Kingslane A High-End Encounter

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus grimaced as he found himself crossing one of the many stores that made up the mall. From its depths, he could hear the rada-tat-tat of 'The Little Drummer-Boy,' officially marking another failure of that little festive challenge. He didn't religiously try to avoid the festive songs, but it had turned itself into a game ever since he was told about it.

The mall was crowded, filled with last-minute shoppers, festive goers, performers, Santa and his elves, and everything else one might think of or expect for such a place in the holiday season. Markus himself had worked his way through various shops, bouncing from place to place with an idle curiosity that fit his uncertain shopping list. He now found himself in more of the high-end centers, where one can find shops selling Italian leather, silk lingerie, or exotic furniture.

He wasn't usually one for last-minute Christmas shopping; hell, other than select people, he wasn't usually one to Christmas shop at all. Most years he had busied himself with work, or projects, or something else entirely. He never really saw family, and since the death of his sister, he had never really felt festive. Now, however, he felt he owed a few gifts. People he had met or reconnected with whom he wanted to thank. So, here he was, looking at high end vases and crystal workings wondering if it would be a good way to say 'Thank you for helping me enchant a belt which might save my life', or if it was too much.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

Outfit

Asphodel was old enough to remember when Father Christmas was called Sir Christëmas and the season’s festivities were more for adults than children. She remembered many unruly nights spent in the celebration of Christ’s birth, until the Puritan sect came around a century after she died and decided that there was no more fun to be had. It was ‘unbiblical’, they claimed. Humbugs!

In any case, in her very well formed opinion, the over under on the modern era versus when she was alive was about fifty-fifty. The internet was wonderful, as were modern medical advancements. Forensics were a bit of a hassle, for a creature such as herself. On the flip-side, however, people were distracted and stupid.

Christmas was a negative in the modern era. Where was Father Christmas with his children, Misrule, Carol, and Mince Pie? Where were the parties? It was all about the spoilt little children and going to the mall. Nobody was setting puddings on fire- For heaven’s sake, if it was going to be about the children, at least let them play a healthy game of snapdragon.

Asphodel sighed to herself as she examined a crystalline vase in the glass cabinet. The lights danced off its facets, illuminating the little card plaque with the designer’s name, but not the price. They never put the prices out in establishments like this.

A salesgirl hovered nearby, ready to hop to once Asphodel glanced her way, the vampire was satisfied to ignore her for the moment. As she mulled over her distaste for modern-day Christmas, she came to the conclusion that she was somewhat bored. The high end shop was lovely and comfortable for patrons such as her, but she’d done her shopping, had it sent to their respective recipients and now she was just loitering.

There was movement beyond the glass case, another patron on the other side, and Asphodel focused on it. Him, as it turned out, and even better, a familiar face. She couldn’t help her smile, and a little flush of mischievous delight.

In a most uncouth gesture, Asphodel reached up and rapped a knuckle against the glass to get Markus’ attention.

[Markus Eldridge]

Cinder COLLECTOR, 5 Hits(Exceptional Success): Good Quality Crystal Receptical
Markus was busying himself studying various crystalline creations, glancing between a vase, and a bowl. After a moment, he found himself looking at a small receptacle of pretty good quality with a stopper. He looked at it, considering just how good of a component it would be. Unsurprisingly, there wasn't a price to be found near the item. But that didn't bother him; he just needed to get the sales associate's attention so that she could get the item for him.

Just as Markus was deciding he would buy it, the redhead heard a small raping sound. Raising his eyebrow, he looked up to see a familiar face behind the glass in front of him. He would give the woman a smile; he was pleased with his luck, and it was always nice to bump into her. While running into Delilah again had not been on his list of things to do that day, it was not an opportunity he was going to pass up, especially when she had taken the time to get his attention.

Markus almost laughed as he saw the sales associate flinch at the action, but she seemed to think better than to chide either of them, not when they could still be paying customers. The redhead decided to walk around the display rather than give her another reason to worry.

“Delilah. Always a delight.” He said, stepping up to her, offering her an embrace and a kiss on the cheek. He remembered that the last time they had met, it seemed to be her preferred method of greeting. Besides, he felt he had probably kissed her enough at this point that he had no reason to worry about getting close to her.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

“Markus, indeed it is,” she replied, her voice playful, but warmed with a smile. The vampire had every reason to be pleased when there was the opportunity for troublemaking. Returning the embrace, she let him brush his lips over her cool cheek, enjoying the warmth of his mouth, and the near sound of his heartbeat.

Asphodel pulled back but not completely, leaving her hands on his upper arms. Her blue eyes glittered with interest. “How fun to find you here! Holiday shopping, I presume?”

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus smiled as always when he was in contact with her, even though her cheek felt colder than most people he kissed. He brushed it off, assuming she might have some sort of vitamin deficiency. He wasn't going to hold something so ordinary against her. As they pulled apart, he felt her lingering touch and looked into her eyes, always intrigued by the glimmer of excitement and occasional whimsy he noticed there.

“Yeah,” he replied, “I already did most of it—perks of the internet. But there were a few last-minute gifts I felt I owed.” He would inform Delilah before getting the attention of the sales associate and pointing out the item he had selected: a crystalline receptacle with a matching stopper.

“What about you? Same?” he asked, considering that they had ended up in the same place at the same time; it wasn't a terrible assumption.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

“Yes, of course,” she confirmed, shifting her grip as Markus signaled the sales associate. The vampire's hand found the crook of his elbow, and she hugged his arm against her side instead. “I suppose I'm too old-fashioned to do my shopping on the internet. What've you settled on here?”

Nosy, she craned her neck to look through the cabinet, seeing if she could spy which crystalline piece Markus had his eye on.

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus was more than happy to take her into his arms as he chuckled at her statement. He knew he was young for his field and education, but she could only be a handful of years older than him. “Oh, come now. I know you like your antiques, but the marvels of the internet can't be overlooked. Just imagine how much time you could save!” Markus said with a smile as he pointed out the receptacle he had chosen.

“That one there—I think it will be an excellent gift,” he added before stepping aside for the sales associate to retrieve the item. He knew she would take it to the front, where he could pay for it and take it with him or, more likely, have it delivered. After all, it would be rather impractical to carry such an item around in the chaos of the mall.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

Following Markus' lead, she moved with him out of the way of the sales girl. The woman chimed a laugh at the way he extolled the virtues of the internet, with an expression that said 'I know, I know!'. And it was true--she did, but she wasn't lying when she said she was too old fashoned.

“Who for?” she probed gleefully, able to see that the piece was quite exquisite. Expensive gifts were typically for the very important people on one's life. For her part, her undying colleagues were difficult to shop for, but there were mortal connections in her life who'd been the recipients of pricy gifts. She did not want to admit how much she'd spent on the Inquisitor's, but nobody was asking. Now that she thought of it, she decided Markus deserved a gift, and perhaps she could make a game of figuring out what he liked while he was here.

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus watched as the saleswoman carefully picked up the item, glancing at the woman in his arms as she asked probing questions. He almost joked about how she would react if the gift were for her, but then he realized that she wasn’t on his shopping list, which was definitely a situation he needed to rectify. He wondered if he could gently inquire about her preferences while they spent time together to find her something.

Instead, he decided to be honest. “It’s for a… well, I guess she’s an acquaintance,” he said, unsure how to quantify his relationship with Emily. He didn’t know her well enough to call her a friend, and although they were in the same circle, they weren’t exactly colleagues either. Did that make them clubmates?

Pushing those thoughts aside, he continued, “She recently did a lot for me, and I wanted to show my appreciation.” He figured that was the best way to explain that she had helped him create a magical belt that might just save his life. He didn’t even consider the price of the item as he selected it for her; he had a habit of not putting enough thought into such matters. To him, if something spoke to him, then it was the perfect gift.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

“I’m already jealous,” Asphodel declared playfully. She was momentarily curious about what this acquaintance might’ve done, but without knowing all the things Markus got up to, she assumed it to be something fairly mundane. A work relationship or something of the sort. Still, it didn’t stop her from teasing, though she made it clear with her smile that it was all in good fun.

When the sales girl had the piece in hand, Ash moved to follow, assuming Markus was done. As she did, she went on cheerily, fishing for his preferences, “So are you hoping for anything fun from Saint Nicholas this year?”

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus chuckled, giving her a sidelong glance at her remark as they followed the sales girl. The redhead wondered if she was ever truly capable of feeling jealous. He wasn’t sure, and her smile told him that this was definitely not one of those times.

As they made their way to the counter, he thought about what she had said and hummed absentmindedly. He was typically someone who bought what he desired on the spot, so he didn’t put much thought into what, if anything, he wanted for Christmas. This was one of the things Victoria always hated about him, making him quite a challenge to shop for.

“I could always use some new socks,” he finally said, offering a rather mundane answer, which wasn’t entirely incorrect. Really, the best part of the gift was the thought behind it, not the gift itself. “Though I have a feeling he will be dropping coal in my stocking once more,” he added jokingly as he paid for his purchase.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

In a place such as this, there was nothing as gauche as a cash register where the total price of the crystalline piece would flash across a screen. The high price was somewhat obscured from plain sight, available for those who asked, but they weren't in a place where people needed to ask.

Asphodel continued to chat while the sales girl took care of the transaction. Both eyebrows jumped up with amusement at the mention of socks, and then the vampire snorted softly when Markus expressed his concerns over coal. “'Once more'? Oh dear, Markus, is it that bad?” She was wholly amused by the idea that Markus was out there, committing one indiscretion after another.

She spoke as if they'd known each other for a very long time, and often, it felt that way, although a great deal of her knowledge of him was through his sister. Still, the late woman had spoken of her twin to such an extent that she did feel some familiarity. It helped that they'd gotten some level of intimate, however ethical that might be.

[Markus Eldridge]

As the transaction was being processed, Markus continued to chat with his newfound companion. He passed his card to the saleswoman with a smile and informed her that he wanted the item delivered. For a moment, he considered having it sent directly to the Exchange, but he doubted they would appreciate a random package arriving at their doorstep. It would be odd to have it delivered to Emily's house, especially since she had never given him her address. Though public records could provide that information, it would be unwise to send such an expensive item to his dorm room, particularly when he might not be there to receive it. Instead, he opted to have it delivered to his rented workshop by the docks, where he spent most of his days. This way, he could give it to Emily in person the next time their paths crossed, or he could message her asking for her address.

Noticing the amused expression on the woman at his side, he chuckled and returned her sidelong glance. “Absolutely. I was on the straight and narrow for several years until a rather dangerous temptress coerced me into sneaking into the restricted area of a party a few months back. Since then, I've fallen back into my old hedonistic ways!” he exclaimed, his tone signaling that it was an obvious joke. While he had enjoyed parties in the past, he was never the last to leave and even was often among the first. Usually, he focused on his work or studies instead and attended only long enough to be socially acceptable unless he had a special reason to stay longer.

Once the transation was settled, he led them out of the shop, allowing whatever whim guided them next unless Delilah indicated a particular destination in mind; in that case, he would gladly follow her. For now, he was just content to enjoy her company, and it certainly helped that she was so easy to talk to.

[Asphodel Malvolia]

“Oh dear!” Asphodel said with an overwrought gasp, understanding quite well what Markus was referencing. She placed her hand on her decolletage, theatrically clutching her pearls. “Surely you don't mean 'dangerous',” she simpered with a sharp, perhaps even dangerous, smile. “Maybe you mean to say beautiful. Or enchanting.”

The section of the mall they were in was the area with the high end shops and restaurants and, thusly, less densely populated. There were still people window shopping here and there, but for most shoppers, it was out of their price range.

They were on the second floor, on a mezzanine walkway that overlooked an indoor plaza on the first floor. A huge skylight was open to the night sky, but any view through the glass was obscured by reflections from the millions of Christmas lights twinkling about the mall.

As they walked and talked, Asphodel's eye was drawn by someone half-walking, half-jogging from far side of the plaza. The person--a woman on closer inspection--stepped onto an escalator that would bring her up to the second floor. She wasn't with anyone, and nobody was behind her--no, she just seemed to be moving quickly, taking the escalator steps two at a time. The vampire looked on with mild curiosty, wondering what the hurry could be, but did not slow her gait.

Despite that, she had no destination in mind, even if Markus had hinted at socks. They would have to be very nice socks, of course.