stuff us in boxes that's where you want us

cardboard is boring, we brought our matches - look how it burns

That flame, a meld of beautiful oranges, reds and yellows looked so similar to fur that she couldn't help but continuously return her attention to that near hypnotizing gesture of petting his familiar. It was hard to imagine, that little guy was actually made of flames. Although she was curious if the little flaming animal was a part of him, why name it like some separate entity. Perhaps it was the equivalent of people naming parts of their body? Maybe it was best to avoid that line of thought, lest it directly became a line of questioning she voiced out loud. Regardless, the sweet little rabbit seemed to enjoy being nestled in that spot, relishing in the attention. It was interesting and fascinating in many ways she couldn't quite ever know for herself. Like his very own animal bff. They all had their things. She did too, only she turned into an animal. Those two facts almost seemed tame in comparison to some of the things that went down in the city. Sly seemed more than happy to speak on the subject of his familiar, his features melting in an attractive grin, more amused by her questions and not at all giving her one of 'those' looks the woman was so used to receiving.

Those flames kept people's wandering hands. She supposed that made sense. "I bet it would, but I have to say, you make fire look like it's cuddly." She added lightly, her gaze shifted to her pup who clearly was not lap-sized by any means. If only that easy conversation remained. But like that fateful night at Syn, it too seemed to take a wrong turn. It was like they had giant gorillas doing the macarena that none of them could acknowledge fully. More like two of them. She had boldly taken a stab in the dark, deducing his own, only to find out how wrong she was. The raven-haired woman couldn't even hide the look of scepticism written all over her face. Despite her stubborn nature, was at least willing to let it go for the moment. To let the conversation shift to something easier.

However, she was destined to be the titanic it would seem. At least the meal wasn't. The new topic they decided to focus on. Which didn't quite make it any easier. She hadn't even made it. It hit all the right spots for a perfect meal. But she couldn't take credit for it. She could only imagine how long it took to make something like this. No.... something with that much flavour infused always took so much longer than fifteen minutes of whipping something together. Harley attempted to barrel her way through the prompted questions regardless of each mini hurdle she had to overcome. Quite well for a sinking ship if she did say so herself. She was not a chef by any means. But she could appreciate good food and make some things. That counted right? The question of if she was a chef nearly brought out a bark of laughter from her lips. No, she was not a chef. Nor was she going to pretend to be one for the sake of amusement.

Maybe it was time to actually share something real. A little piece of herself. He didn't really have anything to do with Syn or Tet. surely it wouldn't hurt to offer him something real about her. She didn't expect that level of surprise from him like he was more likely to believe she was a chef. Maybe after everything, maybe she wouldn't believe her either. She frowned, wondering how all things managed to lead to Syn, asking about it just being a side gig. She couldn't blame him. None of this. From his point of view nothing he had seen about her or 'knew' made any sense, especially when you didn't know. The ever-mysterious feline. She sat up a little straighter before he quickly added in that she didn't need to explain, that there were plenty of things that were best not explained. Wasn't that the damn truth of the month. She gave him an incredulously brow raise expression. He gave up too easily. "Sounds like that comes from someone who knows." She added softly, a voice that matched his own after he decided to stop prodding. Seriously, he didn't want to know that truth. It was a lot to take in. Hell, she was a lot to take in.

"But for the record, despite your surprise. I am a tattoo artist. That's where I was earlier today, actually. I put some time on a really detailed sleeve." But the client couldn't sit for long at all... He was in a biker gang and looked like it too, but his tolerance for tattoo needles was next to nothing. You could never tell by looking at him too. His eyes just leaked. He claimed he wasn't crying either, she was sure he would claim that to the day to die. Guy looked like he served 10 years in hard prison and was oddly polite, soft like a kitten. She felt bad. He claimed it was an involuntary response and to keep going. Poor guy. It made things weird... but then again, sometimes that was a part of the gig. You really learned a lot of about someone when your body was in pain. How easily she could have talked about her job. She was more than just Syn, after all. She refused to make that hellhole her identity. But she could see that Sly was hardly convinced. Perhaps that made two of them. He however seemed to enjoy the food.

Oh, her reckless tongue was going to get her into trouble. Who was she kidding? It already did. Yet she never thought it would be because she overshared something she shouldn't that prompted that final question of how he didn't die. She muttered her reply, for some reason, refusing to lie outright. Yet all it managed to do was make her look a little crazy. At least crazier than she already appeared and that was a feat all on its own. But she had an obscure fae friend's identity to protect. How crazy she would have sounded if she said that one out loud? All she had was herself to blame. That mention that she made a deal seemed to immediately spur a question that she should have anticipated. In hindsight, it sounded much worse than it actually was. The blond warlock claimed that if she had made a deal at that place then it was a deal with the devil. Anything more the man could have said was cut off by a random pillow missile that was launched perfectly at his head from seemingly nowhere. A cushioned thud could be heard at the impact. Harley tried to hold back that laugh only choking out a sound. More random she couldn't explain. So someone was listening. Didn't like being called the devil, hm? Although she was certain Matteo was many things, he was surely not the devil.

Harley's vibrant purple eyes seemed to gleam with pure amusement. The sound of the pillow colliding to the floor caused Ace to finally snap out of his reverie. He thought this was a marvellous game for him. He pounced on that pillow with zeal, taking it into his mouth and pranced, yes, pranced to the couch as if expecting to find someone who would play with him. His tail wagged furiously, happy as he peered around that room like the dog began a detective, dropping the pillow and play bowing at nothing. This was just piling on the weird and at this rate, leprechauns could have found a rainbow in her apartment and she wouldn't have batted an eye. But what was more shocking, Sly didn't even really respond. Yeah, he seemed a little irritated, but not at all like someone would react to a phantom possessed pillow.

The warlock's blue eyes found Harley's then, looking all too perplexed and yet recovered like it never happened. She had finished the last bite of her own food, the woman casually clasping her fingers and rested her chin upon her makeshift shelf with that expression like... 'its only weird if we make it weird'. He claimed he was assaulted and attempted to recover. It was hard keeping a straight face as she attempted to remain focused on the confused warlock. Poor guy. Had zero idea of the circus he walked in on the moment he met her. He rubbed the back of his head like it hurt... maybe it hurt his feelings. Harley tipped her head with her chin rested on her laced fingers. The look urged him to continue. He claimed she didn't need to explain, but to not make any more life-saving deals before he could return the favour.

"Pay me back?" She questioned incredulously as if she couldn't dream of it. "It really isn't as bad as it sounds and you are still rescuing my shower." Regardless, he didn't seem all that concerned as he drew another mouthful, content to take another bite after he shook his head in disbelief,

He then veered again, the topic shifting to the ridiculous so-called ghost haunting her. "Do I want to know the theory of the other 10%?" She teased, her tone taking on something far more playful. "What makes you think the ghost doesn't like you? I am pretty sure they would have thrown something heftier. If you ask me, it was initiating a pillow fight. Or you mildly offended it." She shrugged easily, unfolding her fingers and leant back into her chair. Ace prowled around that apartment in search for his friend only before giving up dramatically and lowered to lay down with the most pathetically sad look on his face. It wasn't long after that Sly finished every last morsel of that meal. She had really put a lot on there too.

His blue gaze found hers, the look she was coming to know as his business face settled in place as he claimed it would take him another day of work to repair but the shower's plumbing would at least be taken care of that night. A look akin to relief seized her feminine features. That question if Wednesday was fine to come back and finish the rest, the tile and whatever else. The words of agreement with already poised on the tip of her tongue, but he did not stop there. No, he claimed he could bring dinner that night and do something after that. Wait... where did that come from? Did she hear that right? How did he manage to catch her off guard again? The guy was smooth and confident too. One not easily predicted either.. His attention was fully on her before he inserted that he was asking her out after he finished with that shower. Her lips quirked into a smirk at that, allowing that to be the only indication she had heard her blond companion.

Had she been knowingly blinding herself? He should have been running the other way. But there he was, staring at her expectantly for her reply.

"You can get it all done in two sessions? Sweet! I was thinking way worse. Wednesdays are usually good though." She paused shortly, still intrigued by that last part. Intrigued even by the notion that she was intrigued. When was the last date she went on? Officially? Her life was rarely made up of plans, more likely spur of the moment decisions she had jumped in with both feet first without knowing where it ended up. Every other date opportunity she had vehemently turned down for one reason or another, even despite her usual zest for life. But there she was... considering this. She was curious about this guy. It was clear that he wasn't like most men. Plus, a date never hurt anyone. It was just like hanging out but with attraction.

"I'm free for dinner and the something else too. In case you were wondering." She added, the corner of her lips quirking upwards in an amused grin. Normally the thought of something else would have been seen as sketchy and yet the prospect of something not easily predicted seemed appealing to the brazen woman. Only then did it settle. Did she just make a plan, with a male she didn't find revolting? In fact, he was far from it. Yet.... If they were going to do this date thing, she had to set the record straight.

"But before you go back to business mode again..." She stood up, pulling out her phone that hadn't made a noise all night. She plucked it from her pocket, moving around the table to the chair next to him. She nudged it with a foot so she could flop into it, scooting that chair just a little closer, knees facing him as her gaze flickered to Mihai and then back to Sly. That fire was hot, she could feel it even more so here. Easily, she unlocked her phone and thumbed swiftly to the marked folder titled 'permanent doodles' before handing him her phone. All those pictures that filled that folder were her portfolio. All photos she had taken of various works-in-progress, finished pieces that people agreed to allow her to use. "That's the sleeve I was working on today... You can scroll through, there are more pictures of what I have done. I don't think... there is anything too scandalous.. in that folder." She thought back before shrugging and allowing her vivid gaze to shift to the blue-eyed warlock once more curiously. He didn't seem to have any tattoos of his own, at least none that were visible. "Things can get a little weird sometimes.. But it never gets old." Yeah, they were still talking about that job. Mostly.

Harley Westward