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Post by rapaolo on Jun 24, 2015 23:11:08 GMT -8
The human world was so... numbing.
In a good way. Raffaele sat at the bar top in a forgotten stool off to the side and continued his steady observation of the crowd, letting the dull murmur of the room wash over him. HQ could be so loud--so many apprentices clamoring for a peace that they didn't know how to find. And when it was quiet, it was silent in that unnerving way, the way that the air felt at a funeral. Raffaele shuddered. He hated both--the loud and the quiet. Here, in this human bar, the constant murmur was enough to keep his nerves settled.
His eyes flickered to the television, and then away, disinterested. Sports were not important in the long run, and he had little care for them. He was more interested in knowing whose eyes were glued to the television and whose weren't--both options told you something about the person in question. He tucked away bits of information about each person that his gaze came across, although most of it was unimportant--dull, even.
(He could tell that the couple in the corner were part of an illicit affair, however. The details lined up perfectly for that. How wretched.)
Sighing though his nose, he closed his eyes for a few moments, letting the enthusiastic sports talk continue to drown out his own mind. It wasn't working; his fingers still gripped the bar top a little too roughly, uncomfortably. He waved a waitress down and muttered an order for some wings and a drink--food would perhaps calm him even further. And the game was starting to pick up--between the constant noise and the food, perhaps he could finally relax here.
That would be nice.
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Post by mrslayton44 on Jun 24, 2015 23:35:08 GMT -8
There were several games going on the myriad of screens around the sizable sports and restaurant bar. Sienna was only listening to one currently. Had it been college football season she'd have been loudly cheering her team on with the rest of the diners. But as it was not that time of year she was seated a bit away form the bar at a small table all her own. She was nibbling on some sweet BBQ wings, somehow miraculously she hadn't gotten any of it on her person. While her gaze flicked to the televisions from time to time her real entertainment was the crowds. She just loved watching people interact and trying to see how people were connected. Sometimes there were fights that broke out and it got loud fairly often due to score disputes.
Places like this was where she honed her detective skills. She couldn't be a Layton fanatic if she didn't try after all. And since she'd had decades to people watch she'd gotten pretty good at reading folks. Like that couple... she was pretty sure one or both were married, and not to one another. She was also pretty sure one of the guys at the bar was on the run from the law. he looked super fidgety and looked ready to dash off at the slightest implication. Also.... there was someone else who she was pretty sure was dead checking the room out too. She wasn't sure how long he'd been there but she was terribly nervous around fellow dead people she didn't readily recognize. Hopefully he hadn't noticed her in the corner. Most people didn't, apprentices included. Lacking any real presence was a godsend most days.
Another piece of gooey chicken was popped into her mouth as she tried not to look nervous all of a sudden.
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Post by rapaolo on Jun 28, 2015 0:19:01 GMT -8
The wings were good. The drink was better. Raffaele appreciated good wine, but partook sparingly--it was dangerous to have your senses dulled.
He'd been correct. The food and noise had settled his nerves for the time being, and his eyes even strayed to the television a few times. He wasn't always able to follow the games he witnessed, though, so during complicated calls or stretches of actions that made no sense to him, his eyes traveled back to the bar crowd. He noted that he looked rather out of place and wondered if he should start wearing different things during these outings, but the idea of other clothes made him uncomfortable.
And he didn't like going without gloves. Though he'd tucked them away to eat, he felt laid bare without them on.
This is hardly enjoying yourself, he sighed inwardly. He was abysmal at enjoying himself. The only real joy he got was from drawing with charcoal--and even then, sometimes that only barely numbed the tenseness in his shoulders. When was the last time he had fun?
His eyes fell on someone without a thread, and that thought immediately dimmed in his mind. His muscles tensed slightly. Fun took a backseat to anxiety--why was there another apprentice here? Or was it a hunter? Or--
He breathed slowly out. A hunter would've struck already. Besides, the girl looked--timid, perhaps. And was trying desperately to be unnoticed, by the looks of it. He made a few quick observations and found her body language to be the opposite of threatening or aggressive.
Ascertain threat levels, he thought. Timid, cautious--gentle charm, then.
He rose, carrying his wings and drink over to her table, although he didn't sit immediately. Instead, he flashed her one of his warmest smiles, one that took advantage of his soft features and became completely disarming and trustworthy. It was the kind of smile he used for children, the elderly, and the shy. "I didn't think I'd meet one of my own here," he said quietly. "May I sit with you? I'm fairly new to headquarters--I'm bereft of company on outings like this."
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Post by mrslayton44 on Jun 28, 2015 1:07:40 GMT -8
Sienna had seen the threadless guy him move out the corner of her eye but she pretended to not notice, chewing her chicken languidly as if she wasn't having a mini panic attack in the farthest reaches of her soul. Surely he wouldn't come here, he was leaving, yes that was it. Or better yet he'd found someone on the far side of the restaurant to bother. Holding to her hope she twitched slightly as those footsteps stopped near her table and a voice followed their silence.
A small gasp of surprise escaped her slightly parted lips as her wide eyes flicked up and shined with apprehension and confusion. What did he want?! Blinking rapidly she stared at the stranger looking like she might up and run had she not been burdened by so much delicious chicken. Blinking in alarm a few times she cowered slightly in her seat as her mind processed the requests. He seemed like he was being decent. But she cold never allow herself to just smile back to anyone, regardless of their intentions. But he did have a nice smile she;d decided and after a brief moment of silence on her part responded.
"Ah.. h-hello. um... well." She eyed her small table and looked to him and then the seat. He said he was new so maybe he wasn't a hunter or something. Her first instinct was to always say no but she hated the idea of turning him away to at alone. "Um. s-sure I um.. d-don't mind." She replied, her face turned downward as she fiddled with her jacket sleeve idly.
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Post by rapaolo on Jul 2, 2015 15:39:17 GMT -8
She was very timid.
Either she was the most nervous person he'd ever encountered, or she was the singular most talented actor Raffaele had ever met in his entire life--and death. And he was from the mafia.
His desire to figure her out was more out of sheer curiosity now, more than anything. And a sense of challenge. He sat very delicately at her table, choosing his seat with precision. Not too close to her, but not too far. Close enough to suggest a friendly influence, but far away enough to give her some space. He flashed her another soft smile, deciding that a gentle approach was best with her.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't even introduce myself. Raffaele Cianciana."
He was desperate to put his gloves back on, but he was still eating. That barrier--he wanted to throw up that shield between this girl and himself, even as he attempted to dig information out of her. His hands were uncomfortably, anxiously bare, revealing, exposed. He sipped from his wine with stiff fingers before starting on his chicken wings again, hoping that the motion would distract him from the lack of gloves.
The next problem was going forward. He hadn't gotten a good enough read on her to figure out what she would respond best to--the obvious answer, of course, was his departure. But she was stuck with him now, trapped by sheer social convention, and he was going to take advantage of that fact. He swept his eyes subtly over her to pick out a few details but found very few things to help him decide what method to use--mostly, she just looked well-put-together, neat, and withdrawn.
"I like people-watching," he said quietly, offering up a single detail, gently. Everything about his aura was meant to be passive and gentle--soft voice, careful smile, slow movements. Would garnering her sympathy help? Would bonding with her? What did she even like, aside from, apparently, chicken and sports bars? "It feels a little more real than headquarters does, sometimes."
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Post by mrslayton44 on Jul 3, 2015 16:04:41 GMT -8
Oh he was giving his name which meant she had to reciprocate. Giving her name to a complete stranger, the horror. She did give her though, begrudgingly. "S-Sienna Stevenson." She replied. The smiles he was giving off were reassuring to some degree but the petite house maid was rarely won over with simply smiles. Especially smiles form strangers. But it did keep her from taking off as she instead nibbled on her food quietly. As she tried to not look at his face too much she instead focused on his hands. Her own were usually gloved between her job and habits from her own time living. But she had grown accustomed to not wearing them after a while but on social occasions or anything important she usually wore them. But back to her unwanted companion's hands.
They were large and squared off like man's hands tended to be. But while the skin tone was the same as his face and they for the most part looked normal something was not quite right here. While the rest of his person seemed utterly relaxed and in total control his hands seemed quite the opposite. She could see the tightness as they gripped his glass, the skin stretched taut and thin. Was he... not as confident as the airs he was putting on perhaps? It was hard to tell really, maybe his hands were tired or sore. But it was certainly a striking contrast to the rest of his mannerisms. it made him interesting enough to not ignore as she'd planned to try and do.
He broke the silence between them and she snapped out of her thoughts as the sounds around them suddenly returned, with a vengeance. She had a bad habit of tuning things out when she was investigating. But what a surprise he liked to watch people too? She nodded once to his comments agreeing with them both. "I.... like the noise." she stated softly as she polled another strip of chicken off and popped it into her mouth. She didn't speak again until she'd swallowed it. "And people.. w-watching." She might as well admit to that vice as well. Watching or listening to people fr outweighed actually joining in on the things she watched. It was the only 'real' reality show after all. She continued to quietly asses her table guest wondering what kind of things he'd seen and lived through but as always kept the majority of her thoughts to herself.
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Post by rapaolo on Jul 4, 2015 1:57:05 GMT -8
Raffaele's gaze strayed to Sienna and stayed there. He'd been trying not to look at her too often for fear of making her feel scrutinized, which would potentially aggravate her nervous nature. But he tilted his head inquisitively, eyes staying on hers, smile faltering into something similar to both surprise and questioning. "That's why I come here, too," he said quietly, with a surprising level of sincerity, although she likely wouldn't note the difference.
He swept the room with a quick look and picked up a few specific details, making sure everyone was where he expected them to be. No obvious changes in the room yet, and no one to be wary of--though the person who looked ready to bolt was aggravating him, and he still had a bad taste in his mouth from the adulterous couple. "The noise is... soothing," he added, watching a man fiddle nervously with his wallet. Odd.
But he soon returned to studying Sienna, still trying to pick out details. She was difficult. Neat, orderly appearance. Body language to help her remain unnoticed. Short, clipped, uninterested sentences, layered with nervousness. Avoidance tactics--mainly eating her chicken. He was baffled that she had agreed to much of anything, given her massive reluctance--most likely, she was burdened with being polite. She had offered up personal information, though. That was a step.
What made her so nervous and closed-off, though--that was the question that intrigued him. He knew what had shaped his own anxiety and distance: a bloody history and a murder that he didn't deserve. They were similar, so what had shaped her to be that way? Something similar? His stomach tightened, pressuring him to find an answer, though he knew that would be a long, arduous campaign.
"Where are you from, Sienna?" He tentatively tried using her name, a common tactic that could breed familiarity and friendliness between them. Maybe. "I am from Sicily, though likely you could tell by my name. It is very Italian."
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Post by mrslayton44 on Jul 4, 2015 12:08:48 GMT -8
Sienna nodded mutely in agreement. The noise was very soothing. The noise was a welcome distraction. It kept her mind from wandering and thinking about things she didn't wish to deal with. She could feel his eyes on her though through the whole thing. She so hated being the center of anyone's attention, it made her uncomfortable. The feeling made her fidget slightly in her seat as he finally returned to looking around the room.
Eventually he returned his attention to her with a question and she glanced at her nearly empty plate of chicken. Her hands were placed neatly in her lap out of sight but clutched together out of nervousness. Ugh she was always so nervous and there was literally nothing she could do about it. Oh he was from Italy? Her eyes sparked with a curious gleam for a moment as he spoke. She supposed that explained his demeanor to some degree as she idly wondered when he was from also.
"F-Florida." She replied finally. "I like Italy." She tacked on figuring it would be okay to admit that. She'd gone there on reap orders once and the rest simply to explore. It was beautiful and old. The people were warm and inviting for the most part. Venice had been particularly memorable. A city, slowly sinking into the sea. It was tragic and yet so beautiful. And the food was delicious, it was Italy after all.
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Post by rapaolo on Jul 6, 2015 23:42:33 GMT -8
"Ah, you've been to Italy?" Raffaele's eyes lit up--he allowed them to. National pride was common. Not something people picked out as an inherent weakness. And perhaps it'd have an endearing effect. "What area? Sicily is my true home, but all of Italy is very dear to me."
A wash of memories came over him, flitting and vivid, and he let them flicker without changing expression, reliving some of his best days in Italy. A creaky but gentle, beautiful piano, and old voice with a sweet touch, a cobbled road under the afternoon sun--the smell of wine and grapes, the feeling of new suits, a leathery hand taking his and leading him upstairs to block out the yelling--
He looked back out at the crowd to soften the effects of the memories, and also to give Sienna some space. She clearly didn't like being scrutinized, so by looking away, he was giving her room to breathe. He glanced back often enough to imply interest and friendliness, but scanned the room for something to distract himself from the memorable scent of old wood and dusty piano keys.
Eventually, his eyes found the television screen. The game was still going, but there were commercials--one for a drink, another for shoes. Uninteresting. He thought about turning back to his companion to try something new, but the screen flickered into a commercial for a movie, and it snagged his attention sharply, digging into his gut as his gaze focused sharply on the screen.
Muffled noises. An action scene, followed by a scan of a crowd. But then it went back to the first scene--two people fighting, a tightly curled fist, bloody knuckles and a split lip, one pressed against a wall.
Bloody knuckles and a split lip. Throbbing cheek, ducked head, submission, white knuckles--
The change on his face was barely visible at all. Slight shifts. His jaw tensed, and he shifted ever so slightly in his seat--away from the television, stiff, recoiling in obvious discomfort and tension. It went beyond mere disdain. His entire body, for a single, split second, radiated fear.
And then it was gone. As quickly as it'd come. A mere blink of emotion, immediately gone.
"I've never been to Florida," he said, as though nothing had happened. His eyes found hers, and he smiled pleasantly. "What is your favorite thing about it?"
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Post by mrslayton44 on Jul 7, 2015 2:18:28 GMT -8
Sienna nodded mutely. She'd been quite a few places really and had so much more to explore. It was one of the perks this life offered. She could finally see the whole wide world in all its splendor. Returning to the conversation she toyed with her fingers a moment. "Venice." Was her one word response as she too looked out at the other dinning patrons. Meanwhile her mind wandered to her Italy trips as well as other memorable escapades.
Something on screen caught her attention. Scenes from some brutish movie. so much violence. She averted her eyes quickly and paused to watch her table companion as he too spectated. While he looked to be the same casual cool he'd been since he showed up there was once again an edge to him. But instead of just being his hand it seemed to be all over. A small glimpse of some inner turmoil she could only begin to imagine. And then he turned away from the carnage on screen and just like that it was over.
What was that all about exactly she wondered, golden-hued eyes probing the man across from her with an intuitive glimmer. There was something... something else here but she had little to go on. And then he proceeded to ask another question as if that moment had not transpired, She gave him a plain look at his sudden return to the normal chatter they'd been having, Well... not really normal. Her barely responses hardly could be called normal. She glanced down unsure of how to broach the subject and decided for now to go on and answer his question. Although it was a tricky question. There was a lot she'd liked but in the end she replied with "Spring time." The flowers and the rain and life returning to every facet of her old home.
A waitress came by and kindly filled her glass full to the brim with some delicious sweet tea, She grabbed her glass, being sure to hold it firmly as she rested it on her lips and tipped it back. After taking a sip she set it down and waited fro Raffaele to say whatever and confuse her firther
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Post by rapaolo on Jul 18, 2015 23:48:29 GMT -8
"I do love Venice." That was the only answer he gave. He was still reeling slightly, scrambling to regain an inner composure to match his cool outer mask. He struggled in vain to find something that sounded conversational, and offered up something bland of any personal information--safer that way. "You ought to see Rome at some point. It's full of history and architecture. Very beautiful."
He was done eating. His body was repulsed from the food in front of him after what he'd seen on the television. (The taste of dirty blood, muttered Italian, staring so pointedly at the floor, whole body twisted to feign submission, inferiority, obedience--he shoved that away with a slight grate of his teeth.) Sliding his plate away from him slightly--mostly done, but with some left--he wiped his hands neatly on a nearby napkin, took a long drink and then slid his gloves out of his pocket. His actions were small, obviously not meant to draw attention, though the red of the gloves provided a soft contrast to the browns and creams of the rest of his outfit.
Once the gloves were back on, he relaxed. That barrier between him and the girl was up. And with it, his composure.
He nodded once to her explanation about Florida but remained silent. He had another idea of how to get the girl to reveal more about herself, though that was trickier. And he was still not entirely tethered after that shock. He watched the waitress fill the glass with tea--the waitress' eyes are far away and the side of her mouth keeps twitching like she's distracted, but in an unpleasant way--and settled back into the chair, sweeping his eyes around the room.
He offered no more than his first statement. Silence was a good motivator--seeing what it motivated would be... interesting.
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Post by mrslayton44 on Jul 21, 2015 21:40:48 GMT -8
Sienna had not been to Rome just yet. She supposed it would be terribly educational. And to see the Colosseum would of course be quite interesting. She'd heard it was massive. But it was also supposedly blocked off latley for falling apart. But there was no way she'd be satisfied with an outside glance. She wanted to be inside and wandering up and down the steps. Just one of the reasons she enjoyed being darn near invisible. Already making mental plans to coordinate a visit with someone who knew it well she realized she'd spaced out on her table mate. Not that he'd said anything else.
While she wasn't completely relaxed around the stranger she had gotten used to his presence and as she didn't recall seeing him on Surya's list of deadly hotties as she called it. Thus he was considerably safe. He'd said nothing else and she supposed that was to be expected, she'd not said much either. So she went back to people watching. A waitress came over, distracting her somewhat before she was gone just as quickly. Finally after a good long duration of silence from both sides the petite woman spoke up.
"So..... w-would you... be interested in um. in ... m-maybe showing me around R-rome, someday?" She asked, never making eye contact but had gotten good at faking it over the years. Her question was bold. Very bold and terribly out of her usual comfort zone. but she was hoping to shake him, at least a little. He'd slipped those startling gloves on and it was like he'd put on a mask. It was terribly interesting and she did love a good puzzle. "T-that is of course i-if you don't m-m-mind." She tacked on casing her gaze to the nearest table.
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Post by rapaolo on Jul 22, 2015 1:30:46 GMT -8
On top of nervous and private, Raffaele tacked on an additional observation to his every-growing list about the girl beside him. She was also prone to spacing out, lost in her own head. He could see it in her eyes; they were often intently observational despite her meek appearance, but sometimes they were vague, softened. He didn't necessarily count this tendency to space out as a negative thing, considering that he was likely to do the same thing. ... And often did.
He rode out the silence with a startling level of comfort. Without the distraction of food or conversation, he was considering several options for the way this conversation could go. He'd already decided that she wasn't much of a threat, but there were still some questions he wanted answered. Still, she was like a clam. One that had been soldered shut and thrown to the deepest part of the ocean to keep those secrets buried.
At her question, his eyes snapped to her, obviously startled. That was the only major reaction he gave her--just a quick shot look and a slight widening of his eyes. Now that was interesting. What exactly was she going for with this? It was obvious to him that she didn't really want to, but he had several guesses about what her motive was, and none of them seemed correct.
Do I call her bluff? Make an excuse? The answer was obvious--he had to see what would happen if the bluff was called. That'd tell him the most about why she'd offered it.
He flashed a smile. "You mean it? I'd love to. I do enjoy my home country. And it's always better to experience something with someone who knows the area." There. He would see how she dealt with easy agreement. The conversation felt like a strange battle, or perhaps a dance--either way, he didn't intend to lose. His eyes watched her secretly, but intently.
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Post by mrslayton44 on Jul 23, 2015 22:01:52 GMT -8
For a moment, a brief moment Sienna glimpsed his surprise at her question. It did''t last long, nothing much seemed to with this man, save for his calm, seemingly calculated cool. But she had thrown him off, even if it was short lived. It was the small victories that won a war after all. She wasn't too surprised when he agreed to her request. Her eyes darting down and away before refocusing on their previous position. Calculating. If it was his home of course he'd love to show it off. Italians had always proven to love their home more than anything else. But what had surprised her was his quick response. She'd expected him to at least him-haw around about it.
While the doe-eyed apprentice did like the idea of visiting Rome she had no desire to do so with a complete stranger. Maybe after a while, once she'd gotten to know him to some degree and learned a bit more they could go on this explorative rendezvous. But then she was sure this clever individual before her would expect equal shares of his own. And she had never been one to really share, ever. Not even in life.
Shifting in her seat slightly she glanced up at him her hesitation showing some as she stared pointedly at the space above his eyes. "Well. T-that would b-be nice." She replied softly. Hopefully he was agreeing to give her a tour of to be kind and that there was no ulterior motive with his generous offer. Which occasionally happened. Con artist were despicable creatures. Smiling at you pleasantly while they stole your land and livelihood from beneath your feet. Sadly only time would tell but till then she could gather what she needed.
"Did you um... need a-a-anything in r-return?" She asked, looking unsure but a touch hopeful. Despite their odd exchange she liked this person so far. She didn't trust him much but she liked him. There was a lot of similarity between them to her. "A-and I don't plan to go a-a-anytime s-soon." She added in case he'd misunderstood her words. She'd said someday after all.
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Post by rapaolo on Jul 25, 2015 2:59:13 GMT -8
To his own surprise, Raffaele laughed. He wasn't expecting to, but it wasn't at her, or at what she'd said--it was just surprised, and quite frankly, a little genuine amusement. His smile at her was charming, and at this point, he wasn't sure how much of it was insincere. "I don't know about you," he said in calm, dry humor, "but I generally don't take mysterious dinner partners on extravagant international trips after merely one meeting. 'Someday' was taken very literally."
He wasn't sure what to do with his hands now that he wasn't eating. They were folded in front of him, but that seemed fairly stiff. He tucked them into his lap to make himself seem smaller; she might respond better to that kind of thing, anyway, and that didn't require him to watch his gestures. He was still smiling a bit when he looked back to her again, and he shook his head with a chuckle. "This isn't a bartering session, Ms. Stevenson. Should we go to Italy at some point in the distance future, I wouldn't require anything of you in return."
To be fair, he didn't exactly except this trip to Italy to happen. But he was being truthful. If they were to go, he wouldn't ask anything in return. The more important part would be learning about her--he was still wondering what had possessed her to even ask, and she still hadn't really given him any hint as to why she'd want to ask him for something like that. The puzzle was bright, glinting in front of him, like it was teasing him but utterly unattainable. He found her easy to read and unreadable at the same time, and it was fascinating.
After a few moments, he offered her something that she might genuinely find interesting. He wasn't sure if he just wanted to be friendly, or if he was trying to gauge more reaction. "... You'd like people-watching in Italy. Italians are very animated people at times. There's always something to see in their gestures, their tones, their eyes." He laughed, softly, in almost a self-deprecating kind of way. "Though... don't use me as an example of what to expect. You're sitting with one of the least-animated Italians on the planet."
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