Post by arctica on Dec 6, 2011 18:10:33 GMT -5
(Um, PL, please. :3)
Loud, pounding rock music thundered through Cheriko's mind, causing her to flinch every once and a while. Though her ears were crying out in pain from the loudness of her songs, the young android refused to pause it. The music was the only thing clearing her mind of her long forgotten past, after all.
Everything had been a blur for Cheriko ever since she killed those three humans a few months ago. Her mind was revolving around finding out who those people were, and she couldn't help but feel as though she knew them beforehand. If that had been the case, though...
"Here ya go, ma'am," a shrill voice called out, making Cheriko look up from her MP3 player. She blinked as the extremely acne-ridden cashier held out a cup of fresh pink lemonade for the android. Cheriko thanked the woman as she walked away from the small drink stand with her beverage, sipping it with pleasure.
As she neared the local café west of the drink stand, she stepped inside and took a booth by the window. Sighing deeply, Cheriko rested her cheek in her palm and looked around with her strangely violet eyes. People were walking to and fro without sparing her a glance. Typical, she learned some time ago.
Sipping more of her sour beverage, the android pushed a dark strand of hair out of her face and pulled out the earbuds of her MP3 player. Wrapping the headphones around the device, she shoved it into her pants pocket and rubbed her temples as the loud ringing noise lingered from the terribly loud music.
Note to self, she thought sarcastically, Don't listen to Slipknot next time you're clearing your mind.
After she had drained her glass of tangy juice, Cheriko stood up and turned on her heel, aiming to return home.
However, that option was soon lost as she, not paying attention, no doubt, ran straight into a waiter of the café. Unfortunately for Cheriko, the man was carrying a tray full of food to be delivered to the table next to her. As the two collided, the tray flipped forward, all over Cheriko's shirt.
The man's expression was shocked as he realized what he did. Quickly pulling the tray away, he looked Cheriko in the eyes. "I am so, so sorry, miss," he apologized, his voice dripping with a strong Brooklyn accent. But Cheriko was more focused on the pasta sauce dripping down to her pants. Her face was utterly disgusted as she threw a deadly glare at the waiter. Her palm was starting to gather a small amount of ki energy, but she held back and suppressed her ki blast. She had promised to spare weak humans such as this man. Angrily, she pushed past the shaggy white-haired waiter and fled into the bathroom, sighing deeply as she slowly buried her face in her hands.
Honestly. Why her? What did she do to deserve this?
Grabbing a few paper towels from the dispenser on the wall, she dabbed some hot water on them and cleaned her shirt, fearing that the tomato paste on her white shirt might not come out.
At the soft sound of a door creaking open behind her, she whipped around to face it and scowled. "May I help you?" she asked snobbishly, planting her hands on her hips.
The waiter sighed as he took a step into the bathroom. "Miss, I really didn't mean to do that," he reasoned, his bright blue eyes staring into her violet ones. Cheriko could see the truth blossom in his eyes. "Please, forgive me."
The android stood silent for a moment, her demeanor softening. She could tell he was truly sorry, but she still felt a bit irritated it even had to happen. She looked away as she tossed the ruined paper towels into the trash can. "... It's alright, I guess," she answered, glancing back over at him. "Accidents are accidents."
But the man still had the same sorrowful look in his eyes. "Oh, I can make it up to you!" he promised, grabbing both her hands, blinking as a soft smile pulled at his lips. "I can buy you a new shirt, and give you a mean here for free, and-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Cheriko yanked her hands out of his and held them up. "Look, I know you're trying to be nice and everything, but I don't really need all that. I can always buy another shirt, uh...?" She tilted her head a bit. "... What did you say your name was?"
"I didn't," the man replied, shoving his tan hands into his pockets, "But it's Quincy. Romano Quincy, to be exact... And I want to pay you back! You deserve something for all this trouble I've caused you. Please," he neared Cheriko's face, merely inches away from her nose, "let me repay you. At least let me do that."
Cheriko thought for a moment as she stared into his endless orbs of deep blue. Well, he certainly was a persistent one. A bit reluctantly, the android nodded as she broke away from Quincy and headed to the door. "I... Umm... When do you get off work?" she asked, turning to him as her hand reached for the doorknob.
Quincy's face lit up as he beamed brightly. "In about thirty minutes," he responded cheerfully, swinging the door open and holding it for her. "Oh, by the way, I never caught your name. Would you mind telling me what it might be?" He waited as the android strolled out of the bathroom, then followed her like a faithful dog. Cheriko looked over her shoulder at him as she slid into her table once more, eyeing the ice in her undisturbed cup. "It's Cheriko."
"Cheriko?" the man repeated, trying the name out in his mouth. "Cheriko, Cheriko... What a cool name! I haven't heard that one before," he stated happily, noticing that his fellow waiters had cleaned up the mess from earlier. He turned his back on her as he walked over to the kitchen, smiling back at her as he waved wholeheartedly to her, signaling he would be back soon.
The android turned her attention to the large window on the other side of her, vaguely watching the people pass by. As usual, it seemed as if everyone had to do something at every moment of the day in Central City, and none ever spared her a glance.
And yet, for reasons not even Cheriko knew, she felt as though she could truly belong her. Why she felt this way was beyond her, but nonetheless, she had a feeling of acceptance whenever she leisurely strode down the crowded streets. It gave her a strange sense of... gratitude, for the lack of better words.
She must've been staring out that window for a mighty long time, because the next thing she knew, Quincy had slid into the booth beside her. "Alrighty, Cheriko, let's hit the streets!" he proclaimed, grabbing her hand and pulled her along with him outside. Not feeling like fighting back at the moment, the girl let him drag her to wherever he had in mind and picked up her pace to match his speed.
After a fair amount of walking, Quincy finally halted in front of a clothing store and cocked his head back at Cheriko. "Don't worry. We won't spend more than a few minutes in here," he assured her, heading inside. The android followed soon after, and the man led her through a maze of shelves and racks until they eventually came into the ladies' undergarments section.
Cheriko fidgeted as they looked around for a plain white teeshirt. Her arms self-consciously wrapped around her stomach as they slowly passed a rack full of bras. She felt strange being with Quincy in the ladies' underwear section, and the panties surrounding them didn't seem to help that much. However, Quincy seemed to pay any of the feminine items no mind as they finally wandered upon a pack of V-neck teeshirts. He held it up to Cheriko. "Is that the right size for you?" He jabbed his finger on the sticker that read, "SMALL."
The girl blinked her violet eyes at the sticker twice before confirming it was indeed her size. Without a moment to lose, Quincy bought the teeshirts and the two exited the store.
As soon as they stepped outside to be greeted by the crisp winter wind, Cheriko gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Quincy," she said, taking the bag of shirts from him, "It... It was really sweet of you to do that."
Quincy laughed as he scratched the back of his head with a goofy smile. "Just trying to help people out, I guess," he answered, his other hand resting on his hip. "So, um, if you ever need me again, just swing by the café and ask for Quincy, okay?"
Cheriko nodded. "I'm glad I can actually trust someone here... For a while it seemed like I didn't even exist. But I guess that's just how it is here in Central... Right?"
Quincy placed one hand on her slender shoulder, shaking it lightly. "Hey, Cheriko," he said, his grin softening, "You'll get used to it, I promise. Central's not as bad as it looks after a while. It just takes some time. Trust me, I know."
The girl nodded again. "Yes. I'll probably get used to it soon. I've been here for a little over a month now, so..."
She slowly slid his arm off of her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll come by and visit sometimes. Bye, Quincy!" She waved to him as she ran off to her apartment, wrapping her arms around the giant big red stain on her shirt. She heard a distant "See you around!" from Quincy as she neared her apartment complex, quickly running up the stairs to her room. Pushing the key in, the android locked her door behind her as she threw off her jacket and tossed her large cross necklace on her bed. Pulling off the ruined teeshirt, she stared at it for a while, and in time it began to disintegrate in her palm. As the shirt became a few mere ashes, she wiped off the black soot on her yoga pants and opened the pack of shirts.
She pulled a shirt over her head, straightened it out and put her mini jacket back on. As she clicked her necklace back on, she grabbed her comb from her bathroom and ran it through her oddly colored hair. Setting the comb back down, she sighed at her reflection. Violet eyes blinked back at her and she turned away. Grabbing her keys from the counter, Cheriko strolled back out of her apartment and locked her door behind her, off to find something else to entertain her.
Well, at least she had some practice in befriending humans now. She would have to thank Quincy for that sometime.
Loud, pounding rock music thundered through Cheriko's mind, causing her to flinch every once and a while. Though her ears were crying out in pain from the loudness of her songs, the young android refused to pause it. The music was the only thing clearing her mind of her long forgotten past, after all.
Everything had been a blur for Cheriko ever since she killed those three humans a few months ago. Her mind was revolving around finding out who those people were, and she couldn't help but feel as though she knew them beforehand. If that had been the case, though...
"Here ya go, ma'am," a shrill voice called out, making Cheriko look up from her MP3 player. She blinked as the extremely acne-ridden cashier held out a cup of fresh pink lemonade for the android. Cheriko thanked the woman as she walked away from the small drink stand with her beverage, sipping it with pleasure.
As she neared the local café west of the drink stand, she stepped inside and took a booth by the window. Sighing deeply, Cheriko rested her cheek in her palm and looked around with her strangely violet eyes. People were walking to and fro without sparing her a glance. Typical, she learned some time ago.
Sipping more of her sour beverage, the android pushed a dark strand of hair out of her face and pulled out the earbuds of her MP3 player. Wrapping the headphones around the device, she shoved it into her pants pocket and rubbed her temples as the loud ringing noise lingered from the terribly loud music.
Note to self, she thought sarcastically, Don't listen to Slipknot next time you're clearing your mind.
After she had drained her glass of tangy juice, Cheriko stood up and turned on her heel, aiming to return home.
However, that option was soon lost as she, not paying attention, no doubt, ran straight into a waiter of the café. Unfortunately for Cheriko, the man was carrying a tray full of food to be delivered to the table next to her. As the two collided, the tray flipped forward, all over Cheriko's shirt.
The man's expression was shocked as he realized what he did. Quickly pulling the tray away, he looked Cheriko in the eyes. "I am so, so sorry, miss," he apologized, his voice dripping with a strong Brooklyn accent. But Cheriko was more focused on the pasta sauce dripping down to her pants. Her face was utterly disgusted as she threw a deadly glare at the waiter. Her palm was starting to gather a small amount of ki energy, but she held back and suppressed her ki blast. She had promised to spare weak humans such as this man. Angrily, she pushed past the shaggy white-haired waiter and fled into the bathroom, sighing deeply as she slowly buried her face in her hands.
Honestly. Why her? What did she do to deserve this?
Grabbing a few paper towels from the dispenser on the wall, she dabbed some hot water on them and cleaned her shirt, fearing that the tomato paste on her white shirt might not come out.
At the soft sound of a door creaking open behind her, she whipped around to face it and scowled. "May I help you?" she asked snobbishly, planting her hands on her hips.
The waiter sighed as he took a step into the bathroom. "Miss, I really didn't mean to do that," he reasoned, his bright blue eyes staring into her violet ones. Cheriko could see the truth blossom in his eyes. "Please, forgive me."
The android stood silent for a moment, her demeanor softening. She could tell he was truly sorry, but she still felt a bit irritated it even had to happen. She looked away as she tossed the ruined paper towels into the trash can. "... It's alright, I guess," she answered, glancing back over at him. "Accidents are accidents."
But the man still had the same sorrowful look in his eyes. "Oh, I can make it up to you!" he promised, grabbing both her hands, blinking as a soft smile pulled at his lips. "I can buy you a new shirt, and give you a mean here for free, and-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Cheriko yanked her hands out of his and held them up. "Look, I know you're trying to be nice and everything, but I don't really need all that. I can always buy another shirt, uh...?" She tilted her head a bit. "... What did you say your name was?"
"I didn't," the man replied, shoving his tan hands into his pockets, "But it's Quincy. Romano Quincy, to be exact... And I want to pay you back! You deserve something for all this trouble I've caused you. Please," he neared Cheriko's face, merely inches away from her nose, "let me repay you. At least let me do that."
Cheriko thought for a moment as she stared into his endless orbs of deep blue. Well, he certainly was a persistent one. A bit reluctantly, the android nodded as she broke away from Quincy and headed to the door. "I... Umm... When do you get off work?" she asked, turning to him as her hand reached for the doorknob.
Quincy's face lit up as he beamed brightly. "In about thirty minutes," he responded cheerfully, swinging the door open and holding it for her. "Oh, by the way, I never caught your name. Would you mind telling me what it might be?" He waited as the android strolled out of the bathroom, then followed her like a faithful dog. Cheriko looked over her shoulder at him as she slid into her table once more, eyeing the ice in her undisturbed cup. "It's Cheriko."
"Cheriko?" the man repeated, trying the name out in his mouth. "Cheriko, Cheriko... What a cool name! I haven't heard that one before," he stated happily, noticing that his fellow waiters had cleaned up the mess from earlier. He turned his back on her as he walked over to the kitchen, smiling back at her as he waved wholeheartedly to her, signaling he would be back soon.
The android turned her attention to the large window on the other side of her, vaguely watching the people pass by. As usual, it seemed as if everyone had to do something at every moment of the day in Central City, and none ever spared her a glance.
And yet, for reasons not even Cheriko knew, she felt as though she could truly belong her. Why she felt this way was beyond her, but nonetheless, she had a feeling of acceptance whenever she leisurely strode down the crowded streets. It gave her a strange sense of... gratitude, for the lack of better words.
She must've been staring out that window for a mighty long time, because the next thing she knew, Quincy had slid into the booth beside her. "Alrighty, Cheriko, let's hit the streets!" he proclaimed, grabbing her hand and pulled her along with him outside. Not feeling like fighting back at the moment, the girl let him drag her to wherever he had in mind and picked up her pace to match his speed.
After a fair amount of walking, Quincy finally halted in front of a clothing store and cocked his head back at Cheriko. "Don't worry. We won't spend more than a few minutes in here," he assured her, heading inside. The android followed soon after, and the man led her through a maze of shelves and racks until they eventually came into the ladies' undergarments section.
Cheriko fidgeted as they looked around for a plain white teeshirt. Her arms self-consciously wrapped around her stomach as they slowly passed a rack full of bras. She felt strange being with Quincy in the ladies' underwear section, and the panties surrounding them didn't seem to help that much. However, Quincy seemed to pay any of the feminine items no mind as they finally wandered upon a pack of V-neck teeshirts. He held it up to Cheriko. "Is that the right size for you?" He jabbed his finger on the sticker that read, "SMALL."
The girl blinked her violet eyes at the sticker twice before confirming it was indeed her size. Without a moment to lose, Quincy bought the teeshirts and the two exited the store.
As soon as they stepped outside to be greeted by the crisp winter wind, Cheriko gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Quincy," she said, taking the bag of shirts from him, "It... It was really sweet of you to do that."
Quincy laughed as he scratched the back of his head with a goofy smile. "Just trying to help people out, I guess," he answered, his other hand resting on his hip. "So, um, if you ever need me again, just swing by the café and ask for Quincy, okay?"
Cheriko nodded. "I'm glad I can actually trust someone here... For a while it seemed like I didn't even exist. But I guess that's just how it is here in Central... Right?"
Quincy placed one hand on her slender shoulder, shaking it lightly. "Hey, Cheriko," he said, his grin softening, "You'll get used to it, I promise. Central's not as bad as it looks after a while. It just takes some time. Trust me, I know."
The girl nodded again. "Yes. I'll probably get used to it soon. I've been here for a little over a month now, so..."
She slowly slid his arm off of her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll come by and visit sometimes. Bye, Quincy!" She waved to him as she ran off to her apartment, wrapping her arms around the giant big red stain on her shirt. She heard a distant "See you around!" from Quincy as she neared her apartment complex, quickly running up the stairs to her room. Pushing the key in, the android locked her door behind her as she threw off her jacket and tossed her large cross necklace on her bed. Pulling off the ruined teeshirt, she stared at it for a while, and in time it began to disintegrate in her palm. As the shirt became a few mere ashes, she wiped off the black soot on her yoga pants and opened the pack of shirts.
She pulled a shirt over her head, straightened it out and put her mini jacket back on. As she clicked her necklace back on, she grabbed her comb from her bathroom and ran it through her oddly colored hair. Setting the comb back down, she sighed at her reflection. Violet eyes blinked back at her and she turned away. Grabbing her keys from the counter, Cheriko strolled back out of her apartment and locked her door behind her, off to find something else to entertain her.
Well, at least she had some practice in befriending humans now. She would have to thank Quincy for that sometime.