Starring:
Summary: Running into each other in a store, Samuel and Daisy strike up some casual conversation.
Date It Happened: December 27, 2001
Leave It To Fate
Third Street Promenade
The promenade bustles on this post-holiday shopping day. It's mid-afternoon and the air is filled with the sounds of conversations, laughter, an the music of the buskers that are dotted around the section. Still Daisy seems a little jumpy as she steps out of a store only to have a kid on a bike go whizzing by in front of her. She lets out a noise of surprise, hesitating before stepping back out again. She's a little dressed up, dark jeans paired with a long-sleeved turtleneck, and she seems to be favouring one arm, keeping it close to herself while the other carries her few bags.
The same entrance that Daisy comes out of, Samuel is heading for. He is wearing a thin, double-breasted jacket over his shirt and jeans, one set of fingers playing idly with the flap over a side pocket. The demon's hair is combed back in a careful wave, and the edges of his face are stubbled with just enough dark to outline his features.
He would now be entering the store and passing right on by if it were not for something that snags at the back of his head and causes him to stop, turn, and look. Was there something back there? Not physically. That voodoo that you do, Daisy, has pretty much taken the true demon's attention from a shopping errand and put it to finding whatever that was that seemed to nag at him. The child on the bike zips past the store, and though Samuel is first drawn to that, he is also drawn to the noise coming from Daisy herself. "..Watch your toes, miss." He adds helpfully from somewhere behind her.
If only Daisy knew her own power. But thus far in life, she remains oblivious to any effect she might have. All she knows is that she certainly doesn't seem to hold any sway over casting directors. But. Someday that will change. For now, she just turns rather abruptly at the sound of a voice behind her, wincing as if in a little pain, but then offers up a smile to the man offering his helpful advice. "Thanks. Yeah, I … They go so fast on those things," she comments with a shake of her head. She steps aside to clear the doorway. "Sorry, am I in your way?"
"No, no. I was going in- but now I realize I should not be spending as much as I do…" Frankly, that is a lie coming so smoothly from his mouth. There is something that does not want him to keep doing what he was doing. His entire shopping day could have possibly even been leading up to right now, unbeknownst to both of them.
Maybe he wants to leave. Maybe he doesn't. But being the truest nature of demon, Samuel cannot seem to make up his mind, and so Daisy is met with an observant, hazel-green stare.
Daisy readjusts her bags, sliding the handles up onto her wrist so that she can bring her good hand up to tuck her hair back behind an ear. "Oh, I know what you mean. It's so easy to get carried away around here. I really shouldn't even come down this way if I don't want to end up broke." Though she keeps a wary eye out, glancing towards the thoroughfare periodically, her conversation still comes with the ease of someone naturally friendly. She manages a little smile, dropping her arm back to her side with the rustle of plastic bags.
Poor Daisy. Some strange man has taken himself up in staring intently at her; his lack of blinking is almost reptilian, but eventually, it happens. Samuel's lips purse as if to say something, yet draw back and take another moment to open into a smile. His hand is hesitant, but holds out, palm up. "Samuel." He is introducing himself so readily for no visible reason.
Daisy begins to grow a little uneasy under that unblinking stare, the smile fading into just a ghost of its former self. She's a little surprised by the sudden introduction, but tries to summon back up another friendly smile as soon as she realizes that's what this is. "Oh, um, I'm Daisy," she replies, shifting the bags back to her wrist so that she can shake the offered hand. Her other arm just remains held close to her.
Samuel seems quite like the type of guy that would pull her hand up to kiss it- but he doesn't, largely because she also has bags attached. That would be hindering. "Are you from the city, miss Daisy?" Truthfully, Samuel may not find a normal Daisy as interesting as one with a magnet on her forehead(or wherever it might be).
"Me? Oh goodness, no," Daisy replies with a shake of her head. Not many people peg her for a native, but then, usually she's said more stupid things by this point in the conversation. "I'm from Kansas. I haven't been here all that long." She's still a little uneasy about the sudden fixation, but is trying to just roll with it, polite and friendly like she was raised to be.
"Ah, I see…" Samuel tries to remember where Kansas is, first of all. It's in the middle, right? Hm. "…Did you come for Hollywood?" A tilt of his head and a croon of his words adds an air of suavity here. "Do you like it here, Daisy?"
Daisy gives a sheepish little laugh. "That obvious, is it? Yeah, I'm here to be an actress," she admits with a shake of her head, not ashamed of the fact but having heard the lectures about the unlikeliness enough times by now to at least say it a little tongue-in-cheek. At his next question, though, she turns more thoughtful. "I'm … not sure." There's that flicker of doubt that wasn't there before, but she shores up her smile and soldiers on. "I mean, of course I do. It's just … really different from what I'm used to," she understates.
Samuel smiles more broadly when Daisy laughs. "It is different for me, as well. More people that do not care about others, with considerably more money and glamour inthe mix." He doesn't say which group he might belong to, in terms of rich, famous, beautiful, displaced, out-of-place, et cetera. Daisy can guess, but that is for her to mull over.
"Yeah, it's … not an easy city, is it," Daisy confides, her smiling falling away for a moment before it's forced back into place. "I guess it's different for everyone. Well, unless you happen to grow up here. Then it would probably be the same." She gives a one-shouldered shrug to that. if she's mulling over where he sits in the social strata, she doesn't come out and ask about it.
"Do you come here often, Daisy? To the promenade?" Samuel even says 'promenade' in what sounds like the proper, British-english manner. He knows he has to go, but he has one more thing to find out about her- all so that there might be a chance he can get away, think over this strange attraction, and only then possibly meet her again(on 'accident' of course). It all depends on her answer.
"More often than I should, considering my rent," Daisy replies with a little smile, glancing around again and giving a large biker guy a wary look before turning back to Samuel again. "Not every day or anything, but … sometimes. Why?" It only occurs to her to ask after she's already given up the details. Oh well.
He was hoping that she would not ask. So much for accidents. Samuel instead plays coy, smiling and glancing away for just a moment. "I was hoping that perhaps I could see you again, Daisy." The Naga's voice is still smooth and comes with a hint of a playful tone. What a day for Daisy- stopped randomly on the street and asked for a faux-date by a handsome foreigner. Nothing odd or suspicious, right?
"Oh. Um. Well, I - I don't know," Daisy replies, looking unsure whether this is odd and suspicious or if it's just her being paranoid. "Maybe, sure." Yeah, it must be paranoia. "I'll … probably be back again in a few days, after I get paid?" she puts out as a sort of peace offering. It's not fair to judge him just because she's had a bad experience, is it.
Samuel keeps that smile on his face the entire time. "So…tuesday, wednesday?" He offers back, both curious and hopeful. There's nothing about Sam to be rightfully scared of; she'll be safe, unless of course she has the ability to be a trouble magnet and a demon magnet at the same time.
Daisy gives a quiet laugh at his question before pausing to think. "Tuesday, probably, so long as I don't have to work," she decides with a nod. "It can be a little unpredictable sometimes," she adds in explanation, lest he think she's being avoidant on his behalf. With that, her phone starts to ring. "Case in point," she notes with a wry smile. "I should really get this."
"Well, Daisy. We shall leave it to fate to decide. I will be here Tuesday afternoon, and perhaps the next day-" Samuel ticks his finger in the air for a second. "If we are meant to meet again, then we will." He is afraid if he spends much longer here he could be stuck at her hip. That would not be good.
"Serendipity, hm? I guess I can't argue with that," Daisy agrees with a grin, which turns to a wince as she shifts her bags to that bad arm so that her good one can be used to fish out her phone and check the caller ID. "It was nice to meet you, Samuel," she bids with a nod. "I … guess I'll see if I see you around."
"Exactly." Sam gives Daisy a slight nod, courteous even as he takes a half-step away. "I hope that we do." He nods a second time, all smiles as he backs away to leave. Bye, Magnet.
"Have a good afternoon!" Daisy bids with a grin, before taking a few steps aside to get out of the way of traffic, before she's flipping her phone open to take the call.
