Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: It is near closing time and the restraunt is entirely abandoned. The places looks to have had no customers for quite some time, clean and ready to go. Alyssa is sitting at a table near the entrance wearing a tiny white robe and reading a small brown book.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): The door jingles, and the last of him counting his steps can be heard as he walks in the front door. He's dressed as always, moving a little shlyly, as he enters the restaraunt. Innocent green eyes look around, wide with wonder at the place, visually exploring.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa blinks up, hearing the door open. "Hi, welcome to Fate's Kitchen." She stands, placing the marker in her book and looking to the patron.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: d10: intelligence: 8,5,

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa grins in recognition. It's not all there, but she knows she's seen him before. Grabbing a menu she bounces over to the boy "Table for one?"

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He looks up at Alyssa, blinking a couple times. He smiles shyly and waves to her. "Umm...hi, priestess-lady. I...um. Hi."

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa gives a playful smile and sways to a nearby table. She sets the menu down in front of a chair, pulling it out for the boy. "Hello."

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): She moves over to the table, shufflinf along behind her, and looks at the seat for a moment before settling in it. His hands go into his lap, fidgeting a little, and he stares at the table. "Ummm. How a-are you?" His eyes flick up to her a moment, then back to the table.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa gives a bright smile and a tiny giggle. "I'm fine." She tilts her head curiously to the boy, swaying girlishly back and forth. "Do I make you uncomfortable?"

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): "N-no..." He shakes his head a little, staring at his hands. "I...well, ye...no." That appears to be his final answer. He looks up at Alyssa again, smiling. "I like it when you're around. You're nice."

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa gives another soft giggle, laying a hand absently on the boy's shoulder, looking back toward the kitchen "What can I get you to drink?"

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): His eyes widen, and he shakes his head "N-nothing...I, umm. Strict diet. Strictly medicine supp...um, supplemaments. You, um...you said th-that I should come by sometime, and w-we could, um, sing to the gods and worship together. You know, the Moreae, and stuff." He considers, and then nods in confirmation.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa gives a tiny nod and a look of confusion. "You.. can't even drink wine? Only medicine?" She tilts her head, looking the boy over "What do you have? That's terrible.."

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): "S'a skin d-disease. Gives me all sortsa allergacies." It seems a practiced word, like he knows it well...practiced it, even. He ducks his head, the black mop coming of hair down in front of his face. "Makes me cold...the medicine makes me warm 'gain."

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa slips a curious hand to the boys cheek with a soft brush to check his warmth. She offers the boy a warm smile, letting him know with passionate brown eyes that she's not going to hurt him.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He's colder then the average person, but not hideously so. Perhaps he's gotten his medicine some time earlier tonight...or he missed just a night, depending on how the medicine works. He does blush, though, at the touch, and that does warm the skin.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa gives a bright smile down to the boy, placing a gentle hand on both his shoulders and peering playfully around to his face. "You're blushing. That means you like me." She gives a proud incline of the chin.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He looks at her, stammering a bit, eyes wide. "I, uh...I-I-I, um. Well, I...umm...I kinda...er, um...I mean..." That's about all that comes out. Alyssa seems to have successfully rendered the boy utterly speechless.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa gives another soft giggle and walks back over to the door. She flips the closed sign over and locks up, turning back with a girlish look to Paris "Where would you like to pray?" She looks around the restraunt "I don't really want to get blood on the floor.. I already mopped.." Looks back to the boy innocently "We could go out back behind the dumpster.. or up to my bedroom."

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He considers a moment, and then shrugs. "W-Wherever you usually pray would be, ummm...yeah, that'd be fine, Priestess-Lady. I...this is the first t...um, I mean...I've never, um...y'know." He looks back at her. "Prayed all official-like. Just the way..." He lowers his voice to a quiet, fearful whisper, just for the one next work. "...Mercy did."

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa gives a bright smile, moving back past the boy toward the counter "It's easy. First you pick who you're going to pray to. We can pray to the Moirai. Or another god or goddess if you like. Who's your favorite?"

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): ((*Beats computer*)) He turns to face her, green eyes looking thoughtfully up to the celing as he considers. "Ummm...well, I like Persephone most of all, but she wasn't a god, just a daughter of a goddess. Morpheus is good, too...I like dreaming. I don't do it much anymore, so I ask Morpheus to help...sometimes, he does. Nyx is nice...so are Selene and Rhea. And of course the Moreae, too." He seems more confident when he talks about the Hellenistic pantheon...it's something he knows and doesn't have to guess about. Still very much a boy in a young man's body...but less shy,.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa places a finger on her chin with a playful look toward Paris "We can pray to Persephone if you like. I haven't spoken to her in quite some time." She makes her way for the door that leads upstairs, opening it and motioning for him to follow. "Any of them are good though.. Just think about who you want to pray to.. What you want to ask for.. and what you want to give them in return."

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He nods a little bit and rises from the chair, moving along behind her. He seems a little nervous and hesitant, but less so then normal...this is the gods, after all, and if he knows anything, he knows the gods. He follows along behind, nodding a little bit. "Okay. I think I'd like to talk to Persephone."

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa leads him up a narrow staircase to a small hallway. She quietly treads to a door at the end of the hall, opening it up and walking into her room. She waits until he enters before closing the door behind him. "Ladon is probably sleeping. I don't want to disturb him."

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He steps quietly into the room, and nods at her words. He answers in a quiet, hushed tone. "Okay. I don't want to disturb him, either."

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: The room is moderate. Amazingly so. She has a simple twin bed under the window, the view somewhat impressive through the lack of curtains revealing the brick wall of the next buildling over. She has a small wooden dresser and a bookshelf lined with random books in serveral languages. In the corner she has the overstuffed messenger bag she generally carries with her. She makes her way over to the dresser, opening the top drawer and pulling out a white cloth. She lays it out in the center of the hardwood floor with a smile to the boy. "Do you know what you want to say to her?"

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He nods a lttle bit, watching her with curiosity; his mind, like a sponge, soaks in all of her motions and actions, tallying them inside his mind. "Yeah. I, um...I wanna, uh, say that I understand what she feels like, kinda-sorta. And that even though I don't have six months in the dark place and six months out, that I still do have the dark place, and I don't like it anymore then she does. And, um..." He shives his hands in his pockets, looking down at his Converses. "And that, um, that I hope I can be able to keep going like she does, on and on, even though it kinda scares me and makes me cry."

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa walks over toward her bag, digging through and pulling out her wine jug and goblet. She also pulls out her ceremonial kopis and a few bundles of ivy, arranging everything on the cloth and moving to a kneeling position. She gives a warm smile up to Paris "So you're asking for her courage, then. Her strength." She extends an arm for the boy, asking him with a motion to kneel as well. "And what are you willing to offer the blessed queen in return for such a thing?"

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He drops down to kneel with her, thinking long and hard on her question. "Ummm...well..." He scratches at his scalp. "I don't have any pomegranite seeds to replace the ones she ate...I'd give her sunlight, since she probably misses it right now, but I can't..." He looks at Alyssa. "W-What do you give her?"

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa gives a warm smile to the boy, inching closer. "Like I said.. I haven't talked to her in some time.." She thinks for a second, then looks up brightly. "We have pomegranites downstairs. I could get you one."

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He nods, smiling at that. "That would be nice, thank you Priestess-Lady. She likes pomegranites...and it's what hurt her. I never really did like pomegranites..." He fronws at that, caught in something, before shrugging it off. "And I can't eat them anyway."

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa gives a bright smile. "I think they're tasty. I'll grab two." She leans over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before standing and bouncing out the door "Be right back.." She chimes softly, making her way back downstairs.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He watches her leave, his head ducking to press his chin against his chest, a shy smile appearing. He waits there, looking around the room quietly, taking it all in and waiting for her to return.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: It only takes her a minute before she bounces quietly back into the room with two pomegranites. After closing the door gently behind her, she moves back over to a kneeling position next to Paris. She hands him one and sets the other aside. A snack for later.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He takes the pomegranite in his hand and stares at it a moment before looking to her with a nervous smile. "Ummm...okay. Now what?"

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa gives a warm smile to the boy and reaches down to the kopis, removing the hard leather sheath. She gently takes the fruit back from paris and sets it on the white cloth between them. "I'm going to sing her a song. You can sing too if you like. Do you know Greek?"

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He nods a little bit. "The new one...not the old one that the gods spoke." He shifts a little, apprehensively. "Does that, ummm...does that make a difference?"

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: She gives a bright smile "The new one is fine." Alyssa starts humming to herself, swaying girlishly with a warm smile to Paris. After she has a rhythm in mind she picks up a song in greek, a hymn in homage to persephone.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): d10: Int+Occult: 2,7,3,3,8,6,8,

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He seems greatly relieved...he really, REALLY doesn't want to make the gods angry by doing anything wrong. He listens quietly to Alyssa, setting the humming into his mind, trying to follow along. After a moment, he seems to nod, the hymn drawn forth from the recesses in his mind, and he starts to sing along with her, based on the traditional words. He doesn't have a great voice, but he certainly believes in it...his voice is quiet, yet sure of the words and the meaning.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: d10: char+perf: 6,1,10,7,7,

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): d10: Charisma: 9,6,1,2,

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa is actually doing better than usual this evening. Her voice is passionate with a practiced tone about it. She keeps it soft as not to wake her mentor, but rings out a nice melody. When the hymn is nearly at its peak she brings the shortsword down on the fruit, slicing it into two halves.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He's...not nearly so good. The kid may have a voice, but he's too busy focusing on getting it right that the vocal tones don't come out all that melodic. He jumps a little in surprise as the blade shears the pomegranite, but it doesn't stop him from singing along.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa continues to sing, placing the blade back down on the cloth. She reaches her hand into one half of the fruit, digging out a handful of seeds and holding them up to the ceiling.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): A glance goes her way and he follows suit with the other half, a slender hand scooping out seeds and raising them in the air. He really seems to be getting into it, mimicking the girl's movements and words, but moreso then merely parroting.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa seems to have forgotten completely that paris was even in the room, attention all on her prayers. She lowers her body to a sitting position as the song dies down, letting the seeds drip off her hands and back into the halve of a fruit next to her, though most of them seem to miss and hit the white cloth. She doesn't seem to mind.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He moves into a sit as well, seeds slipping through the cracks of his fingers and then into the pomegranite, his hand tilting to dump them all. He does try to get them all in the fruit--don't make a mess, Father says--and gets most, though not all, of them.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa looks back over to the boy with a warm smile. She gives a soft giggle at his attempts to not make a mess and reaches up to rub fruity goop on his nose.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He blinks by Alyssa's sudden motion and looks inward to his nose, eyes crossing. He lowers his chin, a faint blush coming to his cheeks. A small smile alights onto his face and he giggles a little himself, reaching up to wipe at his nose.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa grins and reaches down to the white cloth to rub her hands off. Sticky. She sticks an index finger in her mouth with a smile at the taste. She seems to just sit there.. watching him. Curiously tilting her head.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He finishes wiping the gunk off of his nose, and goes cross-eyed once more, as if to try and make sure it's all off there. He wipes the stuff on his pants legdampening the denim and clearing his hand of it for the most part. He then sits back, legs crossing Indian-styleand arms incircling his knees, rocking slightly back and forth...an idle gesture, with no real rhyme or purpose. He looks up to her, noting her silent attention, and his eyes go down. "Ummm. Um, un. Did I, umm...d-do okay?"

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa gives an excited nod "You did wonderful! You know the hymns. I haven't met anyone else in the city that will sing with me." she scoots closer, brushing the sliced fruit aside.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): The praise brings a soft smile to his lips, and he shrugs bashfully. "I just...um, I like the gods. I learn everything I can about them." A brief pause, and he looks to the fruit making their way to the side, then back to her. "I, umm...you're a nice lady. I um...yeah. You're nice, Priestess-Lady." A little nod. That's obviously profound to him, her niceness.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: She gives a soft laugh, scooting next to the boy and laying her head on his shoulder. "Alyssa. Call me Alyssa. I like you very much Paris of Troy. You're educated. And Greek. Nice too. And cute."

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): "Umm...okay." He nods, saying the name once, to try it out. "A...Alyssa." He stiffens a little, nervous as she scoots next to him, but focusing on committing her name to memory relieves some of the tension he'd otherwise have. "I-I, ummm...I, l-like you too. You're very n-nice, and, um...pretty. You d-don't make f-f-fun of me...I like that, too. Um....so...yeah."

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: "Why would I make fun of you?" she asks, seeming genuinely curious. She wraps an arm idly around his waist.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): "People do, somethimes," he mumbles with a shrug. "They call me dumb, or simple, or crazy...all sorts of things. Weak, too." He says it as non-chalantly as would could possibly expect, really...like it bothereed him when it happened, maybe, but not anymore.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa's eyes widen and she looks up to the boy "People call me crazy too. They're silly. People that is.." She lays her head back on the boy's shoulders. "You would like it in Lefkas. People wouldn't call you crazy.. or dumb. Or simple. You'd be praised as a scholar." She gives his waist a tiny squeeze.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): "A scholar?" The thought of that seems to astound him, his body relaxing just enough to lwan into her a little bit when she squeezes him. "Wow...I've always wanted to learn things...that's what scholars do, anyway."

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: "What kinds of things do you want to learn?" She curls her legs under her, leaning comfortably against the boy.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): "Umm...well," he beings with a sigh. "I...kinda wanna learn to read righ. Big words hurt my head, and I hafta look them up. Ummm..." He thinks. "How to not, um...h-how to n-not be scared, too." This last comes out very quietly, almost a whisper.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa gives a thoughtful look up to the boy, reaching up to brush some wild hair from his face. "I can help teach you to read better. If you like. It's something I enjoy very much." She gives a bright smile "And you don't have to be scared when you're around me. I wouldn't let anything hurt you."

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He looks over at her, green eyes wide, a little awe showing amongst the anxiety. A very small, very sincere smile hits his face. "I...ummm. Uh..." His lips move, but nothing comes out, until finally... "...okay." A little nod to her.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa smiles sweetly, curled against the boy. "Will your father worry?" She asks innocently "I know my acarya worries if I'm out too long. I don't want to get you in trouble.."

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): "Ummm..." He shrugs a little, hesitantly. "F-Father worries about me. But he doesn't get m-mad or, um, or scared at me for going out anymore. I just have to be home before the s...I mean, Helios comes up." He beams a little, happy he thought to use the right name in her presence. "Part of my allergacies."

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: She gives a thoughtful look, trying to reason that out in her head. Finally she gives a tiny nod "Nyx must be very possessive of you. You must be favored."

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He nips at his lower lip...no one had ever put it that way to him before. He smiles softly, nodding. "S'why I like her so much...I see her all the time. And Selene, too. I like them both a lot."

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa gives a warm smile, curling comfortably close to the boy. "Where did you learn so much about the gods? All the other Americans I've met.. don't seem to care at all about things like this. It's refreshing."

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He frowns a little bit, slowly relaxing, a little more comfortable by the girl curled against him. "I...don't know. I guess I forget. Things get fuzzy sometimes...I just can't 'member. I know I've known about them as far as I can 'member, though."

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: She gives a tiny nod, thinking to herself before responding. "I understand. Things ~do~ get fuzzy sometimes." She holds an odd look about her, thinking.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He looks over to her, watching her for a moment, his expression curious toward her.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): d10: Per+Empathy: 4,2,5,9,9,7,

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen] -> Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): She makes no effort to hide her emotions. She has a strong curiosity about the boy but more specifically about portions of time being fuzzy, and something under the surface is bothering her. It's also apparent that she likes Paris a great deal.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa blinks back up, feeling his gaze. She reverts to a soft smile and leans up to kiss his cheek.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He blushes a little bit at the kiss to his cheel, though not as strongly as he has been...one can only blush so much before desensitization comes into it. "Wh...what are you scared about?" Apparently, for him, bothered translates into scared. Scared is easier to quantify.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa blinks curioisly up to the boy "I'm not scared of anything." She says with a certain constitution. "Do I.." she looks down to herself, arms out "..look scared? Or something?"

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): "Ummm...well, no," he admits. "Not right now. But you looked...scared, or a-angry, or worried or somethin'." A little shrug. "Maybe I was just seein' things."

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa gives a soft laugh, slipping an arm back around the boy's waist. "Must have been.. I'm not afraid. I occasionally have things to worry about.. but not right now."

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): "Okay." He smiles and lean against her, relaxing to a decent state of comfortability. "Ummm...thanks for letting me pray with you, Pri--er, A-Alyssa. That was very nice of you."

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: "Anytime, Paris. It's nice not having to pray alone. You can worship with me anytime. I like spending time with you."

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): "I like spending time with you too, Alyssa," he murmurs, nodding with a smile. "You're my, um...my friend."

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa looks up with a playful smile to the boy "I'd be your girlfriend. If you wanted."

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): His head swivels toward her, eyes snapping wide open. "Uhhh...ummm. Tha--umm...I mean..." Okay, there comes that blush back, in force, face getting rosy from embarassment. "You would, I mean...I want...I-I...th-that would be, ummm...ok-k..."

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa tilts her head curiously, listening to him ramble. When he's done she gives a soft giggle "Was that a yes? I apologize.. My acarya says I'm too bold for my own good sometimes. I don't mean to make you uncomfortable.."

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He takes a deep breath, blowing it out...taking a moment to calm him down. Even with that, the response comes out stuttered. "I-I, umm...you d-don't...I m-mean, yeah, but no...s'ok-kay. I, umm...I mean..." He finally just gives up and gives a little nod.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: She gives a tiny giggle and gives his waist a comforting squeeze. She runs a hand curiously through the boy's dark mop of hair flashing him a soft smile. "I need to sleep. You'll come see me soon?" Her voice hopeful.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He beams at her with a sudden, full-on radiant smille and nods. "Y-Yeah. I'll, umm...yeah. I'll make sure of it...come soon. Yep."

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: She gives a proud nod and brushes a breif kiss over the boy's lips. She stands and reaches down to help Paris off the floor.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): The kiss makes him blink, but he manages to shyly return it a little, at least, at the last instant. He reaches up for her hand, rising to his feet with her help. The boy stands there for a moment, brushing at his pant legs nervously, before he smiles to her and moves to follow her.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa leads him out the door and down the stairs, back to the restraunt. She walks him to the door, unlocking it before turning with a girlish smile.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): He stops there, his hands buried in his pockets, looking at her with a bashful smile. "G...Good night, Alyssa," he murmurs quietly, barely above a whisper so as not to wake anyone.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: She smiles and brings him into a loose hug. "Be thinking about who you want to pray to next time. I look forward to it. Maybe we can take a cab upstate and dance naked in the forrest." She offers an innocent smile and leans in to give another soft kiss to the boy's lips.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): Naked in the forest? He almost stammers at that, but he doesn't have much time before she leans in, and he finds himself leaning forward, tentatively, to kiss her back.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: After a moment, she pulls back with a sweet smile to the boy. She pushes the door open for him. "Goodnight. Paris of Troy."

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): "Goodnight, Alyssa." He offers her a very sincere, sweet smile, and false starts for the door, before a hand is pulled from his pocket to wave at her. He then, finally slips through the door, looking over his shoulder at her the whole walk past the door.

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: Alyssa leans dreamily in the doorframe, watching him walk away for a moment before locking back up and heading to bed.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): And away he goes, down the street toward home. At some point along the way, he vanishes in the shadows.

Paris Bennet (Arcane 1): ((*Hugs* Thanks for the scene, hon. *G*))

Alyssa Kostapoulos [Fate's Kitchen]: ((thanks. need sleeeeeeep. *G*))