What was her name?

[Guest]

A humble grocery store stood on a street corner, sandwiched by a gas station and a hobby shoppe. Okay, maybe not quite so humble, but it wasn't as if it was a super store, either. Outside, the sun was perfect, and there weren't too many clouds in the sky to cover it up. A light breeze could be felt now and then, and the air was surprisingly clear. It seemed that the neighboring gasoline tank didn't have quite so many visitors yet. The day was fresh, and the people content. Perfect. That was the only way Milleise Notbeka could describe it. She did enjoy being fawned over by those who recognized her as the Milleise Notbeka, but there was something about a sunny morning made the lack of people very much acceptable.

Looking up at the sign of the store, Millie took a deep breath and walked in through the doors. She needed a few things for the week, and this quiet corner would be the best place to get everything on the list. Her silky, vibrant blue hair was certainly an attention-grabber, but grocery shopping took priority over noticing weird things about other people for most of the individuals that were present. As Millie adjusted her purple beret, adorned tastefully with the face of a panda, she made a mental note of which isles to visit first, and grabbed a shopping basket from the stack.

The isles were neatly arranged, and logically ordered from frozen to dairy to other food items. She looked along the signs that hung above each isle, indicating what could be found in them. Her steps were small, but they still had definite purpose.

Shopping was, after all, one of Millie's favorite things

She was of small stature, and anyone who saw her - and didn't recognize her - would likely think her to be much younger than she actually was. It was all part of being Milleise. Small, yet skilled in her trade: acting. What she lacked in size she made up for with both skills in drama and attitude. Oh, yes - attitude.

When the breads came into view, she made a very smooth turn into the isle. Despite appearances, she did love to eat - only good food, of course. She stood in the center of the isle and looked around, realizing that the bread she normally bought was nowhere to be found. There wasn't even an empty space to indicate that it was missing.

"Where is that bloody bread?!" she muttered, furrowing her brow. Her eyes were another striking feature. They were an emerald green, and they could be very expressive - another asset to her acting career. She tapped her foot impatiently as she continued to examine the shelves of bread. Millie wasn't about to leave without decent bread. Sandwiches without it were just...messy.

[Guest]

The sun was shining, the birds chirping, and there was no one on the street. Thank the heavens that there was no one on the street because to encounter the fuming purple-haired man at this moment in time would be to encounter hell. He had called his food service countless times on his cell and all he had gotten for the last three hours was a busy signal. He waited another two hours after that, and by then, the sun had already risen. Zairen didn't sleep a wink last night--his stomach growling endlessly like the tides. That was the only reason why he was outside now. He was only thankful that it was morning and no one was outside, save the fact that the sun was extravagantly bright.

Listless silver eyes squinted into the brunt of the eight-minute-old light. He sighed and made it to the small grocery store on the corner of his street. Barely anyone was inside. Good. He walked up to the immaculate sliding glass doors and waited for them to grant him passage. Once they had, he immediately went to the lunch meat sector where, of course, there was a line. Even though there was only like six people in the store, at least four of them were in front of him in line. The dark clad man gave a frustrated sigh and grabbed a number, heading to the bread isle to wait and grab a loaf while he was there. What else... he thought as he walked, the buckles on his pointed boots jingling when they touched down against the cold tile floor.

His metallic-colored eyes scanned the selection of bread until he heard a feminine voice emit pent-up frustration. Zairen pried his eyes from his work and focused dully on her. He blinked a few times and put a callused hand to his smooth, shaven chin in deep thought. Something about that girl was familiar. The homunculus searched his memory with strange intricacy, but came up dry. But there was something about her... He had to figure this out before he left. Silently, he turned back to the bread and stared at it. Aa, they didn't have the brand he always got... Another downer. Zairen cursed his wonderful luck and emitted a rather audible sigh. Then it finally came to him. He blinked and threw a pointer finger in the air in culmination. "Millie, the Funwari Bread commer--" Zairen realized he was speaking aloud and carefully dragged his gaze from the wall across from him and fastened them to the vibrant blue-haired star. There was no escaping now. He would have to socialize with this girl in order to repent for his rude error in conformity.

[Guest]

Milleise spun around to look at the man whose voice she had just heard. So there WAS someone who actually recognized her in this little store! With a giggle, she walked over to him, examining every feature of this stranger as she did. Tall and unbelievably handsome. His silver eyes were absolutely entrancing, and his hair... Oh, his hair! It was so lovely, the girl just wanted to run her fingers through it! Not only that, but his body... It was clear that he took pretty good care of himself. He was just so handsome... His choice in fashion was excellent, as well. Those boots were simply stunning...

Realizing she had already reached him several seconds ago, the girl tried to snap out of her fantasies. Her cheeks became red as she looked up at him. 'But he's just so handsome! I could get lost in those lovely, intoxicating, silver eyes...' Milleise put a hand to her cheek when she realized that she was blushing, and let out an embarrassed laugh.

"I'm sorry, it's just that your eyes are such a lovely color... I don't think I've ever seen anything like it before..." With a smile, she tilted her head, hoping that he wouldn't think her rude or strange for acting that way. Then it struck her. "Oh, since you already seem to know my name, why not let me in on yours, eh?" The actress winked, hoping to be able to get to know this handsome, striking piece of man candy better before the day was over. Bread was now the least of her concerns.

[Guest]

"Hn," Zairen emitted in response to the meaningless compliment, turning back to the bread. Now, he would have to determine which of these brands were worthy of his purchase. The most expensive seemed to be a major scam, whereas the cheapest was clearly stale and near to molding. The violet-haired man put a hand to his chin in deep thought, eyes raising momentarily to trace the dust collected on the eves. He looked back at the selection and bit his lip. Oh. He turned his dull expression back to the girl that he had almost forgotten about. She was still standing there and had just inquired about his name. He frowned and looked back at the bread and then back at the blue-haired star. She had to be one of those fake people. What a bother. All he wanted was some food. And he hated cooking. Yes, making a sandwich was under the category of cooking. Who cared if it was more simple than making a gourmet meal; it was the same damn thing at the end of the day, and it was the start of the day so it was out of the question. Oh right. He had to answer her question or otherwise put the prospect of escaping sooner in the impossible category. He sighed. "Zairen Moccau. A pleasure." Okay, he was done. He was tired for some reason. Communicating with other people--well--with humans was draining. He turned back to the bread and stared at it for a while in contemplation.

This was a problem. And he really wasn't sure if he could solve it. Ah, well, there was an idea. Like most people, he could use someone to his advantage. He didn't even need to start a conversation with anyone! It was already started. A vicious smirk curled onto his lips without a thought and his silver eyes flashed at her as if he were about to make a death blow, (which he, of course, had never done before). "Which brand should I get?" he blurted out in a boring monotone voice, turning to glare at the rainbow of logos. He really should have walked the extra block to the convenient store...

[Guest]

Milleise blinked her emerald eyes. Zairen, was it? A very interesting, very lovely name. The kind that rolls smoothly off the tongue, so much so that you want to repeat it over and over. She had an interesting name herself, but Zairen was a name that she didn't think she would get tired of hearing, or even repeating, over and over, and then over again. The girl smiled, but this time it was a genuine smile. This man was different from the rest. He wasn't invading her space or relentlessly asking for her autograph, or asking for other, more unpleasant things - he acknowledged her presence very slightly, but didn't make it a point to exactly pay attention to her, really. Normally she would have felt a bit depressed about it, but not this time. This time, it was different. This time, it was Zairen Moccau. He was different, but in the most pleasant ways possible.

When his monotone voice cut the silence of the blue-haired girl's thoughts, she had to giggle. That was probably the most adorable thing she'd ever heard. Not just what he said, but the way his voice sounded when he spoke. She loved it. Millie carefully took a step closer to him and began to point at a loaf of bread. "First of all, this one's the worst. It's always really dry, and it has a really funky taste to it." Her dainty hand slid along the shelf for a moment before she stopped and looked at the man. She would have to be honest, because he seemed to be just as distressed as she had been when she discovered her favorite brand was gone. "The bread I usually get isn't here, but I guess the next best is... that one," she decided, pointing up at the top of the shelf where she was standing. The girl had to stand on tip-toe, and even then she was too small to reach it.

"Would you mind? she asked, giving the man an apologetic look. After all, he seemed to be troubled already, and she didn't want to make him even more grumpy than he appeared. Then a thought struck her. "You know, I make a pretty mean sandwich... Could I interest you in one, good sir?" It wasn't a direct date request, but it would have to do. Milleise wanted to spend as much time as possible with this man as she could, just in case. After all, she may end up saying goodbye to him and then never see him again. She brushed a stray hair from her face and stood normally on the floor again, looking at this man with a friendly, inviting expression on her face. It was true, she could make a mean, lean sandwich. In fact, it was one of her favorite things to eat that she knew wouldn't make her expand like bread dough.

[Guest]

Cute. The thought entered Zairen's head before he could prevent himself from thinking it. How...abnormally cute. The way she ran her hand along the shelf and lifted slender fingers from the painted metal to reach high above her head. Instead of looking up however, he looked down. Her shoes were small--so much smaller than his own. She stood on her toes, trying to reach the bread he had requested. By doing so, he was almost certain that she was tarnishing their pristine polish. By all means, Zairen was sure that she was dirtying her precious shoes for his sake. He massaged his temples, covering his eyes at the same time. He shut them, taking a deep breath with enough time to spare so he didn't make her wait for him to collect his scattered consciousness. Taking his hands from his face, he reached over her and swiped a loaf. Troubled silver eyes then fell on her, inquiring that perhaps she wanted one as well. Either way... He went to hand her the plastic-wrapped rectangle of fluff, but stopped when she began speaking again. Oh no. She was definitely going to mention something about her shoes...those adorable small little shoes that now certainly had a smudge on them. He braced himself, wishing he could disappear--wishing that his food service had answered their phone--wishing he had walked the extra block to the convenient store...

He looked up and met a pair of sparkling aqua-toned eyes. He stepped back, intimidated by their friendly aura. His pointed boot clinked lightly against the floor and Zairen looked down again to gather himself, but as he registered her words, he was so shocked that he looked right back into those eyes whose intensity made him shiver. "I-I ca--" he blurted out in a rather uncharacteristic voice. But now that he thought about it with a somewhat cool head, if he could get someone else to make the sandwich, then he wouldn't have to... It was genius! Though... it would require socializing with this famous girl who would attract attention where ever they went. What if they walked outside and they were instantly attacked by a paparazzi?! What then... He would die. No, he would die right now just thinking about it. Already his heart was racing. Yes, his heart was racing. Doesn't anyone feel it shaking the room!? It was definitely beating faster than normal. He was going to die. This was the en-- She was staring at him. Probably waiting for him to revise his failed sentence. Ugh, socializing was so difficult; people actually expected an answer right away. Well, what if he wanted to just stand there in the bread aisle for an hour and just think it over?! Just wait, just wait... Calm down. Zairen crossed his arms and flashed a geeky smile. "S-sure!" He said in awkward friendliness--or tried. Mimicking Ever's coolness wasn't really...possible...especially for him. Heh heh, well, he had obtained bread at least!!

[Guest]

Green eyes watched Zairen as he took a step back, which at first was not so pleasant. Taking a step back meant there was something that made him feel uncomfortable, which was the last thing the Drachman wanted to do. She furrowed her brow at first, not sure what to think of the situation. However, the lovely silver eyes once again caused her to relax, and when she noticed his arms cross, she simply stared innocently back at him. When a smile showed on the man's face, Milleise's own face glowed with delight. The fact that he accepted was definitely a positive outcome, but now what would she do?

Nervously grabbing the bread, she waited for him to release it. This was certainly a bit awkward, but it was a bit easier to bear since she at least knew his name. A brunch date made things much, much more interesting. "My place, or yours?" the girl uttered nervously. This was the first time anyone has ever made her nervous. As an actress, she was used to being in front of many, many people, so why was he making her nervous now? Her eyes traced Zairen's hair slowly before she looked down at her own feet with a light blush. Milleise turned her toes together before looking back up with a smile. It was just like love at first sight, only a little delayed. She just hoped that he had taken even a little liking to her, because unrequited love is one of the worst things that she could think of.

[Guest]

What...kind of question was that? She suddenly looked nervous, which made Zairen's heart beat at the speed of light. He really was going to die. These sort of physical reactions were bad, right? Oh man what should he do!? First, first, he had to answer the question. Just answer the question. Wait! Now that he actually thought about it..if they went back to his place...the dishes. Zairen waved his hands violently in the air. "Yours--yours!!" If they went back to his, she would find out how he lived--she would see the lack thereof of anything that involved any sort of work or maintenance. The mere idea of that happening was horrifying. Zairen was sure that he wouldn't be able to deal with the picture of shock on this girl's pretty face. Hold on..he thought her face was...pretty? No, no, well, of course; that was to be expected. She was famous after all. Why would someone famous want to make him lunch? That really confused him; it didn't make any sense. This world never made sense. It was rather obnoxious... He really needed to revise his outburst in some way...to make it sound more natural. Be like Ever!!

"You're place would be better..mine is too......." he thought a moment, "it's way too small," he nodded. That would do. For now...

[Guest]

There were a few things that made this man seem a bit awkward, but for some reason... Millie found him to be attractive, and not just physically. He was a very appealing person to her, so she wanted to make sure she had enough of a chance. Since he clearly wasn't as fazed about the fact that she was someone well-known as most would be, it made things much more pleasant. She was starting to get tired of the cameras and autographs!

When he responded with a short burst of opinion, she had to smile. It was obvious that he felt too embarrassed about something to let her see where he lived, but the girl simply kept smiling. Even when he told her that his place was too small, she had to giggle. It was so difficult for her to keep herself from smothering him! Since they were going to go to her place to have sandwiches, she would be able to show him who she really was; Milleise Notbeka was more than just a pretty face in a television commercial. Grabbing Zairen by the arm with a smile, she began to pull him toward the register.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!

[Guest]

Kya! Zairen's entire being jolted at the unexpected bodily contact. His skin crawled and chills ran up and down his spine uncontrollably until, well...it stopped just as fast as it came. Normally he would be on the floor, having slipped away from the person's grip, drawing his sword to slit whoever's throat it was. One: Zairen didn't have his sword, Two: A miracle occurred. No longer did the strange hikikomori feel the need to shy away from this human thing. In fact...the warmth of the girl's arm touching his felt...what was the word people used? Comforting? He blinked frigid silver eyes and shed a nervous smile. Heh heh, like this right? Now he probably just looked like some normal human who could crush her skull before she knew death was coming. Zairen shivered again, but this time for other reasons.

Now he really had to say something as they stood at the cash register. Money. Right. He wouldn't let her pay; he had forever to retrieve money. "Th-thanks," he stuttered in obvious effort and immediately speed-walked to the door, dragging the glamorous girl beside him and the bag of bread until they reached the empty outdoors. Early mornings were wonderful in that way, but only on backstreets; main streets were flooded with businessmen going to work. A thought occurred to the homunculus suddenly and his mouth moved before his mind could prevent it. A deep, silky tone streamed into the cool air. "Please tell me we don't have to ride the train."

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