Walk On The Wild Side (Odion)

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Going to the mall on a weekday, when high school students had classes to attend, always seemed like a good idea to Kiara. There wouldn’t be too much of a crowd, and therefore hardly any waiting lines at either the cash register or the changing rooms. Then again, at the same time it didn’t really matter given the blonde was keeping a close eye of her savings. She would really have to adore a piece of clothing or really need it before buying it as of late. Her main income had been the two evenings that she worked at The House, but now that the establishment had closed, it required more accountancy skills. Being able to share an apartment helped though, and whenever Kia did have some money left to spend… Well, it all went to Shelby or Ki’s bank account.

Today, however, the young woman contemplated on using it on a haircut. Ditch the curls and go for short. Take a drastic turn to keep the same routine she had been going through lately. It almost felt weird to not be thrown from one change into the other. It kind of made her feel uncomfortable, if only because the lack of it didn’t keep her from mulling. Kiara was seated on a bench at the mall, close to the hairdresser, yet even closer to a bakery. Given she was waiting for someone, the latter option seemed more convenient. A chocolate muffin sounded good – and she could pretty much smell it as well – but even that had a memory attached to it.

As plan C, Kiara tugged out her cellphone and aimlessly went through her contacts until she reached ‘Odion M’. A message could be send, but she didn’t want to come across as impatient. Instead Ki simply checked the hour they had agreed on to meet up. Heck, Odion still had about five minutes left. If it weren’t for all the things she was considering to do, it would be easier to just sit and wait.

[Odion Martins]

Normally Odion liked going to the mall during peak hours, where workers were busy with paying customers. That way, he could simply slip in and take what he noticed before anyone even noticed he was there. He hadn’t managed to pick up anything new since he arrived back in America, and he decided that today would be just as good a day as any other to rob a store. He merely had to like something in order to take it.

It wasn’t unusual for the redhead to be late, such were the drawbacks of having time manipulation as a power. He hadn’t seen Kiara in quite a long time, and he decided it was time they do some catching up. She, unlike most people he knew, would probably not ask questions as to his whereabouts the last few months. They hadn’t been the closest of friends, but they seemed to have fun together and this involved shopping.

As it just so happened, Odion was strolling out of the pastry shop Kiara had been so enticed by. Spotting the blond, Odi smirked to himself and sat down next to her on the bench. “Do you think you could take this extra mocha latte off my hands?” He teased, extending the drink towards her. Odion didn’t think Kiara would be the type of girl to turn down a drink, even though it was full fat and all that jazz women tended to want to avoid at all costs. “What did you want to do first?”

[Deleted]

Odion’s suspicions were correct. Kiara would not dig deep for answers about his whereabouts. The fact that they were not overly close contributed to this, along with her attempt to avoid questions like that herself. People often asked the same ones over again, so by not bringing it up too much, she should relatively succeed at shielding herself from them. Besides, digging up the past wasn’t fun. Today was about having a good time.

When Odion strolled out of the pastry shop, Ki didn’t notice him at first. Only when the guy moved to sit down next to her did she acknowledge his presence. “Hey,” It brought a smile to her lips, glad that he could have made it. And with an extra mocha latte! So what if it was pure full fat, it wasn’t like she had to look out for that. Plus, some more curves at certain places might not be a bad thing. So the blonde was more than happy to take it off his hands. “You magically happened to end up with two?” She mused with a soft laugh before ever so carefully taking a sip of the hot drink. After that, Kiara shifted into her more serious and concerned persona again. “How much was it?” Because, you know, she felt bad about just accepting something like this.

As for what she wanted to do first… “Fish crackers. Buy fish crackers. And cat treats.” Except that those could wait. “I also wanted to buy something for my brother, but not sure what yet. And probably a dress or two for summer.” Ki pursed her lips for a second, almost as if to shut herself up because the list was becoming too long. The sudden noise that erupted in the mall aided the interruption as well though. A big group of high school kids with papers in their hands. Kiara had seen this before: nearby schools organizing this list with questions that their students had to answer by finding the right stores.

“So far for a peaceful shopping day.” Her head turned to Odion again. “What do you want to buy today?”

[Odion Martins]

It was nice having someone close, and yet not too close. Odion equated his acquaintance with Kiara as something pleasant and easy to keep up with. It was almost as good as talking to a complete stranger when you had a million problems on your mind. Of course Kiara meant more to him than that, but he had no intentions of getting too close. He never had intentions of getting too close, and only one person in his entire life had gotten truly close to his heart, and he wanted to keep those people few and far between.

Odi licked his lips and grinned. “Speaking of magic, I still owe you a show.” He was of course referring to the last time they had met up and he had let it slip that he was in the business of card tricks. He was also in the business of sleight of hand, but that was neither here nor there. Odion took a sip of his and smiled – there was just something about a good cup of coffee that lifted his spirits. “A simple thank you would suffice.” Sometimes his attitude came off as rude, because when he was trying to be playful, his tone was completely monotone.

“What about fish cracker cat treats?” He grinned, and thought maybe he would nab some cat treats too, for the next time he saw Lani, and their cats naturally. Odi nodded. “Anything else?” He knew she wanted to do some shopping, but this was some serious shopping. Perfect, it would preoccupy his mind for at least a couple hours, and pleasant company was very welcome at this point in his hectic life. Odion shrugged. “A crowd doesn’t bother me,” he said, since actually it was welcome.

Getting up, Odion decided they could start browsing. “I don’t know yet, we’ll see what catches my eye.” His dark eyes followed a gaggle of girls as they went into a store that was clearly all dresses and other girly things. He gestured with the same hand that was holding his coffee towards the shop. “You like blue?” He asked with a grin, obviously looking at a dress he thought would look good on Kiara. He headed towards the shop so she wouldn’t object. “I’m sure there’s something in there for me too,” he smirked, something sparkly in the back catching his eye. Instead, he headed towards the dress and held it out to her, “You’re a small, yeah?”

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Magic was not her most favorite thing anymore. A way too well disappearance act had been pulled on her, and that had brought her back to the harsh reality, away from all the imagination and magic touch to life. Then again, back then Kiara had expressed genuine interest and curiosity, so in turn it only made sense that she would keep Odion to that. “If you happen to have a deck of cards on you, I say we reserve a couple of minutes after shopping for you to baffle me.” That shouldn’t be too hard though. Usually the girl did not understand how tricks were done, so in turn it caught her attention while she tried to figure it out.

After that, a soft nod followed and a grateful smile curled her lips. “Thank you. I must say it’s good.” The cup got raised ever so slightly – a quiet cheers. And when the conversation shifted to what she wanted to buy, she could not help but smirk at him combining some of the first things she summed up. “Shelby might be happy with that, but I wouldn’t be.” The rest included a gift for her brother and a new outfit or two. Nothing too special actually.

Odion seemed less reluctant than her to detect pretty things, but Kiara tended to be okay with this until price tags were tugged into sight. The dress that he headed towards (if this was the blue one he asked about) was pretty, yet this made her wonder if she even wanted to know how much of a bite it would take out of her budget. “I love blue.” The blonde remarked upon rising off the bench to move behind the young man as she already entered the store. By the time she ended up next to him, he was holding out the dress.

“Unless you think I gained weight, yes.” The soft chuckle that accompanied the reply gave away her attempt at a joke, not wanting the conversation to get too heavy. With that, the dress ended up in her hands. “I’ll try it on.” Because Odion had picked it out for her and before then he could give her feedback on how it looked on her.

“You don’t think it’s too… I don’t know. Do you think that it would be perfect for Easter?” Or an evening with the family. It did look like something to wear on a casual date, but that option was nowhere within reach.

“You need help picking something out?”

[Odion Martins]

As if on cue, Odion pulled out a tatter deck of cards from his sweater pocket. “I never leave without them,” he said, a smirk on his face. You never knew when a deck of cards would be useful in a social situation. Putting them away for the time being, Odion would take them out again later, as Kiara had said, when they were done shopping. He knew a few pretty good ones that had people wondering for a long time, and he wasn’t so easily swayed into giving up the secrets behind his tricks. Not even Lani could persuade him. After all, what kind of trickster would he be if his secrets were exposed?

“Shelby,” Odion repeated, his eyes peering over his coffee has he thought. “What kind of cat is she?” Because he wasn’t stupid and could put two and two together. He himself had never tried cat treats, but they couldn’t be much different than those Goldfish Crackers he saw in the stores. Odion had cats too, not that he was willing to talk about himself, but he had rescued them last year. It was the first sign that he actually had a heart. Now Lani was taking care of the trio, and Odi missed them all so much.

Odion laughed. “You are lovely Kiara, and très petite,” he said, holding the blue dress against her. “I think the dressing rooms are back there,” he said, nodding towards the change rooms before looking around the store again. While she changed, he went over to the accessories and quietly slipped a necklace or two into his pocket while the saleswoman was busy with the group of girls. His hands in his pockets, he fiddled with the mechanism that would go off if he tried to leave with the trinkets right now. Kiara was a good cover.

The saleswoman stepped away from the group to approach him, and he looked around the store like he would rather be anywhere else. “Do you need help finding anything?” She asked, and Odion shook his head no, giving a polite smile. “I’m just waiting for a friend, she’s trying on a dress,” he said. The woman nodded and went back to the group.

When Kiara came out, the blue dress fit snugly in all the right places while still remaining elegant. It wasn’t too short and it made her eyes brighter. “I think it suits you,” he said, taking her shoulders and spinning her around so she could see for herself. Odion smiled proudly – the necklaces he nabbed would go well with the dress. He shook his head, there really wasn't anything in here he wanted for himself. “Do you want it?” Odion asked, looking at Kiara’s reflection seriously. He didn’t know a lot about Kiara, but his friends were few and far between, so he wanted to treat the ones he did have the best way he knew how.

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Shelby was her pride and dearest friend. If anything were to happen to that cat, Kiara would quite possibly fall back into the same withdrawal that she had been going through during the last couple of months. So when Odion asked about what kind of cat she was, the blonde was more than happy to provide an answer. “She’s a Scottish Fold. And the sweetest cat you will ever meet.” Because, you know, it was important to brag about your pets like that. Kiara often muttered that Shelby seemed to be attached to her butt with an invisible rope, but god… did she enjoy the affection given by the feline.

As for the dress, it did fit quite well. It was, however, typical for the young woman to be hesitant when it came to making any quick decisions (and it also felt nice to have someone compliment how it looked on her, because it did help her self-esteem some). So when Odion remarked that it suited her, which in turn confirmed her own opinion, she gazed back at her reflection the second he made her turn to the mirror. Hands smoothed over the blue fabric, down from her stomach to her hips. Eyes followed that motion, until the guy asked if she wanted it. It made her look up at his reflection.

“I think I’ll buy it.” The blonde decided with a small nod before focusing on her own reflection again for a split second. “I’ll quickly get changed.” Because, you know, men were not really patient enough when it came to shopping. While Odion might not have reinforced that stereotype, Ki could not help but to worry about it either way. She wanted him to have a nice day as well, and for him to not grow bored or annoyed.

So with that she stepped into the changing room, putting on her casual outfit again. She plucked her mocha latte off the floor and then stepped out with the blue dress draped over her arm. “My first summer dress of the year, and you’re getting the honor to be present during it.” Kiara mused jokingly before placing it down at the cash register as the woman who had spoken to Odion not too long ago stepped over to scan the piece of clothing.

Soon Ki had paid for it, gratefully taking the bag from the cashier before turning to the exit. “Promise to not let me go wild on pretty dresses.” Because you could never have too many, right? Kiara might be indecisive about buying them, but she was easily sold (even though she also kept her budget in mind).

[Odion Martins]

Odion smiled as Kiara described her beloved animal. Fuck dogs, cats were much better pets. Independent, amusing, and oh so tricky. “I happen to adore cats,” Odion said, thinking of the three little rascals over at Lani’s place. “Not sure what breed the ones I have are, I found them.” Meaning, he hadn’t bought them and hopefully wouldn’t have to re-tell the story in its entirety. Sometimes Odion thought he loved cats more than people.

Perhaps Odion wasn’t friends with Kiara due to romantic interest, but he knew a pretty girl when he saw one. Kiara was naturally pretty, and her personality drew people to her, even ratty people like himself. That had to say something. Releasing her shoulders, Odi continued to grin softly and tilt his head to the side. That shade of blue would look good on him, but he wasn’t going to say so. They weren’t here for him.

“Wonderful,” Odion said, watching carefully as Kiara slipped back into the changing room. The sales woman was still busy and so Odi took the time to saunter back to where the dresses were, picked out a couple other ones labelled ‘small’, plucked the price tags and other security devices off of them, folded them neatly, and slipped them into the inside lining of his light jacket. He wasn’t a thief for nothing.

He was back in time to escort Kiara to the checkout, a silly grin on his face. “Oh yes, I am quite flattered,” he said, chuckling softly. Lacing his arm through hers as they exited the store, Odion felt quite accomplished. “I promise,” he stated, and as they headed down the grand hallway, he slipped the other two dresses and the couple necklaces he grabbed into her bag. If stealing from someone was easy, putting extras into someone’s bag was even easier.

“Pet store next?” He asked, his dark blues glancing at the many shops before them. The mall wasn’t a big place, but there wasn’t anywhere he truly wanted to go within sight. “Other suggestions?” If they did go into a male clothing store, or at least a store for everyone, then Odion could help Kiara pick out something for her brother. And maybe a little something for himself as well.

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Odion adored cats? Of course Kiara wouldn’t have given him that. It did bring a smile to her face nevertheless. She wanted to ask about it, dig deeper for details, so a mental note was made to bring it up later given her main focus had then been on trying on the dress. The same dress she had purchased merely seconds ago. So far no regrets had settled down yet, and hope was high that it would remain like that.

Once outside the store, the blonde didn’t even notice that the other two dresses and necklaces were being slipped into her bag. Sure, Kiara experienced a difference in weight, but given her arm was laced with Odion’s, it might have just been that. Eyes did drift down for a second, yet nothing was taken notice of yet. Instead she confirmed his question with a nod, approving to head to the pet store next.

“Maybe pet store first, and then a store where I can buy something for my brother.” Speaking of the former, the pet store soon enough came into sight and Kiara effortlessly guided Odion with her. It was when they reached the entrance that she broke their laced arms apart.

“Do you need something for your cats as well? What are their names btw?” A million questions could be asked, but eventually she settled for one that stirred her curiosity the most. “Did they move with you?” She didn’t ask to subtly dig for details about his past whereabouts though. She mainly checked to see if his felines had also experienced some stress, just like Shelby had when she had moved.

It got asked as she cast a brief glance over her shoulder while standing in front of the cat toys. Soon Ki’s attention was on that again, attempting to figure out which toy Shelby had already… Or maybe didn’t have yet. That would eliminate things faster. That cat was one spoiled pet.

[Odion Martins]

Parting ways as they entered the pet store, Odion was simply thinking about where they could go in the mall that would have nice things for a brother. He technically had a brother, but it wasn't something he wanted to talk about, as they hadn't spoke in a year now. Ever since Declyn had tried to get Odion to meet their parents, Odion had held a grudge. What was next? Was he to start calling himself by what they cried out upon seeing him?

Shaking his head and clearing his mind, Odion's brow scrunched as though he were being asked a very difficult question. "There's LJ, Darshay, and Shadow," he supplied, looking at all the different colorful, plastic things one could buy for their pets. He shook his head no. He wasn't sure if Lani would like it if he got anything new for the cats. "They didn't move with me, they stayed with a friend while I was away," he said, not lying entirely. They had been rescued from Hammel before they could be discovered, as he hadn't bothered coming back to clean his dorm room or make sure they were okay in the midst of his delirium.

While Kiara looked over the toys, Odion kept his hands to himself for once. There was nothing in here he wanted or thought would be fun to steal. Knowing his luck, he would unknowingly pick the noisiest thing in here and end up getting caught by security.

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A lighthearted smile formed on Kiara’s lips when Odion informed her on the names of his cats. “Three?” She chuckled softly. “I like those though.” If the blonde were certain that she could provide a steady environment that did not involve moving again within the next year or two, she quite probably would have gotten a second cat by now. She did love Shelby to death and not a single hair on her head wanted to replace the cat, but Ki did know she wanted to give more animals a loving home. Perhaps, at one point… Or earlier than expected, given her current plan B was to settle for being a cat lady.

“Anyway, if you need an extra cat carrier thing to move them back to your place, you can always borrow the one I have for Shelby.” For a second she had looked away from the toys, but soon her focus was on them again and she settled for two toys, filled with catnip, and that were designed to clean feline’s teeth. Kiara didn’t have the intention to venture further into the store for she knew she might end up broke if she did. Instead the girl stepped over to the cash register, paying for the item before wishing the woman behind it a nice day. Then she made sure Odion tagged along.

“So, um, I don’t shop for guys that often. Any chance you have an original idea on what I could get him? Other than comic book stuff or clothes? Otherwise I’ll just settle for one of those stores.”

[Odion Martins]

Odion smiled. “Yeah, seemed like a bit much at the time, but I couldn’t say no to them.” Or rather, he couldn’t just walk away, knowing that they would die if he hadn’t intervened. In the end, it showed him that yes, he actually did have a heart, it had just been suffocating all this time.

“Oh, wonderful. I will probably take you up on that offer,” Odion said, happy to talk about his cats. “I was just going to stop by the animal shelter and see what they rented out, but that will save me some money.” Because that’s what most college students were concerned with, right?

Whilst Kiara didn’t ventured further into the pet store, Odion did, filling his pockets up with little things for cats here and there, being sure to tear off the barcodes of everything so he wouldn’t get caught. He hadn’t before, there was no reason to start such a nasty habit now.

Following after Kiara, Odion was smiling to himself as he tried to imagine her reaction to all the extra goodies she would end up going home with. “Well, that depends, are you two close? You seem to know a couple things about him, but I find the best gifts to give come from close listening.” In other words, how well she knew her brother.

[Deleted]

Kiara definitely did understand the financial factor. Of course she still had her parents who would give her some money if need be, but the girl felt rather guilty and therefore too stubborn to ask. Usually she would just play her own accountant, figuring out what to save on for the month. That, however, did not make her approve of theft – completely unaware Odion resided to this.

Paying for the new toy, the blonde shrugged at the guy while paying attention to the cashier as she mentioned how much it cost. “We… used to be. It’s kind of complicated right now.” With a small smile, Ki soon thanked the woman and tucked the small bag in the one of the dress. With that, she walked out of the store.

“We haven’t spoken in a while, but I guess I know him well. Don’t think he has changed that much during the last few months.” Kiara did hope that a flawless gift would make it soften his anger some more. They kind of could be around each other again, but Everett was so avoidant.

“He likes comic books, so maybe one of those exclusive ones. Not sure how to get started on that though.” Nor without paying a fortune. With a little chuckle, blue optics settled on Odion again. “Any better ideas?”

[Odion Martins]

Odion never saw stealing as something wrong. It’s not like he went around hurting people. Businesses had insurance, and money was just a number on a screen to most people. Most banks didn’t have an eighth of the money they lent out to people – what made this any different?

Odion nodded. Of course he was curious as to what caused the rift between Kiara and her brother, but if he asked, then that meant she could ask something at a later date and expect an answer, something he wasn’t willing to do. But he did genuinely care as to why things had turned badly for his friend.

Luckily he wouldn’t have to ask. “I’ve heard blood is thicker than water,” he said, though he didn’t believe it himself. He had a twin brother he was determined never to speak to again. Odion touched her write softly for comfort. “I’m sure things will work out.” Kiara was here to spend money on her brother. If things didn’t work out, Odion would pay him an unkindly visit.

Odion smiled at the geeky idea. “Well it doesn’t hurt to look. Do you know any titles he likes?” In other words, no, Odion didn’t have any better ideas. Unless... “I could always make something for you to give him...” Odion watched Kiara carefully. The redhead was rather good with his hands, and they weren’t only used for stealing, but creating.

Pulling out his phone, Odion showed Kiara a picture of the hollowed out Bible he had given Lani as a present, with a secret lock on the back. “I won’t be offended if you think of something else,” Odi said with a kind smile and a faraway look. He wondered if Lani had kept that gift...

[Deleted]

With a little bitter chuckle, the blonde gazed at Odion. “Water isn’t exactly thick though.” But she definitely did appreciate his attempt at making her feel better about it, despite not knowing what was going on between the girl and her brother. For a second the blonde considered to inform him about the situation, simply to find out if Everett’s reaction and behavior were justified.

“I just… kind of came between him and his best friend.” Looking over at Odion, the softest of smiles formed upon her lips. “If you have or had a sister… would you be mad about that?” Perhaps more details were required, but she kind of hoped her friend could connect some dots himself. She couldn’t blame him if he didn’t though – her statement was rather vague after all.

As for titles… no. “Ye-… no.” Laughing at her own failure, Ki shook her head. “Batman stuff, maybe. Stuff that was very ‘awesome’ ten years ago.” Which probably varied quite a lot. She slowly began to realize that this plan was not well-thought through. Therefore, when Odion offered to make something, it caught her attention.

The picture shown looked great actually, but she was not sure if it would be something for her brother… Unless she were to fill the hole in the Bible with secrets – thinks that had been kept from Ev. It would be a way to ask for forgiveness and to hopefully make him understand she did want him as part of her life.

“I like it… But wouldn’t it be too much trouble?” Sure, Odion had made the suggestion himself, but that didn’t mean she felt very comfortable about it, not wanting to consume some of his free time. “What do you need for it?” Kiara then asked. They might as well buy the needed stuff now, given they were at the mall. At least if her friend was still up for it.