Starring:
Summary: Two girls, one Julian. Things get a little bit violent.
Date It Happened: February 6, 2002
Maybe Next Tuesday?
Julian's Digs
An early evening spent over dinner and dancing can only be made better with a round or two of drinks afterwards, which is exactly what Julian has treated Daisy to - in his own home. He's a sap like that, even though there's a niggling feeling that he's forgotten something lingering at the back of his mind. The music is still playing (some of Sinatra's early recordings, all original pressings), but that thing. That thing that Julian happened to forget about has come into play to make things a little more tense in the man's sanctuary. To say the least, things got awkward when Simone showed up, and now the three stooges of the night are in the living room. The liquor cabinet is open and drinks have been poured, and Julian looks like he might just be about to faint. Or, y'know. Stroke.
Daisy enjoyed the dancing. She enjoyed the drinks. She did not, however, enjoy the surprise ending to the evening. Silence seeming the best option, she's trying subtly to stay back away from the action as she watches tensely to see just what is going to happen here. The drink, while badly needed most likely, is just clutched tightly in her hand - so tightly that her knuckles have gone a little white.
Maybe surprisingly, Simone does not seem inclined to be her usual disagreeably bloodthirsty self tonight. At least, she hadn't banked on it before coming here. She hadn't been planning to bring up a single word about soul matters (really!) , preferring to temporarily drop it for the sake of the Nice Invitation to Drinks she had received. For the sake of old times. Seeing Daisy's presence, however, had necessarily changed that a little. "So. What is she doing here?" she growls at Julian as she settles in without his assistance, eying the other woman like a snake gazing at loathsome prey.
What? What is the scary one asking? Julian looks up at Simone like a spooked cat, lifting his free hand to tug at the neck of his tie. "Oh, Daisy? She and I were just having dinner together, kitten. She's wonderful company. Aren't you wonderful company, Daisy dear? Positively charming." And not to be eaten. The half-demon leans towards the edge of his chair and then holds one hand out to Daisy, intending just as much to offer it as support as to get support himself. "Be nice, Simone. Both of you are my guests."
Daisy gives a wan smile as Julian prompts her to confirm the wonderfulness of her own company. Really, how is she supposed to answer that? She takes the offered hand with her free one, the other still gripping the glass tightly. And her grip on his hand not exactly the usual soft and gentle one either. "I, uh, it's…" She trails off, trying to think of something to say, since it'd be too much of a lie to claim it's nice to see Simone again. "…been awhile." Which is a good thing. If only it could have been longer.
There is a slim silver watch on Simone's wrist. The woman proceeds to tilt that wrist upwards in an action directed towards both Julian and herself, fixing her gaze quite firmly on the half-demon. "Did you forget about our… appointment?" Disappointment is in her voice, but more importantly, a dark kind of iciness. Dropping the limb affixed to the timepiece, she starts striding, in an irritated wondering fashion, towards the two lovebirds and their clasped hands. There are vertical slits to her ankles on both pant-legs, and they flap as she does.
Oh god. "No, Simone, I didn't forget." The slight crack in Julian's voice might throw the validity of this declaration into question, however, even though his expression is just as earnest as it always is. "I just thought Daisy and I would part ways before you came by." The man doesn't fail to notice that Daisy is holding on to his hand with the crushing power necessary to perhaps collapse a small creature's skull. He ducks his head slightly in a flinch as the vampire starts her predatory approach, swallowing once and glancing at Daisy. It'll be fine. Really!
Daisy is not convinced that this is going to be fine, especially not upon learning that Julian has somehow double-booked them for the same night. Granted, in most conventional dating situations, that's grounds to get miffed, not killed. This isn't improving things any. She swallows hard, looking up at Simone with wide eyes as the vampire comes striding towards them and their joined hands. She manages to resist the urge to immediately drop Julian's hand, but she can't help leaning back a bit, as if the few inches will somehow help her to avoid whatever unpleasantness might be coming.
"Disgusting. I could put you two on the cover of a greeting card. And you, Julian; this has gone too far." Simone covers the remaining distance with frighteningly large steps across the floor, bunching one hand into the fabric by his throat and forcibly hauling him upwards, right off the floor if possible. Tightly joined hands or no. Like a sack of kindling, he is. She still doesn't seem aggressive as much as simply irritated, at this point.
Things have just turned bad, though it isn't as if the half demon has never had Simone picking on him before. Julian quickly slips his hand free of Daisy's as soon as it becomes clear that Simone is intent on being unfriendly, mostly to spare his dinner companion from being too jostled around by the crazy vampire lady. He lets out the smallest of whines as he's pulled up by the front of his clothing, hands coming up to grapple with the aforementioned vamp's wrist. "Please, kitten, this really isn't an appropriate time to be quite so unpleasant." Maybe next Tuesday?
"Hey!" Daisy protests feebly as her hand is dropped and her suitor hauled up and away. But, alas, that's really all she's got, and she kind of regrets it as soon as it's out of her mouth. Not that she wouldn't love to be able to do something to help Julian out here, but somehow she doubts her quick and painful death will really distract Simone for more than a few moments anyway. Instead, she just bites down on her lip, watching with a worried expression as Julian tries to talk his way out of this one.
"Be quiet, girl. Julian, you're in no position to be petnaming." Just a FYI. "Might I ask what is the matter with you?" The half-demon receives a few, hard shakes in mid-air, and one of her palms actually comes up to bap him in the forehead. Derpderp. "—It's a pity, really. I was hoping to see that you'd deserve a second chance."
It's awkward to be held in the air in the first place. To be shaken only makes things worse, and amidst the feeling that his brains are rattling around in his head the man also gets the wonderful opportunity to get get his head hit. It's wonderful! Really. "I- I don't need any sort of chance, kitten. I'm doing quite fine, thank you. Can I get you another drink? Mine seems to be on me." All the shaking and yanking and lifting - yeah. Nimble though he may be, Julian isn't quite capable of keeping a glass held upright through all of that, and accordingly a glass of wine has had the opportunity to stain his wardrobe.
Daisy opts to take Simone's good advice, and bes quiet for now. She continues biting down on her lip, hard enough now to make it and the surrounding area go white, though not to draw blood, thankfully. She winces sympathetically as Julian is both shaken and hit, but there are no further attempts at feeble protest. The talk of drinks reminds her that she's still clenching hers, and she tips the whole thing back in one go.
"No, you can't get me another drink. You know what? Whatever. Just. Whatever. Do what you want." At this point, Simone loses it a little, her voice becoming all-of-a-sudden sharper. "You and your precious dolls. I can't watch this." Apparently she has decided that she has had enough of knocking Julian around, because she lifts him up to let him drop - literally - back onto his seat from above. Time for her to go, because she isn't staying a minute longer. Picking up her abandoned purse from the floor, she turns around to do so, but not before spitefully letting her gaze snap to the liquor still sitting out and giving the containers a good smash as she passes. Ta-ta.
Julian hits his chair again with a painful wince, managing to drop his glass on the way down. This means more shattered glass on the floor once Simone goes about acting out her tantrum and destroying much of his alcohol stash, which is just plain unfortunate. He watches her leave with an expression that mixes terror, relief, and sadness. "…Well, that was charming. Wasn't that charming?"
Daisy can't help but cringe as Simone smashes the alcohol, finding herself kind of on edge for some silly reason. At Julian's question, he gets a look somehow both wide eyed and flat at the same time. No, it wasn't charming. "Does she … come by often?" Daisy asks carefully, once she finds herself capable of speech. Oh, how she wishes that question were simple jealousy about an ex's tendency to drop in, but no, this is something else entirely.
As badly as Simone's moods can get, Julian does consider this particular example to be on the charming side of things. He slumps backwards with a long exhalation, then immediately lifts his right arm so he can start rolling up his stained sleeve. No reason to let the wine get all over his chair, too. "Not that often, but I did ask her by for a beverage. I must have lost track of time." Oops.
Daisy stares at him in silence for several long moments as she tries to find the words to express just how she's feeling. Oh, there it is. "… Why?" Yes, she's a little incredulous he asked her by for drinks, and again, jealousy doesn't even enter into it. "She's- I mean, she's…" The young woman makes a few vague gestures, finding Simone's charming ways running into her upbringing not to say bad things about anyone.
Julian looks over towards Daisy, with a raised brow, finally getting his sleeve up around his elbow. After a moment of thought he does the same with the left arm. "Because we're old friends, darling. She and I go back a long way. We were together in Chicago and New York during the early thirties." Friendships like that don't just go away!
Daisy frowns at that response, seeming troubled by it for so many various and varied reasons. But she doesn't share them. Some are obvious, she assumes, and others, well, she's not looking to get into those. "I don't think friends should treat each other like that," she replies instead in a level but slightly clipped tone. "She's horrible to you and you don't deserve that, Jack."
"I don't think she's that horrible to me, dear." He's used to it. It's pretty common in his friendships, actually. "She has a bit of trouble controlling her temper is all. She's always been like that and I don't think she's inclined to change." So saying, Julian reaches out to fetch himself another glass. One of the bottles left intact - full of red wine - is also promptly snagged.
Daisy frowns again, this time pursing her lips together. Something about having him defend Simone just isn't sitting all that well with her. "It seems pretty horrible to me," she replies, aiming for and failing to reach a tone of indifference. "But I guess if you don't think so, then that's what matters." She glances at her empty glass, finally loosening her grip on it. "Maybe … Maybe I should go. It's been a long night."
The suggestion of leaving brings with it a faint sense of alarm. Julian sits up straight and then stares at her, working his jaw for a moment as he takes a time out to pour himself a glass of wine with a shaking hand. "Why don't you stay the night? I'd hate to have you go home alone at such a late hour, especially given the nasties that wander around this city."
If she were less charitable, Daisy might counter by pointing out the nasties that apparently wander freely into his apartment, but since she is not, in fact, Moxie, she just sits back with a little sigh. After a moment of considering and weighing her options, she relents. "All right." She eyes her empty glass, before holding it out towards him and the remaining alcohol. "I think I might need another drink though." Her frayed nerves have not yet recovered, and she's still not quite happy about the whole messed up situation.