Just one of those days [Finished]

Keyser was taking his usual nap with the quietness of Karakura town echoing throughout the streets, without a care in the world. He does remember his responsibilities as a man with power, a man with power was his certain description as a individual that is spiritually aware. Man or women, it didn’t really matter. All that mattered was the responsibility that came with it, but this was Keyser’s day off. All the same, Keyser was feeling quite homesick; he was feeling homesick for a place that he was never able to truly call home. He was feeling homesick for a place with no existing family whatsoever. Besides all of the constant battling of hollows and solving of puzzles, what else did Keyser truly have? All that he really had was Kiva and artifacts that were all that remained left in his soul. To bury himself in his pleasures and ignore all else, that was what gave Keyser his true joy. The true joy of something so temporary, it could never have a real label because it changes every day.  While Keyser was drowning himself in his thoughts, Kiva gave Keyser a sharp pain in his head. “Ouch, Kiva…. What was that just now?” Kiva started to chuckle a bit before she answered him. “It was a wakeup call Keyser; just what the hell do you think you are doing. You were thinking about this all morning. I need to get you out of the house right now, there is so much that we can do today. Why would you want to stay home all day anyway?

Keyser finally decided to get out of his bed and yawns. Keyser looks outside and scratches his head. “I do believe for me to go anywhere, I would need some clothes.”  Keyser gets up and started putting on his clothes, he started to think again, what could he possibly do today? “Kiva, is there anything worth doing today?” “I have an obligation as your master to hand you a day off every once in a while. I am a power ancient arrancar, not a slave trader. Well, I was a slave trader but that wasn’t the point. I never killed anyone that I didn’t need to….i was” “Yes Kiva I know everything about you. I have your memories remember?” The memories of the star demons, it is another tradeoff that Keyser had to deal with. Once in a while the dreams would haunt him, what seemed to be a six hour nap turns out to decades of him reliving the past. “Fine, then I think  it is time to head to the antique shop. They might have something I would want to buy and send to Mexico for my connection. It would seem rather odd, but I sense that something eventful would happen today.” Keyser leaves his apartment and starts to walk down the street on the way to the antique shop when Kiva suddenly shouts. “Keyser!! Spiritual energy. Ahh dammit Keyser, every signature that we come past always seems stronger than you. Why is that? We should stop doing puzzles and start doing training sessions then since your acting so unmanly.” “Kiva, please be mindful of the choice of words. You work me like a dog and have yet to hear any complaints until today, but now I am complaining about your attitude. Now where is this spike of spiritual pressure?” “Keyser, he is right over there. Holding something….” Keyser turns to the right of him and sees an individual with a bag of gummy, something Keyser use to eat when he was a child.

“This man right here? “ The young man had silver hair and grey eyes. The man stood at the height of five feet, and seemed rather feminine. It did not matter to him though, it was said that in some countries, boys were to be dressed up as girls until the age of fifteen. Afterwards, they would grow up to be strong men. “So that custom is still going on in japan…” Keyser then approaches the male very cautiously, wearing his usual attire but without his tie or vest. His buttoned up shirt was unbuttoned from the tip and his hair remained unkempt so it could hide his black cross marks. What caught Keyser’s eyes about the man was his tiara, he wanted to examine it so badly. Keyser smiled and did a simple wave, he expected the boy to sense his spiritual energy as well. He wondered how in depth his spiritual perception was, could he sense that Keyser’s energy was a little different than everyone else’s? He swallows hard at the fact that this man could indeed be one of those hollow hunters. The crazed killer that kill the other crazed killers, it does seem honorable that people defend the others from hollows but he wondered if they would kill any association with hollows.  “Keyser, you do have a point. But as your god I command you to be friends with this man.” Kiva gave Keyser a command, it was upsetting that Keyser was enthralled to her wished. “How are you doing, I am Keyser Soze…umm… I like your tiara…it looks nice on you.” Keyser was not the one to judge anyone on anything; individuality is the key of establishing yourself as a person. Keyser always thought that and the simplest of changes could go a long way. “I’m from Mexico and I am a new resident of Karakura town, I guess that means we are neighbors, it’s a nice house that you have here. “ Keyser was trying his best to be friendly but when he is not overly dressed, his confidence starts to waver. “Ahh, Keyser…. You really don’t know what you are doing do you? Stop holding up the conversation and jump straight to the point, what is his power? “ Kiva was being so unreasonable today, why is she asking him to do these things. Was it that important to find out this information?

Number of words- 1000 20 GP

"Oh? I think he likes you Keyser, that's surprising. Sometimes people think that you talk too much, or maybe you have way too much  things to say." Keyser was pretty confused at the fact that Alexander mentioned a mystic shop. What exactly was this mystic shop and what kind of contents did it hold? "A mystic shop? That seems pretty interesting,  i been through some mystical stuff as well. Aztec mystical stuff, ancient thing that people normally don care about..but i do. Its one of the most interesting things in the world to me." "And here we go, my herald goes on about how much he loves artifacts. Didn't i tell you to ding out what his power is?" Keyser was rubbing his temples for a bit and looked at his obsidian ring, Kiva was unforgiving when she started to talk in his head. She continues to go on about her wants and needs and she was not making this situation any easier for Keyser. Keyser also could sense the tension in the air, the young man might sense Keyser spiritual energy as well, and with Keyser appearing out of nowhere. "Oh, i didn't come here to fight. To be honest, I'm not that good when it comes to using my powers. " Keyser was keeping a straight face this time, a show of honesty because it is the truth. The only real fight Keyser had so far using his powers in combat was the church. Keyser took it upon himself to defend a young woman named Crystal, who was praying to the spirits about her lost ones. That was something Keyser had not done for a long time, pray. Keyser was also unable to bury his father after he was killed by the hollow at the temple, there was nothing left to bury. It was like the body was eaten whole, and at the time... there was nothing he could do about it. His mind started to get clouded and Kiva snapped him back to reality. "Keyser, those flashbacks are definitely a pain don't you think. Here is a tip...don't think about them." Keyser clears his throat and continues  his conversation. "So how is Karakura town anyway? I have not been living here for too long so i am not sure at the strange fact involving all the constant hollow appearances. Why does that happen anyway, its very odd. My time as an archeologist has led me to many other countries and states, but this small town seems to have the most appearances of hollows. It is definitely weird.

Keyser then walks over and smiles at Alexander. "Its a good thing that the people of karakura town have you to protect them right? I sure feel safer around you."  Keyser then lets out a short chuckle, Kiva also laughs with him as well. Keyser wondered about this whole entire day to be honest, maybe Kiva really cares about him in the end. "A gift.." Keyser then claps his hands together and creates a highly detailed black star that was made of iron. He then extends it over to Alexander."Here...take it."

Number of words- 500 10 GP

Total GP 3o

Dew say the confusion on Keyser's face when the teen talking about the mystic shop that his dad still ran in the front. When he started talking about old artifacts, Dew laughed a little and shook his head. While that stuff was interesting, that wasn't what his mom's shop was about. "I actually didn't mean that sort of mystic shop. I meant more like your standard fortune telling shop. You know, various pseudo-supernatural stuff for sale so that an actual profit can be turned, and a parlor where my mom would tell fortunes and talk to the family spirits of people that came to her." Dew paused a moment, looking down. It was a very sweet kind of pain to talk about his mom. She'd actually been pretty good at what she did. Easily bringing in enough through consistent results and loyal customers. And the people that just liked the designs on all the talismans and stuff she sold. Dew had tried to replicate them, but the shop had been a little downhill these past three years, which is why Dew's dad worked such big orders more often. 

He looked to Keyser who was now rubbing his temples, which made him smile a little. He wondered if the man just had a headache or if he was thinking hard. Anyone else probably would have invited him in for an ice pack or at least a glass of water for his headache, but Dew wasn't sure yet if he thought this guy was someone he would be able to turn his back on. He retracted his offer of gummies since it looked like the man didn't want any. He popped a few into his mouth, eyes closed as Keyser made it clear that he wasn't there to fight. That was good to know, though whether it was true or not remained to be seen. He also assured Dew that he wasn't good at using his powers. There were only two possibilities for such a statement. The first was that he was telling the truth, which made Dew sorta wonder why he would admit to something when approaching someone who's powers remained unknown to him. The second possibility was that he was lying and trying to get Dew to let his guard down. The teen remained calm outside though while he weighed the options internally.

When Keyser started speaking again, Dew's only visible eye snapped open, to show that he was indeed listening. He nodded when Keyser said all the hollows was weird. Dew couldn't complain though since his current diet was sustained with all these hollows that showed up. "Yeah, its weird, but what are you going to do? Go into the world of the hollows and tell them to stop showing up in Karakura? If you survive that, let me know how it went." he said, smirking a little. It was an attempt at a joke, even if it was slightly morbid. He pulled his flask out of his pocket, opening it and taking a sip before putting it away. He looked back at Keyser and found that he was closer. Dew had leaned up off the wall a few minutes ago, but the sudden approach made him back up a little. People didn't just approach him. Well, there was that Heero guy, but there was bound to be an exception to every rule. Two though, two was pushing it a bit. 

When Keyser started talking about the people of Karakura being lucky Dew was around, the teen looked down again, popping a few more gummies into his mouth. Where were all these compliments coming from? A good impression was important to make on one's neighbors, but still, what was up with this guy? Of course it never occurred to Dew that Keyser might have been trying to make friends, or even worse yet, interested in Dew. Dew didn't really make friends so casually, and any flirting he'd done was either to frustrate bullies or get what he wanted from the nerds at his school. None of it was serious. "Nah, I'm not so special. I just do what I feel I should most of the time." he said, rubbing one arm. He quickly popped a few more gummies into his mouth to chew on. 

When he heard about a gift, he looked up, forgetting the red that was still visible on his cheeks. A gift? Heaven forbid Dew's dad chose this moment to come outside. Whether he was just being friendly or not, Keyser's proximity to his son and the offering would be sure to activate that natural inclination of all fathers to get between their child and anyone they did not know. Dew hesitated in taking the gift, holding up a finger for a moment to tell Keyser to wait. Dew scooted to the side, opening the door to his home and poking his head in for a moment. He waited, listening carefully, then sighed in relief. He could hear the clang of his father beating on something in the forge. There was no chance of the six foot blacksmith showing up and skewering the neighbor because the situation looked like he was hitting on Dew.

Once he was sure that his dad wasn't going to ruin the moment though, Dew was still a little hesitant to take the star. It was quite pretty. Some of the pause came from wondering what Keyser meant exactly by not being good at his powers. If he was good enough to make something this nice, then surely he had some skills. In the end, Dew's eyes won out over his head. He reached out and took the iron star, weighing it a little in his hand and sniffing it. It was good iron. Now Dew really couldn't let Keyser meet his dad. A seemingly inexhaustible source of quality iron? Expenses would go down like a lead balloon. That was probably the only thing scarier than his dad cutting Keyser open. Might even try to invite Keyser in to discuss business. 

He pocketed the trinket, deciding to make a necklace or something of the court out of it later, when he could get at his dad's tools without explaining where he got the charm from. He looked back to Keyser, smiling. "Thanks. Its really nice. And you say you're not good at using your powers? There's detail on that star that my dad would never be able to manage. Let alone me. So, you make stuff out of iron? is it all as detailed as the star? Or did you just put the detail in for me?"

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Word Count: 1105

Gp Gain: 22

Gp Total: 41

“To be honest with you, that is how I usually make the star. It is always made in high detail, because I wouldn’t want anyone to receive anything less of me than my absolute best. There is always a worth etiquette, even when it comes to creating small trinkets. Someone has to care…..” Kiva was chuckling after Alexander accepted the star. “Oh yea, let’s see if he runs away like the other female that you gave that star too. I remember like it was yesterday, oh wait…it was yesterday. I wonder if she used the money that you gave her as well, bought some decent clothes. I hate it when women dress like that, gives me a bad name when I am an arrancar that actually looks out for them. Overseeing a utopia of spirits that are not a part of the dinner arrangements, makes you really wonder about me huh?” Keyser observed the other young man in front of him. He still had no clue what he was capable of, but he didn’t care.  It was not really important anymore, all Keyser wanted to do was talk for now. He also noticed that Alexander blushed a few times. Keyser did a light chuckle to himself after remembering it, he also wondered what else he could possibly say.

He also remembered when Alexander ran into his house for a few seconds, like he was seeing if someone was coming. He wondered if he was disturbing the area, or if the parents of Alexander were asking about his identification. Keyser decided to speak up instead of thinking about his options, speaking his mind fully without thinking about what he was going to say beforehand. “You know, your really lucky that you have a parent that is still in your life. Even the fact that you was raised by them and they still love you even now, I kind of envy that. As a child in mexico, people would always label me as a problem child. I always would like to go on adventures with my friends. Visit haunted houses, dig in random places in search for treasure, and for some reason..the people kind of hated me for that. Maybe I was different in a way… my mother died giving birth…my father died right in front of me… I could consider myself lucky……or unlucky..not sure now.” Keyser then gives himself a big laugh, as if he was trying to shrug off the bad memories. He then pushes his hair back, revealing the black cross marks on his forehead a little. He was mindful of this and was always focused on hiding them, but he felt comfortable around Alexander. For the first time, there was no type of fake smiles to give. He decided to be honest with himself this time.  He walks next to Alexander and looks at the sky, Keyser reaches out to it.

“It really is a beautiful day today, looking at the sky like this. It really shouldn’t go to waste, seeing all the happy people running around and enjoying their day. Makes you wonder why we can’t do the same, maybe we can.  Or maybe we allow ourselves to be miserable, not sure on that as well. I always seem to find myself searching for something, but don’t we all. “ Kiva was humming in Keyser’s head, the reason why he paused so suddenly. She then stopped and replied to Keyser’s sudden pause. “Well, what did you expect me to do? You’re not finding out the fun stuff, just making conversation as if it was some fateful encounter. It could be true, but do you even expect things to go the way that you plan them to?” “It’s not like that at all….” “I know you Keyser, I love you very much. But you have to understand that entering society like nothing is going on with the spirit world or the hollows is out of the question. You can’t live like that anymore, you have a responsibility now. Don’t you owe it to these people, to give them a tomorrow? Look at them Keyser…” Keyser looks across the street from where he was standing next to Alexander.  He could see two little kids playing with each other; they seemed to be playing tag. “Would you look at that, kind of reminds me when I was a kid. “ He then looks over his shoulder to Alexander; he started to wonder if he was invading his personal space and moved back to where he was standing originally. “Sorry if I was invading your personal space, you do smell nice by the way. Not sure on the smell that, but whatever it is…. You have good taste...i like it. “ Kiva was a bit astonished at the smell as well, she wondered what it was. “It is really good,  not too sure on what it is. It does remind me of the time that I was alive… ah I’m getting sidetracked. Im supposed to be yelling at you for thinking selfishly!! Gosh it is really hot today, is this how your feeling right now? You should go ask for a glass of water or something, or knowing you..You would go back home.” Keyser just started noticing the heat wave; there was a particular exception on how the weather was going crazy today. Maybe the spiritual energy is what gives off this weird effect.

Number of words 900- 18 GP

Total GP- 48

Dew ate a few gummies as Keyser explained that all the stars he made were that detailed. While it would have been nice to get one that was uniquely detailed- No, wait, what was he thinking about? He shook his head for  moment, then nodded at Keyser. "That makes sense. If you're going to make a gift for someone, might as well make it as good as possible. I couldn't do something like that though without at least a few hours and the proper materials. My power isn't exactly the most solid or lasting thing. But hey, what are you gonna do?" he asked rhetorically. He looked back up at Keyser and found the man's eyes on him. He wondered what was going through his head. He kept pausing like he was listening to someone. He wouldn't be surprised if there was a voice in Keyser's head, though he felt a little left out. There would be a whole other conversation going on that he knew nothing about. Could be about him, could be about the weather.

When Keyser started talking about how Dew was lucky for having a parent, Dew looked back down. Unwanted, the memory of the day he had walked home to find his dad fighting a beast and his mother dead in her shop sprang into his mind. Why did that memory always have to come up at the worst possible times? And Keyser wasn't helping by bringing such a thing up. He couldn't blame the man though. He couldn't possibly know that mentioning parents in general instead of specifically Dew's father would bring up unwanted memories. Dew's face remained blank though, as he had lost his ability to show sadness or anger by conventional means three years ago. When Keyser stopped talking, Dew looked up. He wasn't sure how to respond to such a statement, especially since he didn't know all that much about Keyser's situation. All Dew could gather was that he had known loss. 

Dew looked curious when he saw those crosses on the man's forehead. He wondered just how someone could live when they had holes in their head. They probably didn't hurt or anything if Keyser was just casually running his hand over them, but still, it was cool. He shifted to the side to make room on the wall for Keyser, moving away from the door. He was sure that his dad wouldn't be coming out of the forge today, so he didn't need to check inside every few minutes to make sure the blacksmith wasn't coming. He watched Keyser reach for the sky, chuckling a little. Did he think he would be able to touch the clouds like that or something. When he started getting philosophical, he lost Dew. Though what he said sounded nice, today just wasn't a day where Dew would look for any deeper meaning in something like that. He would take it at face value and allow himself to be just as confused as the average person. When he paused again, Dew smirked, wondering what the voice in his head was saying now.

When Keyser mentioned the kids, Dew nodded. He had played like that too once, though it was usually with his father's tools. He would have pretended that by banging on some random piece of metal or soda can, that he would be able to make something. He had never even begun to consider taking a hammer to his tiara. That would be stupid, even to his five year old mind. When Keyser suddenly moved away, Dew blinked, looking back to the man. He apologized for invading Dew's personal space, followed by a compliment on how he smelled. The pale teen got the feeling he wasn't going to get out of this encounter without having all the blood in  his body relocated to his face. What was with this guy? It was one compliment after another. He wasn't trying to sell anything, or con Dew out of something he had, or even tease him. His words sounded honest, which is what confused Dew so much. The teen turned his head away a little, a small smile on his face. "Thanks. Not really sure what you mean though. I try to stay away from things like perfume or cologne. Might be my soap. That is rose scented, but I would have thought the aroma had worn off by now. And you weren't invading my personal space. What gave you that idea? You would have to be touching and grabbing me to be considered invading my personal space. We're just talking. Being a foot or two from eachother just makes it easier to hear."

Dew looked up to the sky, hair falling back so that both his eyes were exposed now. It was starting to get warmer. Maybe he would swing by the ice cream shop today. Not now though. He took a sip from his flask then looked back to Keyser. He wondered if the man was feeling the coming heat too. He looked away, thinking things over. His cheeks became a deeper pink as he weighed the options of what he was about to do. There didn't seem to be any negatives That he could see. He nodded to himself, then looked up at Keyser. "You want to come in and get a drink before it gets too hot? After that we can head into town so that we don't look like  we're plotting something while standing outside of my house all day." He was just inviting a new friend into his house with his over protective dad. Nothing to worry about, even though he'd had neither the need, nor the idea to do anything of the sort before. He just had to play it cool, and everything would work out fine. Dew's dad wouldn't attack Keyser, and Dew wouldn't have to go through the mortifying experience of having to be there while his dad scrutinized someone like they resembled a known terrorist.

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Word Count: 1000

Gp Gain: 20

Gp Total: 61

“Oh i….. uhm…” It was Keyser’s turn to blush this time. He wasn’t expecting to enter the teen’s house, much less be invited in. Keyser did not know what to do, to decline would be rude. “Well…what are you waiting for? Let’s get inside Keyser, its hot inside your body. I don’t care if you’re not complaining!! I am!!”  Kiva was going on and about inside Keyser head, Keyser started rubbing his temples again. “I think I will take you up on your offer, thank you for inviting me.” This was strange; this whole entire encounter was strange to Keyser. It was going way too well for him; he was always expecting something to go wrong. This time, it seems that he might be able to enjoy his day off. It made Keyser smile inside, the fact that today was going to be a good day. As Keyser walked inside the house, he noticed how nice it was inside. Some of the things seemed like it was handmade, perhaps his father made a few of the trinkets and items that was used around the house. “Oh? This is not the same as the rich boy scene that I am so used to looking at. Definitely a change of scenery, but not suiting for an Aztec god like myself. I like our house better Keyser….”

Keyser was looking at interior design at the house. He then took a seat in the kitchen.” This is a really nice place, it reminds me of my grandmother’s house. A place I use to live a long time ago..” “Yes yes Keyser, how flattering and poetic you are. You are the gentleman among gentleman Mr Soze.” Keyser makes a small grunt at Kiva’s sarcasm, could she be getting jealous? Keyser’s stomach began to rumble as well, did he skip breakfast? “Hm….” Keyser was not sure if he should ask for food, he was already intruding. He decides to order pizza, Keyser reached for his phone and dialed up the closest pizza shop. “A pepperoni  pizza, two of them please.” Keyser mentioned the address and added the charge to his card, it would be delivered to the house soon. So they would not have to worry about eating before they left the house soon after. Keyser then looks at Alexander, he didn’t want the tension to get to him so he started talking.

“So, how did your week go so far. Mine was anything near normal… I had to solve puzzles. Trust me, puzzles are more dangerous than you think.” “By dangerous …. You mean… interfering with the souls of all humans. Causing a worldwide panic that cannot be stopped by anyone….yes… it  is pretty bad Keyser. Are you going to bring the kid along next time?” “No…I’m solving them alone… I don’t want anyone else to get hurt..besides.. we are guests. Try to be a little positive…

“ Keyser noticed that he was talking out loud to kiva this time and looked at Alexander, he thought it was time that he came clean about her. “ My power works a little different, I have a spirit guardian serving as my full bring. The contract allows us to always be connected so she always talks to me. Her name is kiva, and she thinks you smell nice too… ouch…..” A sharp pain was inflicted inside of Kiva’s head.” Why did you tell him that?!! How embarrassing…. Hmph!” Kiva was pretty annoyed at the fact that Keyser revealed her existence to another human being, but at least he didn’t mention anything about the gusha puzzles, or the fact that she was a ancient arrancar.

number of words 600- 12 GP

Total GP 60

“Well…we can start with..” The doorbell rang and the Keyser quickly got up. “It must be the pizza; I hope that you are hungry. Oh?” There was one extra slice in the box, Keyser started to scratch his head. He wondered what to do with this, and then he realized that Alex’s dad was home. “The extra slice could be for your father when he is finished with his work. Not sure if he would be hungry by that time or not, or if he ate already but… “Keyser gave Alex a light smile instead of finishing the sentence; he didn’t really find a need to finish the sentence. There was no real reason as to why someone decided to do something nice. That was the one thing that Keyser thought was unnecessary, manipulation of others. The way it is seen from Keyser’s point of view, we all have one life to live. Even though it is entirely dependent on the person on how they choose to live that life, why not live it earnestly and spread as much smiles as you can? “Mhm…. Take a bite!! I want some..” Keyser makes a gesture with his hands, pointing towards the box.

Feel free to help yourself Alex, you are a fan of pizza…are you not? The whole entire way they make it is pretty interesting. We should make some ourselves one day, just get some dough…tomato sauce..Cheese… and an oven. It sounds simple but it might be pretty hard to do…” Keyser then chuckles as he takes a bite of his pizza, it was warm. The pizza tasted very good, the pepperoni added a little spice to the flavor as well. Kiva was also happy that Keyser was eating the pizza, the soul link was so strong that she experienced every feeling and emotion that he did. “This tastes great; we really should buy the shop. Can we buy the shop Keyser?!! I command you….” Keyser wonders why Kiva thinks he’s rich, even if it was the case that Keyser had a lot of money at his disposal, he would not use it so carelessly.

Keyser then starts to think about the questions that Alex was expecting him to ask as he adjusted the chair to be more comfortable. Keyser did not know anything about the boy, only that his name was Alexander and he lived in a nice house. “Well, what do you think about the family business? Would you be continuing what your parents are doing, or are you studying in school to follow another path? I hope that isn’t to personal, I bet that you are very popular as well. You must have a lot of friends, my schooling years was to be smarter than my dead. I basically sacrificed all of my childhood to get ahead in life, the saying we all know…always in a rush to grow up. I am sure that you are taking your sweet time thought, and…. What made you trust me?” That last part was not supposed to come out, but Keyser was curious as to why Alex trusted him. Keyser stared intently at the pizza to avoid eye contact, he wanted to look  at Alex but felt that what he said made him loose that right. There was a silence as he waited for a response. “You didn’t have to make it so awkward, you didn’t say anything wrong at all Keyser. It’s a conversation between two adults, why are you acting so shy? Was you not invited to someone’s home before. IT is true that Keyser was acting a little more bashful than usual..

Number of words 600- 12

72 total

Dew tried to relax as Keyser seemed to start what the questions. They were just making small talk. What was so unusual about that Besides the fact that Dew had never made small talk, absolutely nothing at all. It was the most normal thing in the world. So why was he still hoping something would happen to give him more time to get his thoughts together?

When the doorbell rang, he had to fight back the sigh of relief that threatened to come out. With the arrival of the pizza, he would be able to get his thoughts together. He was almost worried his dad would have heard the doorbell, but of course Matthew was still working on his glasses and armor. If he had heard any ringing, it was probably in the space between his ears. Dew had on more than one occasion had to write things out for his dad to read before enduring the man's bellowing response. Why it had never occurred to Matthew to just write something back was lost to Dew.

When Keyser mentioned the extra slice of pizza could go to his dad, Dew nodded. He put it on a plate, wrapped it in plastic wrap, then put it in the fridge. Dew's dad would probably just assume that they had ordered pizza earlier in the week and that Dew had saved a slice to eat later. This would then prompt the man to eat the slice anyways. Every time Dew stored something to eat later, he would find his dad snacking on it the next day. Even if Dew gave explicit instructions for him not to. That's why Dew kept his snacks in his room, where his father would never think to snoop for them.

Dew went back to the box and took out his own slice of pizza, taking a bite from it and chewing. When asked if he was a fan of it, he shrugged. "Its nice to eat I guess. I'm not for or against it." he explained, taking another bite from the pizza. When Keyser talked of doing it themselves one day, Dew laughed. He was struck with the thought of his dad preparing pizza in the forge. That would be something Dew would pay just to see because he certainly wouldn't have paid for the pizza. For someone who was so exact about temperatures and times in the forge, the kitchen may as well have been another planet to the large man. If they wanted a nice home cooked meal, that was what Dew did for the day. His dad would lay out the ingredients while Dew was at school along with a recipe, and then the teen would come back home and cook it.

He didn't necessarily like cooking, but at least what he produced was edible. "Maybe. We'd have to do that somewhere other than here though. A pizza is just simple enough for my dad to give it a try. I'd rather not have to call the fire department. They're already testy with us because my dad has a blacksmith's forge in the backyard."Hopefully that was enough to get the point across that Matthew Dewis shouldn't be allowed near anything hot that wasn't made of metal. Then the real test came. The questions. He waited until Keyser was finished asking them, then thought them over, especially the last one. He looked up from his pizza crust at Keyser, noticing the man was pointedly looking down at his own food.

Dew smiled a little. He was making himself seem so vulnerable. "Well, I'm not sure at the moment. My dad's been trying to get me to give up on blacksmithing, but with my strength and endurance, I think I could do pretty well at it. And its not that hard to keep my mom's talismans in stock for old customers who want new ones. As for being popular in school, not as much as you'd think. I'm male and yet in my causal clothes, its a little difficult to tell from a glance, is it not? And then there's the matter of my tiara. Most seem to think I'm putting myself up above them by wearing it, instead of treasuring a gift from my father. Its also taken on a second purpose these past three years, so I can't go anywhere without it, lest a hollow catch me without a weapon. I mess with bullies and flirt with a couple of nerds to help with my sugar habit, but other than that, I don't really interact with others on a daily basis. Its not like I try to distance myself though."

"At first I took my time, enjoyed my life, but there hasn't been much time for that these past three years. I'm too concerned about other things to stop and smell the roses as often as I used to. As to why I trusted you, I don't know. You weren't trying to sell me anything, you don't seem to be more powerful than me, and if you were trying to seduce me I'd imagine you could be a lot more direct about it than continuously letting the compliments flow. In short, and I mean no offense, you're harmless. Really, I don't mean anything deep or demeaning by that." he added quickly, cheeks a bit red. "Just I'm pretty sure you can't hurt me if this was all an act, so why not trust you? Its a lot more productive than thinking you're devil-spawn right off the bat."

____________________________________________________

Word Count: 923

Gp Gain: 18

Gp Total: 93

“Oh….” The response was pretty disappointing, it didn’t seem that dew had that much interest in Keyser at all. “Oh? Someone’s feelings are hurt…hehe… oh wait…was you expecting him to say something else?” And there it was, the self perseverance of Keyser Soze to avoid any further embarrassment to himself. He lets off one of his fake smiles as he answers the questions. “It seems that you like your father a lot, that is good to know that you would like to continue the family business instead. Not sure why your father would want you to do otherwise, but I could think of a few reasons. It is because he would want you to have a better life than this, not to say that this honest way of feeling was bad. “ The strange feelings Keyser was experiencing has dispersed and he was talking normally now. Kiva was abnormally quiet as well, there was no more witty comments for her to say.”But the simple fact that you are in school now means that you have a chance to get a better education, an education that some people have to struggle for. With no money or ability to get a job, it is hard for some people to succeed. You have the physical ability to continue his work, but all he wants tou to do is to live a better life. A life more easier… isn’t that all we want nowadays? Not we as in me, I don’t consider myself the same as the people we see in the streets anymore. Much different, a monster in fact..like you say… “ “Keyser………”  

Keyser also started to comment on the other stuff that Alexander mentioned. “Well..the fire department… well with the savings that you guys have came up with over the years. Perhaps you could open a branch  of stations all across the globe. I can even lend a hand with my power if you wish it. It would be my pleasure….” “Hmph..i liked it when you was modest, you was much easier to mess with. “  “Lex..i… I mean… Alexander… “ Keyser cleared his throat, he caught himself slipping. What did he just say, did he just use a short cut to say the boys name? Why didn’t he just say the full name? “It was never my intention to hurt you…I wouldn’t hurt anyone. “ There was a brief silence across the table, even though it was hot outside. It was starting to get hot inside of the house.  These brief changes were uncontrollable. Keyser did not want to let his guard down, but he did not want to seem distant this time. For some reason, Alex seemed like one of the people he did not want to push away. “Oh.. so you was flirting with the nerds to get candy. Sugary sweets.. I see…..well… there are some things that are even sweeter than candy. A bitter sweet, sometimes I wonder if the quirks of something actually make it taste better…like.. sour candy…….” Keyser decided to do a bold move.. he went behind Alexander and wrapped him around his arms.

“Young master…it appears that you belittle your worth. “ “Woah.. I didn’t see that coming. What are you up to? ” “ There is something far more greater in you than you realize, you should never be defined on what you wear. Your just as precious as anyone or anything I could ever possibly make with my powers. And if you wished it… “ Keyser went closer to Alex’s ear… “I would turn all of your enemies…to ash..” Keyser then lets go and sits back down, he then smiles like he usually did when he first met Alex outside. “Is that how direct you wanted me to be?

Number of words 650- 13 GP

Total GP- 85

Dew looked at Keyser's face as he processed what was said. He groaned in his head, trying to figure out how he could have worded that better. Maybe if he had mentioned that Keyser was kinda cute too. No, that definitely wouldn't have worked. If he had said something like that, then Dew definitely would have passed out from blood being redirected to his face before he could finish the statement. Definitely wouldn't have worked. He watched Keyser smile again, but something in him told him it wasn't genuine. The kind of smile Dew had put on many times when people had said they were sorry for his loss of his mother three years ago. 

He nodded when Keyser said Dew loved his father. Matthew was the only family that Dew had left. Now that he knew he had the strength to protect him, and knew what he needed to be protected from, he wasn't about to let him get hurt. Of course, that became more difficult when said father had the same idea in mind and chose to ignore the fact he had neither a power nor the ability beyond that of a normal human. Then Keyser went on into why Dew's father would want him to get an education. Dew knew that. His dad had mentioned it once, but still Dew couldn't think of anything he'd rather do than spend his time in the forge. He'd been that way since he was little, so it was unlikely to change without some sudden development.

When Keyser started to mention opening up branches for their services, Dew was snapped back into the reality of the moment. Why would he suggest something like that? It wasn't like he owed Dew anything. They had only just met after all. It certainly wouldn't have been like Dew to offer his services to someone else like that. He almost missed the shortening to his name that Keyser used. It caught his attention because those who called him anything but Alexander either used Princess, a name that the school bullies came up with, or Dew. Even a few of the teachers at his school had taken to using one of these, though if it was princess, it was done jokingly. He had almost forgotten that his name could be shortened into something else. He wondered if he could get Keyser to say it again.

After that, it seemed like Keyser was going off on a tangent. The way he described Dew's treatment of the nerds wash't necessarily that simple. He did offer things back, like links to good sites they had never hear of and games he managed to snag before they went out of stock. He just used the flirting to smooth over the negotiations.Then Keyser started talking about things sweeter than candy. Dew thought the man had gone crazy by this point and that was the final pin in it. There was nothing sweeter than sweets. Why else would they be called sweets. Dew wondered if all of this was the result of him saying that Keyser was harmless and that was why he had been trusted. He would really need to watch what he said around Keyser if such a thing was going to provoke this kind of response every time.

“Young master…it appears that you belittle your worth.“

That certainly caught Dew's attention, as well as the arms around him. The next few words were somewhat blurred in Dew's mind because he was still trying to figure out what was going on. He was being touched. No one ever touched him besides his father. Sure he would lean on the nerds a little when flirting with him, or shake hands with a teacher when he got a good grade, but this sort of thing was an action that only Matthew seemed to be able to do. To have someone else like this was very odd for the teen indeed. When Keyser said that all of his enemies would be turned to ash, Dew finally figured out what was going on. Keyser was offering himself to work for Dew. To say that the teen was still confused would be an understatement. Was it common for people from other countries to just offer themselves like that? If it was then Dew would have to see for himself. Once Keyser let go, Dew returned to leaning on the counter, covering his face with one hand.

"Turn my enemies to ash huh? That kind of goes against your previous statement of saying you wouldn't hurt anyone. I guess it only extends to people, which is honestly just fine with me. My enemies aren't people. They're beasts and monsters who roam the earth, seeking to devour souls. They are mindless nightmares who deserve only an ending to their existence." Dew uncovered his face, looking directly at Keyser. Someone with power to help Dew on his journey had just offered himself for service. To not take advantage of this, or at the very least act on it would be troublesome. He could sort out his own internal questions later. "Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it. If this is some sort of joke, I would like to know now before my mind starts making plans of how to explain to my father how I managed to acquire someone who more or less has offered himself for the role of servant."

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Word Count: 910

Gp Gain: 18

Gp Total: 111

“Not exactly, I am just going to be here to protect you. The way you wear that crown of yours, is the same as royalty. Doesn’t make any sense that you don’t have a knight..dont you think? It’s a dangerous quest, fighting the hollows. This is something you should not have to do alone, You going to protect your father but who is going to protect you? As to why I care, how could I let such an innocent… beautiful face get tarnished in any way? Besides a reason to be around you…well…. Yea…  I just wanted to be around you more often.” Keyser then smiled, he really didn’t need to come up with some random excuse but the truth was that he did not want Alex to get hurt. “So… young master… we should be on our way.” Kiva was shocked that Keyser was going this far to protect this boy. Does he feel guilt after what happened in the last puzzle solving event?” Keyser then got up and was heading for the door, he was stopping by the exit and looks back. He gives off a cheerful smile and edges Alex to come along.”Hope you have room for ice cream”

Exit post-  200 words . 4 GP 89

OOC: Wanted to save some material for our other threads...we can start the next one asap if u like.