Annoyance [Open]

[Lino Vidal Cartagena]

Some idiot just had to leave the window open.
The wind had been pushing both sides of the casement window inward, and then doubtlessly back outward to make a terrible, horrific slam. And even when the wind decided to do so gently, Lino had to be bothered with the slow creaking sound. He wouldn't actually have to get up, would he?

He'd decided that it had been quite some time since the last time he'd come to the library, and his last visit wasn't too bad, or boring. His legs were crossed as he had been sitting on the ground. He slowly shifted from his position, his back against the wall with his legs straight out. His hand held on tightly to a book, the cover becoming further more crinkly that it had been as his grip tightened."Can someone please close that goddamned window" He muttered to himself.

The window causing all this annoyance was merely across where he laid, which was right next to a few bookshelves. And not only was there noise, but a cold breeze sneaking into the warm room. A coldness that didn't quite suit what he had been wearing. The T-shirt he wore was too thin, and hardly had any sleeves of course. It was meant to be worn in the school, and he could live with the few seconds between getting from the school to his room. Well, at least he was wearing a black tee. That color was the difference between being warm, and being cold, after all. He let out a long sigh. That dumb color wasn't going to change anything. He had to admit the fact that he was cold at the moment.

Cursing under his breath, Lino stood up, leaning against the wall throughout the tiresome journey of getting up. Taking wide steps as he walked, he felt as if he was making a whole lot more noise than he should. But his sneakers were too small to make such a racket. Sighing, he started to walk on the tip of his toes, testing his stealth abilities. He looked back a moment, taking a peak at the left behind book. Then, taking a look at his bag that quietly sat in a seat near the entrance. Oh yes, it was sitting.

His thoughts had stopped amusing, as well as the sarcastic tone in his mind. Finally arriving at the window, he placed his right hand on the handle, twisting it. It really was impossible to find quietness, wasn't it? And thank god he was in a library. As if a final laugh of pride, it just had to make a small squeaking sound. He slammed his head into the leaded glass, gently, as if he was afraid that if he did so too strong, it would actually break. Well, of course it was doubtless that that would happen. He was so strong after all. His bangs were roughly pushed back, only strands of black hair were left behind to cover his olive green eyes. He took a step back, his fingers brushing through the rest of his long red tinted hair. He turned around, almost as if looking to see if anyone was watching.

[Frida Feldt]

Reading was something she did often when she was alone. It distracted her from the calm boredom of everyday life. And she learned from it. Frida read books about everything. Fantasy stories, scientific discoveries, historical biographies, self-help novels. You name it. Everything was on her reading list. Currently it was The Flame Alphabet, a fictitious story about an epidemic that creates a world where adults are harmed by the speech of their children. It was interesting enough. Distracting enough. Entertaining if unrealistic. She ate as she read, giving in to her oral fixation by chomping on celery sticks. It wasn’t a bad way to pass the time.

It was probably a good thing she wasn’t allowed to smoke at the school. Smoking only made her asthma worse. At the same time, it left with her some strange twitches. She chewed up her pens, bit her nails…Or carried around foods that she could mutilate on behalf of her writing utensils. It was a good system when she was able to implement it. All she had to do was make sure the librarian didn’t catch her eating in the library, and that was easy enough. She sat behind some bookshelves near the open window.

She didn’t mind the chilled air. Frida was dressed for the cold, wearing a knitted shawl striped with different colors over a long sleeved black shirt and blue jeans. Her black boots were lined with wool on the inside, so they were warm as well. Her dark hair, which had been straightened that day, was brushed to one side as she read. Frida was entirely lost in her world. Comfortable. Warm. It was an escape that she used to keep herself from getting depressed when she was alone. If she was lost in the book, then she could pretend she was surrounded by the characters in the story.

But then her environment changed and Frida was pulled out of everything. Startled, her purple gaze sought out the interference. Ah, there it was. The window had been shut. She looked at the boy responsible. He looked familiar. Did they share classes? It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that he had disrupted her flow. “I was enjoying the breeze,” she said mildly. There was no anger in her features. Truth be told, scolding him for closing the window was better than reading. Frida craved conversation. Without it, her life was too quiet.

[Lino Vidal Cartagena]

"Oh, sorry hun, guess I wasn't" He said, his green eyes coldly staring into hers, the tips of his lips slightly curving up to form a smile that seemed rather natural considering the fact that his response wasn't exactly, polite, though his tone had sounded somewhat childish as well as controlled, along with being sincere.

Sincere, oh yes he was sincere. "Are you sure you're allowed to eat that here, though I don't see why anyone would waste time eating that..." He added, this time blunt and monotone, his eyes dropping down to the celery sticks, then quietly looking back up to her.

Now actually thinking, the girl actually did look familiar, now that he actually paid attention, and it was really no wonder that she was enjoying the breeze, given the fact that she was dressed properly, unlike him.
Running a hand through his hair, he leaned against the wall, taking two steps back to avoid the window. He scanned the room once again, his eyes stopping once at his bag and a second at the book that lied on the floor, finally back to the girl.

They must have shared a class, he knew as a matter of fact that he didn't usually notice anyone while walking down the hall, and he didn't really go outside much. Yep, they shared a class. Or two. He raised an eyebrow at the realization, slightly embarrassed to not know her name.

No, there was no need to be embarrassed. She most likely didn't know his name either, and he'd only been in Styrewood for a year or so. He questioned himself as to wether or not he should leave, he'd obviously somewhat disturbed her, then somewhat said something sarcastic. It was rare for anything to happen in a library.

[Frida Feldt]

She nodded in response to his sarcastic tone, not really put off by it. Frida could behave similarly when the time called for it. Anyway, she noticed he was wearing short sleeves. He probably was genuinely cold. Fair enough, then. Frida could let this one slide by, though an argument danced on the tip of her tongue. She was in a peaceable mood thanks to her isolation. And anyway, she liked spunk in a person. It made them interesting. Which was probably why that half smile had inched its way into her expression. This one was colorful, wasn’t he? Cool.

When he mentioned her snack, she shrugged carelessly. “It’s all fine and dandy so long as they don’t see me eating it. They should just be thankful it’s celery and not a cigarette, which is what I really want.” When Frida had first began attending the academy, she’d had the naïve hope that it would be easy to find cigarettes on campus whether they were allowed or not. Apparently that was not case. As it turned out, most kids in high school did not smoke. She would have to wait a long while to receive more from Spider. He didn’t like her smoking at school because he didn’t want her to get thrown out.

It was weird how randomly paternal he could be. One moment he was taking her to parties and getting her high, and the next he was telling her to follow the rules. Ah well. He’d get her a pack for her birthday, or for holidays. So at least he wasn’t consistent about her need to follow the rules. Then again, Spider was never consistent about anything. It was one of the reasons they got along so well. Everything was fresh. Interesting. Frida wasn’t a fan of predictability.

[Lino Vidal Cartagena]

"Hah, Frida!" He shouted, a wide grin plastered on his face. He was lucky they hadn't heard him, or else he would've got her in trouble. He'd been merely yelling like an idiot out of a manga.

His eyes quickly moved from one side to the other for a moment, Lino looking down as that happened. It was generally hard for Lino to read given this fact, only encouraging him to avoid studying even more. Along with this all he saw were black and white and light really didn't get along too well with him. His eyes were just look.

He chuckled. "Might Frida be your name?" He asked, the grin not fading and bowing, lifting his head as he looked at her reaction. Well, aside from bowing, at least this time he'd questioned her identity in a more ordinary manner.

Really the only reason he'd reacted in such a way was due to the fact that he rarely ever paid attention, and him remembering her name? Well, now that was an achievement. Well, there was a price. He hadn't heard a single word from what she said. Again, well, he had heard cigarette.

Cigarettes. Now, it was well known, of course only by fellow students, that he was the first to come to if that was the case. Though the amount who knew is preferred to be kept to a limited amount as some might instigate that fact when he got into fights. He always got into fights. Now, there was a fresh bruise on his right arm. He wasn't that great of a fighter as well.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a cigarette, placing it between his index and middle finger, waving it in front of her. Lino himself had tried to avoid smoking, he'd been addicted at some point, not too long ago either. So given the fact that he couldn't quite supply all too many, it wasn't too bright to become addicted all over again.

[Frida Feldt]

The shout was unexpected. It didn’t quite mesh with the flow of conversation that had begun between the two of them. Frida raised her eyebrows, but other than that her surprise did not show. He seemed very proud of himself for remembering her name. Hm. Well, if he could remember hers then surely she could remember his, right? The halfling thought back to class and envisioned the professor taking calling out names. Of course! A small, triumphant smile slithered onto her face. Lino. Frida’s memory was quite sharp when she actually put it to use. He was Lino Cartagena, wasn’t he?

He bowed to her, something Frida found odd, and sought to confirm his own memory. She nodded, still smiling. “I am Frida. And you’re Lino, right? I remember you.” She watched him then, curious, as he reached into his pocket and pulled something small out. Lo and behold, it was a cigarette. Interesting. Frida tilted her head to the side, her smile fading into an amused smirk. What luck to run into someone who just so happened to carry the exact illegal contraband that she was craving. Not that she was addicted or anything. Frida didn’t smoke often enough for that.

“Well, well, lookit that,” she said appreciatively, “What do you want for it?” Of course, it was assumed that he was offering it to her. Why else would he pull it out of his pocket? To tease her with the fact that he had one and she did not? That would be silly and childish. Nah, more than likely he was a supplier. And if the price was right, then he’d be a good contact for her to keep. Having a cigarette now and then would certainly liven the place up. She just needed to make sure she didn’t smoke out of boredom alone; that would get her addicted real fast.

[Lino Vidal Cartagena]

Oh, so she did remember his name. Fair enough.
"Well..." He thought a moment, staring at her eyes curiously. He stuck out his tongue involuntarily, then finally replied. "Well, since this is...how about, as a simple request, what color are your eyes?" He had really been considering something far more provocative, but decided against it. Maybe next time. Hopefully next time.

"Yep! Describe your eyes' color perfectly with every detail and I'll kindly give it to you, though next time..." His voice had seemed enthusiastic enough to not mistake him for joking. He was grinning his usual grin, patiently waiting for an answer.

He played with an amulet that fell down to mid-chest. The shape had been some sort of two triangles intertwined to the extent of looking like something else, though the shape had been fairly small, the metal rusted. He pulled it away from his shirt and pushed to the right, causing to wrap around his neck. He pulled his hair up as if about to tie it, then quietly re-adjusted the amulet to it's rightful position.

Aware of what he had been doing, he looked up at the girl, sticking out his tongue once again with a small chuckle. Yep, he was doubtlessly going insane.

[Frida Feldt]

Not money. Nothing of value. Lino didn’t want anything. Instead he asked her a question. How interesting. Frida tilted her head to the side and studied him again, wondering about him. His mind, his motives. Why that question, of all questions? She imagined he was starting simple and would then work his way up to more complex and interesting questions. Well that was all fine and dandy. Frida didn’t mind questions at all. She could learn as much about Lino from his questions as he could from the questions he asked her. It fascinated her that he put his value in such things.

The demon grinned. “My eyes are amethyst if you ask an optometrist. They’re pale and bright with a darker ring of violet around them. They’re flecked with a couple shades of purple if you look closely, but the light lavender stands out the most. Hence the paleness. The pupils are black. And the sclera, of course, is white. Have I left any of the details out?” She thought not. Then again, she’d never been asked to describe the color of her eyes before. Most people took it for granted that they were purple. It was a strange thing to describe despite the fact that she saw them in the mirror every day.

[Lino Vidal Cartagena]

He tilted his head to one side as he listened. "Sounds like you've got some pretty eyes." He said, a wide smile replacing the smirk. He blushed slightly, his eyes meeting the ground. "Well anyway, guess that means this is yours" He mumbled, his words just barely comprehensible. He lazily approached her, extending his arm out, offering the cigarette to her.

He looked up, the grin there once again. Blushing was pathetic and Lino was fully aware of the fact. He'd done worse without giving a damn. Frida had given him a description that was beyond the effort that anyone else would put into such a request. He wouldn't have put half the effort. Green, it was as simple as that, though he doubted he could really do any better.

[Frida Feldt]

Sounds like? Frida gave him an odd look. Could he not see them for himself? The demon smiled lopsidedly as she accepted the offered cigarette and stored it in her little black backpack. She couldn’t exactly light up in the library, after all. That would be a tad too obvious and a definite waste of a cigarette. She’d save it for later. Frida looked at him again, her gaze curious. “Are you colorblind, Lino?” That would explain the question. Frida had thought that he was playing with her but now she wondered if he really didn’t know. It was possible, then, that the question had been a real one after all.

[Lino Vidal Cartagena]

He withdrew his hand, pushing it into his jeans's pocket, causing them to slightly fall down despite how tight they were. "Huh?" He blurted out, not fully acknowledging what she'd said, shock causing him to question her. Had he said anything that could trigger such a question? Sure, he'd asked for her eye color, but he could've been simply joking. He thought moment, backtracking what he'd just said.

No, this was hopeless. It was taking him too long to answer, and she'd probably thought she guessed right by now. Lino had forgotten what he'd said seconds ago, so like him. "Well, Achromatopsia would be the right term, colorblind's just too obvious" He chuckled, running his free hand through his hair. "But I've been like this since I was born, so it's nothing big." He concluded, sighing at the end.

[Frida Feldt]

He seemed surprised that she’d asked. Perhaps Frida’s guess had been wrong after all? But then…He was taking quite a while to answer. So maybe she’d been right. The demon waited patiently for his answer, not bothering to hide her curious gaze. And then it came. Achromatopsia? It was not a word she knew. “Fascinating,” she half whispered. Frida liked learning new things. She made a mental note of the word and resolved to look into it later. “So Lino,” she said conversationally, “Tell me about yourself. I’m sure there’s more to you than your lack of color vision and your ability to produce illegal contraband when I need it most.”

[Lino Vidal Cartagena]

Lino grinned. This was the perfect moment to reintroduce his lovely humor. "Well, I dunno if I should say this aloud...but you've already seen too much.... He looked away for a second, then continued. "I'm actually a...demon...well, halfling" He chuckled. He knew it was lame, but that was just the beauty of it.

In reality, he had no idea, as far as anything serious, what he could tell her. "Well, I was arrested once...for armed robbery" Speaking what first came to mind, Lino was actually thinking, at least at that moment. "I was...13, so about two years ago, that was before I was sent here, I've only been here a year after all."

[Frida Feldt]

“Armed robbery?” Frida laughed, her eyes glinting with amusement and…approval? “You’re quite the character aren’t you? What were you trying to steal?” She did love a good crime story. Of course, she already knew how this one ended. He was arrested. Even so, the middle bits were often the most entertaining pieces. Frida herself had never been arrested, though it was a wonder how with a guardian like Spider. He did a pretty good job of protecting her from authority figures, though. Spider didn’t like them so he made sure to keep his only daughter (well, only daughter that he knew of) away from their presence.

[Lino Vidal Cartagena]

"Iahem, ahem hem" He coughed, if that was what you could call such action. "One night, a night..." Though starting with a tone that appeared to be rather enthusiastic, it slowly dimmed down to this. "Anyway, I walked into a...bleh, can't remember what...anyway, pulled out two guns, pointed one to the cashier, and the other to just about everyone else. I think at first just about no one believed me, as said, I was 13 and was pretty short...Actually I don't think I grew much since then" He recited, though chuckling with his last words.

"So, I had to make it clear that I wasn't joking...So I shot this kid, in his chest, just a little to the left. He was just about my age maybe... He looked at Frida, examining her facial expression. "Anyway, a few people screamed, some of them just stared, and there were others that panicked and started running. The kid was still lying there. For a second I looked around to see where his parents were. I'd seen them next to him before I took out the two guns. But I couldn't find them. Probably ran to the back of the store or something. I'd actually missed his heart by a couple of inches, so he was basically bleeding to death at the time. No one ran to him, tried to pull him back, defend him. Nothing... His eyes met the ground for a few seconds.

"Then, oh yeah, it was a robbery" He chuckled, now looking at Frida with an amused look. "So, I told the cashier to put the money in the bags (that I brought with me). He did so, and I was about to walk out. I took a look at the kid, he was still breathing. Now, lemme just say this, I'm not the type to regret what I do or anything like that, what's done is done. So then, I yelled out asking who was his parent. A woman, shaking, walked forward and raised her hand. I pointed the gun at her, and shot her. Of course, by then the police was already on it's way. And I guess you can guess what happened next..." Lino grinned, he completely remembered the scene.