Learning to Fall (Alvis & Malice)

[Alvis Alendran]

Autumn. It was the season of endings, and beginnings. The trees were just starting to shed their leaves slowly, bringing a mild chill to the air that encouraged a longer coat than normal. And Caughlin Lloyd would never pass up the chance to wear a long coat. He was smiling as he walked,a slightl spring in his step. The grounds of the campus were kept fastidiously clean. Lloyd had always thought that the levels of attention paid to the cleanliness of the place was the sign of a disturbed mind in their resident dean. Too much focus on appearance. But then, dressed in a suit from some of the finest tailors in Italy, he wasn't one ot talk about appearances being kept up. Still, he smiled and shrugged his shoulders, settling the trench coat he wore onto his shoudlers a little easier. Lloyd was getting towards thirty these days, a little older than a lot of people who were wading into the legal field. But Lloyd had taken dsome convincing to get into the business at all. But his father had been a lawyer, as had his gradnfather, adn his great grandfather. Most of his uncles had been involved in the legal trade one way or another. But his father had wanted Lloyd to be able to manage the family firm some day. And that meant having to become a lawyer.

So here he stood.

He was of imddling height, though he kept himself in good shape. He swam regularly to keep himself fairly trim. He wasn't bulky, but he carried himself well. His face was always set in either a knowing smirk or a grin that sparked the thoughts of someone about to get up to some kind of mischief. His eyes were a light blue, adn they sprakled with amusement mosts often. His hair was a light brown, and very fine, so much so that it almost always sitrred in even the slightest breeze. Which led to him almost constantly having to adjust it. Still, there w as a light spring in his step, the kind one found when someone was looking forward to getting where they were going. Lloyd seemed a man who knew nothing but amusement and enjoyment. Little wonder he had very few problems making friends. He spared a wave for a small gaggle of other students, all of them women, who smiled back adn waved with a certain enthusiasm. Lloyd winked and carried on. it was looking to be a good day after all.

 

[Malicious Lullaby]

The season finally change. It was the season marking the end of the grueling summer and the season marking the beginning, an official cycle starting everything all over. At least, that’s how she saw it. Everything started with fall and went in a circle of changing seasons and times, only to come back to home, fall. It was her favorite season of the year. Not too cold, not very hot, just right. Kind of like the way she liked her coffee.

Every morning, she needed a coffee boost. She always believed she’d never take up the need for caffeine. But circumstances as they were, it came very much in handy by the time she started college. She started later than most. Took longer than all the people she graduated with. All her friends were college graduates, going onto bigger and better things because of their new fancy degrees. She was almost twenty-five and she was only just starting her final year as a college senior. She was only now going to be getting her bachelors degree. Sometimes she believed it was a really bad idea to have taken a year or two off from school after high school graduate. Most times she wished she never got involved in the kind of job she did that prevented her from wanting to go back to work, that made it so easy to want to not get involved with school anyways. But she knew herself. And she knew that she didn’t want to do this for life. She had to go to college. But it felt like she was slowly killing herself to keep up with at least a 3.5 GPA and working a night ‘shift.’ Hence her need for her morning coffee. With classes starting at 9 AM and she not coming back to her apartment until 3 AM?
“Hi, triple espresso shot, no sweetener and light on the milk, please.”

Once she got her morning fix, it was steadfast walking towards her first class. 8:50. That meant she had ten minutes to get all the way onto the other side of campus and claim her seat before someone else did. Seats weren’t assigned but she broke her glasses last week and she wasn’t exactly fond of touching her eyeballs for the sake of contacts. She couldn’t see from afar. Sometimes she liked to believe she just had really bad luck, most of the times she was so frazzled and clearly intimidated by the eighteen hours she was taking, the little things became nonexistent. Like her glasses.

“Sarai!”
She nearly groaned. Now what? She turned and plastered on a big smile for that familiar voice that made her want to throw up all over her coffee. “Hey…Thelma!”
“Hey, do you have a moment?”
“Um, not—“
”Because I really wanted to go over something with you.”
“But I have—“
“It’ll just take a minute?”
She glanced at her watch and sighed. “You have exactly sixty seconds.” Sarai stared at her watch the entire time as Thelma was slowly making her want to throw up all over her sparkly little Mary Janes. Goodness, the people in this school…money, money, and more money.

When sixty seconds were up, the girl wouldn’t stop talking. And ten minutes later, Sarai found herself sitting in the last row in her class, squinting just to see what was written on the board or what was being projected through the projector. She was going to murder that stupid Thelma Parker one day. Or reach down her throat and crush her stupid squeaky little voice box.

Sarai Huxtable was a girl who kept herself in good shape. By day, she was her real self, modest in appearance, a jeans and t-shirt kind of gal and a really hard worker. After high school, she decided to take some time off, figure herself out a little bit before she committed to college. Normally, her green eyes were hidden behind her glasses but she broke them a week ago when…well when a book fell on them because of some…serious wall…shaking. It was embarrassing to say the least and she almost stopped. By day, her dark auburn hair was usually always tied up in some sort of messy format. Her shoes were nothing sparkly or fancy like most of the students here. She didn’t dress fancy, she dressed comfortably. She could be elegant but there was no need for elegance in studying when that’s all she was there for. To study, to get her degree, take all the tests and exams possible and graduate with some sort of honors for a better chance.

By night, she was a completely different person. The object of every man’s fantasy and desire. She thrived on it, she was like a whole other new person who knew herself, who was so sure of herself. Confidence was sexy and she wore it like a champ. By day, her name was Sarai Huxtable. By night, she was Izabel, the darkness in the light, the one to bring a strong man down from his impenetrable throne and take absolute pleasure from it; living like that of a succubus. It paid well. She did what she had to. No one knew. She set those two lives so very apart. But she knew dark secrets about many of the men at this university, both student and faculty. They say money was power. What was power to her was knowing things people never imagined to be known. She knew it all. And they didn’t even realize.

 

[Alvis Alendran]

Lloyd moved his way into the school, occasionally picking out a few pepople he knew and acknowledging them with a wave or nod. He was running behind. Again. But that was nothing new really. Besides, he was TA in the next class, so it wasn't like he needed to be there right at the toll of the bell. He was efficient enough that all the materials that the professor asked for had been laid out the day before, ready to go. It allowed him to be a little more lax than some might imagine. And besides, he could take the staff entrance, slip in easier, and not call too much attention to himself.

He slid into the class, waiting for the period to get into full swing. He walked from the back area that housed the professor's office, adn set a sheaf of papers on the podium for use. The professor nodded, but continued the lecture. Nothing would come from the late arrival, since he'd been there in the nick of time to make sure that everything was in order. Or it could easily have been given over to a round of sheer brilliant luck. Which would be more honest at least. Lloyd leaned back as the lecture got into full swing, taking inthe crowd of students. Sure, in most cases he was like them, just working to get his degree. But he was far enough into his schooling that he was blessed with a lot of free time. Normally there would be a competition for an internship at a firm for people his age, but with his father he already had the internship lined up. And covered. He'd not be doing much in the way of file running or bitch work. No, he'd be in the courtroom almost right out the door, leanring the trade in hte midst of it. At least that was "The Plan" so far as his father had it figured out.

Lloyd did see that there was another arrival, one showing up just behind him, not a minute. He'd seen her in the class and around the campus, but never had much call to single her out in his attentins. Now there was a slight reason. The late girl. ANd he was the late guy. They already had so much in common it was perfect! He'd have to somehow get word out and try to take her for coffee or the sort. Or try. ANd fail. Unless she found out who he was. THen he'd never get rid of her. ANd then what was the fun in that really? The chase was worth at least as much as the catch. Or maybe Lloyd needed something to do to shake his mind into something that resembled action. That had a high chance of being right. He let the lecture drone on. He tuned it out.

"Now remember, Assignments need to be in by tomorrow at the start of class. Any later than that, and I'll not take them. My TA here will be accepting them as well. And he's more miserable about this than I am. So good luck students. 20% of your final grade depends on this." The professor announced. Lloyd groaned inwardly. So now he'd also have to be on hte look out and be accepting the assignments. Sometimes he wondered why he'd accepted this position in the first place. Damned if he knew. Something to ponder over for sure.

 

[Malicious Lullaby]

The professor didn’t seem to notice much as she slipped into the back of class. But she noticed that she could hardly see. The font of text on the projector was only so big and without her glasses and sitting this far away from it, she couldn’t see. She could barely take notes. Damn, she was going to murder that Thelma, especially since this information was for the final. It was one thing if she could actually go up to the professor or his totally useless TA for help. But to go for help when she was already late, she knew that was shot in the bag, even if her record and her grade for this class and all the others she was taking was near perfect. Punctuality was key.

It seemed just as soon as the lecture started, considering she was a little bit late as well, it had ended. Sarai looked down at her notebook and there was hardly anything. And anything he was saying about the final—
Class was dismissed. She hurried to put her things away and made her way up to the front. The TA went completely unnoticed to her. That was all he was to her. The nameless TA who dressed so snazzy, it was practically obnoxious. That and he was useless. He was hardly ever there so it was one of those things where he might as well just give the post up to someone else, someone who actually cared. Obviously, he didn’t. Downright shameful. A real waste.

She pretty much flew right by him as she went to catch the professor. “Professor—“
”My office hours are listed on the syllabus young lady. I do not have time right now.”
”But Sir, I was just wondering if I could get a copy of the notes or at least the information regarding the final. I was sitting all the way in the back because I was late—“
“Well your tardiness is not my fault young lady, I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do for you.”
“But—“
”Good day, miss.” He didn’t even know her name. She was passing his class with flying colors, at the top and he didn’t even know her name. Why did people like him even teach? Because they could be all holier than thou? Talk down and none of them would have a choice but to listen if they wanted to pass?
He walked out and Sarai just let her backpack fall to the ground, she was angry. She was going to throttle that stupid Thelma and steal her stupid Mary Janes, only to throw them in the sewer. She wished she could throw Thelma in the sewer and let her rot but she couldn’t. That was considered murder on ‘valuable human life.’

She let herself calm down. Deep breaths were necessary before she probably went all Brooke Davis on the entire classroom. No, it wasn’t worth it but if she failed this class, she was going to invest all of her money on Lasik eye surgery. Then she couldn’t fail and she wouldn’t have to get the cheap contacts that she reserved specifically for Izabel. Izabel…

Only when it occurred to her that she had some major dirt on the professor, he was already gone. Damn. Grabbing her backpack, she turned and headed right out of the classroom. She wanted a cigarette. No, she wanted a drink. A really strong drink.

 

[Alvis Alendran]

Lloyd wasnt far off when he heard the grand brush off that the professor gave the curious late girl. He had to think about it for a few moments before the name came to him. Sarah? No. Close, he knew what it was, it was on the tip of his tongue, ready to burst out... Sarai! That was it! He was sure of it! He was about to make an approach, let her know what she needed, but then he caught the look on the professor's face. Work. Damn it. Sarai was packing it off, heading out. And he had to follow the professor into the back.

The office space was neatly organized. Lloyd might be a slacker in a lot of ways, but he kept any space he had to work in clean. Or at least in proper order. The professor sat at his desk, adn slid a pile of papers at Lloyd.
"I need these checked over by tomorrow." He ordered. Lloyd looked at them. They weren't actually due for a week. So no he didn't. Lloyd squared his shouldes, and stood a little taller. The stance he had was calling more attention to him, adn the professor looked up at him, and then looked a little uneasy.
"No you don't. And we both know it. So I'm going to get them done in a few days, and that'll be fine." Lloyd informed him.
"And if I decide I want a new TA?"
"Then we'll see how that dissmissal stands up with the board." The professor glared. Lloyd didn't make a habit of trotting out his clout, but it was always on standby for moments like this. The professor was clearly used to being able to bully his way past students and TAs alike. But now he was faced with someone that had more pull than he did, and that left him stuck.
"Fine. Three days."
"Great. I'm off for the day then." Lloyd nodded, adn took off at a slightly hurried walk.

He scanend the halls, not seeing Sarai in them. She had been pretty annoyed, so it was likely she was walking quickly. He took a look outside, and caught sight of someone heading for the campus pub. He nodded to himself. A little early in the day, but it was never too early for a pint of bitter. He set off across the grounds at a nice pace. Fall was a perfect time for a good beer. Enough chill to want something with bitre, but not too cold as to make beer feel odd to be drinking. The pub istself was a two story place, the lower floor a general access place, where most students would find themselves in at some point, getting a drink, throwing a dart or two, adn shooting some pool. Upstairs was a much more oppulant place, one that was restricted to the upper crust and the hob-nobs of the campus. Finer furnishings, and a proper billiards table. Top end cues as well. He somehow doubted Serai was on her way up top, so aimed at the lower access door. He was about five to six minutes behind her getting in.

 

[Malicious Lullaby]

“Sarai, how you’ve been?” The bartender, Nikolai, asked her when he saw her sit down at the bar, plopping her bag right in front of her on the ground.
“I’ve been better. Honestly. Just had a rough start to the morning. I could use a stiff one, what say you?”
“Stiff one as in me, or stiff one as in drink?” He grinned a cheeky grin and she grinned mockingly.
“What do you think? You’d think I’d come here for a quickie? Come on, I have some class. I’d at least wait until you were almost off the clock.”
Nikolai chuckled at that one before grabbing a shot glass and then a beer glass. “Which one would you like?”
“The kind where you put the shot glass in with the beer.” She even made the motion for him, while pulling out her emergency stash of cigarettes that actually had the words ‘When Drinking’ written on it. She had another pack reserved for when she was Izabel that had ‘After Sleezy Customers’ written on it. Came quite in handy too.
“Coming right up. Then you can tell me what’s got your panties in such a twist.”
She stuck her tongue out at him while digging in her pocket for her lighter. Bringing the cigarette between her lips, she lit and then took in a deep, deep, first drag. One that felt like it instantly calmed down her very frayed nerves and simmered down her frustration and anger.

Once Nikolai gave her the drink, separately of course, she took the shot and instead of popping it into the beer, she downed it. Apparently she needed that one first more than an Irish Car Bomb. He watched her and when she put the glass down, he chuckled. “Would you like a shot to go with your beer next?”
She smiled sweetly and nodded her head. He gave her another and popped it into her beer for her.
“You know, I was going to do that.”
”Sure you were. Sure you were, Sarai.” He teased. She said nothing more and took a big sip of her Irish Car Bomb, deciding not to just down it right away. She set it down and looked up at her favorite bartender.

“So, tell me about it.” And she did, starting from running late, to the annoying Thelma to her asshole of a professor, all of which made her want to come here in the middle of the day. He nodded his head with understanding but simply said, “I’m not going to complain, it’s refreshing to see you here early.”
“You shush that mouth of yours Nikolai.”
“It’s only true Sarai.” He grinned. “You’re actually interesting. And I don’t know many ladies whose preferred drink is an Irish Car Bomb.”
”It’s not. Normally I order it first because I am clearly aiming to get drunk.”
”Don’t you have more classes today?”
“Not today. Just the one really long lecture and the rest of my work is online. It works out because I do have to work tonight.”

No one knew what she did. Not even Nikolai. God forbid she was actually recognized by anyone here, especially him.

A couple of more people walked in, one of them being another that Nikolai recognized well. “Hey man, you heading up?” He addressed to him. Sarai looked back to see who it was and she recognized him as the TA from her class. Oh super. The one who was just as bad with attendance like she was, except she thought it was even worse for him to be late since he was the TA. But who was she to judge? She was the one drinking at the campus bar when it was still rather early in the day.

Sarai made no other notice or care of him. She turned back to her drink and took a deep drag of her cigarette once more, minding her own business. A couple of Irish Car Bombs, some work and then a long nap and she’d be good for work tonight.

 

[Alvis Alendran]

"Not right now Nico." Lloyd said with a nod, sitting at the bar, a few stools between himself and Serai. No point in getting too close too fast. Then he'd be that annoying sleaze-bag that got slapped. If he was going to get slapped, he'd prefer to have it be because he made a blunder in his activity, and not because he was creepy. "Set me up with a pint of the good stuff." Nicolai set him up with a frosted cup and a good foamed ale. Lloyd took a long pull, savouring it. As he set the glass down, half drained, he reached into his satchel bag. He drew out a file folder, one showing a label that made it clear it was the lesson plan for the last class, so would contain everything that had been covered, and in more detail than had likely even been presented. He slid the folder across the bar to Serai.

"If I can get that back in a few days, I'd appreciate it. But that should fill in any blanks from getting stuck at the back of the class." He said calmly, not actually meeting her eyes. He drained his pint and tapped the bar, signalling for a refill. Nicolai obliged him, nicely not commenting on the fact that Lloyd was gettign into the pints pretty early in the day. Lloyd was at ease, knwoing that if nothing else, this girl wasn't going to end up in trouble with ehr project because of not making it into the class on time. It happened to him often enough, and it was actually kind of his job as a TA to help out in things like this. So if that meant lifting the now used lesson plan to help her out, so much the better. It wasn't like the professor would notice it anyway, since lesson plans were filed away in one of the great monsterous cabinets in the office, and rarely if ever seen again.

 

[Malicious Lullaby]

Her drinks seemed to go by quickly. Sarai prided herself in being a hardworking student who worked full time as much as she was a student full time just to be able to afford it. She lived on her own in a cheap hole in the wall place and only took the loans that she knew she could afford in a later time. Her job at night allowed her to have extra money that didn’t get taxed so she could build up a savings. So when the time came, she wouldn’t be in deficit and she’d be doing a job she liked a lot more, one where clothing wasn’t optional, it was required and where opening her legs wasn’t mandatory but potentially optional. She’d probably still have that mindset that she would do anything to get ahead, if it meant never having to live practically in squalor like this. Sarai never really desired for riches and luxury. She just wanted comfortable. And the way things were, it wasn’t comfortable. No, living a secret wasn’t comfortable one bit. Even just being in bars, she had to make sure not to try and bring too much attention to herself just by being who she was for fear of being recognized.

Glancing over to the TA who sat not too far from her, her eyes lingered when she saw the file he produced and pushed her way. At first she didn’t think he was meaning to give it to her. So she looked around a bit until it became clear that yes, he was indeed giving her the file. Ashing her cigarette and sliding it between two pegs on the ash tray, she took the folder, her eyes still on him. “Thanks.” She said softly, opening the file folder to see the lesson plan. It was dated for today’s lecture and her eyes closed as she shut the folder and pressed it to her chest. Her chin tilted upwards and she opened her eyes. “Thank you.” She whispered, although it’s not like she really believed there was some powerful entity up there in the heavens. No, but she did believe in the universe.

Looking back to the TA, she decided he was suddenly good in her book, because this meant she wouldn’t fall behind, This was one class she couldn’t afford to fall behind on because she was passing well so far but the information content was hard for her to understand. She was only barely scraping by. This was her hardest class. Seemed fitting since the professor was a real dick. “Hey Nikolai.” She called to the bartender.

He rounded her way and smiled at her. “Put his drinks on my tab. My treat.”
“Are you sure?” He asked, because he knew that Lloyd was perfectly capable of paying his own tab.
Sarai nodded her head anyways. He looked rich and she seemed aware as well that he could pay his own way, but this was merely her way of saying ‘Thanks for saving my hide’ without having to actually say those exact words. Saying ‘Thanks’ was hard enough.
“If you’re sure.” He turned to Lloyd. “Anything else you’d like? I mean if she’s paying, I’d take advantage.” He then held his hand up as it to relay a secret even if he was standing right in front of her. “It’s not often a real, honest to goodness, pretty girl buys a man drinks. One might think she’s hitting on you.” He grinned.

Sarai grinned and shook her head, finishing the last of her car bomb and then returning to her cigarette. “Bite me, Nikolai.” She said in sing-song.
“Time and place, Sarai.” He replied back in the same sing-song.

 

[Alvis Alendran]

Lloyd sighed, adn shook his head, looking put out.
"And the lady beat me to it. I was going to offer to pay her tab, but that might just be weird at this point, wouldn't it Nico?" Lloyd groused good naturedly. "But bring me out another pint will you?"He smiled at Serai, as Nicolai set another glass down before him. Lloyd finished his glass, and switched to the new one. He shifted a seat closer, putting them within reach of one another. He held out a hand. "Good to meet you. I'm Caughlin. And I think we've got a lot in common at this point." He said with a half smile, a bit of a smirk. It wasn't a cocky look, just one that showed that he was enjoying the moment, taking things in.

He unconciosuly shifted his shoulders, sitting a bit looser. He wasn't so much a TA right now, but just another person that happened to be in the same school as Serai. It was better this way. Lloyd wasn't the kind of person that really liked to flaunt who he was. Oh, he liked the perks, and liked the very best of things he could get, but he wasn't going to hold that over someone else's head. Besides, it was fun now and again to be able to surprise someone with a night out that was more than they expected. It was a long tradition of his, and he had no real intention of stopping. He looked at his pint, and took a slightly more measured pull from his glass. he did have other classes to go to at some point today. Well, he could probably blow them off for a while, and catch up later. He had enough people in the class that would do him a solid and share out the notes and the recordings of the lecture that they weren't supposed to have. But that was to be determined. The day was still young after all.

 

[Malicious Lullaby]

Sarai nearly choked on the bit of smoke that she inhaled upon hearing him. She coughed softly, turning her head away to couch the smoke out in some poor sod’s face who seemed disgruntled. Damn, wrong side. She should have turned in the TA’s direction. Although that might have been a bit crass and rude, and not at all ladylike. Well…if the shoe fits. She turned to look at him and also saw him move over a chair, putting the distance between them just a chair. With a cigarette in hand as her only weapon to use in case he decided to get a little too close. Couldn’t trust men these days. She would know.

“Hi. I’m Sarai.” She stared down at his hand as if it was the most offending thing she’d ever seen before only then deciding to put her hand in his to shake. Well, at least the TA has a name to him. Collin. She didn’t peg him as such but it kind of fit. Taking her hand back, she raised her eyebrow at him and took a final drag from her cigarette before stubbing it into the ashtray. Blowing out the smoke in an upward direction, she lifted up her glass and looked back to him. “A lot in common? What makes you say that?” She asked, taking a sip of her drink, well a hearty one in any way and placed it back on the bar top.

She almost wanted to snort. If he thought they had a lot in common. Sarai was almost tempted to tell him just how much they didn’t have in common for her own twisted satisfaction but refrained. That would involve telling him what she did by night and well that would give it all away. She was like a super hero, except not so super or heroic one bit. One that just had a secret identity that shouldn’t ever be revealed.

 

[Alvis Alendran]

Caughlin smiled as she took the bait of his statement. It gave him an opening.
"Well, since you asked! We've both got some minor attendance issues, we both think the prof is a miserable asshole whose full of himself, we're both sitting in a pub at a time that most consider too early for drinking, and neither of us seem to give a damn. Seems like a pretty good point to start at to me." He smiled at her, adn took another pull out of his glass. She didn't trust him. That much was pretty clear at this point, but he wasn't sure why per se. Sure, he was a TA, but he'd just handed her what was basically the Holy Grail of notes, letting her get a leg up on things that she might have missed from the class. So it was clear that he wasn't looking to get all official on her about anything.

SO that left something else. Something had her on edge from him, and the hesitation that she showed in shaking his hand told him a lot. He might not be terribly eager to go into the business of being a lawyer, but that didn't mean that he hadn't had it drilled into his skull for years by his father and uncles how important it was to be able to read someone quickly. And accurately. It was all about being able to adapt on the fly, and make sure that you made the right call at the right moment. So he leaned back against the bar, putting a little more distance between them, and making it clear that he was just making conversation, and wasn't really here nursing an ulterior motive on her. Because truth be told, he really wasn't She'd been interesting, a curious sight in the class, and he'd wanted to know more. And he did now, albeit not too much more. But it was enough that if all she wanted to do with him from here was the notes that he'd given her, and never deal with him again, that was fair enough. Not everyone was going to get along with him after all.

 

[Malicious Lullaby]

Her eyes narrowed and then relaxed. She really had nothing to refute to him and she sighed softly. She couldn’t even really blame it on anything else. She spent her days in that one lecture or in her apartment, working on her class work for her online classes. She had to finish before it got dark so she had enough time to slip into her alter ego and go be the object of men’s fantasies, normally pulling back to her apartment late in the AMs. She scrounged for sleep if and when she could. Sometimes, she didn’t sleep because she didn’t have time. Most times, she didn’t sleep because she just couldn’t. Sure, she was on the more high end side of things with her late night activities but it didn’t mean that the things she saw, witnessed or endured weren’t as bad is if she did this all straight from the streets and corners.

But it was that experience that put her on edge with him. Even right now, while he seemed very in tuned with the obvious, she feared even more that he’d see right through her. That put her more on edge because he seemed like the kind who would see right through her and learn her deepest, darkest secrets. That was a big no-no. He wouldn’t understand. He couldn’t understand. Everything was handed to him on a silver platter with the silver spoon that fed him with everything he could have ever wanted. So she was assuming because he dressed way too nicely to not come from rich shindigs. Then again, if ever there was someone who shouldn’t judge, it was her. And that’s exactly what she was doing right now. And to the guy who had been kind enough to give her the lesson plan she needed so she stayed ahead or at least in the ball game of her hardest class.

“Oh?” She asked with a hint of a smile, the corners of her mouth upturning. “Are we really that transparent? Well then Mr. Collin, I believe I will toast to transparency. What more can you tell me that can link us further together?” She might have been humoring him or maybe she wanted to know what he saw based on her actions and demeanor. “Do we have the same secrets? Because if so, I will need something stronger and if they are really the same, you will need one too.” She almost laughed. If he knew, she basically implied that he was a male gigolo who earned his keep by either bending over for the most perverted of men or going down on his knees for the same perverted men.

And the price one would have to pay for drinking so early in the morning. It never took long for the car bombs to make their way.

 

[Alvis Alendran]

It was a controlled riot within her, but she seemed to be relaxing at least a little, which was a good sign as far as he was concerned. He raised his glass to her as well. Wasn't often he toasted to a lady drinking an Irish Car Bomb. He finished his beer, and then smiled. He looked back to Nico.
"Hey. Set me up a lager and a shot." He said calmly. Nciolai cocked an eyebrow, but obliged him, setting out a fairly cheap house lager, and a shot of cheap rye, knowing full well what was coming. The lager was in a tall glass, with some space left in it. Lloyd lifted the shot, looked at Serai a moment, and then dropped it into the beer, making the boilermaker. He took a large hit from the glass, adn counted to ten. Sure enough, his head swam a moment. Once he'd recovered himself, he smiled.

"In our future, I see both of us getting blind pissed if we keep at these heavy mixes. And as for secrets, I don't think we have the same one." He paused, tinking about it. She didn't talk like she came from money, adn she didn't act like it either. Not even the 'free spirit' wealthy that he'd seen, or the 'slumming' wealthy. Even the ones who professed to hate money and want none of it fromt he family was differetn than this. Serai seemed legit in being a normal person making ends meet to get an education to drag herself out of the state she was in. Nothing wrong with that. Better than what he was doing after all. But then he was still hiding who he was on some level. After all, there was Lloyd Hall on campus, named for his family, and that was something he didn't want to be trot out at any time. "But I think it's safe to say we both still have at least one or two secrets. And that seems fair to me."

 

[Malicious Lullaby]

Sarai watched with amusement and fascination as he prepared his own boilermaker once Nikolai set him up with the beer and shot. Her amusement grew as she watched Collin take a sip from the ‘lethal’ concoction and grinned at his reaction. Yeah, that’ll do it. Having finished her own car bomb, she looked to Nikolai and smiled. “I’ll have what he’s having.”
Nikolai chuckled. “You sure that’s wise Sarai. If I recall, someone reenacted Coyote Ugly not too many days ago.”
“So then I guess this entire bar will be in for quite the treat if a song I like and know comes up, isn’t that right Nikolai?”
He grinned, definitely up for that kind of sight before he set out to give her the same cheap beer and same cheap rye shot and presented it before her in a tall glass with enough room for her to drop the shot. She did just that and took a long sip, turning her attention back to Collin.

She grinned and shrugged her shoulders. “It’s usually the best way that I can endure the nights. I don’t like nighttime. I’m fond of the day.” She sipped her drink again and then lit up another cigarette. There was a reason she had a pack specifically reserved for when drinking; she liked to chain smoke when she had enough alcoholic settling in her system. Add with it an empty stomach, after this drink, she might be able to do one more and have her nap before she did any schoolwork. She’d need it at the rate she was going.

Listening to the rest of what he was saying, she had to snicker slightly. Oh, if he only knew, she was damn happy that they didn’t have the same secret otherwise she might not ever let him live it down. Just as she expected someone to never let her live it down what she did at nights. No one forced her to do it. She did it on her own accord. The money was too good and if all she had to do was look pretty and seduce men, it was the easiest grand she made a night.

“I would certainly hope we didn’t have the same secret. That’d be a bit of a doozy but also not likely.” She said softly, taking a drag of her cigarette before exhaling softly. “I think I’d be shocked if neither of us had a couple of secrets of our own, to be perfectly honest. It’d be too unnatural otherwise. I think the day I am away with my secrets like that One Republic song, will be the day I am on my deathbed.” She thought it over a moment with a sip of her drink before adding a second option. “Or, you know, if I ever meet my match.” She looked to him as she said it, as if she saw an equal opportunity in him. Not that she’d want to try and compare and compete. No, just maybe if she found someone worthy, someone she could trust, it could all end up proving to be very worth it. And then she’d really give all of her secrets away and that would be a beautiful day.

Getting off the subject of secrets though, feeling none to comfortable about talking about them as she was afraid she might accidentally tell one, she tilted her head. “So then, what do you say to staying on this path of getting wasted early in the day? I’ve nothing better to do and as great company Nikolai is, I actually know him. But I don’t know you.”
“I heard that.” Nikolai wasn’t standing far away, drying glasses with a rag.
“I’m sure you did.” She spoke dryly, raising her glass before taking a sip. Turning back to Collin, she smiled. “Well?”

 

[Alvis Alendran]

Lloyd cracked a smirking smile, and looked back at Nickolai.
"Barkeep. Set up the house." He said with nod.
"You're the only two in here." The tender shot back.
"Then set the house up twice." Nickolai rolled his eyes, but set to it, lining up shots and glasses to make a few more boilermakers. Lloyd drained his, and smiled. The action was far better than a verbal answer. After all, a few more boilermakers, and he'd be lucky if he knew his own name. Nickolai looked at him for a moment, and then Lloyd obliged him and slid his keys to him. The tender nodded, and went back about his business. Lloyd toyed with his drink. This was going to be an interesting day, this much he knew already. Not often he did any drinking this early, let alone this much. But the lady had almost dared him. And that was something that he wasn't inclined to back away from. A challenge had to be met after all.

He thought about what she'd said. A match for her. Well, that was something he could certainly understand. Maybe there was a bit of the old soul in her, something that still held on to long ago instincts and feelings that the world felt it had moved on from. A match. A worthy opponent. Time was that was all anyone ever really sought after. Lloyd was no exception to this, and he knew tht on some level he would likely be looking for a match worthy of himself for a long time yet.
"I know that I'll be taking a good count of my secrets to the grave with me. They're mine after all." He smiled wider then. "But drink up. THe day is young, so are we, and there is much fun and mischeif to be had yet."

 

[Malicious Lullaby]

She turned her gaze to Nikolai and grinned.
“Yeah Nikolai, don’t argue. We’re giving you business for it technically being so dead in here. And it’s all on me.”
She finished down her boilermaker as well, making a face before she went back to her cigarette. Yeah, she was not doing homework today but that just might be okay. She deserved a day to live, and to really live as Sarai, not just as Izabel.

Thankfully though, she had her father’s genes. It allowed her to hold her liquor better. She was a Huxtable and definitely drinking the family name oh so proudly. Besides, this was the best time to drink. It was still really early on and whenever they did finish, she could lie down for a nap after taking some painkillers, wake up a few hours later when night had wandered in and the moon was in the night sky, its light kissing down upon everyone. It was that perfect moment when she could keep Sarai for rest and bed and let Izabel stalk the night hunting for her prey.

Sarai pulled her mind out of those thoughts. The night was a very long time away and right now, she wanted to be nowhere else but here at her favorite bar, with her favorite bartender and a man who she was starting to be ‘okay’ with.

But just like that, he became her favorite person for the moment, next to Nikolai when he mentioned fun and mischief. She grinned and exhaled the last of her cigarette and stubbing it out. “Finally speaking my language Collin.” She smiled. “Fun and mischief is definitely something I can behind. Have you seen the monuments around campus? Oh, just…the things I’d love to do. They seem too perfect and it bothers me. It’s telling a lie.” She’d happily be an activist if she wasn’t already doing so many illegal things.

 

[Alvis Alendran]

Lloyd smiled as she spoke. Mischief. Everyone liked to propagate mischief. Often not as fun to be on the receiving end of it, but that was neither here nor there. Once she started to talk after the monuments, he had the moment of quiet alarms going off. Oh, the school here had a very particular attitude towards those. But he just put it from his mind. Best not to dwell there.
"Telling a lie. Not exactly unique here. After all, a whole lot of lawyers-in-the-making kicking around here. People who get paid to lie, and do it well. Almost as bad as politicians." He observed idly. He downed another chunk of his boilermaker. Gods these thigns were mean little bastards, but he did actually like them. His father was mortified each time Lloyd did this, but Lloyd found that there was a whole lot of damns that he just didn't give on that subject. His father could go get bent.

"Though I get where you're coming from. Have to be careful though. Faculty are pretty notorious for being of poor temper adn understanding to those that so much as look at some of those monuments funny. You'd have to have the permissions to move around the campus after the lights out call was made, know the security patrols, or be able to put them off of you. Hard to do. Very tricky work." Lloyd pointed out. His mind apparently couldn't steer away from this subject. Stupid brain. Stupid brain and it's stupid tendancy to latch onto things when he was drinking. And it wasn't likely he'd shift from it too readily at this point, despite his common sense screaming to get out, adn fast.

 

[Malicious Lullaby]

“Please tell me you’re referring to yourself because then I won’t feel bad for my preconceived notions of you.” There was mostly jest to that but a bit of seriousness as well. Sarai had an idea that she was kind of talking to a rich guy because unless he whored himself out at nighttime too, she doubted that he wore all these matters of fancy clothes and wasn’t rich. Or at least was from a wealthy family. He had to be, especially with what he was talking about. “You sound like you’re talking from experience. Do go on. I, myself, don’t worry about it because I don’t live on campus. My job requires that I go out at a late time and come home almost when the sun comes out. Kind of can’t do that if I’m living on campus.” She made a slight oops face, as if slightly worried she was giving too much. If she kept talking, she might just reveal to him and Nikolai what she did. And that was a major no-no.

 

[Alvis Alendran]

Lloyd nodded as she spoke. One of the many who worked a night job to pay for the school during the day. He admit freely that he was pretty spoiled at that point, not really ahving to do much in the way of work over the course of his life. Sure, he'd done some file work, and knew how to run a business pretty well, but actually working for one....that was different, and he knew it. He wouldn't try and fake it. No sense in it, and it wouldn't help him.
"Oh, I'm here for the law degree. A man's gotta work after all. And he might as well pick up a decent cheque while he's at it." Lloyd observed. He smiled at the rest of her statement. "I might have caused a little mayhem when I was a little younger, and looking for some trouble to get into. So far haven't managed to get myself into too much trouble." He mused.

Lloyd finished the Boilermaker, adn reached for the nextr one on the table. he counted to ten, adn felt his head swim again, a sign that he was rapidly approaching drunk. He counted to twenty this time, and forced the feeling down, getting a hold of himself. He lifted the shot glass, and dropped it into the beer, giving it a chance to mix properly.
"But you're working your way through the school. That's admirable really. I've a lot of respect for people who can juggle the responsibility."

 

[Malicious Lullaby]

Sarai finished her drink and she went onto the next one that was waiting. Nikolai made the preparations for both of them to have another boilermaker and she took in a deep breath as she dunked the shot into the beer, letting it mix in well before exhaling. Picking up the glass, she took a big sip and closed her eyes, the mixed alcohols leaving a bad taste in her mouth but it went down smoothly and seemed to only contribute to her already inebriated state. She had to be careful. If she loosened her tongue too much, who knew what kind of trouble she could get herself into.

Glancing to Collin, she tilted her head and grinned. So he was a rich boy who didn’t need to worry about paying his way through school, not like her, no, most certainly not like her at all. In that world, she saw him as more of a pimp than a whore. He certainly dressed a lot better than her ‘pimp.’

Oscar wasn’t technically her pimp in a traditional sense, more like he gave her the clients she needed and took a twenty percent cut from what she made. He had several girls and Sarai was one of them but he didn’t dictate her life and she certainly didn’t do anything to make him have some sort of notion or ownership over her. That wasn’t the way she rolled and she couldn’t afford it, not while she was in school.

“Law?” She asked. Her head tilted the opposite direction and she squinted her eyes. “Alright, I can see it. You dress like one enough although I don’t know if you’d have the attitude of a typical lawyer. You seem to jovial for that.” Serious wasn’t the right word, he seemed far more laid back than typical lawyers or potential lawyers seemed to be. Perhaps that was a good thing. She knew she’d easily go to him if she was in legal trouble because of his laid back manner. “Although that may work in your favor depending on the cases you take and who you work for, or if you open your own practice.” She shrugged her shoulders. She didn’t know much. Just what she saw in movies or television or what she read.

Taking a smaller sip of her boilermaker, her face screwed in a slight distaste for what she was drinking but the affects it gave her were definitely worth while. Hearing him commend her for her efforts, Sarai managed a bit of a weak smile. “Thanks. I appreciate that. It’s not easy but it’s either doing this and maintaining this kind of schedule or being doomed into a profession I’m not particularly fond of that pays terrible minimum wage.” She shrugged her shoulders. “And with what I do, because it’s pretty lax, I can be here in this bar at all early hours of the day, drink and then take a long nap before I work. Besides, it helps to work with a slight buzz anyways.” It made it more tolerable.

 

[Alvis Alendran]

Caughlin nodded. He took another drag out of the boilermaker. He leaned his back to the bar.
"I thought about trying to open my own practice. Getting a good start on things. But then, there's the fact that Im being sent here on the dime of a firm that fully expects me to be a member of them when I'm done. Kinda hard to piss that many people off all at once. Might set a record, and cause all kinds of trouble. Not quite sure I'm in a position to do that quite yet." He admit to himself as much as her.

"Hey, if they let you come to work buzzed, that's an upside to the job. Most places would show you to outside of the door for something like that." he observed, though it did set his mind to working. What kind of job would let someone come to work with booze in their system? The only answer that came to mind was not bloody many. Another mystery. But then his mother had always told him that every woman was entitled to at least five good mysteries about her. More than that, and man was allowed to pry. Sarai wasn't up to that many yet, adn his mother had always been good with her advice about the opposite gender.

 

[Malicious Lullaby]

“Well I’m sure someday you can always open your own practice once you become a seasoned lawyer. Then you’d be way too badass for anyone to say anything and you could be bigger than the bigwigs who are funding your education with all the unfair strings attached.” She grinned a little bit. “Thus explaining the ‘yet.’”

She thought about it, having to choose her words carefully so not to let him know. Besides, what employer let their employees come to work buzzed? None, maybe a bartender but none. Not in the ethical line of work that is. She was a prostitute in more demeaning terms, but a high class escort in less demeaning words and sometimes, it helped to just go through with it on the nights she wasn’t in the mood one bit, so that she didn’t lose money. Sure, Sarai wouldn’t lie and say she didn’t like the attention. She was a woman and when she became Izabel, she was the kind of woman that thrived on the attention that all men gave her. But some nights, she just didn’t care and wasn’t in the mood. Tonight felt like it was going to be one of those nights.

Nothing said ‘Goodbye libido’ faster than having school problems. “This is true. But let’s not keep talking about our chosen careers. If we can still talk coherently, obviously we’re not drinking nearly enough. Less chatter, more drinking.” She raised her glass to him to knock back the rest of her drink. She might have enough in her for one more and then after that, she would definitely be so far gone, Izabel might show through Sarai.