Lucky Strike

[Mizos]

Aiken rested his hand on his cheek as he watched the town pass by him, sitting in the back of the yellow taxi that was slowly taking him to his destination. This city was going to be his new home now and he couldn't help but smile at the new sights stretching out before him, it was almost like entering a whole new world though that may be too grand of an observation. He had stopped paying attention to how much time had passed during the drive and since he was just coming to look at his new place personally, he decided not to drive though he was willing to admit it wasn't the most frugal decision on his part. At this point he didn't necessarily care, he had a brand new apartment waiting for him and he wanted to see the place for himself before he stared moving all his stuff in.
Since he was busy taking care of work and his final affairs he didn't get a chance to get a good look at the place originally, but for the rent he was paying the place could have a hole in the side for all his concern, he'd patch it up next paycheck and stay anyway it was a steal and he wasn't giving it up to anyone.

When the taxi finally came to a stop Aiken stepped out and paid the driver, staring at the man until he gave him his change and drove off in a small huff. Turning his attention towards the building he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned a little to try and look in the window. The place didn't seem suspicious which he expected for the price he was getting it at, bare minimum he figured a homeless man would be living beside it or there would be graffiti all over the place. He was happy to be wrong as he stared at the building, it was a simple bookshop and his place was on the top floor which he was fine with. There was a great view of the park which he was pleased about, and judging the place from the outside it was better then his old place and cheaper. Staring at the door to the building he decided to head inside. Since the landlady was inside he looked down at his attire to check himself, his long sleeved white shirt was ruffled, the top few buttons undone and a small stain in the upper corner, which he hid by fixing his collar. Since he was meeting the head lady in charge he had put on a brown tie over the shirt to seem, for lack of a better word, fancy but the tie itself was just as messy as the shirt, half undone and more of an accessory then a formal item. The only normal thing that resembled neatness was his black slacks which he made the effort to iron before he came, accompanied by his black sneakers his outfit was, at least in his eyes, complete.

First impressions were important but it was a tad too late to go back and fix his outfit, and he didn't want to walk around too formal around his landlady. If she saw him clean once she could come to expect the appearance every time, or at least anticipate it slightly that's how it normally went in these circumstances. Reaching up he ruffled his blond hair a bit which by some miracle of nature was messy yet neat at the same time, the frayed edges somehow coming together into a suitable hairstyle. He took in a deep breath to calm his nerves and cracking his knuckles walked towards the door before pushing it open, entering the building that would be his new home.
"Hello!" Aiken called looking around. "Is anyone here? It's Aiken! Aiken Allen! Helloooo!"
Aiken bumped into a low table almost knocking over a vase in he process, leaning down he quickly caught it as he fell to one knee before he promptly put it back on the small table.
"Too close...where the hell is the landlady at anyway?"

 

[Thyme]

[fieldbox="PETRA GRIFFIN, #7ACC7A, solid, 5"][spacer]Unbeknownst to the man at the door, two copper-yellow eyes followed him closely as he entered the bookshop. The slit irises seemed to grow thinner as he knocked over a vase and barely managed to avoid breaking it. It was at that very moment that Nero realised that this man was going to be a horrible fit for this household. In fact, he was fairly certain that this 'Aiken Allen' boy would lead to yet another one of his mistress' messes that he would indubitably have to help clean up. It was a shame, really, considering that the need for a tenant was only an attempt to help out with the most recent unfortunate fix his master had gotten into. Well, perhaps bad luck was just another part of the profession after all. Swishing his tail in the most feline expression of annoyance, the British Shorthair telepathically called out for his master in his usual detached and deriding tone.
[spacer]"Petra. Petra, the tenant is here. I highly suggest coming downstairs before he gets the chance to set the place on fire."
[spacer]Within the span of a millisecond there was a large thump from upstairs and a string of vicious, albeit quite muffled, swear words from the above floor. The noise was followed by an equally loud clang of metal and the sound of a door slamming shut. Barely a moment later, a rather frustrated and quite breathless young woman burst into the room from the staircase, her shorter ginger hair standing up at seemingly impossible angles. Her gaze fell on the kneeling man almost immediately before flickering to the vase in his hands and then back to his face. As her breathing slowed to a more regular pace, she straightened up and her expression of flustered vexation quickly faded into one of cold odium. Sighing deeply, she patted her darker jeans down with her hands before briefly picking at the small pieces of lint off her grey and slightly overlarge sweater.
[spacer]"Aiken Allen, is it?" she asked him in a bored and starkly cool tone. Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked back towards him with that same piercingly cool glint in her eyes—their eerily electrifying shade of green only enhancing the expression's menacing aura.
[spacer]Within the first glance in his direction, Petra had already surmised the nature of her new tenant. Most people would have thought her rash and even rude in her ability to make decisions on people based on a simple look; but in her line of work, it paid to take an educated guess on the nature of whom you were dealing with from the very get-go. Overall this individual seemed… Harmless. Harmless but with an innate talent for troublemaking nevertheless. He'd spent, what? Perhaps a minute in her store and already he was in danger of costing her $50 worth of well-crafted home décor and the bouquet of cornflowers she had picked only yesterday. Nero may have been quite honest in his comment about him burning down her store. She briefly glanced at her familiar sitting delicately on a pile of books stacked on top of one another next to the front desk, his tail poised upwards as he examined Aiken.
[spacer]In any other circumstance, Petra would have followed her initial instinct and rejected him right then and there. She had no space for a troublemaker and a klutz; but out of all the applications she had read over, he seemed to be the best fit. Well, at least on paper. Besides, at this point, renting out the top floor was more a matter of necessity than preference and she didn't really have the luxury of being too picky. Hence, the incredibly low price. If the man ended up being too impossible she would simply remove him, but for now, there was an almost definite chance that Mr. Allen was going to be staying under her roof very soon.
[spacer]"My name is Petra Griffin, I am the owner. I take it you're here to see the apartment before settling in? If you could perchance restrain yourself from destroying any more of my possessions while I show you around, I would greatly appreciate it." The natural arctic crispness of her voice seemed to emphasise the sarcastic edge to her tone. If he was smart, he'd let her get this over with quickly and without much trouble.[/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/fieldbox]

 

[Mizos]

Aiken flinched catching noises coming from upstairs his eyes moving to the ceiling as he listened to the noise and muffled voice steadily get closer, he wasn't able to ascertain why but a part of him wanted to put a bit more distance between himself and the staircase, he assumed it was due to the slammed door but he remained still, deciding not to run away from a random stranger. Within a few moments his eyes landed on a woman who came into view, he supposed in some way she was attractive at least if he saw her on the street, her red hair looked pretty funny at the moment but he kept to himself. His brows arched a bit as he watched her straighten herself and he felt a small chill as he stared into her eyes. He tilted his head a bit wondering if this woman knew the landlady, his gaze moved around the bookstore looking for anyone else but he found little but books and random knickknacks and thus turned his attention back to the only person that could possibly answer his question.

The way she spoke his name was discomforting to say the least, and the expression on her face made him extremely uncomfortable. He was pretty sure the room got colder as well, was nature responding to the cold aura this woman was giving off? He couldn't really blame it he was trying to keep a strangers distance right now and he wanted to back away slightly. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination but he could feel a bit of tension in the air, his chest even felt heavy and it took a bit of effort not to grip his shirt, whoever this woman was he didn't want to show how nervous he was in front of her, especially if she knew the landlady. Since she addressed him and just staring at her would be rude, he ruffled his already messy hair and forcing out a laugh nodded his head to confirm his identity.
"Yep Aiken Allen, that's me," he said before clearing his throat.
He shifted from one foot to the other continuing to mess with his hair not sure what to do now, from her tone alone he was pretty sure a perverted joke would probably just irritate her further, and since that was his go to he had nothing. Being at a loss for words and not sure how to approach the question on where the owner was he ended up shoving his hands in his pockets hoping she'd say something, otherwise it was going to be a long awkward silence.

Watching the ice woman's gaze he followed it to a black cat sitting nearby, spinning on the balls of his feet he pulled his hands out of his pockets his body lowering slightly. His eyes widened as they landed on animal perched on the books nearby and he felt a bit of the nervousness in him fade at the sight. Grinning a toothy grin he held his arms out towards the cat, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to try and befriend such an adorable animal, there was no way past that, though from it's poised tail he was pretty sure the cat was being cautious.
"Kitty! Look at how cute you are. You're an adorable girl...wait hold on," Aiken said leaning to the side a bit, his eyes narrowing at the cat. "No you're a boy...you adorable little thing come to uncle Aiken, I'll give you all kinds of affection."
Aiken was pulled from his attempt to befriend the cat when the woman spoke causing him to turn back around to face her fully. His eyes twitched slightly and his mouth hung agape for a moment before he closed it, bringing a hand to his chin as her words resonated in his skull for a moment. Her name was Petra Griffin and she was the owner of his place, someone this young was renting out the place? He wanted to say something about it but there were youths running entire corporations nowadays he couldn't really say anything, though seeing someone own an actual place made him a little jealous. He wasn't that old either but he didn't own a home, he wanted to ask Petra her age but going off what she just said and the tone of her voice he left it alone.
"Of course I won't destroy anything boss, uh...Petra...no Miss Griffin. I can't wait to see the place," Aiken said.

 

[Thyme]

[fieldbox="PETRA GRIFFIN, #7ACC7A, solid, 5"][spacer]With his black ears flattening and fanning out to the sides of his face, Nero gave a sharp hiss in the direction of the cooing male. The hair all along his tail raised as it lashed viciously from side to side in a show of aggression. The familiar was willing to tolerate this sort of foolish behaviour from child customers and older female regulars but he was having none of it from a grown man—especially not one that was going to be sharing his living space. This Allen boy would have to learn his place if he was going to be living alongside himself and his master. The very insolence of such pathetic baby-talk… And to confuse his majestic and regally masculine form for that of a female? It was the pinnacle of disrespect. Little did this soft pile of pink flesh know that Nero could have knocked his head off of his shoulder in a matter of seconds if he so wished. Of course, a familiar of his calibre had more self-control than that. He was the one that kept Petra's rash actions in line for the most part.
[spacer]Rising from his perch on the pile of books with an affronted posture, the feline jumped down with barely a thump and padded towards his mistress. His well-groomed coat flashed glossily in the sunlight pouring in from the windows as he took a seat beside Petra, eyes still firmly set on Aiken. He was taking great pleasure in the shocked and rather intimidated look the male was giving his master. Nero had always been exceptionally proud of the naturally dangerous aura Petra was able to exude in the presence of others. So, the human did have the mental capacity to understand social cues after all—even if he was rather clueless when it came to that of the four-legged variety.
[spacer]"Promise me he won't go anywhere near our floor," Nero's disgruntled voice spoke out within the confines of Petra's mind. "If he tries to touch me I'm going to bite off one of his fingers."
[spacer]"Gentle, Nero," came the female's reply. "I don't want the man suing us. You are a cat, after all."
[spacer]"I am not a cat."
[spacer]"Well, you certainly look like one at the moment."
[spacer]Letting out a small sigh of exasperation, Petra turned her attention back to the tenant. Raising her hands to gesture towards the room, she spoke up again. "As you can see this is the main floor where I run my business. Novel Incantation houses all sorts of books from fantasy to non-fiction biographies and everything in between. Most of my books are older and I sell many valued original prints so it should be no surprise to you that I desire honesty and integrity in any tenants I take in. You'll have free reign over this floor if you so wish, as long as you do not enter the backroom office or snoop behind the counter. Though, I'm certain I'll be able to trust you with that much, won't I?" the store owner finished this rhetorical question with a raised brow towards Aiken's direction.
[spacer]The store itself was the very opposite of its owner; warm, inviting and rather cosy overall. Large windows let in a copious amount of light and allowed for a charming view of the park outside. Almost every surface was overflowing with novels of all sorts, most of them hardcopies. Tall bookshelves lined the walls along the hardwood floor and created neat rows enough for two people to walk in between them comfortably at a time. Most all the furniture, including the large bureau with a cashier, was built of well-crafted cherry and several of the mouldings were carved into delicate shapes. There was a square area to the right of the store set at a level slightly lower than the rest which served as a small den with two loveseats and an armchair with navy velvet upholstery and a small glass coffee table in the middle. There were several candles and vases scattered about, most of them filled with fresh flowers of a blue variety. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the store was the fact that there was a slight scent of cinnamon resting in the air which was most likely the main culprit of the incredibly comforting aura of the shop.
[spacer]"I expect you to treat all my customers with the highest respect, and although I do not mind you reading any of my merchandise, I expect it to be put back in place straightaway. Also…" Here Petra paused, her firm expression breaking for the first time as she bit her lip in a show of uncertainty and glanced to her side. She shifted in place slightly and folded her arms over her chest once more. "If you see anyone carrying a white flower, specifically bishop's lace, or you see someone leave a sprig of it on the desk, or with a letter, I would like you to contact me immediately. It's, ah… It's most likely one of my more private customers."[/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/fieldbox][spacer][spacer][spacer][spacer][spacer][spacer][spacer][spacer][spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer]

 

[Mizos]

Aiken let out a small weak laugh seeing the cat's response, he really didn't seem to like him and seeing him approach Petra without difficulty he ruffled his hair a bit.
He supposed she was the one feeding him and giving him a home so he was of course going to be close to her, but she seemed so cold at least from their first meeting. Aiken brought a hand to his chin wondering how he could gain the cat's favor, he could volunteer to feed him, spend time with him day by day and maybe he'd warm up to him. His fur almost seemed to shine and his hand almost reach towards the feline as he really wanted to pet him and feel his fur. He brought a hand to his mouth biting his fist knowing cat's were different then dogs, he had to be patient but he really wanted to pet Petra's cat it was almost tearing him up inside but he didn't want to get scratched either half his scars were from cats sadly. While contemplating how to get closer to her cat he looked back over at Petra as she motioned to the building itself causing his eyes to wander around the area.
"Novel Incantation huh...strange name," Aiken said putting his hands on his hips. "You can count on me Miss Griffin I won't go anywhere near those places you mentioned. The uh...um...those places."
Aiken gave Petra a small thumbs up before shoving his hands in his pockets turning his gaze back to the bookstore.

The place was actually pretty homely now that he took a good look around, there seemed to be endless books no matter where he looked, granted it was a bookstore so that was to be expected but something about this place was different. Aside from the cornucopia of books the very design of the place seemed almost regal though that may be putting it on too high of a pedestal that's what he thought as he looked at the ornate design of the area. There was even a love seat in the place and he intended on taking advantage of the free reign Petra mentioned earlier. The place smelled nice and judging by the fresh flowers in the vase Petra more than likely kept it this way which meant he had to be extra careful not to mess anything up, glancing in her direction he started to wonder if she was perfectionist but he didn't voice this out loud. At the mention of putting the books back in their correct place he nodded and wondered if that was enough to support his random observation, though he deciding to stop randomly placing titles on his landlady and instead let his mind drift to what kind of customers she got. A part of him silently hoped for someone attractive, and not able to drop the room's temperature by thirty maybe forty degrees just by walking in the room.
"So don't flirt with any customers got it...but it's okay if they're not in the store right? Just making sure."

When Petra trailed off he pulled his attention back to her arching a brow at her changed expression, he was glad that rough expression didn't stay on her face constantly, but now he was worried what she was going to say if it caused such a sudden shift in her stance. What she said caused Aiken to lean away a bit and his eyelids lowered a little his eyebrows drawing down at how incredibly suspicious that sounded. He was unsure what to say to her at first instead choosing to stare in silence but since he didn't really have another place to stay being picky about one strange thing wasn't really an option for him at the moment.
"Right...private customers," Aiken said straightening his body. "Long as I don't wake up with my kidney missing I'm not going to ask, I'm more than happy to just come get you if that should happen."
Aiken held his hands up at this to show he was all right with it before his eyes glanced at her cat again for a moment, he bit his lip really wanting to hold him.
"Mind if I ask a question though?" he questioned continuing to speak anyway. "What's your kitty's name, I have got to know he's just eight types of adorable. Is he always in the store? Can I touch him? if I can't touch him can I take a picture of him?"
Technically that was four questions but he didn't really care at the moment, his hands almost twitching with the intent to hold the animal if he wasn't halted.

 

[Thyme]

[fieldbox="PETRA GRIFFIN, #7ACC7A, solid, 5"][spacer]Clear green eyes watched Aiken's reaction carefully as he responded to her rather queer prospect regarding the bishop's lace. Her calculatingly perceptive gaze studied his posture and tone of voice closely as it changed. To Petra, there was really only one important factor in housing a tenant—their inquisitive drive and willingness to invade her private matters. If Aiken started asking too many questions about her business or started snooping around, she'd have to send him packing immediately. This was indeed one of those situations where curiosity would kill the cat, quite literally. The cat, in this case, being Mr. Allen himself and not the stoically poised feline at her side. So far, his comments to her narrative introduction had been trivial; almost childish if truth be told. Honestly, he seemed like quite the simpleton; and although his mention of flirting with her customers caused her lips to tighten in grim disapproval, the danger to herself was rather minimal. Based on his handsome looks and rather casual attitude, she assumed he would be charming enough to safely chat up her female—or male—customers without causing them much discomfort. Either way, she wasn't as concerned about losing a couple regulars as she was about having a wannabe detective rustling through her confidential affairs.
[spacer]Naturally, he was suspicious of her words, as proven by the sudden shift in his posture and more concerned expression dawning on his features. However, Petra allowed herself to release the anxious breath she had been holding as he jokingly mentioned his kidneys going missing. Straightening a bit, she glanced down at Nero hoping to share her apprehension with him but her familiar seemed far too focused on staring down her potential tenant than looking up at her. There was no way she was about to casual drop into the conversation the fact that missing kidneys were, in all honesty, an actual possibility in this particular situation; but there would be no benefit in being so truthful with the man. Didn't everyone prefer ignorance as the ideal bliss? Either way, he seemed to take the shady news with a grain of salt but not with a surplus of interest which was exactly what she had been hoping for.
[spacer]Her brow rose once more at his new inquiry, fully expecting him to ask a reasonable question about the living quarters or perhaps the building itself… But, of course, he came up with the most juvenile and unexpected remark possible. The man was moving into a new residence and he was asking whether he could pet the cat? Without even turning towards Nero, she knew that his hackles had risen at the question and his fur bristled in silent anger. Although she could certainly understand his frustration, she wished he wasn't so open with his emotions sometimes—it looked odd when a feline reacted as though it new exactly what you were talking about. Understanding that the situation could only end with Aiken in tears, she tried her best to protect the man from any serious injuries to his hands and face.
[spacer]"His name is Nero, and yes, he's mostly with me in the store although he's free to roam outside as well." Petra cleared her throat awkwardly, watching Aiken's barely withheld anticipation with a mixture of caution and cool distaste. "He certainly doesn't like being petted by strangers so I highly recommend not touching him." Feeling Nero's expectant and piercing gaze staring daggers at her from below, she added, "In fact, I think it would be better if you avoided him completely, he's quite feral. As for the photo…"
[spacer]The female raised her head again, returning to her usual distant posture as she steered the direction of the conversation back on to the topic of the apartment. "This is something I should mention ahead of time; the electricity in this area is rather… Unstable, to say the least. I often have difficulty with the lightbulbs and outlets overheating, and you might have some trouble working with your cellphone or laptop here; I assume it's due to the distance from utility poles… Or something like that." Another bald-faced lie; although this one seemed all the worse and far clumsier than the last considering Petra's complete ignorance of all things technological.
[spacer]"Fortunately, there is a very convenient internet café about a five minute drive from here which I'm sure you'll find very useful." Straightening up a little more and speaking quickly so that Aiken would not have an opportunity to settle on the information she had just relayed for too long, she turned to face the stairs at an angle. "So, would you like to take a look at the upstairs now? I'm certain that it's your own apartment that you're most interested in."[/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/fieldbox][spacer][spacer][spacer][spacer][spacer][spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer]

 

[Mizos]

Aiken's gaze remained fixated on the cat his fingers moving slightly as he noticed the cat seemed to be even more on guard, which was fine with him as he was just looking for an opening to exploit at this point. He always enjoyed how cat's seemed so intelligent, it seemed as if this cat could understand everything he was saying and his intent. Within his own head he was forming mental scenarios for getting a hold of him without getting scratched, mostly since Petra hadn't told him that he couldn't pet him. Though he started picking up her words and his eyes glanced over at her his body remaining turned towards the cat whose name seemed to be Nero. He wasn't sure why she cleared her throat but as she spoke of Nero's dislike of strangers Aiken straightened his body, his arms falling to his side hanging loosely.
"Oh..." he said his shoulders drooping a bit.
He was clearly depressed over this bit of information, shoving his hands in his pockets he hung his head at the wasted opportunity, but within a few seconds he seemed to recover and moving his eyes back on Nero grinned at him before pulling one of his hands out making a small fist with it.
"Of course if he doesn't see me as a stranger then I can pet him all I want right, I understand completely," Aiken said with a firm nod.
Aiken didn't understand at all but his mind was set on a goal now, a rather pathetic one but he chose to confront the problem head on.

He regretfully missed the part about avoiding Nero completely lost in his own delusions but he did look back at Petra as she brought up electrical problems, digging in his pocket he pulled out a small simple phone before flipping it open. He didn't doubt her since she knew the area but he wanted to know how bad it was, Petra was absolutely correct his phone seemed to barely be registering anything in the area. He pressed a few buttons and couldn't even access his photo function which made him outwardly sigh a bit too heavily. With a small shrug Aiken shoved it back in his pocket glancing over at Petra at the mention of the cafe, he rubbed the back of his head at this a weak chuckle coming from him. He didn't get a chance to speak about it however as she brought up the room which was the main reason he was here after all, though judging from the downstairs he was looking forward to what was waiting for him.
"I don't know about that, Nero's kind of on the top of my list now but the room is definitely right after him," Aiken said chuckling a little at his bad joke.

There were a few things still bothering him, one being the clearly suspicious mention earlier, he wasn't going to bring it back up but if people walked in wearing pin suits and fedora's he'd have to seriously consider his new living arrangements.
"Still I just got this phone it figures I wouldn't be able to use it, I'm glad you know the area Miss Griffin I would have just thought it was broken," Aiken said nodding. "There are some things I can't do at a cafe but I'll keep it in mind...Oh I'll have to get a Polaroid camera so I can take pictures of Nero so if you know where the nearest store is I'd appreciate the information. Let's go see that room."

 

[Thyme]

[fieldbox="PETRA GRIFFIN, #7ACC7A, solid, 5"][spacer]"I've reached a conclusion," Nero's decisive and incensed voice spoke out once more. "I'm going to eat him. There's no way around it."
[spacer]Sighing in frustration as she was cut off from Aiken's remarks due to Nero's vengeful mental commentary, the young woman uncrossed her arms and gingerly touched her right temple with her index and middle finger. She could feel the static begin to grow around her, messy scarlet hair starting to stick up at even more jagged and gravity-defying angles. Unaware of her own level of annoyance, Petra failed to notice the small lamp on the front office desk starting to faintly flicker on and off. She didn't know what was worse, Nero's insistent commentary, dealing with normal human beings, or Aiken's childlike demeanor. Her best guess was that it was a combination of all three that was gradually building a pounding headache within her skull.
[spacer]"Nero, please do shut up. I can barely concentrate on what the man is saying! He's our best bet so far and you know how much we need this."
[spacer]"We don't particularly need him. I'm certain that there are many other willing candidates who don't make it their mission in life to disgrace felines— "
[spacer]"Then stay out of his way."
[spacer]With a quick exhale that resembled a human sigh almost too closely, Nero raised his rump from the floor, tail held erect like a flag, and trotted towards the staircase. Petra could see the affronted sway in his walk as she watched him pad all the way upstairs and disappear around the corner into the cat-flap at the base of her apartment door. Aiken's action of snapping his phone shut and placing it back in his pocket caught her attention as she turned her head to face her new tenant. What, did he think she would lie to him about something like that? Her almost perpetually cross expression was emphasised as her brows pulled down a little bit more. Of course, no internet access would devastate most people, so she hadn't mentioned it directly in the advertisement. Try as she might, that was something she couldn't fix despite how much she wanted to.
[spacer]Petra ran a hand through her hair, smoothing down the chaotic strands of red with the gradual motion. The charm rid her hair of most of the static she had created from before and in the last few minutes, and although it looked far more presentable, she couldn't completely remove the messy nature of her tresses that gave her that constant I-only-just-got-out-of-bed look. Trying to ignore Aiken's fascination with her familiar and the potential problems that would cause, and instead striving to focus on how he was polite enough to call her Miss Griffin, the female nodded in agreement to his concurrence with her suggestion to go up to the third floor.
[spacer]"Right. Well then, follow me." She still spoke rather stiffly, turning around and starting to steadily climb up the dark-stained wooden steps. Every time her black flats touched the staircase, a wheezing creak echoed up the narrow passageway—loud enough to make people not familiar with the building think twice about climbing up to the higher floors. It was annoying to be sure, but Petra had grown so used to it that she had become suspicious of stairs that made no noise at all.
[spacer]"As you can see, the entire second floor serves as my own quarters," she continued, quickly moving past the small landing and the maroon door that functioned as the entrance to her flat. She hadn't checked behind her to see whether Aiken was following but she continued to speak under the assumption that the stairs hadn't scared him off completely. "That floor is entirely off-limits to you, which should be obvious enough. I'll have you know that I take my privacy and personal space very seriously."[/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/fieldbox][spacer][spacer][spacer][spacer][spacer][spacer][spacer][spacer][spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer][/spacer]

 

[Mizos]

Aiken wondered if he had crossed a line seeing Petra's expression seemed to shift and for a moment she seemed peeved about something, he arched a brow at her before averting his eyes deciding not to say anything more for the moment. Turning his gaze from her he noticed the lamp nearby seemed to have a small surge, he brought a hand to his chin wondering if it had something to do about the electric problem she had mentioned moments before. He made a mental note of it since the light in his room might suffer the same fate, though it wasn't enough to turn him away from the lodgings he'd just have to go buy candles and a flashlight if they should ever go out. He looked back at Petra only for his eyes to move to her hair which seemed to be moving towards the ceiling or at least trying not to stick to her skull, he reached up and smoothed his own hair wondering if there was some kind of static in the air.

Having to watch Nero leave made his shoulders droop a little but he knew chasing after him would just end up pushing him further away. Aiken always enjoyed how intelligent cat's seemed to be, Nero even appeared to sigh earlier but he chuckled at the thought and kept his attention on Petra. He wasn't sure how to judge her expressions but he hoped that would change with time, he swore she had seemed irritated at him earlier for some reason especially when his phone was out but he didn't voice it. Aiken started to wonder if Petra was one of those people who smiled by frowning, perhaps one frown was anger and the other one was happiness.
He stared at her as these questions circled in his head, though when she spoke to him he blinked a few times shaking his head a little as he came back to reality, it took a moment for him to register her words but he raised his hand giving her a two finger salute.
"Yep looking forward to it already," he said walking after her. "It's cool if I hang things in the room right, like a poster or something...I mean I don't own one but figured I'd ask."

He stopped at the stairs for a moment catching the creaks but seeing Petra wasn't stopping he walked up them occasionally stepping to the right, then to the left gauging the noise that came from them. He created an objective for himself to find the 'sweet' spot of the stairs, where they didn't creak if stepped on in a certain area. Since he was going to be living here he could memorize where to step to avoid making noise, which he would have to do since in the extremely rare case he brought a lady friend back the last thing he'd want to do is have Petra hear two sets of creaking. Considering the look in her eyes if she caught him in the act actually sent a chill up his spine, that or waking her up if he came back late. The possibilities didn't seem to bode well for him either way if he was caught, thankfully he was used to sneaking up and down creaky stairs but he put aside the necessary skill and listened to Petra. He looked over at the door to her room his eyes drooping a little seeing it would be even more of a challenge since he'd have to sneak directly pass her room.
"Of course I won't enter your territory I am a gentleman first after all and a gentleman doesn't enter a woman's room without consent," Aiken said slamming his fist on his chest. "Oh...um I didn't mean territory in terms of animal cause you're not one I was just thinking of Nero and that came up and...you know I'll just say I got it, don't enter your space."
Aiken personally didn't' want to go into her room, mostly because of the possible consequences that would follow.