Midnight Tide (Kelri)

Kelri had had an interesting day at the shop. One of her regulars had got into his head that he needed her sweets more than everyone else waiting in line, which in turn turned into a fistfight, and she was more than willing to deal with the situation in a calming matter, but then another of her regulars had stepped in and handled the situation as calmly as they could, which ended up with her needing a new front window.

So yes, her day hadn’t been the best it could have been lately. It was Friday, which was one of her busiest days, but she had been holed up at the shop all day, having to apologize to those who had come in. The customer had willingly offered to pay for the new window, but it was going to take a couple of days for her to be able to re-open the shop. If she was being honest, Kelri had dealt with the strange situation and had gone home crying. She had lost an entire day of sales, and had had a pretty crazy day.

After going home Kelri had cried and showered, which was then followed by a nap that had lasted a while. This nap had actually lasted a longer time than she had anticipated, Kelri had ended up sleeping most of the day away. The only thing that would be open now would be the clubs and she wasn’t exactly in a clubbing mood. Still, she needed to get out of the house.

Kelri got up and got dressed, pulling on her pink leather jacket over the crop top and shorts. Even if she wasn’t going clubbing the outfit made her feel a tiny bit better. It made her feel a tiny bit cuter. Cuteness was an important factor to making the baker feel better, and would always be a factor. She pulled on her hat and gloves, as the nights were starting to get colder. She decided to wander down to the beach. Not many people would be there, and she was sure she could have some time to think.

Kelri had made her way to the beach, smiling as the night air shifted through her hair. Ass she had thought, the beach was mostly deserted and she was mainly just walking along the shore, watching the waves. Kelri smiled as she watched the waves lap at the land and tilted her head as she walked. Today had sucked, but the beach was nice, so the day hadn’t been totally bad. The girl looked towards the ocean with a sigh before sitting at the edge on a blanket she had brought. “I hope the night is better than the day” Kelri was saying this in no one to particular, more just saying it to say it.

She set down the box of cupcakes she had brought and opened it up starting to eat one. “Might as well eat everything I couldn’t sell.” Glancing around she noticed someone under the pier that stretched out across the ocean. She smiled, thinking someone was out here thinking just like she was. She waved over at them and held up the box of cupcakes. "Want a cupcake?" She tilted her head, and put the box down on the sand by her. "Lonely souls should always eat cupcakes on the beach at night." She smiled and went back to looking out at the ocean. "Promise I don't bite."

Kelri was just someone who was having a bad day and was trying to enjoy the ocean and some cupcakes to get through it. Especially when she didn’t feel like dancing or doing guild stuff on her game. The ocean was her little hideaway from the reality of what had happened today and she wasn’t going to complain about it to anyone because let's face it, even her bad day wasn’t a good one, it was still better than most. No one had gotten hurt. The people who had caused the damage had offered to pay for it, and hopefully she would be able to go back into business in the next couple of days as soon as the window was able to be repaired.

It honestly couldn’t come soon enough. She wanted to be working again, and this would take a chunk out of her profits. However, tonight was about enjoying the ocean, looking up at the stars, eating cupcakes and whatever else she had left, and maybe getting drunk. The bottle of wine in her bag may or may not be opened during the time. Who really could tell?

And thus she was out in the middle of the night, sitting on the beach by the ocean and going to eat her cupcakes. With the random stranger or not. Either way was fine with her, especially when she knew she wouldn’t eat all of the goods by herself. She was being polite and offering to the random stranger and that was the most important thing. Being kind to others was such a huge part in Kel’s life that she had to try and not let her sorrow spread. Cupcakes were a way to do that.

She waited patiently to see if the stranger would come out. Maybe he was shy? Most certainly he was lonely. Why else would you be by the ocean in the middle of the night. Lonely souls tended to drift towards places that made them feel a little less lonely. Oceans were so full of life and sea beings that they could never be considered a lonely existence.

And just as she was starting to wonder if she had imagined someone in the dark under the peer someone stepped out. And..... they were naked. Gods above why were they naked? Weren’t they cold? Sighing she averted her gaze before staring out into the ocean. It was best to give someone privacy after all. Wait.... it seemed the baker had glossed over the scales and the fins that protruded from the shoulder blades. Crap.

Sneaking a quick glance which seemed to only confirm her suspicion, Kelri , made sure to keep her gaze steady. She didn’t want this magi to think she was afraid of him. That would not go well with her. Besides, Magi’s had to eat too... right? Hence the cupcakes. Coughing a little she tilted her head before looking up into his eyes when he spoke. No way was she gonna let her gaze wander. Nope. that was entirely too rude.

When the man, and he was a man yes, finally spoke Kelri looked up and gave him a grin. “Not always in the dark of course.” She gave him a wink before lifting the box up so he could take one of the sweets inside if he wished. There was a variety for him to chose from, and she wouldn’t put it past him if he had only come out for the cupcakes. “I find that providing a little sweetness in someone’s life can do a lot of good.” She smiled as she looked out towards the end of her light of sight on the ocean.

“And besides, you aren’t a stranger. You are only a friend I haven’t managed to convince yet.” She gave a small giggle before pulling the unopened wine bottle out of her bag. “Look, I know you could probably kill me before I could yell for help, but hey, you are the one who chose to come get some sweets, so don’t blame me if you end up enjoying yourself.”

With a smirk she offered the unopened bottle of wine up. “You up for getting drunk?” The day can’t get any crazier right?

Oh Kelri heard that snort. She gave a slight laugh in response and just shook her head. She didn’t want to be rude, but if he was snorting at her avoiding his.... Outright appendages, well she didn’t really care anymore. He had come from the ocean, which probably meant he was skinny dipping. Good for him. She gave a slight grin at the logic. Tonight was bound to be entertaining in the least.

If Nobu matched her Gaze she would match his with a smile. She wasn’t going to allow herself to give the appearance she was afraid. That just wasn’t who she was. She met her own challenges head on. She didn’t have very much power, but that who really cared. She never cared for power. It didn’t suit her. She cared for empathy and learning a story. She wondered what this magi’s story was. Everyone had a story to tell. It was if she could get him to trust her enough to tell her. She somehow highly doubted it, but hey it didn’t hurt to try.

Kelri gazed at the man as he crouched down beside her. She considered his question with a small smile. “Why not? There is a lot a negative in this world full of people who are indiscriminate in their torture and persecution of those who these people consider to be lesser.” Her eyes would look down to the sweets and then back to the ocean in front of her. “If I can provide even the tiniest bit of good, I’m happy.” She gave a grin before turning to look at him again. “I know you can harm me, probably very easily in fact.” she gave a small chuckle before shaking her head. “I am a believer in positivity, but I am not as naive as you think.”

As the man snorted at her comment about being a friend, she grinned right back at him. “Well, even if you didn’t come for the sweets, I can assure you they are wonderful.” With that, she would take a boston cream donut out of the box and start to munch on it. “Also My name is Kelri.” The baker would wipe a bit of frosting from her mouth before shrugging. “That’s fine. I didn’t really expect you to.” With that she would open the bottle and pour herself a glass and take a drink. “Ah, that is wonderful.” Her face would relax a bit and she would set the bottle back down on the beach. “Your loss, this wine is phenomenal.” Kelri would set the glass down and stretch a little, raising her arms above her head.

Ah the lack of regard for her own safety. Kelri thought about what to say and when she finally formed her answer she would look up at the Magi with a sad smile. “I was raised to be perfect in the eyes of my parents. I have six older brothers, and an elder sister.” Her smile would go soft for a moment. “I was expected to be able to follow in their shoes.” She gave a small snort and shook her head. “I do have a few tricks up my sleeve, though nothing of your power I would assume.” She looked the magi up and down before sighing. “If you were to hurt me, or kill me for that matter, I have two brothers who would hunt you down and offer you up to thier god. I have multiple friends in the hunter’s guild, including someone who I am tentatively dating...” Her thoughts would drift to Orion, and she would shake her head. He would literally kill her if he knew about this meeting. “I know various government agents that would disregard the law and find you and gut you like an animal.”

The young baker would sigh and take a sip of her wine before meeting Nobu’s gaze again."Now before you do kill me let me clarify something.” She would not move an inch as she would say these next words."This information is given freely, and it was not a threat in any way shape or form." The baker would continue, a serious tone in her voice, “Humans were wrong to treat magi as such. Not to mention Androids. No life is greater than others.” She wasn’t sure why she was telling this random Magi, but she was. “I am so sorry for what the humans have done to your kind. I do not condone it, and I pray for the souls that my brothers take. I understand if you are angry at me for the sins of my race.” She would look up to gaze into Nobu’s eyes again. “So you say I have no regard for my life, it's only right that I don’t.” Her eyebrow would rise wondering if Nobu would kill her right then and there, it was obvious she was privileged. She knew and acknowledged that. “Please understand that I treat all lives as equal, magi or not. If I can help with some sweetness, I will. I use my privilege to try and help those I can... It’s not much but I am trying.”

With that Kelri would nudge the basket towards the magi, and take another bite of her donut, followed by a sip of wine. “I wish you no harm, and I understand if you dislike me based on my race. I truly do.” She would offer a small smile to the magi before gazing back out to the ocean. “Your fins are very beautiful.”

Kelri would nod at his emphatic statement. Of course he didn’t ask for her name. Oh well. The name was freely given either way. “I know,” would be the simple reply that sprung to her lips after a few moments. She hadn’t meant to make the magi angry, but she was true in her words. “I just figured if you were going to kill me you might as well know my name.” She shrugged her shoulders and looked up towards the man. “Though, I honestly think you don’t really care.” She would offer a smile before glancing out towards the ocean, and taking a sip of her wine. At the mention of sake she would nod. “Oh I know it is, but Toni’s was out of my brand when I went.” She had genuinely wanted something a little more dry, but this would just have to do. “But hey, booze is booze right?” It was something to get her drunk after all.

Kel sighed as the magi took her words in one of the worst possible ways. Her words weren’t meant to make the magi mad, or be taken as threats. That in fact was the complete opposite that she had wanted. Well shit. “I’m not actively seeking a mate in a human, that is what is available to me currently. I'm more than open to any cyborgs or magi that want to have a little fun.” Her eyes would meet the magi’s, and she would shake her head. “It’s not like there are magi around who would even be interested in me, especially given who my family is.” Sighing she would look down at the sand and purse her lips. “Just because people can be my friends, doesn’t mean I think they are right.” Her eyes would wince at the thought of what her brothers were doing. “Trust me, I don’t.”

Well hey, at least he didn’t spit on her. That much was good. That would have made a worse for wear Kel. Kel could get past angry. She had enough experience with her dad. She knew how to... survive in these sorts of situations. She would smile up at the man and nod. “I know.” The two words were out of her mouth, and she would tilt her head as the fins on his back rose. “I know that, and quite honestly, I have no doubt you would do everything you just stated in an instant if I gave you even the slightest reason to.” She would offer a small smile to the magi before taking another sip of her wine. “I am not doubting the strength of you or your kind magi. I am well aware of my own weaknesses.” She would look down and let out a small sigh. Just like dad. Remain calm, collected, and not lose your temper. Just be calm.

As the magi moved towards the edge of the ocean and she watched with careful eyes, making sure to keep vigilant on the magi’s movement. With a soft smile she would tilt her head. “If I do not understand, please enlighten me.” This wasn’t said in any sort of sarcastic manner, and came across as what Kelri hoped sounded like a genuine interest. “If my sweetness isn’t helping, tell me how I can.” She really didn’t like what hunters were doing to magi, and she wasn’t going to just let this slide. “Help me improve. I’m working on being surrounded by hunters day in, day out, and with a people that treat yours as lesser, not that I agree with them, and have been trying my best to do what I can.” The girl would smile at the times she had been to Dagos, the slums. “If I can do more, I will.” She said that with a sort of stubbornness to her. “I know I’m only a human, and I know that I am weak and worthless in most magi eyes.” She would meet the mysterious magi’s gaze head on, not backing down in her last statement. “I never expected a compliment."

As Kelri continued to speak she wasn’t quite aware of why the magi man was getting angry, other than of course, her being a human. She wasn’t particularly trying to make him angry but it seemed her words were only really having the effect of making him mute. As she continued to talk and explain, she would tilt her head, wondering if he had a response. When it became evident that she was just making him angrier, at least that’s what the fins were telling her.

Kelri remained quiet as the angry magi spun on his heels to look at her. She tilted her head and sighed. “Sex is sex, it doesn’t mean a relationship.” She was a firm believer that the human, or magi in this case could fuck whomever they wanted. She wasn’t going to judge anyone based on their sexual partners. “I don’t agree with hunters. In fact, most of my conversations with them are to make them question why they are doing what they are doing.” She looked down and shook her head. “I’m playing the hand I’ve been dealt.”

She knew she didn’t have any right to talk, and if anything she was probably just making it worse. Besides, the woman was not at all a hypocrite. She did genuinely want to help people, but she wasn’t sure the best way to do so. She wasn’t smart, she wasn’t in politics and she herself was not rich. There weren’t many ways to help that didn’t require money. Hence her furrowed brow and tight-lipped grimace. She couldn’t do anything. Not really. She knew that yet she still tried to deny it.

Maybe there was some way she could help? At least a little? Her reasoning was interrupted when the magi spun and got into her face. Shocked, she could barely hear him when he spoke, but she could definitely feel the animosity that was in his voice. She shut her eyes as he glared at her. She knew she was actually worthless in this fight, but she had to try.

At his next words she sighed. Of course he would harbor those types of feelings towards her. It was evident after all that she was nothing more than a human who couldn’t really do anything. “I am sorry you and your family went through that.” She knew that her brothers were definitely on the side of the aggressors, and she knew that she could never understand the pain that this magi, or all magi for that matter had gone through. “I’m sorry if I’ve offended you. All I wanted to do was help. I formally apologize.” The baker would bow her head towards the magi, trusting him not to behead her right then and there.

Kelri would see the magi coming towards her again and hold out her hand that held the bottle. “You are right, pastries and sweets will not end wars.” Her eyes would grow sad again and she would shake her head. “What do you suggest I do? If it is in my power I can at least try.” She would meet his gaze again with a steely look. She was serious about this. For some reason she didn’t want to let this mysterious magi man down. “It probably will never be enough, but it could be a start?”

Nobu she is trying here.