tampered | (no subject)

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Location: Cain's place and elsewhere

(no subject)

When; August 10, Night
Rating; Definitely NC-17.
Characters; Greed

misterblackbird
Summary; The good Earl decides to take Greed up on his offer of a night out.
Log;

After a quick smoothing out of his uniform and a discrete hygiene check, Greed cleared his throat and knocked on the door to Cain's living space. For a moment, he considered checking his face for stubble. Then he realized that his facial hair never actually grew.

He was holding a small, packaged cheesecake in his left hand, for a gift. Granted, he didn't know EXACTLY what Cain liked, but hey, who turned down cheesecake? It was heaven, in pastry form.

"Yo, Cain, you ready?" he called out through the door, "It's me. Greed."

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It was just as good, because he came the food! A large, boat shaped platter was laid on the table, with an assortment of different types of sushi. Greed placed the soy sauce bowls onto it and gestured toward it.

"Time to put that knowledge to use," he said, picking up his chopsticks and taking a slice of eel, then dipping it into the sauce, "Oooh! Good stuff."

He had to admit to himself he was glad Miss Kotobuki had explained the basic idea of this dish to him. It was...prettier than he'd expected, colorful pieces tied up in little bundles. Even the smell was interesting, pleasant. And not like a fishmarket, as he'd half-wondered.

Imitating again, he picked up his own piece and dipped it in the dark brown sauce.

Still, he paused, the sushi somewhere halfway to his mouth.

"Is it safe? I mean, eating it when it's not properly cooked?"

Greed nodded quickly, assuring him, "Don't worry about it. This stuff is meticulously screened and prepared. There's no danger. You'd face more danger from a ham sandwich."

He popped two salmon rolls into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully, savoring the flavor.

"Trust me. I always check things out that I like."

"All right. I suppose if an entire country eats this, it can't be all that risky."

Really, he had to laugh at the idea of a ham sandwich being dangerous. If it were poisoned perhaps--

"I admit, I've got a bit of an obsession with safety. It comes from having more enemies than one has defenses, and a younger sister to watch over."

Bite the bullet--or, the sushi, rather. He popped it into his mouth and was pleasantly surprised to find he liked it. Even unfamiliar as it was, he liked it.

"That really is...very good... But do you check things out to see if they're safe, or check them out to see if they're up to your standards?" Cain asked, casually, half-teasingly, reaching for another piece.

"A little of both. Like I said, I'm naturally curious. I like sushi, so I researched it as best I could. Just how I am."

He was pleased with the reaction. He had yet to meet someone who DIDN'T like this food.

"I happen to be a man of high taste."

"And here I'd been told that I'm impossibly curious."

Leaning his chin on his hand, he pondered which sort to take next. Something different; he was feeling a bit bolder now.

"'High taste'--well, you've proven that so far. Really, you're not quite like the rumours had you. Hmm...maybe I was flattering myself in thinking you would have checked up on me too. Between high taste and things you like."

"Well, that's the thing about bein' curious. We tend to become the targets of either dangerous enemies or other curious people. It is what killed the cat, after all. You're hard to get info on, which is good if you have enemies."

After dipping some ginger to ready himself for the next round, he called over another server.

"Hot sake, please," he said, the server quickly leaving to get his order, "I ordered us some rice wine. It's an acquired taste, though. What do the rumors potray me as?"

"That is good to know. The rumours?"

He paused for a moment, thinking.

"That you're scheming, clever, curious, a bit coarse, gregarious, a trickster, determined to always get what you want, debaucherous, and, most of all, that you live up to your namesake. And it was recommended to me that if I value any purity I possess whatsoever that I shouldn't go out with you tonight."

He smiled slyly.

"Really, I don't think they're entirely true, but does that tell you anything?"

"Hm...Well, I can agree with MOST of that. But it doesn't tell the whole story. I'm a trickster, but I've never outright lied to someone. I do consider myself pretty clever and you know I'm curious. I always get what I want sooner or later and I want all the things I can get. That's just me. But most people tend to say it in a negative way, which I don't believe."

He turned for a moment at the smell of hot sake being delivered to the table. Two cups were poured and placed in front of them, after which the bottle was set on the table.

"For instance, you're very attractive. Man or woman doesn't matter to me, as long as they're pretty enough. I'd be lyin' if I said I wasn't tryin' to seduce ya' just a bit."

"I thought as much, and I even expected as much. But I don't mind in the least."

It's fun, he added mentally.

"Really, I'm flattered that I meet the demands of your high taste."

"Really?" he slid the glass closer to Cain, "In that case, cheers to us! Give it a try and tell me what ya' think."

Greed quickly downed his own small glass and refilled it, ready for the next.

"In that case, what say we head back to your place when we're done here?"

"My place? With the rest of the crowd that lives there? They'd be certain to see us. You know they'd talk."

He picked up his own glass--"Cheers"--and took a sip. It was more of a feeling than a taste, he couldn't quite place what it was like--dry wine or vodka, maybe.

"...It's strong, but it's good."

"Good to hear. Not everyone likes it," he said, taking another and refilling another glass, "They have a similar drink in the Kingdom of Xing, back home."

He sighed contentedly and relaxed visibly next to Cain.

"A visit to the springs, then? They're deserted at this time of night."

"Perhaps there's something like this in my world. I've no idea."

He refilled his own glass.

"I've only been out to the springs once or twice. I'd rather like to visit them again. Even in the dark."

"Excellent!"

Several devoured pieces of sashimi later, he stretched his limbs and stood.

"Gotta' wash my hands. Be right back," he said, rushing off. He returned just a short time later, "Sorry about that. The rice makes me hands sticky when I use my fingers, sometimes. The chopsticks aren't always what I want to use."

"That's quite all right. I'm rather proud of being able to use the chopsticks at all, so I was going to keep at them."

He looked at the plate.

"There's a few bits of octopus--I think it is--left. Unless you're going to eat them, perhaps we ought to call for the check."

"Huh? Oh yeah, right!" he said, quickly gulping down the last bits. He called over the serving woman and chatted her up a bit, getting the price. Greed thanked her for the meal and handed over the pay, along with her tip.

"Right, then. Care to go?"

Greed quickly stood and held out his hand to help Cain up.

"Yes--if you want to," Cain replied, taking the offered hand and standing up.

Still a strange situation, strange food, with a stranger, he mused as he began to head towards the door. Somehow he couldn't help but to smile. Something about it all--nevermind.

This time he held the door open.

Greed thanked him and stepped ahead into the night air. He gradually informed Cain of some of the more interesting quirks of the temple as they traveled further toward it. Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the cleared forest path to the front door.

"Right up this way," he said, starting up the path, "Don't worry. No creatures of the forest come this close."

They gradually made their way through until they finally reached the over-sized doors at the front entrance.

"It's sort of a strange place to live, in a temple. But, I suppose I can't complain, living in a theatre like I do."

He stared up at the doors they stood before.

"Someone warned me about that once, to stay on the paths here because of the animals in the woods. I think it might have been you--yes, I'm sure it was you. It makes me wonder what might be out there."

"Pretty much whatever you think of when you think of "wild animals". It's just that these are abnormally large and abnormally aggressive, abnormally hungry beasts," he said, holding open the doorway, "Just take off your shoes and and any extra accessories you have inside the door. We have a storing area for them."

Greed came in last, closing the massive slab of oakwood behind them. After doffing his shoes and vest, he began to walk a long hallway.

"This place is nice and big. I almost got lost for the first few days."

"I guess I'd rather not think about abnormally wild wild animals."

He left his shoes at the door, considered it a moment, and left his jacket with them. Might as well--he hadn't been sure if he wanted to wear it at first. To hell with appearance now.

"Lost?" Cain asked, following him. "If this is just a hallway, I suppose I can see how you did."

They soon reached the entrance to the spring, a sliding glass door covered in condensation. His "undershirt" faded into his flesh as he walked into the changing area and removed his pants, putting them into a holding area.

"Ah, that's better!" he sighed, grabbing a towel and tossing one to Cain, "It's a nice night for it!"

Cain caught the towel with ease.

"Wait. You honestly expect me to undress?"

His earlier ease was quickly dissolving.

"I though I could just sort of...walk around the edge, maybe put my feet in it."

If Greed forced the issue, it was dark, and Cain could probably keep under the water enough so he wouldn't see. So he hoped, at least. He made a show of it at least, undoing his tie.

"Eh? That's not what ya' do in springs. You're supposed to go full body, in the nude. At most, in swimtrunks."

He tied the towel around himself and walked up to him, the red lines still visible on Greed's torso.

"What do ya' have to lose? No one's around but us, after all. What, you're shy? That's almost...cute."

Did he say 'cute'?

"I almost resent that appellation," Cain growled.

Greed had hit a nerve, and in short order Cain had tied on his towel and was stripping off shirt, waistcoat, and trousers from underneath it. But always with his back to the wall, carefully.

"I suppose it is bad form to invite oneself in and then not play by the rules."

He laid his clothes aside in a neat bundle.

"After you," he said, gesuring towards the door.

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