be all, Sir Alois? Miss?" She inquired in a honeyed voice. Alois nodded, reaching into his coat pocket and producing a small, brown leather bag, which jingled faintly with the sound of coins within. He produced two small silver coins, handing them to the waitress gently. As per usual, he was overpaying, but he never cared. "Take care," Alois responded with a grateful smile.

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[PAIGE ANTHONY]

I don't know why, it's so hard to swallow our pride And I don't know how many wrongs make a right.

And I don't know which way the wind will blow But you're here with me And that's all I need to know

As the waitress walked away, despite the many other people scattered throughout the café, Paige found herself almost immediately studying Alois again. He was… intriguing. A walking contradiction, in Paige’s mind. He was one of the most formal people in manner and speech that she had ever met, but she had proof that he was not as straight-laced as he seemed, in that he had not only overlooked her minor theft, but had in fact helped her avoid the man she’d stolen from. Now, Paige was willing to chalk some of that up to her own charm and the downright dickishness of the man whose purse she’d stolen, but if he’d been completely set against her neither of those things would have helped.

Still, she’d bet that they made an odd picture. Alois in his uniform, sitting tall and proper, contrasted with Paige’s own casual slouch against the back of her chair and her comfortable, informal clothing. Her blonde hair and light brown skin to his dark hair and pale skin. Paige smiled slightly to herself. She’d always been an opposites attract sort of gal, anyway.

”Sounds refreshing,” she said to his description of their drinks, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms loosely across her chest. She tucked her chin into the overly large collar of her shirt as Alois continued. She’d expected him to jump right into whatever questions he’d had in mind, but apparently he wanted to chat a bit first. Okay. Paige could go with that. Small talk had always come easily to her, and though she was comfortable lying, she wasn’t averse to putting it off for a while. The more she liked someone, the less she liked lying to them, and she was beginning to like Alois despite everything.

The look in Paige’s eyes turned wistful at the mention of an island across the sea. ”It sounds fascinating,” she said, almost unconsciously turning her head to look out towards the ocean. ”I’d love to see it someday.” Her smile faded for a moment, an empty feeling beginning to yawn in the pit of her stomach. The most interesting place she’d ever been was Kaze, and everyone and their mother who had a place on a ship had been there. What would it be like, to tell people about an island that no one else had ever seen? She wished she knew.

The waitress’ return saved her, snapping her out of her thoughts and back into the present, and allowing her to push the empty feeling away. She smiled up at the waitress as the woman put a cup down in front of her. ”Thank you.” While Alois paid (and Paige resisted the urge to fondle the overfull purse she’d stolen from the asshole on the road), Paige occupied herself lifting the cup to her lips and taking a sip. It wasn’t the type of thing Paige would have chosen for herself, as she generally went for sweets, but it was nice; minty and cool with just a little hint of citrus and sweetness to keep it from being unpleasant. She smiled at Alois over the lip of her cup. ”You have good taste.”

(C) ELLIE @ GANGNAM STYLE

[Alois Altair]

Alois Altair

Age: 29

Male

Image

Alois studied Paige's face as her smile faded, his interest in her growing as her smile sank down. Odd... What's she thinking about? He didn't allow himself to focus on her lack of a smile for long, however. It would be disrespectful to do so, even if he were extremely interested in her reactions. So he did which she seemed to want to do... He drew his eyes to the ocean, which could be seen through the road to the port, just down the street from the cafe. "It's certainly something to see," he commented a bit somberly. His mind felt as if it were wandering off into the waters as well for a moment, though perhaps not in the same way that Paige's might have.

His memories of the sea were hardly enjoyable. His normally sharp, studious eyes seemed to haze over as he glanced out toward the great blue. It was rather uncharacteristic of him to wallow in such a phase for long, so he pulled his mind from the stupor of his memories and focused them on the present. Thinking about him was never a good place to go when around company...

After Paige complimented the tea, and Alois as a result, he turned his gaze back to the blonde and gave a faint, appreciative smile. "Thank you," he stated with a soft chuckle. It was then he realized he'd yet to even put his coin bag away. It still rested in his hand, which sat comfortably on the table, just left of his tea. He brought his arm up and slipped the bag casually into one of the inner pockets of his coat. The rustling of his movements seemed to catch a pocket on one of the leather straps of his body holster, which held each of his guns in it. It ripped the pocket just enough for something peculiar to fall out. A silver coin, slightly larger than the usual currency, adorned with a cross on each side, bounced lightly off of the surface of the table. One thing about it was surely obvious; it was not average currency. It rolled for a moment before settling onto the proper side, almost directly in the center of the wooden, clothed table. Alois was quick to realize what it was, and knowing the nature of the woman before him, decided not to give her the chance to take the single most important thing in his life from him.

His face remained as emotionless as usual, as his arm quickly shot out, almost inhumanly fast, sweeping the coin up into his white gloved hand and quickly bringing it into a different, non-torn pocket. It was then he straightened his coat out again. He pulled the collar up and made sure it looked proper, and the chain attached to his pocket watch was laid appropriately. "My apologies." Alois stated softly. "I simply didn't want it to roll away. It's a memento, you see..." Alois, too, was a good liar when he wanted to be. Though he doubted that he could fool Paige. At least, not after the reckless, uncharacteristic display he just put on. It would be obvious that it was more than that now.

Quickly trying to move on, Alois brought a hand to his mouth, balling it into a loose fist, and used it to cover his mouth as he cleared his throat. "I suppose we should get on topic," he began, reaching down and taking another sip of his tea before beginning again. He swallowed it, savoring it for as long as he could before he'd speak again. "Did you know the man who claimed you stole his wallet? Perhaps you'd wronged him somehow, to make him want to frame you?"

PROFILE

PLOTS

LINK TO ORIGINAL

[PAIGE ANTHONY]

I don't know why, it's so hard to swallow our pride And I don't know how many wrongs make a right.

And I don't know which way the wind will blow But you're here with me And that's all I need to know

Despite her best efforts, Paige could feel the melancholy creeping into her thoughts, a sneaking heaviness of the mind and body that threatened to put a damper on her normally cheerful demeanor. So she closed her eyes a moment, took a deep breath, and sipped some more of the tea, letting the refreshing flavor wipe away the things she didn’t want to think about. It really was very good tea. The frown that had begun to turn the corners of her lips downward smoothed away, leaving her usual half-smile in its place, and she opened her eyes again.

As she did, something fell out of Alois’ pocket, bouncing and rolling onto the table. Paige blinked and leaned forward slightly, hands still wrapped around her cup of tea, looking curiously at the coin. It wasn’t a currency she was familiar with, but then, Alois seemed to be far more well-traveled than she. Or maybe it was simply special. Paige thought she could make out what looked like a cross, but before she could really tell, Alois snatched the coin off the table with a speed that suggested far more urgency than Paige would have expected. She jumped a little, startled by the sudden movement, and looked up at him through her bangs.

It took her a moment to figure out what had probably caused his swift action, and the realization made her heart sink in her chest. He’d thought she was going to steal it, or had considered it a viable possibility. As illogical as it was, seeing as how he clearly knew she was a thief, it still hurt her feelings more than she would have thought. Surely he didn’t think her so despicable to try and take something from him, who’d done her no wrong and who clearly valued the coin highly? She’d stolen from the other man, sure, but he’d deserved it. Her shoulders hunched slightly, the previously relaxed lines of her body growing tense as she struggled with the realization that, though she’d just met him, she cared what he thought of her. It wouldn’t have hurt otherwise.

She managed a smile at his apology, though she knew as well as he did that it was false. The coin had stopped completely; no way was it going to up and roll away anytime soon. Still, she let it pass. ”It’s alright, I understand.” With a ruthlessness that would have surprised most people, she shoved her hurt feelings down, stamping them out and smoothing over them the same way she had her melancholy only a moment before.

The subject change was obvious, but welcome. Paige drummed her fingers lightly on the side of her cup, relaxing a bit. This she could lie about comfortably. ”Never met him before in my life,” she said, and that wasn’t a lie. ”And unless you count being one of the hundred people who weren’t getting out of his way fast enough, no. I hadn’t done anything to him.”

((I'm SO SORRY this took so long Dx))

(C) ELLIE @ GANGNAM STYLE