Through The Looking Glass [Sean/Open]

[Solomon Koukon]

[This takes place a few days after the events in "You Can't Make An Omlette."]

Solomon kept a hold of the British pound that Yukio gave him as he picked up the scent of the one it originally belonged to. By the time the three of them were in London, Solomon agreed to trail off by himself to see if he could find someone who could possibly tell them about the Devil Saints. One thing he left out though, was that the person he was looking for was the main reason he traveled to England in the first place.

Solomon traced the man's scent to a small pub within London. Opening the doors, he walked toward the open bar and sat in a stool. He scanned the area to see if the scent on the bill was the same as any of the others inside. So far, he wasn't having any luck. But he figured he'd stay here until he got a whiff of something.

Literally.

He turned around and ate a few cashews in an open bowl on the counter. He looked at the array of alcohol across from him and waited for a bartender to say those famous lines he heard in every movie set up like his current situation.

[Sean Colton]

[OMG, Solomon, I have no idea what you're referencing, LOL. I can guess, but...]

The bar was pretty empty tonight. Not that such a thing bothered Sean; they always got by, and it was still pretty early. Even though his back was turned, drying off shot glasses and stacking them in their appropriate place on the shelf, he could hear the shift in weight on one of the seat, the leather on the stool cracking just a bit as his newest customer sat down.

Usually he wasn't dressed in his work uniform while working extra shifts--it was his silent protest to management for not raising his pay, but the bigwigs didn't seem to care very much. He chose to change into his typical vested outfit only when he was working the shift he was hired for--seven thirty to four o'clock. But today was somehow just a bit different. He didn't want to bother with going in the back to change, with having to go in the back during a spare moment and asking if anyone had called off at the last minute. He didn't put up a fight today. The irony of this decision was not lost on him; the bar was full of people who just needed a break, just weren't up to their typical lives for whatever reason. Today he would join their ranks, if only for a little while.

Turning, his flashed a smile easy as eggs and spoke in a voice as smooth as silk. "So what'll you have?" he imagined that he looked a bit rugged still, still having the beard he had decided to grow a few weeks ago. He leaned onto the counter with ease, body language presenting himself on a level on par with his customer. His smile turned a bit toothy as he lowered his eyes to the counter, making sure not to appear too forward as he continued to speak. "You're new in these parts. Enjoying what London has to offer?" It was an ironic question, because honestly Sean hated this place. But it was not something that this man had to know. And his soft voice could sell anything--drinks, emotions, opinions. He had done it thousands of times before. This time was no different.

[Cielle Blanche]

[I'm killing two birds with one stone here. <3]

Cielle had found nothing interesting in Japan. The men were perverts and everything related to recreational activities was based off of pop culture, some of which weren't even originally conceived from Japan. She had gone to some cherry blossom festivals, and the beauty of Japan was one of the few aspects of the town that she had enjoyed. But she wanted to do more than just stare at nature during her school vacation. Enrolling in a high school was something that she had wanted to do, and it was something that she was going to continue to do. She wasn't abandoning the country as a whole--just for her vacation. She had been traveling for quite a while, and she found that it was a pleasant experience. She would have to do it again whenever she had her next vacation from school. However, there was one country that she had neglected to visit, and now she felt that she was left with no choice.

She was going back to Europe. She wasn't going to cheat, of course. She wouldn't be going back home to France--that would defeat the entire purpose of her leaving in the first place. She settled for England, a place that wasn't necessarily her favorite but it was good enough to suit the purpose. She had made sure to take an appropriate guise for the trip--she wouldn't be traceable back to Japan when she left. At least, she didn't think so. She wanted to look old enough to drink--she really needed one, and after her conversation with the kid bartender, Zeshin, at the Karrasi, she didn't want to be mistaken for someone of his age.



She entered an inconspicuous bar on the less-than-sunny side of London. Small places like these, holes in the wall so to speak, tended to be the most satisfying. Cielle wasn't looking for anything specific; just a drink and maybe an ear. Hopefully she would find it. She approached the counter, brushing her black hair behind both her ears at once, throwing on a small smile as she saw another soul at the bar with the bartender. The bartender was who she noticed first--his bright red hair was more than enough for anyone to notice, and she flashed him an amused smile, bigger than the one that she had put on entering the place. Then she merely nodded at the man across from him, the one with dark hair, as she sat next to him.

[Solomon Koukon]

Solomon smiled a bit, hearing the bartender greet him. It wasn't exactly the line he was hoping he would say, but it was close enough.

"So far, yeah," Solomon said, taking a few more cashews in his hand. "Haven't been here long enough yet to be sure, though; I just came from Westminister with some friends of mine, you see. But so far, everything's pretty much great."

The youkai tossed the cashews that were in his hand inside his mouth one at a time. Taking the time to chew and swallow, he looked at the bartender's way again, seeming friendly enough.

"I'll have a Gin and Coke, please," he ordered as a smile appeared, friendly enough to rival that of the bartender. Soon after he placed his order, he lowered his head toward his right hand, playing with the bill in his right hand. He contemplated who inside the bar had a hold of the bill before Yukio; who inside was the man he was looking for. But the fact that the bar was nearly empty didn't help out his chances at all.

Then he looked to his right to see a woman sit next to him. Their eyes locked just as soon as she was finished looking at the bartender. Solomon's eyes widened at the very sight of her. She was absolutely gorgeous; you'd have to be blind to not notice her radiance.

He was absolutely speechless during the short time they exchanged glances. And when she nodded his way, all he could do was blush. But after a swallow of his own nervousness, he realized just how bad it tasted. So he decided to do something about it.

Solomon smiled her way as the blush was still present on his cheeks. He put the currency that was within his right hand inside his pocket and extended it her way.

"Hi, there," he said to the woman next to her. "I'm Solomon."

[Sean Colton]

The man began speaking to Sean much more easily than most people did at the bar. The dark haired man explained that he had come from Westminster with friends, and supposedly, everything here in England had gone great for this chap. However, considering how many cashews the man was popping, it was obvious that he was waiting for something--he had the time to waste, needed to occupy himself until something happened.

He was waiting for something. What that something was, Sean couldn't have begun to guess at. Turning back to the bar for a split second, he refilled the cashew jar, flashing an understanding smile as he did so. "Glad to hear that you're having such a grand time in these parts," he said simply. Then the man ordered his drink, the meat of the main course. "Gin and Coke, coming right up," the bartender echoed, turning back to the bar to prepare the drink.

But something caught his eye, and he hesitated in mid-turn. A woman had entered the bar, and even from a peripheral glance Sean could tell that she was gorgeous. He sighed; he made it his own personal policy not to pick up women in his bar on his hours. He firmly believed that his customers were melancholy enough without him taking the interest of every woman that bothered to enter. Not to mention that most of them ended up getting drunk he he happened to not be a fan of a haphazard lay. However, if a woman approached him after he was off of the clock, that was another story...

The woman had dark hair, but that was all that Sean could see without faltering for far too long. He continued with the preparation of the drink. Strong, it was--strong flavor. Sean hated the mix himself, as did many others in the country, and the man's choice only proved to show how foreign he was. Sean wondered for a moment exactly where he was from. The man hadn't mentioned rocks, so there was no ice. In a moment's time, the sturdy glass was on the counter top, seated atop a doily to help keep it neat. The woman now held his attention so he made a curt nod in the direction of the man, moving to the female instead. "What can I get you, young lass?"

[Cielle Blanche]

Cielle saw the blush on the cheeks of the boy sitting next to her and she thought it was so cute. She smiled warmly as she took his hand, shaking it firmly but not too hard. It seemed that perhaps she could have some fun after all. She could smell the wolf's scent wafting off of Solomon in waves, and while she could conceal hers, she made the split-second decision not to.

"It's nice to meet you Solomon. I'm Cielle," she said before turning back to the bar. "I'd like an apple martini, please." It was a woman's drink; she didn't really want to be drunk tonight--a nice buzz would be fine. Then maybe she could follow this pup around town for a short while and have some evening fun! Focusing her attention back on Solomon, she asked, "So where are you from, stranger?"

[Solomon Koukon]

Her name was Cielle.

What a beautiful name, he thought.

It was then that the young youkai picked up the scent of another wolf nearby. It was weird; the scent that he was tracing was more human than wolf. And it didn't necessarily make itself known until Cielle walked into the bar. So when he put two and two together, she had already diverted her attention to the bartender who had just delivered his drink to him. There was no ice, so he didn't have to worry about the alcohol losing its flavor.

He couldn't help but watch every movement the woman next to him made; he found it as beautiful as flowing poetry. And when she looked back at him, he blushed in nervousness. If the scent came from her and she was a youkai as himself, did she mean to let him know? Was she trying to hide her true identity and accidentally released her scent? He didn't know what to think, really. And that didn't help his nervousness when she asked him where he was from.

"All over the place, really," he answered in a nervous chuckle. "I'm a bit of a traveler, you see; just seeing the world and seeing where there's a place for me here."

He took a sip of his Gin and Coke with no ice. It was strong; he could feel the burning of the alcohol go down his throat and tickle his nose. His mouth scrunched up with the taste as he released a sigh after taking in the beverage in question. A little less nervous now, Solomon looked at Cielle and smiled something charming her way.

"What about you?" he asked her. "You don't seem like the London type to me..."

[Sean Colton]

Sean served the apple martini without hesitation. It seemed like this couple were getting on well. Clearly, the Solomon boy was taken with her. He studied them a little longer before handing the lass her drink and announcing, "I shall return shortly." There was no activity in the pub at the moment other than those two, and there was no reason to hang around as an eavesdropper in their conversation. Whatever intentions they had for each other was none of Sean's business, and he wasn't going to get in the way. Before he took his leave, however, he put a small bowl of chips and salsa on the table. "For the lady," he said, his face blushing a bit, "because she's so gorgeous." Then he fiddled with his tie as he made his way into the back.

[Cielle Blanche]

Cielle blushed a bit as she had her drink delivered. She wasn't fishing for compliments, but it was nice to get one every now and again. It made her feel young. She nodded her thanks as the bartender took his leave, and she instead focused her attentions on Solomon. He had such a young face--innocent and unknowing and very cute--and it was nice to hear someone be excited about something when they spoke, even if that something was only himself or her.

He asked where she was from. "Originally, I was born in France," she said. "That is my home. But I am attending school in Japan. I'm currently on holiday," she said, smiling in a charming way. She took a sip of her drink, the taste a lot more smooth and fruity than she was sure Solomon's Gin and coke was.

She wasn't sure if he had figured out whether or not she was a youkai yet, but she didn't want to be so blatant as to point it out in the middle of a bar. She would wait to see if he said anything, and if not, perhaps she'd have an opportunity to do so later. The night was young, and she wasn't letting Solomon out of her sight anytime soon.

"So where are you from?" she asked. He had said that he was a bit of a traveler, but not where his orgins were.

[Solomon Koukon]

"...Quebec, originally," he said to her, picking up his drink. "It's pretty cold over there, but you learn to get use to it."

He took another swag before trying to shake the burn from the alcohol off with his head, placing the glass on the table. Her scent was as consuming as a subtle perfume; you could only pick up traces, but they were strong enough for you to find the source. For a minute there, Solomon almost forgot the scent of the human he was tracing. And as much as he wanted to get to know Cielle better, he knew his priorities.

So that he wouldn't look suspicious, he took the bill Yukio gave him earlier and placed it in his free palm. Putting his elbow on the counter, he rested his chin in his palm as he hid the bill between his hand and his face, taking small whiffs of the scent on the bill. Familiarizing himself with the scent once again, Solomon looked around the bar. He could definitely smell it inside. But other than Cielle's scent, the only other person it could belong to was...

Solomon widened his eyes and had to silently laugh at himself; of course the answer was right in front of his face. It always was, after all. He took another swallow of his drink; this time a bit easier going down than the others. He looked at Cielle again as he placed his glass on the opposite end of the bar, signaling the bartender that he wanted a refill.

Talk about strategy.

"I always wanted to go to Japan," he said. "What do you study there?"

[Cielle Blanche]

Smiling, Cielle answered "A bit of everything. I just find the process of learning in itself captivating, honestly. I love hearing about new things." This was the truth, but not all of it; she couldn't very well tell him that she was a shapeshifter attending a human highschool, of all things. It just didn't make any sense. "Japan is such a wonderful place. I love it there. All of the people are so bubbly and welcoming. Of course, being fluent in Japanese helps their attitude toward you as a visitor, of course. They appreciate the effort of a foreigner learning their language. She took another drink and then said, very bluntly, "You're very cute, by the way...like a little pup..."

[Solomon Koukon]

The Youkai couldn't help but blush, giving away a smile while retreating his face back within his coat in a shy manner at the same time. He took a breath as he looked around for the bartender. The place was nearly empty; what could he possibly be doing?

He was forced to mingle with Cielle until the barkeep came back, and the thought made him rather nervous. It's been a while since he entertained such beauty. He found courage in his drink that was clear on his face every time he took a sip that he wasn't ready for yet. So he kept it there and let the ice melt to dilute some of the alcohol as he began chewing some cashews. And while he did, he thought of the last four words Cielle said and began putting two and two together. He swallowed, then chuckled a bit nervously as he rubbed his neck.

"I'm that obvious, huh?" he said, trying to sound a bit playful toward her.

[Cielle Blanche]

"A little bit," Cielle said, giggling as she downed the rest of her drink. She felt it rush to her head--it was very delicious. She sighed, and as she did so, she hiccuped. This only caused her to laugh more. "I can smell you," she said, ignoring the alternate interpretation for the phrase. He'd know what it meant, right? He had to know.

She, too, was waiting for the barkeep to return, but she had no trouble with being loud. "Bartender!" she shouted. "We could use a bit of service up here s'il vous plait!" Her voice had a crisp tone to it that clearly indicated how she wasn't trying to wait for him to come back. While she waited, she grabbed four cashews from the small bowl and chewed on them as well.