Dark, Dark Lies (Open)

[APOLLO]

Apollo usually didn't hang around during the day. Too many hunters about. Not that he disliked them, in fact, Apollo was grateful for the service they did protecting other humans from the endless amount of creatures out to kill them. But they never tended to give him much of a break for what he was so he liked avoiding them. Also...there wasn't much fun during the day. Especially at this time, mid-morning where everything was dull and the pace of things was just plain lazy. He preferred the sex appeal and wild lifestyle of being a night owl.

Still, it wasn't much of a help finding mortals who still believed in him, just playing around and having fun all the time. Pleasure was the world's way of working but not the best way to spend all one's time. The diner was quiet, almost restless with energy unspent. Sighs from the staff, bored looks from the customers...Apollo nearly bolted out the door. This sort of vibe was not his style at all. His hopes and dreams counted on moments like these in the average lifes and average times of humans (the boring ones anyway).

Finally, after having enough of the low volume and energy, Apollo bought a cup of coffee-strong and black- and settled into another booth closer to the tv and watched the sports channel. A good game with some interesting stakes always cheered him up.

[RIN COOPER]

[atrb=style, width: 500px; height: 400px; background: #0a090b url(http://teaandheresy.com/moon/rin02back.jpg) no-repeat center bottom, bTable][atrb=valign,bottom][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,15,true][atrb=style, padding: 15px; color: #aa9a90; width: 280px; background-color: #0a090b; opacity: 0.7; filter:alpha(opacity=70); border: 1px solid #857266; -moz-box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;-webkit-box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;] The doors shoved open with a notable burst of extra energy and Rin came in and headed straight for the cash register where the manager was running the card transactions. At twenty-one Rin had already mastered the trick that many women twice her age had never begun to learn of taking instant control of the room just by walking into it. When she was working here she wore khakis and a blue polo shirt with the restaurant's logo on it, but today she wore a dangerously short bright red sailor dress with tall peep-toe pumps, her long wavy hair clipped back with matching red bows. She looked like a walking invitation to statutory violations, and the swing of her hips as she moved said that she knew it very well. Not that her immediate goal seemed to be vamping. Just at the moment her goal appeared to be the balding East Indian man who was closing the register and looking like maybe he was considering bolting for cover. She slapped a crumpled white envelope down on the counter beside the register. "Harry, what is this bullshit?" Her voice was pitched plenty loud enough to be overheard by the customers, though she wasn't shouting or anything. The manager shook his head, "It's your last check, Ariana. Everything is in order." "Like fuck it is. You're stiffing me for all the overtime I worked covering Shelly's shifts while she had the flu. That took me way over sixty hours, no matter how you cook your books. What's this straight-time crap?" Looking more and more flustered, the manager tried to shush her. "The week rolls over on Sunday and--" She cut him off. "And I still worked sixty-five hours last week and seventy the week before. You owe me another three hundred and fifteen dollars and we both know it. You were just hoping that because I'm leaving town I wouldn't try to fight it. I think we both know better now." The guy wilted. "I'll write you a check." Instantly, "You'll give me cash." He sighed, but there wasn't much fight left in him. "I'll have to go to the bank, there's not much cash in the drawer today." Rin gave him a brilliant smile. "I'll wait. Maybe order lunch, at least I know what's good on the menu." The manager shuffled off, a broken man, as Rin flounced over to the counter and drew herself a root beer from the fountain. She dropped onto a stool, crossing those very long and very bare legs, and then looked around at the diner to see whether anybody had been paying attention to the little melodrama that had just played itself out. Not that she particularly cared, but it was good to know the mood of a room. There was a boy with vivid blue eyes set under almost unnatural-looking dark brows sitting at the booth right across from her seat who seemed to be at least noticing, so Rin smiled at him and sort of toasted him with her glass of soda. "Got to stand up for yourself in this world."

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[APOLLO]

Moments like this reminded Apollo why he enjoyed life. The constant hustle and bustle and endless excitement were what appealed to him most of all. Chaos, although sometimes deadly, could create very appealing results and was entertaining at the very least. He grinned widely at the girl who came in. Ariana, was her name? Apollo watched the fight with interest, intrigued by how fiesty she was. Women weren't the frightened cattle they used to be. He had to respect her guts and flair. She knew what she was doing and held herself up proud and strong.

"I admire a girl who can hold her own," Apollo laughed lightly, raising his glass to her. "Very impressive." He mulled over the idea of chatting her up. She didn't look like the type he could convince to join him in bed but she might be an intriguing person to at least talk with. He needed some amusement.

"Mind if I join you?" Apollo sat up a little more at his booth, up enough to stand with ease but also still relaxed and able to get comfortable if she rejected his offer. "Let me buy you a drink or something."

[RIN COOPER]

[atrb=style, width: 500px; height: 400px; background: #0a090b url(http://teaandheresy.com/moon/rin02back.jpg) no-repeat center bottom, bTable][atrb=valign,bottom][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,15,true][atrb=style, padding: 15px; color: #aa9a90; width: 280px; background-color: #0a090b; opacity: 0.7; filter:alpha(opacity=70); border: 1px solid #857266; -moz-box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;-webkit-box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;] Rin smiled and made an inviting gesture at the padded stool next to hers, rotating slightly (she still loved the spinny seats, all these years in restaurants and diners and she'd never entirely stopped wanting to spin around and around and around on the stools and yell 'Whee!') to face the guy as he settled onto the seat. When he'd been a bit further away she'd pegged him as a teenager, late high school somewhere. Now that he was closer she notched that up a couple of years, put him at her age or even a little older. There was too much knowledge in those bright blue eyes, and too much understanding in the set of his smooth mouth. As someone who got a lot of mileage out of messing with people's perceptions of age and what constituted adulthood, she recognized a kinship here. She sipped her root beer, and the visual of red-painted lips puckering down around the straw and releasing like a kiss was all ingrained, all habitual. Rin had been moving and behaving in ways designed to make men want her and immediately make them feel guilty for doing so since she was fourteen and by now she had to concentrate not to flirt and entice at every opportunity. For the moment, she was concentrating on this guy, trying to figure him out. "My name's Rin," she offered up. "And I can promise you right now that I can always, always hold my own." The challenge wasn't particularly subtle, but there was a smile at the end of it.

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[APOLLO]

Now this girl was fun. Apollo noticed her true age as soon as he got close and took the seat next to her. It was all the same to him since women where women...but in this day and age that sort of thing was frowned on. It was moments like these that Apollo sorely missed the good old days in the past when everyone had sex like rabbits without care in the world who they were doing it with. Some places like dance clubs still entertained such notions but it just wasn't the same as Ancient Greece in the prime of it's life.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Rin. Call me Ashton," It was his tick. He hated lying so he merely offered the title he would like to be called. Apollo looked like the kid anyway, might as well take his name in civilized discussion. Not a good idea to wave around what he actually was to people. "Always, huh?" She really was quite a gem.

"You seem like a girl who has been around the block before. Have you managed to twist people into knots with that pretty little face of yours?" Apollo smiled easily, sitting in the seat with full relaxation at his fingertips. It was meant as a compliment and he kept his voice soft and easy. If she had he respected her even more. Why not take advantage of the gifts you were given?

[RIN COOPER]

[atrb=style, width: 500px; height: 400px; background: #0a090b url(http://teaandheresy.com/moon/rin02back.jpg) no-repeat center bottom, bTable][atrb=valign,bottom][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,15,true][atrb=style, padding: 15px; color: #aa9a90; width: 280px; background-color: #0a090b; opacity: 0.7; filter:alpha(opacity=70); border: 1px solid #857266; -moz-box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;-webkit-box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;] "Always," she said with a firm nod, but there was a one-sided grin that came along right behind it, one that bloomed slowly and went straight to friendly challenge. Rin flirted like she was daring the other person to do something about it, all high-maintenance enticement and the silent promise of something wonderful at the end. She was a firm believer in the tenet of making a guy work for it, but she also gave fair coin and when she did go to bed with a man she was an energetic and giving lover. When he asked whether she managed to twist people into knots she laughed and glanced down at her flirty little red dress, then back up at Ashton. "What else are you going to do with a face other than use it to convince people to see things your way? I mean, when you think about it the only other useful thing a face does, pretty or hideous, is to cover the front side of your skull and keep your eyeballs from falling out and bouncing around on little pink stalks making >boingie boingie< noises." Her imagination was a little strange sometimes. "Mine does a perfectly good job of that, and if I can also sometimes bat my eyes a few times and bring a person around to my way of thinking of a thing--" she shrugged one shoulder, the coquettish tilt of her head that touched her cheek to her bare shoulder at the top of its arc was pure habit, "why wouldn't I want to take what help I can get?"

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[APOLLO]

Apollo let out a noise of surprise before smirking. "So young and yet so fiery. You've certainly started out very young." He mussed a bit. From the way she was acting... hmmm... so the girl did have some fun. Now that was a very interesting thing to note.

Still, those damned laws and the fact that it was frowned upon reined Apollo in a bit. He appreciated law and order when it helped and saved people. A little bit of chaos was also fine when needed. He almost frowned as he realized he was standing on a very fine line. His vessel was 17. Not exactly illegal but still frowned upon.

"Using everything to your advantage is a smart move." He laced his fingers, gently setting his hands on the table in order to watch Rin more closely. A quick examination revealed it to be true. She could pass as being older than she was. It probably suited her well many times in the past. Apollo briefly wondered how many beds she had seen in her lifetime. "I'm impressed you know how to reel the suckers in so well." Not many years but a lot of experience. This girl was smart and that really did pique his interest.

[RIN COOPER]

[atrb=style, width: 500px; height: 400px; background: #0a090b url(http://teaandheresy.com/moon/rin02back.jpg) no-repeat center bottom, bTable][atrb=valign,bottom][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,15,true][atrb=style, padding: 15px; color: #aa9a90; width: 280px; background-color: #0a090b; opacity: 0.7; filter:alpha(opacity=70); border: 1px solid #857266; -moz-box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;-webkit-box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;] A low laugh, husky in comparison to the crisp contralto of her speaking voice. "'So young?' A fine thing coming from you, Methuselah." She shook her head and took another sip of her root beer, distracted when the waiter came over and set down a grilled cheese sandwich with fries and a side of ranch in front of her. She hadn't ordered anything, but Rin had worked here plenty long for the kitchen staff to know what she liked, and she suspected that Paolo was sending out the sandwich in a silent appreciation for the way she'd shouted down the diner's owner. She dunked a fry in the ranch and took a bite--mm, definitely Paolo, he made the best fries--then returned her attention to Ashton. "I'm all alone in this big bad world, at least for the moment, so it's stand up for myself or get tromped all over by assholes who think that young and cute means dumb and weak." She shrugged again, that one-shoulder lift and drop that seemed to be habitual for her. "I don't think of it so much as 'reeling the suckers in' as that I'm just showing them an alternative, and correct, point of view." Another of those brilliant smiles, teeth as bright and straight as modern orthodonture could get them. "So what about you? Are you local?" He looked young to be out on his own, but there was a definite disconnect between his face and his manner, she suspected that he, like her, played younger or older to meet any given situation at an advantage.

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[APOLLO]

Apollo smirked, "Nothing quite so flashy as that," It was enjoyable to meet up with a girl who was far more than just pretty looks- she had spunk and intelligence. "But I am a lot older than you'd expect." A whole lot older but he was still wondering if he would show her what he was. Not like it would cause a whole lot of damage to the world or anything. If she flipped out he'd merely say she was lying and let the other mortals assume she had lost her mind.

"All alone? No friends or family?" Now that was odd for a mortal. They clung together in tight-knit packs as if they were fearful of the end. Only the hunters he had met were so hardened they preferred the loner lifestyle. "Everything is so black and white with people."

Another moment of pondering before Apollo held out his hand toward Rin as if asking for her to put her delicate one into his own. However, before she could move, he created a small ball of light in his palm. Just small enough so that Rin was the only one in view of it but large enough that she couldn't ignore it. "You'll find I am not average. Or young." He put a finger to his lips, pulling his hand back and making it dissappear. She appeared quite tough, not someone who would be afraid of what he was so he refused to insult her pride by telling her not to be afraid of what he was.

[RIN COOPER]

[atrb=style, width: 500px; height: 400px; background: #0a090b url(http://teaandheresy.com/moon/rin02back.jpg) no-repeat center bottom, bTable][atrb=valign,bottom][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,15,true][atrb=style, padding: 15px; color: #aa9a90; width: 280px; background-color: #0a090b; opacity: 0.7; filter:alpha(opacity=70); border: 1px solid #857266; -moz-box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;-webkit-box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;] Rin laughed, reflecting that she did seem to keep bumping into these people now that she was on the road. All those years of thinking she was the only one, and she'd met a dozen or more hunters, psychics, and other assorteds in just a few months out on her own. She picked up her soda and took another sip as she pulled the saucer out from under her dish of ranch dressing and set it down in front of him. "I have both, it's just that none of them are traveling around with me and I can't be calling after them constantly to solve my problems for me. And--" she had both hands on her soda glass, watching Aston with big blue eyes as half of her grilled cheese sandwich floated over and settled itself on the small plate in front of him, "I'm not average either. Though young enough that I still legitimately get carded in bars." Watching him with a slight, challenging smile Rin set down her glass and picked up her remaining half a sandwich, dunking a corner of it into the ranch dressing before taking a bite. "So what's your story, then?"

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[APOLLO]

Apollo closed his eyes for a moment, taking a sip of his beer before opening them again and regarding Rin with barely concealed interest. "A psychic, perhaps?" She didn't have the feeling of any other creature on her. Rin could easily be disguising her powers but he was fairly adept at sensing disturbances in the air. Most likely just human.

What powers could she have? Those little details were the ones that Apollo strove to find out about people the most. Intimate tidbits about a person could open the doorway of facts and show a lot more about them then they realized. But she was very independant and that was impressive. The girls he knew at her age were busy floundering around and trying to convince their dads for new cars or any endless array of worthless junk.

"Call me Apollo." He grinned, his words soft for her to hear alone. Apollo raised an eyebrow, giving her an almost cheeky grin though his eyes were serious enough. It was a truth that not many people got to hear but this girl was a tough one and he wanted to see her reaction at the very least. Rin was well-read as shown in their conversation thus far, she would no doubt know what he was referring to.

[RIN COOPER]

[atrb=style, width: 500px; height: 400px; background: #0a090b url(http://teaandheresy.com/moon/rin02back.jpg) no-repeat center bottom, bTable][atrb=valign,bottom][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,15,true][atrb=style, padding: 15px; color: #aa9a90; width: 280px; background-color: #0a090b; opacity: 0.7; filter:alpha(opacity=70); border: 1px solid #857266; -moz-box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;-webkit-box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;] "Telekinetic," she said, pitching it quiet enough that the others in the immediate vicinity wouldn't hear. Nobody was paying all that much attention, but Rin had made enough of a stir and, frankly, Ashton--Apollo?--was pretty enough that there were diners and staff shooting them the occasional glance. "TK, teek, people call it all kinds of things. And--" one eyebrow shot up when he offered his name, "seriously?" There was that moment of disbelief, of course there was. But Rin had met hunters and ghosts on the road. Had fought a zombie and met an angel and bickered with a double-sized demon. A Greek god was implausible but not impossible and wouldn't it just figure that she'd meet him on her last or nearly-last night in town? Rin supposed she could extend her stay a little, if there was enough reason to, but it just depended on how things went. She'd made a policy of trying to learn all she could about what was out there and how to either avoid it, negotiate with it, or fight it. She had zero interest in actually becoming a hunter, but as she did seem to keep running into these impossible people she thought it was to her advantage to learn as much as possible. Always assuming, of course, that he was telling the truth about being who he claimed. Though whatever he was, he had made that light and that made her curious. "What are you doing in this podunk town?"

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[APOLLO]

Apollo considered that for a moment, letting his eyes looking around the bar at the people who kept glancing over at them. No doubt they were in awe of their attractive bodies. It made him swell with pride that he had maintained such a wonderful appearance. "That must come in handy. You seem experienced in these things. Have you had run-ins with the supernatural before?"

He licked his lips, taking another sip of his beer and relishing the taste. Apollo wondered briefly if he should order some food himself. Rin looked like she was enjoying herself-especially with those fries. "Yes, seriously." Apollo shrugged, crossing his legs. "Just been traveling anywhere. Not many still believe in me in this century but I keep searching for that one last worshiper." He laughed a bit. It would have been bitter if he wasn't having such a great time talking up this beautiful woman. "No luck yet so far. Not here in the States, at least."

[RIN COOPER]

[atrb=style, width: 500px; height: 400px; background: #0a090b url(http://teaandheresy.com/moon/rin02back.jpg) no-repeat center bottom, bTable][atrb=valign,bottom][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,15,true][atrb=style, padding: 15px; color: #aa9a90; width: 280px; background-color: #0a090b; opacity: 0.7; filter:alpha(opacity=70); border: 1px solid #857266; -moz-box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;-webkit-box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;box-shadow: 3px 3px 12px #000;] A low laugh, Rin was breaking off pieces of the half of her sandwich she hadn't given to Apollo (that was still weird) and dunking them into her ranch between sentences. "It's the strangest thing, I grew up my whole life thinking it was just me and maybe a couple of other physical psychics in the country, not knowing anything about the rest of it. Then I get out on the road and it seems like I can't turn around without bumping my elbow into something or someone who's totally impossible." When he talked about not being able to find any worshippers she grinned broadly at him, "You should try Taos, northern New Mexico. That's where all the hardcore hippies are these days, the real ones from back when it was macrobiotics and hand-thrown pottery. I bet there are at least one or two Golden-Dawnesque neopagans up there. Or does that not count?"

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[APOLLO]

Apollo let his smile widen and leaned back against the bar. He winked at a couple ladies who were staring at him before turning his attention solely back on Rin again, "Tell me, how is the food here? I might get some grub for myself." He brushed his thumb against his lips and nodded.

"Once your knee-deep in the supernatural you can't wade your way out no matter how hard you try. They say ignorance is bliss but I find it much more entertaining knowing all of this," He let a shiver run through him in response to the high AC in the building. "Are you cold?" Apollo offered his hand with a sly smile. It wouldn't take that much energy to raise up a bit of heat between them with only that simple touch.

Another soft laugh. "To be honest those types of people scare the crap out of me. A little too interested and a little too open to anything that passes by."