Do I know you? [Jay]

[Jayson Kline]

Women seemed to never be able to just buy what they wanted to buy, always taking a detour and ending up trying on stuff they weren't going to buy anyway. Such weird creatures.. Almost everything they did Jayson found illogical, bordering on stupid even, though he wouldn't tell her that if his replies didn't already do so. At least he was able to continue standing still instead of bouncing around like a bored kid on sugar.

The pretty comment was odd, why did she need him to tell her what she was? Was she that vain? ''I like anime, Egypt and the color red.'' He replied as she asked what he liked. Obviously he knew that wasn't what she meant but he answered the question as she posed it. It had been the standard answer for questions like that, having three things in it and each representing a different side of him, or so he thought at least.

When she put on a hat then, a big one at that, she looked at Jayson while doing that thing with her eyes. That was a plus, at least her eyes weren't covered up. ''You don't need clothing to be pretty, Jen.'' He told her with honesty. Jay felt it was less than logical to ask if she was pretty now when it was obvious she knew she was, bedhead or not, frizzy hair or not.

''She didn't.'' He replied as she asked if Rayne wore hats. She seemed awfully obsessed with her.. he wondered why. Maybe it had something to do with that mind control thing she was doing. At least his manner of speech was under control now. ''Should I call her for you?'' He offered, though he wasn't sure he could. He had a number, but no idea if calls from America to Russia were a good idea.

''Why?''

[Jen Mitchellson]

Anime, Egypt and the colour red. Jen smiled as the red part fit her plans. "Good." She said, smiling gently, staring at him for a second and then chuckling. "Sorry." She waved her hand dismissively, "I just didn't picture you as an anime fan." It was nice though, to know she wasn't the only closet nerd around. Although he didn't really keep it a secret, did he? Egypt though? That made her frown. Maybe a necklace?

His comment made her blush slightly and smile. "Easy for you to say." She said in a mocking voice, "You're always pretty." And she didn't feel pretty if she didn't have some nice clothes and make up on. It was just what was expected of her, right? To look flawless. That's how it'd been at her house. Just being outside, messy as she was, was pushing her limits. Jen was confident, yes, but she also liked looking good and felt even more confident when doing so. What was so wrong with that? "Besides, you never know when a paparazzo is going to hit. I always need to look my best." She added, half teasing, winking his way. In fact, considering her father's campaign when she was young, that wasn't all that far from the truth. That was why Jen always had to be looking spotless, always smiling, always looking cute and perfect. Ah, but she wasn't that cute anymore. She grew up.

So Rayne didn't wear any hats. Well... maybe Jen should start wearing hats then. Not this one though. Too big. She placed it back to its place as he told her he could call the girl. She snorted. "Oh, you'd like that." She muttered in a bitter voice, unsure if he'd heard her. Stupid Rayne. The more she talked about her, the more jealous she got, and yet she still couldn't help but ask about her. Ha, this was news for her. Maybe it was good that she hadn't been looking for relationships. From the sights of it, she was the jealous type. Odd, considering her record. But Jayson was different, right? This was her being... protective. Yeah, that was it. Protective. He was older than her and he had that big brother aura, plus, well, he was her big brother's friend. Just like Zach. The reminder made her sigh. It seemed her brother was the one who ended up meeting all the nice guys in Pilot Ridge. Taken or gay, both in Zach's case. Such was her luck.

Jen was already moving to the jewellery and looking down at the counter, trying to look for something... Egyptian looking, if there ever was something like that, when he asked her another question. Why? Jen smiled at him, "Why what?" She knew why what. She just shrugged in response, turning her attention back at the necklaces. "I'm just curious about the kind of girl you like. You just seem so serious." She smirked, looking up at him again. "Like now. You're not having one bit of fun. I understand though. Most guys don't like shopping." She returned her attention back to the counter. "Now let me choose something to wear. I need something... Egyptian looking."

[Jayson Kline]

''No?'' He asked at the mention of not seeing him as someone who loves anime. Just wait until she saw his journal as it was a perfect copy of the death note from Death Note. He also had been told on several occassions that he would make a great 'L'. Wait, why would she see his journal? It seemed she was at it again, making him throw his thoughts around just like that. He then figured she didn't fully control her power yet because, if she could make him think things surely she could make him say things. He had said odd things to her before, but nothing he didn't want to share.. maybe this was her way of probing for information though, awaiting a slip of the tongue. ''It has been a bit slow as of late, I admit, but I still love anime.''

That being pretty comment.. why were some people so difficult in the face of compliments? ''Saying you are pretty does remain easy, because you are, Jen.'' He replied with a slight sigh. ''You're just covering up what makes you beautiful with glasses and hats.'' She was, and were Jay any other person without any sense what so ever he would have scolded her for it. Luckily for Jen he was who he was and the people around him made him act all 'stick up butt-y' though being around her seemed to counteract that quite a bit. ''I'd prefer if you refrained from wearing them.''

..who was he to tell her anything? Was she doing one of her mind things again?

As she placed the hat back she commented on his offer to call Rayne and said he would like that. In truth, he wouldn't. Rayne was someone who would give her a thorough questioning about her intentions and what she was doing. It would be awkward, even for someone like Jayson. Perhaps that was why he liked her, she did things no one else did or had managed to do. ''I would not. She would ruin whatever friendship we have.'' And in a single call, no less.

Egyptian looking..? Why was she..? Was she trying to get him to like what she was wearing as opposed to him liking the girl beneath it? What an odd thing to do. ''I'll tell you one thing about Rayne, Jen.'' He said as he walked over, slightly shaking his head. ''She never tried to get me to like her.''

[Jen Mitchellson]

Jen sent him a shy smile. She kind of liked that he was into anime. She wasn't, but it was still neat. Was he the kind to collect stuff too? Just like she was with video games? The idea made her chuckle. Probably not. That stuff was for geeks... like herself. "No." She said confidently, because he so didn't look like it, "But it's cute. Makes you seem less threatening." She winked at him as she resumed her activities in the store.

He insisted she was pretty and she grinned, rolling her eyes. Silly Jayson. "I know I'm pretty, Jayson." She said as if she was saying the sky was blue, "I just enhance my prettiness with some stuff. You can never be too beautiful, right?" She sent him a glance, looking at him up and down, "Well, you can." She added in a mutter under her breath, shaking her head. How did someone that pretty could be so serious? Maybe it was all part of his charm, to look that scary, even if he seemed to be answering and smiling more than the night before. Well, before the vodka appeared at least. He still said he didn't like her wearing them and she shrugged, leaving the hats and the glasses behind.

When he said she would ruin the friendship they had if they talked, Jen stopped whatever she was doing and looked up at him in surprise. Didn't he like this girl? "Why?" She asked nosily, obviously curious about something that wasn't her problem. She'd been jealous of the girl since he mentioned her and now he didn't even want to call her? What did happen between those two? She felt like she wasn't getting the whole story. Maybe... maybe she could ask Caelum about it?

But then he shared something about Rayne, and Jen froze on the spot. She looked up at him with narrowed eyes and a cynical smile. "I bet she didn't." She said, in what she hoped was a light voice, but she couldn't hide the venom, "You don't like that kind of girl, right? The one who makes an effort." Fuck him. She rolled her eyes and let out a breath, trying to calm herself down. She'd shown her immaturity by doing this, and she knew it. Worse, he knew it.

"You're taking me out for breakfast." She said, trying to explain, still keeping her voice down and as light as she could. "So I'm making an effort to look nice for you, Jayson. Nothing wrong with that." She shrugged and moved away. Better hurry this thing up, or she would end up even angrier at him. "There's nothing wrong with a little vanity." She said as she walked up to a dress and grabbed it suddenly, not even checking it. "It's part of us humans trying to show the world who we are." She sent him a smirk as she kept walking and grabbed a random bag. "It's called a style. Even you have one." The 'I know I'm hot enough not to put an effort' style, she figured. "I bet you even your beloved Rayne had one as well." Her little speech took her to the entrance of the changing room, and she randomly grabbed a hair tie. "Wait here."

It didn't take her long. At all, already used to the dress up deal. She walked out of there wearing a bright red short dress, her messy hair now tied in a side pony tail and still wearing the same flats as before, her previous clothes in a messy ball under her arm. She approached the lady by the counter and placed the clothes tags on it, smiling at her. "Credit card." She said, and turned to smirk at Jayson over her shoulder. "Don't start getting full of yourself. I also happen to like red." She was paying as she explained this, "You can't ever ignore a woman in red." It was an empowering colour, at least for her. She ended her transaction, placed her messy clothes inside the bag she'd grabbed and turned to him with a smile, still feeling annoyed at what he'd told her.

"Shall we?"

[Jayson Kline]

''Less threatening..?'' He repeated. He didn't know why she said this, his favorite anime was about a book that killed people, how was that not threatening? Also, why was she saying it made him look less threatening? Was he threatening her with something? Because if so he didn't know. At all. The comment aabout being cute he could live with, even if that wasn't his intention, cute just wasn't something he did, like with those anime who thrusted a cute character your way, trying extra hard to portray them as such. Throw some emoion his way and you'd get a long way. If there was one thing he was good at it was caring, though he seemed more at ease caring about drawings than actual people due to how serious he could be.

Ignoring the comment about being beautiful, missing the part about him being that, he shook his head. ''Too beautiful is a thing. Like if you overdress for anything. In my case that'd make you too beautiful.'' Not that he would ever mind such a thing. Heck, Rayne had done that multiple times to impress people- hold on, maybe she had been trying to get him to like her after all and he just didn't pick up on it. But.. someone like her could get anyone she wanted, right? He shook his head mentally then, that wasn't appropriate to think about in the presence of someone else.

Until she asked why he was saying what he did, about Rayne ruining the friendship between Jen and Jayson. ''Well..'' He mused. ''Rayne can be a bit.. childish. I think you two will clash quite a bit.'' He didn't know for sure though, and he had no intention of finding out. How would he begin doing that anyway? Take her to Russia and actively look around for Rayne? He was sure Jen would like that.

''What did I do?'' He asked when he sensed some hostility, all he said was that Rayne never tried to get him to like her as it seemed Jen was doing. He was merely trying to give her some pointers, how was that wrong? Or did she just perceive it as such? ''Are you jealous of Rayne?'' He finally tried. Maybe she was, and that would explain what she was doing. Or maybe she wasn't, and Jay had just backed himself into a corner.

He nodded when she said he was taking her out to dinner, though he stopped nodding when she said she wanted to look nice for the guy taking her out. ''You're getting me to like the clothes instead of the person behind them.'' He told her. ''You're right, nothing wrong with vanity, or style, but don't change them for anyone. Don't wear Egyptian things because of me.'' Truth was he would like it if she did, but he wouldn't tell her. ''The only thing Rayne ever wore I liked was a tattoo of an ankh on the back of her neck.'''He explained, hoping she wouldn't suddenly pop up with a tattoo then. He'd have fun explaining that one to Caelum.

''I agree that red is a great colour.'' He agreed then as she was checking out with a bag for her clothes. ''and let me carry that bag for you.'' He took the bag from her hands without awaiting an answer and laughed.

''Yes, we shall.''

[Jen Mitchellson]

"Yeah." She said as if it was obvious. "Come on, it's much less 'Holy shit, he thinks I'm an idiot' and more 'But it's okay, because he's a dork too'." Simple math, really, not that Jen was any good at math. Social math, THAT was something she rocked on. And it seemed like Jayson wasn't all that good at it. Hell, it didn't seem like he even spoke the language. Either that or, well, or he really was just thinking she was an idiot.

He claimed that being overdressed was being too beautiful and she shook her head. "Uh- no!" She disagreed, "You can be overdressed, but that's not being too beautiful." She looked up as she thought of how to explain it, "Being too beautiful is- well," She sent him a smile, "Like you, for example." She shrugged and leaned over the counter of jewellery, smiling knowingly. "You're way attractive, but you also have that dark and brooding thing going." She'd said so last night, didn't she? "We're talking first impressions here, so hear me out." She added, raising a hand before he could interrupt, "You are like a package, right? And while that might intimidate most people away, you get the good ones in. The ones who try." She smiled, shrugging again and jumping back down to look at the necklaces. "See? No such thing as too beautiful."

The good mood of having explained herself didn't last long. So Rayne was childish and they wouldn't hit it off. "How so?" She wondered, raising an eyebrow. Sure, she never got along with girls in general. Zoe was her only friend and just because, well, because they had a fun competitive thing going on. But that didn't mean she couldn't be friends with someone Jayson liked. She liked Jayson and he obviously liked Rayne, so why Jen wouldn't get along with her?

Jen looked down at the necklaces and shrugged, "Nothing." she said, although he'd done something wrong. He'd made her feel silly. She bit on her lower lip, angrily going through the stuff she was going to buy. But his next question made her stop. Was she jealous of Rayne? Oh yeah, she was. She hated that he could tell though, so she was so not going to admit that. So she turned to him, laughing dismissively, "Wow, you have such an ego." She said, rolling her eyes. "I'm just trying to be interested. As a friend." No, she wasn't, but it was easier to lie. She turned and went ahead on her business.

Liking the clothes instead of the person. Oh come on, how seriously did he take himself? She rolled her eyes again. "Tell me this, Jayson: Do you like me?" She asked with a smirk. "Whatever I wear is because I want to wear it. I like being liked." Nothing wrong with that, she thought.

Once she was out he offered to carry her bag and she raised an eyebrow. "Why?" She asked in confusion, but he already had her bag in his hands. Well, this just proved what a bunch of jerks she'd been dating so far. She had no idea men... did that.

"Okay, let's go."

[Jayson Kline]

It's okay because he's a dork..? What? Did she think he was a dork? Did liking anime turn him into one without him knowing? Well that one was a bit of a blow if he'd ever felt one. Not only did he begin to like her, but he was sure she liked him, and now she was insulting him? He shook his head mentally in confusion, what did she want? What was her idea behind all this? Did she think he was all talk and no action and that she could walk all over him without any back talk? ''A dork..?'' Wow, for some reason being called a dork, even if just in example was seen by him as an insult. ''Do you think I'm a dork, Jen?'' In his defense, it was about the worst thing he'd ever been called by a family member of one of his friends. ''If so, we're done here.'' He said sternly. People-pleasing as he was, he wouldn't take this one lying down.

Obviously he was bluffing, hoping she'd crawl out of it somehow and make it known she didn't thing he was a dork. Some sacrifices needed to be made though, he would have no qualms just walking away from her. She was Caelum's sister anyway, she'd be back. And on the offchance Caelum would get wind of it and try to talk to him about it he knew he'd win. The prankster wasn't as logical as he was.

Still hung up over the dork comment he didn't even try to interject when she said he was attractive, which actually only fueled the thought that she was into him. He kind of wanted to swear right then. ''Defend it all you want, but you won't change my mind over something as trivial. Wearing a tuxedo to a football match is being too beautiful.'' And trying too hard. He wasn't trying to make her see, he was just being stubborn. Fuck trying to please her, enough teasing terms like 'dork' had been made.

His fists tightened as he ignored most of what she said about Rayne. It was obvious that she liked Jayson, so he felt like there was no use entering a conversation with her about the girl. ''A friend doesn't probe for information.'' He told her. ''I suggest dropping the subject because I feel we both have averse feeling towards it.'' Funny that even though she was halfway around the globe she still held the power to create tension. Or maaybe that was what Jen was capable of doing. On the flipside he now knew she had no power over his mind.

''Not entirely sure I like you.'' He replied with a quick shake of his head. ''And how does this relate to how you dress?'' Either he was being utterly confused or she was making no sense.. ''If you want me to like you you might try acting nice instead of dressing nice.''

With the bag flung over his shoulder he avoided looking at her for the time being and set steps in the direction of.. wherever. He needed to cool down before making plans.

''Let's.''

[Jen Mitchellson]

Wait... was he offended or something? Oh, wow. She never thought she could get him riled up about anything, never being the few hours she'd spent with him, and now he seemed all annoyed just because she called him a dork? That was... so funny. "What?" She said with a wide smile, "It's a compliment!" It was! She called Caelum a dork all the time! And it was- Okay, it wasn't exactly a compliment, more like a term of endearment. Wow, was she now caring for Jayson now? Look at her, having friends and actually caring for them. She so was growing up. She laughed when he gave his ultimatum. "Fine!" She said teasingly, "You're not a dork. You're the coolest guy in cool world. So cool that you freeze anything around you with your coolness." She smirked at him, crossing her arms. "Better?"

She rolled her eyes at him at his stubbornness. "Fine." She said, "Not like you'd understand it anyway." She'd been trying to give him a compliment! Wow, was this guy stubborn. He seemed so set in his way and really thought everyone else wasn't as smart! At least that was the impression she was getting. So annoying.

The way he was treating the Rayne thing, not even wanting to answer her questions, was making her angry. Sure, she was jealous and yes, he was right about the outcome not being the best for either of them, but that didn't mean she wasn't curious. And here he was, denying her the right to know, even more so, scolding her for being nosy. And he didn't even like her. Great! Just great. This day was going... great.

"Oh." She said, her smile frozen. "This relates to the dress because I thought you did like me already. The dress is just an... accessory. But nice to know where I stand." He was amazing. Just awesome. How could he so plainly tell other people he disliked them without caring what they would think? It was just infuriating. Fuck giving an effort. And fuck him for not appreciating it.

Let's he'd said and she shook her head, smiling in disbelief. What a jerk. This was the moment she realised she'd rather have someone who enjoyed spending time with her, sex intentions or not, than to put up with someone's crap even if he was a gentleman. And he wanted her to go with him? The nerve!

"Oh no, sir. If you think I'm going to go now after that, you're so-" And that's when her stomach decided to growl. Loud. As if she'd somehow managed trapped a lion and a bear in there. She sent him an awkward smile. "Right. Come on, let's go."