tampered | (no subject)

Current Mood: bouncy

(no subject)

When; April 13th, evening
Rating; PG-13ish
Characters; Greed

crete_goddess
Summary; Greed takes the Sultana out to get her mind off her memories.
Log;

Greed stretched a bit, popping his joints loudly, before he knocked on the apartment door in front of him. He hoped he had given her enough time to get ready. Regular women could take awhile, but he had NO idea how much a member or royalty might need to gussy herself up.

"You there, Ananova? It's me, Greed. You about done?" he asked through the door. His attire was the same as usual. Leather pants and shoes, with a black belt, black undershirt, and fur-collared vest. Did he EVER wear anything else?

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Ananova had just finished putting on her earrings when the knock on the door came. She smiled, checking her scarves once in the mirror, then walking out of her room. Dressed in long flowing silks and satins, blue and purple tonight, minimal jewelry..save the bracelet from Neverland. And the turkish trinket from the King of Dreams. Her memories still followed her...but it was not the time to make them the center of her attention.

"Just a moment!"

She gave a hug and goodbye to Belle, making sure she would be all right for the evening, and opened the door. She smiled.

"Hello, Greed."

Greed lowered his glass to take in her form. His eyes trailed up and down her form as he let out a melodious, leering whistle.

"Hell, beautiful! That's one hell of a pretty picture," he said, putting his hand out to her, "Shall we go, milady? Your chariot awaits."

Ananova laughed a little, turning her eyes up, quite used to his lushy behavior, but always, -always- charming in it's own way.

She closed the door and took his hand, inclining her head with a grin. "But of course, kind sir."

Without another warning, he lifted her up in his arms and bounded out of the building, the scenery flying by as he moved.

"I'm glad you could come out with me, tonight," he said, jumping off of a lamppost and rebounding off of a wall. After a few minutes, he touched down near a glowing sign that read "LONGSHANK'S STEAKHOUSE".

"Any idea what you want? It's my treat."

"Wha--AHH!!" Ananova clung to her dinner date, staring around her as the City breezed past them. If anything, Greed was always good for an incredible surprise!

"Well--" She yelped a little going from the lamp post to the wall. "--So am I--!"

She sighed as they stopped leaping and bounding off the walls. She idly fixed her flyaway hair and smiled at him. "I haven't the slightest idea."

"Guess we'll see, then," he said, placing an arm around her waist and escorting her inside the doorway.

The inside was decorated like a high class victorian-themed restaurant, with hanging lights, plush carpeting, cushy seats, and a deep red and gold color scheme. The maitre'd spoke with Greed for a moment as they entered, then led them to a table.

"Here you are," he said, pulling out a chair for his date, "Menu's are on the table."

Ananova looked around with a smile. It reminded her of some places she had seen in London. Her thoughts trailed slightly to Jas as Greed spoke with another man. She imagined he would be terribly jealous about this...or would he...it was so hard to tell anymore. And she worried for the boy, Peter Pan. He had..woken up, though. Praise Allah.

She smiled as she walked with Greed. What did it matter now...she wasn't really his anymore...and after yesterday's spat with Mr. Smee, she didn't want a thing to do with any of it.

"Thank you." Ananova sat and smiled at him. She looked around the restaurant. "I like this place."

He pushed her seat in and took his own across from her. He quickly rifled through the menu and assessed the variety of meals. Just about everything here had meat of some sort. Just his speed!

"Guess I'm getting the rib-eye steak and mashed potatoes. I'll get us some red wine, too. Maybe a breadbasket. You?"

"That sounds lovely." She looked over the menu. Used the strangest sorts of meals, all this was very simple, and somewhat alien.

"...Sirloin steak. That sounds good, I think, with steamed vegitables."

"Great," he said, flagging down a waiter.

The young man came up to them and took down the orders, after which he collected the menus and went to fetch the wine.

"So tell me, what's it like bein' royalty? I've always wondered what they do."

Ananova smiled and folded her hands on the table, leaning on her elbows.

"I think it varies from country to country. As a Sultana, it's...quite restricting, and heavily religious. I can't go many places without an escort, I cannot be seen outside the palace walls at certain times of the day--there are certain things I must wear, tasks I must perform. Most women are regarded as property in my country...having a woman lead such a place is nearly taboo."

"Man, that kinda' sucks, doesn't it? Are you okay with all that? Not bein' free?"

The wine arrived early, which Greed opened while listening to her. He poured a cup for each of them and handed one to her.

"Freedom is a big thing in my life. I couldn't imagine havin' it taken away, again."

"It was worth it...for my country, it was worth it. I don't really have to worry about it anymore...they exiled me."

She smiled, taking her glass. "Thank you."

She drank and raised her eyebrows. "Again?"

"Yeah."

He took a deep draught of wine and continued, clasping his fingers.

"Father, my creator, basically created us to do his bidding. No room for what we wanted. For centuries it was like that. The others were fine with that. They had no vision. I was NOT, however. I needed to be free, baby!"

His fist came down on the table in emphasis.

"My needs would never be met, so I finally got the courage to run away."

She smiled as the table shook, sipping at her wine. Ananova shook her head a little, swallowing.

"How dreadful...no one should be 'kept' like that. Especially not you, Greed. You're as free as the wind."

"Yeah, well he didn't see it that way. We were his creations. His possessions. His grunts. The hands to work his will."

He relaxed in his seat and took another sip.

"So what about your home life? I suppose there is a prince for the princess?"

Ananova's eyes flicked upwards a moment, shaking her head. "No prince, a King." She leaned forward drinking.

"Self-proclaimed too...I met Jamaes Matthew Bastard at fourteen at Eton school for boys. Back then, they all called him King Jas. I was staying in London with the queen. I guess you could call us childhood sweethearts...he stole away to meet me on private grounds, very well risked everything just to see me...

"Foolish boy...Then, the day I was so leave, he and his best friend, Roger--Jolly Roger he called him--, hid on my ship, and the three of us attempted to escape. That ended badly..." She smiles a little. "..That was when he told me he would make me his queen. Queen of Neverland."

She drinks some.

"We were separated after that...it was later I discovered he had..died in a fire at Eton. Needless to say, I was crushed. Only to find him on my doorstep many years later. Ready to take me away. Sad thing was...I could not go. My father was dead. My mother, gone. I was the Sultana. I led my country on my own, with opposing forces all around me. The other leaders and advisers of the Ottoman Empire wanted war...I did not.

"Countless faceless members sent assassins to deal with me. Three or four attempts on my life a day. My country was dying. I couldn't..leave. So, James left. Never to return...his name was Captain Jas Hook then. A number of years later, my mentor runs in, saying they mean to shove me from the throne. This means I can, and most likely will be, executed. I take what I need, three handmaidens, four guards, and leave. Not even my country wants me anymore..."

"Geez, that sucks. Isn't that hook guy here?"

A sad look came over Greed's face as he heard her story, looking for a moment like he wanted to go over to her side of the table.

"Man, that sucks serious ass. I'd have left, too."

"Yes, he's here..along with Peter Pan, Mr. Smee..." She smiles sadly. "He found his Neverland." She lifts her wrist to show him a silver bracelet. "Brought this to me...when he came back a few days ago. It's hard to say where we stand now...but..it's better than nothing..."

Ananova drank a little more, draining her glass.

"I broke him when I didn't go with him...he lost his mind somewhere out there. A little of it, atleast." Tchs, putting down her glass and gesturing. "He gave me an ultimatum. He actually made me choose! Choose, him or my country! I was so..furious with him..."

"Human relationships are tough," he said, nose twitching. Apparently the food was on it's way.

"Me personally, I don't understand how that whole thing works. I can't even understand how humans can want to be with one person their whole lives. Or at least, why they SAY that. Most people break up, anyway. I've watched humans long enough to know that most of them go crazy if forced together too long."

He smiled as he caught the approaching waiter from the corner of his eye. The food was hastily set in front of them and the silverware distributed.

"Ooh! Soup's on!"

Ananova smiled, fully agreeing. "Far too complicated..moreso than it has to be..."

She smiled at their food, taking up her fork. "It smells delicious. It's strange, since I came here, I've been so social. At home, the only way I could get outside the palace walls was sneaking out at all hours of the night..."

"Heh. I guess there are good things about this place, too. I would get sealed whenever I was caught doin' something I shouldn't. It really sucked."

He cut into his steak and greedily devoured a piece, savoring the texture of the meat.

"Mmm! A good flavour!"

"I wonder if the good things overshadow the bad."

She smiled and started cutting up her steak. She forked a carrot with her meat and ate. She smiled, and nodded. "This is wonderful. I can't believe I haven't been here before."

"I have a knack for sniffing out quality," he said, taking in another bite. Sharp, white teeth easily chewed through the tender meat.

"That goes for finding quality women, as well," he said, looking into her eyes.

Ananova smiled affectionately at his last statement.

"You charmer. It's a wonder you don't have women chasing after you right and left."

"Probably because most women have issues with a man who can't be monogamous. I'm greedy for everything, women included. One women wouldn't be able to keep up with me, so I prefer to have a number of women I can be comfortable with."

He devoured more of his meal and topped off his wine.

"That's the cache-22 of bein' me. No matter how much I eat, drink, fuck, make money, or fight, it's never enough. I always am left wantin' more. Pardon my language."

"Don't mind it." She took the bottle and filled her own glass. Ananova felt a great wave a compassion for him. What an uncomplete existence...then again, most people were half-baked. Not quite whole.

"Thus your name...I'm sorry you have to suffer that...never being satisfied."

"Heh. I used to joke to my siblings about being better than them all, because they were all offshoots of greed."

He finished the last of his meal in short order and ordered another bottle of wine, offering the last bit of the current bottle to her.

She smiled a little, accepting it. Ananova chewed musingly over her last bits of vegetables. "How many siblings do you have..?"

"Six," he said pulling out a desert menu from the side of the table, "Lust, Pride, Sloth, Gluttony, Envy, and Wrath. They're not like me. They're rather sociopathic and dislike humans."

"The Seven Sins...extraordinary. I believe I've seen Envy about here and there." She smiled, tipping her glass towards him.

"I'm certainly glad you like humans, Greed..."

"I like 'em a lot. In the beginning I was like the others, kinda'. I viewed them as lesser. But the more I interacted with 'em, the more I envied their freedom and their will to survive, no matter what. I knew there was more out there for me."

He clinked glasses with her and smiled.

"I like humans like you wouldn't believe. Nice ones, at least. I'll clobber an asshole now and then, but I get along with people who are respectful. I also don't like to fight women or lie. I have to have SOME scruples, after all. A guy's gotta' have a code to live by."

"You really are a sweet thing, Greed. A respectful, decent gentleman, as well as a lush, cad, and terribly flirtatious. You're one of the most interesting people I've ever met. By far."

"Really? I don't suppose I'm interesting enough for a roll in the hay, am I? Because it wouldn't be me if I didn't at least make the attempt."

As he spoke, he carefully thumbed through the desert menu, then passed it to her.

"I think the fried cheesecake looks good."

She laughed a little, grinning at him. "You most certainly would not, darling."

Ananova took the menu, an eyebrow raising. "Fried cheesecake..? It sounds...less than appetizing." She chuckled some.

"That wasn't a no!" he chuckled, spotting another bottle heading for the table.

"Ah, but that's the clever ploy!" he exclaimed, visibly excited, "It SOUNDS unappealing, but the taste of it is amazing! The way the flavors clash is incredible!"

"Oh, is it now?" She eyed the picture in the menu, somewhat skeptical. "It certainly looks interesting...oh, why not. I'll get it too." She put the menu back with with a smile.

"Only live once, and I'm sure I've eaten worse things."

"That's the spirit!"

He accepted and opened the bottle, then set it on the table. The young waiter was given the order and hastily hurried off to the kitchen.

"So, anywhere you wanted to go after we're done eating? I'm up for anything."

She smiled a little, sitting back. Her clouded mind had already begun to clear quite a bit.

"Oh, I don't know...I think I'd just like to meander about the town for a while."

"I certainly don't mind that at all."

Their dessert arrived shortly, at which point it was divided between them.

"Try a bite. I'm sure you'll see what I mean."

She forked a bite and looked at it with a queer eye. She had come to find that anything with the word 'fried' was less than promising.

"Let's hope you're right, Greed..."

Without another hesitation, Ananova let it into her mouth. A few short seconds of chewing, her eyebrows shot upwards.

"...this is..disgustingly delicious.."

"That's one way to put it," he said, taking a mouthful of dessert, "It's good stuff."

He hungrily scarfed down the richly flavored creation, licking his plate when it was finished.

"Very well, You were right. It's very good." She smiled, and ate her desert.

She tilted her head some, not yet finished when he cleared his plate. Greed certainly was a quirky one, and that was putting it lightly. But she liked that about him.

"I guess we'll go for a little walk after this to see what's goin' on in town. I hear there's a small fireworks show in the square. Nothin' fancy, but it might be nice to see."

"Really? That sounds wonderful! I remember traveling to China one summer..." She ate and swallowed her last bite of cake.

"I was still a youngish thing--we saw a celebration, I think for the New Year. The sky was so full of fireworks, it could have been daytime."

"Should be nice, then," he said, placing a wad of bills on the table, "That should cover everything. You ready?"

Ananova swallowed the last of her wine, and stood, flicking her scarf back around her neck.

"Aboslutely."

He looped his arm in hers and headed for the door.

"Off we go!"

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