No Place I'd Rather Be (Roman)

It had been a bitch to get there and the walk had not been pleasant. She'd woken up, a warm mound of blankets and herself, to be met with the freezing cold in her room. Later it would be her own fault for leaving the window open, but then she had to take it as it was. Like every morning she left her bed, a long-legged mess of olive-toned skin and undergarments, and found her way to the kitchen. She'd made herself a bowl of Fruity Pebbles and stare at blank spaces for what seemed like over an hour until she could manage to take a shower. There she was quick, the usual shampoo and body wash, before she found herself wrapped up in a lovely warm towel. After this did she begin her hopping game from carpet to carpet, jumping on furniture occasionally if it meant not touching the icy floor. She couldn't say she didn't enjoy it; the child in her was laughing in amusement at her own personal Frogger. Once she was ready for the day, she'd stepped outside just to fall on the ground. "What the f-?!" she'd said as her head hit the hard wood of her door.She rubbed her head for a second and opened her eyes only to sigh and say, "Oh, shit." Ice was a clear layer of danger and destruction to herself in general, let alone anyone else’s belongings. By the time she’d arrived she’d managed to release three car alarms from their sacred prisons and notify the owner of literally nothing at all. Every step she took was like unleashing her body on a slip n’ slide. Her long, thin legs found it hard to keep her balance when her feet were moving out from beneath her.

The knees of her jeans were wed and covered with splotches of mud from where’d she fallen. Her lovely red gloves would have met the same fate if not for the lovely items she found herself grabbing onto. One of the bicycles she’d grabbed nearly fell on top of her for her only to be chased away by a homeless man thinking she was trying to steal his one and only piece of property. The alchemist was very surprised that she hadn’t managed to break any bones, but when she reached the tunnel she was huffing and puffing. Her cheeks were bright pink from the cold and she came to relax beneath the sea above her. As she did so Haedyn considered her life so far. In her mind she saw it quietly as the hard times came, watching herself go through every stage until she could pause it at the moment she was met at the border. The real reason for the silence had been to answer the question of why. Why had she gone to meet others like her? She’d been doing more than fine on her own. The inu had been in no mortal danger and had become so much like a human she felt as if she was one herself. So then why would she come here and do these things without a reason? Maybe she was bored, or maybe she was just trying something new. Until the reason would become clear to her Haedyn remained where she was, watching the lovely colored creatures swim around in their aquatic habitat. It had felt right when she’d heard word of it. The decision had been almost instantaneous for her. But still, as she reviewed everything in her mind, she couldn’t help but be reminded of her loneliness.

Haedyn loved the sea. She had been sailing once or twice and found she enjoyed the crisp air. Upon digging deeper she was infatuated with the science behind it all. She loved every wonder and creature that inhabited it so much that she found fish tanks amazingly interesting. It wasn’t the actual ocean, but the chances of her living anywhere near one were slim anyways. There was enough out there to be discovered, but heaven knew she wouldn’t be the one to do it. Not knowing what was there terrified her because even now, in a world of most technological advancement, no one could name every ocean animal that exists. It was why she found herself practically plastering her nose to the glass as a sting ray passed. That and the fact that the tanks keeping the animals alive was heated enough to bring some warmth through the glass. As a puffer fish swam into her view, Haedyn’s cheeks puffed up in response. She held this for just under a minute until she released the stale air to fog up the glass. The inu drew little smiley faces and watched one of the larger sharks pass of her head with a look of amazement. The fuzzy white ball attached to her cream-colored, knitted beanie swayed atop her head as she turned it to look more clearly. Quietly she lifted her mug of hot cocoa to her lips and drank, enjoying the sights without hardly a single person there.

It was crazy to come out in the cold like this, but she knew she could see it better without toddlers banging on the glass. Their grubby hands would smear all over and prohibit her from seeing what she wished to see at all. Not that she knew if there were really any toddlers on these lands, it was just the first excuse she had to go there alone. Her hands savored the cup’s warmth as she held it, her gloves covering her from wrist to finger tip in knitted warmth. The rest of her was dressed for warmth as well, right from the pink cushion marshmallow-like coat to the artificially fur-lined boots that she’d neatly tucked her jeans and fuzzy socks into. Her blonde hair was simply blonde this time, no vibrant hues stuck out from the silky mass. Haedyn’s face was cleared of makeup completely; she didn’t feel like carrying the weight on her face. She’d altered her clothes previously to allow her fluffy ears to stand nicely upon her head, curling at the middle into small triangles. Behind her her tail swayed with her movements but otherwise did not move out of her own concentration. Both animalistic qualities were covered in thick fur and a marble of coloring. White being her primary, patches of tan and gray following suit. It occurred to her that she could change into he primal form, but she didn’t feel like someone trying to take “Lassie” home that day.

Since joining the pack or clan, or whatever they wanted to call themselves, Roman had kept to himself. He accepted a job at the Lavender Lounge, said to be ran by his very Queen, a feline he had not yet met. He worked as a Body Guard or Bouncer, whichever they needed for the night. So many times, he stayed up until the early hours of three or even four in the morning. The sun had just barely begun to stir when he eventually went to sleep. He covered his eyes in a mask, forcing the darkness to surround his eye lids. The sun could be quite an asshole, rising whenever it wished. Working such late times made him feel as if he had been a Vampire. He made jokes to himself about the other races, mocking and even mimicking the drunks right before their eyes. Some nights, he even forced the ugly creatures to stay out of the club. It gave him a little too much power, but he liked it. It never really hurt anyone. Eventually the Grenades would be allowed to enter. Luckily this day was the start to his time off. He was off two nights of the week and this just happened to be his first day. He rolled over in his bed, sheets wrapped around his body, and his hand hanging off. He snored in his sleep, as was normal for him. Some had said he had sleep apnea, but it was not certain. With a final roll, he felt his body wake up as he dropped from the side of his bed. As he hit the hardwood, he opened his eyes and coughed as if the wind had been knocked out of him. Roman sat up on the ground and rubbed his stomach. It growled within him and he coughed. He moved to stand and threw the blankets back onto the bed. He moved from his room and walked into the other living quarters. It was a small place, but decent enough for him to stay alone.

He grabbed an Eggo waffle from the freezer and popped it into the toaster. He grabbed a couple more and finished filling all the four slots of his toaster. While he did this, he prepared his morning coffee. It had already been brewed from a timer and was held warm from the base of the maker. He poured some into a mug and grabbed his sugar. Opening the lid, he dumped a whole bunch in and added creamer. With a spoon, he stirred it, making it just perfect for his taste. He didn't like black coffee and he really didn't like coffee that was too sweet. It was a fine line for him. As the ring of the toaster set off, Roman moved to it. The waffles were hot to the touch, but he quickly grabbed them all up and juggled them onto the counter. "Mother fucker!" he yelled as the waffles seemed to burn his skin. He quickly put the tips of his fingers in his mouth and tried to cool them down. "Fucking toaster fucks..." he whispered to the breakfast discs. He drank some of his coffee and grabbed the newspaper. He flipped all the way to the sports section and threw everything else out. As he did this, he thumbed over the topics he cared about most. Football was primary and baseball was second. He read about his favorite players and even teams he really hated. As he finished, he grabbed his waffles and started chowing down, shoving one whole one into his mouth each time. Many who knew Roman would say he ate like a pig, stuffing anything and everything in his face. It was a bad habit, but one he would not be changing anytime soon. As he finished his breakfast, he wiped his hands on his sleeping pants and walked back into his room. He walked into the bathroom, stripping his clothes as he entered the tile floor room, and threw them astray. He turned on the water and waited for it to heat up. Grabbing the bottle of shampoo, he squirted some into his palm and placed it back down. He rubbed his hands together, spreading it between the two of them. He smoothed it over his hair, scratching it in to sink to the roots of his hair. As he washed the shampoo away, he looked into his tiny mirror, looking at his face. His stubble was showing again, and he knew it was time for a clean shave. He touched the hair of his mustache and the goatee. He went down the razor and started to whistle a simple song as he shaved the stubble gone. He ran his hand over face once more, just checking it out. When all was well, he cleaned the rest of his body. When he was done, he rinsed off and stepped out of the shower. He wrapped the towel around his body tight, tying it off at the waist. He walked around this way for a while, running a comb through his hair so it didn't look to wild. He grabbed a cloth and cleaned out the innards of his ears. He strolled back to his room and changed to a presentable wardrobe. He was dressed in a silk black long sleeve button down. The first and second buttons were unfastened, allowing his bare skin to be seen. He wore red suspenders over his shirt and dark grey slacks. His boots were black and the slacks covered the top. It was important to have proper footwear in the snow or ice. One slip and you could lose it all. His coat was a dark gray color, almost like a cardigan. And to top it all off, he wore a black fedora with a red strip around the base.

Roman knew he looked stunning, and therefore, he was fit to leave his dwelling. Walking out of the front door, he could see the patches of ice. Instead of possibly falling down, he avoided them at all costs. He even jumped over some, landing perfectly. He often wondered if he should have even competed in agility courses with regular dogs. He probably could have snuck away with first place. Nobody would suspect a thing. He smiled to himself as he wondered how a blue ribbon would look around his neck. As he wandered around the streets, he was looking for a place to go. He had explored some of the regions, but not all of them. One in particular had peaked an interest, but he never really had the time to designate to it. If he was going to visit the Undersea Pass, he was going to do it on a day where he could actually enjoy himself all day. Sea life was pretty awesome in comparison to the things he lived around. Sharks were badass in his eyes. That was what he really wanted to see and this was exactly the place to go. As he entered the entrance, immediately, he was in a world of blue. The walls around him were see-through and showed the living things around him. The corals were vibrant and bright in the waters. Small fish inhibited them and large ones swam around. It was not long until Roman saw the largest predator swimming around. It was a Great White Shark. It was large and he could tell the are was much bigger than he thought. The beastly creature was about to swim over head. All the while, Roman was following it with wide eyes. He was not looking where he was going and found himself walking into another Mora. "Oh god, I am so sorry. I was not even paying attention to where I was..." he finally cut his own words off as he looked to the beautiful female before him. She was an Inu just like he was, only she was far more beautiful.

Her breath misted against the glass separating her from the beautiful creatures before her. An elegant finger drew faces against the glass, fish giving her curious glances before they quickly swam away. She’d figured early on that she’d be a dolphin if given the chance. Their lives seemed to be a constant party, and she felt left out on the fun. Haedyn wasn’t too sure that she’d refrain from jumping into the tank if she was given a chance. Sharks aside, she believed it would be a magical experience in and of itself. An ethereal light of some sort turned the tunnel into multiple shades of blue and black. It lit Haedyn up with its azure hue and made her eyes dance over the shadows of the creatures. If she’d had any other talent, she would have been able to take pictures of this moment. Early in life her photography skills fell flat and presented her with the worst pictures she’d ever witnessed in her life. It seemed only her eyes would be catching this moment, and she was too distracted by these things to even begin to see the man before they collided. Haedyn was spooked into yelping and nearly dropping her styrofoam mug. Fear was soon replaced with guilt when she realized how boney her shoulder was and she feared leaving a bruise. “Oh goodness.. Today is totally not my day.. I’m sor-“ She stopped short when she looked at him, her eyes widening for a moment to take him all in. Haedyn’s head tilted up until she felt her skin stretched tight over bone and muscle to see him. Though she wasn’t drastically shorter than him, his close proximity caused her to overly dramatize the movement itself. He was pretty, almost too pretty compared to the wildness she inhabited. Albeit she looked pretty normal herself, but the day was still young enough for her to bust out the neon eyeliner. Simply by looking at him, Haedyn deemed him one of the more reserved types and less of a wild man. The alchemist decided that for now she was cool with that, especially if he planned to hang around. She listened to him apologize and held up her hands to wave off his words. “No no, it was most likely and probably my fault. I’m sorry, truly. I’m not about my wits in this weather, in fact I’m pretty sure I’ll be having stitches when I go to bed tonight.” Haedyn babbled on helplessly until she settled for silence. She wondered if he’d be too horribly offended if she reached out to poke his mustache. In the end the inu decided against it and twisted a few strands of her hair between two fingers.

Eventually she’d turned away from him but felt guilty still, the thought of his car probably being one of the many she’d somewhat dented in her travels. Thinking she’d ask, Haedyn turned back to him and pointed her thumb behind her at the exit. “Did the um.. Did your car alarm go off at any time between fifteen to thirty minutes ago? If you even drove here, that is.” She caught herself before she babbled on that time and turned back to the fish, though her attention had turned to the man not even five feet from her. She liked his fedora, even had one herself when she wanted to feel inquisitive. Haedyn felt like asking too many questions all at once and decided to start simply. She turned from the fish, ditched the awkward, and held out her hand for a shake. “Now that we’ve collided, it is too personal to not tell you my name. I’m Haedyn, alchemist and bartender. Oh, and metaphorical sister to the Queen herself, but that’s a complicated story.” She placed her eyes on his and gave a small smile in greeting, the action lighting up her face. Haedyn loved to laugh and smile when the opportunity arose, but he’d barely scratched the surface. She wouldn’t crack -Haedyn never cracked- but she would reflect the joy she’d rather see in someone else. So far her strategy to entertain worked well enough, and sometimes she lost herself in the masquerade for a while. Alcohol helped. It always helped to fall into a bottle of whatever she happened to want in that moment. Joy, fear, anger, lust.. She could always find it one way or another if she tossed around a few drinks. Right then she wanted something for her nerves but didn’t carry a flask because the liquid courage had stopped working a while ago. She was loathe to accept that she’d stopped and collected $200 one too many times, and somehow she’d ended up losing the game anyways. Haedyn couldn’t be bothered with letting herself be carried away from the here and now any more than she could help it, but her mind returned to stroke that flame and scorch her from the inside repetitively. She’d take her medication when she was home, but she couldn’t exactly be popping a couple pills in public without getting a few curious stares. They wouldn’t believe her even if she told them she was diagnosed and all doctor friendly, but everyone was either drunk or high anyways. Haedyn’s eyes had wandered away but snapped back to him as she quietly waited for him to speak. Her hand waited for the touch of another as she looked up at him without a falter in her smile.